cicada

Chapter 1518 Arrest
Military Intelligence Bureau Headquarters.

Zuo Zhong sat at the head of the conference table. Apart from Gui Youguang, who was still on official business in Southeast Asia, and Wu Jingzhong, who was sent to a training class, the remaining three people, Gu Qi, Wu Chunyang, and Song Minghao, sat on either side of him.

Across the conference table, the section chiefs and group leaders of the Military Intelligence Bureau's intelligence, operations, and communications systems sat upright, their eyes fixed straight ahead.

After returning from his official residence, Dai Chunfeng handed over command of the arrest operation to Zuo Zhong and ordered all departments of the Military Intelligence Bureau to cooperate fully, while he himself remained uninvolved.

This old fox still hoped to become the Navy Commander, but fearing that he might anger the Americans, he ran away again. He is truly a "model" of a teacher.

However, Zuo Zhong didn't care. Adams didn't represent the US government, and the forces within the US were not monolithic. As long as there were interests involved, there were plenty of powerful people willing to befriend him.

"Cough cough."

At the start of the meeting, Zuo Chong coughed lightly twice, and all the agents immediately fell silent. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. In the ensuing silence, Zuo Chong slowly began to speak.

"You should all know the situation. Some newspapers and reporters colluded with the Japanese puppet regime to publish fake news in a desperate attempt to make a last stand."

"This is a provocation against the leader and the Military Intelligence Bureau. Those involved must be killed to appease public anger! Not killing them would be a disservice to the brothers who sacrificed their lives!"

With each sentence, Zuo Zhong slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups and lids rattle. The agents below swallowed hard, only to hear the deputy director speak again.

"The Chairman personally ordered us to arrest these Japanese collaborators and spies. The operation is scheduled for 10 p.m. tonight, at which time all local stations will take unified action."

"The arrest will be carried out jointly by the Operations Department and the Special Operations Team. The Operations Department will be responsible for general personnel, and the Special Operations Team will be responsible for key personnel. Both sides must cooperate with each other and must not shirk responsibility in any situation."

Zuo Zhong, holding a teacup, swept his gaze across the crowd. His voice clearly reached the ears of every attendee. After assigning the arrest mission, he suddenly called out names loudly.

"Wu Chunyang".

"To!"

"Your intelligence team is responsible for pinpointing the location of the target and their family members. Don't be soft-hearted. It's more dangerous for these people to stay outside. It's safer for them to go to prison. I, Zuo, am kind-hearted and can't bear to see my family torn apart."

"Yes!"

Upon hearing the order, Wu Chunyang stood up abruptly and shouted back. As for womanly compassion, if he possessed such qualities, he would have been dead countless times over.

Zuo Zhong nodded in satisfaction, then called Song Minghao by name and assigned tasks to him and the Second Intelligence Division.

"Old Song, your men are in charge of the interrogation. You must solidify the evidence of their collusion with the Japanese puppet regime. If anything goes wrong during the public trial, I'll hold you responsible!"

"Yes, please rest assured, Vice-Sir, the entire Second Division will do its utmost."

Song Minghao puffed out his chest and assured everyone that no one knew better than him how to fabricate evidence and confessions; in this respect, their Second Division was the professional.

Looking down at his watch, Zuo Zhong gave the order to leave: "Alright, meeting adjourned. You may all go and prepare."

The secret service leaders got up and left. Gu Qi and the others were about to see Zuo Zhong off, but Zuo Zhong gestured for them to sit down again.

There were some things he couldn't tell his subordinates, but these people in front of him were clearly not on the list that needed to be kept secret. Zuo Zhong looked at Wu Chunyang and asked about Schneider's current location.

"Co-pilot, after meeting with Fang Zhanbo and several traitors that night, Schneider left the Nationalist-controlled area and has now returned to Macau."

Zuo Zhong nodded. No wonder this guy wasn't afraid of being followed; he was confident that he would be safe once he got to Macau.

Indeed, in Adams’ view, even if the Military Intelligence Bureau retaliated, it would not dare to take action against American intelligence personnel located “overseas”. But why?

Thinking of this, Zuo Zhong suddenly chuckled. People like Adams always have a strange confidence that everyone will act according to their ideas because the United States is the number one superpower.

But once a war begins, when it ends is not something an army colonel can decide; excessive confidence will only make one a Don Quixote.

Zuo Zhong leaned close to Wu Chunyang's ear and whispered a few words. Wu Chunyang nodded from time to time, his eyes gradually becoming fierce.

After the meeting, the entire Military Intelligence Bureau sprang into action, with weapons and supplies being inventoried and distributed, personnel being deployed, communications being monitored, and roadblocks being set up—everything proceeding in an orderly manner.

In the deputy director's office, Zuo Zhong took out his mobile phone and typed on the keyboard, sending a warning telegram to the Northwest.

The Kuomintang (KMT) is planning a large-scale crackdown on cultural figures tonight; those involved should evacuate immediately.

The telegram did not mention the specific reasons for the search. After sending the telegram, Zuo Chong stood by the window and fell into deep thought. Arresting people was just a means; the real battle would require the help of some old friends. He turned his gaze to a certain direction in the city.

At 9 p.m. that evening, the military intelligence outposts in Chongqing and other major cities in the Kuomintang-controlled areas were in a state of solemn silence, with a large number of armed agents standing in formation, ready to go.

Moonlight cast a soft glow on the ground, reflecting off the skins of trucks and cars. The officers at the front of the line all wore solemn expressions, awaiting the start of the operation.

In Jiulongpo, a mountain city, Fang Zhanbo peeked out from behind the curtains, then tiptoed back to the bedside. Mrs. Fang was sitting cross-legged on the bed, counting banknotes.

"Alright, you've counted it several times already. It's not like the money will increase. I'll earn more next time." Fang Zhanbo stared at the US dollars in his wife's hand, his eyes unmoving.

He was furious that the benefits Schneider had given him had been snatched away by this woman before he could even enjoy them. If he hadn't been outmatched, he would have definitely taught her a lesson.

"Pah." The burly Mrs. Fang spat on her finger, glanced at him disdainfully, and said, "You yawning like a toad, what a big mouth you have. Without Mr. Shi, you're nothing but a fool."

As she spoke, her fingers flew across the keyboard, preparing to count again, but halfway through, Mrs. Fang stopped and asked her husband seriously, "The city is in chaos today, won't what you've been doing involve me and the child?"

"No, Schneider said the US ambassador will put pressure on the government; that's freedom of the press," Fang Zhanbo replied confidently.

Mrs. Fang breathed a sigh of relief and continued counting her money with a smile, unaware that the alleyway just a few dozen meters away from her house was already full of Kuomintang secret agents.

Because Fang Zhanbo had the longest contact with Schneider, he was fortunate enough to be listed as a key target for capture. A special operations team secretly approached his residence, and the nearby roads were also blocked.

"Time's up, two-minute countdown."

"I'll repeat the mission details: capture three targets, and kill any who resist."

After glancing at his watch, the head of the secret service gave a low-pitched order, and the junior agents behind him checked their weapons, the dull clanging of metal echoing through the alley.

Inside the house, Fang Zhanbo and his wife hid the US dollars in a hidden compartment in the roof beam, and the couple breathed a long sigh of relief.

Lying on the hard wooden bed, Fang Zhanbo muttered to himself, "If I do this job well, Schneider promised me that he would bring our family to San Francisco in the future. Do you know why it's called San Francisco?"

Mrs. Fang was already used to her husband's boasting, and said impatiently, "I know, I know, Australia is the new Gold Mountain, so San Francisco becomes San Francisco."

Fang Zhanbo exclaimed "Ouch!" and jumped up in a flash, so surprised that he even spoke in his Chongqing dialect: "How did you know?"

It would have been better if he hadn't brought it up, because as soon as he did, Mrs. Fang raised her hand and slapped him across the face: "How would I know? You talk about America every day, even a deaf person could understand it."

Fang Zhanbo, who had just been slapped, covered his cheek and remained speechless. He knew his wife was angry because he always talked about studying in the United States.

After the farce ended, Fang Zhanbo lay down and closed his eyes, his mind beginning to fantasize about his happy life in America.

At the same time, Zuo Zhong got out of the car and looked up at the building in front of him. This was the Northwest Office in Shancheng. A staff member greeted him indifferently.

"Deputy Director Zuo, please."

"Thank you."

With a fake smile on his face, Zuo Zhong was led by a staff member to an office on the second floor of the office building.

Upon seeing him enter, a middle-aged man rose from behind his desk and extended his hand: "Deputy Director Zuo, welcome."

"Haha, you're too kind. It's rather presumptuous of me to visit so late at night."

While exchanging polite words, Zuo Zhong shook hands with the other party. After exchanging pleasantries, the two sat down on a simple rattan sofa.

"Deputy Director Zuo, is there any official business you need to hand over to the office today?" the middle-aged man asked casually.

As the saying goes, a night owl's visit is never a good thing. This big spy must have a reason for coming to Hongyanzui. Suddenly, a thought struck him: Could it be that the person surnamed Zuo came because of those reports?

While the middle-aged man was still pondering how to explain that this matter had nothing to do with the underground party, Zuo Zhong made a startling statement: "I've come here to ask for your help."

"Help?"

The middle-aged man is confused. The Kuomintang has money and manpower. Where in the Northwest can they help the Nationalist government?

Zuo Zhong put away his smile, leaned closer to the other man, and began to whisper. As he spoke, the anger on the middle-aged man's face became more and more obvious.

On the other side, Fang Zhanbo had already fallen into a deep sleep when suddenly two loud noises came from the doors and windows.

"Bang~bang~"

The junior agent used tools to break open the door and windows of the Fang family's house, and the rest of the group pounced on the bed like tigers descending from the mountain. Although the environment was very dark, the operatives still managed to accurately subdue the two main targets.

Half asleep, Fang Zhanbo suddenly felt a weight on him, and his hands and legs were held down, which frightened him so much that he screamed.

The shouting woke Mrs. Fang. Upon realizing a stranger had entered the room, the stranger instinctively uttered a strange phrase in a foreign language: "Indahune!!!"

But as soon as she said it, Mrs. Fang immediately shut her mouth, as if the scene had never happened.

Just then, the head of the secret service walked into the room. He strode up to Mrs. Fang, his voice icy: "What are you saying?"

"I didn't say anything." Mrs. Fang lowered her head, her voice barely audible.

The intelligence chief sneered, then turned and ordered his men: "Keep a close eye on this woman. No one is allowed to touch her. Anyone who disobeys will be killed without mercy!"

After saying that, he looked at Mrs. Fang with the eyes of someone looking at a dead person, his teeth grinding together, clearly showing that he hated her to the extreme.

Apart from Fang Zhanbo and his wife, no fewer than two hundred people were arrested across the country. These self-proclaimed champions of democracy, who were full of righteousness and morality, were actually wicked and immoral.

When they were arrested, some of them were embracing girls from brothels, some were embracing female students, and some were smoking opium. When they saw the secret agents arrive, many of them were so frightened that they wet their pants, making a complete spectacle of themselves.
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In the Malayan jungle, Gui Youguang, Margaret, and a group of rebels sat around a campfire, seemingly arguing about something. The opponents were agitated and waving their hands vigorously.

(End of this chapter)