Chapter 383: The Meeting

As soon as He Yuzhu arrived at the Public Security Bureau, he was pulled into a car by Tian Dan.

Without a word, she floored the gas pedal, and the Jeep lurched forward violently, nearly causing He Yuzhu's head to strike the windshield. "Dan, is there really such a rush?"

"The train arrives in forty minutes! We don't even know if the people Lao Zhou sent have arrived yet. If we don't make it, we won't be able to set up the surveillance!" Tian Dan gripped the steering wheel tightly, her eyes fixed on the slightly congested street ahead.

"Where did your men go?" He Yuzhu asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Several suspects have been acting suspiciously lately, so I've spread my men out to tail them," Tian Dan said, pressing the horn to urge a slow-moving cart ahead to clear the way.

"Dan, don't worry, I'm here," He Yuzhu said, patting his chest.

"I forgot to introduce the target to you; his name is Jiang Chongshan, and we got that from the train police. This man is highly skilled, and we only discovered him because he killed someone on the train."

"What? A secret agent, daring to kill on a train? What for?"

"He was in a sleeper car, and in the middle of the night, a thief snuck on and stole his handbag. He followed the thief straight to the restroom and killed him. If a young girl hadn't seen it and told the train police, we wouldn't have noticed him. Linking this to your intelligence, my preliminary assessment is that this man is likely related to Operation 'Jingzhe'."

"So this time, do you want to arrest him directly, or play a long game..." He Yuzhu asked.

"I haven't decided yet. What do you think?" Tian Dan glanced at him.

He Yuzhu shook his head: "If we let him get away, no one can bear the consequences."

"How did you become so timid?" Tian Dan glared at him.

"I've registered my marriage with Liu Rusi, and we have a child; I can't just be reckless!" He Yuzhu said in a low voice.

Tian Dan was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "I have to say, it's Liu Rusi's good fortune to have found you. But with you two being so far apart, this isn't a long-term solution."

"What other choice is there? Her identity might be a big problem in the future. Right now, I still know Secretary Liu, but if he gets transferred to a local post one day, I'm afraid I won't be able to protect her."

"Stop being so mysterious. What could happen in the future?" Tian Dan said dismissively.

He Yuzhu shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Your mindset is older than mine!" Tian Dan said.

While speaking, He Yuzhu had already quickly pulled a headpiece and fake beard from his bag and was skillfully applying them while looking into the rearview mirror.

In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a scruffy, weather-beaten middle-aged man.

Tian Dan smiled: "Since the day I met you, you've disguised yourself every time you've carried out a mission. Why?"

"People's hearts are treacherous. I'm not afraid for myself, but I'm afraid of bringing disaster upon my family."

The Jeep braked sharply and stopped at the side entrance of the train station.

The two quickly got out, pushed through the noisy crowd, and walked into a quiet warehouse inside the station.

It was already packed with people, and the air was thick with smoke.

Tian Dan began roll call and then quickly assigned tasks.

Those who received their orders walked out quickly, and finally, only she and He Yuzhu remained in the warehouse.

"Dan, what do you want me to do?" He Yuzhu asked.

"Stay by my side. I suspect the person coming to meet Jiang Chongshan might also show up at the train station. If we can catch them together, that would be best."

"Dan, I don't mean to dampen your spirits," He Yuzhu lowered his voice, "but I feel that the people brought in this time have too much of a 'military air' about them. Experienced agents will spot it at a glance."

Tian Dan sighed: "There's no help for it; they all just transferred from the military."

On the platform, the crowd was bustling.

A woman in her twenties stood quietly at the edge of the crowd. She had an oval face, fair skin, delicate features, and was dressed appropriately; one could tell at a glance that she came from a well-off family.

She was the secret agent for Operation 'Jingzhe', Lin Wanning, a top student from the Nianbada female agent training class, possessing astonishing observational skills and a calm mind.

At this moment, she was chatting with a woman carrying a child who looked anxious.

"Ma'am, who are you here to meet?"

"My husband has been discharged from the military and is coming back on this train from Guangdong. He sent me a telegram in advance," the woman replied with an out-of-town accent.

Lin Wanning pulled a piece of candy from her pocket and handed it to the little girl, who was about six or seven years old, standing next to the woman.

The girl had large eyes and a round face, and she was a bit shy and afraid to take it.

The woman was straightforward: "Take it, say thank you to the auntie."

Only then did the little girl take the candy, put it in her mouth, and a smile immediately bloomed on her face.

Clearly, her family was not well-off, and candy was a rare treat.

"Woo—!" The train whistle blew long and loud, and a train puffed out rolling white smoke as it slowly pulled into the platform.

At the window of one carriage, a man in his forties with sharp, angular features was looking out. He was Jiang Chongshan.

His gaze swept over the moving heads on the platform, seemingly nonchalant, as he searched for the agreed-upon signal—a red scarf.

He didn't see it. Perhaps it was outside the station? He pondered to himself, picked up the yellow handbag at his feet, and walked off the train with the flow of people.

Based on the description transmitted over the radio, Lin Wanning had already recognized Jiang Chongshan.

However, with her sharp eyes, she had already spotted quite a few plainclothes officers.

"The meeting can't happen," she quickly made a judgment, "they've already set a dragnet, just waiting for them to walk into it! I must notify Sun Zhe to change the plan immediately; if Jiang Chongshan is arrested, the entire operation could collapse."

She quickly crouched down, pretending to tie her shoelaces, and confirmed the presence of several more plainclothes officers out of the corner of her eye.

Then, she stood up and walked hurriedly toward the station exit.

Jiang Chongshan also seemed to have sensed something and quickened his pace toward the exit.

At the warehouse observation port, Tian Dan pointed: "The one wearing the fedora is Jiang Chongshan."

He Yuzhu took a look.

The target was physically robust and walked with a brisk, powerful gait; he was indeed a trained fighter. "Dan, should we move in now?"

"Wait a little longer, the contact hasn't appeared yet. Do you think we've been exposed?" Tian Dan frowned.

He Yuzhu gave a bitter smile: "Dan, it's not that I'm being talkative. That sweeper, and those few people pretending to meet others, are too deliberate. As long as the contact isn't a novice, they've definitely seen the signs and slipped away."

Tian Dan also realized the problem and said decisively: "Change of plan. Zhuzi, we'll follow him and find an opportunity to arrest him directly to avoid any further complications!"

He Yuzhu walked quickly toward the station exit.

After Lin Wanning walked out of the station, her gaze scanned the surroundings sharply.

Soon, she brushed past a tall man carrying a shoulder pole and hawking frozen persimmons.

"The situation has changed," she said in a very low voice, speaking very quickly, "Jiang Chongshan has been exposed; whether he has defected is unknown..."

Sun Zhe nodded almost imperceptibly and, carrying his load, quickly disappeared into the crowd in the station square.

He Yuzhu and Tian Dan mingled in the flow of people leaving the station, following Jiang Chongshan from a distance.

Yet they saw Jiang Chongshan walk to a wonton stall at the edge of the station square and sit down directly: "Boss, how much is a bowl of wontons?"

"Eight hundred yuan."

"Give me a bowl!"

"Coming right up!"

Before long, a steaming bowl of wontons was placed in front of Jiang Chongshan.

He began to eat in large mouthfuls.

Just at this moment, a sudden change occurred! Not far away, a man was running desperately while holding a little girl, followed by the same woman who had been talking to Lin Wanning just moments ago.

Lin Wanning suddenly took out the red scarf wrapped around her waist and put it on her head.

She walked up to meet them quickly, her tone concerned: "Ma'am, what is wrong with the child?"

"I don't know! She suddenly felt unwell and started convulsing all over!" The woman was so anxious that tears were welling up in her eyes.

"Has the child had similar situations before? Like epilepsy?" Lin Wanning asked.

"No! She has never been like this before!"

"I have studied medicine; if you trust me, let's go to that wonton stall over there, and I will take a look at her. If she ate something bad, inducing vomiting might make her better."

Jiang Chongshan saw that eye-catching red scarf and just as he was about to speak, he was forced back by Lin Wanning's cold, knife-like gaze.

"Sir, please move aside, I need to use the table." Lin Wanning's tone allowed no room for doubt.

Jiang Chongshan understood immediately and, taking advantage of the moment he set down his bowl, pressed a capsule-sized particle to the bottom of the bowl.

Lin Wanning moved the wonton bowl to the side and, under the guise of cleaning the table, extremely quickly took that object into her palm and slid it into her pocket.

She laid the little girl flat on the table, checked her pulse, and said decisively: "It is acute gastrointestinal distress. Ma'am, I can treat her; do you trust me?"

"I do! I do! Please, treat her quickly!" The woman nodded repeatedly.

Lin Wanning took out a few Silver Needle Technique needles and skillfully inserted them into several acupoints.

Before long, the little girl let out a "wa" sound and vomited the contents of her stomach; her complexion visibly improved, and she slowly regained her energy.

He Yuzhu whispered: "Dan, why do I feel like the secret agent has already completed the contact? Did you see anything?"

Tian Dan observed with focus and shook her head.

Suddenly—

"Bang!"

A crisp gunshot tore through the noise in front of the station!

Jiang Chongshan's body shook violently, a flower of blood bloomed on his chest, and he fell heavily onto the wonton stall, shattering the bowls and plates all over the ground.

"Catch the sniper!" Tian Dan shouted sternly, and the crowd instantly fell into chaos.

He Yuzhu reacted extremely quickly, his speech rapid: "Dan, I'll leave controlling this area to you! No one near the small table can be allowed to leave!"

Before his voice had even faded, he had already shot off like an arrow from a bow, charging fiercely toward the two-story brick building opposite.