Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

Tian Dan suddenly looked up and looked at him in astonishment, her eyes filled with incredible doubt and instinctive vigilance.

Xu Tian immediately explained gently, "Please don't misunderstand. This is entirely due to the promise I made to your father. I know Jin Zun, and I was also at the scene when he was killed...

When Mr. Tian was dying, he solemnly asked me to take care of you.

The situation outside is very tense now. The Japanese... may still be looking for you.

Tongfuli is a concession after all, so it does have some protection.

Living close to each other means we can look after each other if something happens." Xu Tian paused and added, "You can pay the market rent and just think of it as renting my house. What do you think?"

Tian Dan stared into Xu Tian's sincere and gentle eyes, and the scene of her parents' tragic death once again emerged in her mind. In addition, when she heard that the Japanese were searching for her, she was really desperate.

She is currently staying at a friend's house, but her friend's wife's subtle jealousy and the eerie atmosphere inside and outside the pharmacy, which seems to hide many secrets, make her feel uneasy and uncomfortable.

Although I have only met this man a few times, he always gives me an inexplicable sense of security and trustworthiness.

He had helped her up in the chaotic streets, and quietly appeared after her family suffered a major change. Now he made such a timely suggestion.

There was a long silence, which seemed as long as a century.

Eventually, the wariness and struggle in Tian Dan's eyes gave way to a hint of gratitude and a resigned vulnerability: "...Thank you very much, Mr. Xu. Well... I'm sorry to bother you and Auntie. I'll definitely pay the rent on time."

The heavy burden on Xu Tian's heart eased a little: "Miss Tian, ​​you're welcome.

Then you can go back and clean it up later?

I think... why not move there today?

The place you're staying in now is crowded with people and eyes, so it's probably not a place to stay for long. You shouldn't delay any longer." Xu Tian's words implied that the pharmacy where Tian Dan currently lived had a complicated background and might have been the target of various forces.

Tian Dan nodded obediently.

Tongfuli, a typical Shanghai Shikumen alley, appears exceptionally peaceful and tranquil under the warm sunshine of an autumn afternoon.

The sunlight shines through the slanted bamboo clothes-drying poles, casting mottled, swaying shadows on the bluestone pavement.

Children chased and played in the alleys, and housewives gathered by the public well to wash clothes and chat.

All these scenes filled with the flavor of urban life seemed like two completely different worlds from the war-torn and crisis-ridden Shanghai outside.

When Xu Tian helped Tian Dan carry the slightly simple suitcase into the alley, it inevitably attracted some curious glances from the neighbors.

Xiao Cui, the young female tenant who had a vague affection for Xu Tian, ​​saw a strange girl with a cold temperament and beautiful appearance following Xu Tian. Her eyes dimmed instantly, and with a bit of sadness and loss, she turned around and hid back in her room.

When Xu's mother saw her son suddenly bring back a young girl, she was surprised at first. After Xu Tian briefly explained the situation, she learned that the girl was a friend's daughter. Her family had suffered a misfortune and had nowhere to go, so she wanted to temporarily rent the attic of her home.

Seeing Tian Dan's pale face and the deep sorrow between her brows and eyes, the kind-hearted old man suddenly felt infinite pity and greeted her warmly: "Oh, how pitiful! Girl, come in quickly, come in quickly! The attic is a bit narrow, but it can be cleaned up!

Tian'er, go help Miss Tian carry the luggage upstairs!"

The Xu family's small attic was low but extremely tidy, with a small north-facing window facing the alley.

Mother Xu spread out the bed with clean, starched, plain sheets and bedding, then lit a stick of mugwort and smoked it gently to dispel the faint musty smell of a long-abandoned house. "Miss Tian, ​​please stay here for now. If you need anything, just tell your aunt. Don't be polite!"

Tian Dan looked at the kind and gentle face of Xu's mother, and felt Xu Tian's silent but considerate busyness. Her heartstrings, which had been tense for days, relaxed slightly, and her eyes couldn't help but become moist.

This was the first time since her family was destroyed that she truly felt a trace of human warmth and stability: "Thank you, Auntie, thank you, Mr. Xu. I'm sorry to have caused you any trouble."

"No trouble, no trouble!" Aunt Xu waved her hands repeatedly, smiling warmly: "Just stay here and treat this place as your home. Don't think too much."

After settling Tian Dan, Xu Tian's heart became even more tense.

The threat posed by Kagesa Tadaaki is like a sword hanging over your head, ready to strike at any moment.

You must be extremely cautious, not only paying attention to your own whereabouts, but also being alert to whether there are any suspicious people targeting Tongfuli, or targeting Tian Dan, who has just moved in and has a sensitive background.

However, this hard-earned short-lived peace did not last long.

Ying Zuo Zhen Zhao's black car finally slid silently into the entrance of Tongfuli's alley like a ghost that smelled something.

With the appearance of several plainclothes agents including Yingzuo Zhenzhao and Hase, the peaceful and quiet atmosphere in the alley suddenly froze.

The neighbors looked at these uninvited guests with either curiosity or fear, whose temperament was incompatible with the surrounding environment.

Yingzuo had a clear goal and walked straight towards the Shikumen where Xu Tian's family lived.

Xiao Cui, who happened to be out splashing water, ran into the stern faces of Yingzuo and his group. She was so scared that her hands trembled and the basin of water almost fell out of her hands. She hurriedly dodged back into the house, her heart pounding.

At this moment, Xu Tian was sitting at the eight-immortals table in the living room of his home, with a thick account book spread out in front of him. His fingers skillfully fiddled with the abacus beads, making crisp crackling sounds. He seemed to be completely immersed in the world constructed by numbers, and seemed oblivious to the turmoil in the outside world.

Mother Xu was sewing in the inner room with her head down. From time to time, she looked up at her son who was doing the accounts, and then glanced towards the attic, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated, as if she had something to say but was reluctant to say it out loud.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door, neither light nor heavy, with a kind of formal restraint, but also implying that it could not be refused.

Xu Tian raised his head when he heard the voice, pursed his lips, then put down the abacus, stood up and opened the door.

Seeing Yingzuo Zhenzhao standing solemnly outside the door, he seemed a little surprised, but quickly regained his composure and stepped aside to make way. "Instructor Yingzuo? Why did you suddenly come? Please come in."

Yingzuo stepped into the living room, brimming with the atmosphere of everyday life. His sharp, hawk-like gaze, like a searchlight, silently scanned every corner and every object within. The furnishings were simple yet tidy, and the air was filled with the faint aroma of food and mugwort. Everything seemed like an ordinary Shanghai home, with not a trace of abnormality to be found.

Hase and others stood outside the door tacitly, secretly controlling the entrance and exit of the house.

"Xu Tianjun, I'm sorry to bother you." Ying Zuo forced a nearly stiff, formulaic smile on his face, his tone still maintaining the instructor-like reserve and a hint of feigned familiarity: "I happened to be handling official business nearby, and I remembered that you mentioned living here, so I stopped by to take a look.

After all, we were once teacher and student, and we haven't seen each other for many years."