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

Uncle Li nodded, his face resolute, then turned and ran into the bedroom to retrieve a Mauser pistol.

"Okay, Acheng, take me to the Nanyuan Framing Shop in the French Concession tonight. The fisherman is there."

"Okay, Uncle Li, let's go." Mingcheng immediately agreed.

……

Outside the Nanyuan Mounting Shop in the French Concession.

Uncle Li pounded on the shop door anxiously, shouting, "Old Ji! Old Ji!"

A moment later, fisherman Ji Zhongyuan, dressed in a long gown, walked to the shop entrance.

Mingcheng glanced at it, then gripped the steering wheel tightly and drove the Ford away.

"What happened? Coming here so late, don't you have any sense of discipline?"

Ji Zhongyuan quickly asked and stepped aside to let Uncle Li into the shop.

"Something terrible has happened!"

Uncle Li said urgently, "Cobra plans to betray the Kuomintang and gain the trust of the Japanese. The location of the Shanghai Military Intelligence Bureau will definitely be exposed to the Special Higher Police."

He told me to inform you immediately: the comrade codenamed Postman must not go to work tomorrow; please ask for leave immediately.

Ji Zhongyuan's expression instantly turned serious. He knew that this matter was of utmost importance, and the slightest mistake could lead to irreversible consequences.

"Okay, I'll arrange it right away and get the message to the postman as soon as possible."

As he spoke, he hurried into the house, preparing to risk contacting the postman, Gu Shenyan, via radio.

Uncle Li paced anxiously, his heart filled with worry for Minglou's safety.

Minglou went to No. 76 alone. The road ahead was dangerous, and he could only pray silently that Minglou would be safe and sound and that the plan would be completed smoothly.

……

Not long after, Ji Zhongyuan came out of the house and said to Uncle Li, "We've made contact. The postman knows the situation and will ask for leave from the Military Intelligence Bureau's Shanghai station tomorrow."

But the situation is critical right now, what should we do next?

Uncle Li frowned and pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Let's wait here for news and prepare for any unforeseen circumstances."

The situation with Cobra is still unclear, so we can only proceed according to his plan for now, hoping that everything is still in time.

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with worry yet also with determination, and then quietly stayed in the framing shop.

"Gu Ying, I still don't know who he is."

Ji Zhongyuan spoke slowly, his expression grave, "His style of doing things is far too radical."

Uncle Li nodded and sighed softly: "Yes, in order to protect itself and continue its undercover work, Cobra had no choice but to sacrifice the Shanghai Military Intelligence Station."

At the same time, in Gu Shenyan's apartment.

His expression was grave. After turning off the radio, he carefully hid it in a hidden compartment of the wardrobe, then took out a lighter and lit the urgent telegram sent by the fisherman.

The telegram was clearly legible: The Shanghai Military Intelligence Station has been compromised. I must request leave immediately tomorrow. — Fisherman.

Watching the telegram burn to ashes, Gu Shenyan shoved it into the ashtray and fell into deep thought.

Even from a great distance, the explosion had made his eardrums tingle. He heard it clearly; the sound clearly came from the direction of the Japanese concession.

He picked up the landline and dialed Wang Shi'an's number: "Station Chief, this is Lao Gu."

On the other end of the phone, Wang Shi'an asked casually, "Old Gu, what's wrong?"

"Stationmaster, I suddenly have a fever and feel unwell all over. I would like to ask for a week's leave to go to the hospital for a thorough examination." Gu Shen's speech slowed down, but his heart was in his throat.

Wang Shi'an hesitated for a moment, then immediately agreed: "If you're not feeling well, go quickly. The leave is approved."

"Okay, cough cough! Then, stationmaster, I won't bother you any longer." With that, Gu Shenyan hung up the phone.

That night, Shanghai was sleepless.

Minglou, together with Li Moqun, the director of No. 76, led Bi Zhongliang, the director of the Action Department, Liang Shuo, the deputy director, Cui Mo, the director of the Intelligence Department, and all the agents to launch a dragnet search throughout the city.

The wailing of sirens echoed through the night, a tense and oppressive atmosphere enveloping every corner of the city.

Every nook and cranny of the streets and alleys was thoroughly searched, and the air seemed to freeze in the tense atmosphere.

Shen Fang was also in the search team, extremely anxious, but he could only pretend to be calm, silently paying attention to the surrounding movements and following the actions of Agent 76.

His identity as "Wind Chime" has not yet been exposed, but he knows in his heart that once it is revealed, he will be doomed.

In the darkness of night, his eyes grew even more resolute, and he secretly vowed that if he encountered any underground party comrades, he would step forward without hesitation, even at the cost of his own life, to protect them.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Ming Lou, dressed in a sharp suit with a long black overcoat, walked steadily into the Special Higher Police office, followed closely by Li Moqun.

"Commander Hirata, I apologize. Director Li and I spent the whole night searching the main urban areas outside the concession, including Huangpu, Jing'an, and Putuo, but we still couldn't find any trace of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Shanghai Station."

Upon hearing this, Hirata Kiko, the head of the Special Higher Police, turned pale and stepped forward, raising her hand to deliver two hard slaps.

"You idiots! A bunch of useless trash!"

The crisp sound of a slap echoed in the office. Minglou's cheeks burned, but he suppressed his turbulent emotions, stood with his head bowed, and remained calm.

Li Moqun gritted his teeth, his eyes swirling with resentment and anger.

"Commander Hirata, there is only one possibility now: the Military Intelligence Bureau's Shanghai station is hidden in the French Concession."

Minglou took a deep breath and slowly raised his eyes to look at Hirata Kiko.

Li Moqun quickly chimed in, "Commander Ming is right. We have no right to enter the French Concession to search."

Before he could finish speaking, another slap landed hard on Li Moqun's face.

"I'll lead the team myself. You two come with me to continue the dragnet search in the French Concession!"

Hirata Kiko, still furious, swept her cold gaze over the two of them.

She knew in her heart that if she could not find the Kuomintang's Shanghai station this time, she would become the scapegoat and would have no choice but to commit seppuku to apologize to the Emperor.

Minglou nodded and replied, "Yes, Commander Hirata."

The Kuomintang's Shanghai branch was ultimately destroyed, and Dai Li was furious when he learned of the news.

Colonel Hirata Kiko personally led the Special Higher Police (TPT) troops, and also transferred the 3rd Battalion from the Field Regiment of the Central China Area Army in Shanghai.

The force totaled over a thousand people, all equipped with weapons such as the Type 91 light machine gun, grenade launcher, and mortar.

The reason for this large-scale mobilization is twofold: firstly, the death of Major General Kagesa of the Mei Agency in this incident.

More importantly, during their investigation at the crime scene, forensic experts from the Special Higher Police extracted shell casings from an American Thompson submachine gun.

Hirata Kiko concluded that only the Military Intelligence Bureau (MIB) had the capability to equip itself with such sophisticated American equipment, while the underground Communist Party, in her view, lacked the resources to afford such weapons.

Minglou's eyes were bloodshot as he leaned back in the back seat of the Buick sedan, while Mingcheng sat in the driver's seat, gripping the steering wheel tightly with a solemn expression.

Meanwhile, the 76th Special Agent Headquarters, led by Li Moqun and Bi Zhongliang, drove into the French Concession in a grand procession and began searching house to house.

Bi Zhongliang, dressed in a cashmere suit, with his hair neatly slicked back and wearing sheepskin gloves, surveyed the streets with a cold gaze.

Chen Shen, dressed in a white striped suit with a black trench coat, stood by a phone booth on the street corner with sharp, eagle-like eyes, his gaze fixed intently on every passerby.