Chapter 1: The White Handbag

  On November 9, the twenty-ninth year of the Republic of China, on this Saturday just after the beginning of winter, a "Blue Steel Express" was running laboriously and panting on the damaged tracks between Shanghai and Xuanwu, although it had a German-made body and a British-made head, but on this Shanghai-Xuanwu line which had been bombed everywhere by the enemy, it also looked worn out.

  In the first-class carriage of the train, a young woman sat by the window with a faint frown, outside the window was the remnants of the fertile plains of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, as well as the occasional temporary refuge from the war-torn pink walls and black tiles. However, she had no heart to pay attention, the foreign short story collection "Waifs and Strays" in her hand was held up like a prop, this book had been with her for nearly ten years since she attended St. Mary's Girls' Middle School, and she had long been familiar with every chapter and section, thus it was perfectly suitable as a prop.

  The girl, about twenty years old, sat upright in the oversized single sofa chair, looking slightly slender but not weak, like a jade scallion. Next to her was half a cup of cold coffee, she could eat coffee, and also eat Western wine and Western cigarettes, only nothing had ever become an addiction.

  Upon closer inspection, this woman's skin is as white and translucent as jade, surpassing the beauty of pear blossoms in the rain. Her eyebrows are slightly furrowed, faintly like wisps of smoke, yet entirely unlike the thin, black brows that women of her time were so fond of. Instead, she exudes a unique, ethereal charm. Her long eyelashes, each one distinct and separate, veil a deep concern and determination in her eyes, revealing a depth of experience that belies her age.

  The carriage swayed slightly, and she subconsciously pursed her thin lips, the movement was so slight that even she herself didn't notice. In her mind, she rearranged and connected the events of the past few months. As early as two and a half months ago, in the scorching hot mountain city of Yong, on an afternoon when the sky was gradually darkening, she had just left Director Zheng Xi Lin's office at the Xuan Tong Si training facility, having been assigned an unusual task.

  "Set off tomorrow!" This was the time Zheng Xilin gave her, and Yu Pei only gave her one day to prepare. It seemed that he was also afraid that she would come into contact with outsiders and leak the news. Even as soon as she went downstairs, she felt vaguely that someone was following her in secret. Since a top-secret mission had been arranged, this kind of semi-public surveillance was also within reason, in order to remind her to be careful and cautious, and also to prevent any accidents. On the way back to her single dormitory, this sudden dispatch order wasn't a big deal for her, as she had been drifting since she was nine years old, and if you said danger, she had been walking on the edge of a knife for nearly two years. However, at this moment, there was one thing in her heart that she had to do no matter what.

  With this in mind, she put on a white handbag and walked out. The alley led to a moderately wide road with a post office in the middle. There was a small food stall at the entrance of the post office, run by her contact, Old Chen. Whenever she had information, she would bring this white handbag as a signal, go to Old Chen's stall to buy a leaf-shaped rice cake, and wait for an opportunity to pass on the information to him. Old Chen had a radio transmitter at home, and after receiving the information, he would return home and transmit it to Anping - their base headquarters.

  She was eager to inform Lao Chen of her departure, firstly so that the organization could make timely adjustments to this line, and secondly to avoid Lao Chen worrying about her disappearance. This worry had both emotional and practical aspects: on the one hand, she and Lao Chen had been in contact for nearly two years and were true comrades-in-arms; on the other hand, an intelligence network involved several terminals, and if she suddenly disappeared without explanation, the others would be unaware of the situation and would have to withdraw completely, as the saying goes: "when one strand is pulled, the whole body moves".

  As she walked down the alley, she estimated the distance and angle of the followers behind her, so that when she talked to Old Chen later, she could grasp it well. When she reached the end of the alley, she turned right and saw Old Chen from afar, facing her direction, slowly carrying a steamer basket. At this moment, Old Chen raised his eyes and scanned around, and the white handbag was very eye-catching on this dark road. He lowered his head and continued to work with his hands. There were some sparse pedestrians on the road, an old woman holding her grandson who was only a few years old walking slowly, a yellow taxi stopped in front of the post office, and the woman who got off the car walked in with a letter in her hand...

  He walked two more steps, still a hundred or so paces away from Old Chen's stall. He should have seen himself by now. She clutched her bag to her chest just as Old Chen suddenly turned around and sprinted in the opposite direction, almost simultaneously, four or five people rushed out of the alley next door, chasing after Old Chen while firing their guns. Unbeknownst to him, Old Chen had already grabbed his gun and fired a few shots back at them while running forward. The pursuers outnumbered him, and with the advantage of shooting from behind, Old Chen was quickly hit by bullets. At this point, one of the chasers yelled, "Take him alive!" Old Chen turned around and fired a few more shots to buy himself some time, but unfortunately, he had been shot in the leg and torso, and soon found himself surrounded, falling to the ground with four or five gun barrels pointed at him. With gritted teeth, Old Chen raised his gun and pulled the trigger for one final shot, this time aiming at his own head. The people surrounding him rushed forward to stop him, but it was too late.

  After a brief silence, the pedestrians crouched in the corner of the street tentatively stood up, their hands covering their children's mouths withdrew, only to hear a loud wail, and quickly covered them again. The post office staff cautiously poked out one or two heads... As for her, she had her back tightly pressed against the wall, holding her breath for a long time, finally remembering to exhale when her body was about to reach its limit. Her chest heaved heavily as she exhaled, but her inhalation was short and abrupt, as if witnessing this brief life-and-death struggle made her forget how to breathe. At this moment, her body had not yet regained consciousness, only feeling that her mind was filled with the sound of gunfire, especially Old Chen's final shot, which was like a lightning bolt striking her heart, instantly sealing off all five senses...

  "Miss Dong, let us escort you back." Two men in black cheongsam suits were standing in front of her, she didn't know when they appeared.

  She turned her head to look at the two of them, slowly, her eyes gradually focused, and she regained her ability to think, recognizing that the two in front of her were the two agents from the Xuantong Bureau who had been following her all along.

  "What's going on?" Although she was somewhat prepared, but still asked in a trembling voice. Normally, she would have adjusted her emotions and remained calm, but at this moment, being calm wasn't the wisest choice.

  "I don't know. Miss Dong, for your safety, please come with us." The speaker was still the same man in black, respectful but not open to debate.

  She took a last look at the place where Old Chen had made his final stand, those men who were chasing him were now squatting on the ground searching. The small food stall not far away was still emitting hot air, she had countless times passed information to Old Chen there, but now everything was different. "Farewell, comrade!" she said in her heart.

  The author has something to say: This text was meant to be written for fun, but as soon as I started, my certification habit kicked in. Time, place, events, characters, clothing styles, architectural details and so on, all wanted to match up. I searched online forums, had some relevant books and old maps shipped from home to check, isn't that crazy? There are many experts here, please point out any bugs, don't mislead the kids who are still reading.

  Xuan Tong Si: Unity in the army.

  Yu Pei: Shancheng, the capital at that time.

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