Chapter 168: Joint Defense of Nanluoguxiang

Although Zheng Zeming was captured, Li Ping'an felt the string in his heart tighten even more. The case report was submitted, the commendation order arrived, even Wang Dahu and the others started to feel elated, but Li Ping'an still thought the matter wasn't over. Those eyes hidden in the shadows might surface at any time.

That night, as usual, he practiced his cultivation in the Siheyuan. Since surviving life and death on the Korean War battlefield, his martial skill had broken through to the Grandmaster level. At this moment he closed his eyes, focused his mind, and his Divine Perception slowly spread, rendering everything within a hundred meters crystal clear in his mind— the cat from Old Zhang's House slipped past the wall, Aunt Wang in the Front Courtyard was still stitching shoe soles, even the sparrow perched on the locust tree at Hu Tong Kou shook its feathers, and he "saw" all of it with perfect clarity.

He opened his eyes, and the night appeared as bright as day to him. The leaf patterns ten zhang away, the dampness of the moss in the corner, could not escape his sight. The distant footsteps and murmurs came in especially clear to his ears.

"Brother, why do your eyes glow at night?" Li Pingle rubbed his eyes and came out of the house.

Li Ping'an quickly reined in his breath, and his eyes returned to normal: "Nonsense, it's just moonlight reflecting." He ruffled his sister's hair, "Go to sleep quickly, brother will practice a bit more."

He knew that relying on his own strength alone wouldn't work. The Zheng Zeming incident had warned him—spies might be hiding nearby, and the masses had to be mobilized.

Early the next morning, he first went to see the Security Department Director.

"Director, I want to set up a factory‑community joint defense." Li Ping'an handed over the proposal, "Our factory, the Police Substation, and the Street Office will patrol together, focusing on the Nanluoguxiang area."

The director flipped through the proposal, his brows gradually relaxing: "That's a good idea! It can protect workers' families and deter criminals. Explain the details."

"Each night field a team of ten, paired two by two, equipped with whistles, flashlights, clubs, and those with guns get firearms. We'll handle the night snack in the factory canteen; it's just a matter of a few extra kilograms of noodles!"

The director smiled: "Alright! We'll do as you say. If the factory needs coordination, come straight to me."

With the director's support, Li Ping'an took Wang Dahu and went to the Police Substation first.

Chief Wang slapped his thigh as soon as he heard: "Section Chief Li, your idea is exactly what I want! Our substation is short on staff and has been worrying about night patrols."

"Then it's settled," Li Ping'an said with a smile, handing over the proposal, "Each night you send four, we send four, the street sends two. We'll focus on checking the dead‑ends and idle courtyards in the Hu Tong."

After leaving the Police Substation, the two turned into the Street Office.

Director Wang was a straightforward person; after hearing, he immediately said: "That's a good thing! Our street will fully cooperate. Tonight I'll draft the duty roster to ensure two elite militia are on duty each night!"

On the evening of the third day, the first joint‑defense patrol team officially went on duty.

Li Ping'an personally led the team, and Wang Dahu bounced cheerfully behind him: "Section Chief, with this display, even a mouse wouldn't dare to wander out!"

As night fell, the ten‑person squad split into five groups and began weaving through the Hu Tong. Flashlight beams crisscrossed the darkness, and whistle blows sounded occasionally, indicating each group confirming positions.

Li Ping'an walked at the front with Wang Dahu. His Divine Perception continuously scanned a hundred‑meter radius, and his ears caught every subtle sound.

"Section Chief, do you really think any spy would dare to come?" Wang Dahu asked in a low voice.

"A careful ship sails for ten thousand years." Li Ping'an's gaze swept over a courtyard wall, "Zheng Zeming has fallen, but whether his accomplices will act desperate and jump the wall, no one can say."

Just then, Li Ping'an's Divine Perception suddenly caught a slight movement—about fifty meters ahead, a dark figure crouched at the base of a wall, seemingly holding something.

"There's someone ahead," Li Ping'an told Wang Dahu, "You take the left, I'll take the right, and we'll flank."

The two slipped forward silently. The dark figure was intently burying something at the wall's base, completely unaware of the movement behind.

"Don't move!" Li Ping'an barked low, shining the flashlight directly onto the person's face.

It was a half‑grown child, terrified, who plopped onto the ground: "I—I didn't do anything bad! I was just burying an iron box!"

Wang Dahu stepped forward, grabbed the child, and unearthed a rusted Iron Box from the soil. Opening it revealed several glass marbles and two shriveled apricot pits.

"Good kid, burying treasure here in the dead of night instead of sleeping?" Wang Dahu said, half laughing, half exasperated.

Li Ping'an also laughed: "Hurry home; it's late, don't make your mother worry."

The child snatched the Iron Box and bolted away like a flash.

This little episode lightened the patrol's atmosphere considerably. Yet Li Ping'an dared not be careless; his Divine Perception remained on high alert.

At eleven p. m., while patrolling a dead‑end alley deep within Nanluoguxiang, Li Ping'an suddenly halted.

"What's wrong, Section Chief?" Wang Dahu, alert, reached for the club at his waist.

Li Ping'an made a hush gesture. His Divine Perception detected faint voices in the courtyard ahead, and they were speaking Japanese!

"Follow me." Li Ping'an lowered his voice, leading Wang Dahu silently to the base of the courtyard wall.

In the courtyard, two dark figures were whispering.

"Zheng Sang is in trouble; we must relocate quickly."

"Is the Radio Station and Code Book hidden?"

"It's under the stove; it must be taken tonight."

Li Ping'an's mind chilled—indeed, they were Zheng Zeming's accomplices!

He gestured to Wang Dahu to call for reinforcements. He himself leapt lightly, drifting up to the wall top like a falling leaf.

The two in the courtyard remained oblivious, still whispering. One of them bent over, feeling around inside the stove.

"Don't move!" Li Ping'an swooped down from the wall like a great roc spreading its wings, instantly subduing one person. The other tried to resist, but Li Ping'an's grapple pinned him to the ground.

At that moment, Wang Dahu and the other patrol members rushed in, quickly tying the two up tightly.

From beneath the stove, they indeed recovered a miniature Radio Station and a Code Book.

"Good guys, we actually caught a big fish!" Wang Dahu exclaimed, rubbing his hands in excitement.

Li Ping'an, however, frowned. His Divine Perception sensed that someone else was watching from a distance.

"Dahu, you take people and escort them back to the Police Substation," Li Ping'an said, "I'll patrol around the area a bit more."

When Wang Dahu and the others moved away, Li Ping'an vaulted onto the roof. In the moonlight, his gaze swept over the entire Hu Tong district like a hawk.

Sure enough, at a loft window two hundred meters away, he caught a glint—it was a Telescope!

Li Ping'an's mouth curled into a cold smile. Like a nocturnal cheetah, he slipped silently between rooftops, a few hops bringing him close to that loft.

The person inside the loft clearly sensed danger and was about to flee. Li Ping'an, faster, lunged forward in a single stride and, at the moment the opponent leapt out the window, seized his ankle.

"Want to run?" Li Ping'an gripped hard, pulling the person back through the window.

It was a lean middle‑aged man, his eyes fierce. He drew a dagger with his other hand and thrust it straight at Li Ping'an's face.

Li Ping'an neither dodged nor flinched; his right hand snapped onto the man's wrist like lightning and twisted gently.

Click— the dagger clattered to the ground.

"Ah!" the man shrieked, cold sweat instantly covering his forehead.

"How many of you are there?" Li Ping'an asked coldly.

The man clenched his teeth and said nothing.

Li Ping'an didn't ask further, directly searching him and finding a notebook. Flipping it open, he saw that it recorded multiple contact points and signal codes.

At that moment, reinforcements from the police substation also arrived. Chief Wang looked at the subdued spy, excitedly grasping Li Ping'an's hand: "Section Chief Li, you've really rendered great service!"

Returning to the steel rolling mill, it was already 2 a. m. The cafeteria was brightly lit, and Cooking Squad Leader Old Zhou was waiting for them.

"Quick quick quick, steaming hot dumpling soup, plenty for all!" Old Zhou laughed as he ladled a big bowl for each person.

Wang Dahu slurped his soup while excitedly saying: "Section Chief, our joint defense is really worth it! On the first day we caught three big fish!"

Li Ping'an smiled, his gaze drifting to the dark night outside the window.

He knew this was only the beginning. The enemies lurking in the dark would never accept defeat, and he and his patrol squad would be the strongest guardians of this neighborhood.

After finishing the last sip of soup, he stood up: "Let's go, the patrol isn't over yet."

The flashlight beam shone again, ten figures merging into the night, their footsteps echoing in the alley, firm and powerful.

That night, the lights of Nanluoguxiang seemed especially bright.