Chapter 136

The four people on the rooftop stopped talking. Wu Ming and the short middle-aged man felt somewhat detached from the conflict, unable to understand what kind of relationship Xie Wendong and Zhang Fanyou had, or why Xie Wendong was speaking up for them. Xie Wendong and Zhang Fanyou, one holding a knife and the other a gun, stared at each other, sparks flying, with neither willing to back down.

The heat in the air and the oppressive atmosphere on the rooftop combined to make it hard to breathe. Xie Wendong slowly narrowed his eyes and pushed the golden knife, still pointed at Zhang Fanyou’s throat, a little further forward. Blood slid down the blade onto Xie Wendong’s hand and then onto the scorching hot marble tiles under the sun. “Don’t think I really can’t kill you. By the time I draw my knife, I no longer hesitate. I can kill you, but you can’t kill me.”

Feeling the burning pain in his throat and seeing the blood dripping to the ground, Zhang Fanyou’s eyes widened. Clenching his gun tightly, he said, “You can try. I don’t believe my bullets will be any slower than a knife.”

“If you kill me with your gun, you still can’t escape blame!” Xie Wendong chuckled, moving closer to Zhang Fanyou and speaking in a voice only the two could hear. “It was I who reported the Red Army. Who would believe I’m on their side? It’s you who should have brought your men here but came alone, using your own gun to try and kill me. Do you think Dong Fang Yi will think you’re here to capture the Red Army or to help them?”

“You…” Cold sweat appeared on Zhang Fanyou’s palms. He had always been ambitious to take Dong Fang Yi’s place, and Dong Fang Yi was aware of this, but he couldn’t do anything about it. First, Zhang Fanyou held a position in the Political Department as a lieutenant colonel, a high-ranking official appointed directly by the central government. For Dong Fang Yi to impose any real punishment on him would require approval from the central government. Second, Zhang Fanyou had always been very cautious, making it difficult to find any weaknesses in him—this was also the main reason Dong Fang Yi tolerated him.

Zhang Fanyou’s lips twitched slightly. Xie Wendong’s words hit the nail on the head. If he killed Xie Wendong under these circumstances, it would be hard to explain. Dong Fang Yi certainly wouldn’t miss such an opportunity; that old fox would hold onto it tightly. Thinking this, he hesitated. Xie Wendong saw this and knew that giving up such an opportunity would mean he was no longer Xie Wendong. He sheathed his golden knife, ignored the gun pointed at him, and smiled. “Today, you didn’t see me, and I didn’t see you. If we keep fighting, we’ll both suffer. Don’t you think?”

Zhang Fanyou was after all no ordinary person. He put away his sidearm, smiled at Xie Wendong, yawned, and said, “I’ve been too tired these past few days. I just went upstairs to rest for a while.”
“Smart!” Xie Wendong looked up at the sky and said, “It seems it’s getting late, and nothing has happened yet. Why don’t we go downstairs and get ready to head home?”
“Hmm, that makes sense!” Zhang Fanyou nodded and actually prepared to head downstairs.
Xie Wendong turned to Wu Ming and said, “Brother Wu Ming, it’s been days since we last met. I miss you greatly. How about having a simple meal together?”
Wu Ming didn’t know what Xie Wendong had said to Zhang Fanyou that made him change so drastically. He had to reassess his attitude toward Xie Wendong and even grew interested in him. He immediately agreed, “I was thinking the same thing! Brother Xie and I are on the same page.” With that, Wu Ming and the short middle-aged man walked over to Xie Wendong.
Xie Wendong laughed heartily, “Brother, your Chinese is getting better and better. Before long, even if you claim to be Japanese, no one will believe you.”
The short middle-aged man didn’t understand Chinese and couldn’t hear what Xie Wendong and Wu Ming were saying. But seeing their joyful expressions, as if they were old friends chatting, he felt relieved. Xie Wendong didn’t even glance at him, just smiled while talking to Wu Ming and followed Zhang Fanyou to leave the rooftop. When they reached the small pavilion leading back inside the building, it was so narrow that only one person could pass at a time. Zhang Fanyou stepped in first, ignoring the three people behind him. Though his face showed a smile, he was extremely frustrated—his great opportunity for promotion had been ruined by Xie Wendong, and he harbored resentment in his heart. Out of courtesy, Xie Wendong stepped aside to let Wu Ming go in first. After some polite exchanges, Wu Ming entered first. Xie Wendong then smiled at the short middle-aged man and gestured for him to go in, who nodded in gratitude.
Just as he was about to step in, a dazzling light appeared before his eyes. It was golden, covering everything in the world as if all things were covered in layers of golden sand—extremely beautiful. Then he saw red, along with Xie Wendong’s charming, unchanging smile.
“Thud!” The short middle-aged man collapsed like a small mountain, falling straight down. A cut about an inch long appeared on his throat, and blood gushed out. Lying on the ground, his face still showed a smile, for in that moment he felt he had seen the most beautiful sight in the world.

Xie Wendong flicked the golden knife in his hand, and a drop of blood slid down. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the blade clean, then sighed and said, “This might be the greatest value you’ll ever demonstrate in your life.”
Hearing something amiss behind him, Wu Ming turned around and was shocked by what he saw. He exclaimed in surprise, “Xie Jun, what are you doing?”
Xie Wendong shook his head helplessly and said, “I’m truly sorry, but I have to give an account to my superiors. Your operation seemed very covert and well-planned, but it wasn’t. Otherwise, how would I have ended up here?! If I just let the two of you go, not only me, but neither of you will be able to leave Beijing. I had no choice but to take this drastic measure. I hope you can understand.”
Wu Ming stared at Xie Wendong for a long time before finally sighing and saying, “You should at least discuss this with me before taking action. Maybe we could find another solution.”
Xie Wendong shook his head earnestly and said, “You should know this is the simplest and most direct way. How can you get away without someone dying to cover for you? I consider you a friend, which is why I didn’t want to see you get hurt. That’s why I took such a big risk to stop you here, even at the cost of alienating my colleagues—just because I regard you as a friend.”
Anyone would be moved by Xie Wendong’s sincere words. As a human being, Wu Ming was filled with immense gratitude. He shook Xie Wendong’s hand and said, “Thank you! I understand now!”
Xie Wendong said, “Enough talk. It’s getting late. My superior will arrive soon, and it won’t be easy for you to escape. The most important thing now is to leave this place quickly. Wait for me at Penghui Hotel. I’ll come find you in a while. I still have some things to deal with first.”
“Okay!” Wu Ming replied, repeating, “I’ll wait for you at Penghui Hotel!” After saying that, he looked sadly at his fallen comrade on the rooftop, cut a lock of his hair, put it in his pocket, knelt down to pray for a while, then hurriedly left the building. Only after seeing him safely leave did Xie Wendong breathe a sigh of relief. Zhang Fanyou, who had already gone downstairs, walked over and asked curiously, “Weren’t there two people? Why did only one leave? Where’s the other one?”
Xie Wendong smiled and said, “The other one is on the rooftop. I left him there for you.”
Zhang Fanyou was stunned and asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Xie Wendong smiled and said, “I might not claim to be extremely loyal, but I never forget the kindness others show me. Since you helped me this time, I certainly won’t treat you poorly. That man is dead—you killed him!” He paused for a moment before laughing again and saying, “Lieutenant Colonel Zhang is truly heroic—he single-handedly fought off the terrorist who was about to commit a crime and successfully saved the Japanese Prime Minister visiting China. This great merit belongs to you, and this is my way of repaying you.”

“What… what?” Zhang Fanyou could hardly believe his ears. He shouted, “Are you serious?”

“Heh, when have I ever lied to anyone?!”

“Great! Fine! I, Zhang Fanyou, take you as my friend!” Before finishing speaking, he rushed toward the elevator as if in a hurry. Xie Wendong then pointed at Dong Xinlei, who was being held by a few people, and asked loudly, “Can my friend leave now as well?”

Zhang Fanyou didn’t even glance at him or turn around. “Of course,” he said before getting into the elevator.

Xie Wendong snorted. He didn’t care about this so-called merit, as he had no intention of making much progress within the Political Department. The deeper he got involved, the harder it would be to escape. Giving this merit to Zhang Fanyou was a good strategy—it created a strong rival for Dong Fangyi, who would have plenty to deal with in the future, and it also made Zhang Fanyou see him more favorably. Maybe he might even be useful someday. At the same time, it proved to Dong Fangyi the accuracy of his intelligence—the Red Army’s operation was well-planned. Without his information, a major disaster might have occurred, and the entire Political Department responsible for national security would have suffered greatly.

Xie Wendong led Dong Xinlei out of the building and stretched. Dong Xinlei didn’t know what had happened on the rooftop. He only saw Zhang Fanyou follow Xie Wendong into the elevator and had no idea what happened afterward. He asked, “Brother Dong, how did you take care of that man?”

“It was simple!” Xie Wendong said nonchalantly. “Now, I’ll take you to deal with Wu Ming.”

In front of the Penghui Hotel, Xie Wendong spotted Wu Ming waiting anxiously at first glance. He walked over quickly and said, “I’m not too late, am I?”

“Not late at all!” Wu Ming breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Xie Wendong. Noticing a tall man behind him, he asked, “Who is this…?”

It seemed he hadn’t paid attention to Lao Lei during their first meeting. Xie Wendong said, “Don’t worry. He’s my good friend.”

The three of them entered the hotel, ordered some drinks and dishes. Xie Wendong and Dong Xinlei were already hungry and started eating heartily. Wu Ming was depressed—not only had the mission failed, but his comrades had also died, leaving him with no appetite. Seeing his state, Xie Wendong advised, “There’s a saying in China: ‘People are iron, food is steel; skipping a meal leaves you hungry.’ No matter what’s on your mind, eat first.” With that, he plated some dishes for him.
Wu Ming couldn’t refuse. The food tasted bland, so he took a big gulp of wine and asked, “Xie Jun, I want to know how you found out about our mission.”
Xie Wendong smiled inwardly. This was exactly what he wanted to discuss. He hadn’t expected Wu Ming to ask first, which suited him even better. He sighed and said, “I suppose you’ve heard of the Soul Group. I don’t know their connection to the Red Army, but our intelligence did come from them—though we’re not sure about their motives.”
“The Soul Group?” Wu Ming slammed his glass on the table angrily. “So it was really the Soul Group who gave you this information?”
Xie Wendong replied calmly, “How could it be a lie? There’s no reason for me to slander the Soul Group. Besides, we’re friends—how would I lie to you?!”
“Yes,” Wu Ming nodded. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have doubted my friend! Thank you, Xie Jun. Not only did you save me this time, but you also shared such important information. I really don’t know how to thank you!”
Xie Wendong raised his glass. “No need for thanks. I hope that both you and I, as well as the Red Army, can become good friends!”
Wu Ming also raised his glass. “You’re my friend, which means you’re also a friend of the Red Army. If you ever need help, just give me a call or leave a note—I’ll be there immediately. If I can’t help directly, the entire Red Army stands behind me.”
Xie Wendong smiled and clinked his glass against Wu Ming’s, though he dismissed his words as exaggeration—as if he could represent the entire Red Army! But this time, Xie Wendong had underestimated Wu Ming.