Holding the original shares, they fought all the way to the Korean War!

"I don't need to hear your explanation."

Hata Shunroku interrupted him.

"Whether you carry it out or not is your business."

He turned around, walked back behind his desk, and sat down.

"Three days."

"The countdown will begin at 4:30 PM today."

"If the murderer is not caught by 4:30 pm three days later."

He looked up and glanced at Kenzo Sato.

"you understand me."

Kenzo Sato stood there, as if he were nailed to the spot.

His lips moved, but he ultimately said nothing more.

He simply stood at attention and gave a standard military salute.

"Hi."

Then he turned around and strode out of the office.

The footsteps in the corridor quickly faded away, carrying an almost frantic urgency.

The office fell silent again.

Colonel Terada stood at the door, remaining silent without saying a word.

At that moment, he turned his head slightly and glanced at Hata Shunroku.

As if sensing his gaze, Hata Shunroku said something without looking up.

"Is there anything else?"

"no."

"Then get lost."

Colonel Terada said nothing more, saluted, and turned to leave the office.

The door closed gently behind me.

Only Hata Shunroku remained in the office.

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

His fingers tapped lightly on the table, once, twice, three times.

The pace was neither too fast nor too slow, as if they were counting something.

It's as if he's not thinking about anything at all.

……

Half an hour later.

Martial law was imposed throughout Shanghai.

The Japanese concession was the first to take action.

Every street in the Japanese concession was blocked off with temporary roadblocks, sandbags and wooden stakes, leaving only a narrow opening for pedestrians to pass through.

At least one squad of Japanese soldiers guarded each intersection, with light machine guns mounted next to the sentries.

The walls on both sides of all the roadblocks were covered with emergency martial law notices, with Japanese and Chinese text side by side.

The message stated that a serious incident had occurred.

A state of emergency has been declared throughout Shanghai. All residents must cooperate with the Imperial Army's search and are prohibited from going out, gathering, or passing on messages.

Those who violate this rule will be treated as traitors.

Next came the Chinese-controlled area.

The martial law was declared in the Chinese-controlled area about ten minutes later than in the Japanese-controlled area.

But its power is in no way inferior.

All intersections leading to the Japanese concession were blocked, and shops along the street were searched door-to-door.

In the residential area, the military police were divided into several groups, searching house by house and building by building.

No one dared to stop them, and no one dared to question them.

The Japanese military police and Special Higher Police officers had cold eyes and acted roughly, causing countless cries and whimpers to erupt along the way.

The situation in the French Concession was slightly different.

The French police initially tried to maintain their jurisdiction and refused to allow the Japanese military police to conduct a large-scale search of the French Concession.

But after a few phone calls, the police chief of the French Concession received instructions from his superiors.

Everything was done according to the Japanese requirements.

The military police quickly appeared on the streets of the French Concession.

Although they did not set up checkpoints at every intersection like the Japanese concession did.

However, people have already been deployed at the main entrances and exits of the French Concession.

The police officers were relegated to the sidelines, only responsible for maintaining order on the perimeter.

They handed over all actual control.

It starts at 4:30 p.m.

The number of pedestrians and vehicles on the roads in Shanghai is decreasing at a visible rate.

Those citizens who were originally walking on the street.

When the military police and puppet troops passed by, they all hid in alleys or shops.

Even the rickshaw drivers pulled their rickshaws to the side of the road, too afraid to move.

The entire city seemed to have been put on pause by an invisible hand.

Five o'clock in the afternoon.

Shanghai Police Department.

The military police set up a temporary command center in the police station compound.

Several black cars were parked in the yard, with the Japanese flag displayed on their hoods.

Kenzo Sato got out of one of the cars and stood in the middle of the yard.

His gaze swept over the busy military police and Special Higher Police personnel.

His face was expressionless.

But what was in those eyes was more unbearable to look at than any expression.

"One group, responsible for the Japanese concession."

"Group Two, responsible for the Chinese-controlled area."

"Group Three, responsible for the French Concession."

"Group Four, responsible for Shanghai's highway exits."

He pointed to each one one by one, his voice not loud, but every word carried an undeniable force.

"Each group leader reports to me on their progress every thirty minutes."

"The focus of the search is on suspicious individuals."

The group leaders stood at attention and responded, then turned and ran towards their respective vehicles and teams.

Kenzo Sato stood in the center of the courtyard, watching them disperse.

Then he slowly turned around, his gaze passing over the courtyard wall and looking towards the direction of the Japanese concession in the distance.

After half an hour.

A report stated that the main streets within the Japanese concession had been thoroughly searched, and no suspicious persons had been found.

The second team reported that a house-to-house search had been completed in the eastern section of the Chinese-controlled area, and no suspicious persons were found.

Three reports indicate that checkpoints have been set up at the entrances and exits of the French Concession, but there are currently no abnormalities.

According to reports from the four groups, no suspicious persons have been found at any highway exits in Shanghai.

As Kenzo Sato listened to the reports, his expression grew increasingly grim.

He listened to all the reports.

He was silent for a few seconds, then spoke a sentence in a low voice.

But it was clear enough for everyone present to hear it clearly.

"Continue the search."

"Find him even if you have to dig three feet into the ground."

"I want to see him alive or dead within three days."

No one in the courtyard dared to speak, no one dared to make eye contact; everyone lowered their heads.

Then they turned around and returned to their respective positions.

Kenzo Sato stood alone in the center of the courtyard, looking up at the gradually darkening sky above.

In the distance, from the direction of the Japanese concession, the faint sound of hurried footsteps could be heard.

Those were military police dogs assisting in the search.

He listened to those sounds, but his expression remained unchanged.

at the same time.

Outside Shanghai city.

Zhou Tianyang, along with Ma Yong and the soldiers of the guard platoon, were walking briskly.

They had already passed through the factory and warehouse area in the western suburbs of Shanghai.

We are now far from the city center.

The city of Shanghai behind me gradually blurred in the twilight, leaving only a vague outline.

Ma Yong walked beside Zhou Tianyang, glanced at the shadow of the city in the distance, and asked in a low voice.

"Commander, are we out now?"

"I'm out now."

Zhou Tianyang's pace remained unchanged, and his tone returned to its usual steady rhythm.

"But we're not at a safe place yet, let's keep going."

Ma Yong nodded and said nothing more.

The group continued westward.

Night was falling.

The outline of Shanghai disappeared completely into the twilight.

Zhou Tianyang walked at the front of the group, his pace neither hurried nor slow, his breathing steady and normal.

His vigilance remained unwavering.

Another hour or so passed.

When he stopped, Ma Yong also stopped.

"Let's rest here tonight."

Zhou Tianyang glanced at the surrounding terrain, his tone calm.

"Arrange sentries to take turns on duty, and do not light any fires before dawn."

Ma Yong nodded and turned to make the arrangements.