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

Mingcheng pushed open the Ming family's door. Aunt Gui would always come out to greet him in the past, but she was nowhere to be seen today.

He frowned slightly and strode towards the living room, where he saw Ah Xiang wiping the coffee table with her head down.

"Ah Xiang, where did Aunt Gui go?"

Ah Xiang paused, looked up and replied, "She went out early this morning, saying she wasn't feeling well and needed to see a doctor. She left in a hurry and didn't say which clinic she was going to. I don't know when she'll be back."

Mingcheng's heart sank suddenly, and he had a bad feeling.

Without asking any more questions, he turned and rushed towards Aunt Gui's room, pushing the door open.

The house was spotless, and Aunt Gui's clothes and personal belongings had all disappeared.

Mingcheng felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave; Aunt Gui had run away.

When Minglou finally returned home, Mingcheng hurriedly told him what had happened.

Minglou said with a gloomy expression, "Go to the police immediately and tell them that she stole valuables from the house and ran away. Have the police issue a warrant for her arrest and a reward for finding her. There will be a hefty reward."

...............

The moment news of Nantian Yangzi's death arrived, Aunt Gui was like a frightened bird, instantly concluding that it was the Ming family who had done it. Having infiltrated the Ming family for many years, she knew Ming Lou and Ming Cheng's methods well. With Nantian dead, she, a dog without a master, would be the next target of the Ming family's purge.

At this moment, Aunt Gui was dressed in a plain old cloth shirt and a headscarf, disguised as an ordinary woman from the city. She was carrying a bundle with her money and clothes, and was in a hurry like a lost dog. She called Wang Manchun and arranged to meet at Huangpu Wharf.

Aunt Gui only dared to show herself and get into the car after seeing Wang Manchun's car parked at the agreed location over the phone.

Wang Manchun turned to look at the disheveled Aunt Gui, a cold sneer curling her lips: "Are you trying to run away? Nantian Yangzi is dead, and you, a dog without a master, are afraid the Ming family will kill you, so you've come to me for refuge?"

Aunt Gui, panting heavily, her eyes filled with malice, was a far cry from her usual docile and humble self at the Ming family's house: "I don't want to run away! I need your help to introduce me to Fujita Yoshimasa! I want to tell him the truth, I want to bring the Ming family to their doom, to make them die without a burial place!"

Wang Manchun's tone was somewhat playful: "Oh? What evidence do you have? Empty words won't bring down the Ming family."

Aunt Gui lowered her voice, her face fierce: "The Ming family is secretly relocating their factories and assets in Shanghai. Large amounts of equipment and funds are being secretly transported to Hong Kong. They've been preparing for their escape for a long time!"

Wang Manchun scoffed, her face full of disdain: "That's all? Capitalists transferring assets, what's so serious a crime? Most capitalists in Shanghai do that?"

Aunt Gui gritted her teeth and dropped an even bigger bombshell: "Mingjing went to America, and she's giving birth there. The child in her belly is Chen Qing's!"

"This is enough to bring down the Ming family?" Wang Manchun raised an eyebrow, clearly dissatisfied. "The Ming family has deep roots; this little private matter won't affect them in the slightest."

A glint of madness flashed in Aunt Gui's eyes, yet her words were like thunderclaps: "The Ming family's factory in Shanghai is secretly producing penicillin! And a large portion of it is being smuggled to northern Shaanxi through the Green Gang's smuggling channels! Ming Lou, using his position as director of the General Administration of Customs' Inspection Office, mixed this batch of medicine into the supplies bound for Chongqing, and after passing Wuhan, it was diverted to Yan'an! I overheard Ming Lou's phone call, and Fujita Yoshimasa will find out immediately. Ming Lou is actually from Yan'an; otherwise, he would never have taken such a huge risk to deliver life-saving medicine to the Red Party!"

These words struck Wang Manchun like a thunderbolt, causing her expression to change drastically.

She immediately realized the gravity of the matter.

Penicillin is currently the most sought-after life-saving drug in the world. The Japanese military has long coveted it and sent more than a dozen groups of agents to the United States, but they did not even have the opportunity to get close. They could only buy the finished products from Bristol-Myers Squibb at high prices. A large amount of Japanese foreign exchange flowed into the United States and into the pockets of Bristol-Myers Squibb and the US government. Even so, they often could not get the goods and fought openly and secretly with other countries for a small penicillin quota.

If they knew that the Ming family's factory in Shanghai could produce penicillin, they would stop at nothing to steal it.

If it is confirmed that the Ming family colluded with Yan'an to supply penicillin, not only the Ming family, but the entire Japanese puppet regime in Shanghai will be shaken. Fujita Yoshimasa will definitely do everything in his power to seize the penicillin-producing factory. This time, the Ming family may really be completely finished.

Wang Manchun's playful tone subsided, and her expression turned serious: "The timing is not right now. Mingjing and her unborn child are still in the United States. If we arrest them now, the Ming family will not be harmed. Give me the evidence, and I will forward it to Chief Fujita Yoshimasa."

Aunt Gui shook her head warily: "I didn't bring it with me. Evidence is my lifeline, and I will never show it to anyone easily. You must guarantee my safety and arrange a place for me to stay first, otherwise I will not utter a single word."

Wang Manchun pondered for a moment: "It's too hasty to act now. Mingjing hasn't returned from America yet. If we only arrest Minglou and Mingcheng, Chen Qing will alert them and give the Ming family a chance to retaliate. We must wait for Mingjing to return to China before taking them all down in one fell swoop to eliminate any future troubles. I'll arrange for you to go to the countryside to hide. When the time is right, I will naturally take you to see Commander Fujita."

Aunt Gui stared at Wang Manchun, making sure she wasn't lying, before letting out a sigh of relief. Then, a greedy look appeared on her face: "Alright, I'll believe you this once. Give me some money first, enough for me to hide in the countryside for a while, enough to cover my food, drink, and other expenses."

Wang Manchun glanced at her coldly, took out a stack of banknotes and handed them to her: "Take this money, go to the countryside and stay there quietly, don't run around causing trouble. After it's done, I'll give you enough money to support yourself in your old age. If you ruin my plan, I guarantee your life will be even more miserable than Nantian Yangzi's."

"I'll send you a blank letter when I get there; you can find me by looking for the postmark."

Aunt Gui grabbed the banknotes, clutching them tightly in her hand as if they were her last lifeline. With her body hunched over, she got off the bus, went to the dock, bought a boat ticket, and went to the countryside.

The Shanghai police posted a notice that Guiyi, a servant of the Ming family, had stolen some of the family's belongings and run away. The incident was even reported in the newspaper, which included Guiyi's photo. A reward of five thousand silver dollars was offered for anyone who could find her.

This incident caused quite a stir in Shanghai, but it quickly passed like a gust of wind, and Aunt Gui disappeared without a trace.

Xing'er gave birth to a daughter. Chen Qing was overjoyed to hold his daughter and spent all his time at home taking care of Xing'er during her postpartum period and helping her recover.

Not long after, the landlady gave birth to a son. Chen Qing wanted to send a generous gift, but Wang Jiazhi stopped him.

"When someone else has a baby, you send such an expensive gift. Are you afraid Mr. Hu won't suspect you?"

Chen Qing had no choice but to give up. He was leaving Shanghai and would never come back. Before leaving, he secretly gave the money to his landlady.

At the end of the year, news came from the United States that Mingjing had given birth to a healthy baby boy there and was preparing to return to China soon.

The winter rain in Shanghai was drizzling, wetting the bluestone slabs at the entrance of the alley.

As soon as Mingtai stepped back into Shanghai, he didn't go straight to the Ming Mansion. Instead, he familiarly wandered into a quiet alley in the French Concession and pushed open a small door with a sign that read "Shoe Repair Shop".

This was the secret contact point he and Cheng Jinyun had agreed upon.

The room was dimly lit by an oil lamp. Cheng Jinyun was sitting at the table organizing secret letters when she heard the door open. She immediately looked up and, upon seeing who it was, the tension in her eyes instantly turned into a gentle smile. She stood up and quickly went to greet them: "You're back."

The longing he felt after being apart for so many days was contained in a soft voice as Mingtai stepped forward and gently took her hand.

During his time in Shanghai, he followed Cheng Jinyun on missions, and under the secret arrangement and guidance of his elder brother Minglou, and while spending every day with Cheng Jinyun and falling in love with her, he had already secretly submitted his application to become a Red Army member infiltrating the heart of the enemy camp.

"How's Uncle Li doing?"

Mingtai also heard about Uncle Li's situation in the United States and was very worried about it.

Cheng Jinyun's expression turned slightly serious, and she lowered her voice: "Uncle Li was unfortunately arrested before, but fortunately our people came to his rescue in time and he has been safely sent back to Yan'an to recuperate. The organization has just issued instructions that from now on, our operations in Shanghai will be directly under the unified command of 'Cobra'."

Upon hearing the word "Cobra," he squeezed Cheng Jinyun's hand and asked, "Having been gone for so long, has the organization given us a new mission?"

Cheng Jinyun nodded: "Cobra himself gave the order that a group of captured New Fourth Army soldiers were being secretly detained in a Japanese labor camp on the outskirts of Shanghai. The Japanese planned to send them to the Northeast for forced labor soon. We need to join forces with the Pudong guerrillas to launch a surprise attack on the labor camp to rescue them, and then escort these comrades to the base area in southern Anhui."

Mingtai nodded: "No problem, I guarantee I'll complete the mission. But before we start, I need to go home first, and then I'll come back to find you."

The two shared a gentle kiss goodbye. He turned and pushed open the door of the shoe repair shop, disappearing back into the Shanghai rain, his steps hurried toward the Ming Mansion.

.....................