Espionage: I Have Photo Editing Software

Buddhism should be a place of purity.

The temples built in China by Japanese Buddhist sects such as Nichiren and Jodo Shinshu were actually places where evil deeds were committed.

They were not only at the forefront of cultural aggression, but also intelligence outposts for espionage agencies.

The Japanese established dozens of temples and missions in East China, constantly proclaiming that "Chinese and Japanese Buddhism share the same roots and should not be in conflict with each other," in an attempt to dispel the Chinese people's resistance.

Many Japanese monks used "begging for alms" and "wandering" as cover to gather intelligence.

He was called a monk, but in reality, he was a vengeful ghost.

The "Japanese monk incident," which sparked the January 28 Incident in 1932, is irrefutable evidence of the collusion between Japanese monks and intelligence agencies.

The massacre of Japanese residents in China may have resulted in some wrongful killings, but none were innocent.

There is absolutely no possibility of killing the wrong Japanese monks in China.

On this day, Wei Renming, along with association staff and about ten photographers, arrived at the Nishi Honganji Shanghai Branch.

Built in 1931, this temple was an important religious site for Japanese expatriates in Shanghai and was very popular.

Besides Japanese people, there were also a few Chinese people coming and going.

Over the past two days, Wei Renming drove alone to many temples in Shanghai, and finally found the place where the middle-aged man was secretly filmed in this temple.

But he came alone, and many parts of the temple would not allow him to enter.

In order to investigate further, he had no choice but to come under the association's name.

Led by a monk, the group toured the temple, stopping frequently to take photos.

"The temple's architecture is unique, and the scenery is also very beautiful. We are truly honored to be able to come here to take photos," Wei Renming said to the monk.

Shoichi Uchida smiled and said, "Temples don't usually allow photography, but we were granted special permission by the resident monks for this trip."

"No photography? Who took that picture of the middle-aged man?" Wei Renming wondered to himself.

The monk returned the greeting, saying, "Your presence here to pay your respects is a sign of your affinity with this temple."

Everyone expressed their gratitude.

"May I take pictures of the Buddha statue?" a photographer asked.

"No, that would be extremely disrespectful," the monk quickly said.

"It's a real shame."

Before they knew it, the group had arrived at the backyard.

At the entrance, a monk was guarding it.

The monk said, "The backyard is where the monks live, and it is not convenient to visit. Please understand."

"I wanted to take a picture of the dormitory, why can't we go in?" someone complained.

The others echoed this sentiment.

Seeing this, Wei Renming asked, "We're just taking a walk and looking around; we won't wander around aimlessly. Could you make an exception?"

"I'm so sorry, the monks' quarters are indeed not open to visitors," the monk said again.

Wei Renming looked at Uchida Shoichi, who understood and pulled the monk aside to negotiate.

The two spoke in hushed tones for a long time.

In the end, Shoichi Uchida shook his head.

"In that case, let's just forget about it!" Wei Renming became wary.

What is in this backyard that warrants such strict guarding? Could it be hiding some great secret?

"Next is free time, so please make the most of this opportunity and take lots of photos."

After Wei Renming finished speaking, he started wandering around the temple on his own.

They soon arrived at the location where the middle-aged man had been secretly filmed.

He looked around and his gaze was drawn to the large water vat by the wall.

If he wasn't mistaken, the person who took the photos was hiding behind the water tank.

He looked to his left and saw a tall fir tree standing by the wall.

By climbing the cedar tree, one can easily scale the three-meter-high wall.

On the other side of the wall is the temple's backyard.

"At the time, the middle-aged man was probably examining the cedar tree. Was he trying to enter the temple's backyard? Also, was the person who took the photo on a whim, or had they been secretly following him for a long time?"

Wei Renming had no answer.

Around 11 a.m., after the tour, someone suggested, "President Wei, since the temple has been so hospitable, why don't we invite the residents to stay here and take a group photo to commemorate the occasion?"

These words were exactly what Wei Renming wanted to hear, and he smiled and said:

"That's a great suggestion. In addition to the resident monk, let's invite the other masters as well. Uchida-san, go and make that arrangement."

"no problem."

About ten minutes later.

Photographers and monks stood in two rows, capturing their images on film.

Upon returning to the photo studio, Wei Renming immediately uploaded the group photo to the archive.

He had a hunch that this group photo would be very useful someday.

in the afternoon.

After disguising himself, Wei Renming returned to Nishi Honganji Temple.

His espionage skills were mediocre, and his disguise skills were also average, but as long as he wasn't targeted, it was enough.

"Is this temple effective?" Wei Renming asked the stall owner selling incense outside the temple, his body hunched over and his voice rough.

"Whether it works or not depends on the type of incense you choose, right? What are you planning to pray for? I can recommend the most suitable incense for you." The stall owner was very quick-witted.

"You never tell the truth; you just want to sell me Buddhist incense," Wei Renming said with a look of disgust.

"Who said that? This temple is very effective! There's a saying that monks from other places chant better sutras, have you heard that? This temple is full of monks from other places, how could it not be effective?" The vendor was also very quick-witted.

"Then tell me, what divine interventions have happened at this temple?"

"This..." the vendor hesitated.

"If it didn't work, how could it be effective?"

"Who said there isn't?"

"Then tell me!"

"Just...just..."

"Can't quite put your finger on it? I've heard that there are omens before a deity manifests. Has anything been different about this temple lately?" Wei Renming guided the vendor's thoughts.

Untrained people are easily misled.

The vendor opened his mouth instinctively, then immediately realized what he meant, "You're here to ask me something?"

Wei Renming was slightly surprised, not expecting the vendor to be so clever.

"That's right."

He took out a few copper coins and tossed them to the vendor.

"You should have said so earlier, you've wasted my time." The vendor grabbed the copper coins. "If there's anything unusual lately, it must have been a few nights ago. I heard from others that several gunshots were heard from the temple."

"Really?" Wei Renming frowned.

"I don't know if it's true or not. But that's what everyone living around here is saying."

Wei Renming pondered for a moment, then asked, "Have you seen anyone suspicious?"

"Yes." The vendor nodded. "The next day, when I set up my stall, I found that the temple was closed. Not long after, several cars arrived. Japanese soldiers in suits and military uniforms got out of the cars and entered the temple."

"What are they doing here?"

"I don't know. But they only stayed for less than half an hour before leaving. And some of them looked worried when they left. I look like that when I'm hungry. So I guess they must have run into trouble."

Wei Renming looked the vendor up and down, his eyes filled with surprise. This kid was meticulous and had keen observation skills; he was simply born to be a secret agent.

"What's your name?"

Yu Zecheng.

"What? Yu Zecheng?" Wei Renming wondered if he was hallucinating.