Chapter 215 Attack
In the courtyard house by Houhai, Gu Baobao received the latest instructions from Zhao Feng through confidential channels.
She put down the phone, walked to the window, and looked at the old pomegranate tree in the yard. The branches swayed gently in the cold wind, seemingly fragile, yet containing the strength to await spring.
Lu Zhanming walked up from behind and gently put his arm around her shoulder.
"Everything is arranged."
"Um."
Gu Baobao nestled into his arms, feeling the warmth and solidity of his chest. "Brother Zhanming, what kind of people do you think... Lampwick and Shadow will be?"
Lu Zhanming paused for a moment, his voice low and deep:
"I don't know. It could be someone we could never imagine, or even someone who looks the most ordinary and harmless. That's precisely why it's more dangerous."
“But I’m more worried,”
Gu Baobao turned around to face him.
"What if they stop at nothing to get what they want and harm innocent people? There are other patients in the hospital, and the alley is full of old neighbors..."
Lu Zhanming cupped her face in his hands, his gaze unwavering:
"Baby, trust me, trust the organization. The network that Deputy Commander Li and Zhao Feng have laid out is more comprehensive than ours."
We will do everything in our power to minimize risks and keep the battlefield within a controllable area. Your family, and all those unrelated people, will be within the protection zone.
He paused, his gaze softening:
“I know you always keep in mind your duty as a doctor and don’t want to see anyone get hurt. But sometimes, even surgeries to remove tumors can carry risks.”
All we can do is minimize the risk, ensure the surgery is successful, and prevent more people from suffering from this condition in the future.
Looking into her husband's deep and reliable eyes, Gu Baobao's unease gradually subsided.
She nodded.
Starting from the second day, Gu Baobao and Lu Zhanming's routine began to show some subtle changes.
They still travel between the courtyard house and the hospital every day, but the time seems less fixed.
Sometimes early, sometimes late.
The vehicle they rode in would also change occasionally, no longer the same Jeep.
The number of visible and hidden sentries around the courtyard houses seems to have decreased somewhat.
The radio in the back room was unusually quiet for a few days. The guards in the research room in the backyard were still there, but the intervals between shift changes seemed to be a little longer than usual.
These changes are extremely subtle, blending into the mundane noise of daily life and going unnoticed.
But to those who are observant, especially professional agents, these subtle patterns and oversights are like fireflies in the dark—not bright, but enough to guide the way.
Gu Baobao seems to be spending more time in the research lab now.
Occasionally, technicians wearing white coats and carrying instrument cases would come and go, their expressions serious.
When neighbors asked out of curiosity, the answer was always vague: "It's a confidential research project of the unit."
At the hospital, news of Gu Baobao's grandparents' rapid recovery somehow spread to a small circle as well.
Even the attending physician publicly exclaimed that the old man and woman were in remarkably good physical condition and had strong willpower. At this rate, they might be able to be discharged early and go home for the New Year.
These words, spoken with a sense of satisfaction, became, to certain people, further proof that Gu Baobao's medical skills and her new achievements were indeed extraordinary.
Rumors fester in the shadows, and traps are laid silently.
The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the Little New Year.
According to northern customs, it's time to offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God, sweep away the dust, and prepare for the New Year.
The faint aroma of candied melon and stewed meat wafted through the alley, softening the bleakness of winter.
Gu Baobao and Lu Zhanming were returning from visiting an elderly person at the hospital, carrying a box of pastries and some fruit they had bought from a time-honored shop. The car stopped at the entrance of the alley, and the two walked in.
As dusk approached, the setting sun cast a warm orange hue over the gray brick walls.
Several children on winter vacation were chasing and playing in the alley, their laughter ringing out.
People pushing bicycles home from get off work, with New Year's goods hanging on the handlebars, the jingling of bicycle bells conveying the joy of their busy lives.
Everything seemed so ordinary, full of everyday life.
Gu Baobao and Lu Zhanming walked side by side, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones.
Lu Zhanming's hand remained lightly on Gu Baobao's waist, a protective gesture that also resembled the intimacy between husband and wife.
Just as they reached a corner about thirty meters from the courtyard, something unexpected happened!
A man who had been squatting by the wall, wearing a tattered cotton-padded coat and an old felt hat, looking like an old scavenger, suddenly sprang up without warning!
His movements were faster than an old man's, more like a cheetah pouncing on its prey!
A cold glint flashed in his hand; it was a sharpened steel chisel, aimed straight at Lu Zhanming's back!
At the same time, he raised his other hand and threw a handful of grayish-white powder at Gu Baobao's face!
This sneak attack was ruthless and cunning in its timing, angle, and coordination!
It was clearly the result of careful planning and rehearsal.
The target is Lu Zhanming, to prevent him from making the rescue, and at the same time to interfere with Gu Baobao with poison powder and create chaos!
"careful!"
Lu Zhanming noticed the slight twitch in the other person's shoulder the moment he did, but instead of dodging immediately, he shoved Gu Baobao to the side to safety.
He twisted his body using the force of the push, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow to his back. The steel rod grazed his ribs, tearing a gash in his cotton-padded coat.
As Gu Baobao was pushed away, her reaction was extremely quick. She didn't panic and scream; instead, she held her breath.
At the same time, he raised his arm, covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve, and leaned his body against the wall to avoid the area covered by the powder as much as possible.
Almost at the same second that the sneak attack occurred!
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