Spy war in the Republic of China, peak undercover

He knew that his superior was testing his observation skills.

The commander raised his head and his eyes fell on Lu Yang's face.

"How did you find out there was something wrong with Liu Yiguang?"

Lu Yang did not answer immediately. He walked to another partition wall.

He reached out and tapped lightly on the wall a few times, then found the hidden switch and turned it on skillfully.

"Click!"

The two iron doors on the wall opened, revealing the scene inside.

This time, what appeared before the officer was a mountain of US dollars, gold bars, and French currency. The US dollars were neatly bundled, the gold bars gleamed alluringly in the flashlight's beam, and the French currency piled up like a small mountain. The entire small vault looked like a treasure trove that had been opened.

The officer's gaze fell on the money. There was no trace of greed or shock in his eyes, which were still as calm as a deep pool.

“That’s quite a lot.”

His voice was very soft, and no emotion could be detected.

He took out two stacks of US dollars from his pocket and handed them to Lu Yang.

"These are for you."

The officer's voice was calm, but his actions carried a hint of silent probing. He wanted to see how Lu Yang would react to such a huge sum of money.

Lu Yang instantly understood his superior's intention. This was Dai Yunong's usual "test the waters" tactic, a way to win over people. Without hesitation, he took the US dollars and, under his superior's watchful eye, placed them back in the cabinet.

He just picked up a small gold bar from the cabinet.

The gold bars were cold and heavy, gleaming faintly in the flashlight beam.

"Sir, I have already died once."

Lu Yang's voice was very calm, with a barely perceptible hint of vicissitudes.

"To me, these treasures are nothing but external possessions."

He held the small gold bar in his hand as if he were playing with an ordinary souvenir.

"I only hope to kill a few more Japanese devils."

The officer raised his eyebrows slightly, and his eyes fell on the gold bars in Lu Yang's hand.

"To kill the devils, you don't have to go to Shanghai."

The commander's voice was tinged with doubt.

"You can stay in the mountain city or go to the front line and still fight on the battlefield."

Lu Yang shook his head.

"Sir, my life is worthless."

He looked at his superior with a hint of depth in his eyes.

"But they are not something that a few ordinary Japanese soldiers can match."

He held the small gold bar tightly in his hand.

"I want to kill a more valuable target."

The car was parked deep in a quiet alley, its headlights casting long shadows on the damp bluestone slabs. Lu Yang pushed open the door and stepped out, the cold night breeze immediately brushing his face. He glanced up at the sky; it was pitch black, without a single star. The night in the mountain city was always so oppressive and heavy.

He walked into a two-story building deep in the alley. This was a temporary safe house set up by the organization in the mountain city, hidden and difficult to detect. He pushed open the downstairs door, but did not go upstairs. Instead, he stood in the shadows at the stairwell, quietly waiting.

The wait was always long, each second stretching infinitely longer. Lu Yang's emotions were mixed. On the one hand, his recent encounter with Dai Yunong had given him a new direction and hope for the future. On the other hand, the news Ms. Wang had brought him about the printing factory manager and Mr. Peng hung like a fog over his mind.

The air was filled with the smell of old wood and dust, with a hint of indescribable dampness. The occasional barking of dogs in the distance was particularly clear in the silent night. Lu Yang leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and recalled what Miss Wang had said at the dinner table today.

Time passed by minute by minute.

"Squeak..."

The door upstairs was gently pushed open, and a figure walked down silently. The footsteps were light and carried a hint of fatigue.

Lu Yang opened his eyes and saw Miss Wang. She was wearing a dark coat that looked a little thin. Her face was a little pale, and there was a hint of anxiety in her eyes, obviously because of waiting and worry.

When Miss Wang saw Lu Yang standing downstairs, she immediately walked down quickly.

"Captain Lu, have you been waiting long?"

Her voice was low and apologetic.

Lu Yang didn't answer, just looked at her.

"Did you bring the news?"

His voice was also low and he got straight to the point.

Miss Wang nodded. She walked in front of Lu Yang and breathed softly.

"Commander Lu, I met a comrade this afternoon who revealed some information to me."

She didn't mention whether it was at a dinner table or with whom, only vaguely saying she met a comrade. Lu Yang didn't press for details, as he knew that in a situation like this, too many details would only increase the risk.

"What did he say?"

There was a hint of urgency in Lu Yang's voice.

Miss Wang looked at Lu Yang with a serious expression.

"That comrade said that the Third Special District Police Station has detained for protective custody a manager of the 'Yun Bao' printing plant."

Miss Wang said.

"The reason is that the manager secretly reported our organization to the police station."

Lu Yang's body stiffened. He had long known about the Yongbao printing plant and Comrade Peng, but he had never been sure of the connection between them. This news, like a bombshell, exploded in his heart.

Ms. Wang continued.

"That comrade also said that there was a comrade named Peng in our organization who had betrayed us to the Japanese."

Hearing this, Lu Yang's face instantly turned extremely grim. He knew that the "Comrade surnamed Peng" Miss Wang was referring to was most likely Peng Ze, the man in charge of printing. The word "betrayal" stung him like a sharp knife.

The Yongbao printing house was the only printing house their organization had infiltrated in the mountain city. It was a crucial base for their anti-Japanese propaganda and intelligence transmission. Comrade Peng Ze was the key figure responsible for this crucial task. He was also secretly responsible for the printing of the anti-Japanese leaflets.

If the news brought by Miss Wang is true, then this may be the cause of everything that has happened during this period!

Comrade Peng Ze likely made a mistake. Perhaps he was printing anti-Japanese leaflets when the printing factory manager accidentally discovered him secretly. For some reason, the manager reported him to the puppet police station. This incident must have attracted the attention of the Japanese. After learning of Comrade Peng Ze's true identity, the Japanese, in order to follow the clues, did not act immediately to alert the enemy, but instead secretly tracked him.

Lu Yang's mind raced, connecting all the fragmented information. He thought of Comrade Xie Changming and No. 69 Mingsheng Lane. No. 69 Mingsheng Lane was one of the organization's important local contact points. There was likely some connection between Comrade Peng Ze and Comrade Xie Changming. The Japanese, by tracking Comrade Peng Ze, most likely discovered No. 69 Mingsheng Lane as a contact point and therefore included this address in their surveillance.

This may be the main reason why No. 69 Mingsheng Lane, where Comrade Xie Changming lived, was targeted by the Japanese!

Lu Yang quickly sorted out his thoughts and the logic of the matter. Everything seemed to be connected. However, he was still a little worried. This news was too sudden and too important.

He looked at Miss Wang with a hint of suspicion in his eyes.

"Are you sure that what that comrade said is true?"

Lu Yang confirmed with Miss Wang again in a serious tone.

Miss Wang replied affirmatively: "Commander Lu, I believe him."

She spoke firmly.

"When he said this, his expression was very serious, and he didn't seem to be joking. Also, when I asked him how he got the news, he said that a reliable friend accidentally revealed it."

She paused, a look of confusion on her face.

"But why did he suddenly tell me this? I just went to give him a brief report on the situation..."

Lu Yang didn't answer Miss Wang's question. He just paced back and forth, frowning. He thought of what Miss Wang had told him before, that after she left, the comrade spread the word that she was his fiancée.

"Why would he take the initiative to tell you this information?"

Lu Yang suddenly stopped and asked back, with a hint of inquiry in his voice.

"And you're spreading the word about your relationship with him?"

Miss Wang was speechless. She looked up at Lu Yang, her face filled with confusion. She was also a little confused as to why that comrade would do this.

"I...I don't know either."

Ms. Wang answered honestly.

Although Ms. Wang was unable to answer the question, Lu Yang had a new thought. He recalled the comrade's attitude towards Ms. Wang the last time they met at the hotel, as well as his subsequent actions. He had suspected that the comrade might be trying to guess Ms. Wang's true identity, perhaps even roughly concluding that she was the one who had gone to No. 69 Mingsheng Lane to meet Comrade Xie Changming.

He connected these fragmented thoughts in his mind.

If that comrade was still a Party member, and he knew the Japanese were monitoring No. 69 Mingsheng Lane, why would he suddenly reveal this information to Miss Wang? This doesn't seem like the behavior of an underground worker in danger. Unless... unless he knew Miss Wang was part of the organization and urgently needed to pass on the information.

A bold hypothesis welled up in Lu Yang's mind. If that comrade was still loyal, then he had deliberately revealed this information to Miss Wang in order to pass the intelligence to the organization through Miss Wang. And the reason he had proactively approached Miss Wang, even taking advantage of their unfinished engagement, was probably because he realized he had been exposed and could no longer pass on intelligence to the organization through normal channels, so he had no choice but to seize the opportunity presented by Miss Wang.

After helping Ms. Wang out of her predicament, he inevitably had to explain his relationship with her to the public. Therefore, he could only publicly announce to everyone that she was his fiancée and that the marriage was real. This was the only way to make everything clear and, to a certain extent, protect Ms. Wang from further suspicion. This might be why he deliberately spread the news that day.

When Ms. Wang passed by the door of No. 69 in Mingsheng Lane, she found that the copper lock was still hanging. This was because Comrade Xie Changming might not know that Comrade Peng Ze, the subordinate of the printing factory, had been betrayed, so he did not realize the danger and still sent out the signal that the contact point was safe as agreed.

All of this can be explained if that comrade is loyal. Every seemingly illogical action of his becomes reasonable under such speculation.

However, Lu Yang knew that all of this was predicated on the comrade not defecting and still working for the Party. Since higher authorities had yet to provide a clear answer regarding the comrade's identity, Lu Yang, even with some suspicions, hesitated to draw conclusions about his current situation. In underground work, they must always maintain the utmost caution. He couldn't easily trust someone based on his own judgment, especially one like that comrade, who was in danger and could be manipulated or turned against at any moment.

Although Lu Yang desperately hoped that his judgment was correct, which meant that the comrade was still loyal, that they had gained a potentially valuable comrade, and that he could reconnect with the comrade through Miss Wang, he still had to consider another possibility - the worst possibility.

If that comrade had already defected to the enemy under pressure from the Japanese, he might have used the Japanese discovery of the anti-Japanese leaflets he had printed to disguise himself and try to uncover the underground party organization. In particular, someone like Miss Wang, who he considered a potential underground party member, could be used by that comrade as bait to lure out more comrades.

Thinking of this, Lu Yang felt a chill in his heart. He immediately gave Miss Wang instructions in a very serious tone.

"Ms. Wang, your coming here today has violated our previous agreement."

Lu Yang's voice was extremely serious, carrying an unquestionable command. His sharp gaze fixed on Miss Wang, making her feel a strong pressure.

"You can't come here again."

Miss Wang saw Lu Yang was silent for a long time after asking her the question, and then said such words, she couldn't help but feel a little worried. She didn't know what Lu Yang was thinking, but she knew that Lu Yang's decision must have been carefully considered.

"Commander Lu, how will we keep in touch from now on?"

Miss Wang asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.

Lu Yang's gaze fell on Miss Wang's face, his eyes softened a little, but his tone remained serious.

"We shouldn't meet each other recently."

Lu Yang said.

"The future communication method must be changed to using a dead letter box connection."

He paused, quickly sketched out a safe and secure location in his mind, and described it in detail.

"There's a 'Wenhua Bookstore' in the central area of ​​Shancheng."

Lu Yang specified the location in detail.

"On the second floor of the bookstore, on the bookshelf by the window, third row, fifth book, 'Mountain City Scenery'."

He described specific books and locations.

"You can find the note I left in this book."

He went on to explain the specific time and method of delivering the note.

"Every Wednesday at 3pm, and Sunday at 5pm."

Lu Yang said.

"If you need to pass on a message to me, you can put the note on page nine of the book. I'll pick it up at these two times."

Miss Wang listened carefully, taking every detail in her mind. She knew this was a life-or-death order and no mistakes were allowed.

"I understand, Commander Lu."

Miss Wang nodded.

Lu Yang continued, his tone becoming more serious.

"Your next mission remains unchanged."