The Foolish Old Man Moves the Mountain

In the hospital garden, a row of lush saplings shaded the scorching sun, casting dappled shadows. It was lunchtime, and most patients and medical staff had gone to the cafeteria for their meals, leaving the large back garden feeling empty.

Only one person, dressed in a blue and white hospital gown, sat leisurely in a secluded stone pavilion in the corner of the garden, flipping through a newspaper as if waiting for someone. The lush vegetation behind him served as a natural barrier.

A short while later, a tall figure walked out of the ward building, went straight to the stone pavilion, and sat down sideways with the other person across the pavilion pillar.

The man remained unmoved, still reading his newspaper. Qingcheng glanced at him, somewhat speechless, but still managed to ask, holding her breath, "Sir, are you here to cool off?"

"Yes, miss, are you here to cool off too?" the man replied good-naturedly, adjusting his glasses.

"Enjoying the cool air is a small matter, riding the wind is a big matter. The sky is vast, and one can look down upon the mountains and rivers." Qingcheng suddenly replied with a line from Xin Qiji's poem.

The other person continued, "To see the mountains and rivers, cut down the cassia tree. People say that the clear light will be even greater." He put down his newspaper and revealed his face; it was none other than Wang Renyong, the man who was rumored to be under investigation.

Upon seeing his contact, Qingcheng, Wang Renyong immediately inquired about his well-being and whether the investigation had been completed. Wang Renyong assured him that the problem wasn't serious, but the key was to have someone vouch for him. He then turned around and asked about Qingcheng's injuries.

Her physical wounds had long since healed, but the wounds in her heart didn't heal so quickly. Qingcheng nervously clutched the hem of her clothes and said, "Section Chief Wang, I'm sorry. When we get back, please return my organizational affiliation to Sister Cai. I might not be suitable for working behind enemy lines."

"Bang!" Wang Renyong slammed the newspaper onto the stone seat and angrily scolded, "Qingcheng, I really have to criticize you severely this time. How can you just quit the work behind enemy lines like that? Sometimes you are a bit childish and have a bit of petty-bourgeois weakness. Otherwise, why would I call you 'Little' Comrade?"

Wang Renyong's words weren't very hurtful, but they were extremely insulting. However, Qingcheng felt guilty and didn't dare to argue, her face hanging low.

"Recite the sixteen-character guideline for our work in the White Areas." Wang Renyong gave the order in a stern tone.

"Hidden and capable, lying in wait for a long time, accumulating strength, and waiting for the right opportunity," Qingcheng blurted out without thinking.

"Since you mentioned working behind enemy lines, I'll give you another riddle: Working behind enemy lines, guess a single character." Wang Renyong seemed to have gotten interested in word puzzles as well.

“Attack.” Kiyosumi pondered for a moment, then looked at Wang Renyong uncertainly, not understanding what he meant.

Wang Renyong waved away the mosquitoes and continued to prompt, "Yes, attack. Now look at the sixteen-character strategy, what does it mean?"

"The time has come, take the initiative... Wait, have I been awakened?" Kiyosumi suddenly realized.

Wang Renyong seemed annoyed by Qingcheng's slow realization and said irritably, "Otherwise, I would have specifically come to ask you, 'Hey, have you eaten?' The intelligence front has its own special characteristics. You can't be complacent just because you've avoided a few spies. You have to pay attention to every detail when working in the White Area."

"Oh, I understand. I'll follow the leader's instructions," Qingcheng replied listlessly.

Qingcheng's overly humble attitude angered Wang Renyong: "There's something wrong with your attitude. Don't be afraid of mountains when riding a horse, or shoals when sailing a boat. Too many worries will only affect your judgment, so you need to put them away and clear your mind. To become a qualified special agent, you must first learn to forget."

"But... I don't dare go any further. I feel like everything I do is wrong," Kiyosumi stammered.

The hardest thing for a person is to admit their failure and helplessness, but it is even harder to stand up again with this humiliation and resentment. She is not as strong as Gao Junxiao.

"Do you know why you, a math major graduate, weren't assigned to the fourth department, doing things like codebreaking, but instead to our second department?" Old Wang suddenly changed the subject, asking and answering himself, "Because you're not bald, not nearsighted, and not crazy, which means you didn't really study math seriously."

"Nonsense! What kind of ridiculous stereotypes are these?" Kiyosumi couldn't help but retort. She did have more extracurricular activities, but that didn't mean she couldn't finish her studies. Westerners use a credit system, and she earned both degrees in just over three years.

Compared to Qingcheng's anger, Wang Renyong laughed out loud, his eyes showing approval: "Just kidding. I heard that you did your bachelor's and master's degrees at the same time, and your studies were more demanding than others, but you handled them with ease. You even often audited the mechanical and chemistry classes next door. You know so much, and you're not a bookworm. You are exactly the kind of well-rounded talent that our second department needs."

"But I have let everyone down. The people don't understand, and the government is ruthless. Can we change this?" Qingcheng was somewhat disappointed. They had traveled through thick and thin, but they had lost to their own people.

“Yes! It’s right to save one person and do the right thing, but if you stand up for one person, you can only save ten or a hundred people. If you stand up for the people of the world, you can change the fate of tens of millions of people.” Wang Renyong encouraged Qingcheng to broaden her horizons.

A hint of worry crept across Qingcheng's slightly furrowed brows. If she couldn't even save one person, how could she possibly save millions?

"Hmph, evil people will always be punished by evil people. Do you know the Red Flower Order?" Wang Renyong asked, his smile fading.

Suddenly, Qingcheng remembered the interview she had written for Master Kui: In order to prove their innocence, the Red Flower Society issued a Red Flower Order to the martial arts world, offering a reward of 50 silver dollars to anyone who could provide useful information and 500 silver dollars to anyone who could kidnap the perpetrator.

Wang Renyong said coldly, "They added a reward of five thousand silver dollars for killing the thieves. With such a generous reward, there will surely be brave men. Today, two fresh corpses with no skin or tendons were hung on the city wall, but the faces of the corpses were specially preserved. They were Japanese criminals who should have been extradited back to Japan. The Japanese embassy was furious when they saw them."

The Red Flower Society truly lived up to their word; they said they'd skin the foreign thief alive, and they did. Qingcheng swallowed hard; Master Kui was definitely not a local tyrant she could mess with. But this method of revenge was neither just nor universally applicable.

Wang Renyong could probably sense Qingcheng's confusion, so he firmly instilled in Qingcheng the theoretical knowledge he had just learned.

We are a large agricultural country. Our people, especially farmers at the bottom, have been bound by cannibalistic ethics and rules for five thousand years. The farthest they have ever traveled in their lives is probably to attend a banquet in the next village. Unlike urban workers, they are not able to receive the waves of the new era at any time.

Therefore, to completely eradicate their servility and stubborn class consciousness, we need persistent education and guidance to enlighten their minds, which is by no means an achievement that can be accomplished overnight.

If one year isn't enough, then two years; if two years aren't enough, then ten years; if ten years aren't enough, then twenty years. If our generation can't keep up, then let the next generation take over. Time will prove how correct our theory is.

Moreover, awareness alone is not enough without action. We must not only make them understand why they should resist, but also hand them the weapons of resistance. No one wants to be born a slave.

Starting with the Paris Peace Conference, the harsh reality is that weak nations have no diplomacy. But we are by no means the "sick man of East Asia" they portray us as; we are a giant of the East. We will stand up on our own strength, stand tall, and show the world what it means to be Chinese, what it means to be a descendant of the Yellow Emperor!

Wang Renyong's words were a wake-up call, a sudden enlightenment, like a bucket of cold water splashed on a clear mind. With the nation weak and the people vulnerable, must everyone just humbly accept this pitiful and bullied fate?

Impossible!!! How can a great nation like China be without talent! She's just too impatient; things won't work if the water isn't available first.

The road to revolution is always full of mud and shoals, and there must always be someone to be the pioneer who paves the way. Mr. Sun fired the first shot against feudalism and completed the first step from nothing to something.

Whether white or red, we tread upon the blood of our pioneers, wiping away tears and despair from the blood-soaked soil. We strive to establish a moral compass for heaven and earth, to secure a future for the people, to continue the lost learning of the sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations.

Kiyosumi's heart seemed to be rekindled: "The family is the smallest country, and the country is made up of millions of families. I want the children of millions of families to live like human beings, to live with dignity. I am willing to be a pioneer in paving the way, even if it means facing millions of people."

"Yes, that's the right attitude. The sublimation of thought often comes from compromising and struggling with oneself, breaking down and rebuilding. Congratulations on grasping the essence of working behind enemy lines. As for the Nationalist government, they have a typical warlord mentality, thinking we're here to seize territory. There's nothing we can do about it." Wang Renyong rolled up the newspaper and killed a mosquito on his hand.

"So tell me where I slipped up." Kiyosumi became even more worried as she thought about how she had almost been assassinated.

“We intercepted a telegram sent in plaintext, mentioning a miniature camera and the cutting of 135 film, possibly belonging to the Soviets,” Wang Renyong slowly recounted the telegram.

"Even if they knew there was a miniature camera, how could they be sure it was a Soviet agent using it?" Qingcheng said, taking out a small bottle and spraying some mosquito repellent on herself. The place was quite secluded, but there were too many mosquitoes.

Wang Renyong shamelessly asked to apply some floral water to his face before explaining that only a few industrialized countries could manufacture miniature cameras, but capitalist countries wouldn't care about the life or death of a child from the lower class.

In addition, this public opinion uproar is a new model, which Comrade Wu Hao highly praised. He asked Wang Renyong to optimize this model and compile it into propaganda teaching materials for nationwide study. Old Wang has been writing teaching materials behind closed doors recently, which is why he hasn't shown his face.

"What a joke! The public outcry got you punished, and you're still compiling teaching materials," Qingcheng said weakly.

“Hu Yukun told you, right? He only knows one side of the story. Remember when the Soviet representative’s itinerary was leaked in advance?” Wang Renyong leaned closer to Qingcheng and whispered, “The punishment is just a smokescreen. The most important thing is to let those lurking maggots show themselves. If necessary, we’ll scrape the bone to remove the poison.”

Qingcheng understood that just as our comrades could infiltrate the enemy, the enemy could also plant their own shadows in the Soviet areas.

“You know it in your heart, that’s enough. This public opinion upheaval has brought many enemies hiding in the shadows to the surface,” Wang Renyong said meaningfully. “The fact that the enemy opposes us is precisely because we did the right thing.”

“I see. But how could the enemy send such important information in plain text?” Kiyosumi squinted, puzzled. Even the most novice radio operator wouldn’t make such a basic mistake.

“I’m not entirely sure either. I think someone deliberately sent a warning. However, there’s an error in this telegram. The Soviet-style reconnaissance camera I gave you is compatible with KL615 and KL135 film, but you’re someone who values ​​quality and details. I think it’s more reliable for you to buy the KL615 rather than the more common KL135.” Wang Renyong made his judgment based on his understanding of Kiyosumi.

“Yes, it’s KL615 film. This model is quite expensive, and not many people buy it. But it’s not uncommon in our industry.” Kiyosumi is a professional, and she was on a business trip, so she felt it was perfectly reasonable for her to buy expensive, high-quality film.

“Sometimes we need to think in reverse, to think like spies. If I were to investigate, I would take the photos of you editors from major newspapers and question each and every film shop that sells film. I could find out who bought the special type of film.” Wang Renyong was truly following the path of spies, leaving them with nowhere to run.

Qingcheng smiled and explained the situation to Wang Renyong. She had expected this, as she had picked up KL615 in Shanghai and used the company's unified stationery procurement.

In addition, to mislead the spies, Kiyosumi deliberately used 135 film to develop the photos and even scaled them proportionally to the size of regular negatives. Of course, to meet the company's requirements, she also prepared a set of landscape photos on 615 film in advance.

"So your misleading statement had some effect," Wang Renyong said, raising his little finger in appreciation. "But even when scaled up proportionally, the hand-cropped marks are still visible, and because of its size, the viewfinder width of a pocket camera is limited. You were unlucky enough to run into someone knowledgeable, and those subtle differences could be the difference between life and death."

Ignoring Lao Wang's cheeky gesture, Qingcheng felt something was off. Where did these Japanese assassins come from? Were they going to kill her just because she made them lose face? Then why not kill the other editors?

Kiyosumi posed the question to Wang Renyong, who also felt something was amiss. The storm surrounding the child case had passed, and the Japanese could simply pretend nothing had happened; why create unnecessary trouble?

“I’ll take you to see the body later. You can investigate it yourself.” A strange smile appeared on Wang Renyong’s face. “Our biggest challenge right now is Principal Jiang’s private trump card—the investigation communications team, which is internally called the ten-man team. The team leader’s surname is Dai, and he’s a very troublesome madman.”

Qingcheng waited for Wang Renyong to continue.

"First time hearing this, huh? They're different from the CC Clique. They don't know anything about subversion or brainwashing. Once they lock onto a target, they just kill them outright. It's okay if they kill the wrong person; their principle is better to kill the wrong person than let one go." Wang Renyong grinned and made a throat-slitting gesture.

Qingcheng's heart sank. It turned out that he was the culprit who had Chen Yao transferred away. He was truly more trouble than he was worth.

As long as the elite ten-man squad is dispatched, regardless of whether Gao Junxiao goes to the Central Plains or not, Chen Yao, as his trusted son, will definitely be transferred. Principal Chiang is notoriously protective of his own, and he's certainly afraid that Chen Yao will be implicated.

Qingcheng felt her thoughts forming a chaotic, tightly tangled web. How could she face Gao Junxiao after this?

“If you feel sorry for her, just repay her with your body. All the past grievances and grievances will be wiped clean. A man’s happiness is sometimes that simple.” Wang Renyong jokingly suggested to Qingcheng, “Hurry up and get the marriage application done. You’re not getting any younger.”

Wang Renyong's joke did not put Qingcheng at ease. Since he was an ace, he must have his own trump card. Xuzhou City was about to be in turmoil.

“Hey, don’t rush to pin the blame on yourself. The Ten-Man Group is, after all, a clandestine group of spies. They dare not offend powerful generals. The main reason Chen Yao was transferred was due to internal strife within the Nationalist government. Moreover, the Ten-Man Group’s purpose is to deal with us.” Wang Renyong flashed his signature toothy grin. “We have already suspended all underground activities in Xuzhou City, making them unable to see or touch us.”

Kiyosumi suddenly remembered the detective team searching the hospital. Were the men in black with them the agents of the Ten-Man Group? Who were they investigating?

"Investigate my ass, it's fake, it's a trap. I was waiting for you to be discharged from Longquan Pavilion, but when I heard the detective team was searching the hospital, I was afraid you would rush out to save people. I'm warning you again, survival comes first. You keep saying that you've long since disregarded life and death in this line of work, but that's all nonsense." As he spoke, Wang Renyong's habitual loud voice rang out.

Startled, Qingcheng quickly kicked him, thankfully no one was around. The cicadas chirped particularly loudly at noon, drowning out some of the noise.

Wang Renyong cleared his throat awkwardly: "You did a good job on this, otherwise I really would have sent your organizational affiliation back. Um... caution is a habit that needs to be cultivated slowly, and I also need to strengthen it. You should learn more from Gao Junxiao in this regard; he is truly meticulous in his work."

Ke Qingcheng, with her sharp eyes, spotted the yellow-green figure emerging from the ward building. Embarrassed, she rubbed her forehead with her hand. Wang Renyong's mouth must be blessed; he appeared as soon as she spoke of him. It was too late to leave now.

"Don't be shy, we're just chatting and relaxing in the cool air." Wang Renyong gently patted Qingcheng's back with a newspaper to remind her not to look timid.

“But he knows you,” Kiyosumi replied in a low voice.

"You recognize me too, don't you? Old friends reunited, you know? Miss He, when are you being discharged from the hospital?" Wang Renyong instantly switched into the polite demeanor of a businessman.

Qingcheng could only bite the bullet and play along while keeping an eye on Gao Junxiao's movements: "Just a few days, I'll be almost fully recovered. Mr. Wang, when are you going back to Shanghai?"

Gao Junxiao is 50m away.

"I'll have to stay for another ten days or so, business is business. I'll treat Miss He to dinner after I get back to Shanghai."

"Mr. Wang, you're too kind." As Gao Junxiao got closer and closer, Qingcheng's heart rate increased.

Gao Junxiao is 30m away.

Gao Junxiao is 20m away.

Gao Junxiao is 10m away.

While the two chatted and joked, Gao Junxiao had already spotted the two people in the stone pavilion. His brows furrowed slightly, and his deep black eyes seemed to be shrouded in a layer of misty clouds. He paused outside the pavilion for a few seconds before stepping inside.

Before Gao Junxiao could speak, Old Wang exclaimed, "Oh my, isn't this Mr. Gao? What a coincidence!"

Old Wang's sudden outburst almost made Qingcheng bite her tongue.

"What a coincidence, Mr. Wang has also come to Xuzhou City. What happened? Are you sick? Is it alright?" Gao Junxiao asked with concern.

"It's a minor ailment, gastroenteritis. I guess I ate something unclean at the banquet," Wang Renyong replied politely, waving his hand.

Watching the two exchange pleasantries as they greeted and saw off guests, Kiyosumi suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, mentally spitting out a mouthful of saliva at them. Ugh, hypocritical men!

One was always plotting to trap Gao Junxiao and swindle him out of his money, while the other cursed him behind his back, calling him a ruthless and greedy businessman who threatened to shut down Lao Wang's business sooner or later.

Hmph! Now that they've met, they're all arm in arm, like long-lost brothers. It's unbearable to watch. Qingcheng was wondering if the two of them could be any more hypocritical. Then they made plans to go drinking the night after tomorrow.

What? Drinking too? Qingcheng felt as if firecrackers were going off in her head, crackling and popping. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, realizing she had gained a deeper understanding of fair-weather friends.

“Ah Xiao, Mr. Wang has gastroenteritis. How can you urge him to drink alcohol? It will hurt his stomach.” Qingcheng also put on an approachable smile and subtly pulled Gao Junxiao back to her side, while warning Wang Renyong with her eyes: You just came out, don’t be reckless.

Seemingly sensing the resentment emanating from Qingcheng, Gao Junxiao quickly introduced her to Wang Renyong as his girlfriend.

Wang Renyong widened his eyes and said with "excitement" that he could tell the two of them were meant to be back in the charity school. Sure enough, true love prevails in the end. Can we meet up for tea if we don't drink alcohol?

With her good upbringing, Qingcheng was able to restrain herself from slapping Wang Renyong to wake him up. Since the task of uniting them had been entrusted to her, Old Wang, you shouldn't interfere, lest you arouse Gao Junxiao's suspicion.

Qingcheng decisively pulled Gao Junxiao away and disappeared into the garden. Gao Junxiao was far more dangerous than a spy.

When I saw Wang Renyong again, it was already evening. He called Qingcheng, Hu Yukun, Cai Shaokang and a few others to have a meeting in a secret room in the hospital.

What's past cannot be undone, but the future can still be shaped. Wang Renyong told Qingcheng not to dwell on the shadow of the child case any longer; their original mission was to uncover the secrets of the mine, and they couldn't delay any longer.

Given that the ten-person group was still active in Xuzhou City, and for the safety of their comrades, they could not use any of the underground transportation networks in Xuzhou City. Therefore, Lao Wang only woke up Hu Yukun and Caitou, who had been following the mine for the longest time and knew the details best.

Wang Renyong first demonstrated his findings. He took several stones that Cai Tou had brought out from the coal mine and analyzed them, confirming that the stones were indeed copper and iron ore, and most likely the raw ore for manufacturing black market weapons.

Old Wang emphasized the words "copper" and "iron," and Hu Yukun's expression also became serious: "Coal mines sometimes have a small amount of associated minerals. You can't judge that there's an arms factory over there based on a few stones. Do you know how serious this is?"

“I know, that’s why we need to go to Fengshan to verify it ourselves. Tell me your investigation results,” Wang Renyong changed the subject.

After investigation, Hu Yukun and his team confirmed that there was indeed a secret building near Fengshan, with many Japanese guarding the entrance and conducting very strict checks, requiring a pass or something similar.

However, Cai Tou once found a letter of recommendation from the cartwheel, which should be usable as a pass.

Now we're back to the original problem: the train crew needs to send a batch of young girls in, but they can't risk real women, and the men are all inactive, so what's the supply?

The thorny issue left everyone at a loss, and the meeting reached a stalemate.

In the end, Wang Renyong, with his extraordinary connections, made a phone call to a certain leader, said a few witty remarks with a smile, and successfully seized command of the Fengshan militia with his thick skin.

Having people around makes things easier, especially with two masters of disguise, Lao Wang and Qingcheng. Even if Zhong Kui were reincarnated, they could paint him as Xi Shi holding her heart.

Everyone else was fine, but Qingcheng had a big problem: how to avoid Gao Junxiao? His command post was located on Tongyi Street, so they were bound to run into each other all the time. Moreover, the Xiaotong case was closed, and Qingcheng's business trip was nearing its end; she had no reason to stay in Xuzhou City any longer.

Since there was no reason to stay in Xuzhou, Wang Renyong told her to buy a train ticket back to Shanghai as soon as she was discharged from the hospital. However, she wasn't actually going back; she was to get off at the next stop, where Old Wang would wait for her at the station. They would first go to the mountains to meet with the leader of the local militia and formulate a specific battle plan.

As for whether Gao Junxiao will call to check up on her, it's hard to say. Qingcheng said that he can be really boring sometimes.

After a moment's thought, Wang Renyong decided to let Ai Ruirui stay at Qingcheng's house, pretending to have a cold to help Qingcheng work from home, and incidentally, to also help Qingcheng fool her family. However, he would have to give Ruirui at least half of her salary next month.

Old Wang was shrewd, but thankfully Qingcheng was generous and readily agreed, so this matter was considered closed. Now she's just waiting for Gao Junxiao to find some time to come and handle her discharge procedures.