Republican Era Spy Shadow: Bloodstained Sanctions

Chapter 9 Informant Zhang Wenying's Betrayal

The clattering of the typewriters in the trading company was particularly noisy. Yan Shuo thought of the lighter deal that had resulted in a huge loss, and his heart felt heavy.

Seeing that there was nothing urgent, he simply packed his things, said goodbye to the accountant, and said, "I'm going home now. Call me if you need anything."

As I walked out of the trading company carrying my briefcase, the afternoon sun was dazzling. There were more secret agents patrolling the streets than usual, and military police with guns slung over their shoulders paced back and forth at the intersection, their eyes scanning the passersby with a scrutinizing gaze. However, the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and bicycle bells still filled the air, so it wasn't quite to the point where everyone felt threatened.

As he passed by the market, the fishmonger's shouts caught his eye—live fish in a wooden basin were swishing their tails, splashing up sparkling water.

Yan Shuo squatted down to pick through the fish, choosing only medium-sized crucian carp and common carp. He ordered 12 at once, paid the fishmonger, and had them put into a bucket. "Master, please tie them securely so they don't jump out," he said. He hailed a rickshaw and carefully placed the bucket in the back, repeatedly instructing the driver, "Drive slowly, follow the alley, and don't bump around."

When they arrived at his doorstep, Yan Shuo gave the driver 5 cents, carried the bucket into the yard, and poured the live fish into the stone fishpond, which was about half a person's height, in the corner of the wall. It was left by the previous owner and contained a shallow amount of clear water, which came in handy.

Watching the fish swam and swished in the pond, he turned around and got back into his rickshaw to go back to the market. This time he picked out 10 more live fish. He made three trips back and forth, and finally the pond had nearly 40 fish. The surface of the water was covered with a dark mass of fins, which made him feel at ease.

After seeing the driver off, Yan Shuo rolled up his sleeves and squatted by the pond, fiddling with the fish food. The aroma of food wafted from the yard, and Li Zhiyao, wearing an apron, poked her head out from the kitchen: "You're back? Dinner's almost ready—why did you buy so much fish? Are you planning to open a fish shop?"

"We're all bound to get injured on missions," Yan Shuo straightened up, wiping the water from his hands. "These live fish are fresh and incredibly nourishing. If we do get hurt, we can just kill them right here in the yard and make soup. It's much safer than buying them outside. We can raise them regularly, eat them when they're big enough, and then replenish our bodies with fresh fish. We'll never go hungry."

"That's a thoughtful idea," Li Zhiyao said with a smile and a shake of her head. "It's just that we don't know how long we can live in this house. We might have to move out any day now."

"Who cares? It's just a few silver dollars. When we really need them, they'll be lifesavers." Yan Shuo patted the stone edge of the fishpond. "A good deal!"

The food was served: braised eggplant, stir-fried green peppers with pork, and a bowl of seaweed and egg drop soup. The two ate and chatted. Suddenly, Li Zhiyao remembered something: "Oh right, come with me to make contact after we finish eating. I've arranged to meet Zhang Wenying at the chapel."

"Okay." Yan Shuo finished the last bite of his rice, got up and went inside to find his disguise. He changed into a light gray suit, combed his hair into a shiny part, and put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, instantly transforming into a refined-looking young master from a wealthy family. Li Zhiyao changed into a moon-white cheongsam, permed her hair, and carried a small handbag embroidered with gardenias. When she linked arms with him, they looked exactly like a young couple going out for leisure.

The two walked along the road toward the church in the bustling city. The shop windows along the way displayed fashionable fabrics and exquisite jewelry, rickshaws shuttled back and forth, and occasionally jazz music could be heard drifting from the dance halls.

When they were still about a hundred meters away from the chapel, Xiao Zhi's mechanical voice suddenly exploded in his mind: "Danger warning! Numerous hostile targets detected!"

Yan Shuo's heart tightened, but he remained calm on the surface. He gripped Li Zhiyao's hand tightly and continued walking straight ahead without stopping, showing no intention of turning into the chapel.

Li Zhiyao was quick-witted and followed him without saying a word. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a figure loitering at the entrance of the chapel, and cold sweat quietly seeped into her palms.

The two walked quickly to the Fei Hong Hotel across the street. Yan Shuo loosened his tie and smiled at the receptionist, "Get a room on the fifth floor, facing the street."

Once inside, he locked the door behind him and bolted it. He rushed to the window and pulled out a small telescope from his briefcase—it was a gift from the system. Despite its small size, it could see clearly for miles around.

The camera focused on the chapel, and he instantly gasped: there were more than a dozen people standing in the church, with red badges of varying shades floating above their heads, and two armed agents guarding the entrance; a gray badge was mixed in with the crowd, and the most eye-catching was a woman in a white cheongsam with a purple badge hanging prominently above her head!

"Purple Label is a traitor. The system says that this kind of person has sold all the intelligence that can be sold, and even helped the enemy capture their superiors and subordinates." Yan Shuo gritted his teeth, adjusted the focus to see the woman's face clearly, "Zhang Wenying, 26 years old, dancer, Kuomintang informant, No. 76 informant, has been a traitor for 38 hours."

Yan Shuo said, "Her name is Zhang Wenying, right? Look, is that her? The one in the white dress!"

"My informant is Zhang Wenying!" Li Zhiyao leaned closer, her voice trembling.

Yan Shuo handed her the binoculars: "Look for yourself—that woman in white by the door, isn't that her? Her face is deathly pale, and her eyes are filled with terror. She must have been unable to withstand the torture and that's why she betrayed us. The rendezvous time has passed, hasn't it? Look at the man in the black suit next to her, that's Ji Chuan, the captain of the second team of the 76th Action Team, who specializes in arresting Kuomintang agents. You've been betrayed."

Li Zhiyao held up the binoculars, his hands trembling slightly, watching Zhang Wenying being reprimanded by Ji Chuan. Her shoulders hunched over like a frightened rabbit, and his heart ached as if it were being pricked by needles: "I've been supporting her for almost half a year, giving her 50 yuan a month, sometimes even 80, how could she..."

"Don't be stubborn. No one could withstand the torture instruments of Number 76." Yan Shuo patted her back. "Even I might not have been able to endure it. It's only human nature."

"But she didn't have to sell herself so thoroughly, did she? If you hadn't warned me, I would definitely have fallen for it today!" Li Zhiyao's eyes reddened as she threw the binoculars onto the table.

"Fortunately, there are only a dozen or so people, less than 20." Yan Shuo suddenly smiled, gestured with his chin towards the silenced pistol at his waist, and imitated gunshots: "Bang bang bang—should we just take them all out?"

"Are you crazy!" Li Zhiyao hissed in a low voice, "It's daytime! Where do you think you're going after you've made a move?"

"Just kidding." Yan Shuo shrugged and pulled her to sit on the edge of the bed. "Rest for a while. Order some food if you want, just treat it as a holiday."

"Forget it, let's not waste time here." Li Zhiyao composed herself. "I have an informant who teaches at Tongwen Academy. He's not far from here. Let's go check him out."

"Shall we go now?"

"Yes, the sooner we go, the more at ease we'll be."

The two left the room, still disguised as a wealthy young couple, and went downstairs to take a rickshaw to Tongwen Academy.

The academy is located on a quiet road. The small buildings with green bricks and red tiles are surrounded by a circle of plane trees. Students in blue school uniforms come and go, creating a peaceful scene.

Yan Shuo led Li Zhiyao inside, and Xiao Zhi's prompts sounded intermittently, but most of them were white labels (civilians), and the few red labels were all middle-aged teachers who didn't seem to be aggressive.

"Most of the red-labeled agents are from the Mei Agency and the Shang Mansion, infiltrating the teachers to carry out ideological infiltration. It's nothing important, so don't alarm them."

Yan Shuo mentally confirmed with Xiao Zhi, his gaze sweeping over the information above the heads of several red-marked individuals: Kimura Masaki, 36 years old, Mei Agency agent, history teacher; Kitamura Yuichi, 52 years old, Shang Mansion agent, Chinese literature teacher; and there was also a female teacher, Shimizu Yukiko, who was both a Kiku Agency agent and a member of the Black Dragon Society—"Damn, this place isn't big, but there are quite a few tricks up their sleeves. Are they picking radishes here?" Yan Shuo muttered to himself, memorizing the appearances of these people, thinking of finding an opportunity to deal with them later.

Li Zhiyao found her informant, Luo Ping, by the flower bed. She was wearing a plain cheongsam and black-rimmed glasses. She looked gentle and quiet, with a half-green and half-white marker floating above her head: green markers meant her own people, and white markers meant ordinary civilians. She was indeed an untrained peripheral informant.

The two walked slowly along the lakeside, talking in hushed tones. Yan Shuo stood not far away, pretending to admire the scenery, while keeping an eye on the surroundings to make sure no one was watching them.

After the meeting was completed, the two walked out of the academy. The setting sun was already hanging obliquely on the horizon, casting long shadows.

As they rode home in the rickshaw, the carriage was quiet. Li Zhiyao leaned on Yan Shuo's shoulder and whispered, "Thank goodness Luo Ping is alright, otherwise I really wouldn't know what to do."

Yan Shuo patted the back of her hand without saying anything, and they stayed there peacefully until they arrived at the hotel.