sudden turn for the worse
The black-clad ghosts floating among the crowd were simultaneously summoned. From the park, from the side streets, from the houses, like a flock of crows that had smelled blood, they spread their pure black wings and surged onto the main street from all directions.
They had only one goal—Gao Junxiao.
The incident stemmed from a standoff at the military camp. The action team leader ordered them to go to the old east gate to find Governor Gao to mediate the conflict, but the guards said that Gao Junxiao was out on business in civilian clothes. The leading agent quickly contacted other agents in Xuzhou City; he just wanted to know Gao Junxiao's exact location.
News quickly spread that an informant had spotted Gao Junxiao buying books at the Guyun Bookstore in the north of the city. The team leader immediately sent the nearest agent to find Governor Gao and inform him that something had happened at the military camp, instructing him to return and handle the situation.
Then they were like a surging torrent, scattering the pedestrians in all directions.
Just as the black-clad ghost saw the bookstore sign, he encountered a surge of middle school students returning to school, causing traffic to become extremely congested.
It was past noon, and the heat was rolling around on the bluestone slabs. The narrow road was lined with cars dropping off children at school. You could tell with your toes that the parents in these cars were either rich or powerful, not people they could afford to offend.
The black-clad ghosts had no choice but to get off the bus and squeeze through the crowded throng, their faces flushed red with sweat, their eyes blurred by the sweat.
However, it seemed as if the heavens were against them. A thunderstorm soaked everyone to the bone. When they arrived at the bookstore, the owner said that everyone had already bought their books and left.
Bai Haoyue was both hot and angry when she received the call. She threw a huge tantrum, saying they were all good-for-nothings who had lost her way on such a short distance.
A short while later, someone else reported seeing Governor Gao buying things at the market in the west of the city. This time, Bai Haoyue decided to go find Governor Gao herself, but it was as if they had triggered some kind of curse.
As they reached the market entrance, a movie at the cinema had just ended, and a large number of viewers poured out from under the huge advertisement illuminated by colorful lights, instantly turning the quiet street into a bustling scene. Everyone was scattered by the crowd, and Bai Haoyue, touching his service pistol, felt his blood pressure uncontrollably soaring.
Bang—someone fired a shot!
"Who the hell fired that shot?" Bai Haoyue's furious roar was quickly drowned out by the voices of the crowd.
Everyone rushed to squeeze towards the west gate. Bai Haoyue watched helplessly as his subordinates were pushed down, and then the people behind them stepped on them.
The terrified crowd scrambled and screamed, the chaotic sounds of running mixed with painful howls, creating a noisy whirlwind that drowned out the long chirping of cicadas.
This stampede was like adding fuel to the fire. Coupled with the fact that the secret agents had arrested many innocent people before, one thing after another accumulated, like a huge snowball that suddenly rolled down the cliff, catching Team Leader Dai off guard.
Team Leader Dai was busy handling complaints from all sides, his anger simmering, unsure of who to direct it at. He was already quite controversial working in Xuzhou, but he tolerated it for the sake of the CEO's ideals. Unfortunately, his subordinates were utterly incompetent, firing shots in the street to disperse the crowd. If he could catch some member of the Communist Party, he could at least offer some explanation.
But these idiots just wanted to find a completely unrelated person like Gao Junxiao to mediate the conflict. Now, Du Ying, that old scoundrel, has seized on this and directly complained to Chairman Han that he disregarded the law, condoned his subordinates' provocations, and fired shots in the street without cause, resulting in a stampede at the cinema entrance and injuring many people.
Du Ying had said all the good and bad things, leaving him to take the blame. This unexpected disaster completely disrupted his anti-government plan. He was forced to stop his work and busy himself with pulling strings and making connections.
The bandit suppression team was supposed to set off today, but Governor Gao Junxiao slacked off to run personal errands, and then the military camp erupted in chaos, with everyone demanding he handle the matter. What a coincidence! It's probably some kind of conspiracy by that old scoundrel Du Ying.
However, despite his thoughts, reason told him that without a solid reason, he was powerless against Du Ying.
Ring ring—
Team Leader Dai hurriedly answered the phone on the table: "Hello."
"The day before yesterday, Leiyin Temple sent out five Arhats to Pengcheng to find Sun Wukong wearing the golden headband and ask him to borrow the golden cudgel." After saying this unintelligible sentence, the other end hung up.
Pengcheng is Xuzhou, great! Just what I wanted! I might not be able to deal with that old scoundrel Du Ying, but surely I can handle Gao Junxiao? Gao Junxiao, I don't care if you have any problems or not, just detain you first.
When Team Leader Dai led his team into the military camp in a menacing manner, he saw Qin Qulu sitting on a stool with his legs crossed. In front of him, Gao Junxiao and Bai Haoyue were shaking hands and saying goodbye, both with smiles on their faces, as if they had reached some kind of consensus. With a wave of his hand, Team Leader Dai had a group of agents surround the two of them.
But this was a military camp, and spies were not allowed to act so recklessly. Almost simultaneously, all the guards raised their rifles and surrounded the spies.
At the center of the encirclement, Gao Junxiao calmly asked, "Team Leader Dai, your presence is an honor. I should have led my troops to welcome you, but what is the meaning of your barging into the military camp?"
"Commander Gao, as the highest-ranking officer of the bandit suppression team, you left the camp without authorization. Isn't that right?" Team Leader Dai was too lazy to waste words with Gao Junxiao and went straight to the point.
"Oh, Team Leader Dai is here on behalf of the military to check on my post. I wonder if he has authorization from the Military Control Commission?" Gao Junxiao asked with a look of surprise.
"Zexiu, you overestimate Team Leader Dai's insignificant position. Why would he investigate you?" Commander Qin stood up to offer his support.
Team Leader Dai glanced at Regiment Commander Qin but ignored him, suppressing his anger as he asked, "Inspector Gao, you may be involved in a case of espionage. I think you'd better explain where you went this afternoon?"
"Ha, Team Leader Dai is interrogating me. Does he want me to go to the torture chamber on my own? So that it won't be so ugly if we start fighting." Gao Junxiao's disdainful words had barely left his lips when they drew laughter from the surrounding guards.
"Hahaha, I'm afraid Team Leader Dai can't handle the interrogation. If he insists on interrogating you, he won't even be able to keep his position." Commander Qin also mocked Team Leader Dai at the right time.
"Commander Qin, you don't need to be sarcastic. I dedicate myself to the cause of national unity not for wealth and glory, but for the cause of the Party and the country. The communists are cunning and treacherous, and dealing with them is no easier than leading troops into battle." Team Leader Dai's gloomy face was full of murderous intent.
Just then, a curse in a Central Plains accent pierced everyone's ears: "Damn it, stop! Trying to rebel? Put down your guns!"
Gao Junxiao recognized the man as Commander Du and immediately ordered his guards to lower their guns. Team Leader Dai, however, showed no intention of doing so. Another squad of fully armed guards in blue uniforms formed a third outer perimeter.
Du, weary from his journey, charged into the center of the encirclement alone. He bowed to Team Leader Dai and said, "Team Leader Dai, I'll give you some face out of respect since we're all colleagues. But don't think you can take advantage of this. The military camp isn't a place where you can cause trouble at will. Put away your guns."
"Commander Du, I'm just asking Inspector Gao to go back and cooperate with the investigation. Since you're suspected of being a member of the Communist Party, you'd better not get involved. Think about your family in Jinan." Team Leader Dai saw that Du Yingzui was about to start a fight, but he still waved for the agents to put away their guns.
"These days, if you don't like someone, you just label them a member of the Communist Party, right?" Commander Qin couldn't help but retort.
Team Leader Dai gave a perfunctory smile, then turned to Regiment Commander Qin and said, "Whether or not someone is a member of the Communist Party is not up to me to decide; evidence is required."
Under the blazing sun, Gao Junxiao, squeezed in the center by so many people, felt a bit suffocated. He wanted to suggest that everyone go to the conference room to talk, but since the leaders were also there, he couldn't say anything. Du Ying, who was next to him, unbuttoned two of his collar buttons and asked in a deep voice, "Do you have any evidence?"
"Commander Du is joking. Without evidence, I, Dai, wouldn't dare to come and arrest him personally," Team Leader Dai replied firmly. "I heard that when Inspector Gao was suppressing the bandits in Fengshan, he also uncovered a small weapons workshop run by the bandits. But there were no spoils."
"How can you say there was no spoils? It was just a small workshop, nothing more than bullets and gunpowder. When I raided the factory, the battle was only halfway through. We used up all the usable ones on the spot. Did you expect me and Commander Qin to squat down and count the spent shell casings after the battle?" Gao Junxiao's teasing words drew another round of laughter from everyone.
"Hmph, I also sent people there to investigate. They found that the place was destroyed by fire, not even the foundation was left. Inspector Gao, you've gone too far," Team Leader Dai said meaningfully.
"Thank you for the praise. I'm very pleased that my men are so capable. To eradicate the root of the problem, we must use strong medicine. I will never give the bandit workshop a chance to come back to life." Gao Junxiao smiled slightly to deal with Team Leader Dai's difficult questioning, but in his heart he was worried that he might not be able to leave the city today.
“Since you forcibly seized the military supplies, the anti-bandit team has never even counted its weapons,” Team Leader Dai said confidently. “I initially thought it was due to negligence on our part. But I just received solid intelligence that the Soviet area sent five people who infiltrated the city the day before yesterday to retrieve weapons from their contact. Coincidentally, you slipped away at noon today, which makes it hard not to be suspicious.”
"Team Leader Dai means I was the contact person who gave them unregistered weapons. This is a serious accusation that could kill me." Gao Junxiao's smile faded, and his expression gradually became solemn.
He was indeed unaware of this intelligence, but Team Leader Dai's intentions were practically written all over his face: he wanted to sacrifice himself to deflate Commander Du's arrogance.
"Then it depends on whether Inspector Gao cooperates with the investigation," Team Leader Dai said seriously.
"In the end, Team Leader Dai still doesn't have any evidence. If you did, you should be interrogating the Communist Party members from the Soviet area right now, instead of coming to the military camp to argue with us and waste our time." Du Ying directly exposed Team Leader Dai's little scheme.
"Commander Du, if the Communist Party has infiltrated the city, you are also to blame," Team Leader Dai said arrogantly.
"I can't escape the blame?" Du Ying pointed to himself incredulously, then suddenly pulled over the silent action team leader next to him, "Xiao Bai, what have you been doing for Team Leader Dai lately? Are you thinking of finding another job?"
"Commander Du, Haoyue was only ordered by the commander to assist Team Leader Dai in suppressing the Communist Party. Commander Du is my only superior." Bai Haoyue stammered, trying to show his loyalty, not daring to look up at anyone.
"Did you hear that, Team Leader Dai? Don't flatter yourself. Just because I'm lending it to you doesn't mean I'm one of yours." Du Ying smiled contentedly at Bai Haoyue.
"You—" Team Leader Dai was about to explode, but he clenched his fists and held back. He deliberately said to Du Ying, "Bai Haoyue, I'm considering that you're a college graduate and I intend to cultivate you and recruit you into my ten-person team. Didn't you agree? Don't be afraid, I'll help you transfer to another position when we get back."
"Team Leader Dai, what are you joking about? Our Xiao Bai has always been one of my inspection team members, with proper military status and rank. I've even been thinking of promoting him to platoon leader recently. Why would he run off to your doghouse and become a lowly lackey without any official title?" Du Ying retorted without any politeness.
"My lords, it is Haoyue who deserves to die. Please don't let your subordinates' actions ruin our harmony. It's all for the prosperity of the Party and the country." Bai Haoyue's innocent eyes swayed back and forth between Du Ying and Team Leader Dai.
"Bai Haoyue, you dare to mention the Party and the State? Commander Du, do you even know who he is? How dare you promote him to platoon leader?" Team Leader Dai said through gritted teeth, glaring fiercely at Bai Haoyue.
“Isn’t he just a G Party defector? I only ever hire people based on the benefits they bring me. Xiao Bai is a smart man; he’s already been honest with me. So, Xiao Bai, tell me, what good deeds has Team Leader Dai been up to lately?” Du Ying simply put his arm around Bai Haoyue and made him speak, but Bai Haoyue was so frightened that he shook his head.
Perhaps seeing that Bai Haoyue dared not tell the truth, Commander Du suddenly blurted out a name: "Lieutenant Shen, I want to ask if you know Chen Ding?"
At Commander Du's summons, Deputy Adjutant Shen, who was outside the circle, spoke up: "Reporting to the Commander, I don't know him, but yesterday we captured a bandit named Chen Ding. This man dared to secretly recruit soldiers in the suburbs of our city and was caught alive by our inspection team."
Upon hearing Chen Ding's name, Team Leader Dai's body trembled slightly. Even though Team Leader Dai's face remained expressionless, Gao Junxiao, sitting opposite him, could guess that there was some unspoken, complex relationship between the two.
Du Ying then asked, "Did you bring that bandit to justice?"
"Not yet, awaiting the commander's decision. Since recruiting soldiers without authorization is a serious crime, I suggest immediate execution as a warning to others." The adjutant, Shen, spoke with a chillingly cold tone, like an emotionless machine.
"Execution? Let me think about it. Daring to recruit soldiers means you must hold a high position in the bandit's den." Du Ying scratched the scar under his eye as if he was thinking.
Du Ying's contingency plan shocked everyone. The question and answer between Du Ying and Deputy Officer Shen was quite straightforward. Anyone with a brain could guess the secret. It seems that only Team Leader Dai wanted to play dumb.
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