Chapter 123: Leaving The Mountain
“There are no ‘what ifs’, they will definitely find it.” Those three hotels were clues specifically named by Kageza, so Gu Yansheng definitely has no ‘what ifs’.
“Immediately confirm his location, who has he met? Has he met you?”
“He hasn’t met me, but he has met two of my subordinates.”
“He has just met them, but doesn’t know their specific names, right?”
“Right, he only knows they are from the Military Statistics Bureau, I told him that, but definitely didn’t tell him their names.”
“Send the team member to Hong Kong, leave immediately, you go to that waiter’s home right now, if he is there, send the whole family away, if not, send his family members away first.”
“There are no ships today, the fastest class is the British ship tomorrow afternoon, I checked before the action.”
“One and a half days is too long, night brings many dreams.”
Now shipping conditions are controlled by the Japanese, if something really goes wrong and the waiter is found out, as long as the ship is still in the Shanghai area, the Japanese patrol boats can force the ship to stop, and the waiter’s family members definitely can’t escape.
As for the two action team members, they are actually fine, even if the waiter is caught immediately and interrogated to describe the appearances.
Agent Headquarters would need time to find these two people.
Chen Mo said, “Think and act at the same time, I’ll go verify the waiter’s situation first, if he has returned, that’s best, if not, I’ll take the family away first.”
“Okay, you go verify first, I’ll wait for you here, the reason is, I’m planning to have you step forward to organize a small gang, as the leader, so there’s something to discuss.”
“Good.”
One hour later, Chen Mo returned.
“The waiter is locked up in Hongkou, hasn’t returned until now, something happened and his wife went to Hongkou to look for him, but the gendarmes wouldn’t let her in, later the telephone line was repaired, and through one phone call, he just said he’s fine, still working at the hotel, nothing else was said.”
“Where is the person now?”
“I moved them to a new hiding place, temporarily no danger.”
This is good news, Gu Yansheng can breathe a sigh of relief.
“As long as the family members haven’t been arrested, it proves Agent Headquarters hasn’t found this waiter yet, there’s still a chance, this person still needs to be gotten out somehow, and best without arousing suspicion, coming out on his own.”
If escaping, it’s still that problem, getting out of Shanghai is hard, he’s not alone, it’s a whole family, too conspicuous.
Coming out on his own can buy more time.
“Coming out won’t be easy, the Japanese haven’t lifted martial law yet, uncertain when it will be unsealed, his off-duty time seems to be seven o’clock, not sure if he can get out at that time, he is a legitimate employee, the Japanese might be a bit lenient.
But at seven, will Li Shiqun have already found him?”
That depends on his luck.
“At seven, we’ll try our best, old employee, bet he can get out, before seven, make sure Li Shiqun doesn’t see him.”
“How to make sure he doesn’t see him?”
“Lure the tiger away from the mountain.”
Gu Yansheng thought and asked: “How is the Shanghai District Chief now?”
“According to your method, stabbed the British person, now released on bail at home but under surveillance.”
“Agent Headquarters people are still watching, right?”
“Yes, the police station people say surveillance, but no need for surveillance at all, Agent Headquarters people are helping watch them, very reassured, no need to send people.”
“Can your people still act?”
“They can act, but more or less injured, however the new Shanghai District Chief has arrived, if action is needed, I can telegram them to cooperate.”
“That’s even better, go send the telegram immediately, have the action team move out right away to attack Agent Headquarters people, sneak attack is fine, whether they rescue or not doesn’t matter, main thing is to kill, have them call for reinforcements, don’t kill them all.”
“It’s not difficult, but is this useful?”
“Definitely useful! Agent Headquarters people are now headless flies in Hongkou, Kageza gave Agent Headquarters three days to find the Military Statistics Bureau, so give him a Military Statistics Bureau, a bunch of Military Statistics Bureau!
On one side aimless searching, on the other live Military Statistics Bureau, if you were Li Shiqun, same task to turn in, which would you choose?
Anyway, if it were me, I’d definitely choose to stay alive first.
So, absolutely don’t kill them all, give them a chance to call for aid, even a chance to be captured.”
On the other side, Hongkou.
Li Shiqun and Ding Mocun brought people and had already surveyed the explosion site, the envoy’s residence, fully understood everything that happened at the time.
The explosion site was a mess of wreckage, nothing could be seen, the armory attack, even if witnesses saw the Military Statistics Bureau, they are now buried in the ruins.
And the action at Hongkou Grand Hotel, after the explosion, lights all out, many signs of intrusion, gunfights broke out, several guests killed, still no witnesses.
The Military Statistics Bureau could find here, the envoy’s whereabouts must have leaked, but to backtrack from the envoy’s whereabouts, that involves core negotiation personnel, not something they can participate in, the most valuable clue is cut off.
Then the targets left are the three hotels.
The Military Statistics Bureau didn’t even choose to strike here, either they had no internal clue sources at all, or the three hotels’ smokescreens were all ruled out.
But the former, Li Shiqun thinks impossible.
He himself doesn’t believe that Agent Headquarters would be clean of Chongqing people.
He hasn’t forgotten, when dismantling the Military Statistics Bureau Shanghai District back then, information leaked.
But confirming this point has little meaning.
Because even if the Military Statistics Bureau knew the envoys at these three locations are fake, the problem still goes back to that one, how exactly did the real envoy’s whereabouts leak?
Anyway, impossible from the hotel.
So, checking the hotels, can only investigate for traces of Military Statistics Bureau visits.
If the Military Statistics Bureau came, it proves they didn’t know the envoy’s location from the start, that can confirm one thing, as long as one has traces, all three should have traces.
Drawing silk and peeling cocoons, the first hotel among the three, he checked Lichaa Hotel where his own Agent Headquarters went.
Checking the hotel is tedious, no specific target, can only ask about any strange things in the past few days, and also any strange guests who stayed.
The hotel manager told him, we generally don’t inquire about guests’ affairs, Lichaa Hotel as one of the few major restaurants in Shanghai, especially located in Hongkou, is a place particularly favored by Japanese military officers and some people of status, so nothing to report.
Here he was clearly lower class, the manager had an arrogant attitude, very tough.
Li Shiqun could only bring out Gendarmerie Headquarters, after a while of communication, got permission to view the residence registration certificate.
But just looking at a registration book, nothing stands out, if leaks, Chinese people might be agents, but British people impossible? Russians impossible?
Even Japanese officers themselves could be Military Statistics Bureau moles.
One hotel already took a lot of time.
The second one, Broadway Mansion where city government personnel went.
This hotel was even tougher, some departments inside were existences even Gendarmerie Headquarters couldn’t offend.
Let them copy the list, wouldn’t answer the rest, directly told to get lost.
Hit a nose full of ash, arrived at the third.
The third finally more cooperative, under a Japanese businessman, average background.
But after inquiring, also said nothing strange happened.
After this wave of investigation, it looks no matter what like the Military Statistics Bureau never came.
While checking, a car sped to the entrance, a team member jumped down and shouted: “Director, fighting broke out in the concession! Military Statistics Bureau people are rescuing that district chief, trying to take him by force, our people can’t hold on much longer!”
Li Shiqun didn’t think: “Quickly send reinforcements!”
Said and got in the car, at the same time Ding Mocun, eyes almost emitting rare light, this isn’t Military Statistics Bureau? This is a lifeline.
Got in the car later, but the car shot out faster than Li Shiqun’s.
International Settlement, intense gunfight ongoing.
The new Military Statistics Bureau district’s action team received orders to rescue the district chief, delay time by fighting, so desperately shooting at non-lethal places, marksmanship looks very off.
While the old district chief’s people didn’t receive notice, thought Military Statistics Bureau came to save them, since they came, naturally fight desperately, main force is them, they fight the fiercest, but few in number.
While Agent Headquarters guards number over twenty, now fighting back fiercely, marksmanship savage, the other side can’t suppress them, they fight harder.
The harder they fight, the more the Military Statistics Bureau action team shrinks, anyway as long as no one dies.
And in the darkest corner alley, Chinese constables and Indian constables crouching, not even daring to blow warning whistles, shrinking aside watching the show, waiting for them to finish fighting before coming out.
The old district chief’s people fight more and more anxiously, cursing inwardly, this bunch of new Military Statistics Bureau are total wastes, fought half a day without killing anyone, and they fight too fierce, became the fire focus instead.
Looking at that bunch simply infuriating, this doesn’t look like coming to save them? More like wishing Agent Headquarters people kill them.
The new district chief playing borrow a knife to kill, huh?
Twenty minutes later, the reinforcements rushing from Hongkou finally arrived.
Large force arrives, firepower suppression begins.
Military Statistics Bureau action team sees people arrived, per plan still delay time, give them hope of capture, so also began strong counterattack.
Marksmanship getting more accurate, more courageous!
Old district chief’s people despair, you fucking fighting so fierce now what’s the use?
Over a hundred reinforcements came, can they still escape?
Stop fighting! Run what run, not running.
Li Shiqun and Ding Mocun see these Military Statistics Bureau and get excited, as long as there’s harvest, enough to fool Kageza on the task.
Just say traced the whereabouts, this bunch Military Statistics Bureau are the assassins, Kageza can’t say no, as long as no survivors.
Military Statistics Bureau people see can’t hold, begin planned retreat per plan.
Li Shiqun’s people chase while fighting.
Finally, Public Works Bureau can’t stand it, tolerated them one street, but fighting towards urban area department store, if they go in, how to write tomorrow’s newspaper?
Strongly order police to move out, and dispatched navy marines into the field.
Fighting fighting, retreating retreating, finally, smoke clears.
Evening, Hongkou’s martial law can’t withstand pressure and lifts.
The waiter as old employee, normal off-duty, upon arriving home was taken away by Chen Mo.
