Evelyn Clark immediately beamed with joy: “Thank you, Chief. Without your wise leadership, how could I have achieved any merit? The credit should go to you, Chief. At most, I just carried out the orders properly.”

Howard Grant was quite pleased. Having such a perceptive subordinate made work much more comfortable.

He kindly reminded, “Also, make a detailed list of the expenses for this period. We can’t keep covering costs out of pocket.”

The accounting system of the Military Statistics Bureau was established by David Davis to demonstrate “clean governance.” He emphasized that any expense, including those incurred in enemy-occupied areas, must be reimbursed with original receipts.

These receipts included various items: project, names, product names, company or shop names, time, address, and so on.

Evelyn Clark frowned: “Should the expenses for the Ru Jiaopao plan be reimbursed under another name?”

He naturally knew the accounting system of the Bureau. In the rear, such a system was of course no problem—the more detailed, the better to prevent corruption. But doing underground work in enemy-occupied areas with such detail, and having to keep records, was especially dangerous.

Given Evelyn Clark’s character, he would rather not get reimbursed than submit original receipts. Using Mark Harris’s reimbursement slips, he could accept. But if he had to list out the expenses for the Ru Jiaopao plan, anyone seeing the receipts would immediately know that “Evelyn Clark” was “Mark Harris,” and his infiltration beside Helen Green would no longer be a secret.

Howard Grant shook his head: “This is Boss Davis’s rule—who dares to break it?”

Falsifying accounts was equivalent to breaking the family law, a capital offense. It was always believed that all field agents strictly followed this system.

Evelyn Clark said firmly, “In that case, I’ll wait until the Ru Jiaopao plan is completed before reimbursing the expenses together.”

Howard Grant tried to persuade him: “Ru Jiaopao, there’s no need to be so stubborn.”

Evelyn Clark smiled, but didn’t budge at all: “Chief, how about advancing some funds first? The group can apply for special operations funds—there shouldn’t be any problem with that, right?”

Howard Grant sighed: “Doing this means you don’t trust your own comrades. Anyone who can serve as the district accountant is absolutely loyal and reliable.”

Evelyn Clark insisted: “It’s not a matter of trust. How about I cover the costs for now, and after the Ru Jiaopao plan is done, I’ll reimburse everything together? Let’s just use up this one hundred yuan first.”

Compared to his own safety, he’d rather spend less of the funds.

Howard Grant said helplessly, “Alright then.”

Since Evelyn Clark wanted to pay out of pocket, there was nothing he could do. If it were him, he could never do it.

After leaving Airenli, Evelyn Clark crossed Fuxu Road and entered the International Settlement. Walking onto Hede Road, there was a Fude Lane, and inside, house number 3 was also an underground contact point.

Coming to Fude Lane for a rendezvous, Evelyn Clark was even more cautious. He took out his dental retainer, put on a cap, and changed into a long gown, quietly observing the surroundings.

Fude Lane ran east to west. To the east, past Hede Road, was the tram company; to the west was a foreign cemetery.

Many families lived in Fude Lane. At the entrance to the alley was a grass jelly stall. In a Western-style enamel cup, some grass jelly was served, with some syrup added. In this season, a cup of grass jelly was truly delightful.

Ordinary grass jelly stalls would have a backdrop of mountains and pavilions: a fountain spraying from the mountain, water droplets splashing—just looking at it made you feel a coolness rising from your feet to your head.

This grass jelly stall also had a backdrop. There were four long wooden benches and a square table at the stall, with two customers enjoying grass jelly.

From a distance, Evelyn Clark saw a broom hanging outside the door of house number 3. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief—this was the signal for a rendezvous. But as he passed the grass jelly stall, he suddenly stopped and sat on a bench, ordering a cup of grass jelly.

Evelyn Clark noticed that one of the customers at the table had already finished his grass jelly, but hadn’t left.

This man was in his thirties, half bald, with only a ring of hair around his head. He wore gray clothes, black trousers, and leather shoes. There was a slight bulge at his lower back—if he guessed right, it was a gun.

No. 76? Or a patrolman from the International Settlement?

Evelyn Clark quickly pondered the man’s identity in his mind, then raised his hand to the stall owner: “Boss, give me a cup of grass jelly.”

According to the rendezvous procedure, Evelyn Clark should knock on the door with one light and two heavy taps, and his contact would come to open the door in person.

But the bald man at the door made him change his mind. Whether or not he was targeting Fude Lane No. 3, there could be no rendezvous today.

Today’s meeting was just a routine report—optional. Since there was something unusual, he absolutely couldn’t go through with it.

Moreover, Evelyn Clark had to warn the other party. The broom hanging at the door meant the contact hadn’t noticed the situation outside.

The grass jelly tasted pretty good, with extra syrup. If it weren’t for business, Evelyn Clark would have liked another cup.

After finishing the grass jelly, Evelyn Clark lit a cigarette before getting up to leave. Having grass jelly and then a cigarette was truly enjoyable.

Evelyn Clark was smoking Da Qianmen cigarettes. Last time, he bought Sanmao brand cigarettes at the grocery store in front of No. 76, but hadn’t smoked a single one—not because he didn’t want to, but because he didn’t want to leave any trace.

As he passed by Fude Lane No. 3, Evelyn Clark really wanted to take down that broom. It was a signal, meaning it was safe to rendezvous.