Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

Chapter 4, Gate 1 Closed, no more chapter headers!

Zhou Hanguang's death was destined to be forgotten, and no one suspected anything.

Zheng Yaoxian wanted Zhou Xiao to take over, but that crucial "transition period" could not be interrupted—letters should still be sent, handwriting should be imitated? For the Military Intelligence Bureau, it was just a trivial matter of moving a finger.

Zhou Xiao stepped out of the room, pondering as he walked: I need to arrange a meeting with my online friend as soon as possible. I'm leaving for the mountain city tomorrow.

After all, now that the "shadow" hiding deep within the Military Commission had been exposed, the Military Intelligence Bureau's surveillance and wiretapping of Zhou Xiao and others could be withdrawn as a result.

This gap was precisely the golden window for him to contact his organization.

It should be noted that Zhou Xiao currently has two identities: on the surface, he is a newly recruited agent of the Military Intelligence Bureau, but in secret, he is a carefully trained elite soldier of the underground party.

This dual mark has been deeply embedded in his bloodline since the moment he landed after crossing the world.

Jinling Film Studio.

Even amidst the flames of war, the light and shadow on the silver screen never went out. At that time, the film industry was still booming, and countless young people, full of dreams, flocked to film sets to make a living.

At this moment, a scene is being filmed intensively in the studio.

"Extras! Don't just stand there like idiots, move your feet!"

"Li Xiaonan! Keep up with your lines! Match the rhythm with the male lead!"

……

After a period of intense filming, a girl with a long, black ponytail walked quickly out of the scenic area.

Her eyes were clear as a stream, her eyelashes trembled slightly beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows, her porcelain-white skin had a natural blush, her figure was tall and neat, her legs were long and slender under her blue skirt, and her every move exuded a refreshing energy, like a wild rose swaying in the wind.

Her name is Li Xiaonan.

"Little boy, want to go eat together?" a female actress peeked out from the side and asked.

Li Xiaonan waved her hand: "No, I'm in a hurry!"

The other person laughed and advised, "Who hasn't been scolded by the director? Don't take it to heart."

"Ha! I don't have time to argue with him!" She grinned, her eyes crinkling into crescents. "I'm in a hurry to catch a movie!"

"That's true!" The man smiled knowingly.

As soon as Li Xiaonan stepped out of the film studio gate, she hailed a rickshaw, nimbly jumped on, and called out, "Master, Jinling Grand Theatre!"

Jinling Grand Theatre, Cinema Hall 1.

She looked down to check her ticket stub for her seat number, then walked through the dimly lit passage and took her seat.

Beside him sat a man wearing a top hat, the brim pulled down slightly.

Ten minutes later, the lights dimmed and the screen lit up.

At that time, black and white films were quietly giving way to sound films, and people flocked to the cinemas, just to hear a real human voice and watch a vivid and lively film. The theaters were packed, and even the aisles were full of people.

"Little boy, you act every day, but you love watching movies the most?" the man in the hat said first.

This person was Zhou Xiao.

And Li Xiaonan was the one who went online.

To outsiders, she was a bright and charming sunflower in the Nanjing film industry—outspoken, straightforward, and endearingly reckless. But no one knew that beneath this exterior lay a cold and meticulous mind; she was a top-notch female agent handpicked by the underground Communist Party, codenamed "Doctor," while her public identity was that of an unknown, third-rate actress at the film studio.

"The movie theater is the most convenient place to meet," Li Xiaonan said calmly, her gaze never leaving the screen. "Tell me about your situation."

Zhou Xiao lowered his voice: "Today, the Japanese spy 'Shadow,' who had infiltrated the Military Commission, was captured. His real name was Zhou Hanguang, and he was shot dead on the spot for resisting arrest."

"It is currently known that he is a lone wolf infiltrator, and his only contact is Feng Zixiong, the station chief of the Shanghai supply depot."

Li Xiaonan nodded slightly: "I will report this to the organization immediately."

"Oh, by the way, I met a very influential figure in the Military Intelligence Bureau today—everyone calls him 'Sixth Brother,' Zheng Yaoxian. He offered to take me on as his apprentice, and I agreed on the spot. Tomorrow morning, I'll set off with him to the mountain city!"

"Guizi Liu?" Li Xiaonan was young, but he was a veteran who had been fighting on the underground front for many years. He tensed up as soon as he heard the name.

Zhou Xiao was slightly taken aback: "Ghost Six? Where did that nickname come from?"

Li Xiaonan suppressed the surging anger in his chest, his voice low and deep: "Zheng Yaoxian was one of the 'Eight Great Vajras' personally trained by Boss Dai, ranked sixth, and was the sharpest knife in the Military Intelligence Bureau. He appeared calm on the surface, but deep down he was as cold as a snake, as accurate as an eagle, and as ruthless as a wolf. Many of our underground party comrades fell at his hands, their bodies still warm and their blood not yet dry... So no one in the underworld dared to call him by his name directly, they only dared to grit their teeth and call him 'Devil Six' behind his back."

Even though it was just a brief encounter, Zhou Xiao had already tasted that overwhelming weight.

"His willingness to personally guide you is actually a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Li Xiaonan turned her head, her gaze fixed intently on Zhou Xiao's face. "But you have to be on high alert—Guizi Liu is not someone to be easily fooled. A wrong look or a hesitant response could lead to utter ruin."

"During your training in the mountain city, the organization will not pass you a single note or give you a single code, just so that you can 'live' in it cleanly and thoroughly."

"Understood." Zhou Xiao nodded, knowing full well that this mission was more dangerous than walking a tightrope and hotter than holding burning coals.

She had wanted to persuade Zhou Xiao to break off the master-disciple relationship, but she swallowed the words back—he had already agreed, and to go back on his word would be tantamount to revealing her hand in front of Zheng Yaoxian. Right now, she could only proceed cautiously and carefully, step by step.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Zhou Xiao smiled, a calm and collected air about him.

"I believe you." Li Xiaonan glanced at the black-and-white image playing on the screen, then sighed softly, "After this parting, I don't know when we'll be able to sit down and watch a movie together again... Take care."

Zhou Xiao stared at her for a moment before finally speaking: "Xiao Nan, withdraw from Jinling as soon as possible and go to Shanghai to lie low."

"Shanghai is about to become a three-way battleground—the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) on one side, the Military Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (MIIS) in another, and the Japanese in a third. Our intelligence network will also have to be deeply embedded in it. Moreover, I have a feeling that Zheng Yaoxian didn't take me in just to make me someone easy to use. If I really become one of the MIIS's 'own people' in the future, the place I'm sent out to carry out missions will most likely be Shanghai. You should go there first and set things up."

There's no evidence for this; it's all based on intuition.

"Okay," Li Xiaonan readily agreed.

Zhou Xiao was taken aback: "Aren't you going to ask why?"

She smiled gently: "I trust you, that's enough. Come on, let's continue watching the movie."

After that, the two never spoke another word to each other.

The meeting ended there.

The next day, Jinling Airport.

Zheng Yaoxian was dressed as usual in a well-tailored trench coat, with sunglasses covering most of his face; Zhou Xiao wore a plain gray shirt with slightly rolled-up cuffs, revealing his distinct knuckles.

"Zhou Xiao, it's not too late to back out now." Zheng Yaoxian expertly flicked out a cigarette, the flame leaped, and the smoke slowly rose. "Working in this line of work is like pushing open the door to a dark room—once the door closes, there's no going back."

Zhou Xiao's lips curled slightly: "People don't go back when they're alive."

Zheng Yaoxian chuckled softly and said nothing more.

It was boarding time. The two of them boarded the private jet bound for the mountain city, one after the other.

By this time, the tide of war had already turned: the Japanese army's naval and air superiority was overwhelming, and the fall of Nanjing was only a matter of time. The headquarters of the Military Intelligence Bureau had quietly moved westward several months earlier, settling in the mountain city—a major southwestern town surrounded by mountains: it is backed by the Daba Mountains to the north, the Wu Mountains to the east, the Wuling Mountains to the southeast, and the Dalou Mountains to the south; the terrain slopes down to the Yangtze River valley, with hills and low ridges scattered, steep slopes and narrow roads, hence the name "Mountain City".

The reason for choosing it as the base camp was precisely because of its natural barrier—the Japanese ground troops could not penetrate it, and only their planes could circle and drop bombs, but to no avail.

The flight was smooth, and the plane landed safely at the mountain city airport.

As soon as the gangway was placed in place, a dark green military car was already parked outside the exit.

Several men in Kuomintang uniforms hurried forward. The one in the lead, with a short mustache, greeted them with a hearty smile: "Sixth Brother, you're finally back!"

His name is Zhao Jianzhi, Zheng Yaoxian's right-hand man.

Zheng Yaoxian nodded slightly as a greeting.

Zhao Jianzhi's gaze shifted and landed on Zhou Xiao: "Sixth Brother, who is this?"

"The newcomer," Zheng Yaoxian said calmly, "will be sent to the special training class first to build a foundation."

"Alright!" Zhao Jianzhi immediately agreed.

Although Zheng Yaoxian planned to personally instruct him, there were crash courses to cover the basics—he didn't have time to start teaching how to tie shoelaces.

He turned to Zhou Xiao, his tone low but his words sharp and unwavering: "Zhou Xiao, others spend three months in the special training program, you only have fifteen. You must master all the courses, all the assessments, and all the rules within fifteen days. If you can't, pack your bags and go back to Jinling."

Time is of the essence. He must forge Zhou Xiao into a sharp blade that can replace "Shadow" before Feng Zixiong becomes suspicious.

"No problem," Zhou Xiao replied readily.

Zhao Jianzhi was stunned, his eyes widening as he blurted out, "Sixth Brother, half a month? You're not kidding, are you? This isn't just about memorizing a few poems or practicing a few boxing moves—this is a crash course for spies!"

Becoming a qualified Kuomintang agent is not something that can be achieved overnight.

To a seasoned veteran like Zhao Jianzhi, a two-week period was simply a pipe dream.

A typical crash course takes at least three months; for a comprehensive mastery, it takes at least six months, and two years is not uncommon.

But Zheng Yaoxian treated the fifteen days as a deadline, which made Zhao Jianzhi feel a chill run down his spine.

Zheng Yaoxian glanced at Zhou Xiao, a slight smirk playing on his lips: "Jian Zhi, he's not a god, but he's quick-witted, tough, and incredibly bold—get him into the crash course today. I'll personally put in a good word with Boss Dai."

"Yes!" Zhao Jianzhi immediately stood at attention.

"Zhou Xiao, you and Jian Zhi go to report for duty. Come see me on time in fifteen days." Zheng Yaoxian paused, then added, "If you don't learn everything, you'll have to buy a ticket back to Jinling yourself."

"Yes!" Zhou Xiao straightened his back.

Then, he followed Zhao Jianzhi through the damp streets and alleys of the mountain city and into the military intelligence agent training crash course hidden behind the old brick walls.

The Military Intelligence Bureau (MIB) ran numerous training courses, such as the Linfa Training Course, which opened in Linfa County in 1938, headed by Yu Lexing. That course enrolled over a thousand people, divided into about ten specializations including intelligence, operations, military affairs, espionage staff, telecommunications, and foreign affairs, with a full year of study. Following closely behind, in 1939, the Qianyang Training Course was established in Qianyang County, with an even more impressive scale, nearly nine thousand students, and a largely similar curriculum and specializations.