organize
Following the instructions in the letter, You Jiale finally arrived at the "old place" he had guessed—near Caishikou. He carefully searched for the old, ink-blurred characters on the sign he had seen last time in that mottled corner.
The shop's sign had been changed to "Old Wang's Grocery Store." Luckily, I caught a glimpse of it when I came here with Qin Zheng last time, which is why I was able to find it now.
He steadied himself and pushed open the slightly ajar door of "Old Wang's Grocery Store." The store was dimly lit, and the shelves were haphazardly arranged with some seemingly slow-moving groceries. Just as You Jiale hesitated whether to go any further, the curtain at the back of the store was lifted, and a man in a dark gray suit and a bowler hat emerged. His gaze swept around the store before finally settling on You Jiale.
You Jiale's heart skipped a beat, but a slightly bewildered smile appeared on his face, as if he were trying hard to recall. "Wind chimes?" His tone was uncertain, feigning an effort to search for fragments of memory. "You seem somewhat familiar, but for the moment, I just can't quite place you." This was a carefully crafted opening line, both highlighting his "amnesia" and subtly testing the waters. The man opposite him scrutinized You Jiale sharply, seemingly trying to discern the truth from his expression.
He didn't answer immediately, but said calmly, "Mr. Yu, you don't need to be nervous."
The title "Mr. Yu" made You Jiale even more certain that this place was indeed related to the identity of "Yu Shanhe".
“Mr. Yu…?” You Jiale frowned, feigning confusion. “Excuse me, sir, are you sure you’ve got the right person? My name is You Jiale. I had a little accident before, and I don’t remember many things clearly.”
The man seemed to have anticipated You Jiale's reaction, his expression wary: "You Jiale?" He seemed to have already guessed what was going on. "We're meeting with you today because we received news that you've encountered some unforeseen circumstances, causing you to lose contact with the organization."
You Jiale's vigilance intensified, but he maintained a blank expression. "An organization? What organization? Sir, I really don't understand what you're saying." He shrugged, his tone tinged with helplessness. "Ever since I fell off the mountain and woke up, I've lost a lot of my memories. I don't remember many things from before, including this 'organization' you mentioned." He brought up his experience of "falling off the mountain" again, trying to rationalize his amnesia.
The man's eyes suddenly sharpened. "Since you have amnesia, why do you know about Li's Sauce Shop?" He paused, seemingly observing You Jiale's reaction. "The place I mentioned in my letter was the 'old place'."
Yu Jiale's mind raced, as if he were trying to recall something. "Although I've forgotten a lot of things, I can still find and understand some letters that I used to hide after I woke up." He looked at the other person, his tone tinged with speculation. "'The old place'... I was just... guessing. I didn't expect... I guessed right."
The man's eyes were still trying to determine whether You Jiale's words were true or false.
In the ensuing conversation, the man began to subtly probe about the past, attempting to confirm whether You Jiale truly suffered from amnesia. He tried to mention strange words, such as codes, locations, or past missions.
Whenever this happens, You Jiale either looks blank or vaguely changes the subject.
Both of them were testing each other.
Yu Jiale tried to deduce from subtle details in the conversation which side the other party was working for and what the real purpose of their trip was.
The meeting lasted for nearly an hour, during which the man never directly revealed his identity, nor did he disclose much information about the organization.
Finally, the man stood up to leave, his tone still calm: "Mr. Yu... or rather, Mr. You, that concludes our conversation for today. We will report today's situation to our superiors and contact you again later." He left behind an unmarked piece of paper with a phone number written on it: "If you remember anything, or if you need anything, you can call this number."
Although this meeting did not allow You Jiale to fully confirm the other party's identity and purpose, he was certain that this person had intricate connections with "Yu Shanhe" and the organization behind him.
He chose to keep the phone number in his pocket, not intending to let Zhang Xiande know it yet.
Meanwhile, in a secluded mansion on the outskirts of the city, an urgent briefing is quietly taking place.
The dim light from the chandelier cast a soft glow, illuminating several figures with different expressions sitting around an old-fashioned wooden table.
Standing in the middle was the man who had met with You Jiale earlier. He calmly recounted the mission: "That's how it is. He's now called You Jiale, and he claims to have lost his memory in an accident. He seems completely unfamiliar with the organization's code name and the operational instructions we mentioned. But he can find 'Li's Sauce Shop.'" The air froze for a moment after he finished speaking.
The middle-aged man sitting in the main seat slowly raised his eyes, his voice low: "Amnesia? Accident? But you were able to find Li's Sauce Shop?"
He slowly stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, his gaze sharp as a knife. "Yu Shanhe's disappearance has already cut off several leads, and now we have this 'amnesia.' Do you think this is simple?" An older member sitting on the left spoke in a low voice: "He mentioned that he fell from the mountain, but our reports on his last operation didn't mention that area." Another member frowned and said, "Could this be a trap set by the enemy? Pretending to have amnesia, then using that to release false clues to confuse our judgment?"
“We can’t rule out that possibility either.” The man in the main seat nodded slowly and tapped the table. “We must assume the worst. If Yu Shanhe is really captured, the intelligence he knows is enough to shake an entire front.” The man reporting added in a low voice, “However—he certainly doesn’t seem to be acting. His demeanor, his reactions, including some details of the conversation... Either he really has amnesia, or he’s not the same person he used to be.”
After initial contact with You Jiale (Yu Shanhe), and given that the true situation was still unclear, the organization quickly reached a consensus and made the following decision: immediately cease all direct contact with You Jiale (Yu Shanhe), and keep the previously left phone number as a backup plan, not to be used until the situation is clarified, in order to avoid exposing themselves or being used by hostile forces.
At the same time, the organization will enter a phase of full covert observation, using its secret forces embedded in the city to monitor him in all aspects and investigate his daily life in detail, in order to determine whether You Jiale has really lost his memory, whether he is deliberately faking it, whether he has been controlled by hostile forces or is working for other forces.
In addition, the organization will gather intelligence through various secret channels to covertly understand the circumstances surrounding You Jiale's (Yu Shanhe) disappearance and whether there are any other unusual events.
Finally, the organization will develop corresponding contingency plans for various possibilities. Once it is confirmed that Yu Jiale (Yu Shanhe) has indeed lost his memory, it will consider how to rebuild contact and assist him in recovering his memory while ensuring safety. If it is suspected that he has been arrested or turned, the risks need to be assessed and Yu Jiale may be eliminated directly.
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