Chapter 89

After Wei Jian left, both Shi Tingyu and Lu Weiguo wore grim expressions.

“We need to thoroughly investigate Wei Jian; his identity is very suspicious,” Shi Tingyu said. “Just now, he was probing me.”

Lu Weiguo nodded, but that wasn’t his primary concern.

When Wei Jian came today to see Shi Tingyu’s paintings, he felt something was amiss. If he genuinely liked his wife’s art, why didn’t he request to see it when the murals were first done? Why now?

He suspected Wei Jian’s visit was related to the incident involving the intelligence department’s small leader and the portrait.

He was testing whether Shi Tingyu was the artist behind the portraits.

With these thoughts troubling him, Lu Weiguo couldn’t rest easy. He stood up and said, “Darling, stay home. I’ll go to the barracks.”

Shi Tingyu didn’t delay him. “Alright, hurry. The main issue is important.”

After changing his shoes, Lu Weiguo hurriedly left.

Captain Zhao, seeing Lu Weiguo unexpectedly, asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be resting today? Why are you back?”

Lu Weiguo briefed Captain Zhao on Wei Jian’s visit to their home.

“Captain Zhao, I suspect there’s something off about Wei Jian’s identity.”

Frowning deeply, Captain Zhao replied, “From what you’re saying, Wei Jian’s behavior does seem strange, but we don’t have evidence to prove he’s suspicious. If he were an ordinary person, we could detain him for questioning, but Wei Jian is from the Weapons Research Institute; it’s not that simple to just arrest him.”

Walking back and forth in the office, Lu Weiguo finally said, “Finding evidence will take time. If we can’t detain him immediately, we should at least keep an eye on him. We can’t afford to do nothing.”

“I understand your point, but dealing with the Weapons Research Institute isn’t easy,” Captain Zhao said, trusting his soldiers, but Wei Jian was different; he wasn’t just an ordinary researcher—he had significant achievements.

He couldn’t simply issue an order based on speculation without being able to justify it to higher-ups.

“This area doesn’t just follow my orders.”

“Wait here; I’ll consult the leadership.”

With no other options, Lu Weiguo could only hope Captain Zhao could convince the leadership to assign surveillance on Wei Jian. If they couldn’t arrest him, at least they needed someone to watch him.

When Wei Jian left his house earlier, Lu Weiguo could tell he hadn’t realized he was exposed.

But that was the situation at the time. Who knew if Wei Jian might review the situation after leaving his home and realize he had been exposed?

An hour passed while Captain Zhao went to consult.

By the time he returned, it was almost dark.

“How did it go, Captain?” Lu Weiguo asked anxiously.

Captain Zhao’s expression was grim. Just when Lu Weiguo thought things hadn’t gone well, Captain Zhao said, “Arresting him isn’t possible. I convinced the leadership to assign surveillance on him.”

“Then quickly assign people. I suspect Wei Jian might review the situation after returning home and if he realizes he’s been exposed, it won’t be easy to apprehend him.”

Without hesitation, Captain Zhao looked at Lu Weiguo. “Since this matter was discovered by you and your wife, you’ll be fully responsible for monitoring him.”

If this matter is resolved successfully, it will be to your credit.

If Wei Jian turns out to be innocent, the blame won’t fall on you, but in Jinling, espionage is a very sensitive issue.

Neglecting suspicious activities could lead to disastrous consequences.

Once he received the orders, Lu Weiguo quickly made arrangements. Every second counted; the longer they waited, the greater the risk of Wei Jian escaping.

By the time he finished his tasks and returned home, it was well past 8 PM. Only then did he realize how hungry he was.

Seeing him return, Shi Tingyu didn’t inquire about Wei Jian. Instead, she went to the kitchen and brought out warm food.

After the meal was served, Lu Weiguo pulled Shi Tingyu into his arms and couldn’t help but kiss her. “Darling, I’m sorry for leaving you alone for dinner again.”

Shi Tingyu held onto his waist, whispering softly, “It’s okay. I’m just worried that irregular meals might not be good for your health.”

As long as he was well, she didn’t mind eating alone.

With a smile in his eyes, Lu Weiguo said, “Next time I visit our ancestral graves, I’ll have to thank them for blessing me with such a wonderful wife.”

Shi Tingyu couldn’t help but playfully punch him. “You’re just talking nonsense again. If you dare to try burning incense now, you’ll surely be publicly criticized.”

She had become sensitive to such matters.

Just then, Lu Weiguo’s stomach growled.

Shi Tingyu hurried him to eat while she kept him company.

Seeing him finish all his food, Shi Tingyu looked satisfied.

Lu Weiguo had dinner late and consequently went to bed late as well. During this time, he and Shi Tingyu tidied up the drafts and other materials.

Knowing Wei Jian had come for the drafts, it was better to put them away. You couldn’t be too careful.

In the middle of the night, Shi Tingyu was half-asleep when she vaguely heard someone knocking at the door, accompanied by the sound of swords.

She struggled to open her eyes and saw the man beside her dressing.

Her mind cleared for a moment. “What’s wrong? Who’s at the door?”

Lu Weiguo bent down and kissed her on the lips. “It’s nothing. You go back to sleep.”

Shi Tingyu wasn’t easily fooled. She grabbed his clothes. “Tell me the truth.”

Sitting down beside the bed, Lu Weiguo gently stroked her head. “Be good. There’s really nothing wrong. After Wei Jian left, we had someone watching here. There seems to be some activity over there now.”

Shi Tingyu let go of his clothes, expressing her concern. “Be careful.”

“Yeah.”

Lu Weiguo agreed and closed the bedroom door behind him.

Outside the courtyard gate, a young soldier waited. Seeing Lu Weiguo come out, he hurried forward and whispered, “Captain, Wei Jian is missing.”

“Tell me the specifics,” Lu Weiguo frowned.

The young soldier looked frustrated. “When you ordered us to watch Wei Jian, we split into two groups: one watching the dormitory at the Weapons Research Institute and the other watching the institute itself.”

“Who knew? The team watching the dormitory reported that even after 11 PM, no one came out. So, we checked inside the institute, but Wei Jian wasn’t there at all. There was no one at the dormitory either.”

The professors and scholars at the institute were very dedicated; they often worked tirelessly to advance their research. If not for the fear of tipping off the target, they wouldn’t easily investigate the institute at such a late hour.

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Weiguo said, “Divide your team further. Check with the institute for any friends or relatives of Wei Jian. See if he’s gone to someone else’s place. Also, send people to check major intersections, and bring military dogs.”

He had a feeling Wei Jian had likely fled. Once he left their home, he probably realized he had been exposed. It was barely five o’clock then, and now it was approaching midnight, seven hours had passed. There was no telling if he was still in Jinling.