siege

The cicadas have fallen silent, the streetlights are off, and only the sweltering air constantly envelops the pedestrians, while the rickshaws sway further and further off course.

"Miss, where are you going?" the rickshaw driver asked.

"I don't know, feel free to go wherever you want, I'll pay for it." Kiyosumi smoothed her hair behind her ear, glancing slightly to the side where a bicycle was following her at a leisurely pace.

Those dog spies are really troublesome! Qingcheng originally wanted to shake off the lackeys who were following her before going to find Jiang Yun and the others, since Jiang Yun was living with Wang Renyong.

Unfortunately, the situation changed. Rashly going to see the comrades would expose their location, especially Old Wang, who was ranked in the top four on the CC Wanted List and was extremely valuable.

It's not convenient to directly contact the comrades at the transportation station. Everyone she met tonight will become a key target for the CC's investigation. If it causes unnecessary casualties among the comrades, she will be held responsible.

But we can't pretend nothing happened! Zero went all in, even daring to bomb Ruijin City, which means he doesn't intend to leave himself a way out. He wants to slip away after the operation, so we have to find a way to stall him.

Unable to find a comrade, Qingcheng could only seize the opportunity to fleece the sheep. Thinking of this, Qingcheng asked the rickshaw driver to take the rickshaw to the nearest Kaisiling cake shop.

Upon arriving at their destination, Kiyosumi used the blind spot of the phone booth to block the spy's view and handed the rickshaw driver two large bills from her handbag. The driver was stunned, but after reacting, he came over and thanked her repeatedly.

Just as she was about to open the phone booth, a thought suddenly flashed through Kiyosumi's mind: she couldn't possibly know the other end's number, since it was her first time there. She should just use the old method of delivering messages by errand runner.

"Brother, do me a favor. Go pick up my house and tell my husband to come to the Kaisi Ling to pay the bill, otherwise I'll be detained by the police. Be quick." After Qingcheng finished instructing him, the driver nodded repeatedly and ran back home.

As usual, Qingcheng sat by the window and ordered a cup of coffee and a piece of chestnut cake. The little spy opposite her also found a step to sit on, pretending to be repairing a car.

A short while later, another man came into the shop and sat in front of Qingcheng. The chestnut cake, which was usually her favorite, was soft and fluffy, but now it tasted like chewing wax. Only the bitterness of the coffee could ease her unease.

Two-thirds of the coffee was gone when Gao Junxiao appeared outside the window. He jumped off the rickshaw and chased after her. Qingcheng deliberately ignored him and stirred her coffee with a small steel spoon.

"Honey, what else would you like to eat? I'll order for you," Gao Junxiao asked solicitously.

"I'm not eating anymore, I'm afraid of gaining weight." Qingcheng said coldly, then continued drinking her coffee and muttered under her breath, "And you're supposed to be from the military law department? What use are you?"

"Oh, baby, don't be angry." Gao Junxiao coaxed Qingcheng as he squeezed next to her. "You blind bastard, I've already taught him a lesson. I made him search the bedroom inch by inch on the floor. He's not allowed to find any help, and he can't leave until he's finished searching. He has to put everything back together. If there's even a broken thread on the pillow, I'll have to ask CC to pay for it."

"Hmph, is that all?" Kiyosumi laughed sarcastically.

"I'm still not satisfied. How about we go back and mess with him until you're happy?" Gao Junxiao tentatively leaned closer.

Qingcheng calmly pushed him away: "I'm not interested. I asked you to pay the bill, not to flirt with me. Don't misunderstand."

"Oh, whatever you say." Gao Junxiao nodded ingratiatingly. "If you can't eat anymore, let's go for a drive together. I noticed you have a bit of a bare neck, and it makes you feel bad. The ruby ​​necklace you liked last time is quite nice. Let's go buy it and make a pair with the ring."

"Vulgar! Utterly vulgar!" Qingcheng stood up and made to leave.

"Baby, give me another chance, just a hint, just a hint." Gao Junxiao hugged her around the waist, and the two of them pushed and shoved each other in the store. Even the spy who was keeping watch couldn't help but break the rules of surveillance and crane his neck to look.

With the atmosphere set in, Qingcheng, maintaining her airs, offered a suggestion: "When I was in France, as soon as the clock struck ten, I would hear wandering singers singing in the distance. I would run to the rooftop to drink and admire the beautiful light and shadow on the banks of the Seine."

He seemed to choke, and Gao Junxiao's face showed a blank stare. "You're dumbfounded, aren't you? Even you don't understand sometimes," Qingcheng said, suppressing a laugh. "Let's find a place with a view of the Huangpu River. I'll drink, and you sing. Got it?"

Gao Junxiao immediately realized what was going on and nodded repeatedly: "I understand, I understand. Uh, I'm afraid singing will ruin your ears, but I can recite a poem with you, my darling, so as not to waste the intoxicating dream and the intoxicating scenery."

"You actually have this kind of refined taste?" Kiyosumi said with a sidelong glance and a smile.

“Absolutely. How could a commoner be worthy of a female scholar? How about the two of us drink and recite poetry?” Gao Junxiao asked solicitously.

"Hmm, this seems interesting. You can make the arrangements." Qingcheng extended her slender hand, and Gao Junxiao immediately covered it with his large hand. Their fingers intertwined, and they looked exceptionally affectionate.

Qingcheng remained silent the entire way, as did Gao Junxiao. The bicycle behind them continued to haunt them, and the two of them pretended to be blind.

The two were followed to the hotel by secret agents. They took the elevator all the way to the ninth floor. The furnishings on this floor were quite antique. Landscapes, flowers and birds, and fine paintings of the Four Beauties were displayed along the way. There was also a landline phone in every four rooms, which showed that the hotel valued customer service.

The river-view room was at the bottom of the room. Only after the two entered the room hand in hand did Qingcheng sprawl on the sofa and tease with a smile: "Bringing someone directly to a hotel, your intentions are not pure. Are you trying to get back at them and prove that you are still as virile as ever and have amazing stamina?"

A few teasing words earned him a roll of his eyes from Gao Junxiao: "How come I never noticed you were so unserious before? You were the one who wanted to see the Huangpu River, but all the riverside restaurants were booked, so you had to come to the room to see it."

"Oh, I see." Kiyosumi pretended to suddenly realize something. "It seems we're really on the same wavelength. I just wanted to come to the hotel to hear you sing, oh no, I mean recite poetry."

"What a scoundrel! So what if the river-view apartments are all opposite bungalows, making it impossible for spies to monitor from the other side?" Gao Junxiao turned on the electric fan, mercilessly exposing her little scheme.

"They can't monitor from the building across the street, but they can monitor from the door across the street," Kiyosumi said, leaning on the handrail and pointing to the door.

Gao Junxiao opened the peephole with some skepticism and looked outside. Three minutes later, he cursed, "Damn it, the kid on the bicycle went to 913."

The cool indoor breeze lifted Qingcheng's spirits considerably, and she joked, "Hehehe, then hurry up and recite a poem, just to show off. It has to be a love poem, I've never heard one before."

"Enough with the nonsense, tell me your plan." Gao Junxiao sat down next to her, crossed his legs, and waited expressionlessly for her to continue.

"Tch, boring." Qingcheng pouted. "Help me escape. I have a feeling Zero wants to run away. I need to talk to the comrades about it."

"What's there to discuss? Ruijin is still being bombed. Even if people can evacuate, the roads and houses can't be moved. They'll be completely destroyed. The roads will be full of gravel and sand. We won't even have time to take stock of the losses. Who's going to catch the spies for you?" Gao Junxiao said with a serious expression.

"Don't worry, there are people to catch spies and people to assess the losses. As long as we have the manpower, we can create any miracle. Even if Ruijin City collapses, order won't collapse," Qingcheng explained earnestly.

Gao Junxiao scoffed coldly: "Instead of worrying about Ruijin, you should worry about yourself. If that dog of a spy escapes, the first thing he'll do is come to Shanghai to take revenge on you. You'd better make plans soon."

“These are two separate things.” Qingcheng frowned in disapproval, but she knew in her heart that if she forcibly broke free from surveillance tonight, there would be endless trouble afterward, and it might also implicate her close undercover comrades, who would be investigated.

Seeing Gao Junxiao's confident demeanor, she immediately changed her approach: "Counselor Gao, what suggestions do you have?"

"Revolution is not a one-off deal. If you want to participate in the revolution for a long time, you must learn to withdraw flexibly and protect yourself appropriately. Now is not the time for you to shout 'The Internationale will surely be realized'," Gao Junxiao said earnestly.

Regarding his flexibility and his tendency to withdraw, Kiyosumi disagrees: "The organization needs me now, how can I back down?"

"So what can you do besides tell them that Ruijin City has been bombed?" Gao Junxiao asked. "Ruijin City is thousands of miles away from Shanghai. If Zero is really determined to run away, you won't be able to catch up even if you have wings."

The bombing of Ruijin City is a thing of the past, and Zero's escape may be an irreversible event. Qingcheng's stomach deflated instantly, and she gripped the sofa armrest, saying, "I can't sleep even if I do nothing."

"You risked your life to send the telegram, which shows you've done everything you could for the people of Ruijin. There's one last thing left. If you do this well, you'll have fulfilled your responsibility as a grassroots Party member." Gao Junxiao's gentle words calmed Qingcheng's mind. Qingcheng met Gao Junxiao's dark eyes with a deep gaze, signaling him to continue.

"Don't meet directly with your people recently. Instead, communicate indirectly with your superiors. Start by explaining how you became suspicious after discovering the surge in US Treasury bonds and Boeing stock, then investigated the flow of inventory from the Military Industry Department and the Air Force, and finally obtained the estimated attack time from the map-drawing department. Prove that your intelligence sources are reliable. Finally, explain your views and suggestions, and let your superiors make their own judgments on the rest," Gao Junxiao slowly listed.

"Ah~ This is asking me to write a work summary. I can't possibly finish it in a short time." Qingcheng covered her head and scrunched up her pretty face. "Why don't you write it for me? You know you were the one who checked the Military Industry Bureau's inventory anyway."

Gao Junxiao refused righteously and firmly: "No cheating allowed. Do your own work."

"Hmm~ Will you help me write it? Will you help me write it? I can just dictate it and you write it down. I trust you." Qingcheng lazily pounced on Gao Junxiao, scratching the back of his hand with her fingers, praising his beautiful hands and even more beautiful handwriting.

Unable to resist the commotion, Gao Junxiao rubbed his temples and gave in: "Alright, I'll write it for you, okay?"

"Yay~ Xiao is the best." Qingcheng lightly pecked the man's lips.

"Don't laugh, I always feel like you're holding back some mischief." Gao Junxiao flicked her nose, his eyes full of helplessness.

"Oh dear, you've found out. I can't get out, but the intelligence needs to be sent out. So, we'll do this..." Qingcheng whispered a few words in Gao Junxiao's ear.

Gao Junxiao's eyes widened immediately: "Two hours? Are you sure?"

"You think it's too short? Then three hours or four hours is fine too. It's up to you, I'll listen to you." Qingcheng pinched Gao Junxiao's shoulder, her obedient manner making it impossible for anyone to refuse.

"Don't give me that! It'll only be two hours." Gao Junxiao muttered in a low voice, looking embarrassed. "No matter how long it is, people won't believe me. They'll think I took some kind of pill."

Kiyosumi winked playfully: "Then it's settled. I'll call and order the wine, you can start drafting."

After the two finished their discussion, Gao Junxiao didn't dawdle. He sat down at his desk and started writing. A moment later, the doorbell rang, and the waiter brought the requested white wine. Qingcheng picked up the bottle and identified it: "You've got the wrong wine. This is a Chardonnay from Pouilly-Fussé. I wanted a Sauvignon Blanc from Pouilly-Fussé."

"Excuse me, miss, this wine was delivered by Dori Winery. We were just helping to bring it upstairs." The waiter spoke honestly, but his eyes darted into the room.

Upon hearing the address, Qingcheng's eyelids twitched. She put the bottle back into the ice bucket and her tone became increasingly firm: "Take it back and have them get it again, or I won't sign the bill."

"But that person has already left," the waiter said, looking troubled.

"Call them back after they leave! Aren't you partners? Do I need to teach you how to do this?" Kiyosumi propped herself up on her arm, her gaze suddenly sharpening.

"This... I, I'll ask our lobby manager." The waiter lowered his head in a panic, not daring to look at Cheng clearly, his fingers constantly rubbing the outside of the ice bucket.

"Useless thing. What's the call sign? I'll call it myself." Kiyosumi stepped out the door and closed it behind her, cutting off his view.

After receiving the call sign, she grabbed the telephone in the hallway: "Hello, I am the tenant of room 912. I clearly booked a Sauvignon Blanc in Puy-Fu-Mei. What kind of junk did you send me?"

"Yes, I know Chardonnay is more expensive, but is there a problem with me wanting to drink Sauvignon Blanc?"

"Huh? They taste similar. Chardonnay has a rich and complex flavor but is a bit astringent, while Sauvignon Blanc has a lively flavor with a sweet and sour taste and white oak aroma. It's one of the most upscale hotels in Shanghai. The lobby manager doesn't even know his own profession. He should go clean the toilets instead of coming out here and making a fool of himself."

After Qingcheng finished scolding, there was a rustling sound from the microphone. The person on the other end had changed, and their persuasive words were more professional, and their attitude was more sincere.

"Hehe, are you his boss? Oh, general manager, fine, I'm going to file a complaint. Your lobby manager's professional skills are not as good as a laundry worker's."

“When I booked laundry service at your hotel before, the lady there, though not very well-educated, knew to ask about the fabric and understand that silk and cotton/linen should be washed separately. Yet this lobby manager of a high-end hotel doesn't even know the origin of white wine, and he's incredibly stubborn. When I pointed out his mistake, he started arguing with the guests…”

"Give me the wine, and you'll also throw in a free laundry service. There's only one service for the two of us, right?"

"That's more like it. I'll call you later to come pick up the clothes." Qingcheng hung up the phone lightly, like a peacock spreading its tail feathers, gracefully took the wine bottle from the ice bucket, and excitedly knocked on the door, "Darling, open the door."

"Miss, you didn't bring the ice bucket, so we can't put the ice in later," the waiter said, mustering his courage.

"You know-it-all." Kiyosumi glared at him disdainfully and slammed the door shut.

As the sound of the food cart wheels outside faded into the distance, Qingcheng and Gao Junxiao burst into laughter. Gao Junxiao brushed a stray hair from her temple and teased with a smile, "Hahaha, the Shanghai beauty He is unparalleled in her troublesome and difficult nature."

"Hmph, you're being hypocritical after getting a good deal. I'm not giving you any more." Kiyosumi pouted and hugged the bottle tightly.

"Hey, I wouldn't dare drink the wine that the spies sent, and you'd better not drink it either." Gao Junxiao raised his eyebrows and silently pushed the bottle away.

"What are you afraid of? The listening device is under the ice bucket. I checked the bottle; there are no pinholes and it's unopened. You can drink it without worry." Qingcheng said confidently. "Besides, this is a hotel. Even if we're drugged, we won't find anything useful."

"It's always better to be careful. Have you sent your message?" Gao Junxiao asked with concern.

"It'll be a while. I hope they understand what I mean." Qingcheng's upturned lips immediately stiffened, and her brows remained furrowed for a long time.

Gao Junxiao pulled her close and kissed her forehead, trying to smooth out the furrow between her brows: "Don't worry too much. Even if you don't have confidence in Miss He, you should have confidence in Mr. Xia's arrangements."

"How do you know all this?" Qingcheng cupped Gao Junxiao's face in her hands and rubbed it. She even knew that she had planted comrades in Rongtan's businesses after she took power. Could she really read minds?

“I can pretend I don’t know.” Gao Junxiao chuckled as he spoke, then pressed the back of her head and kissed her deeply.

With a gurgling sound, a female server pushing a cleaning cart walked up from the end of the ninth-floor corridor. She wiped the porcelain bottles and side tables along the way. When she reached the side table next to 911, she picked up the telephone with one hand and held down the note with the other, hiding it in her palm under the cover of the dry rag.

When they reached a secluded spot, they opened the note, which read: "The people have departed the Purple Terrace, autumn has entered the borderlands; the soldiers are ravaged, and songs are heard in the Chu tents at night. At dusk, where Xi Shi washed her silk, pearls drifted on the reeds."

Time passed second by second, and the sound of running water came from inside room 912. The laundry worker, carrying a laundry basket, knocked on the door: "Hello, room service, come and get your clothes."

The door opened, and Qingcheng, drying her wet hair, turned around and called into the room, "Darling, I've taken all the clothes."

A muffled male voice came from inside: "Okay."

In less than a minute, Qingcheng dragged an enormous laundry basket out of the house and took out the clothes one by one: "Auntie, please put the basket on the ground. This cheongsam of mine is silk, and my husband's suit is ramie. Please be careful with the ironing temperature. The rest are all pure cotton, so there's not much to it."

“Yes, madam, I’ve got it.” The laundry worker nodded with a smile.

Kiyosumi picked up the basket again and handed it to the laundry worker: "Thank you for your hard work, Auntie."

"You're too kind, this is my job." The laundry worker smiled politely and turned to leave.

As soon as the laundry worker reached the ground floor, two burly men rushed out of the staff passage and wrapped their arms around her. The laundry worker trembled with fear and cried out, "I have no money."

They menacingly snatched the laundry basket, emptied the clothes, one inspected the bottom of the basket, while the other frantically rummaged through the clothes. The laundry worker shouted in panic, "Help! You're robbing clothes!"

The staff in the break room and the security guards outside rushed over upon hearing the commotion. One of the burly men instantly pulled out a pistol: "This is an investigation by the Investigation Department. Get out of here."

“The investigation department cannot damage guests’ property. This is the International Settlement. If you don’t have a search warrant from the Settlement, you are violating the Settlement’s laws.” The security guard, holding a stun gun, remained unmoved.

During their standoff, an employee dressed in a smart suit took advantage of their distraction and pressed the alarm button on the side.

The red warning lights instantly illuminated the staff passage. The two men exchanged a glance and quickly fled towards the hotel's back door. The security guards were about to give chase when the man in the suit stopped them and told them to prepare their statements in preparation for the impending arrival of the concession police.

"Okay, Manager Zeng. We also want to mention that they just seized your office at gunpoint. Those spies are too lawless," the security guard replied angrily.

Manager Zeng adopted a conciliatory attitude: "Just report the facts. Even the general manager can't do anything about them. What use is a mere lobby manager like me?"

On the other side, a waitress carrying a tray of towels walked out of the fire escape. The corridor was empty. Her eyes swept over the traditional Chinese paintings on the wall, and a painting of Xi Shi washing silk caught her eye. Xi Shi was in the center, and the corners on both sides were decorated with swaying reeds.

After a moment's thought, she unscrewed the scroll at the bottom, and sure enough, there was a rolled-up envelope inside. She quickly stuffed the envelope into the large pocket of her bib and disappeared at the end of the corridor.

With a gurgling sound, the waitress appeared in the open space in front of the back door, pushing a cart full of dirty towels. Manager Zeng was smoking a cigarette next to the back door. When the cart tried to pass by him, she deliberately slowed down. Manager Zeng quickly took the envelope from the waitress's hand.

"Send me to Yubei Lane." She muttered to herself, then left as if nothing had happened.

On a summer evening, the scorching heat in the air turned into a stifling, oppressive humidity. Wu Hao, draped in a thin shirt, examined the letter in his hand, feeling as if the world was spinning upside down. Ruijin had been bombed!

With a thud, the letter was slammed onto the table. Wu Hao's eyes were deep as he lowered his voice and instructed the messenger, "You must contact Ouyang tonight. I need to know how Ruijin City is doing, and why I haven't received any news. Go now!"

"Yes!" the courier replied immediately.

A sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart. Wu Hao pursed his trembling lips and looked out the window. The endless darkness spread out, as if even his breath was being swallowed up. Comrades, are you all alright?

Ruijin, Jiangxi.

The explosions outside the cave continued to be violent. Zhao Fengnian vomited twice after being poisoned and leaned weakly against the cave wall. The villagers fed him some warm water with a gourd and burned some mugwort from Chunmei's house to fumigate him and remove the poison. The nausea in his stomach lessened by a little.

"How did you figure out I was an imposter?" the fake veterinarian shouted angrily.

"Because you smell like stale urine, it almost made me throw up. Ugh~" Zhao Fengnian said, then vomited again.

"I'm making nicotine pills. The raw materials are all opium, so it's normal for them to have a smell. The old man must have some on him too," the fake doctor said through gritted teeth.

"Bullshit, Dr. Niu only smells of medicine. I was wondering why the smell of those nicotine pills was so strong today, it turns out it was you." Chunmei kicked the fake Dr. Niu over.

"Heh, if you want to know, then tell me where Doctor Niu is?" Zhao Fengnian said coldly. "Don't tell me he's dead. Killing your own father, aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning?"

"You, you, how did you know?" the fake veterinarian exclaimed.

An older villager, having stopped smoking, mustered his courage and approached the man closely to examine him. Suddenly, he slapped him across the face, yelling, "Isn't this the good-for-nothing? You're worse than a pig or a dog! Where did you tie your father up?"

"Fourth Uncle, stop hitting him." It took two strong villagers a lot of effort to pull the old man away.

The excited Fourth Uncle knelt down in front of Zhao Fengnian with a thud, crying and pleading, "Your Honor, you must do justice for Lao Niu! He has such a bad life, having given birth to such a good-for-nothing spendthrift. That bastard used to eat, drink, gamble, and smoke all sorts of things, but he just wouldn't learn anything good. Lao Niu had the heart to drive him away, but who knew that this damned bastard would come back again."

"Chunmei, quickly help the old man up." Zhao Fengnian had a headache. "This man is colluding with the White bandits. We will definitely investigate him thoroughly."

"So, you colluded with the White bandits! You're the one who signaled the enemy planes with the indicator lights, aren't you?" Chunmei couldn't help but punch him twice. The irritable villagers nearby also stepped forward to beat this parasite among the masses. Other villagers cursed and swore, looking on with disappointment and frustration.

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Zhao Fengnian shouted with all his might, "Stop!"

The cave fell silent instantly. Zhao Fengnian, clutching his lungs and catching his breath, said, "I'll ask you one more time, where is Doctor Niu? If you still refuse to tell me, I can't control the angry crowd."

After looking around, the fake doctor, or rather, the son of the Niu family, kowtowed heavily on the ground and admitted defeat, saying, "I'll talk, I'll talk. I hid him in the wind cave in the back mountain. I can take you there."

"Oh, I know that wind tunnel. I'll go find Doctor Niu. You guys continue the interrogation, but whatever you do, don't let this bastard get away with it," a young male villager shouted, raising his hand.

Zhao Fengnian nodded. He hadn't originally planned for him to lead the way; the terrain was complicated, and what if someone escaped? He continued, "Who is your superior who is in contact with you?"

The son of the Niu family dared not look Zhao Fengnian in the eye, and after a long while he stammered, "His official rank is higher than yours, so you'd better not ask."

Zhao Fengnian's face immediately darkened: "Is that so? Does Xie Gaosheng know about this? Because of his involvement, our cadres underwent a major reshuffle. I'd like to hear which important figure we missed."