Espionage codename: Shen Gongbao

July 1939, Wanglongmen Detention Center in Shancheng.

The passageway was dimly lit.

The prisoners hung their heads listlessly, forming a long line to sign their names.

"Hurry, hurry!"

"You're taking so long to put your fingerprints on! Didn't we feed you?"

Every now and then, police officers would shout urging them on.

"Director Zhao, aren't things getting a little urgent from above?"

"Six batches of prisoners have already been executed this month, and many of them are simply not..." Warden Chen Tai'an hesitated, unable to finish his sentence.

"Old Chen, the situation is dire, and we have no choice but to accept it."

"The Wang Jingwei regime established No. 76."

"With the support of the Japanese, Zhou Fohai spent lavishly and instigated Ye Peng to defect in Hong Kong. Ye Peng was an old member of the Fuxing Society and a lieutenant general in the Nationalist government." Zhao Shirui, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, sighed with his hands behind his back.

As the first head of the inspection department of the garrison command in the mountain city, he had no choice but to obey orders.

"Not long ago, He Xingjian and Chen Mingchu also defected."

"The Chairman and Director Dai were furious."

"Now, the Wang Jingwei regime's spies in Chongqing are stirring up trouble everywhere, advocating the fallacy of national subjugation and the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, and the upper echelons of the Nationalist government are yearning for change."

"The General's meaning is very clear."

"The enemy has money and beautiful women, we have guns. Anyone who wants to be a traitor should think twice before making a decision!"

"These prisoners are the 'chickens' used to deter traitors!"

Zhao Shirui's tone turned serious as he pointed at the prisoner.

"But they are not traitors! They are not Japanese or Zhou Fohai's spies."

"Many of them are just homeless people on the streets."

Chen Tai'an frowned even more deeply. This was not a campaign to eliminate traitors; it was blatant disregard for human life.

"Old Chen!"

"Put away your womanly compassion."

"With the nation in peril, keeping these people alive would be a waste of food; they've died a worthy death."

Zhao Shirui frowned and said unhappily.

"Next up, Li Yaowa!"

Inside the passageway, a policeman shouted at a young man who looked bewildered and walked slowly.

The young man looked around, his eyes filled with fear.

"Did you stuff donkey hair in your ears?"

"hurry up!"

A policeman with a pockmarked face next to him swung his baton and started hitting him.

Under intense pain.

Wang Xuesen snapped out of his shock.

Am I not a translator for a multinational oil company in Venezuela?

Did the Americans launch a sneak attack and I get bombed?

where is this?

who am I?

Countless fragments of memories flooded my mind.

July 19, 1939, Mountain City.

The original owner of this body was named Li Yaowa, and he was a subordinate of Liu Sanye, a big boss at Chaotianmen Wharf. He made a living by reselling soap and matches on the black market.

Unfortunately, he ended up having an affair with Liu Sanye's concubine.

That's why Third Master sent them in to fill the quota.

"Traitor! Colluder!"

"Shoot him immediately!"

Looking at the tiny words on the document, a chill ran down Wang Xuesen's spine.

No!

They were hit by a missile, and then by a bullet.

A vicious cycle!

This is clearly a frame-up, a fabrication. Why is no one protesting their innocence? Looking at the blank, lifeless faces under the light, Wang Xuesen instantly understood.

Judging from their clothes and weathered appearance, most of these prisoners were poor.

They are completely illiterate!

No!

Signing it means certain death!

"I am not a Japanese spy, a traitor, or a lackey!"

"This is a frame-up, a deception."

"Don't sign! If you do, you'll be sent to Chaotianmen Wharf and executed!"

"I'm going to die either way," Wang Xuesen shouted.

Execution?

The previously dull prisoner suddenly awoke from his daze and became flustered and noisy.

"You are treating human life like dirt!"

"The Kuomintang's dog spies can't deal with the Japanese, so they want to use us as traitors. Everyone, please don't put your fingerprints on this post."

"My uncle knows people in the Executive Yuan, I'm going to sue you."

Some of the bolder prisoners joined in the commotion.

The police rushed in, blowing whistles, and started beating people they caught.

"What happened?" Chen Tai'an asked.

"Some literate people are refusing to sign and are making a scene," someone nearby reported.

"That's the leader."

As he spoke, he pointed to the prisoners who were raising their arms and shouting.

Zhao Shirui's gaze unconsciously shifted over, and upon closer inspection, a flash of fear and astonishment crossed his eyes, followed by ecstatic joy.

However, he was extremely shrewd, and his face remained ashen.

"What's his name?"

"His name seems to be Li Yaowa, a small-time hoodlum at Chaotianmen Wharf. He slept with Liu Sanye's concubine, and Chief Zeng of the wharf police station personally put in a good word for him."

"Ha, how dare he incite trouble, Chief Chen, I will punish this person severely."

"Someone come here!"

"take away!"

Zhao Shirui looked solemn and secretly gave the guard a look.

The guard understood... a secret transfer.

"Director Zhao, look, the prisoners are making a scene, how about..." Chen Tai'an glanced at him and whispered a suggestion.

His mother is a Buddhist.

Recently, the Military Intelligence Bureau, the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, and the police have been sending batches of people to the detention center, on charges of being spies, traitors, or economic criminals who resell goods.

Although it was done to deter and stabilize public sentiment, it still involved human lives.

Chen Tai'an is afraid of retribution.

"Making a scene?"

"This is the wartime capital, with Chairman Chiang Kai-shek and Boss Dai keeping things in check. Which troublemaker would dare to cause trouble!"

"Gag them and immediately take them to the dock for execution by firing squad!"

Zhao Shirui coldly gave the order and turned to leave.

We got outside.

He stepped halfway into the car, turned to his trusted bodyguard, and gave him instructions:

"Xiao Xu, take that Li Yaowa to take a bath, find a good tailor shop to make him a suit, and settle him in my private residence for now. I will come to pick him up in person tonight."

"Yes, Chief!" The guard acknowledged the order and left.

Got in the car.

Zhao Shirui wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

This is weird!

How can there be people in the world who look so alike?

This Li Yaowa is practically a carbon copy of the second-generation scion of the Wang family whom I recently executed.

This is fucking bizarre!

However, whether it's a person or a ghost, we'll have to ask Boss Dai's discerning eye to tell.

It might just be another miraculous feat.

……

Night, 9:17 PM!

Dai Li flipped through the documents in his hand, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

There is a photo in the document.

A striking name: Wang Xuesen.

Dai Li had read it over and over again no less than ten times.

After a long silence, as if he had made up his mind, he looked at his trusted steward, Jia Jinnan, who was standing to the side: "Xuewen has been gone for some years now."

"4 years and 109 days".

"In 35, at Shanghai North Railway Station, Wang Yaqiao attempted to assassinate his boss, and Xuewen risked his life to protect him but unfortunately perished."

Jia Jinnan said in a somber tone.

He and Wang Xuewen were known as Dai Li's right and left protectors, and they were also like brothers in private.

Wang Xuesen is Xuewen's younger brother.

"Has the body been identified?" Dai Li asked.

"Director Zhao and I went to dig up the grave in the evening and confirmed that the body was indeed Wang Xuesen."

"The secret investigation was carried out personally by Director Zhao, and he did a very meticulous job."

"Besides you, even Director Mao and the Wang family members don't know. The outside world all thinks that Wang Xuesen is still fooling around or has fled to Hong Kong."

Jia Jinnan answered efficiently.

Dai Li nodded: "Yes, it needs to be meticulous."

"Old Master Wang is a veteran of the Party and the State, with deep roots."

"Now both the Wang Jingwei regime and the Chairman hope that he can act as a stabilizing force. If the secret execution of Xue Sen is leaked, it will cause a lot of trouble for the Wang family."

"Don't worry, Director Zhao knows what he's doing," Jia Jinnan said.

"Has Shen Zui arrived?" Dai Li asked.

"I've been here for quite a while, but I didn't dare to disturb you."

"To see or not to..."

Jia Jinnan glanced at him cautiously, but didn't continue.

"I'll see you." Dai Li's lips twitched slightly, a faint smile appearing on his face.

Jia Jinnan breathed a sigh of relief.

Since the establishment of the 76th Division by the Wang Jingwei regime, the Military Intelligence Bureau's network in Shanghai has suffered repeated blows, and the Chairman has repeatedly reprimanded it. The Director has been worried and suffered from insomnia for many days. His smile this time suggests that he has already made a plan.

Jia Jinnan accepted the order and left.

A moment later, a dejected Shen Zui strode in, bowing deeply to apologize:

"Your subordinate is incompetent; the assassination attempt on the traitor Wang Jingwei in Hanoi failed. I beg you, Boss, to punish me!"

"Wang Zhaoming may dodge the first day of the month, but he can't dodge the fifteenth!"

"sit!"

Dai Li had an expressionless face, making it difficult to discern his emotions.

Shen Zui swallowed hard and entered the teahouse with a heavy heart.

Dai Li looked at his trusted general and said, "Have you heard about He Tianfeng and Chen Mingchu's betrayal?"

Shen Zui nodded and said, "I heard that he was turned by Linzhijiang."

"Chen Mingchu was in charge of personnel. His defection put us in a passive position in Shanghai."

"yes!"

Dai Li crossed his arms and touched his temples in worry: "The problem now is that we can't keep passively taking hits; we have to find a way to turn the tide!"

"I am willing to volunteer to go to Shanghai."

Just as Shen Zui was about to stand up to volunteer, Dai Li gestured for him to sit down:

"The Chairman's dissatisfaction stems from the fact that people like Zhou Fohai, along with the Japanese, have been actively recruiting key figures in the Party and the State, planting many spies within our ranks."

"But we were completely blind to their true nature."

"They did a great job with these red tickets. They have Qian Zhuangfei, so why can't we have Li Zhuangfei and Liu Zhuangfei?"

"You mean to send a spy to infiltrate 76 and strike at the heart of the enemy?" Shen Zui understood.

"Take a look." Dai Li pushed the documents over.

"The second young master of the Wang family?"

"I remember he once worked under Wang Jingwei. When Wang was the party representative at the Whampoa Military Academy, he valued him highly, and the two had a teacher-student relationship."

"Besides, this guy is a playboy. Chongqing is a remote and isolated place, while Shanghai is a paradise on earth. It makes sense that he would go there to seek refuge."

"She's a good candidate."

Shen Zui knew of this famous second-generation rich kid from the Wang family.

"Not bad?" Dai Li sneered.

"Wang Xuesen had long been secretly colluding with the Wang Jingwei regime."

"We obtained his secret telegrams with Chen Bijun, and at the same time, we found important intelligence on him."

"He bribed people in the aide-de-camp and the official residence, and collected all the information about the Chairman's official residence, air defense facilities, and living habits."

"If we hadn't investigated in time, the consequences of this information falling into the hands of the Japanese would have been devastating."

"This man's harm is comparable to that of a traitor to the nation!"

Even if I execute him a hundred or a thousand times, it won't quell the hatred in my heart!

Dai Li tapped his fingers on the table, annoyed.

"Wang Xuesen was secretly dismissed, then..." Shen Zui was a little confused.

"One of the disobedient ones died."

"Then let's create another one that's obedient!"

"Don't rush back to Changde to report for duty."

"Manager Jia will take you to see someone later."

"Take two weeks out of your time and give him a proper makeover!"

Dai Li took a sip of tea, a shrewd smile playing on his lips: "Didn't Chen Bijun want to turn him against her?"

"Let's turn the tables on her, do as she wishes, and cultivate our own Wang Zhuangfei!"

"Straight to the heart of the Wang Jingwei regime!"

"Your Excellency's insight is brilliant! I obey!" Shen Zui stood up respectfully.

……