Landing on the island
Faced with Zhang Chong's playful and probing gaze, Gao Junxiao became wary. Would Zhang Chong delegate authority to someone he was meeting for the first time? His expression hardened, and he stated in a serious tone that as a colleague, he should help, but there was one more condition.
Seemingly guessing what Gao Junxiao wanted, Zhang Chong generously stated that he wouldn't hold a grudge against the kids in the secret investigation team; at most, he would teach them a lesson to make them remember.
“Section Chief Zhang, according to past rules, the people I arrest are my responsibility to deal with.” A cold glint flashed in Gao Junxiao’s eyes as he stared directly at Zhang Chong. For a moment, Zhang Chong seemed to choke, his eyes turning red, and a soft exhale escaped his throat.
Seeing that he was caught between agreeing and disagreeing, Gao Junxiao could no longer suppress his mischievousness and added with a grin that his conditions were limited to the ship. He didn't have many people with him, and after landing on the island, the headquarters would only provide security. He would have to trouble the CC brothers to capture the G party members.
Zhang Chong's brows relaxed instantly, and he breathed a sigh of relief, agreeing that Councilor Gao could do whatever he wanted with the people he had captured.
"Section Chief Zhang, please rest well. I'm going to get back to work." Gao Junxiao took off his soaked white gloves and threw them on the table.
"Wait a minute!" Zhang Chong called out to Gao Junxiao, reminding him that the warrant hadn't been written yet.
"Few of CC's brothers are still able to move, so let's save them for use on the island." Gao Junxiao got up to take his leave, leaving Zhang Chong alone, his expression inscrutable.
Although the rain outside was torrential, after a while the dark clouds dispersed and the sea gradually calmed down, the weather was as sunny and calm as when we arrived. However, the fog condensed all around, and the merchant ships slowed down significantly. It was unclear when they would be able to break through the thick fog.
When Gao Junxiao, soaked to the bone, returned to the restaurant, he immediately saw dry towels and a first-aid kit on the table. His gaze then shifted to the sofa, where Zhang Chong was sitting upright in the same posture as when he left. Those items were prepared by him, as seawater is corrosive and could easily cause infection if it got into the wound.
Only after Zhang Chong reminded him did Gao Junxiao realize that the wound on his neck was throbbing. They didn't seem to know each other well! Gao Junxiao suppressed his doubts and thanked him. As soon as he sat down, Zhang Chong asked if any of the brothers at the headquarters were injured.
Unsolicited kindness is either a sign of ulterior motives or theft!
Unsure of Zhang Chong's intentions, Gao Junxiao answered all questions while tending to his wounds. When Zhang Chong tried to probe how many men he had brought, Gao Junxiao said, "Section Chief Zhang, just say what you want to say. There's no need to beat around the bush."
Zhang Chong lowered his head and chuckled: "This is our first meeting. Councilor Gao may not know me well. I either don't agree, or I will do my best to fulfill my promises. The little mouse is yours now. I will not interfere with whether you kill or punish it."
"Oh? What do you mean by that, Section Chief Zhang? I might be a little seasick, and my mind isn't quite right." Gao Junxiao rubbed his forehead, seemingly feeling quite uncomfortable.
“I know you’ve already cleaned the cockpit…” Zhang Chong hadn’t finished speaking when a fierce fight broke out upstairs. The entire ship shook violently from the impact of the chaotic footsteps, and the ceiling trembled, making one’s heart pound with fear that the floor might collapse.
Judging from the sounds, one side seemed to have a larger number of people, presenting an overwhelming advantage. Gao Junxiao smiled confidently, praising Zhang Chong for his foresight. He had discovered that the first mate's structural drawings of the ship included a secret passage connecting to the bridge, below which was a small wine cellar, the private stash of the captain and the first mate.
After patiently explaining, Gao Junxiao reassured Zhang Chong that although his men were a bit rough, they had done the same when rescuing hostages from the mountain stronghold.
Zhang Chong's eyes flickered, and he swallowed the rest of his sentence. Perhaps repeated setbacks had taught him that silence is golden.
After a series of clanging and banging noises, the sounds suddenly stopped. Then, several soldiers carried a man in black downstairs. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Chen Jian. He seemed to be seriously injured, with blood streaming down his forehead and his clothes torn in several places. Another person was being dragged down behind him.
The kitten was the last to come downstairs. He gave a respectful military salute: "Report, the captain has been successfully rescued."
Gao Junxiao praised the kitten loudly, then turned to Zhang Chong and said, "Our captain has a really good mentality. When you get back, give them more money for the voyage. They've been through so much, including being kidnapped. It's not easy for them."
“Counselor Gao is absolutely right. I have a favor to ask.” Zhang Chong didn’t give Gao Junxiao a chance to refuse and said in one go, “Please go to the island to organize the arrest.”
"Damn, this dog spy actually dares to speak up!" Gao Junxiao suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and pretended to be relaxed, cupping his fists and saying, "Oh, Section Chief Zhang overestimates me. Catching Communists is a delicate job. My men are all roughnecks. They can handle bandits, but they don't have the ability to catch Communists."
"You're too modest. I trust Commander Xiong's judgment. The soldiers can stay at the dock to keep watch. I'd like to ask you to command my advance team. I'm in such a state that I can barely disembark, let alone command them," Zhang Chong said, rubbing his knees.
After considering the matter in his mind, Gao Junxiao deliberately changed the subject. He planned to have a few soldiers carry Zhang Chong away, set up a temporary command post, and let the commander stay in the command post without having to go to the front line himself. Everyone could just sit inside and relax.
“You said it yourself, cracking down on the CCP is a delicate task, unlike large-scale military operations. A slight difference can lead to a huge error. However, there are commonalities. For the sake of national stability, we must eradicate those discordant elements.” Zhang Chong said this with a serious expression.
His heart skipped a beat, and Gao Junxiao asked, "Why did you have to come to me?"
“Counselor Gao, I’m not testing you, nor am I shirking responsibility, nor am I giving you orders beyond my authority. I genuinely believe you are capable of this important task, so I would like to invite you to take charge.” Zhang Chong stared intently at Gao Junxiao, his deep sincerity almost overflowing from his eyes.
“I’m sorry, even if Director Yan were here, he would only be an assistant. Besides, I’m getting married soon and don’t want to cause trouble.” Gao Junxiao refused decisively. Seeing Zhang Chong lower his head in disappointment, he changed the subject, “However, I can help you survey the terrain. You’ll have to decide on the specific action plan. Whether it succeeds or not is up to you.”
"Good, Councilor Gao is indeed sensible." A faint smile appeared at the corner of Zhang Chong's eyes.
The broken waves crashed against the ship's side, and as the ship sailed out of the misty area, the outline of an island could be vaguely seen ahead.
Three-quarters of an hour later, the ship shook violently, and Gao Junxiao, under the blazing sun, was the first to disembark, followed by two soldiers who helped the nearly exhausted Yan Chu out.
To avoid being exposed, they deliberately docked on the west bank. There seemed to be no one on the shore. Just as Gao Junxiao was wondering where CC's advance team was hiding, an agent came to greet them. After learning that his superior could not disembark, he whistled, and instantly five agents emerged from the reeds.
Good heavens, they were all hiding in the reeds. Gao Junxiao looked around and saw that the dense reeds intertwined, forming a natural concealment barrier.
The advance team leader, who identified himself as Jia, led the headquarters staff to a cave after receiving verbal instructions from Zhang Chong. The cave was dry, and in the middle was a simple table made of stones, where two agents were drawing a topographical map.
It seems Zhang Chong has done a good job training his men; they're not mindless chargers and even know to scout the terrain first. Gao Junxiao leaned over to look at their drawings, and chuckled, he wanted to take back his praise. What the hell was this? Where were the contour lines? Where were the distance markers? Even a seven-year-old's doodles were better than theirs.
The man roughly drew a map of the island's topography and even marked a hidden cave entrance. According to the spies, the cave entrance was covered with vines, and they accidentally broke the vines while slipping, discovering that it was an ideal spot for exchanging radio signals.
Pshaw, the G Party doesn't have X-ray vision. Even if this isn't their first time here and they know there's a cave, you've already broken the vines, and the human traces are so obvious. Only a blind person would continue to exchange radios there.
After settling Yan Chu in, Gao Junxiao smiled and left the cave. Spending even a second longer with the idiot would make him breathless. He waved to Xiao Mao and asked him to organize a squad of people to go with him to survey the terrain. He also organized a communications squad to lay lines to the east bank dock.
Birds chirped in the mountains, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of virgin grass and trees. Gao Junxiao cleaved his way to the highest peak of the island. Below, lush greenery stretched as far as the eye could see, and the vast expanse of water stretched out before him. The entire eastern coast was laid out before him.
But he wasn't in the mood to appreciate the scenery. He took out his notebook and started writing and drawing seriously. The kitten beside him asked in confusion, "Councilor Gao, are we really going to help CC catch the CCP?"
“Otherwise, if Zhang Chong hadn’t come to me, wouldn’t all that acting by the brothers have been for nothing?” Gao Junxiao replied meaningfully. “The key to deception is not to make the opponent think you are very capable and become wary, but to make them feel that you are somewhat capable and willingly do things according to your ideas.”
The kitten squinted, seemingly understanding yet also not understanding anything. Gao Junxiao raised his binoculars, mentally calculating the time, wondering why their ship hadn't arrived yet.
Theoretically, the G Party's merchant ships, being slightly smaller, should have been able to travel faster than ours. However, they encountered a storm along the way, making them less resistant to storms. Coupled with the slow travel due to fog, the delay was understandable. Leaving a brief window of opportunity would likely allow CC to prepare more thoroughly.
Just as he was getting worried, a merchant ship sailed in from the east coast. Judging by its size, it was the same ship belonging to the Communist Party. Gao Junxiao tensed up. Through his binoculars, he saw the Communist Party courier swagger off the ship, seemingly very curious about his surroundings. He would throw sand into the sea, break off reeds and hold them in his hand, and even do a somersault in excitement.
"This kid's at the market!" Gao Junxiao gritted his teeth. If the Hanyang rifle had a longer range, he would have fired a whole magazine at him. Oh, and what about that gun?
Bang--
Birds took flight from the woods, and the courier, who had just climbed the slope, suddenly collapsed to the ground, a pool of bright red blood slowly seeping from beneath him. The hidden agents around him were all stunned.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, they rushed towards the traffic officer, checked his breathing, and everyone looked at each other in shock. Gao Junxiao, holding his binoculars, laughed so hard he was shaking. It was only by not following the rules that he could make a name for himself.
"Let's go, back to base." Gao Junxiao put down his binoculars with satisfaction and gave the latest order.
When they returned to the cave where CC was stationed, the body had already been carried to the cave entrance first. Gao Junxiao heard Zhang Chong's scolding and cursing at the cave entrance. He lifted the white cloth on the body and pretended to ask the guards what had happened.
Before the soldiers could report, Zhang Chong answered first: the Communist liaison officer had been shot in the back as soon as he disembarked, and his body had been brought back.
This meant that either there was a third-party force on the island, or there was a traitor within their ranks. A thin layer of ice seemed to settle over Zhang Chong's eyes, and his light gray Zhongshan suit made his face appear even more sinister.
Now that things had come to this, Gao Junxiao advised Zhang Chong to look ahead and showed him a topographical map. The most urgent task was not to investigate internally, but to find the CCP's rendezvous point.
Sure enough, Zhang Chong glanced at it and his eyes flashed with praise. He nodded his thanks and immediately ordered his men to draw a large picture based on it.
As Zhang Chong entered the cave, Gao Junxiao reminded him that they didn't have much time left. The radio was large and heavy, and he expected that the Communist Party's rendezvous point would not be in a high place, but in a cave with a slightly lower elevation. Ideally, the cave entrance should be close to the coast for easy evacuation.
"Counselor Gao, have you found a suitable location?" Zhang Chong asked.
Lowering his head, Gao Junxiao humbly stated that he was not quite sure, but after his own investigation, he found two suitable locations.
Turn left at the east coast and walk about 100 meters to find a small waterfall. Behind the waterfall is a cave. Walk another 100 meters to find a gourd-shaped cave with a skylight. The gourd opening allows sunlight to shine in, and the exit is close to the coast, making it suitable for handing over the radio and then retreating.
In addition, there is an open area to the southeast, surrounded by dense reeds. In some places, the water is up to the neck and impossible to pass through normally. The scouts have to turn sideways to find gaps to bypass the obstacles. After a few turns, people with poor sense of direction can easily get dizzy.
However, if someone were to row in directly from the sea in a small boat, it would be extremely slippery, and the pursuers would have to re-establish their location each time, greatly slowing down the pursuit. With one being fast and the other slow, they simply couldn't catch up with the Communist Party.
Zhang Chong nodded mechanically, his eyes glazed over, probably thinking about where the Communist Party would end up.
Suddenly, a man's argument came from the cave entrance, interspersed with the voice of a young woman. Gao Junxiao and Zhang Chong both looked towards the cave entrance.
The two soldiers, their clothes and hair covered in reed debris, were carrying a young woman. She was wearing a floral-patterned jacket and trousers and smelled strongly of the sea; she appeared to be an ordinary fisherwoman.
Two spies followed behind them, cursing and swearing. One of them had a large bump on his head, and the other had blood on his lips. As soon as they saw Zhang Chong, they hurriedly reported that they had been patrolling the southeast coast and had found a suspicious woman. Before they could do anything, they were beaten up by the soldiers of the headquarters.
The soldier retorted, "Bullshit! The girl was singing and resting by the sea, and instead of bringing her back to report to your superior, you wanted to drag her to the reeds. I only ruined your plans, and you dare to accuse me first."
His face darkened, and Gao Junxiao said in a deep voice, "Section Chief Zhang, don't forget... William's reminder."
Zhang Chong cleared his throat awkwardly: "Ahem, there might be some misunderstanding. This woman's appearance is too coincidental. She should be interrogated. Why don't you, Inspector Gao, interrogate her?"
thump!
The woman suddenly knelt on the ground, muttering what sounded like a Jiangzhe dialect. To Gao Junxiao, it sounded like a foreign language. He turned to Zhang Chong, who was from Zhejiang. Zhang Chong pursed his lips and shook his head, admitting that the Jiangzhe dialect varied from place to place, and he couldn't understand what the woman was saying either. However, judging from the tone, it was indeed Wu dialect, probably the local dialect of the nearby residents.
"This is troublesome." Gao Junxiao sighed and asked, "Miss, can you read?"
Unsurprisingly, the woman shook her head vigorously, like a rattle-drum.
Gao Junxiao rubbed his temples: "Section Chief Zhang, you, a native of Zhejiang, can't understand what she's saying, so Secretary Yu, who's from out of town, will understand even less. Let's not waste our time on her."
Zhang Chong seemed to have thought of this as well. Just as he was about to release the people, a junior agent came in to report that a radio had been found on the fisherwoman's hand-cranked boat.
Gao and Zhang exchanged a glance, and then suddenly realized that there was something wrong with the fisherwoman who had appeared out of nowhere.
"Where did the radio come from?" Zhang Chong asked sharply, his deep eyes seeming to shoot out sharp knives, almost torturing the fisherwoman to death.
Startled by Zhang Chong, the fisherwoman's eyes instantly welled up with tears. She spoke through gesturing and her voice trembled with sobs. Gao Junxiao glanced at Zhang Chong out of the corner of his eye and kindly translated for her, wondering if someone had given her the radio.
The fisherwoman nodded in confirmation, looking aggrieved, and took out six copper coins worth one jiao from her pocket, counting them with her hand, indicating it was for the boat fare.
Seemingly remembering something, Zhang Chong asked Gao Junxiao in a low voice if he could borrow a junior agent from the secret investigation team. He noticed that the fisherwoman's accent was very similar to the Jiangshan dialect, and the secret investigation team was also called the Jiangshan Gang, so there must be someone in them who could understand it.
Gao Junxiao readily agreed to the small matter, promising to help him choose a timid and obedient one.
Ah—the fisherwoman suddenly screamed. She stared at the corpse on the stretcher, her eyes filled with fear. Everyone thought the woman was just being cowardly, but Zhang Chong noticed something. He pointed at the corpse and asked, "Was this the man who delivered the radio to her?"
This time, the fisherwoman nodded firmly. Zhang Chong then asked her how she was going to give the radio to this person, but the fisherwoman gave a long explanation that Zhang Chong couldn't understand at all, which made him so anxious that he pounded his legs.
"Don't worry, the west bank isn't far, the person will be here soon," Gao Junxiao reassured him gently.
No sooner had he finished speaking than a soldier came running up: "Report! Something terrible has happened! Chen Jian has escaped!"
"How did you guard this place? Go back and face military law!" Gao Junxiao's voice cracked with rage. "Who else could it be but him?"
"That's it. Shen Jian used a blanket and a pillow to disguise himself as a dummy, then he slipped through the ventilation duct and escaped, so the guards didn't notice in time," the soldier explained hesitantly, head bowed.
"I don't want to hear any explanations. Find the person right now and get out." Gao Junxiao waved his hand impatiently with his eyes covered, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes like a bubble on the sea, which quickly disappeared.
When Gao Junxiao looked up again, a hint of guilt appeared on his face. The moment his gaze met Zhang Chong's, he immediately looked away, and this time it was Zhang Chong's turn to comfort him.
The current situation is not optimistic. Secretary Yu has not yet arrived, the liaison officer is dead, and that little troublemaker Shen Jian is hiding in the shadows and could cause trouble at any time. Therefore, the headquarters and CC must unite.
“We’ve got the radio, and we even killed a member of the Communist Party. Let’s call it a day…” Director Yan interjected, having recovered his composure.
“Director Yan, it’s just a radio station. Our goal is the codebook. How can we give up halfway?” Zhang Chong interrupted coldly.
Director Yan was speechless. He looked to Gao Junxiao for help, but it was no use. Gao Junxiao made a shushing gesture, telling Director Yan to ignore Zhang Chong. Once Zhang Chong went crazy, no one could stop him.
A short while later, soldiers brought in a black-clad spy. The young spy was very cooperative, translating each sentence the fisherwoman spoke.
The fisherwoman's story roughly means that the dead man gave the iron box to her father-in-law, who then took it to the southeast coast of the island. A man would then board a boat, and she would leave the island with the man and the iron box.
As for why her father-in-law didn't come out, it was because he discovered he was being followed. The old man thought his rivals wanted to cause trouble, so he secretly transferred the items to her and asked her to go to sea in his place while he stayed behind to deal with the people following him.
"Where will you go after you leave the island?" Zhang Chong asked.
The fisherwoman shook her head. According to the dead man, the people who boarded the boat would tell her where the next stop was, so she could only wait at the agreed-upon place.
"How did you know that the person boarding the ship was the one you were supposed to pick up?" Zhang Chong asked again.
Upon hearing this, the fisherwoman immediately explained loudly that the six cents was just a deposit, and he hadn't settled the boat fare yet. She said that as long as the man could explain the price he had agreed upon with his father-in-law, she would send him away.
Zhang Chong exclaimed in alarm, "Oh no! Only the courier knows about the boat fare, but Secretary Yu doesn't."
Now everyone present understood that the Communist Party used the previously agreed-upon price as a code word. After Secretary Yu met with the courier, the courier would tell Secretary Yu the specific fare for the boat. Secretary Yu would then use the obtained code word to board the boat and leave the island smoothly with the radio.
Afterwards, the fisherwoman went home, not worried that she might let something slip, because for her, the money and the goods were settled, and she had only taken on an ordinary job.
Every meeting of the Communist Party is meticulously planned and executed; if any link is missing, the rest of the meeting will fall apart.
The air pressure inside the cave grew increasingly low. Captain Jia, who hadn't spoken until now, weakly interjected, "Actually, we could send someone to impersonate a member of the Communist Party."
With his eyes lowered, Zhang Chong pondered for a moment and ordered his men to work in pairs, casting a wide net around the island. Once they discovered any trace of the Communist Party members, one would keep watch while the other reported back. The priority was to control Secretary Yu.
“No need for such trouble.” Gao Junxiao stopped Zhang Chong from casting his net. He believed that since this was the first time the G Party members had landed on the island, Secretary Yu, no matter where he came from, would need some guidance to get to the rendezvous point.
Under normal circumstances, the courier would definitely leave a code. I saw the courier behaving strangely when I was on the mountain. If I go to the beach to look, I might be able to find the code he left.
Since the courier is dead, they will draw the code. They previously discovered a gourd-shaped cave, so all our men will lie in ambush there. Then we just need to wait for the fish to take the bait. Gao Junxiao's calm analysis was unanimously approved by everyone.
Unbeknownst to them, the fisherwoman and a junior agent from the secret investigation team exchanged a few words in hushed tones. The junior agent, startled, gaped open and immediately said, "Boss, this woman wants to pee and is asking when we're going to let her go."
Zhang Chong frowned slightly, but before he could open his mouth, Gao Junxiao interjected, "Tell her she can't leave. Pretending to be a member of the Communist Party would be easily exposed. Let her go and ask for the money herself; we don't have the money to pay her. Does Section Chief Zhang have anything to add?"
"No, you go change your clothes later, then pretend to be the fisherwoman's husband and try to get the codebook out of her. That way, you might still have a chance to live, understand?" Zhang Chong pointed at the junior agent in the secret investigation team, his tone leaving no room for refusal. How could the junior agent dare to say no?
The woman was half-squatting, her legs clenched tightly, seemingly in a real hurry to urinate. Zhang Chong immediately summoned his trusted confidant and asked Gao Junxiao to send two soldiers to supervise them, lest any further trouble arise. Gao Junxiao naturally accepted Zhang Chong's polite request without question.
The vast sea rippled with silk-like waves. Several seagulls skimmed across the surface, splashing up a cloud of water. The fish trembling under their iron claws soon became still.
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