Qiu Jingwen felt that since Zhou Hailin had come to the Hongqi Factory and specifically asked to see him, if he refused, it would inevitably make people think there was something wrong. Moreover, after thinking and organizing his thoughts overnight, he felt that there were still many issues that needed to be discussed and understood with Zhou Hailin.

The security guard led Zhou Hailin to Qiu Jingwen's office. The old man before him was an ordinary farmer, dressed in coarse cloth clothes with several patches at the knees. His cotton-padded jacket was a different color from the one he wore yesterday, but both looked worn and tattered, with some yellowed cotton showing through the hem. The old man was carrying a semi-transparent plastic bag, which was filled with dried peanuts, specifically small, slender ones.

"Old Zhou, you're here, why did you bring peanuts?"

"Director Qiu, we country folk don't have much of value. Here are some peanuts for your child to enjoy."

"Thanks".

Qiu Jingwen thanked Zhou Hailin, then turned to the gatekeeper and said, "Go back to the gatehouse. This is none of your business. Just make a note of it. Old Zhou is my friend; he's from Yushan Township."

Since the sabotage by spies and the entry of the investigation team into the Hongqi Factory, the security at the gate has become extremely strict. Anyone who is not a factory employee, no matter who they meet, even if it's just a brief encounter with Zhou Huaihai, must register their name and home address. Zhou Hailin registered his detailed information at the gate.

After the gatekeeper left, Qiu Jingwen scolded Zhou Hailin: "Why did I end up at our Hongqi Factory? Didn't we agree that I would come to see you sometime?"

"Director Qiu, may I sit down and have a glass of water?"

Although it was winter, Zhou Hailin's face seemed to be covered in sweat, whether from nervousness, fear, or worry, it was hard to tell.

When he entered the gatehouse, he found that the gatekeepers were all young men carrying rifles. As a secret agent, he was naturally afraid and even regretted that he should not have taken the initiative to find Qiu Jingwen. He might not have been able to leave the military factory if he was not careful.

Seeing that Zhou Hailin wanted water, Qiu Jingwen took out an enamel mug, poured half a cup of water, and handed it to him: "Have some water first, it's warm, not too hot."

After Zhou Hailin gulped down half a glass of water, Qiu Jingwen asked him, "Old Zhou, you didn't just come here to give me peanuts, did you?"

Zhou Hailin smiled sheepishly: "You treated me to a nice meal yesterday, and I didn't sleep well all night. I've been thinking about a lot of things. I believe you don't want to be controlled by Butterfly either. Why don't we join forces and turn ourselves in to the police, find a way to catch Butterfly and earn merit? That way, we can live in peace."

Qiu Jingwen did not expect that Zhou Hailin came to join him in turning himself in. He had planned to get to know Zhou Hailin better and then propose the same idea to him, so that Zhou Hailin could work for him and crack down on Butterfly and all the group members. Once they were cracked, he would no longer have any leverage over others.

"But you haven't even seen the butterfly's face yet, so how can you catch it, and how can you break its organization?"

"Director Qiu, I've been thinking about this all night. To catch the thief, you must first catch the king; to strike the snake, you must strike its vital spot. As long as we catch the butterfly, the others will be afraid to surrender. Now that we belong to the Communists, not to mention a small group, even a battalion or a regiment can't cause any big trouble. Don't you think so?"

"Old Zhou, I'll think about your idea."

Qiu Jingwen did not immediately express his opinion. Although he could tell from Zhou Hailin's expression and tone that the other party was not lying or trying to mislead him, he did not want to tell Zhou Hailin about his undercover work. Furthermore, since Zhou Hailin had some ideas, he also needed to contact Shao Jian to hear how Shao Jian would proceed.

“I brought the letter that Butterfly gave me. If I can turn myself in, I can hand it over to the police for handwriting analysis to find Butterfly. Wouldn’t that be considered a meritorious service? Besides, I feel that Butterfly is on the streets of Yushan Township.”

As Zhou Hailin spoke, he took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Qiu Jingwen. Qiu Jingwen took the envelope, glanced at it, but didn't open it. Instead, he asked, "Think carefully, how did he deliver the letters to you each time?"

Zhou Hailin told Qiu Jingwen that sometimes the mail was delivered by the postman, and sometimes someone brought the mail into the village. He also said that once, Butterfly warned him in a letter not to inquire about the mailman or try to follow him, otherwise he would be careful of the lives of his grandson and granddaughter.

“I was afraid my child would be killed, so I didn’t ask anything.”

"So you're not afraid anymore?"

“I don’t want to live in fear and tension for the rest of my life. When I came here today, I told my two daughters to keep a close eye on their children and not let them come into contact with strangers.”

"Besides your wife and son, do your two daughters know about your spy identity?"

"They all know that, but they also know that I never killed anyone before the liberation."

"You really haven't suspected that any of the people you usually come into contact with might be butterflies?"

"I have suspected someone, but I have not found any evidence to date."

"Who is it?"

“There was an old man on the street who always made popcorn. I felt like I recognized him. After thinking about it, I realized that I had seen him at a dance party held by the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics before the liberation.”

"prom?".

"Yes, I was just a waiter at that dance party. The old man who sold popcorn was a middle-aged man back then, and his basic appearance and outline are still there."

"Didn't you test the other party?"

"I tried to test them, but they pretended they'd never seen me before."

Zheng Yanshi stood at the door and knocked. Qiu Jingwen and Zhou Hailin immediately stopped chatting. While letting Zheng Yanshi in, he said to Zhou Hailin, "Old Zhou, thank you for the peanuts. I'll treat you to drinks on Yushan Street when I have the chance."

Zheng Yanshi was only there to report on production work. Zhou Hailin sat to the side drinking tea. After Zheng Yanshi finished his report and left, the two agreed on the time and place for their next meeting.

"Director Qiu, would you consider your proposal?"

"Are you referring to the matter of turning yourself in to the police?"

“I think that by turning myself in and getting Butterfly and the others arrested by the police, we will no longer be threatened.”

“But I definitely can’t stay in this factory-level leadership position. So I need to think about it.”

Qiu Jingwen wasn't doubting Zhou Hailin's sincerity, nor was he worried that Zhou Hailin was trying to trick him into revealing his attitude. It was possible that Butterfly had captured Zhou Hailin's family and was forcing him to test him. Furthermore, even if Zhou Hailin genuinely confessed, if Butterfly saw through his ruse and forced him to confess everything about his interactions with her, he would inevitably slip up.

About half an hour later, just as Qiu Jingwen saw Zhou Hailin off, the phone on the table rang. Jiang Yuping's tense and fearful voice came through: "Old Qiu, something bad has happened. Qiu Shui just called and said that Qiu Shou was taken away by a motorcycle."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Jingwen felt a wave of dizziness, the microphone slipped from his hand, and he almost fell off his chair.