Chapter 7, Get the Bulletproof Vest

However, just a few hours after crossing over to the Republic of China, Liu Laotie and his wife, who had maintained a direct line of communication with him, were betrayed by their superior and were suddenly killed by invading Japanese and puppet agents. At the same time, a girl who had just turned eighteen and was merely a normal student at a teacher training college suddenly appeared as his girlfriend. All of this made Wang Feng, who had been in a state of despair for many years, feel that everything was too sudden, almost like a dream. Although he was originally clear-headed, his mind began to feel somewhat dazed.

Looking at the obedient and lovely Liu Min standing in front of him, Wang Feng felt a flutter of his heart for this beautiful girl he had been with for three days.

Certainly, although Liu Min has just turned eighteen and is newly of age, under the cultivation and guidance of her parents, she has already successfully collaborated with Wang Feng on dozens of intelligence transmission tasks. She is well aware that even if she does not open the door for Wang Feng, with his capabilities, he could easily enter the base. However, as a lover, her longing for Wang Feng has never ceased since she began to have feelings for him

After Wang Feng had dinner, it was already midnight. Exhausted from the day, he insisted on sleeping on the sofa in the living room. Liu Min, unable to persuade him otherwise, had no choice but to go upstairs to the bedroom alone.

In the past, when he was a special forces soldier and a national security investigator, he had undergone extensive training for night marches. This journey of one and a half hours was nothing significant for him

Moreover, in front of his own black-and-white photograph, several large bowls of offerings are similarly placed. The only difference from the treatment his father received is that there is no urn behind his black-and-white photograph

After Wang Feng had made up his mind, he, still kneeling on the mat and yet to rise, immediately shifted his position to kneel in front of his own portrait. He then knocked his head three times with a loud "dong, dong, dong," before standing up, turning around, and walking out of the main hall without looking back

As soon as Wang Feng's feet touched the bottom of the cellar, he felt himself immediately engulfed by a powerful current of air. Due to the intensity of the shockwave from the airflow, he fainted on the spot

"Brother Feng, if I had gone to bed earlier, then who would open the door for you?" After locking the door, Liu Min turned around and walked towards Wang Feng. With a weary expression and sleepy eyes, she pouted and began to retort. When she reached Wang Feng, she slowly lowered her head and, feeling a bit shy, stammered, "I can't sleep at all if I can't wait for you to come, I... I just feel very uneasy."

As Wang Feng sat on the sofa, preparing to take a brief rest, suddenly, his nose, more sensitive than that of a police dog, caught a faint aroma of vegetables. Originally somewhat listless, he immediately became invigorated.

Standing in the cellar, Wang Feng wiped away the tears streaming down his face. Suddenly, he heard a cacophony of noises coming from his front yard, including the sounds of wailing, laughter, sighs, footsteps, and the slamming of doors, all crashing into his ears at once

After much contemplation, Wang Feng decided that after the friends, relatives, and neighbors who came to pay their respects had dispersed at nightfall, he would take advantage of the darkness to sneak into the main room of the front courtyard. Before the altar set up for his father, he respectfully bowed three times, contemplating whether to continue living in this modern society or to return to the war-torn era of the Republic of China to continue being a red agent with his head tucked into his belt.

At this moment, Liu Min eagerly awaited her lover's safe return, much like waiting for the stars and the moon. Now, with the two of them in the same room, the feelings of concern she harbored for Wang Feng were hidden deep within her heart. Just as she was about to speak but hesitated, she subtly revealed a glimpse of her true feelings.

Gazing at the various dishes served on the four plates at the dining table, Wang Feng, who had been running around for most of the day without having dinner, could not help but swallow several times.

Due to the fact that most of the residents in this alley are outsiders who have come to work in the city, there are people from all walks of life. Wang Feng chose this place as a backup residence, considering the complexity of the residents; in the event of an unexpected situation, it could serve to conceal his whereabouts and would not be easily discovered too soon

Standing to the side, Liu Min looked at Wang Feng's emaciated appearance and felt an immense joy in her heart, covering her face with her hand and laughing.

Upon arriving here, Wang Feng, taking advantage of the bright candlelight that filled the entire room, glanced around and noticed the various wreaths and flower baskets placed around him, some inscribed with his father's name and others bearing his own name

When Wang Feng entered the room on the first floor, with a "bang," Liu Min tightly closed the door and locked it from the inside.

Due to the kind-hearted relatives from the same village setting up a mourning hall in the front yard, they placed the urn and portrait of Wang Feng's father on the table at the main entrance. Additionally, they lit four thick white candles on either side of the table in the room. Although the lights were not turned on, the room was still brightly illuminated.

Dong dong ... ... dong dong ... ... dong dong dong ... ..." Standing in front of the door at the bottom of the building, Wang Feng, seeing that there was not a single shadow in the pitch-black night, finally walked to the door of the building, reached out, and knocked, producing the "two short and one long" signal.

Those alluring big eyes, which appeared somewhat enchanting in the night, lit up with joy upon seeing Wang Feng standing at the door. She opened the door and stood aside, urging with delight: "Brother Wang Feng, you have finally returned, come in quickly."

Looking at the dim yellow light spilling out from the room upstairs, Wang Feng suddenly felt a warm sensation in his heart. At this moment, he experienced a sense of returning home, which filled him with immense warmth

Wang Feng's eager and covetous expression was fully captured in the peripheral vision of Liu Min, who was standing beside the dining table

Wang Feng, lying on the sofa, reached out to caress his slightly bloated belly. Even with his eyes half-closed, he showed no sign of drowsiness whatsoever

In the cellar on the other side of the Republic of China, Wang Feng leaped directly into the cellar and crossed over. When he woke up, he felt a numbness in his legs and a slight dizziness in his head, and it took him quite a while to recover after resting.

Suddenly, Wang Feng found himself facing the death of his only companion, his elderly father, as well as inexplicably traveling back to the Republic of China era, where he became a triple agent. Of course, his most authentic identity after crossing over to the Republic of China was that of an old-school Communist red agent

As Wang Feng was about to enjoy a hearty meal, he immediately picked up his chopsticks and began to devour the food after receiving a smiling nod of approval from Liu Min

The girl is none other than Liu Min. However, for Wang Feng, who stood outside and issued the "two short and one long" signal, hearing Liu Min respond with the "two long and one short" signal indicates that both of them are safe, which allows him to completely relax.

It was not until this moment that Wang Feng realized that he, a living person, had likely been presumed dead by others after disappearing for three days and nights, following in his father's footsteps. As for how he was determined to be dead by the villagers, he was completely unaware of the details.

Thus, Wang Feng hurriedly slipped into the west room where he lived, rummaging through the wardrobe to find two bulletproof vests that appeared somewhat worn yet remained intact. He wrapped them in a somewhat tattered, faded, and frayed canvas. In addition to this, he packed some other daily necessities.

This time, he did not act in that manner; instead, he learned from the previous lesson and gradually descended to the bottom of the cellar by pushing off the edges of the openings on both sides with his feet

At this moment, Wang Feng recalled that in the west room where he lived, there were still two bulletproof vests he had worn before, buried at the bottom of the wardrobe. After returning home from demobilization, he originally thought these two bulletproof vests were no longer of any use, but now he realized that they could prove to be quite useful.

When Wang Feng, filled with sorrow, raised his head and looked once more at the portrait of his father placed on the table before him, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a photograph of himself, equal in size to the portrait, located two feet away from it. However, the photograph was in black and white.

Ah? Oh dear, Feng Ge, if you hadn't reminded me, I would have completely forgotten about preparing dinner for you. After hearing Wang Feng's question, Liu Min seemed to be awakened from a dream, quickly raised her head, and said while rubbing her hands together in front of her chest

For a top-level national security investigator, it is essential to maintain control over one's emotions in any situation, as this is the most fundamental requirement of professional conduct. Perhaps due to Wang Feng's long departure from national security, coupled with the amputation of his legs, the immense trauma inflicted on his body and mind has gradually honed his once concealed determination.

The first floor of this building consists of a living room, kitchen, restroom, and bathroom, while the upper floor features a large bedroom

After everything was tidied up, Wang Feng shouldered the faded canvas bag that had accompanied him for nearly ten years of military service and arrived at the cellar in the backyard

Thus, after Wang Feng took a brief rest, he climbed up along the notches left on both sides of the cellar.

Standing in front of the building, Wang Feng noticed that the light upstairs was still on, indicating that Liu Min had not yet fallen asleep and must have been waiting for his return. Upon realizing this, he felt a wave of self-reproach; if he had decided not to return to this Republic of China era after coming back to the modern world, he wondered if Liu Min would have continued to wait in the room, suffering in silence. If he were never to return to see her again in this lifetime, he could hardly bear to imagine what that outcome would be.

After approximately half an hour had passed, Wang Feng noticed that there was no sound coming from the front yard at all, and he was basically certain that there was no one in the front yard. Only then did he cautiously step forward towards the front yard.

As he climbed up through the openings carved on both sides of the cellar, he suddenly realized that he had transformed into a normal person just as he was about to emerge from the cellar. The man who had once been amputated now possessed a pair of strong and sturdy legs. If he were to appear before his relatives and friends in such a state, the consequences would be beyond his imagination

As Wang Feng stepped out of the main room, preparing to head to the backyard and leave this sorrowful place, he gazed at the empty courtyard and suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness. At that moment, he realized that even if he were to leave the modern society he had lived in for over thirty years and return to the era of the Republic of China, the work he was engaged in would inevitably expose him to the dangers of gunfire. It was as if he was in the open while the enemy lurked in the shadows; if one day he were to be struck by a sudden attack from an enemy hiding in the dark, his life would likely be in jeopardy. At that moment, he felt that even if he were to leave the modern society he had lived in for over thirty years and return to the era of the Republic of China, the work he was engaged in would inevitably expose him to the dangers of gunfire. It was as if he was in the open while the enemy lurked in the shadows; if one day he were to be struck by a sudden attack from an enemy hiding in the dark, his life would likely be in jeopardy

When Wang Feng withdrew his hand from the door knocker, he heard a series of sounds from inside, resembling "thud thud thud... thud thud thud... thud thud..." indicating someone was coming down the stairs in a "long-short-long" pattern. Shortly after, there was a creaking sound, and the door was opened from the inside, revealing the head of a young girl peeking through the gap of the opened door.

Outside the courtyard wall is a small path in the alley, with no one passing by. Wang Feng then leaped down, landing very lightly on the alley path. Immediately after, his figure was engulfed in the thick night, as he ran towards the backup residence that he had previously agreed upon with Liu Min—Linjing Road, Ping'an Alley.

He tightly closed his eyes, and images of the people and events he had experienced today floated in his mind: the seemingly kind male doctor and the petite, lovely nurse at St. Maria Hospital; the rickshaw puller who conveniently stopped in front of him as he exited the hospital; the two Japanese puppet agents who followed him all the way to the café; the tall waiter standing at the entrance of the café; the empty backyard of the grocery store; and the two portraits of his father displayed in the living room... It was just right that the rickshaw puller stopped in front of him as he exited St. Maria Hospital, the two Japanese puppet agents followed him to the café, the tall waiter stood at the café entrance, the empty backyard of the grocery store, and the two portraits of his father displayed in the living room...

With an extremely high level of vigilance, Wang Feng first crawled up from the cellar entrance, hiding in a shadowy corner of the wall that was not easily noticeable, his eyes constantly scanning the eerily quiet front yard under the night sky

At this moment, Wang Wangfeng, who was originally still contemplating whether to continue living in modern society or to traverse back to the Republic of China era, suddenly found a clear answer in his heart: since he had already faced death, it would be better to return to the Republic of China openly rather than live in obscurity in this world

With the memories retained in the physical shell left by his predecessor, Wang Feng jogged along, taking approximately one and a half hours to arrive at the front of the two-room house he rented in the Ping'an Lane.

"Min'er, it is already 10:30 in the evening, why are you still not asleep?" Wang Feng, who walked into the living room on the first floor, appeared slightly fatigued. After placing his backpack on the floor beside the sofa, he sat down heavily on the sofa and, looking at Liu Min's back as she locked the door, spoke with concern.

When Wang Feng woke up once again, he found himself in the cellar of the grocery store's backyard. However, this time he felt much better than the last; he had no discomfort at all, except for a slight difficulty in breathing due to standing at the bottom of the cellar

"Ahem, well, Min'er, what did you have for dinner? It's been several hours, yet I can still smell the aroma of dishes in this room?" Wang Feng, sitting up straight, deliberately cleared his throat twice and asked Liu Min, who was standing in front of him with her head lowered, pretending to be nonchalant.

As Wang Feng stepped into the hall and stood before his father's portrait, his eyes were already moist, filled with profound sorrow. He mourned not only the sudden loss of his beloved father but also the unfortunate circumstances that had befallen him.

At this moment, it was already past five o'clock in the afternoon. It was the deep autumn season, with short days and long nights. After waiting in the cellar for more than two hours, the night had gradually deepened. Wang Feng, who had slightly poked his head out of the cellar, perked up his ears and heard an eerie silence enveloping the entire courtyard; there was no sound at all coming from the front yard.

With a thud, Wang Feng knelt before the portrait of his father on a worn mat laid on the ground, and without saying a word, he repeatedly knocked his head three times with a resounding "thud, thud, thud." Due to the excessive force of his forehead striking the hard concrete floor, he ended up with two abrasions on his forehead from the three knocks.

As soon as she waited, Liu Min turned and walked a few steps to the dining table, reaching out to flip over the large porcelain bowls that were placed upside down on the plates, revealing the true appearance of the dishes. At the same time, the aroma of the dishes began to waft into the surrounding space from the dining table.

Brother Feng, it seems that you haven't had dinner yet, and you must be quite hungry by now. This is the dinner I specially prepared for you, and fortunately, the dishes are still warm. Brother Feng, come over and try my cooking while it's hot.

At this moment, it was already around nine o'clock in the evening, and the entire backyard of the grocery store was silent. Taking advantage of the dense night, Wang Feng stood in front of the more than two-meter-high courtyard wall, like a raccoon, with both hands gripping the small gaps between the bricks that made up the wall above his head. With a strong push from his feet, in the blink of an eye, he was already standing on top of the wall.

Especially after her parents were killed by the Japanese puppet agents a few days ago, Liu Min, having lost her parents, became even more dependent on her lover Wang Feng. It can be said that ever since she parted ways with Wang Feng at St. Maria Hospital this afternoon, she has been constantly worried and concerned about Wang Feng's safety in her heart. Of course, she knows that with Wang Feng's skills and marksmanship, he would not easily fall victim to an enemy's ambush.

When Wang Feng arrived at the front yard, he saw that the main gate had been locked from the outside, which finally allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief after being on edge. With a sense of security, he swiftly stepped into the spacious hall where the door was wide open.

"Hehe, I've been busy for most of the day, and I really haven't had dinner yet. My stomach is indeed hungry. Well, I won't be polite then." Wang Feng walked to the dining table, very proactively pulled over a chair, and sat down. He picked up the bowl of rice that was already served and said with a smile.