Chapter 132: Placing a Missing Persons Notice

Just past six o'clock the following morning, Li Wensheng and Chen Wenqi checked out of their hotel. As they stepped onto the street, they were greeted by the cries of several newsboys shouting from both sides of the road.

"Extra! Extra! The Lone Ranger has kidnapped the Chief Inspector of the International Settlement Police Station!"

"Extra! Extra! A twenty-minute gunfight leaves a room full of corpses; the Lone Ranger has kidnapped the Chief Inspector of the International Settlement Police Station!"

"Extra! Extra! The Lone Ranger blows up the International Settlement Police Station, killing over two hundred!"

At these shouts, all the pedestrians on the street swarmed toward the newsboys.

"You certainly have caused quite a stir," Chen Wenqi whispered with a smile.

"I would much prefer not to have caused such a stir."

The smile vanished from Chen Wenqi's face instantly. Li Wensheng’s somber tone made it clear that he had left the first half of his thought unsaid: *If only the world weren't like this!*

"You, don't always carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Don't live life so exhaustingly."

Li Wensheng was silent for a moment before replying softly, "I will try to change."

They walked for several hundred meters before ducking into a roadside noodle stall to have breakfast. They had barely sat down when several people arrived, clutching newspapers and eager for a bowl of noodles. After placing their orders with the proprietor, they sat down to read the papers, discussing the events with great excitement.

"Runze, look, the paper says the two hundred or so corpses left behind at the International Settlement Police Station were all Japanese."

"I see it, I see it. Killing over two hundred devils single-handedly—heh, that’s truly impressive."

A man at the next table turned around and interjected, "If you ask me, the most impressive part was him jumping from the fourth floor while holding onto a rope with one hand. That’s not something a normal person could do."

"It’s all impressive, all of it. Too bad it’s morning; I have to go to work soon. If it were tonight, I’d be drinking a few glasses while reading this paper."

"I plan on reading the paper a few more times tonight over a drink. Why don't we go together? I’m in a good mood today, so it’s on me. Let’s head to the Baiyan Restaurant tonight."

"We can drink together, but I’m the one paying."

"That won't do at all, it’s my treat."

Listening to them bicker over who would foot the bill, Chen Wenqi leaned in slightly, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she whispered, "They are fighting over who gets to treat you."

"Perhaps I should jump in and offer to treat them instead," Li Wensheng replied with a smile.

"I think you’d be better off revealing your identity; that would make them even happier."

Just then, the proprietor arrived with two bowls of noodles. As soon as the bowls were set down, more people arrived to eat, sitting right at the next table. Li Wensheng and Chen Wenqi fell silent, focusing on their noodles.

After finishing, they left. Li Wensheng took the lead, and Chen Wenqi followed without asking where they were going.

By eight o'clock in the morning, looking at the newly opened Xinmin Daily office, Chen Wenqi asked in disbelief, "Surely you didn't send messages to the newspaper like this before?"

"No, I would have been exposed long ago. I’m here to place a personal notice to arrange a meeting."

Curious about placing a notice to meet someone, Chen Wenqi followed Li Wensheng into the newspaper office.

"I want to place a missing persons notice: 'Brother Yan, I arrived in Shanghai three days ago. I have searched in several places but failed to find you. I am forced to use this notice to locate you. If you see this, please meet me at the Feis Coffee House tomorrow morning at ten o'clock.' Signed, Yu Renzhong. I need this to appear in tomorrow morning's paper."

"Tomorrow morning, ten legal tender dollars," the middle-aged man behind the counter said, looking up after putting down his Hong Kong dollars.

Li Wensheng produced ten legal tender dollars, handed them over, and after receiving the receipt, left the office with Chen Wenqi. Li Wensheng did not volunteer who he was meeting, and Chen Wenqi did not ask.

Once outside, they bought two flatbreads and a roll of adhesive tape, then headed toward their safe house. Upon entering, Li Wensheng found a dirty bowl in the kitchen, filled it with water from the tap, and walked to the main hall to open the secret passage.

"Mmph! Mmph!"

As soon as he saw Li Wensheng, Ma Long, who was lying at the entrance of the passage, began to make muffled noises. Li Wensheng placed the water and the bread on the floor and crouched down to rip the tape from Ma Long's mouth.

"Please, let me go! I’ll do whatever you want, I promise!"

Ma Long spoke Chinese quite well, almost indistinguishable from a native, but Li Wensheng was not swayed by his fluency.

"I have 120,000 US dollars, and also..."

After untying Ma Long's hands, Li Wensheng drew his pistol and pointed it at him, silencing him instantly. Li Wensheng gestured with the gun toward the water and the bread. Ma Long glanced at the water, which had turned murky from the dust in the bowl, and the stale, shriveled bread. He began to wail, "I did defect to the Japanese, but I never did anything to harm you Chinese! I... mph! Mmph!"

Before he could finish, Li Wensheng had already sealed his mouth with the tape again.

After binding Ma Long's hands once more and moving the water and bread to a corner, Li Wensheng closed the secret door and left with Chen Wenqi. They spent the rest of the day shopping—buying suitcases, clothes, and various daily necessities for a lady.