pjbooks Chapter 17: Talent
Chapter 17: Talent
Tang Zhenghong was unaware that his bicycle had almost been intercepted.
At this moment, he had just finished shopping with Zou Yishui and Liu Zi, strolling around Caishen Temple Street and Jubao Street in Andong, and returned to the guesthouse to catch up on his sleep.
I slept really well when I woke up, and it didn't bother me at all even though Zou Yishui was snoring loudly next to me. The main reason was that I had taken a bath and scrubbed myself, and I felt like I had lost two pounds.
"Are you all awake? Get up, wash your faces, and let's go out to find a place to eat. This meal is on me."
Huo Chong, who was originally planning to turn over and sleep a little longer, immediately sat up when he heard his captain's words.
"Captain, are you serious? Talking about this makes me wide awake. It's perfect to try the local delicacies of Andong: swimming crabs, Yalu River carp, mantis shrimp. I can't take it anymore, my mouth is watering."
"Stop with the talk, hurry up and get to work, don't keep me waiting."
"Captain, this restaurant looks good. It's at the crossroads, and it looks quite crowded. Let's not look for another place, shall we?"
Lu Zhang readily agreed and led the three of them into the restaurant.
After ordering and sitting down, Lu Zhang subconsciously glanced around the restaurant, his eyes lingering on one spot for less than two seconds before he casually said, "No drinking today, is that alright?"
The three of them had no objections and were heading back at 12:30 a.m.
Tang Zhenghong noticed his master's actions earlier. He also scanned the dishes when they were being served but didn't find anything unusual. He could only suppress his curiosity and plan to ask again when he got back.
The group ate so much that their mouths were greasy.
On the way, Tang Zhenghong looked at Lu Zhang, who was deep in thought, and asked, "Master, was something wrong just now?"
"Oh? Tell me about it?"
Tang Zhenghong thought for a moment and said, "I didn't notice anything, but after you went in and sat down, you specifically looked in a certain direction and kept putting food on our plates and not letting us chat. There must be something going on."
Lu Zhang looked pleased: "If you can really figure it out, I'll have to have my superiors investigate you."
He first joked about his apprentice, then paced back and forth in thought, saying, "It's quite impressive that you've thought of so much. Your observation is very meticulous. I'm not entirely sure either, but that person definitely has a problem."
Now even Zou Yishui and Huo Chong were curious. Why were you two, master and disciple, making such a fuss over a simple meal?
"Zhenghong, how many people are in the shop after we go inside? What are they doing?"
"There are six tables in the store, but only three tables are occupied. The only occupied table is a family of four by the window near the door. Judging from the luggage on the floor, they were planning to leave."
"At another table near the stove were three comrades from the railway section. Judging from their discussion, they must have just changed shifts."
"The last table was occupied by an old man, sitting by the back door passage of the main hall. Judging from his attire and tools, he was a knife sharpener, as evidenced by the thick calluses on his fingers."
Finally, Tang Zhenghong stopped, still unable to figure out what the problem was: "Master, I feel like everything is normal."
Lu Zhang shook his head and said, "No, no matter how a person changes, subconscious habits cannot be changed. There is a type of person who walks in the dark, lurking world, and their mind is always on high alert. For example, in a crowd, they will subconsciously hide in other people's blind spots, or when buying food, they will look for food that others have already eaten or tasted. These are all subconscious habits of their bodies."
Seeing that the three were still confused, Lu Zhang continued to explain: "The place he was sitting in was the worst corner of the shop, with his back against the wall. This is the safest thing to do in an unfamiliar environment. The back door for transporting swill is just two steps to the left, making it easy to retreat at any time. He was directly facing the main door, so he could see the situation outside and the people coming in at a glance."
He lit a cigarette, his tone growing increasingly certain: "There are still two points of doubt. Would someone who sharpens scissors and knives eat at a restaurant? They usually bring their own cornbread to eat. Also, this kind of work usually requires going door-to-door in residential areas. How could they find work just by coming to the station? I just don't know if he's one of our comrades on a mission or an enemy agent."
Tang Zhenghong was truly impressed. He knew his master's work experience; none of them had ever worked in counter-espionage. Yet, he had discovered so many problems with just a casual glance inside.
Huo Chong, being rather careless and too lazy to analyze the intricacies of the situation, simply listened to his captain and grinned, "From what you're saying, we're about to do another meritorious service while we're just out for a meal?"
"This isn't our job, and I'm not sure what he's up to. Here's what we'll do: I'll contact the local comrades. Zheng Hong, you have a sharp eye and a good memory, so keep an eye on things here."
After saying that, Lu Zhang turned back to look Tang Zhenghong up and down, then pulled his apprentice into the alley, grabbed a handful of mud, and smeared it on Tang Zhenghong's face and clothes without waiting for his consent: "These kinds of people have very good memories. Stay away from them, don't follow them, just remember the route they took, understand? But if he came here for no reason, he must have something to discuss or something, he wouldn't be in such a hurry to leave. Anyway, your safety is the most important thing."
Tang Zhenghong wiped the mud off his mouth, not even looking where he was going, and smeared it all into my mouth: "Master, don't worry, safety comes first."
...
"Ugh... eating and shopping... eating and shopping."
On Saturday night, the train departed the Andong section in the darkness, accompanied by the sound of its whistle.
Old Lu's insight was indeed remarkable; before the bus departed, the local comrades warmly shook hands with the group and expressed their gratitude.
The old man was indeed suspicious. After interrogation, it was revealed that he was just a discarded pawn who had been left behind. A few days ago, he was contacted again by someone from the other side. This time, the contact was to collect compensation for the activity funds over the years. Unfortunately, the "special envoy's" train was not on time, leaving him waiting in the hotel for half a day.
Tang Zhenghong knew nothing of what happened after that. The group left without a trace, their merits and fame hidden away.
However, Tang Zhenghong was drooling over his master's insightful observations. Unfortunately, such abilities require a wealth of experience as a foundation. As Lao Lu said, he always subconsciously analyzes the person he meets, which has become an occupational hazard.
Tang Zhenghong also wanted to learn this method, but after walking around the carriage once, he gave up. Sure enough, he still hadn't developed any talent in this area.
When Lao Lu came back, he couldn't suppress the corners of his mouth. His apprentice had been staring at a young man smoking for a long time, and then analyzed a lot about the other person's job and so on. He went up to ask the person in question if his guess was correct, but he didn't expect that the person was a woman. If it weren't for Tang Zhenghong's clothes, he would have been subjected to a barrage of Zu'an culture.
"Well, don't be discouraged. It's not unusual for women to smoke. Just observe more carefully next time."
"Master, you have to keep this a secret for me, otherwise Huo Chong, that big mouth, will spread it around and everyone in our team will know."
Old Lu, with a serious face but a smile, said earnestly, "It's alright. Your attitude towards learning and your enthusiasm for work are something they should all learn from."