Spy war in the Republic of China, peak undercover

The morning mist in Wolf Valley had not yet dissipated, and the embers of the campfire glowed slightly red in the breeze.

Lu Yang sat on a stone, spreading out the intelligence stolen from the Qingyang City puppet army, his eyes sweeping over every line of text like a knife.

The Japanese army planned to launch a general offensive code-named "Thunder" three days later, targeting Eagle's Beak Cliff. The First Regiment of the Puppet Army was responsible for transporting heavy artillery and a batch of mysterious biological weapons.

This information weighed heavily on his chest like a ticking time bomb. The wound on his left shoulder was severely inflamed, pus oozing from the red and swollen area, but he endured the pain with a calm expression.

Lao Hei squatted beside him and whispered, "Lu Yang, this information is too deadly. If the Japanese use biological weapons and Eagle Cliff cannot be defended, the front line will be finished." He paused and looked at Lu Yang worriedly, "Your injury needs to be treated, otherwise..."

"It can't be cured." Lu Yang interrupted, his tone cold and hard. "Time waits for no one. The Japanese will attack in three days. We have to get ahead of them and intercept the heavy artillery and biological weapons." He pointed to a transportation route north of Qingyang City on the map. "This road is the only way for the puppet army to transport supplies. The terrain is narrow and suitable for an ambush. But the intelligence doesn't mention the specific location of the biological weapons. I have to sneak in and find out."

Monkey came over, clutching a bayonet seized from Qingshan Town, and grinned, "Brother Lu, you just blew up their warehouse. That old fox Zhao Desheng must be on high alert. Using the identity of 'Li Wenchang' won't work anymore, will it?"

Lu Yang sneered, a sly glint in his eyes. "If that doesn't work, change your identity." He dug through the seized supplies and found a puppet army lieutenant's uniform. His ID read "Zhang Zhiyuan," a fictitious deputy commander of the supply company. He whispered, "Zhao Desheng is greedy, and his subordinates are even greedier. The puppet army is as chaotic as a market. If I change my identity, I can still get in."

Lao Hei frowned. "Lu Yang, Yamamoto from the Special High Police is dead. They will definitely investigate. If you continue to delay this injury, you will lose your life."

"Life?" Lu Yang lit a cigarette and exhaled a puff of smoke. "Old Wang is gone, what's my life worth?" He stood up and stretched his left shoulder. The pain made cold sweat seep out of his forehead, but he managed to hold on. "Monkey, go to the village and get a few boxes of fake cigarettes and alcohol. Disguise them as supplies from the logistics company. Old Black, prepare armored vehicles and explosives, and ambush them on the transportation route. Wait for my signal, and then act."

The monkey nodded, turned around and ran off to do his work. Old Black sighed and whispered, "Be careful, the Special High Police's noses are sharper than dogs'."

Night fell over Qingyang City. The city gates were heavily guarded, and puppet soldiers, armed and questioning people, filled the air with tension. Lu Yang changed into the uniform of Lieutenant Zhang Zhiyuan, adding a touch of stubble to his face and donning a low-knit military cap to mask the haggard look of his injuries. He was pushing a cart of wooden crates disguised as cigarettes and alcohol, concealing miniature explosives and several short knives. Monkey and two other team members, disguised as soldiers from the supply company, followed behind with their heads bowed.

Lu Yang walked towards the city gate with his head held high, handed over his ID, and said in a somewhat ruffian tone: "Zhang Zhiyuan, from the supply company, delivering supplies to Captain Zhao. Open the door quickly, don't delay!" He patted the wooden box, revealing a bottle of fake wine, and shook it.

The sentry glanced at the ID and saw that there seemed to be good wine in the wooden box. Greed flashed in his eyes and he waved his hand to let him pass: "Please come in, Commander Zhang!" Lu Yang snorted coldly and walked into the city gate with a swagger, followed by Monkey and others.

The barracks were brightly lit. The chaos after the warehouse explosion hadn't subsided yet. Puppet soldiers rushed back and forth, cursing and swearing. The regimental headquarters was still located in the old county government office. Zhao Desheng sat in the hall, his face brimming with anger, barking at several officers, "Damn it! The warehouse exploded, Yamamoto's dead, and you useless bunch of people are just eating for nothing?!"

Lu Yang walked into the regimental headquarters, saluted, and said respectfully: "Captain Zhao, Zhang Zhiyuan has been ordered to deliver supplies and report on the situation of the logistics company." He handed over a forged list that listed cigarettes, alcohol, and cloth, and concealed a few lines of unimportant military affairs.

Zhao Desheng took the list, glanced at it, and his expression softened slightly. "Lieutenant Zhang, the supplies arrived just in time. Come sit down and have a drink!" He waved for a wooden crate to be brought over. Opening it, he saw the fake wine and cloth, which made him grin. "Not bad, that's thoughtful."

Lu Yang sat down, drank two glasses of wine with them, and observed secretly. On the table in the regiment headquarters was a new map, marked with transportation routes and several red dots. Next to it was a sealed iron box with the Japanese words "Top Secret" engraved on the lid. He had a sudden thought, suspecting that it might be related to biological weapons.

As they were chatting, a puppet army adjutant hurried in and whispered in Zhao Desheng's ear, "Captain, the Special High Section has a new advisor named Fujita. He just arrived and is investigating Yamamoto's death." Zhao Desheng's face changed, and he waved the adjutant away, cursing, "The devils are just causing trouble!"

Lu Yang remained calm and took the opportunity to say, "Captain Zhao, the brothers in the supply company want to get more ammunition. The roads have been a bit uneasy lately. Can you be flexible?" He handed over a bag of silver dollars seized from Qingshan Town and smiled flatteringly.

Zhao Desheng's eyes lit up. He accepted the silver dollar and patted his chest, "No problem! Lieutenant Zhang is one of us. I'll take care of the ammunition." He turned to his adjutant and said, "Take Lieutenant Zhang to the warehouse to pick out some things!"

Lu Yang followed his adjutant to the barracks warehouse, which was filled with ammunition boxes and food. In the corner, however, there was a single metal cabinet, tightly locked. Two Japanese sentries were guarding the door. Pretending to check the ammunition, he approached the cabinet and whispered to his adjutant, "What is this? It looks quite valuable."

The adjutant lowered his voice: "Don't ask, that's the devil's stuff. I heard it's some kind of 'special weapon'. Whoever touches it will die." He urged Lu Yang to pick the ammunition quickly and not to meddle in other people's business.

Lu Yang's heart trembled, confirming the biological weapons were in the iron cabinet. He calmly selected several boxes of ammunition and secretly placed a package of micro-explosives in a corner of the warehouse, setting it to detonate in two hours. He returned to regimental headquarters, using the excuse of delivering gifts as a pretext, leaving Monkey and the others to "move supplies" while he slipped into the telegraph room.

The telegraph room was dimly lit, and a puppet army clerk was sorting documents. Lu Yang knocked the clerk unconscious with a palm strike and pulled out the latest telegram transcript. Intelligence indicated that the bacteriological weapons, personally escorted by Special High Section officer Fujita, would depart in three days with a heavy artillery convoy, targeting Yingzui Cliff, with the release scheduled for the evening of the final assault. The telegram also mentioned a codename, "Moon Shadow," suggesting a covert operation within the Japanese army.

Lu Yang copied down the information, stuffed it into his boot, and was about to leave when heavy footsteps sounded outside. Fujita pushed the door open, his gaunt face full of sinister intent, a pistol in hand. "Who are you? What are you doing here so late at night?"

Lu Yang's heart beat faster, but he forced a smile on his face: "Advisor Fujita, my name is Zhang Zhiyuan, from the logistics company. I drank too much and went to the wrong place." He pretended to stagger and held on to the table.

Fujita sneered, his gun pointed at Lu Yang: "Wrong way? The Special Higher Police don't believe in coincidences." He was about to pull the trigger when Lu Yang pounced on him, stabbing him in the abdomen with a dagger, sending blood splattering all over the floor. He quickly dragged the body under the table, wiped off the blood, and slipped out of the telegraph room.

When they returned to the regiment headquarters, Zhao Desheng was already drunk and staggering. Lu Yang whispered, "Captain Zhao, the supplies have been delivered. I have to go back and report." Zhao Desheng waved his hand to let him go, completely unaware.

Lu Yang led Houzi and the others out of the barracks. Halfway through, he informed Lao Hei via his headset: "The explosives have been set and will detonate in two hours. The biological weapons are in the iron cabinet in the warehouse. Prepare to intercept the convoy." Two hours later, the barracks warehouse exploded, flames shot up into the sky, and the puppet troops were thrown into chaos. Lao Hei rushed in with armored vehicles to cover Lu Yang's evacuation.

Back in Wild Wolf Valley, Lu Yang pulled out the intelligence and said in a deep voice, "The biological weapons will be shipped to Eagle Cliff in three days. The Japanese have also launched Operation Moon Shadow, which could be an assassination or sabotage operation. We need to intercept the convoy and destroy the weapons." He lit a cigarette and exhaled a puff of smoke. "Old Wang, this information is for you."

Lao Hei whispered: "Your injury..."

"It's okay." Lu Yang interrupted, his eyes burning. "As long as the Japanese don't die, we have to fight." He turned to Monkey and said, "Go to the village and get some puppet army uniforms, and prepare to disguise ourselves and intercept the convoy."

The explosion in Qingyang City plunged the First Regiment of the Puppet Army into chaos. Furious, Zhao Desheng ordered a thorough investigation, but the disappearance of Fujita from the Special High Section only added to his panic. Lu Yang remained steadfast, knowing the imminent transport of biological weapons. He needed to gather more details, especially the truth behind Operation "Moon Shadow," before the convoy departed.

The next morning, Lu Yang donned a new puppet army captain's uniform. His ID read "Wang Haoran," posing as a staff officer transferred from out of town. He wore a fake beard and worn round-framed glasses to mask the haggard look of his injuries. The wound on his left shoulder was horribly swollen, but he cleaned it with strong liquor, endured the pain, and feigned a capable demeanor.

Monkey, posing as his adjutant, pushed a cart of wooden crates disguised as medicine, containing miniature explosives and daggers. Old Black ambushed the transport route with armored vehicles, ready to respond at any moment. Lu Yang whispered, "This time, I'll infiltrate the regiment headquarters and investigate Moon Shadow. Monkey, find an opportunity to approach the iron cabinet and confirm the quantity and packaging of the biological weapons. Old Black, wait for my signal to intercept the convoy."

Security in the barracks was tightened, sentries doubled, and every puppet soldier felt insecure. Lu Yang entered the regimental headquarters, where Zhao Desheng was reprimanding officers. A new transportation plan lay on the table. He saluted and said respectfully, "Wang Haoran, I have been ordered by my superiors to assist with transportation matters." He handed over a forged transfer order, stamped with the Special High Section seal found on Fujita's body.

Zhao Desheng glanced at the transfer order, his expression shifting. "Captain Wang, from the Special High Section?" he asked tentatively.

Lu Yang nodded and lowered his voice: "Advisor Fujita has instructed that the 'Thunder' plan must be foolproof. I will assist you and ensure the safety of the supplies." He handed over a bag of silver dollars and smiled flatteringly.

Zhao Desheng accepted the silver dollar, his expression slightly relieved, and patted Lu Yang on the shoulder: "Okay, Captain Wang is one of us! The transportation is up to you." He turned to his adjutant and said, "Take Captain Wang to see the convoy's preparations."

Lu Yang followed his adjutant to the backyard of the barracks. Over a dozen trucks were ready to go, loaded with heavy artillery ammunition. In the corner sat a sealed metal cart, with four Japanese sentries guarding the door. He had a sudden thought, suspecting it was a transport truck for biological weapons. Pretending to inspect the convoy, he approached the cart and whispered to his adjutant, "What's in this truck? It looks quite unusual."

The adjutant lowered his voice: "Don't ask, that's the devil's stuff, it's directly managed by the Special High Section. I heard that if you touch it, you will die." He urged Lu Yang to leave quickly.

Lu Yang remained composed as he secretly attached a miniature explosive to the underside of a metal wagon, setting it for a delayed detonation. He returned to regimental headquarters and, under the pretext of sorting through documents, slipped into Zhao Desheng's office. On the desk lay a coded document labeled "Moon Shadow." He quickly pried open a drawer and pulled out the document, revealing a shocking revelation: "Moon Shadow" was a Japanese assassination squad targeting the commander of the Eagle's Beak Cliff garrison. They planned a surprise attack after the release of biological weapons, completely crippling the defenses.

Lu Yang copied the document and stuffed it into his boot. Just as he was about to leave, Zhao Desheng pushed the door open and walked in, followed by a puppet army staff officer with a sinister look in his eyes. "Captain Wang, what are you doing?"

Lu Yang's heart beat faster, but he forced a smile on his face: "Captain Zhao, I'm sorting out the transportation plan and I'm afraid something might go wrong." He pretended to hand over a forged document to cover up his actions.

Zhao Desheng narrowed his eyes, and the staff officer suddenly said: "Commander, there is something wrong with this person! After Fujita's death, the Special High Section has not sent any staff officers!" He pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Lu Yang.

Lu Yang lunged at the staff officer, stabbing him in the chest with a dagger, sending blood splattering all over the floor. Zhao Desheng screamed in fear, but Lu Yang knocked him unconscious with a palm strike and dragged him into a corner, hiding him there. He quickly wiped the blood and slipped out of the office.

Meanwhile, Monkey took advantage of the chaos to approach the iron truck and confirmed that there were 20 boxes of biological weapons packaged in sealed glass bottles. He hid explosives under the truck and set them to detonate simultaneously with Lu Yang's explosives.

Lu Yang informed Lao Hei through the headset: "We have the intelligence. The biological weapons are in the iron car. 'Moon Shadow' is the assassination team. It will be detonated in ten minutes. Prepare to intercept the car." He led Monkey out of the military camp and ran into a patrol of puppet troops on the way. He shouted in a southern accent: "Quick! The convoy was attacked by the Chinese!" The patrol team hurriedly ran towards the military camp, and Lu Yang slipped out of the city gate in the chaos.

Ten minutes later, the military camp was engulfed in flames, iron carts and warehouses exploded one after another, and the bacteriological weapons were reduced to ashes. The puppet army was in chaos, and Lao Hei led armored vehicles in to cover Lu Yang's evacuation.

The night in Wolf Valley was deep, the dim glow of the campfire flickering in the chill wind, illuminating Lu Yang's weary yet resolute face. He unfolded the "Moon Shadow" intelligence stolen from the Qingyang City puppet army. The words revealed the Japanese army's sinister calculations. Codenamed "Moon Shadow," the assassination team, comprised of elite Special High Section officers, planned to launch a surprise attack on Yingzui Cliff after the release of biological weapons, assassinate the defending commander, Li Yunlong, and completely cripple the defenses. This was not just a military operation, but a carefully orchestrated conspiracy, designed to cause the chaos and fall of Yingzui Cliff.

Lu Yang's left shoulder wound was horribly swollen, pus and blood oozing out. The sting of the strong liquor washing it away made sweat break out on his forehead, but he gritted his teeth and held on. Lao Hei squatted beside him and whispered, "Lu Yang, the Japanese 'Moon Shadow' squad is not easy to deal with. The guys in the Special High Section are all desperate criminals, each one of them is very skilled. We are outnumbered, and we're likely to be at a disadvantage if we confront them head-on."

Lu Yang sneered, pointing to a dense forest north of Eagle's Beak Cliff on the map. "If they want to assassinate Li Yunlong, they'll definitely sneak in through this path. The terrain is complex, perfect for an ambush." ​​He paused, his eyes sharp as a knife. "But simply killing 'Moon Shadow' isn't enough. The Japanese have a backup plan. The intelligence mentions the second phase of the 'Thunder' plan, which could be a larger-scale attack. I need to sneak into Qingyang City again and find out what they're up to."