Country Lad

A sudden, continuous drizzle fell like drops of ink on raw Xuan paper, slowly bleeding through and soaking the ancient capital of Jinling. No. 66 Fuhougang was a Western-style brick-and-wood pseudo-three-story building. Once the private residence of Mr. Zhang, president of Nankai University, its eastern three-story wing had now been partitioned off from the western building. This half of the building, temporarily occupied by the Red Party, appeared exceptionally bleak yet steadfast in the fine rain. The shadow of the pagoda tree before the building stretched long. Its once-lush canopy had been heavily pruned by the Nationalist authorities under the pretext of urban cleanup and preventing falling branches from causing injuries. With the trees shorn of cover, the lookout post of the Party Affairs Investigation Department could keep constant watch through binoculars with far greater ease. In a room on the second floor, a middle-aged man drew back a corner of the curtain slightly. He observed through the dense veil of rain for about twenty seconds before decisively pulling his hand back. Footsteps sounded in the hallway; he recognized them as Comrade Hou Jianbai's. "Mr. Tian," Hou Jianbai called, knocking on the door. "Come in," Mr. Tian said in a deep voice. "What are our old friends up to over there?" he asked Hou Jianbai. The Party Affairs Investigation Department kept day-and-night watch over the Eighth Route Army Office, and the Office, remaining vigilant against the enemy at all times, naturally kept a close eye on their movements as well. "The Investigation Department seems to have secretly arrested someone," Hou Jianbai said. "Oh?" Mr. Tian's expression turned stern at once. "Can we find out anything about them?" "The person was wearing a hood when brought in, so visual confirmation was impossible," Hou Jianbai said. "However, there is an unusual circumstance." He told Mr. Tian, "Just over ten minutes ago, a group of uninvited guests arrived next door. It seems these unwelcome guests clashed with the hosts." "Did you notice something?" Mr. Tian looked at Hou Jianbai. This comrade was a born intelligence operative, possessing keen eyes that caught the subtlest clues. "Five people arrived, but six left," Hou Jianbai told Mr. Tian. "Most importantly, even though they held umbrellas to shield themselves when leaving, I noticed that the back of the extra person closely resembled the one the Investigation Department arrested." "How did this person leave?" Mr. Tian asked immediately, his interest piqued. "Judging from behind, this person walked side by side with their leader, tilted his head to talk, and finally got into the car willingly," Hou Jianbai answered, understanding what Mr. Tian was getting at. "It didn't look like an arrest." "Little Monkey," Mr. Tian smiled. "Let me test you. What do you make of this?" "The Party Affairs Investigation Department arrested someone, and yet they let him go—this shows the other party carries significant weight, though relations between them are clearly strained," Hou Jianbai pondered and said. "Few fit that description, and the most likely is Boss Dai's Secret Service." "Sound analysis." Mr. Tian nodded slightly and quipped, "It seems Qin Weizhen's men and Dai Yunong's men just put on a fine dog-eat-dog show." Right at that moment, there came a knock at the door. Hou Jianbai opened it. A young comrade handed him an envelope and whispered a few words. Hou Jianbai closed the door, pulled a sheet of paper from the envelope, and his expression instantly grew grave. "Comrade 'Country Lad,' a telegram from Yanzhou." *** Next door, in the office of the Chief of the Nanjing Special District of the Party Affairs Investigation Department. Zhang Jiaju stood ramrod straight, his eyes reflecting seventy percent tension and unease, with thirty percent grief and indignation. "What is it?" Yang Shutong glanced at his favorite subordinate and said blandly, "Still nursing a grudge? If you can't accept it, feel free to chase after Chen Cang and put a bullet through him." With that, he pulled an exquisite Browning pistol from a drawer and slapped it onto the desk. "Use mine." "Chief," Zhang Jiaju gave a bitter smile and said, "I just can't wrap my head around it. We went to tremendous lengths to capture an important Red Party fugitive, and all they had to say was that he belonged to them, and they snatched him away in broad daylight! Where is the justice in that? Where is the rule of law?" "Justice? The rule of law?" Yang Shutong gave a cold snort. He glared at Zhang Jiaju. "Dai Yunong said the man is his, and that won't be a lie. In a matter like this, Dai wouldn't make an amateur mistake and hand us any leverage against him." Hearing Yang Shutong say this, Zhang Jiaju parted his lips, then sighed dejectedly. "I understand now." "What do you understand?" Yang Shutong asked coldly. "I fell for 'Great Sage's' trick," Zhang Jiaju said dispiritedly. "Your sharp wake-up call brought me to my senses, Chief." Yang Shutong looked at him. "Earlier, I was quite pleased with myself, thinking everything was within my grasp," Zhang Jiaju said. "Now it seems all of it was within 'Great Sage's' calculations. He deliberately left those clues to point us toward Zou Deben at the Jinling Bearing Factory." He shook his head with a sigh. "I took the bait without fail. Believing I had found a real lead, I simply followed what 'Great Sage' engineered and went ahead to arrest Zou Deben." "And so?" Yang Shutong glared at him. "'Great Sage' laid this trap not just for me; objectively speaking, his goal was to test 'Wildcat.' That man is exceptionally crafty and alert. Though we don't know the exact reason, the fact remains that 'Great Sage' suspected something was wrong with 'Wildcat,'" Zhang Jiaju explained. "Now that I've fallen into the trap, it effectively confirms to 'Great Sage,' hiding in the shadows, that 'Wildcat' is indeed compromised." "It seems you haven't gone completely blind," Yang Shutong grunted coldly. "Zou Deben was an early-warning tripwire 'Great Sage' set up long ago. As soon as someone moved against Zou Deben, 'Great Sage' would get his answer." "'Great Sage' is far too cunning," Zhang Jiaju admitted dejectedly. "I was already on high alert and took him very seriously, yet I still fell right into his trap. It is my dereliction of duty. Please punish me, Chief." "You were negligent, and you deserve punishment!" Yang Shutong said crossly. "Your biggest offense was letting Dai Yunong make a fool out of us!" Striking the desk, Yang Shutong continued, "Because of the fine spectacle you created, Mr. Qin might very well face Dai Yunong's mockery to his face!" "Please punish me, Chief." Shame and anxiety were written all over Zhang Jiaju's face. He knew Yang Shutong was right. Botching an operation was one thing, but stirring up this mess and letting the Lixingshe Special Services Department charge in and make a mockery of them was the greatest mistake of all. "Enough." Yang Shutong glared at Zhang Jiaju. "When it comes to Mr. Qin, a matter like this isn't something a section chief like you can shoulder. "If Mr. Qin wants to scold someone, he'll scold me. You don't even qualify." He pointed at Zhang Jiaju and snapped, "The only one who gets to scold you is me." Zhang Jiaju's face immediately filled with gratitude. "Your protection touches me to tears, Chief." "You, just be sharper in the future, and don't make a mess like this ever again," Yang Shutong sighed. He fixed his eyes on Zhang Jiaju. "Even though Zou Deben was arrested by mistake, the fact that we were able to catch him is a lead in itself. You know what to do, right?"