Back To The 80s-Chapter 79 - 78: The Inside Story_1
Leaving the alley, Xiaobei’s eyes were red as he said to Lu Zhanguo, "Lu Zhanguo, wherever you go in this lifetime, I will follow. You cannot abandon me."
Lu Zhanguo remained silent for a long while before grunting in agreement. However, the look he gave Xiaobei was one of intense passion.
Ling Yun didn’t go to the company today, but stayed at home with a stern face, looking at Gao Dailin: "What do we do now? The state security and police are watching us closely and the people on the other side are becoming impatient."
Gao Dailin took a puff of his cigarette and said, "The goods are in our hands right now, it’s only a matter of time before they’re moved. We initially wanted to utilize Gu Xiaodong’s power and transport them using a military truck, but who would have known he would have an issue at this point."
"He wouldn’t snitch on you, would he?" Ling Yun asked worriedly.
"No, he won’t. Ratting me out is of no benefit to him. Right now, he has only committed bribery. At most, he would be jailed for a few years. If he snitches on me, that’s treason. That holds a death penalty." Gao Dailin said confidently.
Ling Yun let out a sigh and said, "I want to send my child to Hong Kong or maybe abroad. Try to think of a way." She had been uneasy lately.
Gao Dailin flicked off the ashes from his cigarette, "It’s probably not possible right now, everyone is being watched closely. Once Li Hao returns, I plan to let him take some of the goods with him and test the waters."
Ling Yun frowned, "I’m just afraid he’s not dependable. It’s only been a few days, can we trust him?"
"Don’t worry. They treated him really well this time. They even let him sample the goods." Gao Dailin saw through Li Hao’s vanity and his lust for wealth and success early on.
Ling Yun thought for a moment and said, "We have no other choice at the moment. Gu Xiaobei resigned, so we can’t use him anymore."
Gao Dailin snorted coldly, "Rest assured, those I set my sights on can’t escape that easily."
Knowing that he had to return to military camp tomorrow, Xiaobei began to pack. He didn’t live here for very long, but his stuff piled up - pots and pans, bedding, etc. It all amounted to four or five large packages and three carrying bags. Xiaobei was worried, "How can the two of us carry all of this back?"
Lu Zhanguo, seeing Xiaobei running around like a busy bee, asked him: "After all your bedding is packed, where are we staying tonight?"
"Ah! I completely forgot!" Xiaobei was despondent. Why was he so out of it? He looked desolate as he watched Lu Zhanguo sit down.
"Don’t rush. In a bit, I’m going to meet Shen Heng. You take a nap. Guo Huaqiang is bringing supplies to the military district tomorrow, and we can hitch a ride with him in the afternoon." Lu Zhanguo tousled Xiaobei’s hair as he reassured him.
"Ah, you had a plan all along, yet you kept quiet while watching me pack?" Xiaobei complained.
Lu Zhanguo was quiet. In reality, he had wanted to speak up four or five times, but each time, Xiaobei shooed him away deeming him as a hindrance.
Xiaobei thought for a moment and then spoke, "When you visit Shen Heng, bring back some food on your way back, so I don’t have to go out."
"How about I bring back some lamb soup from Chen’s tonight?" Lu Zhanguo liked to watch Xiaobei eat, the look of satisfaction on his face.
"Sure, but remember to add chili pepper." Xiaobei reminded him.
This time, Lu Zhanguo arranged to meet Shen Heng outside, and they went to the river near the Moat.
Shen Heng handed Lu Zhanguo a cigarette and said, "It seems that White Fox has also arrived. T City is getting more and more lively. Do you know why?"
"Because our country bought a whole new arsenal from M Country, and chose T City as the testing base for it. Furthermore, the improvement experiments for the rifle firing pin of our domestic sniper rifle are also based in T City. Maybe they’re interested in this information." Lu Zhanguo couldn’t think of any other reasons.
"It’s also possible that they’re trying to get a hold of the efficiency diagram of the improved sniper rifle, as well as the effective results of the firing pin after the test shooting. But I think it could also have to do with us establishing a special operations unit." Shen Heng felt that everything was in utter chaos now, and even included issues with cultural relics being stolen.
"Now, we have no way of knowing whether Gu Xiaodong has leaked military secrets if he doesn’t confess." Lu Zhanguo looked at Shen Heng: "I’m going back tomorrow. Be careful with everything. Especially remind Jin Cheng to be cautious. Jiadong has only one younger brother. I don’t want him to be in danger."
Shen Heng’s expression also turned serious, "I originally didn’t want to take him on the mission this time. However, he said this was his hometown and insisted on doing his part."
Lu Zhanguo, with a solemn look on his face, staring at the river in the Moat, said after a long pause, "This poor kid, misunderstood and ostracized by others for so many years. After this incident settles down, let him leave."
Shen Heng nodded, "He deserves to have a normal life, and then get married, have children. This path is too hard, every time I think about it, I feel like I let Jiadong down."
Lu Zhanguo patted Shen Heng’s shoulder: "Someone has to take this path, being an unknown hero is an even tougher journey. But Jin Cheng is the last son of the Jin family, we can’t let his elders be heartbroken anymore."
There was a hint of melancholy in both of their hearts. They first met Jiadong in the Capital City. Jiadong is two or three years older than them. But, they got to know each other instantly, and became kindred spirits.
At that time, Lu Zhanguo was in the field troops in the Capital City, whereas Jiadong was in the special operations. Jiadong was amongst the first to go to the battlefield, while Lu Zhanguo was in the second batch.
Lu Zhanguo remembered the words Jiadong said to him when his troop was about to ship out, "’Zhanguo, if I don’t come back this time, I don’t have anything else to care about, except for my younger brother, Jiacheng. He is lively by nature, but he is very intelligent and terribly stubborn. He has always viewed me as his role model, becoming a hero is his dream. However, I have selfish motives too, our Jin family only has one descendant. Please take care of him on my behalf, we can’t let the Jin legacy end."
After Jiadong sacrificed himself, Shen Heng and Lu Zhanguo stopped Jiacheng who tried to escape in the middle of the night.
At that time, Jiacheng, with his eyes red, looked at them and said, "I want to be a hero. Not for fame or fortune, but to do what I believe is right. Like my brother, I want to take up the responsibilities a man should have."
Shen Heng looked at him for a while and said, "Then come with me. There’s another path where you can have responsibilities. But if you die one day, you won’t become a martyr. You won’t be written into the annals of history and you won’t be remembered by future generations. And this path is tough and lonely. Are you willing?"
Jiacheng, wiping away his tears, lifted up his still-juvenile face defiantly and said, "I’m willing!"
Lu Zhanguo and Shen Heng both thought that Jiacheng might not even be able to make it through the initial difficult training phase. But they didn’t expect him to persist for so many years.
Shen Heng was jolted back to the present from his thoughts, "I didn’t expect that the stubborn kid I knew back then, would turn out to be able to play any role today."
"Mm, remind Jiacheng to be cautious and not impulsive if he encounters an incident," Lu Zhanguo was still worried.
"Understood, Jiacheng is like my own little brother, rest assured, nothing will happen this time." Shen Heng assured him.
After separating with Shen Heng, Lu Zhanguo went to Chen’s Lamb Soup Shop. He packed two servings of noodles and paid extra for two pieces of meat. There were no containers to pack them in so the boss gave him a small kettle. He packed the two servings of noodles, put the lid on the pot, and tied the two handles together with a cloth to form a handle for Lu Zhanguo to carry. Before he left, the boss reminded him to return the kettle the next day.
When he reached the entrance of his apartment complex, he found a crowd gathered at the entrance of his building and saw bloodstains in the corridor. His heart lurched and he quickly rushed upstairs.
