"What's wrong with this driver? There are people ahead!"
The 'Young Marshal' in the back seat shrieked in surprise at Lin Qingge's action, but Hua Jinrong immediately pushed him down.
The next moment, the car slammed into the coffin.
But unexpectedly, the coffin turned out to be empty!
As the car drove past, the mourners instantly dropped their sorrowful expressions, pulled out guns tucked at their waists, and unleashed a barrage of shots at the car.
Fortunately, the car Hua Jinrong prepared was of good quality, and the bullets did not shatter the windows, only causing spiderweb-like cracks.
Immediately after, Lu Huaiying's car also caught up from behind.
However, besides Lu Huaiying and Yan Tinghao, Leng Ningyue and another person were also in the car.
They fired from both sides, eliminating the assassins disguised as mourners one by one.
Speeding all the way, they finally returned to the Shangguan family villa, safe and sound.
Butler Wang Bo immediately came to greet them:
"Young Miss, you're finally back.
There was a shooting at the train station, it worried me to death!"
Leng Ningyue nodded slightly, signaling that she was unharmed.
"Butler Wang, I want to eat the chopped chili fish head from yesterday!"
"Yes, Detective Lin, I'll tell the kitchen right away."
Butler Wang Bo responded, but Leng Ningyue frowned:
"The fish isn't very fresh lately, let's make Imperial Concubine Chicken instead."
"Yes, Young Miss."
As the owner, Leng Ningyue had spoken, Butler Wang Bo dared not object.
Yan Tinghao looked at his boss, then at Leng Ningyue, and scratched his head in confusion:
"Boss, did you upset Miss Leng?"
"Shut up!"
"Yes, sir!"
They all entered the living room.
Lin Qingge's gaze fell on the stern man who entered last, her face showing a look of 'as expected'.
"Detective Lin doesn't seem surprised at all~"
Hearing Hua Jinrong's words, Lin Qingge rolled her eyes towards the sky and said irritably:
"Given Detective Hua's caution, he likely replaced everyone inside and outside the train station with his own men. How could he carelessly allow assassins to infiltrate?
Moreover, with Detective Hua's superb marksmanship, if he could hit the tip of a pen, hitting the culprits would be no difficult task.
But Detective Hua didn't do that, so I thought of another possibility.
That these so-called assassins were arranged by Detective Hua beforehand to lure the snakes out of their holes."
"As expected of Detective Lin~
But these assassins are not my people~
Allow me to introduce everyone, Ling Han, a professional assassin~
I paid a hefty sum to hire him for realism!"
"What?! You hired a real assassin?"
"What?! You paid a hefty sum?"
The Young Marshal and Lin Qingge exclaimed in unison, the former with righteous indignation, the latter with immense heartache.
Seeing this, Hua Jinrong subtly changed the subject:
"Regardless, thanks to Detective Lin's repeated detection of the enemy's movements, the Young Marshal safely arrived in Harbin~"
"No, in terms of merit, Detective Hua is the most instrumental.
Because you made thorough preparations from the very beginning.
The person we picked up from the train station was not the real Young Marshal, but a substitute to attract Japanese attention.
As for the real Young Marshal of the Xia family, he is right here, closer than you think."
As Lin Qingge spoke, her peripheral vision flickered towards Lin Moyuan, who was diligently adjusting his clothes a step behind.
Yan Tinghao followed his boss's gaze and cried out in surprise:
"Boss, how did you know?"
"If even you, you simpleton, know, how could I not?
Besides, Shangguan Yu Yan's book contained a photo of Young Master Lin in Young Marshal's uniform."
As soon as Lin Qingge finished speaking, Butler Wang Bo walked in from outside.
"Young Miss, the meal is ready."
Upon saying that, Butler Wang Bo lowered his head subserviently.
But Lin Qingge snatched the gun from Yan Tinghao's waist and fired two shots, hitting Butler Wang Bo's left and right wrists respectively.
Suddenly attacked, Butler Wang Bo turned and ran, but was kicked down by Leng Ningyue, who had appeared behind him without anyone noticing.
"Boss, what are you doing?"
Yan Tinghao, completely unaware of what was happening, looked confused.
Hua Jinrong and Xiao Zhanbei, who reacted shortly after, each blocked Lin Moyuan and the fake Young Marshal, pointing their guns at Butler Wang Bo.
At the same time, Lu Huaiying quickly stepped forward and retrieved a palm-sized gun from Butler Wang Bo's sleeve.
The gun was already loaded.
After a long while, Butler Wang Bo, whose hands were bleeding profusely, raised his head, revealing a sinister smile that was incongruous with his old face:
"How did you discover me?"
Although not naming anyone, Lin Qingge, knowing the question was directed at her, smiled wryly:
"The Shangguan family villa is quite a distance from the train station. But as soon as we left the station, you received the news. That's too fast.
Unless you were involved in this assassination...
But Butler Wang has served the Shangguan family diligently for decades.
If he truly wanted to harm the Young Marshal of the Xia family, he wouldn't need such a grand display at the train station.
After all, the Young Marshal of the Xia family was to stay at the Shangguan residence.
As the butler, he would have had countless opportunities to act.
So, I considered another possibility.
Although it's hard to believe, if the Butler Wang present is an impostor, then everything makes sense."
"So that's why Boss suddenly asked for chopped chili fish head?"
"Precisely."
"I knew it, we didn't eat fish yesterday!
But why did Miss Leng stop Boss from ordering fish?"
"Idiot, if he had really ordered the kitchen to make the exact same chopped chili fish head as yesterday, wouldn't that have alerted the snake?"
"So Miss Leng stopped him and ordered Imperial Concubine Chicken instead?"
Hearing Lu Huaiying's words, Leng Ningyue nodded, then added four words:
"She likes to eat it."
"Tsk tsk, Detective Lin and Miss Leng are truly close, kindred spirits~"
The person impersonating Butler Wang Bo, however, kept a smile on his face throughout.
"Detective Lin is so amazing, have you guessed my identity?"
"Fu Xun."
Just two words, but Lu Huaiying's face changed drastically.
"He's Fu Xun?!!!"
"Most likely.
It's not difficult to disguise oneself, but it's hard to perfectly imitate someone's behavior."
"Even if I imitated him perfectly, I was still seen through by you, wasn't I?
And you, Lu Huaiying.
I've long suspected you were a mole, and it seems my feeling was correct!
However, Detective Lin, you've truly surprised me. My information indicates that while you're clever, you're also physically weak and don't use firearms.
But judging by the accuracy of your shots earlier, you're clearly a master marksman!"
"Hmph, I'm not a monkey in a zoo, showing off everything I know."
With that, Lin Qingge did not hesitate to pull the trigger again.
"Bang—"
The bullet instantly pierced through Fu Xun's forehead, his wide eyes seeming to accuse someone of not fighting fair.
"Finished, pay up, wrap it up."
Lin Qingge blew on the still-smoking muzzle and returned the gun to Yan Tinghao.
Watching the back of her潇洒 retreating figure, Hua Jinrong bent down to remove Fu Xun's mask and murmured playfully:
"Detective Lin truly lives up to her reputation. I'm rather curious what's inside that exceptionally clever skull~"
Not long after, they found the unconscious Butler Wang Bo in the utility room of the villa's basement.
Although Lin Qingge had killed someone, she was not punished because she had eliminated a Japanese spy. Instead, she received a reward of one thousand silver dollars.
Major newspapers eagerly reported her glorious deeds, solidifying her reputation as 'Harbin's Premier Detective'.
In 1937, the long-prepared Japanese army finally bared its fangs and launched the war of aggression against China.
Under Leng Ningyue's persuasion, the real Young Marshal of the Xia family, Lin Moyuan, agreed to participate in the joint resistance against Japan.
Despite this, it did not change the fate of the fall of Northeast China.
Because Lin Qingge, as a detective, had exposed too many Japanese spies, and to avoid retaliation from the Japanese, the organization instructed her to hand over the underground station's work to Comrade Lu Huaiying and return to the base immediately.
Leng Ningyue was also targeted by the Japanese.
The Japanese coveted the Shangguan family's pharmaceutical factory and wealth, but little did they know that Leng Ningyue had already been converting the Shangguan family's assets into medicine, firearms, and other supplies, sending them to the base.
After distributing the remaining money to the workers, she set fire to the pharmaceutical factory.
Having done this, Leng Ningyue embarked on a journey of escape with Lin Qingge.
Breaking through the Japanese blockade line was no easy task.
Just as Lin Qingge was at her wit's end, Yan Tinghao, who always said he was wherever his boss was, volunteered, claiming he had a way.
Later, Lin Qingge discovered that this simpleton had quite a background.
His maternal grandfather was a renowned bandit, later incorporated into the army and granted a designation.
His mother followed in her father's footsteps; though not commissioned, she was the sole female regimental commander in the army, known as the Iron Lady.
His father was Yan Xiuping, Nanjing's wealthiest man, who held a nominal honorary advisor position in the Nanjing government.
Yan Tinghao contacted his wealthy father, and through some unknown means, they were able to openly leave the Northeast.
Returning to the base, Lin Qingge once again immersed herself in revolutionary work.
This time, she and Leng Ningyue would pose as a married couple and go to Shanghai to re-establish the underground intelligence station there.
On the train.
Watching the rising sun in the distance, they silently made the same wish in their hearts:
May spring bring warmth and clarity, the dark clouds dissipate, the mountains and rivers be restored, and the sun and moon shine again.
(The End)