"Fifty thousand, you handle Zhang Tianlong." Jiang He thought for a moment, then said very directly.
Fifty thousand was a huge sum for an ordinary person.
But for him, it was still money he could pull out at any time.
As long as he could deal with Zhang Tianlong, he believed it was all worth it.
"I'll do my best to try. If I can't handle it, I'll have to find a way to take him out."
Liu Tiezhu deliberately didn't commit fully, otherwise it would arouse Jiang He's suspicion.
"Get this done as soon as possible. Old Zhang, give Brother Liu another fifty thousand."
Jiang He didn't waste words, and after speaking, he instructed Zhang Zhiliang beside him to hand over the money.
After the deal was settled, Liu Tiezhu took the money, made an excuse, and left.
Once Liu Tiezhu was gone, Liu Zhigao said, "Can we trust what that kid says?"
"I keep feeling like he's playing us."
Jiang He waved his hand and said, "Old Liu, you're probably overthinking it."
"In the current situation, he has no choice but to cooperate with us honestly."
"Transferring Zhang Tianlong to be the assistant to the chief officer is enough to show that Ming Zhenglong doesn't trust him."
Zhang Zhiliang chimed in, "I think Brother Zhang's analysis makes sense."
"If Ming Zhenglong didn't suspect him, even if he vetoed Lin Changxing's appointment, he would have let him recommend someone else."
"Now, naming Zhang Tianlong specifically shows that Ming Zhenglong has zero trust in him."
"Back when he made him chief officer, it was also to use him to check us."
"With Liu Tiezhu's brains, he must have figured that out, which is why he agreed to cooperate with us so readily."
"Because he knows better than us that working with us is his best way out."
Hearing their analysis, Liu Zhigao finally relaxed a bit.
In truth, Jiang He and the others came to this conclusion because Liu Tiezhu's act was too perfect.
Another reason was that they believed, given the current situation, Liu Tiezhu had no path but to cooperate with them.
Little did they know that Liu Tiezhu had already secretly teamed up with Guo Qixing and was gradually arranging an escape route.
Back at the barracks, Liu Tiezhu immediately found Zhang Tianlong to give him a heads-up.
He also told Zhang Tianlong everything he had discussed with Jiang He.
This was to prevent Zhang Tianlong from not knowing how to respond if Jiang He investigated later.
After hearing Liu Tiezhu's words, Zhang Tianlong's eyes bulged like a cow's.
"Brother Tiezhu, I truly admire your guts."
"If it were me, even with ten times the courage, I wouldn't dare do this."
He was genuinely shocked by Liu Tiezhu's audacity in playing Jiang He's trio and Ming Zhenglong for fools.
Liu Tiezhu said, "You can do it too. We can't be pawns for others our whole lives."
"If we can't even control our own lives, what's the point of living?"
"If we want to live with meaning, we have to plan an escape route."
"Brother Tiezhu, you're right."
"From now on, I, Zhang Tianlong, will follow your lead."
Zhang Tianlong nodded, his voice firm and resolute.
After finishing with Zhang Tianlong, Liu Tiezhu left him two thousand and returned to his own quarters.
Just as he was about to rest, Yan Wanli walked in.
"Chief officer, about the assistant..."
Liu Tiezhu knew Yan Wanli was fishing for news about Lin Minghao.
"I've already recommended Lin Minghao, but Third Master's response was to tell me to wait for word."
Hearing this, Yan Wanli's face stiffened, but he still managed a smile at Liu Tiezhu before backing out of the room.
No sooner had Yan Wanli left than two uninvited guests walked in: Guo Lin and his brother Guo Zhenlong.
"Chief officer, we came to see you."
Guo Zhenlong was a natural charmer. After setting down the lavish gifts, he greeted Liu Tiezhu with a smile.
Liu Tiezhu pulled out cigarettes and passed them to the brothers, smiling. "Brother Zhenlong, I was planning to find time to have a good talk with you."
"I didn't expect you to beat me to it. I'm ashamed."
He knew exactly why Guo Zhenlong had brought Guo Lin to visit—it was to call in a favor.
Without Guo Zhenlong's intel on the Huaiyang Gully mine vein, he might have been in deep danger or even dead.
As a trade-off, he had agreed to let Guo Lin stay by his side.
Now that the Huaiyang Gully matter was resolved, it was time to repay that favor.
"Chief officer, you're so busy. Making you come to me would be poor manners on my part."
"I'm here today for no other reason than to catch up."
Guo Zhenlong, a seasoned intelligence operative, clearly signaled his purpose while saving Liu Tiezhu's face.
"Don't call me chief officer—it sounds awkward. I'm a few years younger than you, so just call me little brother."
Liu Tiezhu lit his cigarette, took a few deep drags to calm himself, and thought about how to handle the request Guo Zhenlong was about to make.
"Then I'll call you Brother Liu."
Guo Zhenlong smiled and continued, "Brother Liu, you haven't forgotten what we discussed last time, have you?"
"Don't misunderstand my intention. I'm not here just for that."
"I'm actually here on behalf of a big shot to discuss something with you."
Liu Tiezhu said, "Brother Zhenlong, I'm not the type to go back on my word."
"If Guo Lin doesn't mind, he can stay by my side as an adjutant from now on."
Though Guo Zhenlong said he wasn't there to demand the promise, his words still revolved around getting Liu Tiezhu to honor it.
Sure enough, intelligence operatives had a way with words.
Liu Tiezhu knew that if he refused, trouble would follow.
The last part—being entrusted by a big shot—sounded harmless on the surface.
But on closer thought, it was a veiled threat.
Anyone Guo Zhenlong would call a big shot was surely someone prominent in the Ming family.
Having such a person send him to discuss matters meant that big shot valued him.
If Liu Tiezhu offended Guo Zhenlong, he'd indirectly offend that big shot too.
Hearing Liu Tiezhu's reply, Guo Zhenlong was very satisfied.
"Brother Liu, I'm entrusting my brother to you from now on."
"If he causes you any trouble, just beat him up. As his older brother, I won't have a problem with it."
Liu Tiezhu smiled back. "Brother Zhenlong, you're joking. I believe Guo Lin won't cause me any trouble."
"You mentioned earlier that a big shot sent you to discuss something with me. Who is this big shot?"
"Ming Jiacheng, the eldest son of the Ming family." Guo Zhenlong lowered his voice.
Ming Jiacheng?
Liu Tiezhu was taken aback, immediately recalling the information Guo Qixing had given him about Ming Jiacheng.
According to Guo Qixing's investigation, Ming Jiacheng was the weakest of the three Ming brothers.
He usually kept a low profile and rarely got involved in family disputes.
Snapping back to reality, Liu Tiezhu asked, "So you're one of Ming Jiacheng's men?"
"That's right. Not just me—the entire intelligence department answers to him."
"On top of that, half of the Ming family's top brass are his people."
Hearing this, Liu Tiezhu couldn't help but gasp.
It seemed Ming Jiacheng was actually the strongest in the Ming family, and the one who hid his hand the deepest.