She would no longer be in Shanghai, and the Lu Xinglong family would probably be doomed as well. Yesterday, she had already learned that the public security authorities had confirmed some of their crimes.
Being sent down to the countryside was already a lenient punishment. They might even be sent to perform hard labor. They deserved what was coming to them!
But this house had been the hard work of her grandparents. Leaving it vacant was definitely not an option. And she certainly could not let that ungrateful family benefit from it.
So after putting everything in her room into her space, she carried a bag on her back, took a suitcase, and brought the property deed with her to the Shanghai municipal government.
She went directly to one of the Shanghai officials and decided to let the city government use the two-story villa free of charge.
At least that way, someone would be looking after the house.
The municipal officials were both surprised and delighted when they heard her decision.
Who in Shanghai did not know the name of Old Master Lu? Many people had received his help and kindness.
The official receiving her this time was one of them.
“Comrade Xiao Lu, your sense of civic responsibility is truly admirable. We are currently desperately short of office space, and our working conditions are extremely basic. The fact that you are willing to let us use such a good house free of charge has truly solved an urgent problem for us.”
“Director, you’re too kind. When my grandfather was alive, he never cared about personal gains or losses. As long as he could help, even in some small way, he was happy. I feel the same way.”
“No wonder you’re Old Lu’s granddaughter. If you ever need anything in your life, you can come to us. We’ll do our best to help you.”
“Thank you, Director.”
Afterward, they signed two ten-year agreements for the free use of the property.
The director even presented her with a certificate of honor.
The entire process took about an hour.
When Lu Xinran left the municipal government offices, she checked the time.
It was only nine o’clock.
She took her suitcase and headed to the train station.
She had already obtained her train ticket and the letter of introduction for the military unit a few days earlier.
Her train was at eleven.
She had bought the ticket herself and had chosen the most expensive soft-sleeper private compartment. Each compartment had only two berths.
There was no reason to make herself suffer.
The station was crowded. There were still educated youths being sent to the countryside, heading to different parts of the country.
Clutching her ticket, Lu Xinran boarded the train and embarked on an unknown journey.
There were not many people in the soft-sleeper carriage. After boarding, she quickly found her berth.
Fortunately, she had bought the lower berth, which was much more convenient.
The berth across from hers was still empty.
Several hard-seat carriages toward the front were packed with people and extremely noisy.
She placed her suitcase underneath her berth.
Whoo—
She did not know how much time had passed before the train whistle sounded.
The train was finally about to depart.
Lu Xinran took the letter of introduction out of her shoulder bag.
Actually, she knew almost nothing about that man.
She had only learned a few things about him from Lu Manling’s brief mentions.
He was said to have a fierce appearance, a cold personality, and to be completely indifferent to others.
Now she had also heard that he had been seriously injured while on a mission.
She did not know whether he would still acknowledge this engagement.
After all, his fiancée had been replaced by another woman.
If he refused to recognize the engagement, she would have to make other plans immediately!
Everything was full of uncertainty and challenges.
But there was nothing else she could do.
She could only face the difficulties head-on.
She still had to save her parents.
She had looked into it, and people with identities like her parents’ would probably have to endure being denounced and sent down to the countryside for at least ten years before they could be rehabilitated.
Clank—clank—
The train began moving.
The berth across from Lu Xinran remained empty the entire time.
Perhaps no one was willing to spend that much money on a ticket.
She quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
She had heard that the journey to Chang’an in the northwest would take two full days and two nights, arriving on the morning of the fourth day.
The journey would be long.
As long as nothing unexpected happened, eating and sleeping her way through it would not be too bad.
Who would have thought that something would go wrong on the very first night?
There was a commotion toward the front of the train.
The noise was getting louder, accompanied by screams, and it even disturbed the soft-sleeper carriage.
Some passengers hurried out to see what was happening, whispering among themselves.
“What happened up ahead? Why is there such a huge commotion?”
Some people could not resist going over to take a look.
“Ahhh—!”
One scream after another came from the distance, gradually getting closer.
Lu Xinran could feel the chaotic noise approaching their carriage.
She could not help stepping out of her berth to take a look as well.
A man with a vicious, contorted expression came running toward her in a fury.
She wanted to move aside, but it was already too late.
Everything had happened so suddenly that she had never imagined something like this could happen on a train.
By the time she realized what was happening, a cold dagger was already pressed against her neck.
“Don’t move! Don’t come any closer! Otherwise, I’ll kill her!” he shouted frantically.
“Don’t do anything rash! Don’t hurt an innocent person!”
Held hostage by the man, Lu Xinran was momentarily unable to process what was happening.
“There’s still an hour before we reach the station! I want to get off the train. I’ll let her go then. Don’t force me!”
He was already at the end of his rope, his eyes bloodshot.
“Release the hostage immediately! You can’t escape! Surrender and you may still be able to make up for your crime.”
The man standing at the front was wearing plain clothes. He was probably a state security officer, and he had a gun in his hand.
“Then I’ll take someone down with me even if I have to die!”
Lu Xinran felt a sharp pain against her neck.
The criminal was extremely agitated.
The hand holding the dagger was already trembling slightly.
The passageway was narrow, making it difficult for them to apprehend him.
But Lu Xinran knew that the man’s attention was not actually focused on her.
He thought she was just a fragile young woman who had no ability to fight back.
Clearly, he had made the wrong assumption.
In her previous life, Lu Xinran had exercised regularly and had even learned some self-defense and martial arts.
When everyone’s attention was distracted, she suddenly drove her elbow backward into the man behind her and kicked his shin.
He cried out in pain, and the dagger fell to the ground.
Lu Xinran moved in one fluid motion, twisting his arm behind his back and pinning him down.
She twisted his wrist with a sharp crack, as though she were about to break it.
The train police and state security officers immediately rushed forward to help.
Together, they successfully apprehended the vicious enemy agent.
Lu Xinran’s chest rose and fell slightly.
Only then, after feeling the pain in her neck and the back of her hand, did she realize that she had been injured in two places.
What an utterly undeserved misfortune.
“Comrade, thank you so much!”
“Your neck is bleeding, and so is the back of your hand. Come with our attendant to the dining car so we can bandage your wounds,” one of the state security officers said gratefully.
Lu Xinran touched her neck.
Her pale fingers came away stained with bright red blood.
She had originally wanted to refuse, but in the end, she could not bring herself to do so.
She followed the train attendant to the dining car.
Only after arriving did she realize that the atmosphere here was also extremely tense.
A man covered in blood was lying on a table.
“This is…?”
Lu Xinran stopped in her tracks.
Another state security officer came over and explained, “During the fight with that vicious enemy agent just now, he stabbed one of our comrades. He’s lost a lot of blood, and his condition isn’t looking good.”
His expression was grave, and the sadness in his eyes was impossible to hide.
Yet there was nothing he could do.
There was still half an hour before the train reached the station.
It was difficult to say whether the injured man could even hold on until then.
“Comrade, let me try. I can give him some medicine,” Lu Xinran offered.
The state security officers were risking their lives to protect the country and apprehend enemy agents.
She did not want to see a hero bleed, nor did she want to see his family shed tears.
The moment the state security officer heard her words, his eyes immediately lit up.
“Little comrade, what’s your name? Are you a doctor?”