Li Banfeng remained silent for a long while. Dumpling cautiously asked, "Seventh Master, do you have some opinions about Captain Chen?"
"Why do you ask that?"
Dumpling lowered her voice and said, "Many in the team say Captain Chen is too soft, never fights for anything. Even this time it was the Harmonizing Agent you fought for us. Perhaps you also find Captain Chen somewhat weak?"
Li Banfeng smiled but didn’t answer.
Dumpling said, "Actually, Captain Chen has been very good to us. You’ve seen our level; if Captain Chen hadn’t led us these years, who knows how many things would have gone wrong.
Captain Chen is getting old, this task indeed didn’t go well, but it’s not fair to ruin a person’s entire life over one failed task. This is too unfair to Captain Chen."
Li Banfeng said expressionlessly, "Those two injured Security Team Members, if their lives can’t be saved, wouldn’t their lives be ruined too? Is this fair to them?"
Dumpling hurriedly said, "But this was an unexpected situation, nobody foresaw it back then..."
"The captain personally leads the team to execute the task, precisely to avoid accidents. If this incident was indeed caused by Chen Changrui’s negligence, it must be severely dealt with!"
If it truly was caused by Chen Changrui’s negligence...
Dumpling was pleased, "Seventh Master, you mean there’s still potential for mitigation, it might not be Captain’s fault!"
Li Banfeng frowned and said, "It’s not that simple. Whether it’s his fault, let’s discuss after investigating. Once off work, don’t leave, wait for me."
Upon hearing this, Dumpling’s face turned red.
What does this mean? What does Seventh Master want to do?
Leaving me behind tonight, does he want to...
Is Seventh Master such a person?
Leaving Li Qi’s office, sitting back at her workstation, Dumpling felt very anxious, somewhat regretting her rashness in seeking Seventh Master.
Seventh Master and Captain Chen don’t have any special relationship, asking Seventh Master for help for no reason undoubtedly comes at a price.
The price turns out to be myself...
Dumpling took off her glasses, rubbed her forehead, feeling somewhat aggrieved.
I went to plead with Seventh Master for the Public Security Team; why should I pay with myself for this? I can’t agree to this!
But if I don’t agree, it means offending Seventh Master, and he’ll never treat me like one of his own again.
In fact, at Xiaoyao Lodge, with just one word from Seventh Master, I was already his...
If Seventh Master really wants me, I certainly can’t avoid it; it’s just terrifying when the moment arrives.
Dumpling put her glasses back on and sighed repeatedly at her workstation.
It’s almost evening. How will tonight go? What’s Seventh Master going to do to me?
...
Late at night, Dumpling was sweating all over and breathing heavily.
"Seventh Master, slow down."
Li Banfeng looked at Dumpling, and stopped his steps.
Light Bulb stood beside Li Qi, urging, "You’re a Fourth Layer Cultivator, holding just these few things, you see how laborious you are. With your little skill, even doing hard labor in Puluo State wouldn’t earn you an employer!"
"Get lost!" Dumpling was angry, "I’ve also been to Puluo State, don’t show off here!"
Late at night, Li Qi brought Dumpling, Light Bulb, and Ming Xing to Ruirong Textile Factory.
Li Banfeng wasn’t very concerned about Chen Changrui’s safety, but he was very interested in Ruirong Textile Factory, this abandoned factory on the outskirts steadily displaying characteristics of Puluo State.
The roads around the textile factory were cordoned off, turning it into a true restricted area, with no vehicle access. Dumpling borrowed over a hundred kilograms of equipment, having to carry it herself.
After carrying it for seven to eight hundred meters, Light Bulb didn’t help and spoke sarcastically, making Dumpling furious enough to want to hit someone.
Ming Xing, being tactful, stepped up and said, "Sis, let me help you for a while."
Dumpling disliked Ming Xing, ignored him, and continued to carry the equipment forward.
The entrance to the textile factory was sealed shut, and there were drones patrolling nearby.
Li Banfeng chose a spot by the wall, seizing the moment just after the drone flew away. Li Banfeng first delivered the equipment inside, then helped Dumpling inside.
According to the operation plan, Light Bulb and Ming Xing didn’t need to go inside; they were responsible for guarding outside in case of emergencies.
Li Banfeng jumped inside the wall, saw a big willow tree by the wall, and indicated for Dumpling to remember this location.
The two entered the third workshop together, Li Banfeng instructed Dumpling to first measure the width of the workshop.
The equipment Dumpling carried was a set of extremely precise measuring instruments. While Dumpling was assembling the equipment, Li Banfeng took a walk around the workshop.
Due to days of thorough cleaning, the ground and equipment everywhere were covered with scorch marks. These scorch marks didn’t look unsightly but instead added a rare vitality to the otherwise lifeless workshop.
Li Banfeng asked, "When did Ruirong Textile Factory go bankrupt?"
While calculating distances, Dumpling answered, "According to records, this textile factory closed down twenty years ago."
"Why wasn’t this textile factory dismantled after twenty years of closure?"
"Ruirong Textile Factory encountered many incidents; I remember the captain mentioned before that this place has a lot of research value," Dumpling couldn’t elaborate on what research value, but the width of the workshop had been measured: "Seventh Master, the workshop width is 12.3 meters."
meters is the standard width for workshops; a construction inevitably has errors, a thirty-centimeter margin is within the normal range, Dumpling’s measurement result was accurate.
Li Banfeng said, "Measure again at a different spot."
Dumpling hefted the measuring instrument, found a second measurement point against the wall, and the measured data was 11.8 meters.
The deviation was slightly larger, but still within an acceptable range. Dumpling explained, "Seventh Master, this plant has been abandoned for years, local deformation is normal."