Spy Wars: I'm the boss, who am I afraid of?

Hu Qianduo's office is spacious and tidy, with a map of Japan hanging on the wall and the desk full of documents and intelligence reports.

"Captain Tsuruta, please take a seat. This is our most comfortable seat, reserved especially for you." Hu Qianduo smiled, his tone full of respect. He gestured for Saburo Tsuruta to sit on a carefully decorated Chinese mahogany chair. The cushions on the chair were thick and soft, as if they could absorb the fatigue of the day. Saburo Tsuruta nodded slightly, expressing his approval of this thoughtful arrangement.

Hu Qianduo immediately took action, his movements were skillful and graceful, as if he was performing a silent dance. He walked to the exquisite purple clay teapot, which he brought from home. There was an ancient poem engraved on the teapot. Every time he made tea, it was like revisiting the memories of his hometown. He gently lifted the lid of the teapot, first warmed the cup with boiling water, and then gently put the tea leaves into the teapot. The tea leaves were like green elves, rolling and stretching in the hot water, releasing a faint fragrance that filled the entire office.

"Captain Tsuruta, this is the West Lake Longjing tea I specially selected. I hope you will like it." As he spoke, he poured the brewed tea into a fine porcelain cup. The tea was as clear and bright as jasper. Hu Qianduo carefully picked up the cup, walked a few steps, and handed it to Tsuruta Saburo. Tsuruta Saburo took the cup, sniffed it slightly, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

At this moment, Hu Qianduo took out a small golden yellow croaker from his pocket. It was a tacit understanding between them, a silent gratitude and respect. He stuffed the small yellow croaker into Tsuruta Saburo's hand. The golden color shone under the light, like a symbol of his loyalty to Tsuruta Saburo. Tsuruta Saburo took the small yellow croaker and put it in his pocket, with a hint of appreciation and satisfaction in his eyes.

"Yoshi, I feel Hu Sang's loyalty." Tsuruta Saburo said softly, his words were full of affirmation, as if praising Hu Qianduo's loyalty as precious as gold. Hu Qianduo bowed slightly, secretly relieved in his heart, he knew that his efforts were recognized.

After Tsuruta Saburo took a sip of tea and nodded with satisfaction, Hu Qianduo slowly sat down on the chair opposite the desk. The chair and Tsuruta's desk complemented each other and looked solemn and low-key. He straightened his back, looked determined, and was ready to listen to the instructions of the section chief.

Tsuruta Saburo took out Fujiwara Ichiro's message from his briefcase, placed it on the table, and then explained in detail the circumstances of the attack on Dr. Ishii Shiro, as well as Fujiwara Ichiro's views and requirements on the incident. He particularly emphasized the importance of protecting Dr. Ishii's safety and the urgency of finding the killer as soon as possible.

Hu Qianduo sat behind a large desk, his eyes sharp and deep, as if he could see through everything. He tapped the table lightly, making a steady rhythm, as if foreshadowing an important decision to be made. "I've thought about it for a long time," he said, revealing an unquestionable determination in his tone, "I think Xue Linyuan is the most suitable person to handle this matter."

"Yoshi!" Commander Tsuruta said approvingly.

Hu Qianduo nodded, then walked out and signaled his secretary to call Xue Linyuan over.

After a while, the door was pushed open, and Xue Linyuan walked into the office, wearing a neat military uniform, with a hint of nervousness and expectation on his face. He stood straight, saluted Chief Hetian and Hu Qianduo, and said in a firm and respectful voice: "Chief Hetian, Director, what do you want to do for me?"

Hu Qianduo took out a sketch from the drawer. It was a portrait of the killer, with rough lines, gloomy expression, and full of danger. He handed the portrait to Xue Linyuan with a firm look: "Go to the various gangs in Haizhou and spread this portrait. If anyone can provide any clues about this person, I will pay them a reward of 500,000 French francs." "The French francs are worthless now, and he also wants to spend it as soon as possible.

The legal tender, the dominant currency in the middle and late period of the Republic of China, has now lost its former value. In the early years of the Republic of China, silver dollars and silver taels were the main medium of transaction. They were tough and heavy, symbolizing wealth and power. However, as time went on, the legal tender gradually replaced the position of the silver dollar and became the universal currency in people's hands. When the legal tender was first issued, its purchasing power was still considerable. In 1937, one hundred yuan of legal tender was enough to buy two strong cows; the next year, the same amount of legal tender could be exchanged for a cow and a calf; in 1939, although the purchasing power declined, it could still buy a cow; in 1940, a calf; in 1941, a pig; in 1942, a ham; and in 1943, one hundred yuan of legal tender could only be exchanged for an ordinary hen.

"You know, the value of the legal tender is like the killer's eyes in this portrait, becoming more and more profound and elusive." Hu Qianduo's tone revealed a hint of helplessness, "I hope to find this person as soon as possible, and I also want to use these legal tenders while they still have some value."

Xue Linyuan took the portrait, and the uneasiness in his heart surged like a tide. He stared at the face and suddenly had an ominous premonition. Could this be one of his own? He remembered the commando team led by Li Dayong this morning, who went to assassinate Shiji Shiro, the notorious Japanese scientist. But now, he had no way of knowing the outcome of the mission, and could only silently pray that everything would go well.

"What is this?" A puzzled look appeared on Xue Linyuan's face, and he tried to find the answer from Hu Qianduo's eyes.

Hu Qianduo just shook his head slightly and did not give a direct answer. He chose to keep it secret: "There was a gunfight at the train station this morning. You may not have heard about it. This is the murderer." He deliberately avoided any information about Dr. Ishii, knowing that this was of great importance and no information could be leaked.

Commander Tsuruta keenly noticed Hu Qianduo's intention. He did not ask any further questions, but just nodded slightly to show his understanding.

Xue Linyuan put away the portrait and assured his two superiors: "I will act as soon as possible to find the killer and bring peace to Haizhou."

Hu Qianduo nodded with satisfaction. He knew Xue Linyuan was a trustworthy person. He patted Xue Linyuan on the shoulder to show encouragement: "Go, I hope you can bring back good news."

Queen's Kingdom Concession Military Control Haizhou Station

Stationmaster Chen Gongshu sat in his office, the light flickering in his sharp eyes, and a piece of intelligence in his hand was turning into ashes in the flames. He took a deep breath, and the tense and determined atmosphere filled the whole room. Hearing the knock on the door, he calmly responded, "Come in."

Xie Tianhua, the leader of the intelligence team of the Haizhou Military Intelligence Bureau, walked into the room in a neat military uniform and with a stern face. He leaned forward slightly, saluted in a standard military salute, then stood up, looked at Chen Gongshu firmly, and asked, "Stationmaster, is there anything urgent?"

Chen Gongshu put down the pipe in his hand, his eyes fell on the night view of the city outside the window, and his tone was solemn, "One of our important secret sources reported that a senior Japanese military officer named Dr. Ishii came to the Hefeng Hotel."

Xie Tianhua frowned, and this name made him feel nervous. "Dr. Ishii? Which Dr. Ishii? What is his position in the Japanese military?"

"This morning, there was an attack by anti-Japanese elements at the train station. You should know that." Chen Gongshu turned his gaze to Xie Tianhua. His eyes were like a sharp sword, piercing people's hearts.

Xie Tianhua nodded, recalling the chaos in the morning. "Yes, I heard about it. However, that was not our action. Could it be the Communist Party? But they are not good at assassination."

"According to the insider report at our train station, there is only one special train from the Northeast arriving around ten o'clock." Chen Gongshu's words were full of profound meaning, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, as if playing a silent melody.

A series of information flashed through Xie Tianhua's mind in an instant, "Northeast... assassination... Dr. Ishii... I understand, it's about Ishii Shiro of the Kwantung Army. That notorious biological weapons expert, he actually appeared in Haizhou, this is definitely an opportunity that cannot be missed."

Chen Gongshu nodded in agreement, his eyes gleaming with determination, "That's exactly what I thought. The Communist Party's intelligence is actually one step ahead of ours. This is indeed a question worth pondering. They have always been a major concern for our chairman."

"Yes, this is indeed a problem." Xie Tianhua's expression became more serious.

"Now, the most urgent task is to arrange the assassination of Dr. Ishii as soon as possible. The superiors have always been dissatisfied with our Haizhou Station. This is a great opportunity for us to prove our strength." Chen Gongshu's tone was firm, and there was a spark of challenge in his eyes.

Xie Tianhua thought for a moment. He knew the importance of this operation. "Stationmaster, I think we can use the informants inside the hotel to first find out the pattern of Dr. Ishii's actions, and then formulate a detailed action plan. At the same time, we need to strengthen the vigilance in the surrounding area to prevent the Communist Party from interfering."

Chen Gongshu nodded with satisfaction. "Ahua, your idea is very comprehensive. Then let's execute it according to your plan. Remember, this operation must be foolproof. We must not only eliminate Ishii Shiro, but also let the superiors see our determination and ability."

Xie Tianhua took the order and left, his back firm and resolute. He knew that a silent war was about to unfold quietly in the night of Haizhou.