Real and fake liaisons

You Jiale was leaning back in his creaky bamboo recliner, listening with half-closed eyes to the chirping of sparrows in the yard. He had yesterday's newspaper in his hand, the edges slightly curled, and he was glancing at it half-heartedly, not really paying attention to anything, just enjoying the leisurely atmosphere. Suddenly, a rapid telephone ring shattered his tranquility.

He frowned, reluctant to be disturbed, slowly got up from his chair, moved to the table, picked up the old-fashioned black telephone, put it to his ear, and said in a slightly sleepy, hoarse voice, "Hello, who is this?"

A hurried but deliberately lowered voice came from the other end of the phone, "Is this Comrade Shanhe?"

Upon hearing that it was Li Ming, You Jiale immediately perked up, all sleepiness gone. "Comrade Li Ming, what happened?"

“We’ve received an urgent order from above,” Li Ming paused, seemingly to confirm that the surroundings were safe, “The liaison officer responsible for delivering important messages… he’s gone missing. We haven’t found him yet, and his fate is unknown. The higher-ups are very anxious. This information is extremely important, and we must find him as soon as possible.”

You Jiale's heart sank, and he almost dropped the phone. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "I understand, this can't be delayed." He replied, "I'll arrange for someone to inquire right away." With that, he hung up the phone decisively, grabbed his coat draped over the back of the chair, and ran out.

He practically ran all the way to "Le Ji". The shop assistants were busy running around. You Jiale called a few deliverymen who were hiding in the shop to the quiet backyard.

"Something's happened!" He lowered his voice and quickly explained the liaison officer's disappearance. "The most important thing now is to find him. You guys split up immediately and secretly inquire about his whereabouts in various parts of the city, especially in the last few days. Remember, be careful and don't alert him. Come back and tell me immediately if you have any news!" Watching the men nod solemnly and leave, You Jiale felt a little relieved.

He thought about it for a moment, and realized that at this time, the only person he could truly rely on was that old fox, Zhang Xiande. His information network spanned all walks of life, and was definitely far superior to the few people under his command.

Although he had been... Thinking of this, You Jiale couldn't help but twitch his lips, a hint of reluctance on his face. But now, with lives at stake, he couldn't care less about the risk of Zhang Xiande taking advantage of him. He hurriedly left "Leji" and rushed to Zhang Xiande's office.

Zhang Xiande sat behind his large desk, a thick stack of documents piled on it. He was looking down, twirling a pen in his hand, appearing very focused. Hearing the knock on the door, he didn't look up, but simply said, "Come in."

You Jiale pushed open the door and went straight to the point, without bothering with pleasantries. "Something's happened."

Zhang Xiande then looked up, put down his pen, and glanced at him with interest, a playful smile on his face. "Oh? What is it that would make you come to me?"

Ignoring his smug look, You Jiale told him the whole story of the liaison officer's disappearance in a hurried and worried tone.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiande's smile gradually faded, replaced by a look of seriousness. He immediately picked up the phone on the table and dialed a number. "Third brother," he instructed the person on the other end of the line, "immediately arrange for your men to investigate whether there have been any new suspicious individuals appearing in the city recently. Find out the details thoroughly."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Xiande turned to look at You Jiale. "If the liaison officer goes missing, the situation is very complicated. You haven't seen him either, so it's possible he has already betrayed us, or he might have been switched with someone else. Once we find him, don't act rashly. I will secretly protect him and ensure his safety. Then you can report to your superiors, explain the situation clearly, and we can make further plans after that."

For the next few days, You Jiale had a heavy weight on her mind. During the day, she was busy at "Leji" and seemed to be doing her job normally, but her mind was on the missing liaison officer. She would run to the phone from time to time, hoping to hear some good news.

One day, Zhang Xiande suddenly went to "Leji" to find You Jiale and said, "Come on, come with me to a place."

You Jiale was a little puzzled, but didn't ask any further questions, and followed Zhang Xiande into his black sedan. The car drove all the way to the outskirts of the city, and finally stopped near a huge railway hub, where workers were coming and going, creating a bustling scene.

Zhang Xiande got out of the car, pointed to the bustling scene in front of him, and said to You Jiale, "This is the railway project you were involved in before."

Looking at the crisscrossing railway tracks and the busy workers, You Jiale felt a sense of emotion. This railway project truly embodied a great deal of effort from its predecessors.

Just then, Zhang Xiande took a step closer to him, lowered his voice, and said with a meaningful tone, "Before you came to me, I had already made the necessary preparations for this project."

You Jiale was stunned for a moment, looking into Zhang Xiande's deep eyes, and suddenly felt as if something had gently touched her heart.

He had always thought Zhang Xiande was a shrewd businessman who prioritized profit above all else, but now it seemed he wasn't just a simple profit-seeker. "Looks like this old guy isn't so money-grubbing after all; he actually has some... potential?" You Jiale thought to himself, his opinion of Zhang Xiande subtly shifting.

Just as Zhang Xiande was about to take You Jiale's hand and lead her to a shady spot to rest, they suddenly heard a faint, painful cry for help coming from the weeds that were almost as tall as their calves.

"Help...help me..." The voice was broken and weak.