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

Chapter 276 You've Got the Wrong Person
Shanghai, Special Higher Police interrogation room...

The air was filled with a mixture of the smell of rust and a deeper, more rotten odor. Even though it was still summer, the damp chill was pervasive.

Xiang Fang's body was firmly suspended in mid-air by chains forged from fine steel, each load-bearing link as thick as an infant's arm.

His torn shirt, repeatedly soaked in blood and salt water, had a glossy, almost black appearance.

New wounds lay across the old scars, and the bluish-black snake tattoo on his right arm, which coiled up to his neck, twisted even more grotesquely under the wash of sweat and blood.

Kazuya Takaji stood solemnly in the shadows two meters away, his colonel's uniform so clean it was almost blinding, impeccably tailored.

His cold gaze was as precise as a probe, leaving invisible marks on every painful spasm on Xiang Fang's body.

"Prepare for electric shock." Yoko Minamida's Japanese voice rang out in the oppressive atmosphere of the space.

"Ha-yi..." the assistant beside him responded.
Nantian took off her usual neat kimono and wore only a set of black work clothes that were easy to move in, with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing the toned lines on her arms that she had worked out.

Her face showed no superfluous emotions, only a chillingly professional focus.

A burly, shirtless executioner pushed a metal machine covered with knobs and rubber hoses toward Xiang Fang.

He grabbed the two thick wires with alloy contacts at the ends with a sinister grin and pressed them heavily onto Xiang Fang's full deltoid muscles, which was the starting point of the giant snake tattoo's snake tail coiling around.

"Ugh, uh!" Xiang Fang's massive body suddenly arched violently like a dying shrimp!

The roar was distorted and deformed, and a powerful electric current instantly penetrated his muscles and nerves. His body convulsed and twitched uncontrollably, and the chains were pulled so hard that they emitted a metallic groan as if they were about to reach their limit.

A foul stench, like proteins being burned by an electric shock, filled the air.

The electric current felt like an invisible venomous snake gnawing at his nerve endings.

During each power-on interval, Xiang Fang exhibited violent tremors as if he were dying.

His enormous head drooped deeply, sweat and physiological tears dripping continuously into the shallow, murky puddle beneath him.

Even so, what kept churning deep in his throat were broken, indistinct murmurs: "I... killed... myself......"

The voice was faint yet persistent, and the snake tattoo on his right arm seemed to writhe as the injured muscles contracted.

"Stop!" Kazuo Takaji's cold, hard voice broke the suffocating rhythm of the execution.

His gleaming military boots trod firmly on the water stains as he walked to the side of Xiang Fang's almost unconscious head, just inches away from the face distorted by pain.

The deep red scar on Xiang Fang's forehead looked like solidified lava from hell under the pale white light.

Kazue Takaji's cold gaze swept over the scar, and over Xiang Fang's swollen eyelids, which were irritated by the salt water.

He could almost feel the powerful consciousness within Xiang Fang's body, which was on the verge of collapse yet still stubbornly resisting.

“Name,” Kazuki Takaji’s voice was low, “Who gave you permission to approach Yoshida? Who gave you permission to use your identity as a military doctor as cover? Who gave you permission to use yakuza methods to kill the scapegoat Nohara?”

Xiang Fang's swollen and cracked lips twitched with difficulty, as if he wanted to reveal a contemptuous smile.

But the expression was only half formed before it was overwhelmed by an even greater surge of pain.

The saline solution soaked his optic nerve, causing a burning pain like countless needle pricks, which became the final thorn that broke down his psychological defenses.

He suddenly raised his head, and in his broken vision, all he could see was the expressionless, cold face of Kazuo Takaji, as cold as a stone sculpture!

In Xiang Fang's bloodshot eyes, a light that seemed to symbolize the shattering of faith seemed to vanish for a fleeting moment.

“Hah…hah…yes…” A hoarse, gurgling sound escaped his throat, like the last words of a dying man.

His lips moved, and a muffled syllable seemed about to burst out from between his teeth.

However, before Xiang Fang could utter that name, Kazuyoshi's gaze suddenly focused on Xiang Fang's unconsciously clenched fist.

On the inside of that massive knuckle joint, covered by sweat, scabs, and grime, a faint outline of blue marks was faintly visible. It wasn't a wound, but rather some kind of extremely old, faded mark under the skin.

In a flash, Kazuyoji seemed to remember something, and the distorted lines of the symbol suddenly overlapped with a mark on a hidden intelligence file!

"Hold him down!" Kazutaka shouted, his sudden outburst startling even Yoko Minamida!
The executioner's thick arm moved with lightning speed, clamping tightly onto Xiang Fang's still trembling wrist.

He stepped forward, disregarding the filth and stench, and after rubbing half a can of strong disinfectant alcohol on his palm, which was covered in water stains, he pressed it hard on the dirty area on the inside of Xiang Fang's fist and rubbed it vigorously!
The oil paint under the skin melted rapidly under the influence of alcohol, revealing its original form!

It was a faded but clearly defined "coiled snake holding a knife" pattern!
Its design is ancient and fierce, especially the pattern on the tip of the short knife held by the snake's head and fangs, which is exactly the same as the bloodstain mark described in the previous intelligence file!

A coiled snake holding a knife...

Small Knife Society...

In 1853, the Taiping Rebellion broke out. In response to Qi Jiguang's call, Liu Lichuan, the leader of the Small Swords Society in Shanghai, organized the Small Swords Society to launch an anti-Qing and anti-foreign movement in Shanghai.

In 1855, the Small Swords Society was wiped out by a joint force of the Qing government and foreigners, and its leader, Liu Lichuan, was killed in battle.

Some of the remaining members fled to Southeast Asia, while others went into hiding in various places!

It's unbelievable that someone would actually become an assassin...

He Zhiying said coldly, "A coiled snake holding a knife, I didn't expect Mr. Xiang to be a remnant of the Small Swords Society? It's been almost a hundred years, and you people are still alive? That's truly remarkable."

The four characters “coiled snake holding a knife” were like poisoned steel nails driven deep into Xiang Fang’s already chaotic nerve center!
His almost completely shattered mind seemed to be violently stimulated by this sharp name, forcibly pulling him back to a sliver of clarity.

Xiang Fang took a deep breath of the cold, rusty air, and a horrifying light suddenly burst forth from the depths of his cloudy, unfocused eyes!
Under the piercing gaze of Chiyo, Xiang Fang's head convulsed backward as if drowning, the heavy metal chains scraping against his neck and shoulder flesh with a chilling "hissing" sound.

"I take people's money and do their bidding, that's the rule of the trade. I killed the person, I never met the buyer, and the goods were left at the contact point!" Xiang Fang readily admitted to the murder!

"Such a large transaction, and you're telling me you've never met the trader in person?" Kazuki Takaji sneered. "Don't forget, you entered the army hospital using Nohara's identity. No one arranged things for you. How could you have entered and exited the hospital so easily without being detected?"

"Mr. Xiang, you are insulting my intelligence."

Hearing the snake-like blade inside, and Xiang Fang confessing to the murder...

Outside the interrogation room, in front of the observation window filled with cold, damp air, a face hidden in the shadows of a corner suddenly distorted its features.

"It's almost done, time to move on to the next step!"

Ando muttered to himself, then lowered his hat and silently left the observation window area, disappearing into the passageway leading to the outside.

"Click...click..." The heavy spinning of the dial on the encrypted telephone of the Special Higher Police's Action Group echoed repeatedly in the gloomy space of the deputy chief's office, which was covered with thick carpet.

Shinichi Ando's urgent, low voice vibrated rapidly through the microphone: "Commander Haruki... things are going in the direction we planned!"
"Xiang Fang... is the key assassin in the Yoshida case who was captured with the assistance of the Special Higher Police... I feel that he's almost at his breaking point! Kazuo Takaji is interrogating him about whether the Yoshida case is related to the theft of goods from the South Manchuria Railway and the Ministry of Transport!"

"Ando-kun, are you kidding me? Xiang Fang is an assassin, how could he know about supplies and the transportation department!" Haruki Yoshitane said, somewhat puzzled.
Ando said in a deep voice, "Yoshida is the transport officer of the South Manchuria Railway Company. He handles all the supplies. Colonel Kazuchi believes that the person behind Xiang Fang killed Yoshida for the purpose of smuggling supplies. If Xiang Fang can't withstand the pressure and admits to this, then the South Manchuria Railway Company and the Ministry of Transport..."

"Commander Qingqi, you must think of a solution!"

On the other end of the telephone line, Qingqi Qingyin's eyes narrowed sharply.

He habitually rubbed the cold, smooth edge of the dark red hardwood table in front of him, his fingertips feeling the slightly greasy texture of the wood lacquer.

His voice was slow and steady, "Can a confession from a killer under torture really be used as evidence? Are Kazuchi Takaji and Minamida so desperate for credit that they've gone mad?"

Shinichi Ando said in a deep voice, "Commander Haruki, the problem now is not what they should do, but what the consequences will be if they do it?"

"The Empire also has its pride. Yoshida was just awarded the title of Valiant Guardian and a third-class medal. If these two ruin it, not only the Ministry of Transport, but even the South Manchuria Railway will lose face."

"You know what the consequences will be, don't you?"

Haruki frowned, and his voice came through the line: "Major Ando, ​​I will immediately forward this 'urgent case report' to Director Arita and Director Nakajima of the South Manchuria Railway Bureau's Investigation Department. I believe they have more comprehensive channels to handle these kinds of incidents involving the puppet Manchukuo regime."

Qingqi put down the receiver, her fingertips lingering on the cold, lacquered wood for two seconds, a barely perceptible glint flashing deep in her pupils…

Shanghai, Jinbei Road, South Manchuria Railway Bureau of Investigation...

"Baka!" Arita's deep but violent voice, like muffled thunder, forced Haruki to hold the receiver slightly away from her ear.

"Those idiots in the army! What kind of hornet's nest are they stirring up? Yoshida is dead, and they're still fixated on him. What are they trying to do?"

"Qingqi-kun, please tell those people to immediately suspend all interrogations! Seal all evidence and files related to Xiang Fang! The South Manchuria Railway Company will send a fully authorized takeover team! Remember—all of them! This is an order from the highest level!"

"Minister Arita, I'm afraid I can't help with this matter!" Haruki Yoshitane said slowly, "Ran Agency and the Special Higher Police are investigating Yoshida's cause of death."

“Our Mei Agency definitely wants to cooperate well with the South Manchuria Railway, but they don’t think so. They also want to control the intelligence agencies in Shanghai,” Arita slammed his fist on the table. “Damn it! The Chinese say that one general’s success is built on the bones of ten thousand soldiers. What, does the Lan Agency also want to follow their example and rise to power by stepping on the corpses of the South Manchuria Railway?”

"Do they have the ability to do so?"

"The Shanghai Stock Exchange is not for He Zhiying to decide!"

“Minister Arita is right,” Haruki Yoshitane said slowly, turning the microphone around. “However, I’m afraid those people from Minamida might try something.”

“They couldn’t get the evidence they wanted from Xiang Fang, and I’m worried they’ll use it against Xiang Fang’s family,”

"Haruki-kun, what do you mean by that?" Arita shouted angrily, "Xiang Fang is the murderer of Colonel Yoshida!"

"What? They want to use the words of a murderer to accuse a hero of the empire?"

Will the War Department accept such evidence?

Haruki Yoshitane said slowly, "Arita-kun, whether or not we accept it is not up to us."

"The Lan agency traveled all the way from North China; it couldn't be just to cause trouble for a deceased transport officer,"

"Minister Chen had warned me long ago that in North China, the Imperial army had been repelled by guerrillas in several encirclement and suppression campaigns,"

"You might want to consider this: at this time, the head of the intelligence agency stationed in Taiyuan traveled a long distance to Shanghai to investigate a dead transport officer. What exactly were their motives?"

Arita Shiro was stunned for a moment, and a terrible thought suddenly flashed through his mind: "Haruki-kun, do you mean that the North China Area Army suffered a defeat, and they want to use Yoshida to shift the blame for the defeat onto us?"

"Absurd, ridiculous, have these bastards lost all sense of shame?"

Haruki Yoshitane quickly said, "Arita-kun, don't worry. These are just my guesses. Maybe things aren't as we think."

Arita said angrily, "If it wasn't like that, then what would it be like? I knew it was because I was so fixated on Yoshida's case."

"It seems that Xiang Zhuang's sword dance was actually aimed at Liu Bang."

"Are they planning to use the South Manchuria Railway as a shield against mines?"

"Alright, I know what to do. If the North China Front Army doesn't want supplies, let them keep making trouble."

"Let's see if Commander Tada Shun can bear the consequences."

"Hey, Arita-kun, don't be impulsive!" Before Haruki Yoshitane could finish speaking, Arita Shiro angrily hung up the phone.

Qingqi Qingyin held the microphone, a slight smile involuntarily curving his lips.
In the Special Higher Police interrogation room, the venomous snake tattoo on Xiang Fang's right arm was clearly visible after being washed with salt water.

Once again, Chiyoji's icy voice pierced through the chaotic shrieks, hovering precisely above his damaged hearing, but the content was completely different.

"Xiang Fang, tell me the name of the person behind you. If you speak, your family will be safe. Your wife, your daughter…"

Kazuyo's voice clearly reached Xiang Fang's ears.

He waved the documents Liu Yida had just delivered; they contained information about Xiang Fang's family.
Xiang Fang was originally all alone, but a normal man will always have a lover.

Xiang Fang was no exception; his mistress was a former courtesan at Baoyue Tower. They gradually became involved, and she even bore him a daughter.

"Your daughter's name is Xiaohui, right? She's only five years old this year and attends Sakura Elementary School in the Japanese quarter..." Xiang Fang's head, which had been almost crushed by the excruciating pain and collapse, twitched violently!
This subtle, almost imperceptible reaction did not escape He Zhiying's sharp, hawk-like eyes. "And your wife, formerly a courtesan named Diewu, now back to her original name, Guo Caiyu…she runs a Chinese cuisine restaurant in Zhabei. Mr. Xiang, if you still won't tell, perhaps after school today you should have them go somewhere else…"

"Ugh... Ah!" Xiang Fang let out an inhuman howl from the bottom of his twisted and torn throat!
The massive body suddenly unleashed a death-defying brute force, and the heavy chains binding his entire body were pulled to their limit, emitting a sickening metallic groan!

He struggled to raise his head, his cracked lips trembling, his roar drowned out by the metallic taste of blood from his broken throat, "You dare...! You dare touch them...!"

"Guess? Do I dare or not?" Kazuo Takaji sneered. Judging from Xiang Fang's reaction just now, he believed that he had found the other party's weakness.

He turned around slightly and gave a barely perceptible nod to Nantian Yangzi, who was standing in the shadows in the corner.

A complex, dark light flashed in Nantian Yangzi's eyes. She nodded in acknowledgment, then turned and silently disappeared outside the heavy iron gate.

***
Shanghai, Hongkou Japanese Residents District, evening.
The street lights haven't come on yet.

Deep in the alley, outside the gate of a dilapidated Shikumen courtyard, Xiang Fang's wife, Guo Caiyu, carried a small cloth bag in one hand and held her daughter Xiao Hui's cold little hand tightly in the other.

Xiao Hui had her hair tied up in a messy bun, and carried an old blue cloth schoolbag with frayed edges. Her young face showed undisguised fear.

They had just squeezed their way back to this temporary shelter from the chaotic streets, their steps hurried.

The alleyway, shrouded in twilight, was shrouded in a suffocating silence.

A gust of wind swept through the narrow alley, carrying an eerie dampness that made her shiver.

"Ms. Guo Caiyu?"

A somewhat broken male voice suddenly shattered the silence.

Guo Caiyu and Xiao Hui were both stunned, their movements instantly frozen!
Shinichi Ando, ​​accompanied by three Special Higher Police agents in plainclothes, pounced on them like wolves!

But when they rushed to the front of the Xiang family's courtyard, Ando's steps came to an abrupt stop as if he had hit an invisible iron wall!
Because at that moment, three figures dressed in suits appeared behind Guo Caiyu.
Ando's gaze was fixed on the three men in gray suits, especially the leader who stood as straight as a javelin!
"Minister Arita?" Ando's voice was extremely low, carrying a hint of disbelief and coldness, each word seemingly being squeezed out with difficulty from between his teeth.

Arita's face twitched slightly.

A hint of cold contempt flashed across his eyes; he didn't even need to speak, his gaze was the highest form of disdain and declaration.

"Ando-kun." Department Head Arita's voice was as steady as water flowing beneath ice, and the corners of his mouth seemed to lift slightly, forming a cold, emotionless curve. "Thank you for your hard work."

His gaze lingered briefly on the agents behind Ando before returning to Ando's face. "The security management of the target's family members has been taken over by headquarters. It's our duty, please forgive us."

Ando's face suddenly turned ashen in the dim light.

One hand gripped the holster at his waist tightly, the veins on the back of his hand and his pale knuckles creating a stark contrast.

However, the right hands of the two men behind Arita were already naturally resting on the lower edge of their unbuttoned suit jackets.
"Ando-kun, you're just following orders, so sometimes you should think about yourself. Are you really that eager to serve the Empire?" Arita's voice carried a hint of mockery.
The two South Manchuria Railway personnel behind him moved in perfect unison, lowering their bodies by half an inch, their right hands ready to draw their guns at any moment, and a silent gunpowder smell suddenly filled the alley.

Ando's Adam's apple bobbed, and the hand gripping the gun handle finally loosened its grip slowly.

“…I understand.” Ando’s voice was dry and hoarse, the anger he was trying so hard to suppress almost bursting his vocal cords.

He turned abruptly, without saying a word, and led his men like a defeated army, quickly disappearing into the deep shadows of the alleyway.

Arita Shiro's lips curled up slightly as he calmly smoothed out the already crisp front of his suit jacket.

Then, he slowly took out a clean white handkerchief from his suit's inner pocket and unfolded it with utmost care. In the center of the handkerchief lay something quietly.
A cheap magnolia bud-shaped hair clip, the old white petals already had tiny cracks, and a few traces of rust could be faintly seen at the base of the pin. This was undoubtedly the one that Guo Caiyu had personally pinned on Xiao Hui when she left home this morning!
Arita Shiro gently placed the white magnolia hairpin in the center of a pure white silk handkerchief and presented it to the two of them.

"Your daughter's belongings." His voice remained calm, yet carried a chilling undertone. Guo Caiyu's expression changed drastically instantly. She seemed to know what was about to happen. Slowly, she reached out and took the magnolia hair clip, then solemnly pinned it to the top of her school badge.

Arita Shiro retracted the handkerchief, and one of his men immediately stepped forward silently, his movements as swift as a hawk swooping down on its prey. A large, gloved hand gripped Xiaohui's thin arm like an iron clamp! The immense force caused the girl to let out a short, suppressed scream.

“Madam, my apologies.” Fujiwara’s voice was completely flat, as if issuing a military order. “Mr. Xiang is waiting for you.”

The word "wait" reached Guo Caiyu's ears more chilling and biting than the winter wind on the Suzhou River, completely shattering her last remaining hope.

The three gray ghosts of the South Manchuria Railway Company, without a word, dragged Guo Caiyu and her daughter away and disappeared in an instant behind the dark door frame of the Shikumen.

Shinichi Ando's dark Chevrolet sedan lay silently in the shadows of the dark alleyway corner.

The car windows were tightly closed, and he remained hidden inside. In his hand, a cigarette, twisted and deformed from being squeezed, had accumulated a long streak of ash, with a faint red dot at the tip flickering on and off.

"Where is she?" A female voice suddenly rang in his ears. Ando looked up and saw Yoko Minamida outside the car window.

"They didn't catch them. There's a guard from the South Manchuria Railway Intelligence Section, led by Chief Arita. Chief Arita said they've taken over the case and told us not to interfere, otherwise, otherwise..."

Ando didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was very clear.

"Baka! We finally found the culprit, Manchuria Railway Company, what are they planning to do?"

"Are they protecting criminals, or are they planning to kill them to cover their tracks?"

Ando hesitated, "Section Chief Minamida, there's something I'm not sure if I should say?"

Nantian frowned: "What is Major Ando trying to say?"

Ando took a breath: "Since the South Manchuria Railway Company cares so much about Yoshida's case, do you think it's possible that they were behind Yoshida's death...?"

(End of this chapter)