Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

Zhou Xiao frowned slightly: "This job is like walking on a knife's edge in the dark—you have to keep it from the enemy while also being wary of your own people stabbing you in the back. It's tough."

"It's precisely because it's difficult that you're indispensable." Zheng Yaoxian's tone was firm, but his eyes were slightly somber.

Wasn't he the same way?

Codenamed "Kite," he was deeply embedded within the Military Intelligence Bureau, maintaining a single-line of communication, known only to Lu Hanqing. Even within the underground Communist Party, he was simply known as "Despicable Six"—Dai Li repeatedly set traps to test him, leaving him with a chaotic mess of accounts and countless false accusations. Many comrades had wanted to eliminate him.

In the end, he also tossed and turned at night, fearing that one day he would fall under the familiar muzzle of a gun, without even having time to leave a last word.

But the way of infiltration is inherently like this—the fewer people who know the truth, the longer one can survive.

It was precisely because this mission was extremely dangerous that Zheng Yaoxian dared to place the burden of "Dragon's Lair" on Zhou Xiao's shoulders.

In a sense, Zhou Xiao is another kite.

"Of course, when the time is right, if you find a reliable person in the Special Higher Police or the puppet regime—such as a truly trustworthy comrade who can withstand the test of life and death—you may reveal your identity as appropriate." Zheng Yaoxian's expression was solemn. "But you must be extremely cautious. It is better to miss an opportunity than to trust the wrong person."

A trustworthy person?

Minglou? That's a name worth considering.

Zhou Xiao nodded: "Understood."

The saying "going undercover is like walking on thin ice" is not just an empty phrase.

"To fully support 'Dragon's Dive,' the action team is fully equipped for you." Zheng Yaoxian looked directly at Zhou Xiao. "Mingtai, Guo Qiyun, and Yu Manli will form a dedicated team, at your command."

Mingtai, Guo Qiyun, Yu Manli... Guo Qiyun was the instructor, while the other two trained with Zhou Xiao at the same time, ate from the same pot, and were whipped together.

Zheng Yaoxian added, "You two are acquainted, but you must never meet. All instructions must be transmitted encryptedly via radio. Showing yourself once doubles the risk; meeting in person once will jeopardize your identity."

Zhou Xiao nodded and said nothing more.

With the action team providing cover, Zhou Xiao could quietly handle many things without even showing his face.

"As soon as Mingtai's team returned to Shanghai, they immediately went into deep infiltration—not hiding, but immersing themselves in the streets and alleys, blending into the crowds, treating Shanghai as their own territory, paving the way for subsequent operations." Zheng Yaoxian said calmly, "The Dragon's Lair Plan can only succeed, it cannot fail. I'm placing this entire burden on your shoulders."

"The current opportunity is rare: the timing is right, the location is favorable, and the people are supportive. It is the golden window for you to return to the Special Higher Police. With Feng Zixiong dead, the last pair of eyes that saw you back then have closed—this face has been reborn."

"But the Japanese are always suspicious and will set traps and test you repeatedly. You have to be careful with every step you take. Your safety is the bottom line and an ironclad rule."

"Understood." Zhou Xiao lowered his head and flipped through the thin file in his hand, his gaze sweeping over the resumes and details of Feng Manna, Lan Yanzhi and others, every word penetrating his mind and every sentence etched into his memory.

If Zheng Yaoxian and Zhou Xiao were to team up, it would truly be a top expert meeting a sharp new blade—one seasoned and shrewd like a blade tempered in fire, the other as keen and sharp as a blade drawn from its sheath; both are among the most formidable individuals on the intelligence front.

Zhou Xiao lacks experience and hard work; but he holds a trump card that others don't, enough to make up for his shortcomings perfectly.

A few minutes later, Zhou Xiao closed the document, looked up and stared directly at Zheng Yaoxian: "Sixth Brother, I've memorized it all." He then handed the document back to him.

Zheng Yaoxian took it without hesitation, took out the matchbox from his pocket, struck it with a "snap," and the flame rose up, licking the edge of the paper.

lol...

The cigarette smoke curled upwards, its edges charred.

"Dragon's Lair is a top secret, known only to you and me. Boss Dai only knows there's a mission, not the details." Zheng Yaoxian stared at the leaping flames. "Only by burning it all away can we hold it."

"Zhou Xiao, tell me, what kind of person can truly keep a secret?"

"dead."

"Exactly!" Zheng Yaoxian nodded. "Dead men don't talk. But you're in enemy territory, you can't fight openly, and you can't leave any evidence. So you have to use leverage, take advantage of the situation, and use other people's hands—have you heard of 'arson pencils'?"

"An arson pencil?" Zhou Xiao shook his head. "Never heard of that before."

"Adria, the father of the Black Chamber, is a living encyclopedia in the field of codebreaking. The contraption he invented—first, soften the pencil's adhesive layer with steam, split it in half, hollow out the core, and insert it into a sealed glass tube filled with the first agent; then, restore the pencil body with special glue. When in use, simply fold it gently, air rushes in, the agent seeps out, and drips onto the copper cap—the moment it corrodes and perforates, the second agent is triggered, instantly exploding into flames, with a temperature high enough to cause spontaneous combustion of the human body."

As he spoke, he opened a drawer, took out a dusty pencil, and handed it to Zhou Xiao's palm: "The principles, the process, the samples—it's all here. Whether you can use them or not depends on your own luck."

Zhou Xiao weighed the pen in his hand, ran his fingertips along the rough wood grain, and nodded, saying, "It looks ordinary, but it's quieter than a dagger and more ruthless than poison. Thank you, Sixth Brother."

Arsonist pencils kill silently.

He never imagined that in the future, when Shanghai would be shrouded in turmoil, this inconspicuous pencil would actually shield him from a fatal blow.

Zheng Yaoxian stood up, walked slowly to him, and placed his hand heavily on Zhou Xiao's shoulder: "You are the only student I have ever trained in the Military Intelligence Bureau, but I never consider myself your master. I also need to learn from your tenacity and your brilliance. Between us, it is about illuminating each other, not one-way instruction."

"Once you're in enemy-occupied territory, no one will cover for you or clean up your mess. The Japanese intelligence network is deep and ruthless, no less so than ours. All I can offer is trust. The rest is up to you to navigate and bear the consequences."

After two weeks of intensive training, he was to infiltrate the enemy's heart alone—anyone else would have gone weak in the knees and trembled with fear. But Zhou Xiao merely narrowed his eyes and straightened his back even more.

"Sixth Brother, you are the person I admire most in my life." His voice was not loud, but every word was firm. "I'm looking forward to this battle, to make a name for myself."

"Make a name for yourself." Zheng Yaoxian smiled, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothing out.

In truth, he also had a weight on his mind—sending Zhou Xiao back to the Special Higher Police was tantamount to throwing a viable piece into a raging storm. But in some matters, faith is more important than calculation.

The two discussed several key points until the sun was setting, at which point Zhou Xiao took his leave.

As he stepped out of the Military Intelligence Bureau headquarters, he had just taken a breath of the cool early autumn air when he saw Zhang Li and Yu Xiaowan standing side by side under the shade of a sycamore tree, waving at him.

"What are you doing here?" Zhou Xiao was slightly taken aback. "Is there something you need?"

Yu Xiaowan smiled and said, "I'll treat you to dinner! It's informal, purely private, just to thank you."

After Fei Zhengpeng's incident, she already knew Zhang Li's true identity. But she kept it a secret—her father, Yu Shunnian, was a tough nut to crack in the underground Communist Party.

Zhang Li chuckled and replied, "We have to give them face, right?"

Zhou Xiao's heart stirred slightly. This journey to Shanghai was long and arduous; they might never meet again. He nodded: "Alright, let's have a proper meal then."

Heart-shaped Cafe.

That was the place where they first appeared together—but back then he was hidden in the shadows while they sat in the open, passing each other without ever knowing each other. Now, reunited in that same place, neither of them mentioned the past, simply taking it as fate quietly taking a turn.

Inside the private room, the three sat down and each ordered their own food.

Yu Xiaowan stirred her coffee and casually asked, "Why haven't I seen you going to the military club lately?"

"Busy," Zhou Xiao replied curtly.

"Oh..." she responded softly, her gaze lowering before quietly lifting again.

Zhang Li leaned back in his chair, smiling as he looked at the two of them: "Zhou Xiao, you have no idea, Xiao Wan has been staking out the place almost every day, just waiting for you to show up."

Yu Xiaowan's ears suddenly burned, and she hurriedly looked down at the cake on the plate: "Sister Li, you're talking nonsense again..."

The food was served one after another, steaming hot.

Zhang Li raised the glass of orange juice to Zhou Xiao: "I'll toast you with this juice instead of wine."

Yu Xiaowan also picked up a teacup, her fingertips slightly warm.

The shop was noisy, and people were coming and going outside the window, so no one could hear what they were saying. But some things don't need to be said outright.

Yu Xiaowan respected him because of that one word, "Dad," finally someone called him that word for her;

Zhang Lijing was there to clear the name that had been nailed to the pillar of shame, and to restore the innocence of Comrade Yu Shunnian to the light of day.

Zhou Xiao picked up his teacup and gently tapped it against the glass, producing a crisp sound: "Thank you is too much for me—I'm just helping those who need help and doing what I should do."

In fact, Zhang Li harbored some suspicions about Zhou Xiao's identity—was this person genuinely trying to curry favor, or was he already an underground party member deeply ingrained in his very being? What was even more troublesome was that if he was indeed a comrade who had gone even deeper into the shadows, Zhang Li's hasty probing might only alert him.

But she would never ask a single question about something as risky as this.

They certainly wouldn't make things clear in a busy restaurant like this.

The three ate and chatted, their chopsticks clinking against each other's bowls, their laughter lingering, creating a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.

During the meal, Zhou Xiao didn't mention his trip to Shanghai at all, as if that city was just an ordinary place name on a map, rather than the dangerous place he was about to plunge into.

After finishing the meal, Yu Xiaowan stood up and waved, "I have to rush back to the hospital. I have a major surgery this afternoon, and I can't afford to be late."

"Take care!" Zhang Li waved goodbye to her good friend of many years.

As soon as Yu Xiaowan left, the two stood at the street corner waiting for a rickshaw.

Zhang Li casually asked, "Back to the Military Intelligence Bureau?" — Although the Second Division and the Headquarters were from different gates, they were on the same route and heading in the same direction.

Zhou Xiao shook his head: "Going home, I'm not going."

Zhang Li nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

The air fell silent for a moment.

She suddenly looked up, her gaze calm yet sharp, landing directly on Zhou Xiao's face: "Zhou Xiao, thank you. If there's a chance in the future, I really want to fight a tough battle alongside you."

This statement is both an offer of help and a way of probing.

She wanted to bring him into the organization, but more importantly, she wanted to use this test to see if he was truly righteous or wicked.

Unbeknownst to her, the person before her was already the sharpest blade in the organization.

Zhou Xiao smiled slightly: "Right now, we're both fighting the Japanese, doesn't that mean we're fighting side by side?"

His words were perfectly tactful, neither denying nor admitting anything.

He knew who Zhang Li was, but he couldn't reveal his true identity—some identities, if revealed too early, are a death sentence.

Zhang Li smiled too, a faint smile, a knowing smile.

Before long, the rickshaw rumbled in.

She jumped into the car and left. Zhou Xiao turned and walked towards home. His luggage was already packed, and he was ready to set off for Shanghai.