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

The group discussed the specific details of the assassination for a while. Zhou Hongyi, relying on his prepared explanation, handled the situation with ease, skillfully avoiding sensitive issues and steer the conversation in a direction favorable to himself. Finally, he left the Special Higher Police Station. During this time, he subtly observed the layout of the area, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over every corner, passageway, and room, secretly memorizing the key locations.

By the time they left the Special Higher Police Station, it was getting dark, and the sunset on the horizon was a blindingly red, as if it had been burned. Zhou Hongyi glanced at his watch and then remembered that he had made an appointment to drink with Xiao Dao from the Axe Gang at Deyuelou Restaurant.

Thinking of this, Zhou Hongyi hailed a rickshaw again. The rickshaw sped along the dimly lit streets, making a creaking sound. Before long, it took him to a Chinese restaurant in the South Shanghai Wharf area – Deyuelou.

"Young Master Zhou, I thought you wouldn't be able to come."

As soon as Zhou Hongyi arrived, he saw Chen Xiaodao, with a scar on his face and long hair, sitting on the balcony near the second floor, waving and greeting him with a smile on his face. However, there seemed to be something else hidden in that smile, which was hard to figure out.

When Zhou Hongyi went upstairs, he discovered that Xiao Dao had already booked a private room in advance. There weren't many people inside, just five including him. The food on the table was already laid out, emitting a fragrant aroma, but the atmosphere inside the room wasn't as lively as the food; instead, it had a subtle feel to it.

Since Zhou Hongyi's Eye of Insight had ended, he appeared somewhat listless, walking unsteadily as if he had just recovered from a serious illness. He was overcome by physical fatigue, and every step he took required effort.

Chen Xiaodao grabbed his right arm, fixed his gaze on his left arm, and asked with a searching look, "I heard that someone attempted to assassinate a high-ranking Japanese official at the Paramount yesterday, and Young Master Zhou stepped forward to save the official, even getting shot and injured himself. I didn't expect it to be true."

Zhou Hongyi waved his hand with a smile and said, "Good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast. Brother Xiaodao, don't mention it. It wasn't a life-saving rescue at all; I was just unlucky."

"Oh, what do you mean? Come and tell us, we're all very interested."

As Xiao Dao spoke, he led Zhou Hongyi to the table and introduced him to his four closest brothers. The four men looked at Zhou Hongyi with a mixture of scrutiny and curiosity.

Although he no longer possessed the Eye of Insight, Zhou Hongyi hadn't lost his ability to read people. He could tell that Chen Xiaodao harbored resentment towards him for risking his life to save the Japanese. His words carried a probing tone, and his eyes frequently scanned him, as if trying to see through his true thoughts.

"Brother Xiaodao, you don't know this, but I went to the Paramount to see Miss Manyu. I wrote two songs for her, hoping to win her heart, but those damned Japanese devils stole her away from me. I was naturally indignant, so I wondered if there was any way to slip something into their drinks to disgust them. But unexpectedly, an assassin infiltrated the Paramount that day and shot me in the arm in the chaos. Can you believe how unlucky I was?"

As Zhou Hongyi spoke, he observed the expressions of Xiao Dao and the others, noticing a hint of surprise and skepticism on their faces.

"Oh, is that so?" Xiao Dao asked with some skepticism. "I heard that the person Young Master Zhou saved was a colonel from the Special Higher Police, or perhaps your former teacher?"

Zhou Hongyi scoffed and said, "Teacher? To hell with teacher. I did study Japanese with him for a while, but those days were short-lived and people from other countries were wary of him. After that, I went to West Point Military Academy in North America. If we're talking about teachers, I have plenty of teachers, and he's definitely not one of them."

Chen Xiaodao nodded thoughtfully and said, "That's right, I forgot that Young Master Zhou is a top student from West Point Military Academy and has lived among foreigners for many years. Come, come, since Young Master Zhou is injured, let's toast him with tea instead of wine."

Zhou Hongyi didn't stand on ceremony. He knew that today's meal was not as simple as it seemed, especially after Xiao Dao learned that he had saved a high-ranking Japanese official. He had to be even more careful with his words, and he had to think carefully before speaking.

"By the way, Brother Xiaodao, this meal was supposed to be on me today. I love making friends with chivalrous heroes. The other day, I heard you say that the Axe Gang members are all fiercely opposed to evil and hate traitors and Japanese devils. I admire that very much and want to befriend them. So, brothers, don't be shy with me today! Although I can't drink, there's plenty of wine for everyone. Brother Xiaodao knows this Deyuelou restaurant better than I do, so have them bring out whatever good wine and meat they have!"

Chen Xiaodao laughed heartily and didn't stand on ceremony with Zhou Hongyi. He called over the waiters and ordered more dishes and wine, bringing a whole bunch of good food and wine. In no time, the table was filled with a sumptuous feast, and several jars of wine were laid out. The atmosphere in the room seemed to ease a little with the lively ordering.

Zhou Hongyi could tell that the other person still had a grudge, so while urging him to drink, he subtly criticized his wife's life. Finally, he sighed heavily, his sigh filled with helplessness and resentment.

"Why is Young Master Zhou sighing?" Chen Xiaodao asked, putting down his wine cup.

Zhou Hongyi frowned and said, "Brother Xiaodao, you don't know this, although my official identity is a policeman now, every time I go on a mission and see those suffering and bullied people, my heart aches as if it's being torn apart... But that's not what makes me feel the worst. What makes me feel the worst is that the Japanese devils and those traitors seem to value me a lot. I was thinking, could I use their high regard to do something practical for the people of Shanghai?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaodao's eyes lit up immediately, and he asked, "What is the truth that Young Master Zhou is referring to?"

Zhou Hongyi thought for a moment and said, "To be honest with the brothers, the Japanese seem to intend to establish a chamber of commerce here and compete with our local forces for market share. After I heard this news, I had an idea. I wondered if I could join this chamber of commerce, take advantage of the Japanese, and do some practical things for the people of Shanghai?"

For example, we could help those who have suffered from disasters and hardships, solving their problems of food, clothing, and shelter. Or, we could provide some protection and covert financial support to anti-Japanese patriots. Furthermore, we could help our brothers like the Axe Gang—we're all patriotic young men; if we could use the Japanese money to cause trouble for them, filling our own pockets, we would weaken the enemy and strengthen ourselves—a win-win situation. Why not?

Zhou Hongyi's words were seven parts truth and three parts falsehood. He originally wanted to use this opportunity of establishing a chamber of commerce to infiltrate its ranks, and by saying it this way, he could increase the Axe Gang's goodwill towards him. In addition, he also wanted to recruit this gang to cooperate with him. After all, he didn't have many capable men under his command, and his police officers were not very reliable. If the Axe Gang were on his side, it would be much easier to do things behind the scenes.

Chen Xiaodao held his wine glass, sipping it thoughtfully. After a while, he slammed his hand on the table, making the bowls and chopsticks shake. He said loudly, "Young Master Zhou's idea is great! Using the Japanese's money to fight the Japanese! Indeed, you are in a much better position than others. Young Master Zhou is indeed a scholar and a cultured man. If you need any help, just tell me, and I, Chen Xiaodao, will never refuse!"

Not only that, I'll also report your idea to our boss. We in the Axe Gang usually only do assassinations, and we know that while assassination is the most direct method, it doesn't solve any fundamental problems. Our boss has also said that only a strong military and prosperous people can best resist the Japanese invasion. And while this "strong military and prosperous people" sounds simple, actually implementing it... the money required is far more than a small amount; it will be an extremely large sum!

After hearing this, Zhou Hongyi slammed his hand on the table as well, using a bit too much force, causing the sauce in his plate to splash high into the air, landing on several Axe Gang members nearby. However, no one cared about that at the moment; everyone was caught up in the excitement of the words.

"Brother Xiaodao is right! Your boss is right too. Building a strong military and enriching the people is not as simple as just talking about it. This process requires a lot of manpower, material resources, and financial resources. It would be even better if we could use the Japanese money to arm our own forces. I was worried before that once I gained the Japanese's trust and took this position, I wouldn't have anyone I could use. But after having such a heart-to-heart talk with Brother Xiaodao today, I'm no longer worried!"

"As long as I have the Axe Gang brothers fighting alongside me, what do I have to fear? In that case, could Brother Little Knife introduce you to your boss so we can discuss this cooperation in detail?"

Zhou Hongyi looked at Chen Xiaodao earnestly, his eyes full of expectation.