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

Chapter 235 The Magician Under the Moonlight

"Old Wu, don't be foolish. Your life is your own. Put down the poison. You should know that the situation is hopeless and cannot be reversed by a mere intelligence chief like you."

"Put down the poison in your hand, and I'll put in a good word for you with Director Li. Then we brothers can enjoy the good life together and share wealth."

Looking at this "brother" who had once fought alongside him, Wu Ming's eyes blazed with boundless anger and contempt.

He slowly raised his left hand, and the small capsule gleamed with a deadly luster under the light.

"Pah, you traitorous dog, you dare to talk to me about brotherhood?"

"I die today to serve my country, while you, you traitorous dog, will be torn to pieces sooner or later."

"Xiong Jiandong, I'll be waiting for you in hell..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Ming threw the capsule in his hand into his mouth.
Xiong Jiandong's eyes narrowed, and he shouted sharply, "Stop him! Keep him alive!"

"He also has an important piece of intelligence."

Two agents rushed forward with lightning speed, trying to stop Wu Ming from swallowing the medicine bag, but the potassium cyanide took effect too quickly.

Wu Ming didn't swallow; instead, he bit open the capsule directly. A slightly bitter taste filled his mouth and quickly entered his esophagus along with his saliva.

Just moments later, a piercing pain shot through him, and Wu Ming quickly lost consciousness.

"Damn it, he's so old-fashioned!" Xiong Jiandong stomped his foot angrily as he saw white saliva dripping from Wu Ming's mouth.

Potassium cyanide works very quickly, and once ingested, it is essentially ineffective. If a capsule is swallowed, it can be used to wash the stomach.

But if you bite open the capsule and swallow the cyanide inside, even a miracle won't save you.

Unfortunately, the top-secret telegram from the mountain city was lost; only Wu Ming could decipher the encrypted information.

Now that he's dead, the secret of that telegram has gone with him to the underworld.
"Search carefully and see if there's anything useful to bring back."

"Yes, Director Xiong." The group of low-level agents from the Jinling Special Agent Headquarters saluted knowingly.
Warehouse on Suzhou North Road, Shanghai.

Night, 7 o'clock
Several heavy trucks entered the warehouse, loaded the supplies onto the trucks, and quickly drove away.

Seeing the car disappear into the darkness, Mrs. Lu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Mr. Wang, thank you so much this time."

"If it weren't for your help, I don't know if my husband, Lao Lu, would have been able to walk out of the Special Agent Headquarters prison alive."

Liu Geqing, using the pseudonym Wang Ji'en, waved his hand and said, "Madam Lu, this is nothing. The most important thing is that Mr. Lu is alright."

Mrs. Lu forced a smile: "Mr. Wang, you've worked hard too."

"Qing'er has arranged dinner for you at the restaurant across the street. Go and have a bite, and bring Qing'er back later."

"I'm a little tired, so I won't disturb your conversation."

Wang Ji'en's face lit up with joy; this meant that the relationship between the two of them had been approved.

"Auntie, please rest assured, I will get Qing'er back safely."

Madam Lu nodded slightly and walked to a black sedan that had been parked there. Wang Ji'en quickly stepped forward and opened the back door.

As Mrs. Lu got into the car, she didn't forget to add, "It's not safe outside, bring her back as soon as possible."

"I understand, Madam Lu, please take care," Wang Ji'en said respectfully.
As the black sedan drove out of sight, Wang Ji'en rubbed his hands excitedly and quickly headed towards the restaurant not far across the street.

Shiweitian Restaurant...
Wang Ji'en soon saw the huge signboard of the restaurant.

Upon entering the restaurant, Wang Ji'en asked the waiter for directions. The waiter pointed upstairs and told Wang Ji'en that his friend was in a private room on the second floor.

Wang Ji'en took three steps at a time and quickly went upstairs.

Having found the location of the private room, Wang Ji'en pushed open the door and entered. He saw a girl in a cheongsam sitting in the main seat of the room.

"Qing!" He only managed to utter this one word before his expression changed instantly.
In the center of the private room, by the window, sat Lu Qing alone, like a lifeless porcelain doll, her face as pale as a newly painted wall.

Even more strangely, her eyes were vacant and unfocused as she stared toward the doorway, her lips trembling violently, yet as if sealed by invisible tape, she couldn't utter a single sound.

Wait a minute! There's something wrong with that expression!
Just as he subconsciously wanted to leave, a dark shadow flashed behind the screen in the private room, as swift as a ghost!

The heavy mahogany dining table inlaid with marble was suddenly lifted up by a tremendous force!
The cups, plates, bowls, and leftover food on the table shattered with a piercing sound, turning into deadly projectiles that hurtled towards them!
Almost at the same instant, from behind the screen, deep within the folds of the heavy scarlet velvet curtains, and from the antique cabinet doors in the corner, several black figures suddenly leaped out like venomous snakes that had been gathering strength to pounce all night!

The cold, hard object, with a terrifying touch, slammed heavily onto his forehead!
At the same time, figures suddenly appeared on both sides of the private room, brandishing weapons and viciously digging into his soft kidney area!

A sharp pain shot through the back of my head as if struck by a piece of metal!

He was pressed firmly against the cold door by an immense force, and the cold air of a blade emanated from his carotid artery!

He could even smell the faint, disgusting odor of machine oil and sweat mixed on the rough gloves of the man pressing him down behind him.

Just as her consciousness was about to be swallowed by darkness and excruciating pain, a hand wearing a white glove with distinct knuckles shot out from the side like lightning and fiercely covered her wide-open mouth!

The face that I remembered as always calm and collected was now twisted like a demon in the dim light!

"Ge Qing, it's been a long time."

Wan Tianmu said softly, "I went to great lengths to find you, but thankfully it wasn't in vain."

Liu Geqing instantly realized: "Wan Tianmu, was this all a trap you set?"

"Despicable. They actually used a woman to set a trap."

"Wan Tianmu, we're brothers. This has nothing to do with Lu Qing. You should arrest me."

"Foolish," Wan Tianmu walked up to Liu Geqing, "You say it's okay, so it's okay?"

"Of course, I'm still willing to give you a chance. As long as you're willing to cooperate, Miss Lu won't lose a single penny."

"Now, Miss Lu, we'll have to trouble you to come with us first, and we'll take you away."

At Wan Tianmu's command, several agents beside him immediately stepped forward, tied Liu Geqing up hand and foot, and also took Lu Qing, who was trembling like a quail, out of the restaurant.
No. 76, Jisifeier Road, Shanghai
With the addition of Li Qun and Ding Cun, the manpower of the Jinling Special Agent Headquarters has been expanded once again. The headquarters now has two important departments: Operations and Intelligence.

It also has many more departments under its command, such as the Secret Telegraph Group, the Special Training Department, the Special Interrogation Section, and the Guidance Section, which is staffed by personnel sent by the Mei Agency.

The current headquarters of the Western Route Special Agents can no longer accommodate the activities of so many departments.

Therefore, with the permission of Deputy Director Qingqi Qingyin, Li Qun, the deputy director of the Special Agent Headquarters, chose No. 76 Jisifeier Road as the address.

The former residence of Chen Diaoyuan, the former chairman of Anhui Province, was used as a site for espionage activities.

This place later became known as the infamous No. 76 Devil's Den.
After the establishment of No. 76, due to the large number of departments and insufficient manpower, Li Qun tried to cultivate a relationship with Boss Du, the leader of the Green Gang, but failed.
Boss Du said, "I'm willing to do anything, from murder to arson, but I'd never dare to be a traitor."

They directly and bluntly rejected Li Qun's suggestion.

Left with no other choice, Li Qun had to seek help from his master, Ji Yunqing.

As one of the founding members of the Eight-Legged Party, Ji Yunqing held a very high position in the Green Gang. With the persuasion of his adopted daughter, She Aizhen, and Li Qun, he finally agreed to Li Qun's request.

Therefore, most of Ji Yunqing's disciples also joined No. 76, including She Aizhen's lover, the notorious hoodlum Wu Sibao.

With just a villa, a sum of money, and a few guns, Shanghai's most feared secret service agency was established.

The original name of No. 76 was "Special Cases Division of the Central Executive Committee of Jinling in Shanghai".

Its main task was to capture resistance forces that were hostile to the new government and the Japanese.

This includes the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (Zhongtong), the Military Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (Juntong), the Red Party, and some spontaneous civilian anti-Japanese organizations.

To distinguish it from the headquarters on Daxilu Road, the unit name is simply replaced by its address, No. 76.

The No. 76 compound was equipped with thirty-eight inhumane forms of torture, including hanging, sitting on the tiger bench, pouring chili water down the throat, electric shocks, and pricking fingers with steel needles.
The prison included a sky dungeon (where people were suspended in mid-air and exposed to the scorching sun), a dungeon, and a water dungeon.
Meanwhile, in order to create an atmosphere of terror in society, "76" hung bloody human heads under streetlights, threw severed hands and feet into people's houses, stuck daggers on people's doors, sent bullets, and sent threatening letters.

They even stalked and kidnapped hostages...

There's nothing they can't do, only things you can't imagine.
Deep within the cold, dark prison, even the superficial glamour of the French Concession could not penetrate.

The air was thick with the stench of blood. The heavy iron gates opened and closed with a dull thud, leaving a long, menacing echo.

In the dungeon, on the ground floor, in a brightly lit special interrogation room, a powerful spotlight shines directly into the center of the room.

Liu Geqing was bound to a wooden execution chair, his wrists and ankles locked by thick iron chains. His clothes were tattered and covered with wounds, with congealed blood covering the new whip marks.
His cheekbones were swollen high, and one eye could barely open. But in the only eye he could open, a calm flame burned.

Two people were sitting behind the interrogation table.

On one side was Lieutenant Akihito Ishiguro, stationed at No. 76 by the Mei Agency, his eyes as sinister as an eagle's.

On the other side, sitting was Wan Tianmu.

Unlike his high spirits a few days ago, Wan Tianmu now looked tired, with a half-burnt cigarette between his fingers, the smoke blurring half of his face.

There was a notepad spread out in front of him, but he hadn't written a single word.

Lieutenant Ishiguro raised his chin, and a Japanese military doctor stepped forward, roughly pried open Liu Geqing's mouth, poured in water mixed with medicine powder, and then pinched his nose to force him to swallow.

It was a potent analgesic, a dose strong enough to suppress the excruciating pain without causing fainting, just so that one could converse "clear-headedly".

The drug took effect quickly; Liu Geqing's body convulsed painfully a few times, followed by a deeper numbness. "Liu-san," Shi Hei spoke in broken Chinese, tapping his fingers on the table, "I'll give you one more chance. Tell me the location and list of the undercover team in the Suzhou-Wuxi-Changzhou area! You should know that cooperation can save you a lot of unnecessary suffering."

Liu Geqing gasped for breath, his voice trembling slightly from the effects of the drug: "The list... is in my heart. If you're so capable, take it out and see it."

“Stubborn!” Ishiguro Akihito snorted coldly, looking at Wan Tianmu. “Director Wan, your colleagues seem to have no appreciation for your good intentions.”

Wan Tianmu flicked his cigarette ash, finally looking directly at Liu Geqing with a blank expression: "Old Liu, why bother?"

"As the saying goes, a wise man submits to circumstances. What Boss Dai can give you, Lord Yingzuo can give you double. No matter how tough the bone is, once crushed, it's still just a pile of ashes."

"Pah." Wan Tianmu was greeted with a mouthful of bloody spit.

A suffocating silence fell over the interrogation room. The heat from the bright lights scorched the air, mingling with the bitter smell of medicine.

Liu Geqing leaned back in the cold chair and closed his eyes to calm himself down.

When he opened his eyes again, his only remaining eye, still able to see, pierced through the blinding light and stared directly at Wang Tianmu's face. His gaze was incredibly complex, a mixture of anger, disdain, confusion, and even a hint of… regret.

"Wan Tianmu..." His voice was hoarse from the damage to his throat, yet it held a strange power, echoing in the empty, cold interrogation room. "Do you still remember... Nanyuan?"

Liu Geqing seemed completely oblivious to Shi Hei beside him, staring intently at Wan Tianmu. His voice was low and muffled, laced with the effects of the drug, each word sounding like a lament: "That time I was spying on the Japanese defenses, I was caught by a patrol... I was shot in the thigh... It was you! You carried me out of the pile of corpses... braving bullets... running three miles through the mud..."

Wan Tianmu took a deep drag on his cigarette, the greyish-white smoke completely enveloping him. Memories gnawed at his carefully constructed, icy defenses like venomous snakes. He remained silent, offering no denial.

“And… Tianjin…” Liu Geqing gasped for breath, gathering his last bit of strength, “That group of Japanese soldiers stormed into the church… a dozen or so female students… we rushed in to rescue them… we fired our last bullet… you took that bayonet for me… you needed seventeen stitches in your back…”

He raised his bound hand and pointed with difficulty to Wan Tianmu's chest, "You said... this scar... is a man's medal of honor... it's something to be proud of our ancestors!"

Liu Geqing stared at the blurred face behind the swirling smoke, then suddenly mustered his last bit of strength, his voice hoarse yet each word sharp as a knife:

"Wan Tianmu! Look at yourself, then look at me!" His voice trembled uncontrollably with rage. "I, Liu Geqing, lie here today, my bones broken, but my spine straight! My blood, though it stains the ground, still carries the earthy scent of our Chinese people! And what about you?!"

Wan Tianmu's fingers, holding the cigarette, trembled violently, and the unburnt cigarette butt nearly fell. As the smoke dissipated, his face, now a deathly pale gray, was revealed.

He avoided Liu Geqing's fiery gaze, turning his eyes to the cold, flickering light and shadow on the wall. His Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately fell into a deeper silence.

A series of hurried footsteps sounded, and Wu Sibao, the captain of the 76th Action Division, suddenly burst in.

"Director Wan, a special envoy from Nanjing has arrived and wants to participate in the interrogation."

Wan Tianmu was taken aback: "Who is it?"

Wu Sibao leaned close to his ear and said, "His surname is Bing, he's from Guangdong, and he seems to be a military officer from Guangdong who came from Nanjing."

“He has recommendation letters and documents from Nanjing, which Director Li has already reviewed.”

Wan Tianmu said with dissatisfaction, "Liu Geqing is a special agent from Shanghai. What reason does Nanjing have to interfere in the interrogation?"

Wu Sibao said in a low voice, "It seems he came about Mr. Wang's matter. The officers there are probably worried about security in Shanghai."

"He wanted to know if the Military Intelligence Bureau had arranged any action against Mr. Wang."

"He wants to talk to Liu Geqing."

"Let them talk. Let them talk." A hint of displeasure appeared on Wan Tianmu's face. "Let them talk slowly. Let's see if they can come up with something interesting."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wan Tianmu stood up and stormed out of the interrogation room.

Wu Sibao frowned, sighed, and ordered Agent 76 to put the battered Liu Geqing down and take him to a clean cell.

Cell No. 76.

Bing Yaozong, the special commissioner from Nanjing who came to welcome Mr. Wang to Shanghai, wore sunglasses and had his hat pulled low. He followed behind Wu Sibao, one of his confidants who had "given him advice," walking through the dark and cold passageway of the No. 76 headquarters.

Liu Geqing was thrown onto the cold stone bed, where the army doctor had just finished treating his wounds. His tattered prison clothes were stripped off and thrown on the ground, revealing a body covered in horrific whip marks, brands, and bruises.

A guard, cursing and swearing, threw a bowl of thin porridge mixed with blood and dregs on the ground and left.

Bing Yaozong forced himself to look away so as not to reveal anything unusual.

“Mr. Liu, my surname is Bing,” Bing Yaozong took a deep breath and said slowly, “I have come to see you today to offer you a way out.”

"As long as you are willing to cooperate with me, I can meet any of your requests."

Liu Geqing barely opened her swollen eyes and glanced at the so-called Nanjing Commissioner.

Suddenly, his gaze sharpened. The man who called himself Commissioner Bing was standing with his arms crossed and his back to the prison cell door.

His left hand fingers were tapping incessantly on his right forearm.

Is that pattern Morse code?

Liu Geqing strained his eyes, trying his best to decipher the information conveyed by Bing Yaozong's fingers.

"Hold on to the rescue, you go out."

He said he would find a way to get himself out.

Liu Geqing wasn't sure if Bing Yaozong was one of their own, or if he was just bait to lure her into talking.

After a long silence, he closed his eyes.

Without saying a word
Seeing Liu Geqing's expression, Bing Yaozong confirmed that he had received the message he had conveyed and said slowly, "It seems that Mr. Liu is too tired. Very well, you can think about it here. I will come and talk to you again later."

As soon as he finished speaking, Bing Yaozong knocked on the iron bars, signaling Wu Sibao's trusted confidant to open the cell door and let him out.
Late at night, in Shanghai, a Western restaurant on Jing'an Temple Road is about to close...
The neon lights on the signboard were off, with only a dim wall lamp still lit in a corner of the store.

The phonograph playing the hoarse strains of "Night Fragrance" added to the sense of mystery and despondency.

The owner was a silent, elderly Belarusian man who was slowly wiping glasses behind the bar, seemingly oblivious to the only remaining table of customers.

Bing Yaozong was dressed in an inconspicuous dark suit with his hat pulled low, and sat in the innermost booth.

The coffee in front of him had long since gone cold, and his fingertips tapped unconsciously on the table, the frequency revealing his inner anxiety.

Liu Geqing was arrested, and the Shanghai Military Intelligence Station was completely uprooted by Wan Tianmu.

Boss Dai ordered him to carry out the assassination plan against Wang Jingwei. At this point, without the assistance of the Shanghai Military Intelligence Bureau, success was virtually impossible.

Wu Gengshu spent a great deal of manpower and resources on this project.

He had Bing Yaozong, originally named Dai Xingbing, a Kuomintang agent, infiltrate the Nanjing government under the guise of being a fellow Cantonese.

He spent over ten thousand US dollars to bribe a general from Guangdong before he could get a position close to Wang and become his bodyguard.

This was his best chance, but without the help of the Military Intelligence Bureau, his plan to get close to Wang Jingwei by creating chaos was doomed to fail.

How can one person create chaos and approach the target at the same time? He's simply too busy.

After reporting the news from the Shanghai Stock Exchange to Wu Gengshu, Wu Gengshu quickly sent instructions.

He was tasked with using an emergency contact signal to awaken a special agent, codenamed Magician, who had been operating in Shanghai for many years.

This magician is not from Boss Dai's line of work. He is a senior figure, and it is said that he was on the list when the Lixing Society was first established.

He was Director Kang's most valued agent and one of the main fundraisers for the Lixingshe and the Three People's Principles Youth Corps.
In Shanghai today, the Military Intelligence Bureau's forces have been almost completely wiped out, and he is the only one who can still provide some assistance to Bing Yaozong.

A series of three long and two short, light knocks came from the back door of the restaurant, quite rhythmic.

The Belarusian boss paused, glanced at Dai Xingbing, and seeing the latter nod slightly, went over and opened the door.

A figure flashed in.

The man was quite old, with slightly graying temples, dressed plainly, not very tall, and somewhat plump. He had a peculiar calmness on his face, as if nothing in the world could move him.

He was one of the most senior and mysterious agents of the Military Intelligence Bureau infiltrating Shanghai, known as "The Magician".

The "magician" walked straight to the seat opposite Dai Xingbing and sat down. Without exchanging pleasantries, he spoke directly in a deep and steady voice: "I understand the situation."

"Wan Tianmu acted swiftly; the warehouse on Suzhou North Road was a trap. The basement of the No. 76 headquarters was heavily guarded, with security tighter than ever before."

Dai Xingbing nodded and said, "I've already seen him. The orders from above are to rescue Liu Geqing at all costs, or..."

He paused, his voice growing colder, "Make sure he can't speak."

The "magician" nodded slightly, indicating that he understood the meaning of "unable to speak." If necessary, he would carry out the "cleansing" task to prevent his comrades from betraying him after being tortured.

After a pause, Dai Xingbing slowly said, "Wan Tianmu wants to use Liu Geqing as bait to catch a bigger fish. Therefore, he will not execute Liu Geqing immediately, but will conduct a public interrogation to show off his achievements. This gives us a brief window of opportunity."

"how long?"

Dai Xingbing was straightforward. "At most forty-eight hours. After forty-eight hours, either Liu Geqing will submit, or his 'value' will be squeezed dry and he will be disposed of."

"How to save?"

Dai Xingbing shook his head: "That's the problem. We must find a suitable rescue plan within forty-eight hours."

"If we cannot devise a complete rescue plan by the deadline, Boss Dai's order will be given."

"To be loyal to the country."

(End of this chapter)