Chapter 63 Slapping in the Face

Xu Ruiyang had desperately hoped that some unexpected hitch would occur during tonight's operation—even if it meant letting just one person slip away. Unfortunately, things went completely contrary to his wishes; the operation was a success beyond all measure.

The food and wine were brought back a little past eleven, and by twelve-thirty, the first car returned. When he stepped outside to take a look, Chang Weigang, who was back first, had actually managed to capture two people!

One was a young man in his thirties, and the other was a woman—an attractive woman of about thirty.

She wore a light-green cheongsam, her hair styled in an elaborate swallowtail sweep, indicating she was quite fashionable. She exuded a faint scent of perfume, possessing an elegant disposition and delicate features. With fair, supple skin and a curvaceous, fiery figure, she looked somewhat like a high-society matron and somewhat like a socialite.

"Section Chief, I went on orders to invite Mr. Lin Zhijiang, but unexpectedly, Ms. Zhang Jinlu, the liaison office director of the Loyal and Patriotic National Salvation Army in Shanghai, was in the middle of a rendezvous with Mr. Lin, so I brought her along as well," Chang Weigang said with a smile.

Why had it been so easy to capture them?

According to Chang Weigang, it was all due to complete surprise. With the French Concession police officers coming forward to knock on the door, coupled with a traitor's betrayal, facing the Mauser pistols of three puppet policemen, the pair could only docilely surrender.

But was that really how it happened?

Two well-trained Military Statistics agents, when faced with three puppet policemen, surely had the capacity to put up some form of resistance. If they couldn't fight back inside the house, they surely would have had an opportunity in the car, right?

What the hell was this—a buy-one-get-one-free deal? Capture one, get another thrown in?

Xu Ruiyang felt a bitter taste in his mouth, yet he was completely helpless against the current situation. He loathed Chen Mingchu to the core and resolved that sooner or later, he would eliminate this traitor.

"Welcome, both of you, to the Special Operations Section under the Police Affairs Department of the Japanese Special Service Kimpeitai Headquarters in Shanghai. I am Section Chief Xu Ruiyang. Please take a seat. Let's wait for Mr. Wan Liliang, and the moment he arrives, we will begin our meal," Xu Ruiyang said.

"I sincerely hope the two of you are sensible people and won't make things unpleasant for everyone. The current situation is crystal clear: following the Chongqing government has no future. Taking advantage of the fact that the Japanese have not yet occupied the Great Southwest, pledging your allegiance to the Kimpeitai Headquarters early on is the wisest choice."

"If you truly end up in the Special Service Section or the interrogation rooms of the Kimpeitai Headquarters, let me be frank—even wishing for a swift and painless death will become an extravagant hope," Xu Ruiyang stated.

Everyone knew that the Japanese Kimpeitai Headquarters was a place far more terrifying than hell. Almost no one who entered ever hoped to leave alive, and the Japanese military police were far more vicious and ruthless than wild beasts.

Both Lin Zhijiang and Zhang Jinlu understood Xu Ruiyang's underlying message completely: do not choose the toast only to be forced to drink the forfeit. If they did not wish to cooperate with the Special Operations Section, they could go and experience the terrifying tortures of the Kimpeitai Headquarters firsthand.

"Since we have fallen into the hands of the Special Operations Section, I hope Section Chief Xu will take good care of us in the days to come. Actually, I have long harbored such intentions myself," Lin Zhijiang said.

"I am also willing to cooperate with the Special Operations Section!" Zhang Jinlu declared.

Was this some kind of traitors' reunion?

A few minutes later, the second car returned to the Special Operations Section, and Wan Liliang was also brought in.

He looked like a rather gloomy character with exceptionally sharp and piercing eyes, which actually stirred a glimmer of hope in Xu Ruiyang.

As long as Wan Liliang refused to surrender, Xu Ruiyang could figure out a way to let him escape. This was the most conventional tactic in intelligence work: deliberate release followed by surveillance to catch bigger fish.

Presumably, with three traitors like Chen Mingchu already in their grasp, the Japanese would be overjoyed and would not dwell on such a minor "slip-up."

However, once the meal concluded, Xu Ruiyang felt utterly depressed, realizing his guess had been completely wrong!

It wasn't just that the three traitors had surrendered far too quickly; Wan Liliang hadn't displayed any backbone either. While this fellow spoke very little and hadn't agreed on the spot to turn traitor, he neither uttered a single word of harsh condemnation against his three betrayed colleagues nor refused to eat and drink. Judging by these details, his surrender was only a matter of time.

"I've wronged you all these past few days. Please settle in here for now and give serious thought to how you will cooperate with the Special Operations Section. If you have any requests regarding your living conditions, simply speak up. Ordering dishes from upscale restaurants every day is perfectly fine. The accommodation conditions here are quite decent; the bedding is brand new, and there is water and tea—please make yourselves at home," Xu Ruiyang said as he prepared to leave.

Upon returning home, he immediately dispatched a lengthy telegram to the Bureau Headquarters, explaining in detail why he had failed to prevent the incident, lest Director Dai harbor any misunderstandings.

And this very telegram would become one of the greatest humiliations in the history of the Military Statistics Bureau.

"Director, Sirius has sent a telegram. Without his knowledge, personnel from the Special Operations Section secretly arrested Chen Mingchu, the personnel section chief of the Military Statistics Shanghai Station. At the time, they were unaware of his identity, merely finding his movements suspicious. Yet Chen Mingchu, clearly realizing he was being tailed, failed to take any counter-measures whatsoever."

"What Sirius never expected was that the moment Chen Mingchu arrived at the Special Operations Section, he took the initiative to betray Wan Liliang and Lin Zhijiang, strongly demanding their immediate arrest. This resulted in both men falling into the clutches of the Special Operations Section almost simultaneously, along with Zhang Jinlu, the liaison office director of the Loyal and Patriotic National Salvation Army."

"Lin Zhijiang and Zhang Jinlu surrendered to the Special Operations Section without even needing to be interrogated. Only Wan Liliang managed to hold out for a day or two, though his surrender is only a matter of time. Sirius also mentioned that Wang Tianmou will consequently be exposed. Sirius finds the entire affair profoundly bizarre and inquires whether it was a secret mission arranged by the Bureau Headquarters," Pan Qiwu reported.

It was simply too humiliating. The face of the Military Statistics Bureau had been thoroughly slapped black and blue by its own traitors in an instant. Without even the most rudimentary interrogation, they had turned traitor outright. How was Sirius supposed to view his own organization?

"Smash!"

Upon hearing of such an occurrence, Dai Li turned crimson with rage and hurled his teacup onto the floor. He naturally possessed a volatile temper, and losing his composure on the spot was a normal reaction.

Sirius's inquiry was practically a knife twisting in his heart!

Just a short while ago, he had spoken with absolute certainty, telling Sirius to trust his comrades. Yet how much time had passed? A handful of traitors from the Shanghai Station had plunged him into an intensely awkward predicament.

"Immediately wire Mao Wanli, the resident inspector overseeing the Shanghai Station, and order him to swiftly sever all contact between the Shanghai Station and these individuals, while relocating any comrades whose identities they compromised. It would appear that many within our Military Statistics Bureau have lost faith in the Chongqing government's ability to resist Japan. This is an exceedingly obvious signal!"

"Notify all station chiefs, detachment commanders, and team leaders to implement ideological measures, ensuring that we nip such trends in the bud. The moment anyone whose resolve is wavering or who has compromised the enemy is discovered, they are to be eliminated immediately!" Dai Li ordered.

As the supreme boss of the Military Statistics Bureau, his vision was far more far-reaching. From this incident, he also sensed an impending loss of control. With the victory of the War of Resistance nowhere in sight, these few traitors would certainly not be the last in the Military Statistics Bureau.

"How shall we reply to Sirius?" Pan Qiwu asked.

"No need to gloss over anything. Tell him straight: any unexpected event occurring beyond one's capabilities belongs to the category of uncontrollable factors. He is to continue playing his part well and must not let the enemy discover any flaws. As for how to deal with the traitors, that is a matter for the Bureau Headquarters and the Shanghai Station; he is not to interfere," Dai Li instructed.

(End of Chapter)