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

The disappearance of one of the agents from No. 76 was not taken seriously; people assumed he had gone out to have fun after work.

This spy was one of Wang Manchun's men. It wasn't until the next morning, when he didn't report for duty, that Wang Manchun realized he wouldn't be coming. Perhaps his body was already being fed to fish in the Huangpu River.

"Which area is he in charge of?" Wang Manchun asked.

"He was in charge of Pinganli yesterday afternoon."

"Is he alone?"

"It was supposed to be for two people, but that person drank too much at noon..."

"Useless!" Wang Manchun was furious when she heard the words "Ping An Li," but she didn't dare to make a decision on her own. She picked up the phone and dialed Araki, the military police commander.

"This is Wang Manchun. Last night's search yielded no results; we couldn't find Zhou Haichao. However, one of my men has gone missing."

"Where did they go missing?"

"Ping An Li! He was in charge of investigating Ping An Li, but he didn't come back that night, and he didn't report to No. 76 the next morning either," Wang Manchun said.

"Okay, I understand." Araki hung up the phone, called Xu Tian over, and told him what had happened.

Xu Tian examined the map carefully and said decisively, "This person must have discovered the target and was killed to silence him. The target is in Ping An Li."

Araki stood up and said to Xu Tian, ​​"Xu Tian, ​​come with me to Ping An Lane in the French Concession. This time, we won't use the military police. Notify the people from the 76th Division to go and seal off Ping An Lane as soon as possible. It will be more convenient for them to do things in the French Concession."

The car was parked not far from Pinganli, and the two walked into Pinganli.

After wandering around Heian-ri for a while, Araki asked, "Xu-san, did you find anything?"

Xu Tian looked at the empty street and asked, "Don't you find it strange?"

"What's so strange?" Araki asked, puzzled.

"There isn't a single child on the street," Xu Tian said.

What could be the reason for this?

"Playing is a child's nature. If children don't play in the streets, they must be kept at home by adults. These adults know that something has happened in Ping An Li, which is why they did this. I'm certain that someone saw the death of that spy yesterday."

"But these unruly people never cooperate with the Imperial Army, and it's very difficult to get the truth out of them."

Xu Tian didn't reply, but instead turned to look at him: "Did you bring any money?"

Araki was taken aback for a moment, then realized what was happening and immediately reached into his pocket, pulling out all the money he had on him, several hundred dollars, and stuffing it all into Xu Tian's hand: "It's all here."

Xu Tian held a wad of banknotes in his hand, his gaze lingering at the street corner for a moment before finally settling on a man leaning against a wall, smoking.

The man, wrapped in a cotton-padded coat, squatted in the corner of the wall, basking in the sun. His eyes darted around, and he kept stealing glances at the sounds coming from the back alley. Clearly, he had something on his mind.

"May I ask you a question?" he asked calmly, standing in front of the man.

The man looked up abruptly, his eyes darting around. He waved his hands hastily, his voice urgent, "I don't know! I don't know anything!"

Xu Tian didn't insist, but simply took out fifty yuan in legal tender from his hand and handed it to him: "Fifty yuan."

The man's gaze was instantly fixed on the banknotes. His Adam's apple bobbed, and after a moment's hesitation, he finally succumbed to the temptation, reaching out to take the money and stuffing it into his pocket: "Alright, ask away."

"Did you see a murder on the street yesterday?" Xu Tian asked directly, his gaze fixed on the man's eyes.

The man's eyes flickered, and he quickly shook his head: "No! I didn't see anything!"

After saying that, he clutched the money and turned to leave.

"Didn't you see it?" Xu Tian's voice carried a faint smile as he blocked his path.

The man stiffened his neck, trying to appear calm: "But I answered your question; this money is rightfully mine."

Xu Tian didn't press the matter further. Instead, he took out a hundred yuan from the remaining money and placed it in front of the man, his tone still calm: "Where did you kill him?"

The man's eyes were fixed on the hundred yuan in legal tender. His fingers twitched slightly, but he remained silent, clearly feeling that he didn't have enough chips.

"Two hundred!" Xu Tian added another hundred yuan, the two stacks of banknotes together gleaming enticingly in the sunlight.

The man was still hesitating.

Xu Tian simply handed over all the money.

The man's breathing became noticeably more rapid, his eyes filled with struggle, yet he gritted his teeth and remained silent, clearly waiting for Xu Tian to escalate the situation.

Looking at his expression, Xu Tian's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. He didn't add any more money; instead, he reached out and picked up a hundred-yuan note, stuffing it back into his pocket.

"Hey! What are you doing!" The man immediately panicked and reached out to grab it. "Wait! I'll tell you! I'll tell you, okay?!"

He snatched all the money and clutched it tightly in his hand, afraid that Xu Tian would change his mind.

He lowered his voice and gestured towards the depths of the alley: "It's over there... in the back alley, but I don't know the specifics!"

"Who committed the murder? Tell me clearly before I give you the money." Xu Tian held the money, waiting for his answer.

The man lowered his voice and said, "It was Old Chen from the tailor shop. He forced that person into the back alley with scissors. After a while, Old Chen came out alone with blood on his scissors. I got scared and ran away. I don't know anything after that."

As soon as he finished speaking, the man clutched the money, turned around and disappeared into the alley next door without looking back, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

"Xu-san, you really have a way with things," Araki Yu praised.

Xu Tian didn't say anything and walked directly into the back alley, with Araki Yui quickly following him.

The back alley looked even more chaotic than from the outside. Old wooden crates were piled crookedly against the wall, covered with dust and cobwebs; several discarded hemp ropes were wrapped around wooden stakes, swaying gently in the wind; and on the ground, besides gravel and withered grass, a patch of dark red bloodstains was faintly visible.

The bloodstains were not congealed into a lump; the edges had slight drag marks, as if someone had dragged a heavy object here, stretching the originally concentrated bloodstains into several thin lines that extended towards the alley entrance.

"This is the primary crime scene." Xu Tian crouched down, his fingers hovering above the bloodstains, without touching them directly.

"He cornered the spy in an alley, and that's where he did it."

He pointed to the area with the most concentrated bloodstains. "Look at this patch of bloodstains, it's splattered, which means the agent was standing and completely unprepared when the killer struck. The grass under the bloodstains was flattened, so the body was obviously originally hidden there and was later moved. The drag marks extend all the way to the alley entrance."

Araki looked in the direction he pointed and indeed saw obvious bloodstains on the withered grass below the bloodstains.

"Let's simulate it," he said in a deep voice, already acknowledging Xu Tian's judgment.

Xu Tian stood up and walked to the inner side of the alley entrance, his back to Araki: "You were playing the role of a spy. Yesterday, after you confirmed the target, you were about to turn around and deliver the message when the murderer approached from behind as you walked this way."

Araki stood in the spot where Xu Tian had just squatted, as instructed. Just as he was about to turn around, Xu Tian suddenly stretched out his right hand, using his palm to simulate a hard object, and pressed it firmly against Araki's lower back. He lowered his voice and imitated the tone of an assassin: "Go into the alley. If you dare to move, I'll shoot you immediately."

Araki Yui's body stiffened, and he subconsciously wanted to raise his hand, but Xu Tian interrupted him: "At this time, the agents dare not resist. They can only follow the force of the murderer and walk in. When they reach the place with the most bloodstains, that is, the murderer will make his move."

As Xu Tian spoke, he suddenly turned to the side, his left hand covering his mouth, his right hand clenched into a fist, and he made precise feints at Araki's neck and heart in succession: "The first strike is to seal the throat, the second to pierce the heart. The technique is clean and efficient, without any unnecessary movements. The pointed scissors commonly used in tailor shops are of moderate length, capable of accurately piercing an artery and instantly piercing the heart. Moreover, they are concealed and not easily aroused suspicion, but I am certain that there are bloodstains on his clothes."

Araki pointed to a pile of dirt on the ground, carefully swept it away, revealing half a bloody footprint underneath: "There's half a footprint here; it must have been left by the murderer."

At this moment, chaotic footsteps sounded outside. Liang Zhongchun and Wang Manchun, along with a large number of secret agents, had already sealed off Ping'anli.