Free Web NovelChapter 232: Chapter 234: Resolving Doubts
She had an air of arrogance, the kind that probably annoyed every police officer.
And at this moment, An Ning fit the description perfectly.
"Do you know the consequences of this?"
An Ning rubbed one wrist with her other hand. Her expression was cold and a little provocative as she raised a single eyebrow.
"I do. You want to make a move?"
An Ning didn’t flinch. Her gaze was even a little challenging, conveying her resolve.
She could accept an inspection, even a pat-down, but being forced to strip for an examination was out of the question.
The stern-faced man was completely unfazed by An Ning’s provocation. "In that case, you’ll have to come with us," he said, his voice calm and steady.
An Ning dusted her hands off, pushed herself up using the chair’s armrests, and said, "I want to make a phone call."
"No one can get you out of this. Your only option is to cooperate." freёwebnoѵel.com
The two were once again at a standoff.
"ARF— WHIMPER WHIMPER—"
The dog beside the stern-faced man whimpered, tugging at his pant leg.
"Hm?"
The stern-faced man looked at the dog beside him, confused. When the dog looked at An Ning, it seemed almost ashamed as it backed away, still biting the man’s pant leg.
The man must have trusted his partner a great deal. He stared at An Ning for several seconds, but her gaze was clear, and she still refused to yield an inch.
They stared at each other for several long seconds before the man spoke.
"Pat her down."
He stepped out again.
The female officer from outside came in and nodded at An Ning. Before she could even open her mouth, An Ning stood up cooperatively and said, "Let’s begin."
Inside the room, the female officer did a thorough job.
More than ten minutes later, the door opened. The female officer shook her head. Standing behind her, An Ning looked directly at the man who had been waiting at the door the entire time and asked, "Are we done now?"
The man simply nodded once, then left with his dog without saying another word.
An Ning retrieved her backpack, slung it over her shoulder expressionlessly, and walked out of the train station.
The moment she stepped outside, An Ning smiled.
It was a mocking smile, directed not at others, but at herself.
’Life’s been too comfortable; I’ve forgotten my teacher’s lessons.’
Today, she had been saved by a dog.
An Ning let out a long sigh and strode away.
When An Ning arrived at the automobile factory, she radiated an unapproachable aura, making Director Hu, who had come to greet her, as timid as a junior assistant. He didn’t dare to speak, simply trailing behind her.
If An Ning needed something, he would step forward to explain.
If she didn’t, he would hang back.
This silent way of working was the most mentally draining.
An Ning worked at the automobile factory for three days, and the atmosphere around her grew increasingly oppressive.
It got to the point where Director Hu kept a distance of more than two meters, not daring to risk her wrath.
On the fourth day, Director Zhao came by.
The moment he saw An Ning, he knew something had happened to her.
Director Zhao’s thoughts ran deeper. An Ning was undeniably a genius.
A talent like her could be a great asset to the nation if guided properly. If not, she could become a national disaster.
At a crucial moment like this, Director Zhao needed An Ning to be that asset.
He called Director Hu over to ask about the situation, but unfortunately, the director was completely in the dark.
Since he couldn’t get an answer, he decided he might as well find out for himself.
Director Zhao stood beside An Ning, who was using some kind of machine to cut something.
"An Ning—"
"An Ning—"
After Director Zhao called out twice, An Ning finally shut off the machine, and its WHIRRING sound died down.
"An Ning, let’s talk."
"Alright."
An Ning set down the machine and followed Director Zhao to an open area.
"Care for a soda?"
Director Zhao asked in a down-to-earth way, like the most approachable parent in a big family.
"You can just speak plainly."
An Ning didn’t want to feign politeness; truth be told, she didn’t much feel like talking at all.
Seeing this, Director Zhao motioned for An Ning to sit down.
"Can you tell me what happened?"
An Ning didn’t hide anything, recounting the events of that day but omitting the fact that she had been framed.
"I’ve always believed my life was within my control, but I’m realizing that in some situations, I’m truly powerless."
’Not completely powerless,’ she mused, ’but carving a bloody path out is never a good solution.’
"I’ve worked hard to raise my status, but it’s still not enough. I’m starting to doubt if the path I’m on is the right one."
Director Zhao understood. He didn’t lecture her with grand principles; instead, he simply told her his own story.
"When I was a child, my family was killed by foreign enemies. I was the only one left, hidden in a cellar. Later, I joined the revolution, moved from place to place, and witnessed the hardships and rise of Huaxia. And then, just like that, I was sent to the countryside to raise pigs."
"Heh heh, and you know what? The pigs I raised were exceptionally healthy."
"After five years of raising pigs, I was reinstated to my post. Talk about a world of difference."
"An Ning, in a person’s life, the more capable you are, the more unpredictable the things around you will be."
"Whether the path you walk is right or wrong—that’s for future generations to judge. All we can do is stay true to our hearts."
Director Zhao looked at An Ning earnestly. "And I know your heart is in the right place, isn’t it?"
"Yes."
An Ning gave a firm nod.
One old, one young, they said no more, simply sitting there in silence.
A gentle breeze rustled by, seeming to carry away their worries.
After ten-odd minutes of silence, Director Zhao started to chat idly.
He asked An Ning how she had managed to teach herself so much about mechanical engineering.
An Ning gave the answer she had prepared long ago.
"I read a lot. I just read about it, and then I know how to do it."
"Oh? You really must be a genius, then. What else have you read?"
"A little of this, a little of that."
An Ning’s answer was vague.
Director Zhao asked jokingly, "Well then, tell me, what else do you know? Or, after reading all those books, do you have any new ideas?"
"Communications technology, infrastructure, factories for consumer goods... I have a few ideas in each of those areas."
After speaking, An Ning met Director Zhao’s slightly doubtful gaze with a mysterious smile.
For some reason, Director Zhao found himself almost believing her.
"An Ning, are you serious?"
"It is if you believe me. It isn’t if you don’t."
An Ning stood up and said goodbye to Director Zhao, telling him she was going back to work.
An Ning’s figure quickly vanished, leaving Director Zhao to ponder for a while.
"Xiao Zhang, come here."
Director Zhao beckoned Xiao Zhang to his side, gave a few orders, and Xiao Zhang departed upon receiving them.
An Ning remained at the automobile factory for another five days.
After five days, she was ready to leave.
By then, it was warm spring in March, a good time to go back and get to work.
Just as she collected her wages and was about to leave, Director Hu called out to her.
"An Ning, Director Zhao asked me to give you a few things. I’ve also arranged a soft-sleeper car for your trip, and a vehicle will be here to take you to the station shortly."
An Ning followed Director Hu out of his office, through the administration building, and over to a truck parked outside.
"What are you giving me?"
An Ning stared at the truck. ’Are they giving me the whole truck?’
"Not the truck, no, definitely not. But if you like it, I could have one built for you."
An Ning shook her head and pointed at the truck. "Then what is it?"
"Heh heh... It’s all this stuff."
With a SWOOSH—
Director Hu whipped the canvas tarp off the truck. The truck bed was neatly packed with books, various new notebooks, large sheets of white paper for technical drawings, an assortment of pens and rulers, and more. It had everything she could possibly need.
"An Ning, study hard and keep improving every day."
