Chapter 156 Leak

Bang, bang, bang!

The continuous gunshots caused the expressions of Liu Xiaobing and the others waiting outside to shift instantly.

Shortly after, several of them swiftly descended into the secret chamber. Following the staircase down, they found Bai Zeshao standing there with his smoking pistol, while Tian Yaopeng lay motionless on the ground.

"Xiao Bai, are you alright?" Liu Xiaobing asked with concern.

"I'm fine, just a slight graze. If my left arm hadn't been injured during the operation the day before yesterday, I wouldn't have been hurt at all," Bai Zeshao said with a faint smile, shaking his head.

Then, he added, "Tian Yaopeng is dead. Let's check what useful items are hidden in here."

Seeing that Bai Zeshao was not seriously injured, the group began to thoroughly search the secret chamber.

A massive pile of documents and telegrams was unearthed. Among them were intelligence reports concerning the Japanese, including their local sleeper agent roster.

Even more alarming was a telegram detailing recent deployment plans for the Nationalist military forces. According to the timestamp on the dispatch, this very message had been transmitted just moments ago.

"What is it?" asked Bai Zeshao, sitting down to rest as he noticed the solemn expressions on everyone's faces.

"Something major has happened. Take a look at this telegram," Liu Xiaobing said, handing the document over to Bai Zeshao.

After reading the telegram, Bai Zeshao's expression turned equally grave. He stated bluntly, "It seems the situation is critical. Top-secret information like this has been leaked. There must be a traitor within the military high command."

"Normally, military deployment plans are known to only a handful of people before execution. Yet, here it is, brazenly sitting in this room. Fortunately, we arrived in time; this intelligence probably hasn't been transmitted outward yet," Liu Xiaobing remarked with a hint of uncertainty.

"Tell the brothers to step up their pace. Once we've thoroughly searched this place, we need to head back to the Special Services Office and report today's events to the superiors. After all, this matter is far too significant—not only does it involve the military high command, but it also drags the Wen family into the mix," Bai Zeshao said with a deep frown.

"Indeed, who could have imagined that a single Tian Yaopeng would stir up such massive waves?" Liu Xiaobing said, casting a reflective glance at Tian Yaopeng's body on the floor.

Bai Zeshao felt a similar sense of disbelief. A single man named Tian Yaopeng had almost provoked a war between the Special Services Office and the Party Affairs Office, invited the Japanese into their midst, and left behind such a colossal mess even in death.

Before long, Bai Zeshao and his team loaded up the seized evidence and escorted the two captives, Gao Fei and his companion, back to the Special Services Office.

Qian Yihai had been closely monitoring the progress of Bai Zeshao's team. Seeing them return safely, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, before he could summon them to his office, the group hurried straight in uninvited.

Bai Zeshao and his men had even arranged for others to guard Gao Fei and his accomplice elsewhere.

"Well, you've dismantled a Japanese stronghold in Shanning, scoring a major victory. Yet, none of you look particularly happy," Qian Yihai rubbed his bald head with a smile, teasing them.

"Director, you'd better take a look at this," Bai Zeshao said, presenting the military intelligence report.

"Those bastards!" Qian Yihai's smile vanished the moment he finished reading, replaced by intense fury.

He turned to Bai Zeshao and the others, instructing, "This matter must be kept strictly confidential. Aside from those two Japanese agents, what other gains have you made?"

"We also intercepted the Japanese sleeper agent roster in Shanning," Bai Zeshao replied. He glanced at Liu Xiaobing before changing the subject, "However, an unexpected complication arose during the arrests."

"What complication?"

"The Wen family has also entangled themselves in the Japanese affair. To be precise, Qizhengyi, the head steward of the Wen family estate, is connected to the Japanese. As for the exact role the Wen family plays in all this, I cannot say for sure."

Listening to Bai Zeshao's report, Qian Yihai felt a severe headache coming on. He finally understood why the expressions of his subordinates were so grim.

Compared to their successes, the trouble triggered by this incident was simply too immense.

After a moment of contemplation, Qian Yihai ordered, "Here is what we will do: waste no time. Use that roster to uproot all the Japanese agents for me. Leave the rest of the matters alone and do not concern yourselves with them. Remember, today's events must not leak out."

"Also, you must keep a tight watch on the Japanese prisoners you brought back today. When I have time, I will interrogate them personally."

"Yes, sir!" Bai Zeshao and the others acknowledged and immediately withdrew from the room.

Inside the office, Qian Yihai fell deep into thought. Whether it was the leakage of military intelligence or the involvement of the Wen family, both issues demanded the utmost caution.

However, dealing with the military intelligence took precedence. As for the Wen family, he would need to report to his superiors before deciding on a course of action.

Furthermore, the true value and authenticity of this military intelligence had to be verified by professionals.

With that thought, Qian Yihai picked up the phone and made a call. Within minutes, a military staff officer appeared in his office.

Armed with the intelligence document, the staff officer cross-referenced it against a map detail by detail.

An hour later, the staff officer stated with absolute certainty, "Director Qian, the intelligence is accurate. Furthermore, this report was finalized only yesterday and officially cleared by the Military Commission."

"I understand. You may leave now. You know how to handle today's events, don't you?"

"I understand completely."

After the military staff officer departed, Qian Yihai gathered his thoughts, left his own office, and headed directly toward the director's office.

Meanwhile, on the streets of Shanning, fleets of vehicles belonging to the Special Services Office roared past one after another.

The large-scale mobilization of the Special Services Office inevitably rattled many nerves.

After all, ever since the establishment of the Special Services Office, any large-scale deployment of this magnitude invariably signaled a major crisis.

Many speculated whether the authorities had finally cracked the underground headquarters of the Red Party.

Unfortunately, their guesses were wide of the mark. Having received a warning from Bai Zeshao, the local Red Party members in Shanning had carefully concealed their tracks and refrained from taking any rash actions.

Guided by the captured sleeper agent roster and backed by the police department, Bai Zeshao and his team proceeded to seal off stronghold after stronghold.

They shot dead over a dozen resisting Japanese agents and arrested roughly fifty individuals implicated in the conspiracy.

By the time the operation concluded, it was already past eight o'clock in the evening.

Watching prisoner after prisoner being led off the transport trucks, Bai Zeshao sighed with a mixture of disbelief and emotion, "Who would have thought the Japanese had dug their roots so deep in Shanning?"

"Indeed. These people aren't just ordinary citizens; they include government officials and even active-duty military personnel," Liu Xiaobing nodded in agreement.

"Thinking about it is truly terrifying. Our combat plans were freshly drafted, yet our opponents knew about them instantly. If a full-scale war breaks out, how could we possibly avoid defeat?" Bai Zeshao said with a heavy heart.

"Alright, leave these matters to the superiors to handle. It's getting late, and we've been exhausted all day. Let's head back," Liu Xiaobing said, checking his watch, as he wished to avoid dwelling on such a depressing topic.

"Right, I am completely exhausted today. I'm heading out," Bai Zeshao said, taking the lead as he walked away from the Special Services Office.