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

The bearded Chen Gong responded with a "Okay," told Zhou Hongyi to sit down, and then ran off towards the Huangpu River.

Once they reached a sparsely populated area, the two began to chat casually about the weather and the scenery. However, interspersed within these seemingly unrelated casual conversations were some important pieces of information that they both cared about.

"Young Master Zhou really caused quite a stir. Luckily, I slipped away in time, otherwise I would have been cornered and interrogated by the Japanese Special Higher Police in the dance hall."

Looking at the scenery on the river, Zhou Hongyi said calmly, "I'll use a little trick. I've basically figured out the Japanese's transport route this time, but you can't make a move yet."

"why?"

When the bearded man asked that question, his tone became noticeably wary, and he slowed down his pace.

Zhou Hongyi said with a smile, "Don't be nervous. It's just that this shooting incident has earned me the trust of the Japanese purchasing agent. He even invited me to join the new Chamber of Commerce. I think it's not just about penicillin and weapons. If it were just about transporting medicine and weapons, there would be no need for someone of his level to come and supervise in person."

Chen Gong quickened his pace again, panting, and said, "They've already transported medicine and weapons, which aren't the most important things. What else could they be transporting? Cannons and planes?"

"Foolish. How could they secretly transport cannons and airplanes? Anything the Japanese could transport in secret must be something shady and shameful. Even now, there are still many foreign concessions in Shanghai and their related news staff who are constantly reporting on everything here. The reason the Japanese are covering it up is because they don't want Westerners to know what they are doing."

The bearded man's facial muscles twitched slightly after Zhou Hongyi called him "stupid," but he suppressed his anger and continued to ask, "If you're not stupid, then what else do you think they could be transporting? The Japanese control all the routes in and out of Shanghai now. What do they need to transport that requires such stealth and disguise as medicine and weapons?"

Zhou Hongyi narrowed his eyes, his tone becoming more serious: "Chemical agents, or more accurately, biological weapons that the Japanese are researching."

At this point, Zhou Hongyi couldn't help but recall a documentary he had seen before, "Unit 731: The Black Sun." The Japanese researching such a weapon was utterly inhumane. He never imagined they would actually try to use something like this around Shanghai. The population density there is extremely high; a leak or outbreak there would have unimaginable consequences.

"Chemistry? Biochemistry? What are those?"

It was obvious that what Zhou Hongyi was talking about was completely unfamiliar territory for the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) assassins.

"You can think of it as poison, a poison that can have a wide-ranging effect. It can even alter human genes, making our next generation deformed from birth. Once the Japanese devils' vicious plan succeeds, our descendants will never be able to hold their heads high again."

"What? There are weapons like that? That's incredibly vicious!"

Chen Gong broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this explanation. As an assassin, he had his share of deaths, but killing was merely a matter of beheading; such a method, directly impacting future generations, would be something even the most unscrupulous gangsters would find hard to conceive. These Japanese devils had no heart of flesh; they were all damned beasts!

Zhou Hongyi sighed and said, "Yes, that's why I told you not to take action for now... I need to use this opportunity of joining the Chamber of Commerce to find out their true intentions. Once we discover their inhumane weapons, we'll rob them. We absolutely cannot let these things flow into the vicinity of Shanghai. As for the medicines and weapons, they'll be secondary."

The bearded man fell silent for a while as he ran, then spoke again after a short pause, his voice now somewhat hoarse:

“Young Master Zhou, I, Old Chen, have no doubt about your abilities, but your stance… please forgive my bluntness, but it hasn’t completely earned my trust yet. So, I can only believe part of what you just said. If you can find concrete evidence that the Japanese are actually transporting poison weapons, I, Old Chen, will give you my life! You must destroy these things in advance, and we must never let the Japanese use them on our descendants.”

"Don't worry, Brother Chen. This matter has far-reaching implications, so it's only right that you be cautious. Let's keep in touch. In the next few days, I need to infiltrate the Japanese. Only then can I get accurate information."

The two fell silent for a moment. The bearded man, pulling the rickshaw, huffed and puffed as he dropped Zhou Hongyi off at the riverbank and wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel.

"Alright, I can't run anymore. Where are you going next, Young Master Zhou?"

Zhou Hongyi thought for a moment and said, "I can't go home yet, so my sister won't worry. Here's what we'll do: you take me to Huaxing Road. I've found an apartment there that I like. It can be a safe house for you and me to keep to ourselves. If Brother Chen wants to send a message, you can leave it in this room and leave me a signal. I'll come here to meet you."

Chen Gong caught his breath and turned to look at Zhou Hongyi, saying, "Well done, Young Master Zhou, you've even got three burrows. But your approach is correct. To infiltrate the Special Higher Police or even the procurement specialist at the Ministry of Finance, you must make thorough preparations beforehand. Safe houses are essential. Thank you for your trust. My purpose, Chen Fenglie, is actually very simple: to kill the Japanese and the traitors! I'm willing to do anything to cause trouble for the Japanese."

Zhou Hongyi secretly praised him. Although this bearded man was a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau, he shared the same idea of ​​killing Japanese devils and resisting the Japanese. He could get close to him first, gain his trust, and then find a way to turn him to the side.

Of course, that's all in the future. After all, the two are still in the early stages of testing each other, and Chen Gong hasn't even revealed his true identity to Zhou Hongyi yet.

The two chatted for a while, and then, guided by Zhou Hongyi, they arrived at a relatively bustling street.

Zhou Hongyi had his eye on an apartment here before. He had asked Agui to inquire about it the day before and paid a deposit. Today, he simply made a detour to complete the formalities and buy the apartment.

The building has five floors and has a distinctly Western style. The long corridors are covered with dark wooden floors, and several apartments are arranged in a staggered pattern on both sides of the corridors.

The room Zhou Hongyi bought was the one furthest inside from the street, so he wouldn't be disturbed by passersby, and in case of an accident, he could quickly escape to the ground through the window. He even took into account the tree next to the window, which could be used as a spiral staircase.

Zhou Hongyi looked at the apartment number "521" and smiled knowingly, but unfortunately, the bearded man didn't understand what he was smiling about.

The two used the key given to them by the management office on the first floor to unlock the door and enter the apartment.

This is an apartment suite, complete with a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Although it is not very large, it is functional enough.

The room also has a balcony facing the street, which allows Zhou Hongyi to observe the situation in the surrounding area at any time, making it the best place to serve as a safe house and rendezvous point.

“That’s right, Mr. Zhou. It’s so convenient for you rich people to do things like this. You can buy such a nice apartment just like that. If it were me, Old Chen, I definitely wouldn’t be willing to part with it.”