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

Manager Huang, the traitor, nodded and bowed, saying, "Yes, Mr. Sarutobi, you are right, but our chamber of commerce is still in the preparatory stage and we haven't had time to hire security personnel yet."

"Didn't have time? Do you even know what this place is for? And who is Mr. Hasegawa? How are you going to guarantee the personal safety of all the directors? What's the point of rushing to clean it so thoroughly? And these clerks, we haven't even finalized any business deals yet, what's the point of hiring so many people in such a hurry? The Empire's money is real gold and silver, how can you squander it like this!"

Hasegawa and the other two young members hadn't expected Sarutobi Sasuke to adapt to his role so quickly. And upon reflection, it made perfect sense; the merchant guild was still in its preparatory stage, and there was no need to hire so many staff. While their safety was protected by Special Higher Police spies, it was also essential for the merchant guild to have its own armed force.

The traitorous manager was thoroughly berated by Zhou Hongyi and could only keep forcing a smile. After a while, Zhou Hongyi sighed and said, "Remember, we're in Shanghai. The various forces here are intricately intertwined, friend and foe are hard to distinguish, and the situation is sensitive. At all times, protecting the safety of the directors and President Hasegawa must be our top priority! You don't need to worry about this matter; I'll handle the security personnel. Mr. President, I think the daily security work for our chamber of commerce should be handled by my team members. They're all my people; I trust them and know them well."

Hasegawa, who had been standing by and observing coldly, finally said with satisfaction, "Sasuke-kun, you've thought of everything. You're the expert when it comes to security, so I'll leave it to you."

Hasegawa trusted Zhou Hongyi, after all, the young man had recently saved his life at the Paramount Ballroom, even taking a bullet to the arm in the process. It was precisely because of this incident that he suggested transferring Zhou Hongyi to his side. Seeing this young man seemed to give Hasegawa a strange sense of security.

Zhou Hongyi naturally took on the responsibility of providing security for the Sakura Chamber of Commerce. As for the so-called "trustworthy" security personnel, he went all out and directly arranged for the bearded Chen Gong and his Kuomintang secret agents to be assigned to the job.

Of course, he couldn't assign all of them to the Military Intelligence Bureau; he also selected a few from the police force. The remaining Military Intelligence Bureau members smoothly joined the Second Branch's Special Operations Group. Now, Zhou Hongyi finally had a group of relatively trustworthy and usable personnel under his command.

When Zhou Hongyi brought Chen Gong to the Sakura Chamber of Commerce, Chen Gong was worried about whether there would be any danger. But when he saw Zhou Hongyi drive away the traitorous manager who wanted to register their identities by scolding and beating him, all he felt was admiration.

"Tsk~ Brother, I really regret meeting you a little too late, but it's not too late now. I didn't expect you to not only put half of our brothers in the police station, but also put the other half directly in the Japanese merchant guild. This way, as long as we find out what goods they are actually transporting, we can make our move at any time!"

Zhou Hongyi reassured him, "My good brother, don't say these things here again. Fortunately, I had already checked this office beforehand, but after all, this is Japanese territory, and we need to be wary of them installing any eavesdropping devices in the dark."

Upon hearing Zhou Hongyi mention the eavesdropping device, Chen Gong instinctively covered his mouth with his hand, his face showing lingering fear.

"Hehehe~ Brother Chen, don't worry, there are no bugs here for the time being, but even so we still can't be careless."

"Yes, yes, brother, you're right. I was careless. I deserve a beating. Just to be on the safe side, I'll call you Sarutobi Sasuke in public."

After Zhou Hongyi resolved their urgent security issue on his first day with the preparatory team, he hosted a dinner that evening at the Japanese restaurant closest to People's Avenue for his new colleagues from the Chamber of Commerce. Of course, he only invited the Japanese; the traitors weren't even allowed to attend.

The group sat around the tatami mats, enjoying sake brought from their hometown, listening to eerie tunes, and eating slightly undercooked sushi. Thanks to Zhou Hongyi's deliberate efforts, the atmosphere was quite harmonious.

"Hehe~ Come, come, everyone, have a taste. This is the best salmon I asked the restaurant to prepare, along with bonito and eel. Sake is unlimited~~ Since this is your first time in Shanghai, let me do my part as a host. Please don't be shy!"

At the drinking party, Zhou Hongyi was incredibly tactful, taking care of every guest's feelings. In modern terms, he maximized the emotional value of the conversation and never let the topic fall flat.

Hasegawa took a sip of sake, his eyes casually glancing around the room and outside the door. He saw the burly man standing straight and felt quite satisfied.

It seems Sasuke truly lives up to Shimazu's words, being both scholarly and martial. With such a talented young man assisting him, he should be able to complete his mission smoothly.

After everyone had drunk until they were seven or eight parts drunk in the lively atmosphere, Zhou Hongyi called over two young geishas with their faces painted deathly white. Although he didn't quite understand the aesthetic appeal of these things, the Japanese just loved them.

The two geishas, ​​dressed in kimonos and holding small fans, walked back and forth singing a cheesy tune.

Zhou Hongyi behaved alright, after all, he used to work in Hengdian. But during the meal, he glanced at Chen Gong and saw that his new Kuomintang chief's lips were almost curled to his chin, his face full of disdain. Fortunately, these Japanese soldiers didn't focus their attention on Chen Gong, otherwise, they might have been exposed.

They ate well, drank well, and had fun. After the first chamber of commerce team building activity, Zhou Hongyi also gave everyone a gift bag.

For their first meeting, Zhou Hongyi chose exquisite handicrafts that weren't particularly valuable. After all, they weren't very familiar with each other yet, and giving expensive gifts right away could easily scare them off. So, each of the Japanese participants in today's team-building event received a folding fan made entirely of plum and deer bamboo, with calligraphy by a famous local calligrapher on the fan surface.

As everyone knows, the Japanese have a great admiration for and fondness for these ancient cultures. Zhou Hongyi's gift was a perfect touch, even Hasegawa was beaming with joy and praising it endlessly.

After Zhou Hongyi personally escorted Hasegawa back to the compound protected by the military police, he and his brothers, including Chen Gong, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

They drove the car back to the police station first, and after parking it there, the group strolled along the riverbank in the night breeze, which also helped Zhou Hongyi sober up.

Only then, seeing that no one was around, did Chen Gong give a thumbs up and whisper, "Brother, I really admire you today. Seriously, your acting was so convincing! How did you manage to listen to those Japanese devils' nonsense with such relish? I almost wanted to pull out my weapon and shoot them all!"