Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

Chapter 14 was too careless!

Unfortunately, he underestimated his opponent.

The moment the finger hooked the trigger, the gunshot rang out like a thunderclap.

boom!

The moment the bullet tore through the air, Qiao Yu screamed in agony as the pistol flew from her hand and crashed to the ground.

That shot was extremely cunning, hitting him squarely in the radial joint of his wrist, tearing his skin and almost shattering his wrist bone.

The shooter was Zhou Xiao.

Zheng Yaoxian's expression remained unchanged, not even his eyelids twitched. He simply turned slightly to Zhou Xiao and nodded, his tone calm: "Your aim is very steady."

In the nick of time, he was able to lock onto a tiny target like a wrist while the opponent was shaking. He was fast, ruthless, and accurate, which was far beyond what an ordinary gunman could do.

Qiao Yu screamed and struggled, clutching his bloodied wrist, but Chen Shan pounced like a cheetah, pressing his knee hard against the back of Qiao Yu's neck and pressing a pistol against his temple: "Move again, and your head will be cracked open!"

"Fake Xiao Zhengguo, what are you so smug about?" Qiao Yu gritted her teeth, spitting as she spoke. "Araki will not let you off the hook. Your parents, your wife, and your children—none of them will survive the month!"

Zhou Xiao took a half step forward, looking down at his distorted face, his voice low but each word like a nail: "Don't worry, he's second—you're first."

Guan Yongshan smiled and stroked his chin: "Sixth Brother, Zhou Xiao truly lives up to his reputation as your apprentice. His skills are absolutely genuine!"

Zheng Yaoxian simply nodded calmly: "Director Guan is too kind."

He paused, then his gaze sharpened: "However, this matter must be kept strictly confidential. As long as Araki remains, not a single word of Qiao Yu's capture can be leaked."

Guan Yongshan immediately replied, "Understood."

As soon as the group stepped out of Qiao Yu's office, they bumped into Zhou Haichao and Zhang Li, who were rushing over.

Zhou Haichao glanced at Qiao Yu curled up on the ground and hurriedly asked, "Director Guan, what happened? What happened to Director Qiao...?"

Guan Yongshan raised an eyelid and said in a cold tone, "Stop asking questions and mind your own business."

"Yes!" Zhou Haichao responded and lowered his head, but couldn't help but look up at Zhou Xiao with a gaze full of unfamiliarity and suspicion.

Their eyes met briefly. Zhou Xiao didn't speak, but simply raised an eyebrow: "Your turn, Zhou Haichao."

He knew perfectly well—the poem "Awakening of Insects" had already revealed this person's true nature: two-faced, opportunistic, and capable of stabbing someone in the back at any moment. Keeping such a person around was like having a time bomb planted next to a second heart sooner or later. But the time wasn't right yet, so he held back for now.

Zhang Li stood quietly to the side, her face expressionless, watching Qiao Yu being dragged away. She knew perfectly well that this was the Military Intelligence Bureau purging an internal mole. Then, recalling the unsolved case at the Xin Xin Café, she suddenly realized—in a second, clandestine place, someone was quietly paving the way for her.

Once Qiao Yu enters the Kuomintang prison, it's like entering the gates of hell. All that's missing is a verdict; it's only a matter of time.

Now that Qiao Yu has been brought to justice, the real tough nut to crack has only just been set up: Araki Yui.

This old fox from the Shang Mansion has been lurking in the mountain city for many years, his actions meticulous and leak-proof. To touch him, one must proceed with extreme caution; at the slightest sign of trouble, he will immediately disperse and disappear without a trace.

What's even more problematic is that Chen Xia is still in his hands. The safety of the hostage is directly tied to Chen Shan's lifeline—if he doesn't fully cooperate, the entire operation will be impossible to advance.

Inside the director's office, Zheng Yaoxian, Zhou Xiao, Guan Yongshan, and Chen Shan sat around the conference table.

Guan Yongshan turned to Zhou Xiao, his smile warm: "Brother Zhou, I heard you know Araki's whereabouts in the mountain city? Where exactly is it?"

As soon as he said this, it was clear that he had completely changed his attitude—he had realized Zhou Xiao's importance and understood his closeness with Zheng Yaoxian, so he immediately extended an olive branch, even changing his form of address and acting as intimately as if they were family.

Zhou Xiao shook his head slightly: "The exact address hasn't been determined yet, but the scope has been narrowed down. Chen Shan, I'd like to hear your opinion on this matter."

Chen Shan frowned and said, "After I returned to Shancheng, I only met Araki once, but I called him many times. Every time we talked, there was a siren in the background, intermittent piano music, and the chiming of an old-fashioned clock... But with just these sounds, it's really impossible to pinpoint his location."

Guan Yongshan's expression tightened: "Qiao Yu has just been captured, and your identity has been exposed. If this drags on any longer, something unexpected might happen."

"That's right!" Chen Shan's voice tightened. "My sister is still in his hands!"

"Why don't we quietly set up surveillance on several suspicious locations in the mountain city and investigate them one by one?" Guan Yongshan suggested.

Zheng Yaoxian raised his hand to interrupt: "No way."

His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable weight: "Araki is a veteran of the spy business, with decades of experience. He can smell the slightest disturbance. Forget about a search; if your men get within three kilometers of his hiding place, he'll be on alert."

He knew all too well how sensitive Japanese spies were.

Chen Shan's gaze involuntarily fell on Zhou Xiao's face, filled with a desperate plea: "Zhou Xiao, my sister... I'm begging you."

Zhou Xiao met his gaze, then turned to look at Zheng Yaoxian, his voice steady: "Sixth Brother, give me twenty-four hours."

Actually, Araki's hideout was clearly marked in "The Awakening of Insects." But if he blurted it out now, wouldn't Zheng Yaoxian and Guan Yongshan be suspicious? He couldn't very well say, "I've read the script, can I?"

Therefore, he needs some time, a seemingly reasonable buffer, and a convincing "deduction process".

"Okay, I'll give you one day." Zheng Yaoxian said decisively.

After briefly verifying some clues, the group dispersed.

As they left the office, Zheng Yaoxian patted Zhou Xiao on the shoulder, his tone low but his words carrying weight: "Remember this, in our line of work, eyes are the most deceiving. The more familiar a place is, the more likely it is to hide what you're looking for."

He paused, his gaze sharp as a knife: "The Japanese are pragmatic. Araki's hideout is most likely right under the nose of the second agency—investigate thoroughly, and be sure to keep it secret."

"Yes, Sixth Brother!" Zhou Xiao's heart skipped a beat.

One has to admire Zheng Yaoxian—he truly deserves to be called the top ace of the Military Intelligence Bureau. With just a few fragmented pieces of intelligence and a few environmental details, he had already sketched out the general outline of Araki's hiding place.

This is the true nature of a secret agent.

Zhou Xiao silently clenched his fist.

He knew he was still far from having that trump card.

Zheng Yaoxian hurriedly gave Zhou Xiao a few instructions, then turned and left, his leather shoes making a crisp and clean sound on the blue brick ground.

After this battle, Zheng Yaoxian had quietly added a significant mark to Zhou Xiao's reputation—this kid had a ruthless streak that allowed him to remain calm and decisive.

On his first visit to the Second Bureau of the Military Intelligence Bureau, he uncovered two deeply entrenched Japanese and puppet spies; if he were to remove Araki, this thorn in his side, his record of achievements would surely be filled with a separate line of red characters.

Seeing Zhou Xiao's lightning-fast actions and meticulous thinking, Zheng Yaoxian's initial intention to win him over had already evolved from a tentative probe to a firm conviction: wouldn't it be a waste not to bring such a talent under his command?

He had just disappeared around the corner of the stairwell when Chen Shan appeared in front of Zhou Xiao, the hem of his trench coat still swaying slightly.

"Section Chief Xiao, are you heading back already?" Zhou Xiao asked with a smile.

Currently, Chen Shan is still using Xiao Zhengguo's name, and his true identity remains unknown. He must be careful in his actions.

Chen Shan shook his head, his voice low and steady: "My identity is too hot to handle; I can't afford to leave my second place even for a moment."

"Can't even go home?" Zhou Xiao raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Aren't you afraid your sister-in-law will smash dishes and yell at you at home? Oh—I mean, Xiao Zhengguo's wife."

"Madam?" Chen Shan was taken aback, glancing around before leaning forward slightly, his voice almost whispering in Zhou Xiao's ear: "Xiao Zhengguo was married? The resume, confidential files, and social circle I dug up from Araki clearly state 'unmarried.' Could it be that he's a bachelor on the surface, but secretly keeping a mistress, some kind of eyesore? Even the Kuomintang's spies and the Japanese intelligence were kept in the dark?"

He paused, then shook his head as if to himself, "No... if he really had a family, why go through all this trouble?"

unmarried?

Xiao Zhengguo is actually unmarried?

Zhou Xiao's heart skipped a beat—in the original drama "Awakening of Insects," wasn't Yu Xiaowan Xiao Zhengguo's lawfully wedded wife? Later, during the time Chen Shanding took his place, Yu Xiaowan waited for him every day and gradually fell in love, even her eyes softened.

Now that Xiao Zhengguo's file clearly states "single," does that mean Yu Xiaowan has never even met Chen Shan? Let alone developed any feelings for him?

Sure enough, the parallel universes created by the fusion of film and television are like spilled ink in water, with blurred boundaries and misaligned threads.

Yu Manli's sudden appearance was the first signal; now, Yu Xiaowan's identity is in suspense, which is just the second confirmation.

"Brother Zhou," Chen Shan stared intently at him, "Does Xiao Zhengguo really have a wife?"

"Who is she?" he asked, his eyes gleaming with an unsolved mystery.

In the previous battle to capture Qiao Yu, Chen Shan had already witnessed Zhou Xiao's methods firsthand—fast, accurate, and cold, like a thin blade that draws blood as soon as it is unsheathed.

Zhou Xiao remained unmoved, instead subtly changing the subject: "How would I know if he's married or not? I just guessed because he's not young. So he really is single?"

"Surprising?" Chen Shan scoffed. "These days, who among those who lick the muzzle of a gun would dare to easily tie themselves to a red thread? In the Second Division, there are plenty of people in their thirties still sleeping in shared dormitories. I thought you had already heard about his past romantic escapades."

He changed the subject abruptly, saying seriously, "Enough of the small talk—I'm here to ask you to save someone. My sister, Chen Xia, please, you must rescue her."

"Leave it to me," Zhou Xiao replied readily, nodding.

Chen Shan said nothing more, turned around and quickly returned to the second building, his figure soon swallowed up by the shadows of the pillars.

Just as his figure completely disappeared, a clear and melodious notification sounded in Zhou Xiao's mind: "Ding—Host has successfully checked in for the first time at the Second Bureau of the Military Intelligence Bureau! The valuable reward has been credited to your account. Activate it?"

"Activate!"

"Ding—Congratulations, host, you have obtained: the medical skills inheritance of [Master of Medicine] and the complete book of [Applying Sun Tzu's Art of War]."

【Medical Master】: Integrating Chinese and Western medical principles, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of acute illnesses, wound suturing, toxicology analysis, and emergency herbal combinations, greatly enhancing battlefield self-rescue and covert healing capabilities.

【Applying Sun Tzu's Art of War】: This book includes all the commentaries on the thirteen chapters of "The Art of War," as well as battle examples and modern spy-style interpretations. Those who master this book can strategize according to the situation, use the opponent's strength against them, and combine the real and the illusory to truly achieve the goal of "the wonder of application lies in the mind".