Chapter 211: Heroically Sacrificing For Righteousness
Shanghai, Foch Road, Ruikang Apartment..
The sound of rain pattered, tapping against the glass window. The second hand of the wall clock on the wall ticked grid by grid, sounding particularly piercing in the quiet room.
In a narrow attic not far from Ruikang Apartment, Lin Xueli was observing Ruikang Apartment through high-powered binoculars.
“How’s the situation?” A low and deep voice came from behind. Special Commissioner Zhang Jianliang paced over, his brows furrowed.
He had received an order from the Northern Jiangsu Base Area ten days ago and secretly infiltrated Shanghai from Hong Kong Island. The purpose of this trip was to rescue Old Zhong.
Lin Xueli did not turn around, his voice calm without a trace of fluctuation: “Worse than imagined. Special Higher Police Affairs has set up a dragnet around the apartment, twelve sentries in the open, at least four in hiding, plus the people in the rooms, estimated around twenty-three in total, and moreover, everyone entering or leaving the apartment will be closely monitored.”
Zhang Jianliang punched the wall: “But we can’t abandon Old Zhong. He has not only most of the personnel list of the Shanghai Underground Transportation Station in his hands, but also many confidential documents.”
“If he really can’t hold on, the entire East China underground organization will suffer a devastating blow!”
“That’s exactly why Special Higher Police Affairs is using him as bait.” Lin Xueli finally turned around, “This is an open scheme. We know it’s a trap but have no choice but to charge in.”
“Comrade Special Commissioner, the arrow is on the string and must be fired. The action plan has been formulated; execute it according to the original plan.”
Zhang Jianliang was silent for a moment, then said softly: “Comrade Qing Hu, you and I both know this plan has less than a thirty percent success rate.”
“Fujita is no ordinary opponent. He has commanded Special Higher Police Affairs for years and is renowned for his cunning and deceit. I’m worried…”
“No time to worry!” Lin interrupted him, “Whether it’s thirty percent or ten percent, we have to give it a shot.”
Outside the window, the rain grew heavier. Lin Xueli’s gaze returned to Ruikang Apartment in the binoculars.
In the curtain of rain, that Baroque building was like a lurking giant beast, waiting for the prey to throw itself into the net.
Seven fifteen in the evening, the intersection of Foch Road and Fukaisen Road.
Rainwater glistened like thousands of silver threads pouring down under the neon lights.
Zhou Liang stood under the awning of a street corner bookstore, pretending to browse the newspaper in his hand, but his eyes kept scanning the intersection. He was a veteran member of the Su-Zhe Action Team, experienced and well aware of the importance and danger of this mission.
In the distance, a black Buick sedan was slowly approaching.
If Lin Xueli’s intelligence was correct, this car was the ride of Director Chen of the Nanjing Special Affairs Committee.
The purpose of Zhou Liang’s action this time was to draw away the group of agents outside Ruikang Apartment by attacking the ride.
He only had three minutes; Lin Xueli had calculated it very clearly—the distance from Ruikang Apartment to here was about eight hundred meters.
Once the attack started here, they had to withdraw after three minutes because Ruikang Apartment would also launch an attack at the same time.
Zhou Liang took a deep breath and slipped his hand inside his overcoat, gripping the Mauser pistol hidden under his armpit.
According to Qing Hu’s plan, he didn’t need to actually assassinate Director Chen; he just needed to create enough commotion to attract the secret agents’ attention.
The car was getting closer, rain streaking the windows, making it impossible to see inside.
“Three, two, one,” he silently counted the distance of the sedan and suddenly drew his gun, rushing out from under the awning.
“Bang! Bang!”
Two gunshots shattered the stillness of the rainy night.
The bullets precisely hit the front tire of the Buick sedan; the vehicle immediately lost control and crashed into the roadside fire hydrant.
The huge impact deformed the locomotive, and a jet of water shot into the air.
“Murder! Murder!” Pre-arranged action team members shouted in the crowd, and the street instantly fell into chaos.
Pedestrians scattered and fled, shops hurriedly closed, and whistles sounded everywhere.
Zhou Liang took advantage of the chaos to fire two more shots into the sky, then quickly blended into the panicked crowd.
The group led by Zhou Liang consisted of three people in total. His task was to create chaos and force Chen Yang’s ride to stop. Afterward, group member Luo Feng would run away in panic while spreading the news that Chen Yang’s ride had been attacked by the Communist Party.
The next part of the plan would be handed over to the sniper Xiao Fang ambushing on the rooftop across the street.
His task was to hold off the enemy for ten to fifteen minutes, buying time for the comrades of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Regions Action Team.
According to the plan, after hearing the gunshots, Luo Feng ran frantically in the opposite direction.
At the same time, Matsui Koji inside Ruikang Apartment also received the report.
“Team Leader, a shooting incident occurred at the intersection of Foch Road and Fukaisen Road. The target is Director Chen’s ride.”
“All the Special Affairs Committee agents on perimeter alert, led by Captain Ling Jing, have run off to provide reinforcements.”
Matsui frowned slightly: “Chen Yang? Why is he there? Wasn’t he supposed to go to Hongkou for the banquet tonight?”
The messenger said in a low and deep voice: “Unclear, but the scene confirmed it’s his car. The attackers used standard weapons, professional tactics.”
Matsui pondered for a moment, then suddenly sneered: “What a feint to the east, attack to the west! ‘Qing Hu’ has indeed made a move.”
“At this time, the Communist Party goes to assassinate Chen Yang—such an obvious ploy, and they can’t see it.”
“This is clearly to divert our attention.”
“Koyama-kun, pass the order: strengthen alerts at all points, especially the back alley and small roads. The real action is about to begin.”
Seven eighteen in the evening, Ruikang Apartment suddenly plunged into darkness.
“Power outage?” In room 203, Nantian Yangzi instinctively gripped the gun handle tightly.
But Matsui Koji appeared unusually calm: “Finally here.”
At this moment, Sun Yong, disguised as a power company repairman, also saw the red flag appearing on the rooftop of the coffee shop across the street.
This was the signal for him to act.
Sun Yong darted into the bathroom and quickly locked the door. He retrieved a palm-sized metal device from the bottom of the toolbox—a simple smoke generator imitated from Soviet technology, capable of producing a large amount of thick smoke in a short time.
“Woo woo.” Whistles of patrol constables sounded on the street. Patrol cars from the French Concession Police Station arrived as scheduled and stopped at the apartment entrance.
Four constables got out to check the power outage and got into an argument with the Special Higher Police Affairs plainclothes officers at the door.
“Now!” Sun Yong activated the smoke generator, stuffed it into the pipe, then quickly climbed out the window and slid down the drainpipe to the second floor balcony.
Thick smoke quickly billowed from the vent. Although there were no lights, it didn’t prevent others from seeing the smoke raging out from the second floor vent everywhere.
“Fire!” Someone shouted in Japanese.
In room 203, Matsui Koji finally changed color: “What’s going on?”
Nantian Yangzi rushed outside and saw thick smoke surging from the vent: “Team Leader, it might really be on fire! We must transfer immediately!”
Matsui gnashed his teeth: “What a ‘Qing Hu’, pulling this trick! Notify all teams: transfer the target along the predetermined route!”
The two Special Higher Police Affairs agents in the room roughly dragged up Old Zhong and put a hood on him.
The two agents flanked and escorted Old Zhong quickly toward the back door.
Nantian Yangzi led people to clear the way ahead, while Matsui stayed in room 203 to command the overall situation.
Two black sedans were parked in the back alley, engines already running.
Rain tapped on the car roofs, making a monotonous sound.
Nantian vigilantly scanned both sides of the alley. Visibility was low in the rainy night, but her intuition told her something was off—it was too quiet, not even the usual wild cat cries.
“Watch for ambush!” She warned in a low voice while raising her gun to signal.
In that instant, gunfire erupted!
Over ten Su-Zhe Action Team members ambushing in the buildings on both sides opened fire simultaneously, bullets raining down on the Special Higher Police Affairs team.
The two leading agents fell immediately, blood mixing with rainwater spreading across the bluestone slabs.
“Cover! Find cover!” Nantian fired back while directing the remaining personnel to retreat.
The well-trained Special Higher Police Affairs action team quickly used vehicles and street corners for cover to organize a counterattack, their firepower fierce and precise.
Old Zhong was pressed to the ground, bullets whistling past his head.
Rat-tat-tat, the dense machine gun sounds kept ringing; Old Zhong couldn’t see, but he could hear the intense firefight between both sides and the screams of those hit by bullets.
Years of underground work experience told him this action had failed; Special Higher Police Affairs’ firepower and reaction speed far exceeded expectations.
“For victory!” Suddenly, a rough voice rang out nearby.
Old Zhong’s heart trembled; that was the voice of Shanghai Action Team Deputy Captain Zhao Dayong.
Immediately followed by a massive explosion—Zhao Dayong pulled the grenade on him, temporarily suppressing Special Higher Police Affairs’ firepower.
“Charge over! Rescue Old Zhong!” Someone else shouted.
The ensuing gunfire grew even denser.
Old Zhong could hear bodies hitting the ground—some Japanese, some his own comrades.
Tears mixed with rainwater slid down his face; he knew every gunshot might mean another young life lost.
He had to stop this pointless sacrifice! Old Zhong struggled to lift his head, peering through the gap in the hood at the situation.
The action team members were pinned down at the alley mouth by firepower, unable to get close.
Special Higher Police Affairs personnel were reorganizing their formation; once they formed an encirclement, everyone involved in the action would be hard-pressed to escape death.
At this critical moment, Old Zhong made a decision.
He used all his strength to break free from the hand holding him and staggered to his feet.
“Don’t mind me! Withdraw quickly!” He shouted hoarsely, charging toward the alley mouth—an action that surprised everyone, even stunning Nantian Yangzi for a moment.
Bullets whizzed past him; one hit his right leg.
Old Zhong staggered but still managed to stand.
He knew he couldn’t leave alive, but in his final moments, he must complete two tasks: first, ensure the comrades withdrew in time to reduce sacrifices; second, pass on that crucial intelligence.
That was the list of intelligence officers at the Shanghai Underground Transportation Station.
Old Zhong took a deep breath and shouted the set of numbers engraved in his mind with his last strength:
“7662—5362!”
The shout was exceptionally clear in the momentary lull of gunfire, echoing in the rainy night alley.
Immediately after, a burst of bullets struck his chest.
Old Zhong felt a burst of intense pain as his body fell backward.
In the final blur of consciousness, he seemed to see a faint light in the distance, like a solitary lamp in the dark night, stubbornly flickering in the rain.
Then, everything faded into darkness.
