"Deputy Director Li, what are you mainly responsible for making in the Armor Department?"
Li Gu was taken aback, unsure why he had suddenly asked. Still, he answered proudly, "Naturally, the finest chainmail and Bright Armor for the Capital Guard and the Imperial Guards!"
"Oh." Gu Shen nodded. "Then I assume you know the usage of all kinds of iron materials like the back of your hand?"
"Of course!" Li Gu thumped his chest. This was his area of expertise.
"Excellent." Gu Shen turned to the others, raising his voice a little. "Who's in charge of the storeroom?"
A short, thin middle-aged man came forward nervously. "Y-Your subordinate Liu Quan, at your service, sir."
"Steward Liu," Gu Shen said, looking at him. "Tell me, is there a batch of Hundred Refined Steel in the storeroom that was brought from West Mountain three months ago?"
Liu Quan's face went white in an instant, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. "S-Sir... h-how did you..."
"Answer me. Is it there or not?" Gu Shen's tone hardened.
"It... it is..." Liu Quan's voice was barely audible.
Gu Shen smiled.
He turned to Li Gu, his smile carrying a hint of chill.
"Deputy Director Li, let me ask you again. How many jin of Hundred Refined Steel does it take to make a suit of Bright Armor?"
Li Gu's expression changed too. He seemed to realize what was going on, and his eyes began to dart away. "Well... it depends on the armor's design. Around... around thirty jin, I'd say..."
"It's twenty-eight jin," Gu Shen corrected him coldly. "That batch of Hundred Refined Steel totaled three thousand jin, enough to make more than a hundred suits of Bright Armor. But I looked through the ledgers last night, and over the past three months,