Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

The underground party only knew "Lone Shadow" but didn't know who it was; the Kuomintang's Mingtai team had only heard of the code name "Pluto" but had never seen Zhou Xiao's true face; as for Song Mian and Lan Yanzhi's branch, they had never even heard of the name "Pluto".

If someone else were to carry out this "assassination," they would be ready to fight with real weapons the moment they receive the order.

If Zhou Xiao fights back, it would be tantamount to killing one of his own men; if he doesn't fight back, he will be seriously injured and arrested at best, and die on the spot at worst. What's worse, the Special Higher Police will immediately detect the flaw: how could a "traitor" being hunted be powerless to fight back?

This play can only be performed by the person who understands him best and trusts him the most.

Otherwise, it will either result in mutual destruction or total defeat.

Therefore, this assassination scene must be performed flawlessly, and the actors must be selected precisely.

Li Xiaonan was precisely the most suitable candidate.

Zhou Xiao leaned back in his chair, his tone calm yet weighty: "In the recent assassination attempts, I didn't lose a single hair—I wasn't targeted, nor was I ambushed. This is highly unusual. The Japanese aren't stupid, nor are they blind."

"If I remain completely unscathed, without even a bullet grazing my skin or a blade flashing past, over time I'll become the most conspicuous. People might not say it, but they'll be worried sick."

"The new section chief is arriving tomorrow. You'd better put on a good show for me."

Li Xiaonan's eyes lit up, and she immediately understood: "Okay! I got it—I'll 'assassinate' you tomorrow morning. Don't worry, I'm quick to get into character and I can handle it well."

Zhou Xiao nodded with a smile: "I can tell, hahaha."

Actually, he had another deeper meaning: to gain trust by using someone else.

Ken Oshima's attitude has been gradually softening lately, his wariness of Zhou Xiao is slowly crumbling, and his trust is quietly growing.

If another dramatic scene of "anti-Japanese patriots risking their lives to assassinate" were to unfold at this moment, Kenjiro Oshima would become even more convinced that Zhou Xiao must be a staunch traitor, otherwise why would he attract such a ruthless hunt?

This "concrete evidence" became the key to breaking down the other party's defenses.

The two then quickly finalized the details of the entire assassination.

Since it's an act, it has to be a mix of truth and falsehood, reality and illusion—it has to be so realistic that people can believe it, but it can't reveal the slightest flaw.

The location of the engagement, the duration of the firefight, the window for retreat, the detour route... everything has to be calculated down to the second.

We absolutely cannot let Li Xiaonan get involved, and we absolutely cannot let her expose her identity. If things go wrong, all our previous efforts will be in vain.

After repeated deliberations and several revisions, the meticulously planned assassination was finally finalized—it was just a matter of waiting for tomorrow morning to begin.

An hour later, Zhou Xiao took Li Xiaonan back to the film set.

The crew was still filming someone else's last scene; the lights were still on and the noise hadn't subsided.

As soon as the car came to a stop, everyone's eyes turned to it.

Li Xiaonan glanced outside, then turned to Zhou Xiao, lowering her voice to chuckle, "Zhou Xiao, you have to play your part—the whole place is watching!"

Zhou Xiao was slightly taken aback, then understood: "Of course, it depends on whether you are willing to cooperate."

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she softly replied, "Yes."

Zhou Xiao nimbly pushed open the car door and got out, quickly walked around to the passenger side, raised his hand to open the door, and said calmly, "Xiao Nan, please."

Li Xiaonan stepped out of the car, her voice gentle: "You came all this way to pick me up so late, thank you for your trouble."

He reached out and brushed a stray hair from her forehead, his smile gentle: "Silly girl, why are you saying all this?"

Their eyes met, and the air fell silent instantly.

After a moment of hesitation, they all leaned forward simultaneously.

The lips touched, light and brief, yet it was like igniting a small flame.

Right before everyone's eyes, a kiss, clean and swift, yet full of tender affection.

Li Xiaonan took a half step back, her eyes filled with reluctance, and waved to him, "Well...see you later!"

Zhou Xiao waved and smiled: "See you later."

He watched her figure disappear at the entrance of the film set before turning around, opening the car door, and driving away.

The onlookers burst into laughter, exclaiming, "It really happened!" "It should have happened sooner!" "This sweet treat has made me so full I'm burping!"

They believed it—believed that the two were truly in love.

This kiss served as both a cover and a prelude.

If two people are inseparable every day, but never hold hands, get close, or show affection, it will arouse suspicion.

To truly bring a play to life, it must have warmth, a heartbeat, and a touch of everyday life.

Kissing goodbye in front of everyone is like nailing the word "couple" to the wall—no matter how close they get along or how frequently they contact each other afterward, no one will think much of it.

On the other hand, the kiss wasn't entirely staged.

She was indeed attracted to him, and he wasn't entirely indifferent either.

That moment of closeness was a tacit understanding, a matter of timing, and a natural expression that came about naturally.

The next morning, the first thing Zhou Xiao did upon opening his eyes was to call the system to sign in.

"System, check-in."

"Ding—Congratulations, host, for completing today's check-in. You have received 1000 points and 10 small yellow fish."

Recently, the tasks assigned by the system have mostly been daily check-ins or fixed-point sign-ins, with unremarkable rewards, mainly consisting of points.

I was pleasantly surprised to receive 10 gold bars this morning.

Gold is the lifeblood in this chaotic world. Thanks to the system's occasional gifts, Zhou Xiao has already accumulated a considerable amount of hard currency.

However, his expenses during his time in hiding have been considerable – the expenses for holidays, the interactions with colleagues, and the generous gifts for bribing superiors and subordinates all require substantial sums of money.

It was through these gradual and persistent efforts to cultivate relationships that he was able to gain a foothold in the Special Higher Police and the Special Operations Headquarters, winning over a group of genuine supporters.

All of this was never due to luck, but rather the result of his hard work and perseverance.

After accepting the reward, he got up, washed up, and sat down at the dining table.

Lin Yiyi had already set out breakfast: warm white porridge, refreshing side dishes, and golden fried eggs.

Seeing him come downstairs, she looked up and smiled: "Brother Zhou, you're awake."

Looking at the steaming food on the table, Zhou Xiao joked, "Yiyi, you're practically taking over my kitchen—you cook for me from dawn till dusk every day, you care about me even more than my own sister."

Lin Yiyi lowered her eyes and said softly, "This is what I should do."

If it weren't for Zhou Xiao, Zhang Wanlin would still be at large, and she would probably never be able to avenge her family's blood feud.

If he needs her, she is willing to go through fire and water and dedicate the rest of her life to him.

The two ate their meal in silence.

After a moment, Lin Yiyi put down her chopsticks and hesitated before speaking, "Brother Zhou... Recently, Yongxin's people have searched almost the entire city of Shanghai, looking for Zhang Wanlin everywhere, even checking the sewers several times."

Zhou Xiao remained unmoved: "Let them search. They won't leave a single trace."

For those in the secret service business, the ability to destroy evidence is ingrained in their bones.

He looked up at her and said, "You should stay at the Zhou residence and not go anywhere else during this time."

"Let's put Zhang Wanlin's matter aside for now."

Lin Yiyi nodded obediently: "Okay, I'll listen to you."

After the meal, Zhou Xiao went out to drive his car.

As agreed last night, Li Xiaonan will carry out the crucial "assassination" today on his way to the Special Forces Headquarters.

The engine hummed softly as the wheels rolled lightly over the streets bathed in the cool morning light.

Yongfu Road is a narrow road that is the only way from Zhou Enlai's former residence to the Special Forces Headquarters. The road is deserted, with few cars and people. The alleys on both sides are like a spider web, winding and turning. If you make any sudden movements, you can disappear into the maze of side passages in the blink of an eye.

Normally, Zhou Xiao would always drive steadily along this road with his foot on the gas pedal, heading straight to headquarters.

Today, as usual.

The meticulously planned "assassination" was scheduled to take place on Yongfu Road.

He rested his left hand on the steering wheel and glanced at his watch with his right wrist—this scene couldn't be considered perfect if it was even a second off.

It was exactly 8:30.

The timing was perfect!

Suddenly, a dark figure darted out from the narrow alley ahead. Masked, armed, and ruthless, the figure unleashed a hail of bullets at Zhou Xiao's vehicle.

boom! boom! boom!

Gunshots rang out, short and rapid.

"ah--!"

Street vendors, elderly women buying vegetables, and students on their way were all startled and scattered in an instant. Some people fell down, some knocked over stalls, and the whole street was in complete chaos, like a hornet's nest that had been poked.

Most of the bullets struck the hood, doors, and windshield, making a clanging sound and sending sparks flying.

Whoosh—!

The windshield shattered instantly, splitting into spiderweb-like cracks, with fragments falling to the ground.

Inside the car, Zhou Xiao immediately retaliated.

boom! boom! boom!

Bullets rained down, but all of them grazed the black-clad man's ears, embedding themselves in the brick wall, telephone pole, and clothesline—all were feints, not a single bullet touching flesh.

This was a charade; they performed it convincingly so no one would suspect anything.

The passersby had all fled, leaving only gun barrels spitting fire and smoke rising. The two men exchanged blows, fighting with great seriousness.

Just half a minute into the exchange of fire, two patrol officers suddenly rushed out from the end of the intersection, their whistles blaring, and they drew their guns and ran towards them.

The man in black glanced at the scene, immediately put away his gun, turned around, and darted into the alleyway. With a few leaps, he disappeared among the winding gray walls and was never seen again.

Zhou Xiao wiped his forehead, a trace of blood on his fingertip—a shallow cut from shards of glass. He looked at his car, riddled with bullets, and chuckled, shaking his head. "Li Xiaonan's acting is truly superb."

The patrol officers, still panting, surrounded them and began asking questions.

Zhou Xiao flashed his badge, and the other person's expression hardened. He immediately pulled out a walkie-talkie and yelled, "Headquarters! Emergency reinforcements! Major attack on police on Yongfu Road! Target's identity confirmed—Chief of the Intelligence Department, Special Operations Headquarters! Repeat, it's Chief Zhou!"

To ordinary patrol officers, the title "Chief of Intelligence" carried more weight than a military order. Within five minutes, Branch Chief Yang Lin personally led his men to the scene, sirens blaring, blocking the road, setting up barricades, and clearing the area with swift and decisive action.

The battered car was completely immobilized, unable to move. Zhou Xiao stood by the roadside, dressed in a crisp uniform with his sleeves slightly rolled up, his expression calm.

A middle-aged patrol officer strode forward, stood at attention, and saluted, sweat beading on his forehead: "Chief Zhou! I'm Yang Lin, the branch chief for this area! I'm so sorry to have startled you. Are you badly injured?"

"It's just a little scratched on the outside." Zhou Xiao waved his hand.

"Headquarters has notified us, our men are on their way!" Yang Lin gritted his teeth. "These anti-Japanese thugs are too arrogant! They dare to make a move in broad daylight. If we catch even one, we will not let them off easily!"

"It was my oversight. I will definitely increase patrols and ensure this never happens again!"

Zhou Xiao said calmly, "There's no need to blame yourself. Just do it as usual."

In fact, even the time it took for the patrol officers to scout the location was within his calculations.

He had walked this road hundreds of times, and he could recite the exact time and location of patrols at every alleyway with his eyes closed. When finalizing the plan with Li Xiaonan, they even timed the arrival of the patrol officers precisely—seventeen seconds after the firefight, the whistle would sound.

This is the most crucial point.

If the timing isn't right, Li Xiaonan won't be able to retreat. If they drag it out, both of them will miss every shot and remain unharmed, which will expose their secret: a top intelligence officer from the Special Operations Headquarters exchanging fire with an assassin for three minutes and not even glancing at the hem of his clothes? Who would believe that?

Too fake, too stupid, too flimsy.

But once the patrol officers arrive on time, everything falls into place—the assassin, seeing the situation turning against him, abandons his mission and flees, the logic of which is impeccable.

This both confirmed their status as "victims" and preserved the lives and identities of everyone involved.

By the time the special operations headquarters sealed off the scene, Li Xiaonan had already changed her clothes and blended into the crowd at the market, disappearing without a trace.