Chapter 22: Even Stature

Zhao Xuan was certain there was no one.

Ever since joining the 76th Branch and witnessing the series of maneuvers orchestrated by Ding Moqun, Zhao Xuan was convinced that the old fox trusted no one but himself. Everyone was on his list of suspects; it was merely a matter of degree.

Furthermore, Zhao Xuan had finally figured out why Dao Yan had agreed to marry him.

Even from Dao Ya’s previous inner thoughts, it was clear that she looked down on Zhao Xuan. With both their parents deceased, a marriage contract meant nothing. Moreover, Zhao Xuan had just returned from studying abroad at the time; despite the title of a high-achieving student, he held no candle to Dao Yan, who had already been promoted to Section Chief of the Telecommunications Division and was the niece of Ding Moqun.

Zhao Xuan had often wondered what exactly Dao Yan stood to gain from this engagement. Now, everything seemed to be falling into place.

And "Canary"—she was in grave danger now.

For a split second, Zhao Xuan felt his head spinning with the weight of it all. However, his most urgent need was to determine whether Dao Yan knew he was also an agent of the Military Statistics Bureau. After all, it was possible that the Chongqing authorities had instructed Dao Yan to accept the marriage for their own reasons. Alternatively, she might have agreed to fulfill the contract after weighing her options, hoping to secure her cover or dispel some of Ding Moqun’s suspicions. The fact that they hadn't shared a room since the wedding supported the latter theory.

As Xu Manchun fainted from the excruciating pain, Zhao Xuan snapped back to reality.

*Splash!*

Doused with a basin of cold water, the pale-faced Xu Manchun slowly regained consciousness. Her contorted facial expression revealed the agony the barbed needles had inflicted upon her. Li Xiao stood to the side, smiling obsequiously at Ding Moqun.

"Director, do you have any questions for her?"

Ding Moqun looked at Xu Manchun with a mirthless grin and asked in a low voice, "Canary, this suffering is enough to settle the debt you owe to the party-state you serve. So, tell me now: are you willing to abandon the darkness and embrace the light?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Manchun endured her pain to offer a mocking smile, then spat toward Ding Moqun. The blood-flecked saliva carried a weight of pure disdain.

"It seems this level of pain isn't enough for you to pay your dues to the party-state. Let us continue, then."

Ding Moqun let out a cold laugh and waved at Li Xiao.

The understanding Li Xiao retrieved another barbed needle and drove it into the middle finger of Xu Manchun’s right hand. A shrill scream pierced the air once more. As all five fingers of her right hand were filled with barbed needles, Ding Moqun watched the unconscious woman and gestured toward the water basin with a smile.

Xu Manchun’s spirit was utterly broken, her breath shallow as she slumped in the interrogation chair, yet the steely defiance in her eyes continued to infuriate Ding Moqun.

"Miss Canary, you have endured more pain than your loyalty to the party-state warrants. You and your party-state are now even. I shall ask you one last time: will you switch sides, or do you intend to remain a fool, blindly loyal to the end?"

Xu Manchun leaned limply against the chair, staring at Ding Moqun with eyes full of mockery. She squeezed out a strained smile, remaining silent, staring back at him with playful contempt.

Ding Moqun chuckled dismissively and motioned for Li Xiao to continue.

Seeing Li Xiao stop reaching for more needles and instead pick up an oil lamp, moving the flame toward the heads of the needles already embedded under her fingernails, Zhao Xuan’s heart gave a violent jolt.

The needles themselves were vicious enough, causing unparalleled agony, and pulling them out would permanently maim the victim’s fingers. But if they were heated, given the conductivity of the metal, the process of removing them would not only destroy the fingers but rip the very finger bones out with them. Zhao Xuan couldn't even bear to imagine such torment.

At this point, he knew he couldn't stand by and watch Xu Manchun be tortured into a mangled wreck before slowly dying in agony. He could not do it.

He had constantly reminded himself to stay low and survive, but faced with this reality, he could no longer hold back. Recalling the inner thoughts he had overheard from Ding Moqun, and fueled by a double-lifetime of hatred for traitors and the Japanese invaders, Zhao Xuan composed his thoughts and shouted, "Wait!"

His sudden cry startled everyone in the interrogation room. Li Xiao looked back in surprise, pausing only when Ding Moqun nodded at him.

All eyes were now on Zhao Xuan. Ding Moqun scrutinized him. "Ah Xuan, what is the meaning of this?"

Zhao Xuan looked at Xu Manchun with a detached expression before turning to Ding Moqun. "Given the style of the Military Statistics Bureau, they would never risk a rescue operation for someone who has lost their operational value."

"Director, you went to such lengths to have us witness this interrogation. Surely you don't intend to be left with a completely useless agent?"

"Though I am unaware of your further plans, as a member of the Intelligence Section, I feel obligated to offer a suggestion."

"Of course, this is merely my humble opinion."

With that, Zhao Xuan slowly stood up and walked forward. Reaching the chair, he leaned down to look at Xu Manchun before turning his gaze back to Ding Moqun.

"Director, I have been observing Miss Canary. Judging by her micro-expressions, I have reason to suspect that she is intentionally provoking you—or rather, she has no intention of surviving."

Ding Moqun paused slightly, stood up, and walked out into the open.

Xu Manchun looked at Zhao Xuan with surprise. This damn traitor had actually seen through her intent! In truth, Zhao Xuan hadn't "seen" anything; he had heard her inner thoughts. From the moment she was captured, she had been prepared to die. She knew her superiors' ways: once she was useless and broken, they would not waste resources on a rescue. This way, her colleagues would not suffer unnecessary casualties.

Whether in the Military Statistics Bureau or the Communist Party, there were many with iron bones, regardless of gender. Of course, there were plenty of traitors and running dogs as well. Zhao Xuan couldn't help but feel a sense of reverence for someone like Xu Manchun.

*(She really did manage to provoke me. Even trained men couldn't withstand Li Sibao's torture methods, yet this girl has endured it all.)*

*(If Zhao Xuan hadn't called for a stop, even if the subsequent plans were carried out, the effectiveness would have been severely diminished.)*

Hearing Ding Moqun’s inner thoughts, Zhao Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. He had only dared to speak because he knew Ding Moqun had further plans and, having come from the Military Statistics Bureau himself, understood their operations all too well. Otherwise, no matter how much he couldn't bear it, he would have forced himself to lie low, unable to do anything but watch Xu Manchun fade away in agony.

As Ding Moqun patted Zhao Xuan on the shoulder, the others in the room wore expressions of realization. It seemed the Director truly did have a follow-up plan!

Meanwhile, Dao Yan, watching from the side, also quietly exhaled. She didn't care about Zhao Xuan’s fate, but as long as Canary was safe for the moment, it was enough. Although Zhao Xuan was her husband in name, she had only agreed to the marriage to dispel Ding Moqun’s suspicions about her identity and because the Chongqing authorities had cleared it after learning he was a high-achieving student.

In Dao Yan’s eyes, Zhao Xuan was nothing more than a tool—or worse, a traitorous dog.