A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 1049 Skillful Handling

“That’s true. That’s why I say you two are lucky. You went on Lin Zhengfu’s boat, but you managed to avoid it on the way back. Moreover, it’s estimated that you set off on the same day as their boat.” Long Xing kept observing Gui’er’s expression.

"They're setting off on the same day as us? What a coincidence! Thank goodness, it's truly a blessing from Buddha!" ​​Gui'er said, feigning surprise as she covered her mouth.

"Actually, I initially heard from Brother Angkor that he also planned to go back along the original route, since it was safe when we came. However, I don't know the specifics. But now, the area around the docks in Guangzhou is full of Japanese people. The docks have been completely requisitioned by the Japanese devils. Ordinary civilian ships and merchant ships are not allowed to pass, so very few Chinese people go near there. It is said that there are machine guns mounted on the tall buildings near the docks. That's too scary. Who would dare to go near there? When we went, we docked at the bank of a wild river and waded ashore."

"Oh, so you're planning to hire a smuggler to take you back to Hong Kong? Which smuggler did you hire?" Lung Hing pressed on.

Gui'er pretended to think seriously for a moment, then said, "Oh dear, I can't remember that." Gui'er frowned, as if she was trying hard to recall, "At the time, Brother Wu only said that he had found a reliable one. I was only thinking about getting back to Hong Kong as soon as possible, so I didn't have time to ask for his name. The smuggler looked ordinary, wearing a faded short jacket, and spoke with a heavy Chaoshan accent. I heard that he specialized in helping people smuggle themselves across the border."

Long Xing tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his gaze sweeping across her face like a searchlight: "You just said that all the docks in Guangzhou have been closed, so how did you leave Guangzhou? Which dock did you leave from?"

“We didn’t leave from the dock, it was just a wild shore.” Gui’er picked up her teacup and took a sip, concealing the panic in her eyes. “It’s quite far from the dock, but it seems to be close to a village. There were even military police patrolling nearby. The smuggler said, ‘The more dangerous the place, the safer it is.’ We followed him from the rocky beach onto the boat, and we were on tenterhooks. I never want to go through that again in my life.” As she spoke, she deliberately rubbed her arms, as if she was still feeling lingering fear.

Long Xing smiled, his laughter carrying a hint of scrutiny: "It's good that you're back safe and sound. Miss Sha is a blessed person."

"Thanks to you, Detective Long." Gui'er lowered her eyes, her voice tinged with grievance. "It's also because I couldn't give up and wanted to see my brother one more time. They've been dealing with the Japanese for years, and maybe that last time we met was the last time. As for me, I'm just grateful to be back alive. Besides, with Brother Wu around, he said, 'Just follow him.' Who else can I, a young woman, trust besides him?"

Long Xing was also touched when he heard her say that, and his expression softened.

However, he continued to probe: "Xiao Wu is quite capable." Long Xing changed the subject, "He's been helping me with my rice business recently. He only went back to Guangzhou once, and he got everything sorted out in such a short time. He's really talented. Did he know the other party before?"

Gui'er's heart tightened. Was he implying that Wu Mingqiang was disloyal? But Gui'er was completely unaware of this, and she felt that things were even more dangerous than before. One wrong word could make Long Xing suspect Wu Mingqiang. She remained calm and said, "I don't know about that. If you want to know, I'll go back and ask him. But Brother Wu has been with my family for many years and has always been loyal. I absolutely trust his character. Our principle in employing people is: trust those you employ, and don't employ those you don't trust. That's why you see I rarely come to the pawnshop anymore; I've handed everything over to him."

“Miss Sha, you are quite adept at managing people at such a young age. I am ashamed to admit that I am not as good as you.” Long Xing picked up the teapot and refilled his tea. “However, Miss Sha, you are a smart woman. You should know that Hong Kong may seem calm on the surface, but there are many undercurrents beneath. There are many tricks to it, and I have to be careful.”

“Detective Long is right, and everyone knows that he is cautious. This is a good thing, and it’s all for everyone’s benefit,” Gui’er said with a smile.

Seeing her like this, Long Xing suddenly laughed: "Alright, let's not talk about such unpleasant things. I was just asking casually. After all, Xiao Wu is one of my men, and you're on my turf, so I have to look after you." He stood up, patted Gui'er on the shoulder, and said, "You guys enjoy your drinks. I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now."

"Detective Long, take care." Gui'er also stood up, her face beaming with a perfectly appropriate smile.

Watching Long Xing leave in a grand procession, Gui'er slowly sat down, her back already damp with a thin layer of sweat. Acheng handed her a handkerchief and whispered, "Miss, he'll probably still be watching us."

Gui'er wiped the sweat from her palms, her fingertips trembling slightly, but she forced a smile: "Let him keep an eye on us. As long as we're doing the right thing, he won't be able to find fault with us."

Back at the villa, Gui'er saw Wu Mingqiang directing Sister-in-law Aying and Liu Jin in the yard as they carried his newly bought groceries to the basement through the window.

She walked over quickly and recounted her conversation with Lung Hing in the teahouse in detail. At the end, she frowned and said, "Detective Lung was testing us with every word, especially when he kept asking about our route back to Hong Kong. He must still be suspicious."

Wu Mingqiang's face showed no panic upon hearing this: "Miss, don't worry. Long Xing is a very suspicious person, but as long as we don't give ourselves away, he can't find any solid evidence and can't do anything about it. I expected him to investigate. The 'Chaozhou snakehead' we found before was a rumor that I had my men spread on purpose. They can't find anything about him even if they investigate."

Gui'er breathed a sigh of relief, but then she heard Wu Mingqiang sigh and his tone turn somber: "But there's something I need to tell you."

"what's up?"

“I just heard from a fellow villager from Jiangcheng that the Japanese have started carrying out the ‘Three Alls’ policy in Jiangcheng and Fengcheng.” Wu Mingqiang’s voice was filled with suppressed anger. “More than a dozen villages in the countryside have been burned down. The men have been taken away as laborers, and the women… most of the women have no way to survive. I heard that several villages on the outskirts of the city have been completely wiped out, and even the elderly and children have not been spared.”

Gui'er felt a chill run through her body, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. She remembered her second brother, Sha Yanxiao, who frequented that area, and the simple, honest smiles of the villagers she had met in Jiangcheng, which seemed to still be vivid in her mind. "Second brother, he..." Her voice trembled, and she couldn't finish her sentence.

"No news yet, they should be safe." Wu Mingqiang patted her shoulder. "They're guerrilla warfare, their whereabouts are unpredictable, it won't be easy for the Japanese to catch them. It's just those civilians..." He didn't finish his sentence.