Chapter 94: Capturing The Communist Party
Zuo Mingquan stood by, not knowing how to respond.
Zhang Xiaolin stared at Zuo Mingquan and angrily said: “Director Zuo, you really do a lot of good deeds.”
Chen Yang said from the side: “This brother’s injuries are so severe, should I call a doctor over on the telephone?”
“B-Big Brother, I-I’m fine.” Tian Darong said softly, but Zhang Xiaolin’s expression grew even darker.
“Thanks for Officer Chen’s kind offer, Zhang can still afford the doctor’s fee.”
“Director Zuo, thank you for showing mercy and leaving my brother half a life.”
“Can we leave now?”
Zuo Mingquan glanced at Chen Yang and said mildly: “A misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding. Boss Zhang, you can take your people away anytime.”
Zhang Xiaolin cupped his hands, called out, and several Green Gang disciples standing at the door hurriedly came in to help up the injured Tian Darong.
The group didn’t even bother to say goodbye, they just supported him and hurriedly left the office.
Zuo Mingquan couldn’t help shaking his head: “Local gangs are really too rude…”
Chen Yang smiled: “Director Zuo acts justly and strictly, unafraid of power, with unlimited prospects.”
Zuo Mingquan’s triangular eyes darted around, flattering: “It’s all thanks to Director Chen’s good teaching.”
“Director Chen, should we continue?”
Chen Yang said slowly: “Director Zuo, you’ve gained quite a bit this time, enough for your expenses for a while.”
“This Zhang Xiaolin is like a spring, you can’t press him too hard, or he might jump the wall in desperation.”
Just as Zuo Mingquan was about to speak, the telephone on the desk suddenly rang.
Zuo Mingquan said “excuse me” and hurriedly went forward to pick up the telephone: “Nanjing Special Affairs Committee Shanghai Office, this is Zuo Mingquan.”
“Lieutenant Asano, hello, hello.”
“What? Okay, okay, we’ll set off immediately.”
“Goodbye, Lieutenant Asano.”
After hanging up the telephone, Zuo Mingquan said with slight apology: “Director Chen, Lieutenant Asano has assigned a mission, needing us to assist in arresting a Communist Party courier on Avenue Joffre in the French Concession.”
Chen Yang quickly said: “Work is important, Director Zuo. Since you have a mission, I’ll head back first, and we can talk about other matters later.”
“Take care, Director Chen.”
Shanghai, Avenue Joffre
Cold raindrops beat against the bookstore’s glass window.
The shop assistant handed a book《 Women’s Pictorial》 to the customer.
The customer flipped through the contents, nodded in satisfaction, and went to the counter to pay.
The assistant continued to pick up the cloth, wiping the bookshelf while staring at the clock on the wall.
The intelligence specified a meeting at one in the afternoon, the time had arrived, but the contact hadn’t come yet.
Who knows if something unexpected happened.
Last time when passing intelligence, the contact codenamed “Cai Feng” had specifically reminded him that the matter of the missing New Army special commissioner was causing a stir, likely already attracting the Special Higher Police Affairs’ attention.
Reminded him to stay vigilant and pay attention to his own safety.
So, this reminder wouldn’t really come true, would it? Did Cai Feng really run into trouble?
According to internal rules, if the intelligence officer is fifteen minutes late, he can evacuate on grounds of preventing accidents; now ten minutes had passed.
Something’s wrong, very very wrong.
The assistant pondered for a moment, threw the cloth into the water bucket, picked up the water bucket, and walked to the bookstore boss.
“Boss, I’m feeling unwell, want to go to Hui Chun Tang on the street to see a doctor.”
The bookstore boss quickly said: “Mingzai, if you’re unwell, go back and rest early, I’ll handle the rest.”
Zhang Mingda repeatedly said: “Thanks, boss.”
Putting the water bucket back, Zhang Mingda glanced at the clock on the wall: one fifteen.
Looks like Cai Feng really ran into trouble.
Without any hesitation, Zhang Mingda untied his apron, picked up the oil-paper umbrella, and prepared to leave the bookstore.
Suddenly, the piercing brake sound from across the street tore through the rain curtain like a sharp knife.
The bookstore door was roughly shoved open, harsh shouts in Japanese and Chinese rang out: “Don’t move! Special Higher Police Affairs joint with Nanjing Special Affairs Office on official business!”
Asano Omiya, wearing a black raincoat, burst in first, his eyes scanning like a hawk.
Behind him, several Japanese Military Police and plainclothes agents led by Zuo Mingquan quickly sealed the store door, dark muzzles aimed at the boss and shop assistant Zhang Mingda inside.
Zhang Mingda’s face changed drastically, and without hesitation he threw the intelligence stuffed in his clothing hem into the nearby kerosene stove; with a whoosh, flames shot up.
“Baka!” A Japanese soldier rushed up to beat at the flames, while Asano Omiya lunged forward in one step, gripping Zhang Mingda’s wrist tightly.
“What’s inside? Is it news about the special commissioner?” Asano Omiya roared at Zhang Mingda.
“Pah.” Zhang Mingda spat accurately onto Asano Omiya’s face.
A Japanese soldier reached into the kerosene stove and pulled out half a sheet of intelligence paper; at this point, the edges of the paper were charred black, half burned away, most writing unrecognizable, only a “Road” character visible at the edge.
By inference, this intelligence should be an address, something on some road.
“Speak, what is the intelligence? Related to the special commissioner?” Asano Omiya’s cold voice sounded.
Zhang Mingda snorted coldly and closed his eyes without a word.
“Very good, hope you can keep this attitude at the Special Higher Police Affairs.”
“Director Zuo, seal the scene, take everyone back for strict interrogation! Don’t let any go!”
The cold order echoed in the bookstore filled with the stench of blood and death.
The afternoon raindrops madly beat the window frames, as if foretelling a more brutal pursuit about to begin.
Shanghai, Jiangnan Wharf, midnight after the rain, stars shining brightly, even the air exceptionally fresh.
But the middle-aged man waiting at the wharf paid no attention to the air’s scent, instead appearing extremely uneasy.
A pair of eyes darted around, constantly observing the surroundings.
Soon, a rickshaw stopped at the wharf entrance, a middle-aged man in a long gown and brown hat got off and quickly walked into the wharf.
“Clang clang clang.” The middle-aged man picked up a stone and knocked on the pillar a few times.
Hearing the sound, the man hurried forward: “Comrade Cai Feng, what exactly happened? How was Shānmāo exposed? Where did the problem occur?”
If Chen Yang were here, he could recognize the speaker as his elder brother Lin Xueli.
The middle-aged man codenamed Cai Feng shook his head: “I don’t know.”
“Shānmāo sent me a contact signal, the signal only said important information, requesting a meeting.”
“I was just about to go meet in the afternoon when I suddenly received intelligence: enemies ambushing on Avenue Joffre, do not go.”
“The intelligence had no signature, but the mark at the bottom was the organization’s emergency contact signal, should be from our own people.”
Lin Xueli nodded: “Comrade Cai Feng, I came this time to understand the specific situation.”
“You have direct contact with Shānmāo, now that Shānmāo is in trouble, for safety, this line must be cut; you leave Shanghai immediately.”
Saying this, Lin Xueli gave him a note: “Go to Hong Kong Island first, there’s a contact address above, comrades there will arrange.”
“But that intelligence from Shānmāo,” Cai Feng pondered: “I suspect it might be related to the missing special commissioner.”
