Chapter 685: The Moment to Test Acting Skills

Chen Yongren turned around at the sound and saw a sergeant standing behind him.

"Reporting, sir, I suddenly feel the urge to urinate…" Chen Yongren stood at attention, bowed, changed his voice, and casually made up an excuse.

While speaking, Chen Yongren glanced left and right, making sure no one had noticed him.

If this guy doesn't know when to quit and keeps pestering him, Chen Yongren wouldn't mind taking his life.

Fortunately, it was a false alarm; the old Japanese didn't press the matter: "Damn it, the warehouse is under lockdown—don't go running around at night, or you'll bring trouble no one can save you from."

"Hai!" Chen Yongren stood at attention.

"Go on!" the Japanese sergeant waved his hand.

"You're the one who told me to go," Chen Yongren muttered, and ran off without looking back.

"Hey, wait a moment…" the sergeant had just called out to Chen Yongren when his figure had already vanished from sight.

"Damn, this guy runs so fast—could he be scared of wetting his pants?" the Japanese sergeant squeezed his legs, glanced around, and ran to a hidden corner.

He muttered under his breath.

"Damn, I must urinate this time."

"I haven't had a satisfying urination in a long time."

"If I hold it any longer, I really fear I'll burst."

…

The Japanese sergeant undid his belt, one hand pinching as he muttered.

But his face turned red from straining, and he still didn't hear the long-awaited sound of water.

At the same time.

Chen Yongren also arrived at that storage room.

The storage room was piled with assorted items, mostly wood and other flammables; not setting a fire would be unjustifiable.

The floor was littered with cigarette butts, indicating that many lazy Japanese soldiers had been hiding behind the storeroom to sneak smokes and slack off.

With his masterful crime-scene disguise skill, Chen Yongren instantly conceived a plan, easily arranging for a fire to start from an unextinguished cigarette butt.

The small flame on the ground jumped about, gradually spreading, then ignited an old burlap sack in the storeroom, and the flame grew larger.

Chen Yongren also slipped away quietly, planning to wait until attention was drawn here, then go set fire to the warehouse, giving the Japanese a double blow.

At that moment, the Japanese sergeant's face was grim with pain, one hand braced against the wall, the other pinching a small object, his mouth emitting occasional constipated sounds, finally managing only a tiny drop.

Seeing this, the Japanese sergeant wanted to cry but had no tears.

Just as he didn't know what to do, he suddenly noticed flames flickering in the storeroom.

After a stunned moment, he immediately realized what was happening.

Fire!

The Japanese sergeant panicked, grabbed his pants and rushed out, shouting, "Come quickly, fire! Fire!"

Following his bark-like shout, the Japanese soon took notice.

At that moment, the roaring flames had already engulfed the entire storeroom; hearing the commotion, Japanese soldiers hurried over to help.

Anteng Zhongsi, who had been busy until midnight, also heard the commotion, looked toward the fire in shock, and immediately organized personnel to go assist.

That commotion immediately drew many people's attention; taking advantage of their focus being diverted, Chen Yongren slipped into the first warehouse, ransacked it, then quickly moved on to the second, third warehouses…

After ransacking them, Chen Yongren set fires throughout the warehouses; having finished all that, he returned to the resting room, lay back on the bed, and patiently waited for Zhongyuan Shen to knock.

Under Anteng Zhongsi's leadership, the flames in the storeroom were quickly extinguished.

But this wooden storeroom was burned to ruins.

Because the fire was brought under control in time, Anteng Zhongsi, whose heart had been in his throat, finally relaxed.

"Damn, why did this place catch fire?" Anteng Zhongsi's face darkened as he angrily demanded of a Japanese soldier.

Anteng Zhongsi faintly felt that something was off about this fire, but for a moment he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.

"Hai!" the Japanese soldier also felt innocent, stammering, "The cause of the fire is under investigation; I believe tomorrow…"

He had barely spoken half the sentence when a mournful cry cut him off.

"Fire, the warehouse is on fire—come help put it out!"

"What?"

"The warehouse is on fire?"

Hearing that, Anteng Zhongsi hastily turned his head and saw black smoke rising from the warehouse direction.

"This is bad."

The Chief Commander had repeatedly warned at night to guarantee the warehouse's safety, yet something still went wrong!

Soon, a soot-covered Japanese soldier ran up to Anteng Zhongsi, stood at attention, and spoke with a terrified expression.

"Anteng sir, it's terrible—the warehouse storing food and supplies has suddenly caught fire for unknown reasons; the warriors are now giving it their all to extinguish the blaze!"

Hearing that, Anteng Zhongsi felt his heart sink, his vision darken, his legs tremble, nearly collapsing, and he cursed in frustration: "Damn, immediately organize personnel to fight the fire!"

The materials in the warehouse are the most important evidence; if they burn up, how can we continue the investigation?

The only bit of good news is that the food warehouse and the weapons warehouse are far apart.

Immediately, Anteng Zhongsi turned to a nearby soldier, his voice trembling: "You, go inform the Chief Commander of this right away."

Having said that, he scrambled toward the warehouse, doing whatever damage control he could.

That Japanese soldier also hurried to Chen Yongren's quarters.

"Who goes there!"

Seeing a dark figure approach, Zhongyuan Shen raised his pistol and aimed it at the shadow, shouting sternly.

"Zhongyuan sir, please let me see the Chief Commander immediately—the warehouse has had an accident!" the Japanese soldier exclaimed, near tears.

"Damn, I wanted to ask you what the hell you're doing out there making a mess!" Zhongyuan Shen said coldly: "Don't you know the Chief Commander is resting?"

Zhongyuan Shen had already heard the commotion outside, but because he had to protect Chen Yongren's safety, he didn't dare move about randomly.

"Zhongyuan Chief, the warehouse, the warehouse..." the Japanese soldier said with a bitter face.

Before he finished speaking, the door was suddenly flung open.

"Chief Commander!"

Seeing Yuan Chief standing at the doorway, Zhongyuan Shen hastily straightened up.

"Damn it, what are you making a fuss about in the middle of the night? Don't you know I'm resting?" Chen Yongren pushed open the door, wearing a lieutenant colonel's uniform, and said impatiently.

"Chief Commander, the warehouse suddenly caught fire, Chief An Teng is organizing personnel to fight the fire!" the Japanese soldier said with a grim face.

"What?" Chen Yongren said in disbelief: "A fire, how could this happen?"

"Hai!" the Japanese soldier didn't know how to respond, could only stand at attention and bow his head.

"Damn it, you useless bunch, how did you guard the warehouse? Don't you know how important the evidence inside is?" Chen Yongren hastily put on his uniform: "Take me to the scene right away!"