Cangmang Asks the Way 1: Guardian of the Lamp

On the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, the first snow fell lightly in Xiqiao Village.

As Cang Tianci, who had just started his winter vacation, walked into the village with his luggage in the twilight, he sensed two unfamiliar "stale airs" coming from under the old locust tree. He slowed down and looked over. It turned out that two unfamiliar men wrapped in old cotton-padded coats were squatting and smoking. When they saw him looking over, they awkwardly turned their faces away.

He was certain that the two people were not from the village. What were they doing squatting there in such cold weather?

Tianci didn't stop and went straight to his own yard, but the string in his heart had already been quietly tightened.

Wang Zhenkun sat anxiously in his main room. The phone call from three days ago still echoed in his ears: "Team Leader Wang from the provincial 'Special Investigation Team' will be looking for you. It concerns a major national security case, and you must fully cooperate."

Is Secretary Wang home?

A steady, powerful voice came from outside the courtyard gate. Wang Zhenkun jumped, quickly straightened his clothes, and hurried out to greet the voice.

Two people stood outside the door. The one in the lead was a middle-aged man in his mid-thirties, wearing a dark blue jacket, with a stern face and sharp eyes. Beside him was a slightly younger man carrying a black briefcase, with a serious expression.

"Comrade Wang Zhenkun?" The middle-aged man showed his identification—a dark blue cover with a silver national emblem, "Special Investigation Team of the Provincial State Security Bureau, Wang Zhicheng (Wang Zhiqiang's pseudonym)." He pointed to his companion beside him, "This is my colleague, Li Weiguo (Ichiro Imai's pseudonym)."

Wang Zhenkun took the identification document, his hand trembling slightly. The document was well-made, complete with a photo and official seal, and the job title section read "Head of Investigation Team." Although he had never seen a real national security identification document before, the imposing presence of this one was enough to intimidate him.

"Team Leader Wang, Comrade Li, please come in!" He quickly ushered the two into the main room and personally brewed the best tea.

Wang Zhiqiang took the teacup, his fingertips lightly tracing the rim—a barely perceptible habitual gesture, like the mark left by years of handling delicate objects. He didn't drink immediately, his sharp gaze scrutinizing every subtle change in Wang Zhenkun's expression, before slowly speaking: "Secretary Wang, we are investigating a major case involving foreign forces. You know about the 'December 19th' bank robbery in Nancheng, right?"

Wang Zhenkun's heart tightened, and he nodded repeatedly: "I've heard about it, I've heard about it, it's in the newspaper. Cang Lifeng from our village was even injured while saving someone..."

"That's the problem." Wang Zhiqiang leaned forward slightly, his eyes sharp, but his tone carried a deliberately restrained calmness. "Behind this robbery, there may be a legacy of a spy network. Our initial information indicates that the robbers' target wasn't cash, but certain items in the bank safe deposit box. And these items may be related to certain cultural traitors who served the Japanese army during the War of Resistance."

He paused, noticing the sudden change in Wang Zhenkun's expression, and continued in a guiding tone, "Based on some clues we've gathered, the Cang family in your village migrated from Beiping (Beijing). Cang Houde's father, Cang Yunshan, seems to have had contact with Japanese puppet regime cultural institutions during the Japanese occupation of Beiping. We'd like to know if the Cang family has preserved any old artifacts from that period, or... if there are any unusual rumors?"

Wang Zhenkun's heart skipped a beat. He instinctively felt that something was wrong with what he was saying—if it was about investigating "traitors," why did the tone sound more like he was searching for "objects"? He put on a troubled and fearful expression: "Team Leader Wang, this... I dare not say anything carelessly. Old Master Cang is highly respected in the village. His father's affairs are too far in the past for us younger generation to know. But the older generation knows about their family's escape from the north. They say it was a difficult time during the chaos of war." As he spoke, he secretly observed the two men's reactions, trying to judge the truth from their eyes.

"We're not here to draw conclusions, we're here to investigate," Imai Ichiro (Li Weiguo) said at the opportune moment, his voice carrying an undeniable pressure. "Secretary Wang, you are the person in charge of the village and know everyone's situation best. Providing information and assisting in uncovering the truth is your responsibility. This concerns national security and the stability of your village. Any concealment could have serious consequences."

Sweat beaded on Wang Zhenkun's forehead as his mind raced. These two men exuded an imposing aura, their identification appearing genuine, yet an unsettling undercurrent lingered in their conversation. He recalled the phone number in that crucial department, then glanced at the two men before him. Ultimately, his long-standing resentment towards the Cang family and a certain opportunistic desire to "go with the flow" prevailed. Forget the authenticity; if he could use this "momentum" to strike at or even bring down the Cang family…

"Team Leader Wang, Comrade Li, I will definitely cooperate fully!" he immediately declared, his tone becoming more proactive.

For the next hour or so, Wang Zhenkun recounted almost everything about the Cang family's ancestors for three generations. He talked about Cang Houde's temperament and habits, the personalities of his descendants; how the Cang Zhenye family was "unruly" and how Cang Lifeng "acted like a hero" in the southern city; he even went into detail about the grudges between the Cang family and Liu Tietou—including the near-fatal conflict at the temple fair.

He spoke with excitement, a release of pent-up emotions from years of suppression, and also with a hint of probing—he deliberately included some trivial matters known only to the villagers, wanting to gauge their reaction. But Wang Zhiqiang and Imai Ichiro simply listened quietly, occasionally jotting down notes in their notebooks, their expressions inscrutable, leaving him unable to fathom their intentions.

When Wang Zhenkun mentioned the discord between Cang Jianguo's family and the other families, the two exchanged a meaningful glance.

"Does Cang Jianguo usually interact with other family members?" Wang Zhiqiang asked.

"Not many," Wang Zhenkun said confidently. "His branch of the family isn't close to the eldest and second sons' families. His son, Cang Xiaoren, and daughter-in-law, Chen Xianfei, are even more..." He chose his words carefully, "...a pair who are quite calculating. They're the ones keeping the closest eye on the old man's meager assets."

Wang Zhiqiang nodded, closed his notebook, and glanced around the main room again before finally settling on Wang Zhenkun's face: "Secretary Wang, your cooperation is very important, we will take note. Next, we need your assistance with a crucial task."

"You said you'd do it, and you definitely will!"

"We need to contact Cang Jianguo's family to learn some information. But we can't reveal our true identities and purposes," Wang Zhiqiang said seriously. "Just say we're from the city's cultural bureau, here to conduct folklore research, and we're interested in old objects. Please help us make introductions, and we'll take care of the rest."

Wang Zhenkun felt that strange feeling rise again. Did the National Security Bureau need to be so roundabout and disguised in its investigations? But he didn't show it on his face and immediately agreed: "No problem. Although I don't get along with the Cang family, I'm on good terms with Xiao Ren. I'll go and make the arrangements right away." In his heart, however, he was thinking, "Let's see what kind of show you're going to put on."

"No rush," Wang Zhiqiang raised his hand to stop him. "Let's wait a couple of days, until we've made some preparations. Also, regarding the conflict between the Cang family and Liu Tietou... does this Liu Tietou wield considerable influence in Futian Township?"

Mentioning Liu Tietou, Wang Zhenkun's expression changed, and he lowered his voice: "Team Leader Wang, this guy is a local tyrant, ruthless and vicious. After what happened with the Cang family, he quieted down for a while, but he definitely still holds a grudge. I heard he has connections in the township and county..."

Wang Zhiqiang nodded thoughtfully and didn't press further. As he got up to leave, he glanced at the landscape painting on the wall and asked casually, "This painting is quite interesting. Where did Secretary Wang get it?"

"Ah, this... I collected it a few years ago, it's not worth much," Wang Zhenkun said vaguely.

Wang Zhiqiang smiled and said nothing more.

After seeing the two "investigators" off, Wang Zhenkun returned to the main room and sat in a chair, lost in thought for a long time. He was both excited and uneasy. He was excited because the Cang family might really have a big problem, and this was going to be interesting; he was uneasy because these people seemed a bit sinister.

But soon, the sense of superiority from "cooperating with the state in handling the case" and the pleasure of potentially suppressing the Cang family overwhelmed the unease.