Chapter 378: Fierce Dragon Crossing the River

Looking at the woman before him, Yu Zecheng trembled all over, his eyes already misting with tears.

He never imagined he would be able to see Zuo Lan in this strange, foreign land.

This woman who once made him worry so much was actually still alive.

"I heard your cousin smuggles cameras; could I take a look at the goods?" Yu Zecheng's voice was trembling.

"Sir, you've made a mistake."

"My cousin sells mountain goods," Zuo Lan shook her head slightly and said in a hoarse voice.

"Boss, c-can I dine in?"

Yu Zecheng took a deep breath, glanced around, and said in a low voice.

"Of course you can."

"Please, come inside."

Zuo Lan gestured with her hand.

There was no one else inside; Yu Zecheng sat down with his steamed buns, dipped them in vinegar, and said while eating:

"I have so much to tell you."

"They all said you had sacrificed yourself."

"How did you get here?"

"How could you come here?"

"It is very dangerous here, a hundred, a thousand times more dangerous than Jin Hai."

"Many people here have seen you before; many in the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics have seen your files and newspapers. If you show your face, they will recognize you."

"The organization was too reckless."

"It shouldn't be like this."

Beyond his agitation, Yu Zecheng felt an indescribable sense of distress.

He suddenly felt that this world had become unfamiliar; the methods of work and many other things had changed.

The organizational connections here were simply riddled with loopholes.

They were not even as good as the underground student union led by Guo Youliang and Xu Zhao.

This made him feel an inexplicable annoyance and pain, and he felt deeply worried for the organization.

"Zecheng, Comrade Zhong Yun has been arrested, and the Keelung Working Committee is paralyzed; the people on Line One already know."

"It is fortunate that you haven't had contact with the comrades from the East China Bureau."

"As far as the current situation goes, you are still safe."

"My coming here was an arrangement made by the organization after careful deliberation."

"They will not recognize me."

Zuo Lan gave a faint, bitter smile and lifted the cloth covering her face.

Most of her face and forehead had been burned away.

Even her scalp was mostly bald, revealing hideous, twisted burn scars.

Yu Zecheng's eyes turned bloodshot instantly, tears welled up in his sockets, and his throat was so choked he could hardly speak:

"Does... does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt anymore."

"Back when Hu Zongnan bombed Yancheng, I was burned by a napalm bomb and fell unconscious while retreating. They all thought I was dead; it was the local villagers nearby who saved me."

"After I returned to the troops, I recuperated for a long time."

"Zecheng, I was the one who requested to come here."

"I hope that in my lifetime, I can see you again and fight side by side with you..."

Tears spilled from the corners of Zuo Lan's eyes.

There was something else she didn't say: the organization had explained the difficulty of going undercover here and the constant danger of sacrifice.

Zuo Lan hoped that even if she were to die, she could die together with Yu Zecheng.

"Hmm."

"Zuo Lan, the situation here is very dangerous. The secret agents who retreated to Wandao are all elites, and many have even served in our own ranks; they are very familiar with our methods of operation."

"The people from the East China Bureau act very high-profile; they are even planning to stage an armed riot."

"You must stay away from them."

"Also, if I have important intelligence, I will come here to eat steamed buns; usually, we should minimize contact."

"If you have an urgent matter to find me, hang up the sign for fennel-filling buns."

"Additionally, Gu Youniu has opened a shop called A-Niu Grain Shop at the grain market."

"If you can't find me, you can also use the excuse of buying flour to go there and find him."

Yu Zecheng replied with extreme speed and in a very low voice while eating his buns.

"I understand."

"This contact station of mine is only responsible to you."

"The courier is a lady surnamed Zhu, sent by Director He of the East China Bureau's Political Department; she is responsible for transferring important intelligence to Xiangdao," Zuo Lan said.

"Is she trustworthy?" Yu Zecheng frowned.

Having seen the sloppy working methods of the underground organization in Wandao, he felt a sense of distrust toward the East China Bureau from the bottom of his heart.

"She is trustworthy."

"She is also responsible for the underground intelligence transfer of a key official."

"Rest assured, even if she is exposed and confesses, it will only lead back to me."

"Zecheng, I will guard your safety with my life."

Zuo Lan said with a firm gaze.

"You must be careful too," Yu Zecheng gently stroked the back of her scarred hand.

"Do you have any intelligence to give me?" Zuo Lan asked.

"I do."

"Take notes quickly."

"One: Jiang has spent a huge sum of money to recruit a large group of suicide pilots from the ghost island; the first batch has already arrived in Wandao and Yuezhou. Air Force Commander Zhou Zhirou plans to bomb Beiping on October 1st to disrupt the founding ceremony."

"Two: Mao Renfeng has secretly sent Ye Xiangzhi to Xiangdao, and they are planning to assassinate Officer Long Yun."

"The assassination targets may also include some other Nationalist government generals who have defected."

"The assassination plan was concocted entirely by Mao Renfeng; it is very difficult for me to steal specific intelligence, so you must ensure the comrades and patriotic generals in Xiangdao increase their vigilance," Yu Zecheng said.

"Okay, I understand. Is there anything else?" Zuo Lan asked.

"No... that's all."

Yu Zecheng looked at her with eyes full of pain.

He had wanted to ask about Cuiping's situation, but the words reached his lips and he swallowed them back.

What would be the point of asking?

He might never see Cuiping again in this life.

For things one cannot dwell on, knowing only adds to the sorrow.

This is the pain that underground workers must endure.

"Go quickly."

"Hey, coming, coming."

Just then, someone came to buy buns; Zuo Lan glanced at him and trotted over to serve them.

Yu Zecheng put down his chopsticks.

He had wanted to leave a stack of US dollars, but then he thought that US dollars were a scarce commodity on the island; if the secret agents investigated Zuo Lan, it would be suspicious for an ordinary bun shop to have US dollars.

In the end, he only left a stack of New Taiwan Dollars and then walked out quickly.

Back in the car.

He stepped on the gas and left quickly under Zuo Lan's gaze.

At this moment, Yu Zecheng's heart was bleeding.

Zuo Lan was a soldier.

But she was also a woman, and she also loved beauty.

He could not imagine the torture she endured after being burned, or how much pain she was in.

For her, this might be a fate worse than death.

Zuo Lan came here with the mindset of someone prepared to die.

The days dragged on in this undercurrent of turmoil.

Soon, it was the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

That night, the moonlight was white as frost.

Sizzle!

Hong Zhiyou was grilling meat in the courtyard, while Wu Jingzhong lay on a rattan chair, rocking slightly:

"I don't know how Jin Feng and your Master's wife are doing; during this period, Kaohsiung and Keelung have been crazily arresting 'red tickets,' and the ports and airports are all blockaded."

"We can't get out, and Rui Rui and the others can't get over here."

"Ruirui's belly is also disappointing; she came to Xikou for so long last time and still didn't conceive."

"Sigh, damn it, who knows how long this blockade will last."

Perhaps because he was getting old, his speech was noticeably more long-winded than before.

"Teacher, perhaps he is very happy."

"The Third Field Army has already issued a notice to Jinmen, Zhoushan, and other places; it looks like they must attack the islands by next month at the latest."

"Once Wandao is taken, we might be able to leave in the chaos."

Yu Zecheng said.

"I think you're dreaming."

"Jinmen and Zhoushan are heavily fortified. Although Du Lumen looks down on Old Jiang and is unwilling to provide arms and weapons, I feel that as long as the U. . military is this troublemaker, they won't give up on the fat piece of meat that is Wandao."

"Don't forget, there are still four million taels of gold on the island that the Commissioner stole from the mainland."

"And all these sugarcane and pineapples all over the island; how could the Americans not be greedy?"

"With the Seventh Fleet here, relying on those few sampans of the Red Ticket, I'm afraid there's no chance of landing."

Wu Jingzhong rolled his eyes at him and said.

"Yes, yes." Yu Zecheng laughed.

"Teacher, the meat is ready; eat it while it's hot with the osmanthus wine." Hong Zhiyou placed the roasted meat on a platter and called out.

As the three of them were eating, the phone in the hall rang.

Hong Zhiyou got up to answer it, returned shortly after, and said in a deep voice, "Teacher, General Yang Jie was assassinated in Xiangdao; Ye Xiangzhi did it."

"Sigh!" Wu Jingzhong could only let out a soft sigh.

"Despicable!" Yu Zecheng cursed in a low voice.

A deep sense of helplessness filled his heart at that moment.

Last time, he had leaked some assassination intelligence from the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics to Zuo Lan.

He never expected that despite all his precautions, Ye Xiangzhi and his gang of thieves still succeeded.

"Bang! Bang!"

Gunshots could be heard from the night sky from time to time.

It was in the direction of Machangding.

"These lunatics, they won't even rest during the holidays."

"Let them kill."

"Let them kill."

"Come, eat meat, drink wine."

A trace of disgust appeared in Wu Jingzhong's eyes as he raised his glass.

After the three were full of food and wine, they each returned to their rooms to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Hong Zhiyou's phone rang, and he answered it groggily:

"It's me."

"Okay, I understand."

"Have Editor-in-Chief Zhang publish it immediately."

The next day.

Morning tea restaurant.

Lin Dingli, Lin Zaigun, and Wang Kun were eating fried dough sticks and shaomai.

"I received news that Jiang Jianfeng appointed Hong Zhiyou to set up some investigation team, using Ye Xiufeng's people."

"Third Brother, is our warehouse in Wanbei alright?"

Lin Dingli looked at Lin Zaigun, who was slicing pork intestine.

"Can that bunch of trash under Ye Xiufeng actually do anything?"

"However, there have indeed been many new faces in the grain market recently. Cowboy, come over here."

Lin Zaigun said, calling out to a young man eating breakfast not far away.

"Brother Zai, Officer Lin."

The young man walked over, nodding and bowing, speaking in authentic Minnan dialect.

"Let me introduce you; this kid is called Gu Youniu, he's vicious in a fight and his brain is sharp."

"Isn't the grain market tight recently?"

"This kid pushes grain, goes door-to-door to sell it, and has exchanged rice and flour for quite a few antiques, which he then sells to those rich merchants and officials from the mainland, making quite a bit of U. . dollars and gold bars."

"He really is a talent!"

Lin Zaigun patted Gu Youniu's head and introduced him proudly.

"Hehe, not at all, it's all thanks to Brother Zai's guidance." Gu Youniu said with a sycophantic smile.

"A local?" Lin Dingli asked.

"Yes."

"When the Japanese were here, I did odd jobs for a foreigner, so I know a bit about black market trading."

Gu Youniu said, and then showed off a few sentences in Japanese.

"Hmm."

"Keep up the good work." Lin Dingli nodded.

"Third Brother, go check who the hell still dares to sell grain at a fair price, and find someone to smash their shop."

"The prices in Wanbei must be in our hands."

He took a sip of soy milk and gave the order.

"Don't worry, a few of those shops have already been beaten into submission."

"I'm very worried about that Hong Zhiyou right now; it will be very troublesome if he investigates us."

"I'll say it again, let's just finish him off."

Lin Zaigun stepped on a stool nearby, picking his teeth as he spoke.

"We can't finish him off; that would be slapping Jiang Jianfeng in the face."

"It's best to just cripple the kid."

"At the very least, I need to get back at Wu Jingzhong for this grudge."

Lin Dingli pondered for a moment and said.

"Should I arrange it?" Wang Kun, who hadn't said much, asked.

"No need, why use a butcher's knife to kill a chicken?"

"I'll just find someone to drive a car and hit him tonight, won't that do?"

"Leave this to me and A-Niu."

Lin Zaigun patted his chest and said.

"Fine, you go arrange it." Lin Dingli stood up.

Just as he was about to pay the bill, Gu Youniu walked to the counter first and paid for it.

Lin Dingli smiled and nodded, saying to Lin Zaigun, "Third Brother, smart kids are rare these days. Locals from the Japanese occupation period are trustworthy; you can give him more work."

"Understood." Lin Zaigun said.

"Take care, Officer Lin."

Gu Youniu nodded and bowed as he saw Lin Dingli off.

"Third Brother, I want to look at some antiques; you don't mind if I use your little brother here, do you?" Wang Kun asked with a smile.

"Of course."

"Youniu, go chat with your Brother Kun."

"I still have a card game, I'm off." Lin Zaigun spat out his toothpick, laughed, and got up to leave.

"Get in the car."

Wang Kun invited Gu Youniu into the car.

"You know who I am, right?" Wang Kun asked arrogantly.

"I know, the anti-Japanese hero who assassinated Ze Zhongxin; who in all of Wandao doesn't know the great name of Captain Wang?" Gu Youniu praised.

"Are you still collecting goods recently?" Wang Kun asked.

Prices were skyrocketing now, and his life wasn't easy either.

Don't look at how he walked closely with Lin Dingli, calling each other brothers; in reality, he was just a lackey.

He used to follow the Wanbei Station and could eat some kickbacks from the station, living quite comfortably.

Now the kickbacks were gone, and Wu Jingzhong would constantly find fault to deduct his performance pay and bonuses.

When it came to black market grain, people like Lin Dingli and Lin Zaigun wouldn't give him a single cent.

Plus, his wife at home played mahjong and lost money all day, and his son was good for nothing; several mouths were all staring at him, waiting for him to make money.

And so, his life was very tight.

"I am, I plan to start a fleet and go to Keelung and Yilan to try my luck."

"It's just that the grain Brother Zai gave me is almost all sold out."

"I'm just waiting for him to load me up with more."

Gu Youniu said.

"Aren't you afraid of receiving fake goods?" Wang Kun handed him a cigarette and asked with a smile.

"To be honest with you, Brother Kun, the Japanese I followed before loved to flip these things; he even went to the Sediq tribe to collect items.

"I learned quite a bit from him.

"I wouldn't dare say my eye is perfect, but I can still judge ordinary items accurately."

Gu Youniu said.

"What was that person's name?" Wang Kun asked cautiously.

"Asano Dayi," Gu Youniu said.

"Asano Dayi, hmm, I've heard of him. Is that the one who refused to leave during Chen Cheng's land reform and was beaten to death by the locals?" Wang Kun recalled.

"Yes, yes, that's him.

"His whole family died out; his wife hanged herself, and his son committed seppuku," Gu Youniu said.

He had done his homework well, and Wang Kun couldn't dig up any leads.

"Where did you get the grain transport fleet?" Wang Kun asked again.

"The Japanese used to have a transport company that was taken over by the Security Command. Brother Zai spoke to Officer Peng, so I can requisition them for use.

"It's not much, just five or six trucks.

"Besides, with the Security Command's vehicles, once I go to Yilan and Keelung, there won't be anyone on the road setting up checkpoints to make things difficult."

Gu Youniu explained with a fawning smile.

"Hmm.

"I'm a bit short on cash lately.

"I have about two tons of grain on hand; help me move it first," Wang Kun said.

"Brother Kun, it's not that I don't want to help you.

"Two tons of grain wouldn't even fill one truck. If I haul it to Keelung and don't happen to find any good items, I won't even make back the fuel money.

"Besides, even if I wanted to go, Brother Zai wouldn't let me leave.

"Two tons of grain—wouldn't that make Brother Zai laugh at you, Brother Kun?"

Gu Youniu said.

"That's true.

"Then when do you plan to leave?" Wang Kun asked.

"I'd like to leave.

"But there's a shortfall of twenty-three tons of grain. If Brother Zai doesn't release the stock, where am I supposed to get the grain?" Gu Youniu shrugged and said.

"I can help you speak to him about that," Wang Kun said.

"That would be great.

"Brother Kun, let's put it this way: as long as I can successfully make this trip.

"For those two tons of grain of yours, I won't dare promise too much.

"But at least a tenfold return."

Gu Youniu blinked and gave a mercenary, dry laugh.

"I couldn't tell; you look quite honest, but you're actually pretty cunning.

"I'll make friends with you.

"Where do you live? I'll drive you home," Wang Kun said.

"I couldn't possibly accept that, Brother Kun. I can just walk a few more steps myself," Gu Youniu said politely.

"Hey.

"We're all brothers, why be so polite with me."

Wang Kun intended to sound him out, and under Gu Youniu's guidance, he drove the car into a small alley on Chongqing Road.

Evening.

Underground casino.

Lin Zai Gun glanced at his watch, put down his cards, reached under the table, pulled out a bottle of white liquor, and handed it to a pockmarked lackey beside him:

"A-Biao, go, follow the plan.

"If you succeed, there's a reward."

As he spoke, he casually grabbed a handful of chips and stuffed them into the lackey's pocket.

"Don't worry, Brother Zai, I'll definitely do it beautifully."

A-Biao took two lackeys, quickly walked out of the casino, got into a car, and drove straight toward Tai'an Road.

A-Biao had already scouted Hong Zhiyou's background that afternoon.

He hid the car at the intersection of Tai'an Road and Shida South Road.

As soon as Hong Zhiyou's car arrived, he would accelerate and ram into it, then the two lackeys would get out, use guns to force Hong Zhiyou out of the car, and cripple the kid.

He had done this kind of thing many times before.

The reason he accepted the order so readily, besides the reward from Brother Zai, was mainly because Hong Zhiyou was such a fat fish.

Who knows, he might be able to scrape quite a few good things off him.

A-Biao had just parked the car in the narrow alley and hadn't even had time to light his cigarette.

Outside the window, a gun was pressed against his head:

"Get out of the car."

At the same time, two pistols poked out from the rear window.

"Brother, don't be impulsive."

A-Biao raised his hands, and the three of them slowly got out of the car.

They saw several men dressed in black Zhongshan suits, with murderous expressions, staring at him coldly.

The two in the lead.

One had slightly curly hair on his forehead, wore large sunglasses in the middle of the night, and had a long, narrow scar on his cheek—he looked like a ruthless character at first glance.

The other was younger, a fair-skinned, quite handsome young man.

"Walk forward.

"Face the wall.

"Kneel down!"

Sun Xing pressed his gun against A-Biao's forehead and urged him coldly.

"Brother, who do you work for?

"I'm one of Brother Zai's men, Wang Kun, captain of the Wanbei Action Team. Lin Dingli of the Security Command's Investigation Division is my big brother.

"Please, have some sense."

A-Biao was also a man who had seen the world.

"I work for... the King of Hell."

Sun Xing put on black leather gloves, picked up a silencer, screwed it on unhurriedly, and aimed it at the back of A-Biao's head.

*Puff, puff!

Two shots.

A-Biao's head tilted, and he fell to the ground.

"Puff."

Sun Xing fired another shot, killing one of the subordinates.

"Brother, don't, don't kill me." The remaining man was trembling with fear, raising his hands to beg for mercy.

"What's your name?" Sun Xing asked him.

"Liao Laoqi," the man said.

"Brother Laoqi, take me to see Lin Zai Gun," Sun Xing ordered coldly.

They got into the car.

The man drove back to an underground casino in a village within the city.

"Lead the way."

Sun Xing said with his hands behind his back.

"Yes, yes!"

Liao Laoqi entered the casino, trembling.

Lin Zai Gun was hugging a beauty, playing Pai Gow and rubbing the tiles.

"Brother Zai," Liao Laoqi called out.

"So fast? Where's A-Biao?" Lin Zai Gun turned his head subconsciously.

He instantly saw the murderous Sun Xing.

Not good.

Years of experience in the underworld told him that the visitor was not there with good intentions.

"Bro..."

Before he could finish, Sun Xing revealed the silenced pistol he had been hiding behind his back and pulled the trigger.

Pfft!

A bloody hole exploded in the center of Lin Zai's forehead; his eyes wide open, he fell headfirst into the beauty's embrace, twitched all over a few times, and then went still.

This sudden scene left everyone stunned.

Once they reacted, dozens of Lin Zai's subordinates grabbed their weapons—guns, knives, and clubs—and surrounded Sun Xing in unison.

"What incredible audacity, daring to kill Third Brother."

"Kill them."

The leader, Luo Youzhang, shouted loudly.

Sun Xing curled the corner of his mouth into a cold, dry laugh.

To the side, Lin Tian unbuttoned his coat, his body covered in detonators.

The other few subordinates also unbuttoned their clothes one after another.

They were all American-made hand grenades.

"Holy shit!"

"Don't, don't fire, everyone get the hell back!"

Seeing this, Luo Youzhang's fat face turned green, and he shouted in a panic.

If these went off, it would be a disaster; the entire casino would be blown to dust.

"Brother, you look very unfamiliar."

"Which turf are you from? We have no past grievances or recent grudges; there must be a reason for killing my Third Brother."

He demanded sternly.

"A reason?"

Sun Xing took off his sunglasses, raised his scar, and smiled coldly: "I just didn't like the look of him, is that okay?"

"Brother, this is Wanbei; you won't last long playing like this," Luo Youzhang said through gritted teeth.

"Just playing around."

"Don't be nervous."

Sun Xing placed his sunglasses on the bridge of his nose, waved his hand, and Lin Tian and the others closed their coats, walking out swaggeringly under the angry glares of the crowd before driving away.

"Kill them."

One of the subordinates was eager to chase after them.

Luo Youzhang held his hands out to stop them: "No need."

"American hand grenades, hundreds of them at once, and they have mainland accents; don't chase them."

"It's useless to chase them."

"Quick, call Brother Dingli."

(End of chapter)