Recruitment
"Lin Zhi, how are the order volumes lately?" You Jiale asked casually while quickly flipping through the delivery records in her hand.
Lin Zhi was meticulously working on the reports on the table, counting each number carefully. When she heard You Jiale ask, she looked up seriously and said, "It's alright, Brother Jiale. Especially the few new deals we've made in the south of the city; I heard the neighbors all say they're good."
“Yes, keep it up.” You Jiale nodded.
He began to consciously build his own network of contacts:
Those cooperative shops were the first step. Before, he would just stroll over occasionally to maintain relationships, but now it's different. He's very proactive. He has to visit newly opened shops and contact old customers from time to time. Sometimes he even goes to stand in front of their stalls for a while.
With his strange and out-of-touch ideas, he could pinpoint the problems in a shop in just a few words and offer one or two suggestions that would truly brighten their day.
“Your location is good, but you don’t have many repeat customers. Try offering some limited-time discounts.” His tone was always nonchalant and lazy, but those who truly listened always managed to make a real profit from it.
He didn't let his guard down with the delivery drivers either. He knew these guys were the backbone of Leji. So, within the budget he could manage, he quietly raised their base salaries a little, and every now and then he'd treat them to a meal or a few drinks. Sometimes he'd lazily sit on a bench listening to them brag, laughing as he slowly made sure to remember the favors he owed them.
"You guys have worked hard running around, next time you order, it's on me." — He often said this, his eyes smiling, but in his heart he was secretly building walls. Some accounts are recorded with real money; some accounts are supported by trust and people's hearts.
As for the accounts, You Jiale had already secretly prepared a separate set by a trusted accountant. He quietly copied several purchase records and, under the guise of "optimizing processes," obtained detailed transaction records from some high-frequency customers.
His movements were small, but each step deepened. He knew he couldn't be too fast or too forceful. He had to let go a little, then hold back a little, like water, seeping in and spreading out, before he could, when necessary, transform it into a true "musical record" of his own.
Just as he was annotating an account, a soft knock came from outside the courtyard.
"I'll go open the door." Lin Zhi put down the documents in her hand and jogged to the door.
A simply dressed middle-aged man stood outside the door, looking reserved, and asked in a low voice, "Excuse me... is Mr. You here?"
Lin Zhi tilted her head, looked at the person who came, and then turned to call out, "Brother Jiale, someone is looking for you."
"Sir, you were looking for me?" You Jiale put down the ledger in his hand, his eyes scanning the man's face as he quickly recalled something. Oh, right—isn't this the guy who came to the store last time and said he looked like an old acquaintance?
The mysterious man nodded slightly, took out a letter wrapped in old brown paper from his pocket, and said in a low voice, "Mr. You, this... this is something someone asked me to give to you."
His tone carried a hint of unease, and he deliberately avoided looking at You Jiale, seemingly unwilling to have too much contact with her.
You Jiale's heart tightened slightly; his intuition told him that this letter was anything but ordinary. He took the envelope; it felt rather heavy, and the seal was tightly closed with red wax.
He looked up and stared at the other person, trying to discern something from their calm expression.
"May I ask who asked you to do this?"
"That gentleman didn't say anything, he only told me to deliver it to you personally." The man shook his head. "He also told me to tell you that there's an address on the letter, and if you're interested, please go there."
After saying that, he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, lowered his head, and bowed to You Jiale: "The goods have been delivered, Mr. You, farewell."
After saying that, he left in a hurry and soon disappeared outside the courtyard gate.
As You Jiale watched his retreating figure, he felt several gazes cast his way from all around, and his heart sank. He calmly tucked the letter into his pocket, suppressing the doubts and unease in his heart.
Back at his desk, he took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart, and carefully opened the envelope.
The letter paper was yellowed, and a few lines of writing were on it in fountain pen:
[Comrade Shanhe, an old friend, we've arranged to meet at the old house by the dry well outside the city. As night falls, we await your good news.]
There was no signature at the end, only a black mark identical to that on the previous envelope.
"Comrade Shanhe..."
His gaze was fixed on those four words, his fingers trembling slightly. A blurry mist appeared in his mind, and fragments of memories about "Yu Shanhe" seemed to be slowly breaking free from the deep well of his memory.
He walked to the window, gazing at the darkening sky, his mind in turmoil.
He understood that this might be a signal that the organization he knew was trying to contact him again. But at the same time, he also knew that this contact meant danger.
Tell Zhang Xiande?
no.
He quickly dismissed the idea. He had no idea what Zhang Xiande wanted from him.
If the letter writer is indeed a member of the underground Communist Party, the consequences would be unimaginable if Zhang Xiande found out. Zhang Xiande isn't stupid; he's long suspected his own identity. If this is confirmed, not only will "Leji" be lost, but my life might also be in danger.
After much hesitation, curiosity finally overcame fear.
He walked out of the office and whispered to Lin Zhi, "I'm going out tonight, I'm leaving this place to you."
Lin Zhi paused for a moment, then nodded: "Okay."
Night fell, and the streets quieted down.
Yu Jiale wrapped her coat tighter and walked alone through the dimly lit alley, heading towards the suburbs along the address written in the letter.
The wind was strong in the wasteland, weeds grew rampant along the roadside, and the chirping of insects was intermittent. He quickened his pace nervously, and finally, behind a grove of low trees, he saw the dilapidated old house.
The walls were peeling, the roof was in ruins, and a dry well covered in moss stood quietly beside the house.
"This is it."
He gritted his teeth and approached. The door was half-open, and it was pitch black inside.
Squeak—
He pushed open the door, and a musty smell hit him. Furniture lay scattered on the floor, and only moonlight streamed in through the cracked roof, faintly illuminating what lay ahead.
Is anyone there?
There was complete silence, save for his own breathing.
Just as he was about to leave, a deep voice suddenly came from the corner—
"Comrade Shanhe, you've arrived."
You Jiale was startled and turned around to look.
The middle-aged man who had visited "Le Ji" during the day slowly emerged from the shadows, with the mysterious man he had met at Li Ji Sauce Shop standing beside him.
You Jiale subconsciously took a step back, her voice hoarse: "Who exactly are you? Why do you call me 'Shanhe'?"
“My name is Li Ming, and this is Zhao Jianguo. We are Communists.” The man said solemnly, “You were once one of our most steadfast fighters.”
At that moment, the temperature around us seemed to drop suddenly.
“We’ve examined your injuries and confirmed that you have amnesia,” he continued, “but we’ve been observing you.”
"Investigating me?" You Jiale felt a lump in her throat. "How much do you actually know?"
"From the moment you fell off the mountain and we lost contact, until we found you."
The other person looked at him, their eyes showing no hostility: "You haven't betrayed us, we believe you."
"We have been keeping an eye on your every move."
You Jiale's heart sank to the bottom. He had always thought he had hidden it well, but he never expected that the other party had seen through him all along.
“We know you haven’t betrayed us,” Li Ming said gently, seemingly sensing You Jiale’s worry. “We also believe that your amnesia is not intentional and you are not hiding anything.”
You Jiale fell silent, unsure of what to say. The other person's words offered a small measure of comfort, but left him with more unease and confusion.
“We’ve come to see you today to invite you back to the team,” Li Ming said, looking at You Jiale with a hint of expectation in his eyes. “Shanhe, you used to be a good comrade and a steadfast soldier. We can’t bear to see you give up halfway through all that you’ve sacrificed, before you’ve even seen the dawn of victory.”
"Recruitment..." You Jiale gave a bitter laugh; the word struck him as strangely ironic. He only wanted to live a peaceful life; he had little concept of or enthusiasm for the so-called "revolution" and "fight."
“I know you may have many concerns and hesitations right now,” Li Ming nodded understandingly. “We are all doing this voluntarily; there was no coercion involved. We just hope you can think it over carefully. The organization needs talent like you, and we don’t want to lose a comrade like you who once fought alongside us.”
You Jiale was in a state of turmoil; he didn't know how to answer. He looked at the sincere-looking middle-aged man before him and sensed the sincerity and expectation in the man's words, but his deep-seated fear prevented him from making a decision easily.
“I…I haven’t thought it through yet,” You Jiale finally said with difficulty, her voice pleading, “Could you…not force me? I need time to think it over.”
Li Ming looked at him quietly, his eyes showing no displeasure or coercion, only understanding and respect. "Of course, Shanhe, we understand how you feel right now. This is an important decision, and you need time to think it through. We won't pressure you; we just hope you remember that the organization's doors are always open for you."
He paused, his tone tinged with nostalgia and regret: "Shanhe, the you of the past, fearless and courageous in the face of hardship, for your ideals and beliefs. We all believe that one day you will remember everything. Think it over carefully; we look forward to your return."
You Jiale was filled with mixed emotions. He felt the passion and conviction that "Yu Shanhe" once possessed, but now he only wanted to find a peaceful haven in this chaotic world.
"I...I'll think about it carefully when I get back," You Jiale finally agreed softly, her voice sounding particularly weak in the empty old house.
Upon hearing this, Li Ming nodded to You Jiale: "Okay, we'll wait for you." After saying that, they turned and disappeared into the night.
You Jiale sat alone in the dilapidated old house. A night wind blew by, bringing a chill, but he felt cold all over. The conversation they had just had exploded in his mind like a bombshell.
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