Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

Chapter 69 looks so approachable!

The Special Affairs Committee is in charge, not in execution; the Special Operations Headquarters and Unit 76 are the frontline henchmen who wield the knife and draw blood. Between the two, there is an invisible, thick wall.

Shen Fang replied, "Understood, I will obey without question."

"Hand over your work properly." Sun Deqiang's tone carried a hint of appreciation for talent. "Shanghai has a bigger stage. Work hard, and your future will naturally be bright."

"Thank you for your guidance, Director." Shen Fang put down the phone, his fingertips slowly tracing an arc on the edge of the table.

He has three identities:

Deputy Chief of the Intelligence Section of the Security Department of the Wang Jingwei regime;

Core members of the Kuomintang's secret service's infiltrative group planted in Nanjing;

Codenamed "Wind Chime," it was a secret sentry infiltrated deep into the enemy camp by the underground Communist Party.

Although this identity is not as heavily layered as Zhou Xiao's, it is like a thin blade hidden in its sheath, waiting for the moment to be drawn.

Shen Fang went through many twists and turns to quietly infiltrate the Security Directorate and then, through his own abilities, gradually secured his position as deputy section chief.

The Security Directorate is ostensibly a security department, but in reality it is a semi-independent intelligence hub. Although nominally under the control of the Special Higher Police, it operates with its own logic, acting in secrecy and with tight security.

But now a transfer order came crashing down on him—sending him alone to Shanghai, a place he knew nothing about, where he couldn't even understand the local dialect. Shen Fang felt a sense of emptiness, as if he were standing on an unlaid plank.

But infiltration was an ironclad rule, and orders were the ropes; he could only grit his teeth and tighten them.

Fortunately, his disguise was convincing enough.

If it weren't for meticulousness, Yamamitsu Kazuji would never have personally made a recommendation.

Three days later, Shen Fang set off from Jinling and headed straight for Shanghai.

At the same time, Sendou Kaede also set off—the newly appointed head of the Special Higher Police, who had just been transferred from the three northeastern provinces, was taking a night train to Shanghai to assume his new post.

Magic City.

Aoki Takeshige lay dead in the street. Enraged, Oshima Ken immediately set up a special task force at the Special Operations Headquarters, determined to expose the Kuomintang's secret agents and eradicate the hidden anti-enemy forces.

But no matter how hard they investigated, all the clues went cold.

Everyone was convinced that it was the Kuomintang secret police who did it, but they couldn't find a trace of them, or even a suspicious cigarette butt.

Special Operations Headquarters, Director's Office.

Zhou Xiao leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping over Feng Manna: "Manna, everyone's been walking like they're on cotton these past few days, so distracted?"

Feng Manna nodded: "With Section Chief Aoki gone, the Special Higher Police suffered a major blow, and morale among the staff is low."

"Our special operations headquarters is even more precarious—he built this whole thing himself, and now that he's in charge, will he burn it all down? Will he still trust us? Nobody knows for sure."

"Everyone's waiting for their verdict; who has the mind to keep an eye on the case or gather leads?"

She paused, then added softly, "Even the printing presses have been completely shelved."

Zhou Xiao slowly stood up, took a deep breath, and a relaxed smile appeared on his lips: "Manna, don't be too tense. Take this break to catch your breath and rest your feet. We'll see how things go and follow orders when the new section chief arrives."

As the old saying goes, "A new emperor brings a new court." We're still in the dark, so there's no use rushing things.

The death of Aoki Takeshige was exactly what Zhou Xiao wanted.

With the core members of the Special Higher Police decimated, the currency war came to an abrupt end; the Special Operations Headquarters, No. 76, and Shang Mansion, these henchmen, were all in a state of fear and kept silent, even their daily surveillance was done perfunctorily—the anti-enemy forces took the opportunity to rest, lay nets, and launch a counterattack.

Everything was in the rhythm of his palm.

"You've been working too hard lately," he said, his tone softening. "The Japanese are definitely scrambling to fill the Shanghai Special Higher Police's coveted position. Let's just wait and see."

Feng Manna nodded, then suddenly changed the subject: "Third Brother, I heard you've been going to MGM a lot lately, and you're getting quite close to a minor celebrity named Li Xiaonan?"

"Yeah." Zhou Xiao replied frankly, "A third-tier actor. I met him at a bar, and he seemed nice to me, so I saw him a few more times."

"Just...just to meet?" Feng Manna stared at him.

"Otherwise what?" He smiled, but his eyes darkened. "Someone like me, whose life hangs by a thread, might end up like Aoki, collapsing at his own doorstep. Whoever I marry will only leave her a widow."

"What, you mind me associating with other people?"

Feng Manna looked directly at him and said, word by word, "I don't care about anyone else. But the person who will stand beside me and wear the wedding ring in the future—it has to be me."

Zhou Xiao chuckled: "Then, let's see if you're ruthless enough and steady enough."

This statement has two layers of meaning.

Feng Manna had long since crossed the line—she would stop at nothing to gain merit, and her methods against progressive individuals were becoming increasingly ruthless. Zhou Xiao saw this and felt a chill in his heart.

Those who walk different paths will find it difficult to walk together.

He had wanted to reach out and pull her back, to see if she would turn back. But now, she was sinking deeper and deeper into the mud, her boots already plunging into the mire.

Feng Manna straightened her clothes and said calmly, "Don't worry, I won't let you down."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Zhou Xiao knew that Feng Manna had long since found out about his relationship with Li Xiaonan. However, she dismissed it as mere acting and failed to notice the deeper flaws—such things are impossible to hide.

At the entrance of the Shanghai Film Studio.

Zhou Xiao, as usual, drove his black sedan, holding a large bouquet of red roses, and waited quietly in the shadow of the sycamore trees.

As Li Xiaonan stepped out the door, she smiled and waved to her colleagues. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of that familiar figure, and her cheeks flushed slightly. Amidst the envious gazes of her colleagues, she quickly approached, took the bouquet, her fingertips brushing the petals, and slipped into the passenger seat.

"Thank you, these flowers smell so good today." She lowered her head to sniff, her eyes curving into crescents, like a child who had just stolen some candy.

"You like it? I'll send it to you every day from now on."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up, then quickly closed again. "Never mind... it's too conspicuous."

"It was obvious a long time ago." Zhou Xiao started the car, his tone casual. "Feng Manna already knows."

Li Xiaonan stiffened: "She...became suspicious?"

"Not yet." He looked ahead, his voice soft. "Now that we've come this far, your title of 'Mrs. Zhou' is officially confirmed."

She paused for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Aoki Takeshige and Watanabe Ichiro... did you really do it?"

"it's me."

"I knew it." She breathed a sigh of relief, then lowered her voice, "The organization will give you a major commendation. Also—"

"To help you get deeper into the organization and work more steadily, the organization has decided that you will be in charge of all the work of the Shanghai underground party and become the highest-ranking person in charge of the Shanghai underground party."

"In other words, I am now both your superior and your subordinate. I receive, transmit, and supervise all instructions."

Zhou Xiao nodded, his tone carrying a rare warmth: "The organization was right after all."

"This game in Shanghai is fraught with danger at every turn. By the time you get through all the approvals and requests, it's too late. Now that the power has been handed over to me, I can roll up my sleeves and move forward at the right pace."

Li Xiaonan smiled and nodded: "The organization trusts you, that's why they dare to entrust you with such a heavy responsibility."

If I didn't believe you, I would have transferred you to check old files and organize case files long ago.

The two chatted as they walked and found a local restaurant nearby, where they had a lively dinner.

After the meal, Li Xiaonan tilted her head and smiled, "Want to come over to your Zhou Mansion? I've heard that your Longjing tea is much more fragrant than the tea dregs in the factory's tea room."

Zhou Xiao responded loudly, "I'll be waiting anytime."

The car made a turn and drove straight back to Zhou Enlai's residence.

Zhou Enlai's Residence.

Lin Yiyi heard the sound of an engine approaching and looked up at the courtyard gate—sure enough, Zhou Xiao opened the car door, and a bright and spirited girl stepped lightly out. Her fingertips unconsciously dug into her palm, but her expression remained unchanged, only a gentle smile on her face: "Brother Zhou, you're back?"

Zhou Xiao nodded and turned to introduce, "This is Li Xiaonan, an actress from the Shanghai Film Studio." He then turned to Li Xiaonan, "Yiyi, a talented woman from Hangzhou."

Lin Yiyi extended her hand gracefully, a gentle smile on her face: "Sister Xiaonan truly lives up to her name; you're radiant just standing there. No wonder we always see you on screen."

Li Xiaonan grabbed her hand, her laughter as crisp as a wind chime: "Oh my, Yiyi is truly stunning! I've seen countless 'beauties' in my filming career, but none of them are like you. There's a certain tenacity in your eyes that makes you just want to get close to them!"

She blinked suddenly, then deliberately lowered her voice: "Director Zhou, isn't this house of yours perhaps hiding an entire spring?"

Zhou Xiao chuckled and waved his hand: "Don't joke around, Yiyi is just staying temporarily, just looking after this courtyard for me."

Before the words were even finished, the two had already linked arms naturally, chatting and laughing as they passed through the moon gate, their skirts fluttering lightly, their backs so intimate that they seemed to have known each other for many years.

Zhou Xiao stood there, stunned for a moment, and gently shook his head: A woman's heart is more unpredictable than the neon lights on Yong'an Road—they meet one moment and the next they're as familiar as if they've slept in the same room for three years.

He brought Li Xiaonan to the Zhou residence specifically for this meeting.

Lin Yiyi will eventually take control of Yongxin—no ordinary gang, but a behemoth entrenched in Shanghai, influencing both the legitimate and criminal worlds. From now on, intelligence gathering and operational coordination will inevitably rely on Li Xiaonan as a key figure.

Today's first meeting is both paving the way and testing the waters.

Everything was unfolding according to his plan. Since the new head of the Special Higher Police Section had not yet arrived in Shanghai, he would prepare a generous gift and present it to him the moment he stepped into the city!

Li Xiaonan stayed at Zhou's residence for about two hours.

In just two hours, she and Lin Yiyi went from exchanging pleasantries to flipping through old magazines and discussing the newly released film "Song of the Fishermen." They even had a perfect understanding of who should add water and who should serve snacks when making tea.

Just after ten o'clock, Zhou Xiao stood up and coughed lightly: "Yiyi, is that enough for today? Xiaonan has to go back to the factory to catch up on tomorrow's script supervision."

Lin Yiyi's eyelashes drooped slightly, but she smiled crisply, "Okay, next time I'll treat you to Hangzhou cuisine—vinegar fish and Pian'erchuan noodles, all you can eat!"

"Okay! I'll remember!" Li Xiaonan stood up, winked at Lin Yiyi, and said, "Let's meet another day!"

Inside the car, the night breeze brushed against the window. Li Xiaonan suddenly turned her head and said, "Zhou Xiao, Lin Yiyi... what's her background? Those eyes don't look like someone who's had a peaceful life."

Zhou Xiao's gaze was calm: "Zhang Wanlin, you've heard of him?"

"Who hasn't heard of him?" Li Xiaonan scoffed. "In Shanghai, even rickshaw drivers know to avoid Zhang Wanlin if you mention him. We filmmakers know it even better—one word from him can bring three films to a standstill overnight."

"One of the three tycoons, the head of Yongxin, the toughest nut to crack among the three major gangs in Shanghai. If he stomped his foot, the foreign concession would shake."

"This man leaves no room for maneuver in his actions, and his temper changes faster than turning the pages of a book; he's also arrogant, and he'll call a police inspector a 'lackey' in the street without batting an eye."

"So... Yiyi is related to him?"