Quick Wear: Cousin, Come to the Bowl Quickly

Although the Party-State was nominally unified, in reality, it was plagued by numerous internal factions, with many local garrisons maintaining their own forces and establishing their own territorial claims. However, such sensitive matters as the private procurement of large quantities of military equipment could not be brought to light.

If the news leaked out and was seized upon by those with ulterior motives, it would inevitably lead to attacks on Commander Lin and even the entire Shanghai Army. After careful consideration, they decided on this "feint to the east and attack in the west" strategy: using the excellent cover of Lin Xi's birthday party at the Lin Mansion, Shen Jingyuan quietly set off under the cover of night to investigate the arms dealer's true strength.

As for the outside world, they announced that Shen Jingyuan had returned home to visit his relatives. After all, his external identity was Commander Lin's distant nephew. As for how far away this "distant relative" was and how long it would take to go back and forth, that all depended on Commander Lin's words.

Fortunately, although the Shanghai market is now turbulent, there has been no war for a long time and superficial peace is maintained. There are also many officers like Shen Jingyuan who hold military ranks but actually just go to the military camp to report for duty on weekdays.

With Commander Lin to cover for him, there is no need to worry about any trouble in the military camp during the time when Shen Jingyuan is away.

"But it's better to be cautious." After completing the deployment, Commander Lin pushed the procurement documents in front of Shen Jingyuan, and a rare hint of hesitation appeared on his usually resolute face. "Although these gunpowder and ammunition are important, they are ultimately just dead objects. If the situation is critical, you still have to put yourself first."

Having said that, he reached out and patted Shen Jingyuan on the shoulder, and said solemnly: "Remember at all times, your aunt and I are waiting for you to come home..."

The cargo ship passed through a rapid and the hull was a little bumpy. Shen Jingyuan raised his eyes, pulled himself out of his memories, reached out to adjust the shaking kerosene lamp, and waited until the bumps subsided before letting go, putting away the procurement list and picking up a marked map.

This time the target was clearly pointed at the north. Several foreign companies that extended olive branches and distributed weapons from the German Krupp and Erhard Arsenals were mostly based in the Tianjin area.

In addition, Japanese trading companies were also extremely active in Fengtian and Xinjing.

After the fall of the former court, the ambitious Japanese nation supported a false emperor in the north and consolidated its sphere of influence in China by supplying arms to local warlords.

Japanese products are not as good as German ones, and Commander Lin does not intend to let them make money. However, the Japanese in both the north and the south have been making small moves recently. Although Commander Lin is vigilant, he is unable to reach them because of the long distance and difficulty in getting information.

Therefore, another purpose of Shen Jingyuan's trip was to find out the actions and future trends of the Japanese in the north, so as to make early preparations for future deployments.

Shen Jingyuan spread out the map and drew a route on it in the dim light. The road from Shanghai to the north was long and mountainous. In order not to expose his whereabouts, he needed to hide all the way and change transportation from time to time, so he needed to plan the route carefully.

Just then, a wave hit, and the boat tilted to one side without warning, with a more violent jolt than before. The kerosene lamp on the table swung wildly, its light and shadow dancing wildly, making Shen Jingyuan's eyes dizzy.

He had to look away from the map, pinched his brows, and prepared to wait a while before looking again.

But at the moment when his vision was blurred and his mind was distracted, his nerves suddenly tensed up, his eyes like lightning, quickly sweeping towards a corner of the cabin.

In the corner, an old wooden cabinet half a person's height stood quietly, swaying with the swaying of the ship, seemingly no different from the other objects in this cramped cabin.

But Shen Jingyuan's eyes fixed, he grabbed the map on the table and stuffed it into his arms, and at the same time blew out the violently shaking kerosene lamp with a "puff".

The moment the cabin fell into darkness.

Shen Jingyuan lowered his body like a cheetah and reached out to touch his lower back.

The cold gun handle fell into his palm instantly, and the safety made a barely perceptible "click" sound in the darkness.

Shen Jingyuan held his breath and slid silently like a cat to the old wooden cabinet in the corner. The old wooden cabinet was making teeth-grinding creaking sounds as the ship rose and fell.

In the darkness, Shen Jingyuan's eyes were as sharp as an eagle, and his muscles were ready to go. He silently placed his left hand on the cold cabinet door handle, and the muzzle of the gun in his right hand was firmly aimed at the gap in the cabinet door.

Just as a bigger wave came, the boat was thrown up suddenly, and the cabinet door was loosened outwards due to inertia -

He exerted force with his wrist!

"Bang!"

"come out!"

The moment the cabinet door was violently opened, Shen Jingyuan's cold growl rang out.

The person in the cabinet seemed to be prepared. Almost at the same moment the cabinet door opened, a black shadow came towards him with the sound of wind, taking advantage of the ups and downs of the ship's hull, like an arrow from a bow.

Shen Jingyuan had anticipated this. He misstepped his foot and dodged quickly to the side and back. At the same time, he raised his wrist holding the gun and his index finger had already pulled the trigger!

A close call!

Just as Shen Jingyuan was about to pull the trigger, a rich aroma that was somewhat familiar, yet strange because it was contaminated by the cabin's mildew and sawdust, entered his nostrils without warning.

Shen Jingyuan's whole body trembled, and the finger on the trigger froze.

"Ouch--!"

A familiar and coquettish female voice exploded in the cramped darkness, and the next moment, a soft and warm body with a faint fragrance slammed into Shen Jingyuan's arms.

Shen Jingyuan's body stiffened, and he took two steps back to barely steady himself, but at this moment, the ship shook violently from side to side again.

The huge impact force made both of them unstable. Instinctively, Shen Jingyuan released his finger on the trigger. At the same time, he subconsciously stretched his arm forward and tightly embraced the body of the person in his arms, trying to stabilize the two of them.

However, the power of the river tide was beyond human power to resist. Another wave came, and the two of them completely lost their balance and fell backwards.

"boom!"

A heavy, muffled sound echoed in the cramped space.

Although at the moment of falling to the ground, Shen Jingyuan suddenly twisted his body to avoid his entire back hitting the ground.

But because he was concerned about the person in his arms, he did not let go, so half of his arm inevitably hit the deck.

"Well--"

A dull pain mixed with numbness instantly came from the arm that hit the ground. Shen Jingyuan couldn't help but let out a muffled groan from his throat, and then he loosened the arm that was around the waist of the person in his arms.

However, before he could catch his breath, the person in his arms quickly moved. He opened his mouth and was about to say something.

The next moment, Shen Jingyuan felt something cold pressing against his forehead.

At the same time, a voice that sounded fierce but lacked confidence came from above.

"Don't move! If you dare to move...if you dare to move, I'll kill you!"

Shen Jingyuan's body stiffened, then he closed his eyes, endured the irritation of veins throbbing on his forehead, lowered his voice, and almost squeezed out two words from between his teeth.

“Lin Xi——!”

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Hearing these two words uttered with gritted teeth, Lin Xi, who was still lying on Shen Jingyuan, was obviously stunned. She suddenly stretched out her hand, fumbled around his face twice in the dark, and pinched his tall nose bridge unwillingly, then spoke uncertainly.

"Shen, Shen Jingyuan? Why is it you?"

Shen Jingyuan felt the veins on his forehead twitching uncontrollably again. He resisted the urge to push the man off him and said patiently.

"Put the gun away first."

"Gun? Oh, okay." Lin Xi was stunned when she heard that, and then she finally reacted. She moved the thing that was against Shen Jingyuan's forehead away, and then used her hands and feet to climb up from him.

But the wind and waves on the river had obviously not subsided yet, and the cabin was dark and she couldn't see anything clearly. As she moved around randomly, her hand seemed to have accidentally pressed something.

Shen Jingyuan suddenly let out a muffled groan and subconsciously bent his legs. Lin Xi was shocked when she heard this. Thinking that this man had just been her meat cushion, even though she had always been at odds with him, she felt a little guilty and remorseful.

"Ahem, um, um, are you okay? Are you hurt somewhere? I, I'll rub it for you."

As she spoke, she was about to reach out and continue to touch him. Shen Jingyuan's eyes twitched, and even though he could not see, he still accurately grabbed her wrist in the dark, and there was a rare hint of embarrassment and panic in his tone.

"No need! You get up first!"

His tone was a little stiff, and he gripped Lin Xi's wrist with great force, as if he was afraid that she would break free. When Lin Xi heard this, it became proof that he was ungrateful and did not know how to appreciate a good person.

She immediately became unhappy, pouted, shook off Shen Jingyuan's hand, and climbed up by supporting herself on the ground.

"If you don't need it, then don't use it. Who cares?"

Shen Jingyuan did not refute when he heard this, but sat up quickly, and then moved back quietly, increasing the distance between them.

The cabin fell into silence for a moment. Shen Jingyuan took a breath and paused for a moment. Then he followed his memory, groped to the table, and lit the kerosene lamp on the table.

The flickering lights illuminated the small cabin again, and also illuminated the two people in the cabin with different expressions.

Shen Jingyuan frowned and looked at Lin Xi who was sitting across the table. He subconsciously wanted to ask her why she was here, but the moment he saw her expression clearly, he stopped talking abruptly.

Tonight is her eighteenth birthday, and it is also the day when the Lin and Xu families announce their engagement, although Commander Lin arranged for Shen Jingyuan to leave tonight.

But on such an important day for the Lin family, if he, the distant nephew who, in the eyes of outsiders, only relied on Commander Lin's "promotion" to reach a high position, did not show up, it would inevitably arouse suspicion. Therefore, Shen Jingyuan was actually present for the first half of the birthday party.

However, at that time, everyone's attention was focused on complimenting Commander Lin and discussing Miss Lin, the protagonist of today's banquet. In addition, he deliberately dressed very low-key, so apart from a few familiar relatives and friends, no one paid attention to him.

So Shen Jingyuan actually saw the scene where Lin Xi deliberately made a high-profile appearance.

The moment the lights dimmed, he took advantage of everyone's attention being focused on the only lit staircase, and quietly squeezed out of the crowd and walked to the door of the hall.

But just as he was about to step out of the door, the sound of "click, click, click" of heels was heard. For some unknown reason, Shen Jingyuan couldn't help but look back.

With just one glance, his feet seemed to be rooted to the ground and he could no longer move an inch.

Having lived in the Lin Mansion for so many years, he has seen Lin Xi's different appearances countless times.

In front of Commander Lin and his wife, she was lively and naive, but in front of the servants, she was arrogant and presumptuous. When she was in front of him, she always looked at him coldly and never had a good face. But in front of the Xu family, she could control her temper and pretend to be well-behaved.

She seemed to have many faces. She could bite his arm viciously in one second and then look pitiful in the next, as if she had suffered a great injustice, crying and throwing herself into Mrs. Lin's arms. She was the evildoer who complained first.

She could smile and assure Mrs. Lin that she would pack his luggage well the moment before, but in the next moment she could raise her chin and ruthlessly drive him out of the car.

"As cunning as a fox."

Shen Jingyuan's mind echoed with the evaluation of Commander Lin by the veteran officers in the barracks, which summarized Commander Lin's diverse use of troops and flexible tactics.

Now it seems that this evaluation is very appropriate when applied to his daughter who has inherited his true teachings.

Although he could turn against Lin Xi without hesitation, he could always act as if it was natural and sneer at her little thoughts. But at this moment, he had to admit that her little thoughts tonight were indeed on point.

When that fiery figure walked up the stairs and slowly appeared in front of everyone, it indeed attracted everyone's attention.

Including Shen Jingyuan himself.

Amidst the sound of inhalation, he heard his heartbeat suddenly become disordered for a moment, but it quickly returned to normal, as if it was just his illusion.

He pursed his lips and was about to look away. When he turned to leave, Lin Xi, who was surrounded by the crowd, suddenly raised her eyes and looked towards him, and their gazes met.

The next moment, Lin Xi in the distance suddenly curved her eyebrows and smiled brightly in his direction.

Shen Jingyuan was stunned, his breathing paused slightly, and he wanted to look away in panic.

But when he lowered his eyes, the lights in the hall came on, and he could clearly see Xu Yucheng, who was standing one step in front of him, dressed in a suit and looking very elegant.

really……

A complex emotion that could not be described as loss, relief, or something else suddenly surged into Shen Jingyuan's heart, making him feel a little depressed.

"Everyone..."

Commander Lin's penetrating voice rang out in the hall, attracting everyone's attention. Shen Jingyuan lowered his eyes, concealing his emotions, turned around neatly, and walked out of the door without looking back.

A line of river should separate the two worlds.

But at this moment, the young lady, who should have been surrounded by her relatives and friends and accompanied by her lover, strangely appeared in this cramped and damp cabin. Her face was pale, her eyes were red and swollen, and it was obvious that she had been crying for a long time.

"You..." Shen Jingyuan silently swallowed the question on the tip of his tongue. After hesitating for a while, he tried to soften his voice. "What's wrong with you?"

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Here is today's update. Thank you for the gifts, and today is also a day of loving you (?′?`?)*??*