Chen Shen’s eyes followed Xu Bicheng’s back—a curvy, graceful figure in a qipao, like fine porcelain. He couldn’t reconcile this vibrant, voluptuous woman with the shy girl he had once known at the Qingpu training camp. To him, they were two entirely different people. Back then, Xu Bicheng had been as green as a young malantou plant in early March. Swaying slightly, Chen Shen made his way toward the restroom. Near the sink, he noticed Xu Bicheng’s hand brush quickly and subtly under the basin. As she turned to walk past him, Xu Bicheng smiled. Chen Shen caught the scent of her hair and said, “You’re using French hair products, aren’t you?”
At that moment, Su Sansheng was also heading to the restroom. Chen Shen’s sharp eyes scanned the area and saw a waitress washing her hands at the sink, her fingers brushing under the basin just as Xu Bicheng’s had. Chen Shen moved to block Su Sansheng’s line of sight and said, “Care for a smoke?”
Standing a short distance from the restroom, Chen Shen and Su Sansheng both lit up and took deep drags. For a long time, Chen Shen didn’t say a word, occasionally smiling, but mostly gazing out the window. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the waitress leaving. Chen Shen smiled and remarked, “This rain is really coming down.”
Su Sansheng said, “Brother Chen, when I join the action squad, I hope you’ll look out for me.”
Blowing out a puff of smoke, Chen Shen replied, “I can give you a haircut.”
After Chen Shen finished speaking, he shoved his hands into his pockets and staggered back toward the dining table, swaying as he walked like a spring dog, looking left and right. The note passed by Xu Bicheng instructed the Military Command to quickly evacuate several strongholds and ordered the Hurricane Squad to capture Su Sansheng as soon as possible. One glance between Xu Bicheng and Tang Shan Hai was enough for her to know what Tang Shan Hai wanted her to do. The two had once trained together as partners in a closed-off session in Chongqing. But now, it was too late—Bi Zhong Liang had never fully trusted either Chen Shen or Tang Shan Hai. After finishing his glass of wine, he poured himself some osmanthus tea, swirled it in his mouth, and spat it into a cup.
Bi Zhong Liang sipped his tea, carefully covering the cup with its lid, and said, “Neither Chen Shen nor Tang Shan Hai need to leave. Let’s start the arrest operation right now. Su Sansheng will guide you.”
“When will the action squad arrive?” Chen Shen asked.
“They’re already downstairs waiting. You can check the window,” Bi Zhong Liang replied.
Chen Shen didn’t bother looking out the window. In his mind, he imagined at least three tarpaulin-covered military trucks parked downstairs, with at least thirty agents on standby. He also noticed the expression on Tang Shan Hai’s face—a sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead for a brief moment, though he quickly masked it. It was only then that Chen Shen realized Tang Shan Hai hadn’t truly defected to the Chongqing government or betrayed Dai Li. Tang Shan Hai, like Chen Shen, was just another infiltrator, though from a different side.
Five minutes later, Chen Shen and Tang Shan Hai stood at the entrance of the Sassoon House. Tang Shan Hai held a luxurious umbrella, while Chen Shen was almost entirely exposed to the rain. Smoking in the downpour, the glowing tip of his cigarette seemed to set the rain alight. Three tarpaulin-covered military trucks pulled up and stopped in front of them. Chen Shen climbed into the third truck, watching as Tang Shan Hai boarded the second, and the traitor Su Sansheng got into the first truck to lead the way.
The military trucks roared through the wet, long, and dark rainy night. Chen Shen knew that the intel Tang Shan Hai had Xu Bicheng send out was practically useless. How could any Military Command post evacuate in such a short time? Tang Shan Hai was thinking the same thing, his eyes closed as he imagined the Military Command stations being destroyed and their personnel arrested. Tang Shan Hai even suspected that when Xu Bicheng passed on the information through the waitress at the Sassoon House, Chen Shen might have noticed. If Chen Shen had noticed and said nothing, could it be that Chen Shen was also an undercover agent on another line within the Military Command?
Tang Shan Hai’s mind was working like a machine, processing rapidly. It was clear that Bi Zhong Liang was testing him, though what he didn’t realize was that Bi Zhong Liang was also testing Chen Shen. Neither of them had any chance to leave the Sassoon House—they were both directly involved in the raid. During the operation, every word and action they took would be closely observed and recorded by agents assigned to monitor them.
On that tense night, Chen Shen became aware of Bi Zhong Liang’s test. He had to lead his team to quickly surround a small pavilion where the Military Command’s station chief, Zeng Shu, was hiding. Tang Shan Hai, on the other hand, captured dozens of Military Command members. Later, Chen Shen learned from Bian Tou that even the 76th Secret Service Headquarters had sent reinforcements to assist with the raid. Under the pale lights, Chen Shen stood in front of Zeng Shu and politely offered him a cigarette. Once Zeng Shu finished smoking, Chen Shen said, “You know where you’re headed.”
Zeng Shu responded bleakly, “It’s fate.”
Whether it was fate or not, that rainy night, the Direct Action Squad executed a flawless operation. All of the Military Command’s Shanghai station members were arrested. What surprised Chen Shen even more was what happened afterward. Three days later, 140 agents from the Shanghai Military Command station surrendered without undergoing any torture. All their files were handed over to the 76th Secret Service Headquarters, and some were even transferred to the Japanese Kenpeitai. The success of this rainy-night operation left Bi Zhong Liang satisfied—there had been no leaks, and he felt it brought him one step closer to Li Shiqun.
At the same time, Chen Shen realized that Xu Bicheng and Tang Shan Hai were like pins stuck into the workings of 55 Jisifeier Road. The only reason he didn’t view them as more dangerous thorns was that he believed if he hadn’t been there at the Sassoon House to cover for Xu Bicheng, she might have been caught on the spot. What a novice experience in enemy territory, Chen Shen thought, remembering that Xu Bicheng hadn’t been an outstanding student during their time at the Qingpu training camp.
What made the situation even worse was that after Zeng Shu’s arrest, he too defected. The Military Command’s presence in Shanghai was instantly reduced to zero.
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