Guanghua Bookstore, Hankou Road.
A tall woman walked in, her khaki trench coat cinched tight, the rhythm of her high heels clicking sharply against the floorboards.
Upon seeing the customer, the bookstore owner, Sun Jianzhong, quickly signaled his clerk to step toward the entrance.
"Monsieur, have the architectural journals I ordered arrived yet?"
At Sun’s nod, the clerk slipped outside to keep an eye on the street traffic. The owner leaned over the counter with a polite, merchant’s smile.
"Ah, Dr. Yang. Your journal is indeed in. I was just about to send word to the infirmary." As he reached under the counter to rummage through a stack of books, his voice dropped to a low, urgent rasp. "Comrade Piaoxue, what emergency could possibly bring you here during peak hours?"
The woman was,
