Espionage: You're tasked with spying, but you'll blow up the Special Higher Police?

140. Kondo's Confidence

After everything was arranged, Zhou Hongyi returned to the antique shop.

The group reported to him the intelligence they had gathered that day, still demanding meticulous attention to detail. After listening to the report, Zhou Hongyi made some adjustments to the intelligence gathering work before the operation. He arranged for the unfamiliar faces from out of town to disguise themselves as porters and observe the details of the Japanese transport vehicles up close at the Qiujiang Wharf.

In addition, Zhou Hongyi personally walked along this road several times, especially along the various auxiliary roads, paths, and culverts along Jungong Road, Xiangyin Road, and Wujiaochang, as well as the surrounding buildings. He carefully marked them on the map, indicating which places could be used for hiding and surprise attacks, and which were retreat routes, to ensure that our personnel had more room to maneuver in the battle and avoid being surrounded by the Japanese.

Regarding weaponry, firearms and ammunition were procured by the Military Intelligence Bureau, while Zhou Hongyi personally manufactured a batch of functional hand grenades in his secret hideout, disguised as a farm implement factory. Of course, if the attack site was to be on a bridge, high-powered explosives would be essential.

As January 15th drew closer, Zhou Hongyi met with the various parties involved in the operation to rehearse the ambush, raid, and retreat plans.

"Kondo-kun, the equipment and raw materials that Mr. Hiramasa needs will be docked at the pier in less than a day. We will need the Special Higher Police's assistance with the transportation."

Hasegawa, the president of the Sakura Trading Company, sat opposite Kondo with a radiant face and very politely poured him a cup of tea.

Kondo smiled, raised his teacup, took a sip, and replied, "President Hasegawa, don't worry. I'm even more nervous about this batch of goods and equipment than you are. This is something my teacher repeatedly told me to do. Moreover, the weapons we develop will determine whether the Empire can ultimately win on the front lines. We can't afford to make any mistakes."

Hasegawa nodded after listening, then asked with some doubt, "Kondo-kun, according to feedback from the Ume Agency, some unfamiliar workers have appeared at the Qiujiang Wharf recently, and some suspicious people have been repeatedly appearing along the transportation route. Could it be that our transportation route has been leaked?"

Kondo chuckled confidently and said, "President Hasegawa, please rest assured. Shanghai has a large population, complex terrain, and deeply entrenched underground forces. It would be suspicious if there were no suspicious individuals on the streets. As long as they continue to appear on these important roads, we can be at ease because they cannot yet uncover our true secrets."

Think about it, if they already know our transport routes and schedules, why bother sending people to painstakingly gather intelligence every day? They can just take action directly. Besides, I've devised three routes for this mission. Besides this one, the other two are for leaks—deliberately creating loopholes for the Red and Kuomintang forces hiding in the shadows. They'll be like mice smelling leftovers, inevitably making their move, while we can safely escort the goods to their destination according to plan.”

"Wow, Kondo-kun, that's brilliant! No wonder you're known as the 'Flower of the Empire'—the Special Higher Police's ace!"

Hasegawa gave a thumbs-up, offering a cheesy compliment, but Kondo seemed pleased, laughing as he said, "However, to ensure secrecy, it's inconvenient to use a large army to follow, as that would make us too conspicuous. So, we chose the evening, when most citizens have returned home and started cooking, but haven't fallen asleep yet, so they won't be attracted by the noise on the street. Besides, the fifty men responsible for transportation are elite Imperial troops that I obtained from Captain Sawakita. They're strong enough to handle those Kuomintang and Red Party troublemakers, easily taking on five, if not ten, of them."

"I'm relieved to hear what Kondo-kun said. Now, I'll go and arrange the inventory and loading/unloading of the goods."

Hasegawa placed great importance on the shipment, as a large part of the reason he was sent from the mainland to Shanghai to establish the Sakura Trading Company was for this very order. If anything went wrong on this trip, not only would his political career be over, but he could also face purging afterward. After all, the Empire's recent war had been hampered, and the military leaders were holding their breath. If anyone below him made a mistake at this time, the problem would be magnified infinitely, and the consequences would be far more severe.

Qiujiang Wharf, located in the northern part of Shanghai's urban area, is a very important port. Adjacent to the Huangpu River, its water conditions are ideal for ship berthing and cargo loading and unloading. After being occupied by the Japanese, it was placed under strict military control. It can be said that a large portion of the supplies and equipment of the local Japanese troops originated from this wharf and were subsequently transported to various locations.

For this reason, the Japanese army has long stationed heavy troops to guard the Qiujiang Wharf, surrounded it with barbed wire, watchtowers and defensive facilities everywhere, and sandbag fortifications were also set up around the wharf to prevent any attacks from land or water.

Zhou Hongyi ultimately chose a bridge relatively close to the Qiujiang Wharf. From a tactical perspective, the enemy's transport convoy had only recently departed from the wharf and had not yet had time to fully deploy its defensive formation. Therefore, blowing up the nearby bridge could directly cut off reinforcements from the wharf and also cause chaos among the Japanese troops stationed there, making it difficult for them to organize an effective counterattack in a short period of time.

Furthermore, choosing a bridge on the main route of the transport convoy would disrupt the Japanese army's transport plans to the greatest extent possible, trapping their vehicles and personnel on the riverbank and putting them in a passive position. However, how to place the explosives, and who would do it, would undoubtedly face enormous dangers.

Since this method was proposed by Zhou Hongyi, he naturally took on this dangerous task.

With less than a day to go before the Japanese transport team arrived at the dock, Zhou Hongyi disguised himself and used his [Explosives Master] skill to work through the night to make several powerful explosive charges and create a small wireless controller, which was a fairly advanced receiving device for that era, and only he could make it.

[Master of Deception] is now open. Dressed in black, Zhou Hongyi moves like an agile cat through the intricate web of streets and alleys of Shanghai, hiding in the shadows where the streetlights cannot reach.

What appeared to others as a pitch-black road was, in his eyes, divided into sections according to danger levels by various colors. Having already mastered his skills, Zhou Hongyi simultaneously activated his [Melee Domain], making his movements even faster and more agile, allowing him to walk without making a sound.

With the target bridge looming ahead, the Japanese, as usual, had set up checkpoints at both ends of the bridge, which were brightly lit even in the early morning. Without the help of the [Master of Deception], it would be virtually impossible to secretly reach the bridge and plant explosives.

After the enemy lights and the patrol team passed by in a specific pattern, Zhou Hongyi quickly seized the opportunity and slid off the bridge. He carried several small but powerful bombs in his backpack, ready to detonate at any moment with a detonator in his hand. After setting them up, he even used mud from the riverbank for some camouflage.

The Japanese soldiers patrolling the bridge once again began to walk back along a specific route. Zhou Hongyi, hiding in the shadows of the bridge pier, once again used the time difference to perfectly escape and reintegrate into the fabric of Shanghai, silently setting up a powerful "death warrant".