Although he has been in China for more than six years, Braun has never believed in some Chinese folk customs, such as his constantly beating eyelids. However, as night falls, Brian's mood gradually becomes heavier. I always felt like something was going to happen. This shoe store was opened in the name of Brian's wife, but in fact, it was Brian's main place to stay in the French Concession.
People engaged in intelligence work will not easily trust strangers, especially veterans like Brian who have been engaged in intelligence work for a long time. It is necessary to have three cunning rabbit holes. This shoe store with a fairly good business is one of several places in Shanghai where Brian has A place to stay. The bell above the store door rang. Brian, who was packing up his things and preparing to close the store, looked up in the direction of the store door. He happened to see the young man who had bought several pairs of shoes here before, pushing open the store door and walking in.
"Is there something wrong with the shoes you just bought?" Brian wasn't wary of Tang Cheng at all, because Tang Cheng looked like a kid from a rich family that was common in Shanghai concessions. Brian thought there was something wrong with his shoes just now, but he didn't know that Tang Cheng's departure and return was basically aimed at him. Tang Cheng, who came in from outside, first stood at the door and shook the water off his umbrella, then turned to look at Brian.
"The shoes are very good. I'm very satisfied. I came here because I have something to ask you." Tang Cheng leaned the closed umbrella on the inside of the store door, and then walked towards Brian while talking. Brian, who originally thought Tang Cheng was harmless, suddenly felt danger approaching. Although Tang Cheng still had a slight smile on his face when he spoke, Brian subconsciously took a step back.
"Mr. Brian, if I were you, I would never think of getting a weapon!" Brian had just stretched out his right hand, and before his fingers touched the dagger hidden under the shoe rack, he suddenly discovered At some point, a pistol appeared in Tang Cheng's hand. Although Brian is already over fifty, he has never stopped training. Being pointed at a gun by a young man like Tang Cheng, Brian, who has excellent self-control skills, does not think that he has no chance of making a comeback.
However, Tang Cheng's reaction was no slower than his. Before Brian could hook the shoe box on the ground with his foot, he was about to kick the shoe box towards Tang Cheng. However, Tang Cheng, who was facing Brian, stretched out his left hand and kicked it in front of Brian's face. Brian's face grasped the iron armrest of the chair beside him. Tang Cheng's movements looked gentle, but under Brian's own eyes, the originally straight armrest of the chair was forcibly held by Tang Cheng with a handprint.
The chair in Brian's shop was made by himself using scrap iron pipes and rattan chairs in his spare time, so he knew the material and hardness of the chair armrests very well. If you just use brute force to bend the armrests of the chair, Brian believes that many people who have undergone strength training can do it, but if you just hold it lightly, you can leave fingerprints on the iron armrests of the chair. Not just anyone can do it.
Tang Cheng's deliberate display made Brian jump with fear. Before Tang Cheng could warn him again, Brian immediately spread his hands and expressed his attitude towards Tang Cheng. Tang Cheng was quite satisfied with Brian's awareness of current affairs. According to his opinion, if Brian did not know the current affairs and continued to try to find opportunities to resist, Tang Cheng would have to reward him with a bullet. "Very good, it seems that we have reached a basic consensus!" Tang Cheng chuckled.
"Close the store first, and then let's go to the back and have a good chat!" Although Brian had given up resistance, Tang Cheng did not put away the pistol in his hand, but his tone of voice softened. Brian's attitude was finally rewarded, which made him secretly relieved. He originally thought that the young man in front of him would shoot him if he disagreed, but now it seems that the situation is not too bad. .
At Tang Cheng's signal, Brian closed the store door without saying a word, then walked in front and led the way, taking Tang Cheng to the back stairs behind the shoe store. Following the stairs, the two people from Tangcheng went up to the upper floor, one behind the other. This was Brian's residence. Brian's wife returned to her hometown in the UK last month, and Brian was the only one left here. Tang Cheng, who was sure that there were only two of him upstairs, didn't have to face women and children, was secretly relieved.
"Who are you?" Brian, who had been pointed at by Tang Cheng with a gun, looked as usual. At Tang Cheng's signal, Brian sat down on the sofa and asked Tang Cheng first. Tang Cheng's previous performance had already made Brian understand that this young man was no ordinary person, and he had already seen clearly that what Tang Cheng was holding was a German-style pistol. Although Brian didn't know whether the pistol in the opponent's hand was originally produced in Germany, he knew that such pistols were rare in Shanghai.
"I am a free man! In your words, I am a free broker!" Tang Cheng, who was sitting opposite Brian, laughed. "You don't have to guess who I am. Even if I tell you, you probably won't be interested in a little person like me. My time is limited. Since there are only two of us here, why don't we have a good chat! According to my habit, I ask you questions, and if you are willing to cooperate, after our conversation is over, I can answer you a question for free."
Tang Cheng dictated the conversation pattern in a domineering manner. Facing the gun, Brian could only shrug, saying that he didn't care. "It was an accident that I found you. I am telling you this just because I want to tell you. I have no interest in your British intelligence agency, and I am even less interested in you as a person. Do you understand what I mean?" Tang Cheng spoke first, But the content of the words was not a question, but words that Brian had no clue about.
"I know that you are the head of the British intelligence agency in Shanghai. Don't say otherwise, because that will make you doubt my IQ." Brian, who was identified by Tang Cheng in person, tried his best to stay calm, although he didn't know How did the other party know his identity, but Brian knew that this was definitely not a good time for him to interrupt. Brian didn't speak, so Tang Cheng had no choice but to continue, "My first question, what does this shoe store have to do with your intelligence organization in Shanghai?"
Brian, who was trying to stay calm, obviously did not expect that Tang Cheng's first question would be this. He was stunned for a moment, and then changed his words after Tang Cheng's signal. "It doesn't have anything to do with it. I opened this place in the name of my wife, and my wife is usually responsible for the management of this place. I have three children and a lot of relatives in the UK, so my expenses are not small. The shoe store is My personal business is used to support my children and relatives in the UK."
Naturally, Tang Cheng couldn't believe all of Brian's answers, but after careful consideration, Brian's answer was quite appropriate. "My second question, did your British intelligence agency already know the Japanese army's offensive intentions before the Shanghai War?" Tangcheng's question surprised Brian, but the second question was different. , Brian immediately narrowed his eyes, with a trace of resistance in his expression.
"Mr. Brian, the news that your British intelligence agency has secretly cooperated with the Japanese is not news at all in the Shanghai intelligence market. I raise this question just to confirm a guess. You only need to answer yes or no. Okay, you don't have to answer carefully." Seeing the hesitation and resistance in Brian's expression, Tang Cheng immediately took out a cigarette and even handed a cigarette and matches to Brian.
Brian did not refuse the cigarettes and matches handed over by Tang Cheng, but even after half-smoking a cigarette, he still did not answer Tang Cheng's question. Tang Cheng was not in a hurry when he arrived. He also lit a cigarette and smoked it silently, quite intending to spend more time with Brian. "Who are you?" After a while, Brian opened his mouth to break the silence, but while he was speaking, his eyes kept falling on the pistol in Tang Cheng's hand.
Tang Cheng, who had been paying attention to the other party's reaction, naturally could not suspect that Brian was a person who was greedy for life and afraid of death. Tang Cheng, who was moved in his heart, simply placed the pistol on the armrest of the sofa next to him so that Brian could see clearly. "Are you suspecting that I have something to do with the Germans? Just because of a pistol?" Tang Cheng's words were not fast, but it made Brian blush. "This kind of gun is rare in China, but it's not impossible to find it. As long as you pay enough, my company can get an artillery-type gun."
Even in the German army, there are not many officers who can be equipped with pistols. Tang Cheng, who has an Asian face, speaks so easily. Brian doesn't know whether he should believe it or suspect that he is lying and bragging. "I gave you an explanation, now it's your turn to answer my question!" Tang Cheng put out the cigarette butt in the ashtray, then picked up the pistol on the armrest of the sofa again, obviously unwilling to continue spending time with Brian. .
If Brian persisted and refused to speak, Tang Cheng would definitely shoot him. Perhaps because he sensed Tang Cheng's intentions, Brian no longer persisted and resisted as before, but the content of his answers was deliberately chosen. Passed. Tang Cheng controlled Brian because he wanted to know whether this shoe store was used to monitor Hans. Based on Brian's answers and reactions, Tang Cheng finally believed that he was too sensitive, which caused this misunderstanding.
"Mr. Brian, I have to say I'm sorry, but you have your own reasons for this. As the head of the British intelligence agency in Shanghai, you didn't do your business and instead came here to run a shoe store. This is so inappropriate. "Tang Cheng stood up with a smile on his face and suddenly fired without warning. The gun installed on the barrel in advance effectively reduced the sound of the gunfire. Brian was shot continuously in the chest and fell on his back. in the sofa.
