It was fortunate that work had ended and no one was staying late. All the office doors were closed. I skirted around the red building and found myself facing the government compound. On the glass door of a side building to the west, red tape bore the characters "Canteen."
Security here must be good. There were no cameras in the compound. I hugged the wall and crept towards the canteen door. A small padlock hung loosely, not secured. It was meant to deter honest people, not the truly wicked. Besides, who would steal from a canteen these days?
I entered the canteen, searching for ready-to-eat food, but found none. In a corner stood a large slop bucket, brimming with uneaten leftovers: whole pork knuckles, half a braised carp, and a duck carcass picked clean. It seemed that rural towns in the north still favored lavish meals, a bit wasteful.
Of course, I wasn't about to fish food out of the slop bucket. I moved to another room and found a large freezer. It was well-stocked with various ingredients. On the table, a large rice cooker still held leftover rice from lunch.
That would suffice. I took some frozen meatballs from the freezer and put them in the microwave to defrost. I found a pack of sliced lamb for hot pot, lean meat at that. I rinsed it, then added water, sliced ginger and scallions, and cooking wine to remove any gamey smell. I also washed a couple of baby bok choy, tearing them into pieces. Once the meatballs were thawed, I heated oil in a pan and stir-fried the lamb slices. Then, I stir-fried the meatballs and bok choy, combining them. I seasoned with salt, pepper, and MSG, then plated the dish.
I rinsed the pan and sliced two tomatoes. I cracked four farm-fresh eggs. Heated oil in the wok, sautéed chopped scallions until fragrant, then added the eggs and scrambled them until golden brown. I pushed them to one side and stir-fried the tomatoes until they released their juices. Then, I mixed them together, adding a splash of soy sauce and a pinch of sugar to enhance the flavor. I plated the dish. I even cleaned the wok thoroughly, restoring everything to its original state, lest the cook tomorrow suspect some lapse in their memory.
The whole process took about seven or eight minutes. Unfortunately, there were no takeout containers. I could only find a small enamel pot with a lid. I filled it to the brim with rice and food, placed two clean stainless steel spoons inside, covered it, and sealed it with a plastic bag. Wasn't this cleaner than takeout?
Carrying the makeshift meal, I left the canteen. The air was inevitably filled with the aroma of food, but no one in the compound seemed to notice. Outside the main gate, a few pedestrians strolled by on the road, residents out for an evening walk after dinner. They were all locals and unlikely to be interested in what was happening within the government compound.
The food problem was solved. What about cigarettes?
I couldn't possibly buy them from a supermarket. Steal them?
That was too risky.
Forget it. Patience is a virtue, and haste makes waste. I'd gone a whole night without smoking before.
I retraced my steps. As I passed a row of offices through a window, I happened to see an ashtray on a desk in one of the rooms, filled with cigarette butts. My eyes lingered. I peered through the window. It was a small, single office, but it had a desk, chair, wardrobe, filing cabinet, and a visitor's sofa. The furniture looked newer and better than in the other rooms. It was probably the leader's office.
The ashtray on the desk indicated the leader smoked. Therefore, his office might contain some "reserve supplies"!
As if I'd discovered a new continent, I placed the food container on the windowsill and pushed the window. It was locked from the inside. However, it was an old-fashioned aluminum alloy window with a thin frame. I took out the Damascus dagger from my pocket, inserted it into the gap between the two panes, and the tip of the blade just reached the semicircular latch inside. I nudged it open bit by bit, successfully unlocking it.
This office was at the westernmost corner of the row of rooms, completely in the shadow of the setting sun. Even if someone were at the main entrance, they likely wouldn't see me.
I wiped the sweat from my hands. With a subtle shift of my waist, I twisted the window open and slipped inside, then closed it.
I sat down on the leader's swivel chair, crossed my legs, and sighed. It felt so comfortable. No wonder everyone wanted to be a leader!
After a brief rest, I began searching the drawers for cigarettes. Unfortunately, they were all filled with documents. I then moved to the tall cabinet in the back. In the most conspicuous spot, I found half a carton of "Ru Yu Xi" soft pack cigarettes, with seven packs remaining.
This leader seemed quite incorruptible, smoking such a "common" brand. However, as I picked up the entire carton, I felt something was wrong.
It was too heavy! It felt heavier than a brick, and the center of gravity was clearly towards the back. Had they hidden lead weights inside?