Chapter 148: Open And Covert Struggles
Shanghai, French Concession, Tang Mansion on Fukaisen Road.
At six in the evening, a flatbed cart hauling trash arrived right on time in the back alley of the Tang Mansion.
Old Zhao wore a gray felt hat and a short jacket, with a yellowed towel draped over his shoulder, pulling the cart to the back alley of the Tang Mansion.
At this time, dusk had not yet fallen, and the back alley was piled with all sorts of kitchen waste, swill, and household trash.
Old Zhao loaded the items one by one onto the flatbed cart. At the alley entrance, shadows flickered, and two secret agents watched Old Zhao’s figure with a touch of admiration.
The Tang Mansion was different from some other wealthy households.
Normally, wealthy households had people come to collect these things late at night or in the early morning.
But Tang Shaoyi was different; he had people come at six to take away some kitchen waste, leftovers, and such.
According to him, at this time people hadn’t eaten dinner yet, so some unused items or leftovers from home could still be taken back and eaten.
It sounded quite benevolent, but it just gave people a strange feeling…
It’s like someone clearly gave you a pile of shit, and you still have to ask if it’s hot…
Old Zhao cleared all the trash, then slowly pushed the flatbed cart out of the alley entrance and departed.
Shanghai, French Concession, No. 553 Jinbei Road, Military Statistics Bureau secret contact station…
Yu Shi’an hurried through the dim corridor, a microfilm clamped between his fingers that he had just retrieved from that pile of trash.
He pushed open the door to the secret room, where Military Statistics Bureau Shanghai Station Chief Zhao Lijun stood with his back to the door by the window, toying with a delicate small axe in his hand.
Zhao Lijun’s idol was the Republic of China assassination king Wang Yaqiao. To imitate Wang Yaqiao, he learned to use a small axe, demolition, and various assassination methods. He was a famous Demon King of Killing in the Military Statistics Bureau, and some said he took pleasure in killing.
“Station Chief, intelligence from Bai Yang.” Yu Shi’an placed the microfilm on the desk. “Message from Goat: the situation at Tang Mansion is more urgent than we anticipated.”
Zhao Lijun slowly turned around, the neon lights outside casting flickering shadows on his angular face.
He picked up a magnifying glass and carefully examined the developed photographs.
Tang Shaoyi was in the study room toasting with Kagesa Shinzhao. The documents spread out on the table prominently read《Outline for the Development of the Republic of China New Government》.
“This old fox.” Zhao Lijun’s knuckles tapped a dull rhythm on the desktop. “Boss Dai’s prediction was right; Tang Shaoyi is indeed defecting to the Japanese.”
Yu Shi’an hesitated for a moment and handed over a note: “Goat has confirmed that tonight at eight, Kagesa Shinzhao will personally come to retrieve the signed documents.”
“Nanjing Special Affairs Committee has sent twenty more agents; Tang Mansion is now heavily guarded.”
Zhao Lijun walked to the wall and yanked open the curtain, revealing a detailed floor plan of the Tang Mansion.
He circled the study room location with a red pen: “Conventional assassination plans won’t work anymore. Notify the action team to activate ‘Falling Leaves Plan’.”
Zhao Lijun’s gaze was sharp as a knife. “Tell Bai Yang, tonight at seven-thirty, have Goat find a way to get Tang Shaoyi to drink that cup of tea.”
Yu Shi’an’s throat bobbed. “That poison…”
“It’s not poison.” Zhao Lijun took a small porcelain bottle from the drawer.
“This is a new invention from the Chongqing special operations research lab. Half an hour after ingestion, it produces stroke-like symptoms.”
“Making a move at Tang Mansion is too difficult; we can only act midway.”
Yu Shi’an suddenly understood: “You mean ambush on the way to the hospital?”
“But how can you be sure which hospital Tang Shaoyi will go to after the incident?”
“There are several hospitals in the French Concession area.”
“Guangci Hospital!” Zhao Lijun’s tone carried an unquestionable certainty.
“All of Tang Shaoyi’s checkups and daily consultations are at Guangci Hospital.”
“When something happens, they’ll definitely take him to Guangci Hospital.”
“On the road from Tang Mansion to Guangci Hospital, right here.” Zhao Lijun circled the intersection of Jinxian Road and Fukaisen Road with the red pen.
“Rumble,” lightning flashed and thunder roared outside the window, with a torrential downpour at the end of summer.
Zhao Lijun’s voice sounded especially cold amid the rain: “The action team divides into three groups.”
“Group One, led by you, creates a disturbance at eight sharp on the west side of Jinxian Road.”
“Group Two ambushes near the French Concession police station to delay their response time.”
“Group Three is handled by action team member Xie Zhipan; this guy is an elite specially transferred by Boss Dai from the Hunan training class.”
“I want to see if he’s as capable as Boss Dai says.”
Yu Shi’an frowned: “Station Chief, entrusting such an important mission to Xie Zhipan, won’t it…”
“Did you get the key Tang Ping left for you?” Zhao Lijun ignored Yu Shi’an’s words and asked about the spare study room key that Tang Ping had previously instructed him to leave.
Yu Shi’an said, “I got it.”
Zhao Lijun looked at a dotted line on the floor plan: “You carry out the mission according to the original plan.”
“I’ll take men to infiltrate the Tang Mansion study room via the underground drainpipe to retrieve Tang Shaoyi’s evidence of treason. Shi’an, you back up Xie Zhipan. If ‘Falling Leaves Plan’ fails, lead men in a direct assault.”
Yu Shi’an nodded, then suddenly remembered something: “Inside contact reports that Nanjing Special Affairs Committee’s Zuo Mingquan suddenly went to Nanjing this afternoon.”
“At this critical juncture, if Zuo Mingquan suddenly went to Nanjing, could it have any impact…”
“What impact could it have?” Zhao Lijun said. “Can he foresee our plan in advance and make arrangements?”
“Do you think he’s Liu Bowen reborn or Zhuge Liang reincarnated? If he were that capable, there’d be no place for us long ago.”
Yu Shi’an furrowed his brow, unsure how to respond. The secret room fell into brief silence, with only the sound of rain pattering on the window.
After a while, Yu Shi’an took an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Zhao Lijun: “This morning when meeting Bai Yang, he asked me to give this to his daughter Tang Cuiping if Goat doesn’t make it out this time, and tell her that her father is not a traitor.”
Zhao Lijun took the envelope; inside was a Military Statistics Bureau special action commemorative medal stained with blood, with the four small characters “Loyal and Unmatched Courage” engraved on the back.
Zhao Lijun stared at the medal in his hand for a long moment, then nodded: “I’ll handle this. Shi’an, you be careful too…”
“Yes, Station Chief.” Yu Shi’an saluted and hurried out of the office.
Tang Mansion, seven-twenty at night, Tang Ping carried a cup of ginseng tea toward the study room.
At the study room door stood two Nanjing Special Affairs Committee lackeys and the Tang Mansion butler Tang De…
Tang De glanced at Tang Ping and said somewhat strangely, “Zhongjing, why are you delivering the tea? Where’s Little Red?”
Tang Ping said respectfully, “Uncle De, Aunt Xiu is in the kitchen preparing rock sugar stewed swallow’s nest for Master, and had Little Red help with the nests.”
“I saw they were busy with no time, so I brought it myself to save Master from getting thirsty.”
Tang De nodded slightly. “Give it to me; I’ll take it in.”
Tang Ping quickly handed the tea to Tang De.
Tang De took the tea but didn’t go in immediately. Instead, he looked at Tang Ping and said, “Zhongjing, how long have you been at Tang Mansion?”
Tang Ping said respectfully, “Uncle De, don’t you remember? I came four years ago, and you personally took me in.”
Tang De sighed faintly: “Yes, four years ago. I was the one who brought you in. I really was blind…”
Tang Ping’s heart jolted; he sensed trouble. His right hand instantly reached for his lower back. Before he could draw his pistol, the two secret agents had already pressed pistols to his head from left and right.
“Zhongjing, you and I serve different masters; don’t blame me for being ruthless.” Tang De murmured, then said in an icy tone: “Take him away…”
