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When You Jiale heard that Zhang Xiande had moved the liaison officer to a small courtyard outside the city, something felt off. "Things don't seem to be going so smoothly," he murmured to himself, his brow furrowing slightly. "But what exactly is wrong?"
He secretly tried to contact his superior, hoping to arrange a meeting with the liaison officer. He needed to see for himself whether this person was really as safe as he appeared.
Soon, his superiors replied, approving his request.
You Jiale walked alone on the path leading to the outskirts of the city. "I hope I'm just overthinking it." He tightened his collar and quickened his pace.
When the dilapidated old house came into view, You Jiale's heart skipped a beat. The wooden door creaked open, revealing the scene inside, including the figure sitting on the only wooden bed—it was the liaison officer.
“Comrade,” You Jiale put on what she thought was a friendly smile, carrying a small cloth-wrapped bag in her hand, “I’ve come to see you and brought some medicine.”
The liaison officer looked up, forcing a smile. "Thank you for your help. And you are?"
You Jiale put down his package and casually glanced at the liaison officer. The wound on his shoulder appeared to have been bandaged, and traces of blood could still be faintly seen seeping out. "He's healing pretty quickly," You Jiale muttered to himself, but didn't show it on his face.
He took a small bottle from his package and handed it to the liaison officer: "Just call me Shanhe, comrade. This is some top-quality German imported medicine that I managed to get my hands on with great difficulty. I heard it's especially effective for gunshot wound recovery. The doctor repeatedly instructed me to take it on time, so don't be careless."
"Thank you, Comrade Shanhe, that's very kind of you." The liaison officer took the medicine bottle and expressed his gratitude.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, You Jiale began his probing. His face held a worried expression, as if he genuinely cared for the other man's safety. "You're badly injured this time," he paused, his sharp gaze sweeping over the liaison officer's thickly bandaged waist. "These are turbulent times. The Japanese are arresting people like madmen, and our area is especially tense. How did you get injured, and... how did you survive?" As he spoke, he carefully observed the liaison officer's expression, not missing a single subtle change.
The liaison officer's hand tightened slightly on the medicine bottle. He lowered his head, seemingly recalling the scene, but his tone was somewhat ambiguous: "Well, it's a long story. The situation was too sudden." He raised his head, his eyes somewhat unfocused, "It's just... it's just that I encountered some trouble. Thanks to God's blessing, I survived."
You Jiale's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. The answer was too vague. "Trouble? What kind of trouble could have injured you like this?" he asked seemingly casually. "Did you come down alone this time? I heard from above that there was a liaison officer accompanying you...?" His tone was probing, but his eyes were locked on the liaison officer's eyes, trying to catch a trace of panic or weakness.
The liaison officer immediately became alert, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes. He raised his voice slightly, but quickly lowered it again: "Comrade, there are some things you shouldn't ask, that's organizational discipline." He paused, his tone carrying a hint of warning.
You Jiale narrowed his eyes; the liaison officer's reaction only confirmed his suspicions. "Organizational discipline?" You Jiale repeated the words softly, as if savoring their meaning. "Yes, discipline is very important." He nodded seemingly in agreement, but his gaze was glued to the liaison officer's face, trying to see through the panic to the truth.
“But… but the instructions from above were very clear this time: it was a two-person operation. But we can’t find the other person.” His voice lowered, tinged with confusion and worry. “Could it be… could something have happened to them on the way? The other comrade…” He paused deliberately, observing the liaison officer’s reaction, “Could it be that he didn’t make it back together?”
The liaison officer's face paled further. He forced himself to calm down, but his eyes still flickered uncertainly. "N-nothing...nothing like that," he said dryly, his voice hoarse. "The organization instructed me to come down alone." He tried to use a flimsy excuse to brush it off, his tone extremely unnatural.
You Jiale sneered inwardly. This man was not only vague about the details of his injury, but now even his fake answer was full of loopholes. "Perhaps, my memory hasn't been very good lately." You Jiale smiled helplessly, but his eyes were icy cold. "But, brother, your injury...it's healed really fast."
He glanced casually at the bandage around the liaison officer's waist. "It looked quite serious yesterday, but he looks much better today. It really is good medicine." This was both a compliment and another subtle test.
Upon hearing this, the liaison officer subconsciously touched the bandage around his waist, forcing a stiff smile. "Yes...yes, this medicine is indeed quite good." His eyes darted around, seemingly trying to avoid the topic.
Seeing this, You Jiale had already formed his own judgment. This person had a problem, and a significant one at that. Further questioning would likely yield nothing of value and might only arouse greater suspicion. He maintained his concerned smile.
"Take good care of your injury, brother. The situation is really turbulent lately, so don't go out unnecessarily." He stood up, patted the liaison officer on the shoulder, the touch was light, but it carried a hint of scrutiny. "I have some things to attend to, so I have to go now."
The liaison officer gave a polite smile. "Okay, Comrade Shanhe, take care."
You Jiale turned and left, her steps seemingly calm, but her heart was in turmoil. This liaison officer had an odd air about him from beginning to end.
The details of his injury were vague, and he was unsure whether there was another liaison officer. Even the speed at which his injury was healing was ridiculously fast... As he walked, he recalled every subtle expression and movement of the liaison officer: the evasive look in his eyes, the pauses in his tone, and the panic he was trying so hard to hide... This person was definitely suspicious.
Although today's probe did not yield conclusive evidence, it only strengthened his belief that the liaison officer's appearance was no accident. Beneath this calm surface, a greater danger likely lurked.
He returned home heavy-hearted, and before he could even sit down, a frantic knocking on the door, like the approach of death, shattered the suffocating silence. "Knock, knock, knock!"
You Jiale's heart skipped a beat. "Who?!" His voice was filled with the vigilance and wariness he had developed over this period of time. He quickly walked to the door and, through the peephole, saw the face that he both "loved" and hated.
The door clicked open, and Zhang Xiande squeezed in, his voice several times faster than usual, "Something's happened! The Japanese bombed the Mid-Autumn Festival supplies!"
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