Spy War: My Cheat Code is a Rat

Kiyoko Matsumoto only had a slight suspicion of Lu Chen, just one thing, because he was still at the Special High Command last night. If Lu Cheng had killed someone yesterday, there would definitely have been gunfire, but he didn't hear a thing yesterday.

After leaving Kurogane's office, Lu Cheng went straight to the intelligence department. Along the way, many people were talking about Sato Yosho's death.

He died in his office in the middle of the night yesterday. It wasn't until this morning when someone went to look for him that they found him. By then, he was already dead, and there was nothing that could be done.

As Lu Chen walked into his office, he felt as if everyone knew that Sato Yosho was dead, and their eyes were shining brightly.

Lu Cheng shook his head. These people didn't care whether he was dead or alive; they only cared that he was dead. The position of head of the intelligence department was now vacant, and he could take over.

Upon arriving at the office, Lu Chen saw that Fu Yangshan was in high spirits, humming a tune and even tidying up the documents on his desk faster than usual.

"Hey, good morning, Lu Chen."

Upon seeing Lu Chen, he raised his hand and greeted him.

Lu Chen raised an eyebrow, looking at him with surprise. This guy was in a good mood today, and even greeted him. He guessed that he should also know about Sato Yosho's death.

"morning."

Lu Chen raised his hand and greeted him in a nonchalant manner before sitting down in his seat.

No sooner had he sat down than Fu Yangshan leaned over, winking and making faces at Lu Chen.

"What's wrong?"

Lu Chen raised his head and asked a question he already knew the answer to.

Fu Yangshan straightened up, coughed twice, and even pretended to tug at the non-existent tie in front of his collar.

"Lu Chen."

Fu Yangshan looked down at Lu Chen.

"I should be getting a promotion. I can make you my team member. We know each other, so I'll give you this favoritism!"

When Fu Yangshan mentioned the term "connections," he deliberately raised his voice, as if he were hinting at something.

In his view, among all the intelligence officers in the entire department, no one had made more meritorious contributions recently than him; he was the one who had made the most contributions.

Moreover, since the head of the intelligence section, Sato Yosho, is dead, he doesn't expect to be promoted twice. If Matsumoto Kiyoko becomes the section chief, wouldn't he become the team leader?

Fu Yangshan was very confident; in his opinion, he was the only one qualified to be the team leader.

Lu Chen's lips twitched. It was rare for him to pay attention to this guy; he was far too confident.

Lu Chen felt that the position was rightfully his, after all, he had taken the bullet for Matsumoto Kiyoko, and Matsumoto Kiyoko didn't really suspect him now, so he felt that his chances were higher.

Seeing that Lu Chen ignored him, Fu Yangshan sneered, turned around and continued doing his own thing. He was too lazy to bother with Lu Chen now.

After all, if he waited another day or two, he and Lu Chen would no longer be on the same level.

A short while later, Kiyoko Matsumoto pushed open the door and walked into the office.

When he entered Fu Yangshan, he was excited and immediately stood up straight. Lu Chen also stood up and looked at him.

"I suspect there might be a spy within our intelligence department. You should investigate."

Kiyoko Matsumoto didn't even lift her eyelids before giving the two men the task. They nodded, and then Kiyoko Matsumoto left the office.

"He must have given me this task to test my abilities before promoting me to team leader."

Fu Yangshan spoke excitedly, and then took out a list of names of intelligence officers from the drawer.

Lu Chen sat down again and began to think seriously.

Kiyoko Matsumoto is likely testing their abilities; whoever catches the spy first will probably be promoted to team leader.

After all, there are quite a few spies within the intelligence department; this is something everyone knows.

Watching Fu Yangshan's busy figure, Lu Chen had long wanted to get rid of this man, so this was an opportunity. He had to find a way to portray Fu Yangshan as a spy so that Matsumoto Kiyoko could kill him.

This way, he can not only be promoted to team leader, but also eliminate a traitor.

Lu Chen sat in his seat, appearing to be deep in thought, but he kept glancing at Fu Yangshan out of the corner of his eye.

This guy had already started flipping through the list, muttering to himself and occasionally jotting something down in his notebook, looking completely confident.

Lu Chen sneered inwardly.

With Fu Yangshan's brain, if he were really tasked with catching spies, he would probably only catch innocent civilians, and in the end, he would just find someone to take the blame to cover it up.

But this is good, it gives me a chance.

"There's a spy in class..."

Lu Chen tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his mind racing.

Kiyoko Matsumoto's words were vague, not specifying whether they were Japanese military agents or anti-Japanese agents, but considering the current situation, she was probably referring to anti-Japanese agents.

After all, Sato Yosho had just died, in his own office, quietly, without gunshots or signs of a struggle, he just died like that.

This caused quite a stir within the Special Higher Police.

Who did it? How did they do it? Why didn't anyone notice?

The people in the Special Higher Police Department will not have peace of mind until these problems are resolved.

The most likely explanation is that anti-Japanese elements infiltrated the ranks.

Having thought this through, Lu Chen had already made up his mind.

What he wanted to do was to make Fu Yangshan the "anti-Japanese element".

This is not difficult. Fu Yangshan is eager to rise to power and acts without considering the consequences. With a little planning, he can be easily tricked into a trap.

Just then, there was a knock on the office door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and a military policeman from the Special Higher Police entered, holding a document in his hand.

"Mr. Lu, Colonel Kuroda wants you to go to his office."

Lu Chen was taken aback. Kuroda was looking for him?

He nodded, got up, and walked outside. As he passed Fu Yangshan, Fu Yangshan looked up, his eyes filled with obvious jealousy.

"What does Colonel Kuroda want with you?"

"have no idea."

Lu Chen ignored him and walked straight out of the office.

Arriving at the door of Kuroda's office, Lu Chen knocked.

"Come in."

Lu Chen pushed the door open and went in. Kuroda was standing by the window with his back to him.

"Colonel Kuroda, you wanted to see me?"

Kuroda turned around with a smile on his face, but Lu Chen keenly sensed that there was scrutiny hidden in that smile.

"Lu Chen, sit down."

Lu Chen sat down, and Kuroda returned to his desk, picked up a document, looked at it, and then put it down.

"You've heard about what happened with Sato-kun, haven't you?"

Lu Chen nodded.

"I heard about it. It's a pity. Section Chief Sato is a good person."

Kuroda stared at Lu Chen for a few seconds, then suddenly asked.

Where were you last night?

Lu Chen's heart tightened, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Sleeping at home, Colonel Kuroda, are you... doubting me?"

Kuroda waved his hand.

"It's not that I suspect you, it's just routine. Sato-kun was found dead in his office last night without any warning. Only a highly skilled person or someone you know could do that. Did you go to see him yesterday afternoon?"

Lu Chen nodded.

"Yes, I went to talk to him and wanted to ask him some questions about work. Then I went home. Liu Jie can testify that he drove me home."

Kuroda nodded thoughtfully.

"Liu Jie... you mean the one from the military police?"

"right."

Kuroda paused for a moment, then asked again.

"What do you want to ask him for advice about?"

Lu Chen had anticipated this question and answered calmly.

"It's just some intelligence analysis stuff. Colonel Kuroda, as you know, I haven't been with the Special Higher Police for long, and there are many things I don't understand. Section Chief Sato is very experienced, so I wanted to learn more from him. We talked for about an hour that day, and then I went back."

Kuroda stared into Lu Chen's eyes, as if trying to see something in them.

Lu Chen met his gaze calmly, his eyes showing no sign of flinching.

After a long while, Kuroda finally looked away and nodded.

"Alright, you can go back now. Investigate the spies in the department thoroughly; this is very important."

Lu Chen stood up and bowed respectfully.

"Yes, Colonel Kuroda, I will do my best."

As Lu Chen walked out of Kuroda's office, his face darkened.

Kuroda is testing him.

Although Matsumoto Kiyoko only had some suspicions, Kuroda was clearly more cautious. Sato Yosho's death was too suspicious, and as the highest-ranking official in the Special Higher Police, he had to find out the truth.

However, Lu Chen was not worried.

He has an alibi, Liu Jie can testify, and Sato Yosho's death was indeed not caused by him.

He committed suicide.

Last night, after Lu Chen returned home, he sent Rat Two to the Special Higher Police.

When Lu Chen returned to his office, Fu Yangshan was no longer there; he had probably gone out to investigate spies.

He sat down and began to seriously consider his next plan.

Several conditions are required to frame Fu Yangshan.

First, there must be "evidence" proving that Fu Yangshan had contact with anti-Japanese elements.

Second, Matsumoto Kiyoko needs to see this evidence with her own eyes, or at least convince her.

Third, it is necessary to ensure that Fu Yangshan has no opportunity to defend himself.

Lu Chen thought for a moment and then came up with an idea.

Fu Yangshan was eager to rise in rank and frequently frequented brothels. If a "resistance activist" could be arranged to meet him there, and Matsumoto Kiyoko could "coincidentally" witness it...

But that would be too deliberate and could easily arouse suspicion.

A better approach would be to let Fu Yangshan "discover" something during his investigation, and then let that discovery point back to him.

Lu Chen pondered, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table.

At that moment, the office door was pushed open again.

Fu Yangshan rushed in excitedly, holding a notebook in his hand, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement.

"Lu Chen, I've found a clue!"

Lu Chen raised his head and looked at him.

"What clue?"

Fu Yangshan proudly waved the notebook in his hand.

"I've noticed a guy in the intelligence section who's been going to the French Concession a lot lately. What kind of place is the French Concession? It's the stronghold of the anti-Japanese elements! This guy is definitely up to something!"

Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat.

"Who?"

Fu Yangshan lowered his voice and said mysteriously.

"Watanabe Ichiro, that translator, I've been watching him for days. He goes to the French Concession every Wednesday night, saying he's meeting friends, but I've checked, he doesn't have any friends there at all!"

Lu Chen remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was making rapid calculations.

He had met Watanabe Ichiro before. He was Japanese, spoke excellent Chinese, and worked as a translator in the Special Higher Police. He was usually quiet, honest, and didn't have much of a presence.

But Lu Chen knew that Watanabe Ichiro was indeed an anti-Japanese activist.

They weren't members of the underground Communist Party; they were members of the Military Intelligence Bureau.

This was something that Rat One had found out beforehand, but Lu Chen had kept it quiet, thinking it might be useful later.

Unexpectedly, Fu Yangshan also discovered it.

This is getting interesting.

"What are you planning to do?"

Lu Chen asked.

Fu Yangshan chuckled.

"Of course, we're arresting him! Tonight's Wednesday, I'm taking some men to stake out the French Concession. If he dares to go there, I'll catch him red-handed! Then, with him caught red-handed, let's see who can compete with me for this team leader position!"

Lu Chen nodded.

"Then good luck."

Fu Yangshan patted Lu Chen on the shoulder triumphantly.

"Don't worry, once I become the team leader, I won't treat you unfairly."

After saying that, he hurriedly ran out again.

Lu Chen watched his retreating figure, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.

Fu Yangshan, Fu Yangshan, you're jumping into a pit yourself.

Since Watanabe Ichiro is a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau, he must have accomplices. If Fu Yangshan goes to arrest people so rashly, he will either fail to catch them or be killed instead.

Either outcome is a good thing for Lu Chen.

If Fu Yangshan were to capture Watanabe Ichiro, he would have performed a meritorious service and might very well become the team leader. But Lu Chen wouldn't let that happen.

If Fu Yangshan were killed by Watanabe Ichiro's accomplices, it would save me even more trouble.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Chen decided to go to the French Concession that evening as well.

It wasn't to help Fu Yangshan, but to ensure things went in the direction he wanted.

If Fu Yangshan really manages to capture Watanabe Ichiro, Lu Chen wouldn't mind "accidentally" alerting the Kuomintang agents and letting them escape ahead of time.

If Fu Yangshan is in danger, Lu Chen will not save him.

Ideally, both sides would suffer heavy losses: Fu Yangshan would die, and Watanabe Ichiro would be exposed. This way, I could both eliminate Fu Yangshan and help Matsumoto Kiyoko "catch" a spy, killing two birds with one stone.

Having made up his mind, Lu Chen got up and left the office.

He first went to the military police headquarters and found Liu Jie.

"Xiao Jie, come with me to the French Concession tonight."

Liu Jie nodded without asking any further questions.

He knew that Brother Shen must have sent him because something important was going on.

Lu Chen then gave further instructions.

"Bring a few reliable brothers, bring your weapons, but don't make a fuss. Once you get there, follow my instructions."

"clear."

After arranging these things, Lu Chen returned to his office and continued to pretend to look through the list.

In the afternoon, Kiyoko Matsumoto came again.

She stood at the door, looking at the two people in the office. Her gaze lingered on Lu Chen for a moment before shifting to Fu Yangshan.

"Any progress?"

Fu Yangshan immediately stood up and said excitedly.

"Team leader, I've found a crucial lead! We can close the net tonight!"

Kiyoko Matsumoto raised an eyebrow.

"What clue?"

Fu Yangshan looked around and said in a low voice.

"Watanabe Ichiro, he's an anti-Japanese activist! I've been watching him for a long time. Tonight he's going to the French Concession, I'm going to catch him red-handed!"

Kiyoko Matsumoto was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Okay, if we can catch them, I'll give you credit."

Fu Yangshan was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly.

"Thank you, team leader! Thank you, team leader!"

Kiyoko Matsumoto then looked at Lu Chen.

"And you?"

Lu Chen shook his head.

"Nothing has been found yet, but I will continue to investigate."

Kiyoko Matsumoto didn't say anything, and turned to leave.

Lu Chen watched her departing figure, pondering to himself.

It seems that Kiyoko Matsumoto's doubts about herself haven't been dispelled yet.

But it doesn't matter, as long as tonight's events are handled well, this suspicion can be diverted.

Time passed second by second.

As dusk fell, Fu Yangshan left his office early to prepare for his stakeout in the French Concession.

Lu Chen slowly packed his things, and only got up to leave after Fu Yangshan had walked far away.

He went home first, changed into some inconspicuous clothes, put on a hat, and then went out to find Liu Jie.

Liu Jie had already brought three military police officers, who were waiting in the alley.

"Brother Chen, everything is ready."

Lu Chen nodded.

"Let's go to the French Concession. Once we get there, stay hidden and don't make any rash moves. Only act when you see my hand signal."

Under the cover of night, the group quietly made their way towards the French Concession.