October, the twenty-fourth year of the Republic of China.
Time flies like water, and four months have passed unknowingly. October is considered the golden autumn in the mainland, but it is a bit chilly in Harbin. People have put on thin sweaters or fabric coats.
Early that morning, the residents of Wutang Street in Harbin got up and washed up as usual, then went out to buy breakfast at the surrounding stalls. The smell of food was everywhere in the streets and alleys.
Fried cakes, deep-fried until golden and crispy, hot and fragrant; egg stew, a bowl of egg stew in the morning, paired with porridge or steamed buns, red and green, harmonious and complete.
There are also sesame pancakes that are crispy on the outside and crispy on the inside, which are perfect paired with a bowl of tofu puffs; shortbread pancakes are crispy in taste and soft in texture, and are full of fillings that make you salivate when you bite into them.
In this bustling market, a drugstore with a red cross opened its door, and the owner familiarly greeted the people coming and going as well as the owner of the breakfast stall.
But what is strange is that this person did not buy breakfast. After walking around for a while, he returned to the store, picked up a bowl of ramen from the counter, and started eating it.
People around him didn't care. They knew that the drugstore owner named Okamoto was not used to northern food. He occasionally ate wontons a few times, and other times he only ate noodles cooked by his wife.
Speaking of which, this guy is a bit interesting.
Unlike the Japanese soldiers and other Japanese businessmen patrolling the streets, the other party has a good attitude towards Chinese customers. He smiles when they meet and rarely acts like a shoddy customer.
It is said that he stayed in the government for several years and was frightened by anti-Japanese students and officials. In short, he was an honest person, and the residents were willing to take care of his business.
So within a few months of its opening, this small store called Jiren Pharmacy had squeezed out a Chinese medicine store and a Western medicine store also opened by Japanese, which shows how prosperous the business is.
But no matter how nice Okamoto's attitude is, he is still Japanese. Everyone keeps a respectful distance from him. No one wants to talk to him except to buy medicine, so as not to cause any trouble.
Harbin has not been peaceful these past few months.
First, the warehouse of the freight station was set on fire, burning dozens of Japanese managers to death. A train of munitions from the Kwantung Army was also damaged and exploded into the sky.
That night, the whole of Harbin probably heard the explosion, and the flames turned half the sky red. The faces of the people in the police department and the fire brigade looked like their dead mothers.
Before the Japanese could react, another death occurred in the Manchurian Railway official building area not far away. Several technicians from Tokyo hanged themselves in their rooms. Legend has it that they were innocent souls seeking their lives.
The reason is that these bastards harmed several Chinese female students in railway schools. One of the girls had no way to sue, so she committed suicide by hanging a rope at the gate of Mantai.
In addition, there were more than a dozen big Japanese businessmen, officials, and even military officers who disappeared inexplicably on the riverside. No one was found alive or dead, and the salvage team searched for half a month but couldn't find them.
For this reason, the National Police Agency and the Kwantung Army went crazy and organized many search operations in the city. God knows if this Okamoto is an informant of the Japanese, so it is better to keep a distance.
"Didi..."
Suddenly a car horn sounded, and the residents buying breakfast got out of the way. Upon seeing this, the driver stepped on the accelerator and drove to the entrance of Jiren Pharmacy and stopped.
As soon as the car stopped, a White Russian jumped out of the car and rushed into the pharmacy. He shouted to the boss anxiously: "Okamoto-kun, Okamoto-kun, the medicinal materials you ordered have arrived at the freight station."
"Yo Xi, that's great." Zuo Zhong, whose pseudonym is Okamoto Shigenobu, put down his bowls and chopsticks with a happy face. The pharmacy he opened sells both Chinese and Western medicines, but the most lacking thing now is herbal medicine.
He went around the counter and poured a glass of water for Torrieta, the taxi driver he met when he first came to Harbin. He took out a wad of yen from his pocket with a smile and gave it directly to the taxi driver.
"Torletta, please take the money first and thank you for your help. Otherwise, I really don't know what to do. If the medicinal materials are no longer available, my small shop will close down.
Those damn anti-Manchu and anti-Japanese elements dared to set fire to the warehouse and burned more than a dozen boxes of medicinal herbs I ordered from the Republic of China. They will definitely be punished, Baga. "
Speaking of the goods being burned, Zuo Zhong gritted his teeth and cursed, his eyes full of anger, and he looked at the crowd outside the store. It seemed that the person who set the fire was outside.
"Haha, my friend."
Torrieta, who was counting the money with his head down, grinned, shook the banknotes vigorously and made a few crisp noises, proudly put the money into his wallet, raised his hand and patted his shoulder to comfort him.
"Don't be so frustrated. You didn't pay the other party anyway, right? As for the anti-Manchu and anti-Japanese elements, we really need to take care of them. These damn guys are killing people and setting fires everywhere.
Rich people are afraid of being targeted by them, so they are hiding at home. No one wants to take a taxi. My business has deteriorated a lot. If it weren't for your part-time job, I would be hungry. "
"Money is nothing. What I need is herbs. Okay, let's not talk about it anymore." Zuo Zhong waved his hand pretending to be impatient: "Is there any news about the thing I asked you to inquire about?"
"Of course, my friend."
Torretta sat down on the stool, took a sip of water and said: "There are a lot of platycodon and parsnips over there in the Calf Corner Valley. The quality is quite good. I will take you there to take a look when you have time."
This person has been in the Northeast for many years. He speaks Northeastern fluently and knows many people from all walks of life. Relying on this advantage, he does some brokerage business while driving.
Zuo Zhong was very satisfied with his answer. The two chatted in a harmonious atmosphere for a while. After a long time, Torretta stood up and prepared to leave. Before leaving, he asked a seemingly unintentional question.
"Okamoto, didn't you and your wife go out last night? I heard that a movie theater opened nearby, showing the latest American movies. You can go there to have fun."
"No, I'm not interested in movies. Besides, the security in Harbin is so bad. Before the anti-Manchu and anti-Japanese elements are arrested, I will never take Xia Zi out at night. It's too dangerous."
Zuo Zhong rudely criticized the work of the police department, placed the teapot heavily on the table, and murmured that he might as well stay in Hui Province.
Torrieta didn't have the patience to listen to his complaints, so he patted his butt and left. As soon as he got in the car, he ran away without a trace. The dust he brought with him floated to the breakfast stall, causing a lot of yelling.
"Sorry, sorry."
Zuo Zhong quickly apologized for the other party. After all, the guy went out from his shop, and they were all neighbors he met without looking up. A quarrel would not do him any good.
After making the old and young men happy with his smiling face, he turned around and walked into the drugstore. The smile on his face slowly faded. Torletta couldn't be kept here anymore, so he had to find an opportunity to send him on his way.
From the moment they first met, the other party had set traps for them. Especially during this period of time, when cases of sabotage and disappearances occurred in Harbin, such temptations became more and more frequent.
He even came to me uninvited a few times late at night, saying that he wanted to drink with me, but any fool knew what he meant. He just wanted to confirm whether he was in the store.
If you are not afraid of thieves stealing, you are afraid of thieves missing you.
Hidden dangers cannot be left behind.
Zuo Zhong sentenced the other party to death in his heart. At this time, He Yijun, wearing a kimono, stepped on wooden clogs and walked out of the room, inserting a sharp hairpin back into his hair.
It had been several months since her trip to Germany, and her cut hair had long since grown back. Now she was wearing a bun that was common among Japanese women, and she moved lightly to Zuo Zhong's side.
"Okamoto-kun, how are you? Did this White Russian see something? If it is to inform you about the medicinal materials, he can contact you by phone. There is no need to come in person."
"Probably not. If he discovered something, it would be the Secret Service that came today. Besides, it was not the warehouse we burned. How could he see the flaw? Just be more vigilant."
Zuo Zhong shook his head when he heard this, his expression was a little distressed. It was such a bad time. As soon as he and others arrived in Harbin, before they had time to take action, the Japanese received several sap blows.
set fire,
revenge,
kill.
It was fun, but the problem was that these actions angered the National Police Agency and the Kwantung Army. They could only wait for the right opportunity, which could last for several months.
I don’t know who did it, but it was definitely not a professional intelligence officer, because the other party’s goals had no strategic value, and the warehouses and arms trains were only interesting.
Underground parties, patriotic students, bandits, and mountain bandits are all possible. There are many people in the Northeast who have hatred against the Japanese. It is not surprising that there are one or two fierce people who do whatever they want.
He Yijun knew his troubles, smiled slightly, put away the dishes on the counter, and said in a low voice: "Why did Okamoto-kun let him go to Xiaoniujiaogou to look for platycodon and parsnips?"
“The security around Beiyin River is very strong, and with recent events, the Japanese have once again strengthened security patrols. Without enough reasons to go out of the city, it is easy to expose your identity.
According to the preliminary intelligence investigation, Xiaoniujiaogou is a famous local source of medicinal materials. From there, it goes eastward through the Suiman Railway and a large mountain. The target can be seen from the top of the mountain.
I didn't name the place directly. This guy asked about it himself, so that I wouldn't arouse suspicion when I went to check the medicinal materials there. We had to use each other's identity. "
Zuo Zhong did not hide anything from her and told her everything about his plans. There were some things he had to explain clearly. If he died unfortunately, someone would have to complete the next task.
In such a turbulent time, the safest way to get out of the city is to use the Japanese informants, and maybe there are special agents who can act as free bodyguards, wouldn't it be nice?
After explaining what happened in Xiaoniujiaogou, he glanced outside the door and asked, "Are there the secret codes of Wolong Group and Fengchu Group in the newspaper? According to the agreement, they should report that they are safe today."
"Yes, Wolong Group's hotel has opened. Fengchu Group is looking for a suitable store. By the way, do you need me to perform regular maintenance on the radio station?" He Yijun asked for instructions.
"Still looking for a store?"
Zuo Zhong's eyes widened. What the hell were Xu Enzeng and Ling Sanping doing? They had been doing this for three or four months. They were just opening a small grain store, and they were not asked to build a skyscraper.
After a few seconds of silence, he took a deep breath and said, "Leave the maintenance of the radio station to me. I'm not worried about you going out alone. A signal will be sent out in two days. I want to meet with the Fengchu team."
It was impossible for him to let He Yijun go. For the sake of operational safety, he used special means to transport the radio stations as an excuse. In fact, the radio stations distributed by the Secret Service were still gathering dust in a corner of Jinling.
All communication with Jinling relies on his mobile phone. If the Japanese could decipher the signals sent by the system, they would have fought World War II and directly dominated the galaxy.
Just when Zuo Zhong was worried, at the Huamei Restaurant a few kilometers away from Jiren Pharmacy, Xu Enzeng combed his shiny back hair and snapped his fingers at the passing waiter.
"Witt~ Here's a bottle of red wine."
Opposite Director Xu, the well-dressed Ling Sanping leaned against a woman and whispered. The woman was so amused by his words that the restaurant was filled with a happy atmosphere.
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