hotmtlnovel Chapter 15: Intercepting Important Intelligence
Chapter 15: Intercepting Important Intelligence
Yan Shuo confirmed that Sasaki Masao was completely dead. With a thought, he put the body into his spatial ring, wiped the blood off the sink, shook his hands, and walked out of the bathroom.
He saw Lü Heng dancing with a dancer, so he returned to his seat and continued chatting and joking with A-Kun.
Soon, two alluring dancers approached them, smiling and inviting them to drink.
"Handsome, what's your name?" A dancer put her arm around Ah Kun's neck, her voice sweet and seductive. She had fashionable wavy hair, a delicate oval face, and almond-shaped eyes that were full of affection beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows. She wore a red off-shoulder evening gown, the fitted cut outlining her graceful curves, and the skirt was slit up to her thigh, revealing her fair and slender legs.
Ah Kun's face instantly turned red to the roots of his neck, and he stammered, "I, my name is Ah Kun."
"Haha." Yan Shuo, with his arm around another dancer, pointed at A-Kun, took out a roll of banknotes, divided them into two, stuffed one into the dancer's underwear, and squeezed it, feeling its fullness. He handed the other to the dancer who was holding A-Kun, and said with a smile, "Keep my buddy company today. If you serve him well, there will be a reward."
The dancer embracing Yan Shuo was tall and slender, with neat, short hair that reached her ears. Her oval face featured slightly upturned phoenix eyes, and she wore a light blue, fitted cheongsam embroidered with exquisite white orchids, trimmed with pale purple lace at the collar and cuffs. She exuded an elegant yet alluring charm. She took the money, giggling as she leaned against Yan Shuo, saying, "The boss is very generous!"
After dancing a couple of songs, the group returned to their seats to drink, play drinking games, and have a great time.
Ah Kun was a little obsessed with the dancer named Yao Mi, and wouldn't let go of her arm; the dancer next to Yan Shuo was named Liu Si, and her words were so sweet they were almost cloying.
Seeing that Ah Kun was getting increasingly drunk, Yan Shuo asked Liu Si to book a room, and arranged for Ah Kun and Yao Mi to go up first, while he said he was going out to buy a pack of cigarettes.
After the three of them went upstairs, Yan Shuo saw that Lü Heng was also embracing a dancer and preparing to go into a room, so he quietly followed them.
As soon as Lü Heng opened the door, Yan Shuo suddenly rushed out and struck the dancer on the back of the neck with a palm strike. The dancer fainted without even uttering a sound.
Before Lü Heng could react, Yan Shuo had already reached out and grabbed his neck, twisting it violently—a "crack" was heard, the sound of his cervical vertebrae breaking was clearly audible, and Lü Heng died on the spot.
Yan Shuo laid the body down, took out the briefcase the man carried, and opened it. The document inside made his pupils shrink—a document stamped with the vermilion seal of the First War Zone Commander-in-Chief was still warm from the body, and the kraft paper bag was stamped with "Pinghan Railway Southern Section - Dabie Mountain Coordinated Defense Plan (Category C No. 17)".
He flipped through the pages quickly, the printed words and handwritten annotations on the paper stinging his eyes:
[Core of the operational deployment in Henan, Hubei, and neighboring provinces]
I. Theater Coordination Sequence
The First War Zone (Wei Lihuang's troops): The 14th Army (commander Li Mo'an) with its 85th Division (Chen Tie) and 10th Division (Peng Jieru) was to hold the Pinghan Railway section between Xinyang and Queshan in Henan Province; the 31st Army (commander Shang Zhen) with its 131st Division (Lin Cixi) was to be deployed in Nanyang; the 10th Artillery Regiment was to be attached to the Xinyang front; and the reserve 2nd Army (commander Li Yannian) was to be assembled in Zhumadian to support southern Henan.
Fifth War Zone (Li Zongren's troops): The 21st Army Group (Liao Lei) includes the 7th Army (Zhang Gan) and the 48th Army (Zhang Yichun), which rely on the Luotian-Shangcheng defense line on the northern foothills of the Dabie Mountains; the 33rd Army Group (Zhang Zizhong), the 59th Army (Huang Weigang), and the 77th Army (Feng Zhian) guard the Xianghe River in northern Hubei; and the 2nd Cavalry Corps (He Zhuguo) patrols the border between Henan and Hubei to prevent the Japanese army from advancing south from Xinyang.
The Ninth War Zone (Xue Yuedai): The 54th Army (Huo Kuizhang), the 14th Division (Chen Lie), and the 50th Division (Zhang Qiong) were deployed in Xianning-Puqi in southern Hubei, connecting with the Yangtze River defense line, and forming a corner in eastern Hubei with the 11th Group Army (Li Pinxian) and the 39th Army (Liu Heding) of the Fifth War Zone;
Key points of coordination: Three liaison stations will be set up in Xinyang, Luotian, and Xianning. Military intelligence will be exchanged via secret telegram at 3:00 AM every day. Artillery fire will be prioritized to cover the Suiping-Xiaogan section of the Pinghan Railway and the Dabie Mountain passes. Reserve forces can be dispatched across war zones to provide support within 48 hours.
II. Core Operational Objectives
To hinder the Japanese army's southward advance along the Pinghan Railway to the outskirts of Wuhan and westward advance to Nanyang, relying on the mountain fortifications of the Dabie Mountains and the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, a strategy of "gradual resistance and flanking maneuvering" was implemented to coordinate with the nationwide winter offensive.
The document ends with a handwritten signature: "Zhao Bingjun, Colonel, Chief of Operations Section, First War Zone Staff Office," followed by a personal seal and a note: "Copy to the Fifth War Zone Staff Office and Guilin Headquarters. To be read and destroyed within three days."
"You son of a bitch, how dare you betray such important information." Yan Shuo gritted his teeth, put the documents and briefcase into his spatial ring, along with the corpse, then moved the unconscious dancer to the sofa, covered her with a blanket, and quietly left the room. He closed the door and turned to find Ah Kun.
From Ah Kun's room came the sound of two people playing cards happily. Yan Shuo smiled and went to the room across the hall. Liu Si was taking a shower. Yan Shuo grinned, opened the bathroom door, and heard a woman's soft cry. Then the two became intimate.
After daybreak, Yan Shuo called Ah Kun over. Today they were going to meet some new people. They would continue at the small courtyard without a door that Ah Kun had chosen. Ah Kun went to contact the people, and as Yan Shuo instructed, he was to try not to know each other and to come to see him one by one.
After Ah Kun left, Yan Shuo took out his telegraph machine and sent a telegram to headquarters, reporting the intercepted document. Soon after, he received tens of thousands of emotion points in rapid succession. Goodness, things must be in complete chaos over there.
At the Chongqing Military Intelligence Bureau headquarters, Mao Wei presented a copy of the secret document, Zhao Bingjun's tracking report, and Liu Zhenbang's identity verification materials to his superior, Dai Li, through a heavily guarded corridor.
Behind his desk, Dai Li, a cigar between his fingers, glanced at the troop numbers on the documents, his brow furrowed. After listening to the report, he abruptly stubbed out the cigar in the ashtray: "Zhao Bingjun? What a traitor! Notify the Henan station to immediately seal off his residence. We need to see him alive or dead! Send copies of this plan to Commanders Wei Lihuang and Li Zongren immediately, instructing them to adjust their deployments swiftly. We absolutely cannot let the Japanese slip through our fingers!"
"Yes!" Mao Wei saluted and prepared to leave.
"Wait!" Dai Li's voice suddenly turned cold. His gaze swept over Yan Shuo's code name, "Red Bean," on the document, his eyebrows slightly raised. His previous anger subsided somewhat, replaced by sharp approval. "Red Bean has made the greatest contribution—intercepting campaign-level intelligence, cutting off the Japanese spies, and preserving the deployments of two war zones. This achievement is truly remarkable!"
He tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table, his tone resolute: "Mao Wei, you immediately do three things: First, draft a commendation order and submit it to the Military Commission's Personnel Department—Yan Shuo, a graduate of the 10th class of the Whampoa Military Academy and the 1st class of the Linyi Training Program, holding the rank of lieutenant, remained calm in the face of danger, captured the enemy's contact person, and intercepted core intelligence, a meritorious service to the Party and the nation, and is hereby promoted to captain. Issue him a formal appointment letter and deliver it to him within three days, along with his shoulder insignia and collar insignia, and provide him with three months' allowance at the captain's salary!"
"Secondly, the bonus of two thousand yuan will be drawn from the bureau's special funds. There will be no need to go through complicated procedures; it will be delivered to Yan Shuo this afternoon—tell him that this is the Party and the State's reward for meritorious officials, and also my, Dai Li's, sentiment towards my own people!"
At this point, Dai Li paused, his fingertips tracing the edge of his cigar box, and added, "Third, pass on my message to Yan Shuo: those who graduated from the Linyi Training Class and those trained at Whampoa should have this kind of courage and ability! This captaincy is one he earned with his life, a genuine rank, valid throughout the entire army! Let him continue. If he achieves similar great merit in the future, I, Dai Li, will personally recommend him for major or lieutenant colonel!"
His eyes sharpened, and he added with a resounding statement: "Also, tell Yan Shuo that Zhao Bingjun's remaining followers haven't been completely wiped out yet, and he may be needed to cooperate with the Henan station's operations later—I trust his abilities and his loyalty. Don't bring shame to Huangpu or tarnish the reputation of the Linyi class! Also, his group only consists of him and Maodou Li Zhiyao, right? Give him command of the four groups: Lone Wolf, Black Knife, Bluebird, and Yellow Dog. Cut off all contact with the Shanghai station and have him report directly to headquarters to ensure secrecy. His codebook will be changed weekly, and you will be solely responsible for it."
Mao Wei straightened his back and saluted again: "Yes! This subordinate will do as instructed immediately and guarantee to convey the director's words to Comrade Yan Shuo verbatim!"
Dai Li waved his hand, his gaze returning to the intercepted intelligence report, a cold, hard smile curving his lips: "Go. Let the brothers see that following the Party and the State, following me, Dai Li, means rewarding merit and punishing wrongdoing—that's the rule of the Military Intelligence Bureau!"