Chapter 204: The “Love’s Tragedy” Plan

Looking at the Japanese agent, covered in blood and tortured beyond human appearance, neither Cheng Qianfan nor Song Fuguo showed the slightest trace of pity on their stern faces.

This was the punishment invaders deserved.

“Name. Position.” Cheng Qianfan asked coldly.

“Mitsugi Ichijō, intelligence operative at the Inoue Residence.”

Having completely collapsed psychologically, Mitsugi Ichijō no longer dared conceal anything.

Whenever questioned, he answered everything he knew.

Very quickly, Mitsugi Ichijō spilled everything.

“Section Chief, this person...”

“Give him a quick death and clean it up,” Song Fuguo said calmly.

Because they had urgently needed information from him, the interrogation had been exceptionally brutal.

There was little chance of saving his life now.

Hearing those words, Mitsugi Ichijō showed no reaction whatsoever.

His entire body was wracked with unbearable pain.

Death would instead be a release.

Song Fuguo led Cheng Qianfan into a quiet room.

The situation had already been clarified.

After returning to his residence that day, Eguchi Hideya had remained in his room drinking himself senseless, never leaving, which was why the Intelligence Section had failed to discover his whereabouts.

In addition, they had learned why Eguchi Hideya, after being rescued from Nanjing by Japanese agents, had not aroused the suspicions of the Inoue Residence.

“This fellow is quite clever,” Song Fuguo said with a smile. “And ruthless enough.”

Cheng Qianfan deeply agreed.

To save himself through such quick thinking under those circumstances, and to truly dare inflict such cruelty upon himself, he admitted that he had previously underestimated Eguchi Hideya.

Moreover, according to Mitsugi Ichijō’s testimony, Eguchi Hideya had actually been commended by the Japanese military because of it.

Not only had he received a generous cash reward, but he had also been granted permission to return home to visit family.

According to Mitsugi Ichijō, the Shanghai Special Higher Police Section also held this “hero” in high regard and intended to transfer him from the Inoue Residence into the Special Higher Police Section.

Both men were surprised and delighted.

This was good news.

“Qianfan, what do you think of Eguchi?” Song Fuguo asked.

“He’s talented,” Cheng Qianfan said after some thought. “Eguchi has no loyalty to the Japanese. He lives only for himself. He is an absolute egoist.”

After a pause, Cheng Qianfan continued.

“Section Chief Song, I propose that we arrange contact with Eguchi Hideya. This man has betrayed the Japanese before, so we need not worry about him exposing us. Moreover, he now hates Yingzuo Eiichi intensely. If we intend to kill Yingzuo, this could serve as an excellent breakthrough point.”

“You mean to create a crime of passion.”

“Exactly. Yingzuo Eiichi does not know that Eguchi Hideya is Keiko’s fiancé. He does not know of Eguchi’s hatred toward him. Eguchi is Japanese, and a hero commended by the Japanese military. Yingzuo will have no guard up against him,” Cheng Qianfan said.

Song Fuguo did not reply immediately.

He paced the room in thought.

“Your judgment is correct.” After pondering for a moment, Song Fuguo nodded. “Mitsugi said that the Special Higher Police Section is interested in Eguchi. Do you think it could be that Yingzuo Eiichi himself has taken an interest in this man who received commendation from the Japanese military?”

“That’s possible.” Cheng Qianfan toyed with a cigarette in his hand. “Yingzuo Teiaki is currently occupied with numerous affairs. The actual operations of the Shanghai Special Higher Police Section are all handled by Yingzuo Eiichi.”

“If you can’t resist, just smoke.” Song Fuguo glanced at Cheng Qianfan and smiled.

He knew Cheng Qianfan was enduring his nicotine cravings because of his damaged lungs.

That made Song Fuguo feel gratified.

“It’s fine. I’m actually preparing to quit smoking.” Cheng Qianfan smiled. “As for contacting Eguchi, I’ll have to trouble Section Chief Song to arrange it.”

The two continued discussing and refining their plan to use Eguchi Hideya to assassinate Yingzuo Eiichi.

In the end, they formulated a relatively complete plan.

They even gave the plan a name: Love’s Tragedy.

The Love’s Tragedy Plan not only involved assassinating Yingzuo Eiichi, it also incorporated an operation to punish the traitor Xiao Zhenzhong at the same time.

As Song Fuguo put it, if they were going to do it, they might as well do something big.

Eliminate the traitor and simultaneously kill the master behind the traitor.

Taking action against both Yingzuo Eiichi and Xiao Zhenzhong at the same time would strike a blow against the arrogance of the Japanese intelligence services and serve as a warning to collaborators.

“Excellent.” Song Fuguo appeared invigorated. “We’ll send a telegram to Director Dai in Nanjing under both our names.”

“Agreed. Section Chief Song takes the lead, I provide support. Together we shall accomplish something great!” Cheng Qianfan nodded enthusiastically.

Nanjing, Xufu Alley, Special Service Office Headquarters.

Dai Chunfeng looked at the telegram jointly submitted by Song Fuguo and “Water Drop” and fell into thought.

The codename Bluebird was among the Special Service Office’s highest-level internal secrets.

Only Dai Chunfeng himself, Qi Wu, and Yu Ping’an in Hangzhou knew of it.

Song Fuguo had no authority to know.

Therefore, when the Bluebird Group cooperated with Song Fuguo’s Intelligence Section of the Shanghai District of the Special Service Office, Cheng Qianfan’s temporary codename was Water Drop.

As a result, within the Shanghai District, they knew only of Water Drop and knew nothing of Bluebird.

The Love’s Tragedy Plan.

After reading it, Dai Chunfeng revealed a faint smile.

Quite interesting.

He had not expected that Eguchi Hideya, who had been rescued by the Japanese, was actually in Shanghai, and had been discovered by Bluebird.

Nor had he expected that Eguchi Hideya’s fiancée had been “taken” by Yingzuo Eiichi.

Song Fuguo and Bluebird had immediately used this situation to formulate a Love’s Tragedy operational plan aimed at assassinating Yingzuo Eiichi and punishing Xiao Zhenzhong.

“This Cheng Qianfan truly has a talent for ingenious schemes.” Dai Chunfeng smiled and handed the telegram to Qi Wu.

After reading it carefully, Qi Wu asked, “Director, do you mean that this plan was devised by Bluebird?”

“Song Fuguo is an upright and straightforward man. His style is grand and direct. He is not skilled at unconventional schemes.” Dai Chunfeng tossed Qi Wu a cigarette and smiled. “This plan bears far more of Bluebird’s signature.”

“A very imaginative plan.” Qi Wu nodded. “If Yingzuo Eiichi can be eliminated, it would count as avenging our comrades in Manchukuo. That would certainly be a major achievement.”

Information regarding Yingzuo Eiichi lay on Dai Chunfeng’s desk.

Before taking up his position in the Shanghai Special Higher Police Section, the man had worked for the South Manchuria Railway Investigation Department and could be considered an old adversary of the Special Service Office.

In the twenty-fourth year of the Republic, the Special Service Office’s Qiqihar Station had been destroyed by the South Manchuria Railway Investigation Department.

Of the station’s sixteen agents, five died during the Japanese roundup.

Eight were captured.

Of those captured, three remained steadfast and died for their country.

Five betrayed their nation.

Only three who happened to be away on temporary assignments escaped.

The station was virtually wiped out.

The individual responsible for the operation in Qiqihar on behalf of the South Manchuria Railway Investigation Department had been none other than Yingzuo Eiichi.

“Send a reply to Song Fuguo and Water Drop,” Dai Chunfeng said sternly. “Tell them I approve the plan. If they truly eliminate Yingzuo Eiichi, I will personally recommend them for merit.”

A dark expression crossed Dai Chunfeng’s face.

The person he most wanted dead was Yingzuo Teiaki.

However, that man was a military attaché of the Japanese Foreign Ministry and possessed an extremely sensitive status.

Since Yingzuo Teiaki could not be killed for the moment, they would first use his nephew’s blood to consecrate the banner!

“Yes, sir!”

Shanghai, Hongkou District.

A private residence.

The room was pitch-black.

No lights were on.

Eguchi Hideya leaned crookedly in a chair, a liquor bottle hanging from his hand.

His eyes were bloodshot as he stared fixedly at a pistol lying on the table.

What he regretted most now was that he had not been carrying a weapon on the street that day.

Otherwise, he would certainly have rushed forward and killed that adulterous couple.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door.