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

Chapter 259 Prepare for Action
The following morning, a light drizzle enveloped Shanghai, casting a veil over the bustling city and temporarily dispelling the sweltering heat of late summer.

In a Suzhou Pingtan teahouse located on the edge of the International Settlement, the sounds of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments filled the air as tea drinkers leisurely listened to the soft Suzhou dialect spoken on stage, as if the war and strife outside had nothing to do with this place.

Shen Qingyao, holding a plain oil-paper umbrella, appeared on time in the private room "Tingyuxuan" on the second floor of the teahouse.

Today she changed into a more understated navy blue cheongsam, her hair was neatly styled in a bun, and the custom-made cheongsam accentuated her curvaceous figure, making her look more like a refined lady who had come to enjoy tea and music.

Inside the private room, Chen Yang had already arrived. A set of exquisite purple clay teaware was placed in front of him, and he was leisurely watching the rain pattering on the banana leaves outside the window, as if he had truly come here to steal half a day of leisure from his busy life.

"Minister Chen, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Shen Qingyao folded her umbrella and placed it by the door, her face bearing a perfectly gentle smile.

"Miss Shen, you're too kind. I just arrived." Chen Yang turned around, gestured for her to enter, and personally poured her a cup of freshly brewed Biluochun tea. The aroma of the tea filled the air. "When you have nothing to do, you can listen to music in a brothel. Speaking of which, Suzhou storytelling on a rainy day has a unique charm."

The two exchanged pleasantries with smiles, their conversation revolving around tea, the weather, and the art of Suzhou storytelling, as if it were just an ordinary gathering of friends.

As the music ended and scattered applause filled the teahouse, Chen Yang casually slipped a sealed manila envelope from under the table to Shen Qingyao's hand, his movements fluid and discreet.

"Ms. Shen mentioned her interest in transportation last time, and I happen to have a recent shipment manifest and route map for 'artworks' heading north,"

“The types, quantities, and packaging characteristics of the ‘items’ inside, as well as the configuration of the ‘escort’ personnel, the stops along the way, and the times, are all marked in great detail.”

"Especially the section of road that passes through the hilly area of ​​central and southern Shandong. Although the scenery is beautiful, the road conditions are complicated and occasionally a bit bumpy. If Miss Shen is interested, she can study it carefully."

Shen Qingyao's heart suddenly raced, but she remained calm on the surface. Her slender hand gently pressed the file folder and slid it into the inner layer of her handbag.

This contains detailed information about the K-739 special train!
The details of the loaded supplies, the escorting troops' schedule down to the minute, and the best route for action hinted at by Chen Yang.

"Minister Chen, you've gone to a lot of trouble." Shen Qingyao picked up her teacup, using the act of sipping tea to conceal her inner turmoil. "This 'information' is very valuable; I will study it carefully."

"I just don't know about the follow-up to the 'cooperation' we discussed earlier, on Minister Chen's side..."

"Don't worry, Miss Shen." Chen Yang raised his hand slightly: "I have my own arrangements. As long as the 'goods' can be successfully 'stored', your portion will naturally be delivered to the designated location in batches through safe channels."

"The premise is that the 'warehousing' process must be clean and efficient, leaving no loose ends!"

“Of course.” Shen Qingyao put down her teacup. “We will make all the necessary preparations.”

The intelligence was in hand, and the crucial promises had been confirmed.

The two said no more, listened to a bit more Suzhou storytelling, and then left the teahouse one after the other, as if they were friends who had met by chance.

The drizzle continued, and Shen Qingyao walked into the rain with an umbrella, the file folder in her handbag feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Mingchun Grocery Store, Zhabei District, Shanghai

This is a grocery store located in Zhabei District that is controlled by our Party!

The boss's surname is Guo. He looks honest and simple, and people call him "Honest Guo"!

At this moment, in the cellar of the grocery store's backyard, a crucial meeting is taking place.

The cellar was poorly ventilated, with only a kerosene lamp providing illumination, casting two elongated shadows on the wall.

Special envoy Zhang Jianliang stood solemnly before a middle-aged man with a refined and scholarly demeanor.

This person was Pan Hannian, an outstanding leader of the Red Party's underground work in Shanghai.

"Comrade Han Nian, this is the situation." Zhang Jianliang gave Pan Han Nian a complete report on the deal between Shen Qingyao and Chen Yang, as well as the plan to hijack the K-739 special train, and presented him with a copy of the file folder that Shen Qingyao had just risked her life to retrieve and which was still warm.

"The operation is extremely risky, but the benefits of its success will be crucial to alleviating the current extreme predicament of the base. We need to organize a group of capable, reliable and experienced personnel."

"Now, only you can make such a request to the organization."

Pan Hannian carefully reviewed the documents in the file folder, his brows sometimes furrowing and sometimes relaxing.

He looked at it very carefully, especially the parts about the escorting troops, the timing of the operation, and the terrain.

The cellar was silent except for the rustling of papers turning and the occasional crackling of the kerosene lamp wick.

After a long while, Pan Hannian put down the documents, looked up at Zhang Jianliang, and said, "The documents are very detailed. Chen Yang did not cut corners in this regard."

"This plan is audacious, but... it is indeed feasible, especially since the main force of the Japanese army is currently overwhelmed by Nomonhan and the allocation of supplies. Their vigilance towards the rear railway lines may have a brief gap."

"As for personnel, I will coordinate. Old Hong from the 'Railway Guerrilla' has a group of skilled people who can rob trains and carry out explosives. They know the terrain of the northern section of the Jinpu Railway like the back of their hand and can serve as the main force in the operation."

"Old Liu's Flying Tigers are best at sabotaging supply lines and close-quarters combat,"

"In addition, a combat team will be drawn from the Jiangbei Detachment to be responsible for perimeter security and support. They are skilled in mountain warfare and rapid deployment."

“All participants must undergo rigorous vetting to ensure absolute loyalty, and one-way communication must be implemented to minimize the risk of exposure.”

“However, Comrade Jianliang,” Pan Hannian’s tone suddenly turned serious, “you must clearly tell Comrade Shen Qingyao and all the team members involved in the operation that the first objective of this operation is to acquire supplies, and the second is to ensure the safety of personnel. Unless absolutely necessary, avoid getting entangled with the enemy.”

"After the operation is over, all personnel must immediately disperse and hide, and enter a state of silence. At the same time, we must maintain the highest level of vigilance against Chen Yang. Multiple safeguards must be designed for the handover of supplies to prevent him from abandoning us after we have served our purpose."

"Yes, Comrade Hannian, I understand!" Zhang Jianliang stood at attention and replied.
"Let's leave it at that for now." Pan Hannian's tone softened a bit. "We still have a few days. We need to refine the specific action plan as soon as possible, especially the evacuation route and emergency plan. We need to rehearse them repeatedly, leaving no detail overlooked, to ensure that nothing goes wrong!"

“Understood, Comrade Hannian,” Zhang Jianliang nodded seriously, and the two extended their right hands and shook hands tightly…

The cellar door was gently opened and closed, and Zhang Jianliang and Pan Hannian quickly disappeared into the dark passage leading to the general store.

July 4, 1939, 3:00 AM.

There is a remote area called "Hejialing" on the southern section of the Jinpu Railway in central Shandong.

Here, the hills rise and fall, and the railway line follows the contours of the mountains to form a gentle "S" curve, forcing trains to slow down to pass through.

The ridge is covered with dense forests, while below it are vast fields of sorghum rustling in the night.

All was quiet except for the chirping of summer insects and the occasional sound of the wind.

The air was filled with the fresh scent of earth and plant leaves, but it couldn't conceal a barely concealed, restless killing intent. Among the dense sorghum stalks, pairs of sharp eyes were fixed on the two railway tracks below the mountain, gleaming coldly in the dim starlight.

These people were Hong Feng, the captain of the Railway Guerrilla, who was ordered to carry out the robbery mission, and Liu Yiqiang, the captain of the Flying Tigers, and his more than two hundred elite members.

Including the two action battalions mobilized by the Jiangbei Detachment, the number of personnel involved in the attack on the "Liefeng Maru," namely the South Manchuria Railway Special K-739 military train, was nearly 500.

The sheer number of people involved demonstrates the importance the organization places on this operation.

Hong Feng was originally a railway worker on the Jinpu Railway Line, and he knew every spike and every curve of this railway line like the back of his hand.

At this moment, Hong Feng had a blade of grass in his mouth, and his eyes were like those of an experienced old hunter, calmly estimating the time and the speed of the vehicle.

Scattered around him were crowbars, large wrenches, and bundles of explosives.

These are all standard features of his team.

Not far from him, Liu Yiqiang was half-squatting behind a small earthen mound.

Liu Yiqiang, whose real name is Liu Zhiqiang, was from Linyi, Shandong Province. He was originally a railway worker. He was a hunter by trade and had an excellent marksmanship. He once killed a major with a single shot, which is why he got the nickname Liu Yiqiang!

Liu Yiqiang was a few years younger than Hong Feng and more agile. He carried a well-maintained Zhongzheng rifle on his back, and his belt was full of gleaming bullets and wooden-handled grenades.

His Flying Tigers team was known for its accurate marksmanship and swift action, and was mainly responsible for suppressing fire and maintaining perimeter security.

Liu Yiqiang was repeatedly wiping the sights of his rifle with a soft cloth, ensuring that he could deliver a fatal shot if necessary.

"Old Hong, time's almost up." Liu Yiqiang's deep and steady voice came through the dense sorghum stalks.

Hong Feng spat out the blade of grass from his mouth and listened intently to the sounds in the distance. "Hmm, according to the intelligence from my superiors, there are still twenty minutes left."

He turned to a quick-witted young teammate beside him and whispered, "Doggy, go another fifty meters ahead, put your ear to the rails and listen, make sure."

The team member nicknamed "Doggy" responded and slipped out silently like a raccoon dog.

Immediately afterwards, Hong Feng instructed the team members behind him: "Everyone on alert, ready to act at any time!"

Time ticked by, and all the team members gripped their weapons tightly. Sweat soaked their coarse clothes, but no one made a sound.

Four:05 in the morning.

"They're here!" Gouwa darted back like a ghost, his voice filled with suppressed excitement and tension. "The sound is deep, it's a heavily loaded train, and it's not moving fast, which matches the target's characteristics!"

Everyone's tension instantly reached its peak.

Hong Feng suddenly raised his right fist, a signal that he was preparing to take action.

The team members gave their weapons and equipment a final check. The demolition team straightened the fuses, the assault team loaded their bayonets, and the fire support team set up machine guns and rifles, taking advantage of the terrain, and aimed at the designated train braking position.

In the distance, a faint beam of light pierced the darkness, accompanied by a dull, rhythmic clang, and the outline of a massive steel structure gradually became clear in the night.

The K-739 special train, like an unsuspecting behemoth, was slowly moving into the ambush carefully laid by the hunters.

The train's headlights swept across the sorghum field, flashing past the team members' concealed figures, but did not linger.

In the driver's cab, the driver and stoker were probably dozing off from the monotonous night journey, completely unaware that a deadly trap had already been set.

As the train's locomotive was about to exit the curve and most of the carriages had entered the middle of the "S"-shaped curve, a cold glint flashed in Hong Feng's eyes, and he swung his arm down fiercely!
"action!"

In an instant...

"Boom! Boom!" Two explosions, not particularly violent but precisely targeted, rang out!
The demolition team had already planned it out and blew up the tracks not far in front of and behind the train!

It wasn't to create a disaster, but to force this steel behemoth to stop!
"Squeak..."

A piercing metallic screeching sound suddenly rang out, accompanied by a violent shaking and a teeth-grinding screech of brakes!
In a panic, the train driver pulled the emergency brake. The enormous inertia caused the heavy carriages to collide with each other, making a loud clanging noise. The wheels rubbed against the rails, producing large bursts of dazzling sparks!

Like a long snake whose body had been severed, the train eventually slid along due to inertia for a while before collapsing in the middle of the damaged tracks, completely unable to move!
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" came the panicked shouts of Japanese soldiers escorting the train, along with the sound of gun bolts being cocked.

Almost the instant the train came to a complete stop, Liu Yiqiang's furious roar drowned out the chaos: "Fire!"

"Da da da……"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The Flying Tigers opened fire with their machine guns and rifles, and a dense hail of bullets poured down on the windows and connecting areas of the rear carriages where Japanese soldiers were clearly peeking out, instantly suppressing the enemy's initial resistance.

Precise bursts of fire riddled several Japanese soldiers who were trying to climb onto the roof of the vehicle to set up machine guns, sending them tumbling off.

"Go!" At Hong Feng's command, the members of the Railway Guerrilla Team leaped out of the sorghum field like tigers released from their cages.

They had a clear division of labor; some of them used specially made grappling hooks and climbing skills to nimbly climb onto the connecting area between the carriages...

Another group used crowbars and bolt cutters to violently break the locks on the train carriage doors.

"Baka! Hold on!" The Japanese officer in charge of escorting the train organized resistance inside the carriage, but the gun barrels sticking out of the windows were quickly targeted by the Flying Tigers' sharpshooters, resulting in either death or injury.

Hong Feng personally led his men to the middle carriages, which, according to Chen Yang's intelligence, were the core area where "important supplies" were loaded.

"Quick! Blow it open!" Hong Feng shouted, pointing at the heavy carriage door.

A demolition expert quickly stepped forward and placed a small explosive charge on the door lock.

"hidden!"

With a muffled bang, a huge gaping hole was blasted open in the car door...

(End of this chapter)