Chapter 1004: The Heavenly Lord Already Knows
The next day at noon, at the Chang'an Automobile Factory cafeteria.
Bin Sheng had gotten his meal, wandered around the cafeteria, and then sat down right next to one of his subordinates from the support team.
The subordinate was quite surprised and whispered, "Boss, what are your orders?"
Bin Sheng replied, "Gather in the garden next to the training ground."
After that, he walked behind another subordinate and whispered, "Gather in the garden next to the training ground."
After making his rounds, all ten subordinates had received their instructions.
About ten minutes later, Bin Sheng and his ten subordinates, each holding a lunchbox, ate their food while pretending to watch the girls on the training ground, chatting in low voices.
Bin Sheng said, "Brothers, I have something important to announce."
The other ten murmured, "Boss, tell us."
At his words, the other ten stiffened in unison.
Each of their expressions was peculiar, a mix of fear and worry that their boss was testing them...
Bin Sheng guessed their concerns and said in a low voice, "Last night, an envoy from the Jin kingdom came to see me. He didn't offer a single word of encouragement, only complaints. I got angry and killed him."
The ten support team members gasped in shock.
Bin Sheng continued, "I won't waste any more words. I'll just ask you one thing: Are you happy living here or not?"
The ten men hesitated for a long moment, then whispered, "Extremely happy."
Bin Sheng exclaimed, "Exactly!" he swore. "We live like immortals here! Though we work hard, though it's tiring, our labor has meaning. Every effort brings reward, every contribution is seen and praised. But what do we have in the Jin kingdom? We're just insignificant little spies, despised wretches. Even if we perform great deeds, it means nothing. All the glory goes to our superiors. Do we even get a sip of the soup? Do we?"
The others fell silent.
Bin Sheng said, "I'm not going back, damn it. If any of you want to go back, I won't stop you. Just don't betray your brothers. If he slips back alone, I'll consider our camaraderie and won't lay a hand on him."
It was a skillfully worded statement.
The other ten exchanged glances, then spoke almost in unison, "We're not going back either."
"I'm a Labor Model now, why the hell would I go back?"
"I've already been promoted to team leader, and my wages are about to increase."
"The director told me he'd help me fight for a promotion to assistant director."
These ten support team members had all done well for themselves. In their efforts to gather intelligence, they had worked tirelessly and strived to please their superiors. This had caused their promotions at the Chang'an Automobile Factory to soar like rockets.
Not one of them was still an entry-level laborer.
The achievements they had made at the Chang'an Automobile Factory were enough to make them proud. Compared to being a dishonorable spy, it was infinitely better.
Seeing everyone in agreement, Bin Sheng was overjoyed. "That's wonderful, brothers," he declared. "From now on, we are no longer people of the Jin kingdom. We've returned to the Great Ming."
"But... Boss..." one subordinate whispered. "We've reported our presence here. The Jin kingdom will keep sending people. Eventually, someone will expose our identities and condemn us to eternal damnation."
Bin Sheng gritted his teeth. "I have a plan."
The others looked at him expectantly.
Bin Sheng declared, "Let's turn ourselves in!"
"Turn ourselves in?"
This statement startled everyone. "Isn't that just walking straight to our deaths?"
"No, it won't be," Bin Sheng said with a serious expression. "Haven't you noticed? This place is incredibly open-minded! Everyone treats others with the greatest goodwill. I heard that Deputy Director Qi Cheng used to be a bandit and even a labor reform prisoner. But a prodigal son who returns is worth more than gold, and now he's a deputy director. If we turn ourselves in and openly reveal our identities, we'll be treated with the same understanding. At the very least, the deputy director will surely understand us."
"Too dangerous."
"We could easily die."
"It's like licking blood off a knife edge."
The subordinates began to murmur amongst themselves.
Bin Sheng said in a low voice, "Brothers, listen to me. If we don't turn ourselves in, that's when we're truly licking blood off a knife edge. Someday, a new spy will expose us, and then it's a dead end. But if we turn ourselves in now, our chances of being accepted are far greater."
The others exchanged bewildered glances.
Bin Sheng said, "We were all spies before, and every day we gambled with our lives for a future. Now, this is the most crucial gamble of our lives. If we win this gamble, we can live the rest of our lives openly and with heads held high. If we lose, well, consider it dying on a mission. Anyway, we were all prepared to be eliminated long ago."
When he put it that way, it made sense.
The ten support team members nodded together. "Boss, we're with you."
"Good!" Bin Sheng exclaimed. "Let's go to the deputy director's office right now."
The eleven men stood up together. They quickly finished their boxed meals and strode with swaggering steps towards the deputy director's office.
These eleven men were the rising stars of the Chang'an Automobile Factory, the most popular and "promising young men," affectionately called the "Eleven Outstanding Youths of Chang'an Automobile Factory" by the factory girls. As they all walked off together.
Their confident, almost arrogant strides immediately drew countless curious stares from passersby.
In this manner, under the astonished gazes of many, they arrived at the deputy director's office and gently knocked on the door.
Qi Cheng's gentle voice sounded from inside the room: "No need to come in! The Heavenly Lord just issued a divine decree to me, saying that all eleven of you have turned over a new leaf and decided to become upright individuals."
Bin Sheng and the others were utterly stunned.
This shock was immense.
The eleven men were so terrified they nearly lost their souls.
Was the Heavenly Lord truly omniscient? Since arriving here, they had constantly heard the Heavenly Lord's name mentioned, but they had never seen a divine miracle. They had thought the Heavenly Lord was just a boring myth, not real.
But at this moment, they truly understood the Heavenly Lord's boundless powers.
Qi Cheng's voice continued from inside the room: "The Heavenly Lord said that this matter should not be blown out of proportion. You yourselves know, just don't tell anyone else. Go back to your workshops, work hard, and act as if nothing happened."
Bin Sheng was overcome with joy. He prostrated himself deeply towards the sky, crying, "The Heavenly Lord is benevolent!"
"Oh, and," Qi Cheng continued, "if any more spies from the Jin kingdom come to contact you, don't risk killing them yourself. Report it to the factory's militia, and someone will handle it. And that body shouldn't just be buried in the woods. What if wild dogs dig it up someday? How terrifying would that be? Go move that body tonight and give it a proper burial."
Bin Sheng and the others were all overjoyed. "For people like us to receive such magnanimous treatment," he proclaimed, "we are truly grateful to the Heavenly Lord. If we ever harbor any ill intent in this life, may we be struck by five bolts of thunder!"
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