Espionage: You're tasked with spying, but you'll blow up the Special Higher Police?

Zhou Hongyi listened to everything clearly from next door with his cup. The conversation between the two ended there, and they started the second round of collecting public grain.

Zhou Hongyi put away his water glass and lay on the bed, pondering the meaning behind Ding Mocun's words.

This old man talks about various forces, but he just can't let go of the power he holds. Power can be bewitching for men.

It seems that 76 is not a monolithic entity. At this stage, Li Shiqun still has the upper hand. However, the guy codenamed "Fireworks" doesn't seem to be revealing all the information he knows at once, but rather squeezing it out little by little, like toothpaste. It has to be said that he is wise to do this, at least he won't let 76 discard him after using him, and he can ensure his safety for a long time.

However, this also means that this person must be eliminated as soon as possible, otherwise the Communist Party's deployments near Shanghai will be forced to withdraw, and years of lying low will have been in vain. But how exactly can I contact them? Right, I saw that "Bodhi" at the Paramount Ballroom yesterday. I wonder if he'll be there tonight. If all else fails, I'll go and try my luck.

Zhou Hongyi lay on the bed thinking, and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep. When he woke up the next morning, he found that he hadn't taken off his clothes again.

After washing up, I went downstairs to the dining room, only to find that my traitorous brother-in-law had already left. He hadn't slept so late last night and had gotten up so early this morning. Ding Mocun might be turning into a spineless coward.

"Zhongliang, are you up? Come on, I had Wang Ma buy some fried dough sticks. They're hot and crispy. Eat them before you go to work."

Zhou Pan'er has been glowing these past two days. Her skin is so smooth and delicate, with a rosy glow, like a flower bud covered in morning dew.

Zhou Hongyi sat down next to her and touched her with his hand, saying, "Sis, you and your brother-in-law are making so much noise at night. You've woken me up several times. I protest! You want to move my room further away."

"You brat! What are you saying? You dare to eavesdrop in my corner? Besides, there's clearly a room between our rooms, how could you hear me?"

"It's like there's nothing between us in the bathroom; it even acts as an amplifier."

Zhou Pan'er pinched her younger brother's soft flesh under his ribs, causing him to beg for mercy and dodge away in pain.

"You're so irresponsible. Don't you even know how old you are? When are you going to find a proper girl and talk about your life's important matters? If you don't have time to find one, I'll have to ask those rich ladies for help."

"No, no, no, sis, I'll do this myself. I'll take the fried dough sticks to eat on the way, and I won't drink the milk. I'm off!"

Upon hearing Zhou Pan'er bring up the topic of carrying on the family line again, Zhou Hongyi grabbed two fried dough sticks, draped his clothes over his shoulders, and ran out as if fleeing.

"Hey Zhongliang~~~ Eat before you go~~~ Honestly, so impulsive."

Zhou Hongyi rode his bicycle with one hand and held a fried dough stick in the other, stuffing it into his stomach in a few bites.

Instead of reporting to the police station immediately, he went to the dock area, found Little Knife, paid the blind man the money he owed, and also had the scarred Axe Gang member fill his gun with bullets.

"Brother Xiaodao, from now on we're friends. I, Zhou Hongyi, have always been very generous to my friends. In the next few days, I'd like to invite you for drinks. Bring your brothers, don't refuse! You can choose the place to eat, how about it?"

Xiao Dao, with long hair and a scar on his face, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Young Master Zhou is very generous, and I, Xiao Dao, will not be indecisive. However, our boss has something to do these two days and can't get away. Let's get together at Deyuelou the night after tomorrow. I, Xiao Dao, am determined to be friends with Young Master Zhou!"

"Then it's settled! The night after tomorrow at Deyuelou, it's my treat!"

After saying goodbye to the Axe Gang members, Zhou Hongyi redeemed his watch and then went to the police station.

"Oh my, Mr. Zhou is here? Come and see, your special operations team's private office has been prepared, and the furniture has been added. The director asked me to ask around and let him know if there's anything missing, so we can get it later."

When Captain Xu saw Zhou Hongyi, he came out of the police station to greet him from afar with a big smile on his face and led him directly to the new office on the third floor.

Zhou Hongyi followed him up to the third floor and saw that the former police station storage room had been cleaned up and was now furnished with desks and chairs, telephones, brass lamps, filing cabinets, and even plants on the balcony.

Zhou Hongyi nodded in satisfaction, then took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and said, "Captain Xu, you've really gone to a lot of trouble. Here, take this pack of cigarettes. In a couple of days, once things are settled here, I'll treat you and the brothers in the team to drinks. We must thank you properly."

Xu Guodong discreetly tucked the cigarette into his pocket, waved his hand, and said, "It's nothing. Young Master Zhou, if you ever need my help, just let me know. Hehe~~ Then I won't bother you any longer. However, Young Master Zhou's special operations team only has one person right now, so there are bound to be some oversights. Until you find your team members, our team will rely on you."

"Thank you very much. Captain Xu is so thoughtful. Don't worry, I will make sure the brothers help out for nothing."

Zhou Hongyi inspected his office and was quite satisfied. He then called Fusheng, and the two went to the Huangpu River near the French Concession.

This area used to be home to many foreigners, and it wasn't far from the bustling streets of Shanghai. The shop that Zhou Hongyi had his eye on was located here.

The key is that this road is well-connected. To the west, it leads quickly into the bustling city center; to the east, it leads to the former International Settlement; and to the south, it allows escape to the Huangpu River by water. There are numerous ferry crossings and docks along the river, providing many options in case of an emergency. In short, one must be prepared for the worst.

Ah Gui had already paid a deposit to the owner of the jewelry store, and today, Zhou Hongyi personally signed the contract with the owner.

The original owners of this jewelry store were a French couple. With the French Concession effectively defunct, Xiao Rizi had essentially taken over the area, leaving the couple feeling insecure. After considering all these factors, they decided to transfer ownership of the store and pack their bags to return to their own country.

Zhou Hongyi used a combination of coaxing and intimidation to acquire the shop at a relatively low price and temporarily entrusted it to Agui for management.

After finishing with his shop, Zhou Hongyi strolled around a nearby shopping mall and picked out some decent-looking decorative items. There were vintage pieces and Western antiques; he wanted to enrich his shop first, so even if he didn't make money from it, he couldn't let others suspect anything.

By the time he finished, it was already afternoon. Zhou Hongyi sent Fusheng back to the police station first, while he went to the blind man's house once again.

"Brother Zhou, you've arrived! Please come in and have a seat!"

When the blind man saw Zhou Hongyi, he smiled broadly and hurriedly welcomed him into his home.

When the blind woman heard that Zhou Hongyi had come to visit again, she disregarded her pregnancy and rushed down from the second floor in small steps. Her heart trembled as she looked at Zhou Hongyi.

"Sister Qingxia, slow down, be careful not to fall."

The blind woman naturally handed her hand to Zhou Hongyi, who helped her down the last few steps.

"Young Master Zhou, you are the savior of my blind man, how can I neglect you?"

Zhou Hongyi noticed that the pregnant woman was actually scratching his palm, and felt a chill run down his spine.

"Sister Qingxia, slow down, come sit here. I actually have something to ask you today. To be honest, I'm very interested in the Paramount Ballroom, but don't misunderstand, I'm not referring to the girls inside, but to its business model. I'm very interested in the dance hall business and want to learn from it to see if there's any way we can cooperate."

The blind woman pulled out a handkerchief, gently wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, and flicked it, saying, "Young Master Zhou, there's no need to explain. A beautiful lady is naturally desirable to a gentleman. Don't worry, I'll introduce you today. Didn't you want to meet Manyu? With me, her older sister, handling this, she'll still give you this much face."

"Then thank you very much, Sister Qingxia."