Chapter 1526: Chapter 1832: Fire Rescue (Part 1)

"Elder Tong, what is Qi Yong’s attitude towards this Martial Arts Tournament?"

"He is very enthusiastic and cooperative with all our requests." Tong Zhentian’s tone carried a hint of doubt as he said this, "To be honest, Qi Yong’s recent behavior is quite strange. He holds four positions in the Martial Arts Association, which makes his influence on par with the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. However, he has been keeping a low profile during this period, basically complying with everything and never making any suggestions. Elder Su and I have been making all the decisions. Do you think... someone with such ambition would be content with this?"

Upon hearing this, Ling Chen nodded and said, "I understand what you mean. You are implying that Qi Yong might have another scheme."

"I wouldn’t call it a scheme, but he surely has his own plans. Anyway, I will be cautious of him, and if he tries anything suspicious, I won’t let him succeed."

"Elder Tong, when is the Martial Arts Tournament scheduled to begin?"

"In a month. Master Su has hired over ten construction teams to start simultaneously, which will take about twenty days. After the construction is complete, we’ll have a few days left for other preparations, making it just in time. During this period, your task is to monitor the actions of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. As the president of the Martial Arts Association, I will be held responsible if any issues arise. If I am expelled from the association, then we really have no chance."

Ling Chen replied, "Elder Tong, rest assured, I will handle my responsibilities well."

"Good, that’s for the best. Let’s go, I need to visit the Martial Arts Association later. This month is probably going to be very busy."

"Elder Tong, you should take care of your health, considering your age, and not overwork yourself."

Touched by Ling Chen’s concern, Tong Zhentian smiled and said, "No need to worry for me, I’m still in good shape."

Back in the city, Ling Chen got out of the car alone and hailed a taxi straight to Falcon Private Security Company. Tong Zhentian entrusted the venue’s security to him, and to say there was no pressure would be a lie.

"Chairman." Upon learning that Ling Chen had arrived, Assistant Dong Ying hurried to the door to greet him.

In the office, Ling Chen casually flipped through some recent documents and asked, "Assistant Dong, how many people are currently available in the company?"

"There are fifteen in senior security, ten in intermediate security, and more than thirty in regular security."

"Only this many?"

"The company’s business has been consistently good, so demand for security is always high. These available personnel have just been recruited and are undergoing training. Once they pass the training, they will quickly be deployed." At this point, Dong Ying couldn’t help but smile, "Chairman, our biggest shortage right now is manpower. This month alone, we received over twenty orders, but due to the staffing issue, we could only complete half, and the rest had to be postponed."

"If we start recruiting now, how many people can we hire within a month? Of course, quality must be ensured."

"This..." Dong Ying hesitated for a moment, shook his head, and said, "I cannot be certain, as there is considerable competition in this field. Unless we loosen the requirements, we won’t be able to recruit many."

Ling Chen pondered for a moment and asked, "Can we improve the employee benefits a little?"

"Based on the company’s profits, the employees’ salaries can be increased by one to three thousand per month. Any more than that, and the company will struggle to be profitable."

"Alright, inform the finance department that from today onward, increase the salary of senior security by three thousand, intermediate by two thousand, and regular security by one thousand. Additionally, conduct nationwide recruitment and enroll anyone who meets the company’s standards, with preference given to veterans."

"Chairman, what are you planning?"

Ling Chen slightly raised the corner of his mouth, smiling, "I need staff now, a lot of them. Within a month, at least a 300-member security team must be prepared, composed entirely of senior security personnel. Assistant Dong, this is a formidable task, and I hope you won’t disappoint me. After this task is accomplished, I will promote your position in the company."

Upon hearing this, Dong Ying’s eyes lit up, and he replied with excitement, "Rest assured, Chairman, I will complete the task."

"That’s for the best." After a pause, Ling Chen changed the subject and asked, "By the way, where is Manager Jiang? I haven’t seen him around." He was referring to Jiang Yunkai since he had left Jiang Yunkai in charge of managing Falcon Company during his limited time in Beijing.

"Manager Jiang went out for business. Do you need me to call him?"

"No need, let him attend to his work. I’ll be leaving shortly."

"Yes, sir. Please have a seat. I’ll go to work now." With that, Dong Ying turned and left the office.

Looking at the clean desk, Ling Chen noticed a delicate small wooden box at the corner. Inside the box were over ten cigars. Without a doubt, they were prepared by Dong Ying. Picking one up, Ling Chen lit it with a lighter, savoring a few puffs, and then got up to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the cityscape outside.

The view from this office building was excellent, allowing one to see far into the distance. Exhaling a puff of smoke, Ling Chen stretched lazily and pulled out his phone to check the time. It was already past five in the afternoon. Having spent considerable time accompanying Tong Zhentian to the outskirts, returning to the company, he might as well wait for Jiang Yunkai, and have dinner together, as the two brothers hadn’t gathered in a long time.

However, just then, through the smoke he exhaled, Ling Chen noticed a building in the distance emitting thick smoke.

On fire?

Ling Chen tried to see more clearly, but due to the distance, he could only make out the smoke. As time ticked away, the sky gradually darkened, and the flames became conspicuously visible in the darkness from afar.

"Chen."

At this moment, someone walked into the office. Ling Chen turned around to look at the person and smiled, "Kai, you finally made it back. I was just waiting for you to have dinner."

Standing next to the floor-to-ceiling window, Jiang Yunkai looked at the distant flames and said, "On my way back, I saw a lot of fire trucks and police cars rushing in that direction. I heard the fire is severe, and many people were trapped in that building."

"Let’s hope everyone is safe. By the way, where’s the fire?"

"It seems to be a company called Changlong Technology."

Changlong Technology?

Ling Chen’s expression suddenly changed. Damn! Without time to think, he quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Leng Feifei’s number. Though the call went through, no one answered it.

Could something have happened? Ling Chen couldn’t help but worry. Wait! Wasn’t Wanqing at Changlong Technology this afternoon too? Unsure if she had left, Ling Chen immediately dialed Nanrong Wanqing’s number.