A dozen or so minutes later, Lin Changxing hurried back, carrying cigarettes and liquor in both hands.
Besides those two items, there was also a bundle of cash wrapped in a black plastic bag.
After setting these things down, he didn't dare linger any longer. He nodded at Liu Tiezhu and quickly left.
Once Lin Changxing was gone, Liu Tiezhu took out the items to check them.
The goods matched what Lin Changxing had promised, and the money was all there, not a cent short.
Liu Tiezhu pulled out a carton of cigarettes and two hundred yuan, handing them to Yan Wanli.
"Go fetch Guo Qixing and Ma Qifeng for me."
Yan Wanli took the cigarettes and cash, secretly delighted, and even saluted Liu Tiezhu before leaving.
Guards like him usually had no perks and did thankless work.
Liu Tiezhu didn't treat him like a servant and was courteous to him, which earned his genuine respect.
A dozen or so minutes later, Guo Qixing and Ma Qifeng arrived one after the other.
Guo Qixing closed the barracks door and pulled a notebook from his chest.
"Brother Tiezhu, Brother Qifeng, this is the value of last night's supplies converted into figures. Take a look."
"If there's no issue, I'll have someone cash it out into notes or gold bars and hand them over to you."
Liu Tiezhu didn't take the notebook.
He had called Guo Qixing and the others over for a different purpose.
Besides, he had complete trust in Guo Qixing's character.
"Whatever the amount is, Brother Qixing, just convert it and hand it over to me."
Ma Qifeng also didn't take the notebook, speaking calmly.
Guo Qixing nodded. "In that case, I'll send someone later with the cash."
After settling the matter of splitting the accounts, Liu Tiezhu gestured for the two to sit down and then revealed what Lin Changxing had said about hiding copper ore in Huaiyang Gully.
A ton of copper ore?
Guo Qixing shot up from his seat, eyes wide as saucers.
"That bastard Lin Changxing sure knows his tricks."
After the initial excitement, Guo Qixing thought for a moment and said, "Could this be a trap?"
Liu Tiezhu replied, "It concerns his life, so he probably wouldn't lie."
"But we still need to be cautious."
"Brother Qixing, send someone to check it out later."
"If the copper ore is really hidden there, we'll discuss a plan to move it."
Ma Qifeng chimed in, "If Lin Changxing is telling the truth, we've hit the jackpot."
"By the way, what do you plan to do with Lin Changxing?" Guo Qixing asked.
He had already heard about last night's events.
In his view, someone like Lin Changxing had to be eliminated.
Otherwise, he'd be a menace sooner or later.
Liu Tiezhu pointed to the cigarettes, liquor, and cash on the table.
"I originally planned to get rid of him to avoid future trouble, but Jiang He wants to protect him."
"So, I can only squeeze him for all he's worth."
At this, Guo Qixing and Ma Qifeng exchanged glances and furrowed their brows in unison.
After a moment of silence, Ma Qifeng couldn't help but speak up. "Brother Tiezhu, could Jiang He be planning to throw you under the bus without the higher-ups knowing?"
If Jiang He wanted to protect Lin Changxing, then Liu Tiezhu, as the person in charge, would have to take the blame for the stolen supplies.
Even he could figure out such a simple problem—how could Liu Tiezhu not see it?
Liu Tiezhu said, "Jiang He probably won't do that. For now, he still needs my cooperation."
"Lin Changxing also told me that Jiang He's idea is to find someone else to take the fall."
"Of course, that could just be Jiang He's stalling tactic."
"He might come to talk to me about it later."
"Then we'll know what he really means after the conversation."
Guo Qixing warned, "Then Brother Tiezhu, you need to be very careful."
"If Jiang He shows any sign of making you the scapegoat, we'll rebel against him outright."
"We'll expose the whole thing and bring in the Ming family's higher-ups."
Liu Tiezhu nodded, having the same thought himself.
After the three finished talking, seeing that time was getting tight, they didn't dare delay any longer.
Guo Qixing left the barracks and slipped out of the camp to arrange for someone to investigate the location of Lin Changxing's hidden ore.
Ma Qifeng returned to his unit to continue training.
After lunch, Jiang He and his two companions arrived as promised.
Once they were seated, Jiang He got straight to the point. "Brother Liu, you commanded last night's two battles excellently."
"You wiped out over 700 men from the Zhang and Li families. I'll report this achievement to Third Master and have him reward you."
Liu Tiezhu was taken aback. He immediately stood up and took out the cigarettes Lin Changxing had given him, passing them around to the three.
He understood that the implication in those words was another trap.
If he acted excited and said thank you, then the act he'd put on with Zhang Zhiliang last night would have been for nothing.
Sure enough, these three foxes were all sharp-minded—they set a trap with their very first words.
Seeing the cigarettes offered, Jiang He smiled with satisfaction and lit one up, taking a puff.
Liu Tiezhu also lit a cigarette, the nicotine helping him calm his mind.
After finishing one cigarette, Liu Tiezhu deliberately put on a cold face, feigning anger.
"Brother Jiang, I'd be lucky if Third Master doesn't try to take my head. How dare I hope for a reward from him?"
"None of the information he gave about Huaiyang Gou was accurate. His aim was to screw over us low-level guys."
"If I hadn't kept my wits about me, I wouldn't be talking to you right now."
"Expect a reward from someone who treats us like dirt?"
Liu Tiezhu's tone was laced with anger and sarcasm, impossible to tell it was an act.
Hearing this, Jiang He and the other two exchanged glances, a sly smirk curling at the corners of their mouths.
Last night, Zhang Zhiliang had said he'd pinned everything on Ming Zhenglong's head, and Liu Tiezhu had successfully come to resent Ming Zhenglong.
At the time, Jiang He had been skeptical.
Now, hearing Liu Tiezhu's tone and words, he was thirty percent convinced.
But to make Liu Tiezhu firmly side with him and do his bidding, he'd need to turn up the heat.
"Brother Liu, I agree with what you're saying."
"But if the Ming family owes you a reward, I'll fight tooth and nail to get it for you, even if it costs me everything."
Jiang He pounded his chest, putting on a serious expression.
Keep pretending, you bastard.
Liu Tiezhu cursed inwardly, but on the surface, he wore a moved expression, grabbing Jiang He's hand.
"Brother Jiang, thank you."
"From now on, anything you need, I'll handle it perfectly."
Since they were all acting, he couldn't lose.
Jiang He wanted to fool him with these childish tricks.
So he'd play along, letting Jiang He think he was genuinely touched.
Jiang He patted Liu Tiezhu's shoulder. "We're brothers, no need to be so polite."
"The Ming family treats us like this—we need to cover our own backs."
"Speaking of which, I actually have a favor to ask of you."
Liu Tiezhu knew Jiang He was about to bring up Lin Changxing.
He nodded. "Go ahead. If it's something I can do, I won't refuse."
This statement had two meanings—it neither agreed nor refused.
What did "if it's something I can do, I won't refuse" mean?
The flip side was: if it's something I can't do, don't blame me.
If Jiang He wanted him to figure out a way to handle Lin Changxing's problem, then sorry, he couldn't do it.
They were all shrewd, and he believed Jiang He would catch the implication.
Sure enough, at these words, Jiang He frowned.
But since he'd come, he wasn't leaving empty-handed.
Jiang He took a deep breath. "Brother Liu, I won't hide it from you."
"I came to resolve the trouble caused by that waste Lin Changxing."
"I'm sure Lin Changxing has already told you about it."
This was a show of force, and Liu Tiezhu caught the meaning.
He nodded. "Lin Changxing did tell me."
"Brother Jiang, however you want to handle it, I'll follow your lead."
Liu Tiezhu wasn't stupid. With two sentences, he threw the ball back into Jiang He's court.
Hearing this, Jiang He rolled his eyes.
If he could handle it, he wouldn't have come to Liu Tiezhu.
What did "follow your lead" mean? It was a way to make him take the blame.
But whether Liu Tiezhu meant it or not, Jiang He couldn't lose his temper.
Besides, he couldn't solve this alone.
To deal with Lin Changxing's problem, the first step depended on Liu Tiezhu's report.
"Brother Liu, resolving Lin Changxing's issue isn't something I can explain in a few casual words."
"You were the one in charge that night. The Ming family's higher-ups need to hear your report."
"So whether Lin Changxing's problem can be solved hinges on you."
Jiang He spoke slowly, with patience.
Liu Tiezhu said flatly, "I see. I thought you already had a plan, Brother Jiang."
"So, Brother Jiang, how do you want me to report it?"
These words nearly made Jiang He spit blood.
He hadn't expected that after all this circling, the blame would still land back on him.