Chapter 106 The Timid Him (18) I'm Proud to Have My Motherland by My Side…

The police officers escorted Chen Mei out. She staggered, her legs weak, and she kept muttering, "I...I didn't mean to, I don't know, I don't know anything..."

At this moment, Liu Junzhou led the armed police squad responsible for Song Ce's safety over quickly. After seeing that Song Ce was safe and sound, he breathed a sigh of relief and said with a wry smile, "Comrade Song Ce, it's fortunate that you're alright, otherwise we would all have to submit our resignation reports when we get back this time."

Song Ce smiled faintly, his gaze falling on the subdued Li Jia and the others. He said calmly, "As long as we can capture these Amaterasu spies, all our preparations will not have been in vain."

"Don't worry, the higher-ups will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and will never allow them to have another chance to harm the country," Liu Junzhou said solemnly.

Because Chen Mei's espionage activities were extremely egregious, she even targeted her own son, Song Ce, a young Chinese researcher, attempting to steal China's latest research findings through despicable means such as emotional manipulation, seduction, and threats. Although she failed, she had already carried out espionage activities, and the Supreme People's Court sentenced Chen Mei to eighteen years and six months in prison and confiscated 100,000 yuan of her personal property.

After the verdict was handed down, Chen Mei immediately collapsed to the ground, crying and begging to see Song Ce one last time.

...

One week later, at Beijing No. 3 Prison.

Through the glass, Song Ce looked at Chen Mei, who looked haggard and whose eyes were full of fear, and slowly picked up the phone in front of him.

"Xiao Ce, you must find a way to get your mother out of here! These past few days have been unbearable for me. I know I was wrong!" Chen Mei cried, clutching the phone tightly as if it were her last lifeline.

"Why did you do this?" Song Ce asked softly, his face calm and expressionless, looking at the woman inside who seemed to have gone mad.

“I…I was blinded by greed, I was wrong! But you don’t know, everything your mother did was for you! When you grow up and get married, if you don’t have money, which girl will want to marry you? Xiao Ce! Please save your mother!” Chen Mei cried even more bitterly. When she was tired of crying and looked up, she saw that her son’s face showed no pity or emotion, which filled her with despair.

"Xiao Ce, you...you can't do this to me! I'm your mother, I carried you for ten months and gave birth to you. You can't just leave your mother in prison and ignore me!" Chen Mei became increasingly agitated, frantically pounding on the glass in front of her and shouting at the top of her lungs.

"This is the last time I'll see you. You'd better take care of yourself." After saying this, Song Ce left without turning his head.

Chen Mei froze, stunned, as she listened to her son's resolute words on the phone. She gripped the prison glass with both hands, staring intently at Song Ce's retreating figure, her heart filled with terror.

Does Xiao Ce... disown her as his mother?

"Xiao Ce! Xiao Ce! Song Ce! All these years, I've endured so much in this family for your sake, just wanting to give you a happy family! But now! I only made one mistake, why do you disown me? Come back! Come back!"

Chen Mei cried and screamed, but... it was no use. The figure never looked back, resolutely and defiantly leaving the Third Prison.

When Song Ce's figure disappeared completely, Chen Mei felt a sudden dizziness, as if the whole world had collapsed.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Song Ce! Come back here! Come back!!!"

Chen Mei kept smashing the glass in front of her. After a while, two prison guards walked into the visiting room. They looked at the woman crying miserably on the ground with disgust and no sympathy, and went straight to take her away.

Unexpectedly, upon seeing the prison guards, Chen Mei's eyes flashed with clear fear. They...they wanted to take her back, back to that hellhole. Those crazy women inside weren't human at all; they constantly harassed and humiliated her. After learning of her espionage crime, their eyes turned red, and every day at mealtimes, they would gang up on her and beat her...

"No, no, I won't go back... I won't go back... No!!" Chen Mei seemed to have lost her mind, shoving the prison guard away and desperately trying to run out. The prison guards were not to be trifled with; they immediately pulled out tear gas and extendable batons, and pinned Chen Mei to the ground.

Because Chen Mei attempted to attack prison guards in an attempt to escape, according to Chinese criminal law, her original sentence was ultimately extended by one year.

After Song Ce was released from the Third Prison, the organization, taking into account the shock he had suffered, granted him a full month's leave, instructing him to stay put and adjust his mood.

During this month, Song Ce visited Zhao Mingjun at Beijing University of Science and Technology.

"Brother Ce! Long time no see!" When Zhao Mingjun saw Song Ce, he couldn't help but grin and gave him a big hug.

Song Ce's lips curled up slightly. "Yes, Mingjun, it's been a long time."

Looking at the rare relaxation on Song Ce's face, Liu Junzhou, who was standing to the side, was filled with emotion.

If you think about it carefully, he hasn't actually been following Comrade Song Ce for very long. But because he's been working with such a talented young man, he no longer has any extra work to do; all he needs to do is protect this "pillar of the nation's future" and take care of his life.

To be honest, Comrade Song Ce was actually a very gentle and kind researcher. He wasn't arrogant, nor did he have any strange hobbies. When he made research results that were priceless, he would always think of saving a copy for him. He felt more than once that it was a blessing to be able to work with such a person.

Liu Junzhou watched as Comrade Song Ce chatted with a student named Zhao Mingjun for a long time, just like an ordinary student. Remembering the instructions his superior had given him a few days earlier, he thought for a moment and took out his internal cell phone from his pocket.

"In order to keep Comrade Song Ce in good physical and mental health, it is recommended that Zhao Mingjun, a student from Beijing University of Science and Technology, be recruited into the Armed Forces Research Department and given special training as Comrade Song Ce's assistant."

As dusk fell, Liu Junzhou followed Song Ce slowly.

To prevent a repeat of the previous espionage incident, the armed police squad protecting Song Ce changed into civilian clothes and secretly followed the two.

The two walked silently onto the overpass. Just then, Liu Junzhou heard a series of "tap" sounds.

He instinctively turned around and saw a simply dressed woman carrying a basket in one hand and a white cane in the other, carefully feeling her way up the steps of the overpass.

Liu Junzhou had a protection mission to fulfill and could not step forward. He looked at the young man in front of him, only to see Song Ce standing there, staring straight at the woman.

Could it be that Comrade Song Ce knows her?

The woman in front of him was none other than the mother of Wei Yunqing, the girlfriend he later dated.

Song Ce jogged forward, smiled gently at Wei's mother, and said, "Auntie, where are you going? Let me take you there!"

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Wei's face lit up with a smile. "Oh, young man, no need, that would be too much trouble for you."

Song Ce: "It's no trouble at all, Auntie. I'm free anyway, I'm quite idle."

"Well... young man, thank you for your help. I need to go to the bus stop at the south entrance ahead," said Mrs. Wei with a smile.

"Come on, Auntie, hold me up." Song Ce stood on the left, guiding Wei's mother to grasp his elbow. After confirming that Wei's mother had a firm grip, Song Ce slowly took a step forward.

"Auntie, are you out grocery shopping alone today? Didn't your family accompany you?" Song Ce looked down at Wei's mother's shopping basket and asked naturally.

"Yes, my husband's back isn't feeling well, so I told him to stay home and rest. He just went out to buy groceries himself," said Mrs. Wei with a smile.

Watching the two people chatting and laughing in front of him, Liu Junzhou couldn't help but sigh again, "Comrade Song Ce is truly a kind-hearted and selfless good person!"

He thought that Song Ce's safe escort of the aunt onto the No. 6 bus was the end of it, but he didn't expect that after helping the aunt to sit in the back seat, he would sit down next to Wei's mother very naturally.

Liu Junzhou: "?"

“Auntie, what a coincidence! I’m also taking the No. 6 bus home.” Song Ce said with a smile.

Liu Junzhou: Is this some kind of forced fate? The Armed Forces Research Department is clearly in the north...

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Wei was taken aback, then smiled and said, "Oh my, young man, what a coincidence! Which neighborhood do you live in?"

Song Ce smiled faintly and said without changing his expression, "Nanyuan Residential Area."

"Young man, I also live in Nanyuan Community! What a coincidence! I ran into a nice neighbor from the same community while I was out!" Mrs. Wei said with a smile.

Liu Junzhou: ...Never mind, as long as Comrade Song Ce is happy.

The bus swayed and rattled for nearly half an hour before finally stopping at the bus stop outside Nanyuan Residential Area.

"Auntie, don't rush, let me help you down." Song Ce smiled gently, took the vegetable basket from Wei's mother with one hand and steadily supported her with the other. The two chatted and laughed as they walked into Nanyuan Community.

Following the original owner's memories, Song Ce arrived at the entrance of Wei Yunqing's apartment building.

"Xiao Song, thank you so much for your help along the way! You're so kind! Come on, come upstairs with me and have some water!" said Mrs. Wei warmly.

"No need, Auntie," Song Ce said, helping Wei's mother into the elevator. "I've just arrived home, so I won't trouble you."

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all!" After the elevator stopped on the sixth floor, Wei's mother pulled Song Ce to the door without saying a word and began to knock.

"You're here, Mom!"

With a click, the door opened, and a girl with her hair in a bun smiled as she opened it, only to find a young man of similar age next to her mother.

"Mom, you're back? And who is this...?" Wei Yunqing asked curiously.

"This is Xiao Song. I ran into him on the overpass today. He's a kind man and happens to live in this neighborhood, so he walked me all the way home." After saying this with a smile, Wei's mother said to Song Ce, "Xiao Song, come in and have a glass of water."

"Auntie, thank you for your help." Song Ce nodded somewhat shyly and followed Wei's mother into the living room.

Upon hearing this, Wei Yunqing quickly went to the water dispenser and filled two cups with warm water, handing one to her mother and the other to Song Ce.

"Thank you for bringing my mother back," Wei Yunqing said softly.

"You're welcome, it was nothing," Song Ce said.

"Xiao Song, this is my daughter Yunqing. She's doing quite well academically and is currently a freshman at Beijing University of Science and Technology!" Mrs. Wei introduced with a proud look.

"Mom!" Wei Yunqing was a little embarrassed by her mother's praise.

“Beijing University of Science and Technology is a very good school. I have a friend who is also studying there. He is a sophomore this year,” Song Ce said with a smile.

"Xiao Song, you just said you're nineteen, which is exactly one year older than our Qingqing. Are you a sophomore in college now? Which school do you go to?" Wei's mother asked.

Song Ce smiled shyly and said, "I'll consider myself a junior at Tsinghua University."

"Oh my, Xiao Song, you're studying at Tsinghua University! That's the best school in China! Xiao Song is not only a good person, but also a good student!" Mother Wei's eyes were full of praise, and her gaze towards Song Ce became even more affectionate.

Wei Yunqing couldn't help but feel more curious about the boy in front of her. To get into Tsinghua University, his grades must be outstanding. She blushed slightly and asked softly, "What's your major at Tsinghua?"

Song Ce smiled gently, "I studied artificial intelligence and mechanical manufacturing engineering, which means I only need to conduct research on some ordinary scientific research projects."

"Artificial intelligence? That sounds pretty impressive." Wei Yunqing seemed a little embarrassed. "I studied humanities in high school, but I ended up majoring in English."

"English is a great major too. Maybe we'll see you at an international exchange event in the future!" Song Ce said with a slight smile.

Upon hearing this, Wei Yunqing's initial restraint dissipated considerably. The three chatted back and forth, and the atmosphere in the living room became increasingly relaxed and pleasant.

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Author's Note: [Sprinkling flowers]