cicada

Chapter 1418: Stumble
"Bang~"

The sound of the bottle falling to the ground wasn't loud, but to the agents of No. 76, it was like a thunderclap. The head of the agents knew that a secret infiltration was definitely not going to work, so he decisively spoke up.

"Quick! Action!"

Upon issuing the order, the head of the secret service skillfully hid at the rear of the group, while the remaining agents of the 76th Division rushed into the depths of the restaurant, completely unaware that a section of the floor had slightly sunken.

When an agent's foot stepped on the floor, a barely audible click was heard, and the booby trap hidden beneath the floor immediately exploded.

Boom! Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Blinding flames rose, illuminating the terrified faces of the spies.

Some people opened their mouths wide in an attempt to shout, some looked desperate, and some prepared to turn away, but all of this was in vain under the violent explosion.

Faced with the shockwave and high temperature of the explosion, the paper walls of the Japanese-style room did not provide any protection. Hundreds of grams of British high explosives launched thousands of steel balls in all directions, turning the agents in the front row into a swarm of beehives.

Just milliseconds later, Li Shiqun across the street saw a fireball erupt from his window, followed by a blast of air that quickly swept over him, messing up his hair.

Li Shiqun reacted quickly; before the strands of hair that had been blown up could fall back down, he grabbed Wu Sibao by the collar and shouted, "Arrest him!"

Startled awake by the shouts, Wu Sibao immediately leaned out of the window and waved to the nearby agents, signaling everyone to rush inside.

The junior agents reluctantly entered the restaurant, only to be immediately horrified by the horrific scene before them. The restaurant was littered with severed limbs and burning wood, and people were lying on the ground groaning in pain.

After a moment of stunned silence, they remembered their mission and rushed towards the depths of the restaurant, stepping over the corpses and wounded comrades, only to be driven back by a burst of bullets.
-
a minute ago.

As the bottle hit the ground, Gui Youguang jumped off the bed, grabbed the Thomson dart beside him, and rolled to the corner. The subsequent explosion caused the dark room to shake violently a few times.

Ignoring the buzzing in his ears, he secured the submachine gun and alarm clock to the bed, pointed the muzzle at the door of the dark room, set the alarm time to one minute later, and finally used a straight steel wire to tie the trigger and the alarm clock knob.

After doing all that, Gui Youguang picked up another submachine gun, opened the back door, and crawled inside. As he closed the door, he casually threw a timed explosive device on the ground.

The clock hands ticked away. Just as the agent reached the door of the secret room, the clock, whose hammer had been removed, vibrated silently, and the knob on the back began to turn and tighten the steel wire.

The steel wire pulled the trigger, and the Thomson, loaded with a 100-round drum magazine, suddenly opened fire. The bullets passed through the hidden door and hit several agents, instantly sending sawdust flying everywhere.

"Da da da da."

The agent who was hit the most bullets was so badly wounded that he started tap-dancing on the spot, his chest riddled with holes, and he screamed as he collapsed to the ground.

The relentless firing kept the 76th Division's side pinned down, forcing the agents to lie down, cover their heads, and curse under their breath.

Charge? Why risk your life for a meager monthly salary?

Meanwhile, Gui Youguang was crouching low as he moved through the tunnel. The tunnel's exit was in a residential house a few hundred meters away from the hotel, where spare identification documents and other disguises were kept.

After walking a distance, Gui Youguang set up a tripwire at the corner, then quickly climbed to the exit using both hands and feet, and pushed upwards with both hands.

The scene shifts to the ground, where a wok in a kitchen has been lifted from below. Gui Youguang, covered in dust and dirt, peeks out to check the situation. Seeing that everything is normal, he crawls out.

Meanwhile, in the Japanese hotel, the deadly gunfire finally stopped. The agents of No. 76 exchanged glances and pushed three new recruits into the dark room.

The three newly selected men cursed under their breath, but forced by orders, they had no choice but to carry them out. The three men sneakily pushed open the hidden door and rolled into the room using tactical maneuvers, but encountered no resistance.

One of them shone his flashlight on the wooden bed and saw a Thompson submachine gun with smoke coming from its barrel and an alarm clock. He turned around and cursed angrily.

"Damn it, we've been tricked. There's no one in the house. The gun was fired from a timed device."

After finishing his tirade, the junior agent moved his flashlight to continue his inspection. The flashlight beam shook slightly, and the junior agent seemed to catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye. He shone the light on the ground again, unsure of what it was.

Under the light, three bundles of cylindrical explosives and a timer were tightly bound together, and the countdown hands had only a few ticks left.

"Bomb!" the little spy shouted hoarsely.

In the distance, Gui Youguang, who was in a residential house, had changed into a Japanese military uniform. Suddenly, a bright light flashed outside the window, followed by an explosion that filled the house with dust, demonstrating the immense power of the explosion.

Gui Youguang kept working, changed his disguise, picked up his new ID, and headed outside. He couldn't stay here any longer.

According to the 76th Division's operational procedures, the agents would find his alley within half an hour at most, and a fake Japanese captain's identity could not guarantee his safety.

Stepping out of the gate, he looked around. The quiet alley was deserted; no one dared to come out and watch the excitement at this time.

Gui Youguang straightened his military cap and strode away from the explosion site, the clatter of his metal shoes against the cobblestones echoing through the alley. Just a few hundred meters from the next turn at the alley entrance would lead to the bustling, brightly lit downtown area, where he could use the chaos of the crowd to escape.

The sounds of traffic in the bustling city grew clearer and clearer. Gui Youguang walked out of the alley and onto a small road. As he walked, he stopped and looked at his watch.

Boom! At this moment, the third explosion rang out. The bomb in the tunnel exploded, and the pursuing agents of the 76th Division suffered heavy casualties.

Gui Youguang raised his eyebrows, looked up, and prepared to continue the retreat, but several car headlights turned on at the same time in the darkness, illuminating the surroundings as if it were daytime.

"Haha, Mr. Gui, I have been waiting for you for a long time. It is not proper for a guest to leave without saying goodbye."

Beside the car, Li Shiqun stood with his hands on his hips, laughing wildly. He was flanked by armed secret agents, while Tong Suo, standing at the back of the crowd, was deathly pale.

No one knew Gui Youguang's capabilities better than Tong Suo. Logically, the other party shouldn't have been captured so easily, but Li Shiqun was no simple man either, having guessed before the operation that there was a secret passage at the target location.

At the time, Li Shiqun asserted that, given the Military Intelligence Bureau's usual practice, they would definitely set up evacuation routes around the safe house. No matter how much commotion occurred at the safe house, as long as they held the nearby main roads, they would surely reap the rewards, and the results proved him right.

Gui Youguang looked back and saw that the other side of the road was also blocked by secret agents, just like the last time, but this time Su Chenghe was not there to help him escape.

"Surrender, Mr. Gui." Li Shiqun shielded his men in front of him, his words brimming with the smugness of a victor: "We have already surrounded this place, so there's no need for you to put up any more futile resistance."

In response to his words, the agents from No. 76 all stepped forward. Gui Youguang's expression shifted, and he sighed as he put down his submachine gun.
-
Hanzhong.

Zuo Zhong and Dai Chunfeng walked and talked in the garden of the First War Zone Sanatorium, with He Yijun and other entourage following behind. No one dared to get too close, lest they hear something they shouldn't.

"Be careful, we've stolen half a day of leisure from our busy lives. We've turned misfortune into blessing this time," Old Dai said with a smile, stretching his arms.

Zuo Zhong followed Teacher Bian half a body length behind, firstly to show respect, and secondly so that if someone tried to assassinate him, he could use Lao Dai as a shield.

Hearing Dai Chunfeng's words, he chuckled and nodded: "Yes, this is the first time I've had such a long break since joining the Special Service Department, and I'm quite relaxed now."

Located in the mountains, the sanatorium has a mild temperature and is surrounded by towering trees, making it a truly refreshing place to visit.

Dai Chunfeng stopped under a large tree and turned to look at Zuo Zhong: "Shenzhong, I know the Chairman's intentions. I'm still a bit short of qualifications to be promoted to Second-Class General, so you don't need to overthink it."

Zuo Chong bowed and said yes, but he didn't take it to heart. If he hadn't come to Hanzhong to show his loyalty first, would Lao Dai be so amiable?
The master and apprentice, each with their own ulterior motives, chatted for a while longer. Old Dai asked Zuo Zhong a question: there were many rumors circulating in Henan Province about Deputy Commander Tang recently, and he wanted to know the contents of these rumors, since the two were allies who were doing "big things."

Zuo Zhong glanced at Lao Dai and pondered, "There are rumors that Commander Tang has seized dozens of factories, including the Xuchang Cigarette Factory, Miaocun Coal Mine, Shaping Paper Mill, as well as an alcohol factory, a tannery, and an ironworks."

"Hmph! Nonsense." Dai Chunfeng shook the coat on his shoulders, his tone very displeased.

Zuo Zhong chuckled twice without saying anything. Commander Tang did more than just embezzle private property; this guy also ordered the river defense troops to extort crossing fees and smuggle contraband.

In short, this deputy commander of the First War Zone did nothing good and committed every evil deed imaginable.

People say that Tang is greedy and doesn't train troops, interferes in politics and doesn't care about the people. The people would rather suffer the burning and killing by the Japanese invaders than have Tang's army stationed in the area.

However, Zuo Zhong couldn't say these things directly. Just as he was about to change the subject, he caught a glimpse of a junior agent running towards him.

"Director, Deputy Director, the latest telegram from headquarters: something's happened in Shanghai." The junior agent approached and whispered to his two superiors.

Dai Chunfeng took the telegram, and after reading it, his expression was a little off. He casually handed the telegram to Zuo Zhong, who was stunned after reading it.

"Shenzhong, you should go back to the bureau to handle this matter. You must be very careful!" Old Dai stood with his hands behind his back, his voice slightly heavy.

"Yes, teacher, I will return to the mountain city immediately."

Zuo Zhong didn't have time to say more and immediately set off for the airport. On the way, He Yijun asked what had happened, and he replied with a dark face, "Gui Youguang was arrested by the 76th Division."

He Yijun looked at Zuo Zhong with concern. The consequences of Gui Youguang falling into the hands of the Japanese puppet regime were extremely serious. No wonder the Director and the Deputy Director reacted so strongly, even to the point of being restless.

The car sped along the winding mountain road. Although Zuo Zhong's face showed no emotion, his rapid breathing indicated that he was not at peace.

Since 1933, Gui Youguang had followed him through thick and thin. Thinking of the torture and forced confession that the other party was about to face, Zuo Zhong's eyes gradually turned cold, and he made a decision in his heart.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Shanghai, Gui Youguang spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and looked disdainfully at the No. 76 secret agent in front of him.

"Pah! Did you learn your torture techniques from your master's wife?"

(End of this chapter)