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

The office was extremely quiet.

Dai Li stood there, maintaining a standing posture, not daring to utter a sound or move.

He knew what the chairman's silence meant.

This means that the significance of this matter is greater than he had anticipated.

A while later.

The chairman spoke again, his voice still steady, but his pace was a little slower than before.

"Yu Nong, do you think this incident and the one in Taiyuan were done by the same person?"

Dai Li did not answer immediately.

He had already thought about this problem on his way here.

He quickly went through the details of the two incidents in his mind.

Time, place, method, target's identity, and evacuation method.

Then, he cautiously spoke.

"Principal, based on the information we have so far, the methods used in the two incidents are highly similar."

"Long-range precision sniping, targeting high-ranking Japanese officers, and then leaving without leaving any trace."

"I'm certain it was done by the same person."

"Same person!!!"

The chairman repeated these words, his tone low but carrying a subtle complexity.

"Once in Taiyuan, once in Shanghai."

"Three Japanese officers were killed so easily."

His gaze was slightly lowered.

"And so far, you haven't found any clues about the killer's identity?"

Dai Li's voice was a few decibels lower than before.

"Principal, the Military Intelligence Bureau's forces in Shanghai and Taiyuan are doing their utmost to investigate, but the other side is extremely clean and has not left any indicative traces."

"The killer's exact identity and affiliation have not yet been confirmed."

The chairman's brow twitched slightly.

"You mean you don't even know who did this?"

"Yes, Principal."

The chairman did not speak.

He picked up the telegram again, read it once more, and then put it down.

The movements were slow, as if he was using those few seconds to think about something.

Dai Li stood in front of his desk.

He could sense the chairman's emotions at that moment.

It wasn't anger, it wasn't shock, but something far more elusive.

It was as if an extremely fine thorn was slowly piercing deeper into a place he hadn't explicitly stated.

"Yu Nong."

The chairman finally spoke.

"I'll ask you a question, and you'll answer me truthfully."

"Please speak, Principal."

"Do you think it's possible that this was done by people on the Eighth Route Army's side?"

Dai Li paused slightly in his breathing.

He had thought about this question on his way here.

Moreover, on his way here, he had repeatedly weighed various possibilities in his mind.

He even mentally went through every detail of the two incidents in Taiyuan and Shanghai.

But when the chairman actually asked the question.

He still felt a sense of pressure.

He paused for a few seconds, then answered truthfully.

"Principal, judging from the methods and capabilities used, the Eighth Route Army currently does not have the conditions to carry out such a precise assassination within the core area controlled by the Japanese army."

"They lack this capability in terms of equipment, training, and intelligence support."

"but……"

He paused for a moment, as if considering his next words.

"If they obtained sniper equipment and training through some channel, the nature of the matter would be completely different."

The chairman's gaze lingered on his face.

"You mean, the strength of the Eighth Route Army may have exceeded our expectations?"

"Principal, I do not yet have enough evidence to support this judgment."

Dai Li's voice remained cautious.

"Such precise assassination operations were carried out twice in a row in the core area heavily guarded by the Japanese army."

"This is absolutely not a coincidence, nor can it be explained by luck."

Silence fell over the office again.

The Chairman slowly stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to Dai Li.

He gazed at the lush green Luojia Mountain outside the window and remained silent for a long time.

He thought back to what happened in Taiyuan, and how he had secretly felt fortunate.

The murderer left no clues, so no matter who did it, their identity cannot be confirmed.

This way, he wouldn't need to explain anything to anyone or face any political trouble.

But the incident in Shanghai changed the whole situation.

If Taiyuan was an isolated incident, then Shanghai proved something.

Someone is systematically assassinating high-ranking Japanese generals and has the ability to move freely in the heart of Japanese territory.

This ability is extremely terrifying.

If this is a secret force secretly developed by the Military Intelligence Bureau or the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, then it's alright.

He remains the one standing at the highest point, still in control of everything.

But what if this was a force of the Eighth Route Army?

What if the Eighth Route Army had developed the capability to carry out this level of operation within the core Japanese-controlled area?

The chairman's gaze darkened.

"Yu Nong".

He turned around, walked back to his desk, sat down, and looked at Dai Li.

"This matter must be followed up."

"We must find out who did it at all costs."

"Yes, Principal."

"in addition!"

The Chairman paused for a moment, then said something that made Dai Li's heart tighten slightly.

"If it turns out that it was really done by people from the Eighth Route Army, you must report to me immediately and not hide anything."

Dai Li stood at attention and answered.

"Yes, Principal."

"Go."

Dai Li saluted, turned around, and strode out of the office.

The door closed gently behind him.

The footsteps in the corridor gradually faded away.

The chairman sat alone behind his desk.

The telegram was still lying on the table, and he glanced at the few lines of text again.

Then he slowly leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

He secretly hoped for something.

Hopefully, this wasn't done by the Eighth Route Army.

If it really was done by the Eighth Route Army, then it means they have acquired some kind of power that he cannot control.

This force was not only directed against the Japanese army.

Long-range precision sniping can take lives even amidst heavy protection.

This ability would certainly be a good thing if used against Japanese generals.

But what if you use it against other people?

The chairman did not continue thinking about it.

He put the telegram in the drawer.

Then he picked up the calligraphy brush on the table and began to review the next document.

……

the other side.

Shanxi.

The Eighth Route Army's forward command post.

Smoke swirled inside a mud-brick house.

The deputy commander-in-chief sat in the main seat.

A newly translated telegram lay before him.

His gaze had lingered on those lines of text for a long time.

The telegram came from Shanghai; it was intelligence that Liu Ping sent back to headquarters via radio.

The content is short, but every word needs to be carefully considered.

The deputy commander read the telegram twice, then slowly placed it on the table.

Sitting opposite him was the deputy chief of staff, who wore glasses and was holding a teacup.

He had just read the telegram.

He was quietly drinking water, waiting for the deputy commander to speak first.