Chapter 24: Returning the Favor

During the New Year, Dai Yunong was relaxing at home with a beauty in his arms. Upon hearing Wang Huichun’s words, he replied casually, “Jinling Station has collapsed halfway, the Intelligence Division is paralyzed, what secret information could there possibly be?”

“Boss, it’s news regarding the assassination of Hirohito.”

Dai Yunong immediately became serious. “I’ll come to the station right away. Wait for me there, control the people who’ve come into contact with the information, and don’t let anything leak.”

“Yes!”

After hanging up, Dai Yunong grabbed his coat and hurried out to the Military Bureau headquarters.

Arriving at No. 174, Zhongshan Second Road, the Bureau headquarters, Dai Yunong beckoned Wang Huichun, who was waiting in the corridor, into his office.

“Boss, here’s the telegram from Jinling Station,” Wang Huichun immediately handed over the file.

Dai Yunong took the file and opened it at once.

“Yoshizumi Ryosuke has been killed, the city of Jinling sealed off, the weapon used by the killer is identical to the one used in the assassination of Hirohito. This gun is unlike any other.”

Dai Yunong’s pupils contracted slightly, his mind raced.

After a long contemplation, Dai Yunong looked up at Wang Huichun and said, “Send a telegram to Jinling Station immediately. Enter a silent period. No operations until the city’s lockdown is lifted.”

“Yes, boss.”

When Wang Huichun left, Dai Yunong considered for a moment. Just as he was about to call the chief’s aide, the phone rang first.

As soon as he picked up, the chief’s voice came through.

“Yunong, Xu Enzeng just reported to me. The Central Bureau found that person in Jinling and he killed a Japanese general. Is this news accurate?”

Guo Liang could buy information, and so could the Central Bureau’s Jinling Station. Moreover, they were a step ahead, which left Dai Yunong lagging even in reporting.

Dai Yunong quickly stood up and spoke into the phone, “Principal, I just received news of his appearance in Jinling and was about to report to you.”

“Yunong, since the news is true, I’m relieved. I won’t disturb your New Year’s holiday.”

With a snap, the chief hung up.

Dai Yunong froze for a moment, then gritted his teeth in anger, “Xu, En, Zeng!”

The Revival Society had upgraded to the Military Bureau, while the Party Affairs Investigation Division had become the Central Bureau. Both had changed at the same time, both dealt in intelligence, and naturally, Dai Yunong and Xu Enzeng had long disliked each other.

Though the chief’s call seemed to show he trusted only Dai Yunong and not Xu Enzeng, Dai Yunong was no fool. The chief was hinting: the Military Bureau’s performance was too poor. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said he wouldn’t disturb Dai Yunong’s New Year.

After venting his anger, Dai Yunong realized he couldn’t wait any longer. If he didn’t quickly uncover the identity of that man, the chief would soon lose patience.

He immediately made a phone call.

“Where are you?”

“Director, the students are lodging in Yuzhong.”

“I’ll be right over.”

“Yes, Director.”

After hanging up, Dai Yunong retrieved a document from the safe and left the Bureau.

Arriving at a building in Yuzhong, Dai Yunong instructed his bodyguards not to follow. He went upstairs alone.

On reaching the third floor, he knocked on the door to the left.

“Who is it?” a clear voice called from within.

“It’s your third uncle,” Dai Yunong replied.

Soon, the door opened to reveal an unremarkable-looking woman.

“Third uncle, you’re here.”

Her smile was natural, and her clear, clean eyes made the smile infectious; seeing her smile brought a sense of peace, as if all troubles had vanished.

Of course, that was just for ordinary people—Dai Yunong didn’t feel any peace because of her smile.

“Mm,” he grunted.

Once inside, the woman’s demeanor changed abruptly. She saluted solemnly, “Director!”

“Shi Xiaozhen, the situation has changed suddenly; special training ends early.

Tomorrow, you and your team will depart for Jinling.

This time, do not contact the Military Bureau’s Jinling Station. You have only one mission: track that man’s movements.

Here’s the contact information for my undercover operative in Jinling. He will assist you,” Dai Yunong said, handing over the document he’d retrieved from the safe.

Ever since the chief had ordered him to bring back that man’s corpse, Dai Yunong had been organizing the search.

There were many capable people in the Bureau, but their minds were too deep—not suited for such a highly confidential mission.

So Dai Yunong handpicked several elite students with special skills from the special training camp, along with some instructors, and trained them intensively.

The young had fewer schemes, only followed orders, making them ideal for such tasks.

Originally, training was to continue for some time, but now there was no choice but to send them on the mission.

Shi Xiaozhen was the team leader.

“Yes, Director!” Shi Xiaozhen replied promptly, taking the document.

The next day, the newsboys in the French Concession of Shanghai were shouting once again.

“Extra! Extra! The Lone Ranger strikes again—kills one of the main perpetrators of the massacre in Jinling!”

“Extra! Extra! On New Year’s Eve, the Lone Ranger guns down a Japanese general!”

“Extra! Extra! The Lone Ranger strikes again!”

...

Jinling had few foreign spies, but Chongqing had many—military, commercial, and otherwise.

Both the Military Bureau and the Central Bureau in Chongqing received the news from Jinling. Many knew, and some sold the information to foreign spies in the city.

Foreign spies buying intelligence quickly became common knowledge.

Early the next morning, the French Concession’s newspapers began reporting on the incident. With previous reports about Li Wensheng, the papers had sold out; this time, the print run was three times the usual.

If this were the twenty-first century, Li Wensheng would be a trending topic, and three times the newspaper supply would sell out in no time.

While the newspaper bosses in the Concession rejoiced at their booming sales, Li Wensheng was troubled.

Because, after learning that the killer of Yoshizumi Ryosuke was the same one who tried to assassinate Hirohito, Kato clung to this as a drowning man to a lifeline.

If he could catch the killer, Yoshizumi’s death would be inconsequential; he might even earn a promotion.

But after screening everyone arrested in Qinhuai, not a single suspect emerged.

So, Kato went mad. He stopped caring about international reputation.

Early that morning, he had collaborators shout throughout the city, ‘If you are Chinese, you should care for your compatriots.

Before six in the evening, I will be waiting for you at the East Asia Hotel.

If you do not appear, then every day after six, a thousand will be executed at the city gates.

This arrangement stands until Jinling becomes an empty city!’

This was a tactic learned from Li Wensheng’s own methods of pressuring Hirohito in Japan—a taste of his own medicine.

Li Wensheng knew that walking this path required cold-blooded resolve.

If he lacked it, he’d easily find himself in danger.

But the human heart is made of flesh—Li Wensheng couldn’t be truly cold-blooded.

If he really were, he wouldn’t have, out of impulse after witnessing the horrors of the Hu-Song battle, accepted the hellish mission to assassinate Hirohito in Japan.

Li Wensheng could only manage to turn a blind eye as long as the tragedy didn’t happen before his eyes.

After returning from Japan, traveling back to Chongqing with Wang Tianfeng and the others, he knew many Chinese civilians had suffered due to his actions in Japan. He felt a pang of guilt, then quickly put it out of mind.

But now, he was in Jinling itself—a city that had just endured a massacre, and now, because of him, was threatened with another. He couldn’t ignore it.

But to simply go to the East Asia Hotel to meet the Japanese—impossible. No matter how skilled or accurate he was, he was still only human.

He couldn’t tear enemies apart with his bare hands, let alone be a bulletproof superman.

Li Wensheng was at a loss. Since hearing the collaborators shouting outside, he’d been pondering ways to break the deadlock, but no solution came.

As he struggled with his thoughts, there came a rhythmic knock at the door outside.