Crimson Instinct

*Xin Lei*

I felt the phone vibrate in my hand. But how could I pick up Lin Zihao's call in front of General Song?

General Song said, "Let's go Bai Li and Xin Lei."

He looked at Tian Song and said, "It was nice to meet you, Officer Tian Song. I apologize that we couldn't relay the message in time."

Nobody could understand what Tian Song's inscrutable gaze meant.

The call kept ringing and it finally stopped after a few rings.

Two sergeants took position behind us. They led us towards a similar jeep like General Song. Bai Li, I and Cocoa took our seat with three officers watching over us. General Song sat in the main jeep.

One sergeant saluted. "Orders, General Song!"

General Song said, "Let's go to the temporary camp we have set in Andingzhen. That is nearer. Then we would leave for Dongcheng tomorrow."

"Yes, General!"

---

The whole way Bai Li and I didn't communicate, more like we couldn't. The officers were tightly keeping an eye on us.

Fifteen minutes later, we reached the entrance of the camp. The guard saluted as he saw General Song.

"General!"

General Song nodded in acknowledgement.

The guard glanced at us and I could see the surprise and shock evident in his eyes as he recognized Bai Li.

We drove further inside as the preliminary checking was done. We entered the main building and the sergeant took us inside a room.

The sergeant said, "Miss, please hand over your phone and any other communication devices you may have."

I was stumped.

What will I do without my phone? We had to get back to Lin Zihao. He must have got some information.

And more importantly, how will I talk to Bai Li without my phone?

I hesitated.

Bai Li asked the sergeant. "What is your name?"

"Sergeant Qian Shihong, Major!"

Bai Li seemed to be in thought. "Sergeant Qian...Are you the same Qian Shihong who was under my command two years back? And I am not a major anymore so you can drop that title."

Sergeant Qian smiled. "Yes. I am the same. It is my fortune that we met again. And for me, you would always be Major Bai Li in my heart. It was my fortune, once again, to be under your leadership."

"I was just doing my job."

"You were but it was crazy difficult for you with your blindness. And I have seen your struggle and hardships. I have great respect for you, Major."

I smiled as I heard him praising Bai Li. Even if he was dishonorably discharged and his reputation should be in ruins, there were some soldiers who still followed Bai Li.

I could imagine how Bai Li must have worked hard to gain that recognition that went beyond the outward discharge.

"Didn't you hear the news that I was dishonorably discharged?"

Sergeant Qian was unperturbed. "The court decided what it had to and I will decide who I have to follow."

Bai Li scratched his head.

I chuckled as I understood that he was embarrassed.

"Alright, coming back to the topic, do we really have to hand the phone?"

"General's order, Major."

"Like I said, I am discharged."

"Apologies, but I hold you in high regard. You are one of the finest soldiers our army ever had. I cannot drop the rank."

The men under him were as stubborn as Bai Li.

He sighed. "Alright. The phone?"

Sergeant Qian said, "We have no choice. General Song is going to check if all the comms has been retrieved."

Bai Li said to me, "Erase his secure line number. General Song cannot see it."

I nodded and already deleted all the records. I handed my phone to him.

"Can you do me one favor?" Bai Li asked him.

Sergeant Qian stood in attention. "Yes. I understood it."

Bai Li wanted to protest. "Like I said it's a favor... forget it."

Sergeant Qian bowed and left.

Silence.

I wanted to ask what favor Bai Li was going to ask and what did Sergeant Qian understand, but…

I sighed.

Bai Li said it himself. "From your sigh, I see that you didn't understand what we talked about."

I scooted closer to him. I held his hand and wrote on his palm. "Yes."

He said, "Sergeant Qian knows Lin Zihao and Su Weiyuan. He also knows that we were the closest in the army and we rely on each other as comrades whenever we need help. So, he would pay attention to any messages that come from them and secretly relay it to us."

That was awesome! So we could count on Sergeant Qian for helping us out of this situation.

"By now, Lin Zihao must have also understood our predicament. He would surely send a message."

Fifteen minutes later, I saw an envelope slip inside our room.

I shook Bai Li's arm.

"What happened?"

I didn't know what to do so I got up and quickly took the envelope.

I pressed it in his hands. "Lin Zihao sent the message. Look what is inside."

I tore the envelope.

There was a paper and a photo slipped outside. On the paper, it was written Chu Jie.

It was the next victim's information.

When I saw the photo, I froze.

He was the same teenage boy who I saw outside MC D and the hotpot restaurant.

What!