Operation Red Book

"I have no plans to get married and have children. Is there anything wrong with me swearing on this? May I ask?"

"I have already promised Mr. Victor to go to the Chinese dock to investigate, so I can't go back on my word, right?"

"Mr. Zhu has been tortured on the bottom of the ship for more than two months. Ms. Bell has repeatedly told us not to let him get angry or tired. Do I have to go against his wishes and make him so angry that he vomits blood?"

Ivy pushed hard to push aside a dense green bush and disappeared into it in the blink of an eye.

Joshua followed closely behind, silently doing the same movements as Ivy.

You must be extremely careful when walking through the green bushes, as sharp branches may scratch your face if you are not careful.

Ivy was already familiar with the situation, and Joshua seemed to have more difficulty adapting than her.

He was obviously not very skilled and was either tripped by the vines under his feet or hit by a branch that suddenly extended out.

The green leaves were dense, and Ivy's back was almost completely blended into them. The only things left were the huge thorns that moved back and forth like springs.

Without Ivy's guidance, Joshua was a little anxious at first, until the complaints that had not diminished in the slightest reached his ears again, and his irritable mood immediately drove away all his uneasiness.

"So what's wrong with me swearing on my infertility? It's a blessing for me, a reassurance for Mr. Zhu, and a promise to keep for Mr. Victor..."

"We're here... Where are you? Come here quickly!"

Ivy's roar came from a distance, its power not diminished at all.

Joshua pricked up his ears, trying to determine the direction of the sound.

He gritted his teeth and pulled aside several resilient branches. Then, Ivy and a shabby vermilion wooden door suddenly appeared before his eyes along with the light.

Most of the red paint on the wooden door had fallen off, and the flying old dust had stained the thick copper lock with a thick layer of gray.

This is one of the secret gates leading to the Chinese Wharf, hidden in the large jungle on the west side.

When Ivy is running late for work, she always goes through this little-known gate, which allows her to travel smoothly without having to go through the docks.

"Ahh...ah!"

Joshua didn't pay attention to his feet and was tripped by a tree root hidden in the soil.

"Keep your voice down! I'm afraid that group of traitors are guarding here too!"

Ivy hurriedly pulled Joshua up from the withered grass, and the two of them listened through the wall for a long time with their ears tilted.

There was silence inside the door, no buzz of voices or the clatter of hurried footsteps.

It seemed safe, and Ivy and Joshua exchanged glances.

The door lock had long been broken, so Ivy opened the wooden door a tiny gap.

Her shiny black eyes flashed with vigilance through the crack in the door. She observed her surroundings patiently, and only after making sure it was safe did she call upon Joshua to squeeze through the wooden door together.

"How did it become like this?"

When I stepped onto the familiar cobblestone road again, the scene before me had completely changed.

In Ivy's memory, even during the day, the Chinese wharf would never be as desolate as it is now.

There was complete silence all around, not a single person was seen.

The roadside stalls were scattered, and the wooden boards that had not been cleared away in time were filled with charred charcoal fragments.

Tattered debris was piled in the middle of the cobblestone road, and half-torn colored lights fell from overhead, swaying lifelessly in the mist.

Half of the green plants that Mr. Zhu carefully maintained have withered, and the rest either have their heads drooping or have lost all their leaves.

There was a faint smell of the sea in the air, as well as the smell of burnt charcoal, the smell of dust, the bitter smell of suffering, and the stench of death...

The two of them stumbled their way to the small stone bridge in the center of the market. The water under the bridge had long dried up, revealing the muddy bottom of the pool and dried fish bones.

A strong smell of decay wafted from under the bridge, adding to the sense of danger and tension in the air.

"Where should we go now?"

Joshua asked, looking around in confusion.

"You go to Muyunzhai, and I'll go to the Yangchun noodle restaurant at the entrance of the market." Ivy replied.

“Wait!”

Joshua suddenly frowned, his face was heavy and his tone was monotonous.

Ivy saw all the changes that happened in an instant, which made her feel inexplicably angry.

"What's wrong?" Ivy replied in a rather bad tone.

Joshua shrugged. "I thought we were going to do it together."

"We are here to gather intelligence, not to fight or cause trouble. Wouldn't it be faster if we act separately?"

"I know, but..."

"Or do you not know how to get to Muyunzhai..."

"Why, are you directionally challenged? I've taken you around the entire Chinese market three times!"

"Why are you suddenly talking to me like this?" Joshua's face wrinkled.

"I didn't say that suddenly. In fact, I asked you this a long time ago. Remember? I said 'What's wrong', which means 'What's wrong with you'!"

Ivy said angrily, her tone suddenly rising several degrees, obviously she was overwhelmed by the anger accumulated along the way.

She seemed to have completely forgotten that this was no longer the Chinese market with small bridges, flowing water and houses, but a rebellious city with thieves patrolling everywhere...

"I wanted to ask you this morning when I came out of Johns' newspaper office. Do you have any opinion on my oath? You have been giving me a cold shoulder since then. I have tolerated you for a long time!"

"Well, calm down! Young lady!"

After all, the two of them became more familiar with each other, because Joshua's tone also revealed his unwillingness to admit defeat.

"Because you are a person who is childish to the next level! It is irresponsible for you to swear on such an important life of yours!"

"How is it irresponsible? When has having children been able to replace my life? Why can you control my fertility, you 'Gentleman' with only testicles and no uterus!"

"You shouldn't joke about your future, Ivy. The future is undefined. You are only 20 years old. Who knows if you will regret it in the future?"

Joshua's whole body was shaking. He clenched his fists and tried hard to control his emotions.

"Whether I regret it or not is none of your business! Who are you? My future husband? The father of my future child? Or the one who will give birth to my child?"

"That's not what I meant! I just think you shouldn't use such a serious topic and such behavior of not cherishing your own life choices as the content of your oath!"

Ivy's lips trembled with anger, her face was livid, and the daggers in her eyes could have chopped off the heads of ten Joshuas.

"Ha! Joshua..." Ivy laughed contemptuously, "Who are you? Huh? What qualifications do you have to make decisions for me?"

Even though these words were so sad, Ivy couldn't help but close the door.

The breeze blew through her temples, carrying all the clear syllables into Joshua's ears.

The wind made those flaxen eyes appear sad, and the extremely painful expression gradually appeared on that wrinkled face...

The redness in the corners of his eyes formed a sharp contrast with his pale face, and his eyes were sore that he could no longer hold back the tears...

"I am nothing, I am just an unknown soldier under your command. I just dare to give you some heartfelt advice. I want you to go further, to see higher, and to be able to easily lift the stepping stones not far away when you encounter a high wall...

The words from the heart were right at the corner of my mouth, but there were two or three dry and bitter corks blocking my throat.

An awkward atmosphere swept across the entire stone bridge, making the two of them feel very uncomfortable.

Ivy sighed softly, curled her lips, turned her back to Joshua, and walked down the bridge alone.

The lonely yet persistent back is like an invisible and impenetrable earth wall.

Joshua shed silent tears. After Ivy had distanced herself from him, he turned stiffly and walked slowly in the opposite direction, dragging his numb legs...

In fact, it didn't need to be so troublesome. Not long after the two of them walked, a strong smell of the sea came violently from behind them like a storm.

So quietly, so violently, but it couldn't cover up the regret, sadness, discomfort, and heartbreak that spread from the bottom of their hearts to their whole bodies...

So, he was followed, knocked unconscious from behind, put into a sack, and carried by two big men...

Shit! They still haven't reacted yet!