Spy game? Stop guessing, I really am an undercover agent!

Chapter 113 Fooled

Say it again? Asano Ozo didn't know why Matsui Yokoji was suddenly so agitated.

But he patiently continued, "Section Chief Matsui, what I mean is that if I were Qinghu, the leader of this Red Party group, I wouldn't have chosen the Jiangnan Wharf as an escape route."

"Let's put ourselves in their shoes. If I were Qinghu, I would have at least three reasons not to choose this place."

"First, I don't have the ability to control the environment here. If I leave here, I won't be able to get support if I'm ambushed."

"Secondly, I have a special envoy from the New Army, Night Owl, with me. Her identity and the medicine she is taking out are very important to the New Army. I have no reason to let her take risks with me."

"Thirdly, the Empire's control over the French Concession is significantly weaker than that over the Chinese Concession, so I have even less reason to choose this place."

As soon as Asano Ozo finished speaking, Matsui Yokoji's expression changed, and the problem he couldn't understand before suddenly became clear.

"Damn it, Zhao Peng, that idiot, we've been tricked."

"The person who killed Zhao Peng was not a robber who was greedy for money, but a premeditated killer who wanted to silence us in order to prevent us from reacting in time."

"Because the deal that Zhao Peng mentioned is one that he simply cannot get involved in."

"As soon as Zhao Peng shows up at the agreed time at the transaction location given to him by the driver, he will immediately realize that the transaction is a scam."

"That way, we can react in advance."

Asano Ozo was taken aback: "Section Chief, are you saying that there was no transaction at all tonight, and we were all deceived by them?"

Matsui Yokoji gritted his teeth and said, "You're wrong. There will definitely be a transaction tonight, and they will definitely choose to leave the Shanghai Stock Exchange tonight."

"The cunning Chinese are using Zhao Peng to lure the tiger away from the mountain and launch a feint attack in the east while attacking in the west."

"They tricked Zhao Peng into bringing us to the Chinese-controlled area, but they actually wanted to leave through the French Concession."

"Damn it, I don't even know if it will be in time to transfer people from the Military Police Headquarters."

"Asano-kun, immediately inform Ando-kun to take his men to the Xinkaihe Wharf."

"Let's go to the Sixteen Factories Wharf."

"Hai." Asano Ozo stood at attention, about to leave, when suddenly, as if remembering something, he said, "Section Chief, there are three docks in the French Concession."

"Besides Xinhe River and Sixteen Factories, there is also an international port."

"What if they choose to leave from there..."

“That’s unlikely,” Matsui Yokoji pondered. “Cargo ships at international terminals don’t take inland waterway routes.”

“They have no reason to leave from there.”

"However, for safety's sake, Mr. Asano, please notify the people at the Shanghai office of the Nanjing Special Service Committee."

"Let them help us investigate and punish anti-Japanese elements."

"Hai," Asano Ozo bowed slightly and quickly walked towards the dock...

Shanghai International Port.

The sticky wind from the Huangpu River, carrying a heavy fishy smell and the complex odor of moldy goods, pressed down on people.

Ink-black clouds rolled across the sky, seemingly brewing a belated downpour.

Around the international terminal, huge cargo ships, like exhausted steel behemoths, lay prone on the murky water, while gantry cranes emitted dull, piercing groans as they unloaded boxes and bundles of cargo.

The shouts of dockworkers, the foremen's reprimands, and the clatter of chains dragging on the ground, mixed with the faint music drifting from the distant Bund, all blended together in a noisy fermentation.

Lin Xueli, wearing a light gray silk long gown and carrying a slightly worn black briefcase under his arm, walked calmly through the busy unloading area.

His gaze seemed to casually sweep over his surroundings, passing over the mountain of wooden crates, the fish baskets exuding a salty, fishy smell, and the rusty machine casings.

Along the way, everyone treated him with exceptional respect because he wore a small, slightly polished bronze badge on his chest.

Don't let its unassuming appearance and unusual age fool you; this badge is the insignia of a clerk in the French Concession Municipal Council. Lin Xueli worked for the French precisely for this small badge.

This thing can bring him a lot of convenience.

Of course, while gaining the badge, he also lost a lot: his family's lack of understanding, and his father's constant belief that he was working for the French in order to collude with outsiders to seize his property.

His sister thought he was being obsequious and had lost the dignity of a Chinese person.

Even the servants at home said that this eldest brother was ruthless and would do anything for money.

But only he himself knows the truth.

"Mr. Lin, why are you at the dock so late? Does your company have goods to ship today?" A man dressed in customs inspector's uniform slowly walked over.

Lin Xueli nodded slightly, a professional yet somewhat aloof smile playing on his lips: "Mr. Fimas, is it your turn to be on duty today?"

"The company has arranged for a shipment to be loaded onto a ship and left tonight."

"Where's the goods?" Fimas pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and looked at Lin Xueli curiously.

Lin Xueli raised his hand to look at his watch. "It'll be soon. I saw the warehouse loading trucks when I arrived."

"The boss was worried about not having enough time, so he asked me to come and make arrangements first."

"Look, all the paperwork for the goods is complete."

As Lin Xueli spoke, he opened his briefcase and handed a shipping order and various reports to Fimas.

"Yes, the paperwork is fine. I just need to check the goods. Sorry, that's the rule."

Lin Xueli calmly held a small yellow croaker in his hand, then deliberately shook hands with Fimas and said, "Mr. Fimas, our company has always been very law-abiding."

"If you open the box for inspection, I'm afraid there won't be enough time. Could you please make an exception?"

Fimas weighed the small yellow croaker in his hand, and a smile immediately appeared on his face: "Mr. Lin is right."

“Mr. Pi Shaona is one of the directors of the Municipal Council, so his credibility is certainly not a problem.”

"It's so late, I should go to sleep. Mr. Lin, please make yourself at home..."

"Mr. Fimas, sweet dreams..."

After waving goodbye to Fimas, Lin Xueli walked to the front of the cargo ship, the Weisidi.

Looking up at his wristwatch, Lin Xueli saw that the hour hand was pointing to ten o'clock, and he couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

However, just a few minutes later, a large truck appeared in front of them with its lights flashing.

Lin Xueli finally calmed down when he saw the truck appear.

The car stopped in front of us, the driver's side door opened, and a figure jumped out.

"Manager Lin, the goods have arrived."

Lin Xueli nodded slightly. "Let's get to work."

The driver nodded and told his companion, who was sitting in the dump truck behind the vehicle, to unload the dozen or so boxes, each over a meter tall, onto the dock.

After all the boxes were unloaded, the group got into the car and drove away.

Lin Xueli silently walked to a wooden crate with a mark on it and whispered through the pre-drilled ventilation hole, "Comrade Night Owl, someone will help you load it onto the ship later."

"When the ship stops at Hong Kong Island tomorrow, someone will pick you up along with your medicine. The comrades on Hong Kong Island will arrange for you to return from Guangzhou."

"Wish you a safe journey."

(End of this chapter)