Li Ruhui's sole purpose in coming to Ruguan was to cover up the Tianguang-1.
Li Ruhui graduated from the Cattell School of Strategic Studies, whose motto is "Strategy is the art, war is the work of art." The school emblem is a key and a dagger crossed.
With a wealth of top-notch intelligence and a burning desire to serve his motherland, Li Ruhui returned to his war-torn homeland like a bird returning to its nest.
He initially chose the Nationalist Party because it appeared to possess greater military strength. The first lesson Li Ruhui learned was that in the face of absolute military power, all strategy and tactics become meaningless.
Li Ruhui knew that with his impressive resume, he could easily join the Kuomintang without starting from the bottom. Initially, he sought a position as a staff officer in a local operations section or a military advisor for the Northern Theater Command, but unfortunately, for various reasons, both of these wishes were dashed.
He eventually became a member of a general's think tank, hoping to make a name for himself and realize his ambitions. However, during the war against aggression, the general received advance warning and, without firing a single shot, led his troops to lose the entire province and fled.
Principal Kou, in a fit of rage, had the man shot. And the valiant general's advisors, though forced to accompany him, were forever deprived of their chance to enter the center of power.
Li Ruhui was relegated to a sinecure. His main task each day was processing paperwork. In those documents, the Nationalist army was described as having thwarted the invaders' offensive with overwhelming force, and the battle reports showed one great victory after another; but in reality, Li Ruhui only saw his colleagues sweeping away the supplies of the frontline soldiers with the speed and efficiency, their pockets getting fatter and fatter.
Even in military school, Li Ruhui had never learned the tactics of simultaneously seizing frontline supplies and leading soldiers to victory. This struck him as quite unusual.
Comfortable days can erode one's fighting spirit. Li Ruhui fell into panic during such a period. He worried that he would eventually give up and become a useless person like the general or his colleagues. He became increasingly depressed and spent his days drowning his sorrows in alcohol—his superiors had criticized him for this, but after seeing that he could still handle documents perfectly even when drunk, they stopped bothering him.
Until one day, his boss suddenly approached him and started having a heart-to-heart talk with him.
Li Ruhui initially didn't want to pay any attention to his easygoing boss. However, after exchanging a few perfunctory words with him, Li Ruhui was surprised to find that their views and opinions were so perfectly aligned, like kindred spirits who had met only once in a lifetime!
Li Ruhui and the other man found themselves increasingly congenial. The youthful ambition and passion he once possessed were rekindled. He began to discuss current affairs with the other man, and sometimes, when drunk, he would utter many words that could be described as rebellious.
Li Ruhui developed an alcoholic addiction during his long period of inactivity. In his drunken stupor, he felt that his superior's eyes were always cold, as clear as snow.
What happened next was inevitable. Li Ruhui's superior was actually an underground Communist Party member. He was adept at playing chess and currying favor with those in power. He valued Li Ruhui's talent and his integrity, which was not tainted by the bureaucratic style of the Nationalist government, and wanted to bring him to the side of justice.
Li Ruhui didn't hesitate for long. After all, the worst outcome was losing the country without firing a single shot and being branded a deserter—something he had already experienced. He was willing to do anything to escape those toilet paper-like battle reports, his colleagues who relentlessly exploited his soldiers, and a future with no chance of fighting.
The Communist Party had connections at every level, and after several twists and turns, Li Ruhui finally escaped from his small office piled high with documents. He went to the rear base area, where he began to receive systematic training, ideological and political education, to feel the great faith, and to wash away the decadence in his body.
That experience was invaluable. In this uplifting atmosphere, Li Ruhui rediscovered himself, finding the ambitious young man he had been years before.
He had imagined becoming an undercover agent, embarking on a thrilling and suspenseful espionage career, just like he had studied at Carter Lane. Or perhaps becoming a commander, leading battle after battle with great flair. He even preferred to be an ordinary soldier, firing bullets into enemy throats on the battlefield, rather than endlessly wasting his life.
No. None of that. After a long period of training, Li Ruhui's first order was to go to a place called Ruguan to provide cover for a person codenamed Tianguang No. 1, to play the role of her fiancé, and to cooperate with all her work.
The organization required him to prioritize Tianguang-1 in everything. Tianguang-1's safety was of paramount importance; Tianguang-1's mission was his mission; Tianguang-1 himself was his superior; and even, in the most dire emergencies, Tianguang-1 could bypass the organization and give him orders directly.
Li Ruhui has become a vassal once again. He was vassal of the clerk before, and now he is vassal of Tianguang No. 1.
This outcome left Li Ruhui both amused and exasperated. However, this was, after all, the first task assigned to him by the organization. Li Ruhui was determined to do it well.
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