Chapter 144: Delivering the Letter Once More

Summer days arrive early; by just after five, the sky had already begun to lighten.

Li Wensheng and Chen Wenqi rose shortly after six, freshened up, and stepped outside.

After breakfast, the two walked to the guesthouse where they had previously stayed, gathered their belongings, checked out, and returned to their apartment to organize their things. Then, they hailed two rickshaws and headed toward the vicinity of the Star Newspaper office.

They did not enter the Star Newspaper nor deliver any messages; instead, they strolled around the neighborhood nearby.

After wandering most of the day, they finally rented a small room in an alley behind the inn opposite the Star Newspaper.

Having secured that room, they proceeded to the Xinmin Newspaper office, walked around the area twice, and rented a small courtyard behind it.

Once their landlord had left, Chen Wenqi stood in the courtyard, gazing at the two-story house with unease. “Should we find another newspaper office? Five people split between two offices feels a little risky.”

“Two offices are enough. No one would suspect that we’d appear near the same newspaper twice,” Li Wensheng replied confidently.

Hearing this, Chen Wenqi immediately recalled what Wang Tianfeng had said to Li Wensheng the previous night: “Truly my most outstanding student.” “You and I have always been cut from the same cloth.”

“All of them defy conventions; no wonder he’s praised as the most gifted.”

Muttering to herself, Chen Wenqi decided not to press further. Though Li Wensheng was unconventional, such unpredictability made him all the harder to read.

After renting the rooms, the two returned to their apartment. Along the way, they bought two large sacks and some clothes. By the time they arrived, it was already three in the afternoon.

They placed Sines and Feng Jingyun inside the sacks, stuffing the edges with clothes so that from the outside, the sacks showed no hint of their true contents. Only then did they pause.

“From here on, I’ll go alone. You stay home and keep watch,” Li Wensheng said.

Chen Wenqi was about to object but, seeing the anxious look on his face, she laughed softly.

“All right, you go ahead. I’ll handle logistics.”

Li Wensheng exhaled deeply and smiled. “Logistics is just as important. We must ensure no one discovers anything.”

“I know. I’m the unreasonable one here. My shooting is poor, and I can’t match your skills. You go.”

Nodding, Li Wensheng went to the bedroom, grabbed a small suitcase, then carried Malon and Sines in one hand and the suitcase in the other, heading for the door.

“Be careful, come back safely.”

At the doorway, hearing Chen Wenqi’s voice behind him, Li Wensheng turned, smiling confidently. “Don’t worry.”

Because of the previous incident with the sacks, no one they passed on the stairs suspected that the two sacks contained people.

Upon leaving the apartment, Li Wensheng walked toward a secluded corner and boarded a tram. Once seated, he opened his suitcase, changed into coarse, simple work clothes, then took out a small mirror and applied makeup.

Transformed into an ordinary laborer, Li Wensheng hoisted the two sacks and carried the suitcase as he boarded the tram bound for the Star Newspaper office.

A common worker carrying sacks was nothing unusual; no one doubted him.

Arriving at the house behind the inn opposite the Star Newspaper, Li Wensheng set the two down, then went into town to buy envelopes, paper, and pens before beginning to write a letter.

......

“Take this letter to the Star Newspaper. This money is for you.”

This time, the messenger was not the little girl but a filthy, grimy boy whose appearance was barely discernible beneath the dirt.

Li Wensheng was certain it was a boy because his tattered trousers had a large hole at the crotch, revealing his small bird.

Looking at the money in Li Wensheng’s hand, the boy’s eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly.

“Here.”

The boy accepted the envelope and money, then dashed toward the Star Newspaper office.

Li Wensheng waited at the alley’s entrance, watching the boy enter the office before turning and leaving.

Thanks to the experience with the previous messenger, the Star Newspaper staff reacted promptly. Hearing the boy mention delivering a letter, they stopped him immediately and opened the envelope.

“Tomorrow at noon, I will kidnap Karger Sines. Signed, Lone Ranger.”

Upon seeing the envelope, the Star Newspaper employees rushed outside, scanning the surroundings. Then, after bribing the boy, they had him lead them to the alley.

But by then, Li Wensheng was already back home.

Failing to find anyone, the Star Newspaper brought in an artist to sketch the suspect based on the boy’s description.

While the portrait was being drawn, the newspaper hurriedly called the printing press to halt production and replace the front-page news.

The kidnapping of Karger Sines immediately brought to mind the French Concession’s police inspector, Sines, who had been kidnapped and held for ransom.

They quickly deduced that the Lone Ranger was likely behind the kidnapping, as the odds of another group abducting him from the kidnappers were slim.

Though perplexed by why a kidnapper would inform the newspaper of the abduction and specify the time for the kidnapping, the Lone Ranger’s announcements were always sensational, guaranteed to boost newspaper sales, so they paid little heed to the oddity.

The next morning, newsboys were once again shouting headlines.

“Extra! Extra! Lone Ranger issues another warning—kidnapping scheduled for today at noon!”

“Extra! Extra! Lone Ranger kidnaps again!”

“Extra! Extra! Lone Ranger kidnaps again; target is the French Concession’s Chief Inspector!”

Passersby froze momentarily before rushing toward the newsboys and stands.

The Star Newspaper was well prepared; an unusually large number of copies were printed, and nearly everyone managed to buy a paper.

However, this time, the public’s chatter was different.

“The last one was the Public Concession’s Chief Inspector. This time it’s the French Concession’s Chief Inspector. The Lone Ranger is really taking on the Chief Inspectors.”

“No, my uncle’s neighbor’s grandson works at the police station. He said just the day before yesterday that the Chief Inspector had been kidnapped. The Lone Ranger sending warnings—could he have snatched the Chief Inspector back from the kidnappers?”

“No, I think the previous kidnapper was the Lone Ranger. Issuing warnings after kidnapping is just for their own safety.”

“Impossible. The Lone Ranger wouldn’t do something like that.”

“Why impossible? Think about the Public Concession Chief Inspector—news came first from the newspaper, then the Lone Ranger made his move. Though it was successful, hundreds died in the process. For his own safety, it makes sense to warn the newspaper first.”

“That’s true. Doing it for self-preservation makes sense.”

As the crowd debated on the streets, various intelligence agencies lurking within the French Concession were also engaged in discussions.