Chapter 8, Rasim

Williams: "We do not know"

Yan Xin settled into the mahogany armchair, picked up a porcelain bowl, and deftly used his chopsticks to grab a pigeon head, quickly tossing it into his mouth and swallowing it whole. One after another, in an instant, seven pigeon heads had already been consumed... He then calmly savored the soup with a spoon

"This soup tastes excellent, Xiaofen, your culinary skills are improving more and more," Yanxin said with satisfaction. Xiaofen thought to herself: doing the same thing every day, improvement is inevitable.

Please look at the screen, this is the live footage transmitted by the NSA Mist-2 reconnaissance satellite, "Williams signaled to his assistant to turn off the lights, "This is Khalid." On the wall-sized LCD screen appeared the undulating Hindu Kush mountains, the small village of Nurd, and an aerial view of the people entering and exiting that house, "The intelligence officer Muhammad had previously activated the hidden satellite audio transmission device, and the satellite received their conversation." A complete audio recording of the conversation was overlaid on the still image.

Master, it is time to eat. The maid, Xiao Fen, entered holding a tray.

In the capital city, at No. 19, South Alley, deep within Beiluoguxiang in Xicheng District, stands a small courtyard residence from the Qing Dynasty. With its blue bricks and dark tiles, and faded painted decorations, the two tightly closed black lacquer doors are adorned with a pair of brass door knockers, subtly revealing the grandeur of the residence from years past. The main hall facing south is arranged in a solemn and ancient style, with antique porcelain displayed on a zitan wood display rack. The central blue-and-white porcelain vase has a serene glaze, clearly indicating its status as a precious item. Several calligraphies and paintings hang on the walls, all created by contemporary masters, suggesting that the owner of this house is certainly not an ordinary person.

I..." Xiao Fen's face turned red as she gently set down the tray, which contained only a single blue-and-white porcelain bowl. Floating in the clear broth were seven pigeon heads. Xiao Fen knew that the master had long since detached himself from the mundane world, having only one meal a day at noon, consisting of seven pigeon heads. But over the course of a year, wouldn't that amount to more than two thousand? She dared not think further, quietly standing to one side, waiting for the master to finish before removing the utensils.

***

Khalid fell by the roadside, his eyes wide with astonishment and a look of surprise on his face

Across the street not far away, a pair of deep-set eyes is silently watching her ... and - illustrations - books

In early summer, the Wuling Mountain area still has a slight chill in the mornings and evenings. The gentle flow of the West Dahu River reflects the white chestnut flowers in the mountains, while the faint smoke from a farmhouse drifts by, bringing with it the intoxicating rural aroma of thatched grass burning in an earthen stove. After being away for thirteen years, returning to my childhood hometown, who can truly understand the feelings that arise? Tangshan is filled with emotion.

Langley, Maryland, United States, CIA Headquarters. Conference Room

The scene continues to change, as Rasim lifts a heavy suitcase and places it in the back seat of the off-road jeep. Images of houses exploding flash by, finally freezing on a close-up of Khalid's face as he leans out of the window. "What we are unclear about is what exactly happened inside the car in the remaining minute?"

After her son, who had been missing for many years, returned, the mother's health gradually improved. This morning, she gathered her spirits and took her son to pay respects at her father's grave in Tangshan. The earthquake in 1976 had devastated Tangshan City, resulting in the deaths of 250,000 people, and her father's remains were nowhere to be found. Unable to bear the loss, her mother erected a tomb on the hillside, where she buried the only wedding photo of herself and her father, instructing Tangshan that she wished to be buried with this image after her death. The grave mound in the forest was not overgrown with weeds, and the surroundings were clean, clearly indicating that someone had come to tend to it.

Director Williams stood up and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, at 1:15 AM Eastern Time today, an explosion occurred in a small village in the northwestern mountainous region of Pakistan, near the Afghan border, resulting in the death of a local informant named Muhammad. At the same time, an international arms smuggler from Tajikistan, Levonovsky, whom we have been monitoring for some time, was also killed in the blast. According to intelligence, we have reason to believe that Khalid, one of the military leaders of Al-Qaeda, was present at the scene, and," he looked around, "we are confident that Khalid has acquired a suitcase nuclear bomb." The conference room fell into silence.

The night was deep, and the weary mother had fallen asleep first. Tang Shan sat on the kang, meditating, reflecting on his thirteen years of seclusion in the highlands, unaware that his mother was still alive, enduring the torment of loneliness. Fortunately, Xiao Fen had been by her side, helping her to hold on until today. How should he repay Xiao Fen's kindness? ... At this thought, a warmth surged in the young Tang Shan's heart, a sweet feeling that he had never experienced before quietly arrived ...

A black Buick sedan with a Beijing A license plate sped towards her, and just as Xiaofen was crossing the pedestrian crossing, it struck her. The violent impact threw her into the air, and she fell into the green hedge several meters away. A nimble figure swiftly leaped over the hedge, gently picked up Xiaofen, and anxiously shouted, "Quick, call an ambulance!"

Tangshan recounted to his mother the twists and turns of the past thirteen years in one go, inevitably eliciting a wave of sighs and lamentations

This is Xiaofen. Her mother told Tangshan that for more than ten years, it was this girl who often silently accompanied her, chatting and talking, spending countless sleepless nights together. On nights when the cold wind blew and snow fell, Xiaofen curled up like a gentle little cat on the warm earthen kang, listening to her mother recount stories of Tangshan catching fish and birds, mischievous and playful, always eager to hear them over and over again. The girl gradually grew up, blossoming into a slender and beautiful young woman, with delicate skin and tender flesh, unmatched in the ten-mile radius. Many suitors came to propose, even people from the city, but Xiaofen refused to marry. On nights when the cold wind blew and snow fell, Xiaofen curled up like a gentle little cat on the warm earthen kang, listening to her mother recount stories of Tangshan catching fish and birds, mischievous and playful, always eager to hear them over and over again. The girl gradually grew up, blossoming into a slender and beautiful young woman, with delicate skin and tender flesh, unmatched in the ten-mile radius. Many suitors came to propose, even people from the city, but Xiaofen refused to marry. Her mother cried and told Xiaofen that Tangshan would not return, and Xiaofen also cried. After this year's New Year, Xiaofen went to the capital to work as a nanny, and she never returned.

At the moment that person turned around, we saw clearly that he was Rasim

After tidying up, Xiaofen went to the vegetable market. The master requires fresh pigeon heads for every meal, and frozen ones are absolutely not allowed

The first sandstorm of this year just passed yesterday, leaving a layer of dust on the glass windows of the shops and the towering billboards, while the shop assistants were cleaning with water. Xiaofen walked carefully on the colorful cement-brick sidewalk, avoiding several puddles of murky water flowing from the cleaning of the shops. She did not like big cities like Beijing; her hometown was so much better. There, the West Big River was clear and transparent, the golden dandelions dotted the lush green fields, and the purple morning glories climbed the fence walls. ... And there was the little Tangshan from her childhood, catching dragonflies, which used to have spots on their bodies, but for some reason, they have not been seen in recent years ... She did not like big cities like Beijing; her hometown was so much better. There, the West Big River was clear and transparent, the golden dandelions dotted the lush green fields, and the purple morning glories climbed the fence walls. ... And there was the little Tangshan from her childhood, catching dragonflies, which used to have spots on their bodies, but for some reason, they have not been seen in recent years ...

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"Didn’t I say not to call me 'Master'? Just call me Brother Yan." Yan Xin said with a hint of reproach as he stepped out from the inner room

The scene returns to Rasim. "Who is he?" asked Leslie, the President's National Security Advisor.