Reconnaissance in the Soviet Area (Part Two)

Ruijin, Jiangxi.

At midnight, when it was pitch black, Chunmei leaned against the wall, trying to minimize the sound of her footsteps. The strange noises coming from the chicken coop were very unusual, as if three or four rats were scurrying around on the haystack.

The old hens in the coop seemed to sense the commotion, flapping their wings and clucking in a flurry of anxiety and panic.

A rooster crowing in the middle of the night—nothing good ever comes of it! Chunmei was getting closer to the entrance, and the stench of chicken droppings and urine mixed together filled the air, making her want to vomit.

Her dark eyes scanned the surroundings, afraid of missing anything. A kerosene lamp was lit on the pillar, making the chicken coop slightly brighter than outside. Chunmei's breathing became rapid.

As she approached the source of the sound, a dark figure lunged at her. Chunmei's heart skipped a beat, but it was too late to dodge, and the two collided head-on.

"Zhang Chunmei!"

"Ruwei".

Neither of them expected it to be the other, and they hurriedly retreated. Lu Wei stood in the shadows, carrying a package on his shoulder and dressed in civilian clothes. Even though she couldn't see him clearly, Chunmei could still feel the coldness in his eyes.

Touching the goosebumps on her arms, Chunmei's palms were already soaked with sweat. She casually stretched out her hand and teased Lu Wei for not sleeping in the middle of the night to steal eggs, saying that he would be fined if she caught him while on patrol.

Lu Wei slapped Chunmei's hand away, rolled his eyes, and said in a hoarse voice, "What do you want to buy now? How much do you need?"

Chunmei chuckled: "I have so many things I want to buy. With your meager subsidy, you should keep it for your own wedding. Since you weren't stealing eggs, what are you doing at the cooperative?"

With a fixed gaze sweeping over, Lu Wei explained that he had also heard the noise while passing by and was afraid someone was stealing chickens. It turned out to be just a few big rats, which all ran away when he stomped his foot.

Chunmei didn't press the man's explanation, but instead asked him why he was carrying valuables in the middle of the night. Was there some kind of training session in the army?

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't. The White bandits are rampant lately, young ladies shouldn't wander around. Go to bed early after your patrol." Lu Wei's voice was cold, with a chilling murderous intent in his tone.

“What am I afraid of! I’m the captain of the militia guerrillas.” Chunmei winked at Lu Wei. “You’re still wearing the sachet I gave you. Hehe, you’re so good.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Wei blushed and awkwardly said, "I only hung it up because it's practical. It's almost Dragon Boat Festival, and snakes, insects, and rodents are all coming out. Hanging a mugwort sachet can keep mosquitoes away in the wild."

Things took a turn for the better. Chunmei rushed over and shook Lu Wei's arm, saying coquettishly, "I understand, I understand. Come on, I'll help you carry the lantern. Let's go out together and say we're admiring the moon, so the gatekeepers won't ask us any questions and try to find out military secrets."

After a moment of hesitation, Lu Wei was dragged towards the city gate by Chunmei. Exposed to the light, Lu Wei lowered his head uncomfortably. Fortunately, the townspeople went to bed early, and there wasn't a soul on the road at night.

"Halt! The city gates are closed. You two will have to come back tomorrow morning." The guard stopped the two men who were about to leave the city.

Without using Chunmei's prepared explanation, Lu Wei said righteously and sternly, "Make sure you know who I am. The reconnaissance platoon reports that there are White bandits nearby. I'm going to the base now. Open the door immediately."

However, the young soldier guarding the gate was conscientious and said: "You can open the gate, but please have Commander Lu show the assembly telegram that the Military Commission gave you, or turn left to the town government and find the staff on duty to get an exit permit."

“You’re all dogmatists. The battlefield situation changes in an instant. If you delay military operations, you’ll be severely punished.” Chunmei jumped out, pretending to be intimidated, and quickly stuffed a green badge into the young soldier’s hand. “The official seals are all locked up late at night, and the people on duty can’t get them. Here’s what we’ll do: take my token to No. 3 Xisha Lane and find Section Chief Zhao to reissue it. He has the keys to the official seals. Let us go first.”

The young soldier's eyes darkened when he saw the badge: "Wait a moment, I'll make a phone call."

A moment later, the young soldier opened the door for the two with a smile. Due to the urgent military situation, Section Chief Zhao allowed special handling and said he would come later to issue the exit permit.

The mountain path at night is like a giant, dark net, interspersed with lush, towering trees. You can't see the sky at all when you look up, and you'll easily lose your way if you're inexperienced.

Chunmei and Luwei walked one after the other. Chunmei chattered on and on while picking wildflowers by the roadside. Luwei seemed preoccupied, and when Chunmei asked him anything, he would just give a couple of perfunctory "hmm" responses, appearing absent-minded.

Given Lu Wei's dismissive attitude, Chunmei, in a fit of pique, threw all the wildflowers she had picked at his head. The scattered petals slid off his shoulders, and only then did Lu Wei come to his senses, demanding sharply, "What are you doing! And who is this Section Chief Zhao?"

"My God~ Section Chief Zhao, you don't know? Our famous female cadre, my role model!" Chunmei exclaimed, her eyes wide and hands on her hips. "Why is it that only men are allowed to be officials, but women aren't?"

"That's not what I meant. In our Soviet area, men and women are equal. I'm just curious because it's the first time I've heard of her." Lu Wei deliberately led Chunmei on a detour through the forest.

"You're making a fuss over nothing. You just don't care about our women's work. This time, the Central Committee is determined to break down the feudal system and has promoted a large number of grassroots cadres to the Central Committee. Look at the tragic play we staged. It seems like it was staged overnight, but actually... hehe, it really was staged overnight. Many hands make light work. I even copied the script by hand." Chunmei blinked innocently and changed the subject.

"You guys are really something. But why does she, a low-level cadre, have the authority to open the city gate?" Lu Wei's face was ashen. He grabbed Chunmei's arm and forcefully dragged her in front of him.

Enduring the pain in her arm, Chunmei told herself not to cry or scream. Lu Wei could turn on her at any moment, and a head-on confrontation would not end well. She could only stall for time.

"Give me back my authority? Come on, why don't you go back and ask them yourself why they should open the door for you?" Chunmei swung her arm and rushed forward, but then suddenly stopped, glancing back at Lu Wei. "You're taking my kindness for granted. It's only because of my positive and progressive attitude that they trust me. I trust you, and they trust me. Comrades should trust each other."

As if remembering something, a look of guilt flashed across Lu Wei's face. He couldn't bear to meet Chunmei's aggrieved gaze, and couldn't help but sigh before turning and walking into a dark alley.

Seeing that Lu Wei was about to leave, Chunmei immediately threw a wildflower out of her pocket, turned her head to look at the main road back to the city, gritted her teeth, and ran in the direction Lu Wei had left.

Sparse moonlight filtered through the leaves, and Lu Wei quickened his pace. Chunmei jogged to keep up, but her relentless pace was truly agonizing.

Finally, Ruwei couldn't hold back any longer and said impatiently, "Why did you follow me again? Go back now."

"Wait for me, I have something to tell you." Chunmei took a step forward cautiously.

"Wait until I get back, you..." Lu Wei hadn't finished speaking when he heard a rustling sound from the bushes behind him. He shuddered, covered his head, and ran forward. Chunmei didn't have time to think and also took off running.

The mountain path was full of thorns and tangled branches, making it extremely difficult to run. Sizzle, Chunmei's clothes were torn open by a branch again. Her strength was gradually failing, and with each breath, her chest felt tight and painful.

But she couldn't give up. She had to persevere a little longer, a little longer. She absolutely couldn't let Lu Wei go into the mountains alone, otherwise, with his counter-surveillance abilities, no one would be able to find him.

In the woods at night, even the slightest rustle of wind carries far. She deliberately raised her voice and called out, "Luwei! Look up at the moon, it's so big and round! Don't walk so fast. Luwei, wait for me!"

This action seemed to anger Lu Wei, who suddenly turned around, covered Chunmei's mouth, dragged her into the deeper woods, and held her down tightly.

Unable to break free from the iron-scissor-like arms, Chunmei felt her entire face was about to be distorted, and tears welled up in her eyes. It would be a lie to say she wasn't afraid, but she dared not relax for even a moment. In her desperation, she kicked off one of her shoes.

"Don't move! Don't speak! We'll let you go once we get into the mountains." Lu Wei's deep, threatening voice came from behind. His breath sprayed against her ear, and Chunmei immediately fell silent, nodding to indicate that she dared not, but her fingers slowly moved towards her waist.

Bang!

The loud gunshot was particularly piercing. In the bushes, Lu Wei stared in disbelief at his injured side, his eyes flashing with ferocity. Suddenly, he grabbed Chunmei and slammed her heavily to the ground.

Cold sweat poured down her face. Chunmei gritted her teeth, kicked away Lu Wei, rolled over, and fired several more shots from the smoking box cannon, sparks flying everywhere.

The environment was too dark, and Chunmei lost her aim, missing every shot. Lu Wei, relying on his years of experience in night combat, snatched the Mauser pistol and swung it at her with the butt.

"Bang!" A white fog suddenly filled Chunmei's mind, and everything in front of her eyes lit up with starlight. But her hands instinctively gripped Lu Wei's neck and bit down on his ear.

"Ah!" Lu Wei cried out in pain, his Mauser pistol flying a long way before landing in the grass. His iron fist swung out instinctively, striking Chunmei in the abdomen. The pain instantly brought tears to her eyes, and her mouth released its grip. Lu Wei immediately shoved Chunmei aside, drawing his own sidearm almost simultaneously.

Click, click... The trigger was pulled a few times, but no gunshot was heard. Chunmei wiped the blood from under her nose and smiled strangely. She had removed his magazine when she hung the sachet on him that afternoon. Lu Wei's expression was uncertain, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

The two men stared at each other, holding their breath. The next second, they both lunged toward the spot where the box cannon had fallen.

The wind rustled through the grass. Just as Chunmei was about to touch the gun, her ankle was suddenly grabbed and she was dragged backward. Lu Wei pressed down on her, using his size advantage to tightly grip Chunmei's neck.

A strong feeling of suffocation washed over her, making her head spin, but the sharp pain from the gravel beneath her feet pulled Chunmei back to her senses. She knew she was running out of strength to continue fighting Lu Wei and needed to finish the fight quickly.

Just then, her fingertips touched a broken twig. Without thinking, she plunged it into Ruwei's wound. At the same time, Ruwei also touched the box grenade...

Bang! The birds scattered from the treetops, like a black whirlwind spinning in the air, disappearing in a few seconds.

On the steep, narrow stone path, several men held torches and cursed. Ruwei quickly stopped and slipped behind a rock, praying that they would leave soon.

Where are they?

"I don't know, the bloodstains disappeared at the stream."

"Keep searching, dig three feet into the ground, find him for me!"

"yes!"

After the pursuers left, Lu Wei, clutching his injured waist, staggered into a cave. A chill emanated from the cave; even though it was summer, the cave was so cold that one would want to wear a cotton-padded coat.

The long, narrow cave formed a natural passage. The passage ahead was completely dark. Relying on the familiar map in his mind, Lu Wei walked deeper into the cave. The tunnel gradually rose, and the air became much warmer.

Suddenly, a sliver of light appeared before him. Using the faint light, Lu Wei groped his way up the stairs. With a quick thought, he climbed uphill, gently pushed aside the wooden plank, and a sandalwood fragrance wafted out. The majestic Buddha statue, with its eyes half-closed, looked at the pitiful creature on the ground with a half-smile.

The exit was located beneath the lotus pedestal of the Buddha statue. Lu Wei's throat was dry. He slowly crawled to the empty prayer mat beside him and used his last bit of strength to strike the wooden fish. Doo-do-do, doo, three short and one long—a life-saving signal.

The yellow curtain fluttered, and a fat monk in a yellow robe squatted down beside him, anxiously asking, "Why are you here? What happened?"

Before Lu Wei could speak, someone started banging loudly on the mountain gate, shouting that if they didn't come to open it, they would break it down.

Knowing the visitors were hostile, the fat monk could only hide Lu Wei behind the Buddha statue, then kick the cushion to cover the bloodstains on the ground before opening the mountain gate.

Five or six men armed with guns rushed in like a hurricane as soon as the door opened, filling the small temple to the brim.

The fat monk put his hands together and said, "Amitabha, why are you all trespassing into my temple at night?"

"Master, we are pursuing a fugitive. Have you seen an injured man come in?" The leader of the group pulled out an identification document to show his identity.

The fat monk shook his head and said, "Good, good. I just finished my evening prayers and did not see any evildoers break in. If you wish to search, please do so, but please do not disturb the Buddha or spoil the peace of the Buddhist temple."

The leading man nodded, signaling his companions to search every corner of the room, while he stood in the center of the hall, surveying the surroundings. The fat monk calmly sat down on the prayer mat and began to strike the wooden fish drum.

Leaning against the Buddha statue, Lu Wei covered his mouth to minimize his breathing. Soon, the sound of hurried footsteps gathered in the main hall, and a man reported, "We've searched everywhere except for the Buddha statue, but we can't find it."

"Buddha statue—" the leading man said, drawing out the last syllable.

The sound of the wooden fish stopped, and the fat monk said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "May Buddha have mercy. Don't forget what you just promised this humble monk. I remember that one of the Soviet policies was to respect our religious customs."

"Excuse me, I've disturbed you." The leading man pondered for a moment, then turned and walked out of the main hall, followed by his companions, leaving only the fat monk and Lu Wei behind.

After waiting for a while longer, Lu Wei confirmed that the pursuers had all left. He peeked out from behind the Buddha statue and beckoned the fat monk to help him out.

As if he hadn't heard, the fat monk remained seated on his prayer mat, unmoved: "Benefactor, our temple is too small to house such a large Buddha statue. Please leave as soon as possible."

Lu Wei cursed, "Bullshit! You fake monk, aren't you just afraid I'll expose your site? If you don't send me down the mountain, I'll fire a shot right now to lure them back. We can just go our separate ways."

"You won't learn your lesson until you're faced with a real problem. I have a monk's robe and ordination certificate in my room. Shave your head and get the hell out of here," the fat monk replied through gritted teeth.

"Hmph, you're trying to fob me off like a beggar. What about the twenty catties of opium I left with you? Take it out now and give it to my brother for travel expenses." Lu Wei's eyes turned cold, and he pointed his gun at the fat monk.

"Twenty catties of opium! You have quite the appetite, huh? I'll smoke you to death." The fat monk suddenly stood up.

"Hahahaha," Lu Wei burst into laughter without warning, a laughter that sounded like crying: "You all made my appetite so big. When you ruined me, you should have known this day would come. Give me the opium!"

Their argument attracted two gray-robed novices carrying rifles, and a standoff ensued.

"Damn it, don't think I wouldn't dare kill you. I have as many of your cells as I want." The fat monk's temples were bulging with veins, and his fat face was flushed red.

Ruwei pressed the gun against the fat monk's chest again, his words carrying a pointed meaning: "But only I can be Zero's double. Only when I'm gone can Zero's suspicion be completely cleared. If I die, even the slightest clue I leave behind will be exposed. Haha, they'll know there's a Zero cell hidden even deeper..."

"Shut up!" the fat monk interrupted Lu Wei irritably. "We don't have twenty catties of opium, only ten. Take it or leave it."

"I don't care, twenty catties of opium, not a single catty less. If you're short, send a telegram and have them send it up to you. Zero is worth much more than you think." Lu Wei coldly shoved the fat monk, whose face was pale and whose forehead was covered in large beads of sweat.

He looked at Lu Wei, a flash of anger in his eyes. Lu Wei continued to negotiate: "I just want back what's rightfully mine. I didn't ask for more than that. You've been embezzling far more than this. Let's each take a step back, settle the matter, and go our separate ways. Or I can take you all down with me before I die. You decide how to settle this score."

Finally, the fat monk sighed, waved to the young novice to send a message, and ordered another ten catties of opium to be sent up the mountain, spending money to send away the plague god.

Lu Wei covered his wound and leaned against the pillar with satisfaction. Suddenly, an inexplicable chill ran up his spine, and his hand convulsed uncontrollably. So cold! He looked warily at the fat monk, but thankfully the monk had his back to him and didn't notice his strange behavior.

With veins bulging on the back of his clenched fist, Lu Wei stumbled open the wooden window frame, closed his eyes, took a deep breath of the hot air outside, and touched the sachet at his waist, exclaiming, "The moon tonight is really big and round!"

"You fucking have the nerve to look at the moon? Hurry up and treat your wound, you're making my place dirty." The fat monk impatiently tossed a military medical kit at him.

Reaching out to catch it, Lu Wei pursed his lips, unbuttoned his clothes, revealing a bloody, mangled wound, bit open the cap of the alcohol bottle, and poured it all over the wound. The painful groans were suppressed in his throat, and the tearing pain on the wound slightly relieved the coldness in his body.

But as the cold dissipated, a wave of fatigue washed over him, blurring his vision, and Ruwei couldn't help but yawn.

The fat monk grinned broadly and said, "Oh, you're craving a cigarette, aren't you? How about I light one for you?"

"Bullshit, I'm... sleepy." Lu Wei's lips trembled, and he could barely speak.

"Don't pretend in front of me. If you keep stubbornly resisting like this, how are you going to get down the mountain? Take a puff and calm down." The fat monk turned him around and patted his cheek.

"No~ I know my own body. Ah—" Lu Wei clutched his head and howled in pain. The sudden dull pain came in waves, one after another. He wanted to dig out his brains; maybe if he did, the pain would stop.

"Don't be polite with me. This last cigarette isn't part of your twenty pounds. It's my personal stash, a farewell gift from me, brother. It's a token of our friendship." The fat monk pulled out a black bamboo spear from somewhere, lit some tobacco paste with a toothpick, and smeared it on the cigarette box.

A strange, sweet fragrance filled the hall, masking the faint scent of sandalwood. Ruwei opened his mouth wide and greedily inhaled the air, as if someone had pulled him out of the water when he was about to suffocate.

"Have a smoke!" The fat monk kindly handed the pipe to Lu Wei. Lu Wei's trembling hand took the pipe, sniffed, and the excruciating pain eroded his last bit of willpower. It hurt too much. One puff, then another...

Suddenly, several fierce barks came from outside the door. Lu Wei's hand trembled, and his pipe rolled to the ground. He didn't care about his dignity and crawled toward the pipe while convulsing.

In the blink of an eye, a large black dog leaped in through the window, pounced on Lu Wei in a few quick steps, and began tearing at his waist until it shredded the sachet.

"Damn it, where did this stray dog ​​come from? It scared the hell out of me!" The fat monk rolled up his sleeves, cursed, picked up a broom from the side, and pretended to teach the dog a lesson.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a burst of bullets grazed his bald head and embedded themselves in a pillar with a "clang." The fat monk was terrified and dropped his broom to the ground.

A burst of gunfire erupted outside the courtyard. The fat monk snapped out of his daze and hurriedly turned to run towards the secret passage, but he was too slow. The black dog lunged forward and bit his large rear end. "Ah!" the fat monk screamed, collapsing to the ground.

"Don't move! Hands up! Hands behind your head!"

Several dark figures appeared, each carrying a weapon. The fat monk's bulky body slumped to the ground, his eyes wide open, as the intruders bound him up like a dumpling.

Bang! Bang! Bang! The loud crashes drew everyone's attention. Lu Wei, in a frenzy, headbutted the pillar, and the two men behind him couldn't hold him back at all.

"Quickly, find a rope and tie him up!" A loud female voice shouted from the doorway; it was Zhang Chunmei, carrying a rifle. She charged forward and grabbed the frenzied Lu Wei, crying, "Lu Wei, Lu Wei, think of your parents at home! Quick, get the rope!"

The three of them worked together and finally managed to subdue Lu Wei. Even though he was tied up, he still struggled and tried to bang his head against the wall. Ah! The roar Lu Wei let out was no longer human; it sounded more like a wild beast from the mountains.

Warm blood flowed from his forehead down to his neck. Chunmei took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood away, but as soon as she reached her hand in front of him, she was bitten. It took the other two a lot of effort to pull Chunmei's hand out. Afraid that he would bite off his tongue, Chunmei simply stuffed the handkerchief into his mouth. The pain in her hand was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.

The sound of orderly footsteps echoed outside the courtyard, and Chunmei felt a surge of excitement; the main group had finally arrived.

A young man in a Zhongshan suit walked in from outside. His face was as cold as ice. He waved to his men and said, "Take him away."

"Section Chief Zhao." Chunmei saluted the man, then looked in Lu Wei's direction with a pained expression, her thoughts returning to an hour earlier.

Bang! Bang! The expected pain didn't come. Chunmei opened her eyes and saw Lu Wei with bloodshot eyes, the gun in his suspended hand pointing outwards. He almost squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth: "Who are you?"

"I am Zhang Chunmei, Xiaomei from across the street from you." Chunmei said, word by word, tears silently sliding down her cheeks. She knew what he wanted to ask, but could she tell him that she was actually a member of a secret investigation team, there to monitor him? No, she couldn't say.

"Captain Zhang, are you alright?"

"Lu Wei, put down your gun. Don't make another mistake."

The pursuers scattered, and they were surrounded by a squad of soldiers armed with live ammunition.

Chunmei's heart pounded. With a gun barrel pressed against her temple, she felt like Lu Wei's hostage. She swallowed hard and said, "Lu Wei, you're a Party member too. You should know the rules of the organization: confess and you'll be treated leniently, resist and you'll be punished severely."

"Pah, you don't know anything! I've committed a capital offense!" Lu Wei gasped for breath, and Chunmei could feel the intense heat emanating from his body even through his clothes.

"Lu Wei, I know you were persecuted by spies, but we're not happy that you're dead, only the spies are." Before he arrived, his voice preceded his arrival. Armed men made way for a young man in a gray Zhongshan suit. His face was expressionless, like an ice sculpture.

Seeing the young man enter the encirclement, Lu Wei glared at him fiercely without saying a word: "Enough nonsense! Do with me as you please!"

The young man calmly replied, "Thanks to Chunmei, she even pleaded for you, saying that apart from being a bit mercenary, you are not greedy and are always eager to help the masses. You are a man of integrity and loyalty. If you are willing to cooperate with the investigation and make amends for your crime, I can try to get your sentence reduced."

Huh? When did I ever plead for him? Chunmei frowned. What nonsense is Section Chief Zhao spouting?

Regardless, Chunmei felt his heart rate quicken. Based on her years of understanding of Lu Wei, she knew he was tempted by the prospect of a reduced sentence, but she didn't want to show it too obviously, so she still said in a harsh voice, "Who do you think you are? Why should I believe what you say?"

“My surname is Zhao, and my given name is Fengnian. It’s okay if you haven’t heard of me. I’m really no important person. I’m just acting as a mouthpiece for Wu Hao.” Section Chief Zhao said in a clear and firm voice. “He asked us to investigate thoroughly and not to use violence or torture to cause secondary harm to the comrades who have been persecuted.”

Lu Wei paused for a moment, then choked up with disappointment, saying, "Vice Chairman Zhou also knows. One cannot afford to make a single wrong step; one wrong step leads to a series of wrong steps."

"Knowing you're wrong means there's still hope for you. I'll give you three minutes to think it over. When the time is up, you can either cooperate or I'll send you on your way. Choose one." Director Zhao raised his chin and glanced at the distant hill, as if someone was lying in ambush there as well.

Returning to the temple, Chunmei stopped Section Chief Zhao and pleaded, "Lu Wei has redeemed himself through meritorious service. Please don't treat him like a prisoner. Can you not put him in handcuffs? At least... at least send him to see a doctor first. He's sick."

"I understand. I'll take him to the hospital for treatment first, and we'll discuss the rest later." Section Chief Zhao's expression remained unchanged as he walked into the backyard with his hands behind his back. "Tonight isn't over yet. We need to help Ouyang take down the spy station in the city. I'll send a telegram in a bit; you should learn from it, it'll come in handy later."

"Okay!" The atmosphere was too tense just now, and she didn't dare to mention her personal feelings. Now that the section chief had assured her, Chunmei breathed a long sigh of relief and followed him inside.