By this time, the Battle of Changsha was nearing its end. On October 8, the Chinese military finally confirmed that the Japanese army was indeed retreating, and then ordered all units to pursue and gradually recover the lost territory.
Although the Japanese army was well-equipped, its strength of 100,000 was still limited. After being repeatedly attacked by hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops for more than a month, they were exhausted and had long been considering retreating. They used a feint to deceive the Chinese army, appearing to be resting and preparing for another battle, but in reality, they had already crossed the Miluo River with most of their troops, leaving only a small force to cover the rear. When the Chinese army realized what was happening, they quickly withdrew from the battle and retreated towards Wuhan.
Just as the Battle of Changsha was about to end, the last remaining undercover force of the Chongqing intelligence network surfaced.
It took Chiemi Tanikawa five days to finally find Jiro Matsuda.
At 8 p.m., on a street corner, Ning Zhiheng and Tanikawa Chiemi sat in a black sedan. Tanikawa Chiemi, dressed in men's clothing, pointed to a brightly lit three-story building not far away and said, "It's here. This residence used to be an air force club. After it was left vacant, it was converted into a bar. It's mainly a place for wealthy young men and young military officers to relax and have fun. Even some foreigners staying in Chongqing would gather here. It's a truly high-class entertainment venue."
Looking through the glass window at the ornately decorated building, Ning Zhiheng asked softly, "Is this where you found Matsuda Jiro?"
Chiemi Tanikawa nodded and said, "Yes, Jiro Matsuda is shrewd and capable. He is an outstanding figure in the intelligence department of the Wuhan headquarters. However, he has a fatal weakness, which is that he likes to hunt women."
He studied in the United States in his early years and is fluent in English and French. He's also quite handsome, so he frequents high-end bars and clubs, specifically targeting socialites, courtesans, or Western white women—the higher the class, the better. I've been to all sorts of places like this in Chongqing these past few days, and only spotted him here last night. However, his intelligence skills are outstanding, and I'm not confident I can follow him, so I gave up. But I heard from regulars here that he comes here often, so if I keep watch, he'll definitely show up.”
Chiemi Tanikawa knew Matsuda Jiro very well, and was very clear about his temperament and preferences. In Chongqing, there weren't many high-class entertainment venues like this, so she quickly found Matsuda Jiro.
"Alright, let's wait here and see how lucky we are!"
Time passed slowly, and the bar was doing very well. Men and women coming in and out were all dressed smartly, and there were quite a few cars parked in front of the bar.
Even during the difficult times of war, nothing could stop these people from enjoying a life of luxury.
At that moment, a car slowly pulled up to the side of the road near the bar entrance. Two men got out, and Chiemi Tanikawa's eyes flashed. She pointed at one of the men and said, "That's him!"
Hearing the voice, Ning Zhiheng looked up and saw that the two men were both wearing smart suits. One was a tall foreign man, and the other was tall and had the face of an Eastern man. He was very handsome. Without a doubt, he must be the Matsuda Jiro that Tanikawa Chiemi had mentioned!
Seeing the target they had been tracking finally appear, Ning Zhiheng was in high spirits. He joked with a smile, "We're lucky today."
Leng Qing, sitting in the driver's seat, asked, "Shall we make our move now?"
"It's still early, and there are too many people!" Ning Zhiheng looked around. Anyway, Matsuda Jiro had already entered the ambush area, so he wasn't worried about him running away.
He instructed Leng Qing, "Go in alone and keep an eye on him. If anything unusual happens, come out and report it. Don't alarm him. He's a regular here. Too many unfamiliar faces will arouse his suspicion. Once he comes out, we'll find an opportunity to arrest him."
Ning Zhiheng no longer dares to show his face in person. He knows that his information is no longer a secret in the Japanese intelligence department, and he is afraid that Matsuda Jiro will recognize his face. The last time he arrested Moriki Keio, things almost went wrong.
So they had no choice but to send Leng Qing in to keep watch. Anyway, the place was already heavily surrounded, and as long as Matsuda Jiro showed up here, he wouldn't be able to escape.
Leng Qing nodded in agreement, opened the car door, got out, and quickly entered the bar.
Ning Zhiheng and his men waited patiently outside the bar. The prey had already entered the net, and he didn't mind waiting a little longer.
As night deepened, the people lingering in the bar began to leave one after another. Entertainment was scarce in this era, and nightlife would not last past midnight. The food vendors at the entrance also closed up shop and left, leaving only a few rickshaw drivers waiting for business. The number of people at the entrance became increasingly sparse.
Around 11:30, Matsuda Jiro reappeared in Ning Zhiheng's sight, but this time he was no longer accompanied by the foreign man from before. Instead, he was with a brightly dressed woman, and they walked out of the bar together. Leng Qing's figure also appeared behind him.
Matsuda Jiro and the woman chatted and laughed as they arrived at the parked car. Matsuda Jiro took out his keys, opened the car door, and gestured for the woman to get in. However, he noticed that the woman was looking behind him in fear. He immediately knew something was wrong, but he was a step too late. Before he knew it, several men in black had already surrounded him and suddenly launched an attack, rushing towards Matsuda Jiro.
Although Matsuda Jiro reacted quickly, he ultimately did not have time to break free. Several people pressed him firmly against the car door, and a cold gun barrel was pressed hard against his chin, lifting his head high and rendering him unable to move.
The woman on the other side only had time to let out an "Ah!" before she was knocked unconscious by a slap from a member of the team who pounced on her. Then the car door opened, and she was pushed into the back seat.
Immediately afterwards, Matsuda Jiro was handcuffed behind his back by several operatives, his mouth was stuffed with a rag, he was dragged into the darkness, thrown into a car, and then the car started and quickly drove away from the scene.
One of the operatives started Matsuda Jiro's car and followed him.
Ning Zhiheng sat in the car, watching the arrest operation go smoothly, before asking Leng Qing, who had gotten into the car, "Did Matsuda Jiro exhibit any unusual behavior?"
Leng Qing shook her head and replied, "No, this kid was all over the women as soon as he entered the bar. I didn't see anyone particularly noticeable interacting with him."
"Alright, take Miss Gu back now!" Ning Zhiheng instructed before getting out of the car.
Then he waved to the rickshaw pullers who were waiting by the roadside, signaling them to stop. The rickshaw pullers then got up, pulled their rickshaws, and quickly left, and the entrance to the bar returned to tranquility.
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