Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

Chapter 72 This is an excellent sign!

He paused, his brows furrowing slightly as if in deep thought: "By the way, General Oshima, when will the new section chief take office? Right now, the Special Higher Police is leaderless, and many important tasks are stuck halfway, making progress difficult."

"The reason why the anti-Japanese elements dared to commit such a bloody crime so brazenly was because they took advantage of the power vacuum left by Section Chief Aoki's death—this was the flaw they were waiting for."

Ken Oshima smirked: "The new section chief will arrive in Shanghai first thing tomorrow morning. A senior intelligence officer transferred from Nanjing will also be going to the capital. This joint effort will surely make those clowns never dare to raise their heads again!"

Is the new section chief arriving tomorrow?

Another tough opponent has arrived.

Could it be Yoko Minamida?

Zhou Xiao's mind flashed to the image of the character from "The Disguiser"—that cold-faced, sharp-tongued, and meticulous female villain. She was the head of the Special Higher Police in the drama.

But reality isn't a stage; will she really arrive on this train? Nobody can say for sure.

"That would be wonderful." He sighed inwardly, intending to casually inquire about the newcomer's background, but swallowed the words back.

Asking one more question reveals another flaw.

Oshima Ken suddenly changed the subject: "Director Zhou, what's your opinion on the currency war?"

Currency war?

This is the true main battlefield of the Sugimoto Agency.

Zhou Xiao paused for a moment, then spoke slowly and deliberately: "This is a silent massacre—no swords flash, yet bones are severed; no gunpowder smoke, yet cities are burned and cities destroyed. To put it bluntly, it's using the wind to its advantage, seizing gold with bare hands."

"Hahaha!" Ken Oshima laughed heartily and nodded vigorously. "Winning gold empty-handed—brilliant! You certainly have insight."

After a moment, he raised his hand to indicate, "Alright, I won't keep you any longer. Director Zhou is extremely busy and cannot be delayed."

Zhou Xiao stood up and said politely, "General Oshima, farewell."

He turned and pushed open the door, his figure steady and his steps unwavering.

On his way back, he quietly slowed his pace.

What exactly is Ken Oshima trying to achieve with this move today?

He was summoned to the Special Higher Police at dawn, where he was showered with praise and repeated overtures, leaving him momentarily confused.

However, he did indeed make a real contribution in suppressing the assassination attempt by anti-Japanese elements.

And this is exactly the result he wanted.

Only by continuously making contributions can one rise through the ranks; the higher the position, the more crucial the intelligence one can access, and the larger the strategic situation one can influence.

To conceal one's identity, protect one's comrades, and climb through enemy lines—this is hardly infiltration; it's walking a tightrope on a knife's edge, blindfolded.

After all, he started out as an unknown intelligence agent with no background, no connections, and no experience.

As he walked and pondered, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips.

Understood.

Oshima Ken's trust was shifting from testing to entrusting; his abilities were being seen, and his worth was being weighed; that last phrase, "currency war," was not just idle talk, but the first key handed to him—an invitation to join the core of the game.

This is an excellent sign.

If he could truly get close to Ken Oshima and penetrate deep into the heart of the Sugimoto regime, he would gain access not just to scattered information, but to the very pulse of the Japanese puppet regime's financial lifeline.

Undoubtedly, his infiltration has quietly crossed the critical point and is being regarded as one of his own by more and more Japanese people.

The Huo Mansion.

Inside the study.

Two men, both over fifty, sat on a rosewood armchair.

A slightly plump man with short hair and a heavy, imposing presence between his brows, commanding respect without needing to speak.

The other was dressed in a simple long gown, with a gentle and refined temperament. He was slightly younger, and his eyes revealed a blend of scholarly air and shrewdness.

These are the only two remaining leaders of Yongxin Company – Huo Tianhong and Lu Yusheng.

Huo Tianhong, the big boss of Yongxin Company, is also the head of the underworld in Shanghai. He is ruthless and unfathomable, capable of turning the world upside down with a flick of his wrist. He is a true figure who stirs up storms.

Lu Yusheng, the third-in-command of Yongxin, is tactful and persuasive. He is good at persuading people with reason and emotion, and he knows how to judge people and when to advance and retreat. Although he belongs to the exploiting class, he always leaves himself some room for maneuver and a way out.

Of the three, he was the most humane—his coldness concealed a bottom line, and his scheming still held a trace of compassion.

At this moment, the two men's faces were ashen, their brows furrowed with deep sorrow. The air in the study seemed to have solidified into lead, so heavy that it was hard to breathe.

After a long silence, Huo Tianhong finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse: "Third brother, second brother... have you found him?"

Lu Yusheng slowly shook his head, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly: "This morning, I deployed all my informants, leaving no stone unturned, not even at the docks, teahouses, or bathhouses. But until now, there hasn't been a single clue."

"Also missing along with Second Brother were Tianhu and the two cars belonging to Sixth Brother and his brother. The entire city of Shanghai was searched three times, but not a single hair was found."

Zhang Wanlin is gone.

It vanished without a trace.

It was so eerie it sent chills down my spine.

This incident caused a sensation in Shanghai, with speculation spreading like wildfire through teahouses and taverns. Yongxin's reputation crumbled overnight.

Of course, there were also many who secretly applauded – Zhang Wanlin had committed numerous evils and deserved retribution long ago. His death was no loss.

But more than ten days have passed, and there is still no news of him.

Lu Yusheng sighed deeply, his voice as soft as a falling leaf: "In my opinion... Second Brother, I'm afraid he's in grave danger."

Huo Tianhong's face was so dark it could drip water, his fists clenched on his knees: "I want to see him alive or dead! Just like that, gone? This doesn't make sense!"

"Can't find it? Then search again! Dig three feet into the ground, dig out his bones!"

"Can a living person simply turn into smoke and disappear?"

But they all knew very well in their hearts that Zhang Wanlin was most likely doomed.

Huo Tianhong was frantically searching for someone, partly out of brotherhood, but more importantly, he wanted to find the hand that was hiding in the shadows, a hand that couldn't even be touched.

Shanghai is a place where the waters run deep enough to swallow a boat. To be able to wipe out Zhang Wanlin, one of the three tycoons, without a trace, leaving no trace of his body or even a whisper of it—this is no ordinary opponent; he is a venomous snake coiled on the roof, flicking its tongue.

If we don't keep a close eye on such an opponent, we might be the next one to have our throats choked.

Lu Yusheng frowned slightly, his voice low: "I asked the people at the Zhang mansion. That afternoon, my second brother took Tian Hu and six other brothers out."

"They didn't say where they were going, nor did they bring many men. Even their close 'Iron Arm' Fifth Brother didn't come along... This is too abnormal. It's not like him at all. It's more like he's walking on ice, not daring to make a single mistake."

Zhang Wanlin has lived a life of constant danger, accumulating countless enemies. He's always been surrounded by a large entourage, guns at his side, and when his convoy moves, the entire street has to make way. But this time, he's traveling light and eerily quiet, as if deliberately heading into a dark alley.

Huo Tianhong tapped his fingertips slowly on the mahogany table for a long time before speaking: "If we can find out three things—why he only brought so few people? Who did he meet? Where was he going—the whereabouts of the second brother will probably come to light."

"Third brother, investigate! Use every available person, money, connection, and informant; dig to the bottom of the earth and find out!"

Lu Yusheng nodded: "Okay. Big brother, I'll take care of it right away."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and left, his steps steady.

Huo Tianhong was the only one left in the study.

The lamplight was dim, and he sat in a wide-backed chair, his face hidden in the shadows, but his eyes were like two frost-covered knives, sharp and deep, as if he were dissecting someone's skin or waiting for someone's letter.

Zhou Enlai's Residence.

As soon as Zhou Xiao stepped into the house, he went straight to his room, locked the door, quickly opened a hidden compartment in his desk, and took out a radio. Beep beep beep—the faint static of electricity filled the air, and strings of Morse code jumped into his ears.

As he listened, he quickly jotted down notes on a sticky note with a pencil.

After receiving the last set of signals, he closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, he had already deciphered the entire coded message: Arrive in Shanghai in three days.

Sixth Brother Zheng Yaoxian has arrived.

He didn't send a telegram; he came in person.

The battle has reached a critical juncture; otherwise, this "shadow mastermind" sitting in the central command would never have personally waded into this mess.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhou Xiao struck a match, and the paper strip curled up and turned to ashes, leaving no trace.

According to Ken Chishima, the new head of the Special Higher Police will take office tomorrow.

A play needs to be staged in advance.

And the most suitable "leading role" is none other than Li Xiaonan.

He glanced at the clock—9:17 PM. It was the time she finished her night shoot and was removing her makeup.

Zhou Xiao put on his trench coat and drove out.

Outside the Shanghai Film Studio.

He had just parked the car when he saw Li Xiaonan standing under a streetlamp touching up her makeup, holding a small mirror in her hand, with a little fake bloodstain on her forehead. Originally, her scenes had already been filmed, but when the director heard that she was someone personally looked after by Director Zhou, he immediately added three "improvised night scenes," and the lines were all changed to be sweet and saccharine at the last minute.

"Card!"

"Okay! This one's approved!"

"That's a wrap-up day—everyone worked hard!"

The director glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, immediately put on a smile, and jogged over to greet him.

Zhou Xiao got out of the car, his steps unhurried. Li Xiaonan, not even bothering to wipe her face, lifted her skirt and ran over, her eyes sparkling: "Why are you here?"

"I know you're filming late into the night, so I thought I'd drop by." He pulled out a few crisp hundred-yuan bills from his wallet and stuffed them into the director's hand. "It's chilly at night, so I'm buying everyone some hot soup and drinks to warm them up." He paused, then smiled, "I'd like to say a few words to Xiao Nan, is that alright?"

The director was taken aback, then bowed and nodded, "Oh, Director Zhou, you're too kind! I just finished work, I'm available anytime!"

The night was deep, and the two got into the car.

After a few pleasantries, the conversation shifted abruptly to the main topic.

"The new head of the Special Higher Police will take office tomorrow." Zhou Xiao's voice was not loud, but every word was clear. "A new broom sweeps clean. The traitors, spies, and puppet government henchmen we recently took down are enough to give him a hard time. From now on, all comrades must lie low, no contact, no action, and no showing your faces."

Li Xiaonan nodded gently: "Understood."

This operation to eliminate traitors has generated enough momentum and established a deterrent effect. Knowing when to stop is the best way to survive.

Safety is always the top priority.

Zhou Xiao paused for a moment, his gaze calm: "However, before that, there is something I need you to do."

"What is it?"

"Assassinate me."

"What?" Li Xiaonan was startled, her lips parted slightly, and her pupils suddenly contracted. "You want me... to kill you?"

"Yes." He spoke calmly, as if discussing what to eat for dinner. "Tomorrow morning, on my way to the special forces headquarters, you'll 'assassinate' me with a gun. The bullet will whizz past my ear, the car window will shatter, and I'll be wounded and fall to the ground—it'll all be an act."

"In the entire city of Shanghai, you are the only one who truly recognizes my face and trusts my background. This matter cannot be left to anyone else."

indeed so.