The train driver in the courtyard

In weather warfare, switching the prince with a cat is one of the most effective ways to defeat the enemy.

The gains often far exceed those from catching a mouse or seizing important intelligence.

However, cunning enemies are often very suspicious.

The biggest challenge was convincing the enemy that the tanuki was the real prince.

—From the internal teaching materials of the weather station, Tactics section, page 51, line 12.

Inside the jeep, Old Cat leaned back in the back seat, flipping through a book.

This was the simplest task he had ever carried out; all he had to do was follow orders and arrest people.

However, when Old Cat recalled Li Aiguo's arrangements, he was still filled with doubts.

Why not just let the rats take the intelligence?

Why go through all that trouble?
However, as a veteran meteorologist, resolutely carrying out orders is an instinct.

"Report! Zhou Hei and Zhou Ning have made contact with the Little Notebook! They've confirmed that the other party is Kurozuma from the Little Notebook's expert group." A meteorologist rushed over to report.

"Get ready to move out!" Li Aiguo, sitting in the front row, opened his eyes.

Hearing the order.

Old Cat folded the page, closed the book, and adjusted the pistol tucked into his waistband.

On the other side, in a secluded grove of trees near Shichahai.

Kuronuma rubbed his hands together, looking at the Zhou family father and daughter standing opposite him, already impatient.

"Where are the blueprints? Give them to me now, and His Majesty Tianhuang will reward you handsomely!"

Zhou Hei took out a metal box containing film from his pocket, intending to hand it over, but after reaching halfway, he hesitated for a moment and withdrew his hand.

"Lord Kuronuma, the film is right here, but what should we do?"

"You guys," Kuronuma said, looking at the two with some disdain.

What nobles? They're nothing but impoverished people.

How could a bereaved family possibly be interested in someone who is completely useless?

only.
His black swamp-like eyes darted around: "Yosh, I've already made arrangements."

After I leave, someone will come to pick you up and take you directly to the south, from where you will set sail.

As you know, the weather station here is keeping a very close watch on things, so get me the maps right now!

Zhou Hei still felt uneasy. Hei Nu's face suddenly darkened, and he scolded, "You idiot! Are you going to betray His Majesty Tianhuang?!"

"No, no!" Zhou Hei trembled with fear and quickly handed over the box.

Kuronuma took the box, checked the film inside, and was relieved to see that there were indeed blueprints on it.

"You all wait here, and whatever you do, don't leave."

After saying that, Kuronuma put the box in his pocket, pulled up his collar, and quickly left the grove, disappearing into the crowd.

Zhou Hei and Zhou Ning stood in the grove, waiting for their backup while daydreaming about the wonderful life on the other side of the little notebook.

As time passed, Zhou Ning began to sense something was amiss.

"Father, was that gentleman just now lying to us?"

“Impossible. We are compatriots. How could he treat us like this?” Zhou Hei immediately shook his head, his words resolute.

Just then, a voice came from behind.

"What, still daydreaming here, waiting for someone to come and take you to the notebook? Haha, I've seen idiots, but I've never seen anyone as stupid as you."

The sound wasn't loud.

But to the two of them, it was like a bolt from the blue, freezing them in place as if they had fallen into an ice cave.

Zhou Hei twisted his stiff neck, turned around, and saw a young man with a smile on his face slowly walking towards him.

If you didn't consider the somber atmosphere, anyone would think this young man was just taking a walk in the park.

"Who, who are you?"

Zhou Hei, still clinging to his last glimmer of hope, managed to speak with difficulty.

The young man took out his ID and waved it in front of him: "A cat that catches mice."

Zhou Hei instinctively wanted to run away.

But when he caught a glimpse of the gray Zhongshan suits surrounding him out of the corner of his eye, he immediately lost heart.

"I don't know anything, so don't waste your time." Zhou Hei gritted his teeth, having made up his mind to be loyal to His Majesty Tianhuang.

Zhou Ning felt a little guilty, but still nodded: "We don't know anything."

"Really? Don't you want to know how we managed to catch you so precisely?" Li Aiguo said slowly, uttering a seemingly unrelated remark.

These words instantly caught the attention of both of them.

Yes, this meeting place was decided by Zhou Hei on the spot, and only he, his daughter, and Hei Numa knew about it.

Zhou Hei was very confident in his ability to conceal his identity; he had managed to hide it for so many years, so there was no way he would run into any problems.

Could it be the Black Swamp?
No, impossible! That was an adult sent by the Remnant Clan Association, how could they betray them!
Just then, a single sentence from the young man opposite him shattered his spirit.

"It was Kuronuma. He betrayed you right before he boarded the plane."

"No, impossible! Lord Kuronuma is an elite of His Majesty Tianhuang, he would never betray his comrades," Zhou Hei said subconsciously.

Zhou Ning's face turned deathly pale: "Father, we've been betrayed."

"Ningzi, don't believe them! They're bluffing us, trying to sow discord! Don't be foolish!" Zhou Hei's eyes reddened with anxiety.

But Zhou Ning's spirit had completely collapsed at this point. She shook her head frantically, tears streaming down her face.

"Father, wake up! What have we been risking our lives for all these years?"
It's all for His Majesty Tianhuang! But how have they treated us?
They used us as bait, then discarded us like trash!

"Dad, you're the one who's really foolish!"

Before Zhou Hei could say anything more, Li Aiguo stepped forward, looked at Zhou Ning, and said, word by word, "You only have one chance. Whether you can save your life depends on your next decision. Are you willing to help us identify Black Swamp?"

Zhou Ning hesitated for a moment, his expression rapidly changing, before finally nodding heavily.

"Since they don't consider us compatriots, I have no reason to risk my life for them anymore. I'm willing!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Hei trembled and collapsed to the ground.

Can he blame Zhou Ning? No, it was Black Swamp who broke the rules first.

"Take him away!" Li Aiguo checked the time; the plane was about to take off, and there was no time to waste.

On the tarmac of Nanyuan Airport.

A Tu-104 jet airliner with the Russian Civil Aviation number SU12 marked on its fuselage is undergoing final preparations before takeoff.

This is one of the few remaining general commercial airliner routes since relations with Russia gradually became strained.

Starting from the capital, passing through Irkutsk, transiting through Omsk, and finally arriving at Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport.

Upon arrival at their destination, passengers can transfer to other flights to cities around the world.

Therefore, the passengers on this plane were a mixed bag.

Not only were there Russians and people from the Eastern Bloc, but also some Western businessmen and journalists, Southeast Asians... and of course, Japanese.

Sitting by the window, Kuronuma pretended to admire the gas pumps operating outside while touching the metal box in his pocket.

Now that he has the blueprints, all he needs to do is take them back, and the editorial position at the Asahi Shimbun will be his.

And... that charming Miss Matsuko, she too has to obediently lie in his bed and let him take her as he pleases.

Thinking of this, Kuronuma's face revealed a lewd smile.

Just as he was immersed in his sweet dream, a commotion suddenly broke out at the front of the cabin.

"What's going on? What happened?" a Russian flight attendant asked loudly in Russian.

"The aircraft has encountered a technical problem and needs emergency repairs... Understand?" A ground crew member rushed up to explain.

Then, the flight attendant's voice came through the plane.

"Good afternoon, passengers. We regret to inform you that the aircraft is experiencing some mechanical problems and requires safety maintenance. For your safety, please take your belongings and leave the aircraft temporarily..."

Upon hearing the flight attendant's words, the passengers immediately erupted in a chorus of complaints.

But safety comes first, so everyone followed the flight attendant's instructions, picked up their luggage, and lined up to disembark.

Only Kuronuma sat there blankly, his face turning pale.

Although he wasn't a professional rat, he had received training before coming here, so the clumsy schemes here couldn't escape his eyes.

"What went wrong? How did they find me so quickly?"

As the number of passengers in the cabin dwindled, several flight police officers began checking passengers one by one from the front.

Kuronuma realized that now was not the time to think about how to expose himself.

The most crucial question is, how do I get the blueprints back?

"Kuronuma-kun, why aren't you going down?" Professor Yamamoto asked, somewhat puzzled, when he saw Kuronuma sitting there.

Kuronuma glanced at Yamamoto, his eyes lit up, and he immediately took the box out of his pocket and handed it to Professor Yamamoto, blocking the view of others.

"Yamamoto-kun, please! You must bring this box back..."

As Kuronuma stood up to leave, he leaned close to Yamamoto's ear and whispered something urgently.

He then immediately put on a very relaxed and nonchalant expression and swaggered toward the cabin door.

After disembarking from the plane via the gangway, Kuronuma looked up and saw several men in gray Zhongshan suits walking straight toward him.

A cold smile subtly curled at the corner of his mouth. "Mr. Kuronuma, please come with us." Old Cat strode forward, blocking Kuronuma's path, and flashed his work badge at him.

This sudden scene caught everyone off guard, and the Russian passengers stopped and whispered among themselves.

Professor Yamamoto was startled and quickly stepped forward to negotiate.

"Comrades, we are experts from the delegation, and we are preparing to go back this time. What are you doing?"

Old Cat said coldly, "Sir, Mr. Kuronuma is suspected of a theft of confidential blueprints. We need to take him away for investigation. Please cooperate."

"Huh?!" Yamamoto couldn't help but touch his pocket, his expression changed slightly, and he couldn't help but take a step back.

Kuronuma had fully realized his predicament by this point, but he was still somewhat unwilling to give up.

"Baka! What classified blueprints? I don't understand what you're saying at all! You're framing me!"

Before he finished speaking, the window of a large SUV parked not far away slowly rolled down, revealing a face inside—it was Zhou Ning.

The moment Kuronuma saw Zhou Ning's face, the last shred of hope in his heart vanished without a trace.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm: "Okay, I can go with you."

However, I need to say a few words to our commander, is that alright?

"Of course, please go ahead." The old cat generously stepped aside.

Kuronuma turned to look at Yamamoto, staring intently at him: "Yamamoto-kun, this time I may really not be able to go back."

I hope you can take good care of my family for me.

Oh, by the way, there's a box in my office containing some very important personal items. Please make sure to... deliver it to number 12, Chiyoda Ward.

After saying that, Kuronuma gave Yamamoto a meaningful smile, then turned around.

"Comrade, I can go with you now."

At this moment, Kuronuma was filled with trepidation but also with the ecstasy of victory.

The blueprints have now been successfully transferred.

Even with the testimony of that stupid woman Zhou Ning.

Unless we find that actual evidence on him, there's nothing we can do about him!
As long as the bigwig of the bereaved families speaks out in the big family to criticize the weather station here, he will be able to leave soon.

Sitting in the jeep that was escorting him, Kuronuma thought to himself with smug satisfaction.

Sitting in the interrogation room at the weather station, Kuronuma thought the same thing.

Even when Zhou Ning was brought out and accused Kurozuma of his crimes in person, and Old Cat slammed his fist on the table threatening to drag Kurozuma out and have him shot, Kurozuma still thought like a dead pig that wasn't afraid of boiling water.

"Comrades, I've told you countless times, I'm innocent! Utterly innocent! I don't even know this crazy woman! She's making baseless accusations!"

"Of course you can execute me without any evidence, but please think carefully about the serious consequences of doing so!"

Kuronuma straightened his suit and puffed out his chest. If he had a cigar at that moment, it would have accentuated his imposing presence even more.

At that moment, the interrogation room door opened, and a burly figure walked in.

Kuronuma's expression changed instantly when he saw the person who had arrived: "Li Aiguo, Expert Li, what are you doing here!"

"Kurosuma, the plane bound for Moscow has already left Nanyuan Airport." Li Aiguo sat in the middle of the interrogation table, the light making his face appear particularly stern.

For some reason, Kuronuma always felt a strange fear deep down when facing Li Aiguo, the always smiling train expert.

He couldn't help but shrink back, his arrogance immediately diminishing by three points.

"I...I've said it so many times, I'm innocent..."

Li Aiguo seemed not to hear his explanation at all. He slowly struck a match, lit a cigarette, and took a deep drag.

"Kuronuma, there's something I forgot to tell you."

Li Aiguo exhaled a puff of smoke.

"On that confidential blueprint, I mislabeled a few key parameters... uh... no, not a few, but many, many."

I've been so busy lately, and to get the inspection done, I just drew it haphazardly. I ended up getting so many parameters wrong! Ugh, that's so wrong of me, so careless.

A single, understated sentence.

Kuronuma, who had just been calm and confident of victory, almost jumped up from the interrogation chair!
"This is a trap you set! Those blueprints are fake!" Kuronuma's voice rang out in disbelief.

"No, no, no, how can you call it a trap? It's just a mousetrap prepared to deal with greedy mice."

Li Aiguo stood up, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his tall figure casting a large shadow on the wall.

He walked slowly to the front of the Black Swamp, looking down at it.

He was already tall and strong, while Kuronuma was extremely short and was strapped to the interrogation chair.

Li Aiguo is now looking down on Kurozuma from the height of a three-story building, with eyes that look down on ants.

"Since I'm just killing time anyway, let me tell you a little story."

One day, I discovered that a mouse had sneaked into my house.

My original plan was to just beat this little beast to death with one blow.

After thinking about it carefully, I decided to give up on this simplistic and crude idea.

Because there must be another nest of rats inside the rat hole.

If we don't follow the trail and take them all down, there will be endless trouble in the future.

I hate trouble the most.

Upon hearing this, Kuronuma's face turned ashen.

Li Aiguo continued, "So I found a white steamed bun and dipped it in rat poison."

But how can we get this rat to willingly take the poisoned bun back to its hole to poison the other rats?
Just when I was worrying, Zhou Hei and his daughter Zhou Ning came into my view.

"You...you discovered them both a long time ago," Kuronuma's voice began to tremble.

"No, I know far more than you do. For example, you are Kuronuma, an editor at the Asahi Shimbun, and you wrote that report."

"It turns out that everything was part of your plan."

Kuronuma felt like a mouse that had fallen into a trap long ago, but was unaware of it and was even overjoyed. He was so pathetic and pitiful.

But since he knew everything, why didn't he just attack me during the rendezvous instead of going through all that trouble and letting me board the plane...?

Thinking of this, Kuronuma suddenly opened his eyes, as if he had figured out something extremely terrifying, feeling as if he had instantly fallen into a bottomless ice cave!
Everything around him was so dark and cold that it was almost suffocating him!
"You haven't made a move against me yet because you want to use me to take back that poisoned bun, which is also the flawed blueprint."

Kuronuma looked at Li Aiguo as if he were a devil.

"To prevent the bereaved families from questioning the authenticity of the blueprints, you deliberately created an emergency involving aircraft malfunction, forcing me to hand over the blueprints to the unsuspecting Yamamoto in a panic..."

In this way, the bereaved families will have absolutely no doubt about what Yamamoto brings back.

They'll definitely think this blueprint is genuine!

"Terrible...you're absolutely terrifying!"

After Kuronuma figured it out, he had only one feeling: the train expert in front of him had calculated everything.

At this moment, Old Cat, who had been sitting behind the interrogation table listening in, was also experiencing a great deal of turmoil in his heart.

He had been puzzled for a long time as to why Li Aiguo had to make things so complicated. Wouldn't it have been better to just arrest people directly?
Now he understands everything!
It turns out that this whole series of interconnected steps had the real purpose of making the other party completely believe that the blueprints were genuine.

"Alright, the story is over. Now you can tell me everything about the Orphanage, right?" Li Aiguo sat back down.

"No need. I've already decided to be loyal to His Majesty Tianhuang. Even if you force me at gunpoint, my memorial tablet will still appear in the shrine." Kuronuma, who thought he was doomed, had now entered a state of detachment.

Even if he were to die, he would still have family, and he knew all too well the way the bereaved families operated.

"No, no, no, look at you, why do you always misunderstand others? Do I look like such a ruthless person?"

Li Aiguo waved his hands repeatedly at Kurozuma, adopting a pained expression.

How could I bear to shoot you?
You've done us a tremendous favor this time, you've done a great service!
Don't worry, I'll treat you to the best food and drink. In another four or five months, I'll send someone to escort you back to China in style.

"Take me back?" Kuronuma's first reaction was, "Has the other person lost their mind?"
But the next second, his extremely intelligent mind realized the consequences behind this decision!

"Four or five months later... the bereaved family will use that fake blueprint to develop an electric train, and they will definitely have already invested a huge amount of money, manpower and resources."

And the project had just reached an irreversible stage... and at that moment... you let me go back..."

Kuronuma looked up at Li Aiguo and felt that the other party was a demon.

"You...you're so shameless!"

"Ha, they break into someone's house to steal, get caught, and still have the nerve to turn around and accuse the homeowner of being shameless? Tsk tsk, is there any logic in this world?"

As Li Aiguo spoke, he suddenly slammed his hand on the table: "You only have one chance now, Kurozuma. I hope you can seize it."

"I...I'm willing to cooperate..." Kuronuma's defenses crumbled instantly at the thought of the consequences of being sent back.

"Now tell me, what's going on with the orphaned children?"

Outside the interrogation room window.

The farmer stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the situation inside, and nodded in satisfaction.

One of the leaders said with a smile, "Comrade Aiguo is now capable of handling things on his own. The success of this plan to switch the prince with a cat is largely due to Li Aiguo's planning."

"This lad is becoming more and more mature." The farmer rarely praised his student.

Indeed, preventing the remnants from stealing the blueprints is secondary; the key is that fake blueprints can cause the other side to expend a lot of manpower and resources without gaining anything.

In addition, we also obtained detailed information about the bereaved families association.
This can be considered a win-win-win situation.

"Perhaps it's time to give this kid more responsibilities and let him shoulder greater burdens..." the farmer murmured to himself, watching Li Aiguo's figure.

(End of this chapter)