Chapter 190 I Went Mad During the Republic of China (6)
Traveling all night was nothing to Zhou Jue. As dawn broke, she could already see the outline of the city in the distance.
Beiping.
At this time, Beiping seemed calm and peaceful. Inside and outside the city gates, the streets were bustling with activity, and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, shouting, and rickshaw pullers' bells mingled together, creating a vibrant and lively scene of daily life.
However, beneath this lively scene, an unseen undercurrent is surging.
Everywhere on the street, groups of three or five Japanese soldiers wearing khaki uniforms and carrying foreign swords could be seen walking by. Their arrogant and disdainful attitude made the Chinese people passing by lower their heads and give way.
On the city wall, besides the flag of the 29th Army, the Japanese flag was also planted, which looked particularly glaring.
Zhou Jue changed into casual clothes, disguising herself as a country girl visiting relatives in the city. She smeared some soot on her face and made her hair a little messy. Her timid appearance blended into the crowd and was inconspicuous.
She didn't rush to the "Juyuande" teahouse in Xizhimen.
The intelligence report from Steel Nail mentioned a traitor, which made her extremely vigilant. Although the rendezvous code sounded fine, no one could guarantee that the traitor didn't know it. If the traitor had also given the code to the Japanese, then Juyuande might be a trap set by the Japanese and the traitor working together.
Isn't her reckless approach just like walking into a trap?
She decided to go and scout ahead first.
Juyuande Teahouse is easy to find. It's located on Xizhimen Street. It's a two-story building with blue bricks and gray tiles. The storefront isn't large, but there are quite a few people coming and going, so it looks like a legitimate business.
Zhou Jue didn't go inside. Instead, she found a tea stall selling large bowls of tea diagonally opposite the teahouse and sat down. She ordered the cheapest bowl of tea and sipped it slowly while keeping an eye on the teahouse from the corner of her eye. At the same time, she equipped both of her listening devices and added her mental power.
A cacophony of sounds instantly flooded my mind.
"It's so hot today, let's have some tea to cool off." - A rickshaw puller.
[Why hasn't the storyteller arrived yet? I'm waiting to hear "The Three Heroes and Five Gallants"!] A leisurely man carrying a birdcage.
"Shopkeeper, give me a pot of Longjing tea, the pre-rain kind." A well-dressed merchant.
[Those damn Japanese devils will get their comeuppance sooner or later!] An old woman cursed inwardly.
These were the voices of ordinary people, which Zhou Jue automatically filtered out. Her mental power, like a sophisticated radar, carefully sifted through the thoughts of everyone inside and outside the teahouse, searching for discordant voices.
[I wonder if the captain will give us a bigger paycheck this time we catch someone.] He's probably a Japanese spy; keep a close eye on him.
[That idiot Yamamoto-kun! He managed to be infiltrated on his own turf! Just wait, I'll bring him down sooner or later!] This must be a Japanese soldier of captain rank or higher. Keep a close eye on him.
Time passed by, and soon it was 2:30 in the afternoon.
The teahouse gradually became more crowded.
Just then, several unusual thoughts caught Zhou Jue's attention.
[The target is almost here, everyone stay alert.]
These thoughts came from a shoemaker shining shoes at the entrance of the teahouse. He kept his head down, his hands never stopped working, but his eyes kept glancing toward the street corner.
The window seats on the second floor have been cleared out, and the bait has been prepared.
This sentiment came from a waiter in the teahouse, who was absentmindedly wiping the table with a rag.
[This time, we absolutely must lure out this big fish, 'Old K.' Major Kuroki has given a death order.]
This sentiment came from a cigarette vendor on a street corner, under whose cigarette pack was a dark, gleaming handgun.
Zhou Jue's heart sank.
Bait? It was definitely a trap!
The Japanese spies had already laid a trap here, just waiting for "Old K" or a liaison like her to take the bait.
Zhou Jue picked up her teacup, took a sip, and found the tea had gone cold and had a bitter taste. Instead of leaving, she focused even more intently, wanting to see who the Japanese had used as "bait."
Soon, it was exactly three o'clock in the afternoon.
When no one who met the criteria appeared, his feelings changed again.
Old K didn't come? Wasn't it supposed to be 3 PM sharp?
Why is nobody here? Have we given ourselves away?
[Damn it! Old K didn't come. Luckily, we had a backup plan!]
Five minutes later, a middle-aged man wearing a gray long gown, gold-rimmed glasses, and carrying a copy of the "Beiping Morning Post" under his arm walked into Juyuande Teahouse at a leisurely pace. He looked refined and scholarly, like a schoolteacher.
He went straight up to the second floor and sat down in the window seat that had been "cleared out" by the secret agents.
【It's here!】
[Yo-ho! Du Juan is in position. He'll be our bait, playing the role of 'Old K' as agreed. As soon as anyone gives him the code, arrest them immediately!]
Zhou Jue's gaze pierced through the crowd and landed on the man known as Du Juan. Zhou Jue heard his inner thoughts as well.
[Sigh, another act. But it's alright, once this mission is complete, Major Kuroki will be able to collect the gold bars and the ship ticket to Tokyo he promised me. At that point, who cares about the floods here?]
It's him! The traitor "Cuckoo"!
Zhou Jue's fingertips trembled slightly, and a murderous intent rose from the bottom of his heart. This was the man who had betrayed his comrades and his country, and was now playing the hero here with a clear conscience, luring his comrades to their deaths.
She forced herself to calm down. Now was not the time to act. Killing the traitor would be easy, but the Japanese army's net was still in place, and more importantly, the real Old K had not yet appeared.
She continued to wait patiently, her mind highly focused, not letting any suspicious signal slip by.
Another ten minutes or so passed, and the teahouse remained calm. No one went to meet with Du Juan, and those disguised spies began to show signs of anxiety.
What's going on? Didn't Dujuan say someone would definitely come?
Could the intelligence be incorrect?
Just when Zhou Jue thought that Old K wouldn't show up today, a newly emerging thought caught her attention.
These thoughts came from a customer quietly reading a newspaper in a corner on the first floor of the teahouse. The man was about fifty years old, wearing a slightly worn blue cotton jacket, his hair neatly combed, looking like an accountant, completely unremarkable.
[The stakeout at Xizhimen suggests Huamei has run into trouble. Dujuan is using herself as bait; they're trying to wipe us all out. We can't wait any longer; we must immediately cut off all communication and activate the backup plan.]
Zhou Jue's eyes lit up instantly.
This person was calm and collected. In such a dangerous situation, his first thought was not his own safety, but how to protect the organization. Moreover, he knew that so many people were hiding their identities.
It's him! This is the real Old K!
He clearly sensed the danger, but he didn't leave; he observed and assessed the risks.
Looking at the smug traitor on the second floor, and then at the calm and collected Old K in the corner on the first floor, a bold plan quickly took shape in Zhou Jue's mind.
Going directly to meet with Old K is definitely not an option. He's wary of everyone now, and there are secret agents everywhere around; any unusual movement will attract an attack.
We must find a way to "invite" Old K out of this dangerous teahouse without arousing suspicion from the spies.
How should we invite them?
Zhou Jue's gaze swept around the teahouse, finally landing on a Japanese officer who had just entered at the top of the stairs. He was a second lieutenant, with a command sword at his waist, and an arrogant expression on his face, as he prepared to go up to a private room on the second floor.
Zhou Jue withdrew her gaze, a subtle smile playing at the corners of her lips. She knew the nature of these Japanese officers well: arrogant, conceited, and disregarding human life. She would use this arrogance to create just the right amount of chaos.
She focused her spiritual energy on a teahouse waiter who was carrying a tea tray and staggering up to the second floor. The waiter was inwardly complaining that today's operation seemed to have failed when Zhou Jue gently pushed him with her spiritual power. The waiter stumbled, the tea tray in his hands instantly losing its balance, and the steaming tea, along with the exquisite blue-and-white porcelain cups, splashed towards the Japanese officer who had just stepped onto the stairs with a "whoosh!"
"Baka!"
The scalding tea and shattered porcelain shards caused the officer to let out a pig-like roar of rage. He was always mindful of his appearance, but now he was drenched in a disheveled state and burning with anger.
"You damned Chinese pig! I'm going to kill you!"
He suddenly drew his command sword from his waist, the tip pointing directly at the trembling waiter. The teahouse instantly descended into chaos as diners screamed in terror and scattered in all directions, knocking over tables and chairs and shattering dishes.
The spies disguised as diners were also caught off guard by this sudden turn of events, and their attention was instantly focused on the furious Japanese officer at the stairwell.
What happened?!
Go check it out quickly, don't let things escalate!
[Damn it, which idiot messed with the officer!]
[Baka! Who is this stupid person working for? Creating such chaos, does anyone dare to come? Mission failed!]
In those few seconds of chaos and distraction, Old K, wearing a blue cotton jacket, quietly put down his newspaper, stood up, and then, under the cover of the crowd, walked out of the teahouse without making a sound.
Zhou Jue sat at the tea stall, taking in everything. She watched Old K's figure disappear around the street corner, then glanced at the agents in disarray inside the teahouse, and the smile on her lips deepened.
She didn't rush to get up, but slowly finished the tea in her bowl, which had completely cooled down, and then placed a few copper coins on the table.
"Shopkeeper, please."
She said something softly, and then disappeared into the crowd before the agents finally realized what was happening and began searching for "suspicious individuals."
Her goal was clear: to follow Old K.
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