cicada

Chapter 1531 Jingyang Tower

News of the discovery of a bugging device at the negotiation venue between the two parties spread rapidly within a small circle. Before any parties could question the Nationalist government, the Military Intelligence Bureau announced the next day that it had arrested the suspect who installed the bugging device, but did not disclose the suspect's identity.

The reason is simple: just as Song Minghao guessed, someone bribed the servants at Guiyuan, but the servants did not know who the briber was, and the clues went cold.

When Commander Zhang learned that someone close to him had been bribed, he made a special phone call to Dai Chunfeng and Zuo Zhong to express his gratitude and apologies, speaking very politely.

In any case, the Military Intelligence Bureau almost took the blame for his servant, and he had to give an explanation for this.

The Northwest side also gave Commander Zhang face, or rather, genuinely wanted to reach a peace agreement, so they generously agreed to handle the matter discreetly.

The matter is considered closed, but Zuo Zhong will not let the culprit off so easily. Whether there are clues or not is not important; what matters is who he suspects.

Two days later, at the Huangshan official residence.

“Shenzhong, your American friend has invited you to a dinner party. You can go on your own; there’s no need to ask me.”

"Your Excellency, this matter concerns diplomatic relations, and I must follow your instructions. If you say go, I will go. If you do not permit me, I will never disobey your orders."

In the spacious and bright office, Zuo Zhong stood in front of someone and spoke softly, his expression extremely respectful, as if the word "loyalty" was etched on his face.

Upon hearing his reply, someone made a double entendre: "Shen Zhong, you are reliable in your work, unlike some people who forget about me, Chief Wei, as soon as they encounter Americans."

"Hiss, that's a really hurtful remark," Zuo Zhong gasped, realizing the other person was referring to Lao Dai.

Dai Chunfeng is now obsessed with becoming the commander of the navy. In order to gain the support of the Americans, this spy king of the Republic of China frequently meets with high-ranking officials such as Admiral Kirk, the commander of the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet, and actively campaigns everywhere.

An intelligence chief who maintains close ties with military personnel from another country is an extremely dangerous and suspicious act in any country.

Unfortunately, Lao Dai didn't know how to avoid suspicion and made no attempt to hide his political ambitions. It can only be said that the other party was blinded by self-interest.

Without hesitation, Zuo Zhong immediately pledged his loyalty: "Please rest assured, Chief Wei, you are my eternal leader."

The man was very satisfied after listening, and just as he was about to praise his fellow villager, Zuo Zhong spoke up again and made a suggestion.

"The influence of Americans in the Nationalist government is growing day by day. This matter cannot be ignored, otherwise more people will be won over by Washington. I believe that we can use Red Russia or even the Northwest to counterbalance them."

This made someone ponder, and finally he ended the conversation by saying, "You decide how to handle it." Zuo Zhong understood and quietly left the office.

Jingyang Tower.

This place was originally the office of an American trading company. Later, it was transformed by the Nationalist government into a venue for receiving foreign guests. It included restaurants, hotels, and a spring-floor ballroom, which was very popular with Europeans and Americans in Chongqing.

In a room on the rooftop, Adams looked down at the street and asked his subordinate, "Tell me about tonight's banquet arrangements?"

"Yes, sir." The subordinate stood at attention and replied quickly, "The banquet will officially begin at seven o'clock, but the first batch of special guests will arrive at six o'clock. At that time, only our people will be in the banquet hall."

As he spoke, the man licked his lips, a knowing smile spreading across his face. Then, he asked Adams with some concern.

"Sir, won't doing this cause a diplomatic conflict? If the Republic of China protests to Washington, we'll be in big trouble."

Adams's expression was cold, and his tone was sarcastic: "No, you don't understand the people of the Republic of China. Not only would they not protest, they would help us cover it up."

Adams didn't understand what Adams meant or what he was doing. He guessed Adams's confusion but didn't intend to explain.

Because Adams knew very well that his plan was dishonorable, even despicable.

However, the victor is not to be blamed; he wants not only the result but also the psychological pleasure of defeating his opponent.

His subordinate walked out of the room with a puzzled look on his face. Adams did not turn around and continued to look at the street downstairs.

Meanwhile, Adams' men arrived at the ballroom on the second floor, where several U.S. military officers were listening to music and talking quietly about something obscene.

"The colonel is so generous to allow us to do so, hahaha, I hope those women from the Republic of China era won't disappoint us."

"Relax, I heard they are all wives and daughters of officers, some of whom even studied in America."

"Guys, let's drink to the Colonel's generosity."

"cheers."

The American officers raised their glasses one after another, except for one man who sat alone in a corner drinking in silence. The others were not surprised, but a newcomer who had just been transferred from the front lines to the mountain city asked his companion curiously why he was acting this way.

Tom's companion dismissed it, saying, "Six months ago, Tom's wife and children died in a fire. Well, let's keep having fun."

In the corner, Tom, whom he mentioned, was drinking glass after glass of wine, seemingly still immersed in sorrow.

At 6 p.m., several cars and rickshaws stopped in front of Jingyang Tower. A group of beautiful and fashionable young ladies walked into the tower together, attracting the attention of passersby.

In the grocery store across the street, someone picked up the phone and reported to the other side: "The customer has arrived."

At the same time, Zuo Zhong and several Red Russian officers walked out of the Guiyuan gate, with people from the Northwest following behind. The group communicated in Russian, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.

"Left, thank you for the invitation. Tonight we're going to teach the Americans a lesson." The leading Red Russian officer clenched his fists, his expression fierce.

Zuo Chong, smelling the strong aroma of alcohol, smiled and said, "Of course, Colonel Lovich, I believe that when it comes to drinking, American soldiers cannot compare with your country's soldiers."

"Haha, you're right." Lovich laughed heartily, and the other Red Russian officers also smiled.

Americans consider whiskey and brandy, which they love to drink, to be beverages for ladies' entertainment, not alcohol at all. Real men drink vodka.

The Northwest leader next to him glanced at Zuo Zhong out of the corner of his eye, feeling that something was amiss.

After a moment's thought, he whispered to his secretary, "Notify our colleagues at Xin Hua Society to send someone with a camera to Jingyang Tower."

Zuo Chong glanced at the fleeing Northwest personnel but didn't stop them. His smile broadened, and he warmly invited the Red Russian officers and underground party members into the car. Half an hour later, the convoy, with the Nationalist flag on its hood, arrived at Jingyang Tower. An American officer standing at the entrance smoking looked surprised, then turned and ran to the top floor to find Adams.

"Sir, the people from the Republic of China have arrived downstairs!"

"what?"

Upon hearing his subordinate's report, Adams suddenly stood up. Zuo Zhong's early arrival had caught him off guard.

Without time to think too much, Adams hurriedly went downstairs. When he saw the group of Russians next to Zuo Zhong, his brows furrowed.

“Mr. Adams,” Zuo Zhong greeted him with a smile, then introduced the Russian to him: “This is Colonel Lovich from the Russian delegation. I think you should be familiar with him, right?”

Adams grasped Lovich's hand, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "Yes, if I remember correctly, Mr. Lovich should be from the General Staff Intelligence Directorate of the Red Army."

Lovic chuckled, neither confirming nor denying Adams's statement, but a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

The Russian General Staff's intelligence agency and the OSS are old rivals, currently locked in a fierce battle in Europe. Today you bomb my intelligence station, tomorrow I kill your mole, causing widespread resentment in various countries.

Seeing that the Russians did not answer, Adams did not press them further. He glanced discreetly at his watch and suggested that he take everyone for a stroll in the garden of Jingyang Tower.

Upon hearing this, Zuo Zhong looked at Lovich for his opinion. Lovich had no interest in admiring the garden and was about to refuse when an unexpected event occurred.

"Splash~~"

Suddenly, the window on the second floor of Jingyang Tower shattered, and shards of glass hit the ground with a series of crisp sounds.

Gui Youguang, who was in charge of protecting Zuo Zhong, reacted quickly, pulling Zuo Zhong into the building in a flash, while the others were also dragged to the hotel lobby by the junior agents.

Before everyone could even get their bearings, they heard indistinct cries for help coming from upstairs.

"Damn it! An assassin! There's light! Get upstairs right now to protect our American friends. If anything happens to you, I'll take your head!"

Zuo Chong solemnly ordered Gui Youguang to rescue the people, then looked at Lovich and asked, "Colonel, would you be willing to come with me to check the situation?"

Lovich smiled knowingly. If he still couldn't figure out that Zuo Zhong's invitation had ulterior motives by now, then all his years of intelligence work would have been for nothing.

Being used is certainly unpleasant, but the thought of watching the Americans make a fool of themselves made him nod in agreement: "Of course, Mr. Zuo."

The two left without giving Adams a chance to object. A large group of people quickly walked up the stairs, and several reporters with cameras quietly mingled in the crowd.

"Stop! General Zuo! You cannot go upstairs!"

Adams, his face contorted with rage, tried to stop the crowd, but several junior agents intentionally or unintentionally blocked his way. Taking advantage of this, Zuo Chong and his group arrived at the door of the ballroom on the second floor, where the cries for help were coming from.

Through the door, everyone could hear someone shouting for help in the language of the Republic of China era, and there was more than one person shouting, and they were all women.

Zuo Zhong's face was grim. He gave Gui Youguang a wink, signaling him to break down the door. Adams, seeing the situation was not good, reached out and shouted.

"Stop! I'm going to..."

"Oh!"

Before Adams could even utter the words of complaining to the higher-ups in the Nationalist government, Gui Youguang kicked open the door, and the scene behind it ignited the anger of everyone present.

Inside the luxurious ballroom, several U.S. military officers were groping a group of women from the Republic of China era. The scene was chaotic, with some women's coats torn and some even pinned to the table.

"brute!!!"

The Northwest staff members were all glaring with anger, and the leader in charge even shouted angrily at the guards, "Go and rescue them!"

Zuo Zhongye issued the order in a gloomy tone: "With light, make your move!"

Upon hearing the words of the two officers, the guards and the Kuomintang secret agents rushed over together. Because they were angry, they inevitably used a little too much force in their "rescue," and their fists and kicks made a whooshing sound.

A drunken American officer was grabbing a woman with his right hand and groping her face with his left, while uttering profanities.

But the next second, the person let out a shrill scream, and flew out and crashed into the wall before slowly falling.

"Click, click."

Reporters who followed them inside frantically pressed their shutters, capturing the American officer's disgraceful behavior on film while deliberately avoiding showing the victim's face.

The sound of camera shutters and screams alerted the American officers, who abandoned their respective targets and all turned to look towards the gate.

The rescued women from the Republic of China era took the opportunity to run behind the Nationalist government and Northwest personnel. They saw the uniforms worn by Zuo Chong and others. The female relatives of the KMT soldiers who had been invited to the "banquet" covered their faces and wept bitterly.

The prepared female agent stepped forward to protect the victims, preventing the Americans from killing them to cover their tracks, and also draped coats over them.

"Fuck you! You damn bastard, get out of here right now!" A U.S. military officer pointed at Zuo Zhong and cursed.

Lovich looked disdainful and mocked Adams, "Is this the discipline of American soldiers? It's truly an eye-opener for me."

Adams, his face ashen, loudly ordered his men to stand at attention. Since the plan had been discovered by the Red Russians and the Republic of China, continuing would only escalate the situation beyond repair, so they had to stop for the time being.

But perhaps because he had drunk too much, the U.S. Army Major named Tom disobeyed orders. He staggered, pushed aside his comrade, and drew his sidearm.

"Oh no! Second Sergeant!"

"Commander!"

The scene sent chills down the spines of the junior agent and the underground party guards. They rushed toward Zuo Zhong and the Northwest Chief. Seeing this, Tom pulled the trigger hard, and the gunshot instantly shattered the tranquility of the hotel.

"Bang bang bang..."