novelraw Chapter 22: The Japanese Spy?
Chapter 22: The Japanese Spy?
Zhou Haichao pursed his lips into a thin white line and remained silent.
He's not stupid. The words "I killed Xiao Zhengguo" are irrefutable proof; he would never put a noose around his own neck.
Zhou Xiao raised an eyebrow and slowly added, "Deputy Section Chief Zhou, I came here with sincerity. This is your territory, there are no outsiders, not even a wire is connected, so how could there be any eavesdropping? Once these words leave this door, they'll remain unspoken between us."
Indeed, these days, eavesdropping devices are as bulky as bricks; you have to run cables and hide them in boxes, how can you carry them around in your pocket? This room was arranged by Zhou Haichao himself, and he knows best whether there's anything fishy going on.
His fingers curled and loosened repeatedly, but he never let go.
Zhou Xiao's gaze swept over his tense jaw, trembling eyelashes, and the slightly damp wrinkles on his cuffs—he knew what was going on: the man was on the verge of collapse, and his defenses had only one last crack.
He suddenly stood up and straightened his clothes: "Since you are unwilling to speak, then I have no choice but to hand over the items and let Director Guan and Boss Dai make the decision."
He made a move to leave.
Zhou Haichao sprang up, grabbed Zhou Xiao's arm, and said in a trembling voice, "Brother! Let's talk this over!"
Zhou Xiao paused, then slowly sat back down in his original position.
Zhou Haichao strode to the door, opened it a crack, glanced left and right in the corridor to make sure no one was there, then closed the door behind him and sat back down opposite Zhou Xiao, his shoulders slumping: "Brother Zhou Xiao... to be honest, ever since Xiao Zhengguo came back, I've felt something was off—too obedient, too compliant, too lacking in temper. Because... the real Xiao Zhengguo was already dead under my gun."
"Execute a colleague?" Zhou Xiao's brows furrowed, his eyes chillingly cold.
"We've been driven to the brink!" Zhou Haichao slapped his thigh in frustration. "Back in Shanghai, we were surrounded by the Japanese in an alley. Xiao Zhengguo's leg was pierced, blood was everywhere. Dragging him? We'd all be killed! Letting him fall into the hands of the Japanese and be tortured? That would be worse than death! That shot of mine was to send him on his way, and also to leave him with some dignity!"
"The bullet pierced the back of his neck, killing him instantly—so the second 'Xiao Zhengguo' is 100% fake!"
He got involved.
They had completely fallen into Zhou Xiao's trap.
"I see." Zhou Xiao nodded, his tone as calm as if he were talking about the weather. "According to you, this person is definitely an imposter."
"No mistake! Ninety-nine percent!" Zhou Haichao's eyes were glued to the pocket watch and envelope in Zhou Xiao's palm. He tentatively asked, "Um... Brother Zhou, could you return the things to me first?"
"Ten small yellow croakers." Zhou Xiao's lips curled up. "Deputy Section Chief Zhou, it's a great deal—bring down the counterfeiters, and you'll be promoted without any problem. This little bit of money is worth it for your future."
"Fine!" Zhou Haichao gritted his teeth, abruptly stood up, and said, "I'll go home and get it right now! Wait for me!"
"Okay." Zhou Xiao nodded.
With the evidence in hand, Zhou Haichao's crime of murdering his colleague was a foregone conclusion; Chen Shan's identity had already been exposed, which actually saved trouble—it was a good opportunity to arrange for the Military Intelligence Bureau to cooperate with him to return to the Shang Mansion, turning the tables on him.
Half an hour later, Zhou Haichao returned to the deputy section chief's office, panting, only to find the room empty; Zhou Xiao was nowhere to be seen. His heart sank.
"Deputy Section Chief Zhou, Director Guan requests your presence!" Li Bojun led a team of men, a dark mass blocking the doorway, their gun barrels all pointed at the entrance, gleaming coldly.
Zhou Haichao felt a chill run down his spine.
But given the current situation, if we try to fight it out, we might not even get to the top of the stairs before we're shot a dozen times.
"Li Bojun!" He forced himself to stand straight, but his voice was weak. "Is it appropriate to point a gun at your own brothers?"
"If you have something to say, say it to Director Guan." Li Bojun said expressionlessly.
Zhou Haichao was escorted by two men, who held his arms, all the way into Guan Yongshan's office.
As soon as the door opened, his gaze swept over the three people in the room: Guan Yongshan sat in the main seat, Chen Shan stood quietly to one side, and Zhou Xiao sat calmly on the sofa, playing with a copper buckle in his hand—the clasp of the pocket watch chain from earlier.
Guan Yongshan slammed his hand on the edge of the table with a "smack," causing the teacup to jump half an inch. He stood up, furious, pointing his finger directly at Zhou Haichao's nose: "Zhou Haichao! How dare you plot against your comrade!"
Zhou Haichao's heart sank; he understood everything.
But he still wanted to fight for his last breath. His throat was dry, and he forced himself to ask, "Director Guan, what... what are you referring to?"
"Where do you begin?" Guan Yongshan grabbed the envelope and pocket watch from the table, slamming them down with a bang. The pages scattered, and the gold watch case flipped open a crack. "During the mission in Shanghai, you shot Xiao Zhengguo in the back of the neck—this watch, this letter, and your handwritten operation memo, every word is crystal clear!"
"Director Guan, I'm innocent!" Zhou Haichao stared at the pile of evidence, his voice trembling. "Based on just these two items, you're accusing me of murder? Isn't that a bit too arbitrary?"
"This pocket watch does indeed belong to me. I lost it during a mission in Shanghai last time, and I've searched through all the clues since then but haven't found it. As for this letter—" Zhou Haichao's lips curled into a smirk, his sharp gaze sweeping over the letter, "Is it barely dry before you're already trying to pin this on me?"
"Even if we assume I really did it—then this 'Xiao Zhengguo' in front of us would be a complete imposter, wouldn't he? But if he's not Xiao Zhengguo, then who planted him in our Second Bureau? A spy sent by the Japanese? Or some kind of deity setting up a trap?"
Zhou Haichao's mind worked extremely fast, every sentence was hooked, and every step was a trap—he didn't want to defend himself, but to muddy the waters, seize the conversation, and turn the interrogation room into his arena.
He knew perfectly well that an old pocket watch and a letter from an unknown source couldn't sway Zhou Haichao's backbone.
"Yes, I am not Xiao Zhengguo." Chen Shan suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but like a blade cutting through blue bricks, "My name is Chen Shan."
???
Zhou Haichao's pupils contracted sharply, and he froze on the spot, as if nailed to thin air: Why did this person reveal his hand himself? Has he gone mad?
Zhou Xiao, standing to the side, casually added, "What if we add this recording as well?"
Since it was a scheme personally set up by Zhou Xiao, it wasn't a trap, but a noose—a deadly trap tailor-made for him.
recording?
What recording?
Zhou Haichao's heart sank, cold sweat instantly soaking his back, his ears ringing: Could it be... their secret conversation in the office? Absolutely impossible! He had personally checked that room three times, even knocking on the cracks in the walls; there was no way Zhou Xiao could have hidden a needle—he had even scrutinized the other's collar buttons. That's why he dared to speak the truth so frankly.
But where did this recording come from?
"I don't know what you mean by recording." Zhou Haichao's voice was strained, but he still straightened his back.
"Stubborn?" Zhou Xiao didn't waste any more words and snapped the recorder switch.
With a hiss of electricity, every word of his and Zhou Haichao's dialogue burst forth, perfectly intact and clear—even the pauses in breathing, the cold laughs and sighs were all perfectly synchronized.
It turned out that Zhou Xiao had already disassembled and reassembled the high-tech listening device, secretly embedding it into an old-fashioned tape recorder; he would record it once, then use ordinary equipment to copy and play it back. Bystanders thought it was just routine evidence gathering, and no one suspected anything.
Zhou Haichao's face instantly turned ashen.
Guan Yongshan abruptly stood up, his eyes blazing with fury, and glared directly at Zhou Haichao: "Zhou Haichao, what else do you have to say?!"
At this moment, he understood everything—
This is a setup.
A complete and utter scheme.
Zhou Xiao had woven the net himself, just waiting for him to walk right into it.
Zhou Haichao suddenly turned his head, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Zhou Xiao, his Adam's apple bobbing, his roar almost breaking his voice: "Zhou Xiao! You tricked me! You tricked me into telling you things!"
Zhou Xiao remained calm, as if discussing the weather: "Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know. If you hadn't fired that shot, no matter how I tried to elicit a word of truth, I wouldn't have gotten a single one—who else could be behind Xiao Zhengguo's assassination attempt besides you?"
There's nothing I can do about it.
My mental defenses collapsed instantly.
Zhou Haichao glanced around hastily before fixing his gaze on Chen Shan's face: "And what about him? Xiao Zhengguo died at my hands, so naturally he's a fake!"
"His name is Chen Shan, we already knew that." Guan Yongshan gritted his teeth, enunciating each word clearly, "As a key member of the Military Intelligence Bureau, you shot your comrade in the back, betrayed the country and the Party, and betrayed the organization—your crimes are unforgivable! Li Bojun, take him away immediately, keep him under strict guard, and execute him secretly on my orders!"
Zhou Xiao added at the opportune moment, "Guan Chu, this kind of person can't be treated softly. Otherwise, if word gets out, it might shake the foundation of the Second Division."
The unspoken message was clear: Guan Yongshan, if you want to protect him, you should first consider the consequences of your own actions.
After all, Zhou Xiao had read "Awakening of Insects" and knew about the deep-rooted old friendship between Zhou Haichao and Guan Yongshan.
Guan Yongshan gave a forced smile and snorted, "Brother Zhou Xiao, rest assured, I will enforce the law strictly and show no leniency—take him away!"
Li Bojun immediately led two agents forward, tied Zhou Haichao's arms behind his back, and dragged him straight to the Military Intelligence Bureau's prison.
As soon as the man left, Guan Yongshan let out a long sigh of relief and bowed deeply to Zhou Xiao: "Brother Zhou Xiao, thank you so much! You not only helped the Second Division uncover the Japanese collaborator's spy, but you also pulled out Zhou Haichao's poisonous fang—I will remember this favor!"
Zhou Xiao nodded slightly: "Director Guan, you flatter me. It's just my duty."
After a few pleasantries, the two walked out of the director's office side by side.
Back in the section chief's office, Zhou Xiao turned to Chen Shan: "Chen Shan, your infiltration plan has been personally approved by Sixth Brother. The operation will begin immediately, codenamed 'Awakening of Insects'—the Military Intelligence Bureau will cooperate fully. I am your only contact. Only Sixth Brother at headquarters knows about the entire plan."
The Awakening of Insects, the third of the twenty-four solar terms, marks the beginning of spring thunder, the awakening of hibernating insects, the sprouting of plants, and the emergence of all things from the earth.
The moment this name was bestowed, it meant that Chen Shan rose from the ashes and was reborn with his own flesh and blood.
Chen Shan nodded silently.
"I don't need to elaborate on the dangers of enemy-occupied territory." Zhou Xiao raised his hand and patted him heavily on the shoulder. "Take care on your journey."
"Thanks." Chen Shan took a slow breath, his chest rising and falling, but his eyes were like a tempered knife—calm, sharp, and unbreakable.
During his time in the mountain city, he witnessed Japanese bombers flying over the clouds, heard the heart-wrenching cries of babies in air-raid shelters, and saw withered hands reaching out from among the ruins. He also lingered for a long time in front of the military arts troupe's screen, where the lyrics, movements, and eyes were like sparks falling into his heart.
The pain of losing one's country and family has penetrated to the bone; the ambition to serve one's country has taken root from this moment on.
This time, his return to the Shang Mansion was no longer solely for survival or revenge—he was there to stand up for the enemy on behalf of 400 million compatriots.
The sons and daughters of China are unyielding and inflexible.
That night, Guan Yongshan issued a secret order, and Zhou Haichao was silently executed; under the same moonlight, Chen Shan quietly embarked on the "Awakening of Insects" journey, and the Kuomintang's covert operations began to unfold...
Of course, that's a story.