Chapter 26: The Guangzhou Operative

From the beginning, the Executive Committee had identified the Gao family's two children as priority targets. An adult's worldview, once crystallized, resists change—but adolescents are another matter entirely. They possess a natural irreverence toward authority, an appetite for novelty, a hunger for adventure, and an eagerness to prove themselves the equals of their elders. All qualities the transmigrators could exploit.

During each crossing, they had spent considerable time with the siblings, carefully observing their personalities and capabilities. Between the two, the boy Gao Di held greater value. Girls moved in smaller social circles and had fewer opportunities to appear in public, while Gao Di was younger still, his views and character far more malleable.

The boy was clever and quick-witted. When Xiao Zishan taught him bookkeeping and arithmetic, he grasped the concepts instantly. Wen Desi would send him on small errands, which he handled with surprising competence. And when given modern candies and snacks, he invariably took them home to share with his sister—evidence of an unselfish nature and genuine sense of responsibility.

When the siblings entered the study, they knelt stiffly on the floor. Beiwei's eyebrows shot up in displeasure, but Wen Desi—knowing the man couldn't stomach such acts of subservience—quickly stayed him with a gesture.

"Stand up, both of you. What are you kneeling for? Do you think we're City Gods?" Wen Desi offered a faint smile.

"We beg the masters to forgive our mother's offense." The children remained on their knees, speaking in unison before pressing their foreheads to the floor in a formal kowtow.

"As I said—ignorance is no crime. Please, stand."

"We thank the masters for their grace." The siblings exchanged relieved glances and rose quickly to their feet.

"Gao Lujie, step outside for a moment. I have words for Gao Di alone."

"I understand, sir." The girl withdrew. Beiwei moved to the window and peered out; seeing she had truly departed, he nodded.

Xiao Zishan turned to the boy. "Do you know Guangzhou well?"

"Yes—people at the Gao mansion often sent me on errands. A few coins each trip."

"Those playmates I asked you about before—do you still see them often?"

"Some were promoted to real duties. The rest are idle, with time on their hands. They often invite me out."

"Are any of them reliable?"

Gao Di's head snapped up, his eyes sharp. "Does the master want new household members?"

A clever child indeed. Xiao Zishan nodded silently, then equivocated: "We don't need that yet. This isn't quite the same as selecting household members, though it's related."

"Then please instruct me, sir—what kind of person do you need?"

"A few children who know Guangzhou well. Each day, they'll report the city's news and market rates." Xiao Zishan listed the commodities he wanted tracked.

"Easy enough—just visit the guild teahouses and check the posted boards."

"Compile everything daily into a ledger using the bookkeeping method I taught you."

"I understand."

"Each month you'll receive an extra tael of silver as operating funds. Choose your people carefully—no one unreliable or prone to loose talk." Xiao Zishan fixed his eyes on the boy, his voice dropping lower. "Also, pay attention to news from the Gao household. Anything important—don't write it down. Wait until we arrive and tell us directly."

With each instruction, Gao Di responded promptly. Xiao Zishan noted the trepidation on the boy's face, but excitement clearly overflowed beneath it.

"Does your family have anyone friendly inside the Gao household?"

"Yes—Uncle Chang, my father's sworn brother. He does odd jobs in the outer courtyard." The boy went on to explain: this Gao Chang was his father's fellow townsman, having joined the household some six or seven years ago. Strong and skilled in martial arts, he could have been promoted to guard, but his blunt speech and lack of money for bribes had made him unpopular with those who mattered. Now twenty-five or twenty-six years old and still doing menial work, he hadn't even been assigned a wife.

"A bachelor?"

"Yes, but Uncle Chang takes it in stride. He rarely complains."

The four transmigrators exchanged meaningful glances. A promising prospect indeed. Someone overlooked at their workplace would welcome a change of employers. Blunt speech suggested honesty. Rarely complaining implied a balanced temperament. And martial arts skills always had their uses.

Of course, these were the nephew's words—possibly exaggerated out of affection. But this was a time of need; they couldn't afford to be choosy. Whether someone was suitable could only be determined through actual use.

"Should I invite Uncle Chang over? He's off today."

"Good. Go get him."

"I'll say Father is inviting him for a drink—he'll come right away."

Sharp instincts. Without a word about the need for secrecy, the boy already understood. Though Xiao Zishan's thoughts took a darker turn: this child's cleverness might become a liability if not managed properly.

Shortly thereafter, Gao Chang arrived. Introduced by Gao Di, he kowtowed in greeting. The transmigrators sized him up: not tall, but sturdy, with nimble movements that spoke of physical capability.

Xiao Zishan asked about his background and years of service at the Gao household.

"...I've been doing odd jobs in the outer courtyard for six years now."

"I see you cut a fine figure, and you're clearly capable. How is it you've always remained just a laborer?"

"This humble one is naturally clumsy with words and can't talk well. That's why I've stayed where I am."

"Have you married?"

"No..." Gao Chang blushed. "Too poor. No woman would have me."

"You've served all these years—hasn't the family assigned you a wife?"

"Truly, this humble one is too poor. Even if they assigned me a woman, I couldn't afford to keep her."

Xiao Zishan warmed to the man. The masters had shown him no favor whatsoever, yet he refused to speak ill of them.

"How does the Gao family treat you?"

"I'm just a servant. The masters give me clothes and food—that itself is kindness." He spoke with neither servility nor arrogance.

Xiao Zishan glanced at Beiwei. Without warning, the former recon soldier sprang up and shoved Gao Chang hard in the chest. Caught completely off guard, the man stumbled backward seven or eight paces before catching his balance. Though clearly startled by the assault, he simply smoothed his clothes and resumed his position without complaint or aggression.

Beiwei nodded with satisfaction. The man's lower-body stance was stable—he had genuine skill.

"You know martial arts?" Xiao Zishan asked.

"Just country techniques, practiced for self-defense. Nothing worth the masters' notice."

Xiao Zishan nodded and told Gao Di to see his uncle out for drinks.

After the boy departed, the transmigrators sat in satisfied silence. But how to properly recruit this man required further thought. They turned to discuss the work ahead. They had established their first intelligence network—though its purpose was less about gathering actual intelligence and more about testing whether Gao Di was suited for such a role, and verifying whether the Gao family would prove loyal.

If Gao Qing stubbornly continued serving as Master Gao's informant, they would need to find replacements quickly.

"I think Gao Qing's attitude toward Master Gao is ambiguous," Beiwei said. "Judging by his wife and children, they don't look fully committed to him."

"I agree." Wen Desi nodded. "Gao Qing is simply cowed by Gao Ju's power. In reality, he has little genuine loyalty to his former master."

"What he fears most is following us far from home. We bear the title 'Australian sea merchants.' He's not from the seafaring regions where people are accustomed to sailing abroad."

"Let's win over his wife and children first. After today's display, he'll think twice before running to report on us."

"Will he still go?"

"I think so—just less frequently. Gao Qing is timid and indecisive. His former master's authority still looms large; he still wants a fallback option. Until he's out of Gao Ju's sphere of influence, we can't fully trust him."

"We need our own house soon."

"Right. For now, we want the convenience of trade, but before the final crossing, we must secure new property."

"Gao Di shows promise, but he's just a child. He can't handle buying real estate or managing servants on our behalf."

"What about Gao Chang..."

"Someone's there!" Beiwei's shout cut through the room. In one fluid motion, he flashed to the window, snatched a rock from a potted plant, and hurled it into the darkness outside. A muffled thump echoed back—it had hit something.

The three city-dwelling otaku panicked, collapsing deeper into their chairs, barely daring to breathe.

"What happened?" Wen Desi asked, his voice unsteady.

"A shadow moving across the opposite courtyard." Beiwei's jaw was tight with fury. "Conducting reconnaissance before dark—quite audacious."

"An eavesdropper?"

"Must be. The approach was zigzagging toward this window."

"One of Gao Ju's people?"

"Unlikely. Gao Ju already has eyes in this household through Gao Qing. Our business is going smoothly; he has no reason to antagonize us."

"Then who?"

"Probably people who envy him." Xiao Zishan recalled what Gao Ju had said when giving them the house: "Lately, with these rare goods appearing on the market, I've attracted considerable attention." This must be one of those "attentive" parties.

Things were becoming complicated. Thinking of how distracted Gao Ju had seemed today, of the worry lines creasing his face, their thoughts all grew tense. They were no longer the only ones watching—and the watchers, it seemed, were multiplying.

(End of Chapter)