Chapter Forty-Two: As Jade Prepares to Leave

Xinjiekou, Fuchang Hotel.

After checking into his room, Song Yingge found an empty seat in the lobby, ordered a cup of coffee, and sipped it slowly.

Twenty minutes later, Ruyu appeared at the hotel entrance and spotted Song Yingge at a glance.

Song Yingge stood up and walked toward the elevators.

Ruyu did not break her stride and walked straight toward the elevators as well.

One after the other, the two entered the elevator and ascended to the fifth floor.

Opening the room door, they stepped inside.

"Haven't seen you in days. Did you miss me?" Ruyu asked, wrapping her arm around Song Yingge's and acting coquettishly.

Song Yingge closed the door, shook off Ruyu's arm, and said in a stiff tone, "No."

"Such a hypocrite." Ruyu was not angry; instead, she lunged into Song Yingge's arms.

Song Yingge sidestepped to avoid her. "I don't have time to waste on your nonsense. Let's talk business."

Ruyu took off her coat, lay sideways on the bed, and curled her finger. "Isn't eating me up considered business?"

Song Yingge drew his pistol, pointed it at Ruyu, and demanded, "Are you going to talk or not?"

"You really are a bore." Ruyu sat up, a look of displeasure on her face.

"Are you being transferred?" Song Yingge put away his gun.

"Heading to Jiangcheng tomorrow," Ruyu replied.

"What is your mission?" Song Yingge asked.

"I won't tell you."

"Have you forgotten who you really are?" Song Yingge said angrily.

"I am your captive, master," Ruyu said in a delicate, sugary voice.

Song Yingge was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Don't you want to do something to your captive, master?" Ruyu knelt in front of Song Yingge, raised her head, and looked at him with watery eyes.

She understood men far too well.

And Song Yingge did not understand women at all.

Most women admired strength, and Japanese women even more so.

Song Yingge was tall, handsome, and had captured her with his own hands.

It wasn't quite love, but Ruyu genuinely wanted something to happen between them.

"Tell me your mission in Jiangcheng, or an obedient mole is of no use to me," Song Yingge threatened, grabbing Ruyu by the neck.

Ruyu struggled to breathe, her face turning crimson, yet she continued to smile.

Seeing this, Song Yingge applied more pressure with his hand.

The two remained locked in this stalemate.

Seeing that Ruyu still refused to beg for mercy, a fierce look flashed in Song Yingge's eyes. He truly had the intention to kill.

An informant who could not be controlled was better off dead and out of the way.

The shadow of death enveloped Ruyu's heart, and finally, the instinct for survival forced her to speak. "I'll talk."

Hearing this, Song Yingge finally loosened his grip.

Ruyu collapsed limply onto the floor, gasping for air.

Throughout this, Song Yingge stared down at her with an icy gaze.

Meeting Song Yingge's condescending look, Ruyu trembled inwardly. A strange sensation spread throughout her body, and her eyes grew hazy.

Seeing Ruyu's expression, Song Yingge couldn't help cursing inwardly, "She's actually a masochist. What a waste on her."

"Let's talk business," Song Yingge said, interrupting Ruyu's romantic fantasies.

"My mission is infiltration, subversion, and gathering all useful intelligence in preparation for the impending war.

You, as a Chinaman, surely know the strategic importance of Shanghai, Jinling, and Jiangcheng.

There's no need to mention the first two; as far as I know, a large number of our intelligence agents have already infiltrated Jiangcheng.

Yet your Secret Service knows precious little about it," Ruyu said.

Song Yingge had no way to refute this, as it was indeed the truth.

The Japanese invaders' intelligence work started far too early, their system was more mature, and their agents were far more professional.

"I need you to collect the roster of Japanese spies in Jiangcheng," Song Yingge said.

"I will gather as much as I can without blowing my cover. But what's in it for me?" Ruyu asked.

"Isn't letting you keep your life enough?" Song Yingge retorted.

"Those pledges of allegiance I gave you—even if the Foreign Ministry found out, it would only mean a few years in prison," Ruyu countered.

"What do you want?"

"Cooperation. I provide you with intelligence, and you provide me with intelligence. Mutual benefit—isn't getting promoted together a good thing?" Ruyu suggested.

Song Yingge pondered for a moment before speaking. "I can provide you with some intelligence at my discretion. But remember, this is not cooperation; this is my bestowal of grace upon you. Understood?"

"Thank you for your grace, master," Ruyu said, pressing her body against Song Yingge once more.

Looking impatient, Song Yingge pushed her away. "Do you know about a breed of dog called a Teddy?"

"You mean a little bitch?" Ruyu caught his drift, but she remained unangered.

Unable to handle Ruyu's brazen words, Song Yingge pulled out a book and said, "After you go to Jiangcheng, contact me via radio every Wednesday night. This is the cipher book."

Ruyu accepted the cipher book and said, "Will you stay and have a meal with me? Consider it a farewell banquet."

"I have things to do. That's it." Without paying her any further mind, Song Yingge opened the door and walked out.

Ruyu stayed in the room, staring at the closed door for a long time, then pulled a small glass bottle from her sleeve and muttered to herself, "What a pity. You got away again."

Returning to Caodu Lane and getting into his car, Song Yingge drove straight to Xiaguan Wharf.

Since there was still some time before the train carrying Xu Zhong arrived at Xiaguan Station, Song Yingge decided to make a detour to Zhendong Hall first.

In that same warehouse, Song Yingge met Nine-Fingers.

"How are things going?" Song Yingge pulled out a cigarette case and tossed one to Nine-Fingers.

Nine-Fingers caught the cigarette with both hands, pulled out a match, lit Song Yingge's cigarette, and then lit his own.

"Boss, we've recruited about twenty people these past few days. Now Zhendong Hall has over thirty men who can get things done," Nine-Fingers reported.

"The progress is decent, but keep recruiting. Have you gathered any intelligence?" Song Yingge asked.

"We've gathered quite a bit, though I'm not sure if any of it is useful." With that, Nine-Fingers walked to the back of the warehouse and returned a moment later with a stack of paper.

Song Yingge took them and flipped through them rapidly. As expected, there were only a few pieces of intelligence rated green in value, and not a single one rated gold.

However, this was within Song Yingge's expectations, so he felt no disappointment.

"This handwriting is nice. Who was in charge of recording?" Song Yingge asked, catching sight of the neat, beautiful regular script on the paper.

"The one doing the recording is Liu Chuanshu, nicknamed Scholar. He attended school for a few years when he was young, but later his father died of illness and his mother fell ill with tuberculosis, so he dropped out and made a living at the docks," Nine-Fingers explained.

"Not bad, he's a talent. Where is he? Let me see him," Song Yingge said.

"Wait a moment, Boss. I'll have someone call him over," Nine-Fingers said.

After a short while, a thin young man in his early twenties hurried over.

"Scholar, this is our boss. Quick, greet him," Nine-Fingers prompted.

"Boss, I am Scholar." Liu Chuanshu dropped to his knees with a loud thud and kowtowed.

Song Yingge felt a surge of displeasure. "Why are you kneeling?"

"My mother was gravely ill and we had no money for medical treatment. If not for the boss's generosity in opening your purse to save my mother's life, she wouldn't have made it. I naturally must kneel to thank you for this immense grace," Liu Chuanshu said.

Hearing this, Song Yingge looked at Nine-Fingers.

Nine-Fingers walked over to Song Yingge and lowered his voice. "I lent him twenty yuan in your name."

"Get up," Song Yingge helped Liu Chuanshu to his feet, then took out ten yuan and handed it to Nine-Fingers. "Consider the previous loan repaid, and use this money to buy some supplements for Madam so she can recover her health."

Liu Chuanshu repeatedly waved his hands, refusing to accept it.

"Since the boss is bestowing this upon you, take it. Work harder in the future, understand?" Nine-Fingers said.

With a choked voice, Liu Chuanshu said, "Thank you, Boss. From now on, this life of mine belongs to you."

Song Yingge patted Liu Chuanshu on the shoulder. "Keep your own life. Just do your job well."

"From now on, he will be your deputy," Song Yingge said to Nine-Fingers.

This remark solidified Liu Chuanshu's position within Zhendong Hall.

Yet, should he ever fail to perform his duties responsibly, a single word from Song Yingge could strip him of it just as easily.