13: Lu Jing suspects that Xiao Niannian is a spy.
Lu Jing was being stared at by Old Chief Gu. He quickly ate his meal, knowing the Old Chief might be trying to play matchmaker again.
After eating, Lu Jing got up and went to the restroom. When he returned, he saw that his seat had been taken by another Comrade-in-arms, leaving only the seat next to Xiao Niannian vacant.
“Sit there.”
Old Chief Gu said.
Lu Jing looked at his subordinate. The subordinate felt nervous under his gaze, but he could not disobey the Old Chief's command.
Lu Jing sat down next to Xiao Niannian.
Lu Jing had never felt uncomfortable sitting next to anyone before, but today, he felt a little uneasy for some reason. He stared straight ahead, then looked around at the people, noticing that the people from the Revolutionary Committee were standing obediently now.
Among the people the Revolutionary Committee escorted, several elderly individuals were sitting in the seats they had vacated.
There were over ten people in Lu Jing's group. This time, they were escorting the Old Chief from the Capital City to Guangdong Province, and they would also report back to their Military Unit.
They did not give up their seats because they had to protect Old Chief Gu. Several previous Old Chiefs had encountered assassination attempts. Those spies used various methods, but they had detected some plots in advance and destroyed the spies' schemes.
Xiao Niannian just sat there and fell asleep.
“Ding! Sleep Quality +1.”
Half-asleep, Xiao Niannian vaguely heard the words “Sleep Quality +1.” She thought she was dreaming.
After sleeping for several hours, Xiao Niannian opened her eyes. She saw that the carriage was dark, with weak light overhead, and the constant clanging sound filling her ears.
She looked around. Although the lighting was dim, she could clearly see the people nearby.
Her eyes met Lu Jing's.
Seeing Lu Jing's sharp gaze, she blinked.
Xiao Niannian looked at the others. Everyone else was watching their surroundings vigilantly, except for Old Chief Gu across from her, who was sleeping with his eyes closed. They truly maintained constant alertness.
Perhaps because Lu Jing and the others were beside her, her vigilance was lower than usual, and she enjoyed a comfortable sleep.
Lu Jing saw Xiao Niannian blink and then scrutinize him. He couldn't help but raise his head and look elsewhere.
Xiao Niannian looked out the window. There was moonlight outside, but it wasn't very bright.
In her original world, even at night, the cities and villages outside would be brightly lit, and some places even had night views that were much more beautiful than the daytime.
“Are you trying to go out?”
Lu Jing noticed Xiao Niannian looking at him several times and thought she was too embarrassed to ask him to get up.
“No.”
Hearing that Xiao Niannian was not going to the restroom, Lu Jing stopped speaking.
Lu Jing still harbored some suspicion and caution towards Xiao Niannian in his heart. He decided to speak up and probe her situation. If someone with her martial skill was a spy, it would definitely cause great trouble later on.
“Are you going to the Military Unit in Guangdong Province to find someone?”
Hearing Lu Jing's words, Xiao Niannian suddenly sensed something was off. Lu Jing seemed to be suspicious of her.
“I'm going to a division in Guangdong Province. I want to find someone.”
“Who are you looking for?”
Xiao Niannian thought about Old Chief Gu's status, and Lu Jing was a Battalion Commander, so he would surely know this person.
“Comrade Wang Aiwu.”
Comrade Wang Aiwu? Isn't that their Regiment Commander?
Lu Jing immediately looked at Xiao Niannian, and the two comrades beside and across from him also looked at Xiao Niannian.
Seeing the reactions of Lu Jing and the several comrades-in-arms, Xiao Niannian understood she had guessed correctly. They all knew Comrade Wang Aiwu.
“Why are you looking for Comrade Wang Aiwu?”
Lu Jing's tone became stricter.
“I have business.”
Xiao Niannian did not want to reveal her Adoptive Father's matter just yet. If she did, their attitude towards her would surely change.
“You have business?”
Lu Jing did not understand why Xiao Niannian was still unwilling to explain clearly.
Could it be that she was going to assassinate Regiment Commander Wang?
“You need Little Wang for something?”
Old Chief Gu opened his eyes at this moment.
“Yes.”
Xiao Niannian answered immediately.
She almost shouted, “Reporting, Chief!” several times, but Xiao Niannian reacted quickly enough to swallow the words.
Little Wang?
Was Old Chief Gu Wang's Battalion Commander's leader?
No, more than ten years had passed. Wang's Battalion Commander should have been promoted to at least Regiment Commander or Deputy Division Commander.
A few years ago, Grandma received a letter from Wang's Battalion Commander, who hadn't been transferred yet at that time. She wondered if he had been transferred now.
If Uncle Wang had been transferred, she and Grandma would look for other leaders in the Military Unit. Conveniently, she had some wine and cigarettes in her space that she could use to pay respects to her Adoptive Father.
“Lu Jing, when we get off the train, take Niannian with you.”
“Old Chief.”
Lu Jing immediately called out to Old Chief Gu.
Xiao Niannian's identity was still somewhat suspicious. If he brought her along and she truly intended harm to the Old Chief—although they could protect the Old Chief—she might have accomplices... “That's an order.”
“Yes.”
Hearing the Old Chief say this, Xiao Niannian immediately thanked him.
“Grandpa Gu, are you saying that your destination is the same as mine?”
“Mhm.”
Hearing this, Xiao Niannian was indeed a little surprised. She had originally planned to arrive in Yangcheng first, ask around at the Military Unit, and then take a bus transfer to her Adoptive Father's workplace.
She hadn't expected Old Chief Gu to know Uncle Wang Aiwu, and Lu Jing knew him too.
Does that mean Old Chief Gu also knew her Adoptive Father?
Xiao Niannian lowered her head. If she said her Adoptive Father's name now, Old Chief Gu would definitely help her. But she didn't want to use that kind of privilege. Whatever she needed to do, she could certainly accomplish it herself.
She would go to the Military Unit first and see.
Seeing Xiao Niannian lower her head, Lu Jing frowned. He felt that Xiao Niannian appearing before Old Chief Gu was too much of a coincidence, and suddenly provoking those people—given the character of Old Chief Gu and his men—they would surely intervene to stop it. Then she seized the opportunity to speak with the Old Chief, and now she was sitting right next to him.
He must be extra cautious of Xiao Niannian. If Xiao Niannian used a weapon to attack the Old Chief, then... Xiao Niannian noticed that Lu Jing's aura next to her suddenly changed, and he was currently staring at her vigilantly, as if she were a villain.
Was he really treating her like a spy?
Thinking of Old Chief Gu's identity, Xiao Niannian guessed he must be a chief from the Capital City side. No wonder Lu Jing was so wary of her.
With this thought, Xiao Niannian looked back at Lu Jing.
Lu Jing's eyes met Xiao Niannian's. He had caught spies and informers many times before, but all those people, upon meeting his gaze, would immediately look down, or appear guilty, shifty-eyed, or extremely nervous.
Xiao Niannian was truly the first person to stare straight back and even glare at him.
Was she trying to dispel his suspicion?
He had previously sent someone to call and investigate Xiao Niannian's identity, but he hadn't received a reply yet.
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