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

Chapter 148 Overt and covert fighting
Tang Mansion on Ferguson Road, French Concession, Shanghai.

At six o'clock in the evening, a flatbed truck carrying garbage appeared on time in the back alley of Tang Mansion.

Old Zhao, wearing a gray felt hat, a short jacket, and a yellowish towel draped over his shoulder, pulled his cart to the back alley of the Tang Mansion.

It was still dark when the sky cleared, and the back alley was littered with kitchen waste, swill, and other household garbage.

Old Zhao loaded the items onto the flatbed cart one by one. At the entrance of the alley, figures flickered. Two secret agents looked at Old Zhao's figure and couldn't help but sigh.

The Tang Mansion is quite different from some other wealthy families.

Wealthy families usually send someone to collect these things late at night or in the early morning.

But Tang Shaoyi was different. He had someone come over at six o'clock to collect some kitchen waste and leftovers.

According to him, people haven't eaten yet at this time, so they can take home some unused items or leftovers to eat.

It sounds quite benevolent, but it just gives off a strange feeling...

It's like someone giving you a pile of shit and then asking if you're hot...

Old Zhao cleaned up all the garbage, then slowly pushed the flatbed cart out of the alley and drove away.

Shanghai, French Concession, 553 Jinbei Road, Military Intelligence Bureau secret liaison station…

Yu Shi'an strode through the dimly lit corridor, a miniature roll of film he had just retrieved from the pile of garbage between his fingers.

Pushing open the door to the secret room, Zhao Lijun, the head of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Shanghai station, was standing with his back to the door in front of the window, toying with a delicate little axe in his hand.

Zhao Lijun's idol was Wang Yaqiao, the king of assassins in the Republic of China. In order to imitate Wang Yaqiao, he learned to use a small axe, explosives and various assassination methods. He was a notorious killer in the Kuomintang military intelligence. Some people said that he took pleasure in killing.

"Station Chief, here's some intelligence from Aries." Yu Shi'an placed the film on the table. "Aries reports that the situation at the Tang Mansion is more urgent than we anticipated."

Zhao Lijun slowly turned around, the neon lights outside the window casting flickering shadows on his angular face.

He picked up a magnifying glass and carefully examined the developed photos.

Tang Shaoyi was in his study raising a toast with Yingzuo Zhenzhao, and the document spread out on the table was clearly titled "Outline of Development of the Reformed Government of the Republic of China".

“That old fox.” Zhao Lijun’s knuckles tapped heavily on the table. “Boss Dai’s prediction was right; Tang Shaoyi is indeed going to side with the Japanese.”

Yu Shi'an hesitated for a moment, then handed over a note: "Goat has confirmed that Yingzuo Zhenzhao will come in person to collect the signed documents at 8 pm tonight."

"The Jinling Special Service Committee has dispatched twenty additional agents, and the Tang Mansion is now under heavy security."

Zhao Lijun walked to the wall, suddenly pulled back the curtain, revealing a detailed floor plan of the Tang Mansion.

He circled the area in the study with a red pen: "The conventional assassination plan is no longer feasible. Notify the action team to activate 'Operation Fallen Leaves'."

Zhao Lijun's eyes were sharp as knives. "Tell Aries that at 7:30 tonight, have Aries find a way to get Tang Shaoyi to drink that cup of tea."

Yu Shi'an's Adam's apple bobbed: "That poison?"

"It's not poison." Zhao Lijun took a small porcelain bottle from the drawer.

"This is a new concoction developed by the Mountain City Special Operations Research Lab. After ingestion, symptoms similar to a stroke will appear within half an hour."

"It's too difficult to make a move at the Tang Mansion; we can only start halfway through."

Yu Shi'an suddenly realized, "Does the station chief mean we should ambush them on the way to the hospital?"

"But how can you be sure which hospital Tang Shaoyi will go to after the accident?"

There were several hospitals in front of and behind the French Concession.

“Guangci Hospital!” Zhao Lijun’s tone carried an undeniable certainty.

"All of Tang Shaoyi's examinations and routine consultations are conducted at Guangci Hospital."

“If something happens, they will definitely send it to Guangci Hospital.” “The road from Tang Mansion to Guangci Hospital is right here,” Zhao Lijun picked up a red pen and drew a circle at the junction of Jinxian Road and Ferguson Road.

"Boom!" Suddenly, lightning flashed and thunder roared outside the window, and a torrential downpour began in late summer.

Zhao Lijun's voice sounded particularly cold amidst the rain: "The action group is divided into three teams."

"You will lead a team to create a disturbance on the west side of Jinxian Road at 8:00 AM sharp."

"The second team ambushed near the French Concession police station, delaying their response time,"

"The third team was led by Xie Zhipan from the action team. This guy was an elite that Boss Dai specially transferred from the training class in Hunan."

"I'd like to see if he's as good as Boss Dai says."

Yu Shi'an frowned and said, "Station Chief, isn't it a bit much to entrust such an important task to Xie Zhipan...?"

"Did you get the key Tang Ping left you?" Zhao Lijun ignored Yu Shi'an's words and asked about the spare key to the study that Tang Ping had told him to leave him.

Yu Shi'an said, "I've already received it."

Zhao Lijun looked at a dotted line on the floor plan: "Complete the task according to the pre-arranged plan."

"I'll lead men to infiltrate the Tang mansion's study through the underground drainage pipes to retrieve evidence of Tang Shaoyi's crimes. Shi'an, you're responsible for covering for Xie Zhipan. If 'Operation Fallen Leaves' fails, you'll lead a direct assault."

Yu Shi'an nodded, then suddenly remembered something: "Our inside source reported that Zuo Mingquan of the Nanjing Special Service Committee suddenly went to Nanjing this afternoon."

"At this critical juncture, Zuo Mingquan's sudden trip to Jinling, will it have any repercussions...?"

“What impact could it have?” Zhao Lijun said. “Could he possibly know our plans in advance and make the necessary arrangements?”

"Do you think he's Liu Bowen reincarnated or Zhuge Liang reincarnated? If he were that powerful, we wouldn't have a place to stay long ago."

Yu Shi'an frowned, unsure how to respond. A brief silence fell over the secret room, broken only by the sound of raindrops tapping on the window.

After a moment, Yu Shi'an took out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Zhao Lijun: "When I met with Bai Yang this morning, he told me that if Bai Yang didn't make it out this time, give this to his daughter Tang Cuiping and tell her that her father is not a traitor."

Zhao Lijun took the envelope, inside which was a commemorative medal for special operations of the Military Intelligence Bureau, stained with blood, with the four small characters "Loyal and Courageous Without Compare" engraved on the back.

Zhao Lijun stared at the medal in his hand for a long while, then nodded: "Leave this matter to me. Shi'an, you be careful too..."

"Yes, stationmaster." Yu Shi'an saluted and strode out of the office.

At 7:20 p.m. at the Tang Mansion, Tang Ping carried a cup of ginseng tea toward the study.

Two lackeys of the Jinling Special Service Committee and Tang De, the butler of the Tang Mansion, stood at the door of the study...

Tang De glanced at Tang Ping and asked somewhat strangely, "Zhongjing, why are you the one bringing the tea? Where is Xiao Hong?"

Tang Ping said respectfully, "Uncle De, Aunt Xiu is in the kitchen preparing rock sugar stewed bird's nest for the master, and asked Xiao Hong to help prepare the bird's nest."

"I saw they were too busy to deliver it, so I decided to bring it myself, so the master wouldn't be thirsty."

Tang De nodded slightly. "Give it to me, I'll take it in."

Tang Ping quickly handed the tea to Tang De.

Tang De took the tea but didn't take it inside immediately. Instead, he looked at Tang Ping and asked, "Zhongjing, how long have you been at the Tang residence?"

Tang Ping said respectfully, "Uncle De, don't you remember? I came here four years ago, and you personally took me in."

Tang De sighed softly, "Yes, four years ago. I was the one who took you in. I was truly blind..."

Tang Ping's heart skipped a beat, realizing something was wrong. His right hand instantly reached for his lower back, but before he could draw his pistol, two agents had already pressed their pistols against his head from both sides.

“Zhongjing, we each serve our own masters, don’t blame me for being ruthless,” Tang De murmured, then said in an icy tone, “Take him away…”

(End of this chapter)