Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

Ningguo Temple was built in the first year of the Longxing era of the Southern Song Dynasty, more than 800 years ago. It is one of the oldest temples in Shanghai and is located on the east side of Zhang Xinglang Village, Beiyang Village, Huajing Town. It was originally built with donations from Zhang Baiwu, a local wealthy man, and renovated under the supervision of the monk Changmu. Over the past 800 years, it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times, but the incense has never been extinguished.

When people enter a temple, some pray for marriage, some for success in their careers, but most simply kneel silently on their prayer cushions, praying for peace.

Although Shanghai has now fallen, Ningguo Temple still stands as before, remaining the most efficacious place in the hearts of the surrounding people, with its morning bells and evening drums ringing out every day.

Zhou Xiao held the warm brocade pouch, looked up at Li Xiaonan, and said in a gentle but solemn voice, "Thank you, Xiaonan. I will definitely wear this amulet carefully."

"Hehe, I'm glad you like it." Li Xiaonan smiled brightly as soon as he accepted it, like a sunflower fully unfolding in the sun, radiant and open.

Whether the talisman works or not, no one can say for sure; but this sentiment is weighty and genuine.

Li Xiaonan knew the perilous situation Zhou Xiao was in—it was a hidden reef in the enemy's heart; one wrong step and he would be gone without a trace. She couldn't provide intelligence or hand him a gun; the only thing she could do was run to Ningguo Temple to ask for a talisman to shield him from the unseen winds and frosts.

This is not just concern, but also heartfelt sentiment.

She cares about him.

For him, she would risk her life without hesitation.

It's not just because of faith, but also because of love.

Zhou Xiao naturally understood the weight of this gift, accepted it solemnly, and said nothing more.

The Grand Shanghai Hotel is the oldest and most established restaurant in Shanghai.

Before its fall, this place was a frequent haunt of political and business elites, Green Gang bosses, and military and political figures. Former headmasters of Weiyuan Garden and the three major Green Gang tycoons were all familiar faces here.

But now things have changed.

Tonight, Ken Oshima personally hosted a dinner party at the Shanghai Grand Hotel, a truly high-profile event.

Private room at Tianxia Pavilion.

In addition to Zhou Xiao, Ken Oshima also invited Kaoru Sakurada, the newly appointed head of the intelligence department of Shang Mansion, and Shen Fang, a member of the Special Affairs Committee, to accompany him.

Kaoru Sakurada has just taken over the head of the Shang Mansion's intelligence department from Yui Araki, and Zhou Xiao's recent performance has earned her initial trust.

Kaoru Sakurada also brought Chen Shan with her to the banquet.

There were only four people sitting in the large private room.

Ken Oshima clearly showed little interest in the people at the 76th Special Agent Headquarters, and Liang Zhongchun and Wang Manchun didn't even receive invitations.

Ken Oshima glanced around and slowly said, "The main purpose of tonight's banquet is to thank Director Zhou."

"Director Zhou is loyal to the Empire and has worked tirelessly. He was wounded in a firefight with anti-Japanese elements of the Military Intelligence Bureau a few days ago and was only discharged from the hospital today. This meal is both a reward and a way to ward off bad luck and bring good fortune."

Zhou Xiao stood up and bowed: "Thank you for your kindness, General Oshima."

Kaoru Sakurada smiled and replied, "Director Zhou is a rare talent; I have long heard of his reputation. From now on, the Shang Mansion and the Special Operations Headquarters should work together to eliminate the anti-Japanese forces."

Zhou Xiao: "This is simply my duty."

Shen Fang: "I really have to thank Director Zhou."

"I was just transferred to the Military Commission in Shanghai and I was unfamiliar with many business processes and specific matters. I relied entirely on Director Zhou's patient guidance and hands-on teaching. I felt really bad about it."

Zhou Xiao: "Committee Member Shen is being too formal. We're working together, so helping each other out is perfectly normal."

It's clear that Zhou Xiao has a good reputation among the other three.

Ken Oshima was quite satisfied with the atmosphere of the banquet. He nodded slightly, raised his glass and said, "Director Zhou is the star of the night. Here, let me toast you."

Zhou Xiao raised his glass in response, and the two clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

Throughout the banquet, Zhou Xiao was undoubtedly the central figure.

Shen Fang, Kaoru Sakurada, and Ken Oshima took turns toasting him.

After several rounds of drinks and five dishes, the group had eaten their fill. The conversation revolved around the progress of the war against Japan and their daily official duties.

The atmosphere was relaxed and harmonious.

Shen Fang also keenly sensed that Oshima Ken relied heavily on Zhou Xiao—otherwise, why would he have specially arranged a banquet to entertain him? This clearly reflected their status and trust.

He had a solid foundation and smooth intelligence channels in the Nanjing Security Headquarters; however, after being transferred to the Shanghai Special Affairs Committee, his informants suddenly dwindled and his sources of information shrank significantly. Now, seeing the close relationship between Zhou Xiao and Ken Oshima, he secretly plotted to get closer to Zhou Xiao as soon as possible so that he could naturally obtain key intelligence in the future.

At the dinner table, everyone wore a mask.

Midway through the banquet, a young woman dressed in a hotel uniform quietly appeared at the door of the private room.

She was pushing a food cart, neatly arranged with drinks, cold dishes and cutlery; she looked like an ordinary waitress.

This person was none other than Li Xiaonan.

Although she cannot change her facial features, she can avoid being recognized by acquaintances at first glance by carefully applying makeup, adjusting her hairstyle and expression.

Her goal was to assassinate Ken Oshima.

More accurately, it was to cooperate with Zhou Xiao in staging a realistic scene.

"stop!"

The two military police guarding the door immediately stopped her and the food cart.

"stop!"

The two men quickly intercepted Li Xiaonan and then carefully searched every dish and every bottle of wine on the food cart, leaving no stone unturned, even checking under the cart, in hidden compartments, and in the gaps between trays, with a particular focus on whether any weapons were hidden there.

Chen Shan stood quietly to the side, observing coldly.

For this banquet, Ken Oshima only invited Zhou Xiao, Kaoru Sakurada, and Shen Fang. Everyone else was not allowed to enter, so Chen Shan could only wait outside.

To guard against any unforeseen circumstances, Ken Oshima brought a small military police squad with him to the banquet.

The entire corridor was guarded by six Japanese military police officers, plus Chen Shan, making it heavily guarded.

The inspection found nothing unusual, and the military police waved them on.

Li Xiaonan pushed the cart slowly into the private room and immediately recognized the four people inside: Ken Oshima, Kaoru Sakurada, Shen Fang, and Zhou Xiao.

Kenjiro Oshima was engrossed in his conversation with Zhou Xiao and didn't even glance at her.

A round table was placed in the center of the private room.

Ken Oshima sat in the main seat facing the door, with Zhou Xiao sitting right next to him. Shen Fang sat to Zhou Xiao's right, while Kaoru Sakurada sat to Ken Oshima's left.

Li Xiaonan bent down to serve the dishes, her movements swift and focused, just like a well-trained restaurant waiter.

No one would pay much attention to this unassuming waitress.

Just as she turned to get the wine, a miniature pistol quietly appeared in her palm.

That's the Browning M1906, only 114 millimeters long, shorter than an adult's palm, so it's almost invisible when held in the hand, hence its nickname "palm-sized grenade." It fires 6.35mm nickel-copper jacketed rounds, which have strong penetration power within 30 meters, are not easily deformed, and come in a six-round magazine. It is designed specifically for close-quarters self-defense and surprise attacks.

It was precisely because it was so well hidden that the military police completely missed it during their routine inspection.

Li Xiaonan raised her hand, aimed, and fired—her movements were crisp and clean, aimed directly at Ken Oshima sitting above her!

boom!

Gunshots rang out.

In the blink of an eye—

Zhou Xiao, who was prepared, pounced on Oshima Ken and slammed him to the ground.

Snap...bang!

The bullet grazed the tops of the two men's heads and slammed into the wall behind them, leaving a charred bullet hole.

After missing his first shot, Li Xiaonan did not hesitate and pulled the trigger several more times.

However, all the bullets deflected off course, failing to harm Zhou Xiao and Oshima Ken in the slightest.

During this meal, Zhou Xiao, Shen Fang, and Sakura Kaoru all followed the rules and did not bring guns inside. Faced with a sudden shooting, they could only instinctively dodge.

Rushing in unarmed? That's not saving someone, that's throwing your life away.

Although the "Palm Grenade" is not as powerful as a standard pistol, at such close range, a hit to a vital point can still be fatal.

Hearing the gunshot, the military police outside immediately broke down the door and entered.

They ran right into Li Xiaonan's gun.

boom!

boom!

Two military policemen fell to the ground.

Knowing that the opportunity was fleeting, Li Xiaonan turned around and rushed out of the private room.

At this moment, Chen Shan was not in the corridor.

Upon hearing the commotion, six military police rushed forward and blocked Li Xiaonan's path.

She had already emptied her "Palm Grenade" bullets, but she remained calm and rolled to the side, lunging to the potted plants by the corridor. She reached into the bottom of the flowerpots, pulled out two pistols that she had hidden beforehand, and fired!

The two guns under the flowerpot were her backup plan.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Gunshots rang out, and military police officers fell one after another.

Despite being a woman, Li Xiaonan had undergone rigorous special agent training and was adept at dealing with ordinary military police.

Upon hearing the gunshot, the military police brought by Ken Oshima immediately swarmed forward.

In the blink of an eye, Li Xiaonan had run out of bullets again.

With a nimble side somersault, she swiftly lunged at a flowerpot at the other end of the corridor, reached into the bottom of the pot, pulled out a pistol, and immediately fired a burst, taking down several Japanese military police officers who were at the forefront.

The two sides clashed in the narrow corridor, with gunfire as dense as rain.

Li Xiaonan knew very well that if she continued to stubbornly resist, she would inevitably fall into a desperate situation.

Especially since those secret service leaders in the private room were armed—if they attacked from both sides, she would have no way to escape.

boom!

boom!

After taking down two enemies, she abruptly changed direction and rushed straight to the nearby toilet. That was her planned escape route.

I'm currently on the third floor. Jumping out the window? Absolutely impossible. Falling from the third floor would leave me crippled even if I survived, not to mention there's a group of Japanese soldiers surrounding me below.

But a rappelling rope had already been tied down on the bathroom windowsill—as long as you grabbed it, you could slide down to the first floor in one go and then shake off your pursuers along the original route.

As soon as Li Xiaonan slipped into the restroom, the military police rushed in after her and wouldn't let her go.

boom!

boom!

Two more Japanese soldiers fell to the ground.

Click...

The bolt made a dry click – the magazine was completely empty.

She had one last hiding place for the gun: the antique-style porcelain bottle next to the toilet stall wall.

To safely escape by rope, they must first eliminate the pursuers behind them. Otherwise, while in mid-air, they're sitting ducks.

Out of bullets, I have to switch guns.

She rushed to the porcelain vase, her right hand just reaching into the opening to feel for the gun handle—

Two Type 38 rifles were already pressed against her lower back, their coldness biting to the bone.

"Don't move!" the two military police roared in broken Chinese, their gun barrels pressed firmly against her back.

These military police are different from the frontline field troops; they are essentially former spies. Field soldiers only know how to kill for merit, but military police are better at keeping prisoners alive—the intelligence extracted from a tight-lipped person is often more useful than that from killing ten.

That's why they hesitated to pull the trigger.

Li Xiaonan stood frozen in place, motionless.

She was weighing her options and making a decision: how could she avoid implicating Zhou Xiao?

Two military policemen approached step by step, their guns never leaving her vitals. At this moment, she had completely lost the initiative and was tantamount to being captured.

She wasn't thinking about whether she could survive, but rather whether Zhou Xiao would be tarnished because of it.

She understood the consequences all too well: once arrested, even if Zhou Xiao could clear his name through his own abilities, the trust he had just earned in front of Oshima Ken would vanish instantly; and subsequent missions would become even more difficult.

Even if she died on the spot, the Japanese would still be able to trace her back to her after verifying her identity—once the name Li Xiaonan was revealed, Zhou Xiao would never be able to clear his name again.