Translator: Cinder Translations
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Jiang Cheng noticed that Chen Xiaomeng was secretly watching him and suddenly changed his expression. "What are you looking at?"
Chen Xiaomeng was momentarily stunned. She didn't want any contact with this strange person, Jiang Cheng, outside of their task, so she quickly brought up a topic. "Where do you think the women's files from back then might be kept?"
"At the police station." Jiang Cheng answered without hesitation.
"Do you mean we should go to the police station and steal the documents?" Chen Xiaomeng crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.
Clearly, that wasn't a wise choice. The police wouldn't know who they were, so they wouldn't just hand over the files based on their words alone. It could even lead to misunderstandings.
"Then let's go to the town's archive," Jiang Cheng stroked his chin. "They should have records of the case, though it might not be as detailed as at the police station."
"Alright," Chen Xiaomeng nodded. "We don't have much time left. I suggest splitting up. You go to the archive to find information about the women, and I'll keep an eye on the area near Anping Inn. Once you find the information, meet me there."
"Don't even think about it," Jiang Cheng adjusted his posture to be more comfortable. He squinted and said, "Although it sounds like the Anping Inn you're responsible for is more dangerous, don't think I don't know what you're thinking."
"Before I get the information about the women, you won't go near the Anping Inn. You'll just find a place to hide and wait for me, pretending to keep watch when I arrive."
Chen Xiaomeng, who had been seen through, appeared innocent but was secretly cursing Jiang Cheng. This man was very sharp; trying to take advantage of him was nearly impossible.
"You're assuming the worst about me!" Chen Xiaomeng asked angrily, pretending to be upset. "So, what do you suggest we do?"
Jiang Cheng thought for a moment, then leaned in and, in a low voice, tentatively asked, "How about we switch tasks?"
Chen Xiaomeng gave a gracious rejection, coldly saying, "Maybe someone else, but not you."
A few seconds later, she added, "Your character is too bad."
After some bargaining, the two of them finally reached a gentleman's agreement—
They decided it was best not to separate.
Not only would they not separate, but they also made sure they were always within each other's line of sight.
After all, the mission was in its final stages, and they could end it at any time if a crucial lead was triggered.
That night, they both slept restlessly. Chen Xiaomeng couldn't sleep since it was damp and cold, and Jiang Cheng was kept awake by his snoring, due to which Chen Xiaomeng kicked him numerous times, claiming that his snoring could reveal their position.
Jiang Cheng, angry, sat up and decided not to sleep.
He moved his body in the limited space and stretched his numb arms and legs from sleeping in an awkward position. Then, he pulled out a matchbox from his pocket and fumbled around for a crumpled cigarette in another pocket.
Chen Xiaomeng's eyes lit up. She recognized that it was the same cigarette given to Pei Qian by the old man who raised livestock in the town.
With a "rip" sound, the cigarette was lit.
Chen Xiaomeng stared at Jiang Cheng's face, but before she could speak, his disgruntled voice interrupted. "You're going to control me even for smoking after the fact?"
Chen Xiaomeng suddenly forgot what she was about to say.
The sky was already getting bright.
From the distance in the town, rooster crows followed one after another, then came a few dog barks, and the town, which had been quiet all night, came to life again.
On the edge of the town, some men carrying bundles appeared, dressed plainly.
"We stand out too much dressed like this," Chen Xiaomeng hid behind a dense bush, peeking out through the gaps.
Jiang Cheng was hiding behind another bush next to her.
After thinking for a while, Jiang Cheng replied, "Let's move closer first and see if there are any clothes drying outside. We'll change into the locals' clothes and then look for the archive."
"Alright."
Things went more smoothly than expected. As soon as they reached the edge of the town, they saw a door open and quickly hid.
A woman in her 40s opened the door, looking as if she hadn't had much rest and appeared listless.
She was holding a wooden basin, which she set down on the ground, then took out several pieces of clothing from the basin and hung them on a makeshift clothesline made of twine in front of the door.
After doing all this, she yawned and went back inside, closing the door.
After waiting for half a minute, Jiang Cheng and Chen Xiaomeng rushed over, grabbed the clothes they had already picked out, and changed quickly, not bothering to avoid each other.
In just about 20 seconds, they had transformed from head to toe and looked like entirely different people.
The shoes were no big deal. Both their shoes were grayish and similar in style, and after a long journey, they were covered in dirt. Without a close look, it wouldn't stand out.
With their clothes sorted, it was time to get to work.
The villagers in Xiao Shijian village must have noticed their disappearance by now, so they had about 4 or 5 hours left.
Chen Xiaomeng's appearance was quite noticeable in a crowd, so gathering information about the archive was left to Jiang Cheng.
He first picked some wild flowers and grass, chewed them together, spat the juice into his hand, and smeared it on his face.
This turned his previously fair and attractive face into a color closer to the dull, yellowish skin tone of the townspeople.
Chen Xiaomeng, holding back her inner disgust, did the same and smeared some of the mixture on her face.
Luckily, Anping Town was more open than the remote Xiao Shijian village.
Although outsiders were rare, there were some unfamiliar faces. According to the owner of the Anping Inn, most were small businessmen who came to buy mountain goods.
Jiang Cheng asked a man who ran a grain and oil shop for information, and soon returned with news.
There was a town archive hall in Anping Town, located to the east, about a 20-minute walk.
As they walked toward the archive hall, Chen Xiaomeng hesitated, saying, "I'm afraid we'll be disappointed. The town archive is just a standard local chronicle, it shouldn't have such records."
"Not necessarily," Jiang Cheng was optimistic, "It might just be named like that, but in essence, it could be a general archive room with all sorts of records."
He continued, "This isn't the era we're in now. Management and functional divisions weren't as standardized."
Chen Xiaomeng thought for a moment, feeling that Jiang Cheng's words made sense, so she reluctantly complimented him, "I didn't expect you to know quite a lot despite seeming so... not great."
"What's this?" Jiang Cheng immediately puffed out his chest, turned to her, and, with a glowing face, enthusiastically promoted, "If your family has the means to make you the VIP of my private room for a year, you'll know exactly what I'm capable of."
(End of the Chapter)
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