Chapter 266 Deadly Peeping

One hour later.

After the tea party ended, Wu Wenshan smiled and escorted Bai Zhu to the entrance of the teahouse.

"Boss Bai, I have learned a great deal today."

"If you encounter any difficulties in Beijing in the future, just let me know. If we cooperate, it will be a win-win situation."

Bai Shu nodded politely: "Director Wu, you're too kind."

"You're welcome, you're welcome." Wu Wenshan lowered his voice. "To tell you the truth, Beijing is a very complicated place. It's not easy for you to make your way here on your own; you need someone to protect you."

Bai Shu understood; this was a clear and subtle way of asking her to take sides.

"Thank you for your consideration, Director Wu." She smiled without batting an eye, then turned and got into the car.

Qin Zheng started the car, and Bai Shu leaned back in the back seat with her eyes closed.

She hadn't driven far when a murderous intent began to surface in her heart. She slowly opened her eyes and looked back through the rearview mirror.

There was a vendor selling candied hawthorns on the street corner, wearing a patched blue cloth jacket, calling out to attract customers.

Just as the car turned the corner, the vendor looked up and glanced at them.

Bai Zhu's heart tightened.

The vendor's eyes were filled with an undisguised murderous intent.

"Qin Zheng," she said calmly, "Don't go back. Go into the city, drive towards where there are lots of people."

Qin Zheng glanced at her in the rearview mirror and immediately understood.

The car turned into the city, passed through several alleys, and circled two one-way streets.

Bai Shu stared at the rearview mirror; that aura followed him, neither too close nor too far.

“Parking is at the department store ahead,” she said.

The car stopped in front of the department store, and Bai Shu got out and quickly walked into the crowd.

The mall was packed with people, but she used her Bagua steps to disappear into the crowd in a few turns.

This is not one of Wu Wenshan's people.

No matter how audacious Wu Wenshan was, he wouldn't dare to touch her.

These are Mr. Shadow's men; they're after her Bai family bloodline.

She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms.

Ten minutes later, she hailed a taxi and gave an address that was three streets away from No. 1 Courtyard.

Halfway there, she suddenly told the driver to stop, paid him, got out, and disappeared into a nearby alley.

The alley was quiet. She walked close to the wall, stopping every few steps to listen for any sounds.

The chilling aura was gone.

She breathed a sigh of relief and quickened her pace toward Courtyard No. 1.

...

Northwest, the Gobi Desert.

Lu Jingyan squatted behind the earthen slope, holding binoculars in his hand.

Fifty meters ahead was an abandoned earthen cave dwelling.

The rendezvous point given by "Black Sand Scorpion" is here. The "messenger" will come once a month on the third day of the third month.

Today is the third day of the Lunar New Year.

Wang Kun lay down beside him and whispered, "Brigade Commander Lu, we've been waiting for two hours. Is it possible that he's not coming?"

"Wait a little longer." Lu Jingyan put down his binoculars.

Half an hour later, a figure emerged from behind the sand dune.

The man was wearing a black cloak and a mask, and he walked silently.

Lu Jingyan narrowed his eyes and made a gesture.

The knife-edge squad immediately dispersed and silently surrounded the cave dwelling.

The man went into the cave dwelling, and after a few minutes, he came out again.

He stood at the entrance of the cave for a while, then suddenly turned and ran towards the sand dunes.

"Chase!" Lu Jingyan leaped up.

The knife-edge squad surrounded the man from all sides, bullets hitting his feet and kicking up a cloud of sand.

The man neither dodged nor flinched; instead, he sped up and disappeared behind the sand dunes in a few leaps.

Lu Jingyan chased to the top of the sand dune, but the area below was empty; there wasn't a soul in sight.

"Brigade Commander Lu!" Wang Kun ran up, holding a cloth bag in his hand. "I found it in the cave."

Lu Jingyan took the cloth bag, opened it, and found a stack of banknotes and a note inside.

The note read: "Goods received, see you next time."

He clutched the note tightly, then turned and walked back.

...

Beijing, No. 1 Courtyard.

When Bai Shu entered, Qin Zheng was already there with his men guarding the courtyard.

"Young Miss!" He quickly came to greet her.

"Is everything arranged?" Bai Shu asked.

"Everything is arranged." Qin Zheng nodded. "I've had Yiyue and the others take turns keeping an eye on Tangdixuan. As for the Lu family compound, the guards have already moved in. I've personally assigned four veterans to be by Miss Lu's side, keeping them by her side at all times."

Bai Shu breathed a sigh of relief: "Has the hunting dog contingency plan been activated?"

“It’s started,” Qin Zheng said. “Following the plan left by Brigade Commander Lu, I’ve deployed informants throughout Beijing to specifically monitor suspicious people from other places.”

"Okay." Bai Shu walked into the room, poured himself a glass of water, and drank it.

Aunt Wang brought in the food: "Miss, you haven't eaten yet, let me heat it up for you."

"No need, Aunt Wang," Bai Shu waved her hand. "I'm not hungry."

She went into the study, closed the door, and leaned back in her chair.

She was too tense that day.

From leaving the teahouse to being followed, and then shaking off the pursuers, every step was a perilous journey.

She closed her eyes, her mind filled with the look in the eyes of the candied hawthorn vendor.

She recognized that look.

On Nightingale Island in Hong Kong, this is how the Huo family's assassins viewed her.

Cold, ruthless, and devoid of any human warmth.

She took a deep breath, stood up, and walked to the window.

It was already dark outside, but the streetlights in the courtyard were on, and Qin Zheng was leading his men on patrol in the yard.

She suddenly remembered Lu Jingyan.

He is now in the Northwest, facing the Eagle's Nest stronghold, the messenger, and the ever-present danger.

She picked up the red telephone on the table and dialed the military line to the Northwest.

The phone rang for a long time before it was finally answered.

"Hello?" Lu Jingyan's voice came through the receiver, deep and hoarse, carrying the sound of wind and sand.

Bai Zhu opened his mouth, but a thousand words were stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single one.

"Wantang?" Lu Jingyan's voice became tense. "Is that you?"

Bai Shu's eyes reddened, and she bit her lip, trying to suppress the trembling in her voice.

“It’s me,” she said.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Lu Jingyan's voice came through: "Something happened?"

“No,” Bai Shu shook her head, “I just… wanted to hear your voice.”

Lu Jingyan smiled, a low, weary laugh.

“I miss you too,” he said. “I miss you every day.”

Bai Zhu's nose tingled, and tears almost fell.

"How are things on your end?" she asked.

"Not bad," Lu Jingyan said. "We've arrested a few henchmen and are interrogating them. The messenger met with us briefly and then ran away."

"Be careful," Bai Shu said.

"Mm," Lu Jingyan replied. "And you? Is everything alright in Beijing?"

Bai Shu hesitated for a moment, but still didn't mention that he was being followed.

"It's okay," she said. "Everything's fine."

"Lying." Lu Jingyan's voice suddenly turned serious. "Your voice sounds off. What happened?"

Bai Shu was stunned for a moment. She had forgotten that Lu Jingyan knew her too well.

"I was targeted by the Eagle's Nest people today," she said. "But I shook them off, it's nothing."

The breathing on the other end of the phone became heavy.

"They dare to touch you?" Lu Jingyan's voice was low, filled with suppressed anger.

“We haven’t made a move, we’ve just been keeping watch,” Bai Shu said. “I’ve already had Qin Zheng raise the security level to the highest level, so don’t worry.”

"I'll go back now," Lu Jingyan said.

"No!" Bai Shu exclaimed anxiously, "Your situation is more important. I have Qin Zheng and the guard company here. Everything will be alright."

Lu Jingyan remained silent for a long time.

“Okay,” he said. “You promise me you won’t go out alone; someone must be with you.”

“I promise you,” Bai Shu said.

"And one more thing," Lu Jingyan's voice lowered, "call me if you miss me, no matter how late it is, I'll answer."

Bai Zhu's tears finally fell.

"Okay," she said in a hoarse voice.

Bai Zhu lay on the table, her shoulders trembling.

She recalled her past life, the ten years she spent fighting illness alone in a hospital ward.

Back then, there was no one to rely on, no one to confide in, and I could only grit my teeth and persevere alone.

Things are different now.

She has Lu Jingyan, Qin Zheng, Wang Ma, and so many people around her.

However, danger is also approaching.