Chapter 104.1

At two o’clock in the morning, the entire North Unit lay dormant at the foot of the mountain, like a slumbering beast.

However, under the cover of night, countless soldiers worked tirelessly, fearing the possibility that remnants of the enemy might still be active. Because they needed to act discreetly, all movements were conducted in secrecy.

The fact that Gu Qinghan had captured the enemy spies was not widely known within the North Unit.

Only a select group of people were privy to this information—General Xu, Commissar Li, and Gu Qinghan’s trusted confidants.

In the underground office, General Xu spread all the documents across the conference table. His expression was stern as he said, “This is the entire network connected to Lin Guoqiang. We’ll start by investigating him and then move on to every member of his family. Even children over ten years old should be brought in for questioning.”

After a moment of thought, General Xu added, “Let’s bring Lin Guoqiang’s family in for interrogation first. The enemy is far too cunning.”

The situation was so grave that they had no choice but to inconvenience the family, including the children, for the time being.

“Also, take a look at Lin Guoqiang’s close subordinates. Check if any of them seem suspicious. Make sure everyone is brought to the Investigation Department before dawn. Interrogate them separately, one by one.” Commissar Li pointed at the documents. The files listed Lin Guoqiang’s trusted aides and direct subordinates.

Lin Guoqiang was a colonel with at least a thousand men under his command. Investigating him was an enormous task.

In addition to his regiment, any officers closely associated with him were to be considered suspects and brought in for questioning one by one.

General Xu glanced at the stacks of densely packed files, feeling the weight of the task ahead. With a cold tone, he said, “The priority remains Lin Guoqiang and his wife. As for the lower-ranking soldiers, leave it to the subordinates to investigate them individually. Everyone, split up and get moving.”

Gu Qinghan, however, did not believe the enemy spies had infiltrated the higher ranks. If that were the case, the two spies wouldn’t have needed to go to such great lengths to steal documents. Many officers ranked at the regimental level or above attended regular meetings, which meant they already had access to sensitive information.

If a senior official had truly been turned, they likely would have fled the moment they discovered their Morse code transmissions had been compromised.

Despite this, everyone sprang into action following General Xu’s orders.

After all, the discovery of one enemy spy implied the potential existence of a larger, deeply hidden organization. The situation was far more complex than it seemed.

Their mission wasn’t just to capture those who had stolen intelligence but to follow the trail and dismantle the entire network.

Seeing that everyone was mobilized, General Xu turned to Gu Qinghan and Commissar Li. “Come with me. Let’s go meet those two cunning bastards.”

Gu Qinghan followed his superiors to the small, confined interrogation room.

The two spies, thin and short in stature, were handcuffed and locked inside the iron-barred cell.

Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, they opened their eyes simultaneously, looking toward the newcomers. With a dismissive glare, they stared at the group before them.

The guard, seeing the leadership arrive, pulled over a chair. General Xu sat down, fixing his gaze on the two prisoners. “Speak. Who are your accomplices?”

His words were met with calm indifference. The two prisoners exchanged a glance, then sneered coldly and closed their eyes again.

Enraged, General Xu kicked the iron bars with a loud clang and roared, “Stop playing dead! I’m asking you: was Lin Guoqiang involved in your operations?”

The two remained silent, their eyes shut as if nothing had been said.

For over two hours, the standoff continued. Not a single word escaped the prisoners’ lips, which only served to infuriate General Xu further. In his frustration, he grabbed the false documents the spies had stolen and hurled them onto the office desk. The papers scattered across the floor in disarray.

Turning to his aide, General Xu barked angrily, “Where the hell is Lin Guoqiang? Why isn’t he here yet?”

Nearly two hours had passed, and these two, who looked like children, stubbornly refused to speak. Meanwhile, Lin Guoqiang was nowhere to be seen. General Xu’s temples throbbed in anger, and his hands trembled with barely contained rage.

The aide nervously replied, “Sir, Colonel Lin has already been brought to the interrogation room downstairs. He’s awaiting your instructions.”

Earlier, the aide had reported this once, but General Xu, overwhelmed with anger, had brushed it off, saying Lin Guoqiang could wait.

Now he had forgotten entirely. Still, it wasn’t entirely Lin Guoqiang’s fault; the appearance of spies in the unit was a matter of the highest emergency, enough to drive anyone into a state of agitation.

Observing the situation, Gu Qinghan addressed General Xu calmly, “Colonel, let me handle this here. You should interrogate Lin Guoqiang and his wife.”

Gu Qinghan had some methods for dealing with this type of person, but with senior leadership present, he couldn’t afford to take the lead and draw attention to himself. Splitting up the tasks would be the most efficient approach.

General Xu rubbed his temples and sighed. “Fine. I’ll leave this to you. I’ll go find out what Lin Guoqiang has been up to!”

The fact they had managed to apprehend the spies at all was largely due to Gu Qinghan’s keen observation skills. He had long harbored suspicions about Lin Guoqiang’s two children, which eventually led to the breakthrough.

Without Gu Qinghan’s sharp eye, who knew when they would’ve caught the culprits?

Before leaving, General Xu glanced at Commissar Li. “Old Li, come with me. Let’s question Lin Guoqiang together.”

“Damn it! It’s bad enough they let spies infiltrate, but to coexist with them for so long without suspecting a thing? What a pack of brainless fools!”

Commissar Li, who had been up half the night, looked both irritated and weary. With a derisive laugh, he replied, “That’s an insult to pigs! He’s a regiment-level officer, and yet he’s not worth a damn!”

With that, Commissar Li rose from his seat and followed General Xu out the door.

General Xu gritted his teeth and muttered a curse under his breath, still fuming.

In all the years the North Unit had existed, this was the first time they had encountered an internal spy originating from an officer’s family.

This incident was bound to implicate the entire North Air Force Division due to Lin Guoqiang’s negligence. The broader consequences of being implicated were one thing, but what worried General Xu the most was the potential harm it could bring to the soldiers under their command.

The mere thought of it made General Xu’s anger boil over. If he had his way, he’d have shot Lin Guoqiang on the spot for his incompetence.

Though it was the middle of the night, the entire Investigation Department building was bustling with activity. Shadowy figures moved hurriedly through the halls. Several officers ranked company-level and above had already been discreetly brought in for questioning, all under the utmost secrecy.

Lin Guoqiang, after being escorted to the Investigation Department, was left in the dark about what was happening.

One moment, he was half-asleep at home; the next, a squad of comrades in military uniforms had burst into his house. They said nothing, offered no explanations, and simply took him and his mother away.

Sitting in the interrogation room, Lin Guoqiang racked his brain, trying to piece together what could have led to this situation.

The only thing that seemed remotely suspicious was what happened the day before. His mother had gone to Gu Qinghan’s house to confront his wife, Wen Nuan, accusing her of feeding their family something tainted. According to his mother, several children in their family had suffered stomach aches as a result.

However, the matter was later clarified. It turned out not to be Wen Nuan’s fault at all. Instead, it was his mother’s carelessness—she had accidentally cooked poisonous mushrooms, which caused the problem.

Lin Guoqiang had argued with his mother about it after returning home, urging her to apologize to Wen Nuan immediately. She eventually did, returning later to say she had made amends.

But now, in the dead of night, their house had been stormed by a group of soldiers, and both he and his mother had been brought to this place. Even more unsettling, they had been separated and locked away in different rooms.

Could this all really be about some petty misunderstanding between the wives in the family compound? Was that enough to warrant such an interrogation?

As a regimental officer, Lin Guoqiang had never been subjected to such humiliation.

If they wanted to hold him accountable, shouldn’t someone at least tell him what charges he was facing? What was the meaning of leaving him here like this?

His confusion only grew as time dragged on, eventually giving way to frustration and agitation.

Lin Guoqiang slapped the iron bars of the cell door, raising his voice in anger. “Hey! Somebody get me out of here! Who the hell gave you the right to drag me here?”

The moment his words echoed through the room, the outer door swung open, revealing General Xu with a face as dark as thunderclouds. His piercing gaze locked onto Lin Guoqiang, and his voice was like cold steel. “I’m the one who ordered it. What’s wrong? Something this serious happens in the unit, and you have no sense of responsibility at all?”

General Xu’s temper flared, and for a moment, he wished he could draw his pistol and end this nonsense. How dare Lin Guoqiang, of all people, have the audacity to yell and complain?

Seeing General Xu’s stormy expression, Lin Guoqiang froze, his initial outburst subsiding. A lifetime of military discipline told him that this was no ordinary situation. After all, if it was enough to bring General Xu here in person, it had to be serious.

Sitting on the opposite side of the bars—a position he had never imagined for himself—made Lin Guoqiang deeply uncomfortable. His bravado faltered, and his eyes betrayed a hint of fear. Still, his quick thinking as a soldier and his knack for smooth-talking kicked in. Forcing a smile, he addressed the general. “Colonel, it’s good that you’re here. Last night, some comrades burst into my house and dragged me here without a word of explanation. Could you tell me what’s going on?”

Lin Guoqiang couldn’t shake the suspicion that something big was unfolding. General Xu had mentioned something major happening in the unit, yet Lin Guoqiang hadn’t noticed a thing. Weren’t they all just busy preparing for the National Day parade? Could it have something to do with that?

Suppressing his own irritation, General Xu stared at Lin Guoqiang’s clueless expression. It was clear that the man had no idea his own household had harbored two spies.

“Do you really want to know what happened?” General Xu said with a cutting tone. “The North Air Force Base has been infiltrated by enemy spies, and you claim to know nothing?”

Lin Guoqiang froze, his mind blanking for a moment. Something this massive, and he had been completely oblivious? The entire base had been focused on National Day parade preparations—how could such a thing happen under his nose? And yet, no superior officer would waste their time hauling him out of bed in the middle of the night for a joke.

A chilling realization began to dawn on him. This was no prank—it was real, and it was happening to him.

“C-Colonel…” Lin Guoqiang stammered, his voice trembling. “I swear, I didn’t know about any of this.”

General Xu didn’t relent, his sharp gaze fixed on Lin Guoqiang. “Then let me ask you this: do you know where your two nephews are right now?”

The question sent a jolt through Lin Guoqiang. An absurd thought flashed through his mind as he swallowed hard. His voice faltered, betraying his unease. “Colonel, I’ve been busy with work. My mother takes care of the kids. By the time I get home, they’re usually asleep.”

“And… and my nephews… they’re not very close to me. They’re always playing together, the two of them. I—”

Lin Guoqiang stopped short, the implications of General Xu’s question sinking in. His throat tightened as fear clawed at his composure.

General Xu cut off Lin Guoqiang’s rambling excuses and pressed him again. “So you claim you don’t know anything about them? Why did you bring them to the family compound in the first place?”

Under the general’s fiery gaze, Lin Guoqiang unconsciously rubbed his palms against his thighs. Then he answered, “It’s because my eldest brother and sister-in-law passed away in an accident. My mother and the kids had no one to rely on back in our hometown, so I thought I’d bring them here.”

What Lin Guoqiang didn’t say was that his real intention in bringing the two boys to the compound was to prepare them for a future in the military. Once they were of age, he hoped they might enlist, possibly train as pilots or some other kind of soldier.

But now, panic seeped into his voice as he stammered, “Colonel, are you saying the spies have something to do with them?”

It was unthinkable—two children barely twelve or thirteen years old—what kind of crime could they possibly commit?

General Xu’s gaze hardened at Lin Guoqiang’s naïve response, and a mocking sneer curled his lips. “The spies we caught are none other than your two nephews. Are you absolutely sure they showed no signs of abnormal behavior?”

Lin Guoqiang locked eyes with General Xu and felt a wave of dread wash over him. For the first time, fear gripped him in earnest.

This time, he didn’t dare to give a rash answer. He racked his brain, recalling every detail about his nephews. When he brought them to the compound, it had been a chaotic time, filled with the grief of arranging his brother and sister-in-law’s funerals. The boys had been understandably distraught, and Lin Guoqiang, being a soldier unaccustomed to comforting children, had barely interacted with them beyond logistics.

But now, with General Xu’s searing accusations looming over him, he knew he couldn’t afford to be vague. He licked his cracked, dry lips before replying, “At the time, the kids’ parents had just died. They told me they wanted to be soldiers like me someday and begged me to take them to the North. I thought since they were just a few years shy of enlistment age, and with no one else to look after them, I might as well bring them and my mother to the compound.”

He hesitated before adding, “The boys were always sickly, though. Being twins, they were born prematurely at just seven months. Even though they’re thirteen now, they’re barely as tall as elementary school kids.”

“Bullshit!” General Xu exploded, slamming his hand against the bars as if to physically shake sense into Lin Guoqiang. His voice thundered with fury. “Those two used your daughter, Hua Hua, to communicate with other spies via Morse code for nearly half a year, and you—*you*—had no idea?!”

The blood drained from Lin Guoqiang’s face. His legs trembled violently, and he nearly collapsed to the ground. Staring at General Xu with wide, tearful eyes, he choked out, “Colonel, I—I swear I didn’t know they were spies! I… I deserve to die for this!”

General Xu stared at him, his hand twitching as though itching to draw his pistol. He had thought hearing Lin Guoqiang’s excuses would enrage him to the point where shooting the man might finally offer some relief.

General Xu stared at Lin Guoqiang’s naive and foolish expression that day and suddenly felt such a profound sense of disappointment that he was left without any other emotions. 

Commissar Li was right. Calling him as foolish as a pig was an insult to pigs. 

However, it was precisely Lin Guoqiang’s foolishness that made General Xu realize that not everyone was suited to be a Colonel. At least someone as dim-witted as Lin Guoqiang was certainly unfit for the position. 

Still claiming to be “weak” and insisting he wouldn’t do anything heinous—it was sheer stupidity to the core! 

No wonder enemy agents could live peacefully in his home for so long. He didn’t even realize that his own daughter was being used as a pawn, serving as a bridge for their communications. 

If it hadn’t been for Wen Nuan discovering that tiny piece of paper with Morse code, those two enemy agents might have continued lurking within the military for who knows how long. 

What a terrifying prospect that was. 

General Xu, now utterly disappointed, stood up. He didn’t want to waste another word with Lin Guoqiang and sternly asked, “Did you let them see any classified documents?” 

Before Lin Guoqiang could shake his head, General Xu’s voice grew sharper. “Lin Guoqiang, you’d better think carefully before answering me: In the past few months, have you taken any important military documents home? Or have you ever held small meetings with other officers or subordinates at your house?” 

If he had taken documents home, the enemy agents would have surely seen them. Holding small meetings was even worse—hiding in a corner to eavesdrop would have been all they needed. 

“Colonel, I…” 

General Xu turned his back, unwilling to look at this disgraceful subordinate, and continued, “Don’t say it with your mouth. Write it down clearly for me. By seven o’clock tomorrow morning, I want to see your answer.” 

“This is your last chance to serve the organization. If you perform well, I’ll consider your years of service to the organization. Even if you haven’t achieved any great merit, you’ve at least endured hardship. If you can confess everything fully, I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself.” 

After finishing these words, General Xu turned and left without giving Lin Guoqiang any opportunity to respond. 

Lin Guoqiang’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground like a soulless statue. 

In the past, for the sake of convenience, he had often taken important organizational documents home. 

Holding small meetings? That was a regular occurrence. His children were young, and on several occasions, after drinking, he had carelessly blurted out classified information to show off. 

It was over. It was all over. Even if the enemy agents weren’t involved, those two incidents alone were enough to ruin him. 

His life was utterly finished. 

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