Spy war in the Republic of China, peak undercover

Monkey's eyes widened, clutching a bayonet seized from Laoxiongpo. "Brother Lu, you just blew up their warehouse and biological weapons. That old fox Zhao Desheng must be scared out of his wits. Wouldn't it be a trap if we go there again?"

"It's better to scare them to death." Lu Yang lit a cigarette and exhaled a puff of smoke. "The more chaotic the situation, the easier it will be to get by. I'll change my identity and pretend to be a liaison officer for the Special High Section. Zhao Desheng won't dare disbelieve me." He dug out a Japanese second lieutenant's uniform from among the seized supplies. The ID read "Fujii Kenichi," a fictitious Special High Section agent. He whispered, "Monkey, go to the village and get some puppet army uniforms and prepare for the rescue. Old Black, take the armored vehicles and ambush the 'Moon Shadow' team in the dense forest. Wait for my signal, then act."

Lao Hei frowned: "Your injury can't be delayed any longer. If you don't treat it..."

"It can't be cured." Lu Yang interrupted with a cold tone, "Old Wang is gone, what's my life worth." He stood up and moved his left shoulder. He was in so much pain that he could hardly stand, but he managed to hold on and not fall.

Night fell over Qingyang City, the gates heavily guarded. The puppet soldiers were like frightened birds, the panic from the explosion still lingering. Lu Yang donned the uniform of a Japanese second lieutenant, "Fujii Kenichi," a fake beard, and a pair of steel-rimmed glasses salvaged from Fujita's corpse to mask his haggard appearance. He spoke fluent Japanese with a touch of Osaka ruffianism, pushing a cart of wooden boxes disguised as documents, containing miniature explosives and a short knife. Monkey and two other team members, disguised as puppet army attendants, followed behind with their heads bowed.

Lu Yang walked towards the city gate with his head held high, handed over his ID, and shouted in Osaka-accented Japanese: "Kenichi Fujii, Special High Section! I'm ordered to see Zhao Desheng, open the door quickly!" He patted the wooden box, revealing a stack of forged documents, and shook it.

The sentry glanced at his ID and was frightened by his imposing manner and the title of "Special High Section". He quickly let him pass: "Lieutenant Fujii, please!" Lu Yang snorted coldly and walked into the city gate with a swagger, followed by Monkey and others.

The barracks were in chaos. The warehouse explosion had demoralized the puppet troops. Zhao Desheng was furious at the regimental headquarters, his desk piled high with telegrams and maps. Lu Yang entered the headquarters, saluted, and said in Japanese, "Captain Zhao, I am Kenichi Fujii of the Special High Section. I have been ordered to investigate the leak of Project Thunder." He handed over a forged transfer order, stamped with the seal recovered from Fujita's body.

Zhao Desheng shuddered with fear and quickly stood up and bowed. "Lieutenant Fujii, I'm investigating the explosion. It definitely wasn't one of my people who leaked the information!" He flattered her and handed her a bottle of sake. "Thank you for your hard work, Lieutenant. Please have a drink."

Lu Yang sat down, drank two glasses with them, and observed secretly. On the desk at the regimental headquarters sat a new telegram, labeled "Thunder Phase II." Next to it was a sealed wooden box with the words "Moon Shadow" engraved on the lid. He had a flash of inspiration, suspecting it might contain the assassination team's detailed plan. He remained calm, using the time he spent toasting to write down the key points of the telegram: Phase II planned to mobilize two Japanese squadrons to storm Eagle's Beak Cliff after the biological weapons failed, in conjunction with Operation "Moon Shadow," with a timetable of dawn three days later.

As they were chatting, a puppet army adjutant ran in and whispered, "Commander, the Special High Section has sent a new advisor named Sato. He just arrived and wants to see you." Zhao Desheng's face changed and he hurriedly stood up to greet him.

Lu Yang's heart tightened. Sato's arrival might expose his identity. He pretended to cough and whispered, "Captain Zhao, I'm going to check the documents and will be back later." He slipped out of the regiment headquarters and sneaked into the telegraph room next to it. There was only one puppet army clerk dozing in the room. He knocked the clerk unconscious with a palm and took out the latest telegram transcript. Intelligence showed that the "Moon Shadow" team was composed of five elite members of the Special High Section, carrying poison gas bombs and sniper rifles. They planned to sneak in through the dense forest path, assassinate Li Yunlong and then lead

Lu Yang copied down the information, stuffed it into his boot, and was about to leave when he heard footsteps outside. Sato pushed the door open and walked in. His tall, thin figure exuded a coldness, a pistol in his hand. "Who are you? What are you doing here so late at night?"

Lu Yang's heartbeat quickened, and he spoke in Japanese with an Osaka accent: "Advisor Sato, my name is Kenichi Fujii. I have been ordered to check the telegrams, fearing that Chinese people may have infiltrated." He pretended to flip through documents to cover up his actions.

Sato narrowed his eyes and sneered, "Fujii? There's no such person in the Special High Police." He raised his gun to shoot, but Lu Yang pounced on him, stabbing him in the chest with a dagger, splattering blood all over the floor. He quickly dragged the body under the table, wiped off the blood, and slipped out of the telegraph room.

Back at the regimental headquarters, Zhao Desheng was drinking with several officers, completely unaware that Sato was dead. Lu Yang whispered, "Captain Zhao, I've finished checking the documents. I have to go back and report." Zhao Desheng waved him off, still drunk.

Lu Yang led Monkey and the others out of the barracks. Halfway through, he informed Lao Hei via his headset: "Intel has arrived. Team 'Moon Shadow' will be moving in three days. Poison gas bombs and sniper rifles. Detonate the wooden crates in ten minutes and prepare to intercept." Ten minutes later, an explosion occurred near the regimental headquarters, sending flames soaring into the sky and throwing the puppet troops 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, "Team Moon Shadow is carrying poison gas bombs, targeting Li Yunlong at dawn three days from now. The Japanese still have two squadrons attacking. We must intercept Moon Shadow in the dense forest and notify Li Yunlong to strengthen his defenses." He lit a cigarette and exhaled a puff of smoke. "Old Wang, this battle is for you."

Monkey whispered: "Brother Lu, 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 Lao Hei and said, "Prepare the men, ambush in the dense forest, and take the captured machine guns and grenades."

Two days later, the guerrillas infiltrated the dense forest north of Yingzui Cliff. The rugged terrain and shadowy trees made it an ideal ambush location. Lao Hei led the team in laying explosives and machine gun nests, while Monkey was in charge of reconnaissance. Lu Yang personally commanded the operation. His left shoulder was so swollen that he couldn't lift it, but he still held the "Qinglong" with a cold look in his eyes.

At dawn, the scouts reported back: "Moon Shadow" had arrived as scheduled. Five men, dressed in black and armed with sniper rifles and poison gas bombs, had silently crept into the dense forest. Lu Yang called out, "Ready!" The guerrillas waited with bated breath, the machine gunners aiming at the path.

The squad entered the ambush circle. Lu Yang threw a smoke bomb, filling the air with thick smoke. He raised his "Qinglong" rifle and shot the leader dead with one blow, dropping his sniper rifle. The guerrillas opened fire, machine guns blazed, and grenades exploded. The squad was caught off guard and suffered heavy casualties. Lu Yang rushed forward, seized the poison gas bomb, and ensured that no one had escaped.

After the battle, Lu Yang panted and whispered, "Notify Li Yunlong that Moon Shadow has been eliminated. Strengthen defenses." He turned to Lao Hei and said, "The two Japanese squadrons may attack at any time. We must prepare for the next battle."

Meanwhile, in Qingyang City, Zhao Desheng was horrified when he received news of the explosion and the failure of "Moon Shadow". He hurried to the Japanese headquarters for help, but he didn't know that Lu Yang had already set his sights on his next batch of supplies.

Inside the Japanese headquarters, a senior officer was furious. "The Moon Shadow was completely destroyed? The Chinese are so cunning!" He slammed the table. "Send a battalion with heavy artillery to crush Wild Wolf Valley! I want Li Yunlong's head!"

The staff officer whispered, "Sir, the puppet army is in a panic, and Zhao Desheng is requesting reinforcements..."

"Reinforcements?" The officer sneered, "Let him clean up his own mess! If the supplies are lost again, he will come to me with his head!" He stared at the map with a sinister look, brewing a new conspiracy in his mind.

In Wolf Valley, Lu Yang tore the cloth from his left shoulder. The wound had festering and was emitting a foul odor. He washed it with strong liquor, gritting his teeth in pain. Lao Hei whispered, "Lu Yang, your wound needs treatment..."

"No time." Lu Yang interrupted, re-bandaged the wound, and whispered, "The Japanese army is coming, we have to sneak into Qingyang City again and blow up their heavy artillery.

A hurricane on a rainy night.

Lu Yang drove the stolen military truck, jolting through mud and craters. The wound on his left shoulder burned, and every sharp turn of the steering wheel strained his nerves. But he gritted his teeth, his gaze fixed on the rain-blurred road ahead. The truck's engine growled angrily in the rainy night, reflecting his current state of mind.

The "East Wind" had risen, a signal both Qinglan and Xiaolin confirmed. It wasn't the gas mask at the dock that had been used for a false alarm, but the deadly "Moon Viewing Tea" in the Sakura Hall of Hongkou Park! Inspector Chen's death, the trap in Warehouse B12, Xiaolin's taunts... all were designed to buy time, to ensure the "Moon Plague" could accurately reach its chosen targets within the enclosed environment of the Sakura Hall.

He had to go back! Before the disease spread completely, before Lao Hei and the others were in dire straits, before Qing Lan… He didn't dare to think too deeply about Qing Lan's predicament. She was a lurker, now in the center of the storm, where every move could lead to her own death. Did she know the true meaning of "East Wind"? Could she protect herself, or even sabotage the plan?

The wipers swiped futilely across the windshield. Ahead loomed the faint outline of a Japanese roadblock. Lu Yang swerved, and the truck violently rammed through a row of roadside barriers. The tires screeched on the slippery road as it raced down a narrow alleyway. This was a shortcut he'd learned from years of street fighting in Shanghai; it allowed him to avoid the checkpoints on the main roads and reach Hongkou Park more quickly.

He floored the accelerator, and the truck, like a wounded beast, careened through the narrow alleys, splashing muddy water. His mind raced back to the mark Monkey had marked on the map: the drainage manhole in the northeast corner of Hongkou Park. Theoretically, he could bypass the heavily guarded main entrance and sneak inside. This was his only hope.

……

At the same time, Hongkou Park, Sakura Hall.

The power suddenly went out, plunging the once brightly lit and hypocritically cheerful banquet hall into pitch-black darkness. After a brief moment of shock, panic spread like the plague itself. Guests gasped, women screamed, and the chaotic clatter of overturned tables and chairs filled the air.

Even more terrifying was the sound of uncontrollable, violent coughing that began to echo in the darkness. Like some ominous omen, it quickly spread through the crowd. Someone shouted in fear, "What's going on? This air..."

"Please be patient, everyone." Major Kobayashi's cold, complacent voice echoed through the darkness through a loudspeaker that had been installed at some unknown time, carrying a condescending cruelty. "This is the special 'Moon Viewing Tea' carefully prepared by the Empire for you. Please enjoy it... This is the 'East Wind' that purifies filth."

Darkness is the best cover, but also the deepest fear. Lao Hei's heart trembled, and he whispered, "Action! Protect the target, find the light source, and control the tea utensils!" His team members were well-trained and instantly dispersed, like shadows blending into the darkness, relying on memory and tactical skills to pounce on the location of the tea ceremony performance.

At this moment, the crisp sound of porcelain breaking rang out remarkably clearly amid the chaos. Then, a woman exclaimed with just the right amount of panic: "Ah! Tea bowl!"

It’s Qinglan!

Lao Hei's mind fluttered, and he instantly understood. She had smashed the tea bowl! Regardless of whether it had been infused with the "Moon Plague," this action undoubtedly disrupted the enemy's rhythm and bought them precious time!

Almost simultaneously, several powerful flashlight beams suddenly lit up. They came from Lao Hei's team. As the beams swept across, Qing Lan, dressed in a gorgeous geisha costume, stumbled backward, her feet littered with shattered tea bowls and spilled tea. Her face was pale, but her eyes were remarkably calm. She even blinked rapidly in Lao Hei's direction the moment the flashlight passed over her face.

Across from her, the man in a well-tailored suit, who was supposed to be receiving the tea, stood in the shadows, his face expressionless. But from his suddenly tense figure, one could sense an invisible pressure. He slowly raised his head, and in the dim light, a slightly pale face with hard lines emerged—it was the owner of the silhouette in the photo, Lu Yang's longtime rival and current high-ranking member of the "Mei Agency," Ichiro "Aoki," or rather, Matsumoto!

"Nightingale," Matsumoto's voice was soft, yet chilling, "It seems you've chosen this path after all."

"Matsumoto-kun, I was just...too nervous and my hand slipped." Qinglan's voice trembled slightly, but there was no sign of retreat in his eyes.

At this tense moment, several spies, dressed as waiters but actually lurking, suddenly pounced on Qinglan! Lao Hei and his men opened fire simultaneously. The dull crack of gunfire echoed through the enclosed Sakura Hall, the cacophony of bullets impacting the wooden structure and the sounds of human bodies intertwined. The guests let out even more shrill screams and fled in all directions. The situation completely spiraled out of control.

Matsumoto, however, seemed to be standing aside, observing everything coldly, a hint of mockery even playing on his lips. He seemed certain that even if the tea bowl was shattered, his plan had been successfully launched. Those coughs were the best proof of this.

"Seal off Sakura Hall! Don't let anyone escape!" Matsumoto ordered the guards hiding in the shadows. At the same time, he pulled out a compact Type 14 Nambu pistol from his bosom and pointed it at the chaotic crowd. "Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"

The battle suddenly escalated. While Lao Hei and his men were accurate marksmen, the enemy outnumbered them and held advantageous terrain. Several members were wounded and fell in the exchange of fire. Qing Lan, taking advantage of the chaos, quickly retreated behind a pillar and, from the wide sleeves of his kimono, pulled a Browning M1910 pistol. His movements were clean and efficient, clearly a testament to his preparedness.

……

In the northeast corner of Hongkou Park, rainwater mixed with mud gave off a disgusting smell.

"Bang!" With a muffled thud, the heavy cast iron manhole cover was forcefully pushed open from the inside. Lu Yang dragged his wounded body out of the dark drainpipe, gasping for breath as the rain washed away the oil and blood on his face.