Chapter Thirty-Five: Chestnut and Red Braised Pork

  That shot, although not aimed at them, still ruined Kawano Ryoko's good deed. She quickly reacted by crouching down and didn't let her guard down until the sound of gunfire rang out again, then she stood up with a sigh of relief to change clothes.

  "It's Itagaki." Kawano Ryoko fastened the last button on her cheongsam, put the Southern-style special-type compact pistol into a beautiful tote bag, and said, "That's Sugihara's voice."

  "Ban'ken?" Huo Ya's eyebrows furrowed in concern as he hastily asked, "You're saying our mission is to defend Ban'ken?"

  Kawano Ryoko nodded and said with a hint of sarcasm: "It would be better if you were Itagaki."

  Huā yā knew what she meant. However, at this moment, he didn't have the heart to think about those messy things. His sorrowful gaze stared at a withered leaf on the white birch tree that was swaying in the wind. He felt like he was that leaf, and just a gentle breeze would make him fall, ending his life.

  Kawano Ryoko stepped forward, grasping Kuroba's hand and pressing her body tightly against his. "A high-ranking general of the Imperial Japanese Army, with so many personal guards, still requires the protection of the Crow Squad? It's unthinkable!"

  This is the problem that has been bothering Kazaraki and making his mind a mess. Since Kawarajima and Kawano Ryoko didn't tell him about the telegram of "Board Chestnut Braised Pork", he thought the important person that "Operation Golden" needed to protect was Tofu Genji. Therefore, he buried his deeper understanding of "Water Fire Both Succeed" in his heart.

  The few gunshots just now, Huo Lao has also identified that it is indeed the sound of a Sugihara-style pistol fired by Lieutenant General Shosuke. Throughout the Shanxi Datong region, the highest-ranking Japanese military officer was Inukai Shinji, the captain of the mining guard team, and "Sugihara" was only qualified to be worn by high-ranking officers above the rank of major general. Moreover, judging from the strength of the gunshots, it should have come from the shooting range of the mining guard team, which should be Itagaki practicing live targets. Itagaki has a habit, no matter when and where he appears, he must first prepare live targets for him. Because if he doesn't kill a few Chinese people, his food won't taste good and he can't sleep well.

  "What's wrong? Are you scared?" Kawano Ryoko grasped the firebird tightly and poked it with her sharp fingernails, trying to use pain to bring it back from its wooden stupor. She then asked again: "Was it Mrs. Hon that scared you, or was it the gunshot, or was it Itagaki?"

  Kasumi's mood was terrible, she thought Kawano Ryoko was a total nuisance and with great disgust, she shook off her hand and quickened her pace to increase the distance between them.

  Kawano Ryoko's pride was hurt, and tears immediately welled up in her eyes. She stumbled after him, trying to regain her dignity. Just as she was about to reach out and slap Hatori's face, something unexpected happened.

  With a "crack", Kawano Ryoko stumbled and staggered, her cheongsam caught on a tree stump, torn with a large hole.

  Kasumi Katsuragi was hastily held by Kawano Ryoko, and she was hugged. This time, they both unintentionally completed the task of throwing and hugging. When they calmed down, she happily leaned into the arms of this wise man, his movements making her stare with wide eyes.

  Kawano Ryoko didn't expect that the Fire Crow would wrap its wings around her, lower its head which made her heart flutter, and bring its eloquent mouth closer, she should close her eyes now.

  Kazuya leaned in, his lips meeting Akane's cherry-red ones as he closed her eyes. His tongue slipped into her already open mouth, and the two tongues entwined, their bodies beginning to twist involuntarily, twisting...

  The big red sun was originally a good time to dry the wheat, but just as the wheat had been laid out on the ground, a sudden rain came.

  "Bang!" The sound of gunfire from the mine's security team rang out again.

  Huā yā recovered his senses, just like a farmer harvesting wheat, and quickly pulled back his tongue and mouth, saying: "Liáng zǐ, let's go."

  Kawano Ryoko nodded: "Uh-huh."

  Two people walked hand in hand into the city, heading straight to the Yue Lai Guest House. The shopkeeper was overjoyed and bowed to greet Huo Lian's suitcase when he secretly glanced at Kawano Ryoko, seeing that the slit of her cheongsam had split very long, almost reaching her buttocks, revealing her snow-white thighs. He quickly covered his mouth, otherwise, he would have burst out laughing.

  Kawano Ryoko was a secret agent, and her powers of observation were such that she could pick up on things that two deaf people wouldn't notice in each other's presence. The shopkeeper's words and actions had entered her field of vision, and his appearance had also been locked onto by her.

  However, Kawano Ryouko's thinking was wrong. The shopkeeper only had desires for her snow-white thighs and thought that she looked utterly ridiculous in what she was wearing, nothing more than that.

  "Let's change to another one." Kawano Ryoko said, holding Kagerou's hand.

  "It's just one night, let it be." After expressing his indifference in a dull tone, Huo Ya stepped into the inn.

  Yue Lai in Datong is an ordinary inn, no double room, and the two are husband and wife, cannot live separately, Kawano Ryoko has no choice.

  The two of them registered and were led upstairs by the shopkeeper, into a room with a bed that had a clean white quilt, where they began to write their story.

  "Haven't you eaten yet, sir? You'd better hurry up and fill your belly on the street." The shopkeeper had just gone out, but poked his head back in: "Otherwise, after 8 o'clock, the whole city will be under martial law, and you won't be able to eat anymore."

  "Why did you have to be so strict?" asked Rie Kawano in surprise.

  Dian Xiao Er said: "A big shot has arrived from Manzhouli and is now practicing live targets with the mine guard team."

  Kawano Ryoko was shocked, Bata's whereabouts had been exposed! If things went wrong, every room in this Yurakuya inn might be occupied by enemy spies.

  "Excuse me, shopkeeper, what's good to eat here in Datong?" Kawano Ryoko quickly put on a smile and asked.

  The shopkeeper said: "You two aren't from Datong, are you? Why do you look somewhat familiar?"

  Kawano Ryoko's heart skipped a beat, and she warned cautiously: "Young brother is not old, but his eyes are so bad. My husband and I are from Lingqiu. Does Lingqiu know? It's close to Pingxingguan."

  "Oh dear." The shopkeeper sighed and said, "You've come all the way from afar, there must be something big you want to do?"

  "What's that? We want to make some small fortune, so we came!" Kawano Ryoko smiled and continued: "Under the sky, who would dislike money far away and be too lazy to stretch out their hand? Little brother, you say it is, right?"

  "The little shopkeeper pointed to his own head and said, 'You two should hurry back home. All the coal mines in Datong, from top to bottom, are controlled by the Japanese. I'm afraid that if they don't get their money, this guy who eats will disappear.'"

  Kawano Ryoko feigned surprise and said: "Is this really true? The Japanese are too outrageous!"

  "The little Japanese devils are ruthless and inhumane, not even sparing those who pick up coal cinders. The two people who were shot dead today as live targets had only picked up a few pieces of coal cinder before they died!"

  Kawano Ryoko didn't want to drag the topic any further, so she changed the subject and said: "Right, little brother hasn't told me yet, what's good to eat in Datong?"

  "Pan-seared pork with chestnuts!"