Officer Yang couldn't run any faster. Gradually, he fell to the end of the team. Gradually, the distance between him and the soldiers in front of him widened. He had run too much. His thin body couldn't compete with the soldiers. If he continued like this, he would be caught up sooner or later. The cruel reality was behind him. Officer Yang was unwilling to accept it. He was a great man, an elite, and in his prime years. At this time of life and death, he was about to be eliminated. If he died, what a huge loss it would be! Like the ignorant soldiers in front of him, Officer Yang felt that he was worth a company or a battalion.
Officer Yang turned his head while running, but because of the branches and bushes, he could not see how far away the pursuers were. The river ahead was about to turn, and he could see a steep bank behind some weeds. Perhaps this was his last chance. He turned his head again, making sure that the pursuers could no longer be seen. He made up his mind to stop, grabbed a clump of grass, and jumped into the water again, submerging his body. He threw away his hat, grabbed the mud under the grass roots, and covered his head and face with it without hesitation.
He originally planned to use this method to avoid pursuers, but was betrayed by the scum of the independent regiment. This also made Secretary Yang remember it, and he did not forget to cover his face this time.
The intermittently appearing and disappearing running figures in front greatly attracted the attention of the Japanese and the detective team. When the last sound of footsteps disappeared on the nearby shore overhead, and when the last detective on the other side of the shore also chased eastward without looking away, Officer Yang felt exhausted. He let out a long sigh and prepared to climb back ashore.
Click—
The clump of grass he was holding was torn apart, and his body began to slide uncontrollably into the river with the current. Yang's heart suddenly sank to the bottom. He felt like he was being carried away by the water, as if he was struggling. All he could see in his eyes were the messy splashing white water and the azure blue that appeared and disappeared from time to time.
When he finally closed his eyes in despair, he suddenly felt like he had stepped on something. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself swaying in neck-deep water. The riverbed at this section was not deep enough to drown a person.
After getting ashore tiredly, Officer Yang looked up and was stunned.
A member of the detective team was staring at him blankly, holding his ribs from a dozen meters away. He ran so hard that he was out of breath and fell behind the team. Just as he staggered here, he saw a wet man emerging from the water and standing on the shore for a while.
The strange silence was broken by Officer Yang's running. The out-of-breath guy hurriedly pulled out his gun and shouted, "Help! He's running back!"
…
The light of the setting sun, shining on the surface of the river, immediately came to life, began to jump brightly, and rippled into a long piece, so bright that Hu Yi, who was standing by the river, could not open his eyes.
A mechanical sound of footsteps came behind Hu Yi, and then said coldly: "Report!"
Hu Yi avoided the dazzling evening light in the west, straightened his bronze face, and looked at the north bank. He knew who it was without turning around: "Why did you leave your post without permission?"
This person was Liu Jianqiang. He originally thought that his opinion of squad leader Hu Yi had changed, but the incident at noon made him change his attitude again. He couldn't keep his mouth shut. He couldn't continue to stand guard at ease. He felt that he had to make his position clear.
"I have something to say!"
"explain."
"You betrayed your comrades!" Liu Jianqiang raised his voice a little.
"Yes." Hu Yi didn't move or turn his head.
"I look down on you!" Liu Jianqiang deliberately slowed down his speech, but raised his voice higher.
Hu Yi finally turned around and faced Liu Jianqiang, calmly speaking as if he hadn't heard anything: "Go on."
Liu Jianqiang knew that the calmer Hu Yi was, the more dangerous he would be. However, this was a matter of principle and position, so Liu Jianqiang tried his best to meet the narrow and deep gaze in front of him, raised his chest, and answered without hesitation: "I have said everything I need to say!"
Hu Yi looked at Liu Jianqiang from head to toe, and then from toe to head. He was silent for a while before saying calmly, "Why should I be respected by you?"
Liu Jianqiang thought he was going to face a storm, but unexpectedly Hu Yi just asked such a question calmly. Liu Jianqiang was at a loss for a moment, not knowing how to answer, so he simply remained silent.
"say."
"… "
"In the name of the squad leader, I order you to answer!" Hu Yi gave Liu Jianqiang, who had been standing with his chest puffed out and remaining silent, an ultimatum.
"Report. I don't know." Liu Jianqiang acted as if it was a matter of course.
As soon as he finished speaking, Hu Yi finally raised his foot suddenly and kicked Liu Jianqiang, who was holding his chest high, away from him. Liu rolled twice on the spot and lay on the ground with his teeth bared, unable to get up.
"Now go back to your post. When you know the answer, I'll come back to accompany you!" After saying this, Hu Yi turned around and continued to watch the sunset and the dazzling waves under the sunset.
The suede shoes were pulled wide apart, stepping steadily on the gravel by the water, with the edges sunken; the mud could not cover the unique binding of the leggings, which showed a strong and symmetrical outline; in the reflection of the setting sun, a circle of yellow edges appeared around the military uniform, making the broad back and the vertical rifle on the back look pitch black; faintly, under the curved brim of the hat, the resolute cheeks and wide eyebrows seemed to be shining, and it was not known whether it was the setting sun or his; the figure was dragged into a long plane, extending out of the gravel and into the wild grass by the water, and in the distance, it seemed endless...
"Auntie Zhou, don't mind it. Fox is not that kind of person at all. He is just angry about you. In fact, he usually has a very good temper and is very conscious!"
Hearing Xiao Hongying coming over to talk, Zhou Wanping, who was hugging her knees, finally recovered from her trance. She retracted her gaze that had been looking at the gravel by the water in the distance, looked at the little girl who sat down next to her, and couldn't help but sighed: "Alas - I'm a burden, those few people were all because of me... Now your squad leader has taken the blame for me, how can I mind."
Zhou Wanping didn't know Hu Yi, so she just relied on her careless mind and thought that Hu Yi, like the traffic officers who escorted him all the way, did this for the safety of her cargo. Of course, Zhou Wanping also heard what Liu Jianqiang said just now, but she felt that she seemed to owe Hu Yi something, and she blamed herself deeply.
Xiao Hongying looked at the listless Zhou Wanping and finally understood her thoughts. She almost laughed out loud. This Aunt Zhou didn't need any convincing at all and she got on the boat on her own.
The fox knows exactly what kind of person he is, and likewise, the fox knows exactly what kind of person he is. Xiao Hongying knows why Hu Yi did that. He never treats everyone the same in a hypocritical way, but distinguishes between relatives and strangers. As for what happened at noon today, Xiao Hongying feels that being the fox's favorite must have accounted for half of the reason, and the remaining half is equally divided by Ma Liang, the mule, the runny nose, the fool, and this Doctor Zhou. It is absolutely impossible that he did that just for the mission order and to protect the goods.
Thinking of this, Xiao Hongying suddenly frowned. Her childish nature made her think of another irrelevant question: If Sister Su Qing was here, who would have more reasons between us? Would the fox care more about me than her? Or would it care more about her than me? ... So troublesome... I can't think of it...
"Hey! Little girl, why are you silent? What are you thinking about?"
After hearing Zhou Wanping's question, Xiao Hongying realized that she had been distracted. She quickly swung her pigtails back to their original position, and deliberately made her beautiful eyes clear and innocent again: "Oh, by the way, Aunt Zhou, the fox said that he would guarantee your safety even at the cost of Class Nine's lives!"
…
At a corner on the east bank of the river, Ma Liang lay on his back in the grass in a daze, his head full of what happened at noon. But unlike Liu Jianqiang, Ma Liang felt ashamed.
It was a desperate situation, someone had to sacrifice, either himself and Runny Nose, or the squad leader; the squad leader could have let himself and Runny Nose go, but he didn’t, instead he chose to be the bad guy and let the comrades on the other side be scapegoats; although the squad leader said very harshly at the time, saying that he didn’t need to die for himself and Runny Nose, but what he did showed that he cared, and he took the blame for himself and Runny Nose, so the one who should feel ashamed is definitely not the squad leader...
Luo Fugui’s big face suddenly appeared in front of Ma Liang: “Ma Liang, what are you looking so listless for? Hey, did you know that there was a good show just now? Hehehehe… Poor runny nose…”
"I have ears and I heard everything." Ma Liang, who was lying on the grass, interrupted Luo Fugui lazily.
Luo Fugui ignored Ma Liang and continued to speak: "Damn it, he couldn't get up after being kicked for a long time. Today I am convinced that our Boss Hu is the real god! There is no comparison! Do you think Runny Nose is stupid? He..."
Ma Liang suddenly made a gesture: "Shh—don't talk!"
Luo Fugui didn't understand: "What's wrong? You're talking nonsense."
Ma Liang said nothing, still lying on the ground with his ears perked up, listening.
There were footsteps coming hurriedly, getting closer and closer, accompanied by the sound of branches scraping, becoming clearer and clearer.
Luo Fugui finally heard it, and stared with his eyes wide open, not knowing what was going on. He found that Ma Liang suddenly turned over, pulled out his revolver and pointed it at the bushes to the east.
With a rustling sound, accompanied by a flurry of shaking branches and leaves, a panicked figure rushed out, wet like a drowned rat, with patches of mud on his face. The only thing that was noticeable was the black frame of his glasses still on his nose.
"Officer Yang?"
…