Anti-Japanese War Espionage: I Have an Omniscient Perspective

Zhang, his face contorted with grease, wiped the oil from the corner of his mouth, his smile fading, his expression turning serious.

"Changing the skin is the surface, changing the shape is the skeleton, and changing the nature is the soul. Yesterday I taught you the shape of your eyebrows and nose, which are the 'form'. Today I will teach you the 'spirit'. Only when both form and spirit are present can you be said to have truly mastered this art of disguise. Otherwise, if your face changes, you will be exposed as soon as you walk or talk, and it will be as if you have learned nothing."

Lin Rui sat up straight: "Please give me your guidance, Master Zhang. I will listen carefully and practice diligently."

Zhang, the man with the rotten face, squatted down, picked up a small stick from the ground, and drew a few simple human figures on the ground: "For example: you're playing the role of a sickly vendor, not a real sickly person, so you have to get the balance right. Think about it, street vendors are exposed to the wind and sun all year round. Their weakness is due to overwork, not natural frailty, so they can't walk too lightly, they have to be steady, but also slow, with their shoulders slightly hunched, which is from carrying loads and setting up stalls all year round; their voices should be hoarse, but not unclear, and they have to convey a bit of shrewdness, after all, they're doing business, they have to shout and haggle."

As he spoke, he stood up and instantly changed his posture.

His back was slightly hunched, his shoulders uneven, his steps slow but steady, his hands habitually rubbing together, and his voice hoarse yet high-pitched: "Boss, what would you like? All my stuff is top-notch, cheap and affordable!"

He looked exactly like a shrewd and capable small merchant who was always on the go, slightly sickly.

"See that?" Zhang with the rotten face stopped what he was doing, his tone smug. "I've been around for decades, and the people I've seen the most are these people at the bottom of society: rickshaw pullers, laborers, merchants, beggars. I've memorized their every move and word. If you want to learn, you have to treat yourself like them, not 'pretend' to be them, but 'become' them."

He pointed at Lin Rui and continued, "Yesterday, your face was right, but your eyes were too bright and sharp; you couldn't tell you were an ordinary person. Your posture was too straight; you didn't have the weariness of a merchant who toils all year round. Today, we'll practice that. First, we'll practice your gait, then your tone of voice, and finally your eyes. When you stand in front of me, and I can tell you're a sickly merchant just by looking at your movements and listening to your voice, without even looking at your face, you'll pass the test."

Lin Rui immediately stood up, following Zhang's instructions, adjusted his posture, slowed his pace, deliberately hunched his shoulders slightly, rubbed his hands together, and tried to imitate a vendor's tone to shout: "Good stuff, cheap sale!"

"No!" Zhang the rotten-faced man immediately interrupted him, his tone stern. "Your voice is too crisp, without any hoarseness, it sounds like you're deliberately faking it; your steps are too even, it doesn't sound like someone who walks the streets and alleys all year round with calluses on their feet, it should have varying degrees of lightness and heaviness, with occasional pauses as if your feet hurt; your eyes should be a little cloudy, don't stare straight at people, you should look down at your feet from time to time, as if you're checking for business, or as if you're thinking about today's business."

Lin Rui did not give up. He followed Zhang's corrections and practiced again and again.

From the lightness and slowness of the gait to the hoarseness of the voice, and even the murky and evasive look in the eyes, Zhang the rotten-faced pointed out every detail, not letting go of any flaw.

Zhang, who has been dealing with people at the bottom of society for many years, has a keen eye for detail. He can explain things in great detail, even the gestures of vendors when they are bargaining or the way they cough.

"A beggar walks with a dragging gait, his eyes unfocused, and he occasionally reaches out to beg; a rickshaw puller walks with large, steady steps, strong shoulders, and alert eyes, always looking for customers; a merchant walks slowly, his eyes darting around, and his hands are always unconsciously fiddling with his goods."

While demonstrating, Zhang with the rotten face muttered to himself.

"You must remember that different people have different spirit and energy. Only by grasping the essence and energy can you achieve both spirit and form. Even if your face has flaws, no one will suspect anything."

Lin Rui was shocked. He had learned camouflage at the Qingpu training camp, but he only focused on external concealment and never thought about the importance of "spirit and energy".

After being enlightened by Zhang the Rotten-Faced, he finally understood that true disguise is not about changing one's appearance, but about completely immersing oneself in the identity one is playing, becoming that person inside and out.

Lin Rui spent the entire morning practicing his gait, tone of voice, and eye contact. From the initial stiffness and deliberate effort, he gradually became natural and fluent, making rapid progress.

Zhang, with his rotten face, saw this and showed a hint of approval, but he remained vigilant, pointing out his shortcomings from time to time: "Your eyes are a little more cloudy. Merchants worry about making a living all year round, so their eyes don't have that kind of sharpness. Speak a little slower, and it would be best if you had a bit of a Jiangzhe accent, so you'd sound more like a merchant who has been making a living in Shanghai all year round."

By noon, Lin Rui had become adept at mimicking the demeanor and mannerisms of a sickly vendor. Even with his back to Zhang, who had a rotten face, one could mistake him for a street vendor just by listening to his footsteps and tone of voice.

Zhang, the man with the rotten face, nodded in satisfaction, sat on the stone bench, and took a sip of cold water: "Not bad, you're starting to get the look and feel right. Actually, I'm just teaching you the basics. You don't have to do every movement exactly as I say. After all, there are all kinds of people, and no two are exactly alike. You just need to remember what kind of person you're portraying to be able to do it well."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "It's almost afternoon now. I'll teach you my trump card—the art of quick concealment and the art of disappearing. These two skills can save your life in dire situations."

Lin Rui was overjoyed. Of the 50 legal tender, the most valuable part was what he taught at the end. He immediately sat up straight, his expression becoming even more respectful: "Please pass on your skills, Master Zhang."

Zhang, the man with the rotten face, took out a gray packet, a few strands of messy hair, and eyebrow gel from his cloth bag, placed them on the stone table, and his tone became more somber:

"First, learn how to use Kuaishou (a Chinese short video platform) to cover your face. This is an emergency skill. If you are being chased or run into an enemy, you can change your appearance in 3 seconds to quickly reduce your presence and escape. Remember, when using Kuaishou to cover your face, don't strive for sophistication, just strive for speed, dirtiness, and ordinariness. Make people think you are an insignificant person from the bottom of society at first glance, and they won't bother to look at you twice."

As he spoke, he picked up the gray bag and casually wiped it on his face and neck. The movements were swift and efficient. In just 3 seconds, his originally pale face became dark, rough, and covered in dust.

Next, he took out a few strands of messy hair and quickly stuck them to his chin and lips with adhesive tape, turning them into a messy stubble.

Finally, he bent over, lowered his head, looked away, and staggered, instantly transforming into a disheveled and destitute beggar.

"Did you see that clearly?" Zhang, the man with the rotten face, raised his head, his voice hoarse. "Just these three steps: apply the ash, attach the fur, bend over and lower your head. The whole process should take no more than 10 seconds. Try it. Remember, be quick and don't hesitate. The more you hesitate, the easier it is to give yourself away."

Lin Rui immediately picked up the ash packet and, imitating Zhang the Rotten-Faced, quickly smeared ash on his face and neck with swift, decisive movements. Then, he took out his tangled hair, quickly attached it with adhesive tape, and adjusted its position. Finally, he bent over, lowered his head, his eyes darting around, and staggered, instantly transforming into a disheveled laborer.

"Not bad, fast enough!" Zhang with the rotten face nodded approvingly. "It's just that the ash wasn't applied evenly enough; there's a patch missing on the back of your neck. Next time, be even faster and make sure to apply it to your neck and the backs of your hands. Remember the mantra: 'Face ash, body low, pursuers' eyes blurred.' If you can do that, even if someone you know walks right past you, they might not recognize you."

Lin Rui practiced repeatedly, gradually shortening the time from 10 seconds to 5 seconds. His movements became more and more skilled. He did the smearing, applying the fur, bending over and lowering his head in one go. The slovenly laborer he played was so realistic that no flaws could be seen.

He was still thinking to himself that Zhang's skills were good, but his tools and materials were a bit lacking. If he upgraded these tools and materials, the effect might be even better.

Back then, combined with a three-dimensional perspective, the ability to instantly disguise oneself on the street when no one was paying attention was simply a perfect skill to match one's superpowers.

At this moment, Zhang with the rotten face stopped Lin Rui's contact, his tone becoming extremely serious:

"Next, I'll teach you the art of concealment. This is my most skillful technique, and also the most difficult to learn. Quick-hand concealment is for emergency escape, while the art of concealment is for hiding and infiltration. The core is not to become ugly or dirty, but to 'disappear'—to erase all the memorable features of you, making you the most ordinary and inconspicuous person on the street, so that people will forget you as soon as they see you, and even if they want to describe your appearance, they won't be able to."