Chapter 415: The Secret Agent Escaped

He Yuzhu dodged while pleading, "Mother, it doesn't matter if it's a man or a woman; that's someone my superiors assigned me to protect! I wouldn't be at ease leaving her anywhere else, so I kept her by my side. You must keep this a secret. Otherwise, it'll be a disaster! I told Liu Haizhong she's my cousin... if anyone asks, don't let it slip!"

To convince his mother, he even pulled his credentials from his chest pocket and handed them over.

Shen Guizhi looked at them carefully by the lamplight: "Deputy Bureau-level Consultant for the Police Bureau? A higher rank than your father's?"

"It's just a nominal rank. I can't manage anyone, but I do get a salary," He Yuzhu laughed.

Only then did Shen Guizhi's expression soften, and she set the feather duster on the table: "If you dare bring a woman home just like that, I won't spare you! Our family has a clean and upright reputation!"

"Mother, I understand! Please don't tell He Yushui about this; she can't keep a secret. If she lets it slip, it'll ruin everything," He Yuzhu said in a low voice.

"I know, I know," Shen Guizhi rolled her eyes at him, but her tone softened.

He Yuzhu reached into his chest pocket again, pulled out a bankbook, stuffed it into his mother's hand, and said with a grin, "I know you spent all your private savings helping my uncle host the banquet, but you can't skimp on food expenses. He Yushui has already complained to me, saying you don't even put meat in the dishes you cook now."

Shen Guizhi snorted: "That brat, she's actually starting to turn her nose up at my cooking. When has the family ever eaten poorly lately? She just eats out with you too much and has become picky!"

"He Yushui even secretly told me that you gave all your money to my uncle!" He Yuzhu teased.

"That brat, no wonder she's been talking to me less lately!" Shen Guizhi scolded with a smile, then tucked the bankbook into the wardrobe.

Just then, He Yushui hurried into the room. As soon as Shen Guizhi saw her, she pulled a long face: "You brat, were you the one badmouthing me behind my back?"

He Yushui shook her head repeatedly: "I'm busy selling fruit skewers every day, where would I find the time?"

Shen Guizhi twisted He Yushui's ear: "Wasn't it you who said I gave all the money to your uncle?"

He Yushui turned her head to glare at He Yuzhu and shouted: "Brother, you actually betrayed me! Mother, I was just joking!"

He Yuzhu looked helpless and quickly turned to slip out.

He went straight to the East Cross Courtyard and released Lin Wanning from the space.

As soon as Lin Wanning woke up, she raised her hand and punched him: "Why did you knock me out again?"

He Yuzhu chuckled: "If I didn't knock you out and stuff you in the trunk, would you have agreed?"

"Couldn't you have just told me? I'm not a child!" Lin Wanning glared at him, "I want to eat Boiled Fish today, you must make it for me! Consider it an apology!"

"Fine, I'll make it for you," He Yuzhu replied.

"He Yuzhu, why don't I just follow you like a shadow to solve cases? I think it's quite interesting," Lin Wanning said again.

"No, my mother just lectured me about this earlier, saying I brought a woman home," He Yuzhu said helplessly.

"How did your mother spot the flaw?"

"Your feet are too small. She's a woman, so naturally, she knows those are a woman's feet!"

Lin Wanning gave a bitter smile: "That really is a flaw."

"Tian Dan said that once we catch those two at the meeting tomorrow, it won't be our business anymore. After that, I'll send you to Hong Kong."

"I don't want to leave," Lin Wanning suddenly hugged He Yuzhu and kissed him.

It is unknown how much time passed, but not until both of their stomachs were growling did they climb off the kang.

"I really want to stay..." Lin Wanning held onto He Yuzhu, unwilling to let go.

He Yuzhu still shook his head: "You have to go; your identity cannot be exposed."

"Then I'll use my money to buy a small house in Si Jiu Cheng and stay. With my ability to hide, no one will find me," Lin Wanning pleaded.

"You're oversimplifying it. Hiding for a year or six months might work, but it's bound to be exposed over time," He Yuzhu lit a cigarette.

"You just don't like me, that's why you're in such a hurry to send me away!" Lin Wanning stared at him intensely.

"Actually, our personalities are quite similar, and I do like you. If you go to Hong Kong, you'll have better opportunities..." He Yuzhu advised.

Lin Wanning lowered her head and thought for a long time before nodding: "If I don't have a good life over there, I will come back to find you."

"I promise," He Yuzhu said.

The next morning, before dawn, He Yuzhu and Lin Wanning quietly left the house.

The courtyard was quiet, and everyone was still asleep.

The two found a steamed bun shop on the street, ordered a jin of buns and two bowls of fried liver, and began to eat breakfast earnestly.

At this time, inside Baiyun Temple, the green-robed Daoist went out for his morning exercises as usual.

Just as he set his stance in the small woods, he sensed the atmosphere around him was wrong—the temple was already surrounded by soldiers.

The green-robed Daoist felt a chill in his heart and immediately realized this disaster was brought on by Zhao Yichen.

He stood in the small woods for a long while, but in the end, he could not bear it.

Although Zhao Yichen called him 'Uncle-Master', they were of similar age, and in the past, they had discussed scriptures and Dao, sharing quite a bit of friendship.

Now, seeing that he was about to fall into the hands of that young man surnamed He, he feared the outcome would be dire.

After hesitating repeatedly, the green-robed Daoist stopped his movements and turned to knock on the guest room door.

Zhao Yichen opened the door, his eyes filled with expectation: "Uncle-Master, have you thought it through? Are you willing to help us revitalize the Daoist religion?"

The green-robed Daoist lowered his voice: "Just now, during my morning exercises, I discovered that the temple has been surrounded by soldiers; it must have been brought on by you. You... leave quickly."

Zhao Yichen's face turned pale in an instant, and he spoke incoherently: "But, but Sun Daoyan hasn't come to find me yet... I can't leave! My contact—" As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he had slipped up and hurriedly corrected himself, "I mean those two believers, they are supposed to come find me at ten o'clock!"

The green-robed Daoist gave a bitter smile: "Do you know who that kid driving the car is? In the thirty-seventh year of the Republic, the person who assassinated the Deputy Mayor was him; how could he be any believer?"

Zhao Yichen panicked immediately and grabbed the green-robed Daoist's sleeve: "Uncle-Master, save me! You have high martial arts skills, you can definitely take me out, right?"

"The temple is surrounded like an iron barrel, how can we get out?" The green-robed Daoist shook his head.

"Uncle-Master, I'll tell you the truth... Sun Daoyan is working for his aunt, I, I was tricked by him! I am innocent! You cannot stand by and watch me die!" Zhao Yichen pleaded with tears streaming down his face.

At ten o'clock in the morning, He Yuzhu and Lin Wanning arrived outside Baiyun Temple on time.

But as time ticked by, until the bell rang at eleven, Zhao Yichen never appeared.

"The green-robed Daoist let him escape!" He Yuzhu's expression darkened; the situation he feared most had happened.

He immediately pulled out his walkie-talkie to report to Tian Dan: "The target has not appeared, requesting an immediate search of Baiyun Temple!"

The soldiers quickly took control of every part of the temple.

Tian Dan hurried over and asked: "Where exactly did things go wrong? I brought in 500 soldiers, and they still managed to escape! Damn it!"

"The green-robed Daoist has extremely keen perception; you bringing troops to surround the temple won't be able to hide from him. I suspect there must be a tunnel inside Baiyun Temple!" He Yuzhu said while activating the System Scanning Function.

Half an hour later, he discovered an underground passage in the west wing.

"Dan, the tunnel is under the incense table."

The group moved the heavy incense table aside, and sure enough, a secret door was revealed.

He Yuzhu and Tian Dan exchanged a glance, and he was the first to bend down and enter.

The tunnel was damp, narrow, and had already collapsed in some places, only allowing people to crawl through.

The group struggled forward for over two miles, finally crawling out from a high slope overgrown with weeds.

Once they emerged, they only saw distant village houses faintly visible, with no sign of anyone left.

"Damn it! Got played again!" Tian Dan kicked the mud on the ground hard.