"Why doesn't Wen Qing go hide? If someone identifies you, wouldn't that just add trouble?" Qi Huishen felt that Chen Ke insisting on staying at the school was a bit rash. As she spoke, she glanced at He Ying, who was beside Chen Ke.

The officers from the patrol station were exasperated, running around the school like mad dogs. Chen Ke, fearing his wife would be harassed, simply had He Ying stay by his side. Hearing Qi Huishen's words, He Ying looked normal, only gently holding onto Chen Ke's arm.

"Yesterday during the day, we both went to visit the prison, and at night the person was broken out. If we both disappear today, what does that count as? A confession without being pressed?" Chen Ke patted his wife He Ying's hand gently while chuckling in a low voice.

Actually, Qi Huishen also held this thought, which was why she stayed here. Seeing Chen Ke chatting with her so composedly, she couldn't help but sigh, "Wen Qing, your guts are really big. Although you masked your face, your figure..."

Chen Ke's figure might not be too conspicuous in the North, but in the South, it stood out like a crane among chickens. Among the people searching the school were a few officers Chen Ke had knocked out yesterday. It wasn't clear if it was psychological, but Qi Huishen felt their gazes towards Chen Ke were filled with a dangerous scent.

"Even if they recognize me, so what? Do they dare to arrest people? This isn't the Concession. This is our school. In the British tradition, without a major incident or special evidence, the government cannot come into a school to arrest people. They can't even enter Fudan Public School. Let alone come here to arrest people. Besides, this isn't some major case. No one died. Don't worry," Chen Ke laughed.

"Having done such a big case, looking back now, it really is satisfying." More than a hundred kilometers away from Chen Ke's location, Chai Qingguo suddenly laughed. This Shandong hero actually didn't like to laugh much, but at this moment, he was laughing very happily.

Wu Xingchen, who was on the same boat as Chai Qingguo, was actually quite happy too. Although his face remained calm, having a life-and-death friendship with Chai Qingguo, he could still tell. "Brother Wu, why didn't you let me finish off those few officers who were knocked down outside?" Although he said this, Chai Qingguo actually didn't mind not killing anyone.

Last night, Wu Xingchen and Chai Qingguo were truly startled when they suddenly saw Hua Xiongmao rush out from the patrol station. The four of them brought two guns; Chen Ke had one, and Wu Xingchen had one. Chai Qingguo thought something big had happened inside the patrol station and had already pulled out his small axe.

Wu Xingchen held back Chai Qingguo, who was preparing to rush in. In just that moment, Hua Xiongmao had arrived in front of them. "Wen Qing started. He told us to prepare to receive the person."

"Can he handle it alone?" Wu Xingchen asked in a low voice.

"I've seen Wen Qing's skills; it should be no problem." Hua Xiongmao still remembered the thunder-like movements he saw when he first met Chen Ke more than half a year ago.

Time seemed to pass for a very, very long time. There seemed to be some sounds inside the patrol station, but the people outside couldn't hear clearly. The only thing they could be sure of was that no gunshots came out; Chen Ke probably didn't use a gun. However, the three people hiding in the darkness didn't see Chen Ke come out either.

Wu Xingchen's hands pressed on Hua Xiongmao and Chai Qingguo's shoulders. Whenever they moved slightly, Wu Xingchen's powerful palms would hold their shoulders down. During the training these days, they always advocated not using voice to transmit signals. Among various simple hand gestures, this command to stop and attack was the simplest. Wu Xingchen's action was the signal to stop all actions. Just at this moment, two figures appeared on the street. Looking at their attire, they should be two patrolling officers. Obviously, these two officers didn't notice the three people in the shadows, let alone know that a fierce fight was happening inside the patrol station. It was already very cold at midnight; rubbing their hands, they walked quickly towards the main gate.

Just as these two officers both turned around, backs to the street, preparing to step into the patrol station, Wu Xingchen pushed Chai Qingguo and Hua Xiongmao. This was a signal trained hundreds of times. Although their hearts might not be in step with Wu Xingchen, their bodies moved before their thoughts. More accurately, Hua Xiongmao had a stronger consciousness of offense. If the two officers were allowed into the patrol station, it would be too dangerous for Chen Ke.

Chai Qingguo didn't have Hua Xiongmao's strong desire for battle; he was really waiting for Chen Ke to come out. Both rushed forward involuntarily, but whether they were genuinely rushing forward made a big difference. Just a moment of slow thought, and Chai Qingguo was surpassed by Hua Xiongmao by more than a meter.

Hearing footsteps behind them, the two officers stopped almost simultaneously. Hua Xiongmao was on the left; the officer he locked onto didn't have time to turn his head back before Hua Xiongmao chopped a palm onto the carotid artery on that officer's neck. This heavy blow instantly cut off the blood supply to the brain. Hua Xiongmao didn't even look at the officer whose body started to sway. His other hand had already grabbed the throat of the other officer. With a slight force, a slight strange noise came from that officer's throat, and he could no longer make a sound. Hua Xiongmao had already turned behind this officer, his other arm strangling the officer's neck like an iron hoop. Just then, Chai Qingguo arrived. Seeing Hua Xiongmao had already subdued two enemies, somehow, a feeling of uselessness popped up. Chai Qingguo subconsciously pulled out his small axe and raised it high, chopping towards the chest of the officer who had straightened his body and was struggling desperately.

Hua Xiongmao simply didn't expect Chai Qingguo to actually want to kill. He was trying hard to choke the officer's throat, his other hand pressing on the carotid artery on the officer's neck. A human brain would fall into a coma if blood supply was interrupted for three seconds. He used both hands in the effort to make the officer faint and had no way to stop Chai Qingguo from killing. He could only drag slightly backward, trying to get the officer as far away from the axe as possible.

The officer, having been ambushed, was already frightened enough. Seeing a small axe about to chop into his chest, it wasn't clear if he was scared or if the carotid artery blood supply was insufficient. Anyway, Hua Xiongmao only felt the officer's originally tense body suddenly go soft like a deflated ball. Fortunately so, Chai Qingguo's small axe only cut the clothes on the officer's chest and didn't chop into the chest as expected.

Chai Qingguo missed the chop, which instead aroused his ferocity. He took a step up, raising the axe again. Wu Xingchen's figure was too burly; although he let Chai Qingguo rush up first, he also followed quickly. But he wasn't as fast as the two rushing. Now finally catching up, he had quick eyes and hands, grabbing Chai Qingguo's wrist. "This time is to save people, don't kill indiscriminately first." Wu Xingchen was still able to maintain basic calmness, he said in a low voice.

The three left the unconscious officers and heard Chen Ke's voice, "Xingchen guard the door, others follow me in." Unknown when, Chen Ke had arrived in the dark at the doorway. After speaking, he took the lead running towards the prison. Hua Xiongmao followed without hesitation. A bit later, Chai Qingguo also followed.

The effect of training was fully displayed at this moment. In the patrol station he had never entered, Chai Qingguo ran like the wind. It wasn't very clear in the dark night, completely following the habits developed from training, it was actually very relaxed. There was a lock on the cell door. Chen Ke swung the axe, and a chop swift as thunder cut the iron chain. He kicked open the cell door and rushed in. When Chai Qingguo ran close, the door of the room next to the cell was wide open, a few people lying inside, dead or alive unknown. They were just motionless. Looking by the light, the iron chain was about the thickness of a finger, yet it was cut neatly into two pieces. Then Chen Ke shouted something inside the cell. When Chai Qingguo followed in, he saw Chen Ke forcing two guards back with a pistol. Hua Xiongmao went around behind them, gave each a palm on the neck, and the two guards immediately fell to the ground.

Chen Ke put the gun back into his waist and rushed towards the innermost cell. This time Chai Qingguo kept up with Chen Ke's pace. Seeing Chen Ke make no preparation at the door, he just raised the axe. His swing was so fast that the naked eye couldn't see it at all. What could be seen was the iron chain on the door suddenly popping up like two mad snakes, making a shrill cry in the air, then hitting the cell door, the cut parts actually stabbing fiercely into the wooden board. As soon as the cell door opened, the two outside rushed in, and without explanation, dragged people out. The comrades inside were sleeping groggily; frightened by this sudden change, they screamed a few times, but seeing the people in the light outside, it was obvious they weren't officers. At this time, Chen Ke and the others didn't care about much else. According to training, everyone picked a comrade who looked relatively heavily injured, carried them on their backs, and ran out. The remaining comrade was clever; he ran very fast behind the three. He had been taken out for interrogation and torture many times, so he knew the way fairly well.

When the three arrived at the gate, they saw Wu Xingchen covering his nose with his hand. Chai Qingguo smelled a very fresh scent of feces and urine. While puzzled, Wu Xingchen released his hand, "Looks like an officer shit his pants." After rushing in, Chai Qingguo's mood had been very tense. Suddenly hearing this, he couldn't help but laugh out loud. The group followed the plan completely; three people carried three comrades, Wu Xingchen dragged another comrade, disappearing into the night.

While talking to Wu Xingchen, Chai Qingguo suddenly remembered the officer on the ground with feces and urine flowing in his crotch again and couldn't help laughing loudly. He had laughed many times today. Although Chai Qingguo and these rescued People's Party comrades were strangers, thinking back a few years ago, he was chased by the Beiyang Army and foreign devils into hiding everywhere, where would he have time to save captured brothers. The success of this operation gave Chai Qingguo some comfort in his heart.

He suddenly remembered Chen Ke offering to go back at the dock when they parted ways, and for the first time in his life, he worried about Chen Ke's safety. "Brother Wu, Wen Qing won't be in trouble, right?"

"Since Wen Qing said he's fine, presumably he should be fine." Wu Xingchen said calmly.

"Although you say that, I'm still a bit worried. Those foreign devils are very overbearing. We snatched people out this time; presumably, Shanghai has been turned upside down, right?"

"Qingguo, I know you and Wen Qing have some small knots. After this matter broke out, the Party organization is definitely going to Anhui. I want to hear what plans you have." Wu Xingchen looked around to see no one and asked in a low voice.

Everyone was on the same boat, and the boat owner was the one who provided the boat during the last social investigation. When Hua Xiongmao woke up the boat owner, the groggy boat owner actually still had an impression of him. This boat wasn't small; everyone could sit down. At this time, Hua Xiongmao was taking care of four comrades in the cabin. Wu Xingchen and Chai Qingguo stood at the bow, and no one disturbed them.

The water towns of Jiangnan were very different from Shandong and Hebei. Chai Qingguo had taken off his black jacket and draped clothes borrowed from the boat owner. Although the sun was bright today, facing the moisture-laden wind at the bow was actually quite cold.

"I'll follow you, Brother Wu." Chai Qingguo pulled his lapels, speaking somewhat coldly.

"Depends on the situation, I'll be returning to Hebei soon." Wu Xingchen stood motionless like an iron tower, letting the cold wind blow on his face. The borrowed clothes didn't fit well; nothing could block Wu Xingchen's chest. He just draped the borrowed clothes over his black clothes.

"Then I'll also return to Hebei," Chai Qingguo said quickly.

Wu Xingchen didn't directly express agreement or disagreement. "Qingguo, you are also a probationary party member now; you should know that, right?"

"I know."

"A probationary party member doesn't mean you can attend all meetings, but at least the results of every meeting will be communicated to everyone. This isn't too important. Anyway, for you, being able to attend a party meeting is just about whether you have face or not. But as a party member, first, you must listen to the Party. It's not that you can do whatever you want."

Chai Qingguo knew Wu Xingchen's meaning. He lowered his head and wrapped his clothes tighter. "Brother Wu, I still want to follow you."

"Then what do you think is wrong with Wen Qing?" Wu Xingchen continued to ask. "Comparing martial arts, wit, capability, in which aspect is he not better than you?"

"I don't understand the matters of them scholars."

"The things I say are all learned from Wen Qing; why don't you say you don't understand? Don't pretend with me. I'll just ask for a straight answer. If the Party organization asks you to stay, will you stay or not?"

Chai Qingguo knew Wu Xingchen wouldn't take him back to Hebei this time. The so-called questioning was actually just persuading him. He simply spoke his mind, "I'm afraid of being bullied here."

"You've recited the Party's organizational discipline many times. If you feel bullied, you can report to the Party organization. Who dares to bully you?"

"Wasn't I bullied in Beijing?" Chai Qingguo put up a final resistance.

Wu Xingchen didn't fall for this at all. "Don't give me excuses. That time in Beijing is completely different from now. In Beijing, you ran away. I dared to take you to find Wen Qing to talk about it. If you run away this time, I don't care how aggrieved you are; I'll just find you and give you a sound beating first."

Chai Qingguo saw Wu Xingchen's attitude was very firm. He finally asked, "Brother Wu, why do you want to follow Chen Ke and the others? If you say there are things you haven't learned, with your cleverness, what should be learned, you've finished learning long ago. What you should know, you also know. With the principles you talked about before, what are we afraid of in Shandong? The government, foreign devils, we can deal with them all. Isn't it just run if we can't beat them, and if we can beat them, stall them first, wait for them to weaken, then we strike again. Why must we be commanded by some Party organization here? You also said this Party organization is expanding very fast. Instead of mixing with those people we don't know, how good would it be to do it ourselves."

Hearing this, Wu Xingchen sneered, "Were Uncle Zhao and Uncle Jing good to us back then?"

"That goes without saying," Chai Qingguo answered decisively.

"Then with yesterday's matter, if you let Uncle Zhao and Uncle Jing lead us to do it, could it be done so beautifully?"

"This..." Chai Qingguo was at a loss for words. Back then, he fought the church under Zhao Sanduo. That took tremendous effort and many people died to capture the church. The pre-battle preparation and training were far inferior to Chen Ke's side.

"I'm not saying bad things about the two uncles. But us fighting and killing in the countryside might be okay. If you really have to fight with foreign devils with real swords and guns, dare you say you are better than the two uncles? I don't think so."

"Chen Ke and the others are just a few people; dare they compare with the two uncles' tens of thousands of people?"

"Yes, they are just these few dozen people and can do to this extent. When they have tens of thousands of people, what extent can they reach? You say I've learned everything; what have I learned? Tell me." Wu Xingchen asked back. Seeing Chai Qingguo silent, he continued to persuade, "Qingguo, you are a good brother. Sometimes, we have to accept fate. People are better than us; we follow them. I've followed Wen Qing for half a year. The things they do now might not compare to the two uncles, but the methods they use to do things, the two uncles simply can't compare. We don't like scholars, but Wen Qing and the others are different from those scholars. Have you seen those scholars personally lead a team to snatch people? Seen them personally lead everyone in training before snatching people? Why is this? Isn't it just not wanting everyone to suffer casualties? It's different from our previous fighting relying on piling up people. Qingguo, could a person with such thoughts really be a bad person?"

Chai Qingguo remained silent. Last night during the jailbreak, the action of Chen Ke cutting the iron chain left a deep impression on him. He had hijacked prison carts before. That time, after Chai Qingguo subdued the officers, he also used an axe to chop the chain. Several people chopped for half a day and didn't cut it open. Don't look at just that one swing; without firm conviction, full concentration on that swing when acting, just having strength is useless. Chai Qingguo was also an expert, so he knew better that those who could reach this step didn't just achieve it by hard practice. This was already a matter of character. Those who could reach this step were all people with resolute and decisive nature.

Chai Qingguo had seen such people—they were all very terrifying people. At critical moments, these people never had any fear; life and death had long been disregarded. Just like when he led the horse team to rush out of the Beiyang Army's encirclement back then. That wasn't just leaving behind brothers without horses; even among brothers riding horses, one out of two failed to rush out. Chai Qingguo knew clearly how much determination that required. Because Chai Qingguo himself was such a resolute figure.

Thinking of this, Chai Qingguo finally spoke. "Brother Wu, you know my character. I already don't care about life and death. But I've already sold my life to Uncle Zhao once. After Uncle Zhao died, I don't want to easily sell it a second time. Since you say so, Brother Wu, I'll make an agreement with you. I will follow Chen Ke for another year. If I still have my life after this year, and if I still want to leave then, you cannot stop me."

"Okay. It's settled. One year." Wu Xingchen replied.

Chai Qingguo nodded but said no more. It was already noon, and the wind on the river surface had a slight warmth, feeling much more comfortable.