cicada

Chapter 1423 Small Gift

On a new day, Jiang Jun, deputy director of the Sixth Division of No. 76, arrived at No. 76 Jisifeier Road. He had just locked his car door when he heard someone calling him from behind. He turned around and saw that it was Ji Dawei, director of the Supervision Office.

"Director Ji, is there anything I can help you with?"

Jiang Jun's voice sounded somewhat puzzled. He had a casual relationship with Ji Dawei, and the two didn't communicate much. Moreover, he didn't want to have too much to do with Ji Dawei.

Ji Dawei is the adopted son of Ji Yunqing, a big boss of the Grand Canal Gang. Although he is young, he is ruthless and shrewd.

As an underground worker planted in the Northwest within the 76th Division, Jiang Jun had to stay away from these dangerous elements.

After all, the scope of the inspection office's work includes internal screening and counter-espionage, and getting too close to Ji Dawei could easily bring unnecessary risks.

Tong Suo walked up to Jiang Jun and said with a smile, "Director Jiang, I'm going to Jinling this afternoon to report on the inspection work to Commander Chai Shan. You, the deputy director of the External Liaison Office, will have to go with me."

Jiang Jun was filled with doubt and uncertainty, wondering if this was a trap, but on the surface he readily accepted the invitation and arranged to meet Tong Suo at the train station.

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while before parting ways. Tong Suo watched Jiang Jun's retreating figure with a somewhat subtle expression.

By chance, he learned Jiang Jun's true identity. After receiving the evacuation order from the co-pilot, he decided to take Jiang Jun with him.

Having infiltrated the enemy's heartland for so many years, Tong Suo knew very well who was truly committed to resisting Japan, and he didn't want to see them implicated in the Kuomintang's actions.

Moreover, he also needed someone to prove himself; otherwise, if something went wrong at No. 76, his early departure would certainly arouse suspicion from the Japanese. With Jiang Jun's cooperation, both of them could safely pass the investigation.

This was the first time Tong Suo had acted on his own initiative, but he didn't regret it. Having experienced many things, the former petty thief from Jianghu had developed his own ideas and thoughts.

Back in his office, Jiang Jun first took out the day's newspaper. When he saw a missing person notice signed "Ke Gong," he immediately sat up straight.

He glanced outside the door and deciphered the coded message in the notice: Temporarily evacuate the work site and await further instructions.

Jiang Jun looked grave, wondering what had happened to warrant such an order from his superiors.

After a moment's thought, he opened the safe, took out several top-secret documents, and put them into his briefcase. As for the Japanese yen next to the documents, he didn't even look at them. Compared to banknotes, intelligence was obviously more important at this moment.

Almost simultaneously, all the underground party members infiltrated at No. 76 received warnings from different channels, and Jisifeier Road suddenly became lively, with people frequently making excuses to leave in a hurry.

Among these people were the section chief of the Fifth Propaganda Division of the 76th Division, the director of the Second Intelligence Division, and even a Japanese advisor.

In the basement across the street, Zuo Zhong looked at the wiretapping and surveillance records and exclaimed in his heart, "Good heavens, the underground party has turned No. 76 into a branch."

He put down his notes and asked the head of the listening team, "When will the operation begin?"

"Report, four o'clock tomorrow morning." The person in charge bowed and replied, then paused and asked in a low voice, "Deputy Commander, what should we do with the dissidents in the detention center?"

Zuo Zhong hesitated for a long time before reluctantly saying, "Now is the time for united resistance against Japan. We can't make things too ugly. Let's bring them out and let them fend for themselves."

The person in charge nodded and then reported to Zuo Zhong on the transfer of the equipment and the listening materials.

Over the years of operation, the Listening Group has left behind thousands of wire tapes. Apart from some that have been sent to headquarters, there are still nearly a thousand tapes in the basement.

These tapes contained countless top-secret intelligence messages and had to be transferred before the operation for future and post-war use.

After listening to the report, Zuo Zhong was very satisfied. He raised his hand to check his watch, stood up and said something to the accompanying personnel.

"Proceed according to plan. Even if you have to stop the Earthly Treasury Operation, you must rescue Captain Gui. I await news of your victory."

"Yes, Vice-Captain."

The operatives responded in a deep voice.

They were elites drawn from thousands of agents of the Military Intelligence Bureau. Each of them had carried out at least three high-difficulty missions and was proficient in shooting, infiltration, demolition, and hand-to-hand combat.

Zuo Zhong went all out to rescue Gui Youguang. If the operation goes wrong, the Military Intelligence Bureau's operational capabilities will be reduced by at least five years.

But as long as he can rescue Baldy, it's all worth it. Whether it's out of personal friendship or for the value of intelligence, he has every reason to do it.

After returning to the ground via elevator, Zuo Chong got into a car and headed to another location in downtown Shanghai, where Hasegawa Ryosuke was already waiting. This was the first time the two had met in many years.

Inside a chess room, Ryosuke Hasegawa sat cross-legged. After a short while, the shoji door was opened, and Shigeaki Sae, who had changed his clothes, walked in from outside.

After exchanging greetings, the two sat down. The tea server was replaced by a Kuomintang agent, and guards lined the corridors and outside the rooms. Other guests in the shop were politely asked to leave.

After chatting for a while, Ryosuke Hasegawa asked in a low voice, "Gian, your men have been captured. Do you need my help?"

The last time Zuo Chong sent a secret telegram, he asked him to find out the movements of the Japanese troops around Nanjing, but he did not mention Gui Youguang who had been arrested, which puzzled Hasegawa.

Zuo Zhong raised his eyes slightly and smiled faintly: "No need. I have another reason for coming to see you this time. What is your relationship with Li Shiqun?"

Ryosuke Hase frowned upon hearing the name, his tone quite displeased: "Not too close. The Hase Agency is responsible for guiding 76, but ever since Kenjiro Shibayama took over as the chief advisor, Li Shiqun has sided with Shibayama."

"Yoshi." Zuo Chong clapped his hands together, put his arm around the other person's shoulder and whispered. Hasegawa nodded from time to time and let out a creepy smirk, a perfect picture of villains arm in arm. Okamura, Hasegawa, the Jizo Project, Xu Jili, these were the sharp swords Zuo Chong used to stab Li Shiqun, each move deadly.

The Japanese would not hesitate to kill a rabid dog that has run away from control; their so-called loyalty and trust are nothing more than tools to be used.

In the early hours of the morning, the interior of No. 76 was quiet. A few staff members on duty were hiding from annoying mosquitoes, and the patrolling agents looked listless and just going through the motions.

As another patrol ended, a faint sound came from the kitchen storage room. Several floor tiles in the center of the room were lifted and moved aside, revealing a dark hole in their original location.

In the darkness, someone poked their head out and looked around. After confirming that there was nothing unusual, the person quietly jumped out of the hole and stood guard by the door.

In the blink of an eye, the storage room was filled with Kuomintang agents. The agents stood against the wall with daggers in their hands, while their guns were slung over their backs.

The key to this operation is stealth. If the enemy is alerted, the infiltration will turn into a full-scale attack, and the plan will be half ruined. Therefore, firing is the last resort.

The lead agent squeezed a few drops of grease onto the door hinge, then slowly pushed open the storage room door. The dim moonlight shone through the window into the room, where the kitchen, filled with pots and pans, was empty.

He turned around and patted his companion on the shoulder three times to indicate that everything was normal, then quickly moved to the kitchen door and looked outside.

The corridor was dimly lit, with a few lampshades swaying slightly in the night breeze. At the end of the corridor stood a large iron gate, behind which was the underground detention center of No. 76.

The head of the secret service nodded to everyone and was the first to walk out of the kitchen.

According to the listening team's surveillance and daily observations, there are still fifteen minutes until the agents' next patrol.

The operatives had to complete a series of tasks within fifteen minutes, including taking control of the first floor, entering the detention center, rescuing Gui Youguang, releasing prisoners, and retreating. Time was extremely tight.

The head of the secret service strode toward the iron gate, with the rest of the operatives following behind him. As they passed the stairs, a few junior agents stayed behind to guard both sides of the stairs.

Upon reaching the iron gate, the head of the secret service took out a key and inserted it into the lock. The moment the iron gate opened, he suddenly threw the dagger in his hand.

The dagger flew through a gap less than a foot wide and into the doorway, plunging viciously into the throat of a traitor from the 76th Division.

This was the only staff member on duty in the detention center. According to Tong Suo's intelligence, this person would spend most of his time sitting behind the table facing the iron gate and rarely left his seat.

The traitor who was stabbed did not die immediately. He covered his neck with one hand and hissed, while reaching for the alarm under the table with the other, but it was too late.

The spy chief rushed to the table, swung his machete down forcefully, and the sharp blade sliced ​​across the man's arm, splattering blood everywhere. A severed arm fell to the ground.

The remaining Kuomintang agents entered at that moment, and amidst the traitor's desperate gaze, one of them plunged a dagger into his heart.
-
Section A, Cell No. 06.

In the cell, Gui Youguang lay on his side on the bed. The inmate in the opposite cell looked at his back and shouted angrily, saying things that were too vulgar to hear.

"Everyone says the Military Intelligence Bureau is tough, bah! I think you're all cut from the same cloth as the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics!"

“If you have any shame at all, you should die for your cause, so as not to bring shame upon Director Dai and Deputy Director Zuo.”

Listening to the shouts and curses outside, Gui Youguang sighed helplessly. This underground party member was really relentless. Ever since they found out that he had surrendered to the Japanese, they had been cursing him like this for days. Didn't they get tired of it?

Just as the bald man was about to retort, his cursing stopped abruptly, and with a creak, someone opened the cell door and walked to the bedside.

"Captain," the newcomer called softly.

Gui Youguang scrambled to his feet. The newcomers were members of the special operations team, but why were his own men here?

There was no rescue operation in his plan. He would find a way to escape when Li Shiqun and Gangcun clashed and the 76th Division fell into chaos.

As for using Morse code to report cell numbers, it was merely a way of letting people know they were safe.

Before Gui Youguang could ask any questions, the man interrupted, "We're here to escort you out. This is the Vice-Commander's order. Hearing that you've been arrested, the Vice-Commander personally came to Shanghai."

"Okay, let's go."

Upon learning that Zuo Chong had risked his life to enter enemy-occupied territory for his sake, Gui Youguang was moved, but also felt somewhat guilty. Although he did not know the specifics of the rescue operation, he was certain that the bureau had paid a heavy price.

He took the submachine gun handed to him, cocked it deftly, and took the lead out of the cell. After walking a few steps, Gui Youguang suddenly stopped and gave an order to the rescuers.

"Open all the cells and evacuate the personnel inside. These people all carry top-secret intelligence and must not be left to the Japanese and their collaborators."

This reason was somewhat far-fetched and could very well arouse suspicion from his superiors, but Gui Youguang still did it because, in a sense, he and the other party were the same kind of people.

The rescue leader, of course, did not object, as this was part of the plan. He immediately directed the team to use technical unlocking techniques, as there were so many cells and they did not have time to identify the keys one by one.

The prisoners were excited upon hearing this, but none of them made a sound. Those present were all experienced intelligence officers who knew what to do and when to do it.

Three minutes later, Gui Youguang led everyone to successfully evacuate through the tunnel. Before leaving, the operatives restored the floor tiles in the storage room.

Under the moonlight, everything at No. 76 looked the same as before, but in places unseen, the "little gift" left by Zuo Zhong had begun its countdown.