A middle-aged man wearing a long cotton gown stood at the counter and was explaining the steps of decoction to customers. He was Qian Runmin, the store manager.
Jiang Xinyu waited aside, put his briefcase on the counter, and pressed a copy of the Tao Te Ching on the bag. This was their secret code for contact.
After the customer left, Qian Runmin said to Jiang Xinyu: "Sir, do you want to take medicine?"
Jiang Xinyu took out a piece of paper from his arms and handed it over, saying, "Yes, this is the prescription."
"This is a prescription for treating stomach problems..." Qian Runmin took it over, looked at it, and said to the busy boy beside him: "Zhixin, go and sweep the door."
"I know, uncle." The boy walked out of the drugstore with a broom in hand.
Qian Runmin said in a low voice: "Hello, Comrade Fengjing, I have finally come to you."
"Hello. My name is Jiang Xinyu. My public identity is the captain of the detective team. I live at No. 19 Qiaodong Road. Just turn left at the intersection two hundred meters ahead."
"I knew you were the captain of the detective team, but I didn't expect you to be the stinger."
Jiang Xinyu turned around and glanced at Zhixin outside the door, and said, "Is he one of ours too?"
"No, Zhixin is a distant cousin of mine. The child is very honest, no problem."
"Okay, let me make a long story short. Comrade Lao Qiu's wife just left Yanjin, and the Bao brothers were also released this afternoon. They should have gone home by now."
Qian Runmin said in surprise: "What's going on? Could it be that Lao Qiu..."
Jiang Xinyu shook his head slightly and said: "If Lao Qiu rebels, I will be arrested as soon as possible, and your pharmacy will also be raided!"
While weighing the medicine, Qian Runmin said: "Why were the Bao brothers released?"
"I don't know the specific situation, but it gives me the feeling that Lao Qiu is ready to sacrifice!"
"Is there any way to rescue him?"
“How many people do we have available?”
"Cao Yunfei's guerrillas, plus the thirty people transferred from the county brigade, there are almost a hundred people."
"How's the firepower?"
"The people from the county brigade brought 30 rifles and some grenades. Cao Yunfei's guerrilla guns are more miscellaneous, including long and short guns, and Hanyang can make more than half of them with old sleeves."
Qian Runmin thought for a moment and added: "Oh, by the way, there is another problem. They carry too many weapons and cannot enter the city."
Jiang Xinyu pondered for a moment and said: "It is not a good idea to go into the city to rescue. Even if we are lucky enough to succeed, it will be difficult for so many people to retreat safely..."
A few minutes later, Jiang Xinyu left the pharmacy carrying a bag of medicine and walked back home.
"Mom, you don't have to wait for me to eat. I have some official business at the moment. I will come back later." Jiang Xinyu put the Chinese medicine on the coffee table, turned around and walked out of the house.
"What are you doing to buy medicine?" Jiang's mother chased her out, but Jiang Xinyu's car had already driven away.
Father Jiang picked up the medicine, looked at it, and muttered, "It's stomach medicine. He bought it for me, right..."
…………
Gendarmerie headquarters.
Hattori Hikoo personally poured a cup of tea for Xu Haichuan and said, "Mr. Xu, I have already fulfilled all your requests. The rest is up to you."
The Bao brothers were lucky. Before it was their turn to conduct bacterial experiments, the gendarmerie replaced them with other prisoners from the Water Supply and Epidemic Prevention Department and released them in front of Xu Haichuan.
As for whether they can leave Yanjin safely, this is not something Xu Haichuan can control, but he believes that the organization will find a way to secretly help the Bao brothers retreat.
Xu Haichuan: "I want to go home."
"What are you doing at home?"
"I want to get a book."
"Mr. Xu, I think the top priority is to arrest the Communists in Yanjin as soon as possible, instead of going home to get a book!"
"In that book, there is a list and addresses of all the people in Yanjin's underground organization. I will give it to you. You just need to follow the diagram and go to arrest them."
Hattori Hikoo didn't believe it and said, "Why don't you take such an important thing with you when you go to Peking?"
"Those names are written in code and they will look the same wherever they are placed. And I think it is actually the safest place to put them at home."
"Why? You are not afraid of being found out. It is not difficult for the gendarmerie to find an expert in deciphering code words!"
Xu Haichuan smiled and said: "If I had not been exposed, no one would have searched my home with great fanfare. If I had been exposed, you would think that since I went to work in Peking, there would be no need to search Yanjin's home."
Hattori Hikoo was very upset. He did not send anyone to search Xu Haichuan's home. On the one hand, he wanted to block the news, and on the other hand, he thought it was impossible to find any valuable clues.
"How many people are on the list?" Hiko Hattori picked up the tea bowl and took a sip, hiding the embarrassed look on his face.
"Thirty-two people."
"Is this the entire list of members of the Communist Party?"
"Yes, all of them."
Hattori Hikoo estimated in his mind that this number was basically consistent with his guess. The Communist Party's strength in Ijin was weak and there would not be many personnel.
"Okay, I'll go with you personally!" Hattori Hikoo put on his military cap, stretched out his hand and pressed the alarm bell.
"Major, what are your orders?" The military policeman outside opened the door and walked in.
"Prepare a car and go to Wufuli, Qiaoxi Road!"
"yes!"
Hattori Hikoo followed him personally, playing into Xu Haichuan's heart, because this was his last trump card and the only chance to cause damage to the enemy!
Under the so-called list of underground organizations, there is a very powerful American-style grenade. As long as you reach out and pull the safety circlip, the whole house will be blown up.
Xu Haichuan had already prepared for the worst, and that grenade was prepared for today!
"Report!"
"Come in!"
The guard opened the door and said with both feet: "Major, Captain Jiang Xinyu and Jiang are here."
Hattori Hikoo thought for a moment and said, "Let him come in."
"Yes!" The guard exited.
After a while, Jiang Xinyu stepped in, bowed and saluted and said: "Major."
Hattori Hikoo said with a smile: "Captain Jiang, you are here just in time. I will introduce you to someone you must really want to meet."
He was about to get the list of members of the Communist Party. Hattori Hikoo felt much more relaxed, otherwise he would not have let Xu Haichuan meet any Chinese, even Jiang Xinyu, whom he trusted most.
"Forensic Doctor Xu? Why are you here?" Jiang Xinyu said pretending to be surprised.
Hattori Hikoo smiled and said: "Captain Jiang, you must have never imagined that Forensic Doctor Xu has another identity. He is Lao Qiu who we have been looking for for several years!"
Jiang Xinyu looked at Xu Haichuan in surprise and said, "Are you Lao Qiu?"
Xu Haichuan nodded and said, "Yes, I am Lao Qiu."
A military policeman walked in and said: "Major, the car is ready and ready to go at any time."
Hattori Hikoo: "Captain Jiang, what do you want from me?"
"I want to discuss some private matters with you. Since you are busy with official business, I will come back another day." Jiang Xinyu knew that at this juncture, Hattori Hikoo would not let him go.
Sure enough, Hattori Hikoo said: "It doesn't matter. We are going to Mr. Xu's house. You can come with us. Let's talk about anything on the way."
"yes!"
Ten minutes later, Xu Haichuan got into a car, with military police monitoring him on both sides, followed by a military vehicle with more than thirty armed military police.
Jiang Xinyu and Hattori Hikoo rode in a car together, and the three cars slowly drove out of the gendarmerie gate.