After putting Niannian to sleep, Gu Beichen returned to his post to change shifts. Now, in order to match Niannian’s schedule, Gu Beichen has completely freed up his time for meals and evenings.
Standing at his post, Gu Beichen’s thoughts were in turmoil.
Niannian has a very good memory; she remembers everything that happened after she turned two.
Gu Beichen was shocked to learn that once, when Niannian was sick for a month, Lin Su hadn’t paid for the books she had translated, and they didn’t have enough money to pay for Niannian’s medical treatment.
But how could that be? He started sending Lin Su 50 yuan a month, and even after he discovered Lin Su was missing, the money was never returned.
Deep down, he still hoped that Lin Su could have a better life, and he also wanted to establish some kind of connection with Lin Su through money; his money never stopped flowing.
Later, as he was promoted and before he met Lin Suqian, he sent out 100 yuan a month.
Over the course of a year, this money added up to three thousand yuan.
At this point, with three thousand yuan, no matter how extravagantly Lin Su spent it, there was no way she would run out of money.
When he learned of Niannian’s existence, he was still feeling fortunate that his money had never stopped flowing.
Otherwise, he would feel even more guilty, having received so much money, yet Lin Su had no money left.
Then there’s only one possibility: Lin Su didn’t receive any money from beginning to end, or she didn’t even receive her own letters.
Just as he had never received a letter from Lin Su since their separation.
Their letters were intercepted, and the money he sent was also intercepted.
Otherwise, Lin Su wouldn’t have said that she would break her promise again.
Thinking that because of other people’s scheming, the couple had been separated for a year, and he had also missed three years of Nian Nian’s growth, Gu Beichen’s heart felt like it was being fried in oil.
He initially thought Lin Su was trying to avoid him, so he searched for her himself for the first year, and later asked his soldiers to help him search secretly.
But no good news ever came. It seems his men were lying!
In the soft light of dawn, Gu Beichen stood by the office window, his gaze calm, yet a grand strategy was already in place in his mind. The encrypted phone on his desk rang, interrupting his thoughts.
“speak.”
“Boss, it’s me, Lu Yan.” The voice on the other end of the phone was a little hoarse from just waking up. “You made me call so early, is there an urgent mission?”
“Hmm.” Gu Beichen’s voice was devoid of emotion. “Have Wang Xiaohu from the reconnaissance company pack up and give him a week’s leave to visit his family.”
“Wang Xiaohu?” Lu Yan was clearly taken aback. “He… I remember his hometown is Qinghe County in Jiangxi Province, right? He was the one who went to investigate Lin Su last time.”
“Didn’t they find nothing? They even reported that locals don’t have a very good opinion of Lin Su.”
Lu Yan put it very tactfully, but Gu Beichen had personally visited the village and knew how harsh their words were.
It’s nothing more than rumors that Lin Su is shameless, tried to climb the social ladder but was dumped instead, and has unrealistic ambitions.
Whether it was out of resentment or something else, Wang Xiaohu loudly recounted the incident on the training field as soon as he returned.
Gu Beichen was their group’s god, and someone actually disliked their god, which was outrageous. Therefore, the entire group had a very bad impression of Lin Su.
Lu Yan also disliked Lin Su very much, and he was unwilling to hear that Gu Beichen had ordered someone to investigate Lin Su again.
“Let him go, don’t ask or say anything!” Gu Beichen’s tone was indifferent, but it carried an unquestionable determination. “Let him go back and ask about the correspondence between Xi and Qian.”
In particular, the county post and telecommunications bureau is focusing its investigation on a retired employee named Wang Xiulan.
“Why are they investigating people from the post office this time?” Lu Yan asked, puzzled.
“Execute the order.” Gu Beichen interrupted him without explanation; he just wanted to know what benefits Wang Xiaohu would gain from it.
“Yes!” Lu Yan immediately shut up; a soldier’s duty prevented him from asking any further questions.
After hanging up the phone, Gu Beichen gently tapped his fingertips on the cold windowsill.
Wang Xiaohu was a sentinel he had planted, a bait destined to fail; his goal was to “stir up trouble and alert the enemy.”
Since the other party was able to set up such a meticulous separation between him and Lin Su, they must have had spies in Qinghe County.
The reappearance of Wang Xiaohu, this “acquaintance,” and his questioning about the letter are tantamount to telling the mastermind behind the scenes that Gu Beichen is still investigating, and has gone even deeper.
When a snake is startled, it will inevitably move.
Almost at the same time that Wang Xiaohu received his leave notice, outside the base, a man named Ma Kongjun, dressed in plain clothes and with an ordinary appearance, also received his first command from Gu Beichen.
Like a drop of water merging into the ocean, he left the base silently, his destination also being Qinghe County.
His task was not to ask questions, but to observe—to observe who would approach Wang Xiaohu after he arrived, who would secretly gather information, and what unfamiliar faces would appear near the county post office.
Meanwhile, inside the core laboratory.
Lin Su stayed up all night, her eyes showing faint dark circles, but her mind was exceptionally focused.
She has just completed the reverse engineering of the Shepherd’s last attack pattern and is now entering the critical data into the encrypted database.
Gu Beichen walked in carrying a security upgrade plan that required her signature and gently placed the document beside her.
“This is based on the latest risk assessment. Take a look.” Gu Beichen’s voice was light and cheerful today.
Lin Su hummed in agreement, her eyes never leaving the screen, her fingers flying across the keyboard. A few minutes later, after processing the data, she picked up the file and quickly browsed through it.
Her professional expertise allowed her to immediately understand the necessity of the plan, especially regarding the increased security level for the family compound and Niannian, which she had no objections to.
She neatly signed her name and handed the document back to Gu Beichen.
Thinking that she hadn’t seen Niannian for many days, she couldn’t help but ask, “Niannian, are you getting used to it?”
Hearing Lin Su ask about his beloved daughter, Gu Beichen’s eyes softened: “Yes! She’s always cheerful, and she even runs with me in the morning.”
Lin Su’s jaw dropped: “Nian Nian is running?”
Niannian and Lin Su are practically identical; Lin Su dislikes moving, and Niannian dislikes it just as much.
Now that Gu Beichen is telling her that Niannian is running with him, she doesn’t believe it at all.
She wondered, “How does she run?”
A smile spilled from Gu Beichen’s eyes as he deliberately lowered his head and whispered, “I’ll carry her and run!”
Lin Su’s face flushed bright red instantly, and she couldn’t help but mutter to herself, “……”
Lin Su recalled an indescribable scene from the past, which made her blush uncontrollably.
Lin Su immediately shook her head, banishing the image from her mind. She inwardly cursed herself for being so spineless; how much time had passed?!
Seeing Lin Su’s embarrassed expression, her ears turning red, a huge surge of joy, like something lost and found again, instantly dispelled the gloom of the past few years.
She remembers! Not only does she remember, but she also reacts, which means that she is also softening, so all his efforts and waiting have been worthwhile.