The first update today; apologies for the error in the chapter numbering of the previous chapter. Recommending a great sci-fi work, "Heaven-descended Soldiers".

…

The rumors circulating in the school were seemingly unrelated to Qin Fang. As for the photos spread on the campus network, they were quickly deleted, leaving only a vague memory of Qin Fang's appearance among those who had seen the pictures. To most people, Qin Fang was still very much a stranger.

Qin Fang made a special phone call to Ning Weiqiang to express his gratitude. After all, fame brought no small amount of trouble. Hardly had he left his dorm when he found out that some campus handsome guys from the foreign language department wanted to challenge him to a duel.

Fighting was definitely out of the question—Qin Fang could knock the Vice President of the Martial Arts Association down with a single kick. These guys had some self-awareness and generally wanted to compete in other types of contests.

Qin Fang found this both laughable and frustrating. He could only intimidate them with his fist, and thankfully managed to scare these guys away.

However, Qin Fang had other important matters to attend to and naturally couldn't let these little things delay him. Ning Weiqiang had high prestige among the students at Ninghai University. Upon hearing this news, he immediately notified the moderators of the campus network. There were too many posts to delete them all, but they managed to remove the photos of Qin Fang, Tang Feifei, and Xiao Muxue, helping Qin Fang out of a tight spot.

Lanyuan Ningcui Residence.

Despite Qin Fang's dissatisfaction with the head honcho here for poaching from Fang Feixue, the class and style of this place were unsurpassed by Fang Feixue. When Qin Fang occasionally treated people to dinner, he still preferred to come here.

Yet, Qin Fang's main purpose today was not to eat, but to meet someone.

"Young Master Qin... his name is Shen Liang, my childhood friend!"

When Qin Fang entered the private room, Lei Zi was already there with someone else. They had been chatting, but as soon as Lei Zi saw Qin Fang come in, he quickly stood to greet him and introduced the young man by his side.

"Young Master Qin..."

Shen Liang seemed somewhat uncomfortable with such formality. He merely stared at Qin Fang hesitantly until Lei Zi subtly tugged at his clothes. Reluctantly, he then called out.

Qin Fang didn't really mind; he wasn't too fond of the title either, but since many people around him used it, he could only reluctantly accept it. Therefore, Shen Liang's attitude didn't bother him. Instead, Qin Fang just smiled at him. After a moment of adjusting, the three of them sat down.

Once seated, Qin Fang began to scrutinize Lei Zi's childhood friend.

He looked to be around twenty-three or twenty-four, not much different in age from Lei Zi. He wasn't very tall, a bit skinny, with a very ordinary face that wouldn't stand out in a crowd. The sharpness about him was subtle, not immediately noticeable unless one was looking closely.

Throwing a Scouting Skill his way, Shen Liang's level was revealed to Qin Fang.

"Shen Liang, Level 4, discharged special forces member turned neighborhood security guard, Neutral Camp, personal skills: tracking, reconnaissance, stealth, assassination..."

Seeing such results truly surprised Qin Fang. He had thought Shen Liang was just an ordinary ex-soldier. He never expected him to be a special forces member before discharge, with a Level 4, which was even more advanced than Fang Dacheng's Level 3.

As for his skills, they didn't differ much from the special forces members Qin Fang had encountered before. However, it was clear that Shen Liang must have been a scout in the past.

With the abilities and strength he possessed, Qin Fang was very pleased with Shen Liang. The real question was whether Shen Liang could be of use to him.

If such a person could work for him, Qin Fang would naturally be very delighted. However, if Shen Liang harbored ulterior motives, it could also become a significant hidden danger by Qin Fang's side.

Qin Fang could trust Lei Zi, but as for Shen Liang... that was less certain.

While Qin Fang evaluated Shen Liang, Shen Liang was also sizing up Qin Fang, surprised at how young Qin Fang was. He was significantly younger than Shen Liang, yet he possessed a substantial family business. Naturally, Shen Liang viewed Qin Fang as a rich second-generation born with a silver spoon.

Yet, he also detected something very familiar about Qin Fang—a military air and, more precisely, a special forces vibe, which greatly surprised him.

"The reason I've called you here, Lei Zi must have already told you..."

Regardless, Qin Fang felt that it would be a huge waste not to utilize such talent unfolding before him. With Shen Liang at the Sawmill Factory, the place might even be more reliable than if Lei Zi himself were in charge. The man could be said to be quite professional.

Shen Liang nodded. He and Lei Zi had arrived before Qin Fang, and while they waited, Lei Zi had briefly explained the situation to him, omitting only what exactly was stored in the warehouse of the factory.

As for the salary and benefits, he had been told about them already. They weren't considered very high, but compared to his job as a security guard in his neighborhood, it was many times better. Moreover, he and Lei Zi were the only people responsible for the entire factory area, no need to be beholden to anyone's whims, which, for him, was indeed very good news.

Qin Fang had already learned this from Lei Zi. Perhaps it was due to Shen Liang's special forces background, having performed numerous missions for the country, including drug enforcement, smuggling crackdowns, and assassinations of hostile forces. One could say their beliefs were very upright, disdaining many crooked and heretical practices. Even in his role as a security guard, he would sometimes get punished for meddling in things that weren't his concern…

"If there are no issues, then sign this contract, and from today, you'll officially become my employees. There will be a three-month probationary period, with compensation as agreed with Lei Zi. After three months, if I'm satisfied, your salary will double…"

Qin Fang took out two employment contracts from the bag he carried with him. Mouse Qiang had these drafted by a professional lawyer; they detailed many precautions, which Qin Fang had specified in order to prevent internal theft.

The few pieces of jadeite material currently stored in that warehouse might not be worth much, but Qin Fang's special preparation of that particular warehouse wasn't just for those pieces of jadeite.

Qin Fang had many secrets on his hands, and many things were not suitable to be left outside. His Props Box could only fit six items at most, with very limited storage space. If those items were taken by others, Qin Fang would be extremely upset. Hence, he planned to store them in this safe for the time being.

If an insider were to infiltrate the safe, the leakage of certain items could cause Qin Fang considerable trouble, and he had to take precautions against such an occurrence. This was why certain clauses were specifically highlighted, with the intention of making them recognize the importance of these matters.

Lei Zi didn't mind at all and directly took the contract and a pen, swiftly signing his name. Shen Liang, however, studied the terms carefully, occasionally furrowing his brows and showing a peculiar expression. But after reading everything, he didn't hesitate to sign his name too.

"The contracts have been signed; here's to a pleasant cooperation!"

Qin Fang, of course, also signed his name on both contracts, formalizing the agreement in a legitimate manner. With each party holding a copy, Qin Fang immediately raised his glass, heartily toasting with Lei Zi and Shen Liang.

"Young Master Qin, may I ask you a question?"

Perhaps it was because he had become an employee of Qin Fang, even Shen Liang's face began to show a hint of a smile, though he asked with a bit of trepidation.

"Go ahead, but I can't guarantee I'll answer!"

Qin Fang nodded, having noticed for quite a while that Shen Liang had something to say, but seemed to be hesitating to speak up.

"Are you… also a soldier?"

Shen Liang finally asked, though somewhat uncertainly.

"No, I'm just a student," Qin Fang shook his head and said, "but over the past National Day holidays, I did undergo a special training with the XXXX unit!"

Shen Liang's eyes widened in shock; as a former special forces member, he was aware of the special operations squad codes for various military regions, and Tang Cheng's unit, belonging to the Ninghai Military District, was very well-known nationally.

Of course, Shen Liang originally belonged to the Tianfu Military Region, which, like the Ninghai Military District, was one of the seven major military regions and was just as reputable.

"I see…"

With an epiphany, Shen Liang seemed to understand why Qin Fang had that distinct air of a special forces soldier. Certain habits and movements had become second nature to him.

"Lei Zi, Shen Liang, forget it, you're both older than me. From now on, I'll call you Brother Lei and Brother Liang. I'll be counting on you guys! I, Qin Fang, may not dare to boast, but I never mistreat my own brothers…"

There was no question about Lei Zi, his absolute confidant. As for Shen Liang, Qin Fang naturally hoped he would earnestly work for him; Qin Fang would definitely not shortchange him.

The three men soon became jovial. Qin Fang, who had climbed up from the lower echelons of society, had no airs or temper, and it didn't take long for them to get along very well. Their drinking was also quite spirited.

Lei Zi's drinking capacity was unquestionable. Qin Fang really couldn't outdrink him without cheating. As for Shen Liang, looks were deceiving. Despite his thin appearance, his drinking ability turned out to be even more formidable than Lei Zi's.

In the end, Lei Zi and Shen Liang were the first to fall, while Qin Fang, though slightly tipsy, was still able to stand on his feet.

After securing a room for the drunken duo at Ningcui Residence and settling them in, Qin Fang staggered back toward the university.

"Fan… Fan Ning?"

But as he reached a corner, Qin Fang was slightly taken aback and uncertain as he observed the slender figure ahead that resembled Fan Ning by about seventy percent. Yet, the way the person ahead was sneaking around made Qin Fang even more curious… (To be continued, for more please visit www.qidian.com. More chapters are available, support the author, support genuine reading!)

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