If you had to choose an identity to go undercover, you'd choose a gynecologist.

City Hall Office

Minglou leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh of relief; the anxiety that had been weighing on his mind for days could finally be put at ease.

Mingcheng slumped on the guest sofa, loosening his tie, his face still showing lingering fear.

Minglou stared at the table in silence for a long time before whispering, "It's finally over... but thinking about Chen Qing still sends chills down my spine."

Mingcheng frowned: "Brother, how exactly did Chen Qing poison Nantian Yangzi? We know nothing about it from beginning to end."

Minglou looked up at Mingcheng, his eyes even colder: "Do you still remember the HSBC incident? Now, he's dealing with Nantian without leaving a trace... This man's thoughts and methods are so deep that they frighten me."

Mingcheng gave a bitter smile: "Fortunately, we are on the same side now. If one day he really turns against us, we might not even know how we died."

After a moment of silence in the office, Minglou pulled himself together and slowly said, "This person hasn't received any systematic training, and his thoughts are uncontrollable. I can only guide him slowly. However, these matters can only be put aside for now. At least he's still on our side. Besides, he's still Eldest Sister's man and the father of the child in her womb. With this bond, he's much easier to control."

"Should Big Sister and Mingtai be back soon?" Mingcheng asked, changing the subject.

Minglou's tone softened with a family-like gentleness as he nodded, "She'll give birth at the end of the year. After the baby is born, she and Mingtai will go back to Shanghai. Before that, we need to clean the house thoroughly so that my sister and the baby won't suffer any harm."

Mingcheng frowned slightly, not understanding the deeper meaning behind the words, and bowed to ask, "What does elder brother mean...?"

Minglou raised his eyes, his gaze icy: "Nantian Yangzi is gone. Before your adoptive mother, Aunt Gui, returns, send her on her way and let her follow her master. You take care of this matter."

"Me?" Mingcheng hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded: "Okay, big brother, I'll handle it."

………………

Chen Qing has been extremely busy lately. Xing'er is also nearing her due date, and he takes good care of her at home every day. Every few days, he also goes to Tao Xisheng and Gao Zongwu for acupuncture.

Because Xiao Ai is in hibernation and will not wake up for some time, he is unable to completely cure the two of them. However, this has increased his opportunities to contact Gao Tao and the other person.

Since they conceived the idea of ​​leaving the Wang Jingwei regime, the two have lived in constant fear, worried about Chongqing's accountability, fearing retaliation from the Wang Jingwei regime, and worrying about the safety of their families.

After each acupuncture treatment, Tao Xisheng would press his sore shoulders and neck, frowning as he asked, "Mr. Chen, when will this symptom finally be cured? Dragging it out like this is not a long-term solution."

Chen Qing put the needles back into his pouch, his tone calm but with a hidden meaning: "You two need not rush. The day you travel west will be the day you are fully recovered."

These words were so blunt that the two finally made up their minds.

When the message was delivered, Chen Qing also put forward his conditions. He and Gao Tao had a close relationship, and if the two defected, the Japanese and the 76th Division would be the first to suspect him. At that time, he wanted to take his family to escort Gao Tao and Gao Tao to Hong Kong to avoid being killed.

Wang Tianfeng readily agreed, making Chen Qing overjoyed. He began secretly preparing to leave, transferring all his assets to Hong Kong. He also had Wang Jiazhi go to Hong Kong to buy a luxury house and a piece of land in Tsim Sha Tsui. Wang Jiazhi had lived in Hong Kong before and was familiar with the place. She was very happy to hear that Chen Qing was going to Hong Kong.

Chongqing and Gao Tao began secret negotiations, using the same methods they had employed with Zhou Fuhai.

Instead of directly intervening, they asked Du Yuesheng to mediate and use the Green Gang's connections to secretly negotiate with the two men.

Du Yuesheng had extensive connections in Shanghai and Hong Kong, and was a trusted intermediary for the Nationalist government. Having him handle the situation avoided the awkwardness of open official negotiations and also allowed him to maintain control of the situation.

Once negotiations began, a protracted tug-of-war ensued.

Tao Xisheng and Gao Zongwu knew that they were criminals and that if they wanted to return to Chongqing, they needed to have enough leverage.

Their demands were straightforward and practical: first, the Chongqing government had to provide them with a respectable position, generous benefits, and a nominal post to ensure they would not be purged in the future; second, they needed a sufficient sum of money to ensure their families would be well-fed and clothed for the rest of their lives; and third, their families had to secretly move to Hong Kong to escape the turmoil of Nanjing and Shanghai and completely avoid retaliation from the Wang Jingwei regime.

Someone in Chongqing, I don't know who, spoke ill of the old man to him. The old man was unwilling to give in easily. On the one hand, he wanted to maintain a certain posture and punish the person who had sided with Wang Jingwei. On the other hand, he wanted to win over the two of them and use them to expose Wang Jingwei's conspiracy. Weighing the two sides, he kept reducing the conditions.

Chen Qing continued to shuttle between the two places.

As Xing'er's due date drew closer each day, he had to take care of her daily needs, hire a midwife, and prepare for the delivery, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

At this time, Mingcheng came to find him, saying that a new contact from Yan'an had arrived and asked him to make contact. He even gave him the code name "Peacock," which was a veiled insult to Mingcheng's promiscuous private life, referring to the colorful plumage of a peacock when it spreads its tail feathers to attract a mate.

Chen Qing was reluctant to go, but fearing that Ming Lou might sabotage him, he could only go to the meeting in a perfunctory manner. Anyway, once he left for Hong Kong, what could they do to him?

The winter rain in Jiangnan is sticky and cold, slanting down on the black lacquered doors of the Shikumen houses in the French Concession, splashing up tiny droplets of water.

Shunxing Teahouse was not far from Huangpu Wharf. Shanghai peddlers, accountants, gangsters in short clothes, and old women carrying vegetable baskets crowded together. The shouts in Shanghainese, the bubbling of copper kettles, and the clanging of trams all blended together, making it the most reliable cover for Shanghai's underground liaisons.

Chen Qing dressed up as a traveling doctor, wearing a worn-out dark blue cotton robe, with an elm wood medicine box standing beside him.

He chose a table near the alley entrance, with his back against the brick wall, so he could see in all directions.

A bowl of Qimen black tea sits on the corner of the table, its lid upside down and the stem facing northwest.

He held a copy of "Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber," with the first corner folded.

A woman wearing an indigo cheongsam, with short hair reaching her ears, carrying a blue cloth satchel, walked in through the damp stone gate steps.

Her features were clear and sharp, and she looked exactly like a female teacher at a private elementary school in Shanghai. Her gaze swept across the tea room and landed directly on the red teacup on the corner of Chen Qing's table.

The woman did not sit down, but leaned over and lightly pointed to the "Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber" beside Chen Qing:

"Sir, may I ask if this medicine can treat cold-related ailments?"

Chen Qing raised his eyes, his gaze calmly sweeping over the half-copper plate protruding from the other person's book bag. He lightly tapped the medicine box with his fingertips and answered in secret code:

"A gentle east wind is needed to dispel the cold and strengthen the body."

The code words matched.

The woman sat down and placed her book bag under the table, then handed over a gleaming fragment of a copper medicine mortar and pestle.

Chen Qing also took out the other half from the medicine box's hidden compartment. The two copper pieces gently bit together, and the character "忠" (loyalty) closed completely, without any discrepancy.

"Comrade Peacock, I am 'Dandelion,' a new-style courier from Yan'an to Shanghai, specifically to make contact with you."

Chen Qing waved his hand impatiently: "My name is Chen Qing, no need for all this fancy stuff."

Dandelion looked slightly surprised and said in a low voice, "My name is Zhang Li. I came to Shanghai this time not only for work but also to look for someone."

Who are you looking for?

"Chen He, my fiancé."

Chen Qing didn't respond to her words. Chen He had already been executed at the Military Police Headquarters, so how could she bring it up?

However, Chen He's fiancée was a member of the Communist Party, which made Chen Qing suspicious of Chen He's true identity.

The two exchanged addresses and contact information. Chen Qing impatiently said goodbye and left. He didn't want to see Zhang Li a second time.