Eyewitness
The room was filled with fragrance, and the sound of shuffling cards echoed throughout the room. Chen Caiyun pushed open the door and entered, fanning herself with a sandalwood fan.
Qingcheng winked at her and greeted her first, "Sister Chen, why are you so late? We've already played several rounds."
"Oh dear, stop talking! The older kids are making a ruckus, the younger ones are crying, I'm so annoyed! I finally managed to get them to sleep, so I rushed out here. Look at me, I'm all sweaty." Chen Caiyun turned around to show her back, which was soaked with sweat.
Mrs. Zhao, who was accompanying the man, cracked sunflower seeds and brought over a glass pitcher: "Come, come, let me pour you a glass of water. It's terrible, you see, being a woman is so hard. Either the young ones torment you half to death, or the old ones hold you back. Men, on the other hand, just wash their hands of everything and don't care about anything."
"I don't care, as long as the money is right. I'm too lazy to serve him anyway." Mrs. Xiong waved her hand and threw out a red ball, the emerald on her ring finger flashing.
A hearty laugh came from Mrs. Li, the hostess: "Hahaha, that's right, Mrs. Xiong is a sensible person. We're all just living together, making do. If you don't spend your money, it'll go to some wild woman outside."
"Hmph, a wild woman is one thing, I can pay to get rid of her. What I'm afraid of is that she'll have a bastard child and then try to take a share of the family property. That would be really disgusting." Mrs. Zhao spat out a few melon seed shells and then circled the mahjong table, "giving her opinions."
"So when they're newly married and still excited about the relationship, you need to seize their weaknesses, set rules, and make them understand that home is home and the outside world is the outside world." Mrs. Xiong touched the matching earrings, and after a long selection, drew a red center.
Her words were echoed by several ladies, except for Qingcheng and Li Qi, Li's sister-in-law. Qingcheng's fingers traced the two red dragons in front of her, and finally her gaze settled on Xiong's hand. Her hand moved across the cards, and Qingcheng understood. She randomly played a tile of the same suit.
"Mrs. Li, please rest for a bit. I'll cut you some fruit after we finish this game," Miss Li said gently, her soft smile resembling a newly embroidered orchid on an embroidery frame.
"Seventh Miss, you're too kind!" Chen Caiyun quickly waved her hand to indicate that there was no rush. She moved a stool and sat down next to Qingcheng, naturally taking Qingcheng's hand in hers and rhythmically tapping the back of Qingcheng's hand with her index finger.
The red team is in position! Upon receiving the real-time message, Qingcheng confidently played a nine of a kind.
"I won! A pure suit! Double it! Double it!" Mrs. Xiong happily reached out for her money.
Qingcheng took out her money and offered her seat to Sister Chen, explaining to everyone that she had bad luck with her hands today, and that the money she lost was a treat for the older sisters to have a late-night snack. She added that her husband at home would be unhappy if she went home late.
"Hahaha, that can't wait. Miss He is so smart. If you're a little coquettish and obedient, a man will cherish you for longer." Mrs. Li said with a smile, "Seventh Sister, please see Miss He off for me. Learn from her."
Miss Li softly said "Ah," and gave way to Mrs. Zhao. Mrs. Zhao still spoke quickly: "That's right, women shouldn't be too assertive. They should play dumb when they need to. Let men handle important matters. If you dare to be stronger than him, he can give you a hard time on the spot."
Mrs. Xiong chimed in, "But if you don't know anything, he'll look down on you and say you're not good enough for him because you're not improving. You still need to learn."
"Stop teasing her, she'll figure it out herself. Hurry up and shuffle the cards," Sister Chen said with a smile, interrupting their conversation and trying to smooth things over.
It didn't matter to Qingcheng; she didn't care what these officials' wives were saying. Perhaps they were right from their perspective, but she had important matters to attend to and wouldn't keep them company.
A hot, dry wind blew into the stairwell, as if someone had blown on a burning stick, making the skin feel hot and burning. Miss Li, holding Qingcheng's arm, stole a glance at her with reluctance.
Qingcheng patted her shoulder and said with a smile, "I'll bring you some books next time I come. Do you prefer martial arts novels or romance novels?"
"Actually... I like reading detective novels, like that Chinese detective series you serialized in the newspaper before." Miss Li hesitated for a moment, her youthful face becoming even redder. "Is there more to it?"
Haha~ This... I probably... don't have time to write it for now, but looking at the girl's expectant eyes, Kiyosumi gritted her teeth and said, "Yes."
"Great! I heard that a movie with the same name is also being filmed. Could you help me get a signed poster of Xu Xi and Yu Ling?" Miss Li's eyes lit up.
"Okay. You should go up quickly, it's hot outside." Qingcheng breathed a sigh of relief, thankfully she didn't ask her when the serialization would resume.
Just then, the sounds of fighting came from the alley entrance, and the sounds were getting closer and closer to them.
With a snap, the hallway plunged into darkness. Qingcheng reacted swiftly, covering Miss Li's mouth to nip the scream in the bud.
Two men, one old and one young, rushed off to the other side, followed by a burly man holding a gun.
Perhaps concerned that firing a gun in a residential area would attract the police, the burly man exercised great restraint, using his size advantage to ram into the old man.
The old man let out a startled shout, but it was too late to dodge. Bang! The two of them knocked over the flower stand, and the gun flew out of its socket.
The two immediately began to wrestle. The big man's fist seemed to be infused with immense power, and with one blow, the old man's bones made a crisp "crack" sound.
Seeing that things were going wrong, the young man immediately turned around to help. His leg swept through the air with a whooshing sound. After a few moves, the big man was forced to fall backward and just happened to touch his own gun.
In that brief moment, the old man and the young man had already run a hundred meters away. The big man scrambled to his feet, fired two shots at the two men, and with a muffled groan from ahead, he took off after them.
When the three figures could no longer be seen clearly, Qingcheng turned the corridor lights back on. Miss Li in her arms had empty, lifeless eyes and stood frozen in place, probably scared out of her wits.
"It's alright, it's alright, don't be afraid," Qingcheng patted her cheek and coaxed her gently.
Miss Li slowly turned her head, then suddenly hugged her neck tightly, rubbing against her like an excited puppy: "Ah, they fired! They fired! So the smell of gunpowder is the same as the smell of Chinese fireworks. Hmm, it smells so good."
Uh—Although Qingcheng didn't understand her unusual fetish, she expressed her respect. Qingcheng gently stroked her soft hair and said, "The security around here isn't very good. You should have your sister-in-law call the police right away, just in case something happens."
"No need for the police, I'll call my brother directly." Miss Li rushed upstairs, almost forgetting her disguise.
Hearing Miss Li's cheerful footsteps, Qingcheng curled her lips into a smile, but a hint of coldness flashed in her eyes. The excerpt from the play was over, and it was time for the leading lady to take the stage.
The moon was obscured by dense clouds. In the stuffy phone booth, Qingcheng hung up the call with Li Sheng, rubbed her sore neck, and her haggard face was reflected in the glass window.
Only in this small space could she find a moment of peace. Qingcheng yawned, tidied her hair under the lamplight, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw a strange black shadow flash past the corner of the wall.
Damn it, when did this tail catch up with us? A chill ran down Qingcheng's spine; she hadn't felt anything at all. The person was like heat rising from all directions, so ordinary on a sweltering summer night, as if it were always meant to be; she was used to it.
She took a deep breath and thought it over carefully. The person was most likely to have started following her from the Li family home. Could it be that he came with Sister Chen? But it's highly unlikely that CC agents would be near Director Li's house tonight.
There were also Commander Xiong's wife and Section Chief Zhao's wife at home. It looked like a game of cards between officials' wives, or maybe people from Chicken and Goose Lane had some small pieces of evidence but didn't dare to act forcefully because it wasn't their territory and they were afraid of not getting any advantage.
In any case, she didn't have time to deal with the spy tonight. However, the man was very difficult to handle. If she was fast, he was fast too; if she was slow, he would slow down as well.
After navigating through more than a dozen alleyways, Qingcheng still hadn't shaken off the guy. Her calves were cramping, and her chest was aching. Panting, Qingcheng glanced at her watch. She had to get rid of this guy as soon as possible, otherwise, if he kept following her, she wouldn't have enough time.
She took a step and ran wildly towards the dark corner. Caught off guard, the two of them widened the gap. Qingcheng held her breath and jumped into the small garden, using the lush bushes to hide herself.
Tap, tap, tap... The sound of leather shoes on the cement grew closer and closer. Qingcheng's heart pounded like a drum, and unease raged in her chest. This person's tracking skills were superb. If she stayed here any longer, it would only be a matter of time before she was exposed. Where else could she get out?
Woof woof woof! The footsteps stopped. Someone's dog was barking incessantly. The owner apologized and scolded the dog a few more times before walking away.
Under the dim streetlights, a tall, dark figure walked straight toward the flower bed. The weeds in the flower bed were lush and overgrown. He reached out and parted the weeds. A black dot flashed, and a green grasshopper jumped out. Apart from that, there was only a dent in the ground, and no one else was there.
She ran all the way to the street corner, making sure the person wasn't following her. Qingcheng shook her clothes; her shirt was soaked with sweat and stuck uncomfortably to her back. Her hair was messy and covered with dirt and dead leaves.
She patted her hair haphazardly and rubbed her sore buttocks. Qingcheng couldn't help but curse inwardly, "Damn it, you have such good stamina, do you have four kidneys? If you're so capable, cut them all off and give them to someone who needs them. You can still do it seven times a night without getting tired. You'll exhaust yourself!"
No, no, a lady shouldn't use such vulgar language. Ugh, fine, he did swear, but he forced me to crawl through a dog hole. He deserved it! I've gained weight recently and almost couldn't crawl through. If that son of a bitch dares to follow me again, I'll definitely shoot him and let him see clearly whether his brains are white or red.
Back in the attic, Qingcheng collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. Just as she closed her eyes, Yingqi's face flashed through her mind, and she sprang up. Looking at the clock, she hurriedly set up a ladder, climbed up, and opened the dormer window in the roof.
Through the binoculars, the entrance to the Shikoku flour mill was completely silent, with only sparse lights shining through, making it appear particularly eerie.
It seemed the boss of the deal hadn't arrived yet. Qingcheng turned the camera to the intersection, where two men stood side by side, one dressed in a short, martial arts outfit, seemingly waiting for someone.
With a snap of his fingers, two more people walked out from the other end of the intersection. This time, one was old and the other was young. The older man had gray hair and a gun at his waist. The other man was of medium height, thin but strong, and was carrying a box the size of a dictionary.
The four exchanged a few words, presumably a code, which was quickly verified. They then moved together towards the flour mill. Seeing that the group had entered the factory smoothly, Kiyosumi raised an eyebrow, her smile deepening.
Ring ring!
The noisy telephone ringing broke the silence in the room. Qingcheng hurriedly climbed down the ladder and answered the phone. Li Sheng's anxious voice came through the receiver: "Qingcheng, something bad has happened. All the key members of the action team have been detained by the police."
"Huh? They've been exposed?" Qingcheng exclaimed suspiciously. Strangely, they had no weapons on them, and the people were all unfamiliar faces that Wu Hao had brought in from all over the country. No one should recognize them.
"It wasn't that we were exposed, it was because of our out-of-town accents and not having our residence permits that we were detained by the police. It seems that Chief Li ordered them to question everyone suspicious in the vicinity, but a few junior officers took it as an opportunity to extort money from us. We've really hit a brick wall, and our men just happened to run into these thugs," Li Sheng complained.
Who carries a residence permit every day when they go out? Isn't that killing innocent people and taking credit for it? The police report caused a chain of negative reactions. Qingcheng's thinking was working at high speed. Now there were only two choices: either Li Sheng went to bail the person out on the spot and paid to settle the matter, or he found another group of team members.
Her first thought was immediately dismissed. Li Sheng couldn't be exposed, so the matter of rescuing him was put on hold for now. She immediately asked if they could find another group of well-trained action team members.
Li Sheng immediately rejected the idea: "There's no time. By the time we've formed a team, the flour mill workers will have already turned us into sieves."
"We don't need too many people. We need to urgently assemble the team members who are deployed around the area, and temporarily select eight people to form a pistol team to provide support outside the flour mill. Ask them if they know how to use rifles... hunting rifles will also be fine. I need two." Qingcheng added this sentence specifically. The Third Department had undergone a major reshuffle recently, and it was uncertain how much of the new recruits' skills they could retain, so we couldn't ask for too much.
"Okay, I'll go and persuade them." Li Sheng hung up the phone.
Her forehead was soaked with sweat. Qingcheng wiped away the sweat beads, but more sweat flowed down her cheeks. She grabbed a newspaper and fanned herself vigorously. She had to prepare for the worst. If there was no sniper, then she and Li Sheng would take over.
Time seemed to move exceptionally slowly. Then, Qingcheng grabbed the microphone, and Li Sheng's voice boomed, "Exactly two, one a soldier and the other a hunter."
Lady Luck hadn't gone far, and Qingcheng finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Let them come downstairs to collect their guns."
“Hey.” Li Shenggang had just agreed when his tone changed, “What did you say? You’ve never killed anyone! You’ve only hunted rabbits and pheasants.”
"It's alright, bring him here. Everyone has a first time. Let's get started!" Qingcheng's voice deepened, unconsciously revealing a commanding tone.
"Coming right away," came the beeping voice from Li Sheng's end.
Qingcheng wasn't idle either. She climbed onto the dormer window, opened the suitcase, and inside, a row of dark pistols, their protective oil wiped off, lay neatly arranged. She then took three trays of bullets from the curtain railing and found several cluster grenades on the floor…
Finally, a cello case was dragged out from under the bed. As the choking dust fell, Qingcheng lifted the lid. Inside was not a cello, but a brand-new Mosin-Nagant... a replica.
Do-do, do-do, do-do-do-do!
The alarm sounded, the door opened, and Li Sheng cautiously glanced back before closing it: "That kid has never killed anyone, are you really going to use him?"
“Revolution always involves bloodshed, so I’ll do some ideological work on him.” Kiyosumi quickly applied sideburns and a fake beard in front of the mirror.
“Killing a grown person is no easy task. Even if we talk to him, the child might not dare to do it,” Li Sheng said worriedly. “I’ll go instead.”
Kiyoshi shook his head firmly. Smaller targets are actually harder to hit. He just lacks experience, and practice is the best form of training. How do you know he can't do it if you don't let him try?
"What's the biggest prey you've ever hunted?" Kiyosumi put down her binoculars and asked the boy beside her, who was just beginning to shed his childishness.
"I've only ever hunted small animals to make a living, but I once fought off a black bear. It was twice my height when it stood up, and it smelled terrible. It broke into our village in the middle of the night to steal chickens. I happened to be getting up in the middle of the night, so I grabbed my hunting rifle and shot it away. I was young then and didn't know what fear was." The boy smiled, revealing his canine teeth, full of pride.
Young and fearless, Qingcheng had him practice using a scope to observe the flour mills of the four countries: "First, find their meeting room. Inside, the old man and the young man in light-colored clothes are our comrades."
"I see it. Who's on the other side?" The boy was still engrossed in exploring his new toy.
"Across from us was a group of heartless opium dealers. Have you ever seen someone suffering from an opium addiction? At first, they kneel on the ground, begging passersby for money with snot and tears streaming down their face. But soon, they writhe in pain, their heart-wrenching screams more terrifying than the roar of a black bear. In the end, they can't get up and can only lie on the ground, watching helplessly as their flesh withers away and they turn into a dried-up corpse."
Qingcheng said earnestly, "If there are too many people like this, foreigners will call us the sick men of East Asia and put up signs at the park entrance saying 'Chinese and dogs not allowed,' as if we are inherently inferior."
Upon hearing this, the boy gripped his gun even tighter: "Whoever you tell me to shoot, I'll shoot!"
Young people's emotions are most easily stirred up. Qingcheng is not worried that he dares not, but that he is too daring and will not obey orders. Having a gun does not make you invincible; only a steely mind can fight.
“Killing one opium dealer will only lead to more opium dealers coming to take over the territory. The number of opium addicts will only increase in the future, so it’s pointless to kill them.” Qingcheng stood in the wind, the hot air on the rooftop was not comfortable at all, and the stuffiness made people more and more irritable.
The boy looked at Qingcheng with a complicated expression: "I'm confused about whether to fight or not."
Kiyoshi pointed at the factory: "Fight! One person's strength is limited, but if everyone works together, we can overthrow the old world! Remember, you are not the sword for attack, but the shield for protection. I want you to protect the young comrades in the factory. He is not much older than you. Now he is going deep into the tiger's den, and his life is in your hands. If the enemy does anything to harm his life, you fight back and help him withdraw safely."
The boy's eyes shone with admiration as Qingcheng continued his instruction: "Bullets must be used where they matter most. To kill, aim for the forehead, temples, or back of the head. To hinder the enemy's movement, aim for the wrists and knees. Also, your combat position cannot remain static; changing positions in a timely manner can reduce your exposure and gain more shooting range. Can you complete the mission?"
able!
Bang!
The gunshot that pierced the sky rang out almost simultaneously with the boy's answer, making our eardrums ache.
"Don't move! You must learn to wait for the right opportunity." Kiyosumi pressed down on the boy's tense shoulder and raised the binoculars again.
The smoking gun barrels were pointed at the ceiling, and the "Old Sun" holding the gun was being targeted by the enemies. Danger was imminent. Yingqi stepped forward and stood in front of Hui Ge, who was disguised as Old Sun. He observed the surrounding movements while looking for an opportunity to negotiate. Fortunately, he spoke up at the crucial moment and didn't let the team down.
The script continues. Even though Sister Gui has issued a blacklist in the industry, some people still don't take her seriously and extend an olive branch to "Old Sun" for cooperation. Qingcheng wants to see who is so bold as to do this, which is very likely to be Zero Tong's way.
Of course, there is another possibility: the boss on the other side is Shi Mihong, and today is a trap set by Sister Gui.
Suddenly everyone's eyes turned to the north, where the door should be. Due to the limited view, Qingcheng simply lay down on the ground to observe who was coming.
A portly, bald man, leaning on a cane, slowly entered. The bald man shouted a reprimand, and the thugs immediately put down their weapons. Yingqi also pulled Hui Ge's hand down and clasped his hands in greeting to the man.
It was him! Kiyosumi let out a short breath, closed her eyes tightly, and opened them again. The bald man had already sat down.
Oh my god! This isn't the famous Master Sun! Qingcheng's hands trembled slightly. Oh no, the Master Sun has met the real Old Sun, what about Brother Hui?
At this moment, a thug in the enemy's corner, pressed against the wall, slowly moved towards Mr. Da.
Just as they were about to get close to the big boss, in a flash, the big boss jumped up from the sofa. Bang bang bang, the thug looked down in surprise and saw blood gushing from his chest. He fell to the ground with resentment.
The old man kicked the corpse dismissively, and then fired another shot at it. The old man's clean and decisive shooting skills completely shocked Qingcheng. Could the one who died be Shi Mihong? Legend has it that everyone who has seen him in the martial arts world is dead. How could he be so trash?
In contrast, Mr. Da acted as if nothing had happened, wiping his hands with a handkerchief and gesturing for Yingqi and the others to sit down. Yingqi and Huige looked at each other in bewilderment. However, the next second, Mr. Da pointed his gun directly at Lao Sun and questioned him with great force.
After a heated exchange, the tension seemed to escalate further. Qingcheng couldn't quite place what Yingqi had said; the attempt to mediate was tantamount to a full-blown fight. There were many possible excuses, such as the previous Old Sun being a puppet and today's person being the real deal. However, connecting the cause and effect and articulating it smoothly proved difficult for Yingqi.
Qingcheng was secretly anxious, silently chanting in her heart: Yingqi, quickly open the box and let him see the things. What does it matter who the seller is? Having powerful backers is the key.
In the factory, Yingqi seemed to have really heard it. He opened the box with a cold expression and, sure enough, saw the items inside. The big man was moved. He put away his sidearm and took out two photos from the box.
One photo shows a tobacco farmer harvesting the juice from the fruit, and the other shows a vast tobacco field with a Soviet village committee sign in the background. Both were carefully selected from evidence bags sent by Qingcheng from the Soviet area.
Of course, the eldest gentleman wouldn't know that there was no one left alive in the village committee office, and the tobacco fields had all been confiscated as anesthetic materials. Qingcheng bet that even if Zero knew the truth, he wouldn't tell him, so as not to delay his own sales.
Information asymmetry is a natural advantage for us. In less than a minute, Mr. Da completed the Sichuan opera face-changing act. He waved with a smile and told his men to bring something over.
A subordinate ran out from the inner room carrying a black box. The master took the box, pushed it to the other side of the table, and gestured for it to be placed there. Yingqi took out a magnet from his pocket and skillfully placed it on the groove in the box.
So, Mr. Da was Zero's agent. Then why did he reject Lao Sun before, and was he afraid of Sister Gui? Or did he become Zero's agent after rejecting Lao Sun, driven by some self-interest?
Just thinking about Qingcheng made his head spin. He could only take it one step at a time. Yingqi put away the magnet and pushed the box back in front of the master. The master wiped his hands and respectfully held the lid of the box, which was then slowly lifted open.
boom--
In an instant, thick smoke filled the entire room, Qingcheng's alarm blared, and he shouted at the boy, "Begin the operation!"
Chaos erupted in the flour mill. The surviving thugs rushed out of the stairwell, and amidst the thick smoke, someone wielding a submachine gun opened fire on them, sparks flying and leaving behind a trail of corpses.
There was an ambush. Qingcheng covered her face and gestured to Li Sheng to split up the forces. She led one team to circle in from the north gate, while Li Sheng led another team to circle in from the east.
Outside the meeting room were two lookouts wearing gas masks. Qingcheng gave a signal to the team member next to him, who quietly moved closer, extended his right hand, and slashed at the neck.
Almost without a sound, the lookout thugs were simultaneously knocked unconscious and, under the cover of smoke, were quickly dragged away.
A short while later, Qingcheng swaggered back to the conference room with the help of the equipment. Mr. Da was not dead, but his face was injured. Yingqi and Huige were surrounded in a corner by several armed thugs, coughing frequently from the fumes.
ah--
The man screamed in agony as a large gash appeared on his arm, bright red blood flowing down the wound. A masked man was interrogating him, mercilessly slashing his arm with a dagger if he didn't get the information he wanted.
This kind of interrogation won't kill the prisoner immediately, but it will cause them immense suffering. So, the person demonstrating the art of interrogation is probably the real Shi Mihong.
What are those two up to? Playing the field against each other. Her thoughts, like fireflies in the dark, flickered back and forth. Suddenly, Qingcheng realized with certainty that today was indeed a trap set by Sister Gui, but the target was actually Mr. Da.
Even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes. May the gentleman pray for good fortune. She only wants to rescue her comrade and, incidentally, set a trap.
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