A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 1079 Entering a State of Silence

On the first day of school, the sun shone brightly, and the phoenix trees on campus were covered with fallen red petals. Boys in white shirts carried their luggage to their dormitories, while female students gathered in twos and threes on the lawn, clutching their registration forms and with freshly picked frangipani flowers tucked behind their ears. Foreign students in suits brushed past Chinese professors in long gowns, and English and Cantonese mingled in the air, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

A crowd had gathered in front of the bulletin board, which displayed course selection schedules and lists of newly hired professors. Several newsboys weaved through the crowd, hawking the day's South China Morning Post, their shouts startling the sparrows in the treetops.

Gui'er, wearing a moon-white cheongsam, had just finished registering and was walking towards the teaching building when she suddenly caught a glimpse of a group of people out of the corner of her eye—Lin Peishan was standing in the middle, wearing a lotus-colored imported dress with fine pearls adorning the hem, her curly hair meticulously styled, and the jade bracelet on her wrist sparkling in the sunlight.

She was chatting and laughing with several classmates, gesturing with her hands. Most of those classmates came from families with similar financial circumstances to the Lin family.

“Peishan, that set of jewelry you bought in Macau is so beautiful. Which shop did you find it at?” a girl in a velvet cheongsam asked, touching her earrings.

“It’s that ‘Bao Chang Hang’ shop on Rua Nova da Praia Grande, owned by a Portuguese businessman. They say the beads are all imported from India.” Lin Peishan’s voice was clear and cheerful. “My dad says that shop has the most authentic goods. I’ll take you there in a few days.”

"You're so lucky, you can enjoy your summer vacation in Macau. We're kept under control by our families and haven't even left Hong Kong Island," another boy sighed.

Lin Peishan's eyes flickered: "What's so carefree about it? I'm still just accompanying my mom to department stores every day. But I did see a good show at the casino. There was a foreigner who got so mad from losing that he almost pulled a knife on someone..."

Gui'er stood not far away, not going forward. She felt that it would be abrupt to go out and say hello at this time, and would attract attention. However, she looked around and did not find anyone watching or tailing her.

She followed the group slowly until they reached a fork in the road and split up in twos and threes. Lin Peishan walked towards the restroom alone, and Gui'er quietly followed her.

The restroom was filled with the scent of face powder. Lin Peishan was washing her hands at the sink when she saw Gui'er walk in. She said happily, "Gui'er, you're here to register too? How was your summer vacation?"

"Oh no," Gui'er said, closing the door in a very low voice, "I went to Macau to look for you, only to find you had already left. Then I learned from the newspapers that Professor Xu and Professor Meng had gone missing. I finally got back to Hong Kong, but I didn't dare contact Brother Chen. What happened?"

Lin Peishan glanced at the door, lowered her voice, and could no longer hide the panic in her eyes: "Don't ask... this isn't the place to talk." She slipped a note into Gui'er's hand, "Tonight at seven o'clock, go to 'Ice Room' on Queen's Road, and I'll tell you." After saying that, she straightened her skirt and walked out as if nothing had happened, the sound of her high heels clicking on the ground fading into the distance.

The ice cream parlor on Queen's Road is located under the arcade. The storefront is small, with a faded sign on the glass door that reads "Cold drinks for sale." Pushing the door open, you can hear the wind chimes tinkling and the air filled with the aroma of condensed milk and cigars. The booths against the wall are covered with dark red velvet cushions, and several tables of customers are chatting quietly. Waitstaff in white coats move around with trays, the glasses clinking crisply on the trays.

The clock on the wall had just struck 7 o'clock when Gui'er walked in. She had been restless all day and hadn't even eaten.

Lin Peishan sat in the innermost booth, a cup of untouched red bean ice in front of her. She had changed into an elegant cheongsam, shedding the glitz and glamour of the daytime. When she saw Gui'er enter, she quickly gave her a wink.

"Is it convenient to talk here?" Gui'er asked, her fingertips touching the cold tabletop as she sat down.

“Don’t worry,” Lin Peishan glanced out the window. “I came to check beforehand and didn’t see anyone I didn’t recognize.” She stirred the straw in her cup, her voice very low. “When we received the news in Macau, we were completely stunned. Our colleagues at the university said that Professor Xu and Professor Meng didn’t return to their dormitories after the meeting. Someone saw them being stopped by two men in black suits and getting into a car without license plates. After that, we haven’t heard from them again.”

Gui'er's heart sank: "Didn't anyone chase after them?"

“The rally ended late that day, and there were few people on the streets. By the time the comrades realized something was wrong, the car was long gone.” Lin Peishan’s voice trembled. “After we rushed back, we searched everywhere we could—the docks, the hospitals, even the morgues—but there was no trace of them. It was as if they had vanished into thin air.”

The ceiling fan in the ice room turned slowly, blowing the stray hairs across Lin Peishan's forehead. She paused, then said, "Zhongyu has been feeling uneasy ever since he came back. Once, while driving, he noticed a gray sedan following him, and he couldn't shake it off even after driving around three streets. He suspects he's being watched, and now he's even changed his residence and cut off contact with all his comrades. That's why I'm afraid to talk to you."

"What can I do now?" Gui'er pressed.

“The situation is too tense right now.” Lin Peishan gripped the glass tightly, her knuckles turning white. “Nobody knows who’s watching us. The more people who find out, the more dangerous it becomes. You’re a student, not officially part of the organization. Keeping your distance is best for you.”

"Who did it? The Japanese? The Kuomintang? Or someone else?" Gui'er felt a tightness in her chest as she recalled what Wu Mingqiang had said about the secret service organization.

Lin Peishan shook her head, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes: "Unlike the Kuomintang, our people have found out that their organization has been in disarray lately. Many underground strongholds have been raided. I heard that the Japanese pressured the Hong Kong British government to handle it, and even their own people are filled with anxiety." She paused: "As for the Japanese... their spies in Hong Kong are indeed rampant, but they always act ostentatiously. If they had arrested someone, they would have already released the news to exert pressure, why would they be so quiet?"

The waiter brought over the lemon tea that Gui'er had ordered, and the two of them fell silent for a moment as the ice cubes clinked in the cup.

"So what do we do now?" Gui'er looked at Lin Peishan. "We can't just let it go like this."

“Zhongyu said we can only wait.” Lin Peishan’s voice was weary. “Once things calm down a bit, we can try to find out where that black car came from. He told me to tell you not to do anything during this time, to keep your distance from us, and to remain silent. That’s the best way to protect yourself.”

"Is it really that serious? What about the two professors?" Gui'er was panicking because this was the first time she had encountered such a serious situation.

"Don't worry, it will be investigated. As for Zhong Yu, he is the assistant of someone as prominent as Mo Gansheng. If we touch him, it's the same as touching Mo Gansheng, which will have a huge impact. So Zhong Yu told me to tell you not to worry."