Chapter 393: The Spies Have Escaped Again

When He Yuzhu arrived at the meeting point Tian Dan had mentioned, he did not see her, only her assistant Xiao Zhao, who looked anxious.

"Comrade He, you've finally arrived!" Xiao Zhao hurried over, speaking quickly, "An hour ago, three people from that Xiaojing Hutong group came out... Section Chief Tian got the news and, fearing her subordinates couldn't handle it, followed them herself!"

"How do I find them?" He Yuzhu asked immediately.

"They are scattering lime powder at every intersection to mark the way."

"Get in the car, let's chase!"

The car sped through the night for nearly an hour before finding a small village built of piled stones at the foot of a mountain.

The entire village was built against the mountain, with houses made entirely of stacked stones; from a distance, it looked like an abandoned Shanzhai.

At the foot of the mountain, Tian Dan was checking her watch by the moonlight, her brows tightly locked.

"Dan, did those people enter the village?" He Yuzhu walked over quickly.

Tian Dan nodded and lowered her voice: "This village is easy to defend and hard to attack. We didn't dare act rashly and have already sent people to call for reinforcements..."

"I'll sneak in first to take a look," He Yuzhu said.

"Be extremely careful." Tian Dan knew He Yuzhu's capabilities and did not stop him.

Using the cover of the night, He Yuzhu sneaked into the village without a sound.

He activated the Scanning System, moving forward while scouting.

Soon, he discovered that Landmines had been buried at several key intersections, so he had to clear the mines while groping his way deeper.

After some Scanning, he discovered something suspicious in a dry well in the center of the village—there was a hidden tunnel in the well wall. He did not go down, but instead quickly retreated along the original path to the foot of the mountain.

"How is it?" Tian Dan came to meet him.

"Everyone has run away. Landmines are buried in key positions in the village, and there is a tunnel in the dry well that likely leads outside."

Tian Dan was so angry she pressed her throbbing temples: "Everyone prepare, enter the village and search carefully to see if we can find any clues!"

"No," He Yuzhu stopped her, "The spies have set up quite a few Trick Mines in the village; we can't move recklessly."

He led the group to the dry well and took the lead in entering the tunnel.

The tunnel was narrow and dark; they hadn't gone far before they discovered several Trick Mines.

He Yuzhu carefully dismantled them one by one so the team could continue forward.

The tunnel exit was actually in a desolate graveyard, more than two miles away from the village.

Tian Dan gritted her teeth and cursed: "These bastards, where did they find a place like this!"

Before her words had faded—

"Boom!" An explosion rang out violently, and a young Police officer was blown away by the blast wave.

He Yuzhu rushed over to look and saw a shredded package by a grave; the officer had triggered the Trick Mine when he went to pick it up.

The person was already on the verge of death, his chest a bloody mess.

"Bastards! I'll kill them for sure!" Tian Dan's eyes were red, "Everyone listen, no one is allowed to touch anything on the ground!"

She directed her subordinates to rush the wounded to the hospital, while she and He Yuzhu returned to the village.

He Yuzhu began to check for Landmines inch by inch—this place was not far from other villages, and if a local villager accidentally wandered in, the consequences would be unimaginable.

During the search, he discovered signs of life in a relatively intact stone house: torn straw mats, rotten quilts, leftover steamed buns, and pigeon droppings all over the floor.

At this time, Tian Dan was learning about the situation from the secretary of a nearby village.

The secretary, Li Zhangsheng, said: "This place is called Malan Yu. During the fight against the Japanese, the guerrillas lived here and dug many tunnels. Later, a traitor tipped them off, and hundreds of Japanese soldiers came to encircle and suppress them... The guerrillas and villagers all sacrificed themselves. Since then, it has become a 'Ghost Village.' Aside from hunters or travelers occasionally stopping to rest, no one lives here long-term."

He Yuzhu brought Tian Dan and the Village Chief into the house where someone had lived and said: "Someone lived here for a few days, and there are pigeon droppings—they were using carrier pigeons to pass messages."

Tian Dan punched the earthen wall: "Call off the team! Another wasted effort, damn it!"

He Yuzhu sighed: "I suspect the place at Xiaojing Hutong is also long empty."

"Definitely!"

Returning to Si Jiu Cheng, Tian Dan immediately led the team to storm the courtyard in Xiaojing Hutong.

A Police officer pushed the door open and was about to rush in when He Yuzhu, quick-witted and fast-handed, kicked him more than ten meters away—

"Boom!"

A ball of fire exploded at the courtyard gate.

He Yuzhu simultaneously tackled Tian Dan, and gravel and dirt rained down on them both.

As the smoke cleared, He Yuzhu pulled Tian Dan up, both anxious and angry: "Dan, how are your subordinates trained? One was injured in the village, and they still haven't learned their lesson?"

Tian Dan's face turned pale, and she gasped: "They all came from the military; they're used to charging..."

"Without my order, no one is allowed in!" He Yuzhu said, then approached the courtyard gate alone.

He activated the Scanning and slowly moved into the courtyard.

The place was already empty, but the spies were truly vicious—not only were there Trick Mines set in many places, but an Explosive was hidden inside the door, which would detonate upon opening, enough to level the entire courtyard.

Tian Dan watched as He Yuzhu dismantled over a dozen Trick Mines and the heavy Explosive, cold sweat breaking out on her back: "These animals... if we had rushed in, how many lives would have been lost!"

Finally, He Yuzhu found a dozen Mauser C96s missing parts in the cellar of the Houyuan.

There was a tunnel under the dining table in the living room that led directly to an abandoned house next door.

"The trail is broken again." Tian Dan rubbed her temples wearily.

He Yuzhu was also somewhat frustrated.

After working half the night, they hadn't caught a single living soul, and a comrade had been seriously sacrificed.

"Dan, what do you think they were trying to do tonight?"

"I've been thinking about that question," Tian Dan frowned, "From the location they chose... it's only five kilometers from the railway bridge. I suspect the target is to blow up the bridge."

He Yuzhu realized, "Is there important cargo or personnel taking the train to the front lines recently?"

"In three days, important leaders are leading a group to the Korean front lines for a comfort performance." Tian Dan's expression changed.

"I'm afraid we won't be able to catch them within three days." He Yuzhu lit a cigarette.

"Then we can only dispatch the army to strengthen the bridge guards and mobilize the militia to patrol along the line," Tian Dan sighed.

"By the way," He Yuzhu suddenly remembered, "Chen Xueru mentioned that the female secret agent really likes a down jacket in her shop and said she wants to save up money to buy it. Should we plant a few eyes in her shop?"

Tian Dan looked at him sideways: "You kid, are you using public office for private gain, afraid that Chen Xueru might be in danger?"

"I was just making a suggestion, forget it if you don't want to listen!" He Yuzhu smiled, "By the way, Dan, Secretary Liu has assigned me a new task, so I might not be able to look after your side as much from now on."

"That won't do!" Tian Dan glared at him, "With a situation like today's, how many lives would it take to fill the gap without you?... I just said one thing to you, and you're actually holding a grudge!"

"Dan, you're a southerner, how come you've started using words like 'damn it' too!" He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"Isn't it because I'm being infuriated by you people?"

"Alright, I'm heading out. Yushui and the others are waiting to sell candied Gourd tomorrow, I have to go back and boil the sugar." He Yuzhu waved his hand and walked out.

"Go back and use your brain, think about how to root this bunch of people out," Tian Dan shouted from behind.

"Right, check on the people who raise pigeons." He Yuzhu pulled open the car door, paused, and said again, "Also, about that down jacket matter... you should consider it!"

He Yuzhu's car drove into the night, and Tian Dan stood at the courtyard gate, cursing: "You flirtatious little brat!"