Chapter 51.1

If it was said that previously Xie Zhen’s expression had been grim due to Wu Hongmei’s indiscreet revelation of information about the military, then at that moment, the brief words spoken by Su Xi were laden with unspoken meaning.

Xie Zhen seemed like a divine weapon ready to be unsheathed, surrounded by a sharp aura.

However, in just an instant, he reined in all his emotions, his dark eyes fixed intently on Su Xi’s watery gaze as he sought confirmation from the girl: “Are you sure?”

It was not that he did not trust her; it was just that the matter was too significant.

It would inevitably attract the Colonel’s attention, leading to a deployment of troops and a thorough investigation of the entire city.

If it turned out that the information was erroneous, the consequences could be foreseen, and the situation would become quite difficult to handle.

Su Xi pressed her lips together. She was also a soldier, and she understood the broader context. She was well aware of the importance of this matter.

Currently, she couldn’t afford to expose her “uniqueness” in front of him. She said firmly: “I’m sure. The sound was very faint; an ordinary person definitely wouldn’t hear it.”

As she spoke, Su Xi tilted her small face upward, locking her gaze with the man’s. “But you know, my senses are very sharp. As long as I want to, I can hear sounds from several kilometers away. Besides, we were just standing outside, and that was the sound of a telegraph—very distinctive. We had training on such courses during our military classes in college; I wouldn’t mishear it.”

Xie Zhen could see the tension in the girl’s demeanor. He wanted nothing more than to hold her gently and soothe her, but regrettably, the current situation did not permit such actions. If someone were truly making trouble right under their noses, they needed to race against time to prevent any further leaks of information and promptly report to Senior Colonel Zhang to request assistance.

With this in mind, Xie Zhen’s handsome face bore a comforting expression as he gently patted the girl’s small head. “Don’t be afraid; I’m here.”

Those simple five words unexpectedly caused tears to swell in Su Xi’s eyes.

In truth, she was very frightened. She was someone who lived in a peaceful society, and although she had been in this world for several years, the environment had remained relatively simple. Encountering such a heart-stopping situation was unprecedented for her in this life or the last.

Feeling flustered was normal; the thought of spies was almost unfathomable.

Especially when faced with her fiancé’s comfort, her fear intensified.

Yet, she didn’t want her tears to fall; she could only grit her teeth and speak with a slightly choked voice, “I think the telegraph machine should be hidden underground. It’s likely that ordinary people wouldn’t be able to hear it from that distance. There should be a basement, and it must be very deep.”

The girl’s face had turned pale with fear, yet she was making an effort to analyze the useful information she had gathered.

Xie Zhen closed his eyes for a moment, unable to contain himself any longer. He pulled the girl into his embrace with force. “Don’t be afraid, Xi Xi. Nothing will happen to us. We should feel fortunate; if it weren’t for this sudden whim, we wouldn’t have discovered anything, would we? Right now, what you need to do is ride your bike and casually go find Old Feng at the department store. Tell him about what’s happening here, and then don’t worry about anything else. He’ll know what to do.”

Su Xi certainly understood the seriousness of the situation. She raised her sleeve to wipe her eyes, brushing away the tears that had yet to fall, and made an effort to calm her emotions. “Is he trustworthy?”

Xie Zhen nodded firmly. “He’s a line of defense arranged by Senior Colonel Zhang on the island. There are quite a few people like him in the city. Just find him and explain the situation, and they’ll be able to mobilize support for me immediately.”

Su Xi was not foolish; she could sense Xie Zhen’s implication. He intended to stay behind and monitor the situation alone. If they had unintentionally exposed themselves, the enemy would definitely try to escape.

Xie Zhen would face the task of stopping them at all costs; this was his primary responsibility as a qualified soldier.

Su Xi understood all this, and even though her heart ached with worry, she couldn’t bring herself to say a word urging him to come with her.

Not wanting to delay, Su Xi took a deep look at the man, her eyes filled with concern.

But she said nothing. Instead, she forced a tearful smile, took the keys from Xie Zhen’s hand, and with a determined bite of her lip, she dashed away like the wind.

Su Xi pushed her speed to the limit, almost becoming a blur.

She urged herself internally to go faster, faster still, so she could quickly bring help to Xie Zhen.

He… had no weapons on him!

She was terrified!

Watching the girl run off without a second thought, Xie Zhen knew she had confirmed the safety of their surroundings.

With this thought, Xie Zhen seized the opportunity. His expression remained calm as he took a long stride, swiftly darting away to completely conceal himself.

If someone were to deliberately look for him at that moment, they would find that the tall and upright man, who had been there just moments ago, was now nowhere to be seen in the winding, labyrinthine alley.

This was a natural hiding spot.

For Xie Zhen, it was perfect!

And for the enemy as well!

—o—o—o—

On the other side, after pulling out her bicycle, Su Xi did not dare to ride too quickly. She worried that there might be accomplices nearby.

Only after confirming that there were no people around had she felt safe enough to run at such speed.

Although there were not many people on the street now, there were still a few scattered here and there.

If she rode too fast and attracted the attention of those malicious individuals, it would be incredibly frustrating.

At that moment, the sun was warm, and Su Xi’s back was already damp with cold sweat.

Knowing that her loved one was in danger but having to worry about too many things, thus prolonging the timeline for rescue, was a torment too great to bear!

She could only grit her teeth, adjust her expression, and keep pedaling.

Even though Su Xi rode slightly faster than usual, it still took her over twenty minutes to reach the department store.

After parking her bike, she quickly walked into the building, glancing around anxiously. Fortunately, she spotted Manager Feng assisting at the fabric counter.

At this point, Su Xi was as restless as an ant on a hot stove, yet she forced a faint smile on her face.

She approached Manager Feng, but before she could say anything, he had already noticed her.

He paused for a moment, instinctively glancing around behind her.

When he didn’t see Xie Zhen, he smiled and greeted her, “Sister-in-law, I thought you guys had gone out to play. Why are you back so soon? Where’s Old Xie?”

Manager Feng’s seemingly casual remark drew the envy of the shoppers nearby, who turned to look at Su Xi with admiration.

Some gazes were curious, some envious, some disdainful, and others were on high alert, wary of Su Xi having acquaintances who might snatch up good deals.

However, the majority of the crowd held mostly feelings of envy; knowing the personnel at the department store meant that one could easily get whatever they desired.

Under the intense scrutiny of so many burning eyes, Su Xi felt her body tense up suddenly!

On ordinary days, this would have been fine; she had long since grown accustomed to being watched because of her looks.

But today was different.

With so many people staring at her, she felt as though every hair on her body was standing on end.

It seemed to her that there’s something wrong with those people who are looking at her, and she could not help but suspect them.

She knew this was irrational, but she could only make an effort to ignore the gazes directed at her.

Her mind was racing with thoughts, yet on the surface, Su Xi managed to maintain a calm demeanor. She smiled and said, “Xie Zhen is waiting for me outside; I’m just here to return the keys.”

As she spoke, Su Xi raised the keys she had been clutching in her palm towards Manager Feng and then brought her thumb together with her index and middle fingers to form a “7.”

This was a code Xie Zhen had taught her before they arrived; it was their secret signal.

Sure enough, Manager Feng, who had been smiling just moments before, froze for a second. Before anyone could notice, he casually chided, “That kid! I ought to scold him for not coming in to greet his brother when he’s right at the door.”

With that, Manager Feng handed off his current task to someone else, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked out leisurely.

He didn’t forget to invite Su Xi along, saying, “Come on, let’s go see that brat; he’s still putting on airs with his brother.”

As they strolled out, chatting casually and even laughing occasionally, no one sensed anything amiss.

—o—o—o—

Manager Feng led Su Xi directly to his office.

After calling a junior staff member to guard the door, he closed it and looked at Su Xi uncertainly. “You…”

He was concerned that the earlier gesture might have been a coincidence, so he opened his mouth cautiously.

At this point, Su Xi had already wiped away all traces of her earlier smile.

She no longer wore her usual sweet and charming demeanor but instead wore a cold expression as she quickly and clearly recounted her earlier discovery and Xie Zhen’s decision to stay behind.

In doing so, she attributed her finding of the telegraph machine to Xie Zhen.

This way, she protected herself while also allowing Manager Feng to trust the accuracy of the information quickly.

As Su Xi continued to relay the information, Manager Feng’s initially amiable expression grew solemn.

At that moment, he no longer resembled the amiable businessman he had been moments before!

He did not doubt Su Xi’s words, as he knew very well who Xie Zhen was.

However, the news caught him off guard.

He truly hadn’t expected that, under the strict control of the comrades, there would still be pests lurking right beneath their noses.

The thought that, had Xie Zhen not accidentally stumbled upon this situation today, it could have developed further and brought disaster to many was chilling.

He recalled the tragedies caused by spies before the liberation.

Manager Feng felt a shiver run down his spine, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.

He pressed his lips tightly together, striving to control his emotions, and picked up the telephone on the desk.

He started dialing.

While Manager Feng was busy arranging for personnel, Su Xi was anxiously waiting.

She still had not completed the task Xie Zhen had entrusted to her.

Thinking about how serious Xie Zhen had looked when he had assigned her this task, her eyes darkened involuntarily.

What a shame for such a good family!

In fact, Manager Feng only made a few calls, and the total time added up to less than two minutes.

Still worrying about Xie Zhen, Su Xi wished to hurry back as quickly as possible, feeling that every second dragged on painfully.

Once Manager Feng finished all the calls, Su Xi immediately said, “Manager Feng, Xie Zhen asked me to give Senior Colonel Zhang a call.”

Manager Feng was taken aback for a moment but quickly understood the purpose of the call; it was more than just a report. Otherwise, there would have been no need for Su Xi to specifically call the Colonel.

It must be that this situation also involved Wu Gang, Major Wu.

They were all soldiers who had come from Hongjun Island, and everyone knew who Old Wu was.

No one expected that such a committed man, one who had not faltered on the battlefield, would stumble over such a maddening situation.

Who could have thought that Wu Gang, a rural soldier with little education, would find his hard-won future thwarted by his own sister?

What infuriated his comrades even more was that, even if this matter had nothing to do with Old Wu, his military career would surely come to an end.

Some things might not lead to collective punishment, but espionage was a highly sensitive issue.

Especially at such a sensitive time, Old Wu would be lucky if he emerged without serious consequences, and returning home with his reputation intact would be a fortunate outcome!

With that thought, Manager Feng clenched his fists, making a cracking sound as he slammed one down onto the table.

If it weren’t for the presence of female comrade, he would have seriously felt like cursing!

Old Wu had certainly run into a string of bad luck!

Yet, despite his frustration on behalf of his comrade, he knew he had to handle things according to the rules, just like Xie Zhen.

However, he was a quick thinker, which was why he held the position he did.

It soon became clear to him why Xie Zhen had asked Su Xi to make the call instead of him.

Xie Zhen likely felt that Su Xi, as a doctor, could talk to the Colonel and that the old man’s temper might be tempered a bit in her presence, leading to a more restrained handling of the situation concerning Major Wu.

So, despite his grim demeanor, he quickly made way for Su Xi.

He could only hope that Xie Zhen’s goodwill would help ease the tension.

—o—o—o—