「Meanwhile.」

The bus driver arrived at the military barracks.

Bus drivers on the Sea City to Northwest Military Region route had to pass a political background check. Most of them were veterans who had transferred to civilian jobs.

In the 1980s, being a bus driver was a coveted job.

Although there weren’t many passengers traveling between the two places on a regular basis, the Northwest Military Region provided a subsidy, so the pay was comparable to that of bus drivers operating within the city.

They could make about fifty or sixty yuan a month.

There was a guardhouse at the military camp’s main gate, where several armed soldiers stood guard. One of them spoke up, asking, "Master Liu, what brings you to the camp?"

There were only a few bus drivers in total, and the soldiers occasionally asked them to help bring things, so they all knew the drivers.

Master Liu asked with a serious expression, "Are there any regiment-level or higher-ranking officers available? I have an emergency to report to them."

Noticing Master Liu’s dirty clothes, the soldier immediately used the landline in the guardhouse to contact a regiment-level officer. "Master Liu, please wait a moment."

"Okay."

A few minutes later, Huo Jingyuan came jogging over from the family quarters. His dark eyes fell on Liu Cheng as he slowly asked, "Master Liu, is there an emergency?"

"My tires have been slashed, and this isn’t the first time. It’s happened three times in a row these past few days, always on the drive from Sea City.

At first, I thought it was just bad luck. But a young lady gave me a heads-up this morning, and that’s when I realized something was wrong. I’ve been driving for a long time and have never had my tires damaged like this before."

The route from Sea City to the Northwest Military Region was mostly minor roads. After government repairs, the roads had become smooth, except for the stretch through the Gobi Desert.

The area around the Gobi was covered in yellow sand and could be described as desolate and uninhabited.

Hearing this, Huo Jingyuan frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly. He pondered Master Liu’s words for a moment before asking, "Master Liu, can you determine which section of the road it was where the tires were punctured?"

Master Liu shook his head. "That’s the strange part. I don’t feel the tire leaking at all while I’m driving. I only find out the next day when I inspect the vehicle."

Huo Jingyuan asked, "What punctured them?"

"I don’t know what it was. Nothing sharp was left in the tire, just a small hole punctured by a sharp object."

Huo Jingyuan asked, "Are you the only one experiencing this, or is it happening to all the drivers?"

"I’d have to call the main station to check. We log any vehicle damage, and I’ve registered it three times this week."

"I’ll take some men and inspect the road." Huo Jingyuan paused, then asked, "Master Liu, do you need any help? I can have the guys from the motor pool come over and assist."

The soldiers in the motor pool weren’t just good drivers; they were also expert mechanics. They handled all repairs, big or small, themselves and had every tool imaginable in their warehouse.

"No need, I have a spare wheel."

After Master Liu left, Huo Jingyuan used the landline to call the main bus station and inquire. He discovered that the tires of several buses had been punctured recently.

After reporting to the regimental command, he personally led a few soldiers from the motor pool and his own squad to sweep the route. Fifty kilometers from Li Village, they found a row of sharp spikes.

Huo Jingyuan’s expression was impassive. He slowly narrowed his eyes, his gaze darkening as he thought for a couple of seconds. "Conduct a population survey in Li Village soon."

To ride the bus, one needed to present a household registration booklet or a certificate issued by the military region. Only residents of Li Village and people approved by the military region were allowed to take it.