Escape from the Kinmen Hotel (Part 1)
The red wooden door embedded in the wall separated the two spaces, guarding the privacy of the people inside. Those in the hall had no idea what the two people in the inner room were talking about.
Clang—
It sounded like tables and chairs being kicked, followed by a loud argument. Wang Renyong, as the security team leader, led the way in violating the silence rule and berated the newcomer right under everyone's noses.
Two young men working as security guards stood one after the other on the door, their curiosity scratching at their hearts like cat claws. Everyone wanted to know how that arrogant kid could have angered even the seemingly shrewish Comrade Silly.
After listening for a while, the two finally figured out something. The kid wanted Comrade Ren Yong to go to the Central Asia Hotel next door to help him assassinate a traitor who had secretly surrendered to the Nationalist government. It was a rare opportunity to eliminate a traitor, as the traitor would be moving to Nanjing after tonight.
However, she did not report it beforehand, and Comrade Renyong would certainly not agree to leave his post without permission. In addition, the matter of purging traitors must be handled with caution, and the two had a dispute over this.
But that kid wouldn't let it go, pestering Comrade Renyong to eliminate the traitor. This operation was leaked by comrades from the Police Commission at the risk of exposure. If most of the comrades from the Police Commission hadn't been on hiatus and short-handed, they wouldn't have turned to their brother departments for help.
“Going to Nanjing isn’t the same as not being able to eliminate traitors. Let’s wait until next time. If we don’t handle it well, even more people will die.” Wang Renyong’s rejection was firm.
"That traitor has already killed Secretary Yu!" the young man said, his voice low and strained.
The room fell silent in an instant. Not only was Comrade Renyong speechless with shock, but the two eavesdroppers were also dumbfounded. Although they had never met Secretary Yu, they had heard of Yu Chaohua's formidable reputation. They never expected that Secretary Yu had been betrayed and sacrificed.
"This is of great importance, give me ten minutes." After saying this, Wang Renyong pushed open the door and left. The two eavesdroppers immediately pretended to look at the scenery outside the window. Wang Renyong didn't even glance at them and went to the next room.
Only the boy remained in the room. Her lips trembled, and her eyes were red as if she had just been crying. The two men were moved by her appearance and took two steps forward, tentatively extending their hands. The boy, not understanding why, still shook hands with them and apologized for his impetuousness.
Actually, the kid is a good person. Both of them decided to forgive his recklessness. Anyone who dares to spread the news at this time is a good comrade.
Seeing that her comrades had accepted her, Qingcheng quickly wiped away her tears, introduced herself as Xiao Meng who was in contact with the police commission, and shook hands with each of her comrades. After that, Qingcheng asked why no one recognized the warning signal she had given.
Although her emotions were feigned, her confusion was genuine. The two scratched their heads, looking at the square-faced youth who had opened the door. He had long since regained his composure, explaining that he had requested the warning number be changed every half hour to ensure the safety of today's meeting. It was normal that the number had been changed three times before Qingcheng arrived, as no one remembered the first warning number.
Suddenly, he changed the subject, staring at Qingcheng and asking, "Did you run into our lookouts when you came up?" His tone was interrogative. The other three people's eyes all turned to Qingcheng. It seemed that apart from Wang Renyong, the square-faced youth was the one they trusted the most.
After weighing the pros and cons hundreds of times in her mind, Qingcheng decided to get straight to the point. She shook her head and frankly admitted that she was in a hurry to go upstairs and hadn't noticed which comrade was on guard. She suggested that her older brother tell her how many comrades were protecting the conference inside and outside the building, so that she could see for herself.
After a long while, the square-faced youth chuckled dryly a few times, then pushed the task of arranging the guards onto Wang Renyong. He didn't know who was outside, and if Qingcheng didn't see them, so be it.
The atmosphere in the room became somewhat strange due to the two's inexplicable back-and-forth conversation, but Qingcheng showed no embarrassment: "I have something else, brother, may I ask your name?"
A glint of light flashed in his eyes: "His surname is Luo, and his given name is Xiong."
"So it's Comrade Luo. You must have a lot of security experience and be a veteran Party member, which is why you were assigned to be the security captain." Qingcheng smiled kindly at Luo Xiong and slowly pushed the teacup towards him.
He took the cup and replied humbly, "Comrade Meng is joking. I'm not the team leader, just a temporary replacement cog in the machine. We're all the same."
"Old comrade, don't be modest. Being too modest is just hypocrisy. Being able to cover shifts shows that you have excellent professional skills. I have to scout out the location several days in advance before I can do a task." Qingcheng took out a cigarette, just bit it without lighting it, opened the lighter with a snap, lit it, and then snapped it off, while tapping the table repeatedly with his fingertips.
Across from him, Luo Xiong was like a meditating monk, showing almost no emotion. It was as if he didn't care about the previous conflict and the minor noise. He slowly and deliberately explained that security work and traffic work were quite different.
The two chatted casually, and Qingcheng inadvertently looked up and gazed out the window. The sky was gloomy and gray, making one feel depressed.
As expected of a veteran player with professional training, her ability to resist interference is quite good. She didn't manage to extract any useful information. However, her current task is to keep a close eye on the traitor in front of her and give her comrades next door enough time to retreat. Therefore, she needs to abandon her usual fast-paced thinking and play slowly.
As he was thinking this, he heard a slight sound coming from the corridor. Luo Xiong moved his toes slightly, took a sip of tea, and listened intently, afraid of missing any important information.
Qingcheng noticed his subtle movements. He had attracted so many spies, but he was ultimately feeling guilty. Qingcheng continued to refill his tea, trying to distract him with small talk: "I heard from the leaders that there's a leadership transition meeting next door. Hey, didn't you guys know?"
The room fell silent again. After repeated urging from the crowd, Qingcheng finally told them the information she had received: "I heard that our new company is having a leadership change. In addition to Lao Wang, the heads of Section 1, Section 3, and Section 4, as well as the newly appointed heads of Section 2 and Section 3, have all come."
The guard beside him counted on his fingers. Including the newly appointed heads of the second and third sections, there weren't many people, but the total amount in that room was several hundred thousand silver dollars.
"Comrades are still too young," Qingcheng thought silently as she took a sip of hot tea. "The people in this room are worth far more than a few dozen dollars." But she said, "That's right. If one of us becomes a traitor, he'll be set for life."
"Hmph, if there's a traitor, I'll be the first to step forward and execute him on behalf of the organization," one of the team members said, holding up a Mauser pistol.
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately began to discuss it animatedly, saying that traitors should…
Dodo—Luo Xiong tapped the table to signal everyone to be quiet. If you're bored, just read a magazine for a while. No discussion of anything related to the meeting is allowed. There's absolutely no discipline.
The warning was so impactful that everyone else scrambled to their feet, seemingly intimidated by Luo Xiong's authority.
Qingcheng apologized to him with a smile, saying that she had never done security work before and asked Comrade Luo to be understanding, as she shouldn't have started it.
The accumulated pressure was on the verge of bursting in the silence. After a short while, Luo Xiong suddenly stood up, as if to go next door to find the dawdling Wang Renyong.
"Wait!" Qingcheng reached out and blocked Luo Xiong's path.
"What's wrong? Is something the matter?" Luo Xiong turned his head to look at her, asking with a puzzled expression.
“They’re having a meeting next door, so we’d better not disturb them,” Qingcheng said seriously. “Besides, Wang Renyong needs time to prepare his plan to eliminate the traitors.”
"Of course I understand discipline, but traitors don't wait for anyone. They must be eliminated as soon as possible. Anyone who dares to betray must bear the consequences," Luo Xiong replied matter-of-factly, showing that he really wanted to eliminate the traitor.
"Don't rush, have some water." Qingcheng poured him another glass of water. Perhaps it was because her smile was cute, but Luo Xiong's complaints were all shut down.
However, the anxiety that was stirred up could not be relieved. He must be feeling thirsty now. Sure enough, as soon as he got the water, Luo Xiong couldn't wait to drink it down in one gulp. His mind was already in chaos.
Wiping his mouth, Luo Xiong said with a hint of impatience, "I've drunk the water, but I still have to go."
"Hey, Comrade Luo, you seem to be in a bigger hurry than me, the messenger. That doesn't make sense!" Qingcheng leaned against the door, propping herself up on her arm, as if to say that no one was allowed to leave.
"What do you mean?" Luo Xiong said excitedly. "You're not letting me deal with the traitor? Is it out of sympathy? Or are you a traitor yourself?"
"Comrade Luo, your words make no sense. If I didn't want to deal with the traitor, why would I risk asking Wang Renyong's organization to eliminate him? On the contrary, Comrade Luo, your ability to label people is like that of a spy from the same school." Qingcheng retorted with narrowed eyes, her tone becoming more forceful.
"Nonsense! Get out of my way!" Without saying a word, Luo Xiong drew his sidearm and pressed it against Qingcheng's forehead, his manic expression like that of a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
A thick smell of gunpowder filled the air between the two men, neither willing to back down an inch. Their teammates each held one side of them, some pressing down on Luo Xiong's gun barrel, others suggesting that a third person go next door to inform Wang Renyong and urge him to hurry up.
Looking at the emotionally distraught Luo Xiong, a thought flashed through his mind: the traitor on the other side was already a dead pawn! He was useless! Why did Zhang Chong still order him to cause trouble and insist on squeezing into the meeting?
Could it be...? After realizing this, her nerves tensed up instantly, but Qingcheng had to maintain a friendly expression. She had almost forgotten about this; how could she not have thought of it earlier?
Taking advantage of the traitor's momentary lapse in attention, Qingcheng slapped Luo Xiong on the ear. Before anyone could react, Luo Xiong's abdomen went limp, and he collapsed to the ground groaning in pain, blood streaming from his ear.
There was no other way; she wasn't strong enough, so she had to resort to such a low-down move as cutting off someone's offspring. Qingcheng withdrew her knee, said that Comrade Luo was too emotional, and that it would be best to tie him up to avoid being noticed by the spies, before she flew out the door and turned to go next door.
However, a thousand thoughts raced through his mind in an instant. Zhang Chong hadn't made it upstairs yet, probably waiting for a signal. Wang Renyong had arranged for Luo Xiong to stay in a private room and was personally monitoring him, clearly showing his distrust. He had no chance to send an attack signal.
If the traitor in 310 doesn't need to send a signal, does that mean a second person is sending the signal? And Luo Xiong's involvement is merely to draw fire.
Even if Tang Sanzang's flesh is delicious, Sun Wukong still needs to be sent away first! The deeper she dug, the more chilled she felt.
The familiar alarm sounded again in front of 311. This time, it was Yingqi from the Third Division who opened the door. Qingcheng didn't have time to catch up with him and pushed him aside to barge in.
Wang Renyong, Wang Renyong, where are you? Qingcheng quickly scanned the room but didn't see Wang Renyong, only a few security guards. She rushed into the inner room, but it was empty. Good, all the section chiefs she knew had left. That was the only good news for now.
Secretary Yu was right; there was more than one traitor, and another pest in this meeting. How should she remind Wang Renyong?
Ta-da!
A heavy object fell to the ground, and Qingcheng knew something was wrong. She rushed out of the room.
On the carpet in the aisle, Yingqi and Luo Xiong were wrestling, like two lions tearing at each other with brute force. No one dared to step forward; they could only quietly try to stop them from the sidelines.
Luo Xiong's heavy punch was aimed at Ying Qi's face. In the instant the fist passed by, Ying Qi barely turned his head to dodge, and at the same time, the explosive force of the punch knocked Luo Xiong's face out of shape.
Yingqi's skills are indeed impressive. Kiyosumi once witnessed him fight seven or eight thugs at the same time, and even with his arm cut, he was still able to maintain a high fighting spirit.
Bang, bang, bang! A series of punches landed on Luo Xiong's head, without any fancy moves. Even Qingcheng, who was watching, could feel the fury that sent chills down his spine.
If they continued fighting, they would beat him to death. No one knew that Luo Xiong had betrayed them. They quickly pulled Ying Qi away and dragged the unconscious Luo Xiong into room 311.
Once inside, Qingcheng learned from his comrades that after Luo Xiong was kicked and injured, he forced himself to get up and try to go out, but Yingqi saw him as soon as he stepped out. Yingqi stopped him and, as usual, reminded him to go back inside and wait for orders from his superiors.
Luo Xiong ignored all advice and the two started fighting.
"Okay, where is Wang Renyong?" Qingcheng asked anxiously.
A team member kindly informed her that Wu Hao had just announced that he would adopt a democratic approach, and everyone could volunteer to participate in the mission to eliminate traitors. Before he had even finished speaking, everyone had raised their hands.
In fact, Wang Renyong and Qingcheng had already tacitly discussed the plan inside the house—to split up and carry out the operation. Wu Hao followed their line of thought and clarified the division of labor among the group.
Yingqi was in charge of clearing the way, avoiding all eyes, and leading the team to withdraw from the Kinmen Hotel. Wang Renyong was responsible for the assassination, and Wu Hao covered their retreat.
Good heavens, the top leader personally covered the rear! What kind of operation is this? Qingcheng found it hard to believe. Didn't Wang Renyong, as Wu Hao's bodyguard, have any intention of giving him any advice?
Trapped in this predicament, Qingcheng felt a burning heat rising from behind her ears, which were both swollen and itchy, yet she couldn't scratch the itch. If Wu Hao were caught, things would get really bad.
Wait a minute, Yingqi didn't leave, did he? The team members' descriptions take Qingcheng back to a quarter of an hour ago...
"Comrades, be sure to pay attention to safety during the operation. If you encounter danger, retreat immediately and do not linger in battle." Wu Hao concluded with a few words of encouragement.
"Okay!" everyone said in unison.
"Wait a minute." Wang Renyong suddenly raised his hand. "Comrade Wu Hao, I would like to switch missions with Comrade Ying Qi. He is more skilled than me, but I am familiar with the route around here. I will lead the way."
Yingqi immediately frowned and questioned Wang Renyong about whether he did not trust his abilities.
“Comrade Yingqi, I entrusted you with this most difficult assassination mission out of trust.” Wang Renyong patted Yingqi on the shoulder. “Complete the mission well.”
Wang Renyong kept his mouth closed, a faint smile playing on his lips, unlike his usual toothy grin, but with an air of unquestionable authority.
He wasn't consulting with Ingki; he was giving an order. Ingki refused, and the two remained frozen in place.
In the end, Wu Hao acted as a mediator between the two, letting Ying Qi cover the rear while he went to clear the way, leaving Wang Renyong's assassination mission unchanged.
After the tasks were assigned, Wu Hao led his team to leave the hotel first. After listening to the recollection, Qingcheng wiped the sweat from the tip of her nose. Thank goodness, thank goodness, Wu Hao had left.
But... Qingcheng glanced at Yingqi, the image of Station Chief Lu's pathetic death at the dock flashing through her mind, and asked in a deep voice, "Then when do we withdraw?"
"I don't know. Comrade Renyong told us to follow Comrade Meng's instructions regarding the specific evacuation plan. May I ask which one of you is Comrade Meng? He left a few keys to give to you," the team member replied patiently.
Now all the team members who knew Kiyosumi's pseudonym looked at her. Kiyosumi smiled and raised her hand, then solemnly took the key with her other hand.
There was no assassination mission at all; it was all a ruse that Qingcheng and Lao Wang came up with on the spot to mislead the enemy. Qingcheng pretended to check her watch, indicating that it was almost time and everyone should go downstairs to change clothes. She heard from Lao Wang that room 200 downstairs had also been booked, and that it contained the costumes and props needed for disguise—actually, it was the staff changing room she had come from.
"How come I didn't know the downstairs was booked too?" Yingqi scratched his head, looking puzzled.
"A cunning rabbit has three burrows!" Kiyosumi replied matter-of-factly. She counted the heads in the room; including the unconscious one, there were about 11 team members left. They had to retreat in two groups, otherwise they would be too conspicuous.
After watching the six team members leave one after another, Qingcheng turned to Yingqi and ordered, "Comrade Yingqi, please take Comrade Luo Xiong with you. He's not in good spirits during this special period, so please don't be shy about it."
Yingqi's eyes flickered for a moment, then he quickly gave a soft "oh" and carried the unconscious Luo Xiong on his back.
Do-do, do-do, do...
The alarm sounded again, and Qingcheng's heart skipped a beat. She waved to the remaining team members, signaling them to climb out of the window to the adjacent 312. She seemed to have awakened a sixth sense that warned of danger.
Once everyone understood, they quietly jumped out of the window. Apart from Yingqi, who was carrying someone and couldn't easily climb the stairs, only Qingcheng remained in the room. Yingqi kept gesturing with his eyes for her to go first.
Kiyosumi shook her head, turned and went into the bathroom. She loosened the bottom of the thermos and rinsed it under cold water. Then she moved a chair over and placed the dripping thermos on it. Since she didn't have any rope, she tore a long strip of cloth from the bed sheet and carefully tied it to the neck of the bottle and the doorknob.
The knocking outside grew increasingly impatient, turning from a gentle spring breeze and drizzle into a torrential downpour, as if it wanted to smash the door down. Qingcheng quickly pulled Yingqi into the inner room, almost locking the door as they did so...
BOOM!
The silver bottle shattered, and in an instant, the enemies who had kicked down the door screamed and fell to the ground. Their skin was scalded red, and the gleaming shards were embedded in their flesh. Glass shards were scattered all over the ground, and anyone who touched them would be cut and ripped open.
In the chaos, the vanguard agents stepped over their wounded colleagues and filed in. At first glance, the outer room was empty, and all eyes were focused on the wooden door leading to the inner room.
However, given that the water bottle explosion was still fresh in their minds, the agents approached cautiously, and the room was so quiet that only heavy breathing could be heard.
The cunning agent pressed himself against the wall, gun at the ready, and shouted for retreat at the door, but in reality, the little agent's toes were already pressed against the door.
With just a slight effort, the door opened, and the young spy took a big step back in terror. The team leader didn't care whether he was scared or not, and kicked the young spy into the room.
thump!
He landed face-first, the little spy rubbed his face, then touched his sore buttocks. Nothing seemed amiss. When he swept over the smoking ashes in the brazier, he instantly understood everything. In a panic, he shouted, "Nobody's here! The Communists have run away!"
"What? Damn, they must have jumped out of the window. Quick, after them!" The lead agent ordered his men to climb out the window.
The spies, who had climbed onto the windowsill, didn't notice the strange noises in the corridor. The ghosts, who had circled around, suddenly opened fire. Instantly, sparks flew everywhere inside the room. Before the spies could even touch their guns, they were shot and fell to the ground, landing in a heap. The surviving spies dodged and weaved, some cursing their mothers.
Just as they were struggling to deal with the team members in the corridor, Kiyosumi rushed out from beside the dresser and fired a burst of shots at the agents inside the room from both sides, creating a crossfire with the agents outside the door.
In a chaotic battle, the vanguard team's agents were completely wiped out. Only one member of their team suffered a minor arm injury. Qingcheng knew that this was just the tip of the iceberg. She hurriedly went back to her room and opened the wardrobe. Yingqi and the unconscious Luo Xiong were hiding inside.
Because it was a blind spot, and because the agents were psychologically influenced by the brazier, they didn't search the house thoroughly, which allowed them to escape the danger and wait for rescue.
Before everyone could breathe a sigh of relief, hurried footsteps echoed down the stairs. A large number of people had arrived; the main force of the secret agents was also there. Qingcheng immediately organized his squad to relocate to room 315 on the opposite side. "When the enemy advances, we retreat; a party member who can't fight guerrilla warfare isn't a qualified party member."
With a clanging and banging, the irritable agents probably overturned everything visible in the corridor. Inside the room, Qingcheng held her breath and worked with her team to tear and knot the bed sheets. The homemade rope was long enough to slide down to the second floor without any problem.
Of course, some skilled team members jumped from the second floor and landed safely, something Qingcheng could only admire in her heart; she couldn't do that. As for how they evaded the spies on the perimeter, that was up to each of them.
The noise outside grew closer and closer. Qingcheng, who was covering the rear, dared not be negligent. She grabbed the bed sheet, pushed off with her feet, and swung with the momentum, rolling smoothly down to the inner room on the second floor like a monkey.
Touching her hotel uniform, Kiyosumi grabbed a bunch of towels from the bathroom, draped them over her hands, and swaggered out of the room.
The second-floor corridor was even more chaotic than the third floor. Guests wearing bathrobes, disregarding their image, rushed towards the stairs, only to be forced back by the dark muzzles of several guns.
The agents ordered everyone to return to their rooms, prepare their identification, and not to come out until they were found; otherwise, they would be treated as members of the Communist Party.
Forced by the spies' intimidation, everyone returned to their rooms, cursing and swearing. Only Qingcheng remained in the hallway when a sharp-eyed junior spy brandished a gun and asked, "What's your name?"
"The more you say, the more mistakes you make," Qingcheng replied gruffly, pointing to the nameplate on her chest. "My name is Zhang Axiang, boss."
"That sounds like a girl's name. Is this outfit yours?" the agent asked arrogantly, pointing at the nameplate.
“It’s mine, boss. That’s how it is in the countryside. The fortune teller said I was born with weak yang energy, so he gave me a girl’s name so I could be raised well.” Qingcheng shrank her neck and didn’t dare to breathe.
"Heh, weak yang energy." The agent looked Qingcheng up and down, then suddenly sneered twice and waved Qingcheng away, "Go, go, go, go wait in your changing room."
"Damn it, the locker room is our escape route. I wonder how many comrades escaped earlier." Kiyosumi walked dejectedly towards locker room 200, filled with doubt.
"Hey, come here quickly, don't be so out of your mind during work hours, why are you walking so fast?" A familiar big head popped out, and Wang Renyong, dressed in disguise with bright red lipstick, spoke in fluent Shanghainese Mandarin.
Hahaha, what kind of makeup is this? Qingcheng covered her face with a towel, trying to muffle her laughter inside. She quickly ran into the dressing room. Only then did she remember a question: Didn't Wang Renyong leave? Why is he back?
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