Chapter 104: Where Has the Spirit of Valor Gone?

The Sheng Family’s Old Restaurant.

“Slow down…” Wun’s carriage came to a halt. Zhou Sen stepped forward to open the door and helped the stylishly dressed Jiang Rou down from the carriage.

“Thank you, Brother Sen,” Jiang Rou said with a sweet smile.

“Don’t be so polite with me. Come along, we’ll eat first, then I’ll take you to my company,” Zhou Sen chuckled.

“Brother Sen, who is this lady?” Jiang Rou asked with a hint of curiosity, noticing Anna standing behind Zhou Sen.

“This is Anna, my secretary. She mainly handles some of the company’s miscellaneous affairs,” Zhou Sen introduced. Since Anna insisted on coming along, he couldn’t refuse.

After all, the Japanese had probably already thoroughly investigated Zhou Sen’s social connections. It was pointless to hide things that would inevitably come to light. Better to be straightforward about what could be revealed and keep only the most sensitive secrets concealed.

If Jiang Rou and he were to have frequent contact in the future, their relationship would no longer be a secret. Since it couldn’t be hidden, it was better to be open about it.

“Miss Anna, nice to meet you. I’m Jiang Rou,” Jiang Rou nodded slightly and extended her hand.

“Miss Jiang Rou, nice to meet you too,” Anna replied politely, shaking her hand and nodding. Inside, however, she was shocked. There was not a single piece of intelligence about this Jiang Rou—where had she suddenly appeared from? Zhou Sen was an expert at keeping things under wraps.

“Anna, Jiang Rou just arrived in Bingcheng recently. Since my sister and I have a rare chance to have a meal together, you should head back to the company with Wun,” Zhou Sen instructed.

“All right.” Anna was reluctant to leave but knew she couldn’t disobey her boss.

Clearly, something was amiss here.

Zhou Sen had a sharp grasp of the situation. He might be a bit lazy and indulgent, but he was far from foolish…

“Brother Sen, since she’s your secretary, why don’t you—” Jiang Rou started to say, but Zhou Sen quickly ushered her inside. There were some matters he truly didn’t want Jiang Rou involved in. It was better she remained unaware.

“Boss Sheng, private room, please.”

“Right away.”

“Rou, what made you decide to visit me today?” Zhou Sen asked as they sat down in the private room.

Jiang Rou smiled gently. “I happened to have the day off and thought it had been a while since I last saw you, Brother Sen, so I came by.”

“You didn’t tell Sun Qingkui, did you?”

“He doesn’t know. I didn’t say a word,” Jiang Rou replied firmly. She would never tell Sun Qingkui about Zhou Sen. She would keep it hidden for as long as possible.

“If that Sun fellow finds out you came to see me, he’ll probably cause you trouble,” Zhou Sen said, knowing Sun Qingkui’s character well—greedy, petty, and snobbish.

“Brother, do you really want to be a policeman for the rest of your life?” Jiang Rou asked.

“Rou, why the sudden question?” Zhou Sen was surprised. “What’s wrong with being a policeman? Maintaining social order and ensuring citizens’ safety is a noble profession.”

“But do the people of Bingcheng respect you?”

“They’re just temporarily misunderstanding. Imagine if the city had no police—how bad would the security be? Would anyone be able to live in peace then?” Zhou Sen couldn’t call himself a fool; after all, he was a policeman.

Jiang Rou smiled helplessly. She understood that Zhou Sen’s environment was different from hers. It was difficult for him to feel the oppression and helpless resistance ordinary people endured.

“Brother, don’t you feel that Manchukuo is just a puppet government controlled by Japan?”

“Rou, you’re an opera performer—why get involved in politics? That’s not your place,” Zhou Sen replied. He sensed something unusual in Jiang Rou’s visit today.

“Brother, when we were kids, you were someone who couldn’t stand being bullied. Why have you lost that fighting spirit now?” Jiang Rou retorted.

“Rou, what makes you think I’ve lost my spirit?”

“The Japanese burn, loot, and bully on our land. As Chinese, shouldn’t we stand up and fight back?”

“Rou, you can say such things in front of me, but never mention them to anyone else. Otherwise, no one can save you,” Zhou Sen said firmly.

“Brother…”

“If you still consider me your brother, don’t ever bring this up again. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

A deep disappointment flashed in Jiang Rou’s eyes.

“Let’s eat. Today, we only talk about family matters. Later, I’ll take you to see my company,” Zhou Sen said calmly, showing no coldness toward Jiang Rou.

“Here, Rou, try this. This place has excellent beef offal,” Zhou Sen said warmly, serving Jiang Rou some food and sharing amusing childhood stories.

Jiang Rou also recounted her adventures over the years, especially meeting various celebrities.

Zhou Sen was naturally envious. Having never left Bingcheng, he longed to see the world beyond.

Apart from some awkwardness at the start, the rest of the meal went smoothly.

After lunch, Zhou Sen took Jiang Rou to tour “Sen’s” shop and even brewed her a cup of coffee himself.

Jiang Rou stayed for over an hour before bidding farewell. Zhou Sen had Wun drive her back.

…

“Zhou Sen, this Miss Jiang Rou is actually Xiao Xiangning, the sensation of Bingcheng today—and you’re siblings?” Anna had been busy too. While Zhou Sen and Jiang Rou were eating, she had uncovered Jiang Rou’s other identity.

“More than ten years ago, Jiang Rou and I were sold into the same opera troupe. I was older and we got along well. She always clung to me, and I took care of her. Later, I couldn’t bear the abuse from the troupe leader and ran away secretly. I wanted to take her with me, but that night she was asleep so deeply I couldn’t wake her. So I left alone. It wasn’t until recently, when she returned to Bingcheng and posted notices looking for me, that we were reunited,” Zhou Sen explained.

“I see. But why didn’t you report such an important matter?” Anna questioned.

“This is a personal matter. Why would I report it?”

“Anyone around you could pose a potential danger. We must investigate everyone thoroughly,” Anna explained.

“She’s an opera performer and hasn’t been back for over a decade. This time, she’s returning for a new stage engagement. How could she threaten me? I’m just a nobody. Isn’t this overkill?” Zhou Sen retorted.

Anna was silent.

“Fine, investigate all you want. But don’t harm Rou—that’s my bottom line,” Zhou Sen said firmly.

“Don’t worry. We’re just conducting routine checks and won’t harm Miss Xiao Xiangning,” Anna assured.

Jiang Rou wouldn’t have spoken those words without reason during dinner. Did she truly care about him, or was there another motive?

Out of caution, Zhou Sen didn’t respond or pursue the topic further.

When Jiang Rou questioned him about his “fighting spirit,” he was indeed touched. As a child, he had fled the troupe due to unbearable abuse. Now, grown up, he lacked the courage to resist.

From Anna’s attitude, Jiang Rou’s identity seemed legitimate. The Japanese wouldn’t have brought “Jiang Rou” back to Bingcheng just to test him.

Better safe than sorry.

It had been a day since the call from the Matier Hotel. He wondered how Arman would try to contact him.

The same method could only be used once; if it failed, there would be no second chance.

…

After Wun dropped Jiang Rou off at her residence, he left. But Jiang Rou changed clothes and headed out again immediately.

She didn’t take a carriage but boarded a tram bound for the dock district.

At the station near Cannon Street, Jiang Rou disembarked.

At the “Fu” Grocery Store, Old Zhang saw Jiang Rou enter and quickly led her through the back door into a small room.

Popolov had been waiting anxiously. Seeing Jiang Rou, he stood and asked, “How did the meeting go?”

Jiang Rou considered her words carefully. “He seems satisfied with his current situation and identifies with being a policeman. Whenever I tried to bring up other topics, he stopped me quickly. He seems uninterested in politics and unwilling to discuss it further. I couldn’t delve deeper.”

Popolov sounded disappointed. “Did he suspect you or make things difficult?”

“No,” Jiang Rou shook her head.

“Looks like the person who called the other night wasn’t him,” Popolov muttered.

“Comrade Popolov, what are you talking about?”

“Oh, nothing. Just keep in touch with him, but avoid those topics for now to keep you safe,” Popolov advised.

“Understood. What’s my next task?” Jiang Rou asked, sensing Popolov’s reservations. Discipline in the underground meant not asking too many questions.

“Do you know about his relationship with Bai Yulan from the Ningxiang Pavilion?” Popolov asked.

“A little,” Jiang Rou hesitated, then nodded.

“Are the rumors true that they are romantically involved?” Popolov pressed.

“In my view, they are very close. He even asked me to call Bai Yulan ‘sister-in-law.’ But from what I observed, they haven’t reached that stage yet,” Jiang Rou said.

“What do you mean by ‘not that stage’?” Popolov didn’t understand.

“It means they’re not actually together yet.” Jiang Rou wasn’t sure how to explain. It was just a feeling based on her years of observing many couples. The intimacy of real spouses differs from mere pretense.

“After these two contacts, what kind of person do you think he is?” Popolov asked.

“Well…”

“Messenger, speak freely. Don’t hold back,” Popolov encouraged, noticing her hesitation.

“He is sincere and kind. At least during this time, I’ve seen no serious faults in him as a policeman. Except for some youthful recklessness, despite not seeing each other for over a decade, he still cares for me deeply without any estrangement. His reluctance to discuss politics might be self-protection. In his environment, caution is necessary,” Jiang Rou replied thoughtfully.

Popolov nodded. “Because of your special relationship with him, we selected you for this mission. There’s something I need to explain. Zhou Sen’s adoptive father, Anthony Robin, is a key member of the underground anti-Soviet organization, the Russian Patriots Alliance. His codename is ‘The Priest,’ and he holds significant influence. Although we don’t yet know why he adopted Zhou Sen, sending him to police academy and placing him in the Nangang Police Precinct must have a purpose. Otherwise, why interfere so strongly? Zhou Sen originally intended to pursue literature, but under his adoptive father’s pressure, he became a policeman in Manchukuo…”

Jiang Rou was shocked.

She now understood that her superiors chose her for this mission not only because of her relationship with Zhou Sen but also due to his special status.

“Messenger, we must understand his ideological leanings. This is crucial. Do you understand?” Popolov said.

“Yes, Comrade Popolov.”