Holding the original shares, they fought all the way to the Korean War!

Zhou Tianyang thought about it for a moment.

Tai'an, Qufu, and then to the outskirts of Nanjing.

This route is basically consistent with the one planned by the headquarters staff.

The only difference is that there are more specific meeting points in the middle, making it much more detailed than the thick line on the map.

"What's the secret code after we arrive in Qufu?"

Zhou Tianyang asked a question.

The man glanced at him, paused for a moment, and then slowly spoke.

"The secret code was: ask him when the city wall of Qufu was built."

He said it was built during the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty.

"Then you said, 'I heard it was even earlier.'"

He said, "Then you misheard me."

Zhou Tianyang kept these words in mind and didn't ask any more questions.

The man glanced at them again, his tone carrying a hint of admonition.

"Wait here for a while before you leave. There's some dry food on the stove, so help yourselves to eat."

The three of them sat for a while longer.

Zhou Tianyang glanced at the man.

"Comrade Wang, how long have you been running this shop?"

The man remained silent for a moment before answering.

"It's been more than three years."

"I took over this shop right after Jinan fell to the Japanese, and I've been staying here ever since."

"It's not easy."

Zhou Tianyang said.

The man did not respond.

The courtyard was quiet for a while.

Later, the man stood up, walked to the courtyard gate, and listened to the sounds outside.

Then he turned around and said:

"That's about it, you can set off now."

Zhou Tianyang also stood up and extended his hand.

"Comrade Wang, take care."

The man grasped his hand and shook it forcefully.

"Take care of yourself."

The three of them walked through the passageway piled with sacks, went around into the alley through the back door of the grocery store, and did not go through the front street.

Zhou Tianyang walked at the front, his pace still unhurried.

The three of them followed the route they had taken, passed through the alley, and turned back onto the main street.

They returned to the village.

The next day.

Zhou Tianyang woke up before dawn.

He sat up gently and walked to the door.

Zhou Tianyang took a deep breath at the doorway, and then heard soft footsteps behind him.

Ma Yong came out of another room.

He was holding a piece of dry food in his hand, and he kept stuffing it into his mouth as he walked.

"Commander, shall we set off at dawn?"

"Um."

Zhou Tianyang turned around, his gaze sweeping over several corners of the courtyard, and then he said in a low voice:

"There wasn't much noise in the latter half of last night, was there?"

Ma Yong swallowed the dry food in his mouth and shook his head.

"No, the whole village is very quiet, not even the dogs have barked."

"The area outside Jinan is more peaceful than we expected."

"Be careful when things are peaceful."

Zhou Tianyang withdrew his gaze.

"The more peaceful a place seems, the easier it is for people to let their guard down."

Ma Yong nodded and said nothing more.

He turned and went into the house, calling out a few times in a low voice, and the soldiers quickly woke up.

No one spoke, no one lingered.

Everyone silently packed their things.

Liu Ping then pushed open the door and came out.

The 32 people finished packing within minutes and continued their journey.

Zhou Tianyang walked in the middle of the group, with Liu Ping on his left.

The group left the village quietly and headed southeast, following the route they had scouted out the previous night.

The country roads were deserted in the early morning, with only one or two early risers occasionally seen carrying hoes as they walked along the paths.

I would glance at the scattered groups of people a few times, but quickly lower my head and continue on my way.

In those days, there were refugees everywhere.

It was no longer uncommon to see groups of people walking, carrying loads, or with their families heading south.

Their team has slightly more members.

But once they dispersed, they looked like just a few groups of ordinary people traveling together.

After walking for about an hour, the sun had fully risen.

The road ahead began to widen and gradually became flatter, and the villages on both sides became more densely packed than before.

Every few miles you can see a cluster of houses, and occasionally you can see a few oxcarts slowly making their way ahead.

After walking for a while, Zhou Tianyang slowed down and waited for Liu Ping to catch up. He then turned his head and asked a question.

"Do you think what Wang Jinghe said yesterday is reliable?"

Liu Ping remained silent for a few steps, as if considering his words, before finally speaking.

"The headquarters mentioned Wang Jinghe to me."

"He stayed in Jinan for more than three years, and he sent out more than one or two batches of people, and there was never a problem."

"The route and contact person he provided should be reliable."

"What about that old man surnamed Zhang from Qufu?"

"He didn't mention any specific names, but since Wang Jinghe said he went to Qufu to find him, he must be a family member."

Liu Ping paused, his gaze falling on the gradually growing mountain shadow in the distance.

"When I was working in the rear, I came into contact with many underground couriers, and they all had one thing in common in how they did things."

"Say what you can say, and don't say a word more than you can't."

"Wang Jinghe didn't reveal the person's specific identity, which means he wasn't entirely sure about the situation there, or perhaps it was inconvenient for him to say more."

Zhou Tianyang nodded.

"Once we arrive in Qufu, we'll find that used bookstore first, exchange the secret code, and then decide on the next step."

"If anything goes wrong, we'll retreat immediately."

Liu Ping didn't say anything more, but simply nodded slightly in agreement.

The group continued moving forward.

The terrain on both sides gradually changes from open plains to undulating hills.

Farmland gradually decreased, replaced by patches of low shrubs and mixed forests.

Zhou Tianyang estimated that at the current speed, he should be able to reach the foot of the mountain before dark.

Tomorrow, once we cross this mountain ridge, we'll enter Tai'an territory.

Ma Yong turned back from the front, walked to Zhou Tianyang's side, slowed his pace, and lowered his voice.

"Commander, there's a town about three miles ahead."

"From the intersection, it doesn't look like there's a checkpoint, but there are a few people gathered at the entrance of the town, and it's unclear what they're doing."

Zhou Tianyang looked up and could only see a cluster of rooftops in the distance.

"How much longer will it take to go around that route?"

"If you go around through the farmland south of the town, it's an extra four or five miles."

Zhou Tianyang thought for a few seconds.

"No more detours, let's go straight through."

"You lead the way, just like you're on a journey."

"If someone stops you and questions you, try to handle it discreetly."

"With so many of us, taking a detour would only attract attention."

Ma Yong nodded, turned around and walked back, then walked to the front of the group and whispered a few words to them.

The group did not stop, but continued to walk towards the town in small groups.

However, everyone's pace quickened subtly.

The town is indeed small, with only one main street running through it.

Most of the houses on both sides of the street had their doors closed, and there were few people walking around.

There were indeed several people squatting under the tree at the entrance of the town.

But upon closer inspection, it became clear that several old men were playing chess, two of whom appeared to have come specifically to watch the spectacle.