stonecrandall Chapter 6 The Great Manhunt
Chapter 6 The Great Manhunt
The rickshaw stopped half a block away from their lodging. The two men each carried two heavy suitcases and walked very lightly, their shoes making only a soft rustling sound as they rubbed against the cobblestones.
"My arms are almost too sore to lift." Li Zhiyao gritted her teeth, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead. The weight of the suitcase made her shoulders tilt slightly, and she felt her bones cracking with every step. She couldn't help but rub her aching arms, her tone a mix of coquettishness and exhaustion, "Next time, I'm never going to help you move things again. This job is simply not for women—if someone sees me on the street carrying such a heavy suitcase, I can't explain myself no matter how much I try."
Yan Shuo turned to look at her and saw that her brows were furrowed and her face was a little pale. He reached out and took a box from her hand: "Thank you for your hard work. I'll take care of the rest. You can go see your informant with peace of mind. I can handle things here. If all else fails, I'll call my informant, A-Kun. He's professionally trained and reliable at lookout and moving things."
The two looked after each other and slowly made their way to the gate. Yan Shuo took out his key and gently inserted it into the lock, turning it slowly to avoid making a sound. The system still didn't warn them when they pushed the gate open, so they breathed a sigh of relief, quickly walked into the yard, bolted the gate shut, and then propped it up with a thick wooden bar.
"Phew—finally home." Li Zhiyao slumped on the doorstep, rubbing her sore wrists and shoulders. "I'm still worried about you going out alone. I'm not good at carrying things, but I can keep watch and provide backup for you. I'll go with you tomorrow and wait outside. I'll signal you if anything happens."
Yan Shuo put down the box, stretched his aching back, and his stomach growled at an inopportune moment: "Okay, I'll do as you say, I'll provide backup. Never mind that, I'm starving, is there anything to eat?"
"It's already past midnight, the shops on the street have long since closed. Besides, we just dealt with so many enemy agents, there might be a big manhunt at dawn. It's too dangerous to go out now." Li Zhiyao stood up, dusted himself off, and said, "We still have some rice and pickled vegetables at home. How about we fry some eggs and have a meal? I also have two bottles of Shaoxing rice wine that I've been hiding. Today went very smoothly, so I might as well take them out to celebrate."
"All set! With wine and food, that's better than anything else." Yan Shuo smiled and followed into the kitchen.
Under the dim light of the oil lamp in the kitchen, Li Zhiyao, wearing an apron, busied herself. She rinsed rice, started a fire, and stir-fried vegetables with practiced ease. Soon, a bowl of fragrant scrambled eggs, a dish of pickled cucumbers, and a bowl of white porridge were on the table. The wine bottle was opened, releasing a rich aroma. The two poured themselves a bowl and gently clinked glasses.
"Let's toast to our resounding victory!" Yan Shuo took a sip of wine, the warmth sliding down his throat, and his fatigue dissipated considerably.
"Drink until you get home safely!" Li Zhiyao also took a sip, a faint blush rising on her cheeks. The tension and fatigue of the past few days gradually eased under the influence of alcohol.
The two chatted as they ate. Li Zhiyao talked about the details of meeting the informant tomorrow, while Yan Shuo planned the subsequent transfer of supplies and the investigation of the dead mailbox. Occasionally, he would interject with a few jokes. The atmosphere in the kitchen was warm and comfortable.
After dinner, Yan Shuo boiled a pot of water, and the two washed up quickly. Li Zhiyao was so tired that her eyelids could barely stay open, but Yan Shuo still pulled her into bed. The moment their skin touched, their exhaustion seemed to be replaced by warmth.
After a tender moment, Li Zhiyao was drenched in sweat, her cheeks flushed like ripe apples, her hair plastered to her forehead. She leaned breathlessly against Yan Shuo, her voice slightly hoarse: "You... you're clearly exhausted like a dog today, why are you still so fierce?"
Yan Shuo gently wiped the sweat from her face, his fingertips feeling slightly cool. His tone was a mix of teasing and tenderness: "Maybe it's because you drank some alcohol, it gave you courage. Besides, you had such a great day, you're in a good mood, so you're naturally full of energy." He lowered his head and placed a light kiss on her forehead. "Alright, don't overthink it, go to sleep, we have a tough battle to fight tomorrow."
Li Zhiyao wanted to say something more, but Yan Shuo had already pulled the blanket over them, wrapping them both in the warm quilt, his arms tightly around her waist. She felt his steady, powerful heartbeat, and the faint scent of alcohol and cigarette smoke lingered around her nose. Her tense nerves completely relaxed, her eyelids drooped, and she quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Yan Shuo didn't fall asleep immediately. He kept his eyes open, staring at the beams on the roof, reviewing tonight's actions and planning for tomorrow. The person in his arms was breathing evenly and sleeping soundly. He gently tightened his arms, holding her even closer.
As dawn broke, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the streets, accompanied by shouts from secret agents and the crisp sound of leather boots on the stone pavement. Yan Shuo rolled out of bed and peered through a crack in the window: secret agents in black uniforms and military police with guns were knocking on doors from house to house. The owner of the fabric shop at the alley entrance was dragged out for questioning, his face pale with fright.
Not long after, their own front door was also pounded on loudly. Yan Shuo gave Li Zhiyao a wink, and she quietly retreated into the inner room, her hand resting on the gun at her waist.
"Open the door! Routine inspection!" The shout from outside was gruff. Yan Shuo slowly opened the door, and several agents rushed in, their leather shoes clattering on the floor, and the noise of them rummaging through drawers and cabinets made the room a mess.
The thirty-odd yuan in legal tender that Yan Shuo had deliberately left in the money box were confiscated. The agent examined the two men's identification documents from all angles, and then looked them over, muttering, "They don't look like Communists." Before leaving, he also took the half-empty bottle of yellow wine from the table—the agent unscrewed the cap, smelled it, grinned, and stuffed it directly into his pocket.
After the spies left, Li Zhiyao came out of the inner room, crossed her arms, walked up to Yan Shuo, and gently twisted her waist, her tone tinged with relief: "Yan Shuo, looks like we won't be able to get anything done today?"
"Okay, I'm going to work at the trading company in a bit. You stay home and don't go out today." Yan Shuo raised his hand to straighten his collar. "If all else fails, just shoot. I've put the gun I gave you somewhere easy to reach. Don't panic."
"Don't worry, those idiots won't find what I hid even if they search it to death!" Li Zhiyao nodded playfully, reached out to straighten his crooked tie, dusted off his suit, and saw him to the door. She whispered, "Watch out for the Asakusa Trading Company across the street. Yesterday I saw them unload several boxes at the dock, covered with black cloth. Something seemed off."
Yan Shuo responded, put on his top hat, walked out of the courtyard, and headed towards the French Concession along the street.