42. The Japanese Invaders’ Sinister Intentions

"Alright," replied Chen the Bearded. With a nod, he signaled for Zhou Hongyi to sit tight, then stretched his legs and broke into a sprint toward the banks of the Huangpu River.

Once they reached a secluded area, the two began to chat aimlessly about the weather and the scenery. Yet, woven into this seemingly mundane small talk were crucial pieces of information that both men were eager to exchange.

"You really stirred up quite a commotion, Young Master Zhou. It's a good thing I slipped away in time, or I would have been cornered and interrogated by the Japanese Special Higher Police right there in the dance hall."

Gazing at the view over the river, Zhou Hongyi replied with nonchalant ease, "Just a minor trick. I have basically figured out the Japanese transport route, but you are not to make a move yet."

"Why?"

When the Bearded One asked this, his tone grew noticeably guarded, and his pace slowed.

Zhou Hongyi smiled. "Don't be nervous. It’s simply because that shooting incident earned me the trust of the Japanese procurement officer, and he has invited me to join the new Chamber of Commerce. I suspect there is more to this than just penicillin and munitions. If it were merely for transporting medicine and weapons, someone of his rank wouldn't need to oversee the operation personally."

Chen increased his pace again, panting, "If they’re already shipping medicine and weapons, and that’s not the most important thing, then what else could they be carrying? Artillery? Aircraft?"

"Foolish. How would they secretly transport artillery and aircraft? Whatever the Japanese are moving in the shadows must be something illicit and shameful. Shanghai is still full of foreign concessions and their journalists, who are reporting on everything happening here every single moment. The Japanese are covering their tracks precisely because they don’t want the Westerners to know what they are doing."

The Bearded One’s facial muscles twitched at being called "foolish," but he swallowed his anger and continued, "If you aren't so foolish, then tell me, what could they be carrying? Every entry and exit route in Shanghai is controlled by the Japanese. What could they possibly be hiding that requires the cover of medicine and weapons?"

Zhou Hongyi narrowed his eyes, his tone turning grave. "Chemical agents—or more precisely, the biochemical weapons the Japanese are currently developing."

At this thought, Zhou Hongyi couldn't help but recall a documentary he had once seen, *Black Sun: Unit 731*. The Japanese research into such weapons was truly anti-human. He never imagined they would actually try to bring such things to the outskirts of Shanghai. The population density here was high and concentrated; if a leak occurred, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Chemical? Biochemical? What is that?"

It was clear that what Zhou Hongyi was describing was an entirely foreign concept to this Zhongtong assassin.

"You can think of it as poison—poison that can be used on a massive scale. It can even alter human genetics, causing our future generations to be born as deformed infants. If the Japanese succeed with this vile plan, our descendants will never be able to hold their heads high again."

"What? A weapon like that exists? That’s too vicious!"

Chen broke into a cold sweat at this explanation. As an assassin, his own hands were stained with blood, but he lived by the code that killing was a quick end. The idea of doing something that would directly impact future generations was a line even the most unscrupulous gangs would hesitate to cross. The hearts of these Japanese were not made of flesh; they were nothing but damned beasts!

Zhou Hongyi sighed softly. "Exactly. That is why I told you not to act yet... I want to use this opportunity of joining the Chamber of Commerce to uncover their true intentions. Once I find evidence of these anti-human weapons, we will hijack the shipment. We absolutely cannot let these things enter the vicinity of Shanghai. As for the medicine and weapons, consider them mere side items."

The Bearded One fell silent as he ran, and it was quite a while before he spoke again, his voice now raspy.

"Young Master Zhou, I no longer have any doubts about your skills, but your stance... please forgive my bluntness, but at this stage, I do not fully trust you yet. Therefore, I can only believe three parts of what you just said. If you can find concrete evidence that the Japanese are transporting these poison weapons, my life is at your command! We must destroy these things beforehand; we cannot let the Japanese use them on our children and grandchildren."

"Rest assured, Brother Chen. This matter has far-reaching implications, and your caution is only right. Let us stay in touch. In the next few days, I must infiltrate the Japanese ranks; that is the only way I can obtain definitive information."

The two fell into a contemplative silence. The Bearded One pulled the rickshaw to a stop by the river and wiped the sweat from his brow with the towel on his shoulder.

"Alright, I'm out of breath. Where to next, Young Master Zhou?"

Zhou Hongyi thought for a moment. "I cannot go home yet, lest my sister worry. Take me to Huaxing Road instead. I have my eye on an apartment there; it can serve as a safe house known only to you and me. If you need to pass a message, Brother Chen, you can leave it at this place and leave me a signal, and I will come to meet you there."

Chen caught his breath, looked back at Zhou Hongyi, and said, "Fair enough, Young Master Zhou. You’ve even mastered the 'cunning rabbit with three burrows' strategy. But you are right—to lurk around the Special Higher Police, or even the Ministry of Finance's procurement officer, one must be fully prepared. A safe house is essential. Thank you for your trust. My name is Chen Fenglie, and my goal is simple: to kill Japanese and traitors! As long as it causes trouble for the Japanese, I am willing to do anything."

Zhou Hongyi praised him inwardly. Although the Bearded One was a member of the Juntong, his goal of killing the Japanese and resisting the invasion aligned perfectly with his own. He could get close to him, gain his trust, and eventually find a way to turn him.

Of course, that was a matter for another day. At this stage, both men were still in the early phases of testing each other, and Chen had not even revealed his true identity to Zhou Hongyi.

After chatting for a while longer, they followed Zhou Hongyi's directions to a relatively busy street.

Zhou Hongyi had set his sights on an apartment building here. He had asked a contact named Ah Gui to inquire about it the day before and had already paid a deposit. Today, he had simply taken a detour to finalize the paperwork and purchase the apartment.

The building had five floors and a distinctly Western style. The long corridors were paved with dark wooden floors, with apartment doors arranged alternately on both sides.

The unit Zhou Hongyi bought was the innermost one near the street. It was tucked away from passersby, and in an emergency, he could quickly escape through the window to the ground. He had even factored in the tree next to the window, which could serve as a ladder.

Zhou Hongyi looked at the unit number, "521," and smiled knowingly, though the Bearded One did not understand what he was smiling about.

They unlocked the door with the key provided by the building manager and stepped inside.

It was a suite with a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom—complete and functional. Though not large, it was perfectly suited for his needs.

The room also had a balcony facing the street, allowing Zhou Hongyi to observe the neighborhood at any time. It was the perfect spot for a safe house and a meeting point.

"Not bad, Young Master Zhou. You wealthy people certainly have it easy. A fine apartment like this, bought on a whim. If it were me, I’d never be able to bring myself to spend the money."