Spy Wars: I'm the boss, who am I afraid of?

On a street filled with smoke, Pinggang Shantai and Xue Linyuan stood in a secluded corner, their eyes revealing an indescribable heaviness and determination. Pinggang Shantai's voice was low and powerful, "We will separate here, Xue Linyuan, take care."

Xue Linyuan nodded, his eyes flashing with trust and reluctance to part with his comrades, "Okay, take care."

Pinggang Shantai took a deep breath, as if he was organizing his thoughts. "Thank you again, Comrade Master, for saving my life. I will remember this friendship. Take care." After saying that, he turned and walked into an alley on the side and disappeared into the night.

But before leaving, he disguised himself to ensure he could evacuate safely.

Tang Xiaoxiao looked at the direction where Ping Gangshan left, and couldn't help but feel a little worried, "Is it okay for him to go alone?"

There was a hint of anxiety in her tone. After all, in this turbulent era, every step was full of unknown dangers.

Xue Linyuan smiled and patted Tang Xiaoxiao on the shoulder, "Don't worry, every lurker has his own safe spot and his own safe passage."

Tang Xiaoxiao sighed softly, "Where are we going now? My superiors asked me to rebuild the Haizhou underground party. I'm fine with fighting and killing, but this is really putting me in a difficult position." There was a hint of helplessness in her words. Obviously, she was not good at things that required thinking.

Xue Linyuan thought for a moment and said, "Let's go to Fanghua Bookstore first. It's a safe place for us."

His proposal made Tang Xiaoxiao's eyes light up, but she still had some concerns, "Is it safe?"

Xue Linyuan explained: "Don't worry, the owner of Fanghua Bookstore, Sister Fanghua, has a cousin who used to follow Watanabe Kumaichi and is now following the new commander Miyazawa Kenta. No Japs will search there." His words revealed his precise grasp of intelligence, which made people feel at ease involuntarily.

Tang Xiaoxiao nodded, "Listen to Uncle Xue, but we have to disguise ourselves first." As she spoke, she took out two masks from her bag, put one on herself, and handed the other to Xue Linyuan. "This way we can move more safely."

Xue Linyuan took the mask, put it on his face, looked at himself in the mirror, and couldn't help but exclaimed, "It's amazing." His words were full of surprise, and he was obviously impressed by Tang Xiaoxiao's methods.

Tang Xiaoxiao smiled proudly, "That's right, don't you see who I am?" Her confidence and humor eased the tense atmosphere a little.

The two packed their bags and prepared to leave. Tang Xiaoxiao checked the surroundings again to make sure there was nothing unusual before they quietly left their hiding place and headed towards Fanghua Bookstore.

Tang Xiaoxiao and Xue Linyuan were walking together on the bustling street.

Xue Linyuan suddenly waved to a passing rickshaw driver and shouted, "Rickshaw."

Two rickshaw drivers came in response, their skin was dark, and their smiling faces were full of traces of time, which was obviously the result of years of hard work. They were barefoot and bare-chested, and pulled the rickshaw without complaint under the scorching sun.

"Go to Fanghua Bookstore!"

"Guest, please take a seat, we are about to set off."

Fanghua Bookstore is a place with rich collection of books and tranquil atmosphere. At this moment, the owner Yu Fanghua and the young waiter Xiao Cui are busy sorting the books on the shelves.

Xue Linyuan walked into the bookstore and communicated with Yu Fanghua using secret codes that only they could understand.

"Excuse me, do you have the book Diary of a Madman by Lu Xun?"

"'Diary of a Madman' is out of stock. Now we only have Mr. Lu Xun's 'Call to Arms'," Yu Fanghua said as he looked at the two strangers.

Then Yu Fanghua smiled slightly and winked at Xiao Cui. Xiao Cui, a smart and capable young man in his early twenties, nodded in understanding.

"Please follow me, both of you," Yu Fanghua said kindly, leading Xue Linyuan into the inner room deep inside the bookstore.

The interior is warmly and practically decorated. There is a wooden table with three chairs, a celadon teapot and eight exquisite teacups on the table, which exude a faint tea fragrance.

There is also a small kitchen next to it, and a small door on the other side leads to a bedroom, which is full of the breath of life.

Yu Fanghua poured them a cup of tea each, "Comrades, please have some tea."

Tang Xiaoxiao said politely, "Thank you."

Xue Linyuan also responded with a smile: "Thank you, Sister Yu."

However, Yu Fanghua was confused. She seemed to have heard this voice and this person somewhere before, but she couldn't remember where.

Xue Linyuan decided to reveal the answer. He slowly took off his mask, revealing a face that Yu Fanghua was very familiar with. "Sister Yu, I'm Linyuan." His words were full of emotion.

Yu Fanghua was shocked at first, then ecstatic. She said excitedly: "Xiao Xue? It's really you. You're okay. That's great!" Then, she remembered something and frowned slightly. "Weren't you captured by the Japanese Special High Technology Department? We were trying to find a way to save you. But the organization told us not to worry about it, and that someone else would come to save you. Could it be that the organization sent someone to rescue you?"

Xue Linyuan nodded, confirming her guess, "Yes, this is the head of the Special Operations Department sent by the headquarters." He pointed to Tang Xiaoxiao next to him.

Tang Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "Hello, Aunt Fanghua, my code name is Sect Leader." Her voice was gentle yet firm, making people feel at ease.

"That's great, that's really great." Yu Fanghua was ecstatic, her face filled with genuine joy.

However, at this moment, Tang Xiaoxiao's stomach made an inopportune "gurgling" sound. She smiled embarrassedly and said with a red face: "Hey, I was too busy and didn't have time to eat."

Yu Fanghua suddenly realized and quickly apologized: "Yes, yes, I forgot. You guys take a rest first, I will prepare something to eat for you." She hurried outside, ready to order a delicious meal for them.

Xue Linyuan said gratefully: "Thank you, Sister Yu."

Xue Linyuan stepped into this safe shelter, and his exhausted body finally found a trace of peace. His face was pale, and beads of sweat were oozing from his forehead.

He leaned against the wall and took a deep breath, trying to dispel the fatigue in his body. However, this brief moment of peace made the pain in his wounds instantly worse, as if reminding him that the danger just now was not far away.

"Uncle Xue, I see you don't look very well. Let me give you another shot of anti-inflammatory medicine." Tang Xiaoxiao noticed Xue Linyuan's discomfort with her sharp eyes, and her concern was beyond words. She quickly took out a box of penicillin from her arms and prepared to inject him.

Xue Linyuan waved his hand slightly, forcing a smile, "Really, no need, I can hold on. I'm just a little tired, and once I relax, my old injury hurts a little. The anti-inflammatory drugs here are very precious, so let's save them for critical moments."

Tang Xiaoxiao looked at Xue Linyuan's determined eyes and knew that his decision would not change easily, so she nodded and said, "Okay, if you need anything, tell me at any time."

Just then, Yu Fanghua came in carrying a wooden food box, with a warm smile on her face. "I made this in the small restaurant I just opened next to the bookstore. Come and try it and see if it suits your taste."

Tang Xiaoxiao gratefully took the food box, and after arranging the dish, she couldn't wait to pick up the chopsticks and pick up a piece of the tempting sweet and sour pork.

This dish is golden in color, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and sweet and sour, making you salivate. The production process of Guobaorou is complicated. First, cut the pork tenderloin into even thin slices, marinate it with salt, MSG, sugar, pepper powder, and cooking wine, so that the meat slices can fully absorb the flavor of the seasoning. Then, coat it with a layer of fried batter made from tapioca starch, fry it in a pan until golden, and then quickly fry it on high heat to make the skin crispy. Finally, add onions, ginger, and garlic to the pan and stir-fry until fragrant, then pour in the pre-prepared sweet and sour sauce, simmer it over high heat until it thickens, then add the fried Guobaorou into the pan and stir-fry quickly and evenly so that each piece of meat is covered with sweet and sour sauce.

"It's so delicious!" Tang Xiaoxiao praised it so much that she couldn't help but take another piece.

As for Xue Linyuan, he chose to taste a bowl of steaming mutton soup first.

The soup is rich, with a strong mutton aroma mixed with the unique flavors of various spices, which makes people linger. The mutton is carefully stewed, tender and melts in the mouth. Every spoonful is full of rich nutrition and delicate taste. The perfect fusion of fresh mutton and spices is like playing a wonderful symphony on the tip of the tongue, which makes people find a little comfort in fatigue.

"Well, it's really good, warming the stomach and refreshing." Xue Linyuan took a sip and praised it highly. The warmth of the mutton soup gradually dispelled the coldness and fatigue in his body.