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

About ten minutes later.

The group stopped behind a low earthen embankment ahead.

It is backed by a low earthen slope and in front of a wide, flat area, offering a good view without being conspicuous.

The soldiers put down their packs one after another. Some sat down by the earthen embankment to drink water, while others set up sentry posts around the area.

Despite having traveled all day, no one staggered or slumped, and no one uttered any unnecessary complaints.

Zhou Tianyang sat down on the back of the earthen embankment, took off his water bottle, and took a sip of water.

Deng Chen sat down next to him, also holding a water bottle, but didn't drink immediately.

"Commander, your team is traveling faster than I expected."

Deng Chen spoke, his tone indifferent.

"We walked all day, and not a single person fell behind."

"Although the more than 300 men under my command are veterans, they have been in the mountains for a year and their physical strength is not what it used to be."

"I think they can all keep up."

"We can keep up, but some of them were already panting heavily when we were climbing over that ridge."

As Deng Chen finished speaking, his gaze lowered slightly.

"Fortunately, we haven't fallen behind, which means we still have a solid foundation."

Zhou Tianyang didn't reply. He turned his head and glanced at the soldiers who were sitting down one after another in the distance.

"We'll continue tomorrow, but we can slow down a bit."

Zhou Tianyang withdrew his gaze, his tone remaining calm.

"Just find a place to stay before dark, don't rush that part of the journey."

Deng Chen remained silent for a moment, then nodded without saying anything more.

……

at the same time.

Shanghai.

Headquarters of the Japanese East China Expeditionary Army.

The corridor was quiet.

Kenzo Sato walked down the corridor leading to the commander's office, his pace a beat slower than usual.

Today is the seventh day.

The seven-day deadline given to him by Hata Shunroku officially ended at 4:30 pm today.

It is 6:40 PM.

He was ordered to come to the headquarters and stood at the door of the commander's office.

His heartbeat was calmer than he had expected.

The door wasn't closed properly, leaving a gap less than two fingers wide.

Kenzo Sato stood outside the door without knocking immediately.

He could vaguely see Hata Shunroku sitting behind his desk through the gap.

Kenzo Sato raised his hand and gently knocked twice on the door.

"Come in."

Hata Shunroku's voice came from inside, neither loud nor soft, revealing no emotion.

Kenzo Sato pushed open the door and went inside.

He stood at attention in front of his desk, looking straight ahead, maintaining the most standard military posture.

The office was silent for a few seconds.

Hata Shunroku raised his head and looked at him.

That gaze was unnaturally calm, devoid of anger or disappointment, as if it had transcended those emotions and gone directly to a colder place.

"Sato-kun."

"Hi."

Do you know what day it is today?

"Know."

"A few days ago, I told you that if the murderer wasn't caught within seven days, you didn't need to come see me again."

Hata Shunroku's voice was not loud, and he spoke slowly.

"It's been seven days now, do you have anything to say?"

Kenzo Sato remained silent for a moment.

He stood there, his gaze still fixed straight ahead.

"Commander, within seven days, the Special Higher Police have arrested a total of 367 people."

"Among them, 73 were confirmed to be from the Military Intelligence Bureau, 15 from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, and the rest were peripheral personnel from various forces and ordinary suspects."

He paused, his voice still steady, but his speaking speed was a little slower than before.

"The executions were carried out in three batches, with a total of 212 people executed."

"No substantial information about the sniper's identity was obtained during the interrogation."

"Both the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics stated that the incident was unrelated to them, and our intelligence personnel were also unable to obtain any indicative clues from other channels."

"The killer—has not yet been found."

After he finished speaking, the office remained quiet for a long time.

Hata Shunroku did not interrupt him or ask for details. He simply listened quietly, then leaned back in his chair and his gaze lingered on Hata's face for a moment.

"Three hundred and sixty-seven people, Sato-kun."

"You arrested 367 people and killed 212 of them."

Hata Shunroku's voice was still not loud.

"But the man who killed two generals at the entrance of the headquarters is still alive and well, hiding in some alley, watching you do all this."

Kenzo Sato didn't speak; his lips moved slightly, then closed again.

Hata Shunroku's voice suddenly lowered, carrying a chill that he no longer concealed.

"If you still can't find him after seven days, you don't need to come see me again."

"This isn't a threat, it's a statement of the outcome."

"You came today just to confirm this result."

He stood up from his chair, walked around the desk, and stopped in front of Kenzo Sato.

The two were less than two steps apart.

"Back at headquarters, I've secured a deadline for you; consider it giving you a chance."

"Now the deadline has passed, and there's been nothing. How do you think headquarters will view this?"

"Will they think you've done your best, or will they think your incompetence has caused the entire Imperial Army to lose face?"

Kenzo Sato did not answer.

He knew he didn't need to answer.

Every word Hata Shunroku said was stating a fact that had no room for change.

"Sato-kun, you are an intelligence officer trained by the Imperial Army. You have worked in the Special Higher Police for so many years, you should know better than anyone else."

"When there are responsibilities that we cannot bear, what methods should we use to shoulder them?"

Hata Shunroku paused here.

His gaze remained fixed on Kenzo Sato's face, but the coldness in his tone lessened somewhat.

"This afternoon, I will send a formal report to headquarters confirming that the Special Higher Police's investigation into this incident has come to a close."

"The report mentioned that the main person in charge of the case has taken full responsibility in a samurai-like manner."

"That way, we have a satisfactory explanation for headquarters."

Kenzo Sato paused slightly in his breathing.

He stood there, silent for a long time, and then slowly spoke, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Commander, I understand."

Hata Shunroku looked at him, remained silent for a moment, then turned around and went back to sit down behind his desk.

He took something out of the drawer, gently placed it on the table, and pushed it toward Kenzo Sato.

It was a short knife.

"This is a gift for you; please take it back."

"Not here."

Hata Shunroku's voice returned to its initial calm.

"You know what to do."

Kenzo Sato's gaze lingered on the short sword for a moment.

He reached out and picked up the knife.

He turned around, took two steps toward the door, and then stopped at the door.

"Commander, there is one more thing."