Chapter Seven: The Guide in the Dark
Lin Tang wrapped her navy blue wool coat tighter and walked along the narrow alley.
The wind swirled the scraps of paper from the corner of the wall, brushing against the tips of her shoes. The dim streetlights stretched her shadow long, like a crumpled piece of old silk.
The lights were still on at the "Fuxing Tailor Shop" at the end of the alley. The blue cloth sign hanging above the door had faded, and the right side of the character "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) had been worn away, leaving only the character "示" (Shi, meaning to show off), like a forgotten old scar.
She stood at the shop entrance, raised her hand and knocked three times, paused for two seconds, and then knocked twice more.
Familiar footsteps came from inside, and the door latch clicked open. Chen Mo poked his head out, wearing round-framed glasses and a faded gray long shirt. When he saw it was Lin Tang, he quickly opened the door and said, "Come in, it's cold outside."
Chen Mo is no longer the spirited young man who assassinated Japanese ronin five years ago. Since the station chief's sacrifice, he has returned here to take over the position of liaison officer and become the new "tailor".
The warmth of the tailor shop wafted to my nose, a mixture of the smell of starched fabric and the acrid smell of kerosene lamps.
Several unfinished cheongsams hung on the wall, one of which was made of moon-white satin with half a magnolia embroidered on the collar, the stitches still unfinished.
Lin Tang entered the room.
Chen Mo moved the kerosene lamp closer to her, took out a stack of photos from the drawer, and placed them on the table. "Lin Tang, take a look at this first."
Lin Tang picked up the photo, and her fingertips suddenly trembled.
In the first photo, Cheng Qing is wearing a navy blue suit and standing in an alley in the concession. The pistol in his hand is still smoking, and a young man in a school uniform is lying at his feet. The bloodstain on his chest looks like a blooming red rose.
In the second picture, she is squatting on the ground, wiping the gun with a handkerchief, expressionless. Next to her, two girls who look like students are curled up against the wall, their eyes still open, like two extinguished lights.
“These are three progressive students executed by No. 76 in the French Concession last Thursday night,” Chen Mo’s voice was like a piece of cotton soaked in water, so heavy that it was hard to breathe. “Cheng Qing has killed countless people in No. 76 over the past two years, and now he is becoming more and more unscrupulous.”
Lin Tang's fingers dug into the edge of the photo, crumpling the paper.
"Chen Mo, has she... really changed?" Lin Tang looked up, her eyes glistening with tears. "She used to be so brave, she wouldn't even dare to kill a cat, how could she...?"
Chen Mo picked up the teacup on the table and poured her a cup of warm tea: "Lin Tang, you should wake up. Gu Manqing is dead. The current Cheng Qing is the 'Iron Lady' of No. 76, a knife for the Japanese." He took out an envelope from his pocket and placed it in her hand. "This is her recent action record. Take a look. Last month, she killed five underground party members, two of whom were young people who had just joined and were only nineteen years old."
Lin Tang touched the sealing wax on the envelope, her fingertips turning white. She thought of Chen Kan, of his words from the previous night, "Our Kuomintang will win," of the list of Kuomintang agents in his drawer, and of how he had sold a batch of grain from the Chamber of Commerce to the 76th Division last month to curry favor with the Japanese. She suddenly laughed, a bitter laugh: "Chen Mo, do you know why I chose the Communist Party?"
Chen Mo looked at her without saying anything.
“Because the Kuomintang people only talk about ‘for the country,’ but their hands are stained with the blood of their own people,” Lin Tang’s voice grew softer and softer, like a leaf falling on the water. “Chen Kan is a Kuomintang member. He can help me rescue Qiao Yuan from No. 76. He just sent Boss Wang from the Chamber of Commerce to the Japanese prison because Boss Wang refused to sell the factory to the Japanese.”
Chen Mo placed his hand on her shoulder and patted it gently: "Lin Tang, you're right. We, the Communist Party, have never been for any one person or any force, but for all Chinese people, so that they can live, have food to eat, and have access to education." He took out a map from the drawer and spread it on the table. It was a topographical map of Jiangcheng, with the location of Wusong Wharf circled in red. "I've come to you this time because I have a task for you."
Lin Tang leaned closer, looking at the red circle on the map: "Wusong Wharf?"
“That’s right,” Chen Mo pointed to the red circle with his fingertip. “Next week, the Japanese will transport a batch of munitions from Wusong Wharf to the North China front. This batch of munitions includes mortars, machine guns, and two thousand rounds of ammunition. If it is transported to the front, our soldiers will bleed even more.”
He pulled a photo out of his pocket; it was a profile shot of Cheng Qing. She was wearing a suit and holding a brown leather folder. "This is Cheng Qing's 'Japanese Army Ammunition Transportation Plan,' which contains specific transportation times, routes, and a list of escorts. We must obtain this plan. If possible, assassinate Cheng Qing."
Lin Tang's breath hitched: "Snipe her?"
“Yes,” Chen Mo said firmly, “Cheng Qing is a key figure in 76. She has too much intelligence about us. If we don’t kill her, our losses will be even greater.” He looked into Lin Tang’s eyes, “I know about your past with her, but look at these photos,” he pointed to the photos on the table, “She is not Gu Manqing now, she is a ruthless devil. If you don’t kill her, she will kill even more people.”
Lin Tang lowered her head and remained silent, but tears fell, landing on the photo and blurring Cheng Qing's face.
Chen Mo handed Lin Tang a handkerchief, which she took and used to wipe away her tears.
“I know this mission is difficult for you. But Jiangcheng is in a state of high alert right now, and many of our comrades have sacrificed their lives. I have no choice but to risk contacting you for this business.”
Looking at the photo on the table, she could only clench her fists and say, "Okay, I promise you."
Chen Mo looked at her, a look of relief in his eyes: "Lin Tang, thank you."
“No need to thank me,” Lin Tang raised her head, a resolute light burning in her eyes. “This is an order, something I should do. Besides, five years ago… I severed all ties with her after she saved me.”
Chen Mo nodded: "I won't say more about the flowers. You should go back now! Be careful on the road. If anything happens, come find me here. The code word is the same as before."
Lin Tang pushed open the door and walked out.
The wind rustled the hem of her coat, and the light from the kerosene lamp flickered in the wind, like a star that refused to go out.
She wiped away her tears and looked up at the moon in the sky.
The moon was obscured by clouds, revealing only a sliver of light, like a child with his eyes covered.
She walked forward step by step, her shadow stretching long on the ground, like a road leading to the light.
...
Qiao Yuan was helping the Axe Gang repair the leaky roof of their warehouse at the dock. As he reached the bottom of the wooden ladder, he saw Zheng Hao standing at the warehouse door, with a man in a black suit standing next to him.
The man, wearing round-framed glasses, was taken aback when he saw Qiao Yuan, then smiled and said, "Mr. Qiao, I didn't expect to see you here. You know, Mr. Chen has been looking for you at the 76th Division for ages!"
Qiao Yuan's hand paused slightly. He recognized Liang Zuo and immediately forced a smile: "Mr. Liang, are you here to discuss business with Boss Zheng?"
Liang Zuo laughed and stuffed the cigarette case into his pocket: "Boss Qiao is indeed clever." He turned to Zheng Hao, took out a piece of paper from his pocket and slapped it into his hand: "At three o'clock tomorrow morning, take ten brothers to the Fuxing Warehouse in the Japanese Concession and transport the 'medical equipment' inside to Wusong Wharf. After it's done, each person will receive 10 silver dollars."
“Mr. Liang,” Zheng Hao nodded, “thank you for your care!”
Qiao Yuan stood to the side, looking at the truck behind Liang Zuo. The truck bed was covered with a black cloth, and the wooden crates inside could be vaguely seen, with the Japanese words "medical supplies" printed on them.
After Liang Zuo left, Qiao Yuan said, "There might be something wrong with this business."
Zheng Hao gave a wry smile: "There is a problem. Ordinary equipment wouldn't pay 10 silver dollars. It must be dangerous work. But there's nothing we can do. So many brothers in the gang need to survive! And some of them have contracted tuberculosis. We need money to bribe them."
Seeing Zheng Hao turn to leave, Qiao Yuan was still worried, so he moved a wooden ladder over and climbed onto the truck.
Qiao Yuan wiped the dust off the box with his sleeve, reached out and lifted the lid. Inside were some glass jars and medicine.
He frowned, took the glass jar out, and placed it on the box next to him.
His heart was pounding. He pulled a screwdriver from his pocket and pried open the gap in the wooden board. The nail creaked, as if someone was sighing.
"You son of a bitch..." Qiao Yuan cursed under his breath, put the gun barrel back into the compartment, and covered it with a wooden board.
...
At that moment, Chen Kan received a call from Beijing.
"The government has received a secret order that Japan is preparing to send supplies to the front lines. You need to find a way to intercept them..."
Chen Kan lowered his eyes indifferently.
He naturally wanted to ask: Now that he had no troops or manpower to mobilize, how was he supposed to intercept them? But he wisely refrained from asking the question. When he received the order to be at No. 76, he knew that he had long since become a pawn of the Chen family.
Right now, a person came to mind in his frozen blood.
...
The next day, at number 76.
"Really? Mr. Liang, you're not mistaken, are you?"
"How could I be wrong? I saw him clearly when Ouyang Qing brought him here that day! Why do you think Ouyang Qing insisted on bringing him here? I heard she was a concubine before. Could it be that she still has feelings for him?"
Chen Kan smiled and took out a gold bar for him, "Who knows! But thank you, Boss Liang, for leaving my friend a way out."
Liang Zuo smiled broadly, "That's right, that's right, but it also depends on Qiao Yuan's own ability to escape through this cave."
Qiao Yuan, don't blame me. You chose the path to hell when there was one.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
