Chapter 5: The Value of Chen Miao

Chen Miao was about to put away the clothes he had changed out of when Liang Xueqin snatched them away from him, saying: "You are injured and cannot take care of yourself. Let me keep these dirty clothes for you. I will wash them clean, and you can come and pick them up later"

Upon ascending the stone steps, there is a corridor and an escalator in the middle. At the eastern end is the reception room, behind which lies the social room, followed by the storage room and the telephone exchange. Opposite the reception room is the dining room, which has a door that leads directly to the conference room

Another deputy director, Tang Ruimin, is currently in Nanjing and is not present at this location for work

Is this person's gambling skill so remarkable

I spent a night here with you, but I fear that the idle gossip of the people in this place will spread and tarnish your reputation. This medicine from Liang Xueqin is indeed effective; surprisingly, the pain has lessened significantly after just one night.

Director Ding, I have come specifically to apologize to you for the failure in capturing the military intelligence agents in the Shanghai district... Chen Mingchu stood with his hands at his sides, appearing quite restrained.

Old Cai ... ... Liang Xueqin was still thinking about singing a couple of songs for Chen Miao, but she found that he had already dozed off on the soft couch, emitting faint snoring sounds

"Around 8 o'clock last night, someone reported seeing him at the Rongsheng gambling den in the western part of Shanghai. By the time our people arrived, he had already left," Chen Mingchu said. "Those present at the scene said he won over a thousand yuan in less than half an hour and then left."

The two have collaborated for many years, maintaining a relationship that is both teacher and friend.

It is already a miracle that he has managed to hold on for this long

"Oh dear, Third Brother, you are being too formal with your words. What kind of relationship do you have with our Boss Qin..." As soon as Old Cai saw the green bills in his hand, his eyebrows immediately curved into a smile. In this day and age, who doesn't love money?

I would like to express my gratitude to Director Ding for his magnanimity

When Chen Miao opened his eyes, he found Liang Xueqin sitting on the stool opposite him, one arm propping up her head, her eyes slightly closed, clearly having spent the entire night here keeping him company

As Chen Mingchu, who has just defected, is appointed as the section chief, he feels not only astonished but also a hint of trepidation.

No wonder the ancients said that a gentle abode is the tomb of heroes

"I am leaving. Why haven't I seen Qiao'er all evening?" Chen Miao had no intention of staying any longer and stood up to take his leave

I had Lao Cai prepare a set of clean clothes for you; it would not be appropriate for you to go out in your current attire. " Liang Xueqin stood up and pointed to a set of clothes on the table as she spoke.

I have heard that Liang Xueqin possesses both beauty and talent, how could a gambler like Chen Miao be associated with her

Chen Miao stumbled upon hearing this and could only turn around and give an awkward smile: "I will leave right away. If someone asks later, have Old Cai provide an alibi and say that I left last night."

But what about the renowned Pingtan queen, Liang Xueqin, from the Bund in Shanghai? Ding Mohan's crab shell face lit up with a pair of small eyes the size of green beans, sparkling with excitement.

"Old Cai, do you have any clean clothes? The old ones will do as well?" Liang Xueqin asked. She could not let Old Cai see the injured Chen Miao; in this day and age, one cannot trust anyone.

Xueqin, you are indeed thoughtful. I will give the money to Old Cai for this clothing, considering it as my purchase. Chen Miao was not being pretentious; he truly needed a clean set of clothes, as the ones he had worn were stained with dirty blood

Please tell me more

"Director Chen, Director Ding is here. Do you have something to discuss?" Mao Ziming, the confidential secretary of Ding Mohan, stood up and smiled as he nodded.

The safe house in the French Concession is too far away

I have important matters to report to Director Ding Chen Ming appeared somewhat reserved upon his arrival

Upon entering the main gate, there is a playground, and the main building is a garden villa, consisting of three floors above ground and one basement level. The agents are accustomed to referring to it as a high-rise villa

Are you awake

This is the first time he has spent the night here.

Perhaps there is one. Chen Mingchu realized that Ding Mohan was interested in Chen Miao and wanted to win him over, which was actually his own thought as well

From the moment Chen Miao got up in the morning, he has been constantly on the move. He has not rested for an entire day, despite being injured and running a fever.

Boss Qin, with such heavy rain, will Third Brother still be going back tonight

"Whoever dares to say it, I will dare to acknowledge it. What is so great about that?" Liang Xueqin boldly replied.

Could you turn around for a moment? I need to change my clothes

The headquarters of the agency has a total of three directors: one chief and two deputies. However, on the second floor, there are only the offices and bedrooms of Chief Director Ding Mohan and Deputy Director Lin Shiqun

If we happen to encounter the patrolling red-headed officer on the road and end up at the police station, it would be tantamount to providing significant assistance to Chen Mingchu

"Old Gu has not been feeling well these past few days, so I asked her to take care of him," Liang Xueqin explained. Qiao'er is her personal maid, and Old Gu is named Gu Shouwen, who plays the sanxian for her.

Is Secretary Mao there, Director Ding

If you were to die out there, this set of clothes would serve as a memento for me said Liang Xueqin stubbornly

"Alright, it's up to you." Chen Miao was momentarily taken aback; when a woman becomes stubborn, not even nine head of cattle, but even ninety head of cattle cannot pull her back.

"I said, Lao Cai, don't you make any sound when you walk? Are you trying to scare me to death?" Chen Miao feigned a look of fright and patted his chest as he spoke

It's nothing, by the way, did I say anything in my sleep?

Moreover, he claimed that he had opened a room at the Eastern Hotel, but it was merely a casual remark; he had not actually opened any room at all

"What is there, it's not like I haven't seen it before..." Liang Xueqin's cheeks flushed crimson, she lowered her head and spat softly, yet still turned away.

"Hehe, I was just speaking off the cuff, don't take it seriously, there's nothing else, right?" Chen Miao awkwardly scratched his head, knowing that this girl was doing it on purpose. If it weren't for the incident involving Chen Mingchu, giving Liang Xueqin a pony wouldn't have been a big deal. But now, he didn't even dare to return to the equestrian club.

This is quite interesting; a gambler has actually won the favor of the queen of storytelling. What is it about this Chen Miao that attracts her?

The beauty's deep grace made Chen Miao feel that his inner sense of guilt had intensified.

76 Jisifeier Road, Huxi, the headquarters of the Wang puppet agents. (At this time, it had not yet been officially established, but this espionage agency, which was dependent on the Japanese invaders, had already been operating for more than half a year, notorious for its infamy)

The main gate is a newly constructed archway, prominently inscribed in white characters on a blue background with the four words "For the Public Good." On each side of the gate, there is a concealed compartment housing a machine gun, directly facing the outside of the gate, creating a crossfire point with no blind spots.

"Hmm, did I really fall asleep here last night?" Chen Miao felt a bit embarrassed, as he had no recollection of when he had actually fallen asleep.

... ...

"I wouldn't dare to scare you; after all, you are the renowned San Ge." Old Cai chuckled, a hint of flattery evident in his eyes

He believes that everyone has a weakness, and this Liang Xueqin might just be Chen Miao's weakness

"Director Chen, this matter has nothing to do with you. I have already understood that it was a senior management official from the Public Works Department's police force who leaked the information, which allowed these individuals to escape," Ding Mohan said with a smile, reassuringly.

This matter is not urgent, Old Cai. Regarding the incident at the Listening to Snow Tower last night, I kindly ask you to cover it up a bit. Chen Miao took out a stack of money from his sleeve and stuffed it into Old Cai's hand.

"By the way, is there any news about Chen Miao?" Ding Mohan asked as she pulled Chen Mingchu to sit down on the leather sofa in the office.

"I am leaving, do not see me off." Chen Miao directly stepped out of the attic, not daring to look back, fearing that his heart would soften and he would be unable to resist returning.

... ...

After a short while, Mao Ziming came out and invited Chen Mingchu inside

The summer thunderstorms come quickly and leave just as swiftly, yet Chen Miao is still unable to leave; he has a gunshot wound, and the concession has implemented a curfew policy

Xueqin, this is not very good, is it

This sleep was very sweet, and I didn't even have any dreams

Slowly sitting up, I raised my head to glance out the window. At this moment, the eastern sky had already begun to show a hint of dawn.

"Please wait a moment, I will go in and ask for instructions." Mao Ziming stood up from his seat, pushed open the door, and walked straight in. As Ding Mohan's secretary, he did not need to knock before entering the office

Moreover, Liang Xueqin is a free agent, relying on her talent for a living, and with the owner of the Listening Snow Tower, he would be eager to curry favor with her

Director Ding, I believe that this Liang Xueqin can be utilized; perhaps it could draw out Chen Miao," Chen Mingchu suggested

He really cannot hold on any longer

... ...

Indeed, I have never won against him in Mahjong. This person is cautious, timid, and a gambler. Although his status in the Shanghai area is not high, his position is extremely important. Moreover, he controls the only cipher machine in the Shanghai area of the Military Intelligence Service, and all confidential communications must be decrypted through him. It can be said that whoever controls him has effectively seized the communication between the Military Intelligence Service's Shanghai area and the headquarters. Therefore, I intended to apprehend this individual at the earliest opportunity, but unexpectedly, something went wrong.

I am not sure about this either. I was transferred from Nanjing to Shanghai two years ago, and before that, I had heard people say that their relationship was unusual. Chen Mingchu said, "However, I occasionally hear my subordinates mention that there are no shortage of business tycoons and political figures pursuing Liang Xueqin, but those people cannot even meet her, while Chen Miao can see her anytime and anywhere"

"Section Chief Chen has arrived, please take a seat quickly. Secretary Mao, go brew a cup of tea and bring it in." Ding Mohan walked over from his seat, greeting warmly.

"This is not your fault; it was merely an accident." Ding Mohan waved his hand, a hint of intrigue appearing on her face as she said, "This Chen Miao is indeed a talented individual. Based on your understanding of him, is there any other way to locate him?"

In addition to his fondness for gambling, Chen Miao also enjoys visiting book markets. Whenever he has free time, he goes to sit at a book market, the one he frequents the most is called Tingxuelou, located in Yimiao. It is said that he has a particularly close relationship with the owner of Tingxuelou, Liang Xueqin

"Third Brother, did you rest well last night?" Chen Miao came downstairs and heard a familiar voice behind him

Ding Mohan nodded slightly; if other methods prove ineffective, this is indeed a solution. Since ancient times, heroes have always found it difficult to overcome the beauty barrier.

I understand, I understand..." Old Cai nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice. Liang Xueqin had been with her for three years, and the men pursuing her could line up from this small attic to the street, yet she had a special affection for this Chen Miao.

"Of course I told you, and you even said you would send me a little pony, claiming it was a noble among European horses. As we talked, you just fell asleep." Liang Xueqin stood up and said playfully with a smile.

Indeed, it is the Pingtan queen Liang Xueqin, Director Ding, you are also aware of this

"Well, you have injuries on you, so I didn't dare to touch you," Liang Xueqin explained

Such a thing has never happened to him before

In her view, when one has feelings and the other has intentions, if this leads to a good match, it is also a meritorious deed