Zhang Qianqian's enthusiasm is genuine.

But behind this enthusiasm lies a calculation.

But now is not the time to think about these things. Xu Xinghe must first calm Zhang Qianqian down and prepare for the plan for tonight.

After washing up, the two lay in bed chatting.

Zhang Qianqian continued to harp on Jiang Linchuan's topics, from her favorite foods to their future life, her eyes full of anticipation.

Xu Xinghe responded casually, occasionally observing Zhang Qianqian's state.

After chatting for about half an hour, Zhang Qianqian's voice gradually lowered, and her eyes began to droop.

Seeing that the time was right, Xu Xinghe gently patted the back of her hand, "Qianqian, are you sleepy? Go to sleep, you have to get up early tomorrow."

Zhang Qianqian nodded groggily, and soon after, even breathing could be heard.

She fell asleep.

Xu Xinghe waited a few minutes and gently nudged Zhang Qianqian's arm, but Zhang Qianqian didn't react.

Just to be on the safe side, she brought a medicine packet with her today and put it in her space. Inside was sleeping pill powder that she had prepared beforehand. She had already mixed the powder into the milk that Zhang Qianqian drank before going to bed.

It seems the medication is starting to take effect, and Zhang Qianqian shouldn't wake up tonight.

Xu Xinghe carefully got out of bed, got dressed, gently opened the door, and tiptoed towards Zhang Qiang's room.

The Zhang family's house was an old-style brick and tile house. Zhang Qiang's room was on the other side of the main room, with a cloth curtain hanging at the door.

Xu Xinghe walked to the door and gently pushed it, only to find that the door was locked.

Before leaving, Zhang Qiang even locked the room.

She panicked and didn't know what to do.

Without the key, I can't open the door at all. Is tonight's plan going to fall through?

Just then, a slight noise came from behind. Before Xu Xinghe could react, one hand covered her mouth, and the other hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her to the side.

Xu Xinghe froze in fright, about to struggle, when a familiar voice came from beside her, "Don't make a sound, it's me."

It's Jiang Linchuan!

Xu Xinghe's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, instantly settled down. She turned around and saw Jiang Linchuan's face by the moonlight.

She lowered her voice, still somewhat shaken, "Why did you suddenly come? You scared me to death!"

“I guessed Zhang Qiang would lock the door, so I climbed in through the window on purpose.” Jiang Linchuan pointed to the window next to him. “I observed outside for a long time to make sure no one was there before I dared to come in to find you.”

He paused, then added, "I cooked dinner at the youth settlement tonight. I put a little sleeping pill in the soup, just a small dose, enough to make people sleep a little more soundly, but there's no danger. That way, no one will find out we're not at the youth settlement tonight."

Xu Xinghe narrowed her eyes and a smile appeared on her lips. "What a coincidence, I also put medicine in Zhang Qianqian's milk before she went to bed."

Jiang Linchuan was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

They were indeed in sync; they even came up with the same plan.

He pulled a thin wire from his pocket. "You stay outside and keep watch, I'll open the door. The lock here is similar to the one in the office, I should be able to open it."

Xu Xinghe nodded, walked to the door of the main room, and cautiously observed the movements outside.

Although Zhang Qiang won't be back tonight, there's always a chance a neighbor might pass by, so we have to be careful.

Jiang Linchuan walked to Zhang Qiang's door, inserted the wire into the keyhole, and nimbly turned it with his fingers.

Moonlight streamed through the window and fell on his face; his gaze was focused and calm.

Not long after, a soft click was heard, and the door lock opened.

Jiang Linchuan gently pushed open the door and gestured for Xu Xinghe to come in.

She strode into the room, and Jiang Linchuan immediately closed the door. The two of them began to explore the room by the moonlight streaming in through the window.

“We’ll divide the work. You’re in charge of the wardrobe on the left, and I’ll look for the desk and bookshelf on the right. Remember, whether you find anything or not, you have to put the items back in their original places without leaving a trace.”

Xu Xinghe nodded and tiptoed to the left side of the area.

Her movements weren't fast, but they were exceptionally meticulous.

When you open the wardrobe, first note the hanging order of each garment: whether the coat or the shirt is in front, and which direction the cuffs are facing.

When rummaging through the drawers, I even memorize the angle at which the sewing box is placed inside.

Zhang Qiang is meticulous; even the slightest deviation could be detected, so he must be absolutely precise.

On the other side, Jiang Linchuan was checking the drawers of his desk.

He opened the bottom drawer, which contained several old ledgers. After flipping through them and finding nothing unusual, he stacked the ledgers back in their original order.

But as he closed the drawer, he keenly sensed that something was wrong.

This drawer is half a finger shorter than the others, and there seems to be a slight sticking sensation at the bottom when it is pushed.

He pulled the drawer open again and tapped the bottom of it with his finger; the sound was somewhat hollow.

Feeling along the inside of the drawer, near the back, I felt a tiny bump. With a gentle press, the bottom of the drawer popped open, revealing a hidden compartment about the width of a palm!

A stack of documents was neatly arranged in the hidden compartment. The paper was yellowed, but the edges were very smooth, indicating that it had been carefully preserved.

Jiang Linchuan quickly pulled out the document and flipped through it by the moonlight.

The document was covered with dense writing, including numerous numbers and symbols. It looked like a record of material transportation and contact information, and the content was so complex that it was impossible to memorize it in a short time.

He made a quick decision and neatly stuffed the documents into his inner pocket.

"Why did you take the documents?" Xu Xinghe came over when she heard the noise, and asked in a low voice, her eyes full of worry. "If Zhang Qiang finds out the documents are missing, he will definitely become suspicious!"

Jiang Linchuan pulled her to the desk and pointed to the inside of the drawer, "Look here."

Xu Xinghe took a closer look and found a thin layer of dust on the edge of the drawer, indicating that it hadn't been opened for a long time.

“This means that this hidden compartment hasn’t been touched for a long time,” Jiang Linchuan explained. “Moreover, the more important something is, the less often it will be taken out, otherwise it will be easily exposed. Zhang Qiang won’t check this place in the short term, so we still have time to process these documents. After I copy down the contents, we’ll find an opportunity to put them back. The most urgent task is to find the other part. These documents only look like fragments, and there’s still crucial information missing.”

Xu Xinghe frowned and pondered for a moment, "Could it be in the brigade leader's office? You found a note in the office before, maybe the rest of the documents are there too."

“I think so too.” Jiang Linchuan nodded. “A cunning rabbit has three burrows. Someone as cunning as Zhang Qiang wouldn’t keep all his important things in one place. There were only notes in the metal box in the hidden compartment of the office. Maybe the complete documents are stored in two different places. We need to find an opportunity to search the office carefully again.”