Under one person: I, Zhang Zhiwei, the arrogant Zhang.

Takeshita Yujiro's ultimate goal in coming here was to eradicate the malignant tumor that was the Tentong Church, so as to force out the little Taoist priest who had been bothering him for more than ten years.

Unexpectedly, before he could even make a move, the other party came knocking on his door first. Very well, very well indeed!
As for Lu Yucheng, a businessman who straddled the line between the legitimate and criminal worlds, he was nothing more than a speck of sand, not worth mentioning. He didn't take him seriously at all, and snorted coldly:
"The three tycoons? Hmph, what are they that dare to oppose the Great Japanese Empire?"

He gave the order to the Special Higher Police Chief:
"Send men immediately to take the life of that Lu Yusheng. I want to use his head to appease the spirits of Lord Chuan Yue and the warriors of the Empire!"

"Ha...hai!"

Then, the head of the Special Higher Police hesitated for a moment, then forced himself to speak:

“General, that…that Lu Yusheng is currently hiding in the Peace Hotel in the International Settlement. Our people…can’t just go in and take him away.”

"Bagaya road!"

Takeshita Yujiro flew into a rage. He took a step forward and slapped the section chief hard across the face, making him spin twice on the spot.

The section chief was stunned, his face swollen like a pig's head. It took him a while to recover. He immediately stood up straight, lowered his head, and said, "Hai!! I'll send someone to arrest him right away!"

Yujiro Takeshita scolded, "Useless! Idiot! What bullshit concession?! Listen to me clearly! Before long, the entire Shanghai, the entire China, will be the territory of the Empire."

"At that time, whether they are Chinese or those self-righteous Westerners, they will all have to get out of our territory like dogs!"

"If your people can't get there, then use airplanes to wipe that hotel off the map!"

The head of the Special Higher Police was shocked by Takeshita Yujiro's words. He actually wanted him to bomb the Peace Hotel? Didn't he know that the Peace Hotel was a British property? If they attacked the International Settlement and then bombed the Peace Hotel in a high-profile manner, what difference would that make from directly attacking Britain?
He wanted to retort, but after seeing Takeshita Yujiro's eyes, he swallowed his words. He knew that if he provoked the other party at this moment, he might really lose his head.

As for the bombing of the Peace Hotel… he considered it to himself, deciding to discuss it with the other two generals before making a decision. He knew his own voice carried little weight, and he couldn't persuade his enraged senior. But surely the other two generals, also high-ranking officers, couldn't be ignored as well?
The Special Higher Police Chief nodded in agreement. After leaving the house, he immediately contacted the other two admirals in the area, Navy Admiral Hase and Army Admiral Matsui, and informed them of Takeshita Yujiro's orders.

Upon learning of Takeshita Yujiro's idea, Army General Matsui frowned. At the beginning of the war, they had already discussed it and made promises to those powerful countries that they would not take action against the concessions, or at least not start a major war.

Although they never take promises seriously, and they have no qualms about breaking their word if they can achieve a certain goal, the key point is that there is no benefit to it!

No matter how well it's renovated, a run-down hotel is still a hotel. As for the so-called "Three Tycoons" Lu Yusheng, in his eyes, he's nothing more than a large ant. Sending a few ninjas to assassinate him is enough; there's no need to bomb him with a plane.

Therefore, Matsui held a small meeting with another naval admiral, Hase.

Although Hase and Matsui were both admirals and participated in the battle together, they belonged to the Navy and Army factions respectively and were at odds with each other. They both considered the other to be an "idiot" and neither could mobilize the other.

Hase wants Matsui's army troops to assist him, but it's no use talking to Matsui directly; Matsui won't listen to him.

Matsui wanted Hase's naval cover, but if he told Hase directly, Hase wouldn't listen to him.

Their cooperation had to be reported to headquarters, which would then issue orders for coordination.

However, although the two looked down on each other, those who could rise to the position of general were not idiots who couldn't grasp the situation. On the major strategic fronts, the two could still maintain a tacit understanding.

At the small meeting, Army General Matsui said, "Hase-kun and Takeshita-kun's ideas are too impulsive. The most urgent task now is to bomb the defense lines of the Chinese army, transportation hubs, arsenals, docks and other military targets, rather than civilian foreign-owned buildings in the concession."

"Taking action there could even lead to sanctions, such as freezing assets and restricting the export of goods. Most importantly, we would gain nothing from it; it would only cause harm and put us in a passive position."

Upon hearing this, Admiral Hase pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What if... we announce to the public that it was an 'accidental bombing'?"

"Naval idiots, what a moron..." Matsui thought to himself. He continued, "Those Western powers aren't fools either. Accidental bombing is not an option. They will definitely hold us accountable, demand an apology, huge compensation, and even give us a reason to intervene."

Army idiot, cowardly as a mouse, fierce in appearance but weak in heart... Hase mentally labeled Matsui. Although he did not agree with bombing the Peace Hotel, it was only because there was no benefit to it. He was not afraid of anyone. As for the excuse of accidental bombing, why is it not working?
Hasegawa said, "If it's an accidental bombing, then we can say it was to eliminate hidden military targets. After all, that Chinese man named Lu Yusheng did pose a threat to us, and it was the concession that violated the principle of neutrality first."

"No, no! I still think it's inappropriate!" Matsui Iwane shook his head repeatedly. "Like I said, it's not worth taking such a big risk, it's completely not worth it!"

There was a clear difference of opinion between the two sides.

Actually, Hase also felt it wasn't worth it, but since the suggestion came from his senior in the Navy, and the opposing Army idiots were against it, he had to support his senior out of factionalism!
Matsui thought the same way. He didn't care about the lives in the concession, nor did he think or worry that the Western powers would intervene. If they were worried, they wouldn't have fought this war. He refused simply because it was Navy Baka who suggested it.

He certainly wanted to kill Lu Yusheng as well. However, he didn't intend to use the foolish method of bombing with fighter jets. He preferred to send his own team of superhumans to carry out a precise, surgical "sniper kill".

The meeting ended unhappily.

Matsui Baka's disagreement further solidified Hase and Takeshita Yujiro's determination to take action.

However, in order to ensure that they could eliminate Lu Yusheng in one fell swoop and achieve their deeper goals, the two discussed it privately and finally devised an even more insidious and vicious plan.

They decided to send planes to bomb the Peace Hotel as usual!

Through these encounters with the extraordinary beings from Shenzhou, they have come to a clear understanding that a terrifyingly powerful lightning incarnation, left behind by the young celestial master, is stationed near the Tian Tong Cathedral. Although the High Priest has summoned numerous spirits to secretly monitor the incarnation, it still poses a significant threat to their own forces.

However, this is exactly the effect that Kiyoshi Hasegawa and Yujiro Takeshita wanted!

They were gambling that the lightning incarnation would intercept their fighter jets!
If a fighter jet malfunctions, they will openly send troops into the concession under the pretext of eliminating enemy military targets hidden in the neutral zone, and then launch a full-scale attack on the Tiantong Church.

At that time, they will kill all the believers, all the clergy, and even the infants and orphans adopted by the Tiantong Church—leaving no one alive. They will use the most cruel and bloody methods to force the little Taoist priest hiding behind the scenes to reveal himself!
This is their real purpose.

Meanwhile, inside the Peace Hotel.

Lu Yusheng and Huo Tianhong were stationed here, processing the constant stream of intelligence pouring in from all corners of the city. Telephones rang incessantly, and skilled trainees came and went, handing over slips of paper with coded messages. The entire room had become a high-speed war command center.

Having finally finished the most urgent tasks, Huo Tianhong had a brief respite. He picked up his teacup, took a sip of the now-cold, strong tea, and frowned as he said:

"That's strange. It's been so calm all day. Logically, after all the commotion we caused last night, the Japanese pirates should have reacted completely. Why didn't they send anyone to assassinate us?"

When they decided to do this, they were already prepared to be seen as a thorn in the side by the Japanese pirates and to suffer a crazy retaliation. Therefore, they had arranged for many experts to protect them. Even the Fire Cloud Evil God who participated in the operation last night was there, but at this moment he was fast asleep in the inner room.

Huo Tianhong guessed, "I've heard that the Japanese Special Higher Police are incompetent, notorious for being useless. Could it be... that they still haven't figured out it was us?"

“It’s not impossible.” Lu Yusheng flipped through a piece of intelligence without looking up and said, “Of course, it’s also possible that Japanese ninjas have already infiltrated, but our people just haven’t noticed yet.”

"The people we arranged shouldn't be this unprofessional, right?" Huo Tianhong was somewhat skeptical.

"They're not amateurs, but compared to those ninjas trained as killing tools, they're still far behind. If we're talking about assassination skills, the only ones who can truly outdo them are probably the Tang Clan from Sichuan. It's a pity we're too far from the Tang Clan here, otherwise we could spend a lot of money to hire a few to lend a hand," Lu Yusheng said.

Huo Tianhong nodded thoughtfully, about to say something. Suddenly, his ears twitched as he heard a sharp whistling sound coming from a great distance.

"Woo!!"

The fighting had been going on for some days, so they were naturally familiar with this sound. It was the sound of fighter jets cutting through the sky.

Huo Tianhong frowned: "The Japanese planes have been dispatched again. I wonder where they're going to launch an attack this time?"

Lu Yusheng said, "It's not surprising that the Japanese pirates bomb us several times a day. It's not surprising when they appear."

As they spoke, the two heard the whistling sound grow louder and closer, as if it were exploding right above their heads.

Soon, Lu Yusheng also sensed that something was wrong.

He suddenly raised his head and met Huo Tianhong's gaze, who also had a furrowed brow. Both of them saw a hint of seriousness in each other's eyes.

"They're getting closer...it seems...it seems like they're right above us! Could they be...?!"

Huo Tianhong was startled by his own crazy idea!
"The Japanese pirates have long since lost their minds and are capable of anything!"

Lu Yusheng reacted extremely quickly. He made a snap decision, grabbed the yin-yang paper on the table, and was about to report the situation!

At the same time, directly above the Peace Hotel, two fighter jets painted with the Japanese flag streaked across the sky, and the pilots, expressionless, pressed the release button on the control stick.

A series of black aerial bombs detached from the fuselage, tracing precise parabolic arcs in the air.

"Boom!!!"

The next moment, a deafening explosion resounded.

Golden flames shot into the sky, and countless shrapnel and building debris rained down in all directions. However, the Peace Hotel was not razed to the ground as the Japanese invaders had anticipated.

Despite being bombed by several conventional aerial bombs and billowing with thick smoke, the sturdy building, constructed of reinforced concrete, still stubbornly stood its main structure.

At this time, most of those who dared to stay at the Peace Hotel were Western expatriates with powerful backgrounds who were waiting for their own ships to arrive and evacuate them.

Ironically, they were the ones who suffered the most casualties from those bombs.

As for Lu Yusheng and Huo Tianhong, they were on a lower floor, and there were already experts planted around them. They were protected the moment the bomb was dropped, so they were not injured.

However, the Japanese pirates' offensive did not stop there.

After dropping the first round of bombs, the two fighter jets circled in the air, preparing for the second round of dive bombing!

They don't care whether they might accidentally hurt foreigners or cause international disputes.

Because from the very beginning, they were thrown out as "bait".

In the eyes of Takeshita Yujiro and Hasegawa Kiyoshi, the lives of these pilots were nothing more than tools that could be discarded to achieve their goals.

Just as the two pilots adjusted their attitude and prepared to drop bombs again.

Suddenly, a small silver dot appeared in their pupils.

That tiny dot is rapidly expanding at a speed beyond their comprehension!
The figure formed by the silvery-white lightning flashed and covered hundreds of meters in a single moment, arriving right in front of them!

They could even see the aloofness, like that of a god, in those eyes that were intertwined with lightning!

There was absolutely no time to dodge. The instant the lightning-fast figure collided with the fighter jet was like a red-hot blade cutting into butter, without the slightest resistance.

In an instant, the steel-built fighter jet, along with its pilot, was cleaved in two, and molten iron glowed red-hot at the cut. (End of Chapter)