The reception room at No. 3 Xufuxiang was on the second floor.
Dongfang Xu had promised "good tea and fine cigarettes," and indeed, both were provided.
Zeng Qing ushered him inside.
Before long, someone brought up a teapot filled with freshly brewed tea and set it on the table alongside two teacups.
A moment later, there came a knock at the door. Zeng Qing answered it, took a thermos from the person outside, and placed it in the corner.
"Mr. Fang, if you need anything, simply pull this cord for the bell, and I'll come right away." Pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, Zeng Qing set them on the table, pointed to the cord connected to the bell, and spoke without an ounce of expression.
"What is the meaning of this?" A flicker of unease crossed Fang Jibai's face as he asked, "Are you placing me under house arrest?"
"There is no need to be nervous, Mr. Fang." Zeng Qing offered a hollow, skin-deep smile, cupped his hands in a perfunctory salute, and stepped out, pulling the door shut behind him.
Fang Jibai took a seat in the chair. He reached for the teapot, lifted the lid to take in the tea's aroma, and set the lid back down.
He poured a cup of tea, yet did not drink it.
Sitting upright in the chair, his gaze fixed steadily on the cup of tea before him, he remained motionless for quite a while before finally standing up.
He walked over to the window and looked out.
Watching the activity in the courtyard below, Fang Jibai observed staff bustling back and forth and vehicles moving in and out frequently. A spark of interest appeared in his expression, easing the tension on his face.
*They call it a reception room, but it's more like a temporary detention cell,* Fang Jibai thought to himself.
At the very least, it served the exact purpose of one.
The window was barred with steel rods as thick as a thumb, fully preventing any guest from making a break through the opening.
Moreover, a glance earlier had shown him a sentry post stationed at roughly the nine-thirty position. If anything out of the ordinary happened by this window, they could react immediately.
Meanwhile, the frantic hustle in the courtyard also drew Fang Jibai's attention and curiosity.
During the short time he stood watching, two sedans drove into the courtyard one after the other, continuing toward the rear courtyard until they slipped out of sight.
Military trucks rolled in and out as well, their beds draped in tarpaulins that concealed whatever cargo they carried. Comparing the tires of a truck that had just departed with those of another driving inside, Fang Jibai deduced that the departing vehicle carried a much heavier load—perhaps fully laden—whereas the incoming truck carried a lighter load, if not completely empty.
Granted, they were not the exact same truck, and varying tire pressure precluded any rigorous comparison, but it still served as a useful reference.
Was No. 3 Xufuxiang in the middle of moving?
Or were they transferring supplies?
An analytical question formed in Fang Jibai's mind.
Returning to the table, he sat down once more. This time, he picked up the teacup, took a sip of the now-cold brew, and downed the rest in one gulp.
He refilled the cup with the teapot, but took no further sips.
Turning his head toward the firmly shut door, his brow furrowed. He took two steps toward it, reached out his hand as if intending to crack it open and check outside, but after a moment's hesitation, he abandoned the thought.
***
Dai Peilin's office.
"This is the codebook?" Dai Peilin picked it up and examined it closely.
It was a 1925 edition of *Dream of the Red Chamber*.
At first glance, there was nothing amiss about it.
Yet when opened, the interior of the volume was hollowed out, and nestled securely within the hollow was a small booklet—the codebook itself.
"Yes, Boss," Dongfang Xu answered promptly. "This codebook was discovered at the home of 'Anggong' in Jiangjia Village, Lücheng Town. Because that location served as a Japanese spy's hideout, this subordinate strongly suspects it is the very radio codebook the Lücheng Police Department previously failed to locate."
"Tell me about it. What are the details?" Dai Peilin said, continuing to scrutinize the booklet with keen interest.
"Yes, sir." With a stern, solemn expression, Dongfang Xu delivered his report. Dai Peilin interjected with questions from time to time, and Dongfang Xu answered each one with great care.
"So what you're saying is that this codebook was actually uncovered by Fang Jibai leading men from the Lücheng Police Department?" Dai Peilin looked up at Dongfang Xu and asked.
"Yes, sir," Dongfang Xu replied. "At the time, this subordinate had received your telegram, Boss, instructing me to find a way to make contact with Fang Jibai... I happened to spot that fellow Tang Yan acting suspiciously, so I followed him to investigate."
"I told you to find a way to establish contact with Fang Jibai, and this is how you make contact?" Dai Peilin pointed at the codebook, looking somewhere between exasperated and amused as he demanded, "Tracking his subordinate and seizing the codebook he found—what a brilliant way to make contact!"
Dongfang Xu found himself at a loss for words, stunned internally.
This outcome differed considerably from what he had imagined and anticipated. It seemed Boss Dai didn't attach sufficient weight to the codebook—no, he could clearly sense Boss Dai's excitement and pleasure over securing a Japanese codebook. Yet Boss Dai's interest in Fang Jibai, or rather the priority of his order to 'find a way to make contact and cultivate ties with Fang Jibai,' had not diminished in the least despite the merit of recovering the codebook.
Was it because Fang Jibai's discovery of the codebook further demonstrated the man's competence, earning him even greater appreciation from Boss Dai?
Or did Fang Jibai harbor some unknown background that commanded Boss Dai's attention?
Dongfang Xu could not tell.
All he could do now was mount the best defense he could.
"It is this subordinate's fault. I acted with undue haste," Dongfang Xu conceded readily. "Tracking down and capturing Japanese spies is properly the designated responsibility of our Secret Service. Yet the Lücheng Police Department beat us to the punch. This subordinate felt deeply disgraced and thought that recovering the Japanese codebook might salvage our standing..."
He added with earnest sincerity, "It was my impatience that clouded my judgment, causing me to lose sight of the Boss's orders."
"Short-sighted fool." Dai Peilin cast a piercing gaze at Dongfang Xu. Finally, he gave a cold snort and snapped, "Think carefully before you act in the future. Until you receive a newer order, my telegram remains your top priority, always."
"Yes, sir. This subordinate understands. I was short-sighted," Dongfang Xu stammered repeatedly.
A fine sheen of cold sweat broke out across his back.
Though Boss Dai spared him any further tongue-lashing, Dongfang Xu knew he had walked right to the brink of the underworld and barely scraped through.
The gravity of the matter exceeded his imagination.
For Dai Peilin to point out his mistake so bluntly was exceedingly rare, and it spoke volumes about Boss Dai's disappointment in him.
It was also a stern warning.
No matter what unfolded, once he received Dai Peilin's telegram, the directive laid out in that telegram took absolute precedence over everything else.
It no longer even mattered why Fang Jibai had drawn Boss Dai's attention; what mattered was the objective reality of that telegram's existence!
Chapter 41