Chapter 119: Genuine Article
“What’s going on?” Gu Yansheng asked.
Chen Mo explained the situation.
“Afternoon is almost mealtime. Our people saw a group of people sneaking out. The waiter identified him as the Gao Zhongwu he thought it was, but he’s not the person in the newspaper at all!”
“It really is fake.” Gu Yansheng frowned slightly. Where the real one was became a new problem, and this time there was no place to test it. Three hotels, all the high-end places had been used by the Japanese.
The Organization and the Military Statistics Bureau both received the news of the Envoy coming to Shanghai. The person should have arrived. It shouldn’t be false news deliberately released to test them. By the timeline, the Wang Puppet Regime was about to be established, and they really should be making contact during this period.
Liu San asked curiously, “Mr. Gu, did you guess this location was fake, so you went to find this newspaper, or was it just to confirm?”
“I guessed. You might not know Kagesa Sadaki, but I’ve heard that name before.”
Among the traitors, a few were well-known, the most famous being Li Shiqun and Ding Mocun.
Among the Japanese old agents, Gu Yansheng didn’t know many, but there were two names he’d heard: one was Dohihara Kenji, the other Kagesa Sadaki.
If there was no test of them, it could be seen as a normal negotiation, but if there was any test, the one making the move would definitely be this old agent.
Of course, Gu Yansheng had corroborating evidence.
“Kagesa Sadaki is a big Japanese agent. In terms of rank, he’s probably about the same as Director Dai. Not simple. And we know the information on the three hotels in Hongkou, the Japanese know it too. Using two to test and leaving one alone for staying makes sense, but it’s also dangerous, like it’s prepared to be found.
And do you know which of these three hotels is the safest? Broadway Mansion.
That hotel is very new. It’s one the Japanese bought with a huge sum of money. Some Japanese organizations that can’t show their faces publicly work there. It’s commercial and residential integrated. If really arranging, I think using the other two as test locations and putting the real body here would be even safer.
And more prestigious.”
“The Japanese test you once, then test the Agent Headquarters once. Then who is he testing at this Kaifu Hotel?” Chen Mo didn’t understand. The Japanese were really idle.
“Testing ones like us.” Gu Yansheng smiled: “This is called Agent Headquarters colluding with the City Government. Wouldn’t that lead them into the trap? Or conversely, they didn’t test much at all, just spread the news through us to the Military Statistics Bureau’s ears, then set traps everywhere. Pick whichever you like, they’re all wrong anyway.”
“So what next? Can’t find the person.”
Chen Mo frowned, “Traps everywhere, but everywhere is possible at the same time. The Japanese really got us confused. Now we have to admire them. This move is truly brilliant.”
“Let me think.” Gu Yansheng pondered what leads there were to grab. As long as the person was still in Hongkou, there had to be a place to stay.
Japanese small hotels?
Villas by the barracks?
It couldn’t be Su Xiwen’s apartment, could it? A place for a fleeing official. It wouldn’t be auspicious to say it out loud. Probably not.
“Got it.” Gu Yansheng thought of someone and said confidently: “As long as they’re still in Shanghai, the negotiation isn’t over. We shouldn’t let their information interfere. Start over from the beginning.”
“How?”
“Are the Japanese here to negotiate?”
“Yes.”
“Two people are clearly participating: Hase Jinagawa from the consulate and Secretary-General Ling Xianwen from the city government. We can’t find the person, find the vehicle! Can’t find the accommodation, find their negotiation location!”
Chen Mo’s eyes lit up: “Let the Japanese lead the way for us. A thousand fakes outside, but this conference participant must be real. This can’t be fake, right?”
“Probably not.” Gu Yansheng shook his head.
Although Ling Xianwen had lied once, Gu Yansheng believed it was at the Japanese’s request, not Ling Xianwen deliberately lying to him.
And if he remembered correctly, Ling Xianwen had said before the meeting that he’d been to meetings there before. Ling Xianwen actually knew that day was fake.
Liu San cursed: “If this person is fake too, we’ll just kill him on the road when we see him!”
“Hahaha, that works.”
“Don’t get too happy too soon. In Hongkou, they can pass with just a word. You driving or walking in Hongkou could be stopped by gendarmes for identity checks anytime. There’s a risk of losing them, so be careful tomorrow.”
Time was tight. Gu Yansheng contacted Shen Linshen.
“Time is a bit tight. This might require your people to step in too. How’s the action team recruitment?”
“Personnel is almost complete. Seven people, two women and five men. Including me and my radio operator, that’s nine. You can use them anytime.”
“The Japanese in charge of this is Kagesa Sadaki, an old agent with rich experience and lots of traps set.” Gu Yansheng explained the situation.
“Now the Military Statistics Bureau people are tracking vehicles in two groups, but in Hongkou, Ling Xianwen and Hase Jinagawa’s vehicles can pass, theirs might not. Gendarme checks and such waste time. If stopped, they’ll lose them. It’s the fourth day; time really isn’t enough.
Have your people find reasons to enter Hongkou, spread out at major intersections to look for this vehicle. See if it passes. Once spotted, call you, and you’ll tell me. I’ll give you the phone number later. I’ll open a room to collect information there.”
“Okay, got it.”
Gu Yansheng still had to confirm with Liu San again.
“Tomorrow I’ll find a hotel. If anything unexpected happens, call the hotel. Report anytime. If you lose the target, tell me immediately. I still know some people; I can ask around.”
“Okay.” Liu San thought Gu Yansheng meant government connections and didn’t mind.
After Liu San, Gu Yansheng found Lu Bowen.
Have him use a fake identity to book two rooms in the concession, opposite each other.
One phone for the Military Statistics Bureau, one for the Underground Party.
Then prepare a map and circle the entire Hongkou.
Gu Yansheng takes the Military Statistics Bureau’s call, Lu Bowen takes the Red Party’s call.
Ring ring, ring ring.
The Military Statistics Bureau indeed lost the tail, but then the Red Party’s street corner surveillance came into play. When the vehicle passed an intersection, Lu Bowen got the call and reported to Gu Yansheng. Gu Yansheng confirmed the route while having them adjust to the latest position and switch blocks.
Then call the Military Statistics Bureau, tell them which direction to continue chasing.
While they chase downward, Gu Yansheng draws circles on the map.
Following the vehicle’s path, draw a direction. Ultimately, relying on the Red Party’s four people’s positions, narrow the target’s area to the intersection of four streets, a pound sign shape.
And the ‘mouth’ in the pound sign is the point to converge on today.
The rest is up to the Military Statistics Bureau.
“Found it!”
In the evening, Liu San hurried over, panting as he reported: “Found it, really found it this time! Not just the meeting location, but the residence too!
The meeting location is a villa, don’t know whose. Just looks like a pretty ordinary three-story standalone.
Guess where the residence is? Really couldn’t think of it even if you broke your head.
Hongkou Grand Hotel!
Liu San finished in one breath and sneered: “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it. That place is for ordinary people. Four stories high. Normally anyone can stay as long as they pay. Accommodation is pretty average.
The people staying there are usually traveling businessmen or some Japanese ronin, Koreans, Taiwanese. Mr. Gu, you know the Japanese love drinking, so people come and go even at midnight. Drunk Japanese love singing too.
I really didn’t expect the Japanese to arrange Wang Ni’s people in a place like that.”
“You couldn’t think of it, so how safe.” Since they’d found it, Gu Yansheng could relax a bit. And it sounded like the difficulty of making a move there wasn’t that high.
“Easy to get in?”
“Not easy.” Liu San sighed: “Normally it’s easy, lots of rooms. But today we asked, and they said rooms are full, booked by some Manchukuo Railway Investigation Group for a whole floor. No rooms left. But from our observation, Japanese can stay; there are rooms. It’s obvious they’re only letting Japanese stay.”
Gu Yansheng thought and said: “What does Chen Mo say?”
“The team leader observed the nearby environment and thinks there’s still a chance to make a move. Behind Hongkou Grand Hotel is a street with a Japanese armory. If we can blow up the armory, there’ll be a fire nearby, and it’ll be chaos.
“Wait, you’re stealing a document and blowing up their armory?” Gu Yansheng was shocked. Not bad for the Iron Blood Assassination Group; quite an original method.
Their thought process really stands out.
Liu San chuckled: “Don’t be surprised. We’ve long planned to blow up that place. Don’t mind the many guards; looks tough, but we’ve scouted the situation thoroughly. Once we succeed, a big fire nearby, ambulances, fire trucks, all sorts of miscellaneous people will come out.
At that distance, the hotel can’t escape. Everyone will definitely come out. In the chaos, we get our chance to go in.
We checked their glass. The explosion shockwave could shatter it directly. If not, in the explosion chaos, just smash it with a gun, and it’s open. Flip in and we’re in.”
Gu Yansheng listened stunned. Talented people.
“Floor confirmed?”
“Confirmed. Fourth floor, two rooms. Judged by the lights when they returned. We’ll go straight to those two rooms. No safe there even. Too easy.”
“What if you’re blocked?”
“Nighttime. Action at night. Explosion will blow all nearby circuits and phone lines. Hotel has no power. Block who? They can’t even see who it is.”
Gu Yansheng said no more. Action matters are best left to professionals.
But he thought and still had a question. “Once the armory explodes, the Japanese will definitely guess Military Statistics Bureau people are behind it. Even if they can’t find you right away, Hongkou entrances will be sealed by gendarmes. Then it’s a big manhunt. How do you get out?”
Liu San smiled slightly, gesturing a wavy motion: “Don’t forget what the Green Gang does? Small bridges and flowing waters, houses.
We jump into the Huangpu River. He can seal roads, can he seal the whole river? Dock anywhere and we’re up.”
“Then blow it up.” Since they’d considered everything, Gu Yansheng had nothing more to say.
A cornered rabbit will bite. Who made Kagesa Sadaki complicate things? Just steal and photograph the document. If not letting photograph, then blow it up.
“Need any help from me?”
“Nothing needed. Only the team leader knows your info. He’ll carry potassium cyanide. If action fails, absolutely won’t implicate you.
Though unlikely. In that scenario, more likely to be gunned down. Low chance to use potassium cyanide.”
To say such words so calmly, and Gu Yansheng saw his expression even had some cheer from finding a solution.
Really a group who completely disregard life and death.
