“What are you doing?”

Ignoring Huang Yong’s question, He Lei went straight to knock on Liu Fugui’s office door.

For the fourth time since He Lei returned, he came to the chairman’s office with the same purpose: to ask when he would be sent up the mountain to bring back the survivors to the factory.

But Liu Fugui’s answer was always the same, just, “Let’s put this matter aside for now. I have my own plans. It’s not the right time yet; when the time is right, I’ll have Huang Yong notify you.”

Huang Yong, it’s always TM Huang Yong. Now, anyone who mentions those two words might be subject to He Lei’s tirade, which they could not avoid.

Although there’s a bellyful of reluctance and a desire to beat Liu Fugui up, He Lei only dares to entertain those thoughts in his mind.

He came again today mainly because he saw Huang Yong’s men leaving and returning, so he decided he had to demand a clear explanation from Liu Fugui.

Upon entering the room, He Lei cut straight to the chase, “Mr. Liu, I’m here for one thing: to ask when I can go get the people! You previously told me that the timing wasn’t right and couldn’t send anyone out. But now Huang Yong’s men have gone out, so I suppose the timing should be right now!”

“Furthermore, you repeatedly emphasized the personnel shortage in our factory, and the people on the mountain can perfectly fill our manpower gap, right? Mr. Liu, opportunities are fleeting, and they won’t come again. In my opinion, now is the perfect time to act. I’ve already gotten acquainted with them, and they don’t guard against me. Just let me lead the team up there, and I guarantee I’ll bring them all back. If you’re not assured, I’m willing to pledge a military vow—if I can’t bring them back, you can deal with me as you please!”

He Lei spoke with evident excitement, clearly showing he had been holding a lot of resentment over this matter.

Yet, despite his fervent speech, Liu Fugui remained unmoved, not even raising his head, “He Lei! I’ve said this matter’s timing isn’t right for a reason. Not sending you is not because I doubt your ability; quite the contrary, it’s because I trust in your strength that I won’t send you on this risky mission without absolute assurance. You mentioned that there are around 20 people on the other side; to bring them back, I’d have to allocate at least more than ten people for you. But if I assign people to you, what about defending the base? What if there’s a sudden attack? Hence, I can’t give you that many people. Letting you go without adequate manpower would be highly irresponsible. Besides, they know the mountain forest better than we do. So, now you should understand the reason behind this!”

“But…”

“Enough! He Lei! How many times do I need to say it? To be blunt, I’m not going to risk my key personnel’s lives for those few survivors.”

It must be said that Liu Fugui’s final words were indeed quite touching. If he could shed a couple of tears, he could act in a melodrama.

He Lei couldn’t deny being moved, though he knew Liu Fugui often spoke half-truths, so he couldn’t fully believe him most of the time.

Especially this speech; if it had been in the past, he might have felt excited, as regardless of the situation, the words seemed to show the other’s high regard for him.

However, at this moment, none of that mattered, as He Lei’s mind solely focused on quickly returning to the mountain: hence…

“Mr. Liu, I certainly understand your care, but we still have two brothers up in the mountain. If I don’t return promptly, I’m worried the people there might misunderstand that we’re unwilling to accept them and harm the two brothers. If that happens, how could I face our brothers down here!”

After speaking, He Lei fixed his gaze on Liu Fugui, hoping his words would have some impact.

Liu Fugui didn’t rush to reply but instead grabbed a teacup, poured some tea for himself, gently shook it twice, smelled the aroma, and said calmly:

“Haha! He Lei, you needn’t worry about those two brothers; there’s a reason I’ve kept them there. They’ve followed me for so many years, so by now your prolonged absence should surely allow them to guess my intentions. Of course, if they can’t even guess that, then there’s no need for them to return—they’re not needed as useless burdens! Moreover, I’ll be honest with you: to prevent any leaks or possible coercion leading to betrayal, I’ve already instructed Huang Yong to strengthen the factory’s defensive deployment. If those two brothers don’t betray us, then fine, but if they dare have any ulterior motives, hmm hmm!”

With a sudden arch of his brows, Liu Fugui’s piercing gaze fixed directly on He Lei.

The latter felt a cold sweat break out all over his body, having not seen Liu Fugui’s cold eyes for a long time.

He had almost forgotten that the seemingly gentle middle-aged man before him had once, in earlier years, been a Demon who killed without batting an eye.

“Do you have more questions?”

How could He Lei dare to continue discussing this topic? He quickly replied, “No, Mr. Liu, you’re right. This matter indeed can’t be rushed. It was my oversight and impatience… when the time is right, just ask Huang Yong to notify me, and I’ll make sure to complete the mission beautifully.”

“Good, very good! Would you like a cup of Longjing tea? I just brewed it; the aroma is wonderful!”

“Uh~ No, no,” He Lei couldn’t think of anything else at the moment but politeness, so he immediately declined, “Well, Mr. Liu, it’s getting late, so I won’t disturb your rest any longer!”

“Oh, is that so! Then I won’t keep you. Go back and rest early. Don’t think too much about the outing; I’ll inform you when the time comes.”

“Alright, alright! Okay! Mr. Liu, have a good rest, I’ll be leaving now!”

After finishing his words, He Lei wasted no time, turned around, and quickly stepped out of the chairman’s office in a hurry.

Reaching the door, he closed the wooden door behind him, only then realizing his back was unknowingly soaked with cold sweat.

Tonight was destined to be a night full of happenings.

Yao Ruyi was excitedly “moving into a new home.”

Huang Yong was “tossing and turning” due to “worrisome prospects.”

And He Lei was “restless with guilt” and “unable to sleep.”

Moreover, the survivor team, a hundred miles away, was agonizingly racing against time.

Zombies continued to roam outside; thanks to timely discovery, they were prevented from making noise, so the beasts did not attack the small cabin.

Yet, the survivors who busied themselves all night found themselves unable to sleep and unbearably suffering.

As time ticked away second by second, as day and night alternated, dawn finally broke.

When the pale “fish belly light” began to appear on the horizon, the survivors were finally able to start their self-rescue “plan.” (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets—your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep