Courtyard House: I, the eldest son of the Jia family, have returned from the battlefield.

As those three words rolled off her tongue, her ears inexplicably burned, and she quickly added, "He just transferred back from the military and got promoted quickly."

The father did not respond.

The old man's cloudy eyes moved slowly, his gaze scraping across Yu Li's face like a dull knife, finally settling on her fingertips as she unconsciously rubbed the banknotes. "Little Li."

He called out in a deep voice, each word hitting the ground, "You are Yan Jiaming's lawfully wedded wife."

"dad!"

Her throat tightened. "We've only spoken two or three times. What could there be?"

"We're not related, why should I lend you so much?"

The veins on the back of his father's hand bulged. "Look me in the eyes and say it."

The setting sun shone through the window at the end of the corridor, casting the shadows of the father and daughter onto the stark white wall.

Yu Li suddenly felt cold, a cold that seeped into her very bones—she remembered the dust that fell from the wall when Yan Jiecheng slammed the door, and the way her father-in-law didn't even lift his eyelids when he was fiddling with the abacus beads.

But another scene forced its way in: the brief touch of fingertips when Jia Dongming handed over the money, and the words "Let's get this over with first."

.

"Don't you trust your own daughter?"

Her voice trembled, whether from grievance or something else, it was hard to tell.

The father sighed deeply, his voice carrying the weight of a lifetime of hardship. "No matter how heartless the Yan family may be, you must still uphold your duty."

These words, like a Taoist talisman, were slapped onto her forehead.

Duty.

Yu Li stared at the mold growing in the cracks of the corridor floor tiles and suddenly wanted to laugh.

In her father's eyes, she didn't even deserve to be treated kindly by strangers; she was only fit to slowly rot away in the stagnant waters of the Yan family.

Her nails dug deep into her palms, and a voice roared in her chest—one day, she would watch that father and son kneeling in the mud, weeping bitterly for every bit of indifference they showed today.

***

The locust trees in Sesame Alley shed their last few withered leaves in the wind.

Jia Dongming propped his bicycle up with one foot, his gaze sweeping across the Ye family's courtyard wall like a probe.

The setting sun cast a dark gold glow on the moss in the cracks between the bricks, and all around was so quiet that you could hear your own pulse beating.

He flipped and leaped into the yard, landing without even disturbing a blade of grass.

The shovel seemed to be drawn from thin air—a skill he became increasingly adept at, as natural as breathing.

The muffled sound of the soil being dug was particularly clear in the twilight, and soon it touched the oilcloth wrapping.

The action of removing the fuse was as quick as taking apart a toy; burying it in soil, covering it with straw, and smoothing out the marks were all done smoothly and effortlessly.

The doorknob of the side room gleamed coldly in the twilight.

He crouched down, his line of sight level with the threshold—there were no fine lines, no strands of hair, and even the distribution of dust seemed suspiciously natural.

Too much cleanliness can actually make people uneasy.

As he pushed the door open, he sidestepped to avoid any possible shooting angle, the door hinges creaking loudly for a long time.

When the floor tiles were pried open, years of accumulated dust were kicked up.

The second, the third... After removing each fuse, he wiped away the tiny scratches in the brick seams with his sleeve.

Only after the side room was restored to its original state did he slip like a shadow towards the real hideout—a backup stronghold that even Ye Quanwang's neighbors didn't know about.

The bricks at the entrance to the secret room are a slightly darker color.

Jia Dongming lay on the ground, his nose almost touching the crack in the brick, and finally saw the thin cotton thread.

When the Eagle Eye skill is activated to its maximum, a strange pale blue halo appears in the field of vision—the other end of the cotton thread forks, connecting two iron lumps like the tongue of a venomous snake.

The safety pin on the wooden-handled grenade had been removed, leaving only the firing pin held together by a cotton thread.

He held his breath and, as he used the tip of his dagger to cut the cotton thread, he heard his heart pounding against his eardrums.

The moment the floor tiles were lifted, a musty smell mixed with the smell of rust hit us.

The cave entrance was bottomless, and the darkness was as thick as ink.

Jia Dongming did not go down immediately. Instead, he took out half a piece of chalk from his bag and drew a very light mark on the edge of the hole—if someone moved it, the distribution of chalk dust would change.

Although he had never set foot inside, the layout of the secret room was already etched in his mind.

But when the body truly plunged into darkness, a kind of instinctive chill still crept up the spine.

He adjusted his posture in mid-air, and when he landed, his knees were slightly bent, like a cat that walks at night.

The codebook on the table sent a chill down Jia Dongming's spine—the frequency of Ye Quanwang's telegrams yesterday evening was still clearly imprinted in his mind.

He quickly flipped through the pages, his fingertips hovering over the lines of ciphertext, and soon deciphered the contents of the telegram.

As a few lines of text came into view, Jia Dongming's breath hitched slightly.

It turned out that the surveillance by the Criminal Investigation Division of the branch bureau had already been exposed. Instead of escaping, Ye Quanwang secretly delayed, just to cover up a conspiracy that was underway.

The telegram did not specify the details of the plan, but every word conveyed urgency.

Jia Dongming put away the paper and glanced around the small, secret room.

He searched every corner that might hide clues, but found nothing.

Before leaving, he restored the mechanism to its original state, erased all traces of his presence, and then quietly slipped out the door.

No. 107 Sesame Alley looked particularly dilapidated in the morning mist.

Jia Dongming pushed his bicycle and stopped outside the courtyard gate—he had only hurriedly confirmed Xiao Quan's residence yesterday, and only now was he truly taking in the desolate courtyard.

He held his breath, his gaze sweeping over every corner like a hawk's.

Inside the collapsed west wing, the outline of a hidden compartment can be vaguely seen behind a crumbling wall.

Through the layers of bricks and stones, he saw a wooden box lying quietly inside. In the box, besides a pistol, two bullets, and more than ten gold bars, there was also a neatly folded piece of paper.

That piece of paper was anything but ordinary.

Jia Dongming looked around; the only sound in the alley was the wind blowing through the withered grass.

He tiptoed over the courtyard wall and headed straight for the dilapidated house.

Spiderwebs covered the broken walls, almost completely covering the gaps in the hidden compartments—clearly, this place had been untouched for a long time.

Xiao Quan will definitely notice if these spider webs are destroyed.

Just as I was hesitating, a cold voice rang in my mind: "Place your palm against the wall and silently say 'collect' to collect remotely."

Jia Dongming paused for a moment, then shook his head self-deprecatingly—he had actually forgotten about this ability.

He reached out and pressed his hand against the mottled brick wall, silently thinking about the wooden box.

The next second, a heavy box was placed in my palm.

The box was opened, and a letter of appointment was clearly visible: "Xiao Quanjun, Colonel and Station Chief of the Military Intelligence Station in Beijing".

Despite having suspected it beforehand, Jia Dongming still felt a tightness in his chest when he saw the words in person.

He slowly folded the paper and put it back in the box, but did not return the wooden box to its original place—now that Xiao Quan's identity and rank had been confirmed, there was no need to leave any room for maneuver.

What exactly is Ye Quanwang's conspiracy? The truth will come to light when the net is closed.

He stopped checking other traces in the yard, turned around, pushed the cart out the door, and sped off towards winter as the sun rose.

On the second floor of the branch office, Zhang Huanchun was writing something at his desk when the knocking on the door made him look up.

Upon seeing Jia Dongming, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes, then he stood up and said with a smile, "Deputy Captain Jia? What brings you here today?"

Jia Dongming closed the door, walked to the desk, and said in a low voice, "Team Leader Zhang, the blacksmith's case—can be closed now."

"What?"

Zhang Huanchun paused, pen in hand, then abruptly stood up. "Close the net? Deputy Chief Jia, are you serious?"

Jia Dongming met his gaze and nodded: "That blacksmith shop is an intelligence relay point for enemy agents."

They used the guise of buying, selling, and repairing ironware to conceal intelligence within wooden handles for transmission.

Ye Quanwang has discovered our surveillance. The reason he hasn't left is because a project he's working on is at a crucial juncture.

As soon as Deputy Commander Jia finished speaking, Zhang Huanchun's expression changed drastically. "You just said the spies are carrying out a certain plan—what exactly is that plan?"

He pressed on, his voice tense.

Jia Dongming slowly shook his head. "Team Leader Zhang, I currently have no information regarding the specifics."

He paused, then lowered his voice, "But I've already figured out who's in charge of this group."

His name was Xiao Quanjun, the head of the Kuomintang's intelligence station in Beijing, with the rank of colonel.

He's currently using the alias Xiao Quan and is working as a gatekeeper at a scrap metal recycling station in Jingshan Street.

As he spoke, he took a wooden box from his briefcase and gently pushed it in front of Zhang Huanchun.

Zhang Huanchun's gaze fell on the box.

He reached out and opened the box; inside lay a paper document.

He picked it up, his gaze sweeping over the several loose items underneath, and his brow furrowed involuntarily. "Deputy Captain Jia,"

He looked up and asked, "Where did these winter geese come from?"

Jia Dongming's expression turned serious. "It was found in a hidden compartment in Xiao Quanjun's house."

His voice was steady, yet each word was clear: "Not just this."

His house also had a secret passage leading to an abandoned courtyard on the back street.

There's a secret room underground in the courtyard, stockpiled with supplies and weapons.

"in addition,"

He continued, "Yesterday I followed Ye Quanwang and discovered that the courtyard he was supposedly living in was just a cover; his real residence was next door."

There was also a secret room underground in the courtyard, which contained weapons and a radio.

"In addition, the identities of Ye Quanwang's two subordinates who were responsible for passing on intelligence have also been confirmed."

One of them, surnamed Miao, was a newspaper editor, and her husband, Zhao Huiming, was the deputy director of Changping Commune.

Whether this person is involved is still being verified by the factory's security personnel.

Another one was named You Wan'an, a purchasing agent at a cotton mill, who lived alone in the factory's residential area.

The social relationships and backgrounds of these two individuals are under further investigation.

The criminal investigation team had been monitoring the blacksmith shop for over a month without catching anything amiss, while Jia Dongming, after only one day in charge, had already figured out the core members of this group of spies so clearly.

Zhang Huanchun felt a mix of emotions; he was embarrassed, but also couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.

He put the letter of appointment back into the box and looked at Jia Dongming seriously: "Deputy Captain Jia, what are your plans for the future?"

Jia Dongming pondered for a moment, then raised his head. "Captain Zhang, this group knows their movements have been exposed, yet they still dare to risk creating a false impression. This only shows that their plan is extremely urgent and cannot be delayed."

He said in a serious tone, "To prevent any unforeseen complications, I suggest we close the net immediately and bring the few we have identified to justice."

Then, we'll try to get them to talk and uncover the conspiracy behind it all.

Zhang Huanchun nodded after hearing this.

He stood up: "Let's go, let's go report to Director Li together."

The specific action plan still needs to be finalized in a meeting.

Before long, the two were standing in Li Xidong's office.

Li Xidong was somewhat surprised to see them arrive together: "Comrade Huanchun, Comrade Dongming, why did you come together today?"

Zhang Huanchun stepped forward and spoke first: "Director, it's like this."

A while ago, our detachment received a tip that a blacksmith shop in Dongcheng was suspected of being a den of enemy agents.

After more than a month of surveillance, including a secret search of the suspect's home, no concrete evidence was found.

"Until two days ago, the steel rolling mill had that theft case, and the stolen goods ended up in that blacksmith shop."

Deputy Squad Leader Jia sensed something was amiss and informed me.

At this point, a hint of embarrassment crossed his face. "We had been investigating for so long without any progress, but when the case was handed over to Deputy Chief Jia, we made a major breakthrough in less than a day."

Not only were the identities of several enemy agents identified, but crucial evidence was also obtained.

He placed the wooden box on Li Xidong's desk and said respectfully, "Director, this is evidence that Deputy Captain Jia retrieved from a hidden compartment in the home of an enemy agent."

As Li Xidong listened to the report, his gaze swept over the lingering shame on Zhang Huanchun's face, and he reached out to open the wooden box.

Inside the box, the letter of appointment lay quietly on top.

Li Xidong's gaze lingered on the document stamped with a bright red seal.

As the "Station Chief of the Undercover Station in Beijing"

When these words came into view, his eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, as if a pebble had been thrown into a still, deep pool.

He raised his head and looked at the two people sitting opposite him: "Huanchun, Dongming."

What do you think?

Zhang Huanchun immediately straightened his back and said in a clear and crisp voice: "Director, Deputy Captain Jia has confirmed during the investigation that the other party will definitely take action soon, but the specific details are still unknown."

We unanimously agreed that the time was ripe and we should close the net immediately.

Li Xidong tapped his fingertips lightly on the table twice, pondered for a moment, and then spoke: "We can proceed."

But remember, what I want is a clean and efficient operation, and even more importantly, to ensure that all comrades and the surrounding civilians are unharmed.

"yes!"