Chapter 50: Clearing Suspicion

Sakai Mieko had already gone cold, and could no longer respond to him.

"While they haven't run far yet, have the reinforcements police seal off every alley entrance—we must catch that damn bunch of bastards!" the veteran agent snarled.

"Hey!" a nearby agent sprang up, immediately taking a few people out the back door in pursuit.

"Section Chief Sakai, rest assured, I will avenge you and the fallen warriors!" the veteran agent bowed deeply before Sakai Mieko's corpse.

Wiping his tears, he shouted: "Immediately gather the bodies of the fallen warriors!"

"Hey!"

Behind him, the agents sprang up, moving the corpses on the ground.

"Section Chief Sakai, I'll now collect your remains—sorry for the intrusion!"

He had just lifted Sakai Mieko's corpse when he saw a fist-sized object on the ground, emitting green smoke.

The veteran agent froze, then angrily shouted "Bah!", tossed Sakai Mieko's corpse aside, and ran off without looking back.

"Quick…"

He hadn't even finished shouting "Run!" when a deafening explosion rang in his ears.

The next second.

He felt his consciousness being swallowed by darkness.

The Maeda Sake House burst into a brilliant blaze, a thick black smoke shooting skyward.

The blast's shockwave instantly tore the building—and the Japanese agents inside—into fragments.

Even nearby buildings were not spared, ignited by the explosion's flames.

Since everyone doing business here was Japanese, the streets were mostly wooden structures, now turned into fresh fuel.

Soon after,

Flames engulfed the entire street, the fire continually spreading to other streets.

The street instantly descended into chaos.

The Japanese living here, even if not blown apart, were scorched enough by the fire to become burning men, running wildly through the streets, quickly collapsing as 'cooked corpses' on the ground.

Piercing screams echoed overhead, the air thick with a choking burnt stench.

……

Chen Yongren, with Zhang Haifeng and Lin Dayou, darted back and forth through the alleys, using perception to evade the Japanese spies and military police searching them.

He also made use of grenades taken from comrades and spies before departure, setting up a series of trick explosives.

Seeing this, Zhang Haifeng couldn't help but say: "A Ren, A Ren't you afraid of friendly fire?"

"What's there to fear?" Chen Yongren replied nonchalantly: "We did scout beforehand; everyone living here are Japanese expatriates, none of our own people."

"If they get blown up, it's just their bad luck!"

"Not lighting a single fire is already pretty good for me."

"Anyway, it's only Japanese dying—Chen Yongren doesn't care how many, and even wishes they'd die more."

Zhang Haifeng stayed silent, thinking it over, and seemed to find some sense in it.

Lin Dayou looked at Chen Yongren, his feelings complex.

He thought himself ruthless, but compared to Chen Yongren he was merely a petty witch seeing a great witch.

This, damn it, is a living King of Hell.

As they spoke, they heard a series of explosions from behind, mingled with several piercing screams.

Hearing the commotion, Lin Dayou's mouth twitched twice.

Chen Yongren's expression unchanged, he continued leading Zhang Haifeng and Lin Dayou in retreat.

Finally, before the spies and police could fully seal off the area, they escaped with their lives.

But they still dared not stop, only pausing after returning to the Chinese Quarter, where the three came to a deserted alley, leaning against the wall to catch their breath.

Having experienced the Hulu Lane Incident, Zhang Haifeng soon calmed down.

Lin Dayou's face was full of panic, his trembling hands searching his person, but finding nothing he wanted, he couldn't help cursing: "Damn it."

Suddenly a cigarette was held before his eyes; looking up, he saw Chen Yongren's smiling face.

Lin Dayou took the cigarette, thanked him, Chen Yongren then lit one for Zhang Haifeng, and finally lit one for himself.

The three smoked in the alley, easing their minds.

"Damn it, I've never suffered such a loss in Jinling—my elite forces are all gone!" Lin Dayou took a hard drag on his cigarette and snarled.

After a pause, Lin Dayou suddenly thought of something, looking at Chen Yongren: "A Ren, Haifeng, how did you two just show up…"

Saying that, Lin Dayou lowered his head, not continuing.

Chen Yongren exhaled a smoke ring, casually saying: "You think we're traitors like Lu Yan? Selling out Chen Xing and the brothers at Shanghai Station?"

Lin Dayou's face flushed with embarrassment, he hurriedly explained: "A Ren, I don't mean that—you killed Lu Yan and Sakai Mieko, how could I not trust you?"

When Lin Dayou saw Chen Yongren and Zhang Haifeng kill Sakai Mieko and Lu Yan,

Lin Dayou realized they had been misunderstood.

Only Lu Yan was the traitor.

They were just unlucky, stuck with a weak-willed superior.

As for whether all this was a Japanese ploy to get Chen Yongren and Zhang Haifeng back into the Military Intelligence Bureau,

Lin Dayou could only say.

"Unless the little devils have gone mad, they wouldn't pay such a huge price for just two people."

"All we need is for you to see it with your own eyes; otherwise, how could Haifeng and I clear our names?"

Chen Yongren still recounted the Hulu Lane Incident in full, and what he and Zhang Haifeng did after learning of Lu Yan's betrayal.

Of course, Chen Yongren deliberately downplayed the existence of the Party Affairs Office.

Finally, Chen Yongren said again: "Section chief, the Riben spies will definitely have more big moves next."

With just the three of us, we definitely can't handle the remaining Riben spies; you should first call headquarters to request reinforcements and, by the way, report the situation here.

Lin Dayou nodded, understanding Chen Yongren's meaning.

Making the phone call to report the situation is only secondary; the most important thing is to explain to the Military Intelligence Bureau headquarters that they not only did not betray the country, but even eliminated a traitor and a senior Riben special agent.

After the three finished smoking, they found a public telephone booth.

Lin Dayou took a deep breath, went in, and dialed the Military Intelligence Bureau's phone.

……

Gold Hill, Action Section, Section Chief's Office.

Shen Mingchen sat in a chair with a grim face, puffing on a cigarette one after another, wondering where Chen Yongren and Zhang Haifeng had actually gone.

Although Dai Lao ban didn't say anything, he was already dissatisfied with this matter in his heart.

If he himself could not give a satisfactory reply, his future would look bleak and worrisome.

At that moment, the phone on the desk suddenly rang.

Shen Mingchen frowned, reached out to pick up the phone, and heard the secretary's sweet voice on the other end.

"Section Chief Shen, Lin Dayou wants to speak with you."

"Lin Dayou?" Shen Mingchen said, somewhat puzzled.

He's already been given the orders; why is he calling now? Instead of wasting this time, we should think of a way to find people.

"Put him through!" Shen Mingchen said in an unfriendly tone, deciding to give Lin Dayou a good scolding.

The female secretary responded, immediately putting Lin Dayou's call through.

Just as the phone was connected,

Shen Mingchen then heard Lin Dayou's excited voice: "Hello, Section Chief, I have important matters to report."

"The traitor Lü Yan has been successfully eliminated!"

"Besides him, the person in charge of the Riben Special Higher Police in Upon-the-Sea, Sakai Mihoko, was also eliminated."

"The one who eliminated them is none other than Chen Yongren and Zhang Haifeng!"