Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

Chapter 144 A New Round of Covert Warfare!

Li Xiaonan cautioned, "Then you must be careful and make sure you don't give yourself away."

Zhou Xiao nodded: "I know what I'm doing."

"Furthermore, I will cut off Wang Manchun's trapping chain as soon as possible. Otherwise, more passionate young people will be ensnared."

"She had previously committed indiscriminate killings, pointing her gun at unarmed civilians, just to intimidate the anti-Japanese forces. This kind of bloodshed must not be repeated. Next, I need to strengthen the security network."

Li Xiaonan replied, "Sure, just let us know if you need any help."

Zhou Xiao nodded slightly.

The organization has just issued new instructions: even if the entire underground party in Shanghai is exposed, Zhou Xiao's safety must be ensured at all costs. Because deep within the enemy camp, he is a sharp dagger, capable of striking at the heart of the enemy and turning the tide of the crisis at crucial moments.

Just like the "Celestial Music Project" that is currently underway.

Although Wang Manchun's entrapment operation did not stop, Feng Manna's plan basically failed because Zhou Xiao promptly synchronized intelligence with the underground party and the Kuomintang.

The only time they succeeded was by following the clues in the early stages and uncovering an anti-Japanese patriot.

Even so, Shanghai is once again on edge.

Almost simultaneously, at Wang Fuzhao's strong recommendation, the Wang puppet regime officially extended an invitation to Ming Lou, the eldest son of the prestigious Ming family in Shanghai, to return to China to serve as the chief financial advisor of the Economic Department of the Ministry of Finance. The purpose was clear: to use his professional expertise to stabilize Shanghai's economy, which meant stabilizing the financial lifeline of the Wang puppet regime.

The assassinations of three previous leaders—Ken Oshima, head of the Special Higher Police and commander of the military police; Yoshinori Shirakawa, supreme commander of the garrison; and Myofu Chen, vice minister in charge of finance—have severely disrupted the local financial order.

Minglou had studied economics in Paris in his early years, and with his solid foundation and skillful methods, Wang Fuzhao recommended him to take on this important task.

In a street-front cafe on Hong Kong Island.

Minglou, dressed in a well-tailored black long coat with a suit and tie underneath, was slowly sipping tea, his gaze sweeping over the bustling traffic outside the window, his expression calm and composed.

A short while later, a man in a light yellow suit sat down opposite him, picked up his coffee and took a sip.

It is Mingcheng.

Ming Lou looked up: "The people have been dealt with?"

Mingcheng: "Clean and efficient."

Although the Wang puppet government had passed the political review and Wang Fuzhao personally endorsed the appointment, and was under pressure from the economic collapse of Shanghai, the Japanese still harbored doubts.

Minglou's background is shrouded in mystery—he is nominally a disciple of Wang Fuzhao, but he has long been targeted by Doihara, who secretly sent agents to Hong Kong to track and investigate him.

Therefore, Minglou and his assistant Mingcheng took advantage of the transfer to quietly intercept the Japanese spy in Hong Kong Island, retrieve all the information, and erase all traces.

Mingcheng put down his coffee cup and said softly, "They probably don't expect that we would make our move on Hong Kong Island."

Ming Lou said calmly, "This is only the beginning."

Mingcheng nodded silently.

Both of them knew that this was by no means a single-line investigation, but rather involved a much wider network.

It is worth mentioning that Mingcheng is not a descendant of the Ming family.

He lost his father at a young age and grew up in an orphanage. When he was two years old, he was adopted by Aunt Gui, a maid in the Ming family, who treated him as her own son. When he was five, the truth was revealed, and he suffered ten years of cold violence and mental torture at the hands of Aunt Gui. When he was fifteen, he decided to run away and fainted on the street. He was discovered and rescued by Ming Lou, who happened to be passing by.

After that, he was personally tutored by Ming Lou and went to the University of Paris in France to study economics and oil painting. He participated in the research and development of a new spice formula for the Ming family. In October 1934, he secretly joined the party and was codenamed "Qingci".

Minglou later discovered his identity and immediately escorted him to Moscow, where he received training at the Frunze Military Communications School in Leningrad before being transferred back to his side. Now, the two brothers have returned to Shanghai side by side, ready to engage in a new round of covert warfare.

Though not related by blood, their bond is stronger than that of blood relatives.

Mingcheng was the only one who knew Minglou's full identity, and they had no secrets from each other, their trust was as solid as a rock.

Minglou finished the last sip of his coffee, stood up, and said, "Let's go, hurry back to Shanghai. Every extra day we stay in Hong Kong increases the risk."

Mingcheng nodded and stood up.

On a flight to Shanghai.

The two sat in the VIP first-class cabin, a private space perfect for exchanging information.

Minglou turned to the side and asked, "Ah Cheng, what's been happening in Shanghai these past two months?"

Mingcheng replied in a low voice, "Brother, Shanghai has been in great chaos these past two months—many high-ranking Japanese and puppet officials, traitors and lackeys have been targeted, including several who were very influential figures."

"So we need to be extra careful when we go back this time."

"Oh?" Minglou raised an eyebrow slightly. "Tell me more."

After hearing the details, Minglou was also slightly taken aback: Who exactly was pulling the strings behind the scenes?

Hades?

Since he will soon be returning to Shanghai, Minglou naturally needs to find out the latest developments there first.

Mingcheng said, "Brother, things haven't been peaceful in Shanghai lately; one incident after another has happened."

"First, there was the Special Higher Police (TAT). Within just two months, three directors of the TAT were assassinated one after another—Aoki Takeshige, Sendoh Kaede, and Asano Hirofumi. The most outrageous case was Asano Hirofumi, who was shot dead on the spot at the TAT's office on his very first day in office."

"The person who has taken over now is the newly transferred Yoko Minamida."

"Furthermore, the high-ranking Japanese and puppet officials have been frequently attacked in recent months: Bi Zhongliang, the head of the Special Operations Headquarters' Operations Department, was eliminated, and it is said that the person in charge was Su Sansheng, who is also the current captain of the operations team;"

"Li Moqun, the founder of the No. 76 Special Agent Headquarters and a key figure in the Japanese puppet regime, was also assassinated. The scene was a sealed room, and the method of the crime has not yet been determined."

"Chen Mingfu, the vice mayor in charge of financial affairs in Shanghai, passed away unexpectedly."

"Even more shockingly, the Sugimoto headquarters of the Japanese military police in Shanghai was completely uprooted, and General Ken Oshima, the commander of the military police, died on the spot; even General Yoshinori Shirakawa, the highest-ranking commander of the garrison, was assassinated in the military police's top-secret archives room."

"Every single detail was meticulously planned, and it is widely believed that it was the work of the Military Intelligence Bureau."

"But how exactly to do it and who will carry it out remains a mystery."

Minglou listened and nodded slightly.

Although he was far away in Paris, he was no stranger to the news from Shanghai.

Mingcheng was helping him to go over the key events of the recent period again.

Minglou said, "Each of these cases is a major case that shakes the entire city. The fact that even a top-secret stronghold like the Sugi Agency could be destroyed shows that there must be a deep throat planted by the Military Intelligence Bureau within the Japanese puppet regime, and that the rank is not low."

Mingcheng nodded: "The Japanese aren't stupid; they've been secretly investigating for a while now."

"But right now, the person I'm most worried about is you, big brother."

"Your identity has always been kept strictly confidential, and very few people know about it. I'm afraid that the local Military Intelligence Bureau in Shanghai might not know the details and mistake you for a staunch traitor, and take action against you directly."

The Military Intelligence Bureau must have deployed multiple action groups and liaison points in Shanghai, its intelligence hub.

Minglou pondered for a moment and said, "The situation in Shanghai is more complex than it appears on the surface."

Mingcheng replied, "That's right."

Ming Lou is nominally the head of the intelligence section of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Shanghai station, but Zhou Xiao had already been promoted to that position before—a personnel arrangement personally pushed by Sixth Brother Zheng Yaoxian when he first arrived in Shanghai.

Now Minglou has returned with the same title. It's impossible for two officials to be in the same position. The only explanation is that Zhou Xiao has been promoted again.

Ming Lou had a long and distinguished career in the Military Intelligence Bureau, a close personal relationship with Boss Dai, and was one of the earliest members to join the Bureau. Therefore, even after returning from Paris, he was still able to maintain his position as the head of the intelligence section.

Seniority is never just empty fame. It represents years of hard work, numerous outstanding achievements, and real, tangible results.

Zhou Xiao, however, was different. He took charge of the intelligence department shortly after graduating from military academy. His rapid promotion was rare in the Military Intelligence Bureau, and he could be described as rising to the top in one step.