No matter how anxious Director Zhu was, Zhao Youcai, who had just boarded the green train to Haishi, was completely unaware of the situation and was happily sharing food with the elderly couple sitting opposite him. Before long, he started chatting away.
"Brother Zhao, what brings you to Haishi this time?"
Zhao Youcai chuckled as he peeled an orange. "I went to see my youngest son. He's all alone in Haishi. I was really worried about him, and luckily I've finished dealing with things at home. What about you?"
The elderly couple smiled at each other. "My eldest daughter-in-law, who is with the army, is pregnant. My eldest son sent a telegram a few days ago saying he was going on a mission. We don't have much to do, so my husband goes to pick up and drop off our eldest grandson from school, and I go over there to help take care of their daily needs."
Watching the elderly couple's sweet interactions and mutual care, Zhao Youcai felt a pang of emotion.
Having been single in both of my lives, it's impossible not to feel envious.
Just then, a flash of white light streaked across Zhao Youcai's eyes.
Zhao Youcai's heart skipped a beat as he realized something. He glanced over there casually, and after confirming the other person's features, he quickly stood up to look for the flight attendant.
"Someone in carriage number six was carrying a knife. It just flashed in my eyes. I suspect there are spies in the carriage."
Zhao Youcai then explained his observations in the most concise language, without omitting any of the significant features, demonstrating remarkable expressive ability.
This is definitely not a small matter.
It's important to know that everyone boarding a train undergoes three rounds of security checks, so you can imagine how difficult it would be to smuggle a weapon in.
Unless the person has special skills in hiding things, or is colluding with staff.
Another possibility is that the murder weapon was kept on the train, such as in the kitchen.
After all, it was a train journey to Haishi, a long distance, and it would be difficult to carry the food brought from home to the destination.
To be able to travel all the way from Northeast China to Haishi, one must either be wealthy or have someone in Haishi who is doing very well and has brought their family over.
Even the elderly couple sitting opposite Zhao Youcai were military dependents; there were very few people like Zhao Youcai.
The train attendant turned pale with fright; there were many important people on board this time.
To ensure these people could safely reach Haishi, there were countless plainclothes officers disguised as passengers and train crew members on the train.
"Thank you for the reminder, comrade. I will go and inform the train conductor now, and make sure to find the suspect."
Zhao Youcai breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the train conductor walk away quickly.
He was worried that the man with the knife would find out he had come here to betray him, and that it would be bad if he attacked him again.
So Zhao Youcai didn't rush back. Instead, he chased after the train conductor, bought a few bags of sunflower seeds and a few bottles of water, and came back.
"I was craving some sunflower seeds, and when I rummaged through my bag I realized I'd forgotten them. Luckily I found a train conductor and got directions to where the snack vendor was. Don't be shy, have some with me."
After Zhao Youcai sat down and finished talking with the elderly couple, he clearly felt that the gazes directed at him were not as intense anymore.
It wasn't until the man with the knife that Zhao Youcai noticed walked past him that he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
My intuition was right; someone who would dare to commit murder on a train must be a professional with counter-surveillance capabilities.
Luckily, I was quick-witted and went out to buy some things, which dispelled the other party's doubts.
However, Zhao Youcai did not completely let his guard down; who knew how many accomplices that man had on the train?
What if he leaves, but others are still wary and watching him?
So Zhao Youcai acted as if nothing had happened, still happily eating sunflower seeds and chatting, and even joined the people at the table behind him to play cards.
Two days passed peacefully, and with less than a day left until they reached their destination, Zhao Youcai was starting to get anxious.
Could it be that the train conductor didn't take it seriously?
Wait a minute, the train conductor didn't seem fake when he was anxious that day.
Or was it just bad luck that I happened to find an accomplice of those knife-wielding men and report the news?
Just as Zhao Youcai was wondering what went wrong, he heard screams and roars coming from the next carriage.
Zhao Youcai sat up straight instantly.
Many people in the carriage squeezed over to see the excitement, but Zhao Youcai and the elderly couple sitting opposite him did not move.
The elderly couple were still wondering, "Young man, why don't you go and take a look?"
After all, Zhao Youcai was so lively in the carriage that he didn't look like a sixty-year-old at all; he was even more energetic than those twenty-something young men.
Something's not right that someone who loves to join in the fun is suddenly not doing so.
Similarly, Zhao Youcai also felt something was off when he looked at the elderly couple opposite him.
I have muscle relaxants and blood circulation pills to improve my physical condition, so I am not a sixty-year-old man in the strict sense.
The elderly couple opposite me were much older than me, yet they had been sitting in hard seats for over forty hours without showing the slightest sign of fatigue.
While everyone else on the bus went to join in the fun, the two of them sat there smiling and motionless, completely unaffected, which was very unusual.
However, Zhao Youcai didn't jump out and accuse them of being spies right away, since the old couple had behaved normally the whole way, and he wanted to observe them further.
As it turned out, Zhao Youcai's decision was correct.
The commotion in the next carriage quickly subsided. Several plainclothes officers approached Zhao Youcai, or more precisely, the elderly couple next to him, and lined up to salute him with great seriousness and solemnity.
"Reporting, sir! All twenty-seven spies have been captured, and none were injured. Report complete. Requesting instructions!"
Zhao Youcai's eyes widened involuntarily.
Goodness, I thought they were just an ordinary elderly couple going to take care of their daughter-in-law, but I never expected them to be so important!
The man opposite smiled, stood up, and returned the salute. "Comrades, you've worked hard. Go back and rest. Stand your last post well, and we'll reward you when we get back after this mission."
Once the crowd dispersed, the man opposite him smiled and sat down again, his eyes full of admiration as he looked at Zhao Youcai.
"Young man, you have good observation skills and are a good candidate for reconnaissance."
Zhao Youcai smiled on the surface, but inwardly he was cursing wildly.
Good seedlings? More like old seedlings.
Thankfully, I didn't yell at them as if they were spies, or it would have been incredibly embarrassing.
The man opposite him took out a small notebook from his bag and wrote down his home address and phone number with a pen.
"However, what my wife said isn't entirely false. If you encounter any trouble when you get to Haishi, feel free to call me or come to my house. As long as it's not illegal, I'm happy to help you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
