Iron bridge standoff

Boom! Two dazzling streaks of light suddenly cleaved through the night. The engine of the black sedan roared almost maniacally, while the military jeep behind it followed closely behind. Suddenly, it accelerated, and the two vehicles were almost touching.

Suddenly, the military jeep lurched forward, its rear end swinging sharply as it squeezed towards the inside line.

With a screech, the cars scraped against each other, sending up a string of dazzling sparks. The black car smoothly drew an arc and immediately swerved to the left to avoid the collision.

The red light came on, but both cars floored the gas pedal and crossed the road in the blink of an eye, the sound of the wind drowning out the thunder in their ears.

"He's gone mad!" Shan Hai rode his three-seater motorcycle behind the two vehicles.

"Speed ​​up. Keep up with him!" Qingcheng shouted to Shanhai.

With a loud crash, the military jeep slammed into the side of the black car, sending it flying out of control like a spinning top that had been whipped, its tires leaving two jagged scorch marks on the asphalt.

Just as the black car shifted and adjusted, the rear window was rolled down.

"Duck down, slow down!" Qingcheng's heart tightened, and his sharp shout exploded almost simultaneously with the first gunshot.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Several tongues of fire suddenly shot out from the rolled-down car window, and after a few muffled clangs, the Jeep's windshield cracked into a spiderweb pattern.

Crash! The jeep's window was smashed from the inside, and a thicker gun barrel suddenly protruded from the empty windshield—it was Lieutenant Lu!

Da da da da...

Unlike the crisp sound of a rifle, it was the distinctive beating sound of a submachine gun, with a dense hail of bullets exploding in the air, sending sparks flying.

Just as Qingcheng breathed a sigh of relief, whoosh—a scorching stream of air whistled past Qingcheng's helmet, and Duang~ she felt a jolt in her head.

"Thank goodness I wore a helmet," Qingcheng patted her chest with lingering fear.

"Be careful! If you get hurt, I'll be in trouble." Shan Hai's worries were interrupted by the sound of the wind and gunfire.

"You drive however you want. This direction leads to the dock." Kiyosumi had barely finished speaking.

Bang! Another teeth-grinding bang rang out, it seemed Gao Junxiao was determined to force Zhang Renjiu to stop. Amidst the blinding hail of bullets, the two vehicles clashed violently.

The gunfire suddenly subsided, and it seemed that the bullets in the black car were almost used up. The car suddenly made a sharp turn and rushed into the dark alley. The military jeep didn't have time to turn and braked hard, but due to inertia, it slid several meters.

"Gao Junxiao, the two ahead turn left and block him." Qingcheng didn't care whether he heard her or not, and ordered Shanhai to follow closely behind.

Suddenly, debris flew everywhere in the alley, and dogs barked incessantly. Qingcheng discovered that this alley was a shortcut to the dock area, and the exit ahead was gleaming with white light.

They sped out of the alley, the salty sea breeze hitting their faces. Suddenly, the view opened up before them, revealing the murky sea and the distant twinkling lights of fishing boats. They had arrived at the dock!

The black car finally realized there was a little tail behind it. Its men raised their guns, which had been reloaded, and arrogantly made a neck-slashing gesture at Qingcheng and the others.

Bang!

The bullet missed, and the black car was spun around on the spot. The people inside were thrown out of the car, and the front of the military jeep slammed into the side and rear of the black car.

Gao Junxiao reversed a little, then stepped on the gas, and with a crash, both cars slid out of control toward the edge of the dock due to the enormous inertia.

Under the immense impact, Zhang Renjiu hurriedly jumped out of the car and rolled towards the gantry crane base. Blood was dripping from his forehead as he stumbled and ran away.

At the same time, Gao Junxiao pushed open the car door, steadily raised the muzzle of his gun, and fired at Zhang Renjiu's feet in a playful manner.

That's too brutal! Qingcheng's eyes met Gao Junxiao's, and she immediately put on a smile and gave him an OK sign to indicate that she had landed safely.

Shan Hai jumped off his motorcycle and blocked Zhang Renjiu's escape route with his gun: "Run, run again."

Gao Junxiao, Lu Xian, and Shan Hai formed a triangle around Zhang Renjiu. Zhang Renjiu pleaded in a trembling voice, "Heroes, there's no need for this. If you want money, I have plenty. The boxes are full of exquisite cultural relics, worth ten garden villas in Shanghai. Can you buy my life?"

"Tell me yourself how much your life is worth. Is it enough to cover the deaths of all the people in the three northeastern provinces?" Gao Junxiao said coldly.

Zhang Renjiu's eyes darted around: "I also have the Japanese's latest generation of poison gas formula, that Sakura. Is that enough?"

"A formula? How do I know that what you have is the real formula?" Gao Junxiao said dismissively.

“I participated in their experiments and provided them with test subjects.” A ruthless glint suddenly flashed in Zhang Renjiu’s eyes.

Something was wrong. Qingcheng glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw more than a dozen men dressed in dark, tight-fitting clothes emerge from the dark corner. Several figures had already nimbly climbed onto the high container and occupied the best shooting angle!

"An ambush!" A chill ran down her spine. Several armed figures appeared behind her, quickly closing in. In the blink of an eye, the four of them were surrounded, their escape route completely blocked.

Zhang Renjiu, who had just been feigning weakness, put on his usual cunning face: "Mr. Xia, welcome to my dock."

"Since you're welcoming us, why are you being so sarcastic? Is this how Rentang treats its guests?" Qingcheng hid behind Gao Junxiao, only her eyes showing.

The reinforcements didn't fire immediately. Zhang Renjiu sneered, "Heh, how about we go sit at the Hongkou Command Headquarters? They have good tea there."

"You've got some nerve. You just tried to break free of your leash and run away, and now you want to crawl back to being a dog? Aren't you afraid people will cook you like dog meat?" Qingcheng retorted sarcastically.

Zhang Renjiu's lips twitched: "No matter how stubborn you are, you're a sitting duck. Surrender now, and I'll only arrest you. I don't want to offend the others for the time being."

"Then we'll probably have to ask Mr. Gao if he agrees." Qingcheng put her hand on Gao Junxiao's shoulder.

"Tch, why waste so much time arguing with him?" Gao Junxiao raised his gun, his meaning clear: "Let's just do it."

"Hahaha, are you guys enough?" Zhang Renjiu grinned maliciously and waved his hand.

Whoosh—Pfft!

The henchman beside Zhang Renjiu fell straight down, a blood-dripping white feathered arrow stuck in his head.

"Who the hell? Who the hell is still using a bow and arrow?" Zhang Renjiu shouted, his smile freezing on his face.

The sound of wind cutting through the air, and with a whoosh, two more henchmen fell, struck by arrows. A desperate killing intent filled the air, and Zhang Renjiu frantically fled in all directions with the crowd.

"Charge out!" Gao Junxiao opened fire in quick succession, the gun spitting fire. This sudden commotion was the opportunity he had been waiting for.

The continuous gunfire was like a thunderclap. Under the heavy fire, the originally tight encirclement broke through a gap. However, this was Zhang Renjiu's territory after all, and reinforcements kept pouring in.

Click! Just as Gao Junxiao and his men ran out of bullets, a furious roar came from above the container: "Executioner's order! Arrest the traitor Zhang Renjiu! Your crimes are too numerous to count!"

The voice was like ice, making everyone who heard it shudder and even halting their fighting. Gao Junxiao made a quick decision, protecting Qingcheng and hiding behind the tall cargo box.

The voice continued to read, each word sharp and clear:

"Firstly, they colluded with Japanese pirates, secretly exchanged favors, and let the wolf into the house, which is a crime equivalent to treason."

"Secondly, he harmed his comrades, acted as an accomplice to evil, and his hands were stained with the blood of his compatriots. His crimes deserve to be punished."

"Thirdly, the illegal trafficking of cultural relics, which resulted in the outflow of national treasures, is an unforgivable crime."

"The Punishment Hall sentences you to three cuts and six holes, and beheading as a warning to others! Execute immediately as a deterrent!" With this pronouncement, the true power of the Punishment Hall was no longer concealed.

Thump! With a muffled sound, a henchman fell from the container, blood gushing out from beneath him, his body riddled with three cuts and six holes.

"The torture chamber! It really is the torture chamber!"

"They're serious!"

"Run!"

At the end of the dock lies an even deeper abyss. The elite members of the Punishment Hall emerge from the shadows like ghosts, dressed in uniform dark outfits and wearing Guan Gong masks, revealing only their cold eyes.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The shock and fear in the henchmen's eyes became their final portrait; smoke and blood mingled together, and the encirclement crumbled instantly. Zhang Renjiu pulled his men to shield him from bullets as he ran towards the steel bridge.

"Stop him quickly, the Japanese concession is right across the street." Kiyosumi was the first to react.

Gao Junxiao was only a few steps away from Zhang Renjiu. He kicked the henchman to the ground, but Zhang Renjiu suddenly rolled over and dodged Gao Junxiao's grabbing hand in a disheveled manner.

Upon seeing this, Qingcheng took off after him, with Gao Junxiao close behind. She had only one goal—to prevent Zhang Renjiu from escaping into the Japanese concession!

Once he sets foot in that lawless land, catching him will be as difficult as climbing to heaven.

The steel bridge spans the murky river, like a sleeping monster lying in the twilight, only twenty meters away from Zhang Renjiu. The water is so clear that you can even see the patterns on his clothes.

Swoosh—

Another sharp whistling sound pierced the air, and Zhang Renjiu cried out in pain as he fell to the ground, a white-feathered arrow embedded in his left calf.

A masked man emerged from the steel frame on the side of the bridge. It seemed he had already guessed that Zhang Renjiu would run this way, so he lay in ambush here.

This person… Qingcheng looked at his gray Zhongshan suit and was speechless. Was CC not paying Zhang Chong's salary or something? Couldn't he at least change his clothes?

On the other side of the bridge, faint whistles and shouts seemed to come—the commotion had alerted the police on the other side.

The box full of treasures was abandoned. Zhang Renjiu dragged his injured leg and crawled towards the other side of the bridge by grabbing the road with his hands. However, Gao Junxiao caught up with him and fired a shot, extinguishing Zhang Renjiu's hope of escape.

Gao Junxiao looked down at Zhang Renjiu, his eyes filled with frost: "Sorry, the jurisdiction over this bridge still belongs to the International Settlement."

Zhang Renjiu lay on the ground and pulled out a cloth bag from his pocket: "Don't kill me! Heroes, I have the Japanese's handwritten formula and test samples. You can have them tested; they're definitely real."

Zhang Chong's bowstring remained taut, the arrow steadily aimed at Zhang Renjiu's heart. Zhang Renjiu's hopes were dashed, but he quickly pulled out a letter: "Sir, I have top-secret intelligence about the Communist Party. As long as you arrest them, you'll definitely get promoted and make a fortune."

Gao Junxiao's expression hardened, and Zhang Chong's arrow loosened. Zhang Renjiu, panting, shouted, "There is a regimental commander in the Songhu Command, codenamed 'Honghu,' who has the No. 1 document that the Communist Party didn't have time to take away."

"Honghu!" Qingcheng's pupils suddenly contracted. She had never heard of this code name before, but according to the code name rules she knew, this person could be an agent on Jiang Yun's line, right?

Perhaps seeing the shocked expressions on everyone's faces, Zhang Renjiu felt there was a chance: "The message is a top-secret telegram intercepted by the Mei Agency. The name 'Document Number One' sounds quite important. The Japanese have already sent their top ninjas to assassinate him and seize the document. Don't you want to know who this person is?"

“Tell me, and I can get you a job in the Japanese concession,” Zhang Chong said.

"Zhang Chong, what are you trying to do? In order to find the Communist Party, you actually want to let go of a blood-stained traitor. You don't want to become a traitor too, do you?" Gao Junxiao recognized the other party's voice and turned his gun towards Zhang Chong.

"To repel external aggression, we must first pacify internal strife," Zhang Chong said through gritted teeth, as if he were trying to convince himself.

"Hahaha, why don't you two have a fight? Whoever wins, I'll give the intelligence to them, hahahaha."

Just as Zhang Renjiu's maniacal laughter reached its peak, a "red flower" appeared on his forehead, abruptly stopping his laughter. Zhang Renjiu collapsed to the ground, dying with his eyes wide open.

"Gao Junxiao, what are you doing?" Zhang Chong pulled down his mask.

“I didn’t fire. If I had, half his head would be gone.” Gao Junxiao raised the submachine gun in his hand.

Zhang Chong's resentful gaze swept over Qingcheng again, and Qingcheng shrugged: "It wasn't me. I ran out of bullets at Sincere Department Store, and now I have a gun but no bullets."

"Section Chief, I was the one who hit him." Xue Ying strode over from behind everyone.

"Xue Ying, what do you mean? He was just about to say his name." Zhang Man looked incredulous.

"Section Chief, can you believe the words of a traitor? Open your eyes and see who's around you. They're your compatriots." Xue Ying roared, pointing at the corpses on the ground. "And look at who your enemies are. They're traitors and Japanese devils who invaded our territory."

"To repel external aggression, we must first pacify internal strife." Zhang Chong repeated this phrase as if chanting a sutra.

"Is it possible to keep ceding sovereignty and territory just to maintain internal stability? Besides, has the CCP done anything heinous? I haven't seen it. On the contrary, I see the blood of the people of Northeast China staining the land red." Xue Ying pointed hysterically in the direction of Northeast China.

"Xue Ying, are you trying to cooperate with the Communists? I'll kill you." Zhang Chong's expression was complex, filled with pain, inner conflict, and reluctance.

Xue Ying revealed an indifferent expression: "I heard that the underground party in Northeast China has formed a volunteer army to resist the Japanese invaders. If you don't kill me, I will go to Northeast China to join the volunteer army tomorrow. I would rather die standing than live on my knees."

The night wind stopped at that moment, and the light rain began to fall again.

Zhang Chong aimed his bow and arrow at Xue Ying's heart, but his hand was trembling slightly.

call out--

The arrow flew out and struck Zhang Renjiu's still-bleeding gunshot wound. Zhang Chong turned his face away, refusing to look at his once most favored subordinate: "Get out! Get as far away as possible, before I change my mind."

In the dim light, Xue Ying's face was unusually pale. He took a deep breath, bowed deeply to Zhang Chong, and then resolutely turned and left.

The footsteps of the Japanese concession police were already approaching the iron bridge. Gao Junxiao made a quick decision, grabbing the national treasure box in one hand and Qingcheng's arm with the other, and retreated towards the public concession.

The turbid river water beneath the bridge still surges, swallowing the secrets of death and silently witnessing this severing of ties.

Having finally recovered the national treasure, Gao Junxiao and Qingcheng both breathed a sigh of relief. Sincere Department Store was being maintained by the comrades of the International Brigade, so there was no need to go back.

As soon as a person stops, their brain starts working at high speed. Qingcheng glanced at Gao Junxiao, who was driving. Ever since the traitor exposed Honghu, this guy has looked preoccupied.

An indescribable sense of unease lingered in her heart. In fact, she had just noticed that Gao Junxiao's hand was already halfway on the trigger, but Xue Ying was just faster.

“I think…” The two spoke almost at the same time, and then Gao Junxiao gentlemanly let Qingcheng speak first.

"I need to mail something; I have to return the token that the disciplinary hall borrowed from me." Kiyosumi made up an excuse; she had a Japanese telegram that she had stolen when they weren't looking in her pocket.

"You're being too inconsiderate. You should personally return this to thank Master Situ properly," Gao Junxiao criticized.

"My Red Flower Order hasn't been withdrawn yet, how can I show my face?" Qingcheng pouted and complained.

"I almost forgot about that. Go ahead then." Gao Junxiao didn't argue anymore and raised his hand to rub his temples.

"Stop in the alley ahead," Qingcheng pointed ahead.

The dim streetlights cast flickering shadows on the wet flagstones. Qingcheng pushed open the car door and headed straight for the transit station hidden behind the post office. She gave the telegram to Jiang Yun to decipher; he would surely make the necessary preparations.

After Qingcheng's figure disappeared from the post office, Gao Junxiao slipped into the cramped public phone booth and dialed a number: "Hello, it's me. The herbal tea I made for my mother last time worked very well. I want one that's even more effective. She was frightened tonight and coughed up some blood. You can add some dried tangerine peel from Xinhui to soothe her throat, but don't use it for too long, or it might get infested with insects. Also, don't use your old stove; it has a burnt smell."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, as if someone was processing the information. After a long pause, they replied, "I just did a divination for myself, and it's a very bad omen."

"Misfortune may be the foundation of fortune, and great misfortune may also be great fortune. Just do as I say." Gao Junxiao hung up after saying this, and suddenly a figure appeared outside the condensed glass.

He pushed open the phone booth and found it was Qingcheng. Qingcheng stared at him suspiciously, and he could only force a smile: "I'm here to keep my mother safe. Go back to sleep early, don't bring your dark circles to the wedding."

"Oh," Kiyosumi replied perfunctorily.

In the damp, cold night, the two, each with their own thoughts, boarded the car to return home.