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

If Jia Dongming hadn't made prior arrangements, the people standing on this land now would probably be nowhere to be found, not even as remains.

Jia Dongming had only been transferred to the security department of the steel rolling mill for a few short months, yet he had already solved two major cases involving enemy agents.

At this moment, the security officers present looked at him with almost burning admiration.

Seeing Ye Quanwang's distraught appearance, a young security guard couldn't help but raise his chin and proclaim loudly, "Look closely! This is Director Jia from the security department of our Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill—the nemesis of those demons and monsters in Beijing!"

A police officer from the Anti-Espionage Team of the Dongcheng Branch Bureau nodded in agreement, his tone full of admiration: "Director Jia was still at the branch bureau this morning. Just from a trace of residual smell in the interrogation room, he solved a murder case and, by following the clues, uncovered the mastermind behind the murder case at the textile factory."

He's now not only the head of the security department, but also the deputy head of our branch's criminal investigation division.

Jia Dongming was somewhat taken aback by these words. He raised his hand and pressed it down lightly, then solemnly ordered, "You guys, go open the entrance to the underground secret passage. Inventory all the weapons, weapons, and supplies hidden inside and bring them up. We'll transport them back to the branch office later."

I'll go check on the situation with Captain Zhang.

By the time he arrived at the scrap metal recycling station in Jingshan Subdistrict, the gunfire had already subsided.

In the corner of the courtyard, a figure tightly bound with hemp rope was curled up on the ground; it was Xiao Quanjun.

Several guards, wounded, were leaning against the wall, panting.

Jia Dongming strode up to Zhang Huanchun, his brow furrowed: "Captain Zhang, what are the casualties?"

Zhang Huanchun turned around and saw him rushing over. A hint of relief flashed in his eyes. He raised his hand and wiped the dust from his forehead: "Comrade Dongming, it's good that you reminded me earlier that this man is extremely skilled with a gun."

We were extremely careful when we started, but we still lost three team members. Fortunately, they only suffered minor injuries.

"If it weren't for what you said, I'd probably be several people dead here today."

The "zongzi" (rice dumpling) on ​​the ground

It suddenly moved.

Xiao Quanjun struggled to lift his face, looking in the direction of the voice. When his gaze fell upon Jia Dongming, his pupils constricted sharply: "...It's you?"

When Jia Dongming heard that only three people were injured, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He turned to look at Xiao Quanjun, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Colonel Xiao Quanjun, how have you been?"

Xiao Quanjun

These three words were like a rusty nail, suddenly wedged into Xiao Quan's eardrum.

That was the name he used before liberation, buried like dust for many years, and even he himself could hardly remember it.

When Jia Dongming clearly called out to him, he froze, and the scene of brushing past Jia Dongming at the entrance of the scrap yard yesterday flashed back to him.

Xiao Quanjun struggled to tilt his head back, his Adam's apple bobbing a few times, and he asked in a hoarse voice, "Who exactly are you? When did you start watching me?... How do you know this name?"

Jia Dongming squatted down, his gaze level with Jia Dongming's, and said in a low but clear voice: "My name is Jia Dongming, deputy head of the Criminal Investigation Detachment of Dongcheng Branch."

As for how I recognized you—remember your old house that was half-collapsed? The hidden compartment under the wall.

Xiao Quanjun's face suddenly turned deathly pale.

Yesterday, he personally brushed away the cobwebs outside the dark compartment to confirm that everything was as before, with no trace of anyone having touched it. "Impossible..."

He gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few words, "I checked yesterday, and the hidden compartment hasn't been touched at all."

A faint smile flickered across Jia Dongming's eyes.

He was still carefully considering his words, but suddenly he found his direction and slowly began to speak: "Since you just checked yesterday, you should know that the house is covered with cobwebs and ordinary people would not even glance at it."

But it was precisely because you went to 'inspect' that I noticed the strangeness of that wall.

Otherwise, how could I have discovered the hidden compartment, and how would I have known... that your name is Xiao Quanjun?

Xiao Quanjun could still hear Jia Dongming's words, and the scrutiny he had felt in front of the secret compartment yesterday resurfaced in his mind.

He vividly remembers repeatedly confirming on his way home that there was no one behind him, no spies.

But where exactly is Jia Dongming hiding? And how could someone see through his every move so clearly?

After giving his instructions, Jia Dongming stopped looking at the subdued Xiao Quanjun and turned his gaze to the three security guards who had already been bandaged. His tone was full of concern: "How are your injuries?"

Upon hearing this, one of the team members recalled the fleeting scene in front of the guardhouse just moments before and said with lingering fear, "Director, thankfully you warned us beforehand, so we were extremely careful when we approached."

We only had time to dodge when the gun went off inside.

Otherwise, with that guy's accuracy, the rest of us would probably be...

He didn't continue, he just shook his head.

"It's more than just accuracy."

Another team member, enduring the throbbing pain in his arm, chimed in, "He doesn't even need to look inside; he just fires by feel."

If we were to collide head-on, we would likely lose more than just arms and legs.

After listening, Jia Dongming carefully examined the wounds of the three men, which, despite treatment, still looked disheveled, and instructed, "The bullet is still inside; simply bandaging it won't do."

"You need to go to the hospital to have it removed."

He then pointed to two people: "Chen De, Guo Zhu, you two accompany Liu Wei and the others to the hospital."

After the bullet is removed, the patient will be observed in the hospital for one or two days to ensure there are no further problems before returning home to recuperate.

The two people who were called immediately responded and helped their injured companion toward the hospital.

Watching them walk away, Jia Dongming turned to Zhang Huanchun beside him: "Team Leader Zhang, there are quite a few things that were taken from Ye Quanwang's house, and it will take a long time to move them."

"Once I've finished my search, I'll send people over to assist you."

Remembering the gunshots that had been heard from the front and rear not long before, Zhang Huanchun hurriedly asked, "Are any of your comrades wounded over there?"

A smile flickered across Jia Dongming's face as he shook his head: "Luck is still on our side."

When he arrived at Ye Quanwang's house, he wasn't hiding in the secret courtyard, but rather in Mingmian's room, drinking with a female agent.

We went with the flow, sending men to infiltrate the secret courtyard and set up an ambush at the entrance to the secret passage connecting the two places. We also made some noise at the entrance of the Ming Courtyard to send a warning shot.

"Ye Quanwang was indeed alert. He pretended to stall for time while trying to sneak out of the cabinet through the secret passage to the dark courtyard."

But as soon as it crawled out, we, the men guarding both sides, pinned it down firmly, like catching a turtle from a jar—it didn't take much effort.

"I was mainly concerned about the situation here, so after the search was arranged over there, I rushed over to take a look."

Now that things are stable here, I'll go back and keep an eye on things.

By the time Jia Dongming and his team had transported all the guns and supplies seized from the spy hideout back to the branch office, it was already late at night, and the clock hands had passed eleven o'clock.

The interrogation was handled by a designated person, and Jia Dongming did not stay at the Dongcheng branch for long, leading his team back to the steel rolling mill.

After arranging all the follow-up matters, he and Li Aijun each pushed a bicycle out, intending to go to the People's Hospital to visit their three injured subordinates.

The two rode their bicycles steadily along the quiet street.

The wheels rolled over the road, making a soft rustling sound.

Li Aijun recalled what he had heard from the branch police during a break in the operation, and couldn't help but turn his head, his tone filled with admiration: "Chief, I heard from the comrades at the branch that a thief who was being interrogated there today suddenly stopped breathing."

You glanced into the interrogation room and concluded that he had been silenced.

Later, following this lead, the branch office successfully apprehended the mastermind behind it all, and even solved the theft case in the textile factory's finance office.

"How...how did you figure it out from the fragrance of the flowers?"

Jia Dongming pedaled evenly, the night breeze brushing against his face.

He gazed at the short stretch of road illuminated by the streetlights ahead and slowly replied, "Comrade Aijun, think about it, what does the interrogation room at the branch office usually smell like? That overwhelming floral fragrance, lingering there, does that seem right to you?"

As Li Aijun listened to Jia Dongming's question, he began to ponder it.

The interrogation room was very cramped, with small windows. After a long time, the smell of sweat and smoke would all mix together.

If the fragrance of flowers were to waft out, it would certainly be an eyesore.

Jia Dongming tapped his fingertips lightly on the edge of the table twice, then said, "The branch office mentioned in its previous report that the suspect suddenly said he couldn't breathe during the interrogation—this is a sign of an asthma attack."

The aroma emanating from the room at that time was the trigger.

He paused for a moment, his gaze darkening slightly. "After I smelled the fragrance, I asked the officers on duty. They said that the suspect's wife had requested to visit him, but was refused. So she asked someone to bring in a set of clothes."

The fragrance was emanating from the clothes.

Li Aijun listened intently, holding his breath, and felt a tightness in his back.

"As husband and wife, how could she not know her husband had asthma?"

Jia Dongming's voice was calm, yet each word was clear: "Sending in a set of clothes filled with fragrance would be deliberately designed to trigger his illness, wouldn't it?"

It wasn't until this moment that Li Aijun fully realized what was happening, and he whispered, "Director, this method... is truly insidious."

"If you hadn't happened to be at the police station today, probably no one would have imagined that fragrance could kill."

Jia Dongming waved his hand, his expression devoid of pride: "An old comrade of mine also has this problem, which flares up severely every spring when the flowers bloom."

When I accompanied him to the doctor, the doctor mentioned that some floral scents are like poison to people with asthma, and can be fatal in severe cases.

He looked out the window, his tone becoming less serious. "Today I was on my way to the branch office to discuss the arrest, and I just happened to run into them."

If it weren't for this incident, the case would probably have ended with a death from a sudden illness.

He withdrew his gaze, a very faint smile playing on his lips. "It's fate. Those two's luck has run out."

Time flies, and before we knew it, it was time for a day off.

As dawn broke, Jia Dongming had breakfast at home and then took his bicycle out.

When they met last time, he and Lin Qiuyue made an appointment to go out together today.

After about 15 minutes, the wheels rolled over the bluestone road and turned into a quiet alley.

From afar, one could see Lin Qiuyue standing under a locust tree at the alley entrance, wearing a simple plaid shirt and carrying a small cloth bag.

Jia Dongming quickened his pace, stopped in front of her, and said with a smile, "Have you been waiting long?"

Lin Qiuyue looked up and saw that he had a fine sweat on his forehead and his cheeks were slightly warm. She said softly, "I just arrived too."

"Come up."

Jia Dongming braced himself on one leg, turned around and gestured to the back seat, "Let's go to the skating rink in the morning, find a place to eat at noon, and in the afternoon... catch a movie, okay?"

Lin Qiuyue nodded, sat up sideways, and lightly touched the metal frame under the seat: "I'll do whatever you say."

The wheels started turning again, stirring up a gentle breeze.

Lin Qiuyue looked at the broad shoulders and back of the man in front of her and recalled her anxiety these past few days—he had not shown up since the last blind date.

Several older women at the supply and marketing cooperative teased her, saying that if a man doesn't take the initiative, it means he doesn't care, which made her feel uneasy.

As the alley nears its end, it turns onto a slightly wider street.

Lin Qiuyue pursed her lips and finally spoke softly, "Dongming-ge, have you been very busy this week?"

Jia Dongming, who was focused on the road ahead, replied, "I've run into two cases in a row, one of which involves enemy agents, and I've had to work several night shifts."

Lin Qiuyue paused, her previous frustration dissipating considerably, replaced by curiosity: "Enemy spy cases...aren't they under the jurisdiction of the Public Security Bureau? Why is your steel mill's security department getting involved?"

"We are responsible for the safety of both the factory area and the residential area."

Moreover,

He paused, then said casually, "I also serve as the deputy head of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Dongcheng Branch, so my duties are naturally more varied."

Lin Qiuyue was truly stunned.

She only knew he was the head of the security section; she hadn't realized he had this other identity. "Deputy branch captain?"

She couldn't help but press, "Why didn't you mention it last time?"

Jia Dongming smiled and said, "According to the usual practice, the head of the security department often concurrently serves as the deputy head of the police station."

Not long after I returned from military service, I solved a case involving enemy agents targeting the factory, and the bureau awarded me a second-class merit.

This position was only officially appointed a few days ago, and I haven't gotten used to it yet.

In that era, heroes were the brightest light in everyone's hearts.

When Lin Qiuyue heard that Jia Dongming had just received a second-class merit award, her joy was almost overflowing.

She gazed at his broad back, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration, and her voice softened involuntarily: "Brother Dongming, can you tell me about catching enemy spies?"