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

At the same time, news of the Mei Agency being suddenly and fiercely attacked late at night spread like a thunderbolt in Shanghai.

News spread throughout Japanese military departments in Shanghai, and the telephones rang incessantly, especially inside the Special Higher Police office building.

Jingle Bell!

The phone rang incessantly, and all members of the Special Higher Police were urgently summoned.

Commander-in-Chief of the Central China Area Army, Matsui Iwane, personally called, his voice filled with fury as he demanded, "Baka! Hirata Kiko, you should commit seppuku!"

"Hi! I'm so sorry, Commander Matsui!"

Special Higher Police Chief Hirata Kiko bowed respectfully, but a chill ran down her spine.

Her face was filled with terror, the fear of death gripping her heart—she knew in her heart that she was about to be made a scapegoat.

"The Mei Agency was attacked and suffered extremely heavy losses. General Kagesa died on the spot!"

"Your Special Higher Police are utterly incompetent! The Empire is supporting a bunch of good-for-nothings like you!"

Matsui Iwane was furious and started cursing into the phone.

Kiko Hirata was drenched in cold sweat, her legs went weak and she almost collapsed to her knees, her voice trembling as she replied:

"Hi, Commander! This was entirely due to the negligence of our Special Higher Police. We will find out the truth as soon as possible, bring the murderer to justice, and avenge General Kagesa and the fallen Imperial warriors!"

"You have three days to find the murderer, or you will pay with your life!"

Matsui Iwane's angry roar ended with him slamming down the phone.

Kiko Hirata hung up the phone, her face so dark it could drip water, and turned to her subordinates, roaring fiercely:

"Did you all hear that? The murderer must be found within three days, or we will all die!"

"Investigate immediately! Even if you have to turn Shanghai upside down, find the culprit!"

"Yes, sir! As commanded by Commander Hirata!"

Special Higher Police agents responded in unison and surged out of the office building like a tide, scattering to search for clues.

Meanwhile, inside the sewers, Zhao Heng was proceeding quickly and cautiously, following a route he had planned in advance.

The sewers reeked of a nauseating, pungent odor, and foul sewage flowed slowly at his feet, but he paid no heed to any of that. He had only one thought in his mind: to get out of this place of trouble as soon as possible.

He would stop every now and then to listen carefully, and only after confirming that there were no footsteps of Japanese soldiers chasing him would he continue on his way.

After a difficult trek, Zhao Heng finally saw the exit of the sewer.

He cautiously peeked out to observe his surroundings, and only after confirming that there were no signs of Japanese patrols did he quickly climb out.

He patted the mud and grime off his clothes, made sure he was in the right direction, and then hurried toward the pre-arranged safe haven.

At this moment, Shanghai was filled with Japanese patrol teams, who searched house to house, leaving no corner unchecked.

Countless innocent civilians were dragged from their homes by the Japanese army and subjected to unwarranted beatings, amidst cries and curses.

Large numbers of unarmed women were forcibly dragged away by the Japanese army and subjected to humiliation and beatings. Their heart-wrenching cries echoed throughout the city.

Shanghai was shrouded in terror, but Zhao Heng, with his meticulous planning and extraordinary courage, temporarily escaped the Japanese army's relentless pursuit.

Ring ring ring!

Inside the Ming Mansion, the urgent ringing of the telephone broke the silence of the room.

Minglou, looking exhausted, picked up the receiver and said in a low voice, "Hello, this is Minglou."

On the other end of the phone, Hirata Kiko's voice was hoarse: "Mr. Ming, the Mei Agency was attacked and suffered heavy losses. General Kagesa has perished."

"What?" Minglou exclaimed in surprise, his face filled with disbelief.

"Absolutely true. Commander Matsui is furious and has ordered the murderer to be found within three days."

Hirata Kiko spoke with a fierce tone, each word uttered through gritted teeth, "I hope Mr. Wang Ming will lend his full support to help the 76th Special Agent Headquarters find out the exact location of the Shanghai Military Intelligence Station."

Dengdengdeng-

Mingcheng hurried in, his face showing anxiety. Just as he was about to speak, Minglou raised his hand to signal him to be quiet.

Mingcheng understood immediately, stopped walking, and stared nervously at Minglou, waiting for him to end the call.

Minglou took a deep breath and tried his best to keep his voice steady: "I will do my best to cooperate, but three days is really too rushed."

Hirata Kiko sneered: "Mr. Akira, you have no choice, or you will bear the consequences."

Even if I commit seppuku, I'll drag you and Mingcheng down with me.

Snapped!

Before he could finish speaking, the phone was abruptly hung up.

Ming Lou's expression instantly turned extremely solemn. He turned to look at Ming Cheng, his eyes filled with a mixture of determination and helplessness.

"No need to guess, this must have been done by Guying. The Mei Agency was hit by artillery fire, and Kagesa was killed. The Japanese have been thoroughly enraged."

Hirata Kiko threatened my life, demanding that I lead the 76th Division to the precise location of the Shanghai Military Intelligence Station.

He paused, then said in a heavy tone, "Between two evils, we must choose the lesser one. We have no choice but to expose the Shanghai Military Intelligence Station."

If we can't find her location within three days, we'll both be killed by her.

Mingcheng's expression changed drastically, and he shouted angrily, "She's insane! This woman is a complete and utter militaristic madwoman!"

"We cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom; we must act immediately."

Minglou stared intently at Mingcheng, his gaze unwavering and his eyes deep, forcing himself to analyze the situation calmly.

"Gu Ying's actions this time must have thoroughly angered Matsui Iwane, the commander-in-chief of the Central China Area Army."

This is the first time in many years of the War of Resistance that a Japanese major general has been killed in action.

Matsui Iwane desperately needs a scapegoat, and that person is Hirata Kiko, the head of the Special Higher Police.

"She'll be desperate to save herself, so we must use that to help her find the location of the Military Intelligence Bureau in order to save our lives."

Minglou spoke clearly, upholding his bottom line: "Mingcheng, we can betray the Kuomintang, but we must never betray our beliefs."

We will always be Communists, and we must protect Gu Ying; he is our comrade.

At this point, we can only choose the lesser of two evils.

He then specifically instructed, "Don't inform Wang Shi'an; that good-for-nothing can't be trusted."

Mingcheng hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and voiced his concerns: "Okay. But Uncle Li said that there is a comrade codenamed 'Postman' who is infiltrating the upper echelons of the Shanghai Military Intelligence Station."

Ming Lou's expression shifted between light and shadow, but after a moment he made a decisive decision: "Go find Uncle Li immediately and have him notify the postman immediately to evacuate tonight. I'll drive to the 76th Special Agent Headquarters myself."

Mingcheng nodded emphatically, his expression grave: "I understand, brother. You must be careful, and bring your gun."

……

A moment later, Minglou and Mingcheng each drove a car out of the Ming Mansion, one after the other. Just then, a light drizzle began to fall from the night sky.

Mingcheng drove to Uncle Li's house and explained the current emergency situation to him.

"What? Lone Shadow has reappeared, bombarding the Mei Agency and killing a Japanese major general!" Uncle Li was shocked, his face full of disbelief.

Mingcheng nodded, gripped his pistol tightly, and urged, "Uncle Li, Cobra asked me to tell you that he plans to expose the Shanghai Military Intelligence Station in exchange for Hirata Kiko's trust."

To put it bluntly, we're betraying the Kuomintang. Hirata Kiko only gave you three days; she told you to immediately find the fisherman and tell the postman to evacuate immediately.