Chapter 24: "Spies" in the Base?
Days passed by.
Lin Jianguo became the platoon leader of the special guard platoon and was extremely busy.
But he has one rule that he never abandons.
That means that every day at mealtimes, he had to personally go to the cafeteria to get food for Zhao Di, or take Zhao Di to eat with him.
No amount of persuasion could change my mind.
The food at the base's canteen has improved considerably.
Although there wasn't much meat, there was plenty of steamed buns, and occasionally you could even see a few drops of oil.
This is all thanks to the super wheat that Zhao Di grew.
At noon that day, the sun beat down fiercely on the Gobi Desert.
The cafeteria was bustling with activity as people lined up with their lunchboxes, chatting about the day's experimental progress.
Zhao Di sat at a small table in the corner of the cafeteria.
She is now an "unofficial junior leader" at the base.
With a small bib hanging around its neck and a large spoon in its hand, it was struggling with the potato and cabbage stew in its bowl.
"Zhaodi, eat slowly, don't choke."
Lin Jianguo sat opposite her, picked out two pieces of fatty meat from his bowl and put them into his daughter's bowl.
"Dad doesn't like fatty food, it's too greasy. You can take care of it for Dad."
The lie was so convincing that even the cook next to him couldn't stand it anymore.
But these days, all fathers are like this.
Zhao Di shoved the meat into her mouth with a gulp, her mouth dripping with oil.
"It smells so good!"
The little girl squinted her eyes contentedly.
Just then, a limping figure walked over.
The man was wearing a greasy white coat and carrying a tray, which was for the wounded and sick.
He was a new kitchen helper in the cafeteria, and everyone called him Liu the Cripple.
They said he broke his leg in his hometown and couldn't do heavy work, so he was brought in to chop vegetables and wash dishes.
He usually seems like a very honest person, always smiling and bowing to everyone.
"Hey, Platoon Leader Lin, having dinner with your daughter?"
Liu the Cripple came over, his face full of flattery.
His narrow eyes swept over Zhao Di for a moment before quickly looking away.
"This girl is really pretty, just like a New Year's picture doll."
Lin Jianguo nodded, but didn't really respond.
He was originally a reconnaissance soldier, and he naturally had a bit of a resistance to overly enthusiastic people.
Moreover, the smell emanating from Liu the Cripple made him uncomfortable.
It doesn't smell like cooking fumes.
It's a kind of indescribable, chilling feeling.
"Come here, girl, your uncle has some good stuff."
As if by magic, Liu the Cripple pulled a piece of candy wrapped in oil paper from his pocket.
That's not your average fruit candy.
It's the kind of shortbread that you only find in big cities, and it smells like sesame.
"Sent from my uncle's hometown, for my daughter to try."
Liu the Cripple handed the candy to Zhao Di, his smile incredibly kind.
The wrinkles on her face were all piled up, like a dried chrysanthemum.
Zhao Di was eating meat when she saw the candy, and her eyes lit up instinctively.
After all, they are just kids, and they have no resistance to sweets.
She was about to reach out her little hand to take it.
Sudden.
The always sluggish system in my mind suddenly exploded.
[Warning! Warning!]
[High-risk malicious target detected! 0.5 meters away!]
[Target Identification: Hostile Forces' Infiltrators!]
[Danger Level: Red!]
Zhao Di was startled by the sudden alarm.
Her little hand froze in mid-air.
On her retina, the smiling Uncle Liu the Cripple had changed.
A huge, dark red skull symbol appeared above his head.
The skull was still dripping blood, and it looked extremely frightening.
Moreover, the system thoughtfully includes olfactory simulation.
A stench like rotten eggs mixed with dead rats hit Zhao Di's head.
"vomit--"
Zhao Di's face turned deathly pale instantly.
They were frightened, and they were also affected by the fumes.
She abruptly knocked the piece of candy that was being handed to her away.
"Snap!"
The candy fell to the ground, rolled several times, and got covered in a layer of dust.
Liu the Cripple's smile froze on his face.
His hand was still awkwardly outstretched.
The people eating around were stunned and turned to see what was going on.
"Wow--!!!"
Zhao Di suddenly burst into tears.
The crying was earth-shattering, as if the person had suffered a tremendous injustice.
"No! No!"
"He's a bad guy! He's the Big Bad Wolf!"
"He stinks! He smells like a dead rat!"
Zhao Di cried as she snuggled into Lin Jianguo's arms, her little body trembling like a leaf.
Lin Jianguo's expression changed. He hugged his daughter tightly, and his other hand instinctively reached for the holster on his waist.
"What happened?"
Lin Jianguo stared sharply at Liu the Cripple.
Startled by the glare, Liu the Cripple trembled and quickly took two steps back.
His face showed grievance and fear.
"This...I don't know either..."
"Platoon Leader Lin, I just wanted to give the child a piece of candy..."
"I'm not a big fan of showering, so I might smell a bit, but I'm really not a bad person!"
As Liu the Cripple spoke, he raised his sleeve and sniffed it, looking like an honest, wronged fool.
People around them started whispering.
"What's wrong with the child? Was he frightened?"
"Liu the Cripple is usually quite honest. Apart from his bad legs, he doesn't have any other problems."
"Kids might just be shy around strangers, or they might dislike the smell of cooking oil on other people."
Everyone thought that Zhao Di was being unreasonable and throwing a tantrum.
After all, she's a spoiled little princess.
Chen Zhiyuan happened to be getting his food when he saw this and quickly ran over.
"What's wrong? Why is Zhao Di crying like this?"
Chen Zhiyuan tenderly took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away Zhao Di's tears.
"Don't cry, don't cry, Grandpa's here."
Zhao Di pointed at Liu the Cripple and cried so hard she hiccuped.
"Grandpa...he's a bad guy...he has dead bones on his head..."
Everyone laughed when he said that.
"Children speak without restraint, children speak without restraint."
"They must have heard too many stories and now they think people are monsters."
Chen Zhiyuan smiled and patted Zhao Di on the back to comfort her.
"Okay, okay, he's a bad guy, let's ignore him."
He turned and waved to Liu the Cripple.
"Alright, you go ahead and do your work. The child is shy around strangers, don't take it to heart."
Liu the Cripple felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and quickly nodded and bowed as he picked up the candy from the ground.
"Yes, yes, Mr. Chen, you're busy, I won't be in your way."
After saying that, he limped away.
His back view still looked so hunched and humble.
but.
Lin Jianguo did not laugh.
He kept staring intently at Liu the Cripple's back until he disappeared behind the curtain in the back kitchen.
As a reconnaissance soldier who has fought on the battlefield.
He has an almost beast-like intuition for danger.
Just a moment ago.
Just as Zhao Di knocked the candy away...
He clearly saw a hint of malice flash in Liu the Cripple's eyes.
That's the look in someone who's killed.
and.
Lin Jianguo looked down at his daughter, who was still trembling in his arms.
My daughter is usually naughty, but she never cries or makes a fuss for no reason.
Last time she said the needle on the plane was sleepy, and the plane almost crashed.
This time she said this person was the Big Bad Wolf...
"Father, you have to believe me..."
Zhao Di sobbed, her little hands gripping Lin Jianguo's collar tightly.
"He really is a bad guy... that's what the system said..."
She said the last half of the sentence in her heart.
Lin Jianguo patted his daughter on the back, his voice deep and firm.
"Father's letter."
"Whether others believe it or not, Dad believes you."
He picked up Zhao Di and strode out of the cafeteria.
When he got home, Lin Jianguo closed all the doors and windows.
He sat on the edge of the bed, placed Zhao Di on his lap, and asked with a serious expression:
“Daughter, tell your father the truth.”
"Besides the stench, what else did you see?"
Zhao Di sniffed and gestured as she spoke:
"I saw a red skull on his head, and it was still dripping blood."
"And...and when he looked at Father, he wanted to take out a knife."
Lin Jianguo felt a chill run down his spine.
Want to grab a knife?
This is murderous intent!
Why would a kitchen helper in the canteen have murderous intent toward the base's guard platoon leader?
There is only one possibility.
He's a spy!
Lin Jianguo stood up and paced back and forth in the room.
There is no evidence right now; we can't arrest anyone based solely on what the child said.
Moreover, if we alert him, what if he has accomplices?
This base houses thousands of people and contains so many core secrets; if something goes wrong, it will be a major incident.
"Dad, should we catch the big bad wolf?"
Zhao Di blinked her big eyes and asked.
Lin Jianguo stopped and touched the stubble on his chin.
"Arrest them! They must be arrested!"
"But we have to make him show his true colors."
Lin Jianguo squatted down and whispered a few words in Zhao Di's ear.
"Daughter, didn't you say that fairy uncle could conjure up fun things?"
"Let's set a trap for him tonight."
When Zhao Di heard that they were going to play a game to catch bad guys, she immediately stopped crying.
"Yay!"
"I want that elastic band! And that itching powder!"
"Let him taste Zhao Di's power!"
at the same time.
In a dark corner of the cafeteria kitchen.
Liu the Cripple was squatting on the ground peeling garlic.
His honest and unassuming face was now contorted with rage.
"Damn it, that little brat is too weird."
Liu the Cripple cursed under his breath.
"I've been pretending for so many years and I've never been caught."
"How did she know I had a problem at a glance?"
His original mission was to lie in wait and sabotage the base's power supply system at a critical moment.
But now, he feels like he's being watched.
Lin Jianguo's gaze made him feel like he was being pricked by thorns.
"No, we can't wait any longer."
Liu the Cripple crushed the garlic cloves in his hand into powder.
"Let's do it tonight."
"Burn down that experimental field first; it's their lifeline."
"Then take advantage of the chaos to tie up that brat."
"As long as I have hostages, I can break out!"
Liu the Cripple glanced at the darkening sky outside the window.
A cruel, cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.
What he didn't know was...
While he was scheming against others.
Two hunters, one big and one small, were already sharpening their knives.
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