"Reporting, sir! Captain Liu Quan of the Red Alert Mining Engineering Squad has arrived to report for duty!" After saying that, he said nothing more and waited for Zhang Yi's orders.
"Captain Liu! Our Seven Color Stone Mechanical Factory has no plans to enter the mining industry for now. I hired you primarily to protect the safety of Seven Color Stone Mechanical Factory. Can you do that?" Zhang Yi stated the purpose of hiring them directly.
"Sir! No problem! Your decision is also very wise. Although we were merely logistical engineering personnel in the Red Alert Universe, our combat strength was no weaker than that of regular combat personnel. In fact, we were even stronger than them." After hearing Zhang Yi's words, Liu Quan did not refuse and immediately agreed.
"Good. I'll leave the factory's security to you for now. By the way, what are those? Did you even bring mining tools?" Just as Zhang Yi was about to assign them their duties, he suddenly noticed that every Red Alert Engineer he had hired had an iron shovel tucked at his waist. This shocked Zhang Yi greatly.
Previously, when Zhang Yi had hired top students from other systems, they had come with practically no tools. They had not even carried spare clothes beyond what they wore. Yet these people had brought mining tools with them, and each of them carried a large pack on his back.
"Boss! Don't worry! With us here, no one with ill intentions will ever enter our factory. As for these tools, Boss, tools are a mining engineer's second life, so naturally we carry them with us at all times," Liu Quan said loudly.
"Fine. I have nothing else to say. You can go out first. Wait, before you leave, take off the insignia on your shoulders."
"Yes!"
After saying that, the captain of the Red Alert Mining Engineering Squad turned and shouted to the other Mining Engineers, "Attention! Remove your insignia and follow me! Thud! Thud! Thud!" Accompanied by a series of footsteps, the Red Alert Engineers all headed out of the office. As for their accommodations, Zhang Yi believed Uncle Zhang would help settle that shortly.
After learning the names of the remaining people, Zhang Yi had the two metallurgy top students form a Non-Ferrous Metal Metallurgy Research Department to specialize in researching the smelting of various high-performance non-ferrous metal materials.
At the same time, Zhang Yi appointed one Red Alert Trainee Metallurgical Engineer as the department head. This Red Alert Trainee Metallurgical Engineer was named Zhou Shui. He was also exceptionally strong, with a combat strength of 28, making him the strongest top student Zhang Yi had hired so far. However, Zhang Yi did not intend to have this metallurgy top student serve as factory security as well. Compared to mining, what he needed now was a variety of materials, and that required metallurgy top students.
After the Red Alert Engineers left, only four people remained in the office. Zhang Yi intended to use all four as bodyguards, so he naturally needed to understand them more thoroughly.
After all four had introduced themselves, Zhang Yi learned that the three girls from the Xia Race were actually sisters. Their names were quite distinctive: Xu Xia, Xu Qiu, and Xu Dong.
According to them, they had an older sister named Xu Chun. Whether in combat strength, professional skills, or appearance, she was much better than them. She had even reached the intermediate beginner level.
The civilization of their universe's Xia Race was roughly on par with humanity's current level of civilization, so they could use most of the tools humans currently used. Of course, there were still many things they could not use, such as computers and mobile phones.
"Xu Xia, Xu Qiu, the two of you will serve as my secretaries and stay by my side. As for Xu Dong, come home with me later and protect my mother. I'm counting on you." After saying that, Zhang Yi bowed deeply to them. After all, his and his family's safety would depend on them from now on.
"Boss, you're too polite. Out of so many people in the Scholar Hiring System, you chose to hire us. That means you recognize us, Boss. Otherwise, you would not have hired us. And since we three sisters agreed to be hired, this is our responsibility." The three sisters were deeply moved by Zhang Yi's words and hurriedly replied.
After speaking to the three Xu sisters, Zhang Yi turned to the other person standing beside him. This was the last top student he had hired. He came from the Yan Race and was named Yan Shi, a male beginner-level mining top student. He looked extremely sturdy. At least among all the top students Zhang Yi had hired so far, he had never seen anyone more robust than him. Zhang Yi had specifically hired him for his father.
"Yan Shi! Come home with me later as well. Your task is to protect my father. I'm counting on you!" After saying that, Zhang Yi bowed deeply to him too.
"Boss, please don't do this. Since you hired me, this is my responsibility. Anyone who wants to harm your father will have to step over my corpse first," Yan Shi hurriedly replied after hearing Zhang Yi's words.
"Alright, that's it for now. Xu Xia and Xu Qiu, you two sisters can stay in the office first. I'll take Xu Dong and Yan Shi home so they can meet my parents, then have them protect my parents."
Just as Zhang Yi finished speaking, the voices of Xu Xia and Xu Qiu rang out.
"No, Boss. We must go with you, because protecting your safety is our responsibility. Therefore, I do not agree with you acting alone, Boss. Even if you're going home."
Since Zhang Yi had just said that they would be his bodyguards from now on—or rather, his personal guards—his safety was their responsibility. Thus, the two sisters rejected his proposal as soon as he finished speaking.
Seeing the resolute expressions on Xu Xia and Xu Qiu's faces, Zhang Yi was helpless and could only take them home with him.
However, just as Zhang Yi led the four of them out of the office, his phone began to ring. At the same time, he heard police sirens outside.
He picked up his phone and saw that Gatekeeper Uncle Zhang was calling. He immediately answered it.
"Boss, why have so many soldiers come to our factory? Every one of them has a murderous aura around him. What's going on? Also, I saw several police cars heading toward our factory. Should you come down and take a look?"
"Uncle Zhang, I know about those soldiers. They are not actually active-duty soldiers; like you, they are veterans. They will be responsible for the factory's security from now on.
Their daily lives in the factory and other related matters will be left to you as well. According to my father, you served in the military too, so I believe they will accept you.
As for the police outside, I don't know what they are here for either. I'm coming now." After saying that, Zhang Yi led the four of them toward the factory gate.
When Zhang Yi and the four arrived at the gate, several police cars had just pulled up. Zhang Yi also noticed that these police cars were not from Xian County, which struck him as strange, so he walked over.
"Hello, I'm the person in charge of this company. May I ask what brings you here?" Zhang Yi asked the police officers after reaching the gate.
In truth, the police officers were utterly baffled. When they had arrived at the factory entrance, they had seen a group of people who looked like soldiers standing in the factory's open space. Although these soldiers wore no insignia, an obvious murderous aura permeated the air around them. This was completely different from the information they had received.
At the same time, those soldiers saw the police cars parked at the entrance and walked over as well. However, they said nothing. They simply formed up in neat ranks behind Zhang Yi, leaving the police officers temporarily speechless.
After all, the Red Alert Universe was not this universe. Even though they were merely logistical personnel, they had all experienced wars of blood and fire. They carried an immense murderous aura that even ordinary people could sense, much less these police officers.
Before you continue