Chapter 218: Deng Hai Is Here!
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Nothing unusual, right?”
Sitting on the stone bench by the small field in front of the teaching building, Wang Ye adjusted the hat on his clothes and placed it firmly on his head. In his hand, he held his own mobile phone, attentively listening to the voice on the line.
It was the same mobile phone he had retrieved after the battle. Wang Ye had carried it with him on this outing, but it had unfortunately run out of battery.
In the morning, he had left it to charge in the guard room for a couple of hours.
It was only during dinner that Wu Jianfeng had delivered it back to him.
“Nothing unusual,” Wang Ye replied.
Then, he added, “Captain, do we really have to continue waiting like this?”
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before Wu Jianfeng responded, “We have no choice. This situation has attracted significant attention. The division is now involved and is expanding the search area.
Until we locate him, we’re stuck here.”
Wu Jianfeng paused briefly and went on, “Of course, we can’t just sit here indefinitely.
If we don’t find him within two days, we’ll have to return.”
“What if Deng Hai isn’t apprehended in two days and decides to return during that time?” Wang Ye inquired.
“In that case, local comrades will take over the watch,” Wu Jianfeng explained. Without waiting for Wang Ye’s response, he concluded, “That’s it for now. Stay vigilant and don’t let anything slip past you.”
“Yes, sir.”
After ending the call, Wang Ye scanned his surroundings before finally directing his gaze toward one of the classrooms in the teaching building.
Since his morning conversation with Wu Jianfeng, Jiang Ting had become aware of the potential threat from Deng Hai. Fearful for her safety, she had been cooperative and returned to the school premises.
As a student, she diligently carried out her duties.
Meanwhile, Wang Ye was now separated from Wu Jianfeng. Wu Jianfeng was at the door keeping the old man company, while Wang Ye was in charge of supervising and following the woman on campus.
This was to prevent Deng Hai from avoiding the main entrance and finding this woman after he returned.
“Hey, handsome…Why are you sitting here alone?”
Suddenly, a girl ran to Wang Ye with a smile.
“I’m waiting for my girlfriend to finish class!”
“Oh, alright!”
The girl’s smile was a little stiff. Then, she turned around and walked to the other two girls who were waiting not far away with a disappointed expression.
Wang Ye had encountered this kind of thing many times today.
Squatting outside the teaching building, he couldn’t keep his head down. Even if he wore a hat, it still couldn’t hide Wang Ye’s appearance that resembled Daniel Wu.
Naturally, this kind of school had more girls than boys. Moreover, the girls were bold and open-minded. After seeing Wang Ye, there were quite a few people who came to hit on him.
However, when Wang Ye dealt with this kind of flirting, he would say, “I’m waiting for my girlfriend,” and that would basically solve the problem.
Of course, there were also some women who really couldn’t withstand Wang Ye’s good looks. They actually said that they could continue to make friends even if he had a girlfriend and then continued to pester him for his contact information.
Then, Wang Ye would play the card of having a possessive girlfriend who wouldn’t let him do so.
In fact, Wang Ye wanted to give Wu Jianfeng’s phone number to these persistent women.
Hadn’t the recruits been trained to remain vigilant toward anyone intentionally approaching them, guarding against potential enemy agents?
These women seemed to fit the profile of potential adversaries perfectly.
As to whether this suspicion held any truth, Wang Ye decided to leave that judgment to Wu Jianfeng.
However, he ultimately resisted the alluring notion.
For it seemed like a reckless course of action, akin to courting danger.
The question of whether Wu Jianfeng could discern whether these women were enemy spies was another matter entirely. Upon returning, he would undoubtedly be met by an incessantly ringing phone and a thorough interrogation from Wu Jianfeng, and this could lead to severe consequences.
Wang Ye had already reached the maximum level for his five-kilometer cross-country skill, and he had no need to further accumulate experience. Consequently, he had no desire to don his equipment and go for a run on the road.
“Ding ding ding!”
Before long, the bell rang, and students began pouring out of the teaching building in groups.
Among them were indeed numerous women, who, if Qin Li and others were present, might have been taken aback by their beauty.
However, Wang Ye pulled down his hat and cast his gaze downward slightly.
It was clear that he was rather handsome, and these women were quite forward. Their attention was a bit bothersome…
Jiang Ting emerged late, waiting until most of the students had left.
She hesitated for a moment before ultimately making her way over to Wang Ye, clutching a book in her arms.
It had to be acknowledged that she was quite attractive, and her appearance exuded an air of innocence.
Without prior knowledge, one would never have guessed that a girl with such an appearance had sent her boyfriend off to the army and even enjoyed herself with her new partner at that cheap motel last night.
Jiang Ting approached Wang Ye and when she got close she thanked him.
“Thank you.”
Wang Ye lifted his head, casting an indifferent glance at her, and calmly remarked, “I’m a soldier, just carrying out my duty. No need for thanks.”
Furthermore, he added with a tone of caution, “And you should steer clear of me. If Deng Hai comes and you’re near me, you could be in even greater danger.”
Wang Ye’s genuine concern for her safety was minimal.
His primary intention was simply to avoid engaging in conversation or interactions with this woman.
Truth be told, Deng Hai had found himself in this predicament because of her. While he and Deng Hai hadn’t been on good terms in the past, Wang Ye still harbored a sense of pity and remorse for what had befallen him.
Thus, he couldn’t muster a positive attitude toward this woman.
Jiang Ting bit her lip, appearing forlorn. Eventually, she said nothing and departed, clutching her book.
Wang Ye observed her, waiting until she had walked several dozen meters away before slowly rising and following her.
His mission was to tail her.
He remained stationed in a location that offered a view of her classroom when she attended class. When she headed to the dormitory, Wang Ye found a discreet spot on the field outside the girls’ dormitory to keep watch.
His sole objective now was to monitor this woman and apprehend Deng Hai when he surfaced.
To be honest, he was exhausted. Daytime surveillance wasn’t an issue, but at night, Wang Ye had nowhere to rest. He was left squatting in the field.
Of course, there was no need for him to maintain continuous vigilance throughout the night. After the dormitory curfew, Wang Ye and Wu Jianfeng would retreat to a hotel outside the school to rest.
“Yes, you all continue your watch. We’re on standby too.”
In a hotel room, Wu Jianfeng was speaking on the phone.
He was in contact with Kang Hua and the others.
They had journeyed to Deng Hai’s hometown.
Wu Jianfeng had already met Deng Hai’s family.
Yet, today had yielded no leads, and Deng Hai had not made any contact.
After Wu Jianfeng concluded the call, Wang Ye contemplated for a moment and inquired, “Company Commander, if we don’t apprehend Deng Hai tomorrow, what’s the plan?”
Gazing at Wang Ye, Wu Jianfeng hesitated briefly before responding, “In that case, attention will shift solely to the local area. Furthermore, Deng Hai will forever be an illegal citizen. After all, our accounts were deactivated upon entering the army. If he departs in this manner, it will be impossible for him to obtain an identity card again.”
In addition, his household registration will bear the label of ‘deserter,’ a source of perpetual shame for his family. If he’s apprehended in the future, he’ll face military justice and possibly a sentence. Upon returning home, he’ll never be able to hold his head high again.
If he’s fortunate enough to find a woman to marry and have children with after serving his deserter’s sentence, even his child might face discrimination from other kids at a young age. In the future, his identity as a deserter and a father could significantly impact his life,” Wu Jianfeng remarked, shaking his head.
He then gazed at Wu Jianfeng, and after a few moments, he sighed, “This guy’s brain is seriously messed up!”
“I don’t know if his brain is filled with water, but I’m tempted to open it up and check if the circuits are all malfunctioning.”
Wu Jianfeng said, his words dripping with frustration.
Indeed, having such an individual would be an indelible stain on his military career.
Just as Deng Hai’s household registration would bear the deserter label, Wu Jianfeng’s history of leading a deserter would never be erased, serving as a substantial obstacle in his military career.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Wu Jianfeng genuinely desired to dissect Deng Hai’s brain to examine it…
“Alright, let’s get some rest. We’ll wait for the final day tomorrow. I hope this bastard shows up tomorrow!”
Wu Jianfeng’s mood was sour as he skipped washing his face and lay down on the bed across from Wang Ye.
Wang Ye shook his head and rose to wash up. Afterward, he turned around and settled on the other bed.
Given the current circumstances, all they could do was hope for Deng Hai’s appearance tomorrow.
Now, perhaps there might only be a glimmer of hope if he is captured by himself and Wu Jianfeng or the others.
Otherwise, his life would be irrevocably ruined.
On the 5th of a month three months prior, Wang Ye and the others had officially commenced their military training.
Under normal circumstances, today would have marked their first day of active duty.
However, the recruits had split up prematurely, with Wang Ye leaving the military camp and even enrolling in a technical school in the city near his hometown.
Lost in thought, Wang Ye squatted in a corner of the square outside the teaching building. While munching on a bun, he pondered what his classmates might be doing at that very moment.
Perhaps they were already engaged in training?
Or maybe not. Perhaps they were still on the hunt for Deng Hai.
Shaking his head, Wang Ye dismissed these thoughts and continued to eat his buns.
Simultaneously, a figure swiftly scaled the two-meter wall beside the female dormitory.
Deng Hai was here.
He had already changed his attire by this point.
He was dressed in sportswear, a knitted hat, and a black mask.
He made his way into the school, heading straight for the girls’ dormitory building.
He had visited this school on multiple occasions before.
After all, it had been his girlfriend’s place of study for the three months preceding this incident.
During that time, he had visited frequently.
Now, in disguise, he passed inconspicuously through the school grounds, and no one paid him any heed.
The first month of the lunar calendar in Xiangnan was distinct from Xi Guang. It was exceptionally cold here, making it perfectly normal to wear a mask and hat for warmth.
Instead of heading to the teaching building, Deng Hai located a spot on the school field from which he could observe the female dormitory building and sat down.
In truth, he didn’t even know where Jiang Ting’s class was. Each time he had visited, Jiang Ting had been absent from class.
He was only aware of her dormitory’s location, so that’s where he waited.
Observing the rising sun in the east, he felt the persistent chill that not even sunlight could dispel.
In this moment, as he sat there, he felt like a lone wolf abandoned after losing a battle for the position of pack leader.
Loneliness, bewilderment…
“Hu…”
Deng Hai drew a deep breath, clenched his teeth, and stared at the female dormitory.
At this moment, his eyes became determined.
No matter what, he had to find her and get to the bottom of things. If she still loved him, then he would forgive her and find a way to get out of his sticky situation.
He knew very well that his life in the country was ruined. He could only go abroad.
He also knew that the border was just south of the Ironbones Hero Regiment.
He could go there directly.