Chapter 25: Fortunate to Have Not Disappointed the Mission

Chapter 25: Fortunate to Have Not Disappointed the Mission

A Loguo delegation?

Ye Qing looked at the old comrade in surprise.

Noticing the confusion and doubt in Ye Qing's eyes, the old comrade explained earnestly:

"That's right. This is a crucial visit, a significant step for our country given the current international situation. We cannot afford any incidents involving this representative from Loguo here! Do you understand, comrade?"

Ye Qing nodded firmly.

She wasn’t a real middle school student, of course she understood how difficult the country's diplomacy was at this time.

With hostilities with Sue, no thawing of relations yet with the opposing Eagle nation, and no allies among the neighboring small countries, the newly established nation was in a weak and isolated position.

For the country to develop and take off, it couldn’t rely on closed-door efforts alone. It had to face this issue squarely and take this brave step forward.

In such a situation, even if it was just a small European country, they would still need to be treated as an esteemed guest, given the highest honors.

If something happened to the representative during the visit, whether death or injury, it would cause a huge uproar. Not only might Loguo turn hostile, but foreign media, always looking for a story, would likely concoct all sorts of unpleasant conspiracy theories.

Ye Qing looked up and studied the old man in front of her carefully.

Previously, her attention had been on the patient, and she hadn’t paid much attention to the others in the compartment.

Now, observing the old comrade’s attire and the aura of authority he exuded, Ye Qing thought he looked exactly like the leaders she had seen speaking on TV.

From the recent conversation, she could also tell that this man was the backbone of the group, the one who made the final decisions on important matters.

Being the one to lead the team to receive the delegation and personally escort them by train to another city, it was clear that this man was no ordinary person.

Ye Qing didn’t ask who he was, but she knew that if this matter wasn’t handled properly, the consequences would be severe.

She sighed inwardly, there was no room for hesitation:

"Can I speak to you privately?"

The old comrade was taken aback, gave Ye Qing a deep look, nodded slightly, and gestured to the Zhongshan-clad secretary beside him.

Shortly after, the two of them arrived at an empty compartment up front.

Ye Qing had already prepared what she was going to say. Since she had already fabricated a story about a master and his school in front of Chen Youde and his group of anglers, it wouldn’t be a problem to add a little more to the story, right?

"This is my situation. Because I was sent to the countryside, I had to get my middle school graduation certificate early by finding someone to help. In reality, I only completed the second year of middle school. As for medicine, whether it’s traditional Chinese medicine or Western medicine, I haven’t received any systematic training."

"However, when I was a child, a beggar came to my house asking for food. Seeing that the old beggar was pitiful, I stole a small amount of coarse grain from my family to give to him. Unexpectedly, the old beggar saw that I was ill and had a short-lived appearance, so he passed on some of his unique skills to me, including his needle technique."

"Although I learned the needle technique, I didn’t fully understand it at first. Later, I self-studied and fumbled my way through some basic theoretical knowledge of Western medicine, picking up bits and pieces here and there, mixing all kinds of knowledge together. Out of fear of death, I stumbled upon some methods."

"Because I knew I had a heart condition, I was extremely afraid of dying, so I was more diligent and persistent in studying medicine than anyone else. I would often experiment on myself, and through these experiments, I gradually became proficient and developed some methods."

"In the eyes of orthodox Chinese and Western medicine, what I do is a joke. Most of the methods I use are unorthodox and off the beaten path, not something that can be acknowledged in proper circles."

This story was, of course, half-truth and half-lie. The original body had indeed helped the old beggar as a child and had been beaten and scolded by her mother for stealing a small bag of grain, leaving her hungry for two days as punishment.

So, if anyone were to investigate, there would be some traces of this story. However, after so many years, there was no way to find out who the old beggar was, where he had gone, or whether he had really taught Ye Qing any unique skills.

Ye Qing wasn’t afraid of being investigated. The trajectory of her life over the past decade was clear, and the neighbors in Yantang Old Street could vouch for her.

Reaching this point, Ye Qing looked at the old man and tentatively asked:

"So, given the situation, do you still dare to use me?"

The old comrade was secretly shocked, his eyes filled with disbelief as he looked at Ye Qing.

"So, the treatment methods you used on that patient just now were all self-taught?"

Ye Qing nodded, smiled bitterly, and took out a box of sewing needles from her pocket:

"Even the most unsuccessful traditional Chinese doctors have their own set of tools, but look at what I use. I bought this box of needles at the supply and marketing cooperative for five cents."

"If I were to let those old-fashioned traditional Chinese doctors see me using sewing needles on a patient, they might come after me. In their eyes, what I do isn’t just unorthodox; it’s downright heretical!"

The old comrade took the box of sewing needles and examined it carefully, inside and out, without saying a word for a long time.

After a while, he looked up at Ye Qing and asked:

"So, after all that setup, you’re actually telling me that you can treat the foreign delegate?"

Ye Qing felt a mix of helplessness and admiration. Old ginger is truly spicy, this old comrade really knew how to get to the point.

She carefully chose her words:

"It’s not that I’m completely unable to handle the foreign delegate’s condition."

"But to be honest, we have to admit that our country's current medical technology, even in the best hospitals in Shanghai or Ji City with the best doctors, still lags behind when it comes to international standards."

"So, it might not be wise to keep him here for treatment. It would be better to let him return to his country for treatment."

This statement startled the old comrade.

"Are you saying—"

Ye Qing nodded: "If you really trust me, hand him over to me tonight. By tomorrow morning, I’ll return him to you, lively and well. But I have to lay out the worst possibilities."

"The methods I use, I can’t explain them in terms of pathological principles."

"In simple terms, it's about stimulating his body functions in advance, drawing on his lifespan and health ahead of time to create a false prosperity. Do you understand what I mean?"

Old Comrade felt that he somewhat understood Ye Qing's intention.

Sure enough, the next second, he heard Ye Qing continue:

"But this method only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. It might even cause bigger side effects."

"If he can't find a proper hospital for proper treatment within the stipulated time, the consequences could be unimaginable, even several times worse than the sequelae of his normal cerebral thrombosis."

"So, whether to proceed with this treatment or not needs to be discussed by you and the delegation representatives. You both need to decide how to weigh the options and make a choice soon."

Old Comrade uttered an "Oh" and once again grasped the key point, asking Ye Qing:

"What do you mean by 'stipulated time'? How long is it?"

Ye Qing paused, carefully glancing at Old Comrade:

"Well, how much longer can this delegation stay here?"

Old Comrade gave her a sidelong glance. "There are four days left."

Ye Qing nodded. "Then I'll do my best to suppress his illness so that his next episode happens after five days."

So, your treatment method's effectiveness depends entirely on how long this delegation stays in Xia Country, right?

Although Old Comrade had been communicating with Ye Qing seriously, he couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing her answer. He even reached out and tapped Ye Qing's forehead.

"Young comrade, you're quite clever and good at giving us tricky problems!"

Though Ye Qing was giving him a tricky problem, who wouldn't like such a scheme? As long as the person doesn't have an incident on our territory, once they return and fall ill again, who cares whether they live or die? It's none of our concern!

Ye Qing's bad idea actually hit the mark with Old Comrade.

Ye Qing blinked her eyes innocently.

But Old Comrade saw through her. At this point, how could he still believe she was a naive young girl? This young girl was quite cunning despite her youth!

"I'll go talk to the delegation and see what they think."

Old Comrade put his hands behind his back and leisurely went out.

Ye Qing didn't know how Old Comrade communicated with the delegation after he went out—whether he spoke the truth or used some tactics. Anyway, shortly after, the delegation agreed to their proposal, willing to suppress the illness first and undergo further examination and treatment after returning to their country.

Once they agreed, Ye Qing had no more concerns.

She could now proceed fully.

Actually, with Ye Qing's current level of special abilities, curing this patient wouldn't be a problem. It would just consume most of the wood-element energy she had absorbed.

But Ye Qing wasn't stupid. Given the current medical technology, this person's illness was considered a difficult or even incurable disease. If she cured him immediately, her secret of possessing special abilities would definitely be exposed.

So, she had no intention of using her abilities to treat this Loguo patient. She only planned to use her abilities to complement her flying needle technique to block some acupuncture points directly, stimulating the thickened, narrowed, or blocked vascular walls to temporarily form a pseudo-working state.

As long as she could maintain the patient's body functions normally for four to five days, ensuring he boarded the plane safely, everything after that would be none of her or Xia Country's concern.

Ye Qing's approach was indeed quite bold and risky.

If the patient were in a proper hospital, no doctor, whether traditional or western, would agree with her unconventional treatment plan.

Which doctor would dare to say they could suppress the onset cycle of an illness and control it to happen only after five days? Unless the person was a deity, this was just a conceptual idea and fundamentally impossible to achieve.

But after seeing Ye Qing treat people with sewing needles, Old Comrade trusted her absurd plan and didn't allow anyone to question or stop her.

Ye Qing thought Old Comrade was quite daring for fully entrusting such a crucial task to her without looking down on her because of her age.

Because of this, Ye Qing felt a strong sense of responsibility and assured Old Comrade with pat after pat on her chest that she wouldn't let him down.

That night, Ye Qing spent the entire night by the patient's bedside.

Of course, sewing needles were no longer needed because when the train stopped at Jin City, Old Comrade had someone make a phone call from the station office. The things Ye Qing needed were quickly delivered to the train at the next stop, including the herbs on Ye Qing's prescription and a complete set of silver needles.

With the silver needles, Ye Qing's flying needle technique was brought to its peak.

She didn't intend to hide anything and, in front of the Loguo delegation, turned the patient into a human pincushion by needling his chest, back, and head.

She twisted one needle and pulled out another from time to time, deliberately showing off her skills. After dozens of needles, not a single drop of blood was seen, leaving the Loguo delegation dazzled and astonished.

After a night, she poured down three bowls of decocted dark herbal medicine and removed the last needle from the patient's head.

The moment the needle was removed, the white patient who had been unconscious for the entire night slowly opened his eyes.

"Wow—"

The Loguo delegation was completely shocked, looking at Ye Qing as if she were a deity. They were amazed by her flying needle technique.

Ye Qing packed up her tools and smiled slightly at Old Comrade:

"Mission accomplished."

Old Comrade nodded satisfactorily.

Though Ye Qing didn't say it explicitly, he had understood her meaning. The four-day visit should now be safe.

Since the patient had woken up, Ye Qing didn't need to stay any longer and was about to return to her hard seat carriage.

Old Comrade stopped her and handed over the used set of silver needles.

Ye Qing was stunned and looked up at him.

Old Mr. Ye smiled and looked at her with an encouraging expression:

"From now on, this will be your tool to make a living."

"Don't sell yourself short. In medicine, it's about whether you're capable or not, not about orthodoxy or not."

"Whether it's you or us, we're all feeling our way across the river. You're doing great; keep going and make your skills shine. One day, you'll have a place on the grand stage!"

Ye Qing's heart trembled. She received the gift with both hands and looked at the old man with bright eyes, sincerely and earnestly saying:

"You're right, and I believe that our country will also rise strongly amidst uncertainty, securing an absolute position on the world stage and becoming a pivotal force that other countries cannot ignore!"

With her first true professional tool in hand, Ye Qing felt a surge of excitement. After bowing to the old gentleman, she headed towards the door.

At that moment, a blonde female medical staff member walked in with a tray containing a water cup and the patient's regular medication. She called out to the newly awakened patient:

"Mr. Karl, it's time for your diabetes medication."

Just as Ye Qing was about to leave, something clicked in her mind upon hearing this. She abruptly stopped in her tracks and turned to stare intently at the medical staff member, asking:

"What diabetes medication is Mr. Karl taking?"

The medical staff didn't understand Chinese, but seeing Ye Qing looking at her, she realized Ye Qing was speaking to her and instinctively looked at the translator.

The translator quickly communicated with the staff and then relayed the medication name to Ye Qing.

In reality, Ye Qing didn’t need the translation; she had understood the staff's response. But by then, she had already stepped forward and picked up the diabetes medication.

It was a capsule. After breaking open the outer shell, the white powder inside spilled out.

Ye Qing examined the white powder carefully, sniffing it and even tasting a bit with her tongue.

Her expression darkened, and her gaze turned sharp as she looked at the medical staff:

"This medication is problematic! It's not insulin for diabetes!"

Upon hearing this, several representatives of the Loguo delegation looked confused, unsure of what Ye Qing had just said. However, the other Xia Country nationals present all visibly reacted, their expressions changing.

The old comrade, in particular, immediately became grave.

"Comrade Ye, are you certain?"

Ye Qing nodded firmly: "The patient has diabetes. Generally, diabetes medications are either short-acting or long-acting insulin. Insulin is a protein and is tasteless. But just now, I tasted this medication, and it's slightly bitter. It's definitely not insulin!"

"From my experience, this medication is likely tranexamic acid."

"Tranexamic acid is colorless, odorless, and appears as a white powder. If you're not a professional doctor carefully examining it, it's hard to distinguish it from oral insulin."

"However, tranexamic acid has a very special effect—it promotes coagulation."

"This medication can induce blood clotting, which can trigger heart attacks and cerebral thrombosis."

"And Mr. Karl's cerebral arteries are already narrowed and occluded, with thickened blood vessel walls, which puts him at risk of thrombosis. Taking this medication could accelerate cerebral ischemia and hypoxia, leading to cerebral thrombosis or even worsening it."

"I don't know how long he's been taking this medication, but it's highly likely that his sudden onset of illness last night was caused by this drug!"

The Xia Country reception team members looked at each other, shock and bewilderment evident in their eyes. Having worked in government units for many years, although they weren't medical professionals, they understood all too well the implications of Ye Qing's words.

This medication was part of the daily regimen for the Loguo delegation representative. If the tampering had occurred before he visited Xia Country, it would be one thing, but if it happened on Xia Country's soil, this was a major issue!

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the old comrade's previously warm and genial expression vanished, replaced by a stormy look of fury.

Suppressing his emotions, he immediately instructed his secretary calmly:

"Arrange a bed for Comrade Ye in the adjacent soft sleeper area. She's been up all night and needs a good rest."

He then called a guard to carefully collect the suspected capsule for testing at the next station's hospital or research institute.

At the same time, they needed to calm the visiting delegation and investigate when the patient started taking the diabetes medication, who had been in contact with it since bringing it into Xia Country, and scrutinize every detail.

The situation suddenly became complicated. As an external staff member, Ye Qing had no authority to intervene further. She was courteously escorted to carriage number 5.

The secretary in the Zhongshan suit, who had scolded her earlier, was now exceptionally attentive and arranged a private soft sleeper compartment for her to rest, along with hot water, towels, and toothbrushes. After Ye Qing finished washing up, he even brought her breakfast.

Ye Qing wasn't perturbed and graciously thanked him before sincerely eating her breakfast and preparing to lie down for rest. After staying up all night, she was indeed exhausted.

If the train stayed on schedule, it would arrive in Fogong City around noon. With about five or six hours left, she could get a good sleep.

Just as Ye Qing was about to lie down, the secretary in the Zhongshan suit casually called over a female train attendant to clear away Ye Qing's dining tray.

The attendant, head down and carefully sweeping with a broom, glanced at Ye Qing. Her body suddenly stiffened as she caught sight of her.

Ye Qing's movement also paused. Her lips tightened, and her gaze turned as sharp as a knife as she swept her eyes over the attendant.

With the secretary in the Zhongshan suit present, Ye Qing didn't call out the issue but quietly watched as the attendant finished cleaning up. As she was about to leave, she somehow had a needle in her hand and swiftly threw it.

The attendant stumbled, seemingly realizing something, and turned back to look at Ye Qing with a horrified expression.

Ye Qing sneered, her eyes filled with surging anger.

The secretary in the Zhongshan suit didn't notice Ye Qing's unusual behavior or the unspoken confrontation between her and the train attendant. Seeing that Ye Qing was about to rest, he considerately left the VIP area after closing the door.

Ye Qing couldn't sleep now and sat silently on the bed, waiting.

Indeed, in less than three minutes, the female train attendant, who had already closed the door and left, obediently returned to Ye Qing's compartment.

By this time, the train attendant's face was deathly pale, beads of cold sweat cascading down like a waterfall. Her eyes were filled with pain, and her lips were bitten so hard that they were on the verge of bleeding.

But she didn't cry out, nor did she dare to. With a look of fear and panic, she approached Ye Qing, not daring to plead or make any other gesture.

Ye Qing, expressionless, looked at this "liar" and sneered:

"Didn't I give you some money and tell you to get off the train and stop doing this? You consider yourself smart, ignored my words, and thought it was fun to deceive me, didn't you?"

The female train attendant suddenly knelt down by Ye Qing's bedside, her uniform hat askew, revealing a pale face with a stubborn look in her eyes. It was none other than the female thief who had crossed paths with Ye Qing before.

But this time, her kneeling did not evoke any sympathy from Ye Qing. Seeing her kneel again, Ye Qing felt no pity, only impatience.

She said coldly, "Are you going to confess honestly, or should I stick a few more needles in you?"

The girl bit her lip, and after a long while, she began to recount her story in detail.

It turned out that the girl was from northern Shaanxi. When she was young, her parents had indeed died in an accident while fishing in the river.

With no adults left at home, the girl's uncles and aunts took over the house and refused to raise her and her siblings. Unwilling to take care of them, they handed them over to other families.

The girl, only seven years old at the time, ran away from the village in anger to avoid being sent away as a child bride. She begged on the streets along the way.

Confused and lost, she ended up in the central plains, where she happened to encounter the movement against the Four Olds. A monk named Song Wenluo was forced to leave the monastery and return to secular life after his temple was destroyed.

After leaving the temple, Song Wenluo built a wooden house on the outskirts of a village and settled there. The girl happened to beg at his door and fainted from hunger.

Taking pity on the child, the monk took her in, taught her martial arts, and gave her a name, Song Huilian.

Song Huilian indeed had a talent for martial arts. She quickly grasped whatever was taught to her, and her skills advanced rapidly.

But once she learned martial arts, she didn't want to stay hidden in the small village. She wanted to earn money and return to her hometown to find her siblings.

However, she was young and uneducated, so where could she earn money? After several failed attempts to find suitable work, she turned to the wrong path.

With her innate special abilities and martial arts skills, she thought the fastest way to make money was to become a thief.

So, for the past two years, this little thief had been targeting passengers on trains, taking countless routes, and stealing from the wealthy.

As her skills became more refined, it became easier for her to succeed in theft, and she became addicted to it, completely forgetting her original goal of earning money to find her siblings.

The more Ye Qing listened, the angrier she became, feeling that her kindness had been taken for granted. She had wasted her previous goodwill on this little thief.

She had spared this little thief, thinking that a temporary deviation shouldn't ruin someone's life. But who knew how many victims this little girl had already harmed!

The sewing needle in Ye Qing's fingers trembled, and she had the urge to stab it into the little thief's carotid artery.

But she restrained herself, took a deep breath, and said coldly to the little thief:

"I'm not interested in your pitiful background or your origins. If you want me not to kill you, you'd better follow my instructions and confess to the people with red armbands on the train, and tell the police everything you've done over the past two years!"

"If you do as I say, I'll remove the needles I stuck in you. Otherwise, this needle will flow with your arterial blood tonight and eventually pierce your heart. Even the most powerful immortal won't be able to save you, understand?"

The girl looked up in disbelief, shocked that Ye Qing could be so ruthless, ready to take her life with a single move.

But Ye Qing saw no problem with her actions. If the girl dared to deceive her, she should be prepared to die. Ye Qing was never one to be trifled with!

The female thief's eyes were filled with regret. She should have stopped and gotten off the train after losing to Ye Qing the first time, following the other woman's advice. But instead, because of her greed, she had switched to a different carriage and gotten back on the train.

Who could have imagined that this woman wouldn't stay in her own hard-seat carriage and even changed spots?

Seeing Ye Qing's cold expression, her demand that the girl turn herself in left no room for argument. The young thief finally realized there was no way out. She stopped arguing and slowly stood up to leave.

Just as she was about to exit the compartment, something seemed to occur to her. She paused, turned back, and tentatively asked Ye Qing:

"Sister, if I can provide you with an important piece of information, will you let me go?"

The needle in Ye Qing's hand paused, and she looked up, her eyes calm as she looked at the young thief, wondering what trick the girl was trying to pull now:

"For example?"

Song Huilian took a deep breath:

"For example, if I tell you where the old beggar's hideout in Ping County is, and how many people are in the entire theft ring?"

Ye Qing's heart stirred. This girl was quick-witted. She was trying to redeem herself by offering valuable information.

But after thinking about it, she still shook her head:

"The information you know is certainly important, but with the large-scale theft on this train, someone has already reported the police. The police will surely concentrate their forces to investigate. Even if you don't say anything, it's only a matter of time before they are caught."

This response left the girl feeling disappointed, but she didn't give up. Instead, she added more weight to her negotiation:

"What if I tell you there's a person on this train who is likely a spy? There's a gun in his suitcase, and he's secretly hiding an antique. I suspect he's planning to leave the country via the Mo River after reaching the final station."

These words hit Ye Qing like a bomb, exploding in her mind.

She immediately sat up straight, her expression turning grave and sharp as she stared at Song Huilian:

"What did you say? This is not a joke. Even if you want to deceive me again, you shouldn't lie about something like this!"

Song Huilian looked back at Ye Qing seriously: "Whether I'm lying or not, once I help you find this person, you'll be able to determine the truth, won't you? But if I tell you who this person is, will it be enough for you to spare me once more?"

This little thief really wasn't someone to take a loss. Without a definite answer from Ye Qing, she wouldn't easily point out the spy!

Ye Qing looked at the young girl.

At just twelve or thirteen years old, she knew how to read people's expressions and assess the situation, adapting quickly to various environments. She could remain calm and composed even in the most difficult situations, and always found a way to save herself.

What a remarkable talent and ability! Many adults in their twenties or thirties might not even reach this level. If properly guided and nurtured, this child's future could hold infinite possibilities, instead of straying further down the wrong path and eventually falling into the abyss, never to return.

After much deliberation in her mind, Ye Qing finally decided to trust the young girl once more. She reached out and temporarily pulled out the needle that had been stuck in her:

"You'd better be telling the truth, or I have ways to kill you without leaving a trace! Given what you've seen of my methods, you should know I'm not joking with you!"

The girl nodded, retracting her small schemes and calculations:

"I know. If I lie to you, I'll jump off this train myself without you having to lift a finger."

Song Huilian led Ye Qing towards carriage number 7, passing through it to reach the dining car. Just before they got to the dining car, Song Huilian lowered her voice to signal Ye Qing:

"To the left, the upper berth of row 5, the man in the polyester shirt, about thirty years old. The suitcase he's using as a pillow contains the guns and antiques I told you about."

Ye Qing was somewhat suspicious: "How do you know?"

Song Huilian pursed her lips: "Last night, he went to the restroom carrying that suitcase and brushed past me. My nose caught the scent."

Ye Qing: "Was it really a brush past that you're unsure of? I bet you deliberately created that encounter because you guessed there might be something valuable in his case, right?"

Moreover, earlier in the restroom, didn't you say your nose could smell money? Are you deceiving me again? This is more than just smelling money! You can even smell guns and antiques; even a dog couldn't do what you do!

Realizing that Ye Qing had caught on, Song Huilian quickly gave her a guilty yet flattering smile.

Ye Qing: ...

This kind of cheeky, cunning child who's good at adapting to situations was really annoying! Ye Qing felt it necessary to show her the harshness of the world! If she assigned her a fierce and strict teacher and threw dozens of test papers at her, she was sure the girl wouldn't be smiling anymore!

Devil·Ye·Qing discreetly glanced at the upper berth and checked the time on her watch.

Song Huilian asked Ye Qing: "What should we do? Should I try to lure him away so you can take the suitcase? It just so happens that I'm wearing a uniform, which makes it convenient!"

The young girl clenched her fists, eager to act.

Ye Qing, annoyed, knocked on the little thief's head:

"Can you use your brain? Do you really think putting on a uniform makes you a train attendant? When you cleaned the trash in my compartment, you didn't even dare to lift your head because your face can't deceive anyone. And now you think you can trick a spy? Do you think they're easy to fool?"

Song Huilian wrinkled her nose: "Then what should we do?"

Ye Qing pointed to the dining car beside them:

"Wait! We'll just sit here and wait!"

"Wait for what?" Song Huilian didn't understand Ye Qing's intention.

Ye Qing sneered: "Didn't you say he carried his suitcase even when he went to the restroom last night? So, we'll wait here. It's already past six, and the station broadcast will soon sound. Everyone will get up, and he'll have to get out of bed to wash up and use the restroom!"

Realizing the plan, Song Huilian's eyes lit up. With Ye Qing's needle skills and her lock-picking abilities, they just needed to wait for the man to enter the restroom, and they could silently take him down!

The two sat at the outermost table in the dining car, from where they could see the entrance and exit of the restroom at the carriage connection.

After sitting down, Ye Qing, not wanting to attract attention, didn't stare at the restroom. She intended to chat casually with Song Huilian, hoping to extract more clues from the little thief.

But before she could start a conversation, Ye Qing noticed Song Huilian occasionally glancing at the passengers eating at the nearby table, her eyes revealing envy and longing.

Ye Qing couldn't help but ask:

"Are you hungry? Haven't you eaten for days?"

Song Huilian scratched her head, a bit embarrassed: "I don't have any food coupons. I boarded the train in Jinling and have only eaten two dry buns I brought with me."

Ye Qing was speechless: "You, who claim to be a high-end thief and look down on the gang of old beggars at Pingxian Train Station, can't even afford a meal. What kind of pride is this?"

Song Huilian: ...

Daring to be angry but not daring to speak, this sister was a real boss. If provoked, she might actually kill!

Ye Qing took out a food coupon and fiercely demanded of Song Huilian: "Give me back the money I gave you!"

Song Huilian hurriedly and obediently handed over all the money Ye Qing had given her the previous day.

Ye Qing didn't hesitate to put the money back into her pocket, only taking out a sum enough for a bowl of noodles, which she slammed onto the table along with the food coupon:

"Go get a bowl of noodles. Be quick about it; that man might get up anytime soon."

No longer refusing, Song Huilian quickly went to the window to order a bowl of yangchun noodles from the server. She returned shortly after, devouring the noodles in no time.

Hungrily, she even finished the broth.

After eating her fill, the young girl shyly looked up at Ye Qing.

At that moment, Ye Qing wasn't concerned with observing the girl's small thoughts. Her task now was to confirm the existence of the spy that Song Huilian had mentioned.

Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long.

As she had predicted, at seven o'clock, the train broadcast sounded as scheduled. Soon after, the man who had been lying on the upper berth of the soft sleeper carriage appeared at the carriage connection, carrying a suitcase, and entered the restroom.

Seeing this, Ye Qing immediately tapped the table and signaled Song Huilian. They silently moved to the restroom door.

The man inside was washing up, and Ye Qing could hear the sound of water from outside.

Song Huilian, like a treasure chest, despite having her tools confiscated earlier by Ye Qing, somehow pulled out a thin iron wire and was about to pry open the restroom door.

Ye Qing, her forehead veins popping, reached out and stopped her, giving Song Huilian a disapproving look to halt her actions.

"Are you kidding? If this person really is a spy, their alertness must be extremely high. If we try to pick the lock and alert them inside, they might jump out of the train or even self-destruct.

Ye Qing gave Song Huilian a knowing look, signaling her to step back and return to the dining car.

Although Song Huilian was confused, she obediently retreated.

During this time, some passengers walked back from the dining car after eating. Ye Qing, looking anxious, pretended to need to use the restroom. The passengers only glanced at her casually and continued walking past.

Ye Qing waited outside for less than two minutes before the person inside finished cleaning up and pulled the door open, ready to come out.

Seeing Ye Qing standing at the door, looking anxious, the man inside paused slightly in his movements.

Ye Qing put on an innocent and harmless expression:

'Uncle, are you done? I have a bad case of the runs and really need to use the restroom. Could you please hurry?'

Before the man could fully open the restroom door, Ye Qing tried to squeeze inside.

It must be said, Ye Qing's youthful and innocent face was quite deceptive.

Seeing that it was just a girl, the man let his guard down completely and moved aside to let her in.

But just then, something unexpected happened. In a swift motion, Ye Qing flipped her wrist and a needle shot like lightning into the man's body.

It was the same technique she used on the human trafficker, but this time it was close combat. In the blink of an eye, she easily took the man down.

Seeing the man collapse and lose consciousness, Ye Qing kicked the restroom door shut. Her actions didn’t stop there; she quickly used a willow whip to tie the person’s hands and feet and then dislocated his jaw.

After finishing all this, she poked her head out and waved to Song Huilian, who was waiting in the dining car.

Seeing that Ye Qing had succeeded, Song Huilian beamed with joy and hurried over.

Ye Qing lightly kicked the suitcase on the floor, and Song Huilian understood immediately. Without a word, she took out her thin wire and started picking the lock.

It must be said, for such a young girl, she had an impressive array of skills. Her lock-picking ability was so proficient that it could only come from professional experience.

In less than half a minute, she had the suitcase open, leaving Ye Qing unsure whether to praise or scold her.

But when the suitcase opened and she saw what was inside, Ye Qing really felt like cursing.

Inside the suitcase, besides the gun and antiques that Song Huilian had mentioned, she also found a bottle of medication.

A bottle of tranexamic acid capsules!"