Chapter 2636: Secrets of Qiaonan Village

Zhang Jiayu was stunned. The local water network spread everywhere—ponds, swamps, and rice paddies covered the landscape. Though narrow paths ran along the field ridges between villages, boats were by far the most convenient means of travel. Yet Hening had said they would go by land, departing before dawn. This could only mean one thing: a surprise raid.

But where? Since they were traveling on foot and it was just past the fourth watch—around two in the morning—the target couldn't be far. Most likely somewhere within a few li of Jiujiang Market.

His thoughts turned immediately to Qiaonan Village, which had been searched not long ago. Mo Yu had led that raid, but they'd found nothing. Zhang Jiayu had even offered a suggestion at the time...

Could it be—

A wave of nervousness washed over him. Could Qiaonan Village truly be harboring Anti-Kun Righteous Gentlemen, secretly manufacturing gunpowder and forging weapons in the shadows? Had the previous search come up empty, only for them to now attempt a Returning Horse Spear—a surprise return when defenses were lowered?

And why had he been specifically ordered to join the team again? Was it because of his earlier display of "diligence"? Perhaps Senator Zhang wanted to test him.

If they actually found something in Qiaonan Village, how should he react? If they discovered certain familiar teachers or seniors among the conspirators, should he try to find a way to rescue them?

Conflicting thoughts surged through his mind, leaving his face pale and his hands restless, unsure where to put them.

"What are you standing there dazed for? Hurry up and change!" Hening gave him a shove. "It's not like you're going into battle! Why so frightened?"

Zhang Jiayu smiled bitterly to himself. If it were actual combat, he wouldn't be afraid in the slightest. Even the possibility of dying in battle wouldn't give him a moment's hesitation. But this—existing in this gray zone between black and white—was far more unbearable.

The team assembled in full. Under orders from the unfamiliar cadre, the Search Team slipped quietly out of Jiujiang Market. Led by local police, they made their way along the field ridges.

The moment Zhang Jiayu left Jiujiang, he lost all sense of direction. The pre-dawn darkness made navigation nearly impossible, and the uneven ridge paths had him stumbling—one step deep, the next shallow. It was utterly exhausting. Fortunately, his love of soldiering and martial arts had given him a strong constitution. He fixed his eyes on the white identification strip on the back of the man ahead and pressed forward.

Gradually, the sky began to lighten. Zhang Jiayu had accompanied Zhang Xiao on "tours" through this area before and had some familiarity with the surrounding villages. As the scenery grew increasingly recognizable, his suspicions were confirmed—they were indeed heading toward Qiaonan Village.

No boats. Light packs. Traveling on foot. Apart from the commanding cadre and the guide, the entire team was Japanese...

This was clearly a surprise attack on Qiaonan Village. Could the village truly be harboring Anti-Kun Righteous Gentlemen manufacturing gunpowder? Then why had the previous search turned up nothing? Could Mo Yu himself be an Anti-Kun comrade?

While his mind raced with wild speculation, the team arrived silently at the village entrance. Like other villages in the region, Qiaonan had a gate tower at its entrance that was closed at night, guarded by rural braves on rotating watch. After the Senate took control, this system had continued—only now the rural braves were called militia.

The Zhu clan tribesmen had heard that Magistrate Zhang had been busy lately, making a big show of his Women Protection campaign and handling various trivial cases. They'd concluded he was nothing special—a man who concerned himself only with petty matters. Combined with the recent search that had yielded nothing, the villagers had grown complacent. Even the sentries at the gate had relaxed their vigilance, failing to notice the approaching National Army.

Two vanguard team members quickly subdued the sentries. After disarming all the militia, the National Army rapidly occupied the village's key positions and fortifications, sealing it so tightly that not a drop of water could leak out. Before the Zhu clan could mount any resistance, they found themselves surrounded at bayonet point.

Zhu Bolian dressed in a panic. At first he thought bandits had raided the village, but when he recognized the National Army uniforms, shock gave way to alarm. "Did everyone leave?" he whispered urgently.

"Long ago."

"Good." Zhu Bolian's heart silently acknowledged how close they'd come to disaster. If the soldiers had arrived two days earlier, the artisans might not have escaped. But now they were all gone, along with the gunpowder and related equipment. The nitre field remained, but it was empty—and presumably these Kun thieves wouldn't even recognize what it had been used for.

Bolstered by this confidence, he composed his features into an expression of shocked outrage and addressed the soldiers: "Honorable generals! Arriving at my humble residence so early in the morning—pray tell, what is the purpose of this visit?"

The guide Mo Yu snapped at him: "Zhu Bolian! Mind your behavior! This is Section Chief Xu, here specifically to investigate a major case!"

Zhu Bolian kept his composure and looked up at the officer. Section Chief Xu appeared to be in his early thirties, with a pallid, unsettling complexion. Steeling himself, Zhu Bolian offered a bow. "Might I ask, my lord, what offense this humble citizen has committed?"

Section Chief Xu said nothing, as if deeming any response beneath him. It was Mo Yu who produced a search warrant and announced in awkward Mandarin: "We've received reports that strangers have been appearing and disappearing in Qiaonan Village—suspected to be major river pirates. I have a warrant authorizing a search."

"Director Mo! Didn't you just search this place not long ago? We barely have any strangers here at all. Where would river pirates come from?" Zhu Bolian's face was a mask of wounded confusion.

Mo Yu shifted uncomfortably. He'd only learned of this search at dawn, roused from sleep to prepare. They hadn't told him the destination until moments before departure.

Forcing a stern expression, he said: "If there's nothing to hide, what's there to fear? A thorough search will clear your family of suspicion."

Without waiting for Zhu Bolian to respond, he ordered the search to begin. The National Army filed in, blockading the Zhu residence, ancestral hall, shops, and other key locations. Everyone was herded outside for registration and inspection while the soldiers ransacked the premises, rummaging through every box and cabinet. The search didn't conclude until well past ten in the morning.

The Political Security Bureau cadre in charge of the inspection brought the inventory list and whispered a few words in Xu Tong's ear.

As for prohibited goods, there were none worth mentioning—just a few dozen swords, spears, bows and arrows, along with a dozen or so bird guns and a small amount of gunpowder. Every village had such things, and the Senate had never ordered their confiscation.

Zhu Bolian addressed Xu Tong directly: "My lord, the bows, arrows, and bird guns are for village defense against bandits. During the former dynasty, local banditry was rampant—we had no choice but to prepare. Tell me, did your search uncover any river pirates?"

Xu Tong remained cold and silent, his eyes fixed on the list in his hands as if deep in thought.

Mo Yu interjected: "Even if we didn't find any pirates, they must have received advance warning and fled. That still implicates you!"

Zhu Shilian, who had been restraining himself, finally exploded in anger: "This is too much! Making wild accusations, fabricating charges from nothing—is this how the current court conducts itself?"

Other young men of the Zhu clan began to stir restlessly, and the scene threatened to spiral out of control. The National Army soldiers immediately leveled their Minie rifles, bayonets gleaming with cold menace.

The atmosphere grew tense, both sides poised like drawn swords and bent bows. But Zhang Jiayu, watching from within the team, felt a wave of relief. Today's raid would surely come up empty. Given the Chiefs' methods, any case required conclusive evidence. Right now they had neither witnesses nor material proof. If a conflict erupted, it would only mean pointless casualties—harm without benefit.

Seeing that Section Chief Xu offered no instructions, Zhang Jiayu hurried over to Mo Yu and said quietly: "Director Mo, since the search found no contraband and no suspicious strangers, perhaps you could suggest to Section Chief Xu that we conclude things here. The Zhu family has deep roots in this area—substantial property and business. As they say, the monk may flee, but the temple cannot. If we need to make arrests later, we can do so at any time. Better to leave the remaining decisions to the Chief."

Mo Yu was indeed feeling awkward. The Zhu family was a prominent local household that had been quite cooperative. Conducting such a fruitless search made it seem as though they were deliberately causing trouble. He needed to maintain working relationships here and had no desire to make permanent enemies. He looked toward Section Chief Xu.

The Section Chief's face remained expressionless. When he noticed Mo Yu's glance, he gave a slight nod.

With no further instructions from Section Chief Xu and nothing gained from the search, Mo Yu delivered a stern admonishment to the Zhu clan before ordering the team to return to camp.

Once back at the Jiujiang Market camp, Xu Tong went immediately to report to Zhang Xiao in private.

After hearing the report, Zhang Xiao thought to himself that there was no point trying to outmaneuver this group of cunning foxes.

"It seems this matter will require coordination across multiple departments to resolve."

"I was opposed to conducting a surprise search on Qiaonan Village," Xu Tong said, his complexion pale. "While it might prove they're involved in the case and reveal something of what they've been doing, it offers no major breakthrough for the investigation as a whole."

"So we gained nothing..." Zhang Xiao sounded dejected.

"Not necessarily nothing. At the very least, we've confirmed some important leads. They'll prove useful when we dig deeper later."

"What do you plan to do next?"

"I intend to return to Guangzhou immediately. I'll organize the clues we've collected and present them to Bureau Chief Wu, then propose bringing this matter before the Guangzhou Internal Affairs Security Meeting as soon as possible."

"That works. I've been here long enough myself—time to head back and rest." Zhang Xiao stretched and then asked suddenly, "What's your impression of this Zhang Jiayu who's been at my side?"

"He has exceptional qualities. But his heart is conflicted."

Zhang Xiao paused, then burst out laughing. Xu Tong could be rather amusing at times. Those two sentences hit the mark precisely. The man truly had a gift for reading people—no wonder he was the Political Security Bureau's top naturalized citizen cadre.

"Then let us hope he finds clarity of purpose soon."

With the Jiujiang inspection concluded, this leg of the journey came to an end. Zhang Xiao was already considering his proposal to Liu Xiang for establishing a Jiujiang Development Zone. He envisioned opening a National Primary School and an Agricultural Technology School here, along with a Freshwater Fish Breeding Base and the Guangdong Sericulture Improvement Base. Zhao Hening would be stationed in Jiujiang to oversee the sericulture improvements, while Tian Liang would supervise school construction. Chen Wuren would be appointed Director of the Jiujiang Development Zone, and a squad of National Army soldiers would be garrisoned there to prevent any potential unrest.

After discussing the matter, both Zhang Xiao and Li Yao'er agreed that Jiujiang was unsuitable as Nanhai County's seat of government. Located at the county's southernmost tip, it couldn't effectively administer the entire region—the same problem that plagued the current county seat. Based on their knowledge from the Old Time Space, whether Nanhai governed Foshan or Foshan governed Nanhai, the optimal location for the county seat remained Foshan. However, Foshan had been handed over to the Junior Senators for their Pilot Zone experiment, making it awkward for Zhang Xiao to establish a county seat there now. For the time being, Foshan remained a district under Nanhai's jurisdiction. Considering Guangzhou's long-term development needs—which required a broad economic hinterland—as long as Liu Xiang remained Mayor of Guangzhou, Foshan's role would have to remain that of a special Pilot Zone.

(End of Chapter)