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

As dusk settled over Chen Qing's villa on Pétain Road, he drove home. Just as he parked and stepped out of the car, his old woman hurried over, her expression slightly flustered: "Sir, you're finally back! We have a guest, someone you say is an old acquaintance. They've been waiting in the living room for quite a while."

Chen Qing frowned slightly, a strange unease rising in his heart.

He composed himself, slowly walked into the living room, and looked up to see a figure sitting upright on the sofa.

Wang Tianfeng, dressed in a dark long gown, was leisurely sipping hot tea.

Upon seeing the visitor, Chen Qing's heart tightened, but he forced a calm expression and gestured, "Mr. Wang, it is an honor to have you here. I am sorry for not welcoming you sooner. It is not convenient to talk here. Please come to my study to discuss this further."

The two entered the secluded study one after the other. Chen Qing closed the wooden door behind him and then locked it, cutting off all outside noise.

The next second, he could no longer suppress his anger and shouted in a low voice, "Wang Tianfeng! Are you crazy? How dare you come to my house like this! This is Shanghai, with eyes and ears everywhere. If we're seen by the 76th Division or the Japanese spies, we'll both be dead!"

Wang Tianfeng slowly put down his teacup, glanced at Chen Qing's exasperated expression, and a cold, mocking smile curled at the corner of his lips: "Parrot, you've learned to value your life now. You hold an important position in the Wang Jingwei regime, living a life of luxury and comfort. It's much more comfortable for you than it was in the Military Intelligence Bureau."

Wang Tianfeng's words were harsh and hurtful.

Chen Qing's face darkened, and he went straight to the point: "You promised me that when the time was right, you would let me leave Shanghai with Gao Chongwu and Tao Xisheng, and then go to Hong Kong. Have you forgotten that?"

"I haven't forgotten." Wang Tianfeng stood up, walked to his desk, picked up a book, flipped through a couple of pages, and tossed it back onto the table. "Unfortunately, it's too late. Gao and Tao have already secretly set off today, leaving Shanghai. As for your family, Xing'er and the children, I've arranged for Wang Jiazhi to escort them, so they can travel with Gao and Tao's families."

Upon hearing this, Chen Qing's tense expression relaxed slightly, and his tone softened: "It's good to let them go to Hong Kong first. Without any worries, I can act with more peace of mind."

"No, no, no." Wang Tianfeng shook his head repeatedly. "I've changed my mind. Your wife and daughter won't go to Hong Kong. Wang Jiazhi will send them directly to Chongqing. Boss Dai has already arranged proper accommodations. In Chongqing, they will enjoy endless wealth and luxury, and will receive the strictest protection."

"What did you say?!" Chen Qing's expression changed drastically, his pupils contracted sharply, and he stepped forward, grabbing Wang Tianfeng's collar, his eyes bloodshot. "Wang Tianfeng, what do you mean? Sending my family to Chongqing, are you using them to blackmail me?!"

"That's right." Wang Tianfeng didn't flinch, facing his anger head-on with an expressionless face. "So now, you can't leave yet. I have a crucial task for you to complete."

"What mission?" Chen Qing felt as if all his strength had been drained away. He let go of his hand absentmindedly, staggered, and fell into the armchair behind him, his heart sinking to the bottom.

"You must personally deliver a top-secret codebook from the Third War Zone to the designated contact point," Wang Tianfeng announced the mission.

"I'm not going!" Chen Qing roared, suddenly looking up. "Why don't you go yourself, instead of making me go? This is a life-or-death situation!"

"Not going? Fine." Wang Tianfeng sneered, delivering a fatal blow. "Do you know that yesterday afternoon, the entire shipment of smuggled goods bound for Chongqing via Bengbu was intercepted in the woodlands of northern Anhui? The perpetrators were guerrillas from the New Fourth Army in southern Anhui. Now, all parties suspect that the transportation time and route were leaked, and the transit registration for those goods was signed by you personally."

Chen Qing felt as if struck by lightning; his blood instantly froze. He remembered that he had signed the documents Mingcheng had brought without even glancing at them. It turned out that from the very beginning, this was a trap! It was Minglou's scheme; he had been bitten hard by this venomous snake!

"It won't be long before the 76th Division and Zhou Fuhai's men come knocking on your door to investigate you. You'll be labeled a communist sympathizer, and all that awaits you is execution." Wang Tianfeng's voice was venomous; this poisonous bee finally revealed its stinger, delivering a heavy blow.

"Despicable!" Chen Qing squeezed out the two words through gritted teeth.

"Despicable?" Wang Tianfeng sneered. "Soldiers are duty-bound to obey orders. Once you join the Military Intelligence Bureau, your life or death is not up to you. Do you think that even if you want to leave, Boss Dai will spare you? Do you think Zhou Fuhai will spare you? Once the charge of colluding with the Communists is proven, you and your family and children in Chongqing will not survive."

Chen Qing felt ice-cold all over, a chill running through her body: "If I do as you say, will you save my life?"

Wang Tianfeng stared at him, his gaze sharp as a knife: "I'll only ask you one question: Do you agree or not?"

Chen Qing closed his eyes, and after a long while, let out a dejected sigh: "Now that things have come to this, do I still have a choice?"

"Very good." Wang Tianfeng revealed a satisfied sneer on his face, said no more, turned around and pushed open the study door, and calmly disappeared into the night, leaving Chen Qing alone in the empty study, as if all his energy had been drained, slumped in the chair, unable to move.

Not long after Wang Tianfeng's footsteps disappeared at the alley entrance, Chen Qing was still slumped in the chair in the study, her body ice-cold and her mind shattered.

Suddenly, blinding beams of headlights burst forth from outside the window, followed by the chaotic and dense sound of leather shoes rolling over the cobblestone road, accompanied by the hushed commands of the secret agents.

The entire Chen residence was instantly surrounded by agents from No. 76.

The doors and windows were under close surveillance, and the alleyway was blocked by black cars. The crisp sound of gun bolts being pulled back was particularly jarring in the quiet night. Chen Qing's heart sank. What was bound to happen had finally arrived.

He had just stood up and entered the front hall when the door was violently pushed open. Liang Zhongchun walked in, radiating coldness. He was dressed in a black Zhongshan suit, his face plastered with his usual worldly smile, but in his hand he was clutching an official document stamped with a bright red seal. Behind him followed two heavily armed secret agents, their imposing presence was intimidating.

The old woman in the living room was so frightened that she trembled and huddled in a corner, not daring to make a sound.

Chen Qing's face was deathly pale, but he forced himself to maintain the last shred of dignity and said in a deep voice, "Liang Zhongchun, what do you mean by bringing so many people to surround my house?"

Liang Zhongchun stepped forward, unfolded the order in his hand, and pointed to the seal on it: "Mr. Chen, I'm sorry, but this is official business. This is a detention order personally signed by Minister Zhou Fuhai. Please come with me back to No. 76 to cooperate with the investigation into the case of the interception of supplies in northern Anhui."

"An investigation?" Chen Qing sneered, his eyes filled with self-mockery and sorrow. "Director Liang, you and I both know perfectly well that this is not an investigation, it's clearly arresting people directly."

Liang Zhongchun's smile faded, and he spoke frankly, a rare occurrence: "Mr. Chen, I won't beat around the bush with you. This matter involves collusion with the Communists and aiding the enemy. Minister Zhou is furious. Logically, it should be that crazy woman, Wang Manchun, who should be the one to arrest him, and he would certainly suffer physical pain. The fact that he sent me is already a favor from Minister Zhou, showing you respect for our past relationship."

That hit the nail on the head.

Wang Manchun is ruthless and vicious; once you fall into her hands, you'll be lucky to escape with your life. Liang Zhongchun, though greedy and cunning, would never kill someone without reason; this is the best outcome for now.

Chen Qing closed his eyes, exhaled a long breath, and when he opened them again, all that remained was a deathly silence of resignation.

He slowly stretched out his hands, his voice hoarse: "No need for words, let's go."

Liang Zhongchun gave a wink to the agents behind him, and two agents stepped forward. With a "click," the cold handcuffs locked onto Chen Qing's wrists, the metallic chill piercing to the bone.

Liang Zhongchun stepped aside to make way and gestured for him to get in: "Mr. Chen, I'm sorry to trouble you, please get in the car."

With his head down and his handcuffed hands hanging limply in front of him, Chen Qing walked heavily out of the Chen residence and was escorted into a black car by secret agents.

The car doors slammed shut, shutting out the lights inside the house from the night outside. The convoy roared to life, turned around, and sped toward the gloomy No. 76 prison.