"Many hands make light work! I have no problem leading everyone in charging forward, but I am a bit inadequate when it comes to dealing with complex interpersonal relationships. I know you are not at ease, so how about this: I will ask you a question, and if you can answer it, we will settle it like that. If you can't answer it, we will see how you perform in the future. I just mentioned that I am not good at handling interpersonal relationships. Do you know why?"

"If you don't want it for free, then let's change the approach, Hong Tao. Let's have a quiz with rewards. If you answer correctly, it proves that you are qualified for the position of the second-in-command. If you answer incorrectly, it just means that you temporarily don't have a thorough understanding of the job, but don't despair. There will be another opportunity in the future."

"As long as the leader is willing, even if you fail every time, you still have the opportunity to improve. But if the leader is not willing, even if you answer correctly every time, you still need to train and sharpen yourself!"

"...Comrade Hong has not spent much time within the system, so he is not incapable in this aspect, but rather not accustomed to it, right?" Liu Quanyou wiped off a cold sweat while lighting a cigarette. His little scheme was just exposed, and the tension he felt was something outsiders couldn't understand. It felt like his life was hanging by a thread.

Finally, he could breathe a sigh of relief now. Answering this kind of question was too easy. No one, except those who work within the system, would be willing to do this kind of job. Understanding human nature is indeed a headache and boring. But if you work within the system, especially in an office, this set of skills is considered basic. Only those who understand it well have the possibility of making progress, like himself!

"Hahaha... That's settled then. The position of the second-in-command is yours!" Hong Tao patted Liu Quanyou's shoulder heavily, almost calling him "Red Devil". The laughter even alarmed Zhang Tao, Linna, and Zhou Jinlan, who were tidying up the room. The three of them looked at each other, their eyes shining with completely different brilliance.

"Flatterer!" Zhang Tao naturally couldn't stand it, mainly because he didn't want to be commanded by others. He had hoped that the four newcomers could unite and resist together, but with Liu Quanyou quickly becoming friendly with Hong Tao, his plan was ruined.

"It's because our Old Liu is capable!" Zhou Jinlan's feelings were completely different. She had been a bit worried before, feeling passive in this unfamiliar environment and having no bargaining chips. But with Liu Quanyou making progress, she, as a family member, naturally felt more at ease. At least she didn't have to worry about being disliked and treated like a zombie.

"He's quite good at playing with people!" Linna was actually the most daring. Her only capital was her body, both in the past and in the apocalypse. As long as there were men in the world, she wouldn't be worthless.

However, until now, she still hadn't figured out the situation with this Brother Hong. If she said he wasn't interested in women, it wouldn't be true, as she noticed him sneaking glances when she was taking a shower. If she said he was interested, there wasn't much enthusiasm shown in the olive branch he extended to her from the beginning. But it didn't matter, there was still plenty of time and opportunities.

"Master Hong, if you trust me, there is a place, but I don't know if it's suitable or not!" Liu Quanyou never cared about how others viewed his actions. In the past, he only needed to pay attention to one person's attitude, the leader! Although it was the apocalypse now, the leaders still existed, like the one in front of him.

He had a lot of experience in dealing with leaders. Besides having the right attitude, the most effective way to impress them was through work ability. This ability wasn't about being versatile or skilled, but about putting all your effort into the crucial points. Especially when the leader was in a difficult situation, if you could provide practical help, it would be more useful than ten times of usual flattery.

"...Let's hear it then... Don't burden yourself too much. This is not the Forbidden City, where you'll be beheaded for saying something wrong. Whether the place is suitable or not, we will discuss it collectively before making a decision."

After wasting so much time talking and making promises and encouragements, Hong Tao was waiting for this sentence. People like Liu Quanyou wouldn't speak without confidence.

Here comes the real deal. But the more it was like this, the more Liu Quanyou had to remain calm. He couldn't appear too anxious, as if he couldn't survive without this place. Hong Tao didn't have much expertise in managing subordinates, but he had been through so many practices that he couldn't be unfamiliar with it.

"That's right..." The more it was like this, the more at ease Liu Quanyou felt. He was very familiar with this set of skills. It was just like reporting work to the leader while sitting in the office.

"Well, the unit I work for is located in Hepingli Street. When I was still a deputy director, I participated in the renovation of Metro Line 5. The main task was to cooperate with the construction unit to clean up the underground civil defense projects, to prevent them from being dug through during tunneling and causing collapses. In order to complete this task, I went through all the civil defense projects in my jurisdiction for several months. It was like being a rat in the sewer..."

When it came to his work, Liu Quanyou seemed to have wound up a spring. He could talk for half an hour with just the preface. Hong Tao didn't interrupt, as he still had patience. Speak up, it wouldn't be a loss to listen.

"There is a very special place among them. It was originally an underground circular structure, then it was used as an ice rink, and later..." Just when he finally got to the main point, Hong Tao interrupted him.

"Oh, I know that place. It was later used as a vegetable market, right next to the east wall of Di Tan Park?"

"That's right, Old Hong, you know too..." It was meaningless if others knew the place he was talking about. Liu Quanyou felt quite disappointed.

"We met at the south gate of Di Tan, remember? I was going to find my uncle! He lives east of Yonghe Temple. It used to be my grandma's house. I played in the ice rink when I was a child, and when I grew up, I went to the vegetable market to buy vegetables. But if you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have thought of it... Is it suitable?"

Hong Tao wasn't intentionally causing trouble. He really knew the place Liu Quanyou was talking about. Not only did he know, but he had probably been there more times than Liu Quanyou. How should I put it, the space was large enough to accommodate hundreds of people without any problem.The ventilation and drainage systems, after countless modifications, are very reliable. At least, during all the years it served as a market, it never once made the people inside feel suffocated, nor was it ever flooded by heavy rain.

Moreover, it only has two entrances and exits, one on the east side of the park and one on the north, both equipped with thick, blast-proof doors. Just hearing the name, you know these are not doors that can be easily opened by ordinary means. They are relatively safe.

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However, just like a building, if both entrances are blocked, you're still trapped like a turtle in a jar, with nowhere to run. The most troublesome part is the lack of a high vantage point. There's no chance to set up sentries to spot enemies in advance. It seems less suitable than occupying a few interconnected basements in office buildings.

"If I hadn't gone in and inspected it in detail, I wouldn't have suggested this. In fact, the ring fortification is just a part, or rather a small part, of the entire underground fortification. Its main structure is under the Earth Altar Park... Unfortunately, many places have been flooded due to years of disrepair. But there is a passage that connects directly to Subway Line 5. Normally, it just looks like a maintenance passage, but the door is locked from both ends. To open it, you need to notify both the civil defense office and the subway company, and they have to bring the keys to the site together."

Liu Quanyou had obviously considered this issue, but his thoughts were completely different from Hong Tao's. The reason was that he had seen the detailed blueprint of the civil defense project and had personally walked through each passage. What Hong Tao saw was just the surface, the places where ordinary people were allowed to see. The depth was completely different.

"Holy... Old Liu, are you sure it's connected to the subway?" By this point, Hong Tao had completely grasped the key point. The advantage of being connected to the subway alone could completely offset other shortcomings.

Who needs a high vantage point? With this passage, all the high-rise buildings near subway stations throughout the city can serve as vantage points. It's also convenient to collect supplies from various places. You can attack or retreat as needed. If all else fails, you can escape beyond the Fifth Ring along the subway tracks, choosing any direction, north, south, east, or west.

"It's one hundred percent true. I personally checked it during the flood control exercise last summer. The locks and chains were all in good condition, wrapped in grease, and someone was assigned to maintain them every month. Also, the blueprint is available at the civil defense office, and the key is locked in a safe. The only problem is that the key to the safe is with the section chief, who lives quite far away. It might be difficult to find..."

Liu Quanyou confidently guaranteed this, slapping his chest. If he said it was one hundred percent, then it must be one hundred and ten percent reliable, or even more.