Republican Era Spy Shadow: Bloodstained Sanctions

Chapter 126 Testing the Blade - The Killing Order

"Since it's all revenge anyway, what's the difference?" Yan Shuo withdrew his hand, his tone cold and hard. "Whether we kill them with a gun or blow them up with grenades, it's all the same to them. For us, this is more decisive and will better deter those scum hiding in the shadows."

"But this isn't good for our public image!" the team member still tried to argue.

"Public opinion?" Yan Shuo scoffed, his tone full of mockery. "In this chaotic world, can public opinion feed you? Can it save those women who have been humiliated? I can also speak eloquently, but it's utterly useless. When a knife is held to your throat, only a strong fist works."

He walked to the table and sat down, gesturing for a team member to pour him a drink, his tone becoming increasingly impatient.

"But if the Kuomintang finds out, they might punish you!" The team member gritted his teeth and voiced his final concern.

"Disciplinary action?" Yan Shuo picked up his wine glass, took a big gulp, and said arrogantly, "I'm not afraid! Those lunatics in the anti-traitor squad are even more ruthless than me, so why doesn't the Party and the State punish them? If anyone dares to suggest punishing me, you can tell them to come see me in person. I want to ask them, on what grounds should I be punished? Only the Japanese agents are allowed to burn, kill, and loot, but I'm not allowed to retaliate? What kind of logic is that!"

He slammed his glass down, the bottom clanging against the table. "If everything has to be bound by rules and regulations, if I have to be so hesitant and timid, I'm quitting. Let them clean up this mess themselves!"

"Calm down! Commander, calm down!" Several team members quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, refilling Yan Shuo's wine and offering him cigarettes while giving the team member a look, signaling him to step back.

The team members turned pale, dared not say anything more, and quietly left the room.

"What's his name?" Yan Shuo glanced at the doorway and asked casually.

The teammate next to him quickly replied, "His name is Lin Xiao. He's a newly trained member, and he's quite skilled."

Yan Shuo paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

He had long seen through it; Lin Xiao carried the insignia of the Communist Party, but he had been pretending not to know and had even sent him for training.

He doesn't mind having people with different stances in the team, and is even willing to give them a chance, but he absolutely will not allow anyone to hold him back with a saintly heart.

In the undercover business, the worst thing is to be soft-hearted and soft-hearted, and even worse is to be incompetent and meddlesome, putting on a hypocritical, self-righteous act.

Yan Shuo sneered inwardly. If Lin Xiao dared to say another word or ruin his plans, he would either get out of the team or find an opportunity to make him disappear from this chaotic world forever.

Outside the window, the sound of explosions still echoed sporadically, and the blood and firelight intertwined, illuminating half of the night sky.

This purge was not only to avenge the suffering women, but also Yan Shuo's warning to all dark forces: anyone who dares to cross his bottom line will face certain death.

The firelight outside the window gradually dimmed, and the sporadic explosions subsided, leaving only the night wind carrying the smell of blood as it swept across the eaves and seeped into the temporary command post.

Yan Shuo held a cigarette between his fingers, gazing at the deep night outside the window, his eyes still cold.

My thoughts on Lin Xiao are still fresh in my mind. This kind of person with an excessively compassionate heart should either have their rough edges smoothed out and be used, or be eliminated as soon as possible. They must not be left as a hidden danger.

"Report!" Xu Heng pushed open the door and entered, handing over an encrypted document with both hands. He spoke in a solemn tone, "We have received intelligence from the Shanghai station of the Military Intelligence Bureau that Wang Xiaoan, the captain of the second action team, has defected. The second brigade has suffered heavy losses, and station chief Feng Yaodong has requested our assistance in the pursuit and killing."

Yan Shuo took the document, flipping through it casually, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "Can't they do it themselves? The anti-traitor squad is under their jurisdiction anyway, why are they pushing this trivial matter onto us?"

"Commander, the situation at the Shanghai station is far worse than it appears," Xu Heng quickly added. "Organized, they have three action battalions, but in reality, they have less than fifty men. The second battalion originally had more than twenty men, but after this change, there are very few left; the first battalion has less than ten men, and the third battalion only has twelve men. They simply cannot spare enough manpower to hunt down the traitors, and they also have to guard against a counterattack from the Japanese special agents."

"Is this all the ability you have? You dare to call yourself the Shanghai station's representative?"

Yan Shuo threw the documents on the table, his tone full of disdain, "Feng Yaodong is no better than a street thug than a colonel."

"Commander, you can't entirely blame Station Chief Feng for this."

Lin Manqiu walked over with a cup of hot coffee and gently placed it beside Yan Shuo. She explained in a calm tone, "Recently, the puppet police in the foreign concessions, the puppet police in the Chinese-controlled areas, and the Japanese spies have been cracking down extremely hard, and they're very arrogant. People will report each other for a few coins at the drop of a hat. If our people's identities are even slightly exposed, they'll be reported to the puppet police in the blink of an eye, and the Japanese spies will follow up with a raid. Agents simply can't stay in one place for long, and many have been lost because of this."

Yan Shuo picked up his coffee and took a sip. The scalding liquid slid down his throat, but it didn't warm the coldness in his eyes.

He looked up and suddenly called out, "Lin Xiao!"

"Yes!" Lin Xiao responded and pushed open the door, standing at attention with a straight posture, her face still showing some lingering unease.

With Yan Shuo's cold face still fresh in his mind, being called out now made him feel flustered.

"Tell me your thoughts." Yan Shuo leaned back in his chair, his eyes sweeping over her with a half-smile, his tone tinged with a hint of probing. "Given the predicament at Shanghai Station, how do you think it should be resolved?"

Lin Xiao paused for a moment, then quickly composed himself and carefully began to speak: "I... I think the key is to win over the people. If the people keep reporting on the fake police and Japanese spies, our agents will be exposed one by one as they go in, making it impossible to carry out our work..."

"Hmm, well said." Yan Shuo suddenly smiled, his tone softening. "Since you have this idea, then I'll leave this matter to you. You've graduated from the training course, so this is a good opportunity to go on a mission. Can you do a good job?"

Lin Xiao panicked instantly, her tongue tied, and she stammered, unable to speak: "Captain, I...I..."

She only dared to talk about her ideas, and had never actually tried to win over the people, especially in an area under the close surveillance of Japanese agents and puppet police. For a moment, she was at a loss.

Yan Shuo's smile faded, leaving only a meaningful "Hmm?" His eyes were sharp as knives as he stared straight at Lin Xiao.

The oppressive gaze made Lin Xiao tense up, and he quickly gritted his teeth and replied, "Yes, Captain! I'll give it a try!"

"Okay." Yan Shuo nodded and waved his hand. "Go ahead, and report back immediately if there's any progress."

Lin Xiao felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She bowed and quickly retreated, her steps somewhat unsteady.

"Captain?" Lin Manqiu looked surprised. After the door closed, she looked at Yan Shuo with confusion. "Lin Xiao has no experience at all. This mission is dangerous and complicated. Can she handle it?"

"Fine, fine." Yan Shuo put down his coffee cup, his tone instantly turning cold. "Have He Qiao secretly follow her, just keep an eye on her from a distance. If Lin Xiao can't get over her psychological barrier and exposes herself and gets reported, He Qiao will be responsible for cleaning up the mess—either save her or kill her, but absolutely do not let her be captured by the Japanese agents."

Lin Manqiu's heart skipped a beat: "Then why did you specifically send her?"

"I want her to see with her own eyes that intelligence warfare cannot be won with a saintly heart."