The Trade

As soon as Chen Chuan and the others climbed down from the armored transport vehicle, they were invited into Guan Yuming's temporary command post. Guan Yuming had his aide brief the group on the situation before adding, "Everyone, Mrs. Fang has already gone to prepare the pharmaceuticals. Right now, I need you to act as circumstances allow. If conditions permit during the exchange, find a way to rescue the hostage. As long as he's pulled out safely, it will be much easier for us to make our move." Even though he framed it that way, the Wuyi students were naturally free to decline. As commissioned contractors rather than anyone's subordinates, the task was by no means mandatory for them. Han Guo remained silent off to the side. Her role was to provide information and evaluations; how the students chose to proceed was their own business, and she would not interfere. Among the students, a senior surnamed Liu considered it for a moment and asked, "What is the status of the villagers in Caijia Stockade?" Guan Yuming replied, "Unclear at the moment. Caijia Stockade was likely taken over by the resistance organization beforehand, and that group appears to have ties with Fang Dawei's bandits. All I can say is that the situation inside the village is worrisome." The students conferred among themselves. Most were inclined to accept; after all, they were to act as circumstances allowed and retained full autonomy. If no opening presented itself, they did not have to make a move at all. Chen Chuan offered no opinion throughout. The upperclassmen had experience after all, and their line of reasoning during the discussion sounded quite sound. The student surnamed Liu then made a request: "Chief Guan, we can agree, but given that the enemies possess implants as well as firearms, we need the constabulary to provide us with protective suits and grant us temporary authorization to wear them." Guan Yuming readily agreed: "Done." If these youths could truly resolve the problem, it would save him a great deal of trouble. Hearing his consent, the upperclassmen visibly relaxed a bit. With protective suits, they could operate with somewhat bolder leeway. The protective suits were delivered shortly after. Though merely standard-issue gear, they were more than sufficient for their needs. Everyone quickly changed into one, Chen Chuan included. The protective suit wrapped snugly around the body and had some thickness to it, but it was not overly heavy and did not impede his movements. Meanwhile, Mrs. Fang's pharmaceuticals arrived. Guan Yuming first had the herald at the front line relay a verbal message toward the stockade. Once a definite confirmation came back, the group took the medicine and set out toward the village. Along the way, the senior surnamed Wu suddenly asked Chen Chuan, "Junior, nervous?" Chen Chuan said, "I'm all right." The senior surnamed Wu glanced at him with a chuckle. "You've got some nerve then. I'm already feeling pretty uneasy myself." "Enough, stop talking." The senior surnamed Liu turned his head and said solemnly to Chen Chuan, "Student Chen, I know you're very capable, but you might not have experience handling this sort of situation. I'll be the one negotiating with the bandits shortly. If there's no opening, forget about it. Under no circumstances should you act rashly. None of us is alone out here; we're a team now. If something goes wrong, it could get everyone killed. But if we really have to make a move, don't hesitate either." He glanced at the others as well. "Same goes for the rest of you." The student surnamed Wu replied, "All right, Brother Liu." Chen Chuan nodded. The reasoning was sound, and he agreed with it. Missions and objectives could be set aside; personal safety had to come first. As the group drew closer to the stockade, the senior surnamed Liu peered inside. Seeing that the village was eerily silent, he turned back and said, "Junior Chen, Junior Wu, we'll go in to negotiate. You two wait at the village entrance and cover our retreat. Remember to keep some distance between yourselves; don't bunch up together." The senior surnamed Wu seemed somewhat dissatisfied with being left behind and mumbled something under his breath. Chen Chuan simply nodded. There was nothing wrong with this arrangement. Having people watch the perimeter was indeed better so their retreat wouldn't be cut off. Regardless of how roles were assigned, someone had to stay outside anyway, so he had no objections. After giving his instructions, Senior Liu entered the village alongside the other three students. For safety's sake, he split them into pairs, keeping about a dozen meters between the two groups. Yet upon entering the village, the surroundings remained dead quiet, as though nobody was there at all. Looking further ahead, they spotted a three-story brick-and-timber building in the village center, seemingly the tallest structure in the stockade, and tentatively made their way toward it. Back at the outpost command post, Guan Yuming monitored their movements through binoculars while observing the village. Yet there was still no sign of activity, as if everyone had gone into hiding. Just as some members of the Wuyi squad pushed deep into the village until their figures were nearly out of sight, the telephone rang behind him once again. His deputy answered it, then turned around. "Chief Guan, the director is on the line." Guan Yuming immediately turned and picked up the receiver. "Hello, Guan Yuming here." A voice spoke from the other end. After hearing just a single sentence, his expression tightened. His gaze darted toward the village, and he barked at the dispatch officer, "Send word! Have them pull back immediately!" The dispatch officer reacted swiftly, darting outside at once. Chen Chuan was waiting below the gentle slope when he suddenly heard a shout echoing from far behind. He turned around and saw a patrolman sprint out onto the distant knoll, shouting at the top of his lungs. At that moment, the student surnamed Wu stationed further ahead twitched his ears, having caught the words as well. He immediately sprinted into the village and bellowed inside, "Seniors, the child isn't in the village! Chief Guan ordered us to pull back!" Hearing the shout from afar, Senior Liu and his companions turned and ran back without hesitation. But at that very instant, Senior Liu's pair faintly caught the sound of a child crying. Their steps abruptly hitched. The female student urgently said, "The child isn't here!" "But there is a child in there!" Senior Liu replied in a low voice. Snatching the protective umbrella from the female student's hands, he shoved her toward the exit. "Go back first!" Turning on his heels, he bolted toward the building where the crying had come from. The female student looked at him, gritted her teeth, and ran back as fast as she could. Right at that moment, a massive explosion erupted along the path behind her. Buildings across the village center collapsed one after another, hurling broken stone and brick far beyond the village borders. Even where Chen Chuan and the others stood, a shower of dust and gravel came raining down. Meanwhile, back at the outpost command post, Mrs. Fang was waiting in anxious apprehension. The sound of the explosion drained all color from her face, leaving her limbs trembling uncontrollably. She stumbled over to Guan Yuming and grabbed hold of him, overcome with terror. "Chief Guan, weren't you going to make the trade? I gave you the medicine! Did you push those people too hard? Why did you have to corner them?! Why?! My son is only seven years old, he didn't do anything wrong!" Guan Yuming said, "Mrs. Fang, please calm down. Your son is not in the village." Mrs. Fang could hardly believe her ears. A surge of hope immediately welled up within her as she clutched Guan Yuming's arm tightly, her fingernails digging into his flesh. Staring at him, she rasped, "He's not in the village? Then where is he? Where is he?!" Guan Yuming seemed unaffected, speaking in a calm, steady tone: "According to the phone call I just received, your son, Fang Xunli, slipped out of the house alone at eight-thirty this morning to play at a classmate's home. I don't know how he managed it, but he is currently with his classmate." Looking at the stunned Mrs. Fang, he added, "In other words, the bandits never captured your son." As if all strength had drained from her body in an instant, Mrs. Fang began to slide downward. Guan Yuming caught her by the arm and instructed his deputy, "Escort Mrs. Fang back." The deputy hurried over to take charge of her. "Report!" A dispatch officer stepped up with a salute. "Captain Yu reports that Fang Dawei's gang withdrew from the north during the exchange. He asks whether to pursue!" Guan Yuming said in a deep voice, "Pass the order: have him tail them immediately. Sink his teeth into that gang and don't let go!" "Yes, sir!" Meanwhile, Han Guo was also observing the situation inside the village through binoculars. The driver of the armored transport vehicle walked up, handed her a slip of paper, and said, "Committee Member Han, a telegram has arrived." She took it, rapidly deciphered the contents in her mind, and said, "Reply that I acknowledge receipt and will relay the situation truthfully to the commissioned students." ... ...