Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

Chapter 151 A Rare Opportunity!

On the other side, Zhou Xiao had already led Wu Tengchunzi out of the fire and safely retreated to the second floor.

Muto Shigeo was extremely anxious and tried several times to turn back to rescue them, but his subordinates held him back each time. He immediately ordered someone to go back to the hall to search for them, but as soon as the man reached the entrance of the banquet hall, he bumped into Zhou Xiao supporting Muto Chunzi as they approached.

On the second-floor corridor, Muto Yoshio spotted the father and daughter at a glance and immediately rushed forward, his voice strained: "Junko, how are you? You almost scared me to death!"

Wu Teng Chunzi looked up at Zhou Xiao and replied softly, "Father, I'm fine."

"I twisted my ankle when I escaped, but thanks to Mr. Zhou's timely help, I wasn't trapped inside."

Muto Yoshio turned to Zhou Xiao and solemnly thanked him: "Director Zhou, I really don't know how to thank you enough—thanks to you for saving my daughter!"

Zhou Xiao nodded calmly, "It was nothing, Consul, please don't worry about it. Anyone else would have done the same."

Muto Yoshio insisted, "Regardless, I will remember this kindness."

Wu Teng Chunzi, standing to the side, felt a slight flush on her cheeks and whispered, "Mr. Zhou, thank you so much for what you did earlier... I will always remember this kindness."

Zhou Xiao glanced at her flushed cheeks and trembling eyelashes, and his heart stirred slightly: This girl... could it be that she really has some feelings for me?

In the spy game, Wu Teng Chunzi is a pure-hearted and innocent girl. Now, she is saved by him when her life is hanging by a thread, which is a perfect example of "hero saving the beauty". In addition, she already had curiosity and affection for Zhou Xiao, so feelings naturally began to grow at this moment.

When a person is most vulnerable, that is when emotions are most likely to take root—the timely appearance of a man is like a helping hand from heaven, and the impact on a girl is often unforgettable.

Just like Wu Teng Chunzi at this moment.

Zhou Xiao simply smiled faintly: "Miss Chunzi, you flatter me."

After this incident, Muto Shigeo and his daughter's impression of Zhou Xiao changed drastically.

This is a rare opportunity.

With this life-saving grace as a foundation, Zhou Xiao's relationship with Wu Teng Chunzi's family was established, which improved the safety of subsequent operations and quietly broadened intelligence channels.

The Japanese consulate in Shanghai is one of the most crucial intelligence outposts.

But as the host of the banquet, Yoshimasa Fujita's face was ashen.

Such a sudden turn of events at such an important diplomatic occasion not only spoiled the mood of the entire event but also endangered the lives of the guests—he lost face completely and could not escape blame.

While keeping an eye on his surroundings, Mingcheng leaned closer to Minglou and asked, "Brother, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Minglou turned to Wang Fuzhao, his tone respectful, "Teacher, are you alright?"

Wang Fuzhao was Minglou's mentor and a key figure in his infiltration of the Wang Jingwei regime's upper echelons. To continue his undercover work, Minglou had to leave no trace.

The way of infiltration, like the rules of the underworld, emphasizes interpersonal relationships and proper etiquette.

Without this crucial element, even the most meticulous disguise will eventually be exposed.

Wang Fuzhao waved her hand: "I'm fine."

Minglou nodded: "It's good that you're alright."

Fujita Yoshimasa's gaze swept over the flustered guests, his voice calm and clear: "Ladies and gentlemen, I am very sorry that such an unexpected incident has occurred at such a grand banquet. It is truly impolite."

"I will investigate this matter thoroughly and give everyone here a clear explanation."

At this moment, Fujita Yoshi was the commander of the Shanghai Military Police Headquarters, the highest-ranking Japanese administrative leader in Shanghai.

Who would dare to criticize him to his face?

The Shanghai Grand Hotel is the largest and most well-equipped modern hotel in Shanghai, with a comprehensive fire protection system and a sound response mechanism.

As soon as the fire broke out, the hotel staff and the military police quickly coordinated their efforts: while putting out the fire, they also urgently evacuated people and isolated the dangerous area.

After all, no one can be sure whether this fire was an accident or arson.

In a crisis, saving lives is always the top priority.

Within about ten minutes, the fire in the banquet hall was brought under control and prevented from spreading to other floors.

Zhou Xiao remained calm and composed, chatting and laughing with Muto Shigeo and his daughter while keeping a close eye on Takagi Keiji's movements.

Takagi Noriyuki strode over to Minamida Yoko and whispered a few words in her ear. Minamida Yoko's expression changed slightly, and she quickly walked to Fujita Yoshimasa, giving him a brief report. Fujita Yoshimasa frowned, his face instantly darkening.

Zhou Xiao understood immediately—the body had been discovered.

His original intention was to get rid of Wang Fuzhao, but unexpectedly, the pocket watch pistol accidentally hit someone else.

But he had no time to recognize who it was—the scene was chaotic, filled with smoke, and teeming with people.

Once the fire was brought under control, the corpses were naturally revealed.

Judging from the changes in expression on the faces of Yoko Nanada and Yoshimasa Fujita, Zhou Xiao concluded that the deceased was no ordinary person.

As expected, after hearing the news, Fujita Yoshimasa's expression turned solemn. He turned to face the crowd and said, "Today's banquet is hereby adjourned. Please leave now. I will arrange a banquet another day to apologize and express my sincerity."

This was a formality to ask them to leave, but no one found it abrupt.

The guests present were eager to leave—the longer they stayed, the more uneasy they felt.

After being granted permission to leave, everyone felt as if they had been granted a pardon and rose to say goodbye.

Only three people were left behind: Zhou Xiao, the head of the intelligence department of the Special Operations Headquarters; Wang Manchun, the head of the intelligence department of the No. 76 Special Agent Headquarters; and Ming Lou.

Inside the banquet hall, the thick smoke had dissipated, but the fire marks remained.

Military police have completely cordoned off the area.

Fujita Yoshimasa, Minami Yoko, Zhou Xiao, Ming Lou, and Wang Manchun surrounded a stretcher.

The body was intact and had not been burned.

This time, Zhou Xiao finally saw the deceased's face clearly—

Liu Ke!

The one who shielded Wang Fuzhao from the fatal blow was none other than Liu Ke.

This person has extensive experience and a status far exceeding that of Wang Fuzhao: currently serving as the director of the Political and Economic Committee, overseeing both the political and economic lifelines.

Liu Kesheng was born in 1876 in Guangdong Province. He passed the imperial examination in 1903. Later, due to the decline of his family, he donated money to obtain the title of candidate for the post of Daotai with the help of his friend Pan. He was then introduced by Zhao Erxun, the Governor-General of the Three Eastern Provinces, and Yang Shixiang, the Governor of Shandong Province, and went to Zhili to serve as an inspector.

In 1903, the Qing government appointed him to Japan as a counselor at the embassy. During his time in Japan, he secretly monitored Chinese students studying there, acting as the Qing government's eyes and ears.

He then traveled to France, where he met a group of financial giants. With their support, he rose to prominence in the international banking arena and, upon returning to France, took charge of several banks.

From then on, he spent money like water, cultivated relationships with powerful and influential people, and his network of connections extended throughout the government and the country.

When the full-scale War of Resistance against Japan broke out in 1937, he immediately betrayed his country and surrendered to the enemy, transforming himself into the number one traitor and taking the seat of director of the Political and Economic Committee.

In terms of rank, he was slightly higher than Wang Fuzhao.

Zhou Xiao originally thought he had only mistakenly killed a minor character, but he never expected that one shot would eliminate a major traitor who controlled a key financial institution.

All things considered, it was worth it.

They failed to kill Wang Fuzao, but they eliminated Liu Ke.

Liu Ke's crimes mainly focused on manipulating finance, plundering people's wealth, and providing financial support to the enemy.

Fujita Yoshikazu stared at Liu Ke's body, his face ashen, and turned to Zhou Xiao, asking, "Director Zhou, what do you think?"

After this murder, Fujita Yoshimasa deliberately kept Zhou Xiao behind—the signal couldn't be clearer: his trust in Zhou Xiao was deepening.

Clearly, Fujita Yoshimasa was deeply moved by the speech in the conference room that was "for the long-term benefit of the Empire and the new government."

Zhou Xiao bent down to carefully examine the body and finally found a penetrating wound near the deceased's temple. He then said, "Commander Fujita, I have conducted a preliminary examination. Director Liu's fatal wound was to the head; it was a gunshot wound."

"But the bullet hole was unusually small, the surrounding bruising was minor, and the impact marks were faint—indicating that the killer did not use an ordinary handgun, but a miniature firearm specifically designed for special agents."

"The whole place was in chaos when the incident occurred, and it is highly likely that anti-Japanese patriots who were lurking among the guests took advantage of the confusion to carry out the attack."

"As for the fire, it is equally suspicious. It was very likely deliberately set up to disrupt order and cover up the operation."

"I suggest starting the investigation from the point of origin of the fire. Perhaps we can follow the clues and find the real culprit—who knows, the murderer might be one of the guests who attended the banquet today."

Fujita Yoshimasa nodded emphatically: "Those anti-Japanese elements in Shanghai are incredibly audacious, daring to commit such atrocities right under my nose!"

Wang Manchun continued, "Our security measures were extremely tight, but we still managed to find a loophole."

Zhou Xiao: "All guests attending the banquet were strictly prohibited from bringing any weapons into the venue. The on-site service personnel were all the most reliable people in the Empire, so the security should have been foolproof. However, the sudden fire just now directly tore through the entire defense line, giving the anti-Japanese elements an opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

Minglou glanced down at Liu Ke's body, his brows furrowed, his expression grave: "Director Liu sacrificed himself for the country, and the burden on my shoulders has become even heavier."

"I already had a lot of tricky things piled up on my plate."

According to organizational affiliation, the Economic Department, which is headed by Minglou, is not directly under the jurisdiction of the Political and Economic Committee; however, the Political and Economic Committee is the core department that coordinates the city's economic affairs. Although there is no superior-subordinate relationship between the two, they must cooperate closely and support each other.

Yoko Minamida: "It seems that the situation in Shanghai is more troublesome than expected—these anti-Japanese forces are practically everywhere."

Indeed, it is ubiquitous.

Of the five people present at this moment, Ming Lou and Zhou Xiao were the most deeply hidden anti-Japanese patriots.

Liu Ke died at the hands of Zhou Xiao.

The most absurd thing is that Fujita Yoshimasa even assigned Zhou Xiao to personally examine Liu Ke's body.

Investigating a murderer? That's utterly ridiculous.

With such a major incident occurring, Fujita Yoshimasa could not escape responsibility—Liu Ke held a special and prominent position, and as his superior, he was duty-bound to bear the consequences.

Fujita Yoshimasa's face was ashen, and his voice was low and menacing: "Director Zhou, Director Wang, Section Chief Nantian, your intelligence agencies must thoroughly investigate intelligence loopholes and traitors to ensure that the peace conference is held as scheduled."

"The assassination of Director Liu is a blatant provocation against the authority of the empire, which must not be tolerated or let go!"

"Mr. Ming, financial affairs are currently entirely in your hands, with you being a top graduate in economics from Paris. I look forward to seeing Shanghai's economy show a vigorous, upward, and steady progress when the conference is held."

The notorious traitor Liu Ke is dead!

Who did it? How did they do it? When did they do it? — We know nothing.