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

As dawn broke, Minglou was not yet fully awake.

Just then, a rapid knocking broke the morning's tranquility.

Minglou rubbed his temples to calm himself down, then got up and opened the door.

"Big brother, it's me." Mingcheng, standing outside the door, was dressed in a dark Zhongshan suit with his collar slightly open and his eyes bloodshot, clearly having not slept all night.

Mingcheng followed him into the room, closed the door behind him, and said in a low voice, "We have news. Chen Qing didn't go to the fourth floor to assassinate last night."

"What?" Minglou whirled around, his drowsiness instantly gone. "He dares to disobey orders? According to military law, I can execute him!"

"No, brother," Mingcheng quickly explained, "He didn't go to the fourth floor, he went straight to the morgue on the second basement level. There, he found Takagi Ichiro's body—he had been shot twice in the chest, his chest cavity had been cut open, and his stomach had been removed."

"So that's how it is!" Minglou's expression softened. "Then it proves that the fourth floor was a trap. This kid is smart enough."

"But I bet he hates you to death."

Minglou waved his hand dismissively: "Let him be. The important thing right now is to get the news to Yan'an, put the Spiderweb people at ease, and once Gao Mu's matter is settled, they can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

"It was sent last night," Mingcheng replied immediately. "Yan'an sent a telegram instructing us to find a way to get the consulate's copy of the 'Wang-Japanese Secret Agreement.' If this document can be made public, it will be a heavy blow to the Japanese and the Wang puppet government."

Upon hearing this, Minglou frowned slightly and fell into deep thought.

"This matter cannot be rushed; we must plan it out slowly. I remember last time I attended a reception at the consulate, I met a woman named Momoko; she was the secretary of the Japanese Consul General, Eiichi Iwai."

"Have your men contact this woman first. She's all alone in Shanghai, has no friends, and is very lonely. Find out where she frequents, whether she has a nightlife, and ideally, win her over and make her work for us. Once we've got her under control, that secret agreement will be ours for the taking."

Mingcheng immediately pressed, "Who should we send?"

"Of course it's Chen Qing." He changed the subject, his gaze landing on Mingcheng with a hint of mockery. "You think you're capable of this? I asked you to handle Nantian Yangzi, and you still haven't gotten her into bed. You should learn from Chen Qing sometime."

Mingcheng's cheeks flushed slightly, and he lowered his head somewhat awkwardly, then said with a hint of resentment, "I understand, Big Brother!"

………………

The night was deep, and only a desk lamp was lit in the room on the second floor. The warm yellow light cast the shadows of the two people on the corner of the desk.

Chen Qing sat very close to Wang Jiazhi, his nose almost touching her falling hair, which carried a faint scent of gardenias.

He was learning a foreign language from Wang Jiazhi, but his gaze kept falling on her long eyelashes. Listening to her soft and standard pronunciation, his fingertips unconsciously slid along the edge of the table and gently landed on her waist.

The touch was delicate and warm, and Wang Jiazhi's body stiffened abruptly. Her fingers, which were gripping the pen, tightened slightly, and the ink spread out as a small black dot on the paper.

But she didn't dodge or push away. A faint blush rose on her neck, and she even breathed softly. Her voice trembled slightly, but she still managed to finish reading the short Japanese phrase "Ya-mai-cho" (隨卖蝶).

Sensing her tacit approval, Chen Qing's lips curled into a barely perceptible smug smile. He tightened his grip slightly, moving even closer.

Just as this ambiguous atmosphere was quietly spreading, a rapid telephone ringing suddenly came from the first floor. The "ring ring ring" sound was particularly abrupt in the quiet night.

Chen Qing sighed softly and withdrew her hand: "Let's stop here for today. We'll continue tomorrow."

"Hmm." Wang Jiazhi's voice was barely audible, her cheeks already as red as ripe cherries. She hurriedly closed her Japanese textbook, and when she stood up, her movements were so fast that she staggered. Avoiding Chen Qing's gaze, she took the lead and headed towards the stairs.

Chen Qing watched her slightly hurried back, a smile flashing in his eyes, before he got up and followed her.

The two walked down the wooden stairs, their footsteps echoing softly in the empty room.

Chen Qing walked to the phone, picked up the receiver, and heard a familiar, cheerful voice on the other end—it was Guo Qiyun.

"Old Guo, I heard you're a very busy man these days, with a million things to do. How come you have time to think of me?" Chen Qing's voice carried a hint of teasing.

"You little rascal, you're just making fun of me! I just finished transporting a batch of supplies to Chongqing and then rushed back to Shanghai without stopping. I'm exhausted. Seriously, if it weren't for your help back then, where would I, Guo Qiyun, be today? Tomorrow I'll treat you to a meal at the Paramount Ballroom, and I'll introduce you to some friends from Chongqing. They're all on our side."

Upon hearing this, Chen Qing raised an eyebrow. Guo Qiyun was trying to thank him properly for introducing him to connections in Chongqing. He chuckled and said, "Alright, then I'll accept your offer. Thanks, Brother Guo."

"Don't be so polite with me! I'll be waiting for you in VIP room number two on the third floor of the Bailu Hotel tomorrow night at seven o'clock. See you there!" After saying that, Guo Qiyun exchanged a few more pleasantries and then hung up the phone.

Chen Qing stretched and went upstairs to sleep. The next day, he still opened the clinic for half a day and closed in the afternoon.

In the afternoon, Chen Qing rested at the clinic, waiting to have a good time at the Paramount Ballroom that evening.

A small truck pulled up outside, two people got out, and went into the clinic.

The two men respectfully asked, "Mr. Guo Qiyun sent us to deliver this. Where is it located?"

"Put it on the second floor," Chen Qing said.

Guo Qiyun invited him out for drinks that evening and now he's bringing him gifts, which touched Chen Qing slightly. Old Guo is a kind person after all.

The two men then began unloading the items efficiently. One by one, heavy wooden crates were carried in and piled up in the corner of the second floor, quickly stacking up to half a person's height.

Chen Qing stepped forward and casually opened a wooden box, inside which were neatly stacked Cuban Havana cigars; another box contained cartons of American Camel cigarettes; boxes of Brazilian coffee; and next to it were boxes of French red wine, which were obviously very valuable.

In addition, there were several boxes with exquisite packaging. Upon opening them, they were filled with high-end cosmetics for women, including perfumes, lipsticks, and face creams, each bottle and jar exuding luxury. There were also several boxes of neatly folded designer clothes, designer belts, and more than a dozen pairs of designer crocodile leather shoes of different styles, all size 43, which was his own shoe size. Guo Qiyun was quite meticulous. There were also several Omega and Rolex watches, which were quite valuable.

Looking at the pile of goods that filled half the room, Chen Qing couldn't help but marvel. It seemed that Guo Qiyun had really made a fortune transporting supplies this time, as he was so generous.

After unloading all the items and carefully checking them to make sure everything was in order, the two bowed to Chen Qing and said, "Mr. Chen, the items have been delivered, so we'll take our leave now."

Chen Qing nodded in acknowledgment, watched them turn around and go downstairs, start the truck and drive away, before turning his gaze away.

He walked to the cigar box, casually opened a pack, took out a cigar, ran his fingertips along the texture of the cigarette, and then took out a lighter to light it.

The rich aroma of tobacco slowly spreads, sliding down the throat with a lingering sweetness.

But as Chen Qing slowly savored it, the warmth on his face gradually faded, replaced by a barely perceptible melancholy, and even a faint hint of anger flashed in his eyes.

These things are certainly precious, but who knows how much Chen Qing sacrificed behind the scenes to successfully persuade Zhou Fuhai, open up the supply channels, and safely transport the supplies to Chongqing batch by batch?

He should have received a share of the credit, but in the end, he didn't get any benefit at all.

Ultimately, it's because he doesn't have anyone in power, so he can only watch others reap the benefits without getting any for himself.

Forget it, I'll see who Guo Qiyun introduces to me tonight.