late at night.
In a dark warehouse, in a secret room surrounded by many wooden boxes, a person was briefing dozens of men in black under the faint kerosene light before the operation.
"Risheng Department Store is located on Haiphong Road in the northwest corner of the public concession. It covers an area of more than 600 square meters and has two floors. The first floor is the business place and the second floor is where the enemy is.
According to reliable information, the number of enemies is about ten, their weapons and equipment are unknown, and their personnel and tactical levels are unknown, so please be alert and don't take it lightly.
It is now two o'clock in the morning. According to the order, we will launch the attack in two hours. I will send out the architectural drawings shortly. You must keep the contents in mind.
After entering the department store, no one should be left alive, and every corpse must be shot. The entire operation time must be controlled within five minutes. If it is too late, the patrol will probably arrive.
One last reminder, this place is not far from the Chinese border in the east, north and west directions. The mission is completed and all operational personnel will withdraw to the Chinese border immediately. Do you hear me? "
"yes."
"Don't worry."
"clear."
The people in black responded in low voices, thinking that the task was not too difficult. They felt that the task was not too difficult, and the operation site was so close to the Chinese border, so any problems could be easily rectified.
"Okay, then everyone will be divided into three groups, one is the attack group of twenty people, the second is the support group of fifteen people, and the third is the cover group of ten people."
The person who spoke previously divided the people into groups, then took out a map and placed it under the oil lamp, and assigned each group's tasks.
"One group entered the store through the front door and was responsible for the main attack mission. After entering, they went directly to the second floor without paying attention to the first floor and carried out a fire attack.
The second group is following behind. You must control all the entrances and exits of the target and not give the opponent a chance to escape.
The three groups will gather further away and be responsible for blocking and protecting vehicles when encountering enemy support or patrols.
This mission can only succeed or fail. If you let me know who passively avoids the battle, I will be merciless with the gun in my hand. Please circulate the drawings below. You only have five minutes. "
After the brief pre-war meeting, the man in black saw a drawing with the seal of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau, quietly left the warehouse, and took various means of transportation to the Communist Settlement.
Three fifty in the morning.
Both sides of Haiphong Road were filled with refugees who had nowhere to live. Suddenly someone woke up from their sleep. They raised their hands to wipe the corners of their eyes and then raised their ears, as if they heard something.
Not long after, several trucks covered with canvas drove slowly from a distance, their dazzling headlights swaying through the crowd. Several refugees blocked their eyes and glanced at the convoy before quickly lowering their heads, trembling all over.
I saw a masked man holding a submachine gun standing on the pedals on both sides of the car door. At this time, those who dared to openly hold guns in the concession were either Cao Gang members, or Chinese and Japanese troops or spies.
None of these people were easy to mess with. The refugees were shivering and huddled together, too scared to breathe. They secretly prayed to God to bless these people and let them leave quickly.
But there were exceptions. A refugee group that was made up entirely of adult males and rarely interacted with outsiders was not too afraid. After carefully observing it for a while, someone in the crowd whispered.
"Go and report to Major Yamamoto that the enemy has appeared."
"Hai."
Three fifty-five in the morning.
It was unusually quiet in front of the Risheng Department Store. Two trucks, one on the left and one on the right, stopped at the intersection. Armed men jumped out of the truck one by one and formed a battle formation along both sides of the road.
They used the cover of signboards, telephone poles and other objects to move closer to the target little by little. Their movements were flexible, their skills and tactics were proficient, and they seemed to have received strict training.
After successfully arriving at the door of the target, the two leading soldiers put their ears to the door and listened to make sure there was no movement inside. Then they took off the Gong grenade from their sides and tied it to the door knocker.
This kind of grenade was modified from the German M24 grenade by the Gongxian Arsenal. It is more suitable for the hand shape and strength of the Chinese people. It is famous for its power. With a charge of more than 50 grams, it is easy to blow open a small wooden door.
After arranging door-breaking weapons, the soldiers fastened a steel wire rope to the match rope at the end of the grenade, prepared to retreat to a safe position and pull the trigger to detonate, and then rushed in and started killing.
"Ding~ding~ding~"
At this moment, there were several crisp metal crunching sounds from behind the heavy door panel.
All the armed personnel present were familiar with this sound. It was the sound of the grenade safety bolt colliding with the ground. The soldier immediately opened his mouth wide, with a trace of fear in his eyes, and tried to turn around and escape.
Unfortunately, it was too late. The shock wave quickly passed through the window, carrying glass fragments and hitting the bodies of a row of armed men, leaving bloody holes.
A huge wave of air rushed towards them, causing their facial muscles to deform and their bodies to fly lightly. Time seemed to stand still at this moment.
In the last few seconds of their lives, everyone looked at the department store with unwillingness, and then the fire in their pupils got closer and brighter.
"Boom~~~"
Several explosions followed, completely breaking the silence of Haiphong Road, and the surrounding light bulbs shattered at the same time.
Several bodies with white smoke falling to the ground, like broken dolls, and the weapons on their bodies had long been turned into twisted pieces of scrap metal.
Before the armed men could react, the wooden window on the second floor of the building opposite the Risheng Department Store opened with a bang, and two muskets opened wildly.
The 7.7mm machine gun bullets swept through the streets at a speed of 600 rounds per minute. No object could withstand such a powerful attack. The armed personnel who had just been knocked upside down by the grenade blast were helpless in the face of the attack.
The pure copper bullet casing fell on the concrete floor, making a tinkling sound.
The two masked men huddled behind a seemingly solid cement platform. After the tongues of fire licked their heads, they collapsed weakly on the spot. At such a close distance, the terrifying firepower of the heavy machine gun was perfectly displayed.
Facing the fierce fire, a tall masked man stood up suddenly, picked up an original Swiss Kirari machine gun and fired back. However, the 25 rounds in the magazine were shot into pieces after just two rounds were fired.
The sound of gunshots, painful groans, and desperate roars formed a frightening piece of music.
Yamamoto just stood at the window, ignoring the bullets passing by, and watched everything with a smile.
The deep-sea plan was successful, and soon, he would be able to see Zuo Zhong with his own eyes.
This sting in the hands of the empire has finally been removed, and the Chinese intelligence agency will face a complete failure.
Tokyo's commendations, promotion orders and even medals seemed to be close at hand. Yamamoto couldn't help but feel excited. He waved his hand suddenly and issued an order to strengthen the attack.
At the same time that the Japanese were carrying out a massacre (anti-harmony) in front of the Sunshine Department Store, the refugees on the road in the distance dispersed when they heard the intensive gunfire and ran away from the gunfire.
However, there was a group of people in the crowd who came towards the scene of the incident against the flow of people. There were nearly a hundred people in number. They were holding Type 35 naval rifles and other weapons in their hands, and they quickly approached the firefight with a low body.
These people were the two Marine squads sent by Okawauchi Denchi to support Yamamoto. They had previously been hiding among the refugees, and now they launched a fatal blow against the attackers from the outside.
The cover team on guard at the periphery was just about to go to support their companions when they were beaten to pieces by the surprise attack from behind. Twenty-five versus one hundred, they hurriedly responded to the battle. The result can be imagined.
Twenty minutes later, the gunfire stopped completely. The Japanese army dragged the corpses one by one to the open space and placed them neatly in a long row. After counting the number of people, one person ran to Yamamoto and stood at attention, bowing his head.
"Major, there are 45 people in total, 41 dead, 2 seriously injured and 2 slightly injured."
"Let's go see our friends."
Yamamoto smiled slightly, stepped in front of several prisoners who were tied behind their backs on the ground, reached out and took off the mask on one of their faces, and asked a question in a serious tone.
"Where is Zuo Zhong? I'm only asking once."
The other party seemed to be frightened and didn't answer.
"Okay, as expected of the Secret Service."
Seeing that the prisoner didn't speak, Yamamoto smiled and praised him, then suddenly drew his gun, pointed it at the man's head and pulled the trigger. A blood arrow spurted out from the back of the prisoner's head and he fell heavily to the ground.
After killing one person, he asked the others coldly again: "I ask again, where is Zuo Zhong? As long as you are willing to cooperate, the Empire of Japan will never treat you badly."
"We are from the secret service headquarters. Zuo Zhong has nothing to do with me and others."
Before he could finish speaking, another slightly injured prisoner quickly knelt on the ground, kowtowed and shouted loudly.
“Nani!!??”
Yamamoto felt dizzy when he heard this and grabbed the other party's collar: "Baga, you are clearly members of the Secret Service. Why don't you admit it? As an elite intelligence officer of the national government, don't you even have the courage to admit your identity?"
"It's unfair. What I said is true. Director Xu called me at night and ordered the new intelligence section chief to lead us to attack an underground party stronghold, demanding that the people inside be killed without mercy.
He was beaten to death by you just now. The body is right there. I can point it out to you. I don’t know anything else. Please let me go. "The prisoner explained with tears.
Secret Service Headquarters, Xu Enzeng, phone number.
In the flash of lightning, Yamamoto thought of a possibility, and immediately shouted to his men with wide eyes.
"Quick! Quick! Go to Rongcheng Road! Hurry to Ji Yunqing's mansion!"
After saying that, he rushed to the car. The other people didn't know what happened, but they jumped on the car without hesitation. Multiple cars rushed out like arrows, racing on the concession road at top speed.
Streetlights flashed across Yamamoto's darkened face quickly. The elite of the intelligence department felt cold in his heart. He originally thought that he could get rid of Zuo Zhong by setting a trap through Ji Yunqing, Chang Yuqing, and Long Wu.
Now it seems that he was too optimistic, and the opponent was more difficult to deal with than expected. He actually discovered that there was a problem with the department store, and used the secret service headquarters as a scapegoat to attract their attention.
"Quick, faster!"
Thinking of this, even though the driver had stepped on the accelerator to the fuel tank, Yamamoto still kept urging. Rongcheng Road was not far from Haiphong Road, and they might still have a chance.
Ji Mansion has so many bodyguards and guards, the villa building is solid, and the interior structure is complex. The Secret Service should not be able to defeat it in a short time. Yes, that must be the case.
He looked at his watch anxiously and prayed to all the gods he could think of, hoping that Ji Yunqing's men could hold on for a while longer.
After more than ten minutes of high-speed driving, the car rushed into Rongcheng Road. Looking at the Ji Mansion on the corner of the street that had turned into a sea of flames, Yamamoto murmured in a daze with eyes blank.
"idiot."
The time goes back to 3:30 in the morning.
In the office of Tongheng Restaurant, Zuo Zhong and Gui Youguang were whispering around a construction blueprint under the desk lamp.
"Deputy Director, is Chang Yuqing really in Ji Mansion?"
The big bald man seemed a little unconvinced, scratched his head and said doubtfully: "We have been staring at the target for such a long time, and we haven't found any suspicious signs."
"Really not?"
After hearing this, Zuo Zhong asked in reply, taking a pen and clicking on the drawing: "Your spy is the cook, and you are restricted from going to other places in Ji Mansion. Why would Ji Yunqing send someone to monitor such a person?
If the other party is found to be cooperating with us, she will probably be dead long ago. She is not dead now. What does this mean? It means that Ji Yunqing is afraid that others will find out something through her and wants to restrict her communication with outsiders.
The information a cook has access to is nothing more than what dishes she bought every day, what dishes she cooked, how many servings of tableware she prepared, and how much was left after the meal. Let me ask you, what can be analyzed from these? "
"The number of people in Ji Mansion!"
Gui Youguang suddenly realized that this was the same as his analysis of the number of people in a department store through household waste, except that one was fake and the other was real.
"right."
Zuo Zhong sat on the stool and crossed his legs: "Ji Yunqing doesn't want people to know the number of people in his home. There can only be one reason, and that is that there is a shady person in his home.
Based on the intelligence collected in the early stage, Chang Yuqing returned to Shanghai from the Northeast and probably hid in Ji Mansion and never left.
These two traitors live together, so naturally they don't need to go out to communicate. All action orders are relayed by the Japanese using the radio. Ji Yunqing has so many disciples and disciples, and we can't possibly monitor them all.
There are two ways to hide the contact channel, either to strengthen confidentiality or to confuse the public. The people in Caogang are not professional intelligence personnel. Considering this, the second method becomes the best choice.
Moreover, the man named Ji has a life-saving support for Boss Zhang, one of the three white-faced men. The Japanese know that we will use rat weapons, so there is no safer place in Shanghai than Ji's Mansion. "
When he said this, he narrowed his eyes. There was a meeting at the Yunke Lai Hotel that day. When he heard that Gui Youguang and Song Minghao both found out that there was something wrong with Long Wu, he felt a little strange.
Long Wu first appeared at the Hongkou Airport incident briefing.
The second time he appeared was at the scene where the Secret Service destroyed the Japanese stronghold. Long Wu's company was one of the targets, and he also had a fierce fight with Xu Enzeng.
The third time it appeared was when Gui Youguang caused a short circuit in the circuit and used suspicious personnel in the Ji Mansion to follow the clues to find the electrical supplies store. He also used this to find the next department store under Long Wu which was not well managed and had a problem with the number of people.
The first half of the second incident can be seen as a coincidence. After all, it is impossible for the Japanese to know the actions of the Secret Service in advance, otherwise they would not allow so many strongholds to be destroyed.
But as long as the Secret Service keeps an eye on Long Wu's background and investigates deeply, it can still find that he has a close relationship with Xu Enzeng. Then what conclusions can they draw.
First, Long Wu and Xu Enzeng have a very good relationship.
Second, Long Wu had an affair with the Japanese.
Third, Xu Enzeng may have colluded with the Japanese.
In addition, Long Wu's traitor master Chang Yuqing returned to Shanghai and could not hide it from others. The government would definitely find this guy to settle the score.
Connecting with the third thing, it is easy to think that Chang Yuqing is most likely hiding in his apprentice's department store.
As a result, the Secret Service had two reasons to attack the department store, namely to eradicate the traitor Chang Yuqing and to find evidence of Xu Enzeng's collaboration with the enemy to attack the secret service headquarters.
It sounds logical and everything is normal, but in intelligence activities, everything that is normal means that it is abnormal.
Zuo Zhong simply didn't believe that such a good thing would happen, so there was only one possibility left, which was a trap set by the Japanese.
He believed that even if Gui Youguang did not create a short circuit, the enemy would find a way to draw their attention to the suspicious electrical supplies store and eventually lead them to the department store.
It was precisely because he was sure of this that he returned his attention to Ji Yunqing and deduced Chang Yuqing's real hiding place.
As for the series of actions of the Japanese, they have only one purpose - to kill themselves.
The Japanese wanted to kill him, but Zuo Zhong knew that if the identities were changed and there was a senior intelligence officer among the Japanese who had repeatedly undermined the government's operations, he would also try his best to kill him.
However, he never expected that the Japanese would spend such a large amount of money, even giving up the opportunity to seize the government and start a war, just to kill a small colonel and deputy director.
Could it be that Tian Locust knows about 226?
I don’t know if Prince Yongren would occasionally think of Okamoto Shigenobu by the Daming Lake when he was in the deep palace compound. It’s a pity that he created such a good opportunity but the other party didn’t seize it. Who can blame him?
Zuo Zhong sighed with emotion and looked at his watch for a while, then looked up at Gui Youguang: "Move on time at four o'clock. Xu Enzeng's men will attack the bait then. The operation here is very safe."
"Yes, Deputy Director."
Gui Youguang was happy after hearing this: "This time the Secret Service Headquarters has made a contribution to the anti-Japanese war. Our military medals are half of theirs. I will burn some more paper money later as a thank you."
"No, I have already sent a report to the bureau headquarters, stating that Director Xu learned that there was a Japanese military stronghold on Haiphong Road and took the initiative to send people to encircle and suppress it. I won't agree to it even if I don't agree to it.
The bureau chief was very moved when he heard this and was about to ask the leader for credit for him and promote this fearless spirit within the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. "
Zuo Zhong smiled lightly and concluded the matter. There was no such thing as being the scapegoat. It was clearly Xu Enzeng who volunteered. He couldn't stop others from committing suicide. No, let's do meritorious service.
After the two of them finished talking, it was almost 3:50 in the morning.
Gui Youguang cleaned up the shop one last time. This surveillance point, which cost a lot of money to purchase, will be abandoned after the operation. Although it is a pity, it must be done.
The Japanese are not fools. Once the target person dies, they will definitely investigate the surrounding residents. If they don't leave, they will wait to be caught. The other party does not need evidence to suspect a person.
After confirming that there were no clues left for tracing, Zuo Zhong and Gui Youguang put on their night clothes, put on their hoods with only their eyes and mouth missing, and strode into the hotel lobby.
At this time, all the lights in the store were turned off. Through the streetlights through the window lattice, one could see a dozen agents inspecting weapons, and the table was filled with grenades and flash bombs.
It is worth noting that the guns that were originally shining with cold light, as well as everyone's faces and buttons, were all painted with black dye. This was to prevent the enemy from detecting the reflection during the action.
In addition, the agents also used tape to isolate areas that are prone to collision, such as grenade bodies, to avoid noise. It is a matter of life and death, and all details must not be careless.
After years of training and actual combat, the elite operators of the Secret Service have acquired some of the demeanor of later generations of paramilitary special forces.
Of course, it's just similar in appearance, and it's still far from the real special forces, but it's enough to deal with a few bodyguards and Cao Gang gangsters who have never seen the world.
"On time."
"Three, two, one, three fifty-eight."
Zuo Zhong raised his watch and reported the time softly. The people present lowered their heads to check the time. After finding that there was no error, they nodded to each other and then automatically divided into two action teams, which were arranged on both sides of the restaurant door.
On the road outside, a Renault van postal van, the most common in Shanghai, was approaching Ji Mansion with black smoke. The sound of its engine suddenly attracted the attention of the four bodyguards in front of Ji Mansion.
After discovering that it was a postal vehicle, the bodyguard slowly relaxed his vigilance, but still stared at the other person intently. It was because of caution that several of them were sent to guard the door by Ji Yunqing.
As the first line of defense of the Ji Mansion, their marksmanship may not be accurate and their fighting skills may not be strong, but they must be vigilant at all times to buy time for defense and counterattack for the internal guards.
Just as they were driving diagonally across the road, the front of the truck suddenly stopped for a few seconds and seemed to have stalled. Before the bodyguard could come forward to check, the truck rumbled into life again and drove slowly past.
"The broken car was so scary."
One of the guards cursed in a low voice and put the pistol back in his arms. When he was about to continue observing, he was bumped on the shoulder by another person. Following the other person's gaze, he saw a woman walking towards this side.
It was too strange for a woman to suddenly appear in the middle of the night. The public security in Shanghai had not improved to this point, so several people immediately became alert.
Just when they turned their attention away, the postal van was still driving slowly. The driver in the driver's seat pressed the peaked cap on his head and glanced at the rearview mirror.
On the other side of the truck, two teams of agents were seen walking in small steps. The latter put his hand on the former's shoulder and quietly approached the heavily guarded target with the help of the vehicle's cover.
Seeing that the operation went smoothly, the driver breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at the bodyguard not far away and naturally put his hand on the window. He estimated the time in his mind and stretched out three fingers to start the countdown.
"three!"
"two!"
"one!"
Zuo Zhong, who was at the front of one of the queues, stared at the driver's fingers and began to count silently. When the driver's hand clenched into a fist, he immediately waved his right hand down hard.
Almost at the same time, eight of the most elite operators from the Secret Service descended from the mountain like tigers, walked around the foot of the truck, and pounced on the four bodyguards who were close at hand.
Even with two against one, the agents still did not dare to be careless. One of the two-person team used a finger-tiger fist to crush the bodyguard's throat immediately, making the other party unable to issue a warning.
Immediately afterwards, the second person used the Mongolian (Harmony) ancient wrestling method to lock the target's hands and feet to prevent the opponent from taking out a weapon. After succeeding, he tightly strangled the target's neck with his arms, causing him to suffocate to death.
In just a few seconds, the four armed bodyguards were completely neutralized. They fell to the ground and rolled their eyes. Their bodies twisted unconsciously in a final struggle.
"Ho~ho~"
Listening quietly to the strange noises made by the four bodyguards, Zuo Zhong stood aside and watched them lose signs of life little by little. He sniffed again and nodded slightly to Gui Youguang.
Gui Youguang didn't hesitate, patted the shoulders of the two agents and made a gesture. The two men immediately walked to the wall and squatted down, crossing their hands on their knees to build a ladder.
Seeing that his men were ready, he stepped on the opponent's hand and used his strength to jump up the wall and jump into the yard. After a while, the iron-clad gate of Ji Mansion slowly opened.
(End of chapter)
