Chapter 1003: It Should Have Been This Way All Along
Bin Sheng’s heart pounded a little, but this was no time for apprehension.
He quickly jotted down the cryptic string of numbers written beneath the sign on the door, then reached out and erased the mark.
Back in his room, he opened *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* and, meticulously cross-referenced the numbers to find the corresponding characters, word by agonizing word.
Before long, Bin Sheng deciphered the message: it instructed him to meet at the third watch tonight in the small cluster of trees behind the Chang’an Automobile Factory.
Bin Sheng gritted his teeth, his fists clenched tight.
That night, at the third watch.
In ancient times, the third watch corresponded to only midnight in the modern era.
Who would go to bed that early, at midnight?
Li Daoxuan hadn't slept; he was still sitting in front of his computer, scrolling through the metrics for his latest short series. The recently filmed *Battle of Liaoluo Bay* wasn't performing particularly well, only pulling in six or seven million in revenue.
Artillery bombardments, being largely special effects creations, failed to impress modern audiences, which was why this short series hadn't sold well.
Li Daoxuan opened QQ and messaged Queen Qianyan M: "Didn't make much this time, my bad. The script wasn't up to par on my end."
Queen Qianyan M replied: "For me, this revenue is already substantial. Thanks for including me, brother. Hit me up for the next one."
Li Daoxuan smiled and typed, "Will do."
He closed the chat, and his phone suddenly chimed.
It was the diorama box's surveillance camera, set to alert him only when it detected abnormal activity.
His eyebrows shot up. "Huh? Something's moving?"
Before dark, he'd moved the diorama box's field of vision to the Chang'an Automobile Factory and parked it there. Consequently, the surveillance camera had been monitoring the factory all night.
What exactly was causing this abnormal activity?
Li Daoxuan focused his attention on the box.
He quickly spotted a figure, clad in black, scaling a wall.
His first thought was 'thief.' A long time ago, Puzhou had experienced a similar incident, with someone scaling a wall in the dead of night, and Li Daoxuan had captured the moment perfectly.
Li Daoxuan was about to deliver divine punishment to this thief and toss him into a Labor Reform camp.
Then he realized: *Wait*.
This wasn't a thief. A thief would be scaling the wall *into* the factory from outside, but this black-clad figure was climbing *out* of the factory from the inside.
This was rather intriguing.
Li Daoxuan wasn't in a hurry to intervene; he settled back, ready to observe the unfolding drama.
With the "Focus" function active, Li Daoxuan's perspective passed through the black-clad man's mask, revealing his face. He actually recognized it; the man had been featured on Gaojia News just a few days prior as a leading figure at the Chang'an Automobile Factory, a paragon of the new generation, named Bin Sheng.
Bin Sheng was one of the individuals Li Daoxuan had personally taken note of, and seeing him scaling the wall struck him as decidedly odd.
Bin Sheng cautiously slipped over the wall, then stealthily entered the small cluster of trees behind the factory, making his way deep into the foliage.
There, another figure in black appeared to have been waiting for him for quite some time.
Bin Sheng said: "I'm here."
To Li Daoxuan's surprise, he spoke Manchu.
The instant the words left his lips, Li Daoxuan realized he couldn't understand a word.
That was quite a snag!
But it wasn't a big problem. A new "Mystical Translation Button" function had long since been derived on the diorama box. With a single press, all spoken words would be translated into standard Mandarin in Li Daoxuan's mind.
Li Daoxuan reached out and pressed the "Translate" button.
The other figure spoke: "You're here? Hmph. I thought you wouldn't show up."
Bin Sheng replied: "You jest, sir. How could I possibly not come?"
The other figure pressed: "The Emperor has been waiting for your schematics, but several months have passed, and not a trace of them has appeared. Are you trying to betray His Majesty?"
Bin Sheng explained: "After diligent investigation, I discovered that the schematics for these great iron vehicles are incredibly complex; they cannot be contained on simple single sheets. A single component can easily fill an entire page... The entire set of vehicle schematics, when put together, constitutes a formidable stack, not something easily acquired."
The other figure demanded: "How much have you managed to get?"
Bin Sheng produced a blueprint—the bearing schematics his subordinate had given him—then reached into his bosom and retrieved several steam engine component schematics from his inner garments.
The other figure frowned. "What are these bizarre things? They bear no resemblance to the great iron vehicles at all."
Bin Sheng replied: "As I just explained, these are components, merely components. They only form a complete great iron vehicle when assembled. This is just a very, very small fraction of the vehicle. To assemble the entire thing requires an immense number of complex procedures; it's not a task to be completed overnight."
The other figure snapped, "Nonsense! It's just a box on four wheels, isn't it? How can it be as complicated as you claim?"
Bin Sheng insisted: "I speak nothing but the truth."
Hmph.
He clearly didn't quite believe him, but understanding nothing of the matter, he couldn't argue with Bin Sheng; an amateur commander couldn't truly dictate to a technical expert. He muttered darkly, "In short, acquire the remaining schematics as quickly as possible. And be quick about it."
Bin Sheng's expression was a complex mix of emotions.
He felt a wave of indignation. He had risked everything to steal these schematics, toiled tirelessly, researched relentlessly, and finally achieved these hard-won results.
In the eyes of the Chang'an Automobile Factory staff, his achievements were monumental contributions; he'd been showered with accolades, generous bonuses, and even a beautiful wife...
But on *this* side!
Here, he was questioned, disparaged, and met with a dismissive snort.
Bin Sheng's expression hardened, and his voice dropped, growing dangerously low, as he said to the black-clad man: "Oh, and I have one more thing to hand over to you."
The other figure's interest piqued. "Oh? Let's see it."
Bin Sheng reached into his bosom, fumbling... fumbling... fumbling...
When he withdrew his fist from his inner garments, it was clenched tight; what he held within his tight grasp remained a mystery.
The other figure couldn't help but lean closer, curiosity overriding caution.
But then Bin Sheng unfurled his palm, and it was completely empty.
The other figure blinked. "Huh?"
In the flash of an eye, a dagger slipped from Bin Sheng's left sleeve, and with a sickening "thwack," it plunged deep into the other figure's chest.
The other figure clutched his chest, stumbling backward, gasping, "You... you..."
Bin Sheng's voice grim, he declared: "From this day forward, I want to be a good man!"
The other figure's eyes wide with disbelief, he toppled backward, staring blankly up at the sky.
Bin Sheng looked left and right, ensuring he was unobserved. Only then did he drag the other figure's body deeper into the woods, dug furiously, excavating a deep pit, kicked the body in, then meticulously covered it with soil.
Oh, and the few schematics he'd brought with him were also buried in the pit.
He no longer wanted them!
What earthly use were those schematics now?
Once all this was done, the feeling of oppressive gloom that had been pressing on his chest suddenly lifted, and he felt an immediate lightness wash over him.
A deep breath escaped him.
It was high time for this. High time.
Bin Sheng strode purposefully back towards the Chang’an Automobile Factory.
Li Daoxuan couldn't help but crack a wry smile at this.
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