Chapter 222

The core area of the Intelligence Analysis Center.

On the huge sand‑table model, the abandoned industrial zone in the city's west was marked with red pushpins as a key point. Liang Shubai stood before the sand table, the telegrams and intelligence documents in his hand piling higher and higher.

"Latest positioning from the Communications Section!" an analyst came running, "The exact location of the signal source has been confirmed—the abandoned warehouse of the third textile mill in the west city!"

"Urgent report from Field Operations Section Chief Chu." Another telegram arrived, "Informants have discovered that, in the past week, three suspicious-looking Japanese ronin have been active in the area. They always come and go late at night, never lingering nearby."

Liang Shubai pushed his gold‑rimmed glasses, quickly flipping through the documents. His gaze stopped on that name in the decrypted telegram—"Mr. Xiaoli Daifu".

"Look up this name, retrieve all related materials!"

Soon, several intelligence documents from various sides were sent over. Through comparative analysis, a portrait of a person gradually became clear: Xiaoli Daifu, current military attaché of the Japanese consulate, and also an important figure of the Tokko in Shen City. He acts secretly, rarely appears, but holds considerable prestige among the Japanese expatriate community.

"I see......" Liang Shubai's eyes turned cold.

He quickly walked to the huge map of Shen City on the wall, began to connect all the clues: the content of the decrypted telegram, the signal source located by the Communications Section, the suspicious personnel observed by Field Operations, the gathered information on Xiaoli Daifu...

A thick red line extended on the map, using pushpins and colored strings to point all evidence toward that abandoned textile mill warehouse.

"This is the place!" his voice carried a hint of solemnity, "This Japanese spy chief is hiding here, directing this operation!"

He immediately grabbed the phone on the table, dialed Qi Ming Yuan's direct line: "Bureau Chief, the target has been locked! It's the head of the Japanese Tokko, Xiaoli Daifu! He is hiding in the abandoned warehouse of the third textile mill in the west city!"

Liang Shubai glanced at the mechanical clock on the wall: "The radio just stopped transmitting; they likely are preparing to move! Since the Commander gave the order, 19 hours and 12 minutes have passed!"

On the other end of the phone, Qi Ming Yuan's voice carried suppressed anger: "Understood! Yan Beichen! Act immediately! Seal off the west city! This is the first clue we've gotten to catch this big fish; we absolutely cannot let him escape!"

The night was as dark as ink; the abandoned textile mill in the west city was utterly silent.

The dilapidated factory buildings groaned in the cold wind, the rust-covered iron doors feebly swayed. Yet in this silent darkness, hundreds of Intelligence Bureau operatives and elite soldiers of Lin Yu's guard had already taken position silently.

Yan Beichen and Feng An commanded the troops, completing a triple encirclement of the entire area. All possible escape routes were cut off, and soldiers armed with Han Yang-made rifles lay in ambush at every street corner.

Yan Beichen personally led a twenty-man assault squad, lurking like a black panther in the shadows nearest the target warehouse. They were all elite troops trained by the Shadow Section, each with a Browning pistol at the waist and a silencer-modified rifle on the back.

"Action!"

Yan Beichen's hand signal swept through the darkness.

The assault team members moved as lightly as ghosts, using pre-prepared ropes and grappling hooks, quickly scaling the warehouse roof. Through the broken glass windows, they could see faint light inside and a few busy figures.

"Swish!"

The rope descended silently, and the assault team members filed in one after another.

Inside the warehouse, several Japanese agents were nervously packing up the radio and documents. Suddenly, one of them seemed to sense something, raising his head alertly.

"But it's already too late."

"Pfft! Pfft!"

The silenced pistol made a faint sound, two sentries collapsed in response.

However, a fallen agent, in his last moment, triggered the alarm!

The piercing alarm instantly echoed throughout the warehouse!

"Damn it!" Xiaoli Daifu's face changed drastically as he sprang up from his desk. He immediately realized he was surrounded, shouting at his subordinates: "Burn all the documents!"

Inside the warehouse, gunfire erupted instantly!

The Japanese agents took cover behind shelves and machinery, setting up rifles to return fire wildly. Bullets struck the steel supports, sending sparks flying.

"Assault!"

At Yan Beichen's order, the assault team split into three groups, using tactical coordination to quickly suppress enemy fire. Their movements were practiced, their shooting precise, every bullet not wasted.

In this close-quarters firefight, the professionally trained assault team quickly gained the upper hand. One after another, Japanese agents fell, blood spreading across the concrete floor.

Yan Beichen personally led the team, charging straight to Xiaoli Daifu's office.

"Bang!"

The wooden door was kicked open.

Xiaoli Daifu stood behind his desk, gripping a drawn katana, eyes flashing with madness. He roared and swung the blade straight at Yan Beichen's throat!

"The blade flashed like lightning!"

But Yan Beichen had prepared. He did not retreat but advanced, using his right-hand military dagger to block the blade, his left hand like a venomous snake striking straight at the opponent's wrist.

"Crack!"

Xiaoli Daifu's wrist was twisted and broken, the katana clanged to the floor. Immediately, Yan Beichen applied a standard grappling move, slamming this Japanese spy chief hard to the ground.

"Target subdued!" he pressed the walkie-talkie, "Repeat, target subdued!"

Deep underground at the Shen City Intelligence Bureau headquarters.

Inside the top-level interrogation room, harsh white light shone down from the ceiling, bathing the whole space in a bleak pallor. In the center of the room, a heavy metal chair was bolted firmly to the floor.

Two operatives escorted Xiaoli Daifu inside. This Japanese spy chief no longer bore his former dignity, his body covered in wounds, his suit tattered, his face bruised purple and blue, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Sit down!"

The operatives roughly shoved him into the metal chair and locked him down with specially made cuffs.

Qi Ming Yuan and Liang Shubai walked up to him. The chill in the interrogation room seemed to grow a bit stronger.

"Name." Qi Ming Yuan spoke, his voice devoid of emotion.

Xiaoli Daifu lifted his head, eyes flashing with madness. He spoke in stiff Great Dry language: "You'll regret it! The Great Japanese Empire......"

Before he could finish, the interrogator beside him smashed the rifle butt hard into his abdomen. The intense pain turned his subsequent words into a muffled groan.

Liang Shubai pushed his gold‑rimmed glasses, stepped forward. He slammed a stack of documents and photos onto Xiaoli Daifu's face.

Xiaoli Daifu, military attaché of the Japanese consulate in Shen City, rank of lieutenant, belonging to the Tokko. His voice was steady yet carried an invisible pressure, "These are the codebook and the draft of the encrypted telegram you sent to the Lan Zhou operation team, found in the warehouse where you were hiding."

He displayed the evidence piece by piece: "This is the detailed roster and withdrawal route map of the operation team. This is evidence of your contact with Tokyo."

Liang Shubai leaned in, staring into Xiaoli Daifu's eyes: "Do we need to help you recall how you gleefully reported in that telegram, 'the framing plan succeeded'?"

Seeing these indisputable ironclad evidences, Xiaoli Daifu's face instantly turned ashen. His body trembled slightly from fear and anger. He never imagined that, having hidden so deeply, he would be uprooted in such a short time.

Qi Ming Yuan picked up the wall phone, dialed Lin Yu's direct line: "Commander, the target has been captured alive, identity confirmed, the person in charge of the Japanese Tokko's covert operation in Shen City, Xiaoli Daifu. All material evidence has been secured. In this operation we killed 17 Japanese agents, our side suffered 3 light injuries. Time taken: 22 hours 05 minutes."

Lin Yu's voice came through the earpiece, carrying a hint of satisfied ruthlessness: "Very good. Keep an eye on him, don't let him die for now—he's still useful. Organize all the evidence into a file; I want Sun Dingyuan to see with his own eyes who almost took his son's life!"

He paused, his voice turning even colder: "Furthermore, interrogate Xiaoli Daifu immediately—I need to know how many more rats like them are hiding in Shen City, their contact methods, their hiding places; not a single one can be missed!"

The phone hung up, the temperature in the interrogation room seemed to drop a few degrees more. Xiaoli Daifu knew that his lengthy interrogation had only just begun......