DDT - Chapter 95
Chapter 95: Tycoon's Daughter (3)
The Secret Party's clandestine meeting point was Heavenly Suite Number Three at the Wanxing Restaurant. Heavenly Suite Number One was a massive, fully-equipped banquet hall for song and dance, a venue exclusively for Huaping City's New Government and aristocratic families. Only the Dragon Kingdom's highest echelons of society were qualified to use it. Heavenly Suite Number Two was where the New Government received dignitaries from various nations; the Dragon Kingdom's New Government relied entirely on the lavish restaurant to maintain appearances in its diplomatic affairs. After all, who could challenge the Wanxing Restaurant's monopoly in the Dragon Kingdom?
Heavenly Suite Number Three was, by name, Hou Wanxing's residence. It was located on the top floor of the Wanxing Restaurant, facing a quiet, deep alley. According to Hou Wanxing, he enjoyed this kind of life, hidden away in the bustling city. Consequently, the many people who sought to curry favor with him or ask for his help would invariably praise Commander Hou Wanxing for his noble character.
And precisely because Heavenly Suite Number Three was Commander Hou's home, no one would be idle enough to come and investigate it. In everyone's eyes, Hou Wanxing was thriving under the New Government, living the high life with money and power. How could he possibly be associated with the Secret Party, who were like rats hiding in a gutter?
But at this very moment, inside the meeting room of the man everyone considered to have such "noble character," sat about thirty members of the New Government's mortal enemy—the Secret Party.
At the front of the meeting room was a large blackboard. Each time the Secret Party gathered, the missions issued by the organization were listed on the blackboard in the party's secret code. Also displayed was the latest intelligence from spies in the Japanese Nation concerning their movements and those of the Japanese Army.
Recently, the Japanese Army, which had been encamped for a long time across the moat from Huaping City, had shown signs of unusual activity. According to intelligence from the special operations team, the Japanese Army had received several new shipments of military hardware. The backer supporting them was indeed J Nation from across the ocean, a country mired in its own troubles. For the past few years, J Nation had been locked in a stalemate with several other Western countries. It seemed J Nation intended to make a move from the East, using the Japanese Nation as a forward post to take down the Dragon Kingdom—a major power plagued by both internal and external strife. This would add leverage to their side in the stalemate, tipping the scales of war in J Nation's favor.
Seated in the main chair of the meeting room was the leader of the Secret Party. This handsome man, in the prime of his life, was none other than Zhou Hua, who had returned to the Dragon Kingdom from overseas many years ago.
He was currently discussing Japan's likely next moves with several of the organization's branch leaders. Chi Junluo, along with a dozen or so other members of the Secret Party's new generation of successors, all around twenty years of age, sat in the middle and back rows. While the organization's leaders conferred, these young people didn't forget to exchange their own intelligence.
This was Chi Junluo's first time participating in a discussion of such national importance. She sat quietly to the side, listening intently to her companions' conversation. Among the dozen young successors, three were from the same academy as Chi Junluo. One of them, a young man who looked no older than twenty, was surprisingly the organizer of the last protest march. His ability to rally people was formidable. He was always eloquent when speaking with others, and his words carried an extraordinary power to incite. He could always make people agree with his views and want to follow him.
In this era of war and turmoil, with the nation in peril, the youths were filled with fervent passion, eager to carve out a future for their country. This young man possessed a natural leadership quality and was one of the successors Zhou Hua most favored.
Listening to the young man's meticulous analysis, Chi Junluo couldn't help but nod along, lost in thought.
At the front of the meeting room, the leaders who had finished their discussion quietly sipped their tea, secretly observing the performance of the successors.
"Zhang Kai is as eye-catching as ever," a branch leader said in a low voice. "He's too conspicuous. He's already a thorn in the New Government's side."
"Although the previous protest was effective, it put Zhang Kai in a dangerous position."
Zhou Hua tapped the table lightly with his knuckle. "Don't forget, the most dangerous place is also the safest place. The New Government can't touch him for now. Besides… the Japanese Army will soon give the New Government more than enough to worry about."
The leaders fell silent for a moment. Among the successors, after Zhang Kai finished sharing, several others began to report on their recent work. Only Chi Junluo remained silent, listening quietly in her corner. The passionately conversing youths around her seemed to have completely forgotten her presence.
"North Goose is the same as always." The head of the intelligence division looked at the quiet Chi Junluo, careful not to use her real name.
"Her scores in all special training subjects are excellent. Top-tier combat skills, top-tier marksmanship, top-tier reconnaissance. Her knowledge of all types of military equipment is comprehensive, and her academic performance is also very good. She just has absolutely no presence," the head of special training reported on Chi Junluo's performance, concluding, "She's an excellent child."
"We've thoroughly investigated Xiao Sun's side. There are no problems at all," the head of the intelligence division said, thinking of the girl who was always tailing North Goose. "North Goose has always let this girl be. I don't know what she's thinking."
"Let's wait and see."
Another hour passed before the meeting concluded. The various branch leaders took one or two young members to smaller rooms to assign their next tasks. A slightly oppressive atmosphere permeated the Secret Party's base. A storm was brewing.
Leaving the Wanxing Restaurant through a small side door, Chi Junluo deliberately circled around to the main street and, as usual, stopped under a tree on the opposite side for five minutes.
Yi Shuhan had long since finished her meal. She had the waiter clear the plates and bring two dishes of pastries, which she ate slowly with her tea. Just as before, after about two hours, her senior left the Wanxing Restaurant and stood under the tree across the street, seemingly waiting for someone.
Yi Shuhan quickly paid the bill and clattered down the stairs.
Chi Junluo bought a newspaper from a newsboy and leisurely walked toward her family's shop. The moment Yi Shuhan stepped out of the Wanxing Restaurant's main entrance, she saw Chi Junluo walking in a different direction than usual, newspaper tucked under her arm. She hurriedly ran to the newsboy, who hadn't gone far, and asked for the same newspaper Chi Junluo had. Without even looking at it, she paid a small sum and rushed to follow Chi Junluo.
The young newsboy adjusted his tattered cap, put the remaining newspapers in his bag, and disappeared into the crowd at the street corner.
Yi Shuhan had been tailing Chi Junluo for so long. Every time Senior Chi left the restaurant after meeting with her mysterious contact, she would either go home or to the academy's library to read. This was the first time she had headed somewhere different.
A spark of excitement lit up in Yi Shuhan's eyes. Was her senior going on a mission?! She absolutely had to witness such a secret operation with her own eyes!
As usual, Chi Junluo seemed completely unaware of the little kitten trailing behind her. She weaved through the streets, and Yi Shuhan followed intently, occasionally hiding behind a tree or a pillar. She would then peek her head out, see Chi Junluo continuing to walk normally, and can't help but worry. It was one thing for her to be following, as she had no intention of harming her senior. But what if one day her senior was this careless and got followed by some other bad person? Wouldn't that invite disaster? Really, for a member of an underground party, her senior had no sense of security at all, to be followed so easily!
As Yi Shuhan fretted, it never occurred to her to question how a legendary secret agent could be tailed by a complete amateur for so long without noticing…
The sun gradually slanted westward, dyeing the clouds with the colors of sunset.
Chi Junluo, who exercised regularly, was in good physical condition. She had been walking for over an hour without her pace slowing. In contrast, Yi Shuhan, who was not far behind, had a delicate constitution and had never undergone systematic training. After tailing her at a steady pace for so long, the soles of her feet were aching. She was panting with exhaustion and wished she could kick off the expensive little leather boots she was wearing. The soles were too hard!
Yi Shuhan could no longer be bothered with hiding. She fanned her cheeks with the folded newspaper, the heat turning her face bright red. If she hadn't remembered that she was supposed to be tailing someone, she would have definitely shouted for her senior to slow down!
Strolling down the street, Chi Junluo's lips curved into a faint smile. The heroine of this world was quite interesting.
The Heavenly Dao drifted about in her sea of consciousness, not quite understanding Chi Junluo's actions. Seeing its heroine's flushed little face, it felt a pang of sympathy.
It wanted to ask this host what on earth she was thinking, but then it seemed to recall something and ultimately held its tongue, silently watching the two figures, one in front of the other.
Finally, Chi Junluo stopped at a small roadside stall and bought a cup of freshly squeezed fruit juice with a few ice cubes. Yi Shuhan had just managed to stop and catch her breath when, not even a minute later, Chi Junluo started walking again, sipping her juice and picking up the pace.
Yi Shuhan sighed and dragged her heavy feet to follow. She was already drenched in sweat, yet the straight figure ahead of her didn't seem tired at all. Miss Yi, who had been raised with a good upbringing in this era and didn't know how to curse or say things like "what the hell," could only grunt to herself. After all, she had chosen to follow, so she had to see it through, even if it killed her!
Ever since arriving in this world, the Heavenly Dao had barely said a few words. The once chattering and annoying Heavenly Dao had suddenly gone quiet, which was actually a bit unsettling.
"Heavenly Dao, you're being very strange," Chi Junluo remarked, seemingly casually, but the Heavenly Dao inexplicably felt a chill run down its spine.
It turned around in the sea of consciousness, pretended to let out a fart, and then hid in the small, dark hut it had built for itself in a corner, not daring to make a sound.
Chi Junluo: …? (A look of utter confusion.)
After walking for who knows how many more minutes, it was only when Yi Shuhan saw the same three-story tavern at the street corner for the third time that she realized she had been played (and discovered)!
Chi Junluo had been leading her in two large circles around this neighborhood!
Before she could even react, she saw Chi Junluo walk into the tavern called "Falling Leaf."
Yi Shuhan: !! Damn it!
Seeing Chi Junluo exchange a few words with the owner inside the tavern and then head upstairs, Yi Shuhan stomped her foot and followed. She couldn't have walked all those pointless miles for nothing!
She was determined to see what this senior of hers was up to in this inconspicuous little tavern!
Perhaps her senior was just trying to shake off anyone following her before. Now that she had gone inside, she probably thought she had successfully gotten away, right?
In any case, she had to go in and find out!
The sky was gradually darkening. Seeing the main hall on the first floor of the tavern filled with men and women drinking and eating, Yi Shuhan felt she probably wouldn't be too conspicuous. She let down the hair behind her ears, feeling like it covered her face a bit, then walked into the Falling Leaf Tavern with her head slightly lowered.
Watching Yi Shuhan's movements from a small window on the second floor, Chi Junluo pressed a hand to her forehead. The heroine of this world was really adorably foolish ←_←
Yi Shuhan entered the small tavern with light, mincing steps. The people drinking and eating in the first-floor hall were a bit noisy, and no one seemed to notice her arrival. There only appeared to be one or two waiters in the shop, busy serving drinks and food. The owner sat behind the counter, head down, fiddling with an abacus, likely doing the accounts. Yi Shuhan minimized her presence, pretending to casually drift toward the staircase. Staring at the somewhat dark, unlit stairs, she swallowed hard and began to walk up, lightening her steps.
Behind the counter, the owner glanced up at Yi Shuhan's retreating back before lowering his head to continue working his abacus.
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