Cheap Cigarettes

Early morning. Xiaguan Pier. Fang Jibai boarded the ferry sailing from Nanjing to Danyang in Zhenjiang. This was an express boat that required no intermediate stops, traveling straight to Danyang. It was enough to ensure he would arrive on schedule, just as he would have on the slow boat that had departed from Nanjing yesterday. "If there's a problem with Wildcat, the enemy should already be at the door of No. 21 Shipopo Lane by now..." Fang Jibai huddled in a corner of the deck, staring bitterly at the rushing river water, deep in thought. Facing Wildcat at midnight with that attitude, manner of speech, and the resulting eccentric temperament had been a spur-of-the-moment final decision made after the door opened—far more excessive than his original plan. For no other reason than this: the moment he stepped inside, the wind blew in, carrying a mixture of scents that set alarm bells ringing in his mind. He had faintly caught the lingering smells of roast duck and spiced beef in the air. Furthermore, most importantly, he had smelled liquor—Wujiapi wine. That kind of liquor cost about five yuan a bottle. This was utterly unreasonable. After leaving No. 21 Shipopo Lane, instead of staking out the place or investigating from the shadows, he had left without hesitation. However, he hadn't gone straight to the pier. He had first slipped back to the inn, retrieved his bundle of luggage, and quietly slipped away. *** No. 21 Shipopo Lane. "You just stood there and watched Great Sage walk away?" Cao Anmin glared savagely at Liu Antai. As he spoke, he moved forward to kick Liu Antai. "Impudent!" Zhang Jiaju slammed the table, rebuking him sharply. Then he turned his gaze to Liu Antai. "Mr. Liu, please continue." "Great Sage suddenly asked me the time, then immediately said he had to leave. Before I could even react, he decisively stood up and walked out," Liu Antai said. "I asked him why he was in such a hurry." "And what did he say?" "He only said time was pressing and he had to go," Liu Antai replied. "However, Great Sage agreed that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would come to see me again in half a month." "Half a month..." Zhang Jiaju murmured thoughtfully, nodding. He looked at Liu Antai. "Recount the entire sequence of events once more. Be as detailed as possible. Every detail, every word, even the gestures he made while speaking that you can recall—explain them all as clearly as you can." Zhang Jiaju's expression was grave. "Start from the moment you heard the knock at the door." "Yes, yes, of course." Liu Antai was somewhat nervous. He began to narrate, pausing occasionally to recall details and inserting additions to earlier points. Zhang Jiaju was in no rush and did not press him, avoiding unnecessary questions so as not to interrupt Liu Antai's recollections. When Liu Antai finished speaking, Zhang Jiaju sank into deep thought. None of the men dared disturb him. "Anmin." Zhang Jiaju looked at Cao Anmin. "Section Chief." "Go investigate. Check the nearby inns," Zhang Jiaju instructed. "If I'm not mistaken, we can find traces of Great Sage." "Yes!" Cao Anmin turned to leave, but came back a moment later. "Well?" Zhang Jiaju frowned, looking at Cao Anmin. "Section Chief, we don't know what this man looks like, and we don't have any other distinguishing features. How are we supposed to search?" Cao Anmin asked, troubled. "Idiot." Zhang Jiaju gave his subordinate a look of disdain. "The man is strapped for cash; he would stay at cheap inns. "However, take note: although he has no money, he wouldn't choose a communal bunk room to share with others. He would take a private room. "Also, focus on anyone who left without checking out," he told Cao Anmin. "Understood!" Cao Anmin said delightedly. "As expected of you, Section Chief—I never would have thought of that." "Now that you understand, get to work," Zhang Jiaju snapped. "Yes, sir!" Cao Anmin hurried away, wind at his heels. *** Zhang Jiaju looked at Liu Antai, who seemed to hesitate, wanting to speak. "Mr. Liu, speak your mind if you have something to say." A warm smile appeared on his face. "We are all on the same boat now, our own people. There is nothing you cannot say." "Based on my analysis and speculation, Great Sage should be an impoverished laborer," Liu Antai said. "I don't believe he would be willing to spend money on a private room at an inn." He pointed toward the cigarette that had been found on the table. Zhang Jiaju picked up the cigarette and sniffed it. The pungent scent of inferior tobacco assaulted his nostrils. "Great Sage took the empty pack with him," Liu Antai said. "However, I'm familiar with this cigarette. It's Caifeng." "The Caifeng that Zhou Zhangshou likes to smoke?" Zhang Jiaju raised an eyebrow and asked. "Ah, yes." Liu Antai nodded. Zhang Jiaju stared at the cigarette in his hand. Caifeng was the cheapest brand of cigarettes, and its tobacco smoke was very harsh. "Go on." He glanced at Liu Antai. "Even though Great Sage was very careful when speaking, a few words still slipped out and gave away clues," Liu Antai said. "He was sick, yet still had to work overtime. Besides, he mentioned that he caught the illness from a coworker. All of this indicates he is a laborer living in dire straits with a heavy workload." "Continue. What else?" Zhang Jiaju nodded slightly, encouraging Liu Antai to go on. "The impression this person gave me was very strange—one could even describe it as terrible," Liu Antai said. "I have never seen a comrade come to contact a superior like that. "He seemed completely self-centered." Encouraged by Zhang Jiaju's gaze, Liu Antai continued. He laid out his judgment and analysis of Great Sage to Zhang Jiaju. "A very cautious Red Party underground operative with his own code of conduct—sensitive, stubborn, yet seemingly willing to admit his own faults. A very contradictory man." Zhang Jiaju stood up, lit a cigarette, and paced back and forth, pondering aloud. "This is an old fox. Even if someone like him is severely strapped for cash, because he had an operation at night, he would still choose a private room," Zhang Jiaju said. "However, he would pick the cheapest private room possible to avoid drawing suspicion. "What about his promise to see you in half a month?" he asked Liu Antai. "Do you believe it?" "I believe it, and yet I don't," Liu Antai said, furrowing his brows in thought. "Explain." "I believe it because I don't think Great Sage knows I have forsaken darkness to cross over to the light. Therefore, even though his departure was abrupt, I still believe he will come to see me in half a month," Liu Antai said. "As for why I don't believe it—the man is somewhat bizarre. The more I think about it, the more I feel I cannot fathom him." Having finished, Liu Antai stood respectfully at attention. "It's only natural you can't fathom him." Zhang Jiaju let out a soft laugh. "The man is far more cunning than you realize." *** Footsteps came from the courtyard. "Section Chief, I found something!" Cao Anmin rushed in and reported to Zhang Jiaju. "Yesterday, someone like that stayed at the Limin Inn. Sure enough, in a private room. The innkeeper said he didn't know when the guest left." "When did he check in?" Zhang Jiaju asked. "Yesterday at noon." "Investigate," Zhang Jiaju pondered. "Check the factories in Nanjing." "Huh?" Cao Anmin's mouth fell open. "Focus on workplaces that use machine oil," Zhang Jiaju said, still twirling that Caifeng cigarette in his hand. A tiny speck of machine oil stained the cigarette, so subtle that one wouldn't notice without looking closely. "In addition, focus on workplaces that give half a day off every two weeks," Zhang Jiaju said. "That should be easier to track down." He realized he had grasped the reason why the other party had resolutely broken off the contact and insisted on leaving. Great Sage only had half a day off; once daylight broke, he had to report for work. An underground operative who could stay undercover for so many years would strictly adhere to the most reasonable living and working routines, never allowing himself to be absent from work. "With Shipopo Lane as the center," Zhang Jiaju said, "search the factories reachable within two hours." No matter how cunning the fox, it would eventually show its tail. Perhaps having a cold had impaired his thinking; as cautious as Great Sage had been, he had still left behind minor flaws. Or rather, one couldn't even call them flaws—anyone else conducting the investigation might have overlooked these traces, but unfortunately for him, he had run into Zhang Jiaju. "Also, this person caught typhoid from a coworker," Liu Antai suddenly chimed in from the side. "This is very important. Extremely important." Cao Anmin snorted coldly, casting an unfriendly glare at Liu Antai before looking back at Zhang Jiaju. "Mr. Liu is quite right." Zhang Jiaju smiled faintly. "Do as Mr. Liu says."