Chapter 377: Trip to Hangzhou Prefecture

"Hangzhou Prefecture?" Lin Ke Xin exclaimed, she hadn't expected to suddenly leave Songhu.

She couldn't help but wonder what the Japanese were transporting, to actually have him go himself.

"Any problems?" Chen Yongren asked, frowning.

He naturally understood that Lin Ke Xin couldn't just leave Songhu; it was a disciplinary matter, and she definitely had to report to Chen Dian beforehand.

"Isn't it under martial law outside? Can we even go out at this time?" Lin Ke Xin asked deliberately.

"Don't worry, we have a special pass issued by Director Fujiwara." Chen Yongren said.

"I have some personal matters to attend to today..." Lin Ke Xin fabricated an excuse.

Her personal code had already been activated; suddenly leaving the mission site, she had to let Chen Dian know to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

"If it's urgent, I can go myself." Chen Yongren said deliberately.

"It's fine, your matter is most important; this can be handled when you return, but please give me some time to first give them a heads-up." Lin Ke Xin immediately said.

Seeing Chen Yongren's face darken, Lin Ke Xin immediately said: "Rest assured, I'll rush back as soon as possible, definitely not delaying your schedule."

Chen Yongren snorted coldly: "Now you think to ask for leave?"

Hearing the mockery in Chen Yongren's words, Lin Ke Xin quickly lowered her head.

"Go ahead, I'll give you half an hour." Chen Yongren raised his hand to glance at his watch.

"Yes!" Lin Ke Xin immediately got out of the car.

After Lin Ke Xin left, Chen Yongren immediately sent a telegram via the ghost radio to the Yucheng area.

He briefly reported the matter, saying he was suspected by Fujiwara and needed to temporarily leave Hangzhou Prefecture to avoid anyone later using this against him.

The Yucheng side didn't say much either, merely reminding Chen Yongren to stay safe, that the Songhu area still needed him to hold the fort, and that after returning he just needed to report in—just pointless talk.

After reporting the itinerary, Chen Yongren sat in the car, patiently waiting for Lin Ke Xin to return.

Meanwhile, on Lin Ke Xin's side, after reaching the street, she immediately hailed a rickshaw, got off two blocks from Zhang's Grocery Store, and walked to the shop.

After confirming the password, the two went to the rear courtyard.

"What happened?" Chen Dian asked, frowning: "Frequent contact will draw the enemy's attention; the situation is tense now, you're a veteran agent, your vigilance should…"

Lin Ke Xin directly interrupted Chen Dian's words: "I want to leave Songhu and make a trip to Hangzhou Prefecture; I came specially to inform you."

"Hangzhou Prefecture?" Chen Dian exclaimed: "What are you going there for? You were just transferred to Songhu."

Lin Ke Xin briefly explained the matter.

"It seems the Japanese want Chen Yongren to transport a batch of very important supplies." Chen Dian frowned and said: "They also have a special pass that prohibits any inspection along the way; it must be very important and something outsiders must not know."

After a pause, Chen Dian added: "Find a way to ascertain what Chen Yongren is taking to Hangzhou Prefecture!"

"Understood, I had the same idea." Lin Ke Xin said.

Chen Dian smiled: "Since you're going to Hangzhou Prefecture, it's perfect to entrust you with a task recently issued by a superior."

"What task?" Lin Ke Xin wondered.

Chen Dian said: "Over in Hangzhou there's a batch of medicine that needs to be transported to the Wannan region; nowadays the Japanese have strengthened inspections along the route, and we're worried about how to get the supplies through."

"Since the Japanese are asking Chen Yongren to deliver goods and have given him an inspection-free pass, we can perfectly use this opportunity to evade inspection!"

"They definitely wouldn't expect us to use their vehicle to transport our own supplies!"

"No problem, I'll take care of it." Lin Ke Xin agreed.

Chen Dian's expression turned grave: "The wounded at the front are waiting for this batch of medicine to save them; we absolutely cannot allow any mishap."

Lin Ke Xin nodded solemnly.

"The meeting place is the Spring Wind Teahouse beside Ciyun Temple." Chen Dian continued: "The contact will be wearing a gray long robe, a black hat, a red scarf, with a pot of tea and three cups on the table."

"To avoid mistakes, when you meet, you should ask, 'Sir, your tea smells wonderful—what kind of tea is it? Is it Huangshan Maofeng?'"

"He will reply, 'No, this is Wuyi Dahongpao.'"

"Got it, I've memorized it." Lin Ke Xin nodded, repeating the code phrase once more.

Chen Dian also gave Lin Ke Xin a document case for use in exchanging at the teahouse, and further instructed her where to go and whom to find after obtaining the medicine.

Afterwards, Lin Ke Xin left the shop and entered the car.

"Chief, can we depart now?" Lin Ke Xin asked.

Chen Yongren nodded, then deliberately asked: "Already?"

"As for the chief's business, I naturally must keep it in mind and dare not be negligent." Lin Ke Xin blurted out, starting the car.

Chen Yongren didn't expose her.

He had long known through insight that Chen Dian planned to use this opportunity to have Lin Ke Xin retrieve a batch of medicine from Hangzhou Prefecture to send to the troops in the Wannan region.

Having left Songhu, they soon encountered the first checkpoint.

Several Japanese puppet soldiers were standing on the road, inspecting passing vehicles and pedestrians; beside the road there was a sentry box, and next to it a sandbag emplacement for a light machine gun.

The middle of the highway was blocked by a cheval de frise.

"Stop, get out for inspection." A puppet soldier approached the vehicle with an unfriendly tone.

"Chief." Lin Ke Xin looked at Chen Yongren, preparing to use him as a shield.

"Show it to him." Anyway it's just an act; Chen Yongren didn't want to cause trouble, so he directly produced the pass.

Lin Ke Xin received the pass and handed it to the puppet soldier at the vehicle.

Upon seeing the pass personally issued by the Fujiwara Agency, the puppet soldier's face showed fear; he then ran to the sentry post, handed the pass to a lieutenant, and pointed at the car.

The Japanese lieutenant carefully examined the pass, confirmed it was fine, and nodded at the puppet soldier.

The puppet soldier trotted all the way back to the vehicle and respectfully returned the documents to Lin Ke Xin.

The Japanese puppet soldiers on either side of the road immediately pulled aside the cheval de frise.

Throughout, not a single word of idle talk.

The old devil Fujiwara actually went to the trouble of signing his name to verify his identity.

Lin Ke Xin kept driving, hoping to probe indirectly for mission details—where in Hangzhou Prefecture they were headed, how long they'd stay, etc. —to obtain useful information.

But Chen Yongren only said one thing: I don't know either; we'll know when we get there.

Thanks to the pass issued by Tengyuan Lao Guizi, they encountered no checks along the way and smoothly reached Hangzhou Prefecture.

But it was already past 9 p. m., so they could only wait until tomorrow to figure out how to make contact.

The two could only find a random inn to stay at.

"Boss, two rooms." Lin Ke Xin was about to take out money, but she looked embarrassed, having rushed out, she hadn't brought enough money, so she had to turn to Chen Yongren for help.

"Having a personal secretary like you is enough," Chen Yongren muttered, then pulled out a silver dollar, threw it on the counter, and said arrogantly: "Boss, two upper rooms, we'll stay temporarily for four days; the rest can be considered a tip."