cicada

Chapter 1413 Bad Luck
On Jinling Road in Shanghai, ladies in cheongsams and well-dressed gentlemen stroll past Yong'an Department Store, where imported jewelry and silk scarves are displayed in the shop windows, and the afternoon sun shines on the glass, reflecting shimmering halos.

Trams jingled on the street, rickshaw drivers called out to solicit passengers, and Indian policemen with red hats raised their batons to drive away refugees or beggars from Henan Province.

Here, war seems to have become a distant word. Japanese and white people swagger around, while people from the Republic of China are obsequious, just like before the war.

Inside a coffee shop, two men sat in a corner, holding coffee cups and talking quietly, their eyes occasionally glancing around.

"Old Chen, the vice-captain's idea is that the Shanghai district will be in charge of this plan. You need to find a way to sow discord between Li Shiqun and the Japanese. You decide how to do it."

"Sowing discord between Li Shiqun and the Japanese? When will the plan be launched?"

“Yesterday I tracked the target back to Shanghai from Nanjing. The operation can begin at any time, and the Nanjing side will carry out the operation simultaneously.”

"Great! To be honest, I've wanted to kill that bastard for ages!"

Chen Gongshu, the head of the Shanghai district of the Military Intelligence Bureau, lightly tapped the table with his fist and said these words through gritted teeth. Sitting opposite him was Gui Youguang, who was wearing a wig and gold-rimmed glasses, looking like a refined scoundrel.

In recent years, the Shanghai district has assassinated many high-ranking Japanese and puppet regime officials, such as Cheng Haitao, a Chinese inspector in the French police political department who colluded with the Japanese; Zhao Gangyi, captain of the Third Action Team of No. 76; Zhang Xiaolin and Yu Yefeng, leaders of the Green Gang; and Fu Xiao'an, the puppet mayor of Shanghai.

At the same time, the traitors led by Li Shiqun also clashed with the Shanghai District multiple times, killing many of the Shanghai District's agents, including many of Chen Gongshu's old brothers who had followed him for many years.

Therefore, when Li Shiqun was mentioned, Chen Gongshu wished he could eat his flesh, gnaw his bones, and drink his blood. Seeing his reaction, Gui Youguang frowned and tapped the porcelain plate with his spoon.

"Old Chen, calm down. If you can't control your emotions, I'll suggest that headquarters replace the person in charge of the operation."

Chen Gongshu took a deep breath, his eyes regained their clarity, and then discussed the details with Gui Youguang to ensure the operation would go perfectly.

Chen Gongshu was well aware of the conflict between Li Shiqun and the Japanese, so his proposed plan was quite feasible. For example, Wu Sibao, the captain of the 76th Guard, had once extorted money from a Japanese trading company. With a little manipulation, this could severely rip off Li Shiqun.

The two chatted and drank, refining their plan bit by bit. Just as the rendezvous was about to end, gunshots suddenly rang out outside.
-
five minutes ago.

Li Shiqun led a modern woman into Yong'an Department Store, which was a few hundred meters away from the coffee shop. As soon as they entered, the woman let go of Li Shiqun's arm and headed straight for the jewelry counter.

"Old Yi, Old Yi, come quick!"

The young woman's eyes lit up as she looked at the gems in the display case. She then turned around, waved behind her, and called out the pseudonym that Li Shiqun used when walking among the flowers, her expression unusually excited.

Li Shiqun calmly approached the salesperson and nodded with an air of authority: "Bring out your best jewelry."

Ding Mocun is currently seeking a transfer to Nanjing and basically ignores the affairs of the 76th Division. The current head of the 76th Division is Li Shiqun, who has power and guns and speaks with great arrogance.

The sales clerk nodded slightly, reached out and took out a jewelry box and opened it. On the black velvet mat was a diamond ring the size of a pigeon egg, which dazzled the young woman, leaving her mesmerized for a long time.

"Sir, Madam, this is the largest diamond discovered in Africa last year, crafted by the best artisans in the Netherlands," the sales clerk said with a smile, explaining the origin of the diamond ring to the couple.

The words "largest" and "best" not only demonstrate the rarity of the diamond ring, but also indirectly indicate its considerable value.

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Li Shiqun's forehead. Although he wasn't short of money, he still felt bad about spending so much on a female student he had only recently met.

While pondering a way to escape, Li Shiqun maintained a calm and collected demeanor on the surface, gesturing for the woman to try on the ring size.

Having received permission, the young woman eagerly took the diamond ring and put it on her finger. She even deliberately waved her hand in front of Li Shiqun's eyes, her slender white fingers paired with the sparkling diamond were truly alluring.

Li Shiqun swallowed hard, telling herself to stay calm as she asked the salesperson about the price of the diamond ring. Whether she bought it or not wasn't important, but she couldn't lose face.

Seeing the customer's reaction, the salesperson assumed that a big spender had arrived, and immediately took out a price tag and placed it in front of the two people, which had a long string of numbers on it.

Confirming that he hadn't misread the price, Li Shiqun really wanted to shoot this despicable old merchant, but unfortunately, the shareholders behind Yong'an Department Store were powerful Japanese figures, and No. 76 couldn't afford to offend them.

He suppressed his anger and forced a smile, saying affectionately to the woman, "The diamond looks beautiful on your hand. If you like it, buy it. I need to use the restroom first."

As he spoke, Li Shiqun turned around and gave his bodyguard a secret signal, implying that he should hurry up and pick him up, preparing to make a quick getaway by urinating.

But in the instant he turned his head, he saw a young man and woman approaching quickly, their right hands in their pockets and their eyes filled with murderous intent.

Having worked as a traitor and spy for so long, Li Shiqun immediately sensed danger. Without even calling out to the woman, he turned and ran towards the door. The man and woman's expressions changed drastically upon seeing this. They pulled out pistols and fired at Li Shiqun's retreating figure. After several shots, chaos erupted inside the renowned department store.

Unfortunately, perhaps due to the hasty action, several bullets missed their mark. Li Shiqun pushed through the crowd and rushed out the gate, shouting to the drivers on the roadside to hurry up and leave!
The driver instinctively opened the car door, and Li Shiqun darted into the car and lay down on the back seat. The whole set of movements was smooth and seamless.

"Squeak~~~"

The tires screeched as the Chevrolet sped away, disappearing into the traffic. The patrolling Indian officer with red hair joined in the fun, puffing out his cheeks and blowing his siren.

Inside the car, Li Shiqun, who was temporarily out of danger, had a grim face and gave orders to his trusted confidants.

"Block all roads within a three-kilometer radius of Yong'an Department Store. Check all residences, shops, and hotels one by one. People in the affected area are only allowed to enter, not leave. Find them for me."

As he spoke, he recalled the Kuomintang's infiltration capabilities and added a sentence.

"Then notify the Japanese military police in Shanghai and tell them that we want to search anti-Japanese elements and ask for their cooperation. We also want to search Japanese-owned businesses, hospitals and military facilities."

Locking down downtown Shanghai would inevitably cause a huge uproar, but Li Shiqun couldn't care less about that. He couldn't sleep or eat until he found the assassin.

Not long ago, Wu Sibao and Ji Dawei were assassinated in a nightclub. Now he has been shot in the back. If the assassin gets away, the 76th Division will become a huge joke.

After giving the order, Li Shiqun breathed a sigh of relief. Being assassinated wasn't all bad; at least he didn't have to worry about that long string of numbers anymore, so he could be considered to have successfully escaped a calamity.
-
As the gunshot rang out, Gui Youguang, like the other customers, covered his head and crawled under the table. Once the chaos outside had subsided, he quietly gave Chen Gongshu a wink, and the two went their separate ways in different directions.

Mixed in with the fleeing crowd, Gui Youguang secretly wondered what had just happened and who had fired the shot.

Shanghai is currently like the eye of a storm. It appears calm on the surface, but undercurrents are surging. The Nationalist government, the Japanese, the Northwest, and even Britain and the United States all have a large number of intelligence personnel in the area.

However, British and American intelligence agencies mainly focused on intelligence gathering and would not directly confront the Japanese. The Military Intelligence Bureau also did not take any related actions, and the Shanghai District of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics was about to surrender to the Japanese and their puppet regime. Could it be that the one who fired the shot was an underground party member?

Gui Youguang was thinking, but his feet were moving quickly. Just as he was about to leave Jinling Road, he heard a conversation between two pedestrians walking towards him.

"These spies are even more domineering than the Japanese. Why can't we go out? You know, the Japanese suffered a huge loss in Southeast Asia. I think the 76th Division is doomed."

"Alright, alright, let's hurry back so we don't get targeted by spies."

As the pedestrians hurried away, Gui Youguang naturally turned a corner and entered an alley. Before making the meeting, he had considered the possibility of an emergency and had prepared multiple evacuation routes.

Shanghai's alleyways are interconnected, and as long as there are no rivers to block them, it would be difficult for No. 76 to completely block off the surrounding traffic in a short period of time. He had to get out of the area as soon as possible before the enemy could react.

A dozen minutes later, Gui Youguang looked at the sentry post in the distance with a solemn expression. The situation was not what he had thought; the blockade by No. 76 was too fast.

Gui Youguang randomly found a small restaurant and sat down. He ordered some food. Given the current situation, running away was definitely out of the question. He might as well take the time to replenish his strength and think about how to evacuate.

Based on experience, the enemy will launch a large-scale search by 8 p.m. at the latest, because most residents will be at home at that time, making the search most efficient.

Gui Youguang glanced at his watch; it was 3:15 PM, meaning he had less than five hours left.

Since he couldn't leave, he had no choice but to hide. There was a safe house nearby, but could living in a safe house really help him avoid being questioned? Gui Youguang shook his head inwardly.

If a large-scale search is encountered, going to a safe house is a good option. The problem is that the current lockdown area is very small, so the search efforts will definitely be very intense.

If the enemy questions the residents around the safe house, he, as a stranger, will immediately be exposed. Similarly, going to a hotel or hiding in a shop is also not an option, as that would be tantamount to walking into a trap. We cannot think of the Japanese and traitors as too stupid.

After thinking for a while, Gui Youguang quickly finished his meal and went back into the alley, turning and twisting until he arrived at a stinking ditch.

He looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention, pulled out his sidearm, wiped away his fingerprints with the corner of his clothes, and threw the gun into the murky, foul water without hesitation.

In this situation, carrying a gun is more dangerous than not carrying one. No matter how capable he is, he can't compare to the entire 76th Division.

After doing all this, Gui Youguang casually "borrowed" a set of old clothes from a resident's home, leaving behind a few banknotes before leaving to prevent the homeowner from calling the police.

As long as there's money to be made, ordinary people generally won't cause trouble. If a traitor insists on reporting to the Japanese puppet regime, then he's just unlucky.

When Gui Youguang returned to the street, he had completely changed his appearance. He circled around the roadside a few times and walked straight toward a Japanese policeman.