My sister broke off her engagement to marry someone richer? My older sister married me and became in

Lei Dong showed no surprise as he slowly finished his last puff of cigarette.

Instead, a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"No chance? No, this is precisely our best chance."

Chen Pi was taken aback: "Boss, what do you mean? The cops are already blocking the door, and you still have a chance?"

"idiot."

Lei Dong gave him a cold glance.

"Think about it, he even invited the police chief to endorse him. What does that say?"

Chen Pi thought for a moment, then hesitated and said, "Does that mean he has strong connections?"

"That's for others to see."

Lei Dong's voice was very low, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

"This means he's now the focus of the entire county! Everyone's eyes, whether they're filled with envy, jealousy, or fawning, are glued to his new factory and to Lu Qingshan himself!"

He paused, then looked up towards the distant Changbai Mountain.

"With everyone eyeing the city as a lucrative prize, no one will notice who... has quietly slipped into the mountains."

Chen Pi suddenly realized: "Boss, you mean...?"

"Feint to the east while attacking in the west."

Lei Dong uttered four words, his face bearing the cruel smile of a hunter setting a trap.

"The bigger the stage he builds, the louder the gongs and drums he beats, the bigger the loopholes become in the mountains. What we need isn't him as a person, but his source of ginseng!"

"Pass on the message,"

Lei Dong decisively ordered, "Tell Ajiu and the others not to wait any longer, set off ahead of time and head into the mountains! This man surnamed Lu is from Hongshi Village. Whichever path the people from that village take to gather herbs, we'll be on that path...waiting there."

He stuck out his tongue and licked his chapped lips, his eyes filled with the excitement and greed of a venomous snake eyeing its prey.

"Let's not fish in his heavily guarded pond, let's go to the source of his water... cast our lines, and catch a bigger fish!"

"withdraw!"

……

The sound of firecrackers finally stopped inside the factory area.

"The auspicious time has arrived—! Ribbon-cutting ceremony!"

With a shout from the emcee, amidst deafening applause and cheers, Lu Qingshan and Lin Xiulan stood side by side.

The two of them grabbed a pair of golden scissors tied with a big red flower, and with a "snip," cut the red silk that was lying across the stage.

Before the smell of gunpowder from the firecrackers had even dissipated, Lu Qingshan picked up a tin megaphone and, without uttering a single word, stood directly on the makeshift platform made of wooden planks.

In an instant, all the noise fell silent, and the eyes of nearly a hundred workers were focused on him.

Lu Qingshan took a deep breath, and his voice, amplified by the tin loudspeaker, drowned out all other sounds and clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Brothers, uncles!"

He didn't say "fellow workers," but used a more informal and intimate term.

"I know that everyone who's following me, Lu Qingshan, has been having some doubts."

"Back in the Hongshan Smelting Workshop, you did the hardest work and got the least pay. In the end, when the factory went bankrupt, you almost couldn't even afford to eat."

"I, Lu Qingshan, am young and inexperienced. No one knows for sure whether I'm reliable!"

Below the stage, many of the older workers had mixed feelings, and some even lowered their heads.

What Lu Qingshan said was their truest thought.

"Today, I, Lu Qingshan, will not spout any empty platitudes! I will announce three things right here and now, in front of all the elders of the county!"

He raised the first finger.

"First! Starting today, every single one of the old workers who stayed at the original Hongshan Smelting Workshop and worked for me will have their wages increased by 10% from their original maximum!"

There was a deathly silence in the audience. The workers seemed not to have heard clearly, and their eyes were wide open.

Lu Qingshan raised his second finger, his voice becoming even louder.

"Secondly! This month's salary won't wait until the end of the month; it'll be paid today! Right after the ribbon-cutting ceremony! Not only that, next month's guaranteed living allowance will also be paid today! So everyone can work with me with peace of mind!"

This caused an uproar among the crowd!

"What? You'll get two months' pay?"

"Did I hear that right? A raise?!"

Before they could recover from their ecstasy, Lu Qingshan raised his third finger, his voice carrying a resolute determination.

"Third! And most importantly! From today onwards, for any worker of Xiushan Industry who faces a family crisis, the factory will take care of it!"

"If anyone's child is promising and gets into university but can't afford the tuition, the factory will pay for it!"

"I don't ask that you all see me as a benefactor. I only hope that Xiushan Industry can be a home for all of you! A home that can give you dignity and enough to eat!"

"boom--!!!"

After a long silence, nearly a hundred workers in the audience erupted in a thunderous roar!

"Director Lu is benevolent!"

"We'll work for you, Director Lu!"

They excitedly threw their helmets and gloves into the air, their weathered faces showing shock, elation, and tears.

This excessively young factory director has, today, given those who have been almost forgotten by society, the most genuine respect and hope.

The banquet ended, and the excitement gradually faded away.

Lu Qingshan pulled Wang Jianguo to a quiet corner of the courtyard, took out a cigarette, handed it to him, and lit it for him himself.

"Director Wang, you've given us way too much face today."

Lu Qingshan said sincerely.

"I, Lu Qingshan, will remember this kindness for the rest of my life."

Wang Jianguo waved his hand, took a deep drag on his cigarette, and exhaled a cloud of smoke carrying a sense of melancholy. He lowered his voice and said...

"We're like brothers, there's no need for such formalities. Besides, I'm not here today solely to support you."

Lu Qingshan was taken aback. Seeing that Wang Jianguo was not in high spirits and had a furrowed brow, he asked another question.

"What's wrong, Director Wang? Your brows are so furrowed you could trap a fly. You should be riding high now that Yu Bo's case is solved."

"Don't even mention it."

Wang Jianguo waved his hand impatiently.

"It has nothing to do with Yu Bo's matter. The provincial department just issued an urgent notice for assistance in the investigation. Several ruthless bandits committed a bloody crime on the border, killing people and stealing guns, and have fled into our province. This group is very professional, all of them are tough characters, with extremely strong counter-surveillance capabilities, and they all carry weapons."

He glanced at Lu Qingshan and warned him.

"I can help you with your business, but you can't get involved in this. And don't go asking around, understand? Just be careful."

Lu Qingshan's heart sank suddenly.

He recalled the strange noises coming from the warehouse a few nights ago, the muddy military boot footprints he found the next morning that didn't belong to anyone in the factory, and the cigarette butt that smelled faintly of blood.