Hiding a "beauty" in a golden house
The aroma of fried dough sticks wafted through several streets. On the asphalt road, in the light drizzle, a horse-drawn carriage suddenly sped by, splashing dirty water all over passersby.
Before the passersby could utter a string of profanities, a man in black poked his head out, glared fiercely at them, threw down a large sack with another man, kicked it hard, and then whipped it away.
The sack was instantly soaked by the puddles on the ground. What terrified passersby even more was that something was struggling violently inside the sack—it was probably a living person!
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, a traffic officer boldly loosened the ropes on the sack and emptied its contents.
Inside was indeed a large man, wearing a light gray Zhongshan suit, most of which was soaked to a dark gray by the rain. His thin, long face was covered in bruises, and he was hunched over with his hands tied behind his back.
"My goodness! Isn't this Section Chief Zhang from the CC?" The police officer recognized the man immediately, quickly removed the rag from his mouth, and untied the rope.
The dying Zhang Chong grabbed the constable's collar, opened his mouth, rolled his eyes, and fainted.
Within a few days, the news that Section Chief Zhang of CC had been kidnapped and left in the middle of the road spread throughout the streets and alleys of Shanghai. Everyone wanted to know who was so bold as to provoke a spy chief and not be afraid of having their home ransacked.
Of course, they're colleagues! Qingcheng put down the newspaper with satisfaction. Next to the report on Zhang Chong's kidnapping was a report titled "Team Leader Dai Announces Major Breakthrough in the G Party Case," and the editor had "accidentally" added a solo photo of Team Leader Dai looking smug.
The best way to escalate the conflict is to make the differences clear. The more stark the contrast, the deeper the thorns will pierce, and no one can pull them out. If Team Leader Dai dares to openly seize CC's evidence at the dock, he shouldn't blame Qingcheng for letting it fester and rot. No one can escape.
A loud voice suddenly rang out from inside the room, "Stop right there! Hands up!"
Kiyosumi raised her hands and smiled, saying, "Detective, I'm innocent."
She turned around and saw Xu Xi wearing a trench coat, pretending to pull out a notebook from his breast pocket: "Whether you're innocent or not, we'll talk about that after I finish questioning you, Detective. Put your hands down. Where did you go last night at 9 o'clock?"
"Of course I'm with my fiancé this late, hehe." Qingcheng lowered her eyes and smiled.
Taking a deep breath, Xu Xi opened his eyes wide and leaned closer to ask, "How will you accompany me? Tell me in detail."
"No comment!" Xiangxiang, with a mustache, jumped out from between the two rows of clothes racks, hugged Qingcheng and said, "Darling, don't be afraid, we won't say anything without a lawyer present."
“If you don’t talk, it proves you’re guilty. There’s only one truth: you’re the murderer.” Xu Xi pointed at Xiangxiang, his eyes sharpening.
"Do you have any evidence?" Xiangxiang blinked, her bright eyes sweeping back at her.
The three worked together seamlessly. Not to be outdone, Qingcheng spun around and casually put on a pair of glasses without lenses: "Yes! What the living dare not say, the corpse dares to say. You used the low temperature at the bottom of the well to fake the time of death. In fact, the victim had been dead for a long time."
“You don’t have an alibi for that time. Come with me to the police station and give a new statement.” In the instant of the scene, Xu Xi pulled out a prop gun from his waist. His gun-handling skills were quite good, as expected of someone who had trained at a military academy.
"Hahaha, you've found out! Well, before I die, I'll drag you down with me!" Xiangxiang flung open her coat, revealing a ring of "explosives" strapped to her chest, with tiny LEDs realistically flashing red.
The moment the explosives were revealed, Xu Xi burst out laughing, but with his solid acting skills, he instantly became serious: "The murderer is still so arrogant. Surrender!"
Xiangxiang stuck out her tongue and hid behind the prop box. Qingcheng flew over and blocked Xu Xi: "Darling, you run first, I'll hold him off."
The two remained locked in a stalemate. Xu Xi, hands on his hips, couldn't help but ask, "Hey, hey, hey, whose side are you on?"
"I'm on Truth's side." Kiyosumi blurted out. She noticed a dark figure slowly approaching Xu Xi. Hehe, Xiangxiang has circled around to the back. The distance between them gradually decreased.
Just as a hand touched his shoulder, a whoosh of wind cut through the air, and ouch! Qingcheng hadn't even seen Xu Xi's movement when Xiangxiang was already falling flat on his back, his beard askew. Xu Xi reacted quickly, pulling Xiangxiang up while scolding himself for overreacting.
Kiyosumi frowned slightly, mentally concluding that next time she ambushed a trained person, she should not stand behind them unless she could kill them with a single blow.
Fortunately, Xiangxiang's costume was thick enough that she was alright. She twisted her waist and was jumping around again. Xu Xi breathed a sigh of relief and praised Xiangxiang for making the props very realistic. If he didn't know that this was a filming location, he would have surrendered.
He touched the props and praised Xiangxiang to Qingcheng. Xiangxiang was quick-witted and eager to learn. She would help the prop team whenever she had free time. She learned things like pinpoint explosions, smoke effects, and controlling the explosion range very quickly. The prop master even wanted to make an exception and take her on as his first female disciple.
Of course! Having seen the real thing, the fake one would naturally be made to look real. Xiangxiang even detonated the real thing on the corpse in the Calabash Cave.
Similar to the principle of the well, the temperature inside the gourd cave is close to zero degrees Celsius all year round, which is equivalent to a natural refrigerator. In addition, the humidity inside the gourd cave is extremely high, which makes it impossible for mosquitoes, rats and snakes to survive inside, thus better preserving the integrity of the corpse.
The corpse was actually stuck to the upper half of the gourd's belly in the gourd cave, but due to the height and limited perspective, nothing could be seen from below.
The most pitiful one is Shan Hai. First, he was forced to play a corpse. After finally being able to "revive" and participate in the operation, he was hit by Xiang Xiang and had his nose bleed. He also had to endure the pain and take Xiang Xiang away from the underwater cave to escape at the moment of the explosion. Just thinking about it makes me laugh.
Xu Xi suddenly turned around, startling Qingcheng. He continued to lament that Xiangxiang's acting talent was undeniable, and it would be a waste for her to work behind the scenes. He cherished her talent, and even if the little girl got tanned, he would still have Xiangxiang play male roles and become his acting partner, so that she could hone her acting skills first.
"Whoever got tanned, I'll help them get their fair skin back." A gentle female voice came from the corridor, and a moment later, a slender beauty in a black and white diamond-patterned cheongsam moved into the room.
"Sister Yuling, I...I...I've gotten so tanned!" Xiangxiang raised her hand and ran towards the lead actress, Yuling, as if she were in class. Xu Xi chimed in from the side, saying that Yuling was definitely right; she was an expert at whitening skin.
The group gathered together and chatted about beauty matters until Xu Xi and Xiang Xiang were called away by their agent to take makeup photos, at which point the beauty lesson came to a halt.
Before leaving, Xu Xi asked Qingcheng not to rush off, and suggested they have dinner together later that evening. His eyes flickered as if he had something to say, but he didn't say it because there were many people around.
Only Qingcheng and Yuling remained in the room. The two of them were not idle either. Yuling gently picked up the script book on the table and discussed the script with Qingcheng. She felt that there were a few parts that were not quite reasonable.
For example, if the murderer used to live in a slum, after killing someone, he shouldn't have gone to fetch well water to wash himself off the blood; he should have jumped directly into the river.
Kiyosumi immediately objected, saying that the plot was set in March, and even if the weather warmed up, one couldn't go directly into the river, or they would catch a cold.
Shaking her head, Yuling said that this was a rich person's mindset; the poor people in the Rolling Dragon Village took cold showers almost all year round and were already used to it.
Furthermore, the fact that the detectives had a bowl of unfinished hot tofu soup when they were chasing the murderer was even more illogical, as it suggested he had just left. The murderer definitely had time to finish the scalding hot tofu soup before escaping, since salt was added to the soup. Wasting it would be shameful, and he could have swallowed it even if it was scalding hot.
These two contrasting points, one cold and one hot, shattered Qingcheng's values, leaving her completely stunned. As a Party member, she realized how detached she had become from the masses. At that moment, she missed Rui Rui's relentless criticism.
Seemingly noticing Qingcheng's worries, Yuling comforted her, saying that those who haven't experienced it naturally wouldn't understand; she could only speak to it because she had lived there before.
So that's how it is. Qingcheng realized she had made a mistake. Comrade Lenin once said that we should reduce intellectual discussions and get closer to real life.
Since the massive crackdown, she hadn't attended any training sessions for a long time, which had also mired Gao Junxiao's assimilation efforts; some of his class-based remarks were cause for concern. It was time to refocus on admonishing her fiancé.
After a moment of contemplation, Qingcheng asked Yuling if she wanted to write more down-to-earth works, should she go to Gundilong to do some field research, stay for ten days or half a month, and see how the real poor at the bottom of society live?
"Qingcheng, it's great that you think this way. But the place is a mixed bag, and it's not safe for a young lady like you. Why don't you wait until our next drama is filmed in the countryside, and you can stay with our crew?" Yuling said, touching Qingcheng's hand.
“It’s different. In the countryside, there are farmers; in the rolling dragon, there are workers,” Qingcheng denied.
The people who oppress them are different, and the forms of oppression are different, so the direction of education is different, and the tools of resistance are different.
Taking advantage of a break in the film crew's busy schedule, Qingcheng walked to a phone booth by the roadside, dialed a number, and after a few rings, a deep male voice came from the other end: "Hello, who is this?"
"It's Auntie San. How did your onboarding go today?" Qingcheng went straight to the point, lowering her voice to pretend to be older.
"Everything went smoothly," the man said sparingly.
Qingcheng was not surprised: "That's good. Once you're on the job, you have to be sensible. If your superior invites you to dinner, remember to toast him. But I know your alcohol tolerance, so try to keep it under three drinks. If you accidentally drink too much, ask your colleagues to take you home so your family won't worry."
"Okay." The man heard other people calling from the other end of the line and quickly hung up.
Now that Secretary Yu has successfully returned to the Soviet area, Brother Li will be back at his post in the next few days. The plan is proceeding in an orderly manner, and the effects will have to wait for time to materialize. She can take advantage of the chaos to drive another nail into the enemy's heart.
Because she had made plans to have dinner with Xu Xi and the others, Qingcheng took a short walk outside and then returned to the film set. The staff had already left work one after another, and only the makeup room was still lit up.
Before she could open the door, she heard a series of popping sounds. Qingcheng looked in the direction of the sound and saw Xu Xi leaning against the wall in the corridor, waving at her.
What are you doing, being so mysterious? As soon as Qingcheng approached, Xu Xi threw a wad of cash at her and insisted on giving it to her. How could she accept someone else's money without knowing why? She half-jokingly told Xu Xi to keep the money safe, and if he wanted to treat her later, he should find an excuse to pay the bill first, and she would pretend she didn't know anything.
"Dinner's on me, but I have something else I'd like to ask you for help with." Xu Xi lowered his voice even further, and after confirming that no one was around, he asked, "Your uncle is a doctor, could he get me some medicine?"
Kiyosumi became very nervous because of him, and cautiously asked him what medicine he wanted.
“Penicillin, the price is negotiable,” Xu Xi said earnestly.
Antibiotics? Qingcheng was a little surprised. He didn't look like he had a fever or was injured. Did he want to resell them? So she asked him how many he wanted.
This question stumped Xu Xi. He licked his lips, scratched his head as if thinking, and after a while, he simply held up a sign for ten.
"Ten boxes?" Kiyosumi deliberately exaggerated the figure.
"Am I crazy to buy so many? Ten of them. Oh, and also, give me two tetanus shots." Xu Xi said, glancing around warily.
Qingcheng is now certain that one of his friends is injured and cannot go to the hospital yet. He tentatively asks how long the person has been injured, as a tetanus shot is most effective within 24 hours.
Xu Xi panicked and tiptoed to ease the tension, then awkwardly laughed to indicate that no one was hurt and that he was prepared.
This is an action movie about a Chinese detective, so as the boss, he has to prepare in advance. If anything happens to the staff, he'll be in deep trouble. However, his eyes darted around while he spoke, so he definitely wasn't telling the truth.
"Alright, have Brother Shen come to the newspaper office in a few days. I'll give him the prescription and he can pick up the medicine for you." Although Qingcheng was curious, she didn't want to cause any trouble, so she wanted to ask her agent, Brother Shen, to help her pass the message through.
"No, no, no, you can't ask Brother Shen. It's best to give it to me tonight, I need it urgently." Xu Xi's face was ashen, and he spoke very quickly.
"You're worried that the medicine won't be effective after 24 hours, right?" Kiyosumi said incisively.
"I...please don't ask anymore, just do me a favor, please." Xu Xi's body trembled, but he still refused to say anything.
"Why are you so nervous? Is she a beauty? Are you afraid I'll tell your cousin?" Qingcheng asked with a smile.
"No, please don't ask anymore. Please, for the sake of our acquaintance, help me. I'll help you if you ever need anything in the future." Xu Xi stomped his foot in distress.
Unable to resist Xu Xi's persistent pleas and her own burgeoning curiosity, Qingcheng agreed to give him a tetanus shot that night, but reminded him to be careful before helping others and to keep the story of the farmer and the snake in mind.
For a moment, the corridor fell silent. The evening breeze was cool on his face. After a long while, Xu Xi finally spoke: "I understand. I know what I'm doing."
Before she knew it, the moon was high in the sky. Qingcheng changed into men's clothing and disguised herself as a salesperson before going out. She didn't want to be the subject of tabloid news tomorrow.
This road is a residential area for the upper class. The streetlights are bright, and there are magnificent garden mansions on both sides, which makes people feel at ease for some reason. Qingcheng rode his bicycle to Xu Xi's villa and stopped outside. The curtains on the second floor of his house were already drawn.
Dodo—
Unexpectedly, Xu Xi opened the door himself. He was stunned when he saw Qing Cheng. He had just opened his mouth to refuse the sales pitch when Qing Cheng said "It's me," which surprised Xu Xi so much that he was speechless. He could only invite her into the house by opening the door wide.
Even after entering the house, Xu Xi still stared blankly at her, as if he didn't recognize her at all.
Damn it, she didn't even do much, and she couldn't even recognize her best friend. All that dinner a few hours ago was for nothing! Qingcheng rolled her eyes and pushed the box of medicine in front of Xu Xi, telling him to hurry up and give the injection. She said she would collect the medicine bottles afterward to prevent the perverted fan from rummaging through his trash and giving him away.
Thump!
Suddenly, a heavy thud was heard from upstairs. Xu Xi snapped out of his daze, grabbed the medicine tube, and rushed upstairs to the second floor. Qingcheng, on the other hand, poured herself a cup of hot tea as if she knew the way well.
Before his lips were even wet, Xu Xi's urgent call came from the second floor. He was in the master bedroom and needed help.
There's just no way to deal with him. Qingcheng curled the corners of her lips, put down her cup, and got up to go upstairs. It wasn't that she wanted to know the secret; it was Xu Xi who asked her to.
The master bedroom was unusually dark, with only a bedside lamp providing barely any light. Xu Xi's body blocked most of the mysterious man, and only the man's right leg, wrapped in thick bandages, could be seen.
Qingcheng teased Xu Xi for being stingy, but inwardly she was thrilled. She was eagerly anticipating the moment the secret would be revealed: who was in bed with her, a gangster boss or a beautiful bandit?
The moment her gaze met that of the mysterious man, Qingcheng's ears went "buzz," and she instantly forgot where she was. An indescribable bitterness exploded in her mouth.
In the dim light, Qingcheng walked step by step toward the man whose upper body was covered in bandages. She subconsciously pinched her palm, and the stinging sensation made her realize that she was not dreaming.
Suddenly, the man slowly opened his eyes, revealing eight front teeth in a daze, and said weakly, "Young comrade, it's good that you're alright."
Her vision blurred, and Qingcheng could no longer control her emotions, letting out a scream: "Where are you going? Wang Renyong."
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