Chapter 25: Achieving a Breakthrough

Team leader, you're overpraising me; your counter‑espionage experience is richer than ours. The boss sent us to Shanghai this time, but he actually still wants us to learn well from you. Chen Yongren said modestly.

Please continue to guide us, team leader.

Afterward, Chen Yongren activated his Insight.

In this new environment, we must first make sure the people around us are trustworthy.

If enemies appeared in the Shanghai area, wouldn't that be embarrassing?

'Finally, new people have arrived; work will be easier from now on.'

'They sent two newcomers at once, and one of them is the currently prominent Chen Yongren.'

'Still, the boss really went out of his way to send him to Shanghai for training.'

Lu Yan said with a solemn expression: 'Speaking of missions, there is still one mission to assign to you.'

'Yes!' Chen Yongren said.

'The Japanese spy at the Auspicious Harmony Bookstore has disappeared.' Lu Yan had a solemn expression.

'They moved?' Chen Yongren said, astonished.

'That's right; this group's vigilance is higher than we imagined.' Lu Yan had a grim face.

Hearing this, Chen Yongren's heart sank.

Shanghai is such a big place; without clues, trying to uncover hidden Japanese spies is undoubtedly like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Zhang Haifeng also sensed the seriousness of the problem and instinctively looked at Chen Yongren.

Chen Yongren pondered for a moment, then said: 'Since the Auspicious Harmony Bookstore is a contact point for the Japanese spies, perhaps we can start by investigating who has dealings with the bookstore.'

Lu Yan's eyes lit up as he said: 'Hmm, that makes sense, A Ren; you're absolutely right.'

'They are very likely to use customers or suppliers as cover; if we follow these two leads, we will surely uncover new clues!'

'Lin Fei, Luo Mingyu!' Lu Yan barked: 'Go immediately and check the personnel who have frequently entered and left the bookstore recently.'

'Yes!' Lin Fei and Luo Mingyu received the order and left.

'A Ren, Haifeng, you two are responsible for investigating the bookstore's supply sources, to see if any useful clues can be found from that angle.' Lu Yan then looked at Chen Yongren and said:

'Yes, team leader!' Chen Yongren replied, standing straight.

This kid really has some talent; Lu Yan looked at Chen Yongren with approval.

After two days of screening, someone did indeed come into Chen Yongren's view.

Ma Shibo.

He is a salesman at the True Wood Bookstore, and the Auspicious Harmony Bookstore's business was arranged by him.

Looking at it this way, there's surely no problem.

He delivers goods to the Auspicious Harmony Bookstore once a week, always around 3 p. m. on Fridays, with a deviation of no more than five minutes, rain or shine.

Looking at the other suppliers of the Auspicious Harmony Bookstore, delivery times are never fixed—mostly every two or three days, or four or five days—let alone being set to a specific time.

Regarding this.

Lu Yan had only one order: 'Seize!'

The arrest operation went very smoothly; that same night, Ma Shibo was knocked out by Chen Yongren with a blow to the head and tied up in the basement of the New Record Photo Studio.

The basement was dimly lit.

It was a simple makeshift interrogation room; although simple, it had all the essentials and various torture implements.

The Japanese spies captured by Lu Yan's team are all held here for interrogation.

Since Ma Shibo was caught by Chen Yongren, the interrogation of him naturally fell to him.

At this moment, Ma Shibo was tied to the chair in the middle of the room.

Ma Shibo wasn't stupid either; he knew Chen Yongren's team had traced him through the Auspicious Harmony Bookstore lead and was thinking about how to escape.

'The Auspicious Harmony Bookstore and other contact points have already been successfully withdrawn.'

'My identity is completely clean—I'm just a salesman at the bookstore; they have no evidence to prove I'm a Japanese spy.'

'As long as I insist on this point, they have no way to deal with me.'

Thinking this, Ma Shibo feigned fright and said: 'Where is this? What do you want to do to me? I'm just…'

Chen Yongren, who had long since discerned Ma Shibo's thoughts, brutally cut him off, glanced at his watch, and said coldly: 'My patience is limited—where did the people from the Auspicious Harmony Bookstore go?'

'Auspicious Harmony Bookstore?' Ma Shibo thought for a moment, then said: 'We're merely business partners… I…'

'In half an hour, I don't want to see any intact skin left on his body.' Chen Yongren looked at Zhang Haifeng and said:

'Understood.' Zhang Haifeng gave a feral grin at Ma Shibo, casually picked up a large pair of pliers, and squeezed hard at the base of his thigh.

'Awoo~' Ma Shibo, caught off guard, let out an anguished howl.

Lu Yan's expression didn't change, but inside he greatly admired Chen Yongren.

This kid really is swift and decisive, ruthless—no wonder Boss Dai sent him to Shanghai to assist with the work.

Zhang Haifeng had already begun greeting Ma Shibo with various torture implements.

After a dozen minutes, Ma Shibo was covered in wounds, with not a single patch of intact skin left.

Zhang Haifeng finished the task ahead of time.

'Tell me, I'll tell you whatever you want to know!' Ma Shibo instantly felt he had overestimated the intensity of the torture, as well as his own endurance.

Zhang Haifeng looked at Chen Yongren.

Chen Yongren said: 'Why are you looking at me? I said half an hour—it has to be exactly half an hour, not a second less—keep going!'

'All right.' Zhang Haifeng flexed his wrist, picked up a bamboo skewer, and gave a feral grin as he walked toward Ma Shibo.

Ma Shibo's shrill, desperate scream echoed once more in the basement.

This time, Lu Yan could no longer conceal his astonishment.

Chen Yongren's performance was nothing like that of a newcomer; though he appeared mild‑mannered, his inner self was extraordinarily cruel.

"Team Leader, this…" Lin Fei whispered.

Lu Yan, however, lightly waved his hand, gesturing for them not to speak.

After another ten or so minutes, Chen Yongren stepped forward and had Zhang Haifeng stop.

Ma Shibo was now inhuman, slumped in the chair; seeing Chen Yongren approach, he instinctively shrank back and hastily said.

"My codename is Gray Pigeon; I was only recently assigned to work in Shanghai."

"My main duty is to relay the Pangolin Section Chief's orders to the Auspicious Harmony Bookstore and maintain contact among the team members."

Seeing this, Lin Fei hastily opened his notebook to record the information.

"Because Iwata Ichiro failed to report on schedule, for safety, after receiving the section chief's order, I immediately revoked all contact points of that team."

"There are twelve of them in total, currently hiding in the courtyard at North of the Gate Gourd Lane No. 24, awaiting the Pangolin Section Chief's next orders…"

"I only handle liaison; I really don't know anything else!"

Basically, without Chen Yongren needing to ask further, Ma Shibo started talking on his own.

Lu Yan nodded slightly.

Gourd Lane crisscrosses, the terrain is complex; even if discovered, they could retreat relying on the terrain.

Through observation, Chen Yongren also knew Ma Shibo was very honest and had not concealed any details.

"Lin Fei, immediately notify the other team members, organize personnel, and go to Gourd Lane to set up surveillance." Lu Yan looked at the document in his hand and exclaimed excitedly: "We must completely capture this group of Japanese spies!"