Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

Chapter 122 Time Waits for No One!

Zhou Xiao lay on the roof ridge, first scanning his surroundings to make sure no one was watching him, then his gaze locked onto the chimney.

The chimney wasn't very wide, but it was more than enough for one person to pass through.

He squinted to examine it closely—the dark inner wall was smooth as usual, without iron bars or oil to prevent climbing, and there was no unusual noise or echo. It was just an ordinary smoke exhaust duct.

But Zhou Xiao quickly noticed something was wrong: the chimney was a one-way passage.

"That's sneaky." He stared at the chimney outlet and noticed that the other end was a full five meters above the ground of the classified archives room.

This means that once you slip into the room through the chimney, it is almost impossible to return the way you came.

When an average person jumps from a standing position, the height off the ground is at most one meter; the world record is only 1.9 meters. Given that the average height is less than two meters, the highest point a person can reach in a leap is barely around four meters.

Here, the difference is a full meter.

Want to leap up and grab the chimney opening by human strength? Unless you have wings or extraordinary strength in your waist and legs.

The Japanese devils' move, seemingly an oversight, was actually a trap—a seemingly convenient entrance, but in reality a dead end where they could be trapped and beaten.

But now, Zhou Xiao has no way back.

The operation is more than halfway complete; the arrow is on the bowstring, and it must be released.

The worst outcome is simply that their identity is exposed.

However, if the "Heavenly Sound Project" succeeds, the cholera virus will spread through water sources and transportation networks, killing millions or even tens of millions of compatriots, and the epidemic may even sweep the globe.

A civilization that has lasted for five thousand years may collapse in an instant.

The decision was made in an instant: was it worth it to exchange the name of one undercover agent for the lives of millions and the survival of the nation?

It was totally worth it.

This is a worthwhile deal no matter how you look at it.

Moreover, Zhou Xiao was confident: there weren't many Japanese soldiers in the headquarters at the moment, and with his excellent skills, breaking through the encirclement wasn't a pipe dream if he really wanted to.

Knowing it was a dead end, he still climbed into the chimney without hesitation.

time does not wait.

He slid in sideways, braced his hands against the wall, and used the friction to slowly descend.

Swish, swish, swish!

A dozen seconds later, both feet touched the bottom.

The inner wall of the outlet was polished to an exceptionally smooth finish, leaving no point of leverage.

But this didn't stump him.

With a slight loosening of her arms and a quick tuck of her legs, she gracefully descended into the archives.

Upon landing, he leaned forward slightly, his knees bent, and his feet rolled to absorb the force, making almost no sound.

Previously, in the headquarters office, he had personally witnessed how Ken Oshima planted listening devices—this secret room was most likely also hiding spies.

So he slowed his breathing, took each step firmly, and even controlled the movement of his clothes to be extremely light.

Sure enough, after taking only two steps, he discovered several sizable eavesdropping devices with thin wires attached in hidden places such as corners, door frames, and vents.

During the War of Resistance against Japan, communication technology was still in its infancy: telephones relied on wires for transmission, and long-distance communication depended entirely on radios. However, due to frequent espionage activities, eavesdropping devices emerged—most of them were bulky and relied on wired transmission; although a few high-end models could use radio waves, their signal coverage was extremely narrow due to the limitations of the technology at the time.

"Showing off one's skill before an expert." Zhou Xiao's lips curled into a sneer.

As early as two thousand years ago, the Chinese created the world's earliest listening device. The "listening urn" recorded in Mozi was a pottery vessel with a large belly and a small mouth. It was buried underground and covered with a thin leather covering the mouth. By pressing one's ear against it, one could distinguish the movements of people and horses from dozens of miles away. The "earth listening device" of the Tang Dynasty was made of fine porcelain and fired into the shape of a hollow gourd. One could lie on it and clearly hear the sound of hooves from thirty miles away.

Whether the listening device in this room is wired or wireless, its transmission distance is extremely limited.

Zhou Xiao concluded that the listening terminal must have been installed in the secretary's office next door.

Old tricks, nothing new.

Having figured out the trap, he became even more cautious—stepping silently with every movement, scanning every blind spot with every glance, all in order to find the list that read "Project Celestial Music" in this deathly silence.

Based on the conversation between Ken Oshima and Mr. Yasuda before their deaths, the original files of Project Celestial must be locked in your confidential archives.

"Where exactly is this crucial material hidden?"

Zhou Xiao moved quietly, slowly searching among the rows of metal shelves in the archives room, but after turning over every layer and every drawer, he still found nothing!

Safe!

The personnel roster for Project Celestial is so confidential that it could never be left out in public; it could only be sealed in a safe.

Unfortunately, this archive room was riddled with listening devices—tiny microphones were hidden in the ceiling, corners, behind file shelves, and even near the air vents. These invisible eyes and ears significantly slowed down Zhou Xiao's pace.

His eyes were sharp and his observations meticulous. After several rounds of careful investigation, he quickly identified the target: the safe was embedded on the back of the tall filing cabinet against the wall.

The shelves had to be moved to reveal the cabinet.

The shelf is surrounded by listening devices, with the closest one located under a side crossbar. Any slight bump or drag will be detected and amplified, alerting the system.

To minimize the risk, Zhou Xiao first used cut pieces of paper and soft strips of cloth to tightly wrap the three microphone holes closest to him before holding his breath and starting to act.

"Squeak... Crack..."

He held the frame firmly with both hands and slowly moved it horizontally, while repeatedly adjusting his breathing rhythm to calm his heartbeat and movements in sync.

A moment later, a heavy iron frame was moved half a foot away, revealing the cabinet.

Zhou Xiao squinted, examining the safe: This was no ordinary safe. The outer shell was thickened, and the lock had two controls—both a special key and a precise password had to be entered; the inside of the door also concealed a pressure sensor and a circuit breaker alarm. If it were forcibly broken into, the entire military police headquarters would immediately be on high alert.

"That old fox, he's really got one scheme after another." He muttered to himself, then took out a thin steel piece from his pocket, gently inserted it into the keyhole, and with a slight twist of his fingertip, tentatively turned the combination dial.

This cabinet is of extremely high quality; even ordinary special agents would shake their heads in disapproval.

Unlocking by hand is never a matter of brute force, but rather an ultimate test of hearing, touch, spatial judgment, and understanding of mechanical structures—one must rely on hearing to discern the slightest difference in gear engagement, feel the instantaneous jolt of the pins falling into place with the fingertips, and then deduce the rotation logic of the internal ratchet based on experience.

This one in front of us is a military-grade reinforced model, with a more complex structure and more concealed damping. Most others would be helpless against it.

But Zhou Xiao can.

He pressed his left ear against the cold countertop, his right thumb and forefinger firmly gripping the turntable, slowly rotating, pausing, and then fine-tuning. His mind was completely immersed in the metallic rhythm within that small space.

"Click...squeak...crack..."

A series of subtle chewing sounds rang out.

The cabinet door can only open when all the pins are fully in place and the main locking tongue is completely disengaged.

His brow furrowed, his breathing shallow—if someone were to burst in now, not only would they fail to obtain the list, but their identities would also be exposed on the spot. The consequences would be unimaginable.

tick...

A bead of sweat slid down his temple, hit the cement floor, and evaporated instantly.

The sealed archive room was as stuffy as a steamer, with heavy, stagnant air.

As the top agent of the Military Intelligence Bureau, Zhou Xiao possessed exceptional psychological qualities, adaptability, and technical skills. Lock picking was his forte.

But this time was different. What usually takes only ten seconds to work on the cabinet took a full eleven minutes today.

"Snap... crack!"

Finally, after a crisp click of the mechanism unlocking, the heavy cabinet door opened slightly a crack.

The second lock is a mechanical key lock, which is much easier to use.

Zhou Xiao switched to a thinner steel wire, probed into the lock cylinder, and repeatedly tested the angle and force, gently stirring, slightly pushing, and slowly pressing.

A few seconds later, a very faint "click" was heard.

"Clatter—"

The cabinet door opened with a click, without any alarm.

He had long studied this type of alarm mechanism: as long as the keyhole is not occupied by a real key, the circuit alarm will be triggered the moment the lock is opened, and the Japanese military police of the entire headquarters will arrive at the scene within thirty seconds.

The wire he inserted into the hole perfectly simulated the physical state of a key being inserted, thus deceiving the sensor circuit.