Spy war in the Republic of China, peak undercover

In the dim morning light, the cold rain hit the dilapidated window frames, making a hollow sound.

Matsumoto Sakurako was sitting alone on the ground, her military jacket was gone, and her thin kimono was wet and sticking to her body.

She felt a chill to the bone, not only from the cold air in the dilapidated house, but also from the despair deep in her heart.

Deception, exploitation, betrayal—these words were like ice knives, shattering all her hopes and trust.

She betrayed her family and her country, and in return she received only a cold response: "She is of great value."

Lu Yang's voice seemed to ring in my ears again, gentle yet deceptive.

She clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, and the pain brought her back to consciousness.

We can't just fall down like this.

Even if she is abandoned by everyone, she must live on.

She stood up, her body shaking with cold.

Looking around, this shabby house is located on the edge of the city, not far from the dock area.

Perhaps there is still a chance to find a way to survive before the Japanese army sets up a tighter blockade.

She pushed open the creaking wooden door and cautiously stuck her head out.

The alley was empty, with only the wet ground and the vague outlines of buildings in the distance.

She took a deep breath and stepped into the rain.

He took every step with extreme caution, his eyes scanning everything around him vigilantly.

She knew that the whole of Shanghai was searching for her at that moment - the Japanese military police wanted to catch her as a traitor, and the Military Control Commission... who knew if they would still "place" her?

Turning a corner, she saw several figures appear in front of her.

It's the Japanese military police.

They were searching house to house, and the bayonets in their hands made crisp sounds when they hit the ground.

Matsumoto Sakurako's heart sank, and she immediately retreated back to the alley and hid behind the wall.

The voices of the military police were getting closer and closer. She could even hear their whispers and the sound of their leather boots stepping on puddles.

There is no way to retreat.

She gripped the gun tightly, ready for a final fight.

Just then, there was a sudden commotion from the other end of the alley.

"There!" someone shouted.

The military police immediately shifted their attention and chased in the direction of the sound.

Matsumoto Sakurako took this opportunity and quickly escaped along the other side of the alley.

She didn't know who made the sound, but it undoubtedly bought her precious time.

She ran through one slippery alley after another.

She almost collapsed from exhaustion and cold, but her instinct for survival kept her going.

A high wall appeared in front of us, and inside the wall seemed to be an abandoned factory.

Maybe I can hide in there for a while and wait until dark before thinking of a solution.

She climbed over the low wall and twisted her ankle when she landed, but she ignored the pain and limped into the factory.

The huge factory was empty and cold, and the machines were covered with rust.

She hid behind a huge machine, gasping for breath.

Just after resting for a while, footsteps were heard outside again.

This time the noise was more chaotic and it sounded like there were quite a lot of people involved.

Sakurako Matsumoto gripped her gun tightly and listened to the footsteps gradually approaching the factory.

The door was pushed open and several dark shadows rushed in.

She hid in the shadows, her heart beating so fast that it seemed like it was about to jump out of her chest.

"Is she here?" a voice asked in a low voice in Chinese.

It was Qinglan's voice.

Matsumoto Sakurako's body froze. It turned out that they were the ones who caused the commotion just now.

Was it to lure away the Japanese military police? Or was it to drive her here?

"Don't talk, just look carefully." Lu Yang's voice rang out.

Sakurako Matsumoto was struck by lightning.

He is actually here too.

He did not leave Shanghai.

What is the purpose of looking for her?

Qinglan and others dispersed in the factory and began to search carefully.

There was a blind spot behind the machine where Matsumoto Sakurako was hiding. She could only hold her breath as much as possible and hope that they would not find her.

A dark shadow gradually approached where she was hiding.

It’s Lu Yang.

His steps were light and his eyes scanned everything around him sharply.

He seemed injured and his body tilted slightly when he walked.

He walked slowly towards where she was hiding and stopped not far away.

Sakurako Matsumoto was extremely nervous and could hardly hold the gun in her hand.

Lu Yang didn't seem to notice her.

After he stood still, he took out a document from his pocket.

With the help of the faint light outside the window, Matsumoto Sakurako saw a few words written on the cover of the document: "Yangtze River Defense Plan."

This document is one of the highest-level military secrets of the Japanese army.

Lu Yang was looking through the documents, his expression focused and serious.

There was a storm in Matsumoto Sakurako's heart.

She suddenly understood why Lu Yang did not leave Shanghai.

Why did he want to divert the military police and find me?

Not for her as a person.

But it was to let her see with her own eyes the value of everything he did.

He needed this plan.

And she may be the key to obtaining this plan.

Or maybe she was just lured here to become the last stepping stone for him to complete his mission.

Lu Yang put away the documents, turned around and walked towards the door.

"Have you found her?" Qinglan asked in a low voice at the door.

"No," Lu Yang's voice sounded a little tired, "Maybe he escaped during the chaos."

"Then what happens next?"

"Continue with the original plan," Lu Yang said, "Have the others prepare to evacuate. I have some things to take care of."

"Be careful." Qinglan said.

"rest assured."

The voices of Lu Yang and Qing Lan gradually faded away and finally disappeared in the sound of rain.

Matsumoto Sakurako walked out from behind the machine, her figure swaying.

She looked in the direction where Lu Yang left, her eyes extremely complicated.

She hated his deception and exploitation.

But she also knew why he did everything.

It was for his country and his people.

To end this damn war.

And what about her?

She betrayed her country but failed to obtain the redemption she expected.

She is a lonely soul with nowhere to go.

Just then, footsteps were heard again at the factory gate.

It was not Lu Yang and Qing Lan. This time the footsteps were heavier and more orderly.

It's the Japanese military police.

It seemed that they did not leave completely, but left people behind to continue the search.

Matsumoto Sakurako was startled and quickly hid back to her original position.

She knew that this time, she might not be able to escape.

The footsteps are getting closer and clearer.

The voices of the military police echoed in the empty factory.

"Is anyone here?"

"Search carefully!"

Sakurako Matsumoto gripped the gun tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white from the force.

She listened to the footsteps approaching the direction where she was hiding.

Suddenly, a voice broke the silence.

"Is this the place?" a deep voice asked.

It's Matsumoto Shio.

Matsumoto Sakurako trembled all over, she knew that her brother had come.

"Your Excellency the Military Attaché, the search here has not been completed yet." A military policeman replied.

"Hurry up," Matsumoto Shio's voice was a little cold, "She can't get far."

The footsteps stopped in front of the machine where Matsumoto Sakurako was hiding.

A dark shadow gradually appeared in her sight.

It's Matsumoto Shio.

He stood in front of the machine, as if sensing something, his eyes scanning the surrounding darkness sharply.

Sakurako Matsumoto held her breath and her heart almost stopped beating.

Time seems to have frozen.

Just when Matsumoto Shio was about to discover her, there was a loud noise suddenly coming from outside!

Boom!

The entire factory building shook violently.

"What's going on?!" Matsumoto Shio shouted.

"Report to His Excellency the Military Attaché! An explosion occurred in the direction of the dock!" a military police shouted.

"Go! Go and see!"

Matsumoto Shio did not hesitate and hurriedly left the factory with the gendarmerie.

Sakurako Matsumoto hid in the darkness, listening to the footsteps fading away.

She knew that the explosion must have been caused by Lu Yang and his men in order to attract the attention of the Japanese army and buy time for their evacuation.

And she was left behind again.

By my brother, and by him.

She came out from behind the machine and limped toward the window.

In the direction of the distant dock, flames shot up into the sky, illuminating half of the night sky red.

That was the direction Lu Yang fled.

It is also her end.

She held the gun tightly in her hand.

"Sakurako..." Matsumoto Shio's voice suddenly rang out in the factory, as if coming from far away.

Matsumoto Sakurako froze and looked back.

In the empty factory, she was the only one there.

"Brother...why..." she muttered to herself.

The rain had stopped, but the air was still damp and cold. Matsumoto Sakurako limped out of the abandoned factory, the wounds all over her body aching, and even more painful was the scars in her chest that felt like they had been torn apart. She knew that everything she had was shattered with the explosion and Lu Yang's departure. Her brother's pursuit, the cruelty of the Military Control Commission, and Lu Yang's exploitation, left her like a cherry blossom blown down by the wind, rootless and helpless, drifting in this cold city.

She walked aimlessly on the street, the morning light casting a long, lonely shadow on her. The former Japanese Special High Police Major was now just a pitiful woman wandering the streets of Shanghai.

Suddenly, several familiar figures appeared at the intersection ahead.

It was Lu Yang and Qing Lan. They seemed to be about to get into a car parked on the side of the road.

Matsumoto Sakurako stopped dead in her tracks, her body pinned to the spot. She tried to turn and flee, but her legs wouldn't obey her. The grief, humiliation, and a lingering sense of longing surged up her throat like a tide, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

Lu Yang seemed to sense something and turned his head sharply. His gaze lingered on her for a moment, his expression complex and difficult to discern.

It was this one look that ignited the last bit of rationality in Matsumoto Sakurako's heart. She let out a low roar and rushed forward desperately.

"Lu Yang!" she shouted, her voice hoarse and full of hatred.

Qinglan and the others immediately became alert and pointed their guns at her. Lu Yang did not move, but just watched her rush over.

She pounced on Lu Yang like a wounded beast. She had no weapons, but she pounded his chest with her fists and scratched his cheeks frantically with her nails.

"Why did you lie to me?!" she screamed, tears mixed with rain and dust, covering her face. "You said you would take me away, you said my father saved your father! You lied to me about everything!"

Her strength was not great, but each blow was accompanied by piercing pain. Lu Yang did not fight back, but just let her beat him with a frown.

"I betrayed my country and my family for you. I have nothing left!" Her voice became sharp and piercing because of her crying. "I am nothing now. I am just a piece of trash that you can use and throw away! You destroyed everything I had!"

She grabbed his collar and shook him hard, as if to shake all his disguises apart.

Qinglan rushed forward and tried to pull her away, but was stopped by Lu Yang with a look.

"Yingzi," Lu Yang whispered, his voice lacking much emotion, only a calmness that bordered on indifference. "This is war."

"War?!" Matsumoto Sakurako laughed hysterically, as if she had heard the most ridiculous joke. "War means any means necessary? War means trampling on other people's wishes at will?"

She pushed Lu Yang away suddenly, staggered back a few steps, pointed at him, and in her eyes there was not only hatred but also complete despair.

"You have no heart at all!"

Lu Yang looked at her, a trace of pain finally showing on his face, but he quickly restrained it. He knew that he couldn't delay here any longer. Victory was at hand, and sacrifice was inevitable.

"Get in the car!" Lu Yang ordered Qinglan and the others.

Qinglan and the others immediately got into the car. Lu Yang stood there for a few seconds, his eyes fixed on Matsumoto Sakurako, as if he was weighing something.

Matsumoto Sakurako looked at him, and the last glimmer of hope in her heart was shattered. She suddenly realized that he would not take her away. He came here just to confirm whether she was still useful, or perhaps it was just a routine after the mission was completed.

She laughed, a shrill, desperate laugh that echoed in the empty streets.

"Lu Yang, you won't have a good ending." She cursed.

Lu Yang didn't respond, turned around, opened the car door and got in.

The car started its engine and turned on the slippery road.

Sakurako Matsumoto stood there, watching the car slowly drive away and eventually disappear around the corner.

She felt dizzy, her legs gave way, and she fell to the ground.

The cold rain drenched her again.

She curled up on the ground, hugging herself tightly with her hands, her body trembling with cold and despair.

In the distance, a burst of urgent sirens was heard, getting closer and closer.

That was the voice of the Japanese military police.

They are chasing us.

She no longer had the strength to escape.

She closed her eyes, and Lu Yang's face, his smile, his gentle eyes... and his cold back flashed through her mind.

She was deceived by the beautiful dream she had woven and was shattered by the cruel reality.

Perhaps, death is her final destination.

The sounds of footsteps, voices, and gunfire were getting closer and closer.

She heard someone shouting in Japanese and the sound of leather boots stepping on puddles.

She felt someone roll her over and roughly grab her arms.

"It's her!" someone shouted.

Matsumoto Sakurako slowly opened her eyes and saw the distorted and angry face of her brother Matsumoto Shio.

"Matsumoto Sakurako!" Matsumoto Shio gritted his teeth, anger spurting out of his eyes, "You traitor!"

He raised his hand and slapped Matsumoto Sakurako hard in the face, knocking her head to the side.

Blood flowed from the corner of her mouth, but she did not cry or resist.

She just looked at Matsumoto Shio calmly: "Brother... I was wrong."

Matsumoto Shio sneered, "It's too late to say this now. You colluded with those Chinese and stole the empire's secrets. You deserve to die!"

He waved his hand, and several military police immediately stepped forward and roughly pulled Matsumoto Sakurako up.

She was so weak that she was practically dragged away by them.

She did not struggle or beg for mercy.

But when she was being dragged away, she suddenly turned her head and looked in the direction Lu Yang left.

There was no one there, only the damp and cold streets and the dim morning light.

Her eyes were complicated, as if filled with hatred, regret, and... a hint of confusion that she herself was unwilling to admit.

"Take him away!" Matsumoto Shio shouted.

Sakurako Matsumoto was dragged away and disappeared around the corner.

The car Lu Yang was riding in was already speeding on a highway far away from Shanghai.

Inside the car, Lu Yang looked at the scenery passing by outside the window with a calm expression.

Qinglan sat next to him, looking at his profile, wanting to say something but stopping herself.

"What do people in Chongqing say?" Lu Yang suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.

"It has been confirmed. The bombing plan is real." Qinglan replied, "Our code saved the headquarters in time."

Lu Yang nodded without saying anything.

"What about Matsumoto Sakurako..." Qinglan hesitated for a moment, but still asked.

Lu Yang turned his head and looked out the window.

"She completed her mission," he said lightly.