Chapter 44: Arrival at the Military District

Sun Yangzhong and Qin Dezhen were both bewildered by Zhong Xiaoyun’s cryptic words.

Sun Yangzhong was the first to recover, asking, “Miss Zhong, how do you know they’re on Moon Lake Island?”

That didn’t make sense. The conflict zone in the Western Sea this time was at the western ring of islands, while Moon Lake Island was actually at the northernmost tip of the archipelago. Even if Commander Song and his men were injured and needed to hide, they wouldn’t choose such a distant and geologically unstable island.

Seeing Sun Yangzhong’s disbelief, Zhong Xiao hurriedly made up a story:

“I just found a thumb ring in this fish’s mouth. This thumb ring was a token of affection I gave to Song Tingshen long ago, and now it appears in the fish’s mouth—it must have been placed there by Song Tingshen.”

“And just now the old gentleman said, this fish swam from the waters near Moon Lake Island. Look at its scales—they have patterns unique to fish from that area.”

Qin Dezhen and Sun Yangzhong turned instantly to the old fisherman.

The old man was dumbfounded.

“I… I never said that…”

He had only said the fish was caught in the Western Sea, not from Moon Lake Island!

But Zhong Xiao looked directly into his eyes and insisted, “You did say it. I heard it just now. Otherwise, how would I know about Moon Lake Island out of nowhere?”

Sun Yangzhong considered it—could it be true? Maybe the old man really did say it, and he just missed it while drifting off?

The old man stared at Zhong Xiao’s determined gaze and was completely bewildered. He couldn’t remember if he had actually mentioned it, and his wife had lately been saying his memory was failing.

“Moreover,” Zhong Xiao continued, spinning her tale, “look at this fish's scales—long, wave-like, and densely packed. That’s characteristic of fish that live in high temperatures. And among all the Western Sea islands, which has the highest temperature? Only Moon Lake Island, because of its volcano.”

Sun Yangzhong and Qin Dezhen were thoroughly awed.

At that moment, Zhong Xiao quietly pulled a thumb ring from her pouch—it was one she had grabbed from Du Huacheng’s room when she left the Zhong family.

She pretended she had found it in the fish’s mouth and showed it to Sun Yangzhong.

“See? The thumb ring I gave Song Tingshen is in the fish’s mouth, and the fish came from Moon Lake Island. Doesn’t this prove that Song Tingshen and his men are on Moon Lake Island?”

Before Sun Yangzhong could get a good look, Zhong Xiao swiftly tucked the ring away, her expression grave.

“What are you waiting for? Let’s hurry to the military district and request support!”

Sun Yangzhong, though half skeptical, didn’t dare to waste a moment. He abandoned his meal and declared,

“Let’s go! I’ll buy the tickets!”

From the pier to the military district, it took a little over two hours.

Once Sun Yangzhong had gone, Zhong Xiao gave the old fisherman twenty yuan to buy the fish.

The old man waved his hands, “That’s too much, no need… One yuan a pound, this fish is at most five or six pounds.”

Zhong Xiao replied, “This fish is valuable, the price is fair. Please accept it, sir!”

She found a bag, packed the fish, and hurried after Sun Yangzhong.

Only Qin Dezhen remained, scratching his head.

“Xiaoxiao... when did she ever give Tingshen a token of affection? He’s never mentioned it to me…”

But there was no time to dwell; he quickly followed the others toward the station.

—

Soon they bought tickets and boarded the bus. Sun Yangzhong’s demeanor changed immediately, now stern and focused, a far cry from the shy, awkward young man he had been earlier.

With military affairs at stake, he could not afford any laxity.

Zhong Xiao furrowed her brow, pondering the situation on Moon Lake Island.

If they could still release fish, it meant their circumstances weren’t utterly desperate. At least food and water should not be lacking. As for the severity of their injuries, Zhong Xiao could not guess.

Time was of the essence.

But the real challenge was whether she could convince the military district leaders after fooling Sun Yangzhong and Qin Dezhen. Not everyone would believe her fabricated “fish scale theory.”

The bus soon entered the military district. Zhong Xiao looked out the window and saw rows of brick houses and old Soviet-style buildings aligned like soldiers. Flags flew atop every building.

The walls were painted with red slogans:

“Remain vigilant, defend the homeland,” “Prepare for war and famine for the people.”

The bus stopped at the entrance; no further passage was allowed. Armed soldiers guarded the gate and checked their passes.

Sun Yangzhong produced his pass and a letter of introduction bearing Commander Song’s seal, verifying the identities of Zhong Xiao and Qin Dezhen.

After inspection, the gate soldiers notified the inside.

Soon, a jeep approached from afar—a four-wheel drive with a canvas roof, white letters painted on the side: BJ-212.

A typical military vehicle, unseen in ordinary cities.

Sun Yangzhong ushered Zhong Xiao and Qin Dezhen into the jeep.

He said, “Comrade, please drive directly to the headquarters. The deputy commander and political commissar should be in today, right? I have an urgent military report for them.”

The officer in the front seat thought for a moment, “They should be here. The leaders had a meeting this morning.”

Sun Yangzhong nodded and turned to Zhong Xiao.

“Miss Zhong, I’ll need you to come with me.”

Zhong Xiao’s expression was uneasy. She still hadn’t figured out how to explain all this to the district leaders.

Qin Dezhen noticed her discomfort.

He reached out, his warm, rough hand grasping hers.

Zhong Xiao turned to look at him.

Qin Dezhen smiled kindly.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be your witness. If I speak, they’ll trust me at least a little.”

Qin Dezhen had once been the chief physician at the military hospital. The current director, Zuo Lan, was his last protégé. Liu Guangmin, the political commissar of Taizhou Island’s military district, had been personally saved by Qin Dezhen years ago.

Zhong Xiao looked at Qin Dezhen and asked, “Second Granduncle, do you really trust me that much?”

She knew her earlier story was full of holes, and Qin Dezhen had simply been caught off guard. Now, after some time to reflect, it was clear her reasoning was flawed.

But Qin Dezhen was still willing to risk his decades-long reputation to vouch for her.

He smiled and said, “You’ve always been clever, child. Though I don’t know how you’re so certain, I trust my sixth sense after all these years in the military.”

“I analyzed it on the way over—if Tingshen and his men truly are trapped in the Western Sea archipelago, Moon Lake Island is the most dangerous, yet the safest place.”

When the group arrived at the headquarters, Commissar Liu Guangmin was startled to see Qin Dezhen.

Qin Dezhen strode up and slapped him on the back.

“You’ve recovered well, boy! Look at you, tough as leather—must’ve eaten well at lunch today!”

Liu Guangmin’s eyes brimmed with tears.

“Master Qin! How can it be you! … How did you come to Taizhou Island? Weren’t you retired in Yuecheng?”

“Do I look that old?” Qin Dezhen shot him a glare, then got straight to the point. “I’m here to tell you—assemble a rescue team to Moon Lake Island at once. Tingshen and his men are very likely trapped there!”