“Manager Chen, what are you doing with a fruit knife? I’ve seen chaotic situations, but not like this. Don’t get worked up,” someone said.

Chen Lina shoved a bit and found that Song’s wife was terribly weak.

She ended up collapsing onto Director Guan’s desk.

“I’m asking you, what’s this on your back? Why are there bruises all over?”

“It’s from bumping into something…”

“I got it from cupping therapy,” the couple responded with completely different answers.

Chen Lina pinned Song’s wife against the desk.

Wang Hongbing, being sharp-eyed, twisted one of Song Jin’s arms behind his back. “Engineer Song, you’re an educated man. Let’s use reason, not violence. No fighting!”

“Dammit, Chen Lina, what do you think you’re doing? Let go of me, you scoundrel!” Song Jin began to struggle, visibly enraged. “You maniacs are everywhere! I just adopted a child—what do you want from me?”

“Stop! Don’t move,” Nie Weimin ordered with authority as he twisted Song Jin’s arm.

Er Dan was even fiercer.

Seeing Song Jin still trying to struggle, he launched himself forward like a cannonball and bit Song Jin’s thigh, rendering him immobile.

Wang Hongbing, with a sudden twist, managed to press Song Jin against the wall with the help of two children.

“Comrade Xue Xiaoyue, Song Jin has been abusing you, leaving you covered in bruises. You should report this to the Women’s Federation instead of hiding it. Look at the fist marks on your body. Look at those bruises,” Chen Lina said, pulling at Xue Xiaoyue’s clothes to reveal more injuries.

Apart from the area covered by her bra, her body was littered with purple and blue marks.

“No, no, he didn’t hit me. I fell on my own,” Xue Xiaoyue said.

“Did you fall from the moon? Or are you rolling around the desert every day to end up like this? Answer me!” Chen Lina retorted, trying to pull her pants down.

“Please, Manager Chen, stop! Don’t do this, or I’ll accuse you of harassment!” Xue Xiaoyue pleaded.

This was not suitable for the children to witness.

Chen Lina signaled to Chen Lili, “Take the kids outside.”

Chen Lili finally realized the situation, picked up San Dan and dragged Er Dan away.

However, Nie Weimin refused to leave, continuing to pin Song Jin’s arm with Wang Hongbing.

“I’m not a three-year-old. I’m not leaving. Besides, I’m the one who noticed the injuries on this woman,” he declared with great dignity.

Indeed, it was Nie Weimin who had spotted the injuries hidden beneath Song’s wife’s clothes, though no one knew how he had noticed them.

“Song Jin didn’t just physically abuse you; he probably sexually abused you as well, right?” Chen Lina said bluntly, knowing her eldest son was mature for his age.

Wrestling with Song’s wife, she attempted to pull her pants down. “He’s a pervert, don’t you see? Maybe he’s even damaged your ovaries. Now that he’s tired of you, he’s looking for new prey. But instead of targeting ordinary girls, which could harm his reputation, he’s trying to adopt a vulnerable orphan to raise as his own plaything.”

“No, no, we just love children!” Xue Xiaoyue protested.

“Love children? Is that why you describe a little girl as a ‘peach’?” Chen Lina snapped, slapping Song’s wife. “Wake up! Covering for him, lying, and enabling his behavior will only get you killed by his abuse one day.”

“I don’t abuse anyone! I’ll abuse you right now! I’ll…” Song Jin broke free and lunged at Chen Lina, but before he could finish his sentence, Wang Hongbing smashed a chair over the back of his head.

The chubby Director Guan stood frozen behind his desk, stunned.

A paper adoption certificate fluttered to the ground, settling amid the chaos.

“Well, Director Guan, who do you think is more qualified to adopt Liu Xiaohong?” Chen Lina asked.

“I believe Wang Hongbing and his wife are more qualified,” Director Guan replied, then turned to Song’s wife. “Xue Xiaoyue, have you considered reporting this to the Women’s Federation? With the state you’re in, you could file for divorce.”

Xue Xiaoyue glanced at the unconscious Song Jin on the floor and repeated robotically, “He didn’t hit me. He loves me very much.”

“If you don’t leave him, you’ll die. If I were you, I’d divorce him immediately. If you’re worried about having nowhere to go, you can come to my farm. We need workers there. You can support yourself,” Chen Lina offered.

“Thank you, Manager Chen, but you don’t understand. Song Jin is strict with me because he loves me,” Xue Xiaoyue insisted.

Well, you can never wake someone who’s pretending to sleep.

That much is true.

As they loaded Liu Xiaohong into the car and prepared to return to the farm, they were stopped by the mining district’s security team.

Song Jin, now conscious, played the victim.

Shockingly, Song’s wife accused Chen Lina and her group of assaulting her, claiming her injuries were their doing.

Hiding behind the security team, still wrapped in Director Guan’s white shirt, Xue Xiaoyue pointed a trembling finger. “Manager Chen hit me. Director Guan is in on it. They’re all conspiring to stop us from adopting.”

Chen Lili spat in anger. “This woman must’ve been beaten senseless by Song Jin!” Furious, she lunged at Xue Xiaoyue.

The security team intervened, surrounding Chen Lina’s group. “Calm down, everyone. Let’s go to the station and provide statements.”

Even the prestigious license plate “0002” couldn’t save them.

With Xue Xiaoyue’s visible injuries, even Director Guan was almost detained.

“Mom, are we going to jail like Uncle Second and Uncle Third? Will there be prison bosses? Do you think men and women will be separated? Will we all be jailed together?” Nie Weimin asked, inexplicably excited.

Maybe in his heart, he was already planning how to lead his younger brothers to take control of the prison after being locked up.

“Dad would definitely be angry if he knew. He’d think we did something bad to get caught by the security team,” said San Dan’er, the most sentimental one.

Wang Hongbing, however, was furious. “I didn’t expect the frontier to be just as corrupt. These security team people are blind.”

“I think they’re blind too,” Nie Weimin murmured quietly.

Children are like blank slates.

The perspectives of adults become their perspectives, and the principles of adults become their truths.

“Alright, brother-in-law, everything depends on evidence. This is a false accusation, and we can argue our case. I believe the security team will deliver a fair judgment.”

The children were still young.

The complexity of society was only partially visible to them.

However, Chen Lina, who had lived a lifetime, knew that even though there might be darkness in small matters, society as a whole was progressing toward fairness and justice.

So, she felt that at the very least, she shouldn’t convey such negativity in front of the children.

For instance, in her previous life, she often saw adults scaring children with the police, telling them to behave or else the police would catch them.

As a result, when many children got lost, their first instinct wasn’t to seek help from the police but to avoid them.

This caused some to be kidnapped by traffickers or face danger, which made their families deeply culpable.

Spreading her hands, she didn’t resist. “Comrades of the security team, we fully cooperate and believe you will deliver justice.

My husband went on a business trip to Base 3, and today is the day he’s supposed to return.

He should be reporting to Secretary Ah at the mining district. I request that you go to the mining district government and, at the very least, let him see us.”

However, the security team didn’t find Nie Bozhao at the district government.

After asking around, they discovered that Engineer Nie had just returned from his trip but had been taken by the armed forces.

“The adjusted engine oil is working great, but Engineer Nie, all our imported Tin Bulls have broken down, and we don’t know why. You have to help us fix them,” said Minister Gao.

Staff Officer Yu added, “In Daqing, where it gets below -40°C in the coldest times, their cars work just fine.

Our cars are only a few years old, and they’ve already broken down. We’ve consulted so many repair personnel, but no one can figure out the problem.

This won’t do, Engineer Nie. Our mining district cannot lag behind Daqing.”

“Yes, our lowest temperature this year was only -35°C. Daqing’s -40°C is worse, and it’s already summer now. How can you blame the winter for the cars breaking down?” Nie Bozhao, dressed in a white shirt and navy work pants, hadn’t been home in three days.

His beard was scruffy, and his hair was a bit overgrown, needing a cut.

Removing his glasses, he said, “Minister Gao, isn’t this just about a gauge? Yes, I’m an engineering graduate, but my field is petroleum refining. You can’t drag me into being an auto mechanic over a gauge.”

“In my eyes, Engineer Nie, you’re capable of anything. After all, all engineering fields are interconnected. You should know, for that gauge, Commander Wu Qiong nearly scratched my face off.”

“Well, you should tell her that you lost to her in the first place and won her back with the gauge. Isn’t she worth more than a gauge?”

Nie Bozhao opened the hood and carefully examined the engine.

He couldn’t help but admire how sturdy the machinery left behind by the Russians was.

“Alright, you didn’t add antifreeze. The oil lines are almost completely corroded. Go add antifreeze immediately.” Taking off his gloves, Nie turned to leave.

“In the middle of summer? Add antifreeze?” Minister Gao looked puzzled.

“Right, isn’t antifreeze something you only add in winter?”

“Who told you that cars only need antifreeze in winter? Antifreeze doesn’t just prevent freezing; it protects the car’s oil system from corrosion and damage. Staff Officer Yu, Minister Gao, you both need to study more and stop bothering me with such things.”

Minister Gao and Staff Officer Yu were thoroughly impressed.

In the eyes of everyone in the mining district, Engineer Nie was capable of anything.

“Wait, Engineer Nie, don’t leave so quickly. Didn’t we agree last time to arm wrestle? How about we settle it today?”

“Staff Officer Yu, I’ve noticed you old soldiers are all the same. What’s your wager this time?” Nie Bozhao had to stop.

In the eyes of these young soldiers, engineering types with glasses probably seemed as harmless as boiled chicken.

“Not much. Let’s bet that during the joint social event between the armed forces, the base, and the farm, your wife dances a song with me. How about that?” Staff Officer Yu suggested.

Nie Bozhao’s eyes narrowed.

Looking at Minister Gao and Staff Officer Yu, he suddenly recalled the May Day incident when Chen Lina had used her white shirt as a flag and stepped out of the truck in just a tank top.

Her fair skin, slightly plump figure, and pronounced curves stood out in the frontier, where most people were gaunt with sunburned, yellowish skin.

Impulse is a devil, and jealousy twisted Nie Bozhao’s expression.

Pressing his elbow against the Tin Bull, he said, “Alright, but if I win, Minister Gao, I want Staff Officer Yu to stand at the door as a greeter during the event and not be allowed inside the dance.”

“Fine, let’s do it. Everyone, come see! Engineer Nie is arm wrestling with Staff Officer Yu!”

“Old Nie, Old Nie!” someone called from outside.

It was Secretary Xiao Zhang from District Chief Gao’s office.

“Engineer Nie, Song Jin has filed a report, accusing your wife of bullying his wife and even brandishing a knife. He demands severe punishment for the perpetrator,” said Captain Feng from the security team.