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Chapter 1181: Spies Infiltrate the Factory

As Mi Qianhu approached the factory gate, the security guards from the factory's security department immediately fixed their eyes on him.

A quick assessment revealed his tattered clothes and the weary bearing of someone who had traveled a great distance. "Just a poor, common man," they thought.

The guards' expressions immediately softened, a stark contrast to their strict demeanor with Zhu Yujian moments earlier. One waved Mi Qianhu over, calling out, "Hey, brother, what brings you to the Chang'an Automobile Factory?"

With trembling hands, Mi Qianhu presented the recruitment notice he had just retrieved from the ground. "I found this on the roadside," he said. "Are you hiring here?"

The guard smiled. "Yes, we are. Oh? You can actually read, brother? No one read this recruitment notice to you, and you understood it all by yourself?"

Mi Qianhu's heart leaped. "Damn, I'm exposed!"

To be cut down before even drawing a blade, truly a tragic end to an endeavor.

Carelessness with details invariably led to such disastrous blunders.

Sweat beaded profusely on Mi Qianhu's brow, streaming down his face. The dagger concealed in his sleeve slipped quietly to his wrist, ready for him to lash out at a moment's notice.

Yet, the guard didn't dwell on the minor incongruity. He just chuckled. "Reading is excellent! Why would a literate man like you come for such heavy labor? You're in luck; our Deputy Director is personally handling interviews in the Human Resources Department today. Just tell him you can read when you go in; he might even fast-track you to a much better role!"

Mi Qianhu blinked. "Huh? Wait, what?"

He had actually bluffed his way through! What a stroke of luck!

Mi Qianhu's hand trembled, and the dagger retracted smoothly back into his sleeve.

Behind him, his subordinates, one by one, successfully navigated the guards' questions and gained entry. The entire group walked together but maintained a careful pretense of being strangers, following the security personnel towards the Human Resources Department.

As they walked, they spotted the Hat-wearing Man.

The Hat-wearing Man seemed far more at liberty than they were. He wasn't being monitored by guards; instead, he freely slipped into a large building. From inside, a strange sound echoed: "Whoosh, whoosh, rumble... whoosh." They couldn't tell what kind of monstrous thing was roaring within.

Mi Qianhu thought to himself, "No rush! Once I'm an employee here, I can pursue the Hat-wearing Man. Zhu Yujian might very well be hiding within these walls. Patience! Patience!"

Soon, the entire group arrived at the Human Resources Department.

Deputy Director Bin Sheng happened to be strolling through the Human Resources Department that day, inspecting their operations.

Bin Sheng was a veritable legend at the Chang'an Automobile Factory. He had started as nothing more than a common laborer, but within days, propelled by his prodigious learning ability and relentless work ethic, he transformed into a skilled technician.

Then, as if under a protagonist's divine favor, he rocketed through the ranks, and now held the esteemed position of Deputy Director.

He had since married Yanzi, and as a dual-income household, the factory had made special accommodations, allocating them a spacious house. The young couple had just happily moved into their new residence.

It was a resounding success, both professionally and personally.

Even as Deputy Director, Bin Sheng maintained the rigorous self-discipline of a soldier. He remained diligent, hardworking, steadfast, and utterly without complaint, often found toiling alongside the ordinary laborers on the front lines.

Indeed, despite it being his scheduled day off, he had come to the Human Resources Department to personally oversee the factory's recruitment progress.

"Director Bin!" the guard called out to him. "The fellow who came to apply today is quite impressive; he's actually literate!"

Bin Sheng's eyes lit up. "Literate?"

A literate worker was a rare gem. With proper nurturing, they could potentially become another invaluable pillar for the factory.

Bin Sheng's gaze immediately settled on Mi Qianhu.

Mi Qianhu felt a flicker of tension. He understood implicitly that exposure meant certain death. Taking a deep breath, he quickly began to fabricate a story: "This humble one hails from Northern Zhili. Last year, when the Manchu invaders came, Northern Zhili suffered countless ravages of war, and so this humble one fled west."

Bin Sheng's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. *Interesting!* he mused. *When I led a team of spies into this very Chang'an Automobile Factory, I claimed I was from the Northeast, ravaged by the Manchu, and had fled to Xi'an to seek a livelihood. Now, this man before me claims to have fled from Northern Zhili. Isn't that a little too coincidental?*

Bin Sheng's tone shifted. "Brother, you can read and write?"

Mi Qianhu couldn't very well claim illiteracy now. He could only nod, saying, "I've learned a few characters."

Bin Sheng nodded. "Excellent, excellent. Literate individuals are treasures here. It would be a waste to have you engaged in mere manual labor. I believe you'd be better suited for a more internal position."

"Internal?" Mi Qianhu's spirits soared. *The more internal the position, the greater my chances of uncovering the Hat-wearing Man's true connection to this factory,* he thought. *And the easier it will be to determine if Zhu Yujian is indeed hiding within its sprawling grounds.*

"An internal position sounds excellent!" Mi Qianhu quickly affirmed. "This humble one will certainly apply himself with utmost diligence!"

Bin Sheng's gaze swirled for a moment. "Tell you what," he suggested, "I happen to need someone to assist me with document management. How would you like to help me oversee the factory's critical information?"

Mi Qianhu's delight was barely contained. "What kind of documents are they?" he asked, feigning apprehension. "This humble one fears he might not manage them with sufficient skill."

Bin Sheng's tone became gravely serious. "There are blueprints for the heavy armored cars... and the personal information of every single person in the factory..."

Mi Qianhu had no interest whatsoever in the blueprints for heavy armored cars; he didn't even grasp what they were. But the phrase "personal information of every single person" immediately sparked immense excitement within him. *If I can get my hands on that data and quickly skim through it, wouldn't I instantly know if Zhu Yujian is hiding here?*

Mi Qianhu declared, "This humble one will certainly exert his utmost effort to excel in this task!"

Bin Sheng offered a warm smile. "Excellent, excellent. It's settled then."

He abruptly ceased his involvement in the interviews and strode swiftly out of the Human Resources Department.

The Human Resources staff didn't know why, but paid it no mind. They simply continued their work, engaging in conversation with Mi Qianhu's subordinates.

Bin Sheng swiftly exited the Human Resources Department, then turned and slipped discreetly into the Security Department.

The Head of Security was in the midst of regaling a group of his subordinates with a dramatic tale of reinforcing Hanzhong, spittle flying from his mouth as he spoke. "At that critical moment," he boomed, "the bandit's arrow was a mere 0.01 centimeters from my throat, but..."

It was at this point that Bin Sheng strode in, his voice grave. "Security Department," he announced, "we have a situation."

The Head of Security sprang instantly to his feet. "Ah, Director Bin!" he exclaimed. "What's the job? Have workers been fighting in the factory again?"

Bin Sheng's face was grim. "If I'm not mistaken," he stated, "spies have infiltrated the factory."

"Spies?" The word sent a jolt through everyone. The security personnel, who had been laughing moments before, instantly had their faces darken. An palpable aura of menace permeated the room. The guards, each looking more ferocious than the last, awaited only a single command to go out and apprehend the culprits.

The Head of Security's voice dropped, becoming serious. "What's the situation?"

Bin Sheng explained, "The group currently interviewing in the Human Resources Department—every single one of them is a spy. I've already secured their leader; I'll bring him to my office and monitor him closely. His subordinates, however, are all feigning ignorance of their association with him. They'll disperse into the various workshops to steal crucial information from our Chang'an Automobile Factory. There's absolutely no doubt about it."

The Head of Security pounded his fist. "How audacious!" he thundered. "I'll take men over right now and arrest them all! We'll throw them into the Huanglong Mountain Labor Reform Camp!"