The Head of Security was already halfway to issuing arrest orders when Bin Sheng suddenly raised a hand.
"Hold on."
The room froze.
The Head of Security looked at him, confused. "Director Bin?"
Bin Sheng spoke calmly, but his eyes were cold.
"We do not yet know where these infiltrators co from. They might be spies from Jin. Or Mongols. Or Joseon. Or even Western powers. If you storm in and arrest them now, and they refuse to speak no matter how we pressure them, then every lead dies with them."
Silence fell.
The Head of Security slowly nodded.
"A long line to catch a big fish."
"Exactly." Bin Sheng's voice carried frost. "In espionage work, impatience is a mortal sin. You wait. You endure. You pretend not to know. Only then can you follow the thread back to the bigger monster behind the curtain."
He swept his gaze across the room.
"This is not about arresting twenty-five n. This is about discovering their country of origin. What secrets they intend to steal. Who else inside the factory supports them. Who outside receives their information."
His voice lowered further.
"We are not catching mice. We are uprooting an entire network."
The guards straightened.
"Understood!"
The Head of Security looked at Bin Sheng with admiration. "Director Bin, I had no idea you were versed in intelligence warfare as well."
Bin Sheng coughed lightly, his weathered face faintly red.
"Ahem. I am not particularly skilled. And stop looking at like that."
The guards laughed awkwardly.
But inside, Bin Sheng was already thinking.
No.
These are security personnel.
Good n. Brave n.
But espionage is a different battlefield.
In that world, one misstep ans vanishing without a body.
If I leave this to them alone, they may die before even realizing they are dead.
He needed veterans.
People who had walked through that darkness before.
He walked casually toward the staff cafeteria as if stretching his legs.
At the entrance, in a hidden corner of the doorfra, he drew a tiny chalk mark.
Small.
Almost invisible.
Then he entered, collected an ordinary al, and sat alone in a quiet corner.
He ate slowly.
Three minutes later, a man carrying a tray approached.
It was one of his forr operatives from the old Jin state. Now Deputy Director of the Armored Plate Assembly Workshop.
He sat down heavily and spoke loudly, "Director Bin, mind if I join you?"
Bin Sheng laughed heartily. "We're all one family. Sit."
They had barely taken a few bites when another arrived. Then another.
Soon ten trusted subordinates sat around the table.
Eleven n in total.
They joked about production quotas. Complained about machine noise. Mocked cafeteria food.
Anyone watching would see nothing unusual.
But beneath the laughter, voices dropped low.
Bin Sheng smiled as he chewed, but his tone turned serious.
"Spies have entered the factory."
Chopsticks paused for a fraction of a second.
"Their leader's surna is Mi. Literate. Commands twenty-four subordinates. Steady footsteps. Trained in martial arts."
One muttered, "From Jin again?"
"It's called Qing now," another whispered.
"I still prefer Jin," ca the quiet reply.
Bin Sheng continued, "He does not recognize . So perhaps not Jin. But we assu nothing. They outnumber us more than two to one. If conflict cos, each of you must be prepared to handle two opponents."
One man frowned. "Did not the Heavenly Lord instruct us that upon discovering spies, we report to Security and avoid direct engagent?"
"I already inford Security," Bin Sheng said. "They will monitor them. But they do not understand this battlefield."
And that was the truth.
What do you call war between spies?
Boundless Hell.
A place without light.
A place where smiles hide knives.
Security guards could not see that abyss.
Bin Sheng lowered his voice.
"They will assist. But the true struggle falls to us."
Soone chuckled lightly. "Promotion and salary increase?"
Another shrugged. "I am already satisfied. Life here is a thousand tis better than it was in Jin."
Heads nodded.
Yes.
Here they had steady wages. Warm hos. Respect. Dignity.
Bin Sheng's tone hardened.
"If we fail to protect this life, if these spies steal our secrets, if Gao Family Village's militia loses a future war, and if Dao Xuan Tianzun happens to be traveling so immortal island and does not intervene…"
He let the thought hang.
"Then everything we built disappears."
The laughter vanished.
Faces tightened.
"You're right," soone whispered.
Another nodded. "No one will protect this place for us."
Eleven voices breathed softly.
"Let's do it."
Monts later, smiles returned.
"Director Bin, I'm full!"
"Director Zheng, I stole a piece of your at!"
"Hahaha!"
They rose one by one, trays in hand, blending back into the factory flow.
To any outsider, it was nothing.
To those who understood, war had begun.
—
At that very mont, Zhu Yujian stepped out of the armored vehicle workshop, eyes shining.
"Incredible! This Chang'an Automobile Factory truly deserves its reputation as a military powerhouse. I've never seen anything like it."
Vice Director Qi Cheng walked beside him, smiling.
"The armored workshop is impressive, but it is not our pinnacle. The motor workshop is where the real magic lies."
"Motor?" Zhu Yujian asked. "The heart of the electric fan?"
"Precisely. The motor is its heart. Like a steam engine, it produces continuous rotational force. With gears and bearings, we redirect that power across countless industries."
Qi Cheng's pride slipped through.
"Electric fans are rely the beginning. We are researching replacing steam engines in vehicles entirely."
Zhu Yujian frowned slightly. "But motors require electricity. Surely a carriage cannot drag a cable everywhere it goes?"
Qi Cheng smiled as if revealing a small secret.
"We erect power poles along the entire road. A thick cable runs overhead. The vehicle extends two connector arms upward, attaches to the cable, and draws power as it travels."
Zhu Yujian stopped walking.
His eyes widened.
"So that is the solution."
He laughed in admiration.
"Brilliant."
Qi Cheng nodded modestly. "Still in research. Not yet complete."
"I eagerly await its success."
As they walked and spoke, Mi Qianhu happened to pass nearby.
He glanced sideways at Zhu Yujian.
Just one glance.
Not long.
But sharp.
A short distance away, Bin Sheng watched Mi Qianhu from the shadows.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Tsk.
Is he here for the motor technology?
Or sothing even deeper?
Inside the Chang'an Automobile Factory, beneath the roar of machines and the scent of oil and iron, Boundless Hell had quietly opened its gates.
Reviews
All reviews (0)