svetikya What happened in Chapter 77?
What happened in Chapter 77?
There was still some distance between the windowsill and the eaves. She stood on tiptoe and reached out, her fingertips almost brushing against the roof tiles, but she always missed by just an inch.
She is not Zhou Xiao; she lacks that explosive power and coordination.
Hanging against the cold, hard window frame to exert force was already strenuous; coupled with a pounding heart and sweaty palms, several attempts to push off and gain leverage resulted in slipping into the air.
Time is ticking down.
The footsteps grew closer and clearer.
Her breathing became labored, fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and adrenaline surged through her veins.
I tried twice more, my arms ached and trembled, but I still couldn't reach the edge of the roof.
"Click—"
The sound of the key being inserted into the lock was crisp and clean.
Feng Manna has arrived.
Lan Yanzhi's pupils contracted: It's over.
The path of infiltration that the Military Intelligence Bureau had painstakingly paved was about to be cut off behind this door.
At the critical moment, a hand reached down diagonally from above.
There is only one hand, and no one can be seen.
hand!
At this moment, she had nowhere to retreat and no time to think about why a hand would suddenly appear from the roof.
She grabbed the severed wrist, her palms sweaty, but her grip was tight.
With a steady push from that hand, she gritted her teeth, kicked off the wall, and used the momentum to leap up, twisting her waist and abdomen, her whole body soaring into the air like a swallow—
The next second, she was already firmly lying on the roof ridge.
Almost at the same moment she rolled over and landed, the office door was pushed open.
Feng Manna walked in.
It was just a fraction of a second off—the rustling of her clothes brushing against the tiles as she climbed could have slipped into Feng Manna's ear.
It's important to understand that Feng Manna is no ordinary person; she is a top-notch special agent, but she simply chose the wrong side.
Feng Manna looked around but found nothing amiss. She walked straight to the window, pushed it open with a "whoosh," and leaned out to take a deep breath.
Right above her head, Zhou Xiao and Lan Yanzhi pressed themselves against the roof ridge, holding their breath and remaining completely still.
This posture was established the moment he pulled her upstairs—after Feng Manna entered the room, they dared not move an inch, for fear that even the slightest sound would disturb the person downstairs.
At that moment, time seemed to be paused.
Lan Yanzhi nestled against Zhou Xiao's chest, her breath shallow and soft, like a feather falling into his embrace. Downstairs, Feng Manna leaned against the window, taking a deep breath, her fingertips unconsciously tapping on the glass—she had no idea that two figures were lurking on the roof ridge just inches above her head.
After a long while, she turned away from the window, her high heels clicking on the floor, and walked back to her desk.
On the rooftop, Lan Yanzhi and Zhou Xiao held their breath almost simultaneously, releasing their pressed foreheads and slowly moving away by half an inch. Neither dared to move, not even daring to make a sound like their clothes brushing against the tiles, for fear of disturbing the ears of those downstairs.
Lan Yanzhi's eyes were filled with countless questions: What is he doing here? Why is he targeting Feng Manna? Who exactly is he? ... But the words she was about to say were swallowed back down.
Zhou Xiao had already noticed her confusion. He simply raised his hand, placed his index finger to his lips, and made a light but firm gesture.
She nodded, her eyelashes lowered, and remained silent, but her eyes spoke volumes—I understand, wait.
They were waiting for a moment of inattention, for Feng Manna to get up and get water, for her to make a phone call, for her to push open the door and step out—even a second of lapse in attention could be her window of escape.
The two had extremely sensitive hearing; they could clearly hear the rustling of papers downstairs, the scratching of pens on manuscript paper, and even the soft sound of Feng Manna opening a drawer.
They met on a rushed blind date, spending only a few days together, barely even remembering each other's signature perfume scents. Zhou Xiao knew Lan Yanzhi was a rising star in the Military Intelligence Bureau, but Lan Yanzhi knew nothing about him. Ironically, he hadn't even read the novel "Rouge"—he had no "espionage experience" whatsoever, he was just forcing his way forward.
Just in case, Zhou Xiao quietly activated the "Loyalty Judgment Card" awarded by the system. There was only one of these cards, which was self-destructive upon activation. It could cut through appearances and reach the depths of people's hearts: 0-30 points, harboring murderous intent; 30-50 points, each with their own secrets; 60-80 points, trustworthy and usable; and above 80 points, they are loyal to the death even with a knife to their throat.
He was uncertain. What if his score dropped below thirty...?
Even if she is quick-witted, intelligent, and extremely beautiful, even if her fingertips are slightly cool and she speaks with a smile when they are side by side, he still has to break this flower with his own hands.
No matter how beautiful an enemy may be, he is still a poisoned blade.
How many drinks and how many pats on the shoulder did Zheng Yaoxian share with his comrades during his time in the Military Intelligence Bureau? But when it came to the crossroads, not a single brother who was supposed to be sent to his grave was missing. It wasn't that he was heartless; it was that his beliefs weighed heavily on his bones, allowing no room for weakness.
Zhou Xiao was also standing in the same narrow alley at that moment.
"Activate loyalty assessment card, target: Blue Rouge."
"Ding—Host command confirmed. Detecting..."
"Target: Lan Yanzhi, Loyalty: 80"
Eighty points!
The die-hard fan route!
This means that even if she is forced to speak, nailed to a rack, or driven to the brink of despair, as long as she has a breath left, she will never reveal a single word about Zhou Xiao.
Zhou Xiao's tense shoulders finally relaxed, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly. To be honest, if it really came down to it, he might not have been able to bring himself to do it—not because he was reluctant to hurt her face, but because he valued her quick wit, her tenacity, and her unyielding spirit.
But fate gave him the most fitting answer.
He asked silently, "System, we've only met three times. Why is she so loyal to me?"
Please check for details.
"The motivations for loyalty fall into two categories: first, personal feelings—love, attachment, and blood ties; second, the drive for a greater cause—unwavering faith, loyalty to the organization, and a commitment to the nation's well-being, even unto death."
Zhou Xiao glanced at the file and, sure enough, saw the verdict at the end:
"I trust the Military Intelligence Bureau, respect the underground Communist Party, and know that the host is a core figure on the front line of the War of Resistance against Japan. Therefore, I regard him as a comrade-in-arms, a fellow countryman, and the embodiment of an inviolable cause. My loyalty is not based on the person, but on the principle."
It turned out to be the case.
It's not that he's so charming, but that she has fire in her heart, light in her eyes, and a mountain and river on her shoulders.
He almost foolishly thought that she had fallen for him at first sight...
Sigh, you're overthinking it.
That's enough. Since we're on the same path, there's no need to be wary, no need to test each other, and certainly no need to—ruthlessly destroy our potential.
On the roof, Zhou Xiao and Lan Yanzhi lay prone among the tiles, barely breathing, afraid of disturbing Feng Manna in the office downstairs.
Time is like sand dripping through an hourglass, falling one grain at a time.
About five or six minutes later, the soft sound of a chair being moved came from inside the office, followed by the rhythmic sound of leather shoes on the floor—tap, tap, tap—moving away from near to far, and the faint sound of the door closing was also clearly audible.
The evacuation window is open.
Zhou Xiao turned his head, his voice low and steady: "Go, retreat immediately! After you land safely, come to my office."
There were too many things I hadn't had time to explain—especially that box of fluorescent powder, which was still stuck in my throat.
"I can't get away from here..." Lan Yanzhi frowned slightly. She was just an ordinary staff member in the intelligence section of the Special Operations Headquarters, without a private office. If she climbed in through her window now, her colleague at the next workstation would see her right in the act.
"The toilet!" Zhou Xiao instantly understood her predicament. "Make sure no one's around, then go in through the toilet window."
"Understood." Lan Yanzhi nodded nimbly.
The two quickly got up, crouched low, and hurried along the rooftops towards their respective landing points.
Zhou Xiao had already reached the edge of the roof directly above his office, but suddenly stopped, then turned around and crept along the eaves toward the nearest public restroom.
He just realized—Feng Manna was heading to his office.
If he jumped in through the window now, she would see him immediately, and his identity would be exposed on the spot. His only way out was through that narrow toilet window.
Seeing him return, Lan Yanzhi immediately leaned closer and whispered, "What happened?"
"Feng Manna blocked my office." Zhou Xiao spoke slowly and clearly, "I had to change my route and enter through the restroom."
Both were seasoned veterans, leaping through windows, vaulting over railings, and sliding down walls in one fluid motion, without even scratching their clothes.
With a light tap of his toes, Zhou Xiao landed nimbly outside the toilet window like a hawk. He pressed his ear against the window crack for three seconds, and after confirming that it was quiet inside, he twisted and slipped inside, his movements as swift as a shadow.
Sure enough, no one was in the restroom.
He straightened his cuffs and collar, slowly washed his face, shook off the water droplets, and then pushed open the door and went straight back to his office.
Just as he stepped inside, Feng Manna appeared from around the corner of the corridor, her eyes meeting his. She casually asked, "Third Brother, where have you been?"
It turned out that she had opened the door earlier and not seen anyone, which puzzled her, but when she went out, she was greeted by him.
Zhou Xiao's expression remained normal: "I just went to relieve myself. Is something the matter?"
This place was originally the site of Feng's mansion. It was exquisitely built but impractical back then—many rooms didn't even have bathrooms. Zhou Xiao's room just happened to be on the list.
Going to the toilet is perfectly natural.
No one suspected anything.
Feng Manna waved the folder in her hand: "Here, a new intelligence report arrived. I brought it over for you."
Zhou Xiao took it and glanced at it.
It was all scraps: enemy troop rotation times, supply route maps, all superficial and lacking any real substance.
Not to mention a single word about spies within the Military Intelligence Bureau.
Clearly, she's still covering it up.
As they turned the pages, the two strolled back to their office.
Closing the file, Zhou Xiao looked up, his tone tinged with urgency: "Manna, Section Chief Xian Daofeng is keeping a close eye on things. Our intelligence department needs to dig up some real information quickly—the Kuomintang's secret agents, the underground party's liaison network—we need to produce some tangible results."
Feng Manna nodded: "I know, I'm working on it."
After a few pleasantries, she turned and left, the sound of her high heels fading into the distance.
As soon as the door closed, Zhou Xiao grabbed the phone and dialed the intelligence department: "Lan Yanzhi, come to my office immediately."
He hung up as soon as he finished speaking.
A moment later, a knock sounded on the door.
Lan Yanzhi pushed the door open and entered, then gently closed it behind her.
The moment she first saw Zhou Xiao on the rooftop, her heart almost stopped—shock mixed with disbelief, her pupils even shrank; if it weren't for the composure she had developed over many years as a special agent, she probably would have screamed on the spot!
Who has ever seen an intelligence chief squatting on a rooftop in broad daylight?
Her first words upon entering were taut and strained: "Director Zhou, who exactly are you? How did you... end up there?"
"If you ask me, it's to go up and enjoy the breeze and sunshine, would you believe me?" Zhou Xiao raised an eyebrow and smiled, turning to look at her. "Sister Rouge, your savior is standing right here, and you're already trying to seduce him?"
If he hadn't intervened in time, she would have been captured by Feng Manna on the spot.