Meanwhile, the Kuomintang assassination squad, hiding in the basement of the Dingxin Flour Mill in the city, was anxiously awaiting news from the outside world.
Luo Wuqing, who was in the lead, leaned against the corner, a blade of grass between his teeth, chewing it repeatedly.
Seeing that he looked uncomfortable, Wu Huarong, who was standing next to him, said, "If you can't resist the urge to smoke, just have one. Don't make such a miserable face. Who are you trying to impress?"
Luo Wuqing glanced at the other team members crammed into the basement, swallowed hard, and finally said helplessly, "Forget it, it's such a small place. If I smoke one cigarette, everyone will be unable to resist. Let's not let anyone stay here!"
This time, the entire assassination team entered downtown Shanghai. After several assassination attempts, they suffered heavy losses, and the remaining forty-odd team members were crammed into these few basement rooms, which were rather crowded.
Wei Xuehai, the Shanghai station action team leader who was squatting not far away, said, "This basement is the largest one here. Last time, more than 30 of us squeezed in here and it was considered spacious. Everyone, bear with it. This is the safest place. Once things have calmed down, we'll go back to the concession and everyone will be safe!"
"Old Wei, you local tyrants really know how to handle things. If it weren't for your arrangements these past few times, we would all be stuck here," Luo Wuqing said earnestly.
The assassination attempts resulted in the deaths of more than ten team members. Fortunately, everyone was prepared to die and did not leave any clues for the enemy to follow. The Shanghai station also arranged an escape route and hiding place, which minimized the losses.
Looking at his team members, Wu Huarong felt a pang of sadness. In less than ten days, fourteen of his brothers had perished, all of them sacrificing their lives. These were all his trusted confidants. He murmured, "I wonder what the final effect of that bomb in the consulate was? I wish it had killed a few Japanese devils!"
At this point, he turned to his subordinate Hong Wenbin and asked, "Wenbin, did that bomb explode? Do you have any idea?"
Hong Wenbin was one of his demolition experts. He had infiltrated the Japanese consulate beforehand and planted a time bomb in the banquet hall. However, he quickly slipped out of the consulate after planting the bomb and was unaware of the final effects of the explosion.
Hong Wenbin scratched his head and said somewhat uncertainly, "I left early and don't know the outcome of the explosion, but Section Chief, don't worry, the bomb I planted will definitely detonate. The timing error won't be too much, and it should be quite effective."
At this point, a hint of hesitation flashed across his face, and after a long pause, he asked, "Section Chief, do you think that besides us, headquarters has sent anyone else to assassinate the target?"
Everyone else was taken aback. Wu Huarong shook his head and said, "I don't know about that, but we've failed several times in Hanoi. Headquarters must be very dissatisfied, and it's possible they'll send someone to Shanghai again. Why do you ask that?"
Hong Wenbin smiled and said casually, "I was just saying. Our operations have failed repeatedly, and this time it didn't work either. Headquarters will probably support us, which will reduce our pressure."
No one spoke again, but Hong Wenbin's heart remained unsettled.
Just as Ning Zhiheng spotted Hong Wenbin, Hong Wenbin, who had been on high alert, was also carefully observing his surroundings. Ning Zhiheng, who had lingered at the entrance of the banquet hall for a while, did not escape Hong Wenbin's notice.
When his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of Ning Zhiheng's face, his heart nearly jumped out of his chest!
Hong Wenbin certainly remembered Ning Zhiheng's appearance vividly. If you were to ask who Hong Wenbin admired most in the Military Intelligence Bureau, it would definitely be Ning Zhiheng, the top tactical expert in the Military Intelligence Bureau.
Hong Wenbin himself was a tactical expert who had a high opinion of himself. He was quite good at both hand-to-hand combat and firearms, but compared with Ning Zhiheng, the action team leader at the time, he was simply not good enough.
When Ning Zhiheng challenged all the best fighters in the Military Intelligence Bureau, Hong Wenbin and several team members went down to the ring together, only to be thoroughly defeated. His powerful attacks were like hitting thick cowhide, causing no harm or itch. However, one attack from the opponent left Hong Wenbin bedridden for several days.
As a result, Hong Wenbin and his group eventually refused to fight Ning Zhiheng. They all believed that he was an inhuman being and were extremely impressed with him.
Later, Ning Zhiheng went to the front line and returned to the Military Intelligence Bureau as a high-ranking colonel and section chief. No one had the opportunity to contact Ning Zhiheng anymore, but Hong Wenbin was very familiar with Ning Zhiheng.
In that brief moment, Hong Wenbin recognized that the young man standing at the door looking around was Ning Zhiheng. He was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out. Fortunately, he remained calm and did not reveal his true identity on the spot.
However, he kept thinking about this question. To be able to swagger around inside the Japanese consulate, Director Ning must have a reliable cover identity. As for what mission he was carrying out, he didn't know, but it must have been an extremely important mission to warrant the involvement of the most notorious head of the Military Intelligence Bureau.
As a seasoned special agent, Hong Wenbin was well aware of the confidentiality regulations. He would never inquire about things he shouldn't know, nor would he reveal Ning Zhiheng's whereabouts to anyone.
At this moment, Wei Xuehai spoke up: "This stronghold wasn't actually established by us. It was given to us by the Shanghai Intelligence Section. I have to say, in Shanghai, you still have to look to the intelligence section for their methods. After we assassinated the Japanese high-ranking officials, we were trapped in the city by the Japanese. The situation was extremely critical. It was the intelligence section that extended a helping hand and brought us here. They also covered our escape from danger and finally gave us this stronghold. Otherwise, we would have been doomed this time too!"
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