The distance between them grew shorter.
Song Jinyue recognized the approaching man—it was Captain Han, the police team leader she had just met.
She greeted him, “Captain Han?”
She was about to ask why he was here.
“You…”
She had only spoken a single word when Captain Han stopped in front of her and urged anxiously, “Comrade Song, get on the bike, get on.”
“We’ll talk on the way.”
“Alright.”
Song Jinyue sat on the back seat.
As Captain Han pedaled, he explained that the foreign expert, Charles, wanted to see her.
If he didn’t see her, he refused to go to the factory.
Song Jinyue: “……”
Half an hour later.
Song Jinyue arrived back at the municipal bureau.
Three cars were parked at the entrance, with several people standing beside them.
The bicycle stopped.
She jumped off and looked up, only to find everyone’s gaze fixed on her.
When Charles saw her, he quickly walked over, excitedly shouting, “Kung fu! Kung fu girl!”
Li Huguo’s eyes flashed with displeasure at Charles’s reaction, though it disappeared in an instant.
He followed quickly and said to the excited Charles, “Charles, the comrade you wanted to see has arrived. Can we head to the factory now?”
Charles noticed Song Jinyue wasn’t speaking. He was about to ask her why—
But before he could, he heard Li Huguo and instinctively replied, “She comes with us.”
Hearing that Charles wanted Song Jinyue to join them, a surge of anger rose in Li Huguo’s chest, crashing around violently.
For some reason, from the very first glance, this woman surnamed Song irritated him.
And yet Charles was so attentive to her—a woman who had appeared out of nowhere. Aside from her looks, he saw nothing special about her.
Li Huguo turned to the leaders. “Leaders, Charles wants her to go to the factory with us.”
The city leader looked at him. “Comrade Li, this comrade’s name is Song Jinyue. You may address her as Comrade Song.”
Li Huguo understood the implication—he was being corrected, and the leader was speaking up for her.
The anger in his chest flared again, but he suppressed it and repeated calmly, “Charles wants Comrade Song to go to the factory with us.”
The factory leader and the police leader frowned. Was it appropriate for an unrelated person to join?
They remained silent, exchanging looks with the city leader.
But the city leader acted as if he hadn’t noticed and instead asked, “Comrade Song, what do you think?”
The others: “……”
That question already implied approval.
Song Jinyue replied, “If the leader agrees, I’ll go. If not, I won’t.”
The secretary smiled. “Since you’re already here, come along.”
“Alright.”
As soon as she agreed, the secretary asked Li Huguo to translate for Charles that Song Jinyue had accepted and they could depart.
Charles initially wanted to sit in the same car as Song Jinyue, but after hearing it wasn’t appropriate for a man and woman to sit together, he gave up.
Charles, Li Huguo, and the police leader rode in one car.
Song Jinyue rode with the secretary.
The factory leader rode with plainclothes officers.
Inside the car.
The secretary, sitting in the front passenger seat, turned back and said, “Hello, Comrade Song. My name is Wei Weimin, secretary of Jiang City.”
Song Jinyue replied politely, “Hello, Secretary Wei.”
Seeing that she showed no change in expression upon hearing his identity, remaining calm as ever, he grew interested.
“Comrade Song, I heard from Captain Han that you speak foreign languages. When they found Charles, you were communicating with him and calming him down.”
“Yes,” she replied.
With a smile, Wei Weimin asked, “I’m curious—who taught you your foreign language?”
“My teacher.”
“A university student?”
“Yes.”
“Which school?”
Without hesitation, she answered, “Peking University.”
Wei Weimin was startled. “Peking University?”
A top student from Peking University—why was she here instead of the capital?
Song Jinyue nodded.
Puzzled, he asked, “If you’re from Peking University, why did you come here?”
“I wasn’t feeling well. My older brother is here, so I came to recuperate.”
She wasn’t worried about being investigated—that was exactly the reason recorded when she arrived.
“I see.” Wei Weimin nodded thoughtfully. “Then you must have understood everything Comrade Li said to Charles earlier?”
“Yes.”
Wei Weimin smiled. “Could you tell me what they talked about?”
“Of course.”
She agreed and recounted everything in detail.
After listening, Wei Weimin fell silent for a moment, then said, “Comrade Song, I’d like to ask a favor. It’s simple—when we get to the factory, please listen to Comrade Li’s translations and check whether there are any phrases that might cause misunderstandings.”
“If there are, could you signal us?”
“Of course, this won’t be unpaid. I’ll provide a compensation fee. What do you think?”
At the mention of payment, Song Jinyue became interested. “Compensation?”
Wei Weimin noticed her reaction and smiled. “Three yuan. How does that sound?”
“Just for the factory part?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No, until Charles returns to the residence we’ve arranged for him. After that, you’re done.”
“Hmm…” she hesitated. “Secretary Wei, I think signaling might not be ideal. It could easily be noticed by Comrade Li.”
“How about this—you give me a pen and a notebook. I’ll write everything down, and you can review it later.”
If he was asking for help, it meant he already suspected Li Huguo.
This wasn’t the first time—something must have happened before.
Wei Weimin thought her suggestion was better, though perhaps troublesome.
She added, “If there’s a serious mistranslation, I can speak up. Is that okay?”
He shook his head. “No.”
In his plan, Song Jinyue was the trump card—she could not be exposed unless absolutely necessary.
He intended to seize this chance to uncover solid evidence against Li Huguo.
Looking at her, he said, “Unless absolutely necessary, you must not reveal that you understand foreign languages.”
She nodded. “Understood.”
“Then we’ll do as you suggested. But I’m concerned—can you keep up with the writing?”
Song Jinyue replied, “I can—if you pay more.”
Wei Weimin showed a helpless smile. “How much more?”
“One yuan.”
“Deal.”