"Freya..." Brian looked at her in shock, feeling a bit worried. With so many people around, if word got out about what she said, it might cause trouble.
But when he saw her calm and composed expression, he also calmed down. He had a feeling that his wife must be confident about rescuing her parents, which is why she spoke so directly.
"Oh my, oh my, girl, why are you saying everything out loud like that?
Luckily, Officer Duiz and Mr. Zhao aren't the gossiping type. Otherwise, if this got out, what would you do?
I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear anything. But you can't say things like this anymore in the future."
Secretary Wang jumped up from the new chair Freya had made, looking around like a thief.
Freya raised her eyebrows slightly in surprise. She thought Secretary Wang was a decent person, but she hadn't expected him to actually help her by stopping Officer Duiz and Mr. Zhao from talking.
"Comrade Freya, if you're trying to use this good deed to help your family get cleared of charges, it's probably not going to work.
Helping others is a great thing in our village, but when reported to higher-ups, it's just a tiny matter that won't get any attention. It might even cause trouble for you instead."
Officer Duiz thought she was trying to use this act of bravery to restore her family's reputation. Working at the grassroots level for a long time, he understood how things worked up top, so he explained seriously.
He sighed secretly, thinking this young girl was still too naïve and hadn't thought things through.
"You're actually part of Grandpa Lu's family?
Could it be that you're his little granddaughter, Freya?" Mr. Zhao suddenly raised his voice, looking at her in surprise.
"Mr. Zhao, you know me? No wait, you know my grandfather?" Freya was also slightly surprised.
"I don't know him personally, but my old leader used to be comrades-in-arms with your grandfather. This time, he asked me to visit the old man."
He looked curiously at the pretty girl in front of him.
Her eyes were clear, and she carried a calmness and pressure not typical for someone her age. According to his son, this girl was also very skilled.
This is the so-called foolish, blind, ungrateful girl who betrayed her family? The one his old leader always mentioned?
When he saw how his son spoke about Freya with admiration, his fatherly heart had been soaked in vinegar for quite a while, sour to the bone.
"Yes, you guessed right. I'm the dumb one with a brain full of water, not thinking straight!"
Freya pointed at her own nose and rolled her eyes. Damn it, another day of carrying a huge black pot around.
Everyone… It was the first time they'd heard someone insult themselves in such a new way. Brain full of water?
"Ahem, I really appreciate you saving my son, but I'm sorry, I don't think I can help.
Even my old leader pulled a lot of strings and asked a lot of people, but still couldn't protect your grandfather."
Meaning, if his leader couldn't do anything, then he definitely didn't have the power to help either.
"Freya, don't lose hope. We'll think of another way." Brian, worried she might feel upset, held her hand tightly and comforted her softly.
"I'm fine." Freya met Brian's concerned gaze and smiled, then looked at the others and spoke slowly.
"Everyone, I do want to clear my family's name.
I know that saving someone isn't enough as a bargaining chip.
But what if I know the location of a secret agent base?
What if I know where a large treasure is hidden?
Would that be enough of a bargaining chip?"
"What? A secret agent base? A treasure?
Freya, you can't say things like that!
How could a young girl like you possibly know something like this?"
Secretary Wang jumped in fright, almost wanting to cover her mouth. Dear god, this girl really knows how to shock people with her words.
"Comrade Freya, you can't joke about this. If you say it, you have to take responsibility."
Captain Duiz also looked serious.
"Are you sure? How many spies are there? What kind of treasure is it? And where is it?"
Mr. Zhao didn't believe it at first, but when he saw Freya looking calm and confident, he immediately asked.
"I can't say it now.
But I can guarantee it'll be worth your time.
I only have one request: help clear my family's name.
Comrade Zhao, you know what happened to my family. You should understand that I was tricked by a scumbag, and my family was wrongly accused. If you're willing to investigate, clearing their name won't be hard.
Besides, the policies are much more relaxed now compared to previous years. When I was in the capital, I saw many people being taken back home."
"You can report this to your superiors first. I want a reply by the afternoon after tomorrow at the latest. If you miss that, then forget it. By then, I'll naturally tell you everything I know.
Believe me, it's absolutely worth it. I guarantee promotions and raises for everyone involved." Freya smiled calmly.
"If what you say is true, I think the higher-ups will agree to clear your family's name. That's a big reward.
But I only have your words. I haven't seen anything. Why should I trust you?
You need to give me something real.
If I report this and it turns out to be nothing, I'll be in trouble too."
Mr. Zhao frowned, looking at Freya with suspicion. He thought maybe she was trying to get something for nothing.
"Oh, fine. I can give you a few clues. The things and the people are in this mountain, but don't try to search it now. You might not find anything, and you'll definitely alert them.
They're about to gather and take action soon.
If I didn't want to catch them all at once, I would've already gone in to check."
"No wonder I've caught so many spies near the Red Bull Team over the years. So there really is something valuable here. Those people must've come for that. Looks like it's really important."
Officer Duiz suddenly felt like everything made sense.
"There are still spies hiding in our mountain? What are we going to do? How many of them are there?" Secretary Wang slapped his thigh and groaned softly.
Why are they always so unlucky?
"Comrade Brian, you're a soldier. You should know speed is crucial in battle!
If we mess this up, the spies escape, and the treasure ends up in enemy hands, we'll regret it forever!"
Mr. Zhao saw that Freya wouldn't give the location unless they agreed to help her family. So he changed tactics and tried to persuade Brian.
"I'm a soldier, and I'm willing to die for my country. But that's my personal choice. I can't force my wife."
Brian sat up straight and responded seriously.
His wife was using this as a bargaining chip to save her family. There was no way he would sabotage that.
"..."
"You don't need to pressure Brian. He loves his country and is willing to sacrifice everything for it.
I'm just an ordinary woman. All I want is for my family to be safe. So don't try to use patriotism or morals to guilt me. I don't care about morals or ideals.
I just want to exchange my information for my family's safety. That's all. Give me an answer by noon tomorrow. Believe me or not—it's your choice!"
Freya had still been polite, but when she saw Mr. Zhao trying to pressure her husband using moral arguments, she got angry and stopped being nice.
She wasn't afraid of any dirty tricks. Red Bull Mountain was huge. If things went badly, she could just take her family deep into the mountains to live. A few years later, when things calmed down, they could come out again. She had food, supplies, and money.
At that point, she could leave the country or move to another city, change names, and start a new life. No one could do anything to them.