Chapter 155: Idiots
“See? You’re still the impressive one, Qianfan. You took one look and knew it was German-made. Brother Lu doesn’t understand any of this stuff.”
As he spoke, Big-Head Lu flicked the wheel, lit the lighter, and helped Cheng Qianfan light his cigarette. Then, taking advantage of the moment, he slipped the lighter into Cheng Qianfan’s pocket.
Cheng Qianfan made a show of taking it back out.
“Qianfan, are you looking down on Brother Lu? It’s not even anything valuable.”
Cheng Qianfan smiled and let the matter pass.
The two chatted for a few more moments. Before leaving, Cheng Qianfan took an unopened pack of Triple Turret cigarettes from his pocket.
“I’ll come drink at Brother Lu’s place another day. It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten Sister-in-law’s cooking.”
“It’s a deal. Your sister-in-law has been talking about you for ages.” Big-Head Lu happily accepted the cigarettes.
The matter was settled. This Little Cheng really was someone who remembered old friendships.
Watching Cheng Qianfan’s departing figure, the smile on Big-Head Lu’s face faded, and he fell into thought.
About fifteen minutes later, Cheng Qianfan, now dressed in civilian clothes, came downstairs together with He Guan. The two talked as they walked.
“Qianfan, you’ve got that sulfa medicine or whatever it is. Just give it directly to me and I’ll take it to Uncle Zhao,” He Guan said. “Tell me the price, and I’ll pay you when I get back. Why do you need to make a trip to the hospital yourself?”
“Why do you talk so much nonsense?” Cheng Qianfan said impatiently. “What kind of businessman doesn’t speak with the buyer?”
In reality, he did not want He Guan tagging along, but the fellow was like a piece of sticky glue.
At that moment, Cheng Qianfan caught sight of a familiar figure disappearing around a corner.
It was Liu Bo, who was supposedly on sick leave.
Wasn’t Liu Bo on sick leave?
Why would he appear on Rue Vallon?
“Qianfan, go to Guangci Hospital yourself. I’ve got something else to do.”
After watching He Guan hurriedly leave after saying that, Cheng Qianfan became thoughtful.
How had those two gotten mixed up together?
“Sir, please be kind and give me something to eat.”
“You little brat, get lost.”
“Sir...”
Hearing the commotion, Cheng Qianfan looked over and saw the ragged Pidan pestering a well-dressed man for alms.
The man kicked Pidan to the ground with his leather shoe and was about to kick him again.
“Little beggar.”
Cheng Qianfan walked over, grabbed Pidan by the scruff like a cat, and lifted the skinny child off the ground.
“Let me go! I won’t dare do it again!”
Terrified, Pidan cried and begged for mercy, tears and snot streaming down his face.
“Little brats like this ought to be hanged. Beat him!”
Recognizing that this was Inspector Cheng from the police station, the man in the suit immediately pointed at the captured beggar and cursed.
“The hell are you doing, teaching me how to do my job?” Cheng Qianfan stepped forward and slapped the man across the face. “Get lost!”
The suited man, clutching his cheek after being slapped, looked furious and tried to argue.
Cheng Qianfan stepped forward and slapped him again, then pointed toward the police station courtyard.
“What? Want to come inside as a guest?”
The suited man covered his face with both hands and walked away whimpering.
“You little brat.”
Cheng Qianfan appeared to yank Pidan’s hair viciously, but he was actually using very little force.
“Didn’t I tell you not to beg around here?”
As he spoke, he turned slightly to the side and quickly asked in a low voice, “What happened?”
Pidan was young and uneducated.
He looked timid and spoke with a trembling voice.
In reality, however, he was very sharp.
In just a few sentences, Pidan explained everything clearly.
Cheng Qianfan immediately picked out three key pieces of information.
They had obtained information from the night-soil worker Qiu Laosan. Ximei’s mother had hanged herself, and only little Ximei remained at home.
Qiu Laosan had said that a group of armed men had also been asking about Ximei’s family.
Li Hao had stayed outside Pingjiang Village and sent Pidan back to report while awaiting further orders.
Cheng Qianfan silently praised Li Hao’s cleverness.
He realized that his earlier decision to send Pidan into the shantytown disguised as a beggar had not been entirely well considered.
Li Hao’s method of gathering information through the night-soil worker had been an excellent idea.
As for the armed group, he immediately reached a conclusion.
They were agents of the Party Affairs Investigation Department.
They had also set their sights on Ximei and intended to use her as bait, waiting for prey to walk into the trap on its own.
“Go back immediately and tell Haozi to return,” Cheng Qianfan decided at once.
Ximei’s home in Pingjiang Village was now a trap.
Anyone who tried to contact her or inquire about her family’s situation would be watched.
He could not allow Li Hao to take such a risk.
He would have to find another solution.
“You little brat, get lost.”
Cheng Qianfan kicked Pidan.
The little beggar let out a “miserable scream” and fled as though escaping for his life.
Looking at the crowd around them, who were pointing and whispering, Cheng Qianfan glared.
The onlookers immediately averted their eyes and hurriedly dispersed.
Cheng Qianfan’s expression darkened.
His heart felt heavy.
He had faced situations far more complicated than this before.
Yet now he felt flustered and overwhelmed.
That was because previously he had not been fighting alone.
He had comrades and couriers.
His responsibility had only been to pass along intelligence.
Unless it was an emergency, everything else was handled by others.
He Guan had somehow gotten involved with Liu Bo.
Given Liu Bo’s cunning nature, a person with He Guan’s temperament would inevitably be manipulated and led around in circles.
He feared that He Guan would be used by Liu Bo.
Compared to the situation involving He Guan, the matter in the shantytown was even more urgent.
Cheng Qianfan worried that the Communists would send someone to contact and help Ximei’s family.
No, he knew the organization would definitely send someone.
No one could remain unmoved after hearing of the tragedy that had befallen Yang Damei.
The organization would never stand by and do nothing.
He had to find a way to send a message to the organization and warn them that secret agents had laid a trap at Pingjiang Village.
However, he had already telephoned Doctor Zhao Wenhua at Guangci Hospital from the police station and arranged to meet him in one hour.
Under normal circumstances, he could simply call again and say that something had come up.
But he could not do that.
He Guan knew about his planned visit to Zhao Wenhua.
Ordinarily that would not matter.
Having an appointment and canceling because of unexpected business was perfectly normal and contained no flaw.
However, with He Guan now associating with Liu Bo, there was no guarantee that his loose tongue would not later mention the matter to Liu Bo.
When dealing with enemies, Cheng Qianfan had never hesitated to exercise the highest level of caution.
A seemingly insignificant matter often became the spark that eventually led to exposure.
If he broke the appointment and did not go to Guangci Hospital, he would inevitably have to invent an excuse.
One lie required countless other lies to cover it.
Once someone started watching him and investigating, it would be impossible to explain everything perfectly.
Cheng Qianfan now deeply felt the difficulty of fighting alone.
If he had not lost contact with the organization, he could have quickly passed the intelligence to his courier while continuing to Guangci Hospital according to plan.
Most importantly, according to organizational discipline, his fundamental task at present was to remain hidden and protect himself from exposure.
In other words, he could not risk exposing himself merely to pass intelligence to the Shanghai Communists.
Even the slightest possibility of exposure was unacceptable.
The local Shanghai Communists had no horizontal line of contact with him.
He could ignore them.
According to organizational discipline, if the situation might endanger himself, he was required to ignore it.
Yes, the most correct course of action was to pretend not to see the trap at Pingjiang Village.
To do nothing.
To watch helplessly as his comrades walked into it.
It sounded cruel.
But that was the cruel reality of underground work.
Cheng Qianfan was filled with anxiety.
He even found himself blaming and cursing He Guan and Fang Muheng.
Strictly speaking, those two were the reason for the current predicament.
He knew their intentions were good.
Both were passionate young men.
But...
They were too stupid!
He was not afraid of enemies being sinister and cunning.
What he feared were the idiots around him.
Yes, Cheng Qianfan considered He Guan and Fang Muheng to be idiots.
He was furious.