The Bravest

Liu Qingshan had been troubled by Lin Jie's sudden estrangement and the inability to contact and persuade Lin Jie to defect. Now that he heard his daughter say there was a way, Liu Qingshan, who was extremely anxious, gave up asking his daughter what happened between her and Lin Jie. He anxiously asked his daughter: "Haitang, it's already so late, what can we do? Tell me quickly."

"Dad, my solution is very simple. I just need to marry the dean." Liu Haitang mustered up her courage and said her solution with a blushing face.

Liu Qingshan was stunned. What did that mean? Haitang was willing to sacrifice herself for the mission. No, there must be another way. Besides, Lin Jie was about to marry his second wife. How could he let his daughter marry him? If Lin Jie was single, he could consider it. After all, he still had high hopes for this young man.

"Haitang, there's no need to sacrifice you. Our party will not sacrifice its female comrades for a mission. Think about it, there must be a way." Liu Qingshan thought his daughter was willing to sacrifice herself for the mission. Sometimes our party members and cadres can sacrifice everything for their beliefs, of course, it's all voluntary, no one will make such a request, let alone force sacrifice.

"Dad, why did you involve me? They are all fake. Have you forgotten that Lin Jie has that disease." Liu Haitang also relaxed and analyzed the matter seriously with her father: "I asked the aunts in the welfare home, and they said that Ye Wulian is indeed a girl. As for the Lin Jie couple, either Lin Jie's disease is real, or there is something wrong with this woman Ye Wulian. She might be a member of the Military Control Commission. Humph, she used the beauty trick to seduce the dean." A woman's sixth sense is really strong. She can guess the truth without any clues.

"Can you tell that?" How could Liu Qingshan, a grown man, pay attention to such things? He thought that Lin Jie had been married for a year and had no children, so some rumors spread, and they were all just gossip.

"Really? Every aunt is sure of it. So I think that's why the spy Sun Yuelan wanted to marry the dean. It would strengthen surveillance without paying a price. The dean was forced." Liu Haitang said very affirmatively.

"Haitang, even if it's fake, what will you do in the future? How can you start a family with your reputation ruined? I don't agree." How could Liu Qingshan agree to his daughter ruining his reputation and marrying a traitor as a concubine? Besides, doesn't he need to ask Lin Jie how to marry her?

"Dad, why are you so rigid? The dean saved the child despite being a traitor. What am I afraid of? After we win, who would say anything weird? Even if they did, so what? So many comrades have sacrificed their lives. I still care about my reputation. I will never let the dean be deceived by the Military Control Commission."

Liu Haitang mustered up the courage to argue with his father. First, he didn't want his father to become increasingly anxious. Second, it was for the mission. Third, he was sure that Ye Wulian had deceived Lin Jie. Fourth, it was for himself. Only he was truly doing good for the dean. Others were using the dean to do things for them. It was too difficult for the dean to fight alone. He had to fight alongside him.

"Don't worry, I'll ask for instructions."

"I really volunteered. I like the dean." These were what Liu Haitang thought in her heart, but she didn't dare tell her father. How could her father accept that his daughter liked a married man?

After receiving the urgent telegram, the leading group held a meeting and came to the conclusion that the specific details were unknown and it was up to the comrades concerned to judge whether the mission was feasible based on the actual situation, but there was no need to make unnecessary sacrifices and costs for the mission.

The leaders were actually against female comrades taking risks, but Liu Qingshan mentioned in his report that there was no danger and mentioned the possibility that Ye Wulian was a member of the Military Control Commission. If confirmed, it was believed that it could prepare for infiltrating the Military Control Commission in the future. So the leaders gave him the power to make decisions on the spot.

As expected of an old underground agent, Liu Qingshan was not looking at the present, but was considering the arrangements after the victory. So he changed Liu Haitang's plan again. It all depends on his daughter's ability and luck. He was also betting on whether Liu Qingshan had made a mistake in judging Lin Jie's character.

Therefore, Lin Jie was idle in the welfare home today, which gave Liu Haitang the opportunity to block him.

"Dean, you're back. I have something to talk to you about." There was a knock on the door, and Liu Haitang pushed the door open hurriedly before Lin Jie could respond.

"Ah, Teacher Liu, why are you in such a hurry? What's the matter? Have a drink of hot water first." Seeing Liu Haitang in a hurry, Lin Jie poured her a cup of hot water. After being away from Teacher Liu for a while, Lin Jie's mentality calmed down. With Sun Yuelan's disruption, Lin Jie was already overwhelmed, and the throbbing in his heart was buried deep in his heart.

"Oh, nothing urgent, I just wanted to talk to you after seeing you haven't been home for a long time." Looking at the gentle smile of the dean, Liu Haitang swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He could not remember the details of the plan he discussed with his father for a while, but only remembered the key points that his father repeatedly said: You are not like Ye Wulian and Sun Yuelan, they have received professional training on how to deal with men, your only advantage is sincerity. Just do whatever you want.

As a father, it is natural to feel distressed to see my daughter going down a path that she herself does not know will lead to no return. However, since my daughter has made her own decision, I will go forward bravely and exchange my sincerity for true love. This is the strategy Liu Qingshan set for Haitang. My daughter is no worse than anyone else, and it may not be impossible to snatch the person my daughter likes.

Haitang's mother used her sincerity to influence herself. She led a passionate young man who believed in Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People into a revolutionary family that aimed to create a new China. She started with the student movement, joined the peasant army, stayed behind to fight guerrilla warfare, and returned to Shanghai to hide. She walked all the way, regardless of wind or rain. Unfortunately, in order to protect herself and Haitang, she led the enemy away. The explosion that destroyed both herself and the enemy was so far away, but it is still deafening today. Haitang is so similar to her mother, beautiful and passionate, daring to love and hate. She should be able to do better than her mother.

"Oh, I've been busy lately. You know, I'm getting married again. Haha, I'm going to marry that Japanese female spy I reminded you to be careful of. Teacher Liu, I'm not very disappointed. I'm a little embarrassed to see Uncle Liu, so I come back less often." Lin Jie didn't know why he said this to Liu Haitang. Maybe he was lying to others. He lied to himself too much and always wanted to find someone to tell the truth. Ye Wulian's identity as a military confidant and the military confidant's unscrupulous practices still left a little gap for Lin Jie. Just like Liu Yang was a victim of the surrender plan without knowing it, Lin Jie was worried that one day it would happen to him.

"Don't blame the dean. It's the Japanese who have evil intentions. Humph, the dean won't be interested in her." Liu Haitang encouraged Lin Jie. "Dean, just think of it as finding a maid to work for you."

Liu Haitang's words made Lin Jie feel more relaxed. He started joking for once, "Yeah, it's not bad to have a pretty little maid. At least I don't have to wash the dishes after dinner. Hehehe."

"Instead of just washing the dishes, why not come to me?" Liu Haitang suddenly said something inexplicable, making the atmosphere in the office a little awkward. If the two of them had never had any thoughts in their minds, it wouldn't be like this, but it was because they had more or less been moved that people would think too much.

"Dean, I just washed those dishes for you. Is there any need to arrange a spy for you? Don't you think so?" Liu Haitang tried to smooth over his words.

"Of course. Oh, by the way, don't keep talking like a spy. It will be troublesome if the Japanese hear it."

"Dean, I understand." What Liu Haitang didn't say in his heart was: I'm not stupid, I just dare to say anything in front of you.

There was silence in the office.

"Ahem, what's up, Teacher Liu, is there anything else?" Lin Jie wanted to break the atmosphere and made small talk.

"Dean, do you have anything important to do today? I'll treat you to dinner." Liu Haitang wanted to talk to Lin Jie alone about his ideals, his beliefs, and his inner thoughts. He also wanted to listen to Lin Jie's inner thoughts, his ideals, and his pursuits, but Liu Haitang didn't want to be in a place like the welfare home where there were so many gossips.

"Oh, nothing urgent, just want to take some time off. How about I treat you to a meal, you can choose the place." Lin Jie just said casually. He didn't have any other thoughts, just wanted to live a normal life for half a day.

"Okay, Dean, I haven't eaten western food yet. Can you treat me?" Liu Haitang was so happy. The Dean finally knew to treat her to a meal. He used to give small gifts, but suddenly one day, nothing happened. And that Liu Sheng and Liu Yidao were avoiding her. When she couldn't avoid them, she would politely call them Teacher Liu instead of calling them sister-in-law in a frivolous manner like at the beginning. They wouldn't change no matter what she said, so she just let them do it. Now she was not used to hearing them call her Teacher Liu.

Lin Jie was stunned for a moment. Wasn't he just being polite? Never mind. I haven't had a holiday for a long time. I'll go out for a good meal. Isn't this girl afraid of being sold out by her? Don't I have any deterrent power as Agent No. 76? I have to be more fierce in the future.

"Let's go! I'll take you for a ride." Lin Jie picked up his coat and walked out. When he looked back, he saw Liu Haitang was still in a daze.

"Teacher Liu, what's the matter? Let's go have a good meal and cheer ourselves up." Lin Jie urged, and Liu Haitang finally responded, muttering, "Last time he just said he would take me for a ride, and that was it."

After the car drove out of the gate of the welfare home, Lin Jie asked, "Teacher Liu, where should we go for Western food?"

"I don't know, I haven't eaten it yet. And the dean is outside, could you please not call me teacher? You can call me by my name, be more friendly." Liu Haitang said courageously.

"Oh, okay Haitang, haha, how about calling me Xiaotang? Then don't call me the dean, you can call me Xiaojie, but I'm older than you, so just call me Lin Jie."

"It's not polite to call you Lin Jie. I just want to call you Xiao Jie," Liu Haitang responded quickly, and then added in a low voice, "Ye Wulian always calls me that."

Lin Jie didn't hear clearly what was said next, so he asked, "Xiao Tang, what did you say?"

"Oh, I said you should find a restaurant with private rooms."

"Oh, okay. I'll take you to eat some foreign food today, and then go for a ride on the Bund."

International Hotel

After parking the car, Lin Jie took Liu Haitang to the gate of the International Hotel. It was Liu Haitang's first time to such a high-end place. Looking at the tall building in front of him, he felt a little guilty and slowed down his pace.

Lin Jie saw what she was thinking, took Haitang's hand, and whispered, "Take my hand. We are all Chinese places, so we can't go anywhere. Let's go."

Liu Haitang added another hand, held Lin Jie's arm with both hands, and walked into the magnificent International Hotel with Lin Jie at ease.

After asking the waiter for a small private room, Lin Jie asked Liu Haitang what she liked to eat. She looked at the menu for a long time but still had no idea what to eat, so she simply let Lin Jie make the decision.

After the waiter left, Lin Jie said to Liu Haitang: "I'll bring you here more often so you can get used to it."

"Humph, last time you said you would take me for a ride, but you ignored me." Liu Haitang complained again. This time Lin Jie heard it and explained awkwardly, "Well, something happened at home last time, and I forgot about it. I'll go for a ride after I finish eating."

"This time doesn't count. I have to make up for last time. Don't forget it." It should be a woman's talent to take advantage of others. She is born with this ability.

"Okay, I'll make it up to you."

As soon as the topic came up, the two of them regained the feeling of being friends again and started talking and laughing.

Soon, steak and lobster were served, along with red wine. "Look, Haitang, I spent a lot of money today. Can you drink? How about a little? I haven't had a drink in a long time, so I ordered a bottle."

"Ah, I've never drunk it before. Will I get drunk?" Liu Haitang was a little tempted. He had finally come to this place and wanted to try everything.

"It's okay, try drinking a little first." Lin Jie helped Liu Haitang pour a small half cup.

"Oh, okay, let's drink a little. Xiao Jie, hehe, it's still fun to call it this way. Why don't you have to go out today? And Liu Sheng and Yidao haven't been seen for a long time." Liu Haitang asked curiously. Usually, Lin Jie seldom went back to the welfare home alone.

"Come on Haitang, let's eat and talk at the same time. This is how you cut the steak. Oh, that's not right. How about I help you cut it? It's really not necessary. Go slower. Western food is all about wasting time." Lin Jie took a sip of red wine himself. In fact, he didn't know what was good and what was bad. He just drank it as a beverage. The only advantage was that the alcohol content was not that high.

"Hey Haitang, don't drink too much. Just sip a little like me. Even though the alcohol content is not as high as white wine, you will still get drunk if you drink too much. Girls should never get drunk when going out with others, otherwise they will sell you out without you knowing."

"Ha, it's okay, it tastes good, better than soda." Liu Haitang took a sip and felt nothing. "You haven't told me where Liu Sheng went, didn't you sell him?"

"Liu Sheng and Yidao are both very clever. How could I sell them? I sent them to the concession to learn how to do business. By the way, Haitang, tell me about the current situation of the children in the courtyard."

"Xiao Jie, pour me some wine. The kids are fine. They always say they want the dean to come back and tell stories. They also say our stories are not good. It's not that they are not good, but they are not as good at bragging as you are. Hehe, isn't that right, Xiao Jie?"

"Forget it, just call me Dean. I'm a few years older than you."

······

The meal took two hours.

"Hey, Haitang, can you do it? I told you that you would get drunk but you didn't believe me. I'll take you home now."

"Oh, I'm not drunk. I was fine just now, but I feel a little dizzy now. Help me, let's go for a ride, you promised me." Liu Haitang was a little shaky when she stood up with a blushing face. Lin Jie realized that she was a little drunk, but fortunately not very drunk.

Lin Jie helped Liu Haitang into the car and drove slowly along the Bund. It was the first time since he came into this world that Lin Jie had the heart to appreciate the scenery of the Bund. For more than a year, almost two years, he had been thinking about how to survive in this chaotic world. Basically, everything he did was pushed and pulled by others, and he had to follow his instinct to move forward. He took one day at a time, and he didn't know when it would end. It was only the end of 1941, and there were still eight years until the founding of New China in 1949. Would he still be alive by then? I don't know, this is Lin Jie's answer.

If you say that at the beginning, as a time traveler, you don't have any big ideas, it's impossible. Create a career and grow with the new China. How awesome it is. Maybe you can even meet big people, real big people. Now, the organization can't be found, but it has become the Military Control Commission. Do you still dare to look for it? Haha,