Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

Chapter 40 Listen to me, don't make the same mistake!

The breathy sound was as light as a falling leaf, yet every word pierced Zhang Dong's eardrums—no one else could even hear the breath.

Zhang Dong's pupils suddenly contracted, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

A shot rang out.

boom!

The bullet pierced the chest, so fast that there wasn't even time for a heartbeat to catch up.

There was no struggle, no groaning, not even a twitch—this was the purest respect Zhou Xiao could offer him.

The aftershocks of the gunshots hadn't yet dissipated when Zhou Xiao holstered his gun and turned around, his expression as calm as if he had just closed an old case. He stared at the bowed body on the cross, his tone as indifferent as if he were discussing the weather: "If the bones are hard, don't blame the knife for being cold. I think there are still a few tough bones left on the front lines of the resistance against Japan."

But no one saw that he tapped his left hand three times very lightly along the seam of his trousers—a silent salute only an old agent would give to a martyr.

He deeply respects such people.

In chaotic times, every faction and faction has its share of selfless heroes.

He was well aware that even if he stopped today, Aoki Takeshige would not leave any survivors; even if Aoki relented, Zhang Dong's internal organs would have been gnawed to pieces by the torture instruments, and he wouldn't survive the month.

Zhang Dongfei is doomed.

He died at his hands, and the Military Intelligence Bureau will settle this blood debt with Zhou Xiao sooner or later.

He didn't look back, but pushed open the door and left.

Outside the interrogation room, in the prison's listening room, Takeshi Aoki and Ichiro Watanabe had just taken off their headphones.

Watanabe tentatively asked, "Section Chief, can Zhou Xiao... really be trusted?"

Aoki picked up his teacup, blew on it, and smiled through the rising steam: "The sea of ​​espionage is boundless; you can trust a gun more than anyone else. He doesn't have any flaws right now, but that doesn't mean there aren't any hidden reefs."

He paused, then added, "Even if it's just a rock, as long as it can help us sink enemy ships, it's worth relying on."

Watanabe nodded, understanding perfectly.

With this shot, Zhou Xiao effectively pledged his loyalty and firmly secured his place in the Special Higher Police.

Three days later, at the Special Operations Headquarters.

Feng Manna burst into the office, raindrops still clinging to her hair: "Director Zhou! We just intercepted a Kuomintang secret telegram location. What should we do?"

Zhou Xiao abruptly stood up: "Where?"

Radio stations are not bait, they are the lifeline. Controlling them is like seizing the throat of the entire intelligence chain.

Although he had secured his position as head of the intelligence department, the position was too low—to get access to core secrets, he needed to earn real merit to climb the ladder.

Feng Manna spoke rapidly: "Hualien Road, third floor, east unit of Lines Apartments."

"Good!" Zhou Xiao tapped his fingertip lightly on the table, his gaze calm. "Now that we've locked onto the nest, we can't scare the birds. If the main force moves, they'll immediately burn the platform and destroy the code, rendering our efforts futile."

He paused briefly, his tone turning stern: "Manna, immediately deploy plainclothes officers to secretly monitor the scene. We must capture them alive, seize the chips, and protect the table—we can't miss a single one!"

Feng Manna smiled and said, "Just what I wanted! The people have already been dispatched."

Zhou Xiao's heart sank—it was too late to notify them.

He and Feng Manna were very close friends, but they never overstepped their boundaries in official matters. She called him "Director Zhou," and he called her "Section Chief Feng," maintaining just the right distance.

"Then I'll wait for your good news." He nodded and watched her leave briskly.

He knew better than anyone else that if the codebook were actually copied, half of the Shanghai station would collapse, and the Mingtai group would likely be implicated.

Right now, the only person who can pass messages is Zheng Yaoxian. However, one-way communication is too risky, and the timing is too tight.

Just as these thoughts were swirling, a name popped into my mind—

Blue Rouge!

According to Zheng Yaoxian's secret report, she is ostensibly a singer at the Paramount Ballroom, but in reality, she is a spy planted by the Military Intelligence Bureau. If they can get information about Ryans into her ears, the Shanghai station might be able to escape unscathed.

How can I deliver it without giving myself away?

He had just stepped out of the office when he bumped into Bi Zhongliang.

Bi Zhongliang leaned against the doorframe, a meaningful smile on his face: "Director Zhou, I heard your intelligence section is about to close in? What, do you think our operations section is being too ruthless?"

Zhou Xiao laughed loudly: "How could I trouble you, a great Buddha, to catch a few moths drawn to the flame?"

Aoki placed Bi Zhongliang next to him, ostensibly to lend a hand, but in reality to drive a nail into his heart—both to keep an eye on him and to keep him in check.

Bi Zhongliang waved his hand: "Then I won't interfere with your fortune."

Before the words were finished, a person strolled in from the end of the corridor.

He was about the same age as Zhou Xiao, with handsome features and a lazy gait, but his eyes seemed to hold two deep pools of water, so still they were chilling.

Zhou Xiao paused slightly, his heart skipping a beat:

Chen Shen? Bi Zhongliang's elusive brother—how could he suddenly appear?

According to the setting of "Sparrow", Chen Shen used to make a living with a razor in his early years, but now he has become a double agent walking on the edge of a knife - on the surface, he is the most trusted deputy of Bi Zhongliang, the head of the Wang Jingwei regime's secret service, but in secret, he is a core intelligence agent codenamed "Sparrow" planted by the underground party for many years. He loves to drink kvass, the bubbles bursting on his tongue with a slightly sour coolness; he often goes to the MGM dance hall, smoking to the rhythm of jazz music; in public, he is the dashing "Boss Chen", but in private, he manages the opium trade for Bi Zhongliang, and he knows the account books better than cigarettes.

In terms of status, skill, and shrewdness, Chen Shen can be considered the most shrewd old Shanghai gentleman—well-dressed, always in a car, always smiling, and leaving no trace of his actions. Even the police have to call him "Mr. Chen."

This relationship runs very deep: back in the trenches, Chen Shen dragged the dying Bi Zhongliang back from a hail of bullets, his face half-covered in blood and mud. From then on, Bi Zhongliang regarded him as a brother, even more willing to confide in him and entrust his life to him than to a blood brother.

As Chen Shen walked through the corridor, his gaze lingered on Zhou Xiao for only half a second before he pushed open the door and entered the office of the head of the operations department.

He didn't knock, nor did he stand up straight. He slumped into the leather chair opposite Bi Zhongliang, crossed his legs, and lazily asked, "Old Bi, what treasure have you dug up this time?"

Bi Zhongliang placed the pen on the desk, his voice low and deep: "We've caught an underground party member, figured out all his secrets, and are just waiting to close the net."

"If we win this battle, we'll finally have a firm foothold in the Special Operations Headquarters and the Special Higher Police. I'm just giving you a heads-up."

A cold glint flashed in Chen Shen's eyes, but his face remained impassive. He merely gave a slightly mocking smirk: "Old Bi, you haven't set another trap for me this time, have you?"

"Absolutely no exaggeration." Bi Zhongliang leaned forward, tapping his knuckles twice on the table. "I've been watching her for three months, and I'll make my move in the next couple of days—you'll cover for me!"

"Okay, whatever you say." Chen Shen nodded casually, then asked as if it were just a casual question, "But Lao Bi, you should at least let me know some details, right? I need to prepare some tools."

Bi Zhongliang, always a man of few words, waved his hand dismissively and said firmly, "It's a secret. I won't tell anyone. Come on, let's go to my house. My sister-in-law has stewed a pork hock, and the wine is warmed up."

"Alright!" Chen Shen stood up briskly, dusted off non-existent dust from his sleeves, and followed Bi Zhongliang out the door.

It turns out that in the past few days, Bi Zhongliang had been focusing all his attention on that underground party member. With the operation about to be completed, he had no time to deal with Zhou Xiao's little tricks.

In the eyes of the Special Higher Police, capturing a genuine underground party member is far more meritorious than capturing ten Kuomintang spies—the former is like tearing out one's heart, while the latter is merely like plucking a feather.

Meanwhile, Zhou Xiao was pinned to the Special Operations Headquarters, not daring to move an inch. If he left his post without permission, his identity would be exposed instantly; but at the Military Intelligence Bureau's Shanghai station, news was urgently needed to be sent out.

The only way out is Blue Rouge.

Just as he was staring blankly at the second hand of the wall clock, Lan Yanzhi arrived.

At the entrance of the Special Operations Headquarters, guards blocked the way with their guns drawn.

"Military restricted area, entry prohibited."

"I'm looking for Section Chief Feng." Lan Yanzhi looked up, her voice clear and bright. "It's important, let's talk in person."

Zhou Xiao's heart skipped a beat—the opportunity had arrived.

But how to transmit it is the key.

We must not reveal any flaws, leave any traces, or let Lan Yanzhi notice anything amiss.

You have to act, and you have to act flawlessly.

He chose to wait.

Wait for Feng Manna to personally step forward.

If we rashly go down to make contact now, it would be tantamount to handing over our weakness.

Only in front of Feng Manna could he appear natural and clean.

At this moment, Feng Manna was plotting how to take down the Military Intelligence Bureau's Shanghai station. Hearing that Lan Yanzhi had come to her door, she initially intended to ignore it. But then she changed her mind—she decided to meet her, give her some space, and test the waters. Before leaving, she specifically asked Zhou Xiao to accompany her.

This was exactly what Zhou Xiao wanted.

At the headquarters entrance, Lan Yanzhi's gaze swept over Feng Manna, then landed on Zhou Xiao, her voice deep and direct: "Manna, stop now. You're not stepping on a road, you're stepping into a fire pit."

The fight at the New Asia Hotel was a complete falling out between the two.

Before, Feng Manna would at least wear a thin veil and pretend to be ignorant of the world; but after that night, she simply tore off the fig leaf and entered and exited the Special Operations Headquarters openly, as if she were returning to her own home.

Lan Yanzhi's identity remains unknown to this day.

But Feng Manna knew perfectly well that all she was missing was a piece of paper, a sentence, and solid evidence.

"Miss Lan," Feng Manna stood with her arms crossed, a slight smile playing on her lips, "if you're still fussing over such trivial matters, you might as well go back and catch up on some sleep."

"I've come this far, and I have no way back. I want justice for my parents."

The deaths of Feng Zixiong and his wife were inextricably linked to the Military Intelligence Bureau, and Lan Yanzhi was an indispensable figure in the matter.

She couldn't move a single brick of the Military Intelligence Bureau by herself. So she joined forces with Aoki Takeshige to use someone else to do her dirty work.

She also wanted to lock Lan Yanzhi in the interrogation room, but she had no evidence—Lan Changming was a pillar of Shanghai's financial world, and the Japanese relied on him to stabilize their finances. Touching Lan Yanzhi would be like stirring up a hornet's nest.

"Manna..." Lan Yanzhi's voice softened, but every word carried immense weight, "This is the last time I'll advise you. If you don't turn back, your name will be the first on the Military Intelligence Bureau's kill-off order."

Feng Manna remained silent.

Zhou Xiao took half a step forward, his voice low but sharp as an icicle striking the ground: "Miss Lan, that's all I have to say. Please leave—if you don't, I have the right to detain you for forty-eight hours for trespassing on the intelligence center."

"Manna, let's go inside."

He reached out and gently supported Feng Manna's elbow, and the two turned to leave.

Feng Manna felt a surge of warmth in her heart—this was exactly the feeling she wanted: someone to shield her from the wind, someone to support her, and she only needed to stand in the light to be a winner.

"Manna!" Lan Yanzhi rushed forward and grabbed Feng Manna's wrist. "Listen to me, don't make the same mistake again!"

Zhou Xiao raised his hand and gently brushed her fingers away, his eyes as cold as frost: "Miss Lan, if you take another step forward, I will call the guards—for trespassing on a sensitive area."

"Good, very good." Lan Yanzhi watched the two figures gradually disappear into the distance, her throat tightened, but she ultimately didn't say another word.

At life's crossroads, no one can press the pause button for anyone else.