retreat
Zhang Xiande's study was shrouded in a somber silence. Night fell outside the window, and the heavy curtains could not conceal the tension in the air. On the large mahogany desk, the usual documents and ledgers were no longer laid out; instead, there were several open city maps and hand-drawn maps of delivery areas, their lines rough yet densely marked with symbols.
That is the heart of "Leji Delivery," a city roadmap that You Jiale has painstakingly built up bit by bit with his modern knowledge and the blood and sweat he has accumulated over the past few days.
Zhang Xiande pushed a map in front of You Jiale; it showed the areas marked along the Japanese army's operational routes. "Take a look at this."
You Jiale leaned down, his pupils slightly contracted. He looked at the points and routes marked by Zhang Xiande, then compared them with the delivery map of "Leji Delivery," and the gears in his mind began to spin rapidly. He discovered that the Japanese army's movement routes actually overlapped significantly with areas where their delivery orders were sparse or where delivery personnel rarely passed through!
"This...do they usually avoid areas with large populations like ours?" You Jiale blurted out, her voice trembling with barely suppressed excitement. The excitement stemmed from discovering a pattern, while the trembling arose from the cold, hard reality behind that pattern: military operations.
Zhang Xiande rubbed his temples, his tone slow and deliberate: "Their understanding of this city far exceeds our imagination. This map inadvertently exposed the 'safest,' or rather, the least active, blind spots in our city. These places, ironically, have become their 'safe passages.'"
"Then...then we can deduce their route based on these blind spots?" You Jiale looked up at Zhang Xiande, completely forgetting the fear she had just felt.
Watching him transform from a "money-grubbing freak" into an "excited explorer discovering a new continent," Zhang Xiande felt a surge of pity for him, a feeling that had welled up since the day's events. This child always seemed to reveal his truest, most vibrant self at the most inopportune moments. He reached out and gently patted You Jiale's nape, as if soothing a frightened yet curious little animal. "Clever."
The touch sent a chill down You Jiale's spine. Zhang Xiande's warm palm gently caressed the skin on the back of his neck. It was a simple gesture, yet it reminded You Jiale of what this man had done to him. His cheeks flushed uncontrollably, and he quickly moved away, lowering his head to continue looking at the map.
Zhang Xiande withdrew his hand, not pressing him about his shyness and awkwardness.
“Based on these routes, we can do two things,” Zhang Xiande said, his tone regaining its composure as he focused his gaze back on the map. “First, we need to secretly evacuate the people living near these ‘safe passages,’ or those most likely to be affected, to relatively safe areas. This will require your manpower; they know the city’s alleys and lanes better than we do.”
"My delivery driver?" You Jiale looked up. "How did you know...?"
Zhang Xiande responded in a low voice, "I know everything about your affairs. I will provide supplies and weapons, but you need to be responsible for organizing the people."
"Let's protect this city together."
As You Jiale left the gate of Yunyin Hall and got into the car, he was thinking about how to take advantage of the fact that people from "Leji" were familiar with the streets and alleys of the city and quietly relocate the residents.
The question is, how? We can't ruin the "Leji" brand.
At this critical juncture, if the Japanese devils target "Leji" because of this evacuation, then we're all doomed.
Therefore, this matter can only be carried out in secret. He still needs a meticulous plan.
The next day, You Jiale went to "Leji" with dark circles under his eyes. He pretended to be inspecting the work and called several underground party members who had infiltrated "Leji" to the backyard.
"Brothers, I've called you all here today because of something very important, something that concerns the lives of many people." You Jiale's tone was unusually serious.
“Everyone should have seen what happened at the city gate a couple of days ago. I’ve already informed my superiors, but we have to do something before they arrive.” You Jiale looked them in the eyes and said, word by word, “We can’t just stand by and watch our fellow villagers suffer. So I’m thinking of secretly sending some residents from dangerous areas out of the city or moving them to safe places.”
One of them spoke up: "Comrade Shanhe, Comrade Li Ming was right about you! Just make the arrangements, and we'll all cooperate."
Yu Jiale was suddenly filled with emotion. It felt so good to fight side by side with a group of people!
He picked up the map he had prepared earlier: "Okay! Let's discuss the route and personnel arrangements..."
For the next two days, he handled "Leji" business as usual during the day. At night, he stayed in the courtyard, coordinating manpower and arranging backup with the underground party members. They utilized the "Leji" deliverymen's familiarity with the streets and alleys to plan several secret routes. The first relocation was chosen in a small alley not far from the delivery station; a few households were willing to take the risk.
The first night's transfer went exceptionally smoothly. You Jiale didn't personally go out; he waited anxiously for news in the courtyard. Late into the night, he heard the door open, knowing they had returned. Although exhausted, their faces radiated the joy of success. You Jiale felt a slight sense of relief, which gave him the confidence to continue.
The second night, the evacuation area expanded and moved closer to the dangerous zones. Tonight's evacuation was especially critical, as there were more people to be evacuated than usual, and the locations were more dispersed. With insufficient manpower, I had to do it myself.
His mind raced, calculating routes, timelines, and contingency plans, his nerves stretched taut like a snapping string. He hadn't walked far when a sudden tightness gripped his chest, as if an invisible hand were squeezing him. You Jiale leaned against the wall, gasping for breath, feeling like he couldn't breathe. His vision blurred, and his ears began to ring. He had no idea what was happening.
He shook his head, trying to clear his head, but the dizziness only intensified, and his legs began to feel weak.
No, I have to hold on, there are still people waiting! He gritted his teeth and tried to take another step, but his body wouldn't obey him and he fell straight to the ground.
When You Jiale regained consciousness, he was awakened by the aroma of food. He groggily opened his eyes, feeling as if his whole body was falling apart, his head was extremely dizzy, and his throat was parched and burning. He was lying on an unfamiliar bed.
"You're awake? Oh, you're finally awake!" An old woman's voice rang in his ear.
You Jiale blinked, and the blurry figure in front of him gradually became clear. "How long...how long have I been asleep?" he asked hoarsely, his voice barely audible.
The old lady brought a steaming bowl of noodles to the bedside, her face full of kind wrinkles. "How long have you been asleep? You've been asleep for two days! My son brought you this the night before. He said you fainted by the roadside, and since you didn't look like a bad person, he helped you back." She handed the bowl to You Jiale, the warm steam gently caressing his face.
“It’s very chaotic outside right now, and we don’t know who you are, so we don’t dare to take you to the hospital for fear of causing trouble. We can only leave you at home. Fortunately, you finally woke up, which scared us to death.”
Two days?! You Jiale's mind went blank for a moment. He only felt his stomach was incredibly empty, and he was so hungry that his stomach felt like it was sticking to his back. He took the bowl and, not caring that it was hot, wolfed it down. After the hot noodles went down, his calves didn't feel so weak anymore, and the chaotic thoughts in his head were suppressed by the hunger. He just wanted to finish the bowl of noodles.
Just as he finished drinking the noodle soup and breathed a sigh of relief, there was a sudden, urgent knocking at the door.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
The old lady was startled and took the bowl and chopsticks that You Jiale had finished eating from. "Who is it?" she asked softly, not daring to open the door immediately.
"Open the door!" came a dignified voice from outside, carrying an unquestionable command.
The old lady's face turned pale. She looked at You Jiale on the bed, then at the door. After hesitating for a moment, she still moved her feet to open the door.
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