A young boy from the 1970s, separated from his family, fled famine and led his younger brother into

Is it...

Could it be that Lei Ming is treating Xiao Shitou as a... substitute for his lost younger brother?!

This thought, like a black lightning bolt, instantly cleaved through Su Nianci's chaotic thoughts!

She understood instantly!

Now I understand why Lei Ming showed such unusual attention to Xiao Shitou!

Now I understand why he keeps appearing around them, testing, observing, and even... protecting them in an almost obsessive way!

He wasn't questioning her identity!

Or rather, doubting her identity is just a facade!

What he really suspected was the origin of the little stone!

He likely connected the little stone with his "lost brother" from the very first moment he saw it, from the very first moment he saw the dragon-shaped jade pendant!

All his subsequent actions were attempts to verify this!

He was trying to confirm whether Little Stone was the person he was looking for!

Having figured this out, Su Nianci felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head, colder than the blizzard at Shanhaiguan!

This is hardly an act of kindness!

This is clearly a much larger, more dangerous...trap!

If Little Stone is really related to Lei Ming's younger brother, what will await them?

Was he taken away by Lei Ming? Or was he devoured by the unknown, powerful family force behind him?

What about yourself?

What will happen to this "older sister" of unknown identity who "picked up" the small stone?

Will they be treated as benefactors and revered? Or will they be treated as a "troublemaker" who knows too many secrets and disposed of silently?

Su Nianci dared not think any further!

She looked down at the little stone in her arms, who knew nothing about anything and was just curiously touching the soft dog-skin hat on his head. An unprecedented fear and... anger welled up in her heart!

Do not!

She absolutely will not allow it!

She would never allow anyone to take the little stone away from her!

Little Stone is hers! She snatched him back from human traffickers! She saved him from the clutches of death! He's the little brother she carried and protected all along, her only family!

He was Su Nianci's only family in this world!

Nobody can take him away!

Whether it's human traffickers, thugs, the mysterious family behind them, or even the unfathomable train police captain Lei Ming!

Will not work!

A powerful, obsessive possessiveness instantly swept over Su Nianci's heart, washing away all her fears and anxieties!

She took Xiao Shitou's hand, dragged the two heavy "junk items," and walked quickly towards the train station.

The large military overcoat she wore was like a thick, safe shell, enveloping her and Xiao Shitou, protecting them from all the wind, snow, and prying eyes outside.

But Su Nianci knew that this warmth was poisonous.

When they got back on the train, Zhou Wenqian was surprised to see their "new equipment".

"Nianci, what's wrong with you...?"

"A kind People's Liberation Army uncle gave it to me on the way." Su Nianci attributed it all to a fictitious "good person" without changing her expression.

She absolutely must not let Zhou Wenqian know that this is related to Lei Ming.

Although Zhou Wenqian was shrewd, he was, after all, a scholar with a relatively simple mind. Su Nianci didn't want to drag him into this mess.

Zhou Wenqian, unsuspecting, simply exclaimed, "There are still so many good people in the world! Come on, come up and warm up!"

The train started moving again.

Su Nianci took out all the cotton from the old cotton coat and the tattered quilt.

Just as she expected, the cotton, though old, was plentiful and enough for them.

She piled the cotton in the corner, and then spread the thick sheepskin military coat that Lei Ming had given her on the bed, turning it into a temporary, warm "mattress".

Then, she hugged the little stone and lay down on it.

A dry yet warm aura instantly enveloped them.

Little Stone let out a satisfied sigh and soon fell into a deep sleep in Su Nianci's arms.

Su Nianci, however, felt no sleepiness whatsoever.

She stared out the car window at the snow-covered wasteland rushing past, her mind a jumble of thoughts.

Lei Ming's appearance completely disrupted all her plans.

She originally thought that her biggest challenge upon arriving in Harbin would be finding Lu Zhenhua and dealing with the unknown and massive military region system.

But now, she has an even more imminent enemy—Thunder.

An enemy lurking in the shadows, harboring ulterior motives towards the little stone, who could strike at any moment!

She has to find a way to get rid of him!

But how can I get rid of it?

They are now in his car, on his territory, like two birds in a cage, their every move under his surveillance.

Jumping off the moving vehicle? That would be suicidal.

The only way is to wait until we reach Harbin!

Once they arrived in Harbin, the sky was high and the sea was wide. As long as she could take Xiao Shitou and blend into the vast crowd, no matter how capable Lei Ming was, he would not be able to find them easily!

Correct!

Get off the train and leave immediately! The farther away from the train station the better! Don't give him any chance to cause trouble!

Su Nianci quickly formulated a new plan in her mind.

Just then, her hand inadvertently touched the cold and hard thing in her arms.

It was that military officer's ID card that she had brought out from the junkyard...

Zhou Wenxuan.

Military doctor.

Unit 0731 (Northern Division).

These thoughts resurfaced in her mind.

A thought suddenly, uncontrollably, popped into my head.

in case……

If she gives this to Zhou Wenqian, then an unbreakable bond, transcending ordinary human relationships, will be established between her and Zhou Wenqian... a bond of life and death!

Zhou Wenqian is a professor at a military medical university, and he must have a wide network of connections and influence in Harbin.

With his help, it would be much easier for him and his brother to establish themselves in Harbin!

Even more so, one could use his power to contend with... thunder!

In exchange for the protection of a living person, the secret of a "dead" person is used!

Is this deal worthwhile?

Su Nianci tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep.

The next day, the train passed through a vast, white, snow-covered forest, and its speed gradually slowed down.

On the radio, that familiar yet unfamiliar voice rang out once again.

"Dear passengers, the next station is the final stop of this train journey."