Spy war in the Republic of China, peak undercover

The sound of discussion came up intermittently.

Lu Yang's heart skipped a beat. It seemed that after Fujita's escape, the news had spread, and the entire Military Control Commission had been alarmed. Zhou Hai must be like a frightened bird now. He must have either run away or hide in a corner and fight stubbornly.

"Keep going, the archives room is not our target." Lu Yang ordered in a low voice.

They continued crawling through the darkness. The heat in the tunnel grew increasingly stifling, their clothes soaked with sweat and clinging to their bodies, making them extremely uncomfortable. Occasionally, a few fat rats would scurry past, squeaking and making the team members shiver.

After climbing for an unknown amount of time, I heard the voice of a team member from the front again: "Boss, this seems to be above the corridor on the third floor. I can see several office numbers."

Lu Yang approached the grille again. Below was a carpeted corridor, brighter in the light. Several men in military uniforms hurried past, talking in low voices. The atmosphere was noticeably more tense than in the archives room.

"Section Chief's Office... Intelligence Section 1... Operations Section 2..." Lu Yang struggled to decipher the words on the doorplate. Which section did Zhou Hai belong to? He couldn't recall it for a moment, only remembering it was an unremarkable civilian department.

"Intelligence Analysis Section!" Lu Yang suddenly remembered. He remembered Zhou Hai's resume. This guy was the deputy section chief of the Intelligence Analysis Section, and later climbed to the position of section chief.

"Find the sign of the Intelligence Analysis Department!" Lu Yang whispered.

They crawled forward in the pipe, carefully identifying the house numbers below. Finally, at a corner, they saw the sign of "Intelligence Analysis Department".

"It's here!" Lu Yang was cheered up.

He carefully observed the situation at the door of the Intelligence Analysis Department's office. It was closed, and there were no additional guards at the door. This made him feel a little relieved, but then his vigilance returned. The calmer it was, the more dangerous it might be. Could Zhou Hai have set a trap inside?

"Find an exit." Lu Yang ordered.

The team began to search for a ventilation hole nearby. Fortunately, there was a maintenance hole on the wall of the pipe just above the Intelligence Analysis Department's office. Although it was a bit narrow, it was barely enough for one person to pass through.

"I'll go down first," Lu Gang whispered. He took the disassembled "Qinglong" parts from the team members, quickly reassembled them, and then signaled the team members to take cover.

He carefully unscrewed the maintenance port, trying not to make any noise. The click of the metal screws resonated like thunder in the silent pipes. Lu Yang held his breath, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Finally, the cover of the maintenance port was removed. A puff of air smelled of disinfectant and rushed in. Lu Yang looked down. It was a corner of the corridor, and no one was passing by.

He took a deep breath, put "Qinglong" on his back, and then slid down from the maintenance opening silently like a civet cat, landing steadily on the carpeted corridor.

Almost as soon as he landed, two footsteps came from the other end of the corridor. Lu Yang immediately dodged and hid in a recessed doorway nearby, holding his breath.

Two young officers in Military Control Commission uniforms were walking and talking in low voices.

"...This is really weird. Why is the whole building suddenly under martial law?"

"Who knows? I heard it was about catching a traitor, but I don't know if it's true or not."

"A traitor? How could there be a traitor within our Military Control Commission?"

"It's hard to say. In this world, you can only know a person's face but not his heart..."

As the two talked, they walked past the doorway where Lu Yang was hiding, without noticing anything unusual.

Lu Yang finally breathed a sigh of relief when the footsteps faded away. He gestured to the team members in the tunnel to hold back while he checked on the Intelligence Analysis Section.

He straightened his clothes, trying to make himself look like an ordinary Military Control Commission officer, then took a deep breath and walked towards the office of the Intelligence Analysis Department.

The office door was an ordinary wooden one with a bronze plaque reading "Intelligence Analysis Section" on it. Lu Yang stood at the door, his ear pressed against it, listening carefully to the sounds inside.

It was very quiet inside, without any sound.

This is so abnormal! Even during martial law, there is no way that a department office would be completely silent. Unless... the people inside have already escaped, or... someone is waiting for him inside!

Lu Yang's hand grasped the door handle. The cold metal touch made him more alert. He slowly turned the door handle and found that the door was not locked.

He gently pushed the door open a crack and looked inside.

The office was dimly lit, the curtains drawn. The desks and filing cabinets were neatly arranged, with nothing unusual to be seen. However, the air seemed to be filled with a faint smell of gunpowder and a hint of... blood!

Lu Yang's heart sank. Something happened!

He pushed the door open and rushed in, raising the pistol in his hand and scanning the entire office vigilantly.

The office was empty.

However, on the floor behind the section chief's desk, Lu Yang saw a pool of dark red blood that had not yet completely dried! Next to the blood, there were several bullet shells scattered around.

On the desk, there was an open safe, which was empty.

Zhou Hai is missing! The safe is open! There's blood and bullet casings on the floor!

All signs indicate that a conflict had just occurred here. Zhou Hai was probably being silenced, or perhaps he had killed someone and escaped with something important!

Lu Yang immediately rushed to the window and flung open the curtains. The window was open, revealing a narrow fire escape. On the wall of the passageway were several faint footprints, as if someone had just climbed down.

"Damn it!" Lu Yang cursed and immediately contacted Lao Wei via the intercom.

"Old Wei! Zhou Hai ran away! He probably escaped through the west fire escape! Seal the west exit immediately and give chase!"

"Got it!" Lao Wei's voice was filled with anxiety.

The fire escape was narrow and steep, the iron ladder cold and slippery, still stained with fresh dirt and scrapes. Lu Yang clung to the wall like a gecko, scrambling down swiftly. He could smell the lingering scent of gunpowder in the air, mixed with the scent of rust and rain-soaked earth, irritating his nerves. Zhou Hai must have just come down from here!

His heart was beating fast, not out of fear, but with the excitement and urgency of a hunter stalking his prey. Zhou Hai, this venomous snake, must not be allowed to escape! He must hold the core secrets of the Military Control Commission. If he fell into the hands of the Japanese, or was taken away by him, the consequences would be disastrous.

The descent was rapid, the wind whistling in his ears. Lu Yang's eyes, sharp as an eagle, scanned the area below. At the end of the fire escape was a back alley filled with garbage and waste, dimly lit and smelling foul.

Just when he was about to land, he caught a glimpse of a dark shadow flashing by in the depths of the alley!

"Hold!" Lu Yang shouted, slamming his feet against the wall. With a beautiful mid-air roll, he landed steadily on the pile of garbage, splashing a cloud of filth. He ignored the stench and immediately aimed his gun in the direction where the shadow had disappeared.

From deep in the alley came the sound of hurried footsteps and debris being knocked over.

"Want to run?" Lu Yang snorted coldly and started chasing after him.

The alley was long and narrow, flanked by towering walls. The ground was potholed and filled with sewage and garbage. Lu Yang kept a vigilant eye on his surroundings as he pursued. He knew Zhou Hai was a cunning figure, likely setting an ambush.

Sure enough, just when he chased to a corner, a bullet flew past his scalp with a "whoosh" sound, hit the wall behind him, and sparks flew out!

Lu Yang reacted extremely quickly, rolling sideways to hide behind a pile of broken wooden boxes. Bullets "crackled" against the boxes, sending sawdust flying everywhere.

"Damn it! You dare to fight back!" Lu Yang cursed and looked over. He saw Zhou Hai hiding behind a trash can at the end of the alley, holding a pistol and firing indiscriminately.

Zhou Hai looked utterly disheveled, his once-straight uniform stained with mud and blood, his face a look of terror and madness. His marksmanship was terrible, his bullets flying everywhere, completely inaccurate.

Lu Yang's lips curled up in a cold smile. It seemed that this guy was just a civilian doing intelligence analysis. When it came to hands-on work, he was a complete rookie.

He did not rush to fight back, but used the wooden box as cover, moving quickly and looking for a better shooting angle.

"Zhou Hai! You can't run away! Put down your weapon and come back with me, maybe you can get leniency!" Lu Yang shouted loudly, trying to disturb his mind.

"Bullshit!" Zhou Hai's voice was hoarse and sharp. "Going back is a dead end! Lu Yang, don't push me! I have all your secrets in my hands! If you push me too far, we'll all be doomed!"

"Secret?" Lu Yang's heart moved, "Did you take the things out of the safe?"

"Humph! That's my life-saving talisman!" Zhou Hai seemed a little proud. "As long as I hand it over to the Japanese, I'll have accomplished a great feat! Then I'll be rich and prosperous and enjoy endless glory!"

Sure enough! This guy is not only a traitor, he also stole important confidential documents! Lu Yang's eyes instantly turned cold. This kind of traitor must not be allowed to stay!

"Do you think the Japanese will believe a traitor like you?" Lu Yang continued to provoke him with words, "They will only use you and then throw you away like garbage!"

"Stop talking nonsense! Come and catch me if you have the guts!" Zhou Hai was obviously hit on the spur of the moment. He became even more agitated, and the gun in his hand shook even more violently.

It's now!

Lu Yang seized the opportunity, suddenly dodged from behind the wooden box, and the pistol in his hand fired instantly!

"boom!"

The bullet hit Zhou Hai's wrist holding the gun accurately!

"Ah!" Zhou Hai screamed, and the pistol flew out of his hand and fell into the sewage ditch beside him. He covered his bleeding wrist and curled up in pain behind the trash can.

Lu Yang rushed forward, kicked the trash can open, and pressed the muzzle of the gun against Zhou Hai's forehead.

"Where are the things?" Lu Yang's voice was as cold as ice.

Zhou Hai stared at the black muzzle of the gun, terrified to death. His body trembled like a sieve. "Stay...stay in my arms...don't...don't kill me..."

Lu Yang reached into his arms and fumbled around, finding a thick brown paper document bag. He quickly opened it and took a look. Inside were some documents and microfilm marked "Top Secret."

"Very good." Lu Yang put the file bag away, the gun still not leaving Zhou Hai's forehead. "Who ordered you to do that? Fujita?"

"It was... it was Fujita..." Zhou Hai nodded quickly. "He was the one who found me, gave me a large sum of money, and promised to help me get rid of my enemies and let me take the position of section chief... He said that if I could help him get intelligence on the Military Control Commission, I could go to Japan and live a good life in the future..."

"Your enemy? You mean, the bloodstains in the office..." Lu Yang frowned.

"I...I killed him..." Zhou Hai's voice was filled with tears. "It was Deputy Section Chief Zhang. He discovered my secret and wanted to expose me...I...I had no choice but to strike first..."

This bastard! Not only did he commit treason, he also killed his colleagues! Lu Yang's murderous intent grew even stronger.

"You, a scumbag, deserve to die!" Lu Yang said coldly, his finger slowly pulling the trigger.

"No! Don't kill me! I know a bigger secret! About 'Zero'!" Zhou Hai seemed to realize that death was approaching and suddenly shouted hysterically.

"zero"?!

Lu Yang's fingers suddenly stopped. The code name, like a curse, reappeared in his ears. He had always suspected that there was a close connection between "Zero" and the Japanese, and now it seemed that it was indeed the case!

"What do you know about 'Zero'?" Lu Yang asked harshly, but he did not relax his gun at all.

"I... I know Zero's next target! He... he's not just going to deal with the Military Control Commission, but also..." Zhou Hai's voice suddenly became weak, his eyes began to blur, and black blood flowed from the corners of his mouth.

Lu Yang was startled and looked down. He saw a tiny dart stuck in Zhou Hai's chest! The arrowhead was flashing with a strange blue light, obviously poisoned!

"Who?!" Lu Yang suddenly looked up and looked in the direction where the blowgun came from.

On the wall at the end of the alley, a figure in a black nightgown flashed by, as fast as a flash of lightning, and disappeared into the night in an instant!

"Damn it!" Lu Yang cursed and wanted to chase after him, but it was too late. Besides, Zhou Hai was not dead yet, so he had to rescue him immediately. Maybe he could get something out of him.

He squatted down and tried to pull out the poison arrow from Zhou Hai's chest, but Zhou Hai's body just twitched a few times, his head tilted, and he was completely dead.

Fall short!

Lu Yang slammed his fist into the wall next to him. Just a little bit! He would know Zero's secret! Who was that mysterious man in black? Was he sent by Fujita to silence him, or was he one of Zero's own?

At this time, Lao Wei and his men also chased after him.

"Boss! Are you okay?" Old Wei's heart skipped a beat when he saw the corpse on the ground and Lu Yang's gloomy face.

"I'm fine." Lu Yang shook his head, stood up, and dusted himself off. "Zhou Hai is dead. He was silenced."

"Silenced?" Old Wei was shocked.

"Yes, someone is shooting arrows from the dark." Lu Yang pointed in the direction of the wall. "It's very fast and has extraordinary skills."

Old Wei looked in the direction of Lu Yang's finger, his expression becoming serious. "It seems this pool of water is even deeper than we thought."

"Get rid of Zhou Hai's body first, and don't leave any traces." Lu Yang ordered, "Also, send this document back to the headquarters immediately and give it to Boss Dai... No, hand it to my office personally, and no one is allowed to touch it." He handed the manila file bag to Lao Wei.

"Yes!" Old Wei took the file bag and put it away carefully.

Lu Yang's eyes grew even colder as he gazed upon Zhou Hai's corpse, his eyes wide open. Although the traitor had been uncovered, the trail to "Zero" had been cut short once again. The mysterious figure in black, appearing and disappearing like a ghost, cast a deeper shadow over the entire incident.

"Zero"... Who are you? What will be your next goal?