Chapter 16: Public Security Bureau

Following Wen Hao’s movements, the young man named Hong Bin was tall and impressive, holding the steamed bun like a snack. 

As for “Brother Huai”… 

It was clear he had good upbringing; he sat upright in the bumpy ox cart, his back straight throughout. 

Seemingly aware of her gaze, Zhou Yinghuai glanced over. 

Jiang An’an probably inherited the thick skin of the Jiang family, her almond-shaped eyes slightly curved. 

A bit naive. 

And a bit sweet. 

Zhou Yinghuai’s gaze landed on the two sweet little dimples, then he looked away. He was particular about eating; with his long fingers, he carefully peeled the eggshell, slowly finishing the egg before starting on the bun. 

For a moment, the cart was filled with the fragrance of eggs and steamed buns, and the singing had stopped without anyone noticing. 

Someone bravely asked, “Comrade, I want to trade with you too. But I don’t have chocolate; can I buy it with money?” 

The thin, dark man had a glint in his eyes. 

Jiang An’an refused, “No trade! The rest of these are my rations for the day.” 

Did she look like someone easy to fool? 

In this day and age, private trading was illegal; no one could exploit the loopholes with her! 

“Disdain the poor and love the rich, acting cute and coy,” Yang Qing mocked coldly, “How precious is imported chocolate? They wouldn’t even look at your few cents.” 

Wen Hao spoke up before Jiang An’an could: “Ugly people tend to cause trouble.” 

He frowned, justifying his chocolate: “Is that a matter of a few cents? A box of imported chocolate costs dozens, plus a foreign exchange ticket!” 

Yang Qing felt frustrated: “…Comrade Wen, please don’t make personal attacks.” She wanted Zhou Yinghuai to help her criticize Wen Hao, but Zhou Yinghuai didn’t even spare her a glance. 

Wen Hao looked innocent: “But I’m just speaking the truth.” 

“…” Yang Qing’s eyes turned red with anger. 

“Alright, alright, you’re not ugly; you just have a rather impolite appearance? Round face, flat nose, and freckles…” 

Ah! 

Yang Qing finally couldn’t hold back and burst into tears. 

Jiang An’an silently ate her snacks nearby, clearly observing the tension between the three, determined to stay away from trouble in the future. 

An hour later, the ox cart arrived in town. 

Without even greeting anyone, she shouldered half a bag of mountain goods and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

“Comrade Jiang, don’t be fooled by her petite size; she’s really strong. Brother Huai, don’t you think so?” Wen Hao exclaimed repeatedly.

Zhou Yinghuai had his hands in his pockets, his expression cold and stern: “I have something to handle alone. After you all send letters home, meet at the entrance of the state-run restaurant.”

Wen Hao wanted to say something else but was pulled away by Wu Hongbin.

Once they were far away, Zhou Yinghuai slightly turned on his toes, heading in the same direction as Jiang An’an.

–

Public Security Bureau.

“Comrade, are you here to report a case?”

The old security guard poked his head out from the guard station, looking to be in his fifties, his sharp gaze scrutinizing Jiang An’an, a stranger to him.

Jiang An’an didn’t dare underestimate the security guards of this era; they were all veterans who had come down from the battlefield, armed with weapons at their waists.

“Sir, my name is Jiang An’an. I’m here to find Officer Wu Jianguo.” Jiang An’an sincerely admired the older generation of soldiers who had fought bravely and spoke respectfully: “This is the certification document issued by our Nanxi Brigade.”

The old guard carefully inspected the document, his face remaining serious: “Go in, the first office on the left.”

“Thank you, sir.” To express her gratitude, Jiang An’an even bowed to the old guard.

Watching the young girl’s vibrant figure as she walked away, the guard’s expression softened. She was both beautiful and polite; this young comrade had a promising future and would surely become a talent for the country’s development.

“Who?”

Sensing a dangerous aura, the old man’s gaze suddenly turned sharp, staring intently at the newcomer.

The newcomer looked quite young, walking with a precise gait, his eyes sharp and fierce like a wolf; this decisive aura of killing intent… he must have come from the military!!

Zhou Yinghuai took out the document and asked, “Comrade, is the old director in?”

The old guard glanced down, shocked, and instinctively moved to salute, but he was abruptly stopped, suppressing his excited voice: “Yes!”

–

Divorce is big news no matter where it happens.

After a night of gossip, everyone in the Public Security Bureau knew that there was a female comrade named Jiang An’an from the Nanxi Brigade who was verbally battling with the scholars to help her older sister fight a lawsuit against her young intellectual brother-in-law.

“You must be Jiang An’an.” Sister Dou, the clerk, looked up and down at the beautiful young girl in front of her; just standing there, she felt like a gentle breeze.

With just one glance, her favorability skyrocketed.

Having given birth to three sons, she had a fondness for delicate young girls and took Jiang An’an’s tender hand, praising her: “You’re really impressive, not afraid of tigers like a newborn calf!”

Jiang An’an’s cheeks flushed slightly, seeming a bit shy, but she still held herself with poise: “The most impressive one is my older sister, who dares to fight against injustice. Divorce is not a disgraceful thing, but a reflection of the progressive thoughts of many women comrades.”

“Well said!”

Wu Jianguo clapped his hands, accompanied by an elderly man with a rosy complexion and white hair, his eyes bright and lively.

Wearing a black Zhongshan suit, with a Hero brand pen in his breast pocket, Jiang An’an also noticed that he was wearing leather shoes. Judging by the demeanor of those around, the old man held an extraordinary status.

Jiang An’an pretended not to notice, keeping her gaze straight and her expression increasingly upright.

The old man, amiable and kind, asked, “Where did the young comrade hear these words?”

Jiang An’an tilted her head slightly, feigning confusion as she replied, “These were inspired by my sister. When facing the breakdown of her marriage, she didn’t cry or make a fuss; she rationally fought for the reasonable rights of her children.”

“She, she is the person I admire the most!” By the end, she clenched her fist, her clear eyes filled with admiration and support for her older sister.

The old man seemed to ask casually and then left, but when Wu Jianguo returned, he brought her good news: the bureau had decided to send her to the county town in a pickup truck.

It was truly an unexpected delight!

–

Meanwhile.

The elderly man who generously lent Jiang An’an the pickup truck to go to town was the director of the Public Security Bureau, surnamed Gao.

The old director smiled broadly: “You’ve grown so much in the blink of an eye. How is your old man doing at home?”

Zhou Yinghuai stepped forward to help pull out a chair: “Grandpa is in good health; no matter if it’s windy or rainy, he insists on going out to practice military boxing and run five kilometers.”

Given the complex situation in the capital, hearing that Zhou’s grandfather was still active put the old director at ease: “Why did you go to the countryside? Did those people cause trouble in the army?”

“They don’t dare,” Zhou Yinghuai replied, taking out a document: “I was secretly dispatched to investigate a spy case from sixteen years ago. Do you know about Shen Weiming?”

The old director’s expression grew serious, his fingers lightly tapping the table: “Shen Weiming… Some say he is a hero, but more say he is a spy. The last time he was seen was in Xinzhuang, which is now the Nanxi Brigade. Other than that, there are no further records.”

Zhou Yinghuai anticipated that this mission would be fraught with difficulties, but he didn’t feel particularly disappointed.

In the 1950s, domestic espionage was rampant, attempting to split the territory. Shen Weiming and his wife were responsible for rooting out bad elements within Yunzhou County but suddenly went missing in 1956.

It was rumored that a batch of high-end equipment from the M country was still left in Yunzhou County.

His mission was not only to uncover the truth and find Shen Weiming and his wife but also to locate that batch of equipment.