Spy game? Stop guessing, I really am an undercover agent!

Chapter 246 The Edge
Two shadowy figures expertly checked Yasuda's pulse and breathing, then quickly searched the room.
He stuffed all the papers with writing on them, along with the original documents that served as "evidence," into a canvas bag he had brought.

One of them took out a small bottle and poured the pungent kerosene inside onto the bed and wooden table.

Then, one of them carried the limp and powerless Yasuda Nobuo onto his shoulder, while the other cautiously observed the movements outside. Just as they had come, the two of them silently disappeared into the shadows of the warehouse district.

Several hours later, a few kilometers away from the Maigen Road warehouse, in a remote and swiftly flowing section of the Suzhou River, early-rising boatmen discovered a floating male corpse.

The body was somewhat bloated from being submerged in the river water, but not for long, and its general appearance was still discernible.

She was wearing an ordinary old kimono and had no items that could prove her identity.

Police officers arrived quickly and, after a preliminary investigation, concluded that the person had accidentally fallen into the water and drowned.

The reason given was that the deceased had no obvious external injuries, consistent with drowning, and that the riverbank near where the body was found was slippery, making it easy for accidents to happen at night.

As for the identity of the deceased, it could not be determined at the moment, and could only be temporarily recorded as "unidentified male corpse".

After the information was transcribed and sent to higher authorities, the police station door was practically broken down by the crowd.

The Shanghai Municipal Government, No. 76, the South Manchuria Railway Bureau of Investigation, the Special Higher Police, the South Branch—all the well-known intelligence agencies came to review the on-site investigation data.

It seems that the death of this Japanese man has stirred everyone up.

Haruki Yoshitane quickly relayed the news of Yasuda's accidental fall into the water to the Land Transport Division.

At this moment, Chen Yang was listening to his subordinates' report on the "progress" of the investigation into the rumors. Upon hearing this, he simply gave a soft "hmm" without any expression on his face, as if he had only heard an insignificant piece of social news.

The main source of the rumors has been physically eliminated, and Nobuo Yasuda, along with his true and false "evidence," has been completely swallowed up by the turbid waters of the Suzhou River.

The remaining issues are how to guide the investigation and how to "explain" things to General Sato and other parties.

After much deliberation, Chen Yang began drafting a report for the New Capital. The report stated that a preliminary investigation had revealed the rumors to be fabricated and spread by "Yasuda Nobuo, a former employee who was demoted due to a work error and harbored resentment, in order to retaliate against the Empire. He has since died in an accident, and some of the fabricated evidence has been seized..."

Outside the window, the Suzhou River continued to flow silently eastward, and Yasuda's death, like the river, was soon submerged in the torrent.

No one cared why he died, nor did anyone care why a Japanese man would be wearing a tattered kimono by the Suzhou River in the middle of the night.

In short, he died, in a confused but inevitable way.

Yangshupu Wharf in Shanghai, evening, exit of Wharf No. 3.

As dusk settled, the surface of the river was shrouded in the misty vapor of early summer, and the beams of searchlights streaked across the vapor with a stark white light.

Today, the dock was under much tighter security than usual, with henchmen from the 76th Division and agents from the Mei Agency standing guard, their eyes scanning any corner that might be hiding danger.

Li Qun and Ding Cun personally oversaw the temporary command post, while Wu Sibao led his team to mingle among the crowds of people receiving the boat and the workers, waiting for the signal that the "fish" had taken the bait.

The massive silhouette of the "Yoyama Maru" slowly approached the shore.

As the mournful sound of the ship's horn rang out, the boat came to a stop at the ferry dock. The gunwale was lowered, and Qian Shizhao, Mr. Wang's personal secretary, appeared at the top of the gangway, surrounded by a group of bodyguards and secretaries.

He was wearing a dark Zhongshan suit and glasses. His face was thin and tired from the long voyage, but his eyes remained alert.

The dock was bustling with activity. Several men dressed in thin black linen shirts, looking like dockworkers, mingled in the crowd, their eyes fixed on Qian Shizhao.

Qian Shizhao, escorted by bodyguards, stepped off the ship. The moment his feet touched the concrete of the dock...

"boom!!"

A violent explosion suddenly erupted from behind a pile of cargo at the entrance to the dock!
Flames erupted, thick smoke billowed, and broken wooden crates and debris flew everywhere!

The huge blast overturned several nearby shelves, and a sharp alarm instantly pierced the sky!
"Watch out, protect Mr. Qian!"

"There are assassins!"

Chaos erupted at the scene!

The bodyguards immediately shielded the still-shaken Qian Shizhao in the middle and quickly retreated to the nearest cover.

The Japanese soldiers and agents of the 76th Special Forces patrolling the dock were on high alert. Some rushed towards the explosion site, while others nervously formed a perimeter, pointing their guns in all directions.

The darkness provided them with natural camouflage. The terrified crowd screamed and scattered, pushing and trampling each other in utter chaos.

Li Qun abruptly stood up in the command post, his face ashen: "What's going on? Didn't I tell you to keep a close watch on all suspicious individuals?"

His plan was for an insider to pass on information, which would then cause a small-scale disturbance. He never expected it to be an explosion of this magnitude!

Ding Cun remained relatively calm, but his eyes were unusually grave: "The explosion point was still some distance from Mr. Qian, it seemed more like a deliberate attempt to create chaos."

"No, they must have another plan. Quick, protect Secretary Qian."

As Ding Cun's voice fell, suddenly, another burst of scattered gunfire rang out.

In the chaos, several sniper shots rang out from an unknown direction, the bullets striking the dock facilities and sending sparks flying.

Several bodyguards formed a group as they escorted Qian Shizhao to his car and away...

With a loud bang, a bullet accurately struck Qian Shizhao's left upper arm, causing blood to gush out immediately.

Qian Shizhao groaned, his face turning deathly pale, and was quickly shoved into the bulletproof car.
The gunman didn't seem to have any intention of killing; he watched as Qian Shizhao was shoved into the car without firing any more shots.

"Watch out, there's a sniper..."

"Secretary Qian is injured, he is bleeding."

"Quickly, to the hospital! Hurry to the hospital!" the bodyguards shouted as they surrounded them.

The agents from the 76th Special Agent Unit all gathered around Qian Shizhao.

The next moment, the black Austin sedan, under even tighter security, sped towards the Tzu Chi Hospital, which was under the control of the Japanese army.

Shanghai, Mei's headquarters.

Li Qun's meticulously planned "fishing" operation has completely failed.

This operation not only failed to uncover any evidence of the mole, but also resulted in the target being injured despite heavy protection. The explosion and shooting incidents further caused both the 76th Division and the Japanese side to lose face.

Upon learning the news, Yingzuo Zhenzhao was furious and summoned Li Qun and Ding Cun, giving them a severe scolding.

However, the chaos was not as simple as they had imagined.

Shortly after the port explosion, in the backyard of the "Jishetang" Chinese medicine shop in the French Concession.

Song Yilin just retrieved the message Chen Yang left in the dead mailbox, confirming the outcome of the port operation…

The explosion successfully created chaos. Qian Shizhao was injured but not in life-threatening condition. The deployment of No. 76 was disrupted, and attention was completely drawn to it.

This means that Chen Yang's "using a counter-strategy" plan has succeeded in its first step.

The next few days will depend on my performance.

Song Yilin lowered her eyes, took a slight breath, and with a slight tremor of her right hand, a thin bamboo skewer appeared in her palm.

With a gentle wave, it seemed as if the candle on the table moved slightly, or perhaps it didn't... Song Yilin's lips curled up slightly, and she turned to leave with satisfaction. Just as the door closed, the unlit candle snapped in two with a "crack".

The cut is smooth and clean, as if it had been cut by a machine...

Shanghai, Tzu Chi Hospital, VIP room on the fifth floor.

After being injured, Qian Shizhao was quickly sent to the top-floor special care ward of Tzu Chi Hospital, which was under Japanese control.

The news was strictly blocked, but Chen Yang still managed to get the exact location and security situation in the first instance.

After suffering a setback at the port, No. 76, like a wounded beast, withdrew most of its strength and surrounded the hospital like an iron barrel.

Li Qun issued a strict order: if Qian Shizhao makes any further mistakes, all those involved will be subject to military law.

The corridor outside the special care ward is full of visible and hidden sentries, and people entering and leaving are subject to the strictest checks. Even the backgrounds of attending physicians and nurses are repeatedly verified.

In this situation, any forceful assault or conventional infiltration would be suicidal.

Location of the dead mailbox in Mingzhu Park, Shanghai.

At 8 PM, Chen Yang's instructions arrived again: "The time has come, eliminate the traitors. Target: Ward 502. Method: be completely silent, create the illusion of a natural or accidental event. Choose your own tools, find your own opportunity. Also, attach a structural diagram of Tzu Chi Hospital."

Song Yilin watched as the two slips of paper burned to ashes in her palm, her eyes calm and unwavering.

She knew this was the most dangerous mission to date. In fact, Chen Yang didn't know that Song Yilin was the one who would do it; he thought a professional assassin would be sent.

What Chen Yang didn't know was that Song Yilin was currently the best assassin in the entire Shanghai market.

Moreover, no one knew Qian Shizhao's importance better than Song Yilin.

But how to get into the hospital? Forcing your way in is not an option, and disguising yourself is extremely difficult.

After thinking for a long time, Song Yilin suddenly thought of the side passageway where the hospital transported medical waste and kitchen swill every morning.

The checks there were relatively lax, and... the stench was so strong that guards were often reluctant to approach.

It was early morning, before dawn, at the side gate of the hospital.

A garbage truck emitting a sour, foul odor slowly drove up.

The guard covered his nose, glanced briefly at the pass shown by the laborer pushing the garbage bins, and casually shone his flashlight on the several tightly covered garbage bins inside the vehicle before waving him away with disgust.

Little did they know that inside one of the empty buckets, Song Yilin was curled up.

The garbage truck stopped in the backyard of the hospital.

Taking advantage of the brief handover between the laborers and logistics personnel, Song Yilin slipped silently out of the barrel wall like a raccoon dog, using the shadows of vehicles and piles of debris to quickly disappear into the hospital.

After bypassing the guards, Song Yilin did not go directly to the top floor. Instead, she sneaked into an empty equipment room, put on a mask and nurse's cap, and carefully hid the bamboo skewers in a special lining in her cuff.

Her gaze lingered on the clock on the wall, but in her mind she was silently calculating the times for nurses' shift changes and doctors' rounds.

At 7:30 in the morning, the hospital is relatively busy, and it is also a time when the guards may relax a little after a night of duty.

Song Yilin calmly walked out of the machine room, pushing a cart filled with disinfection equipment and medicines. With her eyes lowered, she walked steadily toward the private elevator leading to the top floor.

There are special agents from Unit 76 on duty at the elevator entrance.

As she pushed her cart over, the agent eyed her warily.

"Change the dressing." Song Yilin's voice, coming through her mask, was a little hoarse from exhaustion. Then, she showed a nurse's ID card that she had recently taken from the nurses' station.

The agent checked the list in his hand and then looked at the items on her cart. Finding nothing unusual, he waved her into the elevator.

The atmosphere in the top-floor corridor was even more somber.

Almost every few steps there was a plainclothes agent standing there, their eyes scanning everything like those of a hawk.

Qian Shizhao's ward was at the end of the corridor, with two armed guards standing at the door.

Song Yilin pushed the cart, walking slowly but steadily, her heart pounding like a drum.

She could feel countless gazes falling on her.

Song Yilin took a breath and forced herself to relax, focusing her gaze on the ground in front of her, like an ordinary nurse who had become numb from working overtime for a long time.

When she arrived at the ward door, the guard stopped her.

"Change the dressing and clean the wound," Song Yilin repeated her prepared statement and showed her pass.

A guard went in to ask for permission, and came out a moment later, indicating that she could go in, but his eyes remained fixed on her.

Inside the ward, Qian Shizhao lay on the hospital bed, his left arm wrapped in bandages. His face was pale from blood loss and shock, and he looked much more haggard. His eyes still held the fear of the attack on the port.

A doctor and a full-fledged intensive care unit nurse are recording his vital signs.

Song Yilin's appearance did not attract much attention.

She quietly parked the trolley in the designated spot next to the bed and began preparing the instruments and dressings needed for changing the dressing. Her movements were skilled and standardized, just like those of the other nurses.

After recording the data, the doctor whispered a few words to the nurse and left the ward.

The nurse then began to assist Song Yilin in removing the old bandages from Qian Shizhao's arm.

The opportunity was now! Only the two of them and Qian Shizhao on the bed remained in the ward. The guard at the door had his back to the ward, and his view was partially blocked by the door.

As Song Yilin bent down to retrieve a sterile cotton swab from the bottom of the cart, her right hand subtly twitched, and the cold bamboo swab slid into her palm.

Her movements were perfectly fluid, as if she had rehearsed them a thousand times.

Song Yilin moved as the nurse turned to get a new roll of bandage!
She leaned forward slightly, seemingly to examine the wound more closely, and gently pressed her left hand on Qian Shizhao's intact right shoulder, as if to comfort him.

Qian Shizhao subconsciously glanced at her, his eyes somewhat unfocused.

In that split second, Song Yilin's right hand, with its accumulated strength and precise angle, pierced Qian Shizhao's left chest through the thin hospital gown!

The location is perfect, right at the heart!

The bamboo skewer was incredibly precise, encountering almost no resistance before piercing through the gap between the ribs and precisely into the beating heart!
Qian Shizhao's body stiffened abruptly, his eyes widened suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply, and his mouth opened slightly as if he wanted to shout, but he only managed to utter a very faint "ho".

The intense, agonizing pain instantly robbed him of all his life force. His eyes quickly dimmed, his head lolled to the side, and his vital signs vanished rapidly!
All of this happened so fast, in just a second or two.

The nurse who turned around with the bandage saw Song Yilin seemingly adjusting the patient's clothes, while the patient suddenly became unresponsive!
"Patient! What's wrong with the patient?!" the nurse cried out in alarm.

Song Yilin's face showed shock and panic. She quickly took a step back, as if she had been frightened, and shouted, "Quick! Call a doctor! The patient's condition is not right!"

The surgery was successful. I'll rest for a few days, everyone, don't worry. I, Hu Hansan, will definitely be back...

(End of this chapter)