Chapter 279: Human Bomb

Regimental Commander Sun lunged forward to stand before He Yuzhu, opened his arms, and gave him a solid bear hug, his voice trembling with excitement: "Good for you, He Yuzhu! In all my years of fighting, I've never seen the likes of you! You wiped out the enemy's nest all by yourself—damn it, you're worth an entire regiment!"

He Yuzhu was squeezed so hard he could barely breathe: "Regimental Commander Sun, you're too kind. I just got lucky. I happened to see them piling up all their munitions, so I tossed a Hand Grenade their way, and I didn't expect it to blow everything up."

"Luck?" Regimental Commander Sun released him and patted his shoulder hard. "That's a heaven-sent skill! If it weren't for you, my two or three hundred brothers would have been done for here." He grew more excited as he spoke, his eyes shining: "Zhuzi, come join my army! With the skills you've got, I'll make you a Company Commander right away!"

He Yuzhu hurriedly waved his hands: "Regimental Commander Sun, I appreciate your kindness. Once my father gives me a younger brother, I'll definitely come find you. Right now, I'm the only seedling left in my family..."

"Regimental Commander Sun, He Yuzhu is already a soldier; you can't snatch him away from me!" Tian Dan interjected at the right moment, a faint smile on her lips.

"Understood! Comrade Tian!" Regimental Commander Sun said.

He Yuzhu looked blank: "Sister, when did I become 'your person'?"

Tian Dan sipped her tea unhurriedly: "We'll handle the transfer paperwork when we get back. Before the Founding Ceremony, don't even think about returning to the Rolling Mill."

He Yuzhu shrugged helplessly: "But I'm truly exhausted from these past two days; my calves are still trembling. Can you give me two days off?"

Regimental Commander Sun waved his hand: "That's easy! When we head out of the mountains later, I'll send two soldiers to carry you out on a stretcher!"

"No, no, no! That would be the death of me!" He Yuzhu waved his hands repeatedly.

The group stepped through the morning mist to return to their station. He Yuzhu collapsed onto his cot, and when he opened his eyes again, dusk had already fallen outside the window.

He had slept for a full ten hours, and he felt as if his entire body had been dismantled and put back together.

He was surprised to find a guard still standing watch at the door.

The young soldier saw him wake up and immediately saluted: "Comrade He, the canteen is serving food."

"Have you been guarding here the whole time?" He Yuzhu felt a bit guilty.

The guard nodded shyly.

After wolfing down a few mouthfuls of food, He Yuzhu was led to Tian Dan's temporary office.

Pushing the door open, he saw Tian Dan lost in thought over a map, the tea by her hand long since gone cold.

The fifteen-watt lightbulb cast a dim, yellow glow, outlining her focused profile; she looked beautiful, like an oil painting. Her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she were pondering some difficult problem.

"Did you run into more trouble?" He Yuzhu asked softly, afraid to break the silence.

Tian Dan pushed a thin sheet of letter paper toward He Yuzhu, her expression grave: "Zhuzi, take a look at this. Someone sent it to the Military Control Commission."

He Yuzhu took the paper. On it, words cut out from a newspaper were pasted into a line: "Within three days, Beiping Railway Station, someone will cause an explosion."

"We can't believe this entirely, can we? If we let the enemy lead us by the nose, how much manpower and resources will we waste?"

Tian Dan shook her head: "The Founding Ceremony is imminent, and national representatives are about to arrive in the capital. The railway station is a vital throat. It is better to believe it is true than to believe it is not. I'm wondering, is this really meant to warn us, or is it a diversion?"

He Yuzhu stared at the line of text and mused: "I actually think someone really wants to warn us."

"Your intuition is always accurate. Here's the plan: I'll take responsibility for investigating the spies at the water plant, and the railway station will be left to you."

"I still prefer going into the mountains to catch spies; the pressure at the railway station is too great!" He Yuzhu demurred.

"No. You were able to find a radio station just by tailing Xu Damao; that kind of keenness is rare. One must make the best use of talent—you must take this mission."

"Fine, I'll take it!" He Yuzhu's eyes lit up, and he said: "Sister, if I build you a Security Inspection System and put it at the railway station, what do you think?"

"What Security Inspection System?" Even the erudite Tian Dan was baffled by this new term.

"It's using Vacuum Tubes to create a high-frequency oscillation circuit... installing coils on both sides of a door frame, one to transmit signals and one to receive them... if someone carries a metal weapon through, the buzzer will go 'BBB'."

Tian Dan understood, but she frowned: "By the time you get this thing built, the station will have been blown up who knows how many times!"

"I can finish it in half a month. There will be so many guests during the Founding Ceremony; we can't search them one by one, right? This system will come in very handy."

Tian Dan pondered for a moment and finally nodded: "Fine, I'll apply for the funding for you. But the security sweep of the station cannot wait. You can conduct the station inspection while you do your research!"

"You're trying to work me to death!" He Yuzhu sighed.

"Capable people have to do more work!" Tian Dan said with a smile.

"Once I make the prototype, I can have the Bicycle Factory produce it, and you all can just purchase them."

"You little brat, your head is full of business schemes!" Tian Dan scolded with a laugh. "I think you've been corrupted by Liu Rusi!"

"So, do you want it or not?"

"I do! But the matter of the station must not be delayed."

The next morning, Beiping Railway Station was already bustling with noise.

He Yuzhu was disguised as a scavenger, his face dirty, wearing a coarse cloth jacket and carrying a satchel as he wandered through the station.

He activated the Scanning System, carefully scrutinizing everyone: the porters squatting in the corner smoking, the peddlers shouting loudly, the hurried travelers...

The team he brought was checking for security hazards; from trash cans to abandoned warehouses, they didn't miss a single corner where someone could hide.

For two consecutive days, the blind spots and debris in the station were basically cleared, and He Yuzhu hadn't found anything unusual.

By the third day, He Yuzhu became alert. He walked with hurried steps, patrolling inside and outside the station seven or eight times in just one morning, terrified that if he let his guard down, the station would explode—that was a responsibility he couldn't afford.

He didn't even eat lunch, just shoved a piece of chocolate into his mouth.

At three in the afternoon, He Yuzhu suddenly spotted a man wearing a Zhongshan suit and carrying a leather suitcase.

He was a bit peculiar; not only was he drenched in sweat, but he was also exceptionally nervous. After checking his ticket, he quickly headed toward the most crowded waiting area.

Through the Scanning System, He Yuzhu discovered that the suitcase was packed with Yellow Explosive, and the man was clutching a Remote Control in his hand.

He Yuzhu's back was instantly soaked in cold sweat: "Is he planning to go down with everyone?"

He had to get within six meters to store the Explosive into his space, but the man was exceptionally alert; whenever he saw someone approaching him, he would immediately walk away quickly.

He Yuzhu slowly moved toward the target.

The man noticed immediately and quickened his pace toward the waiting hall.

He Yuzhu's heart sank: "Continuing to tail him will definitely alert him. Even if I use a Flying Knife to take him out, the opponent might press the button before falling."

The power of this box of Explosive was enough to leave nothing alive within a hundred meters.

At this moment, the waiting hall was packed with travelers waiting to board; children were sleeping in their mothers' arms, and the elderly were dozing on the benches.

The man carrying the box of death was walking step by step toward the most crowded area...

Fine beads of sweat seeped from He Yuzhu's forehead; he had to make a decision immediately.