Chapter 21: On the Train
Zhou Lin habitually surveyed the surroundings and noticed the man who had mistakenly twisted the suitcase was in the same carriage.
He sat in front, seven seats away from Zhou Lin.
The man didn't recognize Zhou Lin.
Previously, in the seats before and after him, there was no attention paid to the surroundings. Coupled with Zhou Lin reading with his head down, the man was unaware of Zhou Lin sitting behind him.
Upon discovering the man, Zhou Lin quickly averted his gaze.
Staring at someone is bound to make them uncomfortable.
However, Zhou Lin didn't look directly at him; he observed from the corner of his eye.
The man sat on the outer side, next to the aisle. A woman in her thirties occupied the window seat.
The woman, with a distinctive appearance, continued conversing with people opposite her without interruption.
Over time, the two men became acquainted and engaged in laughter.
At this moment, Zhou Lin observed the man's actions, confirming he was Japanese.
The reason for this confirmation lay in the fact that when the man laughed, he covered his mouth with his hand.
This habitual gesture is uncommon among the Chinese but widespread among the Japanese.
Many Japanese consider laughing with an open mouth as vulgar, so they often cover their mouths while laughing, even when eating.
Perhaps the man was amused by the woman's words, or it could be that he was still adapting to China after arriving.
Yet, this small gesture didn't escape Zhou Lin's notice, leading him to deduce the man's identity.
If not for the suitcase incident, Zhou Lin wouldn't have paid attention to him.
There are many Japanese people in China, engaged in various professions, so encountering a Japanese person isn't unusual.
What intrigued Zhou Lin was why they would go through the trouble of covertly exchanging suitcases.
Zhou Lin analyzed the situation.
The security checks at Shanghai Railway Station were stringent. Trying to directly bring the suitcase to the waiting room would certainly lead to inspection at the entrance.
If discovered, it could pose a risk.
Hence, they opted for the suitcase exchange method.
The first man, having a way to enter the waiting room without inspection, brought something in advance.
Perhaps he was a station staff member or a train attendant.
Only these two categories of people could freely enter and exit the station without inspection.
Later, another person, having twisted a suitcase identical to the first man's, executed the switch in their seats.
After concluding his analysis, Zhou Lin patted his thigh, silently praising himself: "You're quite clever!"
Confirming the man was Japanese, likely involved in covert activities, Zhou Lin wanted to understand his intentions.
To unravel this mystery, he needed to open the suitcase and inspect its contents.
However, this idea was impractical.
With so many people in the train carriage, even if Zhou Lin wanted to steal, he wouldn't dare.
Stirring up an international incident would impact Zhou Lin, regardless of his capabilities.
Once it hit the newspapers, Zhou Lin's face and name would become known worldwide.
In that case, what about going to the Seventh Division? What about future assignments?
Thus, the only option was to outsmart them.
Outsmarting was easier said than done.
After the train reached Wuxi, many passengers were already asleep.
The Japanese man also closed his eyes to rest.
His suitcase wasn't placed on the luggage rack but stood between his legs.
Perhaps his actions attracted attention, and at this moment, someone approached him.
Coincidentally, the person in this position went to the restroom. He then sat down and lowered his head as if asleep.
His hand reached for the suitcase.
At this point, a pair of hands tightly grabbed the thief's hand.
These hands belonged to the Japanese man. He hadn't slept and became alert when the thief sat down.
As the thief moved, the Japanese man seized his hand.
The thief realized he was dealing with a formidable opponent and said, "I just wanted to sleep, accidentally leaned over. I'll leave right away."
The Japanese man didn't want trouble and released the thief, allowing him to leave.
As the thief stood up, two more people left with him, presumably his accomplices.
The Japanese man felt he had made the right choice.
On this train, if he insisted on catching the thief, the railway police would intervene, demanding to open the suitcase for inspection.
Moreover, thieves on this route were likely acquainted with the railway police, perhaps even providing information. In such a situation, it was wise to step back and avoid trouble.
Zhou Lin witnessed the events involving the Japanese man, realizing that achieving his goal on the train was impossible.
So, Zhou Lin decided to close his eyes, choosing to remain oblivious.
The train finally arrived in Nanjing. As it approached, passengers prepared to disembark.
Zhou Lin also took action.
Seizing the opportunity, he went to the back door of the carriage.
Since the Japanese man's seat was close to the rear door, he would likely disembark from there.
Zhou Lin intended to get off first and then find an opportunity to follow the Japanese man.
Carrying only a small bag, Zhou Lin compared it to the Japanese man's heavy suitcase. After leaving the station, the man would probably take a taxi. By keeping him in sight, Zhou Lin could track his movements.
After getting off, Zhou Lin realized he had guessed wrong.
The Japanese man didn't disembark from the rear door; instead, he used the front door.
Moving swiftly, he squeezed through the crowd and quickly exited from the front.
After leaving the train, the Japanese man headed towards the station exit.
Soon, he reached the exit, and coincidentally, Zhou Lin also emerged.
After exiting, the Japanese man walked a few dozen meters and stopped.
At that moment, three people appeared in front of him.
One of them was the thief.
The thief blocked the Japanese man, holding a small knife.
"Damn, you twisted my wrist," he exclaimed.
The Japanese man put down his suitcase. "What do you want?"
"What do we want? We want to deal with you! You hit my brother, so I'm going to make you bleed," said one on the left.
The person on the right added, "Why bother talking? Just finish him off, take the money and the suitcase."
The front-facing thief sneered, "Kid, blame yourself for being blind. Attack!"
With a shout, the thief with the knife rushed forward.
Seeing the thief's movement, the Japanese man dodged the blade, slashing the thief's wrist. The thief winced in pain, dropping the knife.
Seizing the opportunity, the Japanese man kicked the front-facing thief in the groin. The thief clutched his lower abdomen, writhing on the ground.
"Uhhhh!!My eggs!"