cicada

Chapter 1466 Maneuvering
“Your Excellency Chai Shan, I came in such a hurry that I didn’t have time to bring any change of clothes. May I ask Miss Lin to prepare some for you to send someone to pick them up?”

In Shibayama Kenshiro's office, Ban Jun bowed slightly and made a request with a hint of embarrassment.

Chai Shan was about to refuse, but then seemed to remember something and swallowed back what he was about to say, his face remaining amiable.

“Alright, Bansan, I allow you to contact Miss Lin, but the call must be recorded. Please understand.”

Ban Jun readily agreed, and then, under the watchful eye of Shibayama Kenshiro, picked up the phone and dialed the number for Lin Miaoyin's villa.

"Wonderful Sound?"

"Yes, it's me. Could you go buy me some clothes? Someone will pick them up later."

"Well, you can decide for yourself. There's no need to go to any special stores."

After saying a few quick words, Ban Jun put his hands back on the microphone and was about to leave when Chai Shan suddenly asked two questions.

"Wait a minute, Ban-san, how are you getting along with Miss Lin? Do you think she's a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau?"

The early spring sun shone into the office, and dust flew about wildly due to the Tyndall effect. Ban Jun lowered his head slightly, hiding his face in the shadows.

"Sir, I have approached the target several times recently and have not found anything suspicious so far. However, we need to observe for a while longer to completely rule out suspicion, since the Military Intelligence Bureau is omnipresent and good at disguise."

He answered cautiously; a veteran agent who had been lying low for over a decade would not and should not trust someone so quickly.

Shibayama Kenshiro nodded in satisfaction and waved for him to leave. After Ban Jun left, Shibayama narrowed his eyes and fell into deep thought.

In the villa on Yihe Road, Lin Miaoyin, having just hung up the phone, rolled her eyes and got up to call a maid to help her change her clothes.

That afternoon, a car with civilian license plates stopped outside the small building. Ban Jun heard the noise and stood in front of the window to look out.

The car door slowly opened, and a person got out of the back seat. The person was carrying a rattan suitcase and wearing a hood.

At this moment, the Japanese agent in the same car pulled off the hood, and a delicate face appeared in Ban Jun's sight. The person was Lin Miaoyin.

"Ban Sang, aren't you curious why she's here?"

The voice of Shibayama Kenshiro came from behind. Ban Jun quickly turned around, but before he could speak, Shibayama walked to the window and said calmly.

"If Lin Miaoyin were a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau, she certainly wouldn't let this opportunity slip by, Bansang. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Hai." Ban Jun suddenly realized: "You want to test her to see if she will take the opportunity to steal information."

Kenjiro Shibayama nodded and turned to look at Ban Jun: "Ban-san, the rest is up to you."

After saying that, Chai Shan left Ban Jun's room without looking back. As he walked out of the room, he bumped into Lin Miaoyin.

The two exchanged a glance, Lin Miaoyin bowed slightly to make way, and Chai Shan strode towards the other end of the corridor.

"Miaoyin, thank you for your hard work." Ban Jun spoke up at the right time, welcoming Lin Miaoyin into the house.

"It's okay. I was worried for days after you were taken away. I'm just glad to know you're alright."

Lin Miaoyin put down her rattan suitcase, put her hands behind her back, and walked around the room, looking around curiously, her appearance playful and full of energy.

Ban Jun ignored her, opened the box and took out the new clothes inside to change into, but when he saw Lin Miaoyin next to him, he suddenly stopped changing.

Noticing this, Lin Miaoyin covered her mouth and chuckled. Instead of avoiding it, she took the initiative to help.

Smelling the faint scent of perfume, Ban Jun opened his arms and let the other person help him take off his coat.

After changing Ban Jun's coat, sweater, and shirt, Lin Miaoyin knelt down to change his shoes into a new pair. When she stood up, she almost fell because she was unsteady on her feet.

Ban Jun reacted quickly, grabbing her by the neck and pulling her into his arms. Lin Miaoyin froze, her face flushed, standing there stunned.

The two remained in this position for more than ten seconds before Lin Miaoyin seemed to realize what was happening and quickly took a step back to break free from Ban Jun's embrace.

"Ahem, Miaoyin, are you alright?" Ban Jun coughed twice, pretending nothing was wrong, and asked.

"No, it's nothing, Mr. Ban. Is there anything urgent that you need me to do?" Lin Miaoyin changed the subject.

"It's nothing serious."

As the two were talking quietly, a Japanese spy suddenly knocked on the door and entered, disrupting the slightly romantic atmosphere.

"Advisor, Commander Shibayama wishes to see you."

After the agent explained his purpose, Ban Jun told Lin Miaoyin to wait inside while he followed the agent to meet Chai Shan.

A few minutes later, Ban Jun returned and glanced at the documents on the table. Seeing that the hidden marks he had left had not changed, he then escorted Lin Miaoyin, who had already packed up her dirty clothes, to the courtyard gate.

"Bridge bean sack."

The guards at the door reached out to stop the two, signaling Lin Miaoyin to hand over her rattan suitcase for inspection. The other guards also placed their hands on their weapons. Lin Miaoyin was terrified and didn't know what to do, so she turned to look at Ban Jun. Ban Jun calmly said "okay" and told her to put the suitcase on the ground.

The guard's tense expression eased slightly as he had the female staff search him while inspecting the items inside the box.

Besides the box and pockets, the Japanese didn't even spare the collar, cuffs, and other places where clothes could easily be caught, tearing perfectly good clothes to shreds.

After a long and fruitless struggle, the guard returned the box to Lin Miaoyin and offered a perfunctory apology.

Lin Miaoyin picked up her suitcase and angrily got into the car. The driver stepped on the gas and sped away. Ban Jun, who witnessed all of this, smiled and waved goodbye.

"So, Bansan, is there a problem with this Miss Lin?"

Shibayama Kenshiro arrived at the door at some point. Ban Jun shook his head and recounted how he had deliberately left a document to test Lin Miaoyin.

Upon hearing that Lin Miaoyin hadn't peeked, Chai Shan seemed somewhat disappointed, and with a gloomy face, he slowly walked into the small building.

Ban Jun watched the other person's retreating figure, then glanced at the car that had disappeared at the end of the road, sneered inwardly, and returned to his office.

On the other side, the car carrying Lin Miaoyin suddenly stopped after driving a short distance. She took off her hood herself, and the Japanese agents in the car ignored her.

None of the people on the bus spoke; they just sat quietly in their seats, waiting for something. Pedestrians came and went in waves, and several hours passed in the blink of an eye.

As dusk approached, a car with its headlights on drove up from a distance and stopped at the roadside. Shibayama Kenshiro, now dressed in a different outfit, jumped out of the car and got into Lin Miaoyin's car.

As soon as he sat down, he couldn't wait to ask the other person, "Did Ban Jun ask you to go anywhere or see anyone?"

"No, he behaved perfectly normally. I also checked his clothes, and there was no intelligence hidden inside," Lin Miaoyin replied respectfully.

Kenjiro Shibayama nodded slowly. It seemed that Ban Jun was trustworthy, otherwise the other side would not have let go of this only opportunity to send out information.

“Very good. The food supply for the garrison in Hangzhou has been handed over to your father. You can contact your family to verify this.”

To encourage Lin Miaoyin to work harder, Chai Shan offered another incentive, which Lin Miaoyin thanked him for repeatedly.

However, Japanese promises are always unreliable. After returning to her residence, Lin Miaoyin, still worried, immediately sent the maid away and picked up the phone to contact her parents.

Over the phone, Lin's father excitedly stated that the Hangzhou garrison had indeed handed over the logistics business to the Lin family, just as Chai Shan had promised.

He repeatedly urged Lin Miaoyin to be loyal to the Japanese, his words extremely flattering.

Driven by greed and profit, the father and daughter completely forgot the various crimes committed by the Japanese army in Quzhou and Jiangshan, and were willing to act as lackeys of the Japanese.

Lin Miaoyin put down the microphone, turned around in front of the mirror on the table, and when she saw the necklace around her neck, she smiled contemptuously.

Ban Jun thought she didn't know the origin of the necklace. If it weren't for the fact that she was putting on an act for the other party, she wouldn't have worn the same necklace as the woman in the brothel.

Just as Lin Miaoyin was mocking Ban Jun for giving a gift to two people, shouts and curses came from downstairs.

"Bring that little vixen out here!"

"If you've got the guts to steal a man, then open the door!"

"Don't hide inside and keep quiet, I know you're home, come out now!"

Yuqin pounded on the villa's iron gate, making a loud clanging noise, but the guards and servants at the door seemed deaf, all hiding inside and not one of them came out to stop her.

The commotion drew the attention of nearby residents, who peeked out to watch the spectacle. Some even leaned against the wall, discussing the scene while cracking sunflower seeds.

Watching jokes, especially other people's jokes, is always one of humanity's favorite pastimes.

Lin Miaoyin upstairs was so angry she almost twisted her nose. She stormed downstairs and when she saw that it was Yuqin, she crossed her arms and started to mock her.

"So it's you! Is it because Brother Ban is ignoring you that you've come here to cause trouble? Let me tell you, someone like you who's ridden by a thousand men... ah..."

Yuqin suddenly made a move, grabbing Lin Miaoyin's hair through the iron gate and slapping her several times, while also snatching the necklace.

"It's a fight! It's a fight!"

The neighbors who were watching were extremely excited. Two women fighting, and it was because of a man. Such a spectacle was a rare sight, perhaps only seen once every ten years.

The Japanese guards at the villa glanced outside but continued to pretend they were deaf and dumb. Their mission was to protect Lin Miaoyin's safety, not to help the other party fight over her.

After Yuqin and Lin Miaoyin had a scuffle, Yuqin threw her prize—a necklace—at her opponent's face before walking away.

Seeing that there was no more excitement to be had, the neighbors left dejectedly. The servants finally appeared and helped Lin Miaoyin into the house, while the guards called Chai Shan to report what had happened.

Chai Shan didn't take it seriously and ordered the guards not to interfere. He told Ban Jun to handle the matter himself after Operation No. 1 was completed.

While the Japanese man was on the phone, Yuqin, sitting in the rickshaw, squeezed her trembling legs and leaned back in her seat as if she were completely exhausted, breathing heavily.

On the other side of the city, Ban Jun sat by the Go board, glanced at his watch, and decisively placed a piece. The move was complete; it was time to make the second move.