Chapter 24: Xinji Photo Studio

Afterward.

Chen Yongren smoked a post-event cigarette, leaning against the headboard lost in thought.

Because of the previous humiliating history, Shanghai's situation was far more complicated than Jinling's; the French Concession, International Settlement, and Japanese Concession were practically a state within a state.

Even if you are from the Military Intelligence Bureau, you must act cautiously within the concessions, otherwise those foreigners will surely come looking for trouble.

What Shen Mingchen said was correct; Shanghai is not like Jinling—just boarding the train you could run into a Party Affairs Office agent, and you would surely encounter even more later.

In Shanghai, you must be careful; the Walther pistol previously awarded by the system will finally come in handy.

"What are you thinking about, staring off into space like that? Are you thinking about which little lover of yours in Shanghai?" Liu Shuyun stretched her waist and leaned into Chen Yongren's embrace.

Chen Yongren pinched Liu Shuyun's chin and chuckled: "I'm wondering, when we get off the train later, will the train attendant demand you compensate them for a bedsheet?"

Seeing the messy bedsheet, Liu Shuyun blushed, lightly patted Chen Yongren's chest, and coquettishly said: "How annoying—if anyone has to pay, it should be you paying for me!"

After another round of intimacy,

Only then did Liu Shuyun reluctantly put on her clothes and get up from Chen Yongren.

Clean up the battlefield.

The two walked out one after the other.

"Huh?"

"A Ren, how did you come out of Shuyun's room?" Zhang Haifeng had just woken up, intending to go out for a drink, when he saw Chen Yongren emerge from Liu Shuyun's room.

"Well…"

Hearing this, Liu Shuyun, who was following behind Chen Yongren, panicked inside, bit her lip, not knowing how to answer.

Just as Liu Shuyun was racking her brains, trying to think of how to deflect Zhang Haifeng,

Chen Yongren then said without blushing or racing heart: "Just now Shuyun felt a bit uncomfortable, so I gave her a massage."

"When did you secretly learn this skill?" Zhang Haifeng didn't dwell on it, casually remarking: "No wonder I always sense some movement next door when I sleep."

"Miss Liu is a woman; when you massage, you shouldn't be so gentle."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shuyun's face instantly flushed with two rosy patches.

"No, the pressure was just right," Chen Yongren muttered to himself, glanced at the time, and said: "The train is about to arrive; tidy up and get ready to disembark."

Zhang Haifeng nodded.

She took out a small notebook from her bag, wrote down a phone number, and slipped it into Chen Yongren's clothing pocket.

"This is my aunt's home phone; remember to call me when you have time—I'll treat you to a meal to thank you."

Having said that, Liu Shuyun looked at Chen Yongren with an expression of lingering desire.

Zhang Haifeng looked at Chen Yongren with a hint of envy.

"This is my first time going to Shanghai; I happen to lack a friend familiar with the locality, so I'll trouble you often from now on." Chen Yongren knew what Liu Shuyun was up to, but he didn't refuse outright.

If she's willing to surveil, let her surveil.

This trip to Shanghai aims to uncover the Japanese spies' Operation Rainstorm and to ferret out the pangolin-codenamed Director of the East China Special Higher School hidden in Shanghai.

The Military Intelligence Bureau has a workstation in Shanghai.

The Party Affairs Office has surely been cultivating its presence in Shanghai for many years; perhaps we could glean some unexpected intelligence from Liu Shuyun's mind.

One more intelligence channel also means one more chance to crack the Japanese spies.

"No problem; as long as you're willing, coming to bother me every day is fine, though later I might still need you to give me another massage." Liu Shuyun smiled sweetly, her eyebrows curving like a crescent moon, while she thought to herself:

"After all, I'm here to investigate you on Young Master Zhao's orders."

"You coming to me voluntarily is better than me coming to you."

"This surveillance mission has really been a gain; I truly hope the mission period can be longer."

Half an hour later, the train arrived in Shanghai on schedule.

Liu Shuyun bade farewell to Chen Yongren and Zhang Haifeng, leaving them a graceful, alluring back as she walked out of the station.

Gazing at Liu Shuyun's back, Zhang Haifeng spaced out a bit.

"What are you looking at? Everyone's gone; your eyes are practically glued to her."

Seeing Zhang Haifeng's expression, Chen Yongren felt he needed to find a moment to tell him Liu Shuyun's identity, so he'd be more wary and not fall for this little vixen's tricks.

"Did she sprain her foot? Her gait seems a bit unnatural." Sometimes Zhang Haifeng's observational skills are indeed sharp.

Chen Yongren pretended not to hear that.

Just as the two stepped out of the train station, they met the person sent to pick them up—one of the Military Intelligence Bureau Shanghai Station members, Lin Fei.

The other two are Luo Mingyu and Lu Yan, who are currently at the shop,

Lu Yan is the boss of the photo studio.

Luo Mingyu is a photographer.

Chen Yongren and Zhang Haifeng are the shop's new apprentices.

The Shanghai station is genuinely short-staffed; counting the newly arrived Chen Yongren and Zhang Haifeng, the entire photo studio has only five people.

The boss really arranged a good assignment for himself, Chen Yongren muttered inwardly.

The three arrived at Xiafei Road in the French Concession, at the Xinji Photo Studio.

This is a landmark of the French Concession and also Shanghai's most prosperous commercial street.

The Military Intelligence Bureau's funding comes entirely from Boss Dai's sponsorship; it's no surprise to Chen Yongren that he could open a photo studio on Shanghai's most bustling street.

To conduct intelligence work in Shanghai, one must necessarily have a cover identity; Chen Yongren believes the Military Intelligence Bureau surely has many such shops.

But for safety, members of different teams certainly don't know each other, communicating only through specific means, and they may not even meet face to face.

Upon entering the photo studio, business inside was relatively quiet at the moment.

Chen Yongren then saw in the photo area a middle-aged man wearing a casual suit, with a pipe in his mouth and a flat cap on his head, looking down at a magazine.

He is the photo studio's boss, Lu Yan.

Another slightly younger male youth was Luo Mingyu, who was now carefully wiping his camera.

"Boss, everyone's been brought in!" Lin Fei stepped forward and said.

Lu Yan slightly lifted his head and gave Lin Fei a look.

Lin Fei nodded, hung up a "business suspended" sign, and locked the door from the inside.

After a few people went up to the third floor, there were no outsiders, and they spoke freely.

After a brief self‑introduction, Chen Yongren understood the current team's structure.

Lu Yan was the boss of this shop and also the team leader.

Luo Mingyu was the shop's photographer, responsible for assassinations and similar operations.

Lin Fei was the accountant, handling the team's intelligence work.

Although the duties were clear, due to lack of manpower, even Lu Yan sometimes had to handle assassinations or intelligence work.

Lu Yan said: "Chen Yongren and Zhang Haifeng."

"Yes!" the two replied in unison, standing straight.

"I've heard of your achievements." Lu Yan looked at Chen Yongren, praising him repeatedly.

"He not only destroyed the Japanese spy network in Gold Hill, but also followed the clues to find the Japanese spy's contact station in Upon Sea."

"Not bad, young man—younger than I imagined."