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◎The King of Scrolls, Day Forty-Eight◎
Jiang Wanzhou snapped out of her daze, took the bowl of porridge, hesitated for a moment, and then whispered about seeing the suspicious person at the technical team that day.
“I can’t say for sure.” She lowered her voice. “I just felt that person was a bit strange. He seemed afraid of being noticed. When he saw me, his eyes darted away.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Xinglian's expression also became serious.
She put down her bowl, sat down opposite Jiang Wanzhou, and lowered her voice: "The materials the technical team put out are not ordinary."
She frowned. "This matter could be a big deal or a small deal. If we speak rashly without any evidence, people might say we're paranoid and cause trouble for Qingyu."
“I know,” Jiang Wanzhou nodded, “that’s why I didn’t say anything. But I just felt uneasy.”
"Then let's keep an eye on things for now," Shen Xinglian said decisively. "Next time we go, we'll be more careful. If there's really a problem, it'll show sooner or later."
She patted Jiang Wanzhou's hand, "Don't tell Qingyu about this yet. He's just starting out and under a lot of pressure. Don't distract him. Let's keep an eye on things secretly for now."
"good."
—
In the regimental headquarters conference room.
Several key leaders were present.
And then there's Jun Yangjian, whose complexion still isn't very good.
The meeting focused on summarizing the emergency meteorological reconnaissance mission and the subsequent search and rescue efforts.
The political commissar first affirmed the professionalism and courage of the crew in remaining calm under extreme weather conditions and successfully making an emergency landing.
"Comrade Zhou Qingyu, in particular, performed outstandingly and possessed excellent skills. He stabilized the situation at a critical moment and deserves praise!"
The regimental commander nodded in agreement: "Comrade Jiang Renzhou's command was appropriate, ensuring the stability of the crew's morale, and he also deserves credit."
The atmosphere was originally positive.
However, when the topic turned to Jun Yanghong's unauthorized trip to "find someone," the atmosphere in the meeting room instantly became subtle and heavy.
The political commissar's sharp gaze swept over Jun Yangjian, who sat silently at the lower end of the table, and his tone turned serious.
"This mission exposed not only the problems with weather and equipment, but also the serious problems of disorganization and lack of discipline among some of our comrades and their families! Comrade Jun Yanghong's actions not only played with her own life, but also seriously interfered with the normal search and rescue work, causing extremely bad consequences!"
Jun Yangjian straightened his back instantly, his cheek muscles tensed, and his hands on his knees unconsciously clenched into fists.
He could feel the gazes of his colleagues around him.
He opened his mouth, wanting to defend his sister.
"Laojun," the political commissar's tone softened, but carried even more weight, "we are soldiers, and protecting our country is our duty. But we cannot neglect the building of a good family atmosphere! How can you lead troops into battle if you can't even manage your own family? How can you gain the respect of your soldiers? You must reflect deeply on this matter! And deal with it seriously!"
"Yes, Political Commissar, Regiment Commander, I will definitely reflect deeply on my mistakes and discipline you strictly!" Jun Yangjian's voice was hoarse.
He felt an unprecedented sense of frustration and shame.
Not only because of her sister's foolish behavior, but also because of the damage to her own reputation caused by it.
In the latter half of the meeting, the topic shifted to the future.
Based on Zhou Qingyu's outstanding technical skills and calm demeanor during this mission, the regiment officially decided to establish a technical task force led by him.
The focus is on addressing the stability and anti-interference issues of existing communication and radar equipment under complex weather conditions.
"Qingyu, this is a heavy responsibility, but the organization believes in your abilities!" The political commissar looked at Zhou Qingyu with eyes full of expectation.
Zhou Qingyu stood up straight, his expression solemn: "Please rest assured, Commander, I will do my utmost to ensure the mission is completed!"
After the meeting, Zhou Qingyu and Jiang Renzhou walked out of the conference room side by side.
Jiang Renzhou patted Zhou Qingyu on the shoulder and whispered.
Congratulations. Keep up the good work.
The tone was one of pure approval.
Zhou Qingyu nodded: "Thank you, brother."
He knew that Jiang Renzhou's approval and support were behind this appointment.
He wanted to go back quickly and tell Wanzhou the good news.
The Jiang family.
After Jiang Wanzhou finished her porridge, she helped Shen Xinglian clear the dishes, but her thoughts kept drifting to that suspicious figure.
She walked to the window, her gaze seemingly able to penetrate the courtyard wall and see in the direction of the technical team.
She squeezed the red bean wood box in her pocket.
When Zhou Qingyu arrived at the Jiang family's courtyard again, it was nearly noon.
The warm sunlight shone into the courtyard.
Shen Xinglian was sitting on a small stool picking vegetables, while Mingyuan was playing with a wooden bird at her feet, a scene of tranquility.
Jiang Wanzhou, meanwhile, was by the window inside the room, intently flipping through her high school books in the bright light.
Hearing footsteps, Jiang Wanzhou looked up and saw it was him; a gentle smile immediately appeared in her eyes.
She closed the book and stood up: "You're back? Are you all done with your work?"
"Hmm." Zhou Qingyu walked into the room, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment to make sure she had calmed down before he spoke, "The team has made a decision to establish a technical task force, which I will be in charge of."
His tone was calm, but Jiang Wanzhou could still catch a glimpse of elation in his slightly bright eyes.
She was happy for him and said softly, "This is a good thing. Your abilities are recognized by your superiors."
Just as Zhou Qingyu was about to speak, a series of light footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard, as if someone was quietly approaching.
Jiang Wanzhou subconsciously looked out the window and saw a figure in a gray cloth jacket flash past at the corner of the courtyard wall, moving as quickly as a shadow being blown by the wind.
"Who is it?" Zhou Qingyu stood up alertly and picked up the wooden pole behind the door.
Jiang Wanzhou's heart tightened, and she whispered, "It's him. The one I saw in the technical team."
Shen Xinglian also stopped what she was doing, her gaze sharp as needles: "Don't chase after them, be careful, it might be a trap."
She winked at Jiang Wanzhou, "Let's see what he's up to first."
The figure hadn't gone far, seemingly checking the commotion in the courtyard.
A moment later, he appeared cautiously outside the gate, peering through the crack as if searching for something.
Zhou Qingyu held her breath and slowly approached the door.
Just as he was about to open the door, the man suddenly turned around like a startled rabbit and quickly disappeared into the alley, leaving behind only a cloud of dust blown by the wind.
Jiang Wanzhou walked to the door and looked at the empty alleyway, her doubts growing stronger: "What exactly does he want to do?"
Shen Xinglian walked to her side and said in a deep voice, "It seems that his target is likely the project that Qingyu is in charge of. We must be extra careful."
Zhou Qingyu frowned, deep in thought: "If he really came for the technical team, then he might show up again next time."
The three exchanged a glance, and they all understood.
Zhou Qingyu went to the security department that afternoon.
Section Chief Li was a weathered veteran. After listening to his account of the situation, he tapped his fingers on the table, not even noticing that his cigarette had burned the filter.
"The technical team's data is of utmost importance; we absolutely cannot afford any mistakes."
Old Li stubbed out his cigarette and moved closer to Zhou Qingyu. "Here's what we'll do," he said, "tonight I'll take two comrades and lie in ambush under the old locust tree outside the Jiang family compound. You lure him out."
Zhou Qingyu nodded.
When she got home, Jiang Wanzhou was squatting in front of the stove, tending the fire.
"Have you spoken to the security department?" Shen Xinglian was taking off Mingyuan's clothes to prepare for a shower.
"Yes, Section Chief Li said we'll set up an ambush tonight." Zhou Qingyu added a piece of firewood to the stove. "If anything happens, safety comes first."
Jiang Wanzhou agreed, but the firewood in her hand was not handed over accurately and fell to the ground.
She bent down to pick it up.
Zhou Qingyu has already picked it up.
Dinner was eaten quietly. Mingyuan held his bowl of porridge, sipping it slowly, and occasionally looked up at Zhou Qingyu: "Uncle, can you teach me how to fold paper airplanes tonight?"
Zhou Qingyu patted his head: "Not tonight, I'll teach you how to fold something even prettier tomorrow, okay?"
Mingyuan nodded as if he understood, finished the last mouthful of porridge, and was obediently carried to bed.
Just as dusk was falling, Old Li arrived with two security guards, both dressed in civilian clothes and carrying flashlights. They hid under the old locust tree and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Zhou Qingyu was in the guest room, with the documents spread out on the table, the desk lamp turned on brightly, and the window deliberately left a crack open.
Almost an hour passed, but there was still no movement outside the courtyard.
Zhou Qingyu rubbed her eyes and was about to get up and move around.
Shen Xinglian suddenly raised her hand, signaling him to be quiet.
"I heard footsteps." Her voice was very low.
Zhou Qingyu immediately sat down, pretending to flip through documents, but her eyes were fixed on the crack in the window.
A moment later, a figure in gray cloth slipped out of the alley entrance, moving along the wall towards this side with footsteps as light as a cat.
The man stood outside the courtyard for a moment, then peered through the window, his eyes fixed on the documents on the table.
Jiang Wanzhou's heart leaped into her throat, and the needle and thread in her hand fell to the ground.
Just then, Old Li suddenly rushed out from behind the locust tree, shining his flashlight directly into the man's face: "Don't move!"
The man was startled and turned to run, but was stopped by another security guard, and the two began to fight.
Zhou Qingyu also rushed out to help hold down the man's arm.
"Behave yourself!" Old Li pulled out a rope and tied the man's hands behind his back. "Tell me, what are you doing here?"
The man lowered his head and said in a muffled voice, "I was just passing by."
"Just passing by?" Old Li kicked him. "Just passing by and you need to hide behind a wall to look at other people's data? Confess honestly, are you here to steal from the tech team?"
The man remained silent, but his shoulders were trembling.
Zhou Qingyu touched him and pulled out a small notebook with some crooked lines drawn inside, like a layout diagram.
"What is this?" Zhou Qingyu handed the notebook to Old Li, her voice turning cold.
When the man saw the notebook being searched, his face turned pale instantly. He opened his mouth, but didn't say anything.
As Old Li escorted the man away, he patted Zhou Qingyu on the shoulder: "Thanks to your cooperation, this matter is not over yet, we need to interrogate him properly. Don't worry, we will send people to patrol your neighborhood for a few more days."
The courtyard was quiet again, with only the locust tree leaves rustling.
Jiang Wanzhou picked up the needle and thread from the ground, her fingertips still trembling: "I never thought I could actually catch him."
Shen Xinglian put away the needle and thread used for sewing shoe soles and walked into the house: "This is just the beginning. The fact that he can draw a layout map of the family compound means that this is not his first time here, and there may be someone else behind him."
Zhou Qingyu sat at the table, looking at the documents on it, her brows furrowed.
He picked up the small notebook, flipped through a couple of pages, and suddenly pointed to one of the lines: "Look."
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