Courtyard House: Reborn in the 1940s, Starting with Killing Japanese Devils

Zhao Heng nodded slightly, handed the radio to one of Zhao Jianzhi's men, and instructed him to keep a close watch on it.

"Brother Jian, the radio is important, but the more crucial thing is how to report to the higher-ups. Boss Dai has probably already heard the news."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jianzhi frowned slightly, then relaxed. "Brother Zhao Heng, rest assured, Sixth Brother has already made arrangements. We just need to follow the plan, and there will definitely be no problems."

As Zhao Heng had predicted, things unfolded exactly as they had. In a secluded room within the Dai family mansion at Shenxiandong, Dai Li sat upright, slowly putting down the red landline telephone, and asked in a deep voice, "Oh? He single-handedly destroyed the Communist Party's liaison station?"

Guan Yongshan, the director of the Second Bureau of the Military Intelligence Bureau, replied respectfully on the other end of the phone: "Reporting to the Director, it is absolutely true. My subordinates saw it with their own eyes."

"Zhao Heng first ate two bowls of wontons, and then went to Rongchang Department Store in the west of the city."

"He went in alone, and three gunshots rang out from inside."

"Did you spare any survivors?" Dai Li asked thoughtfully, his tone flat.

"They spared him; one person survived and has been rushed to the hospital for treatment. However, he was shot in the shoulder blade and is currently in the operating room."

Guan Yongshan spoke in a serious tone, reporting slowly.

In the stillness of the night, in Zheng Yaoxian's second-floor study, a lamp cast a faint light onto the radio.

Zhao Heng, wearing headphones, was sending a radio message to Yan'an, reporting the latest situation to the Special Branch.

He tapped the telegraph key lightly with his fingers, and the ticking sound of the Morse code was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

Zheng Yaoxian sat in the living room on the first floor, smoking a cigarette, with smoke swirling around him. Two Browning pistols were placed on the sofa next to him.

Every time Zhao Heng sent a telegram, Zheng Yaoxian would silently watch over him. For him, such moments could slightly dispel the loneliness in his heart.

The embers of his cigarette illuminated his resolute face. Zheng Yaoxian's lips curled into a slight smile, and for a moment, he seemed to have returned to Yan'an, the place he had always longed for.

……

In Yan'an, northern Shaanxi, the comrades of the Special Branch were receiving telegrams with tense expressions.

"Commander, Lone Shadow has sent a secret report."

The Minister of Labour, wearing black-rimmed glasses and holding a kerosene lamp, carefully examined the newly translated telegram, his brow furrowed.

[Commander, Yuan Nong, the former secretary of the underground Communist Party in Chongqing, has betrayed us and defected to the enemy. I have personally eliminated him. Lonely Shadow]

Minister Ke Gong remained silent for a moment. In the flickering light of the kerosene lamp, the telegram text reflected on his cold, stern face. "Immediately call Gu Ying back and tell him to arrange for the evacuation of the underground party comrades in the mountain city as soon as possible, ensuring their own safety."

"Furthermore, send a top-secret telegram in my name to Secretary Dong of the Southern Bureau, informing him of the true identities of Kite and Lonely Shadow. This telegram is classified as top secret and should be destroyed immediately after reading."

After much deliberation, Minister Ke Gong finally decided to tell Secretary Dong of the Southern Bureau the truth—Kite was Zheng Yaoxian, and Lonely Shadow was Zhao Heng. Both of them were elite agents of our Party who had infiltrated the Military Intelligence Bureau.

They are our own people; we must not allow any accidental harm to occur because of this.

"Yes, sir!" The communications officer quickly recorded the instructions, and the Morse code sound from the radio rang out again inside the room.

Tick-tock! Tick-tock!

……

The sound of Morse code pierced the deep night; the instructions from northern Shaanxi, like stars in the night sky, guided people far away.

At No. 13 Hongyanzui in the mountain city, inside the farm's office building, the comrades in the telecommunications department were receiving messages with great tension. Everyone was performing their duties, skillfully operating the radio, and quickly recording the Morse code and wavelength.

After the telegram was translated, Section Chief Zhao Daqiang frowned, quickly copied down the contents, then got up and left the Telecommunications Section, walking briskly towards the Secretary's office.

"Reporting to Secretary Dong, a top-secret telegram has arrived from northern Shaanxi!"

Secretary Dong sat at his large desk, pen in hand, brow slightly furrowed, as if deep in thought. Upon hearing the report, he slowly put down his pen and gestured, "Come in. What does the top-secret telegram say?"

Zhao Daqiang quickly stepped forward, handed the transcribed telegram to Secretary Dong, and said in a low voice, "This telegram is top secret. It contains information about the true identities of Kite and Lonely Shadow."

A glint flashed in Secretary Dong's eyes, and he immediately took the telegram and examined it closely. As his gaze swept over the lines of text, a look of shock gradually appeared on his face.

"Zhao Daqiang, you go out first. You should be aware of the confidentiality regulations."

"Yes, Secretary Dong! I will keep my mouth shut. I have a firm belief and am a loyal communist fighter."

Secretary Dong took a deep breath, slowly got up and walked to the window. Looking at the lights of thousands of homes in the distant mountain city, his heart was filled with turmoil.

The information in the telegram exploded in his mind like a bombshell.

He never expected that Zheng Yaoxian, the ruthless and cold-blooded sixth brother in the Kuomintang, was actually an elite agent of our party who had been infiltrating for many years, codenamed Kite.

And that mysterious, unpredictable lone figure, a core member of the underground Communist Party in Chongqing, turned out to be Zhao Heng, Zheng Yaoxian's adjutant.

Secretary Dong secretly rejoiced that the timely notification from northern Shaanxi had prevented an irreparable misunderstanding.

He turned around, opened his desk drawer, and took out an ashtray and a matchbox.

With a snap, the match was lit, and he threw the top-secret telegram directly into the ashtray to burn it. The flickering flame reflected his solemn face, and the ashes flew around in the ashtray.

He took a deep drag on his cigarette, his mind racing amidst the swirling smoke. The cruelty and complexity of intelligence warfare made him realize all the more that every step of his operation had to be taken with utmost care.

Secretary Dong knew that the most important thing at the moment was to send someone to contact Zheng Yaoxian and Zhao Heng as soon as possible, hoping that the two would lend a helping hand to the Southern Bureau.

The Southern Bureau was facing an extreme shortage of supplies. Needless to say, medicines such as penicillin were scarce, but food and weapons were also urgently needed.

He strode back to his desk, unfolded the letter paper, picked up his pen, and wrote a secret letter to Zheng Yaoxian and Zhao Heng.

The letter was heartfelt, expressing the organization's recognition and gratitude for the two men's undercover work, and detailing the difficult situation of the Southern Bureau, especially emphasizing the shortage of medicines, food and weapons. It hoped that the two men would use their special status in the Military Intelligence Bureau to procure supplies and then safely deliver them to the location designated by the Southern Bureau.

After finishing the secret letter, Secretary Dong carefully sealed the envelope, checked it repeatedly to ensure it was correct, and then called over his trusted assistant Mingtai, whispering, "Mingtai, this letter must be delivered to Zhao Heng personally. There must be no mistakes. Remember, be extremely cautious in your actions, and avoid arousing unwarranted suspicion."

"Don't worry, Secretary Dong, I will sneak into the mountain city and find an opportunity to make contact with Zhao Heng."

Mingtai, dressed in a gray military uniform, with a resolute look in his eyes, solemnly saluted, took the envelope, turned and walked out of the office building, his figure gradually disappearing into the deep night.

As Secretary Dong watched Mingtai's departing figure, his heart was filled with both anticipation and worry.

He knew all too well that this intelligence war was far more complex, tortuous, and fraught with danger than he had imagined; every step was like walking on a knife's edge.

Mingtai was the third young master of the Ming family in Shanghai. His eldest sister, Mingjing, was a patriotic businesswoman who was deeply devoted to her country, but she was tragically killed by the Japanese army. He also had two older brothers, Minglou and Mingcheng, who now hold important positions in the Wang Jingwei regime.