Chapter 205: Secret Agent Reappears

The residual warmth of the meal in Sha Zhu's room had not yet faded, and the brief tranquility after Zhu Yeqing's capture was utterly shattered by an encrypted telegram sent directly from the City Bureau to the Steel Rolling Mill's Security Department.

The telegram's content made Li Ping'an's pupils contract sharply—Zhu Yeqing was ambushed by armed forces during transfer, two of the three escorts died and one was seriously wounded, suggesting an internal accomplice, and the encrypted contact list he carried went missing. The enemy's move was brutal and precise, clearly a long-planned counterstrike.

Ping'an, the situation is dire. Zhou Zhengwei's voice came over the phone, rare in its gravity—the Poison Snake's accomplices are more rampant and dangerous than we thought. Now they're cut off, like frightened birds, likely to lash out desperately. You and your loved one, especially Doctor Lin, must be extra careful.

After hanging up, Li Ping'an stood before the Security Department office window, gazing at the factory's forest of smokestacks, his eyes sharp as an eagle. Sunlight fell on his face, but could not dispel the sternness between his brows. Internal accomplice……missing contact list……this means the enemy is not only still active, but hidden somewhere nearby, like a frozen poisonous snake, ready to awaken and strike at any moment.

He immediately reinforced patrols and guard posts inside the Steel Rolling Mill, especially at key areas like the technical workshop and archives, while outwardly remaining calm to avoid alerting the enemy.

That night, returning to the West Wing Courtyard, Li Ping'an did not conceal anything from Lin Xueqing. While checking the door and window bolts, he spoke of the situation in as calm a tone as possible.

Lin Xueqing was pouring him water; her hand hesitated imperceptibly, then resumed naturally. She handed him the warm enamel basin, voice steady: They've lost an important lead; they will surely try to make up for it—either by re-establishing contact, or……creating greater chaos to divert attention. Having seen harsher scenes on the Korean battlefield, she now displays the particular composure of a military doctor—rest assured, I can take care of myself. You out there need to be even more cautious.

Seeing her clear and resolute gaze, Li Ping'an felt a faint warmth in his heart and nodded. The couple needed no words; their understanding lay in that single glance.

However, the enemy lurking in the shadows did not give them much time to prepare.

Several days later, at deep night, the Steel Rolling Mill's premises were utterly silent, only the occasional beam from patrol squad flashlights cutting the darkness. Suddenly, a black shadow like a ghost, exploiting the brief gap during shift change, slipped silently into the scrap stacking area.

There lay some industrial waste awaiting treatment, seemingly useless, but if skillfully used or sabotaged, it could easily trigger an accident.

The shadow moved swiftly, clearly very familiar with the factory layout. He quickly shoved a small packet into a pile of oil‑stained cotton yarn, then pulled out a match……

Don't move!

A thunderous shout exploded like clapping thunder! Several bright beams shot out instantly from different directions, pinning the shadow firmly in place.

Wang Dahu, accompanied by several armed security personnel, burst from hiding and instantly slammed the person to the ground. The packet seized was a potent incendiary!

Almost at the same moment, Li Ping'an was not at the arrest scene; instead, leading another team, he silently appeared outside a small cottage at the edge of the factory residential area. Based on Zhu Yeqing's fragmentary testimony and cross‑information from Zhou Zhengwei's side, this place had been marked as an extremely minor suspicious point.

The people inside seemed to hear the commotion outside, hastily blowing out the kerosene lamp. Li Ping'an hesitated not, kicked open the wooden door and led the charge inside. Before the occupants could react, they were swiftly subdued. The search result was shocking—beneath the floorboards lay a hidden compartment containing a small radio and several sheets of paper with encrypted code.

You……how did you find this place? The captive's face was ashen, disbelief written all over.

Li Ping'an gave no reply, merely stared coldly at him. Mantis stalks cicada, with the oriole behind. He had long anticipated that the enemy might use a diversion or fabricate an incident to conceal their true contact attempt.

The arsonist in the scrap area was merely a pawn to draw attention; the real goal was to keep this still‑unexposed contact point safe. Unfortunately, the net he had laid was deeper than the enemy imagined.

That night, the Steel Rolling Mill appeared calm on the surface, but underneath surged turbulence. The simultaneous action at the two points successfully thwarted the enemy spies' sabotage and contact plans, also confirming Li Ping'an's suspicion of an internal mole—the arsonist knew patrol schedules and the scrap area's location far too well.

The news was strictly sealed, yet perceptive people could still sense a hint of an unusual atmosphere.

The next day, Yi Zhonghai stood lost in thought in the workshop, feeling that Li Ping'an had been moving about the factory more frequently lately, his eyes especially sharp. Liu Haizhong continued to put on airs, offering hollow comments about strengthening management regarding last night's brief disturbance in the factory area. Jia Dongxu and similar ordinary workers were wholly immersed in their own trivial rice, firewood, oil, and salt, oblivious to any undercurrents.

Only Xu Damao, while running to the Propaganda Section to brag, vaguely heard the section chief mention that the Security Department had acted the previous night; his heart itched, but he could learn no more, so he could only speculate, wondering whether he could worm some information out of Sha Zhu—he assumed Sha Zhu was close to Li Ping'an and surely knew the inside story.

Sha Zhu indeed noticed something from Li Ping'an's face, usually more stern than usual, but remembering Li Ping'an's admonition, he kept his big mouth shut; no matter how Xu Damao tried to probe from the sidelines, he merely attended to flipping his large ladle, not letting a useful word slip.

In the West Wing Courtyard, that hawthorn tree stood silently in the night.

Li Ping'an returned very late, a hint of fatigue in his brow. Lin Xueqing asked nothing, simply set before him the food kept warm in the pot and brought hot water.

The secret agent had been caught; Li Ping'an washed his face, his voice somewhat low, but the code book was not the original one. The contact list remained missing.

Cutting off one line is also a victory. Lin Xueqing whispered, the more they rush, the more flaws they expose.

Li Ping'an lifted his head, gazing at his wife's tranquil profile in the lamplight, his restless heart gradually calming. He knew this silent contest was far from over.

The missing contact list and the new code book signified that the enemy had changed their contact method, possibly even activating deeper, more covert sleepers.

Zhu Yeqing's accomplices are like termites hidden in the walls; if not thoroughly rooted out, they will eventually hollow the beams. What he must now do is be more patient than they are, more composed.

He walked to the window, gazing at the pitch‑black courtyard. The Siheyuan seemed asleep, snores rising and falling. Only he knew that beneath this tranquility, a war without smoke, concerning the safety of countless people, was underway.

The night wind blew, the hawthorn branches swayed slightly, as if silently conveying some warning. Li Ping'an's gaze in the darkness was especially bright; he knew the next clash might come soon. He had already set his net, awaiting that, or those, still not surfaced.