"I said I'd be back in half an hour, but it's almost an hour." Hattori Mina couldn't help but complain as she sat in the car.
Jiang Xinyu: "Major called again?"
"That's not true..."
Click!
Accompanied by a deafening thunder, a dazzling lightning flashed across the sky, and the ground suddenly became snow-white. A few minutes later, crackling raindrops fell.
Passing by a flower and gift shop, Hattori Mina kept saying: "Xinyu, stop the car."
Jiang Xinyu slowly parked the car on the side of the road and said, "What's wrong?"
Hattori Mina took out an exquisite lighter from her bag and said, "A birthday gift must have a beautiful packaging!"
Jiang Xinyu looked at the flower gift shop and said, "Do you want to wrap the lighter?"
"Yes, where is the umbrella?"
"But, that store is closed."
"ah?"
Hattori Mina took a closer look. She didn't see it clearly just now, but the door of the flower and gift shop was indeed closed. The owner may have closed the shop early due to the bad weather.
"What to do about this?"
"It doesn't matter if there's no packaging, Major won't mind."
Hattori Mina patted the lighter into Jiang Xinyu's hand and said, "It's up to you to give it to my brother!"
"Why?" Jiang Xinyu put the lighter into the top pocket of his suit without even looking at it.
"I forgot to wrap my birthday gift. My brother will definitely make fun of me...Hey, why did you put it there?"
Jiang Xinyu suddenly understood and said: "I'm used to wearing Chinese tunic suits, so I thought I could hold things in my jacket pockets."
Hattori Mina thought for a while and said: "Before we leave, give my brother a birthday gift, otherwise he will still laugh at me!"
Jiang Xinyu couldn't help laughing and said: "Mina, no wonder the Major always says you look like a child!"
While they were joking, the car drove towards Hattori's house in the pouring rain.
At the same time, Hattori Hikoo is waiting anxiously at home. Sakai has not brought the documents over yet, wondering if something went wrong.
"Major, Lieutenant Sakai is here." Xiaolan said outside the door.
Hattori Hikoo hurriedly said: "Let him in!"
After a while, Sakai opened the door and walked in, holding a document bag in his hand, bowed and said: "Major, I'm sorry, I'm late."
Hattori Hikoo knew that he had taken top-secret documents out of the military police station without permission. Sakai was also frightened and had to be careful no matter what.
There is a line written on the cover of the document: Operation plan to encircle and suppress the Huanggang County Brigade of the Eighth Route Army!
It has the signature of the Gendarmerie on it, and the words "Top Secret" are printed on the seal. If you want to deal with professional agents, you must use this kind of real document as a bait, otherwise it will be easy to see through.
Hattori Hikoo came to the study, put the document bag on the table, covered it with a newspaper, and said to Sakai: "Go back first and wait for my call!"
Sakai hesitated for a moment and said, "Major, I have a request."
"Say." Hattori Hikoo glanced at the clock on the wall. It was ten minutes to eleven o'clock.
"I asked to stay."
"stay?"
"yes."
"Why?"
"This document is of great importance, I must see with my own eyes that there will be no unexpected events!"
"I don't dare because of my humble position." Although Sakai's attitude was respectful, he had no intention of giving in.
Hattori Hikoo: "With one more person, Jiang Xinyu will definitely be more vigilant. Do you want my plan to go to waste!"
"I could hide in the fireplace and he wouldn't notice."
The fireplace in the study is used for heating in winter. In summer, a mesh partition is installed and a calligraphy and painting is hung for decoration. The space inside the fireplace is very spacious and can accommodate at least two adults sitting inside.
Hattori Hikoo said expressionlessly: "Sakai-kun, it turns out you had a plan for a long time!"
Sakai said nothing and stood respectfully with his hands lowered, which was tantamount to an acquiescence.
Hattori Hikoo pondered for a moment and said, "If you don't mind that it's dirty inside, just go in!"
"Thank you Major!"
"Remember, don't make any noise, otherwise not only will the plan be in vain, but it will also embarrass me!"
"clear!"
Sakai took off the calligraphy and painting and put them aside, removed the fireplace partition, ducked in, and then fastened the partition from the inside.
Hattori Hikoo hung up the calligraphy and paintings again. As soon as he finished all this, Xiaolan walked in with two bowls of tea and looked around in shock, obviously not understanding where Sakai had gone.
Hattori Hikoo explained: "Put down the tea bowl, the guest just left."
Xiaolan agreed submissively, feeling puzzled in her heart, why didn't she meet Sakai all the way up the stairs?
Ten minutes later, Hattori Mina and Jiang Xinyu walked in one after another.
Hattori Mina bowed and said with a smile: "Happy birthday, brother!"
Hattori Hikoo smiled and nodded.
Hattori Mina then said: "Brother, there is one thing about your birthday that is the worst!"
"Oh? What's not good about it?"
"Nine times out of ten it rains!"
"What can I do if I catch up with this season?"
"Hattori-kun, this is a sea crab given by a friend. It is most delicious when steamed and paired with wine." Jiang Xinyu handed a bag of crabs to Xiaolan.
Hattori Hikoo was moved by the scene and said with emotion: "I remember when I was young, I often went to the beach to catch crabs with my friends. It was a carefree time... Alas, I can never go back!"
Hattori Mina said from the side: "Brother, today is your birthday, don't be so sentimental, okay? When the war is over, Xinyu and I will accompany you back to Osaka, and we will go catch crabs together!"
Hattori Hikoo had a wry smile on his lips and said, "I hope I can wait until that day!"
Half an hour later, the food was served one after another.
What surprised Hattori Mina was that they were all authentic Japanese dishes. The dishes prepared by the servants looked like Japanese food, but tasted like Chinese food.
Hattori Hikoo said: "Today is a special day, and we haven't gotten together for a reunion dinner for a long time, so I specially invited a Japanese chef from Shangmaqiao to make such a table of dishes. I hope you will like it.
.”
Hattori Mina tilted her head and thought for a while, then said: "Brother, why do I think you are different from usual today?"
Hattori Hikoo was shocked. His subtle emotions could be hidden from others, but not from his sister's eyes!
He concealed his smile and said, "Smart guy, why is my brother different?"
Hattori Mina shook her head and said, "I can't tell you what it feels like..."
Jiang Xinyu said from the side: "Maybe the sea crabs I brought aroused Hattori-kun's homesickness."
There is a bottle of wine and a bottle of sake on the table.
Hattori Mina: "Today is my brother's birthday, so I want to drink some wine too."
Hattori Hikoo didn't stop him, and signaled Xiaolan to pour the wine, saying: "If a birthday is considered a happy occasion, according to the Chinese, today is a double happy birthday!"
Hattori Mina: "Brother, are there any other happy events?"
Hattori Hikoo drank a glass of wine and said: "I just came back from the headquarters. Commander Uchida appointed me as the deputy captain of the military police!"
Hattori Mina muttered in disappointment: "What a happy event for the vice-captain..."
Jiang Xinyu: "I think official position is not the most important. What is important is that Commander Uchida understands the importance of Hattori-kun!"
Hattori Hikoo said approvingly: "That's right! What Xinyu said is exactly what I want to say!"
The reason why I made up such a lie was mainly to make it more reasonable for the document to appear at home. Otherwise, why would a top-secret document appear in the home of an army officer who is idle at home?