A stunning beauty arrived on the island; she invented everything from childcare to babysitting.

"The factory isn't even built yet, why should we let her work there? Wouldn't that mean she could collect several months' salary for nothing?"

"While she is indeed quite capable, this isn't something only she can do, is it?"

"Yes, yes, this is collective property. Even if we're going to select from family members, shouldn't it be a public selection process? Why was it decided so secretly?"

In the past, many people turned a blind eye to matters related to peace and tranquility because they did not involve the interests of the majority.

Even if she was awarded a worker's position at the award ceremony, there were still many positions available for others.

The problem is that the factory hasn't even been set up yet, so why should she be allowed to start working and receive wages in advance?

Even if we calculate based on the most basic first-level worker's salary of about thirty yuan a month, that would be sixty yuan for two months. Once the factory is built and more workers are recruited, how much money will that cost?

How many four-pound blue crabs would they have to find to keep up with the demand?

Speaking of giant blue crabs, wasn't it Shen Anning who caught them?

On ordinary days, they can only pick up small crabs, small seashells, small razor clams, and the like. If they are lucky, they can pick up one or two sea cucumbers and sell them for a few yuan. Most of the time, they can only sell them for a few cents.

If you calculate it this way, the thirty-odd yuan they earned in these few months could cover their income from fishing for several years.

An Ning didn't know where the news came from. She had only told Zhao Xuemei about it, but Zhao Xuemei wasn't a gossipy person. She would only talk about gossip with her when they met, and she didn't discuss these things much at other times.

Back in the house, Zhao Xuemei also walked towards her looking anxious.

"Hey sis, something bad has happened! Someone has leaked that Commander Li asked you to do some work. Have you told anyone else?"

"No, I only told you after I got back."

Zhao Xuemei was taken aback, then grabbed her hand: "You have to believe me, I definitely didn't spread this news."

An Ning shook hands back and said, "I believe you. The problem is that the news has already spread, and I'm worried that it might reach the military leadership. The military leadership entrusted this task to me because they think highly of me, but before things were even settled, the news spread like wildfire. Who knows what kind of trouble might arise?"

"What should we do?"

An Ning thought for a moment and said, "I'll go and report this situation to Commander Li."

"That's the only way." Zhao Xuemei was very angry. "Who was so shameless as to eavesdrop and then spread the word!"

“We just briefly discussed the situation at the door that day, so the person who could hear it must be nearby. But no one was passing by at the time, so we can rule out other people. It must be someone who lives nearby and could hear it without even coming out,” An Ning reasoned.

"The family next door took their annual leave and went back to their hometown, so it definitely can't be them. That leaves only..."

"Aunt Wu."

"Damn it, that old woman is still up to her old tricks! Who is she trying to disgust!"

As Zhao Xuemei cursed, she looked toward the room where Aunt Wu was. Sure enough, she saw a figure moving around in the window, but they were too far away for the other person to hear her.

“I didn’t argue with her before because of her age, but she keeps causing us trouble. I’ll have to teach her a lesson!”

"Sister-in-law, don't be angry. Getting upset will only make that old lady happy. Besides, we don't have any evidence. Going to her will only alert her. To strike a snake, you have to strike its vital spot. Once we find the evidence, we can put her in her place and prevent future troubles."

With An Ning's reassurance, Zhao Xuemei calmed down: "Okay, I'll keep an eye on her for a while and see what tricks she can pull. Don't worry, after you leave, I definitely won't let her bully your little girl."

An Ning smiled, not yet telling Zhao Xuemei that she could take the child with her.

He had originally planned to tell her after he got back, but now that plan had fallen through, and he would have to wait until she went to see Li Bowen before telling her.

However, this time, An Ning had just left Li Bowen's place, but she did not see Li Bowen again.

"Sister-in-law, wait a moment. The regimental commander has been called to a meeting due to some urgent business. He should be back soon. Please have some tea." Yan Fei made An Ning a cup of tea.

"It's okay, I'll just wait here for him to come back."

In the conference hall, everyone present looked very serious. The elderly man at the head of the group looked at Li Bowen and said, "That's the situation. Li Bowen, since Shen Anning was someone you recommended, then you tell us how this matter should be handled."

"Commander, I don't think this matter has anything to do with Comrade Anning..."

Before he could finish speaking, another person interrupted him: "What do you mean it has nothing to do with her? If she hadn't been so smug, would this have gotten out? Would those family members have come to us demanding a fair chance to compete?"

"Yan Gang, watch your words. It's not even certain who leaked this information yet. How can you be so sure it was Comrade An Ning who leaked it? As far as I know, she's not that kind of person."

“I don’t know her, and I don’t know what kind of person she is. Everyone knows what’s going on behind the scenes at the toy factory. The people we send out need to be reasonable, but even more importantly, we need to keep a low profile. With so many people watching that Comrade Shen Anning, how can our plan be implemented? We need to change people, we absolutely must change people!”

Li Bowen said unhappily, "I admit that the toy factory is covering up for the arsenal, but it also undertakes the task of subsidizing military supplies, a task that not just anyone can undertake. If you have someone more suitable than Comrade An Ning, you can bring it up, and we can discuss it again right here."

"With so many people in the military, I refuse to believe we can't find someone who understands these things. And with so many researchers at the shipyard, any one of them could do the job, right?"

"Of course we can find them. The problem is that they are our carefully cultivated gems. They are not only on our list, but also on the enemy's intelligence network. Are you sending these people out to work for the toy factory because you think they are too safe and want to create opportunities for the enemy? Or do you think the toy factory isn't a big enough target and want to attract all their attention?"

"Alright, alright, stop arguing. We're discussing how to solve this problem, not having you fight. Have you come up with any solutions after all this arguing?"

Li Bowen pushed his chair back, adopting a roguish air: "What's there to solve? Let whoever is capable do it! What we need right now is a technician who understands the process and the equipment. Whoever has objections, let them compete with Comrade Anning, right? If someone knows more than Comrade Anning, let them go. If they're not as good as Comrade Anning, how dare they offer any opinions?"

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment at Li Bowen's appearance, but at the same time, they couldn't think of a better solution.

That seems to be the case. However, the troublemakers have raised a big banner, and if we don't do anything about it, it will affect the authority of the military. That's why we held a special meeting to discuss solutions.

They were focused on giving everyone an explanation, and neglected this aspect of the problem.

"Alright, alright, since you have such ideas, Li Bowen, then you can handle this matter yourself. As for Comrade An Ning's communication with our people during her exchange and study trip, how did you arrange it?" the division commander asked.

“I happen to have a trustworthy person under my command. He was on an undercover mission and few people have seen him. He just returned from a mission and was injured in the battle in the south. He is currently on leave. I’ll have him go with Comrade An Ning. He can handle the communication regarding the underground factory. Comrade An Ning doesn’t need to be involved.”

"Yes, just keep this in mind."

"Don't worry, sir!"

"Stop being silly, be serious."

Li Bowen, who had been scolded, straightened his attitude: "Received!"