kvmb 176. Takamori Prison
176. Takamori Prison
"Damn it, didn't I tell them not to go out, not to go out, damn it! Where are Kawasaki and Yasuda? Haven't we found them yet?"
Saotome paced back and forth outside the Special Higher Police Department like an ant on a hot plate. Squads of Japanese spies and agents from the 76th Division had all been dispatched, but there was no trace of the two men anywhere; it was as if they had vanished into thin air.
Kondo even contacted the military police and regular police, asking them to search as well, but all he received were disappointed replies. No one had seen Kawasaki and Yasuda; had they really vanished into thin air?
"Commander Kondo, someone is watching us! Someone is definitely watching us! It's that 'Four-Faced Buddha,' it must be that 'Four-Faced Buddha'! Where is he? Where is he?!"
Saotome was on the verge of a mental breakdown. He could no longer maintain his confidence and composure in front of Kondo, and instead started shouting hysterically, even forgetting the hierarchy between superiors and subordinates.
Seeing his expression, Kondo slapped him across the face and roared, "Calm down, Saotome-kun! Only two people have died, things haven't gotten out of control yet! It seems that 'Four-Faced Buddha' has his eye on you and your team... But why is he in such a hurry to eliminate you? It's very likely that our investigation has already gotten close to the truth, which is why he's in such a rush to act! Think back, what useful information have we obtained recently?"
Saotome was stunned by Kondo's slap and stood there for a while before regaining his senses and starting to recall and think.
"Useful intelligence... what useful intelligence? I can't even tell which is useful and which is useless now. This Four-Faced Buddha is too terrifying. Even with my ability to see into people's hearts, I still can't fathom him. He's too terrifying..."
“Saotome-kun, don’t boost the enemy’s morale and diminish our own. The initiative is still in our hands. Assassinating a few soldiers won’t change the course of the battle. Since he’s so eager to attack you, don’t you still have one member in your team? Use him as bait to lure out the Four-Faced Buddha.”
"what?"
Kondo's idea was to use Mizutani, the only remaining skilled eavesdropper in the Saotome squad, as bait in the hope of luring out the assassin behind it all.
"Don't hesitate, Saotome. Since they want you dead, we'll use that to our advantage. We'll create an environment conducive to their assassination and install listening devices to monitor the entire room. Not even a fly will escape! I'll gather troops to surround the area. This is your duty as a soldier. Don't hesitate, go and carry it out!"
"Yes, sir!"
Although Saotome felt a pang of heartache, she knew this was the only way. Mizutani was clearly terrified after learning of Kawasaki and Yasuda's simultaneous disappearance. Without Saotome's instructions, he dared not leave the Special Higher Police headquarters. He only felt somewhat safe when he was in a Special Higher Police transport vehicle, under the protection of the soldiers, to install listening devices.
This time, Kondo chose a restaurant. The restaurant was quite upscale, with tables spaced far apart and a spacious layout. They placed listening devices around the restaurant beforehand, ensuring that Mizutani appeared there every day, having lunch at the same time and place, and collecting conversations from the surrounding patrons for several days to analyze who might be the assassin and who might be an accomplice scouting the location.
Mizutani sat there for three days straight. Nothing happened on the first three days, and the fourth day was also uneventful. After lunch, he pretended to leave, got into his car, drove around the surrounding streets, and then returned to the guest room above the hotel. This guest room was full of Special Higher Police agents, and even the surrounding rooms were filled with agents from the 76th Division.
Mizutani entered one of the rooms, which was filled with listening devices. He picked up the earphones and put them on, intending to play back the conversations recorded earlier that day. But as soon as he turned them on, a strong electric current suddenly surged from both sides of the earphones into his ears, then directly into his brain through his ear canals, causing his whole body to convulse and his eyes to roll back.
"Crackling and popping~ Crackling and popping~!"
After a series of sparks and explosions, Mizutani collapsed to the ground, his eyes rolling back in his head, a wisp of smoke rising from his head, his ears and temples charred black. He had died so inexplicably.
"What's going on? What happened?"
Kondo and Saotome rushed in from another room and saw Mizutani's bizarre death. Another Japanese sergeant, responsible for listening in, shook his head in confusion and said, "Sir...sir, he just put on his headphones and flipped this button. I don't know what happened. It seems...it seems the equipment is leaking electricity?"
"What? An electrical leak? You mean Mizutani was electrocuted?"
"That seems to be the case..."
Kondo and Saotome were dumbfounded. They had spent half a day setting up the operation, both eavesdropping and surrounding the area. The enemy lurking in the shadows hadn't chosen to act in the restaurant; instead, they had tampered with their listening equipment. But how did they know Mizutani would come in at that time to fiddle with the equipment and put on the earpiece? How did they manage to safely enter and exit the room filled with spies? And how did they manage to kill someone using a pair of earpieces and a short-circuit current? This was too unbelievable; it was simply a fantasy!
Yes, Mizutani is dead, electrocuted. And his death was entirely within Zhou Hongyi's control. At this moment, the entire Saotome squad, except for their captain, has gone to hell. Zhou Hongyi left after his deed was done; he knew when to stop while he was ahead, otherwise, things might be exposed.
Ignoring the Special Higher Police, whose ranks seemed to be in turmoil, Zhou Hongyi continued to erode the influence of the underground gangs according to his own pace and plan. During this process, the Blind Man, as Zhou Hongyi's representative within the gangs, displayed an extremely ruthless side. After the deaths of his mother and sister, and through the training and baptism of the guerrilla forces, the Blind Man's skills and temperament had undergone significant changes. Especially when dealing with traitors, he displayed a style reminiscent of Zhou Hongyi.
Just as Zhou Hongyi had agreed with Kondo beforehand, after committing several major incidents in a row, he, the director of the Second Precinct, was imprisoned by Kondo on charges of poor performance and suspected treason.
Zhou Hongyi's imprisonment immediately caused an uproar in Shanghai's upper echelons. Many officials who were on good terms with him tried to distance themselves to prove their innocence, while a few spoke up for him, but they were quickly warned to shut up.
Zhou Hongyi's identity is too sensitive. Since he has already been arrested and imprisoned by the Japanese, it means they must have solid evidence against him. Now, anyone who dares to speak up for him might be labeled as an accomplice.
Even though Zhou Hongyi had previously treated these people with lavish hospitality, indulging in extravagant lifestyles and treating them like brothers, now, only his old boss, Feng Jinxiong, after making some roundabout inquiries, dared not make any further moves.
Zhou Hongyi was also imprisoned in a prison called "Gaosen." This prison was located near Wujiaochang and was heavily guarded. The surrounding walls had been raised, and barbed wire was installed on top of them. There were four corner towers, and four searchlights that rotated continuously after nightfall. Behind the searchlights stood two Japanese gunmen.
In addition, a Japanese company was stationed right next to this prison. Inside the prison, there were more than 200 guards and staff, and more than 500 prisoners, making it a large prison in Shanghai.