pertwk Chapter 153 Li Zhiyao is Jealous
Chapter 153 Li Zhiyao is Jealous
"Okay. From now on, follow He Qiao and specialize in killing those spies who try to gather information from civilians. Kill them one by one. I won't hold this against you. Focus on recovering from your injuries." Yan Shuo nodded, his tone softening. "I hope this lesson will be helpful to you."
After saying that, Yan Shuo got up and left.
"Yes!" Lin Xiao watched Yan Shuo's departing figure, and finally couldn't hold back her tears.
My heart was filled with regret, anger, and an indescribable sense of humiliation.
She trained for half a year and endured so much hardship, wholeheartedly wanting to serve the people well. But are those people really considered part of the people?
He Qiao looked at Lin Xiao, who was crying, raised her hand to gently wipe away the tears on her cheeks, patted her shoulder, sat on the edge of the bed, and whispered words of comfort.
Yan Shuo left Lin Xiao's room and went straight back to his office. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Li Zhiyao sitting on the sofa, with Su Ling beside her, whispering something.
His brows furrowed immediately, and he strode forward, reaching out to support Li Zhiyao's arm. His tone was filled with barely concealed urgency: "Why are you running around like this? You're delicate, carrying things. What if you get hurt?"
"Hmph, you think I'd rather you stay in the bar office and mess around with Liu Yan than run away?" Li Zhiyao slapped his hand away, rolled her eyes, and slowly stood up while holding onto the sofa armrest. Her chest rose and fell slightly, and she couldn't hide the anger in her voice. Her eyes were already red.
"Huh? What's going on?" Yan Shuo was stunned by her sudden outburst of anger, his outstretched hand frozen in mid-air, his face full of confusion. "I just came back from the base, what could I possibly have to do with Liu Yan?"
Seeing this, Su Ling tactfully coughed lightly, quietly stood up, took two steps back, and whispered, "Captain, Sister Yao Yao, I'll go check if the bird's nest soup is ready."
With that, he quickly stepped out of the door, gently closing the office door behind him, leaving the two of them alone.
"What is it?" Li Zhiyao took half a step forward, her voice suddenly rising, each word filled with grievance and anger. "The bartenders all told me that you two were locked in the office all afternoon, and the door wasn't opened! When Liu Yan came out, her face was flushed, her collar was askew, and her hair was a mess. Do you think I'm stupid and can't tell?"
She became increasingly agitated as she spoke, her eyes instantly reddening and welling with tears, which she stubbornly held back: "You and she are so close, yet you pretend to care about me! Yan Shuo, tell me, which cadre acts like you? Taking advantage of your position to have an improper relationship with your subordinate!"
"You're getting promoted so fast, you're practically on your way to becoming a general. Do you think you're all that now? Have you forgotten who's been helping you behind the scenes? Forgot about the connections with the Shen and Li families?"
Li Zhiyao's voice choked with sobs, "My mother's maternal grandmother is Madam's aunt. When I see Madam, I have to call her 'Auntie' and 'Chairman's Uncle.' Do you think your rapid promotion is all due to your own abilities?"
These words struck at the unspoken secret between the two—Yan Shuo's rapid rise in just a few years was not only due to his own capable and efficient work, but also to the implicit support of the Li and Shen families. Relying on this indirect kinship, he could even get messages from Chiang Kai-shek. However, the two had never openly discussed this matter, and others dared not mention it casually.
Yan Shuo's expression darkened instantly, then softened again. He knew Li Zhiyao's personality—proud and sensitive. Moreover, there were hidden details to this matter, and given that she was pregnant, her mind was naturally delicate and suspicious. Therefore, he had to be clear about some things.
"Yaoyao, stop fooling around. You can't say things like that." He quickly stepped forward, carefully supporting her waist, afraid of touching her stomach. His tone softened hastily. "My promotion is certainly due to the influence of the Li and Shen families, but every achievement I've made has been earned with my life on the line. Even without these things, I, Yan Shuo, can stand on my own two feet. But I can't drag you down, and I can't ruin things."
"As for Liu Yan," he sighed, his tone becoming heavier and tinged with helplessness, no longer a simple excuse, "this afternoon in the office, we not only dealt with the aftermath of dismantling the human trafficking den and checked Ito Kentaro's embezzled funds, but I also had to settle things with her and calm her down."
Li Zhiyao paused, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes, and her crying stopped abruptly: "Stabilize her heart? What do you mean?"
Yan Shuo reached out and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, his tone somewhat solemn: "You don't know, I've installed pinhole cameras in every room and near the booths in the bar. They're the size of mung beans, hidden in the wiring, mixed in with the wire signals. With current technology, they can't be found or identified at all. Even scanning can only detect ordinary wire signals."
"A few days ago, the camera captured Liu Yan in close contact with the nephew of a high-ranking Japanese official. On the surface, he is a playboy, but in reality, he is a spy planted by the Japanese. Liu Yan took his money. Although she did not leak our secrets, she has already crossed the line."
He paused, then added, "Besides that, she was also secretly contacted by people arranged by the Japanese. Although she didn't agree to anything, she was already getting her hands dirty."
Li Zhiyao's expression also darkened, her tone tinged with surprise: "Then why aren't you dealing with her, and you're still having an ambiguous relationship with her?"
"Dealing with her is easy, but the consequences will be endless." Yan Shuo gave a bitter smile, his tone full of helplessness. "She holds the operating rights of the bar, as well as all the connections in the black market and the Japanese quarter. Once we deal with her, all these connections will be cut off, and the Japanese agents will become suspicious. Then we will suffer even greater losses. I can only take the initiative and agree to take her as my mistress to stabilize her mind and make her completely side with us, so that she will no longer be misled by the Japanese agents. For now, I need to stabilize her. I haven't had time to replace her agents yet. I've been too busy these past two days, so I've taken her in first. I'll find some time to talk to her and try to persuade her. If I can get through to her, I will. If not, I'll deal with her."
"I still have to keep this from headquarters." His tone became more serious. "Although we are considered the core group, I am not Dai Li after all. I am still under the jurisdiction of headquarters. Taking matters into my own hands by disposing of subordinates who have informants, or allowing informants to be contacted by Japanese agents, are serious crimes. Not only will I be punished, but you will also be implicated."
He reached out and gently took Li Zhiyao's hand, his tone sincere and affectionate, "I know you've suffered, having to endure all this while pregnant, but I have to consider the bigger picture and protect you and the baby, so I can only let you suffer for now."
He added, "The stolen goods from Ito were sold for a total of 82,000 yen. As for the watches and jewelry, Liu Yan didn't keep a single penny and handed them all over to you for safekeeping. This also proves that she still has a sense of awe and hasn't completely lost her mind."
"I know you're upset. You're pregnant, and you're sensitive. You get upset when people gossip. But think about it, who am I, Yan Shuo? From the day I met you, don't you know who I've always cared for?"