Chapter 41: Purpose

For a moment, even Boss Dai could not make up his mind.
"Here is what we do: have Master Niu contact Young Tiger again and have Young Tiger produce another piece of intelligence. This time, explicitly state that we do not need information related to the Red Party!"
"As for this current piece of intelligence, if Young Tiger can deliver the new intelligence within three days, we can use it to do a favor for the Red Party."
With that, Boss Dai took off his hat and vigorously rubbed his head. His already sparse hair was mussed up in every direction, and seeing this, Shen Xing hurriedly lowered his head.
"Damn it, Old San, how on earth do you think Young Tiger managed to get his hands on this intelligence?"
"Did Master Niu reply with the results of his vetting of Young Tiger?"
Shen Xing smiled and nodded:
"He replied. There are no issues. The Bureau Director should have faith in Master Niu's eye for people, right?"
Boss Dai snipped the end of a cigar, took a heavy puff, and shook his head in speechless frustration:
"This Young Tiger is truly goddamned miraculous. Is he the Monkey King reincarnate, capable of seventy-two transformations? He can manage to get back any piece of intelligence I ask for."
"This proves that Young Tiger's academic scores were completely sound. Previously, he simply hadn't learned how to apply what he was taught to actual practice. Now that he has adapted, the current Young Tiger is finally worthy of his grades at the special training academy."
Hearing Shen Xing's words, Boss Dai recalled Zhao Xuan's academic record, and his expression turned complicated:
"Indeed, perhaps this is simply the world of geniuses."
In Shanghai, Apartment 27 on Jessfield Road, after finishing dinner, Zhao Xuan returned to his room.
It was not that Zhao Xuan did not want to stay in the living room for a little longer; it was simply that during dinner, Aunt Liu's inner voice had almost broken his psychological defense.
Ding Moqun's vetting had just concluded, and now Aunt Liu—or rather, Watanabe Kyoko—was starting her own routine.
Moreover, Zhao Xuan had no idea what method Watanabe Kyoko would use to vet him, which kept him feeling quite anxious.
Originally, Zhao Xuan had wanted to listen closely, but after Watanabe Kyoko mentioned it once in her mind, she dropped the subject, and the rest was just her inner voice gossiping.
As for the little romance between Zhao Xuan and Dao Yan, Zhao Xuan couldn't even figure out why Watanabe Kyoko cared so much about it.
She ignored important matters and filled her mind entirely with gossip.
After thinking for a long time without guessing how Watanabe Kyoko might vet him, Zhao Xuan was just about to lie down on the bed to rest when a knock sounded at his door.
Seeing Dao Yan push the door open and walk in, Zhao Xuan was somewhat stunned. In the more than two months since their marriage, Dao Yan had never once knocked on his door. This was an unprecedented first.
*(The uncle seems to be starting to trust this fellow. It looks like I need to spend a bit more time on him as well.)*
He had been wondering what madness had possessed Dao Yan, only to find out she came with this purpose in mind. Zhao Xuan rolled his eyes inwardly; this must be what they called being polite only when you need someone.
"How are your injuries?"
Under Dao Yan's somewhat cold tone of concern, Zhao Xuan patiently chatted with her for a couple of sentences.
Sure enough, Dao Yan had simply come to probe his schedule for the day, and by the way, she offered him a couple of hints, saying things very similar to Ding Moqun—basically advising Zhao Xuan to be on guard against Jiang Ping.
After seeing Dao Yan out, Zhao Xuan no longer felt sleepy, so he simply left his room and went to sit in the pavilion in the back courtyard.
"Young Master."
Sitting down in the pavilion, Zhao Xuan had not been there long before he heard Aunt Liu calling him.
Turning his head, he saw Aunt Liu walking toward him.
"Aunt Liu, you haven't gone to rest at this hour?"
Aunt Liu walked into the pavilion with a gentle smile, stopping about a meter away from Zhao Xuan:
"I'm old, how can I need that much sleep?"
"Whenever I can't sleep at night, I always take the household trash out a bit early, and by the way, I look around to see if there is any stray litter left behind. If there is, I just pick it up."
If it were in the past, upon hearing Aunt Liu say this, Zhao Xuan would certainly have thought of her as a pragmatic and hardworking good servant.
But now, Zhao Xuan did not think that way at all.
The household trash was handled entirely by Aunt Liu, which meant she must have checked whatever was inside the garbage.
Just thinking of this made Zhao Xuan's hair stand on end.
When watching spy dramas in the past, there were always agents who used trash as a way to pass intelligence, leaving it out for the garbage collector—who was actually a liaison teammate—to pick up.
And looking at the reality now, one finally understood.
Where was there any loophole like that to exploit!
If one really used this method to transmit intelligence, they would be done for in a split second!
"Aunt Liu, actually you don't have to work this hard."
Hearing Zhao Xuan's words, Aunt Liu noticeably paused for a split second, but it was only for a flash before she returned to normal, looking at Zhao Xuan with a gentle smile:
"Thank you for your concern, Young Master. I just saw the eldest miss go to find you. Have your relations eased up now?"
*(I hope Zhao Xuan can pass my vetting. This child is so much like Shufu!)*
*(Ding Moqun should have received the call from the Special High Police by now. Tomorrow they should arrange for Zhao Xuan and Zhou Meiling to investigate Su Bai together. Please don't let me down!)*
Thanks to Dao Yan's sudden bout of madness!
Thanks to Watanabe Kyoko's sudden concern!
Zhao Xuan shouted twice in his mind. If Dao Yan hadn't come to look for him tonight, how could he have overheard Aunt Liu's inner voice just then?
Investigate Su Bai?
Then is this person from the Military Statistics Bureau or the Red Party?
Or could this Su Bai be Watanabe Kyoko herself, or perhaps someone from the Yamaguchi-gumi?
Is this Aunt Liu's method of vetting him?
Then what secret is hidden within this Su Bai?
Zhao Xuan was actually starting to look forward to it.
Previously, not knowing Aunt Liu's methods, Zhao Xuan had been quite worried; now that he understood the vetting method centered around Su Bai, everything became simple.
"Still the same as always. Aunt Liu, you should know Dao Yan's temper best."
"By the way, Aunt Liu, how did you come to work for this household?"
The opportunity was rare, so Zhao Xuan intended to sound out Watanabe Kyoko properly. Even if she didn't say any truth with her mouth, her mind held it all.
Aunt Liu looked at Zhao Xuan with a smile, and after sitting down on the stone stool in the pavilion, she began to chat with him as well.
Mainly, Aunt Liu genuinely enjoyed the feeling of being around Zhao Xuan. Looking at him felt just like looking at her deceased son.
Wearing the same glasses, equally scholarly, equally somewhat reclusive, and equally concerned for her.
With all these things combined, the more Aunt Liu looked at Zhao Xuan, the more she liked him. At least on the premise that Zhao Xuan had no problems whatsoever, Aunt Liu was very willing to spend time alone with him.
"Coming out to do odd jobs, the situation is pretty much all the same. War, you know—the home is gone, people are gone, the farmland is gone. If you don't want to starve to death, you always have to find some work to do..."
*(After Ding Moqun defected to the Empire, he brought back a roster called the Strategy Registry, rumored to be spies bought out by the Wang faction. Yet after all this time, not a single trace has been found, not even in Ding Moqun's safe.)*
*(However, this roster must be in Ding Moqun's hands; otherwise, he could not possibly have such a thorough understanding of Chongqing's intelligence.)*
*(If Zhao Xuan truly has no problems, perhaps I can develop him into a member of the Yamaguchi-gumi and have him help steal this Strategy Registry.)*
*(If it's not at home, it must be at Office No. 76.)*