signingbooks Chapter 96: You'll know its weight just by listening!
Chapter 96: You'll know its weight just by listening!
Chen Shan quickly explained, "When the military police and I chased her to the toilet, she resisted fiercely. After locking the toilet door, she quickly lowered a rappelling rope from the window and slid down the outer wall to escape."
"This was clearly a well-prepared operation."
Ken Oshima walked into the restroom with a grim face. He saw four military police corpses lying on the floor, and the rappelling rope still dangling from the window. He approached the window and looked out at the night view of Shanghai.
Every trace at the scene testifies to this: it was a meticulously planned assassination.
If Zhou Xiao hadn't intervened in time to protect them, the outcome would likely have been very different.
Thinking of this, his gratitude towards Zhou Xiao deepened even further.
"This matter must be thoroughly investigated!" His voice was low and cold. "Investigate everyone who entered or left the hotel tonight, every employee. Don't overlook any clues—follow the trail and uncover the Kuomintang's intelligence network!"
"Yes, sir!" the adjutant replied swiftly.
Zhou Xiao stepped forward at the opportune moment: "General Oshima, this place is not safe to stay any longer. I suggest you move immediately to prevent the enemy from having any further tricks up their sleeve. We must not give them a second chance to strike."
Kenjiro Oshima pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
He didn't want to repeat the mistakes of the two Special Higher Police chiefs.
He then left in a hurry.
Shen Fang and Sakurada Kaoru didn't linger. After saying goodbye, they went their separate ways.
Zhou Enlai's Residence.
As soon as Zhou Xiao stepped through the door, he saw Li Xiaonan waiting quietly in the hall.
When she saw him return, before she could even speak, she suddenly stood up and rushed forward, hugging him tightly as if she wanted to embed herself into his body.
Not long ago, she had even prepared to expose herself—just to clear obstacles for Zhou Xiao and protect his undercover identity.
In that instant, she was almost certain that she would never see him again.
Fortunately, Zhou Xiao had made arrangements in advance.
Having narrowly escaped death, Li Xiaonan understands the value of cherishing things more and is even more reluctant to let go.
When emotions run high, an embrace becomes the most natural response.
Zhou Xiao gently patted her back, his voice soft: "It's alright."
She held on for a long time before letting go, tilting her head back with slightly red eyes: "I thought... I would never see you again."
Zhou Xiao smiled and said, "How could that be? Come on, let's go to the study and talk about it in detail."
Although only Lin Yiyi remains at the Zhou Mansion, Zhou Xiao is always cautious and would never discuss sensitive matters such as assassinating Oshima Ken in the main hall.
Inside the study.
Li Xiaonan roughly recounted what happened next: "I was forced into the toilet by two military police officers, and I really thought I wasn't going to make it. Unexpectedly, someone suddenly opened fire on them."
"That man was wearing a Zhongshan suit, and judging from his attire, he seemed to be from the Shang Mansion—Zhou Xiao, was that your arrangement?"
She was referring to Chen Shan.
Zhou Xiao nodded: "That's right. I was afraid something might go wrong, so I had him secretly support you beforehand."
Even when he finalized the assassination plan with Li Xiaonan, he realized that the risks were considerable—how would Oshima Ken's security be arranged that night? How many military police would accompany him? Could Li Xiaonan escape unscathed? He had no idea about any of these things.
That's why he decided to appoint Chen Shan.
He secretly informed Chen Shan that someone would be targeting Ken Oshima tonight, and asked him to cooperate fully and act accordingly.
Chen Shan was quick-witted; he immediately understood the weight of the matter.
So when Li Xiaonan appeared at the door of the private room pushing the food cart, he immediately sensed something was wrong and then quietly left his seat under some pretext.
So when Li Xiaonan rushed from the private room into the corridor, she didn't see Chen Shan at all.
Chen Shan deliberately stepped aside to create a way out.
Later, when Li Xiaonan was trapped in the restroom, Chen Shan happened to appear again, cleanly and efficiently taking down two military police officers and protecting her as she made her way out unharmed.
Of course, if Chen Shan takes action, the risk of exposing himself will be greater.
However, compared to that, taking this risk is far safer than exposing Li Xiaonan.
After all, Chen Shan and Zhou Xiao have no direct connection. Even if his identity is exposed, it won't implicate Zhou Xiao or cause him too much trouble.
Li Xiaonan is different—she and Zhou Xiao are lovers. If she is captured, the Japanese will immediately doubt Zhou Xiao's loyalty, the trust will collapse, and the consequences will be unimaginable.
Of course, if Chen Shan is captured, Zhou Xiao will not stand idly by and will definitely try to rescue him.
Fortunately, things are calm now, and there was no real danger.
Li Xiaonan said softly, "You're the one who thinks things through."
Zhou Xiao smiled wryly: "I put you in danger, so naturally I have to keep your safety in my own hands and absolutely cannot let you fall into the hands of the Japanese."
Tonight's assassination attempt on Ken Oshima was a risky move from the start.
With Sendoh Kaede having been assassinated not long ago, Oshima Ken's security when he goes out will undoubtedly be doubled, making the assassination much more difficult.
But Zhou Xiao didn't have much time left.
He had to gain Oshima Ken's trust as soon as possible, so he had no choice but to take the risk and plan this operation.
It was precisely because the risk was extremely high that he mobilized Chen Shan.
Hearing this, Li Xiaonan felt a surge of warmth in her heart, and a slight smile appeared on her lips: "Don't worry, I will never be captured alive by the Japanese—because that would only drag you down with me."
Zhou Xiao shook his head: "Silly girl, how could you think like that?"
Li Xiaonan's expression hardened, and she said seriously, "Zhou Xiao, I'm serious. I went on this mission strapped with explosives."
She spoke these words casually, but they struck Zhou Xiao like a thunderbolt, leaving his heart heavy with shock.
Strapped with explosives, he knew perfectly well what that meant—to be pulverized to pieces, leaving no trace of his body...
I'd rather be reduced to ashes than implicate him in the slightest.
This affection is so profound that it borders on tragic, and has long transcended the boundaries of faith and organization.
How could Zhou Xiao not understand? She was paving the way for him with her life, sheltering him from the wind and rain.
Gazing at the slender yet stubborn figure before him, he was momentarily lost in thought, then pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly and firmly.
This was the first time he had taken the initiative.
The two embraced tightly, remaining so for a long time.
After letting go, they kissed deeply again.
After a short while, they slowly separated.
The relationship did not progress any further.
Looking at Li Xiaonan's flushed cheeks, Zhou Xiao said softly, "Xiaonan, you must be tired tonight. Go and rest for a while."
Li Xiaonan nodded: "Mm."
To avoid suspicion, she left the film studio dormitory early under the pretext of staying overnight at Zhou's mansion—after all, she and Zhou Xiao were a couple, and it was reasonable for them to stay together for one night, so no one suspected anything.
After Li Xiaonan left the study, Zhou Xiao watched her receding figure with a slightly solemn expression.
He understood her feelings, but he hesitated to make any further promises—in these turbulent times, he could neither give her stability nor a future.
The following afternoon.
Oriental Apartments, Zheng Yaoxian's secret hideout.
As usual, Zhou Xiao used the "parachute" method to meet his master, Zheng Yaoxian, ensuring that everything went smoothly.
The master and apprentice sat down and began to talk.
Zheng Yaoxian looked up and asked, "Was everything going smoothly afterwards?"
Zhou Xiao replied, "Everything is as usual. Xian Daofeng has been eliminated, and Feng Manna has fallen out of favor with the Japanese and is currently imprisoned. However, the Japanese have shown her some leniency and haven't tortured her."
This was the first time the master and apprentice had worked together, and their coordination was flawless, leaving no room for error, successfully deceiving Ken Oshima's eyes.
The ace duo truly lived up to their reputation.
Under such high pressure, he was able to accurately eliminate Sendoh Kaede and escape unscathed, and his opponent was a meticulous Japanese intelligence chief.
Zhou Xiao exclaimed sincerely, "Sixth Brother, I never expected your marksmanship to still be so steady—such a tricky angle, such a short window, and you killed him with a single shot."
Zheng Yaoxian deserves much credit for the successful conclusion of this match.
If it weren't for his swift, accurate, and ruthless shot, Xian Daofeng might not have died on the spot, and the entire plan would likely have failed.
Zheng Yaoxian smiled faintly: "Back when I joined the Blue Shirts Society, you were probably still in school."
The Blue Shirts Society, also known as the Lixing Society, was established in March 1932 and was the predecessor of the Military Intelligence Bureau.
It was a secret organization comprised primarily of officers from the Whampoa Military Academy, and it combined intelligence and military operations. Because its members often wore blue shirts and yellow trousers, it was known as the "Blue Shirts Society."
Its peripheral organization, the Fuxing Society, had four main functions: investigation, action, training, and fundraising. It later evolved into today's Military Intelligence Bureau.
Zheng Yaoxian joined the Blue Shirts Society during its early days and has risen through the ranks to become one of the few remaining veterans of the Military Intelligence Bureau, possessing profound prestige and extensive seniority.
Those who have survived the bloodshed are highly skilled, resourceful, and courageous.
Marksmanship is just a basic skill.
He lit a cigarette with practiced ease, took a drag, and then asked, "So, what are your plans next?"
Zhou Xiao replied, "Last night, I orchestrated an assassination attempt against Ken Oshima—I 'saved' his life, and using that life-saving grace as an excuse to get closer to him and gain his trust."
"Judging from Ken Oshima's reaction and subtle changes in his face, this tactic has indeed worked. At this rate, in three days at most, he will lead me deep into the heart of the currency war—at that point, we can trace the location of the counterfeit money printing dens."
Zheng Yaoxian nodded slightly: "Yes, this method may not be novel, but if used accurately and steadily, it will still work."
"Are the people you arranged to carry out the assassination reliable? Were they captured by the Japanese?"
Zhou Xiao answered readily: "I trust him. He has escaped unharmed, and things are progressing smoothly."
Zhou Xiao originally had two candidates for the assassination of Ken Oshima:
One is Li Xiaonan;
The other one is Lin Yiyi.
Given Zhou Xiao's life-saving grace to Lin Yiyi, she wouldn't even flinch if it meant risking her life. But Zhou Xiao hesitated to act against her—after all, she currently had the cleanest background and the purest identity, and dragging her into it rashly would be too risky.
As for Li Xiaonan, there was indeed a hidden danger: if Zheng Yaoxian followed this lead and dug deeper, he might very well find her and even uncover her true identity as an underground party member. But Zhou Xiao was not worried.
On the one hand, Li Xiaonan's identity was kept extremely secret, and this operation was kept completely airtight, with only him and Chen Shan knowing about it; and what Chen Shan saw was only her carefully disguised appearance, not her true face, so the security factor had been raised to the highest level.
On the other hand, Zhou Xiao was also testing the waters—wanting to see who Zheng Yaoxian was really working for.
If he were to actually investigate but encounter obstacles at every turn and find nothing, it would mean that this person either has no background or... is one of his own. Even if he were to accidentally uncover some clues, how he would respond and how he would handle the situation would reveal the truth. This kind of subtle reverse verification allows one to either advance to find out the other party's background or retreat unscathed; it's just a small skill that veteran agents possess.