Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house): Starting with the Korean War, returning home to take charge

He Yuzhu had just lain down when the phone rang. He answered it in the dark, and Yang Xiaobing's voice was very low, as if he was afraid of being overheard.

"Commander, Mr. Lin has agreed."

He Yuzhu didn't speak. He could hear Yang Xiaobing controlling his breathing; there was a whooshing sound from the other end of the phone, and he couldn't tell if Yang was standing at the window or outside. After a few seconds, he asked, "What are the conditions?"

"There are no conditions. Mr. Lin said that back in Chiang Mai, you helped his friend save his rubber plantation, and he has always remembered that."

Yang Xiaobing paused after saying that. He Yuzhu heard him swallow.

"Commander, we've also made contact with Chen Guodong. He brought four men, all veterans. Their weapons are American-made, bought from the black market; they'll just throw them away when they're done."

He Yuzhu was silent for a while. There was no moon outside the window, and it was so dark that he couldn't see anything. He switched the microphone to his other ear.

"Do not harm the innocent. Capture those around Pu Zheng alive if possible. Those who resist fiercely may be shot."

"clear."

When Yang Xiaobing said those two words, his voice suddenly hardened, as if he were gritting his teeth. He Yuzhu knew it wasn't toughness, but nervousness. He was nervous too. Ten years had passed; if he got away again this time, he truly didn't know where to begin chasing him.

"Be careful. Things are chaotic in Brazil; if something happens, no one will be there to bail you out."

"Don't worry, Commander."

The phone call ended. He Yuzhu held the receiver, listening to the busy tone for several seconds before putting it down. He sat on the edge of the bed, without turning on the light. He took out a cigarette from the bedside table and lit it. The match's flame illuminated half his face before going out. The cigarette butt flickered, like a firefly in the darkness.

Qin Huairu turned over.

"Still not asleep?" Her voice was sleepy.

He Yuzhu stubbed out his cigarette. "Yang Xiaobing and the others are leaving tomorrow. To Brazil."

Qin Huairu didn't reply. She reached out, touched his hand, and grasped it. Her hand was no longer soft; her knuckles were large, and there were calluses on the base of her thumb. He Yuzhu didn't pull away, letting her hold it.

After a long pause, she finally spoke. "Will we be able to catch them this time?"

He Yuzhu looked out the window. It was pitch black, and he couldn't see anything. But he knew that after dawn, Yang Xiaobing would board a plane, fly halfway around the world, to catch the person who had been on the run for ten years.

"He can't escape."

After saying those three words, he paused for a moment. It wasn't regret, but a sudden realization that he'd said those words countless times, each time as a way of encouraging himself. But this time was different. This time, someone was there to meet him; there were veterans, weapons, and a route. This wasn't a aimless chase; it was a planned capture.

Qin Huairu didn't ask any more questions. She squeezed his hand briefly, then released it and turned it back over.

He Yuzhu lay down, listening to her breathing gradually become even. He couldn't sleep, Yang Xiaobing's words kept replaying in his mind—"Commander, don't worry." Was he really at ease? He didn't know. But he knew Yang Xiaobing would fight to the death.

By daybreak, He Yuzhu was already standing in the waiting area.

There weren't many people, just a few scattered around. Yang Xiaobing stood at the starting point, his dark gray suit ill-fitting, the sleeves too long, which he had rolled up twice. His gold-rimmed glasses were also new, the lenses reflecting light, obscuring his eyes. He stood ramrod straight, but his hands remained in his pockets, clenched into fists.

Old Lu stood beside him, dressed in blue overalls. The zipper of his canvas bag was broken, and it was tied with a rope. When he picked it up, the rope dug into his fingers; he switched hands, then switched back. Behind them stood three young men, all in casual clothes, carrying suitcases, looking like ordinary travelers. Liu Tiezhu stood at the very edge, dark-skinned with bright eyes, in his early twenties, on his first long trip. He kept touching his lower back, which earned him a glare from Old Lu, causing him to pull his hand back.

He Yuzhu walked up to Yang Xiaobing without saying a word. Yang Xiaobing also remained silent. The two stood there for a few seconds.

"Once you get there, follow Mr. Lin's instructions. Don't push yourself."

Yang Xiaobing nodded. "Understood."

He Yuzhu turned to Lao Lu. "Be careful, don't be clumsy."

Old Lu grinned. "Commander, when have I ever been indecent?"

He Yuzhu ignored him and looked at Liu Tiezhu. The young man stood up straight, his chest puffed out.

"What's your name?"

"Reporting to the commander, my name is Liu Tiezhu."

He Yuzhu nodded. "Do a good job. I'll give you credit when you get back."

Liu Tiezhu blushed, opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything. Old Lu patted him on the back of the head. "Don't just stand there, thank you, sir."

"Thank you, sir!"

The announcement came on. Yang Xiaobing picked up his suitcase and glanced at He Yuzhu. He seemed about to say something, his lips moved, but in the end he only uttered three words.

"I'm gone."

He turned around and walked towards the boarding gate. Old Lu followed behind, and Liu Tiezhu was the last. After a few steps, he turned back and smiled at He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the plane taxi onto the runway. The engine roared louder, the fuselage shuddered, and it began to glide. Faster and faster, it lifted off. He looked up, watching it become a dot and disappear into the gray sky.

He lit a cigarette.

A ground staff member came over and pointed to the no-smoking sign on the wall. He stubbed out his cigarette, threw it in the trash can, and turned to leave the waiting area.

That evening, He Yuzhu sat in his office. A map of Brazil lay open on his desk, and he drew a circle around São Paulo in red pen. He then drew a line, winding its way from the rubber plantations to downtown São Paulo, through farmland and woods.

He stared at that line for a long time.

The phone rang. He answered it, and it was Lin Jianguo on the other end, his voice hoarse.

"Dean, the upgrade of Starship Six is ​​complete. The memory has been increased fourfold, the hard drive tenfold, and the processor has been replaced. Calculating warp drive now takes three days per model, twice as fast as before."

He Yuzhu put down the red pen. "Hurry up and calculate. Researcher Wang is waiting for the data."

Lin Jianguo responded and hung up.

He Yuzhu stood up and walked to the window. The moon came out, shining on the courtyard wall, the gray plaster gleaming coldly. He took the list out of the drawer, turned to the page with "Pu Zheng," and added a line after the word "pursuit": Yang Xiaobing led the team to Brazil, with Mr. Lin assisting and Chen Guodong providing support.