Guan Wenjun said he was going to chase after Lao Wu, but he was just saying it.
By this time, Lao Wu had already driven the tractor away, holding the hostage and escaping several kilometers.
Without a vehicle by his side, how could he chase someone with just his two legs?
Captain Niu said melancholically, "Lao Wu has escaped. We have to go to town overnight to report to the police; otherwise, if something happens, they will hold me accountable."
Sighing heavily, he continued:
"Tell me, what is that Lao Wu after? Isn't it good enough to just stay in the forestry center? He has been here for over twenty years. Even if he wasn't born and raised here, this place is basically half his hometown. How could he be so cruel? To actually get so many explosives and just blow things up like that. Half the orchard is gone. What good does this do him?"
With his simple mind, Captain Niu couldn't figure out why Lao Wu suddenly wanted to blow up the wooden cabin in the orchard.
Guan Wenjun could roughly guess.
Lao Wu must have realized he was exposed, which was why he blew up the cabin.
He had too many things in the cabin. He couldn't take them away, but he couldn't let others find them either, so he simply blew them up.
That way, he could also conveniently kill anyone who had sneaked into his cabin.
Then, even if Lao Wu was caught, there would be no evidence to put him on trial.
However, his miscalculation was that Qin Yuanzheng had already collected some evidence before the cabin exploded. It was those dogs that delayed Qin Yuanzheng from clearing the explosives; otherwise, the cabin wouldn't have exploded at all.
Qin Yuanzheng felt it was a pity that some evidence and materials were not salvaged in time.
Qin Yuanzheng carried Qiao Lanshu into the room. He looked around and didn't see Guan Wenjun's belongings, so his anger immediately subsided a bit.
He placed Qiao Lanshu on the kang bed, then went to check the stove. Several hours had passed, but the kang was still warm.
So Qin Yuanzheng didn't light the fire for the kang.
He sat opposite Qiao Lanshu, her eyes following his every movement.
Qiao Lanshu asked, "Brother Zheng, if I hadn't come, would you be off saving the hostage right now?"
Qin Yuanzheng nodded. He didn't blame Qiao Lanshu. He felt now wasn't the right time; when they got home, he would definitely have to punish this little wife of his properly.
Qin Yuanzheng said, "Even though you're here, I still have to go save him. The other party drove the tractor toward the town, and Si Zhemao's men might not be able to stop him. I have to go over and assist secretly."
Qin Yuanzheng planned to follow Lao Wu first to see where he would run to.
His superiors' orders were to capture him alive, so he couldn't just snipe him from the dark.
This mission was a bit tricky. First, he had to rescue the hostage, and second, he had to capture Lao Wu alive.
Qin Yuanzheng said to Qiao Lanshu, "Don't worry, I'll stay here with you for a while and leave later. I hid a motorcycle in the mountains, so I'll ride it over."
In this era, motorcycle production was very low, far less than tractors.
But motorcycles were indeed more useful than tractors, and they were suited for mountain roads.
Cars, on the other hand, were not suitable for mountain roads.
As soon as Qiao Lanshu heard that he still had to go over later, she quickly grabbed his sleeve and said, "Brother Zheng, I think there's something wrong with that hostage. He's very likely in cahoots with Lao Wu. If you go to save him, what if he turns around and hurts you?"
Could it be that in her previous life, Qin Yuanzheng was injured by explosives precisely because he saved Xiao Zhou, only to be backstabbed by him?
Otherwise, knowing that Lao Wu had explosives on him, a cautious person like Qin Yuanzheng should have avoided the blast.
Sure enough, upon hearing Qiao Lanshu say this, Qin Yuanzheng's expression immediately turned serious.
He sat up a bit straighter, looked at Qiao Lanshu, and asked solemnly, "Are you sure? How did you come to this conclusion? Tell me."
Qin Yuanzheng had been carrying out his mission in the dark, looking for clues, and collecting information and materials on the spies.
He had never interacted with Administrator Xiao Zhou, nor had he been in contact with anyone in the village.
From his perspective, he only knew that the suspect, Lao Wu, had hijacked a young forestry center administrator.
And as a soldier, he was obligated to rescue the hostage.
When he arranged for people to track the tractor's whereabouts and sent someone overnight to notify Si Zhemao, the information he provided was always that the suspect had a large amount of explosives strapped to his body and had taken a villager hostage, requiring a plan to rescue the hostage.
But if this hostage was an accomplice of the suspect, then their plan would have to be altered.
Qiao Lanshu said hesitantly, "Actually, I can't be one hundred percent sure, but that administrator is indeed very suspicious. Let me analyze it for you from my perspective."
Since it concerned Qin Yuanzheng, Qiao Lanshu didn't dare to be careless.
She recounted the process of her interactions with Xiao Zhou over the past two days, as well as her suspicions about him tonight.
Qin Yuanzheng said in a deep voice:
"So you're saying, he didn't take you to the orchard, and he reminded you that there were wolfdogs in the orchard, telling you not to go near. When Guan Wenjun returned from the orchard in the morning, Xiao Zhou had just come back from out of town, yet he already knew about him being chased by dogs.
Therefore, you deduce that Xiao Zhou has been helping Lao Wu cover things up, preventing people from approaching the orchard. On the morning Guan Wenjun was chased by dogs, Xiao Zhou was very likely with Lao Wu and didn't go to town?"
Qiao Lanshu nodded:
"There's one more thing. I just remembered that tonight, Lao Wu came to my room. But I was already hiding on the roof at the time, so he missed me. However, I saw with my own eyes that he rushed into my room with a clear target.
How did Lao Wu know which room I lived in? He hasn't been to the dormitory area these past two days. I always feel that the relationship between Lao Wu and Xiao Zhou is closer than what we see. Perhaps there is some connection between the two of them..."
Under normal circumstances, if Lao Wu wanted to launch a sneak attack, shouldn't he be looking for people room by room?
He didn't; his target was very clear.
At that time, Qiao Lanshu was watching from the roof and saw a tall, thin dark figure walk out from the mountain road and quickly run to the door of her room.
At that moment, she was so frightened that her heart stopped for a second, and all the hairs on her body stood up.
It was too terrifying. Fortunately, her sixth sense was right, helping her avoid a crisis.
This was also the reason why she kept hiding on the roof and didn't dare to come down.
She was frightened by that dark figure who sneaked into her room, so as a result, she didn't quite trust anyone in the village, including Administrator Xiao Zhou.
Thinking about it now, perhaps her intuition was correct.
Qin Yuanzheng suddenly stood up. He opened the door, looked at Guan Wenjun, who was squatting not far away chatting with Captain Niu, and called out to him, "Guan Wenjun, come in for a second."
Guan Wenjun: "..."
Wait, it was currently the perfect time for the husband and wife to be affectionate with each other, so why was he calling him over?
Why was he feeling so guilty?
Guan Wenjun thought Qin Yuanzheng was coming to question him about the fake husband and wife matter.
So as soon as he came over, he immediately said, "Lao Qin, calm down for a second and listen to me. I've been sleeping in the same room as Xiao Zhou these past two days. I haven't even stepped foot into Comrade Xiao Qiao's room. Comrade Xiao Qiao, please, say something!"
Hearing this, Qin Yuanzheng's tightly furrowed brows did not relax.
Instead, his face darkened further, and he said, "You didn't enter her room, but that Lao Wu did."
Guan Wenjun looked shocked. "Ah? How did you know about this?"
Qin Yuanzheng had been wondering earlier; since Qiao Lanshu and Guan Wenjun came here posing as a married couple, they should have been staying in the same room.
Guan Wenjun was young and strong, while Lao Wu was a frail old man nearing fifty. How did he dare to sneak into their room in the middle of the night for a surprise attack?
Did he bring a gun?
But using a gun to kill someone in the middle of the night would expose his identity. Since he was targeting Guan Wenjun and Qiao Lanshu, he should have wanted to keep his identity hidden.
All these illogical points suddenly made perfect sense now.
Lao Wu knew that Qiao Lanshu was alone in the room.
He knew that Xiao Zhou and Guan Wenjun were sleeping in the same room.
Qin Yuanzheng's face looked terrible, but at this moment, he couldn't bring himself to scold Qiao Lanshu for being disobedient and traveling all this way to such a dangerous place.
Because the information Qiao Lanshu provided him was indeed very useful, even crucial.
Qiao Lanshu had taken such a huge risk only because she was worried about him. He felt somewhat touched, yet also a bit angry.
In short, he felt he wasn't worth Qiao Lanshu taking such a risk. If anything happened to her, how could he live with himself for the rest of his life?
Qin Yuanzheng's expression was incredibly complex.
He glanced at Guan Wenjun and said, "Come inside, I have something to ask you."
Guan Wenjun followed Qin Yuanzheng into the room. Captain Niu felt the atmosphere between them was a bit strange and was too embarrassed to follow them in, so he continued to squat outside.
Qin Yuanzheng brought Guan Wenjun into the room and then asked him about Xiao Zhou, the administrator.
He asked if there was anything unusual about him during the two days they spent together.
Guan Wenjun mentioned a few things, and then asked, "Why, do you think there is a problem with Xiao Zhou?"
Qin Yuanzheng nodded. "From the sound of it, he is indeed highly suspicious."
Guan Wenjun thought for a moment and said, "Tonight, when I came out with my gun, if Xiao Zhou hadn't yelled and screamed, I might have shot that guy dead."
When he came out with the gun at that time, his intention was to take a shot and knock the opponent down first.
But Xiao Zhou might have been frightened and started screaming, which exposed the fact that Guan Wenjun had a gun.
So the dark figure quickly hid in the bushes and then ran off into the mountains.
Causing him to miss the best opportunity.
Guan Wenjun recounted this incident as well. As the three of them sat in the room and analyzed the situation, they immediately felt that Administrator Xiao Zhou was very suspicious.
Guan Wenjun said with some frustration, "This Xiao Zhou looks completely normal. I really didn't notice any issues with him before. These people sure know how to disguise themselves!"
Xiao Zhou had explicitly claimed to be an educated youth, so Guan Wenjun never suspected a thing.
Qin Yuanzheng formed a plan in his mind. He stood up and said to Guan Wenjun, "This matter is of utmost importance. I must leave right away to rendezvous with Si Zhemao. You stay here with my wife and take good care of her. Don't run around anymore. I will be back to meet up with you by twelve noon tomorrow at the latest."
Hearing Qin Yuanzheng say this, Guan Wenjun knew the matter was settled. It seemed he would also get a share of the credit this time!
Guan Wenjun felt delighted inside. He said, "Lao Qin, don't worry, I will definitely take good care of your wife!"
Qin Yuanzheng said in a deep voice, "Then go make something for my wife to eat first. She's hungry."
Guan Wenjun: "..."
Guan Wenjun actually had no idea how to cook.
But at this very moment, he couldn't possibly admit that.
He immediately said, "Alright, I'll go right now!"
With that, he ran outside and found Captain Niu. "Captain Niu, do you know how to make noodles? Or steam buns or something?"
Captain Niu immediately replied, "Sure do. What's up, Comrade Guan? Are you hungry? How about I go back to my house and get some for you?"
Guan Wenjun shook his head. "No need, how could we use your family's rations? There's flour here, could you help make some noodles?"
Captain Niu was currently worrying about the situation with Lao Wu. No one could sleep, and he didn't want to go home either. After all, he would just be anxious if he went back, so it was better to stay here at the forestry farm and wait for news.
Therefore, he stood up and said, "Making wheat-based food is my specialty. Comrade Xiao Guan, if you don't know how, I can teach you."
Guan Wenjun didn't really want to learn. He just said, "Then I'll just tend the fire and boil the water for you."
Making noodles was too complicated; he just didn't have the brains for it.
Qin Yuanzheng returned to the room, looked at Qiao Lanshu, and said softly, "Wait for me here. I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning."
Qiao Lanshu knew that Qin Yuanzheng had to go. After all, this was his mission; even Si Zhemao and Guan Wenjun were just assisting him.
Qiao Lanshu looked at him with concern. "You must be careful. Watch out for their explosives, and make sure you don't get hurt, okay?"
Qin Yuanzheng nodded, walked over to cup her face, kissed her, and said softly, "The information you provided is very helpful to me. Don't worry, I will be careful."
Qiao Lanshu looked at Qin Yuanzheng. She was silent for a moment before adding, "Brother Zheng, if you don't take good care of yourself, and if some accident happens..."
She paused, then gritted her teeth and said, "I'll take your child and remarry, you hear me?"
Qin Yuanzheng: "..."
Qin Yuanzheng's expression darkened. He stared at Qiao Lanshu for a while and said in a low voice, "You wouldn't dare."
He glanced at Qiao Lanshu's belly, and after a few seconds, he added, "Don't worry, I will definitely come back in one piece. When the time comes, we will thoroughly settle the score about you and Guan Wenjun playing pretend husband and wife this time."
Qiao Lanshu: "..."
Seeing that it was about time, Qin Yuanzheng stood up, reached out to rub Qiao Lanshu's hair, and said softly, "I'm leaving now. Rest well."
Qiao Lanshu quickly got down from the kang and followed Qin Yuanzheng to the door.
Her gaze was full of reluctance to part, as if he might never return.
Qin Yuanzheng's heart softened again.
He pulled a pistol from his waist, handed it to Qiao Lanshu, and said softly, "Keep this for self-defense."
Saying that, he first unloaded the bullets, and then showed Qiao Lanshu how to use it. "Pull this here, then press this, and that's it. Did you get it?"
Qiao Lanshu had learned it, but she didn't take it.
When carrying out a mission, having an extra weapon meant an extra chance of survival.
Qiao Lanshu pushed the gun back and said to Qin Yuanzheng, "Brother Zheng, they have hunting rifles here, and I know how to use them. Keep this one for your own self-defense. Remember, whatever you do, don't let anything happen to you."
Qin Yuanzheng inspected the hunting rifle Qiao Lanshu mentioned.
This hunting rifle was used by hunters for catching prey; it wasn't a military-grade weapon.
However, the method of operation was quite similar. Qin Yuanzheng was somewhat surprised that Qiao Lanshu actually knew how to use it.
He suddenly realized that his little wife seemed to hold quite a few surprises that he didn't know about.
But now was not the time to ask about such things.
He handed the hunting rifle to Qiao Lanshu and told her, "I will be going now. Don't stay by yourself. Hurry and go stay with Guan Wenjun."
Earlier, he had been angry that Guan Wenjun and Qiao Lanshu were sharing a room, yet now he was the one urging them to stay together.
At the end of the day, Qin Yuanzheng's concern for Qiao Lanshu's safety far outweighed his jealousy.
