Chapter 127 Making Room for the Thief
At four in the morning, the sky was still a deep, dark blue.
Gu Baobao had already woken up and was using the light of the oil lamp to do a final check on her cloth bag.
A small bottle of spiritual spring water, self-defense spray, several packets of special contact powder, a small roll of silver needles, a notebook, and a fountain pen.
There weren't many items, but everything was placed in the most convenient spot.
Lu Zhanming knocked on the door and came in, carrying two steaming aluminum lunch boxes:
"The steamed buns from the cafeteria are still warm; I'll eat them on the way."
He wasn't wearing his usual clothes today; instead, he wore a slightly worn blue worker's jacket and a baseball cap, making him look like a veteran driver who accompanies a truck.
Only those eyes, sharp and calm, shone astonishingly bright in the dim light.
Gu Baobao took the lunchbox, her fingertips accidentally brushing against the back of his hand.
It was warm, with calluses from years of holding a gun.
She quickly withdrew her hand, bent down and broke open the steamed bun; the tips of her ears felt a little hot.
Lu Zhanming seemed oblivious, turning to check the window latches, his voice calm:
"The vehicle has been checked three times and there are no problems. Two comrades from the provincial military region are already waiting outside the camp. They will drive one vehicle and we will drive the other, so we can support each other."
"Um."
Gu Baobao took a small bite of her steamed bun, then suddenly remembered something, looked up at the house opposite.
"elder brother?"
Gu Dongguo was already standing at the door, leaning on his cane, with dark circles under his eyes, clearly having not slept well.
"Is everything all packed up?"
"It's done."
Gu Baobao walked over and lowered her voice.
"Brother, after we leave, you... don't always stay cooped up in the house."
The weather's nice, let Zhang Xiaobing accompany you outside to soak up the sun and take a walk. Isn't there a small grove of trees at the east end of the residential compound? The air's fresh there.
As she spoke, she glanced briefly in the direction of her room.
Gu Dongguo immediately understood.
This is to make him voluntarily make room for potential thieves.
His heart tightened, and he gripped his cane tightly:
"Don't worry, I know what to do. You guys... just be careful on the road!"
The last few words were spoken to Lu Zhanming, carrying the solemn entrustment of an elder brother.
Lu Zhanming straightened up and nodded very slightly but with absolute certainty to Gu Dongguo.
Everything is understood without words.
At 5:00 a.m. sharp, an inconspicuous grass-green jeep quietly drove out of the island military region.
Lu Zhanming was driving, and Gu Baobao was sitting in the passenger seat.
A similar jeep followed far behind, carrying two plainclothes officers from the provincial military region, one named Lao Zheng and the other Xiao Sun.
As dawn broke, the sea fog lingered, and the road was flanked by continuous windbreak forests and occasional glimpses of rocky beaches.
The wheels rolled over the gravel road, making a monotonous rustling sound.
Gu Baobao leaned back in her chair, gazing at the scenery rushing past the window, her feelings a mix of emotions.
This was the first time she had left the island since arriving in this era.
"If you're tired, close your eyes and rest for a while."
Lu Zhanming looked straight ahead, his voice not loud.
"It will take more than three hours to get to the provincial capital."
"Not tired."
Gu Baobao shook her head, took a water bottle out of her cloth bag, unscrewed it, and handed it over.
"Want some water?"
Lu Zhanming glanced at it but didn't answer.
"You drink it. I'm driving, it's inconvenient for me."
Gu Baobao then realized that this was not the era of cup holders and bottled water.
She withdrew her hand and took a sip herself.
The spring water was sweet and slightly cool, and as it slid down my throat, it dispelled the slight fatigue and unease of waking up.
The carriage fell silent, with only the roar of the engine breaking the silence.
After a while, Lu Zhanming suddenly spoke, as if it were just casual conversation:
"The First Pharmaceutical Factory of the Provincial Capital was originally an old pharmacy from the Republic of China era. It was expanded after the public-private partnership in the 1950s."
I've met Factory Director Zhou. He's a nice guy, with a technical background, but he's a bit old-fashioned and stubborn.
Gu Baobao turned her head to look at him:
"You know him?"
"Yes, I was injured before and stayed in a provincial hospital. Old Zhou came for a consultation."
Lu Zhanming's tone was calm.
"If he acts like he's a senior figure to you, don't be intimidated. When it comes to technical matters, you're the one in charge."
This statement was made as a matter of course, carrying an unquestionable sense of protection.
The unease Gu Baobao felt due to the unfamiliar environment strangely dissipated somewhat.
She hummed in agreement, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.
Although Lu Zhanming didn't turn his head, he caught her fleeting smile out of the corner of his eye, and his fingers on the steering wheel loosened almost imperceptibly.
The car drove away from the coastline and onto a relatively flat sandy road.
As dawn broke, the figures of early-rising farmers could already be seen in the distant fields.
Looking out the window at the farmland, villages, and earthen walls painted with slogans, Gu Baobao felt the unique, slow yet vibrant pulse of this era.
She suddenly thought that if there were no scheming and danger in the shadows, just sitting in the car and seeing different places wouldn't be so bad.
The moment the thought crossed her mind, she shook her head inwardly.
How naive.
The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease.
Almost at the same time the jeep drove away from the camp, a seemingly ordinary morning walk began in the island's family compound.
Gu Dongguo, leaning on his cane and supported by his orderly Zhang Xiaobing, slowly walked out of the courtyard.
His face was still somewhat pale from the "injury," and he would catch his breath after taking a few steps, giving a very convincing performance.
"Battalion Commander Gu, are we really going to the grove at the east end? It gets chilly there in the morning."
Zhang Xiaobing asked in a cooperative tone, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for the neighbors who were up early to start cooking to hear.
"Cough cough... Let's go there, the air is fresh, it's uncomfortable to stay indoors."
Gu Dongguo waved his hand.
"Walk around and stretch your muscles; it'll help you recover faster."
The two of them then strolled leisurely eastward.
No sooner had they left than a middle-aged woman wearing a drab gray jacket and a blue headscarf peeked out from the neighboring yard.
It's Tian Danu.
Her husband was an ordinary staff member in the logistics department. She herself was unemployed and spent her time gossiping about everyone in the family compound, always trying to take advantage of others.
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