Siheyuan (courtyard house): My name is Shazhu!

"I'm fine. The people have been basically caught. They were the subordinates of these seven Japanese devils after 42. All seven Japanese devils have confessed, and more than thirty other key figures have also confessed."

The investigations into the other subordinates haven't been completed yet, but they're no longer important; what they did basically means they're doomed.

I came home mainly to tell you about the commendation I received. Your contribution was significant and even caught the attention of the leaders of the Municipal Military Control Commission.

You'll receive your reward in a few days; you've earned a first-class merit, which comes with a medal and certificate. The material rewards are a bit meager, only 50,000 yuan.

With your first-class merit certificate, you can get a job in many factories and organizations, which can be considered a reward. But if you already have a job, this reward won't be very useful.

I reported this to the district military control committee and will reward you with an old item from our warehouse. It's not worth much, so please don't look down on it.

To protect you and your sister, the First-Class Merit Award won't be widely known; it will be given to you privately. We also won't reveal the case you reported. There are still Japanese soldiers in Yanjing; be careful of their retaliation.

"That's good. My siblings and I are safe. Thank you for your thoughtfulness."

"Your reward will be announced in a few days. This time, when officials come, will we go to a restaurant or your home?"

"A restaurant, please. Just call me out."

"Okay, I'll let you know. Go pick up the old items next week, and bring two sacks with plenty of stuff."

"Thank you, Company Commander Yue. I'll go next week."

"That's settled then, we'll head back now so as not to disturb your studies. Your sister is doing well too, quite the little adult. Goodbye, He Yushui."

Goodbye, Company Commander Yue.

The brother and sister saw Company Commander Yue and Xiao Li off from the courtyard.

"Brother, we get rewards for catching Japanese soldiers. Isn't a first-class merit the highest reward?" He Yushui asked.

"No, national merit awards are divided into four levels: Special Merit, First-Class Merit, Second-Class Merit, and Third-Class Merit. Special Merit is the highest, and First-Class Merit is the second highest," He Yuzhu explained.

"Only second place! Next time we'll get a special merit and catch all the bad guys so my brother can get a special merit!" He Yu waved her little fist.

"Haha, Rainwater's idea is great, but we still need to prioritize safety. Bad guys are hard to find; they don't have the word 'bad guy' written on their foreheads."

"We'll catch them slowly, we'll make sure we catch all the bad guys." He Yushui was determined.

"Focus on your studies; catching bad guys is for later."

"All right."

He Yuzhu was very satisfied with the award. It would be easy to get into a steel rolling mill with a first-class merit, but his first-class merit was not from the battlefield, so it was more valuable.

It's also a 'protective shield' now, for both the military control commission and the future street offices.

As for the rest, it's not too important. Getting some old items for free is pretty good. Let them bring two sacks; the quantity will be more than last time. I like things that are free.

Company Commander Yue visited He Yuzhu's house again, and many people in the courtyard wondered what the reason was. The main reason was Yan Bugui.

Judging from the expressions on the faces of Company Commander Yue and He Yuzhu, it must be a good thing; neither of them was smiling.

Company Commander Yue did not arrest anyone; instead, He Yuzhu and his sister escorted him out of the courtyard.

Yan Bugui couldn't guess the real reason, and he was both anxious and itchy to find out.

In the end, I decided not to provoke He Yuzhu and to see how things went. He left early and returned late, which wouldn't affect my family.

The other people in the courtyard, unaware of the situation, made the same choice as Yan Bugui. This included Jia Zhangshi and her son, who received the news the next day, as well as Yi Zhonghai.

.......

The comrades of the Military Control Commission were efficient and clean in their work. On the morning of the third day, before nine o'clock, He Yuzhu was reading a book alone in the back kitchen.

A man in military uniform, around thirty-two years old, entered. "Excuse me, are you Comrade He Yuzhu?"

Seeing someone enter, He Yuzhu put down his book and stood up. Hearing that someone was looking for him, he quickly replied, "I am He Yuzhu. May I ask who you are and what you need?"

"Comrade He Yuzhu, I'm from the Municipal Military Control Commission. My surname is Wang. Our leader is down here to give you an award. Would you like to come down with me?"

"Comrade Wang, please wait a moment. We'll go downstairs. It's such a trouble for you all. It's just a small matter, and we're so grateful that you had to come in person. We don't deserve such kindness," He Yuzhu said modestly.

"Comrade He Yuzhu, this is no small matter; it dealt a huge blow to the enemy agents. You have made a great contribution... This is our leader, here to give you this reward."

The two came out, and Comrade Wang was about to introduce the leaders to He Yuzhu.

Damn, He Yuzhu saw five comrades ten meters away. Two of them surprised He Yuzhu and shocked him a little. They were generals and lieutenant generals three years later.

Comrade General was the first Minister of the Public Security Army, and he was an incredibly capable and legendary figure in warfare.

The second person I knew was someone I saw in a photo. He was related to "Li Yunlong," that handsome young man from the surrounding villages, and was known as "Blind Cheng," who claimed to have been personally taught how to shoot by him.

He should now be the First Deputy Minister of the 'Public Security Army', and he's quite a remarkable person. He joined the revolutionary work in 1930, even earlier than that young man. It's hard to say who taught whom to shoot.

"Good morning, leaders." He Yuzhu gave an informal military salute.

"Haha, young comrade, your salute is not standard. You would be criticized in the army. But here I want to praise you and thank you."

Thank you for your great service, protecting so many people and easing our workload... The reward I'm giving you today is a bit of a compromise, but it's all for safety, so I hope you don't mind...

"It's alright, thank you, comrade leader..."

"Young comrade, you're not a soldier, so you don't need to salute. Don't be so formal... This is your first-class merit award..."

"Thank you, comrade leader."

"Although the reward isn't much, young comrade, you must remember that you have made a great contribution to the country, and the country will not forget it. Take it with you if you ever need anything..."

"Thank you, sir. I may need to trouble my superiors if there's anything I can do."

"This is what you deserve as a child who is not yet an adult. We should go back now and learn your skills properly. I am also from Sichuan and I like Sichuan cuisine. I hope to try your cooking someday."

Please give my regards to your sister, a very lovely young lady. Goodbye, Comrade He Yuzhu.

Goodbye, leaders.

After the leaders left by car, He Yuzhu wiped away imaginary sweat. He realized he was still no match for the system; even with it, he couldn't truly resist the oppressive aura of this person.

Although his intimidation wasn't intentional, the inherent authority of someone who has been in a position of power for many years still exists. The people and environment one interacts with are extremely important; spending too much time in a subordinate position makes it difficult to achieve success.

At the same time, we must also admire our powerful intelligence capabilities; in just a few days, they have thoroughly investigated everything that happened in our own home.

It was only after He Daqing and the widow went to Baocheng that he lived alone in Yanjing with his sister, which led to our Minister's words.

If anything happened, or if you were bullied, you could take your First-Class Merit Medal to your superiors or go to him. For over a decade, it was a reliable shield, even more powerful than you might imagine.

What are these beasts going to do with these few Japanese devils we've captured? I feel a little itchy; their business can't be small, otherwise, this guy wouldn't be here to deliver a reward.

In the future, when there is no major danger to ourselves, we should still capture more enemy agents; it will benefit everyone.

Lost in thought, I went back to the kitchen to continue reading. It was not yet ten o'clock, and none of the three workers had come to work. Since no one came, it saved them from asking questions.