Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

silence.

Dead silence.

If there were a response, it would be frightening.

This unusual silence finally pierced her reason. She moved to the front, and her gaze fell on Araki's face—a bullet hole was clearly embedded between his eyebrows, and a dark red line of blood meandered down, leaving a glaring mark on his gray forehead.

died.

Araki Yui...is he really dead?

Chida Eiko's mind went blank for a moment, all color drained from her face, her lips parted slightly without her noticing, her pupils contracted sharply, and she froze on the spot, as if she had been nailed into an ice cave.

Just a dozen minutes ago, they were having a cup of tea face to face!

In the blink of an eye, he was shot dead?

They did it in front of everyone, without anyone noticing—

This is not murder; it is a deadly act of plucking leaves and flying flowers, severing throats without a sound.

The fact that such a seasoned spy as Araki could be eliminated so silently sent chills down Chida Eiko's spine.

"Chen Shan?" She looked up abruptly and blurted out, "Chen Xia?!"

A thought flashed through her mind: at this moment, only Chen Xia was left to protect her life.

She rushed to the room where Chen Xia was being held captive, and kicked open the half-closed door—it was empty, the bed was made neatly, and not a single hair was left behind.

"Where is he?!" She stood frozen at the doorway, her mind blank. "Could it be... that they really kidnapped him right under our noses?"

The last piece of driftwood sank.

Just then, gunshots rang out from downstairs!

Tap tap tap—Bang! Bang! Bang!

The smell of gunpowder mixed with gunpowder smoke shot straight up through the air.

The Military Intelligence Bureau has made its move.

Chida Eiko gripped the pistol tightly, her nails digging into her palm. Escape? Where to escape to?

"Captain Chida!" A subordinate stumbled in, blood trickling from his forehead. "The Military Intelligence Bureau is attacking! We can't hold them off!"

"Hold on to the death!" Her voice was as cold as ice. "If we fall into their hands, no one will leave unscathed!"

"yes!"

The men lying in ambush in the old Paris barbershop were all elites from the Shang Mansion, skilled with guns and incredibly brave.

The firefight ignited instantly—

Bullets tore through the air, glass shards fell to the ground with a rustling sound, and wood chips flew in the firelight.

Chen Shan led the Second Action Team in a fierce attack on the barbershop. Inside, Japanese and puppet agents fought desperately against the stairwell, counter, and cubicles, with gunfire as dense as a torrential downpour.

The main battleground is on the first and second floors.

The third floor is the tea room.

Zhou Xiao and Chen Xia huddled together and hid behind the screen.

Chida Eiko went to Chen Xia's room but found it empty, mistakenly believing that Chen Xia had been rescued; in fact, Zhou Xiao had already quietly moved her there.

If Chida Eiko knew that Chen Xia was still inside the building, she would definitely search high and low to find her and take her hostage to save her own life—but now, the illusion has been created, and she has completely given up the search, leaving only a sliver of hope, which Zhou Xiao has tightly gripped.

This move was so brilliant it was astonishing.

Gunfire erupted downstairs like thunder. Chen Xia trembled slightly, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes until her knuckles turned white.

Zhou Xiao gently pressed down on her shoulder, his voice steady: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

"Mmm..." She bit her lower lip, her voice barely a whisper, "Little brother... wouldn't he...?"

Before I could finish speaking, my heart was already in my throat.

"He's fine." Zhou Xiao reached out and tidied the stray hairs around her temples. "You stay here and don't go anywhere. I'll go get him."

"it is good."

Although she was blind, she was more clear-headed than anyone else—outside was a hail of bullets, and if she, a blind girl, went out, she would only drag everyone down.

Once everything was settled, Zhou Xiao flashed out of the tea room.

The third floor is deserted, like a tomb.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the life-or-death battle taking place downstairs.

The gunfire downstairs grew louder, then gradually subsided.

The group of spies at the Shang Mansion won't last much longer.

As soon as Zhou Xiao turned the corner of the stairs, he saw Chida Eiko stagger up to the third floor, rush into Araki's room, and lock the door behind her.

He didn't stop walking and followed closely inside.

Chida Eiko was crouching by the window, peering down through the curtains, when she suddenly saw Chen Shan leap into the shop with a gun. She shuddered, muttering to herself, "It's him?... But this... shouldn't be him doing this?"

She had thought the whole game was a scheme devised by Chen Shan, but what she saw with her own eyes now was like stumbling upon a misaligned mirror.

"Miss Chida, I'm sorry to keep you waiting." Zhou Xiao leaned against the doorframe, his smile not reaching his eyes. "Surprised? Unexpected?"

Chida Eiko whirled around, her face turning deathly pale, her pupils contracting sharply: "You?!"

She remembered—when she entered the room, she stared at the man; his eyes, gait, and posture were all flawless.

"Did you kill Section Chief Araki?" Her throat was dry, but she still couldn't help asking.

Zhou Xiao tilted his head, his gaze sweeping over Araki's lowered head, and said calmly, "It's me."

Chida Eiko gasped, her fingertips turning icy cold. She stared at Zhou Xiao as if he were a cheetah in human skin.

The scheme was meticulously planned, employing tactics such as luring the enemy away from their stronghold and deceiving the enemy without leaving a trace.

She once regarded him as an insignificant supporting character, but now she realizes that it was a disguise of a top hunter who had sheathed his claws.

"You hid too well." She gave a bitter laugh, looking at Araki's cold corpse, her voice hoarse, "Shang Mansion's downfall was not unjust... The Military Intelligence Bureau is indeed full of hidden talents."

She was careful enough, but in the end, she lost to the person she should never have trusted.

Bang—bang—

The gunfire downstairs had faded to a whisper.

This means that almost all the spies from the Shang Mansion have been wiped out.

"Can you tell me your name?" Chida Eiko looked up, her gaze fixed on Zhou Xiao. "I want to close my eyes clearly."

"Pluto—that's my code name." Zhou Xiao's voice was deep and calm.

"The King of the Underworld? The monarch who rules the netherworld... that's quite fitting!" Before she finished speaking, she flipped her wrist, and the pistol was already at her waist, the muzzle pointing directly at Zhou Xiao's brow, and she pulled the trigger cleanly and decisively.

boom!

The gunshot was piercing, but it wasn't fired by her.

It was Zhou Xiao who made the first move.

His gunshot was so fast that it was almost invisible; Chida Eiko didn't even have time to chamber a second shot.

The bullet pierced his left chest with pinpoint accuracy, his heart ruptured instantly, and blood sprayed onto the wall like a dark red flower that suddenly bloomed and then withered away.

One blow kills.

She had long anticipated this scene—death was only a matter of time. If she really had a choice, she would rather shoot herself than step through the iron gates of the Military Intelligence Bureau.

In the Kuomintang women's prison, the instruments of torture were countless, and the methods used were so cruel they were unspeakable. For those who went in, even the desire to die was a luxury.

So even if the odds of winning are zero, she's going to take this shot.

Zhou Xiao slowly stepped forward and stopped in front of Chida Eiko's still-warm body. His tone was as calm as if he were talking about the weather: "This is the end you deserved. All those who trample on this land will only ever meet the same fate."

When Zhou Xiao watched "Awakening of Insects" back then, he was filled with anger—Chida Eiko did all sorts of bad things, but in the end, she got away scot-free and didn't even lose a hair.

But on this timeline, her encounter with Zhou Xiao was a dead end.

As soon as Chida Eiko collapsed, Chen Shan led his team and burst through the door. He glanced at Araki and Chida Eiko lying on the ground, confirming they were both dead, and his tense shoulders finally relaxed slightly. He turned urgently to Zhou Xiao: "Zhou Xiao! Where is my sister, Chen Xia? Is she safe?"

"It's nothing," Zhou Xiao said succinctly. "He's in the tea room."

"Thanks, Zhou Xiao!" Chen Shan didn't ask any more questions, turned around and rushed towards the tea room.

In this battle, Zhou Xiao single-handedly killed Araki, the head of the Special Affairs Section of the Shang Mansion, and Chida Eiko, the action team leader, uprooting the deepest intelligence stronghold of the Japanese and puppet regime in the mountain city. The magnitude of his achievement was enough to shake the entire Military Intelligence Bureau system—not only severely damaging the enemy's spy network, but also greatly weakening the Japanese intelligence agency.

This event is destined to be recorded in history.

Alternatively, it could be directly incorporated into the military intelligence training materials and repeatedly taught as a practical example.

He infiltrated the enemy camp alone, bypassing all sentries and hidden agents. From entering to leaving, every step he took was fraught with danger, yet he remained as steady as a rock. Araki Yui fell, Chida Eiko was killed, and the entire stronghold was wiped out—the entire operation was airtight, textbook-perfectly clean and efficient.

It's truly amazing!

As soon as the gunfire subsided, the scene was immediately cordoned off. The entire team sprang into action, prying open drawers, tearing up files, and breaking open safes... Everyone worked tirelessly, racing against time to gather any usable intelligence.

About ten minutes later, Chen Shan, holding Chen Xia's hand, stood in front of Zhou Xiao again.

Chen Shan gave him a deep look, his voice slightly hoarse: "Zhou Xiao, thank you. I, Chen Shan, will remember this kindness for the rest of my life."

"You saved her too," Zhou Xiao smiled, "because you arrived right on time."

The final step in the entire plan was Chen Shan leading the second action team to arrive precisely on time. Only in this way could Zhou Xiao and Chen Xia withdraw unharmed.

If it were just a minute later, Chida Eiko would have turned the barbershop upside down; there would be no hiding place.

If Zhou Xiao had escaped by half a minute, he might have been able to, but with the blind Chen Xia by his side, he couldn't protect her or take her with him.

Fortunately, Chen Shan followed the script perfectly, without missing a single detail.

Perfect.

He became famous overnight.

The Second Division of the Military Intelligence Bureau, the office of the division chief.

"Hahaha!" Guan Yongshan laughed loudly, his face beaming as he greeted him. "Brother Zhou Xiao is truly a young hero! You wiped out that old viper Araki in one fell swoop, and destroyed the entire Japanese intelligence station in the mountain city. Your achievement will be remembered for generations!"

"Don't worry, I'll personally put in a good word for you with Boss Dai and Director Wei!"

"Thank you, Director Guan." Zhou Xiao nodded slightly.

Guan Yongshan would love to keep such a person under his watchful eye. But Zhou Xiao was Zheng Yaoxian's man, so he dared not entertain such a thought.

"This is what you deserve." Guan Yongshan patted him heavily on the shoulder, his eyes fervent. "Brother Zhou Xiao, you have a bright future—the future backbone of the Military Intelligence Bureau is people like you."

To be honest, Zhou Xiao really didn't want to have much to do with people like Guan Yongshan.

"Director Guan, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now." He turned to Chen Shan, "Chen Shan, how about we go for a walk together?"

"Okay!" Although Chen Shan's identity had been exposed, he was still using Xiao Zhengguo's name and continued to walk around the second location as usual.

As soon as the two left the office, Zhou Haichao hunched over and pushed the door open to enter.

Seeing Guan Yongshan engrossed in reading documents, he immediately put on a smile and cautiously approached, "Director Guan, busy?"

"Hmm." Guan Yongshan glanced up. "Haichao, is something wrong?"

"Here's the thing." Zhou Haichao presented a purple clay teapot wrapped in blue cloth with both hands, beaming. "Director Guan, could you please take a look? I found this teapot at an old antique dealer's. He said it was from the Qing Dynasty, but my eyesight isn't great. Could you help me determine if it's genuine?"

Guan Yongshan took the teapot and examined it carefully for a long time. Suddenly, he grinned and said, "What a piece! It's a genuine Qing Dynasty piece. Just the clay and patina alone make it extraordinary."