27: Can you play my girlfriend?

The sky was pitch black, stars twinkled, and the moon hung high.

Soft, frosty moonlight, like a waterfall, cascaded from above, connecting the sky and the earth.

Not far from Guo Li Steel Factory.

A pale yellow light, accompanied by the sound of car wheels on the road, approached from a distance, heading straight for the Steel Factory's gate.

In less than a breath.

The black SUV stopped at the Steel Factory's gate.

Under the moonlight.

The solemn black and streamlined body added a sense of weighty power to the car.

With a crisp click.

The car door opened.

A dark figure stepped out of the car and stood on the bright concrete ground.

The dark figure stood tall and straight, his posture erect.

The aura he exuded alone gave people a subtle sense of oppression.

Who else could it be but Zhao Zhenghua?

Looking at the dark and quiet factory area before him, Zhao Zhenghua's face showed confusion.

Why did the Steel Factory turn off its lights at this hour?

With curiosity.

He walked to the guardhouse connected to the iron gate and looked inside:

"Hello, comrade."

"Hello."

Inside the iron gate.

The guard in the guardhouse stood ramrod straight and pushed open the window glass.

Even before the car arrived at the gate, he had noticed something unusual, so he stood up to check, a baton already in his hand.

Seeing that the newcomer had an extraordinary presence, he refrained from shouting loudly.

"Comrade, I am Li Mubai's friend."

"May I ask why this Steel Factory is closed at this hour?"

Zhao Zhenghua glanced at the tightly shut gate of the Steel Factory.

He came today.

He originally wanted to see Li Mubai and how much progress he had made on his request.

Over three hundred tons of steel is a large quantity and requires a longer production time.

But time waits for no one, and he needed it urgently.

There was still one month left.

It would be the National Weapon Research Institute's achievement inspection day.

He was the director of the Weapon Research Institute.

His main project.

Was the king of land army weapons, the tank.

By then.

If he couldn't produce the new generation of tanks.

When the inspection day arrived, he would surely be criticized by the leaders above.

The technological iteration of tanks had already entered a bottleneck period.

But Li Mubai's steel.

Showed him a new direction for technological breakthroughs.

So this time.

He just wanted to see how much steel the Steel Factory had already produced.

He planned to take back the steel that had already been produced and use it first.

After all, the development of a new type of tank requires a lot of time.

If he really waited until all three hundred tons of steel were produced.

Then the National Weapons Research Achievement Inspection Day would not be far off.

By then.

The Research Institute he managed.

Certainly wouldn't have enough time to develop a new type of tank.

"The Steel Factory closes down at five-thirty."

"The boss said we don't work overtime."

The security guard looked at Zhao Zhenghua, his eyes wary, and said.

"What? Off work at five-thirty?"

Zhao Zhenghua was greatly surprised.

Off work at five-thirty.

This kid, Li Mubai, isn't even making money when he has the chance!

He still remembered.

When he signed the contract with Li Mubai.

He had said.

He would take as much steel as was produced.

Although the purchase price he offered was lower than the market price, his demand was high.

As long as Li Mubai's Steel Factory kept producing without stopping.

Then there would be money to be made.

And now.

This Steel Factory actually closed so early.

"It seems Li Mubai isn't a greedy person; instead, his patriotic heart burns brightly."

Zhao Zhenghua nodded slightly, judging in his heart.

If Li Mubai didn't have a patriotic heart.

He believed.

As long as Li Mubai sold this kind of steel abroad, he would surely make a huge profit.

But he didn't do that.

Instead, he kept all these things in the country, for their Research Institute, for the nation!

He looked into the car.

Originally, he was still hesitant whether to authorize Li Mubai as a specially invited member of the Research Institute.

At this moment.

His heart became firm.

Li Mubai's steel was of great help to the country.

And.

The other party was not someone who valued money above all else; instead, he had a pure and ardent heart.

This young man deserved this status!

Zhao Zhenghua's face showed a hint of relief.

However.

The next moment.

That hint of relief on his face disappeared.

He suddenly realized a problem.

If the Steel Factory closed so early.

Then when would the three hundred tons of steel he needed be completed?

"Damn it, this brat!"

Zhao Zhenghua cursed under his breath and turned to walk towards the black car.

The car started.

Reversing and then moving forward, the vehicle turned around.

With a muffled roar of the engine, the car immediately drove towards the county town.

He decided.

He was going to Li Mubai's house to urge him.

Otherwise.

When would the steel he needed be completed?

...

"Just help me with this, consider it as an advance on your salary as payment, okay?"

Outside the house.

Li Mubai looked at Ruan Xiu, pleading.

He didn't go to the blind date arranged by Li Mother; he didn't have any thoughts in that regard for now.

So.

He found Ruan Xiu.

Asking her to help, pretending to be his girlfriend.

"Okay (Bashu dialect)"

"What?"

Li Mubai was confused.

He was originally from the north and usually spoke Mandarin.

Now hearing the dialect, he didn't react for a moment.

"I said... let's go in."

Ruan Xiu smiled playfully.

"Okay. Don't be nervous later, or you'll give us away."

Li Mubai reminded her, then pulled out his key and inserted it into the lock.

With a twist.

The door opened.

As soon as the door opened.

Li Mubai heard the conversation inside.

There were two voices.

One of them, he was very familiar with, was his own mother's.

But the other, he felt very strange.

However.

Since the person was in his home, it meant they were a guest; otherwise, they wouldn't be chatting so freely with his mother.

"Mom, I'm home."

Li Mubai stepped over the threshold into the room, a smile on his face, and called out to the room.

On the living room sofa.

Li Mother, who had originally worn a fake smile, heard the familiar voice and immediately broke into a bright smile.

However.

Due to the presence of a guest, she didn't get up.

"Brother is back!"

In a corner of the sofa, Li Qian, who had been feeling bored.

Now happily stood up and ran towards the doorway.

Arriving at the doorway.

Li Qian saw the plastic bag Li Mubai was carrying.

Seeing this.

Her eyes curved into a smile even more.

"Brother is still the best to me; he even brought snacks when he came back."

Speaking of this.

Li Qian lowered her voice and mumbled softly:

"Unlike those relatives, who boast about being rich, but the gifts they bring are just a barrel of blended oil, not interesting at all."

"You girl, what are you saying?"

Li Mubai reprimanded her in a lowered voice.

Although the front door was a short distance from the living room.

But no matter what, the other person was a guest.

If they heard that, it would surely cause dissatisfaction and lead them to say that the Li family looked down on people.