Chapter 086: Discovery of an Unknown New Power

"Old Zhao, what’s going on with those two tails outside the pharmacy?"

"Shanghai has had a lot of people like that lately, always in pairs. I’ve seen them in several places. They don’t trail people openly, and they’re not easy to shake either. If they aren’t provoking us, we can’t very well go looking for them ourselves."

So that was how it was!

Chen Jiehua was genuinely taken aback by Zhao Shiyu’s words. In other words, Zhao knew that Shanghai had suddenly seen an influx of such people, but had not taken it seriously.

Chen Jiehua decided to have the two little operatives seized first and talk later. But for the moment, he was lacking a secret hideout in this area. On this bustling street, people were coming and going in a constant stream; Lao Zhou was slight and frail, and Mio was a woman, so it was not an easy matter.

"Old Zhao, is the organization in Shanghai about to carry out some major operation?"

Zhao Shiyu tilted his head and looked at Chen Jiehua without speaking.

"Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not trying to pry. I’m only warning you to be careful! You’ve probably been moving around too often lately and drawing attention to yourself. You’ve shown some flaw somewhere, and the little spies outside have latched onto you!"

"Are you sure they’re after me? They’ve been here for three days already. If I leave, they don’t leave with me."

"Old Zhao, didn’t you get a little carried away after your last purge went so smoothly? Letting down your guard is being irresponsible to your comrades! Even Old Zhou outside could tell!"

"Old Zhou? Old Zhou is back?!"

"He spotted them outside yesterday and didn’t dare come in to look for you!"

"Don’t interrupt. Think carefully—where have you been these past few days? Near those places, did you spot little spies in pairs like this? If they’re not following you, it’s because they’re afraid of alerting you. But there must be others taking over elsewhere!"

"The organization does indeed have an important task, but I can’t talk about it."

"I’m not asking you to reveal organizational secrets. I don’t want to know them either. The key now is for you to recall where you’ve been. While Old Zhou and Mio are still outside, let’s quickly plan this out and check each of those locations. If they’ve all been compromised, we’ll have to abandon them. Any comrade under surveillance must be moved!"

"Or we could simply eliminate all the watchers and the ones they’ve planted. Write down the important addresses for me, and I’ll give them to Old Zhou and Mio outside. They can split up and check them as fast as possible. The longer we wait, the more likely things are to change."

"Don’t touch the spies outside for now, so as not to startle the snake. First we need to figure out which faction sent them, and who stands behind them."

Zhao Shiyu recalled the several possible locations he and his comrades had been searching for over the past three days and wrote them down for Chen Jiehua. Chen went out to find Old Zhou and Mio, and the three of them divided the work.

Lately, Mio had been wandering around outside quite often, looking for a house and a shop. A great many property agents in Shanghai knew about it, and plenty of local bullies did too: the Japanese heiress was looking for a place to open a pharmacy.

Meanwhile, Old Zhou was a new face, back from America, searching for a place to stay in Shanghai. His papers and permits were all in order, so there was no problem there.

After the two of them finished their checks and returned to Seventy-Three Jisifur Road, Chen Jiehua was already waiting at home. After their rapid inspection, all six of the locations Zhao Shiyu had given them were under surveillance.

"Mio, you have the emergency radio for the organization’s intelligence section, don’t you? Send a message immediately and warn the organization: all six locations are to be abandoned! Any comrades who have appeared at those six places in recent days are to go completely underground or withdraw at once!"

"What about Old Zhao?"

"I already had Old Zhao put up a hiring notice outside the pharmacy. In a little while, you’ll go apply for the position of manager of the new pharmacy. Have him take you to the Chongqing North Road location, and we’ll open a second branch there!"

"You mean we feed the outside spies a false signal, and the place Old Zhao has been scouting these days is actually the site of a new branch?"

"Exactly. That way we can slowly clear suspicion, and Old Zhao won’t have to withdraw. In the next day or two I’ll announce my identity and begin expanding the pharmacy. I’ll look for two more places to open shops as well."

"And then have the Japanese step forward while we stir the water even muddier."

That afternoon, Chen Jiehua took Fujiwara Mio and first drove to the Japanese Consulate General in Shanghai. By now, Aoki Qiao’s status was no longer what it had been when he first arrived half a year earlier. And since he was already married, he was now the bona fide son-in-law of the Fujiwara family. The people at the consulate were far more cordial.

After hearing the gatekeeper’s report, and with Chen Jiehua deliberately slowing his pace along the way, Kozuki Hikari had already come down to the lobby staircase to greet them.

After a round of hollow pleasantries, the three of them went to Kozuki Hikari’s office.

"Consul General..."

"Ah, that’s too distant! You’re married now. You should be calling me Uncle Aoi together with Mio!"

"Uncle Aoi!"

"Hahaha, good! Aoki, you go ahead."

"Like this, Uncle Aoi: the joint directive from Headquarters and the Cabinet should have reached Shanghai by now. I want to know how to complete the handover of Tongwen Academy."

"Oh, I’ve already seen the directive. You may proceed with the handover of Tongwen Academy at any time. The relevant instructions have already been sent to the principal’s office."

"And as for personnel arrangements, Aoki and Mio need Uncle Aoi’s support. Please arrange some assistants for us!"

"No problem. Uncle Aoi knows you, Aoki, prefer graduates and classmates from the military academy. There are currently five military-academy men at the consulate, including your classmate Watanabe, and I’ve already assigned all of them to you. The eastern half of the first-floor offices and the meeting room are yours to use first."

"Oh my, Uncle Aoi is truly wonderful! Thank you so much, Uncle Aoi!" Mio interjected at just the right moment.

Aoki Qiao snapped to attention and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Uncle Aoi!"

"Hahaha. Mio, come by the consulate more often and keep this old man company!"

"Mio will certainly come often. I’d only worry about disturbing Uncle Aoi’s work!"

"Not at all! Chatting with Mio is work too! Go on then. The five of them should be ready downstairs."

"Very well. Goodbye, Uncle Aoi!"

Once the two of them reached the ground floor, Watanabe led the way. The five young officers were indeed already prepared, and they saluted in perfect unison. The difference in rank was far too great now; after all, he was already a lieutenant colonel.

"Watanabe, that’s much too formal. We’re classmates, no need to be so serious! Come on, brave officers of the Imperial Military Academy, let’s go to the conference room and sort things out first."

In the conference room, after some exchange, it turned out that Watanabe’s assignment in Shanghai was precisely secret intelligence work, and under him was already a whole network of secret agents, all graduates of Tongwen Academy.

As for the other four from the military academy, two had graduated last year and two had only just graduated this year. Fresh recruits were exactly the sort best suited for training.

"Watanabe, the ones outside my big pharmacy are ours, aren’t they? Sent by Headquarters through Uncle Okamura?"

"Aoki, forgive me. We can only carry out Headquarters’ orders. Please understand."

"Watanabe, you’ve misunderstood me. I’m not blaming you. Having Uncle Okamura send our own people to protect the pharmacy was also thoughtful. It’s just that two unidentified men have appeared again these last few days, keeping watch over my big pharmacy. Did you see them?"

"Something like that exists too!"