Chapter 299: Chapter 235: Cutting Flesh with a Soft Knife
His name was Zhou Ming. He was from the Outer City and had originally been a handyman in the maintenance department. He had solid technical skills and was both honest and diligent.
"Zhou Ming, take a few men and go haul these materials back."
Han Feng signed his name on the list, his script as sharp as a sword’s edge.
"This is an SSS Level project, so all supplies have top priority. Take my signature. If anyone dares to stop you, contact me directly."
Zhou Ming took the list, his hands trembling slightly.
This was a procurement order worth tens of millions. In the past, such a lucrative job would have been monopolized by Zhang Wei’s cronies; people like him wouldn’t have even gotten a sniff.
"Rest assured, Advisor! I guarantee I’ll complete the mission!"
Zhou Ming’s face was flushed with excitement. He gave Han Feng a salute, then turned and called over two companions before eagerly rushing out.
Watching the young men’s departing figures, Dr. Qian and Engineer Ma exchanged a glance.
They couldn’t hide the sneer playing on their lips.
’Go on then.’
’The world outside is far more... eventful than this workshop.’
...
East Sea City, West District, Sky Rainbow Material Reserve Center.
This was the largest warehousing base under the Celestial Craft Group and the main distribution hub for Spiritual Energy Materials in all of East Sea City.
All kinds of heavy trucks and Hover Transport Boats were parked at the entrance.
Zhou Ming and his two companions arrived on a somewhat battered electric scooter, dusty from their journey.
They wore brand-new Project Shadow team uniforms with ID badges hanging from their chests, looking exceptionally sharp.
"So this is Sky Rainbow Base... It’s huge!"
His companion, Xiaowang, couldn’t help but marvel as he gazed up at the giant, hundred-meter-tall warehouses.
"Stop gawking. We need to take care of business."
Zhou Ming straightened his collar and strode into the main service hall.
The hall was bustling with people. Most were procurement managers from major corporations and families, all sharply dressed, their voices dripping with an air of superiority.
The three of them walked up to Window 3.
Inside sat a heavyset man wearing headphones, grinning foolishly at a Light Computer screen. He seemed to be watching some kind of variety show.
"Excuse me, we’re here to pick up some materials."
Zhou Ming politely slid the procurement order and the approval slip signed by Han Feng through the slot.
The man didn’t react, still bouncing his leg and grinning.
"Excuse me! We’re here for a pickup!" Zhou Ming said, raising his voice slightly.
The man finally, and impatiently, pulled off one of his headphones and shot Zhou Ming a sideways glance.
It was the kind of look one gives a rat that has just scurried into a banquet hall.
"What’s all the shouting for? Trying to show off how loud you can be?"
The man snatched the papers, tossed them back without even a glance at their contents.
"Wrong format. Do it over."
Zhou Ming was stunned. "How can it be wrong? This was personally signed by the Head Advisor, and it’s an SSS Level special authorization..."
"I don’t care if it’s S Level or B Level."
The man rolled his eyes and pointed to a notice on the nearby wall.
"The rules at Sky Rainbow Base are clear: requisition forms must be printed in the standard format. What’s this handwritten thing you’ve given me? Toilet paper?"
"And another thing, where’s the official seal? There’s a signature, but no company stamp. How do I know you didn’t just pull this piece of trash out of a dumpster to try and scam some materials?"
Zhou Ming grew frantic. "Our project team was just established; the official seal is still being made. This is Advisor Han Feng’s personal signature. He’s an Honorary Major—his signature is legally binding!"
Hearing the name "Han Feng," the man’s eyes flickered.
Clearly, he recognized the name.
But the disdain on his face only deepened.
"A Major? Who are you trying to scare with that?"
The man scoffed and put his headphones back on.
"This is a materials center. We follow procedure here, not military rank."
"Without an official seal, it wouldn’t matter if God himself came down."
"Next!"
He shoved Zhou Ming aside and plastered on a smile for a well-dressed, middle-aged man behind him.
"Ah, Manager Liu, so good to see you! I’ve already got the tea brewed. Please, come on in!"
Pushed aside, Zhou Ming stumbled and nearly fell.
In that instant, the gazes that fell upon him were a mixture of mockery and indifference, but mostly, they held the detached amusement of an audience watching a play unfold.
Everyone could tell.
These young men were greenhorns from the Outer City who didn’t understand the rules of the game here.
In this circle, if you didn’t have connections, didn’t hand out bribes, and weren’t protected by that vast, invisible network, you couldn’t get a single thing done.
"This is unfair! You’re deliberately making things difficult for us!"
Zhou Ming’s face flushed crimson as he gripped the bars of the service window. "This is obstructing military-industrial production! I’m going to report you!"
The man turned off his variety show and slowly stood up.
He stared down condescendingly at Zhou Ming from behind the glass partition.
"Report me?"
"Kid, do you have any idea who runs Sky Rainbow Base?"
"Do you know how many people’s livelihoods are tied to every sheet of special-grade steel, every barrel of coolant that passes through here?"
The man pointed toward the main entrance.
"Go back and do your homework. Find out who really runs the materials business in East Sea City."
"You want to pick up your materials? Then send a grown-up to do it."
"Sending a few dirt-kickers to do the job... who are you trying to look down on?"
With that, the blinds on the window came clattering down.
Effectively slamming the door in their faces.
Zhou Ming stood frozen, clutching the crumpled approval slip in his hand, his knuckles white from the force of his grip.
Humiliation.
A wave of humiliation, more intense than anything he had ever felt, gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.
He had thought that if he just worked hard, relied on his skills, and followed Advisor Han, he could change his destiny.
But reality had just dealt him a vicious slap across the face.
In the eyes of those who controlled the resources, he was still just a lowlife from the Outer City, carrying a stench of mud that could never be washed away.
...
Similar scenes were playing out in various corners of East Sea City.
The interns sent to apply for equipment usage rights were told the machinery was undergoing maintenance and was scheduled out until next year.
The team sent to arrange for Rune-coating processing was thrown out, the supplier claiming they couldn’t proceed because of unpaid invoices from a previous job.
All day long.
The dozen or so teams that had been dispatched all returned in failure.
They hadn’t managed to bring back so much as a single screw.
By evening.
The special workshop was dead silent.
The once-feverish modification work had ground to a halt.
The outer shell of the X-01 Prototype was half-dismantled, standing there forlornly like an abandoned corpse.
Without materials, without equipment, you can’t make bricks without straw.
The young people who had set out full of confidence were now squatting dejectedly on the floor, some secretly wiping away tears.
Zhou Ming stood before Han Feng, his head hung so low it was nearly buried in his chest.
"Advisor... I’m sorry..."
"We... We were useless..."
His choked voice was filled with self-reproach and helplessness.
Not far away, Dr. Qian and Engineer Ma sat together, sipping tea.
The two of them wore "I told you so" expressions.
Dr. Qian walked over, putting on a show of concern and sighing.
"Advisor Han, what a mess this has turned into."
"These young people... they’re just too green. They don’t understand the way the world works."
"The waters in the materials business run deep. Without an insider to show you the ropes, you’re bound to get the door slammed in your face."
He paused for a moment, then changed his tack.
"How about... we bring Old Wu back?"
"Professor Wu is a big name in this business. All he has to do is make one phone call, and there’s no one in East Sea City who would dare hold up his materials."
This was their true goal.
The dagger was now revealed.
They wanted to send Han Feng a clear message:
No matter how strong your fists are, there are some places you can’t reach.
If you want to get things done, you have to come begging us. You have to delegate your authority. You have to abide by the unwritten rules we’ve established.
This was the law of survival in the Inner City.
Han Feng ignored Dr. Qian.
He looked at the dejected young people before him, then at the crumpled approval slip in Zhou Ming’s hand.
It even had a footprint on it.
Han Feng reached out for the slip, gently dusting it off.
"The heavyset clerk said all that?"
Han Feng’s voice was soft, betraying no hint of his mood.
Zhou Ming sniffled and nodded. "He said... they follow procedure there, not military rank. And he said... we should go back and find out who really runs things around here."
Han Feng smiled.
But it was a smile devoid of any warmth.
He turned to face Dr. Qian and Engineer Ma.
As Han Feng’s gaze swept over them, the duo’s smug, spectating expressions froze. A sudden chill crept up their spines.
"’Who runs things?’"
Han Feng adjusted his cuffs and spoke calmly.
"I don’t care who used to run things."
"But from now on, the rules in East Sea City are going to change."
He took out his communicator and dialed a number.
"Hello, General Li."
"It’s Han Feng."
"Someone is deliberately obstructing the progress of Project Torch."
"I need to borrow some men. And vehicles."
"That’s right. Bring plenty."
"It seems some people don’t think my signature is good enough. I’m going to go teach them how to read."
Hanging up, Han Feng looked at Zhou Ming and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Let’s go."
"Lead the way."
"Since they don’t want to listen to reason, we’ll go teach them a lesson in physics."
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