Chapter 24: We Are Not Cowards

Liu Jian'an leaned against the carriage door, refusing to move.

"Lu Cheng, you deceived me. Why did you lie to me? Do you know how much I trusted you?"

"My body can endure insult, but you must not insult my spirit."

Hiss!

With his whiny, wife‑like tone, the words sounded oddly awkward.

Whenever someone passes the carriage door, they always eye Lu Cheng with a strange look.

Then they mutter, "So shameless."

"Hey Big Sister, you've misunderstood; we're completely innocent."

"Pah! The world is truly declining…"

Lu Cheng shook his head: "Comrade Jian'an, watch the impact; if it harms unity, you must not speak."

Liu Jian'an ignored him, turning his head aside, looking aggrieved like a young wife.

Had he known Liu Jian'an couldn't withstand such blows, Lu Cheng would never have taken him to climb the train.

"Jian'an, I have to say a couple of things to you!"

"How can a little setback make you lose heart? Think of our revolutionary predecessors: scaling snow‑capped mountains, crossing grasslands, enduring the 25,000‑kilometer Long March—they all made it through. Did they ever complain? Did they ever shed a tear?"

Liu Jian'an slowly turned his head.

Very good!

"A brave person is not one who never cries, but one who, even with tears streaming, can keep running—that is what we call a hero."

Liu Jian'an nodded slowly.

"The more others look down on us, the more we must achieve something so they can truly see—we are not cowards."

As Lu Cheng clenched his fist, Liu Jian'an's eyes gradually lit up.

"Comrade Jian'an, you must become strong. The revolution is not yet victorious; we still must strive. We will not rest until we catch this gang of thieves!"

Liu Jian'an's body began to straighten, his gaze becoming resolute.

"We are not cowards!" Lu Cheng tried to raise his fist.

Liu Jian'an inhaled deeply and also clenched his fist: "Yes, Comrade Lu Cheng, we are not cowards."

"Not cowards!"

"Not cowards!"

……

Passers glanced at the two raising fists, shouting slogans with righteous anger, muttering, "Why are you blocking the door like that? Are you sick?"

"Comrade Jian'an, she's looking down on you. Shouldn't you fire back?"

Liu Jian'an nodded, pointing at the woman and shouting, "You're the one who's sick; your whole family is sick."

Very good!

Lu Cheng let out a long sigh, finally having coaxed the kid back onto track.

"Jian'an, do you have money?"

Liu Jian'an instantly grew wary: "What are you up to? I'm not treating you to a meal; you should be treating me."

"Don't worry, I won't forget."

"I'm just using money as bait to lure the thieves."

Liu Jian'an thought for a moment: "Then why not use your own money? If you fail to catch them, my money could be stolen too."

That gang's thieving skill is so high that many people are robbed without even feeling it.

Using one's own money as bait carries risk.

Tsk, as soon as money's mentioned, this kid's brain suddenly works.

Lu Cheng sighed: "Comrade Jian'an, I still have to criticize you a couple of times."

"One must not place too much importance on wealth; money is external to the body, brought in neither at birth nor taken at death. Treat it like dirt. Do you think I don't want to use my own money?"

"For the success of the revolutionary cause, sacrificing a bit of money is nothing; I'm giving you a chance to prove yourself."

"If you lack even this bit of sacrificial spirit, you'll never become anything in this life."

"Enough, enough. Don't say I didn't give you a Redeeming Merit opportunity; I'll use my own then."

Lu Cheng reached into his pocket while Liu Jian'an hurriedly stopped him, then took out all of his remaining salary from the previous month.

"I'm willing to take Redeeming Merit, Lu Cheng, you're truly kind to me."

"Ah, no need for courtesy; after all, we're Revolutionary Comrades."

Lu Cheng quickly took the money, had Xiao Qin make a leather bag, placed it inside, and to make it look like more money, also stuffed some Newspaper inside.

The matter of sneaking onto the train is now out in the open, so there's no need to hide it.

As long as we catch this gang of thieves, the act of sneaking onto the train becomes a glorious event.

To better conceal the operation, and since the thieves haven't acted yet, Xiao Qin also found them seats, preparing for a long‑term infiltration.

Police Chief Meng had Xiao Qin relay a message: once the target is spotted, the two must not act independently; they must first notify the Train Police, so everyone can work together to capture them in one net and eliminate the threat.

Finally a seat was secured; Lu Cheng sat in the hard sleeper, stretched his back, looked at the tense Liu Jian'an beside him, patted his shoulder and said.

"Don't be so tense, relax a bit; you also…"

"I'll sleep first; if anything happens, notify me promptly."

Liu Jian'an couldn't possibly stay calm; after all, it was his first time on duty on a moving train, his first such operation.

Probably Police Chief Meng and the other Train Police comrades were also nervous.

But seeing Lu Cheng so relaxed in such a tense environment, sleeping soundly, he truly didn't understand.

After an unknown amount of time, the Broadcaster's voice rang over the train.

Dear traveler comrades, the vehicle will soon stop at Chai Gou Bao Station; comrades who wish to get off, please prepare in advance.

Arrived at Shan Jin? Lu Cheng opened his eyes.

After entering the station, the train slowed to a stop; some people got off, and others boarded one after another.

Lu Cheng squinted slightly, continuously scanning among those boarding.

Everyone's clothing was basically the same—either gray or blue—making it hard to tell who the thief was just by appearance.

There might not be any at all; after all, after looking around, I didn't spot the female theft leader I had in mind.

The station buzzed for a while, then the train continued northwest; Lu Cheng crossed his arms, curled up in the hard seat, and kept sleeping.

Liu Jian'an glanced over: "Comrade Lu Cheng, why are you still sleeping? You've been asleep for several hours. I think you should straighten your attitude and not be lax."

Lu Cheng opened one eye: "So serious? Don't be nervous. You're just too tense; forging iron still requires you to be hard yourself. Eat when it's time to eat, sleep when it's time to sleep, replenish your strength, and only then will you have the energy to catch thieves."

Liu Jian'an, looking discouraged and lowering his head, said: "You said we'd earn Merit together, but we still haven't seen any sign of the thief. The Merit hasn't been achieved, and we'll have to take a reprimand when we go back."

"Have confidence. If it were that easy to catch, how could we be the ones to get it?" Lu Cheng propped his hands under his head and closed his eyes.

"Believe me, before we enter Sai Bei, they will definitely make a move."