You were allowed to marry into No. 76 family, and you were promoted to director?

Chapter 434 Defeat
A dozen minutes later, on Sandao Lane, Fuzhou Road, Shanghai.

A row of black Buick sedans were parked on the side of the road. Zhang Sanjin and Xie Biyan got out of the car one after another and ran towards the entrance of Sandao Lane.

After confirming with his subordinates that no one had come out of the alley, Zhang Sanjin's face lit up with joy. He exchanged a glance with Xie Biran, and the two immediately led more than ten agents from the 76th Division, armed to the teeth, into the alley and began searching house to house.

Less than ten minutes later, Zhang Sanjin sent his men to break down the door of a house and then led them inside.

As soon as Zhang Sanjin entered the courtyard, he smelled the burnt smell of paper.

Zhang Sanjin's pupils contracted, and he raised his hand and waved it forward. The agents behind him filed out, pushed open the door of the room at the end of the courtyard, and quickly went inside to search.

"Third Master, we haven't found him."

"Third Master, we've discovered intelligence that the parts weren't completely burned."

Upon hearing the next sentence, Zhang Sanjin was overjoyed and was about to go inside when Xie Biran arrived with his men.

"So, Third Master, have you found anything?"

Zhang Sanjin glanced at Xie Biran speechlessly. This guy was really good at taking credit.

"Let's go check if there's any information about whether it burned out."

Xie Biran was overjoyed and quickly followed Zhang Sanjin.

Inside the room, Zhang Sanjin looked at the paper he had taken out of the brazier. Most of the first half had been burned, leaving only the last few paragraphs.

These few paragraphs left Zhang Sanjin and Xie Biyuan dumbfounded.

"What the hell?! The national treasures that the Zhenxingqi Society looted from Beiping have actually been found by the underground party and have already been transported away! This is insane!!"

Zhang Sanjin was speechless. If it was really as described here, then Ding Moqun's scheme would have become a joke.
"This"

Originally, they thought they could make amends, but now they realize that, let alone making amends, Ding Moqun's furious outburst upon his return is a good thing; the real fear is that Ding Moqun might not be able to come back at all.

It's worth noting that Ding Moqun invited a large number of Shanghai's elites and celebrities onto the Yamato cruise ship this time.

If it turns out that Ding Moqun had outmaneuvered them, then Ding Moqun will have no place to stand in Shanghai.

Moreover, Tojo Hideo will also offend this group of people by following Ding Moqun.

You see, Tojo Hideo had just arrived in Shanghai, ready to show off his skills, only to find that he had nowhere to stand after disembarking. Tojo Hideo was instantly furious!
Although Shanghai is dominated by Japanese, without the support of these wealthy and influential figures, even with his privileged background, Hideo Tojo wouldn't have been able to thrive in the city.

It's impossible for Hideo Tojo to kill all these wealthy and influential people. Even if he wanted to, the other Japanese who occupy Shanghai wouldn't agree.

If we kill them, who will promote the economic development of Shanghai? Who will invest? Who will support them?
Everything Zhang Sanjin has is given to him by Ding Moqun. Once Ding Moqun is completely crushed, Zhang Sanjin's life will be completely over.

Thinking of this, Zhang Sanjin didn't hesitate at all and immediately looked at Xie Biran and said:
"This information must be reported to the director immediately!"

Xie must have known the seriousness of the matter, but he still hesitated:

"Third Master, we haven't found any underground party members here, but this intelligence was left behind. Could it be fake?"

Snapped--

Xie Biran covered his face and retreated repeatedly. Zhang Sanjin shook his hand, which was still stinging from the slap he had given Xie Biran, and roared furiously:
"Are you fucking an idiot?"

"Whether this intelligence is true or false, we must notify the director immediately. The director will naturally be able to distinguish between truth and falsehood. If this intelligence is true and we haven't notified him, who will bear the consequences—you or I? When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. Xie Biran, you better wake up!"

After saying that, Zhang Sanjin led his men away in a hurry, rushing back to No. 76.

The only person who can contact Ding Moqun now is Zhang Sanjin. He will definitely thank Ding Moqun, but it's only because Zhang Sanjin wants to share some of the responsibility.

After all, as Xie Biran said, if the intelligence was false, then when Ding Moqun blamed him, there would be someone to share some of his anger.

But I never expected Xie Biran to be so brain-dead.

Zhang Sanjin must immediately return to No. 76 and contact the Yamato via radio to inform them of this intelligence.

At sea, inside the banquet hall of the Yamato cruise ship.

The victory celebration banquet has begun.

The record player played beautiful music from Shanghai at night, and in the banquet hall, the invited guests, both men and women, danced to the music.

Wang Yiya, holding a glass of red wine, had already contacted Liu Shiran of Hummingbird.

Wang Yiya was astonished to learn from the hummingbird that Jon had actually calculated the location where the Zhenxingqi Society's national treasures were hidden.

Now, Wang Yiya had no more hesitation about killing Lü Tianting and destroying the black iron box, and took the opportunity to tell Liu Shiran about the plan she had discussed with He Shen.

Upon hearing Wang Yiya's words, Liu Shiran was overjoyed. If they acted according to Wang Yiya and He Shen's plan, they could not only disrupt the auction and prevent the national treasures from leaving the country, but also find the national treasures afterward and send them back to their base.

The two hit it off immediately, and Liu Shiran said she would inform Jon Snow about it right away.

He Shen contacted people on the Military Intelligence Bureau, mainly to find out whether Zheng Yi's measures conflicted with what he and Wang Yiya had discussed.
As a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Nightingale Group, Zheng Yi contacted him as soon as she boarded the ship.

At this moment, He Shen and Zheng Yi were dancing to the music of Shanghai at night. On the dance floor, Zheng Yi also told He Shen about her plan.

"So we're going to wait for the underground party to make the first move?"

Zheng Yi nodded slightly, and as He Shen's raised hand spun around and fell into his arms, Zheng Yi whispered:
"Given the current situation, it is impossible for any plan to be completed by relying on only one side. Therefore, the choice of the underground party is particularly important. Now we just need to wait and see."

On the other side of the dance floor, the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) personnel had begun to observe and slowly moved towards the area where Lü Tianting and Hua Xiaonuan were dancing.

Ye Luyan, who had learned of Wang Yiya and He Shen's plan, was also keeping a close eye on Lü Tianting's location.

Seeing someone approaching, Ye Luyan raised an eyebrow slightly. Just as she was about to go over and probe the situation to see if the person approaching Lü Tianting was from the Military Intelligence Bureau, the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, or even one of their own, Ye Luyan suddenly noticed that Ding Moqun and Tojo Hideo hurriedly left the banquet hall with tense expressions.

This discovery prompted Ye Luyan to quicken her pace to intercept the person approaching Lü Tianting.

The fact that Ding Moqun and Tojo Hideo both left at this time is probably due to some unforeseen circumstances.

Otherwise, Ding Moqun and Tojo Hideo would not have left at this time.

Moreover, not long after the two left, Wang Ningyu said a few words to Fan Dingfang and quickly left the banquet hall.

A woman's intuition told Ye Luyan that something must have happened that she didn't know about.

Therefore, before Ding Moqun and the others return, no action should be initiated.

"Sir, may I dance with you?"

The Central Bureau of Investigation agents who were approaching Lü Tianting and Hua Xiaonuan were stopped by Ye Lüyan.

The Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) agent was speechless, but given the current situation, he couldn't refuse, since he was already on the dance floor.

It's one thing to refuse others, but to refuse Ye Luyan, a woman of great talent, seems very strange no matter how you look at it.

If others notice, especially Lü Tianting's side, then the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics' plan will probably be difficult to complete.

Left with no other choice, the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) agents had to accept Ye Luyan's invitation.

At sea, in the telegraph room of the Yamato cruise ship.

Hideo Tojo looked at the telegram he had just received, his face turning extremely grim.

Ding Moqun felt dizzy and disoriented after just one glance.

"Director Ding, shouldn't you give me an explanation for this matter?"

"You should know that this matter has delayed my trip north. Now, the cabinet has replaced the person leading the north trip with Zhao Xuan. If I don't get the funds from this auction, you won't have an easy time either!"

Ding Moqun took a deep breath, quickly calmed himself down, and said in a deep voice:

“Mr. Tojo, this is just information from the 76th Division. It hasn’t been verified yet. If you want to know if the items were really found and taken away by the underground party, you can ask Hua Xiaonuan and Lü Tianting to come and inquire.” “Moreover, as far as I know, the cultural relics that Lü Tianting put up for auction are only a portion of what they transported out of Beiping. He still has a large batch.”

Hideo Tojo nodded grimly.

"I hope it's as you say."

After saying this, Tojo Hideo immediately arranged for someone to invite Lü Tianting and Hua Xiaonuan over.
Ding Moqun thought for a moment and then added:

"According to our original plan, there must be members of the underground Communist Party, the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS), or the Military Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (MMIS) on this cruise ship."

"Now, their target is most likely Lü Tianting. If we take Lü Tianting away now, our previous plan will probably fall through."

Tojo Hideo glared angrily at Ding Moqun:
"That's your plan! I only care about the funds. If those funds disappear, even if you have to sell everything you own, you, the 76th Division, will make up for it!"

Ding Moqun clenched his fist, then relaxed it, before replying helplessly:

"Hi, Mr. Tojo, but before that, even if we bring Lü Tianting and Hua Xiaonuan over, we must keep an eye on the people in the banquet hall first. Otherwise, I'm worried that the enemies mixed in there might act desperately if things go wrong."

Tojo Hideo did not refute this, and now he was beginning to regret agreeing to Ding Moqun's offer to make this money.

Inside the banquet hall of the Yamato cruise ship, the underground party members, military intelligence agents, and central intelligence agents were all dumbfounded as they watched Lü Tianting and Hua Xiaonuan being taken away.

Upon seeing this, the French Concession Governor Smith wanted to follow, but was stopped by Fan Dingfang and his men.

"Shit! You pieces of shit, you have no right to restrict our personal freedom!"

The members of the World Chamber of Commerce started making a fuss, but the banquet hall quieted down again after Fan Dingfang fired a warning shot.

Outside the crowd, Ye Luyan was wiping her hands with a damp handkerchief, her mind racing.

It seems that something unexpected has indeed happened.

As Ye Luyan was thinking this, at this moment, Hummingbird Liu Shiran approached Ye Luyan and asked in a low voice:
"Jon, what did you see?"

Ye Luyan casually tossed the handkerchief onto a nearby table and replied in a soft voice:
"I don't know, but something unexpected has probably happened to Ding Moqun. Now is not the time to take action. Contact our people immediately and wait and see."

Sitting on the sofa on the east side of the banquet hall, Zheng Yi, holding a glass of brandy, narrowed his eyes slightly.

So far, the underground party hasn't made a move, and the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (Zhongtong) hasn't taken any action either. Then, Lü Tianting and Hua Xiaonuan were taken away. Zheng Yi put down his wine glass, stood up, and silently walked towards Sun Bing and Zhao Jiang.

Now that the situation has changed, she has to remind her subordinates to remain still. Even if others make a move, they cannot act now.

After all, the banquet hall was surrounded by Japanese agents, agents from the 76th Special Forces, and police officers. Taking action under these circumstances would be tantamount to suicide.

However, Wang Yiya was getting a little anxious.

Although Liu Shiran had already conveyed Jon's words to her, she couldn't stop setting up in the power control room.

Looking at the time, in two more minutes, the circuit in the control room would be destroyed. Even if they didn't act then, Ding Moqun and the Japanese would definitely arrest the people on the ship. Right now, Ding Moqun and his men just lacked an excuse to arrest people.

Wang Yiya didn't believe that Ding Moqun was unaware that enemies had infiltrated the cruise ship.

Just then, He Shen, the police station's security captain, walked in, shouting a warning as he went:

"There's a small problem right now. Everyone is in the banquet hall. We will take care of your safety."

"Mr. Smith, and ladies and gentlemen, please cooperate."

After saying those two sentences, He Shen had already walked to a place not far from Wang Yiya and gave her a reassuring look.

Wang Yiya breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving He Shen's signal; the setup in the control room should have been dismantled by He Shen.

In the telegraph room, Hua Xiaonuan and Lü Tianting had just arrived when Ding Moqun informed them of the news he had received.

After hearing Ding Moqun's words, Hua Xiaonuan and Lü Tianting were both amused.

"Director Ding, it's not that I look down on the underground party, but the underground party couldn't possibly find our storage place. Otherwise, the Kuomintang would have found it long ago. Why would they have waited for the underground party?"

Seeing the confident Lü Tianting, Ding Moqun breathed a slight sigh of relief, but still said:

“Mr. Lü, this matter is of great importance, so please tell us the location of the items so we can send someone to check and protect them.”

"Rest assured, I, Ding Moqun, will never break my promise to you. Mr. Tojo is here to testify, do you still have any doubts?"

Seeing that Lü Tianting's expression turned ugly, and even Hua Xiaonuan's face turned cold, Ding Moqun continued:

"Don't misunderstand, although those items have high collectible value, neither Mr. Tojo nor I really care about them."

"Moreover, I have invited celebrities and tycoons from all walks of life in Shanghai this time, including the Governor of the French Concession, Smith, and people from the International Chamber of Commerce. If this deal falls through, do you think I, Ding Moqun, will still have a place in Shanghai?"

"As long as we're sure the items are still there, everything will proceed as planned. So, Mr. Lü, what are you still hesitating about?"

Lu Tianting looked at Hua Xiaonuan beside him. This scene also confirmed Ding Moqun's suspicion that the one who truly had a say in the Zhenxingqi Society was not the nominal president, but Hua Xiaonuan.

Hua Xiaonuan didn't mind being exposed at this point, and simply looked at Ding Moqun and said:
"Director Ding, I have a question before we begin."

Ding Moqun smiled and nodded. Hua Xiaonuan then asked:
"What if, as the intelligence reports, our belongings have been found and taken away by the underground party? What should we do?"

Ding Moqun's smile froze, and Tojo Hideo also began to pant heavily. Clearly, Hua Xiaonuan's question had broken their guard.

"What to do? Whew—"

Ding Moqun let out a long breath, glanced at Tojo Hideo, and said:
"Then we can only say that we did not deceive the gentry and celebrities of Shanghai. It's just that the underground party members were too despicable and stole the treasure they had obtained."

"The Zhenxingqi Society is naturally indignant. I, No. 76, will expose the evil deeds of the underground party to the world and establish a special secret group specifically for the Zhenxingqi Society to deal with the underground party and recover those treasures."

"Doesn't this also fulfill the agreement between Zhenxingqi Society and me?"

Previously, when Hua Xiaonuan learned that her brother was still alive, she had already made a decision: she must build a team for her brother, a team that would not be besieged by any side in Shanghai, and she absolutely could not allow the situation of being besieged by the Special Higher Police to happen again.

As long as the team remains under her brother's control, Hua Xiaonuan feels that everything she has sacrificed is worthwhile.

So after discussing it with Lü Tianting, they decided to contact Ding Moqun.

Ding Moqun was also a very intelligent person. After hearing the bargaining chips that Lü Tianting could offer, he immediately devised this plan to trap Lü Tianting and lure him out.

Of course, the initial plan was not the same as it is now. It was only later that Ding Moqun learned that Tojo Hideo had come to Shanghai and that Tojo Hideo urgently needed a large sum of money.

Only then did the complete plan we have today come about.

This plan can be described as flawless.

But now, even Ding Moqun couldn't understand it. Had those underground party members somehow gotten a cheat code?

They managed to break free from the inescapable trap they had laid.

Ding Moqun knew that once he brought Lü Tianting and Hua Xiaonuan over, the treacherous enemies on the cruise ship would no longer take any action.

In other words, his meticulously planned operation could be declared a failure at this point.

As for Tojo Hideo, he had already been persuaded by Ding Moqun.

After all, the batch of cultural relics that Lü Tianting brought out was only a part; he still had many more in his possession.

Therefore, when Ding Moqun made the statement about using a counter-strategy, Tojo Hideo did not refute it. Even if the batch of Chinese national treasures that Lü Tianting brought out were indeed found and taken away by the underground party, Lü Tianting still had another batch in his possession.

In short, regardless of the outcome, Tojo Hideo is guaranteed to make a profit.

However, Tojo Hideo was still furious at himself for being so blinded by greed and agreeing to Ding Moqun's persuasion. Now that they were in the same boat, it was too late for Tojo Hideo to get off.

(End of this chapter)