Dare to shirk responsibility? This adorable little one will tear down your military district!

Gu Changfeng didn't return to the regimental headquarters. Instead, he carried Meng Yaya and took a detour to the cinder pile next to the service station. That was the only way the cooks could take to empty the furnace ash.

"Dad, put me down." Meng Yaya patted Gu Changfeng's shoulder.

Gu Changfeng put his daughter down on the ground and smoothed out the hem of her clothes for her: "Are you really going to give that thing to him? It's a valuable item."

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub." Meng Yaya reached into the bulging little yellow schoolbag and rummaged around.

When she took it out again, she had a neatly packaged, square pack of soft-pack cigarettes. It was red with gold lettering, and featured the Tiananmen Square design—a rare sight in those days—printed on it. Moreover, it was a special edition with a filter.

In this day and age, you can't buy this thing even with money and tickets; only top-level leaders have a quota.

"Here we are." Gu Changfeng lowered his voice and shrank further into the shadows against the wall.

In the distance, Wang Defa slowly walked over, carrying two buckets of steaming coal ash. He walked very slowly, his back slightly hunched, looking like an honest man whose back had been bent over by the burdens of life.

Meng Yaya took a deep breath and adjusted her expression.

The next second, she took a few quick steps and dashed out like a reckless little cannonball.

"oops!"

Meng Yaya tripped over her own feet and fell hard on her bottom in the middle of the road. Her little yellow backpack fell to the ground with a "thud," the zipper already half-open, which she had deliberately unzipped.

The bright red pack of Zhonghua cigarettes rolled out and landed right at Wang Defa's feet.

Wang Defa was startled and quickly put down the iron bucket, reaching out to help the person: "Little rascal, how could you be so careless? Are you hurt?"

His hand was only halfway out when his gaze was fixed on the pack of cigarettes.

He was a heavy smoker and a worldly-wise spy. He had only ever seen this kind of packaging and quality once before, from afar, on the desks of high-ranking officials.

This isn't a cigarette, it's a gold bar! One of these can be exchanged for five pounds of fine grain on the black market!

Wang Defa's outstretched hand, which was reaching to help the person, abruptly turned and picked up the pack of cigarettes with astonishing speed.

He squeezed the cigarette pack. It was full and unopened.

The faint scent of tobacco wafted into his nose, making his stomach rumble with cravings.

"My building blocks!" Meng Yaya sat on the ground, pointing at the pack of cigarettes, her lips trembling as if about to cry. "Those are the building blocks Daddy used to build my house!"

Wang Defa was stunned: "Building...building blocks?"

Using premium-quality Zhonghua cigarettes as building blocks? That's incredibly wasteful!

Meng Yaya got up, patted the dust off her bottom, and said innocently, "Yes, there's a big box under Dad's bed. It's bright red and very pretty. He said this one wasn't flat and told me to take it out and throw it away so the castle wouldn't be crooked."

A whole box?!

Wang Defa felt a buzzing in his head.

Gu Changfeng is a regimental commander, how could he possibly have supplies of this level? Could it be from that meeting in the provincial capital... or did he raid some spy hideout and embezzle them?

Greed grew wildly in his heart like weeds. If he had a box of these things, he could smuggle them out and sell them. Even if he wasn't a spy, and even if he quit this line of work, he could eat roast duck every day for the rest of his life! He could also bribe his superiors to transfer him away from this nerve-wracking place.

"Little Sprout," Wang Defa swallowed hard, clutching the pack of cigarettes tightly in his hand, a simple, honest smile plastered on his face, "This stuff isn't fun, Uncle will throw it away for you, okay?"

"Okay!" Meng Yaya agreed crisply, "Anyway, there are plenty at home."

After saying that, she grabbed her little yellow schoolbag from the ground, didn't even glance at the pack of cigarettes, and skipped away.

Wang Defa stood there, watching Meng Yaya's back, then looked down at the cigarette in his hand.

He looked around and, seeing no one was around, quickly stuffed the cigarette into his crotch and hid it close to his body.

The cigarette isn't poisonous; he just squeezed it, and the seal is intact.

This Gu Changfeng, seemingly upright and honest, turns out to be a scoundrel! No wonder he lives such a comfortable life. Since you're unjust, don't blame me for getting rich.

……

Half an hour later, on the small playground in the compound.

Meng Yaya sat on the parallel bars, swinging her short little legs. Seven or eight boys, about half-grown, surrounded her below, with Wang Hu, who had a runny nose, leading the group.

"Did you all hear me clearly?" Meng Yaya peeled open a White Rabbit milk candy and popped it into her mouth.

"Listen carefully!" Wang Hu stared at the remaining handful of candy in Meng Yaya's hand, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets. "He said your family has become rich, and they have lots of delicious food and good cigarettes."

"That's not enough." Meng Yaya shook her finger. "You have to exaggerate a bit. Just say... my dad brought back a big tin box, and that he's going to a meeting at the division headquarters tonight and won't be home."

"And these candies..." Wang Hu sniffled.

"The job's done, this whole bag is yours." Meng Yaya patted her bulging backpack.

"make a deal!"

With a wave of his hand, Wang Hu led the group of mischievous monkeys away in a chaotic commotion.

Before noon, the news was spreading throughout the entire military compound.

"Have you heard? Commander Gu has done a great service and has been rewarded with some really good stuff!"

"I heard it from my son too. He said they were buying Zhonghua cigarettes by the case, and even Moutai!"

"Goodness, how much money does that cost? Commander Gu isn't home, isn't Lin Wanrou, a woman alone, afraid of attracting thieves by guarding all this treasure?"

Rumors spread like wildfire, infiltrating every corner, including the kitchen of the mess hall.

Wang Defa listened intently as he sliced ​​potatoes.

Several women who were helping out in the kitchen were chatting animatedly outside.

"Commander Gu is going to the division headquarters tonight to report on his work. He said he won't be back until tomorrow."

"Oh dear, does that mean only that mother and daughter are left in courtyard number six?"

Wang Defa paused for a moment with the cleaver in his hand. He cut a shredded potato, and with it, he cut off his last shred of hesitation.

Gu Changfeng is not here.

There was only that soft and limp Lin Wanrou and a three-year-old little girl.

This is practically like leaving the vault doors wide open and inviting him in to take what he wants.

He touched the pack of cigarettes he kept close to his body; the hard, dry feel made him feel hot all over. Things were tense lately, and he hadn't received any funding from above. He'd spent all his savings on roast duck and was worried about not having enough money to bribe his way out.

This is a gift from God.

Once I've pulled off this job and gotten that box of cigarettes, I can resell it to some old black market dealer, exchange it for small-time smuggled goods, and be set free for life!

Wang Defa put down the cleaver and glanced at the darkening sky outside the window.

He grinned, revealing a set of yellow teeth.

He didn't notice that a jet-black sparrow was perched on a tree branch outside the window, tilting its head and staring at him. Meanwhile, a hundred meters away on the roof of courtyard number six, Meng Yaya was perched beside the chimney, holding a pair of binoculars.

"Dad, the fish has taken the bait."

Meng Yaya put down her binoculars and looked back at Gu Changfeng, who was squatting in the shadows cleaning his gun.

Gu Changfeng tucked his gleaming black Type 54 pistol back into its holster at his waist, stood up, and exuded a menacing aura that surged in the night.

"Then let's close the net."