Chapter 52.2

Above, Su Xi had been focusing on the movements inside since Xie Zhen and the others entered. Sounds continuously filtered into her ears. Although she hadn’t gone inside, she had a general idea that everything was proceeding smoothly, and they weren’t facing any danger.

To be honest, she felt relieved; she wasn’t prepared to witness a real gunfight.

Suddenly, Su Xi turned her head and glanced at the nearby courtyard.

A delicate-looking woman peeked out from the house, seemingly confirming that no one was around.

Clutching a bundle in her arms, she sneaked toward what was clearly the kitchen.

On high alert, Su Xi immediately crouched down to observe the activity in the courtyard closely.

At that moment, a thin, black-haired boy dashed out of the house. Seeing the woman heading toward the kitchen, he assumed she was going to make something delicious and cheerfully shouted, “Mom, I’m hungry! I want to eat something tasty!”

The woman, startled by the unexpected presence of her child behind her, turned around and hurriedly shooed him away. “What are you doing out here? Get back inside; there’s nothing to eat!”

“I don’t believe you! I saw the good stuff you were carrying!”

The woman’s face went pale with anxiety. She instinctively glanced around but, seeing no one else, finally sighed in relief as she scolded her son to return inside. “Hurry back! Don’t follow me! If you don’t listen, Mom will spank you!”

The little boy, clearly a mischievous rascal, didn’t seem to grasp the danger. He plopped down on the ground, kicking his legs vigorously and yelling, “Mom, if you hide good stuff and don’t give me any, I’ll tell Dad, and he’ll spank you!”

The woman, infuriated, fell back and raised her hand to slap the little boy a few times, cursing as she did so, “You little brat! I’ve treated you so well, and when have I ever not given you something good to eat? Hurry up and get back inside!”

The boy was tough; he didn’t cry after being hit. Wiping his nose with his sleeve, he scrambled back up and lunged to snatch the bundle from the woman’s hands, shouting, “I don’t believe you! I saw it last time when I was hiding in the wardrobe. It’s the good stuff Auntie Dajun gave you!”

Upon hearing this, the woman turned pale, feeling her head spin. She loosened her grip, and the bundle was quickly snatched away by the boy.

As she frantically tried to grab it back, the boy had already shaken the package open.

A large stack of letters fluttered to the ground.

The boy, oblivious to his mother’s unease, picked up one letter curiously, took a look, and then disappointedly said, “So it really isn’t food, huh?”

The woman went wild, lunging at him and shaking her hands to quickly gather the scattered letters in front of her. Her gaze turned fierce as she glared at the boy, completely losing her usual gentleness.

The little boy was startled by his mother’s ghastly expression and let out a yelp before bolting away.

At that moment, the woman had no time to chase after him. Just as she finished stuffing the letters back into the bundle, she felt a tug, and the package was snatched from her hands again.

Initially, she thought it was her son being mischievous again and was about to hit someone, but when she looked up, she saw a beautiful, otherworldly woman holding her bundle, staring at her coldly.

The woman’s heart raced with anxiety; she had no idea when this girl had appeared or how much she had seen. Regardless, to eliminate any risk of exposure, this girl had to die.

Thinking this, she quickly scanned her surroundings and noticed that only this girl was present. Her heart, which had been in turmoil, calmed down.

A smile crept onto her lovely face. She casually slipped one hand into her pants pocket while pointing at the bundle in Su Xi’s hands with the other. “Little sister, that package…”

But Su Xi didn’t say a word. She raised her foot and kicked the woman down. As the woman fell and spat blood, Su Xi stepped forward swiftly, knocked the incredulous woman unconscious, and then reached into the woman’s pocket to pull out a wooden pistol.

Su Xi scoffed, “Why waste time talking? Don’t you know that the villain dies from talking too much?”

Fortunately, the woman was already unconscious; otherwise, hearing Su Xi’s words would have made her spit blood again.

After putting the wooden pistol into her pocket, Su Xi grabbed the bundle in one hand and the woman in the other, heading directly to the neighboring courtyard.

The little soldiers at the door gaped in astonishment as Su Xi calmly carried the woman toward the Wang family’s direction.

Then, she spotted Xie Zhen, who had just came out from the underground and was pushing things at the entrance.

Perhaps out of concern for causing panic among the common people, all the items that had been moved out were sealed tightly in boxes.

Su Xi looked at the small soldiers, who were still busily coming in and out, and knew that there were still many things left to be moved.

Xie Zhen saw his partner carrying someone over and stepped forward to ask, “What’s this?”

Su Xi threw the person down onto the ground. “This is a companion; I snatched this letter from her side just before she was about to burn it.”

After saying this, she handed the package in her hand to Xie Zhen.

Upon hearing Su Xi’s words, not only did Xie Zhen become excited, but even Wang Dajun and a few others, who had been tied up and silent, changed their expressions drastically at the sight of the woman Su Xi had brought in, along with the letters that had been plundered.

Their earlier indifference could no longer be maintained; they wore expressions filled with fierce resentment, as if they wished to kill the woman to vent their anger.

Xie Zhen shot a sharp glance at them and sneered, “It’s too early to change your tune now; you’ll have plenty to endure later.”

Having explained everything, Su Xi was just about to return to continue her surveillance when her eyes lit up with joy. She quietly told Xie Zhen, “The reinforcements have arrived!”

Xie Zhen also relaxed slightly, holding the letters as he walked out with Su Xi.

Standing at the entrance, they waited for a few minutes and soon saw a group of soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army rapidly approaching from a distance.

Su Xi had sharp eyes; she recognized that leading them was Yan An.

She gave Xie Zhen a glance and, with a bit of leverage, climbed up onto the roof to continue her watch.

Yan An had brought a company of men, and with their arrival, things began to move much faster.

In less than half an hour, everything had been organized. Yan An left a company commander and twenty soldiers to carry out inspections of the nearby villagers and to recheck the Wang family’s house to ensure that nothing had been overlooked.

At that moment, Su Xi and Xie Zhen no longer felt the sweetness of the morning; their faces were heavy as they followed the main force back to Hongjun Island.

—o—o—o—

By the time they returned to the island, it was already noon.

However, no one felt like eating. After parting ways with Yan An, Su Xi and Xie Zhen made a beeline for Senior Colonel Zhang’s office.

“Back already!”

When Su Xi and Xie Zhen arrived at the Colonel’s office, Senior Colonel Zhang stood with his hands behind his back, looking out the window as if he had been waiting specifically for them.

Upon seeing the two, he turned around and gestured toward a wooden sofa nearby. “Sit down.”

After saying this, he took a seat in the chair opposite them and gently asked Su Xi, “How are you, Doctor Su? Were you scared?”

Su Xi shook her head. “Colonel, I’m a soldier too!”

Senior Colonel Zhang was taken aback for a moment before breaking into a warm smile. “Yes, yes, yes! I underestimated you because of your looks. You’re doing well!”

After chatting for a few more minutes, Senior Colonel Zhang told Su Xi to return for now.

As she was leaving, he added with a hint of teasing, “I owe you young people an apology. Xie Zhen will be very busy in the coming days, so there probably won’t be any time off. Xiao Su, bear with it a bit; once the mission is over, I’ll make sure he gets a few extra days off to compensate you!”

Su Xi smiled in gratitude to Senior Colonel Zhang and left, aware that the topics discussed afterward involved sensitive information that was not suitable for her to hear.

—o—o—o—

Once Su Xi had gone, Senior Colonel Zhang’s demeanor shifted entirely; the warmth had vanished from his face. He tapped on the desk and said to Xie Zhen, who was sitting upright across from him, “I want you to tell me everything that happened from start to finish!”

Facing Senior Colonel Zhang, Xie Zhen did not hold back any details about Su Xi’s special abilities. After all, Su Xi had not concealed much in front of others this time; her immense strength had already been fully revealed.

So he recounted how Su Xi discovered Wu Hongmei, his concern that led him to follow her, the unexpected sound of the telegraph, and how she later identified another spy and found important documents, detailing everything clearly.

Senior Colonel Zhang’s expression showed surprise. “You mean to say that Xiao Su has naturally keen senses and a lot of strength?”

Xie Zhen nodded in affirmation.

Senior Colonel Zhang’s eyes sparkled with interest. “She would make a good candidate for a scout.”

Xie Zhen’s face darkened. “Uncle!”

“Alright, alright! I get it. Whenever you call me uncle, it’s never a good sign. I won’t force Comrade Su, but if she wants to join, you can’t stop her!” Senior Colonel Zhang waved his hand dismissively.

Xie Zhen smirked. “On the way back, I already asked her. Xi Xi prefers healing others!”

Senior Colonel Zhang clicked his tongue in disappointment. “What a shame!”

Xie Zhen said nothing.

Senior Colonel Zhang shifted the topic. “What do you think? Is there a possibility that Wu Hongmei has already been turned?”

Xie Zhen scoffed. “Not a chance!”

Senior Colonel Zhang was puzzled. “How can you be so sure?”

Xie Zhen replied, “The spies we captured were deeply embedded. Wu Hongmei hasn’t known them for long, and besides, she’s quite foolish. The Wang family wouldn’t trust her with any sensitive information. If I’m not mistaken, the reason they chose that idiot Wu Hongmei was probably to use her as Major Wu’s family member to get onto the island.”

Hearing this, Senior Colonel Zhang recalled Wu Gang, who was still being isolated, and sighed. “Foolish indeed; that kid Wu Gang is in deep trouble!”

At this point, Senior Colonel Zhang stood up and beckoned to Xie Zhen. “Let’s go check on Wu Gang!”

—o—o—o—

In the detention room, Wu Gang lay on the only military cot, his arms behind his head, constantly thinking about what he had done wrong.

If it weren’t for Senior Colonel Zhang’s guard telling him to wait for Senior Colonel Zhang, he wouldn’t have accepted being locked up so readily.

Although soldiers were supposed to obey all orders, being locked up for no reason, without any explanation, was something he found hard to accept.

Wu Gang irritably turned over, wondering if his wife knew about his detention. She shouldn’t rush around; her back had just healed, and he didn’t want her to aggravate it again.

Lost in his thoughts, he suddenly heard a commotion outside the door.

Wu Gang sat up and listened carefully, realizing that the guards were calling for the commander.

Wu Gang’s heart soared with joy as he realized that Senior Colonel Zhang had come to see him. He immediately stood up straight, eagerly looking toward the door.

Sure enough, the door was opened quickly.

Senior Colonel Zhang walked in with Xie Zhen and then fixed his gaze on the clueless subordinate in front of him.

A look of compassion flickered in his eyes as he let out a deep sigh.

He was the first to sit on the bed. The recent humid weather had aggravated his rheumatism, and standing for a long time had taken a toll on his old joints.

He gestured to Xie Zhen and Wu Gang. “You both sit down; let’s have a good talk!”

“Wu Gang, don’t you feel wronged about why I locked you up?” After they settled on the floor, Senior Colonel Zhang looked at Wu Gang, who had been under his command for over twenty years, and sighed.

Wu Gang opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing. He trusted Senior Colonel Zhang; the commander was known for protecting his soldiers. As long as they were willing to fight and had good character, he was the most willing to support them. Otherwise, a rural soldier with limited literacy wouldn’t have made it to the rank of Deputy Regiment Commander.

Senior Colonel Zhang did not see resentment on Wu Gang’s face, which both reassured him and made him feel even more pity for him.

He had witnessed all the blood and tears Wu Gang had shed to reach this point over the years.

However, the fate of a person can sometimes be utterly unpredictable.

Meeting Wu Gang’s uneasy gaze, he directly cut to the chase. “Wu Hongmei has been involved with a spy organization. She was discovered by Xie Zhen this morning, and the spies have been successfully captured by our side.”

Wu Gang shot up, his eyes red and his fists cracking from the force of his grip. He could hardly believe what he had just heard. His lips moved rapidly, and after a long pause, he hoarsely asked, “Are you… are you telling the truth?”

Senior Colonel Zhang stood up as well and patted Wu Gang’s shoulder, reassuring him. “Don’t worry; I will do my best to help you out!”

Upon hearing this, Wu Gang understood everything.

The fact that he was only being held in the detention room was already a privilege granted to him by the commander.

However, having experienced over twenty years of military life, he quickly composed himself and forced a smile that was more painful than a frown. “Colonel, can you tell me the specific details? If you can’t, don’t feel pressured!”

Senior Colonel Zhang waved his hand. “There are things that don’t involve secrets I can discuss. After all, you are a victim in this…”

After listening to Senior Colonel Zhang’s account, Wu Gang wiped his face, and his emotions calmed enough for him to look at Xie Zhen with gratitude. “Thank you!”

Xie Zhen replied, “As long as you don’t blame me for dragging you into this.”

Wu Gang managed a wry smile. “How could I blame you? I can only thank you for exposing this matter before Hongmei got entangled in something more complicated. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.”

“Alright, alright! No wonder you’re one of my soldiers. You’ll stay here for the next few days until the relevant departments come to investigate before they can release you. But be prepared; if you want to continue being a soldier, that’s impossible now. I’ll do my best to help you transition to civilian life, but I can’t say anything about your sister!” Senior Colonel Zhang said, his tone becoming wistful at the end.

Thinking of how his sister had been causing trouble at home and the possibility of losing his cherished soldier identity because of her, Wu Gang felt a weight in his heart.

He didn’t want to hear any news about her; it would be enough if he didn’t have to kill her himself. “I trust the organization and will comply with all its arrangements. Colonel, you don’t need to beg for my sake!”

He didn’t have the face to do that!

Senior Colonel Zhang said nothing, simply patting Wu Gang’s shoulder before slowly stepping out.

Once outside, where Wu Gang couldn’t hear him, he turned to Xie Zhen. “Don’t let Wu Gang know that his wife is also locked up. However, when you have time, go speak with Wu Gang’s wife and explain what happened. She needs to know what’s going on…”