If you had to choose an identity to go undercover, you'd choose a gynecologist.

10:30 a.m.

Yu Manli and Chen He had thick soot on their faces, black and white streaks that obscured their original appearances. They wore tattered clothes covered in patches, and each carried a bulging garbage bag on their backs. They looked exactly like two beggars scavenging on the street. With their heads down, they walked hurriedly toward the two abandoned buildings.

The abandoned building is a remnant of the Battle of Shanghai. Weeds grow among the broken walls and exposed steel bars, resembling grotesque bones.

In the corners of the first and second floors, tattered bedding, garbage, and hardened excrement were scattered, clearly the temporary dwellings of beggars. But at this hour, the beggars had all gone out to beg for food, and the building was empty, with only the whistling sound of the wind blowing through the broken walls.

Without pausing, the two climbed straight up to the third floor, stepping on the rubble and broken glass.

The stairs were rotten and creaked with every step, as if they might collapse at any moment.

Upon reaching the third floor, Yu Manli immediately spotted a spot against the broken wall.

This spot offers a wide view, directly facing the path along the Suzhou River, and the ruins provide cover, making it an excellent sniping vantage point.

Chen He pulled binoculars from the garbage bag, leaned over the broken wall, and warily scanned the surrounding streets, intersections, and the Japanese patrol route in the distance, reporting the situation in a low voice: "There are two Japanese soldiers patrolling at the intersection on the east side. There is nothing unusual on the west side for now. The river is calm."

Yu Manli then squatted down and turned the garbage bag upside down on the ground, causing the parts inside to spill out with a clatter.

The barrel, receiver, magazine, and scope were assembled one by one.

She quickly assembled the Mauser 98k sniper rifle, the "click" of the clips engaging was particularly clear on the quiet third floor.

In just a moment, a dark and cold sniper rifle was assembled.

Time passed slowly in the silent wait, and sunlight slanted in through the cracks in the broken wall, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Chen He held his binoculars the whole time, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's, not missing any unusual movement. Everything around him seemed exceptionally calm, with only the occasional passing pedestrian or the sound of bicycle bells breaking the silence.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Yu Manli slowly lay down, set up the sniper rifle at the gap in the broken wall, and aimed the scope at the path that Xu Yan would definitely take.

She held her breath, her whole body tense, like a frozen statue, with only her eyes pressed tightly against the scope, her pupils slightly contracting as the scope was adjusted.

At five o'clock sharp, Chen He saw a black sedan parked at the intersection through his binoculars. The car was inconspicuous and was perfectly hidden under the shade of a tree.

"Yu Zheng and Xiao Zhengguo are already in position. They're just waiting for their target, Xu Yan, to appear."

Ten minutes later, more and more pedestrians appeared on the road, mostly workers going home from get off work and housewives buying groceries.

Through Chen He's telescope lens, a familiar figure drew closer and closer.

Xu Yan, dressed in a dark blue Zhongshan suit, rode a black bicycle slowly along the path, clearly unaware of the deadly danger approaching.

"Three points of direction, target confirmed. The man in the Zhongshan suit riding a bicycle is Xu Yan."

Yu Manli immediately made a slight adjustment to the muzzle, and the crosshairs of the scope precisely locked onto Xu Yan.

Her finger rested lightly on the trigger, waiting for him to enter the optimal firing range before pulling the trigger and killing him instantly.

At this critical moment, Chen He's expression suddenly changed.

He suddenly raised his head, no longer staring at the binoculars, but looking towards the far end of the street.

A dark mass of Japanese troops was rapidly moving in this direction, with infantry in formation, cars, motorcycles, and even machine gunners with their weapons on. Their target was clear: this abandoned building.

"Don't fire! A large number of Japanese troops are coming this way!"

He hurriedly stood up, climbed onto the roof using the broken wall as a foothold, and looked around. He saw that a large number of Japanese troops were approaching from another direction, forming an encirclement.

"Cease fire, stop shooting, and evacuate immediately!" Chen He said firmly.

"But!" Yu Manli gritted her teeth in frustration, her eyes fixed on Xu Yan getting closer and closer in the scope. This was a golden opportunity, and she wasn't willing to give it up so easily. "Just two more minutes, until he's within firing range, then I can take him out!"

"Opportunities can be found again, but if you lose your life, you lose everything!" Chen He grabbed her arm and forcefully pulled her up. "The Japanese have already surrounded us; if we don't leave now, we won't be able to escape!"

"At least we need to notify Xiao Zhengguo and Yu Zheng!" Yu Manli said with difficulty, pulling a signal flare from her pocket and quickly firing it towards the black car.

Yu Manli picked up the spent cartridge, slung her sniper rifle over her shoulder, and the two of them, without saying another word, crouched low and ran quickly down the stairs.

The crowd scattered and fled, and the two mingled with them, leaving the scene along the pre-arranged escape route.

Meanwhile, in the black sedan at the intersection, Yu Zheng was holding the steering wheel, while Xiao Zhengguo sat in the passenger seat, both of them staring intently at the small road.

Seeing Xu Yan ride his bicycle past the designated firing position, but no shots were fired from upstairs, Xiao Zhengguo frowned and asked in a low voice, "What do we do? We've passed the position, and there's been no movement from upstairs."

"What else can we do? Finish them off!" Yu Zheng's eyes hardened as he made his decision. "Kill them and leave immediately, we can't afford to delay!"

Their position was low, so they couldn't see the Japanese troops surrounding them in the distance and assumed that something had happened upstairs.

Xiao Zhengguo immediately drew the pistol from his waist, released the safety, and placed his finger on the trigger.

At that moment, a signal flare sounded from upstairs, instructing them to evacuate.

"Xu Yan is already gone. It doesn't matter whether we kill him or not. Never mind, kill him first and then leave!" Yu Zheng stepped on the gas, and the car drove out of the intersection, heading towards Xu Yan's direction.

The instant the car and bicycle passed each other, Xiao Zhengguo suddenly leaned out, pointed his gun at Xu Yan's back, and fired three shots in quick succession!

Xu Yan's body jolted, and a large patch of blood seeped from his back. His hands limply released the handlebars, and he fell off the bicycle, crashing heavily to the ground. He twitched a couple of times and then went still.

"Go!" Yu Zheng slammed on the gas pedal, and the car accelerated sharply, speeding towards the French Concession.

But they hadn't gone far when a large number of Japanese soldiers poured out from the intersection ahead, blocking the middle of the road and colliding head-on with them!

"Oh no!" Yu Zheng's heart sank. He quickly turned the steering wheel sharply, and the car made a sharp turn, with the tires screeching against the ground.

But when they turned their heads, they saw a large number of Japanese troops flanking them from another direction. The car lights came on, and they were already surrounded.

Yu Zheng's eyes narrowed, and he gritted his teeth, sharply turning the steering wheel, sending the car hurtling towards the path along the Suzhou River.

The road was rough and uneven, full of gravel and potholes, and the car bounced violently on it, making a "clanging" sound.

Xiao Zhengguo sat in the passenger seat, leaned out, and kept firing at the pursuing Japanese soldiers. Several Japanese soldiers who were at the forefront fell to the ground, but more Japanese soldiers followed closely behind.

In the chaos, a bullet struck Xiao Zhengguo's arm, and blood instantly stained his sleeve.

He grunted, but did not stop firing. He continued to grit his teeth and cover the vehicle's escape.

Fortunately, the narrow road made it difficult for the large Japanese troops to deploy, and the car managed to squeeze through the gaps and break out of the Japanese encirclement.

But soon the road ended, and the Suzhou River came to a stop. Yu Zheng slammed on the brakes, and the car came to a halt by the river.

The two immediately pushed open the car door, abandoned the car, and ran wildly towards the river.

The Japanese troops behind them were getting closer and closer, with gunfire and shouts rising and falling, relentlessly pursuing them.

In their panic, the two saw a small sampan moored by the river.

Yu Zheng rushed over and untied the rope, with Xiao Zhengguo following closely behind. The two of them jumped onto the sampan together.

Yu Zheng picked up the oar and rowed desperately toward the opposite bank.

The French Concession was on the other side of the river; once we crossed, we would be safe for the time being.

The Japanese soldiers chased the enemy to the riverbank and opened fire wildly into the water. The bullets whizzed into the water, splashing up a series of sprays.

Yu Zheng rowed faster and faster, the sampan bobbing forward on the water. Relying on his familiarity with the waterways, he managed to break through the blockade of bullets and gradually approach the opposite bank.

Finally, the sampan reached the shore, and Yu Zheng was the first to jump ashore, bending over and using the reeds on the bank to avoid bullets from the opposite side.

Xiao Zhengguo followed closely behind. Just as he stepped onto the riverbank, a bullet struck his calf, blood gushing out instantly. He staggered and almost fell.

"Yu Zheng! Help me out!" Xiao Zhengguo shouted to Yu Zheng, his eyes filled with urgency, despite the excruciating pain.

Yu Zheng slowly straightened up, turned around, and his face showed no trace of the usual camaraderie, only icy coldness.

He suddenly raised the gun in his hand, pointing the muzzle at Xiao Zhengguo, his eyes showing no hesitation.

"Bang!"

A gunshot shattered the chaos along the riverbank.

Xiao Zhengguo's pupils suddenly dilated, a bloody hole appeared in his chest, and his face was full of disbelief. He looked at Yu Zheng, his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word.

He grabbed Yu Zheng's clothes tightly. In his panic, Yu Zheng fired two more shots. In his haste, he didn't notice that the pocket watch in his pocket had fallen to the ground.

Xiao Zhengguo leaned back and fell heavily into the Suzhou River, where the water instantly swallowed his figure.