thefictionvixens Chapter 79 Wu Zhiguo, from today onwards, your code name is "Old Gun".
Chapter 79 Wu Zhiguo, from today onwards, your code name is "Old Gun".
A few days later, in Shanghai, in the French Concession, on the third floor of the Shanghai Bank's Foch Road branch.
Inside the secluded room, the aroma of tea wafted through the air. But the atmosphere was far from the leisurely comfort one would expect from enjoying tea.
Chen Gongshu sat in the main seat, with Zheng Luxian sitting beside him.
In the guest seat sat Li Xian, the "Swallow in the Clouds," who had rushed over in a dusty state. Behind him stood two young disciples with calm eyes and bulging temples.
Zheng Luxian stood solemnly behind Chen Gongshu.
Without any pleasantries, we got straight to the point.
"Master Li, you must have had a long journey." Chen Gongshu spoke, his tone polite but still carrying the coldness of a superior. "I suppose Mr. Lu has already explained the situation to you on the way."
What's your opinion on Wu Zhiguo's case?
Li Xian sighed, his face showing both heartache and determination: "Station Chief Chen, I won't thank you enough for such a great kindness."
Xiao Zhizi is not a bad kid by nature, but he was blinded by greed and made a big mistake because of his desire for wealth!
It would be a disgrace to our sect! I have come here to repay the kindness you showed me back then, Mr. Lu, on the way here!
"Rest assured, Station Chief Chen, everything will be done according to your orders! I will do my utmost!"
This is exactly the attitude that Chen Gongshu wanted.
He nodded: "Now that the country is in crisis, talented people are hard to find."
It was truly remarkable that Wu Zhiguo was able to maintain a shred of conscience in that position.
Moreover, he is now the director of the Shanghai Police Department, and eleven of his former Axe Gang brothers have been assigned to various branch offices as captains or deputy captains. It can be said that he has a lot of influence!
If he can repent and be used by me, his value will far exceed that of a dead man's head.
"But..." he changed the subject, "we still need Master Li's strong support to figure out how to gain his trust and ensure his genuine allegiance."
"Don't worry, stationmaster!" Li Xian said confidently. "Xiao Zhizi has been learning from me since he was ten years old. I'm confident I can make him obedient!"
I just don't know where this child lives now? Or rather, where should I go to find him?
Of course, our Swallow Sect has a system for urgently summoning members.
"A single swallow soaring through the clouds attracts a thousand armies to its aid."
The method of summoning them was too drastic. Shanghai was now controlled by the Japanese, French, and British/Americans respectively. Using this method to summon Zhiguo and his thirteenth junior brother would likely attract the attention of the Japanese or other foreigners, thus defeating the purpose of Station Chief Chen's suggestion of letting him redeem himself through meritorious service!
Chen Gongshu smiled slightly and looked at Zheng Luxian.
Zheng Luxian immediately understood and stepped forward, saying, "Master Li, we have already investigated in detail."
Wu Zhiguo has a habit of going alone to a very remote "Qilu Teahouse" in the Hong Kong area every Friday night to listen to Shandong storytelling, without fail.
The environment there is complex, and the crowds are mixed; going there to find him won't arouse anyone's suspicion.
"Qilu Teahouse... Sigh, I didn't expect him to still remember this old place." A hint of nostalgia flashed in Li Xian's eyes, then sharpened. "Good! This Friday! I'll personally go and wait for him!"
Friday night, Hong Kong district, "Qilu Tea House".
In a slightly dilapidated but charmingly old-fashioned teahouse, Wu Zhiguo sat in a private booth on the second floor. He had indeed only brought two Axe Gang bodyguards with him (the Military Intelligence Bureau had been wiped out, and the surrounding police were all led by Axe Gang underlings he had arranged, so he was no longer overly worried about his safety). He listened to the performer on stage telling Shandong storytelling.
"The Loyal Heart of the Yang Family Generals"!!!
Suddenly, his gaze sharpened! In the shadows of the opposite corner, an old man wearing a straw hat, whose face was obscured, was sitting.
The old man's posture and the occasional aura he exuded gave him a strange sense of familiarity and... a feeling of unease!
The old man seemed to sense his gaze, and slowly raised his head, revealing an aged yet resolute face and a pair of sharp eyes like those of a hawk under his straw hat!
Wu Zhiguo was struck dumb, jumping to his feet and walking over. His face turned deathly pale, and he cried out in shock, "Master... Master?! You... why are you here?"
Upon seeing this, the two axe gang members immediately became alert and reached for their axes at their waists.
Li Xian snorted coldly, not even glancing at the two bodyguards, and said indifferently to Wu Zhiguo, "What? Now that you're the bureau chief, you've forgotten your poor mentor? You can't even afford to offer me a cup of tea?"
Wu Zhiguo then came to his senses, his heart filled with suspicion and uncertainty. He quickly and respectfully invited Li Xian into the private room, then waved to the bodyguards, "This is none of your business, get out! Stay downstairs and keep watch; no one is allowed to come up!"
The bodyguard hesitated for a moment, but still obeyed and went downstairs.
After the bodyguard came downstairs, Wu Zhiguo quickly walked to Li Xian, knelt down with a thud, and said in a trembling voice, "Master! You... why didn't you inform your disciple before coming to Shanghai! Your disciple could have come to pick you up..."
"Hmph!" Li Xian sneered, removing his bamboo hat. "You still remember you have a master like me?"
Wu Zhiguo lowered his head, not daring to speak.
"Master! I..." Wu Zhiguo wanted to explain, but he couldn't find the words, his face full of shame.
"Xiao Zhizi! I won't ask you anything else, nor will I blame you. Our Swallow Sect of Lightness Skill started out as a thief and pawnshop dealer. We're not some prestigious sect. We've done plenty of murder, arson, and high-flying business!"
"But I'll only ask you one question: do you still consider yourself a member of the Swallow Clan?" Li Xian lowered his voice, his tone chilling.
"Master, what are you saying? I was born a member of the Swallow Sect, and I will die a ghost of the Swallow Sect!" Wu Zhiguo was overjoyed to hear that his master did not blame him for becoming a traitor, and answered firmly!
"Alright, Xiao Zhizi, since you still consider yourself a member of the Swallow Sect, nothing else matters. However, you must abide by the rules of our Swallow Sect!"
"Then look what this is!" Li Xian slammed the "Gratitude Swallow" on the table!
When Wu Zhiguo saw the swallow dart, he was terrified: "Our Swallow Sect's 'Gratitude Swallow'?"
Master, you have finally retrieved this "Gratitude Swallow," relieving you of a long-standing worry. Congratulations!
What is there for your disciple to do? Your disciple will go through fire and water to repay the debts of kindness owed to you in the past. Our Swallow Sect's rule is: "A drop of kindness deserves a spring of gratitude; when accepting a shipment, we do not inquire about the owner."
"Since they've come to demand our gratitude with the 'Gratitude Swallow,' our Swallow Clan will repay it!" Wu Zhiguo replied decisively, without the slightest hesitation!
"Good! Xiao Zhizi, I'm relieved to hear you say that. Here's the thing..." Li Xian was greatly relieved and explained Chen Gongshu's idea of recruiting him into the Military Intelligence Bureau in detail!
When Wu Zhiguo heard that Chen Gongshu, the new station chief of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Shanghai station, was actually recruiting him, cold sweat poured down his forehead.
After Li Xian finished speaking, he said tremblingly, "Master...you don't know...your disciple...your disciple and Uncle-Master Liu, some time ago, killed more than a dozen Kuomintang agents in one go..."
And they even captured one alive, which led to the complete annihilation of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Shanghai station by the Japanese. Furthermore... and moreover... the disciple was initially able to become deputy director only because he captured Crow, the Military Intelligence Bureau's top agent.
Is there still a chance?
"There is... others may not dare to say, but Master believes the words of 'Ruthless Scholar' Chen Gongshu!" Li Xian stared at him!
"If he didn't genuinely want to recruit you, he wouldn't have traveled all the way to Daming Prefecture to use the 'Gratitude Swallow' to find me and recruit you!"
Putting everything else aside, even if he used this "Gratitude Swallow" to demand that we kill a Japanese major general, we would still do it. Do you think you would be more valuable than a Japanese major general?
If he wanted to trick you into killing you, he wouldn't need to go through all that trouble!
Wu Zhiguo felt a surge of excitement. Although he knew that joining the Military Intelligence Bureau was almost certainly a death sentence, it was also the only way to redeem himself and return to the right path.
Thinking back to his hesitation when arresting Lin Wuyai, to the brutality of the Japanese and the suffering of his compatriots he witnessed after becoming deputy director and even director, to his most respected boss, Wang Yaqiao...
He finally made up his mind and kowtowed deeply to Li Xian: "Master! I will listen to you!"
A hint of relief appeared in Li Xian's eyes. He then gave a signal to Zheng Luxian, who was outside the door. In less than ten minutes, a man in his early forties, with a refined appearance and even a scholarly air, but whose eyes were as calm as a frozen pool, appeared in the private room. "Ruthless Scholar" Chen Gongshu appeared in the room!
He extended his hand to Wu Zhiguo. Wu Zhiguo glanced at his master and saw that his master nodded to him before he extended his hand to shake hands with Chen Gongshu.
Chen Gongshu smiled and said, "Zhiguo, I am Chen Gongshu, the new head of the Shanghai station of the Military Intelligence Bureau. What's past is past. I swear in the name of 'Ruthless Scholar' that our entire Military Intelligence Bureau will never pursue what happened in the past!"
Even if Boss Dai seeks revenge later, as long as Chen Gongshu lives, he will take the blame for you. If he breaks this oath, he will surely die under the "helpless storm, the familiar flock of swallows" of your Swallow Clan!
Upon seeing Chen Gongshu make this solemn oath, Li Xian and Wu Zhiguo exchanged a joyful glance. Wu Zhiguo then said, "Station Chief Chen, your subordinate Wu Zhiguo also swears here that, grateful for your forgiveness, I will dedicate the rest of my life to you and the Shanghai Station, serving you with unwavering loyalty and devotion, to repay your kindness and to fulfill the Swallow Sect's vow of 'Repaying Kindness Swallow.' If I break this oath, may I die under a hail of bullets!"
Chen Gongshu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Very good, Zhiguo. In my capacity as the station chief of the Shanghai station, I hereby confer upon you the rank of Major and appoint you as the deputy captain of the Shanghai station's action team. Your code name is:
"Old Gun!"
"The organization is about to assign you an extremely urgent and important task!"