Chapter 685: Nan Tianyangzi Must Die

"Wang Sang, why are you sitting here so calmly?"

Iwai Eiichi walked over with his attendants and sat beside Wang Yan, looking at the still-panicked crowd, and asked this.

"Do you mean to say that Wang Mou is usually the most cowardly, and upon hearing gunshots, should have been just as panicked as them?" Wang Yan shook his head with a smile, took a sip of wine, and swirled the cup. "Wang Mou still has some brains—this is the consulate's territory; these anti-Japanese elements wouldn't dare send many people, nor could they sneak in that many. At most, a few stray cats—what trouble could they cause? Why panic?"

"Wang Sang is truly extraordinary. How ironic this scene is—you, the coward who's as steady as Taishan, while those who mocked you are now flustered and making fools of themselves…"

"We're all the same—Wang Mou was just too conspicuous, pushed up onto the stage." Wang Yan laughed loudly, then asked, "With this incident, tonight's banquet is obviously over. Mr. Iwai, when may I leave?"

"That depends on Superintendent Nantian. You may need to assist with further investigation shortly. But don't worry—it'll be quick, and you'll be home soon to rest well."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile, chatting idly with Iwai Eiichi, waiting for the matter to end so he could go home and sleep.

The Japanese moved swiftly—upon hearing the gunshots, Superintendent Nantian immediately led the arriving military police sprinting upstairs and launched a full-scale search.

But by then, despite Cheng Jinyun holding her guns in a dramatic pose and Ming Tai chatting with her in place, when Superintendent Nantian rushed forward, Ming Tai had already taken Cheng Jinyun up a steep sloping roof via some unknown method.

So not long after, Superintendent Nantian, having checked the upper floors, came down with her men, organized interrogations, and made phone calls to summon more personnel for further analysis of the incident.

Watching Iwai Eiichi and the others depart in disappointment, Superintendent Nantian sighed and asked, "Mr. Wang, you've been sitting here the whole time, observing the scene closely—did you notice anyone suspicious?"

"Superintendent Nantian, although I sat here, I mostly just ate and drank, not paying much attention to what was going on—I truly saw nothing." Wang Yan shook his head with a bitter smile. "May I leave now? After all, once a man has eaten and drunk his fill, he just wants to lie down and sleep, asking no questions, caring for nothing."

Superintendent Nantian knew Wang Yan might have truly seen nothing. What she knew better was that Wang Yan had survived this long precisely because he kept his mouth shut, held some degree of power, and was willing to spend money. So even if he had seen someone suspicious, he would never say a word to her.

She nodded helplessly: "Of course, Mr. Wang—you're a friend of the Empire of Japan. Keeping you here was only to ask that one question. If you wish to leave, you may go anytime."

Wang Yan drained his cup, stood up, and shook her hand: "Just now, I saw Mr. Iwai wasn't happy. Superintendent Nantian, be careful."

"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Wang. Please take your leave."

After exchanging polite words, Wang Yan walked out of the building with his hands behind his back, strolling leisurely to the nearby area where drivers gathered to rest and wait. He found his driver, got into the car, and left.

He glanced up at the roof—good, the two of them were still lying flat there, not sitting. Tonight the moon was bright and the stars sparse; if they'd truly been sitting on the sharply protruding roof, their shadows would have been easily spotted…

His car hadn't gone far when it passed two white ambulances. He knew the second one was Li Shu, leader of the assassination squad under the Shanghai underground party's Operations Department, come to extract Cheng Jinyun.

Wang Yan paid no attention. He sat quietly in the back seat, watching the scene outside.

The Japanese moved quickly, and Superintendent Nantian, as head of the Special Higher Police, wielded great power. The areas they'd seized were now under curfew. Military police patrolled the streets, interrogating every person still out at this hour, arresting anyone they deemed suspicious. It was terrifying—because everyone's "deemed" differed, with no standard, and anyone could be taken at will. One could imagine how many innocent people would be dragged in for investigation tonight.

The car headed south, constantly passing vehicles heading north—those going to the banquet venue to hear Superintendent Nantian's reprimands. After such an incident, it meant insufficient pressure on both parties, poor performance, and they'd be scolded mercilessly. Of course, Superintendent Nantian wouldn't escape blame either—she'd be scolded too.

This world works this way: unless you reach the very top, there's always someone who can scold you. Even if you reach the top, though no one dares scold you, you still must weigh countless interests and drawbacks, sitting on pins and needles, careful at every step…

"It must be that Ming Tai's operation was exposed—otherwise, there wouldn't be such a commotion. Brother, could Ming Tai have been caught?" Ming Cheng drove rapidly toward the consulate.

"Calm down. If Ming Tai had been caught, the call we received just now wouldn't have been a phone call—it would've been a squad of agents blocking the door of Ming's residence and arresting all of us. Worrying now only scares yourself—it's useless. Wait until you get there, observe the actual situation, and respond as needed."

"There's nothing else we can do… I just wonder about Ming Tai…"

Just as Ming Cheng was about to speak, a car slowly approached from the opposite direction. But given the relative motion and the nearly empty night street, they passed each other in the blink of an eye.

But his eyes were sharp—he caught the license plate in that instant and quickly said, "Brother, that's Wang Yan."

Ming Lou paused, then slapped the headrest: "Then why aren't you chasing him? He must've gone to the banquet—who else knows better what happened?"

Ming Cheng had excellent obedience—his hands moved faster than his mind. The moment Ming Lou finished speaking, Ming Cheng slammed on the brakes and sharply reversed, chasing after Wang Yan's car.

Wang Yan had no urgent matters—his driver's priority was steadiness, comfort above all. His car had been modified, and in an era when China's auto industry barely existed, such modifications demanded far greater effort. Thus, even at night with no scenery, the driver drove slowly.

Ming Cheng floored the accelerator and soon caught up, honked twice to get the driver's attention, overtook the car, and pulled to a slow stop ahead.

Ming Lou trotted over, opened the rear door, and smiled apologetically: "I'm truly sorry, Mr. Wang—stopping you was unavoidable."

"Xiao Ma, go smoke a cigarette."

"Yes, Yan Ge." The driver promptly opened the door, stepped out, walked five or six meters to a closed shopfront, leaned against the wall, and genuinely lit a cigarette.

Ming Lou quickly slid into the back seat, shut the door, and asked: "Mr. Wang, just now Liang Zhongchun called me—he said Superintendent Nantian called him, reporting the incident at the banquet, without details, only telling me to hurry over. I don't know what happened, so I'm anxious—I hoped you'd give me some insight so I'd be prepared when I arrive."

"If you want to ask about Ming Tai, just say it. Your whole family of four are revolutionaries, and you even keep a Japanese spy in your home—impressive." Wang Yan waved his hand. "Don't worry—he wasn't caught. Everyone who saw his face is dead. He was hiding on the roof, catching the breeze—now he's probably been picked up. Your younger brother, the moment he saw me, actually developed hostility and tried to kill me to silence me. What a bold rookie…"

Ming Lou only appeared calm—he couldn't help worrying about Ming Tai. Hearing Wang Yan say this, he finally relaxed. He immediately smiled and apologized: "Please don't think ill of him. My younger brother has always had it easy—never faced setbacks. Then that madman Wang Tianfeng dragged him into the Military Intelligence Bureau, and he's never failed a mission—so he's developed that stubborn, defiant spirit."

"But now, though he's a bit arrogant, he still knows the rules—he'd never act on his own. And with his half-baked skills, how could he possibly match you? The kid doesn't know his place—please forgive him."

"Enough. If I were that petty, there wouldn't be many left in Shanghai—too many people hate me enough to want me dead. Of course, if it really came to that, I'd be the first to die—after all, one against many."

"Mr. Wang, I didn't expect you to be so humorous." Ming Lou laughed awkwardly, then added, "I won't keep you from resting. I must hurry to the scene—let me treat you to dinner another day."

Wang Yan waved his hand and nodded with a smile. After Ming Lou got out and the driver returned, the car headed home. With nothing pressing, he washed up, read, and went to sleep early.

He slept peacefully. Ming Tai and Cheng Jinyun checked into a hotel outside, continuing their romantic talk. But Ming Lou and Ming Cheng couldn't sleep.

Earlier, when Ming Tai and Cheng Jinyun had successfully stolen intelligence and were retreating, they were discovered by the stationed military attaché and couldn't deceive him—so a life-or-death fight erupted on the second floor. During the struggle, the expensive, high-end watch Ming Lou had bought for Ming Tai accidentally fell to the ground.

Superintendent Nantian found the dropped watch at the scene—but she didn't pick it up. She believed the enemy still had a mole inside her ranks; otherwise, their previous operations wouldn't have failed so many times. She'd also long suspected Ming Lou—otherwise, she wouldn't have secretly cultivated Ming Cheng to monitor him.

So Superintendent Nantian left Ming Tai's watch behind, deliberately placing it in a visible spot. She met Ming Lou and Ming Cheng inside the crime scene room.

While Ming Lou spoke with Superintendent Nantian, Ming Cheng spotted the watch on the floor. He recognized it instantly—it was the very one he'd gone to buy. His first thought was to protect Ming Tai's safety, to prevent the Japanese from tracing them through the watch—he didn't consider deeper or broader implications. While Superintendent Nantian's attention was on Ming Lou, he picked up the watch and slipped it into his pocket.

He thought Superintendent Nantian hadn't noticed—but in truth, every movement he made was seen by her.

On the way, he proudly told Ming Lou about it—but was scolded. When they returned home, they discussed their strategy. In the end, they could only go along with the deception, framing Ming Cheng as having ties to the Military Intelligence Bureau's "Poisonous Wasp," temporarily calming Superintendent Nantian, avoiding arrest, and buying themselves a week's safety…

After making the call, Ming Cheng said gloomily: "Brother, I'm sorry."

Ming Lou sat on the sofa, legs crossed, face cold: "I never want to hear those three words again." He was both Ming Cheng's elder brother and his superior—his words carried weight, and they only heightened his aura.

"Brother, after a week, you'll only hear three words: It's done!"

"No! It's accomplished!" Seeing Ming Cheng nod, Ming Lou exhaled deeply. "Right now, we must kill Superintendent Nantian within a week! The risk is high—but we have no choice…"

After long thought, Ming Lou continued: "First, find two houses facing each other, within optimal rifle range. Most importantly, they must be close to Zhou Fuhai's residence—so we can pretend the target is Zhou, to confuse Superintendent Nantian."

"Second, Lin Canmou's team, Li Shu's team, and our own team—each group must remain unaware of the others, interfere with none. We act simultaneously to kill Superintendent Nantian and the traitor."

Lin Canmou was the slightly chubby man from Ming Tai's training days, assigned by the Nationalist Military Commission to handle local affairs—his role was roughly like an ancient imperial overseer or a modern special commissioner, primarily supervising local operations and occasionally participating in missions.

The traitor was the person Ming Cheng had learned about earlier—blinded and severely wounded, he was currently in hospital, unable to speak yet.

Ming Cheng nodded and asked: "Should we mobilize Ming Tai's team?"

"Depends on circumstances. Unless absolutely necessary, don't involve him."

"Yes, understood."

Seeing Mingcheng stammering as if wanting to speak but unable to, Minglou frowned and said, "Speak out if you have something to say—don't hesitate. We've come this far; life and death hang by a thread. What can't you say?"

"Big brother, Pei Min is hiding in Shanghai…"

This made Mingcheng blush, for it stemmed from his own mistake, yet now other comrades in the organization—especially key ones—had to risk their lives to clean up after him. Naturally, he blushed.

But one had to admit, it was indeed an effective method, and the simplest one. As the Red Party's elite assassin, Pei Min's name was renowned throughout China and had spread to some extent worldwide.

In the past, it was manageable—his assassination records numbered only one or two at a time, with scenes left behind involving no more than seven or eight people. This was no small feat, for it demonstrated Pei Min's formidable operational capability and meticulous planning. Only thus could he maintain such an illustrious string of assassinations without ever being caught or failing—a truly astonishing record.

But those past feats paled beside the earth-shattering acts Pei Min had carried out in the last two years. First, he stormed a prison, held off five hundred Japanese soldiers for half an hour, killing most of the officers and machine gunners. Then, he rescued a crucial Red Party member who remained steadfast and unyielding, holding off over a thousand Japanese troops for nearly twenty minutes and inflicting one-third casualties upon the enemy.

These two operations elevated Pei Min, already deified on a pedestal, further beyond humanity—soon, people might even emerge claiming him as their ancestral master and erecting golden statues in his honor. Ancient China had many famed assassins, but time had dimmed their deeds. Over five thousand years of Chinese history, all those assassins combined could not match Pei Min in number, speed, or precision of kills. He was a living legend.

Minglou saw Mingcheng's thoughts—his face was as red as a monkey's rearside. How could he not notice? He offered comfort: "Don't take responsibility for this. Ultimately, it's Mingtai's lack of skill. Even without you, that expensive watch alone could have traced us. After all, such an expensive watch sells so rarely that every single one's whereabouts are recorded. You merely accelerated the timeline a bit."

He waved his hand, silencing Mingcheng's unnecessary words, and continued: "Your mention of Pei Min reminded me. Earlier, I inquired with our Shanghai underground party organization—Pei Min's organizational affiliation isn't in Shanghai, but with the Central Committee. In the past two years, Pei Min has barely acted at all; from 1937 until now, he has struck only three times, each time critically important."

The first was at the war's outset, when morale was shaky—he eliminated the traitor Xia Changguo, heavily guarded. The second was to rescue a steadfast believer from both parties who swore never to surrender. The third was to rescue a loyal Red Party hero who would rather bite out his tongue and die than betray secrets and capitulate.

Though I didn't ask further, it's clear from the pattern: Pei Min must have other vital missions, so he cannot act frequently. Now, regarding our matter…

Look here—you go and contact the organization right away. Ask if they can assign Pei Min to assassinate Nan Tianyangzi. His operational capability is superhuman; with him acting, it becomes simpler and more direct, avoiding further complications. As for eliminating the traitor, we'll handle it ourselves. But you must still carry out what I previously ordered. Even if Pei Min doesn't act, we must act ourselves—no matter what, Nan Tianyangzi must die!"

"Yes, big brother, I'll contact them right away."

"Be careful. The Special Higher Police agents may not have all left—they could still be watching our every move."

"Don't worry, big brother. In stealth, I can't match Pei Min—but against these Japanese, it's more than enough…"