Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 244 I'm coming to get you

In the courtyard of the Qianmen Street Subdistrict Office, the snow had not yet melted. A man with his neck hunched over rushed into Fan Jinyou's office, making the cotton curtain rustle as he pulled it open.

"Officer Fan! Officer Fan!" The man, panting heavily with a fawning smile, said, "You told me to keep an eye on Xu Huizhen's little tavern, and today there's finally some news! That kid who embarrassed you the other day is out drinking again with his white dog!"

Fan Jinyou was drinking tea from his mug when he heard this. He slowly put the mug down, raised his eyelids, and said, "Explain yourself more clearly."

"Hey, guess what?" Wo Bo leaned closer, lowering his voice, "You were right, this kid's definitely up to something! I saw it with my own eyes, he ordered braised beef and just started tearing it apart to feed the dog! Top-quality beef! These days, who wastes good food like that? I bet he's some kind of capitalist's brat!"

Fan Jinyou's lips curled into a cold smile, which quickly faded before his face darkened. He pulled two dimes from the drawer and slammed them on the table: "Got it. Take this money, and keep your mouth shut."

"Don't worry!" Wobo quickly pocketed the money, bowed, and backed away. "Next time something like this happens, you'll definitely have to come to me again!" After saying that, he left the house, looking back every few steps.

Fan Jinyou dismissed the messenger and paced back and forth in his office. The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt. The scene of Lin Yan publicly humiliating him at the tavern that day was still vivid in his mind, especially the phrase "I am 'capitalism'," which stuck in his heart like a thorn. That kid was too arrogant; if he didn't teach him a lesson, how could Fan Jinyou maintain his standing on Qianmen Street?

"Dressed like a big shot, feeding meat to dogs... he's definitely not a good person!" Fan Jinyou muttered to himself through gritted teeth. "He's probably a capitalist's brat, or even... maybe a spy sent from the other side!" He was startled by his own bold guess, but then he felt it made perfect sense—otherwise, how could he explain that kid's unusual demeanor and fearless attitude?

Once the thought took hold, it grew like wildfire. Yes, it must be a spy! This would be a huge success! Not only would I get revenge, but I'd also make a name for myself in front of my superiors and the police!

Thinking this through, Fan Jinyou no longer hesitated. He straightened his cadre uniform, slicked his hair back, and, having made up his mind, got up and strode quickly towards the Dongcheng Branch Bureau. He had to report this "important situation" as soon as possible and catch that kid red-handed while he was still in the tavern!

Upon arriving at the Dongcheng branch, Fan Jinyou found Director Liu's office with practiced ease. He took a deep breath, trying to appear both serious and anxious, before knocking on the door.

"Enter."

Fan Jinyou pushed open the door and entered, his face displaying just the right amount of worry and a responsible expression.

"Director Liu, I have an important report to give you!" He lowered his voice deliberately, with a hint of mystery and urgency.

Director Liu was looking at documents when he looked up and saw Fan Jinyou. He gestured for him to sit down and said, "Officer Fan? What's the matter that's so urgent?"

Fan Jinyou didn't sit down; instead, he leaned forward and lowered his voice, saying, "Director Liu, we've found a highly suspicious person in our neighborhood! He's in that little tavern on Qianmen Street!"

He embellished his account of how he had "keenly noticed" Lin Yan's unusual behavior—his unusual clothing, extravagant spending, feeding meat to dogs, and how Lin Yan had openly declared "I am capitalism"—especially highlighting Lin Yan's "mysteriousness" and "arrogance."

Finally, he took a deep breath and presented his core judgment: "Director Liu, based on my repeated observations and reflections, this man's identity is highly suspicious! His behavior and words are completely inconsistent with the standards of our new society! I strongly suspect... he is very likely a spy sent from across the strait! His infiltration of Qianmen Street must have some ulterior motive! What do you think? Should we immediately send someone with me to apprehend him and conduct a thorough investigation? If he really is a big fish, we can't let him escape!"

Director Liu listened, his brows gradually furrowing. He put down the documents in his hand, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. He knew Fan Jinyou well; he sometimes liked to exaggerate, but the matter of "spies" was no small matter, especially after catching so many "mole" in the past two days. It was better to believe it than not.

"Alright, Officer Fan, your street's job is to be vigilant and identify suspicious individuals." Director Liu pondered for a moment, nodded, and picked up the internal phone on the table. "I'll have Captain Li take two men with you. Be careful with your methods; the main thing is to get to the bottom of the situation."

"Oh! Great! That's wonderful! Thank you, Director Liu, for supporting our work!" Fan Jinyou was overjoyed, his back straightened, feeling that he had done a great service.

A short while later, Captain Li of the Criminal Investigation Team arrived at the office with two young police officers. Captain Li had a calm expression and sharp eyes.

"Captain Li, go with Officer Fan to the Qianmen Tavern to verify the information about a young man. Officer Fan suspects there's something wrong with his identity. Go and find out more, but be mindful of the policies," Director Liu instructed.

"Understood, Director." Captain Li replied crisply, then turned to Fan Jinyou. "Officer Fan, let's go. We'll discuss the situation in detail on the way."

As he followed Captain Li out of the office, his steps became lighter. This time, he wanted to see how arrogant that kid would be.

Lin Yan was drinking with Uncle Niu and Uncle Pian, listening to Uncle Niu enthusiastically recount the latest happenings in Beijing. Xiao Qi was gnawing on his second pig's trotter on the table, his mouth dripping with oil.

Just then, the cotton curtain was suddenly flung open with a "whoosh," bringing in a gust of cold wind.

The noise in the tavern instantly subsided. Everyone looked up and saw Fan Jinyou from the neighborhood committee leading three people in police uniforms into the tavern. The leader was Captain Li from the Dongcheng branch, whose face was serious. Fan Jinyou, on the other hand, had a smug look on his face, as if to say, "I finally caught you." His gaze was precisely locked onto Lin Yan in the corner.

Xu Huizhen's heart skipped a beat. She quickly came out from behind the counter, putting on a businesswoman's smile: "Oh, Officer Fan, Captain Li, what brings you all here? Please have a seat, let me warm you some good wine..."

Fan Jinyou ignored her and walked straight to Lin Yan's desk, his finger almost touching Lin Yan's nose, with the excitement of having successfully reported him:

"Captain Li! It's him! His identity is unknown, his movements are secretive, his lifestyle is corrupt, and he openly promotes capitalist rhetoric! I strongly suspect he's a spy sent from the other side!"

The moment the word "spy" was uttered, the tavern fell into a deathly silence. All the patrons held their breath, and even Master Niu and Master Pian'er's expressions changed. This accusation was far too much!

Captain Li stepped forward, scrutinizing Lin Yan with sharp eyes, and said in a businesslike manner, "Comrade, we are from the Dongcheng Branch. We have received a report and need you to come back to cooperate with the investigation."