Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

Chapter 128 True Comrades-in-Arms!

Li Xiaonan suddenly felt that even the most difficult tasks no longer seemed like problems when they fell into Zhou Xiao's hands.

Zhou Xiao replied casually, as if discussing the weather: "Guizi Liu came to Shanghai this time with only two things in mind."

"First, to disrupt Huangshan's currency war; second, to obtain the 'Heavenly Sound Project' list."

"I arranged for someone to assassinate Ken Oshima, mainly to clear obstacles in the path of the list."

"And I really have to thank one person for bringing these two major events to a successful conclusion—Guizi Liu."

"From the overall layout to the detailed analysis, the plan was finalized by the two of us; during the execution, he was also a great help."

"The precise elimination of Sendoh Kaede and the assassination of Asano Hirofumi were all his doing."

Zhou Xiao has always been fair and never denigrates the achievements of others.

Li Xiaonan nodded: "In that case, our goals and interests align with those of the Military Intelligence Bureau this time."

"Now that we have the list, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief. I was worried this mission would get you bogged down... but I didn't expect you to have already accomplished it."

After all, he was lurking deep behind enemy lines, and if anything went wrong, he might not even leave behind his body.

The task was declared complete as soon as it was assigned, which surprised everyone.

He broke down this hardcore task into several tightly linked actions and handled it cleanly and efficiently, which is truly impressive.

Zhou Xiao paused, then added, "Oh, right, I also prepared an extra 'Easter egg' for the organization."

That naturally refers to Yoshinori Shirakawa.

So far, there has been no word of it—meaning the body hidden in the classified archives has not yet been discovered.

Once exposed, it will inevitably shake the core of the Japanese army and alarm Okamura Yasuji himself.

Easter egg!

He secretly presented a generous gift to the organization and to all anti-Japanese forces:

Yoshinori Shirakawa has been eliminated.

Upon learning that the list was in hand, Li Xiaonan relaxed completely, her tone light and filled with barely concealed curiosity: "Easter egg? What Easter egg?"

Zhou Xiao turned his head and asked, "You've heard of Yoshinori Shirakawa, right?"

Li Xiaonan: "Shirakawa Yoshinori? Isn't that the highest-ranking Japanese military commander stationed in Shanghai? The leader of the invasion of China, who orchestrated numerous atrocities, with blood on his hands, and was also involved in the Huanggutun Incident. His crimes could crush an entire mountain—so many people wanted to get rid of him, but all failed. Why are you suddenly talking about him?"

"You...you're not really going to kill him, are you?"

She was startled, her eyes widened, and she stared straight at Zhou Xiao, her face filled with a mixture of disbelief and astonishment.

Zhou Xiao smiled slightly: "That's right, I did it. But the news probably hasn't spread yet, and his body may not even have been found."

If Shirakawa Yoshinori hadn't barged into the confidential archives himself, Zhou Xiao would have had no chance to succeed.

This highest-ranking Japanese commander in Shanghai was usually under heavy guard and rarely left the military camp. Zhou Xiao wasn't made of steel or capable of moving without a trace; forcing his way into the camp to assassinate him would be suicidal.

Therefore, Shirakawa Yoshinori's voluntary appearance in the archives was practically like God himself handing a knife to Zhou Xiao—and a knife sharper than the extreme.

Li Xiaonan gasped, her already bright eyes widening even more. She froze on the spot, and after a long while, she exclaimed, "My God... Zhou Xiao, you're amazing! You even managed to eliminate a cunning and treacherous officer like Shirakawa Yoshinori so cleanly and efficiently!"

"His death will likely throw the entire Japanese pirate combat system into chaos. This operation will definitely go down in history!"

Zhou Xiao remained calm: "It was purely good luck."

That's true—they really did come to us willingly.

That night, Zhou Xiao brought Li Xiaonan one shock after another: first, he copied the core list of "Project Celestial" from the top-secret files, and then he killed Shirakawa Yoshinori, the highest military leader in Shanghai, Japan.

This isn't carrying out a mission; it's more like overturning the chessboard.

Their record is dazzling, so dazzling it's dizzying.

Li Xiaonan's mind went blank as she listened.

If it were anyone else saying these things, she would have laughed it off as mere boasting; but since it was Zhou Xiao who spoke, she believed him, though it was a little difficult for her to believe him.

She was stunned for a while before she came to her senses and said in a low voice, "By the way, the organization just assigned you a new partner who will be directly led and coordinated by you, specifically to cover your undercover identity in the Special Higher Police."

Zhou Xiao raised an eyebrow: "A new partner? Can he be relied upon?"

Li Xiaonan nodded: "Absolutely reliable. This is a seasoned agent personally selected by the organization, who is also infiltrated within the Special Higher Police, but I don't know exactly who it is."

"After all, these are all undercover agents deep within enemy territory, and the fewer people who know about them, the safer it is. However, the organization has arranged for you to meet—in ten days, at the Peace Hotel."

The secret code was: "Do you know when it will rain?"

The other person replied, "I don't know when it will rain, but I believe it will clear up soon."

You then ask: "When will the sunny days come?"

He replied, "Not today, but tomorrow."

"This is the only proof of your identity."

"Oh, by the way, this comrade's code name is Wind Chime."

Zhou Xiao nodded: "Wind Chime... that codename has a certain charm."

Li Xiaonan only knew the code name, not the person himself—his superiors had only given him this instruction, without revealing anything else.

The wind chimes belong to Shen Fang.

He had already established himself in Nanjing, enjoying the deep trust of the Japanese and their puppet regime, and had risen to the position of deputy head of the intelligence section of the General Security Department. But his true identity was far more than that: on the surface, he was a Japanese and puppet regime agent, but in reality, he was an undercover agent planted by the Military Intelligence Bureau, and even deeper, he was a key member secretly dispatched by the underground Communist Party, codenamed Wind Chime.

Like Zhou Xiao, he has three identities and walks a tightrope.

He was originally under the direct command of the underground party in Nanjing, but after being transferred to Shanghai, communication was interrupted, command became inconvenient, and the work became difficult to continue.

Meanwhile, on the Shanghai underground party side, Zhou Xiao's infiltration was solid and he repeatedly made outstanding contributions, making him a key force on the front line.

To facilitate overall planning, enhance cover, and improve the efficiency of subsequent operations, the organization decided to place Fengling under the unified management of the Shanghai underground party and officially list her as Zhou Xiao's direct subordinate, with all actions subject to Zhou Xiao's command.

In terms of depth of infiltration, effectiveness of concealment, and actual contribution, Zhou Xiao is indeed a step ahead of Shen Fang, so it is only natural that he should take the lead.

Zhou Xiao pondered for a moment: "Alright, I'll go and meet this 'Wind Chime' in ten days."

"Many of us are hidden in the Special Higher Police, but I'm not sure who is truly trustworthy and who is questionable. Since the organization has named us, it means that Fengling can withstand the test—we'll feel more at ease working together in the future."

He had read "Sparrow" and knew that Chen Shen was one of his own, but he never dared to reveal his true identity.

This wasn't because they didn't trust Chen Shen, but because every additional layer of relationship increased the risk of exposure.

Chen Shen's conviction was unwavering; even if he knew, he would never betray him. However, their frequent interactions inevitably left clues, which ultimately harmed both of them.

The wind chimes are different.

With organizational assignments, mutual recognition of identities, and shared goals, the two were able to cooperate seamlessly within the most cautious framework from the very beginning.

Zhou Xiao really needs a reliable inside man in the Special Higher Police.

Li Xiaonan nodded slightly: "Feng Ling is trustworthy, otherwise the organization wouldn't have made this arrangement."

"The purpose of this meeting is to ensure that you two can understand each other implicitly and act in unison. In critical moments, he can protect you from the storm and safeguard your undercover identity."

The arrival of the wind chimes signifies that Zhou Xiao has finally found true comrades-in-arms deep within enemy territory.

He was already quite curious—this person must be extraordinary to be so highly regarded by the organization.

The two chatted as they walked, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the Western restaurant.