Chapter 210: Force Them Out
The person who got out of the black sedan was none other than Section Chief of Land Transportation Chen Yang, who also served as Director of the Nanjing Special Affairs Committee.
Originally, these matters did not require Chen Yang to come personally,
but a couple of days ago, Zuo Mingquan and his group were ambushed by the Communist Party in the abandoned warehouse at Da Rong Cotton Mill, with several people seriously injured and eleven dead.
On the Special Higher Police Affairs side, the entire six-man team was killed, and even the traitor Wu Fu died in the explosion.
Zuo Mingquan and the others were at the rear of the group during the explosion, which allowed them to luckily survive with their lives.
However, he was not unscathed; he had four or five broken bones and severe burns on his thigh, requiring at least three or four months of hospitalization.
Therefore, the work of the Special Affairs Committee was now under Chen Yang’s responsibility.
“Director Chen, everyone is here.” Action Department Captain Ling Jing got out of the car from behind and jogged up, saying respectfully.
Chen Yang wrapped his trench coat tighter around himself and said amiably, “Captain Ling, the brothers will have to work hard these few days.”
“But no worries, as long as the mission goes smoothly, everyone will get an extra month’s monthly pay, and the New Year is coming soon, so let the brothers have a good year.”
“Thank you, Director Chen, for your consideration.” Ling Jing was immediately overjoyed.
Director Chen is so generous; with one move, he gives out a month’s monthly pay. Zuo Mingquan, that guy, would greedily take all the subordinates’ salary, nothing like Director Chen…
“Pass the order: follow the plan arranged by Special Higher Police Affairs, everyone handle the outer perimeter alert, stay sharp.”
“Don’t worry.” Ling Jing turned his head and said, “Brothers, listen up, the Director said that if we do this job beautifully, everyone gets a reward.”
“If anyone makes a mistake, don’t blame me for not showing mercy, got it?”
“Yes, Captain.” The crowd responded, and soon took their positions according to the previous deployment.
On the second floor of the coffee shop, Lin Xueli silently watched everything happening below. After a while, Lin Xueli stood up and said, “Let’s go.”
Sun Yong frowned, “Team Leader, not going to watch a bit more?”
Lin Xueli said in a low voice, “No need. A frontal assault is basically impossible; we can only think of another method.”
Sun Yong’s eyes lit up, “Team Leader, have you thought of a method?”
Lin Xueli did not answer but gave a profound smile.
Shanghai, French Concession, Hui Chun Tang.
Lin Xueli and Zhang Jianliang were having an intense discussion in the safe house.
“We must rescue the man! Time waits for no one!” Lin Xueli said, “Rescue him, but not by following the enemy’s script.”
“The Special Higher Police Affairs layout seems perfect, but there are a few key weaknesses.”
Zhang Jianliang asked suspiciously, “What weaknesses?”
Lin Xueli took a breath and organized his thoughts, “First, the special nature of the French Concession.”
“Special Higher Police Affairs’ large-scale control must be relatively covert; they can’t be as blatant as in the Japanese residential area. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have asked people from the Nanjing Special Affairs Committee to assist. In controlling the French Concession, their actions are constrained to some extent by the police station.”
“Second, the delay in information transmission. After their control orders are issued, coordination between points takes time, and between the outer surveillance points and the core Room 203, there is a physical interval in information transmission.”
“Third, human psychology. We’ve dealt with this Fujita Go before; he’s brutal, domineering, and arrogant. He assumes we’ll strong-arm or cleverly take Room 203 itself.”
“Special Higher Police Affairs people emphasize execution and discipline, but their thinking is easily framed by superiors’ predictions.”
“So, our action cannot follow their preset targets or clash head-on with them.”
Zhang Jianliang nodded repeatedly, “Comrade Qing Hu, your analysis makes a lot of sense, so what do you think we should do?”
Lin Xueli heavily tapped the table, “It’s not easy to attack in, so we’ll force them out.”
“Make our move on the road.”
“On the road?” Zhang Jianliang hesitated, “There are over twenty people from the Nanjing Special Affairs Committee outside, plus the Special Higher Police Affairs action team, totaling forty or fifty people.”
“We only have seventeen people now; the numbers are too disparate, and you still want to make a move on the road?”
Lin Xueli handed the pre-made plan to Zhang Jianliang, “Comrade Special Commissioner, see if this plan works.”
Zhang Jianliang took the paper and carefully read it under the light.
This was the action plan specifically designed by Lin Xueli.
The first step was to have carrier pigeon Sun Yong disguise as a power company employee and try to enter the main switch location inside Ruikang Apartment Building under the pretext of line maintenance.
This move had two purposes: first, to confirm the layout of the apartment’s power lines; second, to deliberately alert the Special Higher Police Affairs hidden sentries, reinforcing their judgment that the Communist Party might be targeting the apartment building, focusing their attention more on the building itself.
Second step: cut communications. At the agreed time, another group of team members infiltrates a telephone line node on a nearby street to Ruikang Apartment and precisely cuts the telephone line leading to Ruikang Apartment.
This deprives Room 203’s Matsui of the most convenient and stable communication method with external control points.
Third step: create an emergency that requires internal personnel to go out and handle. Meanwhile, the team member who previously scouted the power lines tampers with the power supply lines in an inconspicuous corner outside the apartment building, causing a sudden full blackout in the apartment.
Power outages in French Concession apartments are not uncommon and won’t immediately trigger a full alarm, but it is a situation that must be addressed.
More importantly, Lin Xueli judged that Room 203 might use desk lamps and other appliances. The blackout would bring brief darkness and psychological disruption.
The power outage and telephone interruption would force people in Room 203 to send someone out to check the situation or contact superiors. The person going out would become the target.
The next part is the action focus: create chaos, fish in troubled waters, and force Fujita to bring people out.
This action is divided into two phases, splitting the Su-Zhe Guerrilla Force team members into two groups: one group of elite Su-Zhe Action Team members ambushes at the best ambush point near the apartment entrance and exit.
The other group uses the feint to the east, attack to the west strategy to draw away the Nanjing Special Affairs Committee people at the door.
Special Higher Police Affairs won’t care about the Nanjing Special Affairs Committee’s survival; they’ll definitely focus on how to ambush.
But without power, it’s hard for them to confirm personnel numbers.
Seeing this, Zhang Jianliang put down the proposal and said, “Comrade Qing Hu, I think this plan isn’t rigorous enough.”
“The Special Higher Police Affairs action team must be controlling inside Ruikang Apartment.”
“Even if you create chaos on the outside, if they stay put inside, we won’t have much opportunity.”
“Moreover, how can you be sure they’ll get chaotic from the chaos you create?”
Lin Xueli said as if extremely confident, “We don’t have many people, but we can still find some allies.”
“Allies?” Zhang Jianliang was somewhat puzzled.
Lin Xueli said calmly, “You might not be very familiar with the situation in the French Concession.”
“The Japanese chose to control here precisely because they bet we’d take the risk. Here, they can’t deploy large numbers of personnel.”
“At least the military police can’t enter the French Concession.”
“And our allies are the French Concession constables.”
Zhang Jianliang was stunned for a moment, then slowly said, “Go on.”
Lin Xueli said slowly, “I’m a clerk at the French Concession Municipal Council, very clear on the patrol routes and personnel of the French Concession constables.”
“The patrol time for the Ruikang Apartment road section is divided into morning, afternoon, and evening shifts.”
“The evening shift personnel will patrol near the apartment around seven in the evening.”
“If they see Ruikang Apartment without power and smoke rising at that time, they’ll have to go in to check, publicly and privately.”
“No matter how bold Special Higher Police Affairs are, they wouldn’t dare shoot at the police station.”
“Once there are more people, they can’t guarantee whether our people are mixed in.”
“For safety, at that time, they can only withdraw to another safe point or return to Special Higher Police Affairs.”
“So, here—” Lin Xueli heavily tapped the junction between Ruikang Apartment and the outside, “—is the best place for us to make our move.”
Zhang Jianliang frowned, “But, do you think the constables won’t help the Japanese deal with us?”
Lin Xueli said softly, “I’m confident about this. The detective inspector in charge of the patrol, Guo Chang, is mortal enemies with the Japanese.”
“He won’t obey Fujita’s orders; at most, he’ll watch from the sidelines.”
“However, we must fight quickly and decisively—three minutes, only three minutes.”
“Why?” Zhang Jianliang still didn’t quite understand.
Lin Xueli pointed to a spot on the map and said calmly, “Because this place is only three minutes’ walk from Ruikang Apartment.”
Zhang Jianliang looked at Lin Xueli with a puzzled face, “I still don’t quite understand.”
Lin Xueli said, “Comrade Special Commissioner, including the guerrilla team and my people, we have less than twenty in total.”
“Manpower is our biggest problem.”
“So, drawing away the Nanjing Special Affairs Committee people can involve at most three people.”
Zhang Jianliang exclaimed in surprise, “You want to use three people to draw away the twenty-plus from the Special Affairs Committee? Is that possible?”
Lin Xueli nodded, “Of course it’s possible, because their leader is there.”
Zhang Jianliang looked completely baffled, unable to comprehend.
“This is the must-pass route on Director Chen Yang of the Special Affairs Committee’s way home.” Lin Xueli said softly, “If these secret agents hear that the leader’s car was attacked by the Communist Party, do you think they can sit still?”
“At that time, as long as someone rushes to the front of Ruikang Apartment and shouts loudly, ‘Bad news, Director Chen’s vehicle was attacked by the Communist Party!'”
“Those people will definitely rush to rescue regardless, and at that time, I’ll send the action signal from the roof of the coffee shop across the street. Sun Yong, disguised as a power maintenance worker, will activate the smoke device.”
“Creating an effect of thick smoke billowing.”
“Does this explanation make sense to you?”
Zhang Jianliang’s right hand slowly tapped the desktop, seemingly considering whether the plan designed by Lin Xueli was feasible.
After a while, Zhang Jianliang asked softly, “Comrade Qing Hu, what do you think the success rate of this plan is?”
Lin Xueli frowned and honestly answered, “Less than thirty percent.”
“But this is already the best method I can think of.”
“If you suggest a strong assault, I think there’s zero chance.”
Zhang Jianliang sighed, “Alright, this plan is yours to lead.”
“If the situation changes or becomes uncontrollable, withdraw immediately. Old Zhong’s life matters, and so do the comrades’ lives.”
“We must consider the comrades’ lives.”
“Yes.”
