Night Visit
Ever since Qin Zheng reported that You Jiale had been acting suspiciously around Caishikou, Zhang Xiande had become more cautious. These days, the situation was chaotic, and even the slightest disturbance could cause trouble. He decided to have Qin Zheng secretly keep an eye on You Jiale, while he himself also kept watch, just in case something went wrong.
Night fell like a black cloth, making the lights around Caishikou even brighter. Sure enough, just as Zhang Xiande had predicted, You Jiale sneaked off to Caishikou again.
You Jiale pulled his hat brim even lower, shrinking into his trench coat like a small animal ready to burrow back into the darkness. He strolled aimlessly around the street corner, his peripheral vision constantly scanning every possible hiding spot. He knew coming here today was an adventure. But he had no choice; he needed to find out just how powerful Li's Sauce Shop really was.
As he approached the alleyway entrance, about to turn in, he heard the soft swishing of heels against the ground from all sides. Several dark figures silently closed in from different directions, like a net being quietly spread out. He froze, about to retreat, when the figure on his right swiftly took a half-step forward, blocking his escape route.
Before You Jiale could even come up with any effective countermeasures, a voice rang out with a hint of rudeness: "Sir, what are you doing here so late?" The speaker's tone was unquestionable.
“I…I’m the person in charge of ‘Leji Delivery’,” You Jiale’s voice trembled slightly, but he tried to make his tone sound calm and natural. “We have partnerships with businesses here, so I came over tonight to check on things.”
"Watching at night?" The man curled his lip and sneered, "Your attire doesn't look like someone here to discuss business." He quietly took another half step forward, forming an angle with the other man, his cold gaze pressing down on him as if he were interrogating him.
The smell in the air suddenly changed, becoming somewhat pungent. Another person slowly approached, their eyes scanning him like knives, as if they were about to reach out and search him at any moment.
"I was just passing by, I really didn't mean anything by it..." You Jiale was still chuckling, but cold sweat was already seeping down his back. He subconsciously touched his pocket to make sure the small folding knife he was carrying was still there.
This little broken knife can't hurt anyone; it's just for my own peace of mind.
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the person next to him quietly reached for the gun at his waist.
The group exchanged glances, and then the man on the right suddenly raised his hand—
You Jiale's heart skipped a beat, and she almost instinctively tried to dodge.
Just when Yu Jiale thought her life was in danger, a deep car engine sound broke the silence of the night.
A black sedan drove up smoothly and stopped at the alley entrance. The door opened, and Qin Zheng got out first, his face as sour as ever, as if someone owed him eight hundred strings of cash.
Immediately afterwards, Zhang Xiande also got out of the car.
In that instant, in You Jiale's eyes, this man seemed to have an aura about him, descending like a savior.
Zhang Xiande walked forward calmly, his gaze sweeping over the plainclothes officers with indifference.
One of them hesitated slightly, seemingly recognizing Zhang Xiande, and gestured to the person next to him not to act rashly. If they couldn't figure out the situation, it was better to keep a low profile.
Zhang Xiande ignored them and spoke calmly to You Jiale, "Why didn't you wait for me and came here on your own? Didn't we agree to come together to see the situation in person? It's pitch black and we can't see anything. Let's come back tomorrow morning." As he spoke, he naturally walked to You Jiale's side, patted him on the shoulder, and acted as if he were leading a subordinate on a routine official inspection. His explanation sounded reasonable, leaving those people with no grounds for rebuttal.
His explanation seemed reasonable on the surface, making it difficult for them to refute it directly.
“Come with me.” Zhang Xiande said, naturally putting his arm around You Jiale’s shoulder.
Taken aback by Zhang Xiande's sudden intimate gesture, You Jiale instinctively exclaimed "Huh?" Feeling a bit awkward, she muttered softly, "I...I haven't finished reading yet—"
"What are you looking at?" Zhang Xiande's expression remained unchanged as he lowered his voice, "If you want to be put on the tiger bench, I can grant your wish."
After hearing Zhang Xiande's perfunctory words about coming on official business, the group exchanged glances several times, their eyes filled with doubt and apprehension, before finally dispersing in silence.
Zhang Xiande quickly pushed You Jiale into the car. "What are you investigating? Why did you go to that kind of place?"
You Jiale sat in the passenger seat, his back covered in cold sweat. The sudden movement had really frightened him. He didn't dare to breathe loudly, and the atmosphere in the car was so oppressive that it felt like it was about to freeze.
Zhang Xiande leaned back in his chair, his profile sharply defined in the dim light, as calm as a blade. His long, slender fingers tapped lightly on his knee, making a soft sound. "You're doing very well. You're much bolder than I expected."
"..." You Jiale secretly glanced at him, then quickly looked away, her heart pounding with anxiety, unsure of what she would face next.
"If you want to die, tell me, and I'll grant your wish." Zhang Xiande's voice carried a chilling coldness that could scrape a person's flesh off, and his eyes slowly turned over, as if he wanted to peel away You Jiale's layers to examine her closely.
You Jiale's eyelids drooped, staring at the tips of her shoes. She remained silent for several seconds before taking a breath, as if she had made up her mind, and raising her head: "Because I have indeed discovered something... but I'm not sure whether I should say it or not."
"Still not sure?" Zhang Xiande's tone was extremely impatient.
You Jiale quickly waved his hand, a hint of hesitation on his face: "It's not that I don't believe you," he then looked up at Zhang Xiande, his eyes filled with a trace of caution, "It's just... I don't dare to bet on whether you really believe me."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiande merely raised an eyebrow, a slightly mocking smile playing on his lips.
You Jiale figured he couldn't hide it any longer, so he might as well just go for it. "Boss..." he swallowed, his voice hoarse.
Zhang Xiande didn't look at him, but simply gave a soft "hmm," a single word that seemed to be both a response and a warning for him to think carefully before speaking.
“What I’m about to say,” You Jiale steadied herself, staring straight ahead, her throat feeling constricted and her breath coming in short gasps, “you’ll probably think I’ve lost my mind after hearing this, but I really have no choice. You have to understand why I’ve been asking around all these days.”
You Jiale swallowed again, this time speaking much more slowly, as if afraid of saying the wrong word. "I...I have amnesia."
“You mentioned this last time,” Zhang Xiande’s gaze remained fixed on You Jiale, as if waiting for his further explanation, “Is there anything else?”
Zhang Xiande stared at him, as if waiting for the next explanation.
"Blah blah blah..." You Jiale quickly poured out everything about the locked box and the letters inside. "Anyway, after unlocking it, I couldn't quite understand the letters, but I could guess what they were. They seemed to be correspondence from the Communist Party. There were plans for operations, routes, and even information about those who had sacrificed their lives... It all came to mind. It suddenly dawned on me that I might not have been an ordinary citizen before; I might have been... an underground member of the Communist Party." You Jiale took a deep breath and lowered her voice even further as she said this.
“I’m not investigating these things because I’m plotting anything bad. I’m scared to death myself. Think about it, if ‘Li’s Sauce Shop’ really is a contact point, and I keep going there for no reason, wouldn’t I be walking into a trap?” You Jiale paused, her face turning pale.
“But if I don’t investigate anything, what if I’m recognized on the street one day? Wouldn’t I just be gone without even realizing it?” He raised his eyes and looked at Zhang Xiande. The previous scheming was gone from his eyes, leaving only a resolute determination. “I’m not saying this in the hope that you will believe me immediately, nor am I expecting you to pity me or think I’m so loyal.”
"I just want you to know that I haven't hidden anything from you, and I never intended to harm you."
"This world is too chaotic. After thinking it over, the safest way is to show you my hand. At least that will ensure that neither path leads to a dead end."
Zhang Xiande listened quietly as he finished speaking, his fingers gently stroking his chin, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as a bottomless well. He stared at You Jiale for a long while, as if scrutinizing her carefully, or perhaps pondering something in his mind.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice low and steady: "Do you know what you're betting on?"
You Jiale grinned, revealing a somewhat helpless smile: "I bet you're not completely heartless and won't turn your back on me. You can save my life."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiande chuckled lightly: "Telling a story about the 'underground party' just to save your life?"
“Yes!” You Jiale nodded quickly, like a chicken pecking at rice. “I’m not sure if you believe me or not, but you can always tell if I’m lying. If you believe I’m not lying, then you’ll understand how afraid I am of death.”
He paused, his eyes revealing a surprising honesty: "I really don't remember anything from the past. Now I just want to live a good life. Being able to live and make money for you would be the best thing."
“What I want to say is that my value is not just about this ‘Leji Delivery’ right now. This idea is just the beginning. It proves that I can see the tricks of the trade that others can’t, and I have the courage to make it happen.” You Jiale said, puffing out her chest with a hint of confidence.
Zhang Xiande raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue.
“I can snowball this entire delivery business, expanding it nationwide without resorting to the old methods. Then you won’t have to worry about military pay anymore,” You Jiale said with a hint of excitement. “In exchange, I hope to work under your wing, boss, and steadily turn these ideas into real money. After all, only by surviving can we create more value, don’t you think?”
Zhang Xiande stared intently at You Jiale, as if trying to see through his heart. "You mean, you're using your commercial value to exchange for my protection?"
You Jiale met Zhang Xiande's gaze: "In this era, to survive, you have to have some extraordinary skills, right? Besides, I'm not just making empty promises. I've already pledged my loyalty. 'Leji' is thriving and won't let you down."
"This is a win-win deal."
Zhang Xiande didn't say anything more, but slowly leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the atmosphere was so still it felt like time had stopped.
A few minutes later, Zhang Xiande spoke in a low voice: "Leave the letters and boxes with me."
“Okay,” You Jiale agreed readily.
"Stop messing around with yourself."
“…Fine,” You Jiale turned her head and gave a wry smile. “I really don’t want to scare myself again.”
You Jiale turned his head and looked out at the dark streets and alleys. He thought to himself that this was probably the most thrilling experience he had ever had in his life.
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