Chapter Forty-Three: A Tense Moment

Chapter Forty-Three: A Tense Moment

Nevertheless, Bai Zeshao’s mood eased just a little. After all, without seeing Mr. Li leave safely, he could not find peace in his heart for a single moment.

“What do you plan to do?” Bai Zeshao looked at Liu Xiaobing and asked.

“Of course, we have to report this. Let’s go find Section Chief Qian now and tell him the news first,” Liu Xiaobing replied with a smile.

“All right.”

When the two arrived at Qian Yihai’s office, they found Liu Peiru and Qian Yihai sitting across from each other on the sofa. To their surprise, neither man seemed the least bit startled by their arrival.

Liu Xiaobing had just opened his mouth to speak when Liu Peiru interrupted him, “Xiaobing, I’ve already read the note you left for me. I truly didn’t expect you would actually discover Mr. Li’s hiding place.”

Hearing Liu Peiru’s words, Liu Xiaobing glanced apologetically at Bai Zeshao. Only after noticing that Bai Zeshao wasn’t looking at him did he secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

“However, now that Section Chief Qian is the head of the inspection team, in charge of rooting out our internal spies, you ought to report to him first, not to me. Do you understand, Xiaobing?” Liu Peiru said sternly in front of Qian Yihai, putting on a show of seriousness.

“Ha, Section Chief Liu, you’re too polite. I should be thanking you for lending me your best men. But Xiaobing, perhaps you could tell us how you managed to find Mr. Li’s hideout at No. 12, New First Street. After all, No. 11, New First Street is one of our own safe houses,” Qian Yihai said with a beaming smile, his eyes fixed on Liu Xiaobing.

Not only Qian Yihai, but even Bai Zeshao and Liu Peiru were brimming with curiosity.

“I thought carefully about the events at the safe house a few days ago. The time between Mr. Li’s rescue and our blockade of the street was so brief—even our men exchanged fire with the enemy. They couldn’t have gotten far; perhaps they hadn’t even left New First Street at all,” Liu Xiaobing explained, his voice calm and measured.

“But New First Street is home to high officials and wealthy people. A hasty search would be impossible, so I staked out the street over the past few days. I noticed that, although some houses were unoccupied, they were regularly cleaned.”

“So I questioned one of the cleaning ladies and discovered something odd about No. 11, New First Street. No one was living there, yet it hadn’t been cleaned at all.”

“That’s not so unusual,” Qian Yihai interjected abruptly.

“It wouldn’t be, but if it used to be cleaned regularly and that suddenly changed last year, doesn’t that seem suspicious?” Liu Xiaobing continued his explanation.

He glanced around at the others, then went on, “Most importantly, yesterday I personally went down the sewer. Following the flow, I found that the backyard of No. 11, New First Street, had a manhole cover—something no other house had. There were signs it had been moved, though not very obvious.”

“So, you’re basing your proof that Mr. Li is at No. 12, New First Street, on this?” Liu Peiru asked.

“That’s enough. This kid’s uncovered quite a few suspicious points. Let’s go, bring some men and surround the place. If there’s anything to find, we’ll know as soon as we search,” Qian Yihai cut Liu Xiaobing off with a wave of his hand, rising and heading for the door.

Bai Zeshao and Liu Xiaobing followed Liu Peiru and Qian Yihai out of the office. Downstairs, the action team was already assembled, led by Wu Zhengke.

“You two called me here in such a mysterious way but didn’t say what the mission was. What’s the meaning of this?” Wu Zhengke asked, not hiding his displeasure as he saw them approach.

At this, Bai Zeshao hurried forward a few steps and quickly explained Liu Xiaobing’s findings, also mentioning why he hadn’t reported it immediately.

Wu Zhengke glanced at Bai Zeshao, then said to Liu Peiru and Qian Yihai, “Then let’s get going.”

They climbed into the cars and sped away.

Soon, they arrived at New First Street. The action team swiftly blocked off both the front and back entrances to No. 12, even stationing guards at the sewers. The house itself was eerily quiet, causing Bai Zeshao’s heart to clench with anxiety.

“Go!” Wu Zhengke shouted, giving the order with a wave of his hand.

Bai Zeshao was the first to break down the door, but Qian Yihai, Wu Zhengke, and Liu Peiru remained by the car, smoking and chatting idly.

“Do you think we’ll catch that Red agent this time?” Qian Yihai suddenly asked, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

“What, you doubt my action team’s capabilities? Relax. If your man’s inside, there’s no way he’ll escape,” Wu Zhengke retorted with a cold snort.

“We’d better catch him. Otherwise, the three of us, high-ranking section chiefs, will have come out in person only to return empty-handed. That would be humiliating. I can already imagine the Party Affairs Office gossiping behind our backs,” Liu Peiru said coolly, gazing straight ahead.

“True enough.”

The three of them stared tensely at the courtyard gate, hoping to see results at the first possible moment. But just then, a powerful blast echoed from inside the house, making their hearts skip a beat.

Inside, Bai Zeshao, looking rather disheveled, scrambled up from atop Liu Xiaobing. When they had opened the door, they’d accidentally triggered a booby trap—not one that Bai Zeshao had set, but evidently one arranged by Mr. Li, catching him off guard as well.

Fortunately, he’d reacted quickly, tackling the still-stunned Liu Xiaobing to the ground. Even so, two of their comrades were injured.

“Xiaobai, thanks. Looks like we’ve found the right place,” Liu Xiaobing said, gripping his pistol tightly and licking his lips in excitement, his eyes alight with a dangerous gleam.

“No problem. Stay sharp,” Bai Zeshao replied, forcing himself to stay calm as he fixed his gaze on the hidden room. By now, the action team had found the entrance to the secret chamber.

This discovery sent a fresh jolt of anxiety through Bai Zeshao. Since Mr. Li had set a booby trap at the door, he must still be able to move. Yet whether he had already escaped, Bai Zeshao had no way of knowing.

Even his hand, gripping the pistol, was trembling uncontrollably as he stepped heavily toward the entrance to the secret chamber.

“Xiaobai, do you want to go in, or should I?” Liu Xiaobing asked from where he was pressed against the wall, staring at the hidden door.

“I’ll go. I have the experience,” Bai Zeshao replied, taking a deep breath. He pulled a grenade from his belt, removed the pin, and raised his arm as if to throw.

But his aim was not at the secret chamber—instead, he was poised to throw toward the action team’s position. Bai Zeshao was prepared: the moment the chamber opened, he would hurl the grenade backward, ready to cover Mr. Li’s escape.