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

109. He's too clean.

The citywide manhunt initiated by Kondo lasted for a full twenty days. All the police and secret agents worked at high intensity every day and actually discovered some suspicious people who were usually well hidden.

Among these people were small, self-organized groups that secretly printed leaflets to promote anti-Japanese ideas and posted slogans everywhere. They were mostly radical students and young people.

There were also some deserters who participated in the war to defend Shanghai but were scattered at the end. These people gathered together, and during the day they disguised themselves as beggars, dockworkers, or gang thugs, while at night they gathered together to carry out assassinations, sabotage and other acts.

What surprised Zhou Hongyi the most was that in a residential building not far from their Second Police Station, Xu Guodong and Wang Shun led their men to discover a secret underground radio station. This radio station was targeting their Second Police Station; someone was monitoring them from outside and had even tried to install listening devices in the police station and the chief's office, but fortunately, they failed, giving Zhou Hongyi a fright.

This secret radio equipment belonged to the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS). Zhou Hongyi detained the person in charge of the radio station in a separate location, intending to extract some information from him.

"With such equipment and energy, why are you spying on me? You might as well use it to spy on the Japanese devils."

Of course, the Kuomintang assassins and Red Party underground members who had received advance notice and withdrawn from the core area of ​​Shanghai did not suffer any losses in this large-scale search. They even took the opportunity to recuperate and transported a batch of goods by waterway.

Zhou Hongyi's ability to seize every opportunity left Gu Tianbo and Qiao Si in awe.

The city is already in such a state of tension, yet you, Young Master Zhou, still have the idea of ​​shipping goods out. It's not an ordinary person to have such an idea, let alone put it into practice.

To Zhou Hongyi's disappointment, the Japanese spy from the Mei Agency who was with Qiao Si did not appear during this transport. This guy was quite cautious.

"Since the other side isn't in a hurry, I'm not in a hurry either. I don't believe this Japanese spy will stay hidden forever. As long as you can't help but show your face, I'll smash your hamster head with a hammer."

With the headquarters destroyed and personnel suffering heavy casualties, Kondo had no choice but to send a telegram to the mainland requesting more elite troops for support.

In just three days, the headquarters of the Japanese Special Higher Police mobilized an elite force from surrounding cities to come and support Kondo from all directions.

This team includes spies skilled in intelligence tracking, spies familiar with telegram decryption, and plenty of gunmen and special operations personnel.

Kondo chose a new address for his new team. It was the former residence of a wealthy businessman who had fled the city after the Japanese invaded Shanghai. Kondo unceremoniously requisitioned the property and made it his new office.

With all personnel and equipment in place, this Special Higher Police unit was at its peak in terms of both professionalism and operational efficiency. Moreover, the explosion also had one advantage for Kondo: it indirectly eliminated those he didn't trust or who weren't entirely loyal to him, ensuring that the team he built would be wholeheartedly devoted to him.

"Kondo-kun, the new office location you chose is quite good. Although it is far from the downtown area, the roads are wide and the surrounding terrain is unobstructed. As long as two more towers are built, we won't have to worry about the same thing happening last time."

Kondo's teacher, Hiramaki Kotaro, came to his new office to give guidance, and praised him as soon as he entered.

"Teacher, please excuse our poor performance. We did have quite a few finds during this large-scale search, but none of them were the perpetrators of the bombing. It feels like we only caught small fry, while the real big fish seem to be still lurking at the bottom of the water, not yet showing themselves."

Heima sat at a large desk, took off his hat to reveal his strange hairstyle—bald in the middle and lush on the sides—and laughed, “Kondo-kun, everything takes time. Now that the Special Higher Police, which only obeys your orders, is fully formed, I believe you will make some discoveries in the upcoming investigation. As for those big fish, since they like to stay at the bottom of the water, we will keep them there until they can’t resist coming up for some fresh air, then we will launch a precise strike. As long as they are still in this pool, they will not escape our grasp.”

Kondo's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he nodded and said, "Yes, teacher, thank you for your guidance."

Heimaru picked up his teacup, took a sip, and continued, "Kondo-kun, in your initial investigation, have you identified any key suspects or areas of interest?"

Kondo brought his legs together and bowed, saying, "Yes, teacher. Based on my observations and investigations over this period of time, there are indeed several areas of suspicion. First, I suspect that an enemy has infiltrated our ranks, and is deeply entrenched. The former head of the Special Higher Police, Shimazu, may have been corrupted by him, but fortunately, I have already dealt with him."

There are three targets of suspicion: first, the local chambers of commerce in Shanghai; second, high-ranking officials within the Wang Jingwei government; and third, the police system. There's one person, though I haven't found any evidence against him, and he hasn't revealed any flaws in our several encounters—he was even a direct victim of a certain incident—but I just feel something's off… This feeling is subtle, like what you once taught us, teacher: this person is too clean. You can see his presence in every incident, yet there's no problem. Those who are too clean are often the most problematic.”

"Oh?" Heishi put down his teacup and asked, "Who is it?"

"Zhou Hongyi, the chief of the Second Precinct of Jing'an, is also one of Colonel Shimazu's ten most proud warriors, Sarutobi Sasuke. I have already launched an investigation into him, but apart from some embellishments, there is nothing suspicious about his past. In addition, his older sister is the mistress of Ding Mocun of the Seventy-Sixth Division. Logically speaking, this person should not have any problems, but I have a feeling that he is too innocent. Although I can see his figure in many scenes, he can perfectly stay out of it, which makes people feel that it is deliberate."

"Sarutobi Sasuke... one of Colonel Shimazu's Ten Braves? Hehehe~ I've heard of him too. I heard that at a banquet, General Doihara personally praised him, saying he was a pillar of the future. You said there's a problem with his resume, what is it?"

Kondo's expression turned somewhat strange, but he still answered truthfully: "That's his West Point cadet status, which he often boasts about. According to our investigation, his parents did indeed spend a lot of money to send him to North America to study at West Point, but he couldn't withstand the high-intensity training and was expelled early. After that, Sarutobi Sasuke studied other majors, so he didn't graduate from West Point at all. His major was..."

Kondo paused here, then gritted his teeth and stamped his foot, saying, "My major is gynecological diseases."

"puff!"