Chapter 56: Suspicion

Chapter Fifty-Six: Suspicions

Though Mr. Li would handle the rendezvous himself tomorrow and, according to his plan, not only purge the traitor within the organization but also connect with the special envoy, Bai Zeshou still felt uneasy about Mr. Li's risky gamble. Thus, he decided that he must personally observe the scene the next day.

Night fell.

Secret Service Bureau.

As Liu Peiru was preparing to leave his office for the day, the telephone on his desk rang. He frowned slightly, displeased, but picked up the receiver. "Who is it?"

"Me." A simple syllable came from the other end.

Upon hearing the voice, Liu Peiru glanced cautiously toward the door, rose, and closed it. Then, with surprise, he said, "Hunter, it's good to finally receive your call again. I suppose you have good news for me."

"Tomorrow at two in the afternoon, at the Delight Pavilion, there will be a gathering of the underground party committee of Shanning's resistance. Not only will Mr. Li attend, but the special envoy sent from above will also be at the meeting," Hunter spoke quickly.

"Special envoy?" Liu Peiru was startled, then quickly became excited. "Do you know the envoy's identity? Do you have a photograph? And do you know the specific mission he has in Shanning?"

"I know nothing—neither gender nor identity. The knowledge of the envoy's arrival is limited to a handful of people; the secrecy is extremely tight," Hunter replied calmly.

"Is it possible that even you, with your rank, know no more details?" Liu Peiru pressed.

"I don't."

"Still, if the envoy truly carries an important mission, such strict secrecy makes sense. By the way, will you be at the Delight Pavilion tomorrow?" Liu Peiru asked over the phone.

"Of course," Hunter replied naturally.

"The Secret Service will take action then. Keep your wits about you—I don't want my ace exposed so easily," Liu Peiru cautioned.

"Don't worry. You know my skills. Still, to avoid accidents, I think you should leave a gap in your encirclement for me," Hunter said thoughtfully.

"That's no problem. I'll be there myself; just watch for my cues," Liu Peiru said with a smile.

"Don't forget my payment," Hunter reminded, then hung up.

Liu Peiru didn't mind Hunter's tone. He chuckled and shook his head, then set about planning tomorrow's hunt. Hunter's price was high, but his intelligence was always accurate.

He contacted Hunter only rarely, but whenever he did, the gains were substantial. If tomorrow they managed to capture all the key figures of the Red Party, then in Shanning only a handful would remain, incapable of causing any further trouble.

The more Liu Peiru thought about it, the more excited he became. But for tomorrow's operation to succeed, a meticulous plan was necessary; otherwise, even the best cards would end in ruin.

…

Shanning, at a temporary contact point of the Red Party.

Mr. Li turned to Ye Weitian at his side. "Well? Have you discovered anything?"

"So far, other than our few core members, only Deputy Captain Lu Tiankang of the action team knows the details for tomorrow. We've all stayed together and haven't left. But just before you arrived, Lu Tiankang and Guo Xiaofei went out together. Nothing else seems unusual," Ye Weitian replied with a smile.

"They went out together?" Mr. Li asked, frowning.

"Yes."

"By the way, how did Deputy Captain Lu Tiankang learn about the envoy appearing tomorrow?" Mr. Li asked curiously.

"It was a coincidence. He happened to come looking for Captain Guo about something, and Guo, unaware of our plan, mentioned it casually," Ye Weitian explained simply.

At that moment, Guo Xiaofei walked in. Seeing Mr. Li, he paused, then greeted him joyfully, "Old Li, it's wonderful to see you! Earlier, when I saw the wanted posters all over town, I was quite worried."

Mr. Li smiled gently. "I made everyone worry."

Because he had no idea who the traitor was, Mr. Li had only contacted Ye Weitian. Thus, Guo Xiaofei was surprised by his appearance.

Meanwhile, Deputy Captain Lu Tiankang, upon seeing Mr. Li, felt a surge of astonishment but kept it hidden, positioning himself behind Guo Xiaofei.

"By the way, Xiaofei, what were you doing outside just now?" Mr. Li asked, feigning curiosity.

"I was scouting. Old Ye said we'd meet at the Delight Pavilion at two tomorrow, so I went ahead to check out the place," Guo Xiaofei explained.

"Alone?"

"No, I went with Deputy Captain Lu. He was very thorough, walking around all the nearby streets," Guo Xiaofei said with a laugh.

Hearing this, Mr. Li and Ye Weitian exchanged glances, then looked toward the shadows where Lu Tiankang stood. "Deputy Captain Lu, thank you for your effort."

"It's nothing," Lu Tiankang replied casually, though a sense of foreboding rose within him. The feeling was sudden, but he trusted his instincts and became more alert.

"Alright, you two can head back," Mr. Li said with a smile.

"Alright, we'll be off," Guo Xiaofei replied, leaving with Lu Tiankang.

"Have them both watched," Mr. Li said to Ye Weitian after their departure.

"What? Monitor both of them? Even Old Guo?" Ye Weitian exclaimed in surprise.

Mr. Li said nothing, only nodded. He still couldn't be sure who the traitor was, but at the moment, Lu Tiankang and Guo Xiaofei seemed the most likely. Thus, Mr. Li ordered surveillance on them.

Back at home, Lu Tiankang noticed he was being watched. The sudden appearance of Mr. Li troubled him, but he refrained from acting rashly; he wasn't convinced he had been exposed. According to Red Party discipline, he would have been detained already if discovered.

Now, even escaping wouldn't be easy. And if he managed to flee, he would face relentless pursuit by the Red Party—a life he did not desire.

So, calming himself, Lu Tiankang lay in bed, pondering. In his estimation, though the traitor was not yet identified, he and Guo Xiaofei were the most suspicious. If he could shift suspicion fully onto Guo Xiaofei, his own situation would greatly improve.

Thus, Lu Tiankang began to swiftly devise a plan in his mind.