Chapter 65

In the city of devils, after having breakfast, Tsuchihara Kenji took his combat plan and got into the car heading for the Lu Mansion.

Tsuchihara Kenji sat quietly in the back seat, eyes closed, his fingers gently tapping the briefcase containing the combat plan, silently pondering how to deal with Gao Yang.

A young woman in a Japanese Army lieutenant's uniform sitting in the front passenger seat turned her head and said softly to Tsuchihara Kenji, "Major, according to the intelligence, at this time, Young Master Lu should still be in bed." Her words were filled with disdain.

The corners of Tsuchihara Kenji's mouth twitched slightly, and he smiled, saying, "Yunzi, your experience is still lacking. People like Young Master Lu are the ones we in intelligence work most like. Lazy people, people with flaws, are the easiest to break through! Young Master Lu is a very rare target. Yunzi, you can practice your espionage skills on him."

"Hai," Nanzao Yunzi responded solemnly. After a pause, she hesitated and continued, "Commander, I would like to request to deal with Gao Yang."

"Hmm?" Tsuchihara Kenji suddenly opened his eyes and stared intently at Nanzao Yunzi, saying in a deep voice, "Yunzi, you are a student I have high hopes for. You are very capable. But! You must remember one thing: never do anything beyond your capabilities!"

He took a deep breath to calm himself and continued, "Gao Yang is not someone you can handle at your current level. He has many unexplainable secrets! Think about our senior, Oishi Shinzo, such an outstanding intelligence officer, even I can't match him! And yet, he died under mysterious circumstances!"

"Hai," Nanzao Yunzi apologized again, her expression sincere. Tsuchihara Kenji nodded slightly, relaxed his body, and continued, "Dealing with Gao Yang is not a simple task. My plan is just beginning. It's a grand plan, and the first step is to start with Young Master Lu..." Tsuchihara Kenji suddenly stopped speaking and turned his head, staring intently out the window.

"Stop the car!" Tsuchihara Kenji shouted loudly. The car immediately stopped, and Tsuchihara Kenji hurriedly opened the door and got out, looking at the roadside.

At this moment, many newsboys were distributing newspapers on the street, and countless pedestrians were vying for them, causing chaos. The newsboys shouted loudly, "Lu Xiaojia colluded with the Japanese to sell the country in exchange for military aid, intending to attack Inspector Gao Yang. The sell-out treaty is comparable to the Twenty-One Demands! Gao Yang launched a punitive war against the traitor Lu Xiaojia this morning!" "Extra, extra, Governor Lu colluded with..."

Tsuchihara Kenji felt a chill in his heart as he listened to the newsboys' slogans. He swallowed hard and quickly turned back to the car, shouting at the driver, "To the Lu Mansion, quickly! Quickly! Quickly!" The car sped off towards the Lu Mansion.

After arriving at the Lu Mansion, Tsuchihara Kenji rushed straight to Lu Xiaojia's bedroom. When he reached the living room, he saw He Fenglin and others either sitting or standing, waiting there. Tsuchihara Kenji hurried forward anxiously and asked, "Where is the Governor?"

Everyone glanced at him but no one responded. The butler of the Lu Mansion stepped forward and said, "Mr. Tsuchihara, Young Master is still resting. Please wait a moment." Tsuchihara Kenji's face changed, and he shouted loudly, "At a time like this, how can he still be resting? Gao Yang has already attacked!"

The butler's face changed, and he said sternly, "Mr. Tsuchihara, please do not make a commotion. This is the Lu Mansion, not your Japanese consulate!" Tsuchihara Kenji's face turned red and white, and he was speechless. The people around him all laughed.

Tsuchihara Kenji turned to the crowd and shouted, "The military situation is urgent. Why are none of you reporting to Governor Lu?" He Fenglin put down his teacup, looked at Tsuchihara Kenji, and smiled lightly, saying, "Mr. Tsuchihara, please calm down. We also came here after receiving the telegram. However, the Governor is still resting, and as subordinates, we don't want to disturb him."

Just as He Fenglin finished speaking, a Zhejiang Army officer burst into the room. Seeing the many officers present, he raised the telegram in his hand and shouted loudly, "We just received a clear-code telegram from the 10th Division. The 10th Division has surrendered!" This statement was like a thunderclap in everyone's ears!

He Fenglin stood up abruptly and shouted, "Nonsense! The 10th Division sent an enemy contact report this morning. How could they have surrendered so quickly? How long has the battle even been going on?" The people around him also shouted in disbelief. This news was too shocking, and no one present was willing to believe it. Only Tsuchihara Kenji felt an uncontrollable panic in his heart. He had a gut feeling that the news was true!

The officer took a breath and shouted, "The telegram is indeed from the 10th Division's command radio. It says that the 10th Division was attacked by Gao Yang's forces with intense artillery fire, and the river was also blockaded by enemy warships. They were completely surrounded by a powerful enemy. They say they have made their greatest efforts, and in the absence of reinforcements and facing a strong enemy, they had no choice but to surrender. The 10th Division has fulfilled its duty as soldiers. The telegram also says that Deputy Division Commander Zhu has been killed in action."

He Fenglin snatched the telegram and read it hastily. Before he finished, he rushed towards Young Master Lu's room. The butler tried to stop him but was slapped to the ground. Everyone quickly followed.

Young Master Lu, who had been up late drinking and dancing, was woken by the urgent knocking on the door. He threw his pillow in frustration, shouting, "What's the knocking for!"

The knocking did not stop but became even louder, mixed with shouts. Finally, unable to sleep, Lu Xiaojia threw off the covers, got up angrily, and opened the door. Before he could open his sleepy eyes to scold, a group of people rushed in.

He Fenglin shoved the telegram into Lu Xiaojia's hands and shouted, "Governor, Gao Yang attacked us this morning! The 10th Division just sent a telegram saying they have been defeated!"

Lu Xiaojia was completely at a loss, holding the telegram in confusion. At this moment, an officer rushed in and shouted, "Listen to the radio, listen to the radio, quickly! Quickly!" Without waiting for anyone to understand, he ran to the radio and turned it on.

Soon, a slightly hoarse male voice came through, "All Zhejiang Army units should correct their course. Those who have sold out the country and colluded with the Japanese, like Lu Xiaojia, will be punished by law! Just one hour ago, the remnants of the 10th Division, surrounded by the powerful 6th Army Division on the Yangtze River, were completely annihilated! The Jiangyin Fort will soon be captured by the 6th Army Division, and the Zhejiang Army units surrounding the fort have already completely collapsed! Now..."

No one could hear the rest. Lu Xiaojia, looking at the telegram, finally reacted, shouting at the crowd, "What the hell is going on? I just slept, and the world has changed! What happened to the 10th Division? What happened to the Jiangyin Fort? What about Zhu Guangsheng? What is Zhu Guangsheng doing!!!"

Tsuchihara Kenji stepped forward and said, "Governor, please don't panic! The main newspapers and radio stations in the city of devils have been acquired by Gao Yang's SC Trade. Of course, they are now speaking for Gao Yang. The most important thing now is to immediately contact the front-line units and find out the current situation!" Without changing his clothes, Young Master Lu rushed out of the room in his pajamas.

At the same time, in modern-day Seoul, South Korea, after returning from a promotional event in Busan and taking an early morning flight home, Jeong Soo-yeon changed into slippers and walked into the living room, where she saw her sister Jeong Soo-jung lying on the sofa in her pajamas, watching TV.

Sitting on the armrest next to her sister, she asked softly, "He didn't stay with you?" "Hmm," Jeong Soo-jung responded softly, her voice somewhat dull. Jeong Soo-yeon shook her head slightly and sighed, saying, "It's rare to have a holiday, so rest well." She then got up and returned to her room.

Jeong Soo-jung watched the TV show listlessly, but her mind was preoccupied with the recent events. It was impossible to have no resentment towards Gao Yang, but she could understand it for now. She had been looking forward to this date, but the agreed-upon plans had changed. "Do I really matter to him?" The thoughts of a girl in love are hard for men to understand.

Their relationship began with an unexpected act of heroism, and both felt a bit like it was love at first sight. However, their relationship was not yet very solid. Since that act of heroism, they had not seen each other many times, and the time they spent together was minimal. This cancellation also made Jeong Soo-jung more calm, quietly reflecting on things.

Feeling frustrated, Jeong Soo-jung turned off the TV and returned to her room. Lying on the bed, she held her phone, wanting to contact Gao Yang but not knowing what to say!

At the same time, in modern-day Beijing, at the Economic Crime Investigation Brigade of the Public Security Bureau. Detective Ding Rui knocked on the door of the brigade chief's office.

"Come in." Ding Rui pushed the door open, saluted, and said, "Chief, you called for me?" The brigade chief stood up from behind his desk and smiled, saying, "Ding, you're here, sit down, sit down." He casually picked up a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes.

Both sat down on the sofa, lit their cigarettes, and the brigade chief got straight to the point, saying, "Ding, you are the most capable in our brigade. There's a task I need you to complete."

Ding Rui immediately stood up and said loudly, "I will ensure the task is completed!" The brigade chief chuckled and said, "Good, good, sit down, sit down." He took a puff of his cigarette and continued, "This time, I need you to investigate a company called SC Trade."

"SC Trade? The one that's been making waves in the business community recently?" Ding Rui immediately recognized the name.

"Oh? Ding, you know about this company?" The brigade chief asked, somewhat surprised.

Ding Rui smiled and said, "Just a general idea. As an economic crime investigator, I'm naturally more sensitive to these things." He stubbed out his cigarette and continued, "Recently, this company acquired a 57-story office building in the CBD from Samsung. Although the exact amount hasn't been disclosed, I estimate it's no less than 800 million US dollars!"

Ding Rui took another Zhonghua from the brigade chief's pack and lit it, saying, "Although Beijing is a place of wealth and riches, with rich people everywhere, this sudden emergence of a company and the deal it made has certainly attracted a lot of attention."