owlsbooks Chapter 52 Xiao Gu
Chapter 52 Xiao Gu
As the subtitles flashed across the screen, the lingering effects of the tragic revenge for Teacher Fang had not yet dissipated when the game's storyline quickly transitioned into a new chapter.
Xiao Tu's undercover career is progressing more and more smoothly, but Lin Wan and the viewers in the live broadcast room know that in this murky quagmire, every steady step means that a bigger storm is brewing behind the scenes.
"Brothers, we've got a big job coming up."
Lin Wan leaned back in her gaming chair, looking at the game's story summary with a serious expression.
"Wu Mingda, a high-ranking Kuomintang official who recently defected, is about to arrive in Shanghai. This guy not only has a list of assassination squad members, but also a list of underground Communist Party members in Shanghai. The assassination squad is going to carry out an assassination at noon tomorrow, and Xiao Tu himself has become their target. He not only has to save his life, but also step in and make the mission work if the assassination squad fails. This is definitely walking a tightrope."
The next day, in the footage, Xiao Tu is on his way to Wu Mingda's welcoming banquet.
A car screeched to a halt in front of Xiao Tu. Hu Yibiao, the squad leader of the action team who had been comforting him just a few days ago, got out of the car and greeted him casually.
However, before the two could exchange more than a few words, Li Feng, the head of the Special Affairs Section, pressed closer with his icy face, his eyes as piercing as a hawk's.
"What? Are you that familiar with me?"
"Tsk, this Li Feng, his eyes look like he wants to eat someone alive."
Lin Wan couldn't help but mutter to herself, carefully manipulating Xiao Tu to answer. Fortunately, Xiao Tu's answer was flawless, revealing no flaws, which barely allowed him to pass the test of the Special Agent Section Chief.
Once inside the welcome banquet hall, the atmosphere seemed to have eased, and Hu Yibiao was joking around with Xiao Tu as usual.
Before we could exchange more than a few words, a piercing sound of dry heaving suddenly came from the screen.
The scene shifts, and Ren Wei, who plays Zhuang Xiaoman, appears in the center of the frame.
She was clutching a wine glass tightly in her hand, leaning against the door, vomiting in a pathetic state.
Hu Yibiao was displeased that she had interrupted his interest:
"Zhuang Xiaoman, what's wrong with you?"
Ren Wei slowly raised her head, revealing her near-perfect, stunningly beautiful face to everyone. She frowned slightly, her voice hoarse with a hint of hangover:
"My head hurts."
"Wow!! The boss's wife! No, I mean, General Manager Ren!"
"Senior, you look absolutely stunning in that military uniform! Give the crew an extra chicken leg in their lunchboxes!"
"This is so beautiful, but the way she vomited looks a little too real..."
The live chat was instantly flooded with comments about Ren Wei's stunning appearance. Lin Wan couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:
"Ren Wei's acting skills and looks are truly impeccable; she brought the charming yet aloof agent to life."
In the game, Hu Yibiao accused:
"What day is it today? You went out drinking all night again? Do you even know what our action team is like...?"
Before he could finish speaking, Zhuang Xiaoman sneered and interrupted him directly:
"Captain Hu, I remember you raided the casino a few days ago. You didn't catch the people you wanted to arrest, but you did catch a lot of swindlers."
Hu Yibiao's expression changed, and he offered a guilty explanation:
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Zhuang Xiaoman, however, was not afraid of him at all. She walked up to him in her high heels, patted Hu Yibiao on the shoulder, and her eyes were full of teasing and threats.
"Whether I'm lying or not, Captain Hu, you know best in your heart."
Seeing Hu Yibiao's instant cowardice, Lin Wan burst out laughing:
"Hahaha, this guy really has no temper in front of Zhuang Xiaoman. It seems Zhuang Xiaoman has a lot of dirt on people."
Seeing that Hu Yibiao had become obedient, Zhuang Xiaoman glanced indifferently at Xiao Tu and then sat down on the sofa. Xiao Tu asked:
"Who is this?"
Hu Yibiao quickly leaned over and lowered his voice to explain:
"This is Zhuang Xiaoman from our Special Service Section. Consul Mutō shouldn't know what nonsense she's spouting, right?"
Xiao Tu readily accepted the offer and smiled gratefully.
"Captain Hu, rest assured, this is a matter for the Special Service Section, and it's not something an outsider like me can comment on."
"Mr. Xiao really understands me!" Hu Yibiao breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, Zhuang Xiaoman on the sofa vomited a few more times.
Seeing this, Hu Yibiao quickly waved and shouted, "Xiao Gu, come here for a moment, find a place for your sister Xiaoman to rest."
A girl who looked somewhat awkward, innocent, and timid jogged over to help Zhuang Xiaoman up.
Xiao Tu looked at the girl, his pupils contracting slightly. He recognized her; she was his junior from his youthful days.
Suppressing his inner turmoil, Xiao Tu took the initiative to step forward and strike up a conversation:
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
Upon hearing the voice, Gu Junru, referred to as "Xiao Gu," looked up, and the instant she recognized Xiao Tu, an overwhelming surge of excitement welled up in her eyes:
"Senior Xiao!"
To avoid suspicion, Xiao Tu could only pretend to be confused.
"Who are you?"
Xiao Gu explained eagerly:
"Don't you recognize me? I'm Xiao Gu. We even participated in a student social event together back in school."
Xiao Tu then feigned a look of sudden realization:
"Huh? Gu Junru?"
"Yes, that's me!"
Gu Junru nodded repeatedly, her eyes sparkling with the light of a long-awaited reunion.
Just as Hu Yibiao was about to interject, Zhuang Xiaoman's painful retching interrupted them again. Xiao Gu hurriedly helped Zhuang Xiaoman up and asked with concern:
"Sister Xiaoman, are you alright?"
After receiving Zhuang Xiaoman's silent response, Xiao Gu could only look apologetically at Xiao Tu:
"Senior, wait for me a moment, let me help Sister Xiaoman to rest first."
At this moment, a red countdown appeared in the upper right corner of the screen, indicating that there was only one and a half hours left before the assassination operation.
After dropping Zhuang Xiaoman off at the lounge, Xiao Gu stepped outside and discovered that Xiao Tu was indeed standing at the end of the corridor waiting for her.
The two avoided the others and started chatting in front of the lounge door.
Xiao Tu asked in confusion:
"How did you end up working for the Special Service?"
Xiao Gu remained silent for a long time, his initially excited expression gradually dimming. He lowered his head and said:
"My father pulled strings and tried every means to get me into the upper echelons of the government. But I didn't seem to have the ability to get promoted, and I could only stay as a lowly mail clerk. Ever since I joined the Special Service Section, even my best friends have been calling me a traitor behind my back."
Hearing this, Lin Wan's smile gradually faded. She sighed deeply.
"In this era, life is really tough for ordinary people. Xiao Gu doesn't really understand anything; she's just an obedient girl who follows her parents' arrangements..."
In the game, Xiao Tu, feeling the same way, could only harden his heart and reply:
"Being a spy isn't for you."
Xiao Gu raised his head and asked in return:
"And what about you, senior?"
Xiao Tu thought of Teacher Fang, whom he had personally shot and killed, and felt as if a thousand arrows were piercing his heart. He said bitterly:
"There's no going back."
However, upon hearing this, Xiao Gu's expression became incredibly serious and resolute. She looked at Xiao Tu and said, word by word:
"I won't turn back. It's so good to see Senior Xiao here. The fact that he's also working for the Japanese proves that I didn't do anything wrong, because I know that Senior Xiao would never do anything wrong. Sometimes I really miss the days when we marched in the streets together. It was so good when we were all together."
"Holy crap, that was a really harsh line..."
"It's over. She has a blind worship of Xiao Tu. She sees him as a lighthouse in her darkness."
"The more she acts like this, the more I feel like she wants a bento box..."
The comments section was filled with wailing.
Lin Wan's heart sank completely. Looking at Gu Junru's pure and persistent eyes on the screen, she felt a lump in her throat.
"This girl is too naive... She has no idea what Xiao Tu is carrying out; she uses Xiao Tu as a source of comfort for her own traitorous actions. But Xiao Tu is a disguised undercover agent!"
To avoid being overheard and revealing his identity, Xiao Tu had no choice but to abruptly interrupt his junior's endless reminiscence, coldly replying:
"We were just young and ignorant back then, what's there to reminisce about?"
Xiao Gu was stunned for a moment, the light in her eyes dimmed instantly, and she lowered her head, feeling wronged and helpless.
"sorry……"
Xiao Tu glanced at his watch and abruptly changed the subject:
"Wu Mingda is almost here."
Xiao Gu took a deep breath and obediently stopped mentioning the past:
"I'll take you there."
Soon, Wu Mingda, the high-ranking official who had defected, arrived in Shanghai.
In the banquet hall, a group of people exchanged insincere pleasantries and flattery.
Li Feng cautiously brought up the crucial list, advising that it was unsafe to keep it on his person.
But Wu Mingda, that old fox, waved his hand smugly and said with a smile:
"It's okay, keeping this list in your head is the safest thing to do."
Time ticked by, and soon the hour and minute hands would coincide at 12 o'clock.
Outside the restaurant, two security guards were carefully inspecting the food that was about to be served.
The waiter slowly pushed the table closer.
Xiao Tu stood in the hall, looking at the watch face, his heart filled with intense struggle.
He knew that in the eyes of the anti-traitor squad, he was also a heinous traitor, and if he stayed, he would be caught in the crossfire at any time.
But in the end, he took a deep breath and chose to stay in the hall. Because getting rid of Wu Mingda was more important than his own life.
The clock struck twelve.
Li Feng, who was always cautious to the point of being abnormal, suddenly noticed something was wrong. The plate used to serve the food was fine, but the lid was unusually heavy!
"not good!"
Li Feng shouted and with a backhand grappling move, he subdued the waiter.
At the same time, the members of the anti-traitor squad who were toasting at the next table suddenly overturned the table, pulled out pistols from their pockets, and gunshots rang out in an instant, plunging the banquet hall into chaos.
Li Feng fired back while shouting at Xiao Gu:
"Cover Commander Wu's retreat!"
Seeing this, Xiao Tu gritted his teeth and immediately followed Xiao Gu and Wu Mingda to the kitchen.
As they reached the corner of the kitchen, Xiao Tu, who was lurking in the shadows, drew his gun.
He looked at Wu Mingda, who was still in shock not far away, and Xiao Gu, who was tightly protecting Wu Mingda, and his hands began to tremble violently.
If we shoot Wu Mingda now, given Xiao Gu's personality, she will definitely be exposed, and she won't survive...
"There's an option here!"
Lin Wan looked at the choice that popped up on the screen, hesitated for a moment,
"Shoot Wu Mingda, or wait for another opportunity? Uh... Xiao Gu is blocking the way in front, I'm a little reluctant, should I wait and see?"
However, this hesitation directly triggered a death.
A burst of gunfire erupted behind them; the rest of the assassination squad had caught up.
Xiao Tu used his last bit of willpower to turn around, only to see the cold muzzle of the assassination squad's guns. Wu Mingda and Xiao Gu in front of him also fell into a pool of blood, neither of them escaping unscathed.
The screen turned gray and white.
[Failed Infiltration: The Death of a Traitor.]
After Xiao Tu's death, Muto Shio praised him for his heroic sacrifice in protecting the empire's property and posthumously awarded him the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity and Peace Envoy" medal.
"Holy crap, this is incredibly ironic."
Lin Wan patted her forehead in anguish and sighed.
"Becoming a hero who betrayed his country, this game is too cruel. Stop grinding, I know I was wrong. In this game, any hesitation is fatal!"
Time rewinds, and the scene returns to that fatal decision point.
Lin Wan gritted her teeth, suppressed all her weakness, and solemnly issued the order:
Choose to shoot Wu Mingda.
"Bang!"
Gunshots rang out abruptly in the kitchen. Xiao Gu heard the noise behind her and turned around in alarm, but couldn't see anything because Xiao Tu was hiding in the shadows.
The shot didn't kill Wu Mingda. This extremely selfish old fox clutched his wound and let out a pig-like wail.
He pulled the petite Gu Junru in front of him, his face contorted as he commanded:
"Stop me! Don't let them keep shooting! Quickly!"
The naive Gu could only spread her arms to shield Wu Mingda and begin to call for help.
Footsteps were already approaching in the distance; if they hesitated any longer, the Special Operations Department would be here!
Xiao Tu had no choice but to emerge from the shadows with a grim expression, pointing the dark muzzle of his gun directly at the two people in front of him.
When Gu Junru saw that the assassin who emerged from the darkness was actually her most admired and trusted senior, she was struck dumb and stood there stunned.
Behind her, Wu Mingda was still frantically grabbing her shoulders and wailing:
"Protect me! My life is more important than yours! Protect me!"
At this moment, Xiao Tu could only pretend to be an indignant member of the anti-traitor squad to stop Wu Mingda from continuing his nonsense.
Realizing the truth, Xiao Gu collapsed in despair, squatting on the ground in a daze, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.
"Senior, so you're also part of the anti-traitor squad? From beginning to end, I've always been alone. I've gone further and further down the wrong path, and the people and things I love have become so distant."
Lin Wan looked at Gu Junru's eyes on the screen, filled with tears, despair, and heartbreak, and her heart clenched, her eyes instantly turning red.
"Oh my god... this is too cruel. She trusted Xiao Tu so much, even regarding him as her only salvation. But reality tells her that the senior she admired most was the assassin sent to kill her..."
The shouts of the spies could be faintly heard in the distance. Xiao Tu's eyes were bloodshot, and he lowered his voice to tell Xiao Gu to get out of the way quickly.
But Xiao Gu bit her pale lips tightly and shook her head desperately:
"If Commander Wu dies, no one will be able to stop the assassination operation of the anti-traitor squad. Sooner or later... my parents will also be killed as traitors. So, please don't kill Commander Wu, I beg you."
Seeing his junior constantly begging for mercy, Xiao Tu felt as if his heart was being torn apart. But for the sake of the bigger picture, he couldn't stop.
Looking at the resolute killing intent in her senior's eyes, Gu Junru seemed to finally understand her fate.
She gave a bitter smile and murmured in an almost pleading tone:
"My parents worked for the Japanese, but they were good people... They donated supplies to refugees every year and never exploited Chinese people. They were only cooperating with the Japanese out of necessity. Please don't kill my parents?"
At this moment, Xiao Tu knew that another member of the anti-espionage team was secretly observing him from behind. In order not to be mistaken for a dangerous spy by his comrade, he refused Xiao Gu's request.
But in his heart, he silently told himself: even if it costs me my life, I will protect Gu Junru's parents.
Upon hearing the rejection, Gu Junru felt no resentment, only a self-deprecating smile.
"Yes... how could I force you to do the wrong thing? If I can't protect my parents, there's no point in me living. So, senior, give me the gun. Dying here is the only right thing I can do, isn't it?"
"No!! Don't shoot!!"
"Please give me an option not to kill me, please, official! I'm running out of tissues, sob sob sob."
The barrage of comments exploded, with countless viewers heartbroken by the scene.
Lin Wan covered her mouth tightly, and tears finally welled up in her eyes.
She stared at the options that popped up on the game screen, her hands trembling so much she could barely hold the mouse.
Xiao Tu was willing to trust Gu Junru, but Wu Mingda was still watching him closely. If Wu Mingda were to take the gun away, the consequences would be unimaginable.
For the sake of the mission, and for the sake of survival, Xiao Tu had no other choice.
"Xiao Gu, I'm so sorry!!"
Lin Wan cried out and resolutely pressed the option to shoot Gu Junru.
"Bang!"
"You can't, you have to protect me."
Wu Mingda's terrified screams were completely drowned out by the loud gunfire.
The bullet pierced through Gu Junru's frail body.
As she slowly fell to the ground, a relieved smile graced her flawless white face.
That smile was clean and pure, just like that of a female student many years ago in a sun-drenched campus, who had just finished a parade and could finally rest for a moment.
Xiao Tu's eyes died completely at that moment.
Faced with Commander Wu's pleas for mercy, he did not hesitate and shot him dead.
The entire kitchen fell into a deathly silence.
Xiao Tu collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath, as if dehydrated. But the crisis wasn't over yet. Everyone in the restaurant saw him leave with the two men. If he walked out unharmed, his sudden disappearance just didn't make sense.
The only way to clear himself of suspicion is to fabricate a story that Xiao Gu shot and wounded Wu Mingda in an attempt to assassinate him, and that they both eventually fell down.
He trembled as he raised the gun, gritted his teeth, and fired a shot at himself. "Bang!" A sharp, piercing pain shot through him instantly, and Xiao Tu groaned.
The bullet wound left him drenched in sweat, but he had no other choice.
Finally, he shoved the gun in his hand into Xiao Gu's hand and collapsed weakly beside the bodies of Wu Mingda and Xiao Gu, losing consciousness.
The live stream was deathly silent, except for Lin Wan's suppressed sobs.
"She was so young... She believed until her death that dying at the hands of her senior was the only right thing she ever did."
Lin Wan pulled out a tissue to wipe her tears, her voice hoarse.
"That shot at Xiao Gu truly killed Xiao Tu's soul."
Before Lin Wan and the audience could recover from the immense grief, the game screen suddenly flickered, and a bucket of cold water was poured over their heads, waking Xiao Tu from the darkness on the screen and instantly pulling Lin Wan back to that cruel and cold reality.
The lost consciousness is returning, but the harsher test has only just begun.