Chapter 246
The air still lingered with the smell of gunpowder and blood. That was the scent Rong Zhou had left behind a few days ago in that glittering brothel in the Japanese Concession. Like a silent scalpel, he had precisely slit the throats of the invaders.
Rong Zhou lay dormant in the shadows, his fingertips twitching imperceptibly. Two poisonous needles, condensed from pure internal energy and as thin as cow hair, were ready to be launched.
Since he had already ignored it, what he had to do now was a more thorough "clean-up". If he wanted to change the Nanjing Incident that was about to happen but had not yet happened, he had to first tie down the military forces in the entire East China region and prevent them from advancing westward.
The most effective method was decapitation. The first two high-ranking Japanese military and political officials stationed in Shanghai were killed in this manner, in what they believed to be a safe, secret base. When the news spread, the entire high-ranking Japanese military in Shanghai was in a state of panic. Like frightened rats, they retreated to deeper, more secluded safe houses.
This caused great trouble for Rong Zhou's operation. It took him three full days to find out the hiding place of his third target - the head of the Army Secret Service - through the secret lines woven by the underground party.
The safe house Rong Zhou was looking for was hidden deep in a secluded alley on the edge of the French Concession. It wasn't a sturdy fortress, but rather an old-looking Chinese-style Shikumen house.
Instead of entering directly from the alley entrance, he went around to a narrower passage behind the house. It was filled with garbage and rarely visited. He clung to the shadow of the fire wall like a fallen leaf, listening intently.
By amplifying his hearing through his inner force, he caught the sounds of movement in the house: three breathing sounds, one steady (the old housekeeper), two rapid (the ambushing spies)
There is also a weaker, more regular breathing coming from the wing room on the left side of the living room, which should be the target.
After confirming his deployment, Rong Zhou began to move. He took a few steps, quickly stomping his feet against the vertical wall, using the force to climb upward like a gecko.
When he was about to reach the height of the broken glass on the wall, he suddenly exerted force, his body drew an arc in the air, and silently passed over the wall and landed in the pile of debris in the corner of the patio, without even disturbing a fallen leaf.
The moment he landed, he darted out like a civet cat. Before the old butler could react, Rong Zhou's right hand had already gripped his throat like an iron clamp.
At the same time, he pressed his left index and middle fingers together, concentrating his inner strength in his fingertips. With lightning speed, he stabbed the old butler in the back of his neck. Without even a groan, the old butler's body collapsed. Rong Zhou then dragged him behind a pile of debris and hid him there.
Almost at the same time, the spy on the beam heard a slight movement and was about to peek out to check. Rong Zhou's eyes flashed, and with a flick of his right index finger, a tiny silver needle, activated by his internal energy, struck the spy's temple with pinpoint accuracy.
The spy groaned and slid down from the beam. Rong Zhou had already predicted his landing point and caught him the moment he hit the ground, dragging him into the dark and disposing of him as well.
After dealing with the two outer guards, the remaining spy behind the door remained unaware. Rong Zhou approached the living room door with light steps.
He could clearly hear the sound of shuffling documents in the compartment. He slowly drew out the short knife hidden at his waist and gently pushed open the latch on the door with the back of the knife.
The door was pushed open a crack, and the light and voices from inside (the head of the agency was speaking Japanese on the phone) leaked out.
Rong Zhou took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and rushed into the living room like a black lightning.
The spy behind the door was horrified and was about to draw his gun, but Rong Zhou dodged and raised his left hand. A poisonous needle, condensed from pure internal energy and as thin as an ox's hair, flew straight into the back of the head of the agency who was on the phone with an almost imperceptible sound.
The director felt a slight numbness in his back. Before he could comprehend what was happening, the voice on the other end of the line grew muffled. He tried to turn back, but his body was no longer under his control. A sharp pain spread rapidly from deep within his gut.
Rong Zhou didn't look at it any further. After confirming that the poison needle hit the target, he immediately turned around and prepared to evacuate along the same route.
However, just as he was about to rush out the door, the ground beneath his feet suddenly shook. He felt a sense of alarm and cried out, "Not good!"
"BOOM!!!!"
A deafening roar ripped through the night sky. The entire building, as if grasped by an invisible giant hand, instantly exploded from the inside. Flames shot up into the sky, and bricks and rubble poured down like a torrential rain. The massive shockwave, like an invisible wall, violently knocked Rong Zhou back.
He twisted his body forcefully in mid-air and slammed heavily into the wall at the entrance of the alley, but he didn't suffer any injuries.
But his humble blue cloth gown had been ripped to shreds by the gust of wind, stained with dust and blood, and hung in tatters on his body. His hair was disheveled, and his face was scratched by the flying debris, leaving several bloody marks. He had never looked so disheveled before.
Even more deadly, the explosion became the loudest alarm.
From all directions, the sirens, the clatter of leather shoes, and shouts of reprimands suddenly filled the air. Dazzling flashlight beams lashed wildly through the darkness like countless sharp swords. Japanese military police, armed with bayonets, black-skinned police officers brandishing batons, and the sinister-eyed spies of the Mei Agency were closing in from every intersection.
They formed an impenetrable net, trapping Rong Zhou on the edge of the ruins that had just experienced an explosion.
Rong Zhou took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He leaned against the cold wall and slowly squatted down, hiding his body in the shadows of the rubble.
He could hear the footsteps of the men approaching and even smell the tobacco and gunpowder on them.
He could even clearly distinguish two types of people in the crowd:
Japanese military police: They smelled of tobacco and gunpowder, and their shouts were short and fierce.
Spies and traitors: Their shouts were more flattering, mixed with forced smiles to please the Japanese, and the smell on their bodies was more complex, with the smell of low-quality tobacco and cheap perfume.
It was precisely because of Rong Zhou's principle - only killing Japanese and not touching Chinese, even traitors, that the Japanese dared to so confidently drive these "own people" to the front.
These traitors were more familiar with Shanghai's terrain than the Japanese and were more ruthless. They knew what it meant to capture Rong Zhou - high positions, generous salaries, and the appreciation of the Japanese.
At the same time, they also know better what it means to work without putting in any effort.
Not far from where Rong Zhou was hiding, he could hear the police officer in the police station who was searching the area talking: "It's so late, and I haven't slept for several days. My wife is scolding me." He yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"What can we do? Several Japanese emperors have died. Who did it? It's like a ghost! They appear and disappear at will. Our people have already turned Shanghai upside down, but we haven't even found a trace of them."
"Do you think it could really be a ghost? There weren't any traces at the scene, and the manner of death... the manner of death was extremely bizarre! His... his internal organs melted? This... this is too weird!"
"Who cares if he's a monster or not? He only attacks the Japanese. What's there to be afraid of? Just get by one day at a time. You can't just quit because you're afraid. How are your parents going to eat?"
As the two of them talked, they slowly left Rong Zhou's hiding place without even thinking of checking the dark place. Safety came first, as who knew what was in the dark.
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