Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

Chapter 147 staged a flawless self-inflicted injury scheme!

The following morning, Minglou officially took office and went straight to the Zhengfu Building to report for duty.

The news had already been spotted by the media, and reporters had been waiting for a long time.

As soon as Minglou and Mingcheng's car came to a stop in front of the steps, a swarm of reporters rushed forward like a tide, their cameras and microphones all aimed at Minglou, bombarding him with questions:

"Mr. Ming, what are your thoughts on the current economic predicament in Shanghai?"

Will Shanghai's economy completely collapse?

"After assuming the positions of Chief Financial Advisor of the Economic Department and Inspector General of the General Administration of Customs, what concrete measures will you take to stabilize the situation?"

One question after another, but Minglou remained silent throughout.

Mingcheng simply uttered four words: "No comment."

The two then entered the main building.

In the corridor inside the building, Minglou met Nantian Yangzi face to face.

Yoko Nanada gave a slight bow: "Good morning, Commander Ming."

Minglou returned the greeting: "Good morning, Section Chief Nantian."

Yoko Nanta smiled politely: "Welcome to the government, Mr. Ming, such an outstanding individual. To show our sincerity, enhance mutual trust between Japanese and Mr. Wang's regime officials, and facilitate smoother cooperation in the future, General Fujita has specially invited dignitaries from all walks of life to a banquet tomorrow evening at the Shanghai Grand Hotel. I wonder if Mr. Ming would be able to attend?"

Minglou hesitated for a moment: "I'm new to this position and have a lot of work piled up. I'm afraid I won't be able to get away."

He paused, then said slowly, "But since Section Chief Nantian has extended such a warm invitation, and General Fujita is personally presiding, it would be impolite of me to refuse. I will certainly be there on time."

Yoko Minami smiled slightly: "That would be perfect."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Minglou turned and left.

Entering the office, Mingcheng asked in a low voice, "Brother, are we really going to this banquet?"

Minglou uttered only one word: "Go."

The following day, at the Special Operations Headquarters.

Zhou Xiao was flipping through this morning's newspaper—the front page prominently featured the headline: "Ming Lou appointed as Chief Financial Advisor of the Economic Department and Inspector General of the General Administration of Customs, shouldering the heavy responsibility of revitalizing Shanghai's economy."

Every newspaper in the city, big or small, was rushing to publish this news.

The Japanese devils' move was both shrewd and ruthless.

The primary purpose of this massive publicity campaign was to solidify the irrefutable evidence that Minglou had "defected to the enemy and joined the rebels," nailing him to the pillar of shame as a traitor, cutting off his escape route, and forcing him to wholeheartedly serve the Japanese and the Wang Jingwei regime.

Secondly, Minglou is indeed a man of genuine talent and has a renowned reputation in the financial field. Such high-profile publicity is also intended to appease the public, stabilize the confidence of the financial sector, and revitalize the market by leveraging Minglou's "golden brand," so that the Japanese can take the opportunity to plunder the people's wealth.

Zhou Xiao closed the newspaper and chuckled softly, "It seems Ming Lou and Ming Cheng have both returned to China to take up their posts. The drama of the peace conference is about to begin."

The phone on the table suddenly rang.

Zhou Xiao picked up the receiver: "Hello, this is Zhou Xiao, the head of the intelligence department."

The receiver crackled with broken Mandarin: "Military Police Secretariat. Commander Fujita is hosting a banquet tonight at the Shanghai Grand Hotel and cordially invites Director Zhou to attend. We hope you will be there on time!"

banquet?

It's probably inseparable from Ming Lou's involvement.

Zhou Xiao had always wanted to meet the two brothers—when he watched "The Disguiser" back then, Ming Lou's strategic and methodical demeanor was still impressive to this day.

"Okay, I'll definitely be there."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Lan Yanzhi pushed open the door and entered.

"Zhou Xiao, did the Military Police Secretariat send you an invitation?"

Zhou Xiao was taken aback: "What, you received it too?"

Lan Yanzhi nodded: "It seems that tonight's dinner is a 'reunion feast' for the Japanese pirates and Wang Jingwei's lackeys. If we can make something of it during the meal, the impact will be significant."

Zhou Xiao looked up: "You have an idea?"

Lan Yanzhi shook her head: "No. There's not even enough time in a day to lay the wiring, let alone make a detailed plan."

With such limited time, planning a flawless operation is nothing short of a pipe dream.

Zhou Xiao just smiled.

This time, the military police were very generous, not only inviting Lan Yanzhi and Zhou Xiao, but also Chen Shen and Shen Fang—the level of their involvement was clearly extraordinary.

Night falls at the Grand Shanghai Hotel.

It was here that Kenjiro Oshima was assassinated by Li Xiaonan, who staged a flawless self-inflicted injury ruse.

To prevent a repeat of the incident, the military police deployed multiple layers of security, maintaining strict vigilance from the outside in, and explicitly prohibited all guests from carrying any weapons, requiring them to surrender their personal firearms before entering.

The security level is top-notch.

Fujita Yoshimasa knew he didn't want to follow in Oshima Ken's footsteps, which was why he spared no effort in deploying a large force.

This was also Zhou Xiao's first meeting with Ming Lou.

The restaurant entrance was brightly lit and bustling with people.

Those who can step into this banquet are all influential figures in Shanghai.

A black sedan slowly pulled up in front of the door, and the driver quickly got out and opened the back door—Zhou Xiao got out first, followed by Lan Yanzhi in a white dress.

Tonight, Zhou Xiao wore a well-tailored suit, which made him look tall and composed.

It was rare for Lan Yanzhi to wear a pure white dress. Her accessories were simple yet substantial, her makeup was elegant, and her demeanor was composed. Her innate air of a well-bred lady made her stand out even among the many gorgeous dresses in the room.

The two had just stepped onto the steps when they were stopped by the security guard.

"Director Zhou, I'm sorry, but weapons are strictly prohibited from being brought into this banquet."

"Understood." Zhou Xiao and Lan Yanzhi remained calm, each unfastening their sidearms and handing them to the gatekeeper.

Real secret agents use a variety of methods to carry out missions and never rely on just a pistol.

Zhou Xiao stepped into the banquet hall.

The scene was very lively.

The guests were in small groups, some dressed in suits and others in military uniforms, standing solemnly, making it seem like a high-level gathering.

Zhou Xiao immediately recognized several familiar faces: Kaoru Sakurada, Chen Shan, Wang Manchun, Liang Zhongchun...

Fujita Yoshimasa, with a full beard, and Minami Yoko, dressed in a crisp military uniform, were also prominently featured.

The brothers Minglou and Mingcheng were nowhere to be seen.

Upon seeing Zhou Xiao arrive, Fujita Yoshimasa picked up a glass of wine and walked straight toward Lan Yanzhi and Zhou Xiao. He stopped, nodded slightly, and smiled warmly: "Director Zhou, welcome."

Zhou Xiao responded with a faint smile: "Commander Fujita is too kind."

Yoko Nanda immediately replied, her tone light but carrying an air of unavoidable obligation: "Director Zhou, there is an old saying in your country, 'The capable are often burdened with more work'—there is currently a task that requires your full assistance."

A job?

Could it be that "peace conference"?

Zhou Xiao answered decisively: "It's my duty, so I should cooperate."

"Haha, good!" Nantian Yangzi turned her gaze to Lan Yanzhi next to Zhou Xiao, smiling brightly, "Section Chief Lan is radiant tonight, exceptionally gentle and charming."

Lan Yanzhi bowed slightly: "Thank you for your kind words, Section Chief Nantian."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the four dispersed to begin another round of socializing.

Zhou Xiao's gaze swept across the crowd, quickly locking onto Wang Manchun's figure. He moved closer to Lan Yanzhi and lowered his voice, saying, "Yanzhi, I'll go say hello to Wang Manchun."

Previously, Wang Manchun's "entrapment operation" had indeed yielded some results—they successfully arrested an anti-Japanese activist. However, they had no clue which faction this person belonged to, what intelligence he possessed, or whether he had exposed any key clues.

Tonight, Zhou Xiao is determined to call off the operation; at the same time, he must also find out: who exactly did she capture?

He walked slowly towards Wang Manchun with a slight smile: "Director Wang, congratulations."

Wang Manchun raised an eyebrow: "Director Zhou, what are you congratulating me on?"

"Congratulations on the successful conclusion of your 'fishing' operation—I heard you even captured an anti-Japanese patriot?"

Wang Manchun's eyes flickered slightly: "Director Zhou is quite well-informed."

"How can you gain a foothold in this line of work if you don't have a keen eye and a good network of contacts?" Zhou Xiao said calmly. "I also hope that Director Wang will be generous in sharing some of the truth."

Wang Manchun paused briefly, then shook her head and said, "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you this time—the man died as soon as he was caught, without uttering a single useful word."

died?

Was she truly dead, or was she deliberately concealing it?

Zhou Xiao remained calm and carefully observed her eyebrows, the corners of her mouth, and her eyes—there was no hesitation, no evasion, only a kind of weary composure.

He realized the truth: the person was truly gone.

This is actually good news. At least, important secrets won't be leaked from this person.

"It's such a pity," Zhou Xiao sighed softly.

"That's right... After all that work, it's all for nothing." Wang Manchun's tone revealed a hint of annoyance.

"It's alright." Zhou Xiao said calmly, "As long as these anti-Japanese patriots are still in Shanghai, we will not stop."

To avoid arousing suspicion, he did not ask any further questions.

Wang Manchun was no ordinary person, but an extremely astute opponent.

But in those seemingly casual words of conversation, she had unknowingly revealed her hand—without even realizing it herself.

That's true experience.

Before the two finished speaking, a slight commotion suddenly came from the entrance of the venue.

Two men, dressed in well-tailored suits and long trench coats, entered side by side, attracting many glances.

Zhou Xiao looked up and his heart skipped a beat: it was Ming Cheng and Ming Lou.

Her appearance, temperament, and mannerisms are exactly the same as those in the drama.

Wang Manchun caught a glimpse of Zhou Xiao's slightly shifting expression out of the corner of her eye, and smiled apologetically, "Director Zhou, excuse me—I have to go see my senior brother." With that, she walked towards Minglou with a beaming smile.

Zhou Xiao knew perfectly well that Wang Manchun and Ming Lou were not only fellow disciples, but also had a past relationship.

In the past, Minglou may have truly been moved; but now, Wang Manchun has long since transformed into a ruthless and decisive key agent, making it difficult to evoke even a trace of warmth in him.

Everyone stepped forward to greet Ming Lou, but Zhou Xiao simply stood still, slowly sipping his wine, refusing to join in the fun.

A moment later, another ripple appeared at the entrance to the hall.

A middle-aged man in a suit and tie with short, neat hair walked in slowly, accompanied by a young woman in an elegant kimono.

Her face was delicate and beautiful, with well-defined features, as if sculpted by a master craftsman—unlike ordinary beauties who rely on large, striking eyes, her gaze was clear and lively, seemingly turbulent beneath the surface; her nose was high and firm, her black hair flowed like a waterfall, cascading smoothly over her slender shoulders; her skin was as smooth and radiant as a freshly peeled eggshell, her cheeks glowing with a delicate pink. A kimono draped her well-proportioned figure, and every gesture exuded a Japanese charm, yet maintained a dignified air.

She was the only one in the entire banquet hall wearing a kimono, naturally becoming the focus of attention.

Zhou Xiao's gaze sharpened, a slight surprise crossing his mind: Junko Muto?

She came too?

It seems that this banquet is far more than it appears on the surface.

Fujita Yoshimasa quickly stepped forward, beaming, "Muto-kun! I never expected you to take time out of your busy schedule to come. Welcome, welcome!"

The visitors were none other than Muto Yoshio, the Consul General of the Japanese Consulate, and his daughter, Muto Junko.

Junko arrived in Shanghai a few days ago and happened to be there for this banquet, so she came with her father to attend the ceremony.

Fujita Yoshimasa repeatedly replied, "How could I mind? I couldn't be happier!"