Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 472 Wanqiu sends a letter
Ren Changchun followed behind and asked in a low voice, "Section Chief, is it just the few of us going?"

“Isn’t that a little too little?”

"If they really resort to dirty tricks, I'm afraid the few of us won't be able to withstand it."

With a confident smile on his face, Hong Zhi said nonchalantly, "Don't worry, Mu Liancheng and Matsuda Shin aren't that stupid. They've already gathered hundreds of people inside and outside the Mu residence waiting for me."

"They're afraid of scaring me, so they won't make such a big commotion."

"Besides, even if they really found hundreds of people, those people might not be able to get into the Mu residence."

He turned to look at Huizi: "Why don't you not go?"

Huizi felt a warmth in her heart, glanced at him gratefully, and then shook her head: "Thank you for your concern, Hong-san."

“My brother has many old subordinates and friends in North China. If I go there, Matsuda Nobu will have some reservations.”

She abruptly changed the subject, her eyes gleaming with excitement:
"Besides, didn't you say that the man surnamed Mu is a gold mine?"
"I'll go and see for myself today."

Hong Zhi nodded.

He could tell that Huizi was already impatient; she had fallen in love with this dazzling city and longed to start a new life for herself here.

Hong Zhiyou turned to Xiao Guohua and instructed, "Old Xiao, you and Changchun must keep a close eye on Madam Huizi later."

Xiao Guohua nodded vigorously, his expression solemn: "Rest assured, unless I die, Madam will not lose a single hair."

He then turned to Ren Changchun and asked, "Has Mr. Zhou arrived yet?"

Ren Changchun shook his head: "I didn't see anyone."

Hong Zhi waved his hand and strode outside: "Never mind him, let's go."

"He will appear when the time is right."

……

The Mu Residence.

Mu Liancheng called Butler Pang aside and instructed him with a gloomy expression: "Go to the kitchen later and keep a close eye on things. There can't be any problems with the food on this table today, understand?"

Butler Pang cautiously probed, "Master, Madam's suggestion is...?"

"Idiot!" Mu Liancheng cursed in a low voice, "If something goes wrong and that Japanese devil is poisoned to death, your Pang family's ancestral graves for eighteen generations will be dug up!"

He took a step closer, his eyes sharp as knives, staring intently at Butler Pang:
"You'd better know who really owns this house!"

Butler Pang trembled with fright and nodded and bowed repeatedly: "Yes, yes, sir, I understand, I'll go right away!"

"Where is Madam?" Mu Liancheng asked.

Butler Pang bowed and said, "Madam... Madam just took Commander Matsuda to the back garden to look at the flowers."

"Looking at flowers?"

Mu Liancheng's lips curled into a disdainful sneer.

Looking at the flowers is just an excuse; looking at the people is the real purpose.

He couldn't be bothered to pay any more attention and turned to walk upstairs.

As soon as I reached the second floor, a melodious piano tune drifted out from the room.

It was Wanqiu practicing the piano.

Mu Liancheng walked to the door, listening to the familiar melody, but his expression grew increasingly displeased.

He flung the door open and shouted angrily into the room, "Stop playing!"

Wanqiu was startled, her fingers hovering over the piano keys as she stared at him blankly.

"You have absolutely no sense of propriety!" Mu Liancheng said sternly. "What time is it now? Can you even play the piano?"

Wanqiu was so frightened that she stood up, clutching the hem of her clothes, her eyes instantly turning red.

She didn't know what she had done wrong to make her uncle, who always doted on her, so angry.

Seeing her aggrieved look, Mu Liancheng's heart softened, but he still kept a stern face: "Come out!"

The two stood in the corridor on the second floor.

Mu Liancheng sighed heavily, his stern expression turning into helplessness, and his voice softening: "Matsuda Shin is here."

He explained, "That guy is a lustful fiend. If you play the piano now, aren't you just deliberately arousing his evil thoughts and causing trouble for yourself?"

"I understand." Wanqiu finally realized what was happening and quickly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.

"Go, dress up nicely," Mu Liantian instructed. "We have a distinguished guest coming today, so you need to help your uncle make an appearance."

Wanqiu asked curiously, "Uncle, who is it?"

Mu Liancheng looked at her and slowly said, "It's Hong Zhiyou, the composer of the pieces you just played."

"Chief of the Economic Section of the Harbin Police Department."

"It's him?" Wanqiu's eyes lit up with surprise.

But then she remembered something, and the joy on her face faded. She asked worriedly, "But...but doesn't he have a grudge against you, Uncle?"

I have no grudge against him.

"At most, it's just some business squabbles and minor frictions."

“Now Matsuda Shin has a grudge against him and wants to use me to kill him.”

He looked around, his voice even lower.

"Our Mu family might end up in bloodshed today, turning into a battlefield."

Wanqiu turned pale with fright, looked around nervously, and asked worriedly, "Uncle, what... what should we do?"

She knew that her uncle couldn't afford to offend the Japanese, otherwise he wouldn't be so worried.

Mu Liancheng whispered, "When you see Hong Zhiyou later, try to pass him a note when you shake hands."

"Take today's banquet for example, it's a trap."

"He's a smart man; he understood it at a glance."

"Uncle, why didn't you just send someone to inform him?" Wanqiu asked, puzzled.

Mu Liancheng's face showed a deep sense of helplessness and apprehension: "Du Juan is watching me too closely."

"Moreover, the home phone has most likely been tampered with by the Japanese, and some have even been bugged."

He pointed to Wanqiu's room.

"Even your room might not be clean."

"Don't underestimate the Japanese. They are very technologically advanced when it comes to these petty thieverything."

Mu Liancheng pulled her to the window and pointed to several members of the opera troupe who were setting up a stage and practicing their singing in the courtyard.

"See those opera singers in the courtyard?"

“I saw it.” Wanqiu nodded.

“What they’re holding aren’t fake props for theatrical performances,” Mu Liancheng said coldly. “Those are real, sharpened weapons.”

“As soon as I smash a cup, they will rush up and hack Hong Zhiyou to death with knives.”

Wanqiu's palms turned ice-cold with fright, and her voice trembled: "Uncle, what if Mr. Hong gets the news and leaves? Won't you be in danger?"

"He can't leave."

Mu Liancheng shook his head, a shrewd glint in his eyes.

"Once he comes in, the outer gate will be guarded by Japanese soldiers."

"Whether he knows it's a trap or not, he's unlikely to survive today."

Wanqiu was completely confused, frowning as she asked, "Then...why did Uncle ask me to pass him a note?"

These are two different things.

“I handed over the note, and Hong Zhiyou is dead. He can’t blame me, Mu Liancheng. I’ve done everything I could.”

"If he's lucky enough to survive, that's his good fortune. It's a way out for me and him, so our relationship won't completely fall apart."

"This is what they mean by leaving a way out for everything, so that you can meet again in the future."

Seeing his niece's puzzled look, he gave her some instructions.

Wanqiu pursed her lips and said nothing more. The light in her eyes dimmed, leaving only an unyielding sorrow.

……

Inside the garden's tool shed, as the melodious piano music upstairs abruptly stopped, Matsuda Shin, who had been engrossed in it with his eyes closed, suddenly felt utterly bored.

He grunted, pushed Du Juan away, and hastily ended the fight.

"What's wrong?" Du Juan asked, her voice tinged with a hint of coquettish complaint, as if she hadn't had enough.

Matsuda Shin chuckled dryly and replied perfunctorily, "I've probably been too tired lately."

"Tired?" Du Juan clung to him relentlessly, tracing circles on his chest with her fingers. "I bet your soul has already been bewitched by that little vixen playing the piano upstairs!"

"No, to me, you are the most beautiful treasure." Matsuda Shin said casually, but in his heart he was thinking of Wanqiu's pure and moving appearance.

He straightened his military uniform, his expression turning serious: "Go back and keep an eye on Mu Liancheng."

"Today, this Mu residence must be Hong Zhiyou's burial place!"

Du Juan pouted, and although she was unwilling, she still obediently nodded.

The two walked out of the tool shed one after the other.

Upon arriving at the front hall, Matsuda Shin immediately spotted Qiao Niansheng, the assassin hired by Master Zhang. He sported an arrogant demeanor reminiscent of Guan Yu, holding a gleaming broadsword in his hand; his menacing aura was truly chilling.

Matsuda Shin was secretly pleased; this was how a top assassin should behave.

Commander Masaharu Honma has already gone to Kawakamura.

Before leaving, the commander repeatedly emphasized that he did not want any Japanese soldiers in Tianjin to be involved in the factional struggles within the Kwantung Army.

This is a warning, tacit approval, and also the limit of leniency that can be given to him.

That's why Matsuda Nobu took such a risky move and meticulously planned this deadly trap.

He only wanted to avenge Mr. Shibuya, not to rush to the underworld to accompany him.

At least, before he got Wanqiu, he had no intention of being buried with her.

……

Ten o'clock in the morning sharp.

A black sedan slowly pulled up in front of the Mu residence.

The car door opened, and Hong Zhiyou, Huizi, Ren Changchun, and Xiao Guohua stepped out.

"Go check if there are any ambushes behind us," Matsuda Shin immediately whispered to one of his men.

The subordinate obeyed and slipped out silently through the side door.

Matsuda Shin straightened his collar and went to greet them together with Mu Liancheng and his wife.

With the introduction of Butler Pang, Hong Zhiyou walked in with an imposing air.

This was the first time Mu Liancheng had met Hong Zhiyou.

He never expected that the powerful figure from Northeast China who could bring down a big shot like Shibuya Saburo would be so young.

But with just one glance, from Hong Zhiyou's deep-set eyes and composed demeanor, the shrewd Mu Liancheng could tell that this man was definitely not simple.

"Mr. Mu, I've heard so much about you!" Hong Zhiyou said loudly.

"This must be Madam Mu. I have long admired your reputation in the Peking Opera world. It is my great honor to meet you today." He then looked at the alluring Du Juan.

Before Mu Liancheng could speak, Du Juan rushed forward and bowed gracefully: "Section Chief Hong is too kind. Your presence is an honor to our humble abode."

As she spoke, she looked Hong Zhiyou up and down with her almond-shaped eyes.

I never imagined there could be such a handsome man in the world.

Everyone says that Matsuda Shin is a handsome man from Tsushima, but with his height of only 1.6 meters, he looks like a ridiculous clown next to Hong Ji-yoo, who is 1.87 meters tall, with well-defined features and an exceptionally handsome appearance.

For a moment, Du Juan's heart fluttered with spring fever, and she stared at the scene with wide eyes.

"Ahem." Mu Liancheng coughed lightly, then quickly looked at Huizi, who was dressed in a kimono and possessed a graceful and charming demeanor: "Section Chief Hong, who is this...?"

"Let me introduce you to a few people. This is my friend, Mrs. Sakata Keiko. She is the younger sister of Colonel Sakata Hideo of the 14th Division under Commander Okamura Yasuji," Hong Zhiyou said with a faint smile.

Wearing a kimono, with her hair up and half of her cleavage exposed, Keiko quickly covered her chest and bowed: "Greetings, Boss Mu and Madam, and Lieutenant Matsuda."

"No, no!" Upon hearing this, Mu Liancheng quickly bowed and returned the greeting.

Seeing that Huizi's skin was as smooth and radiant as an egg, and that she was beautiful, elegant, and of noble status, Du Juan felt a pang of unease and forced a forced smile.

"Why is Lieutenant Matsuda here too?" Hong Zhiyou asked with a smile.

His height, nearly 1.9 meters with his leather shoes, gave him a commanding presence and an imposing, arrogant air that exerted a powerful pressure on Matsuda Shin.

What he found even more unbearable was that this very man in front of him had killed his teacher, Shibuya Saburo, whom he revered as a god.

A strong sense of jealousy and inferiority made Matsuda Shin lose all his usual arrogance. He looked away and said, "I heard that Mr. Hong was coming, so I came here to keep him company."

"Yeah, that's good. I just like lively atmospheres," Hong Zhi nodded.

"That's ridiculous. I'll take your life later," Matsuda Shin cursed under his breath, then politely raised his hand and said, "Boss Mu, let's go inside and talk."

……

Behind the second-floor window, Wanqiu was quietly watching everything in the courtyard.

When she saw Hong Zhiyou's face clearly, she was stunned, her face filled with surprise and disbelief.

She had assumed that the person who could compose such moving piano music must be a seasoned scholar, an elderly musician, and perhaps even a bit of a businessman's mercenary nature.

But she never expected that Hong Zhiyou would be so young and so beautiful.

He was like Apollo, the sun god in Western mythology. The moment he stepped into the courtyard, the whole world became dazzling and bright, and even the stuffy air became much fresher.

The thought that such a perfect person was about to die here filled Wanqiu with immense sorrow and fear.

She quickly clutched the note she had written in her hand, and dressed in a beautiful white princess dress, ran downstairs.

Downstairs, Mu Liancheng unfolded a tea tray, and several people were chatting idly.

Wanqiu lifted the hem of her skirt and ran down the street.

She walked rather hastily, her bright eyes filled with a mixture of anxiety and shyness: "Excuse me, are you Mr. Hong, the author of 'Autumn Whispers'?"

"Wanqiu, don't be rude!" Mu Liancheng immediately shouted in a deep voice to stop her.

"Boss Mu, who is this?" Hong Zhi asked Wanqiu deliberately.

At this time, Wanqiu was only sixteen years old and exuded the youthful vibe of a young girl, but looking into her eyes, she was still love-struck.

"This is my niece, Wanqiu."

"I was ignorant and made Section Chief Hong laugh at me."

"Wanqiu, aren't you going to greet Section Chief Hong?"

Mu Liancheng quickly reminded him.

"Mr. Hong, my classmates and I all admire you very much. You are simply a celestial being."

"May I ask where you got the inspiration to create such a beautiful piece of music?" Wanqiu asked shyly and politely, her hands clasped together.

"I dare not claim to be a genius; I just wrote this down when I was bored during my business dealings."

"If Miss Wanqiu likes it, I'll write another piano piece for you after dinner and the play," Hong Zhi said with a faint smile, suppressing the urge to hug her.

"Really? That's great..." Wanqiu excitedly covered her pounding chest.

"Ahem, Wanqiu, don't be rude." Mu Liancheng interrupted with a dry cough and gave her a look.

"Mr. Hong, may I...shake your hand?" Wanqiu asked, her face flushed and her eyes full of pleading.

“Of course.” Hong Zhi nodded.

He generously grasped the long-lost soft, white hand, but felt a strange movement in his palm. Hong Zhi smiled slightly and quietly held the note in his hand.

"Mr. Hong, the opera troupe is about to begin. Please take your seats," Matsuda Shin said coldly.

He could tell that Wanqiu's gaze towards Hong Zhiyou was filled with a young girl's adoration and affection.

This intensified his murderous intent towards Hong Zhi.

Today, no matter what, Hong Zhiyou must die!

Mu Liancheng saw everything, but his heart was pounding.

The note has been handed out; half of my task is complete.

Now, it's up to Hong Zhi to decide his own fate.

He cleared his throat, breaking the somewhat awkward atmosphere:

"Butler Pang, tell the opera troupe to start. Bring up the playbill."

The group sat down in the courtyard.

Ren Changchun and Xiao Guohua followed closely behind, their eyes scanning their surroundings warily.

In the courtyard, on the newly erected stage, several members of the opera troupe, their faces painted, were practicing their voices. Their guttural sounds seemed particularly eerie in the tense atmosphere.

Xiao Guohua's gaze lingered on the props in those people's hands for a moment, and his heart sank.

The swords and spears reflected a chilling light in the sunlight.

That's not a prop.

It's the real deal!

Today, the Mu residence truly proved to be a den of dragons and tigers.

He subtly nudged Ren Changchun, and the two exchanged a glance, their vigilance reaching its peak.

Xiao Guohua walked up to Hong Zhiyou and whispered, "Section Chief Hong, there's an ambush. Mr. Zhou hasn't arrived yet. Why don't we find an excuse to leave quickly?"

“No need, Mr. Zhou is already here,” Hong Zhiyou whispered.

He knew Zhou Yan's character well; even if it were hell on earth or the Eight Thousand Rakshasa Formation, he would definitely come as long as he had promised.

As for how he appeared, that's none of Hong Zhi's business.

If someone's moves are easy for others to guess, they wouldn't be a killer.

As the script was handed over, the grand performance began.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts, several performances were over.

"In the next scene, Guan Yu's righteousness is unparalleled, and Cao Cao walks through Huarong Road!"

With a clear announcement from the announcer, Qiao Niansheng, playing Guan Yu, walked majestically onto the stage, wielding a large sword.

……

(End of this chapter)