Chapter 393: The Shopkeeper

The early morning light was faint, filtering through the branches of the jujube tree in Xi Kua Yuan, scattering dappled shadows on the ground.

Li Ping'an stood at the main hall entrance, watching the two tiny figures in the courtyard.

Li Yaozong had already rooted his horse stance, his young face taut, adjusting his breath according to the mantra his father taught him.

Behind him, two‑year‑old Xiao Nuanqing wobbled as she stood.

The little girl wore a floral cotton jacket, her hair tied in two goat‑horn braids, mimicking her brother and straining to spread her short legs apart.

Unfortunately her balance was unsteady, her body swaying left and right like a tender grass trembling in the wind.

"Brother…," she called in a baby‑like voice.

Li Yaozong turned back seriously, "Sister, you must focus when practicing!"

Xiao Nuanqing nodded as if half‑understanding, then assumed a stance.

She slipped, and with a "Plop" she sat on the ground.

She stared blankly, pouted, and seemed about to cry.

Li Ping'an couldn't help but laugh.

He stepped forward, lifted his daughter, and gently brushed the dust off her pants.

"Nuanqing is still young; she'll practice when she grows up."

The little girl clutched her father's neck, burying her face on his shoulder, refusing to come down.

Li Yaozong dropped his stance and ran over.

"Dad, my horse stance is steadier today than yesterday."

"Hmm, there's progress." Li Ping'an freed a hand, patted his son's head, "But remember, cultivation isn't achieved in a day. It's the persistence that matters."

Lin Xueqing walked out of the kitchen, carrying breakfast.

Seeing the scene, she also laughed.

"You three elders, up early practicing martial drills in the courtyard. Come inside to eat; otherwise you'll be late."

The family of four sat around the small table.

Congee, steamed buns, shredded pickled vegetables.

A simple breakfast, yet steaming hot.

Li Ping'an fanned the congee for his daughter, watching his son gulp down the buns.

The anxiety in his heart, sparked by the Shopkeeper's unresolved case, seemed diluted by this morning's warmth.

But he knew it was only temporary.

That thorn was still lodged in his throat.

If it isn't removed, he can never be at ease.

After seeing off the two children, Li Ping'an rode his bike to the Steel Rolling Mill.

On the way, he passed Hu Tong Kou, where a few neighbors were discussing last night's incident.

"Did you hear? They caught another one!"

"How many is this now?"

"Don't know, but nights have been restless lately. My cousin at the Police Substation said the higher‑ups are pressing hard, wanting to sweep everything in one net."

Li Ping'an kept his gaze steady, pressed down on the pedals, and the wheels accelerated.

Some words, once heard, are just heard.

They shouldn't be taken to heart.

At the Steel Rolling Mill entrance, Wang Dahu was already waiting.

Seeing Li Ping'an, he quickened his steps toward him.

"Li Chief, a telephone from Political Commissar Zhou's side says you should go over."

Li Ping'an's eyes narrowed.

"Any news?"

"They didn't say, just that you should go over as soon as possible."

Li Ping'an nodded, pushing his bicycle into the shed.

"Is there something happening at the plant?"

"Nothing major." Wang Dahu lowered his voice, "It's about Xu Damao; lately he's been a bit reckless. Acting as a 'model', he's meddling in the Logistics Department, and several people have already filed complaints."

Li Ping'an frowned.

"Handle it according to procedure. Criticize where needed, educate where needed. But keep within limits, don't give people a talking point."

"Understood."

Li Ping'an turned and walked outward.

He reached the plant gate and looked back.

"By the way, tighten patrols around the plant, especially at night; no slackening."

"Got it!"

Inside Political Commissar Zhou's small building, the atmosphere was heavier than usual.

When Chen Jianguo opened the door, his complexion was weary, his eyes bloodshot.

"Li Chief, the Commissar is in the study."

Li Ping'an nodded and followed him inside.

The study was filled with haze, choking enough to make one cough.

Political Commissar Zhou sat behind the desk, a stack of documents spread before him, the cigarette in his hand already burnt a long segment.

Hearing the footsteps, he lifted his head.

"Come?"

His voice was extremely hoarse.

Li Ping'an sat down opposite.

Chen Jianguo brought two cups of tea, then withdrew silently and gently closed the door.

"How's the interrogation going?" Li Ping'an asked directly.

Zhou Zhengwei took a deep drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled.

The smoke swirled in the air, lingering for a long time.

"The one we arrested last night is the shopkeeper's personal bodyguard; he's been with him for fifteen years."

He paused.

"He's tight-lipped. It took three days and nights to pry open a crack."

Li Ping'an's heart tightened.

"Where is the shopkeeper?"

"I don't know." Zhou Zhengwei shook his head. "Even he doesn't know. The shopkeeper's final order to him was to disperse and lie in wait for instructions. As for where the shopkeeper himself went, he didn't say, and he didn't dare ask."

Li Ping'an fell silent.

This result was as expected.

Given the shopkeeper's cunning, it's impossible for him to have told his subordinates his whereabouts.

"However," Zhou Zhengwei stubbed out his cigarette, "he did provide a clue. Before moving, the shopkeeper once said a phrase."

"What phrase?"

"'The brightest place has the deepest shadow.'"

Li Ping'an frowned.

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know." Zhou Zhengwei took a slip of paper from the drawer and pushed it over. "This was found on that guard; it's also a code. The technical section has decoded part of it; the rest might need your help to look at."

Li Ping'an took the slip.

On it was written a string of seemingly unrelated numbers and letters.

But on close inspection, a pattern could be discerned.

"Could this be... coordinates?" he murmured.

"Yes." Zhou Zhengwei nodded. "But we compared it to a map of Four Nine City and found no matching location. It might not be geographical coordinates, but something else."

Li Ping'an stared at the symbols, his mind racing.

The brightest place, the deepest shadow……

Someone like the shopkeeper never speaks without purpose.

What exactly was he trying to convey?

"I need time." Li Ping'an put the slip away. "These symbols might be related to the shopkeeper's early experiences. Could you provide more information about him?"

Zhou Zhengwei pulled a file box from under the desk.

"It's all here. Zheng Bingkun went underground in 1947, came from a puppet government documents background, later infiltrated our ranks. After liberation, he worked in various departments, eventually climbing to that position."

Li Ping'an opened the file.

The paper had yellowed, and the handwriting was somewhat blurred.

But the records were very detailed.

From Zheng Bingkun's birthplace to his educational background, work history, and even his daily habits and hobbies.

"Does he like calligraphy?" Li Ping'an noticed a note.

"Yes." Zhou Zhengwei said. "His writing is good, especially skilled in small regular script. When he worked in the office, he often helped leaders copy documents."

Li Ping'an's heart stirred.

He took out the slip again and examined how the symbols were written.

The strokes were neat, the structure balanced.

Although it was a cipher, the writer's skill could be seen.

"These symbols probably weren't written casually." Li Ping'an looked up. "Each symbol's start and finish have particularities; the writer unconsciously infused his writing habits while composing them."

Zhou Zhengwei's eyes lit up.

"You mean...?"

"Give me paper and pen." Li Ping'an said.

Chen Jianguo quickly brought paper and pen.

Li Ping'an spread out the paper and traced the symbols from the slip, stroke by stroke.

He wrote slowly, with great focus.

Every stroke aimed to be exactly the same as the original.

After writing it three times, he stopped.

Staring at the symbols he had written, he fell into thought.

"What do you see?" Zhou Zhengwei asked.

"The layout of these symbols resembles an old bookkeeping method." Li Ping'an pointed at the symbols on the paper. "Look, here, here, and here. These three symbols' positions form a triangle. In old ledgers, this layout usually indicates..."

He paused.

"Warehouse number."

Zhou Zhengwei sprang to his feet.

"You mean, this is the number of a certain warehouse?"

"Possible," Li Ping'an continued his analysis, "the Shopkeeper worked as a clerk in his early years, and later served in the logistics department. He must be very familiar with the warehouse numbering system. If he wants to hide, or hide something, a warehouse is the most suitable place."

Zhou Zhengwei paced in the study.

"Four Nine City's warehouses are too many. State‑owned, collective, and even some private warehouses left over from before. To check them one by one would take until the Year of the Monkey and the Month of the Horse."

"No need to check all," Li Ping'an put down his pen, "the Shopkeeper said, 'The brightest place casts the deepest shadow.' It may be hinting that the place he hides looks the least likely."

"The least likely…" Zhou Zhengwei stopped, turned his head toward Li Ping'an, "are you saying…"

The two exchanged a glance.

They spoke almost simultaneously.

"Steel Rolling Mill!"

On the way back to the Steel Rolling Mill, Li Ping'an kept turning thoughts over in his mind.

If the Shopkeeper really hid in the Steel Rolling Mill, where would he hide?

The plant area is so vast—Workshop, warehouses, office building, dormitories…

There are far too many places to hide a person.

Moreover, the Steel Rolling Mill sees thousands of people entering and leaving each day; fresh faces blend in, and for a short while it's truly hard to spot.

More importantly, the Steel Rolling Mill is Li Ping'an's territory.

The most dangerous place is the safest place.

The Shopkeeper's move is played to the extreme.

When Li Ping'an rode his bike into the plant gate, he deliberately glanced twice more at the guard post.

The on‑duty staff were still the same few people; everything was as usual.

But his mind was already on high alert.

Back at the Security Department, he immediately summoned Wang Dahu and Chen Jianghe.

"From now on, conduct a secret sweep of the entire plant," he lowered his voice, "focus on workers who joined in the past three months, as well as those who have been on long‑term sick leave but appear occasionally. Also, all warehouses, regardless of size, must be recounted and their entry‑exit logs cross‑checked."

Wang Dahu's complexion changed.

"Director, what happened?"

"The Shopkeeper may be hiding inside the plant," Li Ping'an said bluntly.

The two inhaled sharply.

"How… how could this be possible?" Chen Jianghe could not believe it.

"Nothing is impossible," Li Ping'an said, looking at the bustling plant outside the window. "You all understand the principle that darkness can exist under the light. Proceed at once, but keep it secret; don't alert anyone."

"Yes!"

The two left in a hurry.

Li Ping'an sat alone in the office.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a bright patch on the desk.

But in his heart, a shadow fell.

If the Shopkeeper really hides in the Steel Rolling Mill, what does that mean?

It means that for these months, he has been operating right under his nose.

It means the plant's security has a huge loophole.

It also means the Shopkeeper may have been watching him in secret, looking for a chance.

The thought sent a chill down Li Ping'an's spine.

He stood up and walked to the window.

In the plant area, workers were busy.

The roar of machines and the clang of steel intertwined into an industrial symphony.

All of this seemed so normal, so orderly.

Yet beneath this normalcy, lethal danger might be hidden.

Li Ping'an clenched his fists.

Shopkeeper, if you really are here.

Then our scores will have to be settled properly.

He turned, took a Handgun from the drawer.

He checked the magazine and chambered a round.

The cold metallic feel steadied his heart.

This cat‑and‑mouse game has reached its most critical moment.

And he must not lose.