After a moment of silence, Liu Tiezhu said, "Brother Qixing, are you planning to overthrow the Ming family? Do you know how dangerous this is and how many resources it would take?"
Seeing his goal exposed, Guo Qixing stopped hiding. "Brother Tiezhu, you're truly sharp. The Ming family is brutal and ruthless, having killed countless innocent people. Such a family should have died out long ago; I'm just going with the flow. As for resources, Brother Tiezhu, don't worry at all. Now it's up to you—whether you dare to join me."
He had entered the Ming family with the aim of overthrowing them. If he could win over a talent like Liu Tiezhu, it would be a huge boost. Liu Tiezhu wasn't a fool and wouldn't be brainwashed by Guo Qixing's few words. No matter how ambitious and confident Guo Qixing seemed now, if the plan was exposed, he might be the first to sell him out. Besides, the Ming family had been established for a hundred years, like a den of foxes—not so easily toppled. Yet from Guo Qixing's tone, he sensed that behind this young man lay a financially powerful force.
After careful thought, Liu Tiezhu said, "Brother Qixing, it's not that I dare not join you. My purpose in joining the Ming family was just to get by, and I'll be leaving here soon. So I can't take part in your grand plan."
Hearing this, a flicker of disappointment crossed Guo Qixing's face, but he quickly adjusted his mindset. "Brother Tiezhu, I hope no third person knows about our talk."
Liu Tiezhu was talented, but if he didn't want to join, there was nothing he could do. Liu Tiezhu nodded. "Don't worry, I'm not the type to blab. If there's anything I can help with privately, Brother Qixing, don't hesitate to ask."
Though he had refused Guo Qixing, this connection still held value and might come in handy later. So Liu Tiezhu left himself a way out. Guo Qixing nodded, and seeing it was getting late, he didn't linger further.
The next day, Liu Tiezhu woke up early. He went outside the barracks to stretch his limbs, then headed to the mess hall for breakfast. After breakfast, he was taken away by Zhang He's men.
"I heard members of the Blood Team came looking for you last night?" Inside the barracks, Jiang He asked bluntly.
Liu Tiezhu was startled, thinking that Jiang He's informants were truly everywhere. Faced with the question, he answered truthfully. Jiang He pointed to a chair nearby, signaling Liu Tiezhu to sit. "The one who caused you trouble last night was Song Shi, a second-phase member of the Blood Team."
Song Shi? Sending shit? Hearing the name, Liu Tiezhu was stunned and nearly burst out laughing. "Song Shi? That name is way too amusing, isn't it?"
"Amusing, isn't it?" Jiang He seemed to guess Liu Tiezhu's thoughts and grinned as well.
After laughing for a while, Jiang He took out a document and handed it to Liu Tiezhu. "This is his detailed file. He came to find you last night to avenge Zhang Guofeng and the others. That kid is born rebellious; he used to be under my command, but he never learned his lesson, so I kicked him out of the team. Hah, that bastard even turned into a sly fox, then latched onto Guo Long's thigh and became a Blood Team member. Last night's fight, you did me proud."
After reading the file, Liu Tiezhu immediately understood why Song Shi had come to cause trouble. It turned out that Zhang Guofeng was his older brother's brother-in-law. Liu Tiezhu put down the file and said, "Brother Jiang, I've completely offended the Blood Team now. You've got to think of a way to solve this problem for me."
Jiang He waved his hand and said, "Don't worry, Guo Long's Blood Team is just a backup for the Ming family. Those bastards usually only dare to bully newcomers under the Blood Team's name. I've already talked to Guo Long; if Song Shi dares to bother you again, I'll personally go and snap his neck."
Liu Tiezhu said, "Thanks, Brother Jiang."
"Don't be so formal with me." Zhang He smiled and continued, "What did Guo Qixing talk to you about last night? That kid's identity isn't simple; he's the eldest son of the Guo family. I wonder why he'd leave the Guo family's wealth and luxury to suffer in the Ming family."
Zhang He seemed to be talking to himself, but it made Liu Tiezhu's face change drastically. Now he could basically confirm that among the people in the collective barracks, there were Jiang He's informants. But he couldn't figure out why Jiang He would expose them. Moreover, Jiang He's words were enough to show that he had thoroughly dug up Guo Qixing's background, yet Guo Qixing was unaware of all this. Jiang He was too terrifying; he'd have to stay even more vigilant in the future.
Liu Tiezhu swallowed his saliva and said, "He was trying to recruit me."
"Just recruiting?" Jiang He stared at Liu Tiezhu, his face full of disbelief. According to the informant's report, the two had talked for a whole hour.
"It really was just recruiting. He even offered me many tempting conditions during that time." "What was his purpose in recruiting you?" Jiang He pressed on.
Liu Tiezhu said, "He didn't tell me that. He only said that after I pass the third-level assessment, joining his camp would mean a life of luxury."
Jiang He thought for a moment and said, "It seems he's after your strength. Go back and keep in touch with him, see if you can pry out his real goal. If you can uncover his purpose, it'll be a great achievement, and I'll apply for a commendation for you from above. Alright, I won't hold you up. You have four days left; make good use of them and strive to pass the third-level assessment."
With that, Jiang He waved his hand to dismiss Liu Tiezhu.
"Brother Jiang, can that kid's words be trusted?" Zhang Zhiliang, who was nearby, asked.
Jiang He said, "Probably not false. That Guo kid's goal is likely the same as ours."
Zhang Zhiliang was startled and said, "Then should we make a move?"
Jiang He waved his hand and said, "For now, have someone keep an eye on him. At a critical moment, we can use him as a scapegoat."
Liu Tiezhu returned to the collective barracks and found Guo Qixing standing at the entrance waiting for him. This scene immediately put him on alert, wondering if his meeting with Jiang He had given something away. But on second thought, it seemed impossible—unless Guo Qixing was also one of Jiang He's men.
Jiang He's men? As this thought popped into his head, Liu Tiezhu's face turned pale in an instant. He had forgotten the test Zhang Zhiliang had mentioned earlier. If Guo Qixing was one of Jiang He's men, this test would push him into an abyss. Earlier, Jiang He and Zhang Zhiliang had said that if his loyalty wasn't sufficient, they would find a way to eliminate him. His conversation with Guo Qixing last night had basically been kept from Jiang He. If Guo Qixing was Jiang He's man, he was in danger.
"Damn it, I was way too careless." Liu Tiezhu cursed under his breath and walked straight over to Guo Qixing. He had to find out whether Guo Qixing was one of Jiang He's men and prepare a backup plan. Otherwise, he wouldn't even know how he died.