You do your thing, I'll do mine.
A small boat floats on the water, its fragrance filling the misty West Lake. In spring, peach blossoms and willows line the shores of West Lake, their fragrance mingling with the aroma of wine, permeating the exquisite Jiangnan courtyard. The open-air courtyard is illuminated by lanterns, as bright as day.
Beneath the white walls and black tiles, Gao Junxiao, dressed in military uniform, sat coldly in a corner, completely uninterested in socializing with his colleagues. Before him lay piles of garbage, piled high with expensive wines and formal wear; the opulent luxury couldn't mask the stench of decay.
How annoying~ I don't know what's wrong with Chen Yao. It's just an internal banquet for foreign reporters, and he insists on having Commander Xiong bring him to Hangzhou for a visit. Gao Junxiao casually took a glass of wine from the waiter's tray and downed it in one gulp. He was worried about whether the old man could get used to staying in the hospital. The old man has high requirements. Can Qingcheng handle it?
If Kiyosumi hadn't simply dumped his luggage at the train station with him and promised to watch his house, he wouldn't have come.
Hmph, why do I feel like I've been kicked out of Shanghai by He Qingcheng? Am I really that unwelcome? Gao Junxiao clutched his chest, feeling a tightness in his chest, and downed another glass of wine.
The culprit, Chen Yao, exuded an air of smug satisfaction and even dared to come over and pull him along to offer a toast.
Gao Junxiao glanced at Chen Yao, then pretended not to hear and turned away to admire the night view of West Lake outside the window.
Chen Yao put his arm around his shoulder and comforted him, "Don't feel pressured. It's just a day. Let Qingcheng help you check on the house."
Taking a deep breath, Gao Junxiao said, word by word, "I, have, no, pressure."
Glancing at his watch, Chen Yao didn't waste any words and threw a punch at Gao Junxiao's face, forcing him to get up and dodge. Perhaps seeing him get up, Chen Yao relentlessly dragged him to offer a toast.
"What are you doing? Don't force me to beat you up in front of so many people." Gao Junxiao impatiently shook him off, but considering Chen Yao's feelings, he lowered his voice and cursed, "Are you out of your mind? Don't you know I have something going on at home? You still dragged me here. Don't you have any sense at all?"
Chen Yao chuckled beside him, his beautiful peach blossom eyes glancing several times toward the entrance: "The principal will be here soon, hurry up and get the wine."
Instantly understanding Chen Yao's intentions, Gao Junxiao calmly yawned and said, "Let him come. The principal knows me, but he's not interested in me because I don't fit any of Principal Jiang's three principles for hiring people."
Things are different now. Chen Yao hooked his arm around his brother's neck and carefully analyzed the situation. After the Central Plains War, several major warlords stepped down one after another, and those who had clearly supported the Northeast Army had been reorganized.
This means that the Central Army will merge with a large number of miscellaneous troops, further expanding its organization and creating many vacancies. Given the principal's personality, he certainly wouldn't allow the original officers of these miscellaneous troops to hold important positions; he would definitely select key personnel from the Central Army.
Of the Whampoa Military Academy students, how many can boast of their combat achievements? Even the students from the first three classes, given their age and experience, would be best suited to be instructors. And the Zhejiang clique didn't have that many elites for the principal to choose from. After all, the principal could distinguish between sycophantic mediocre people and truly capable people.
"Heh, clean up my ass," Gao Junxiao smirked, but his mocking smile was immediately met with a warning from Chen Yao. "When it's time to perform, close your eyes; when it's time to step forward, lie flat. He just didn't know how to seize opportunities before. It was understandable that he didn't go to the Central Plains War, but his later failure to clearly side with the principal shows his insincerity. Insincerity means he wants to rebel."
"Thank you for the compliment. Even if several major warlords from the southeast, northwest, and other regions joined forces to rebel, they couldn't succeed. How could a mere councilor like me have that kind of ability?" Gao Junxiao retorted lazily.
Chen Yao punched Gao Junxiao with exasperation: "Stop talking nonsense. I don't care if you don't want to eat meat, but Qingcheng needs to eat well and drink well in the future to write good works. You have to protect her in every way. Today, I'm recommending you because the principal is in a good mood. You should know what the principal likes to hear. Do your best."
As if on cue, a commotion arose at the entrance, and the hall fell silent instantly. Everyone turned to look at the entrance as the principal and his wife walked hand in hand into the courtyard, followed closely by a group of security guards.
Upon seeing Dai Yunong behind the principal and his wife, Gao Junxiao slowly clenched his fist at his side, suppressing his insane urge to shoot the bastard to death, and quickly calculated other ways to defend himself.
Wherever the principal went, his colleagues in military uniforms raised their hands in salute. Gao Junxiao, mixed in with a group of green uniforms, immediately put on a calm face as he raised his hand, his surging emotions being suppressed under a professional smile.
Soon the crowd dispersed, and the principal, accompanied by his wife, chatted enthusiastically with the foreign reporters.
Under the moonlight, Gao Junxiao's crisp military uniform added to his charm. Even Chen Yao couldn't help but tease him, asking if Qingcheng had ironed it for him. Gao Junxiao proudly raised his chin and replied, "Of course, Qingcheng personally took it to the dry cleaners to be ironed."
"It's so nice to have a fiancée. You won't even need to grow arms anymore, will someone take care of you?" A sarcastic voice reached my ears; it was Dai Yunong.
"Team Leader Dai has been married for many years, what's there to envy? Look how well your wife takes care of you, you look radiant." Gao Junxiao mocked Dai Yunong, who had dark circles under his eyes and looked as if he hadn't slept for several nights.
Standing in the shadows, Dai Yunong chuckled dryly, the smile not reaching his eyes: "Hehehe, Councilor Gao, you really love to joke. How are your parents' health?"
Knowing full well the answer, Gao Junxiao lowered his eyes and took a breath. When he looked up, he had a calm smile on his face, neither angry nor annoyed: "Thank you for your concern, Team Leader Dai. It's not good. I've offended a petty person. I'm thinking of finding a fierce old lady to give me a few good whacks with her stinky shoe before I'll behave."
"Really? Don't miss. I wish your parents a speedy recovery, that they may no longer be harmed by worldly gossip, and that they may enjoy their later years in peace. Cheers!" Dai Yunong raised his glass, his words dripping with provocation.
Ding~ Gao Junxiao crisply touched the rim of the other's cup, and straightened his collar with one hand: "Team Leader Dai, you're too kind. You've worked so hard for the Party and the country, suppressing the Red Peril internally and destroying the Soviets externally. You are truly the cornerstone of the Party and the country's great cause. You must take care of your health and not overwork yourself. Otherwise, how can we soldiers be at ease to make contributions on the front lines?"
That hit a nerve. Team Leader Dai's eyes twitched a few times, and an inescapable gloom enveloped him. No matter how important the foundation is, people will only admire the exquisite architecture with its carved beams and painted rafters, adorn the house with red decorations and add new furniture, and then complain that the foundation has been dirtied.
Neither of them drank the wine in their glasses. The surrounding noise seemed to be blocked out as they silently felt the cool breeze of West Lake in spring flowing subtly between them.
"Zexiu, don't waste time on unimportant people. Let's go." Chen Yao snorted coldly and disappeared into the crowd with Gao Junxiao, leaving only Team Leader Dai to listen to the croaking of frogs.
It was originally an internal gathering of the Hangzhou Garrison Command. The officers were all familiar faces to Gao Junxiao. After a few rounds of drinks, everyone quickly became friends and got along very well.
A gentle breeze blows, and swaying flower branches peek over the wall, their fragrant buds blooming in the bright sunlight, hard to miss if you look closely.
Compared to the elegance of West Lake, the alleyways of Shanghai are quiet and peaceful, devoid of the hustle and bustle of the city. Occasionally, the sound of pigeons flapping their wings can be heard from the rooftops, and young people dressed in Zhongshan suits can calmly continue walking deeper into the alleyways.
Clack-clack, clack-clack.
As the wooden wheels rolled over the stone slabs and the carriage brushed past the young man, the curtains swayed, and a short, thin bamboo tube was thrown out of the carriage, landing on the stone slab with a "thud." The young man stopped, and seeing that no one was around, he quickly picked up the bamboo tube and stuffed it into his pocket.
Once they reached a secluded spot, the young man took out a rolled-up letter and a slip of paper from the wooden bucket. The information on the slip of paper instructed him to deliver the secret letter to No. 1 Ganhe Road as soon as possible, and then bury it in the small flower bed to the right of the address. Someone would come to retrieve it later.
Simple! The streetlight shone on the young man's back, casting a shadow over his face. He rolled his eyes and held the envelope up to the light to examine it.
Through the light, the thin envelope revealed ink-black handwriting. The words were short, and several entries were arranged in this way. If he guessed correctly, it was a list!
He flicked the envelope, a strange smile appearing on the young man's square face. Why not take the money that's been handed to him?
Along the Suzhou Creek, rows of green willows and peach blossoms complement each other, and small boats glide by slowly, creating ripples on the reflection of the full moon.
The boatman pushed off with a horizontal bar, and the small boat tilted towards the shore. The square-faced young man paid the fare and jumped off the boat onto the shore. All the shops were closed, and no one knew where he was going.
Separated by a door, the square-faced young man took a deep breath. Just as his fingers touched the door panel, a flash of light appeared. Before he could see anything, his hand was twisted behind his back, and he cried out in pain.
"Boss, take it easy, we're on the same side. I'm going to deliver a message to Captain Han." The young man leaned forward, his forehead covered in sweat. The person behind him didn't let go immediately, but instead pushed him into the house.
With a crackling sound, a familiar male voice came from behind: "So it's Luo Xiong, you little brat, let him go."
With his hands loosened, Luo Xiong glared hatefully at the little spy who had tied him up, then pulled out a letter from his pocket with a forced smile and happily presented it to Captain Han.
Based on his years of underground experience, this letter was likely the latest list of G Party members. Captain Han raised an eyebrow, signaling his men to boil water. One of them took the envelope and went to the inner room to open it.
A short while later, the junior agent reported that the letter had been opened, but the contents were unknown and must have been encrypted. However, the codebook that had already been seized could not crack the letter.
The encryption is important. Luo Xiong confidently assured the captain that he had obtained absolutely first-hand information, and since no one in the organization had used him recently, they trusted him immensely.
Luo Xiong was all talk and no action, but he was also scheming in his mind. He figured if he didn't say anything, how would the spies know that he was being investigated by the organization?
"Alright, I've made you run an errand. You think you're something special? You deliver the letter. We'll be on guard around the area. We need to get our hands on the codebook from the contact." Captain Han, fiddling with a walnut, gave the order to the junior agent to set off.
Wait! Luo Xiong jumped out and shouted, attracting the attention of everyone around him.
Captain Han tightened his grip on the walnut, which stopped spinning, and glared fiercely at Luo Xiong: "What are you afraid of? Abandoning darkness for light is the inevitable trend."
"Captain Han, what I mean is that you should slow down. This is a contactless rendezvous, and I suspect that the person coming to pick up the letter may not be a high-ranking official with the codebook. It's best to play the long game and not break the line." Luo Xiong smiled, but inwardly he was thinking, "Damn spies, if you arrest someone, you'll expose yourselves. We finally managed to fool the interrogators, and I don't want to suffer again."
“Alright, don’t rush off after you bury the letter. Stay by my side. Point out any members of the Communist Party you know, and you’ll get your share of the benefits.” Captain Han said sternly, his imposing manner leaving no room for refusal.
On someone else's turf, Luo Xiong's knees went weak, and he could only nod and hum in response.
The moonlight, like quicksilver, spilled onto the flowerbed, dyeing the green leaves white with a hint of blue, making the red flowers shine brightly. However, such a mixture of colors always seemed somewhat eerie in the human world.
Several dark figures flashed by quickly across the deathly silent street.
Meow!
A stray cat in heat suddenly bristled, its shrill cry sending chills down the spines of those onlookers. The guards were startled and halted their investigation. Luo Xiong was also shaken awake. He rubbed his tired eyes but saw nothing.
That damn spy is paranoid all the time, he's sick! Luo Xiong leaned weakly against the wall. He really wanted to lie down and sleep. Actually, no-contact contact doesn't necessarily mean someone will come that day; sometimes it can take several days.
However, he couldn't reason with the damned spies; they insisted on waiting. Luo Xiong yawned and was about to ask Captain Han for leave to go back when a strange noise came from the flower bed.
A thin, small figure crouched down and reached for the flower bed. It was an eight or nine-year-old boy, covered in dirt and barefoot. He glanced back a few times to make sure no one was around, then dug into the soil with his bare hands until he pulled out the shallowly buried envelope.
The agents around him became excited, their hands on their waists, looking eager to try. Captain Han, with his hands behind his back, looked him over carefully for a few moments, then raised his hand to stop them: "Don't move. This kid looks like a random beggar picked up off the street, not even a courier."
"Captain, how about we follow the kid and see who wants that letter?" The little spy hurriedly came over and asked to go.
"Yes, just send two skilled trackers, but don't get too close. Don't make a move until you see someone suspected of being a member of the G Party. Even if there is someone suspected, follow them until you find out where the contact is." Captain Han's sinister tone was colder than the northwest wind in December.
"Yes." The little spy immediately straightened up.
"Captain Han, you guys follow along. Can I go back now? And that..." Luo Xiong made a money-counting gesture.
"That's all the ambition you have. Take it." Captain Han shook his head, casually pulled out a handful of silver dollars from his pocket, threw them on the ground, and twirled the walnuts as he walked away.
Gazing at the pile of white silver dollars on the ground, Luo Xiong's greedy eyes lit up, and he immediately knelt down to pick up the money. The moonlight was obscured by dark, bluish clouds, stretching far, far into endless darkness…
Although the little beggar wasn't a member of the Communist Party, he was extremely alert, as if he knew someone was following him, and he didn't stop even after passing four intersections.
The streets were deserted at night, not at all like anyone was coming to make contact. The two agents exchanged a glance, one of them growing impatient. He suspected the child might be a communicator for the Communist Party, disguised as a beggar. He thought it best to arrest him and intimidate him first.
The other agent disagreed. Captain Han repeatedly warned against acting rashly, saying that even if the boy was a courier, he didn't have any valuable intelligence on him, and arresting him indiscriminately would alert the real contact.
As the two argued in hushed tones, a drunkard carrying a bottle staggered out of the alley. He stumbled and fell toward a little beggar, but the child deftly dodged him. The man got up and then pretended to vomit while holding a mailbox.
Before anyone could react, the child took off running away.
Could the drunkard be the contact? Before they could think it through, the agents exchanged a glance and immediately decided to split into two groups.
Huff~ Hah~ In the empty alley, the child's heavy breathing could be clearly heard. The spy crept up behind the little beggar, neither too close nor too far. For some reason, he felt a sudden discomfort in his heart, and a bad feeling grew stronger and stronger, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.
By the dim light on the second floor, the agent struggled to discern the child's cat-like figure amidst the interplay of light and shadow. Gradually, his eyes could no longer keep up with the child's movements, and as soon as he turned the corner, the child disappeared from sight.
Oh no! The spy couldn't control the reconnaissance distance and quickly caught up. If he lost sight of the child, he'd be fired and wouldn't be able to continue his job—too embarrassing.
Fortunately, it wasn't too late. The little beggar reappeared at the diagonal intersection, where a young man in black patted his head and took the envelope from the child.
The target has been spotted! The agent could not hide his joy and hid in the darkness to wait for the two to complete the rendezvous. However, the young man only glanced at the envelope and handed it back to the child. Then he squatted down, whispered something to the child, and stuffed a shiny silver coin into the child's hand.
The little boy seemed to have received some kind of instruction. He hid the silver coins and skipped and hopped to the only shop with its lights on at the intersection. The agent looked closely and realized it was a state-run post office that was open 24 hours a day.
Silently noting down the post office number and the child's delivery time, the agent followed the young man in black without stopping. The man looked very young, like a student who had just graduated from middle school.
The CCP loves to recruit members among students, which further solidified the agent's suspicions. However, to catch a thief, you need to catch him red-handed. The young man in black had nothing on him, so the agent couldn't prove he was a member of the CCP. At most, he could just arrest him and give him a beating. If the young man stubbornly denied it, no one would recognize him anyway. In the end, Captain Han had no choice but to release him.
The young man in black was even more vigilant than the little beggar, and he managed to shake the agent off several times. However, the agent managed to track the young man's movements by following clues such as collapsed plants and footprints in the mud.
The moon quietly moved behind the purple clouds, and the darkness overhead grew even deeper. The agent followed the young man for five blocks, his chest burning with pain and his mouth parched. He felt that if he continued walking, he might die of exhaustion on the job. The Communist Party was truly too torturous.
But he didn't dare to get too close. The young man in black seemed to be a trained fighter. He had been following for a long time and his calves were already sore and swollen, while the other man was still walking with ease and even his breathing was calm. If a fight broke out, he would definitely suffer.
At this moment, the young man in black entered a bathhouse. After hesitating for a moment, the agent also entered the bathhouse. If it could be confirmed that the young man was taking a bath here, it meant that he most likely worked or lived nearby.
That way, I can gracefully retire and ask my colleagues to investigate later, because I simply can't keep up anymore.
"Sir, how many are in your party?" The person at the front desk of the bathhouse was an overweight middle-aged man wearing a white tank top and baggy shorts. His fat was like a bucket full of water, almost overflowing.
"Hey, do you have a pedicure service here?" The agent glanced into the inner room out of the corner of his eye, but unfortunately, a curtain blocked his view, so he couldn't see anything.
"Yes, yes, yes! Our pedicurists are specially invited from Yangzhou. They are experienced masters with over ten years of experience and their skills are top-notch." The receptionist at the bathhouse rubbed his fat hands together, his face full of anticipation.
"Okay, take a number, how much?" the agent asked patiently.
"A bath costs three cents, a pedicure costs five cents. That's eight cents in total." The person at the bathhouse counter held out their hand, revealing an eight.
Just as the spy was taking the money, the overhead light suddenly went out, and a chorus of gasps erupted from the bathhouse. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his neck, and then he couldn't feel anything anymore.
Snap! The filament flickered for a few seconds and then lit up again.
The curtain was lifted, and a serious-looking young man in black stepped out from behind it. The bathhouse owner respectfully greeted him, calling him Captain Shen, and asked how to deal with the sneaky kid on the ground, and whether he needed to... The bathhouse owner gestured to his neck with his hand.
"Just dump him in the back alley. Shanghai is their territory, don't make too much noise. Haven't you learned your lesson from last time?" Captain Chen's sharp gaze swept over the bathhouse front desk. "Also, this station should be abandoned immediately, and all personnel should be evacuated in time."
"Yes." The receptionist at the bathhouse shrugged, her thick legs jiggling slightly.
"Oh, right, tell the brothers to call it a day and stop following CC's people. These field agents are terrible at their job. If I hadn't thrown a cat out in time, they would have been exposed." Captain Shen reprimanded through gritted teeth, and the person at the bathhouse reception didn't dare to breathe.
With a sigh, Captain Shen pointed regretfully at the person on the ground: "Look at their field personnel, I can't even shake them off. That's only after I tricked them into splitting up, leaving only one field personnel. Think carefully about where the difference lies."
"Yes, I will definitely discipline myself properly in the future and never dare to make such a low-level mistake again." The receptionist at the bathhouse bowed humbly, his fleshy face flushed red.
After reprimanding his subordinates, Captain Shen remembered the letter he had asked the little beggar to mail. Previously, CC's field agents had been watching too closely, and after weighing the pros and cons, he could only pay the child to mail it to the office first. Now that he had escaped in time, upon further reflection, he thought it was better not to mail it to the office, lest CC's people discover the address.
As Captain Shen left the post office, he inwardly scoffed at CC's manager, wondering if he was blind. The envelope clearly had two large stamps affixed to it; the Communist Party clearly intended to use the little beggar to send the secret letter to their designated address, thus completing a truly contactless rendezvous.
Unfortunately, the little beggar was timid and, after being tricked, honestly revealed the mailing address. He heard that the person who entrusted him to mail the letter was a thin, middle-aged man with glasses, whose appearance was too ordinary for him to remember.
No problem. I've already got the mailing address. I can start looking for suspicious people in that area tomorrow.
The night was still and quiet. In the long, pale corridor of the hospital, a woman held a little boy's hand in one hand and carried a yellow thermos in the other, like a messenger from the underworld, walking in the night with a lantern.
The ward door was wide open, and the elderly Gao couple were both taken aback when they saw Qingcheng. Visiting hours had passed, so how did she get in?
But Qingcheng didn't offer any explanation. She affectionately called out to her parents-in-law and opened the thermos lid on her own.
Instantly, the smell of disinfectant in the ward was replaced by the fresh aroma of soup. Old Master Gao swallowed, and a gentle smile appeared on his pale face.
"Where did my daughter-in-law bring this little darling? Oh my, what a handsome young man!" Grandma Gao was more interested in the boy and hugged him, patting his head.
"My neighbor has to go out, so they asked me to look after them for a while. Li Zhao, call them." Qingcheng explained while gesturing to the child with her eyes.
"Good evening, Grandpa and Grandma. My name is Li Zhao, and I am eight years old." Li Zhao was not shy at all and introduced himself generously.
"Hmm, sweetie, do you want an apple? Grandma will peel one for you." Grandma Gao warmly offered an apple as a tempting treat.
"Thank you, Grandma, but my hands are dirty." Li Zhao spread out his hands obediently.
"Yes, why are there mud between your fingers? Did you go play in the mud? My grandson likes to play in the mud too. You're such a little rascal!" Grandma Gao gently pulled the child's little hands and then lightly stroked his cheek.
Li Zhao chuckled and looked to Qingcheng for help. Qingcheng immediately came to his rescue: "It's alright, Aunt He will take you to wash your hands. Grandma, the soup is still hot."
Knowing her husband's limited abilities, Grandma Gao immediately served him a bowl of hot soup after Qingcheng left.
"Ouch, it's too hot." Old Master Gao couldn't move his hand with the cast on, and could only weakly bend his index finger in protest.
"Okay, let me blow on it for you, it smells so good." Grandma Gao blew on it a few times and found the aroma very tempting, so she unconsciously put half a bowl of it into her mouth.
"Wow, you really have a huge capacity for alcohol. How come you drank all that yourself? No, I'm the patient, are you the patient?" Old Master Gao shouted in dissatisfaction.
"Tsk, you're ungrateful for my kindness. I'll just test the temperature for you." Grandma Gao said without batting an eye, taking two more sips in front of the old man. "It's alright, please go ahead."
Old Master Gao sighed, losing his temper, and let the old lady finish feeding him before saying, "I'm telling you, you need to have some conscience in the future. Stop gossiping about your daughter-in-law. That gossip in our family must have accumulated a lot of good karma in her past life to be able to marry her."
"I know she has a good heart, it's just a feeling, it's just... I feel like she's a little... strange." Grandma Gao carefully chose a word.
"Nonsense! All girls who have studied abroad are like that. I know them better than you. She just dresses more fashionably, but she's always been a decent person. I think you're just afraid she'll steal your son. Petty-minded, what are you pretending to be?" Old Master Gao rolled his eyes at him.
"No, this isn't my first time being a mother-in-law, and I don't want to be a wicked one. To be honest, she has a murderous aura about her, not as strong as our son's, but it still sends chills down your spine." Grandma Gao touched her chest and poured out her heart in one breath.
Seeing that his wife still had doubts, Mr. Gao issued an ultimatum: "Is it strange that one person with a pen and the other with a gun both have a murderous aura these days? Thirteen Sister has said that if you keep nagging, she will take him back and then introduce him to a groom who is more handsome and outstanding than your son."
“No! Our family chose our daughter-in-law first. Husband, you can’t change it. I don’t dislike her.” Grandma Gao clutched the old man’s clothes, her aggrieved sobs like those of a wounded animal.
"Good to know. Oh dear, let go! My old bones are about to fall apart. Don't you know how strong you are? Cough cough." Old Master Gao suddenly cleared his throat twice. "Daughter-in-law, you're back."
"Um, in-laws, I suddenly feel a bit unwell in my stomach. I'm going to use the restroom again," Qingcheng blinked and replied seriously.
Xiao Li glanced at Qingcheng and also clutched her stomach, saying, "Me...me too."
The two of them rushed out, slamming the door shut, leaving the elderly couple speechless, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
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