Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

Chapter 43 There is no turning back, no room for luck!

Upon hearing the sound, Mingtai and Yu Manli immediately gathered around, their eyes fixed on the paper.

The telegram was clearly organized: The troops were divided into three groups—

Guo Qiyun was tasked with intercepting Shen Qiuxia and cutting off her way to MGM.

Yu Manli impersonated the prime minister, luring Bi Zhongliang and Su Sansheng into a trap for pursuit;

Mingtai personally led the main force to assassinate Bi Zhongliang and laid out all the evidence pointing to Su Sansheng at the scene without leaving any gaps.

The key to the entire game lies in the bullets in Su Sansheng's sidearm.

Each bullet is engraved with a unique serial number, and each gun barrel bears its own unique bite mark. As long as the location, angle, and trajectory of Bi Zhongliang's bullet hit perfectly match the manufacturing data of Su Sansheng's gun, he won't be able to shake off this blame.

This would be a difficult problem for others, but for Zhou Xiao, it was just a matter of lifting a finger.

After scanning the telegram, Yu Manli frowned and said, "Isn't it just about taking out Bi Zhongliang? Why go through all this trouble? Just strike while it's dark, clean and efficient!"

Mingtai chuckled softly, his tone resolute: "Manli, you only see the target, not who's standing behind it."

"Bi Zhongliang is the head of the Action Department. The 76th Bureau, the Special Higher Police, and even the Military Intelligence Bureau are all watching him—if he were to die suddenly in the street, the investigation would surely sweep across Shanghai, with the Military Intelligence Bureau bearing the brunt. But what if someone else takes his place?"

"After Su Sansheng fell, infighting broke out. The force with which they tore each other apart was ten times fiercer than when they chased us."

Guo Qiyun nodded in agreement and gave a thumbs up: "Mingtai, no wonder the director always praises you. This year's Military Intelligence Bureau has produced two stars—one is Zhou Xiao, and the other is you. You can see at a glance where the knife is pointing."

Mingtai smiled frankly: "Compared to him, I'm still lacking. He only spent half a month at military academy, while I endured three months, yet my grades still fell short of his."

Yu Manli paused, then murmured, "According to you... this Hades is truly unfathomable."

Three birds with one stone.

This is Zhou Xiao's scheme.

Mingtai understood immediately, his gaze instantly sharpening like a blade.

The three then sat down and worked out the plan item by item: the rendezvous code, the retreat route, the backup signal, the time error... filling in every gap perfectly.

The following day at noon, Guo Qiyun arrived at the designated location as agreed and took away a brass cartridge case—the standard bullet used by Su Sansheng in his daily pistol.

At 6:30 p.m. that evening, at Market Park.

A middle-aged woman with gentle features sat on a bench, occasionally glancing up at the crowd of people playing with their children, and sometimes looking down at her watch.

In a few hours, she will step into the MGM ballroom to make that life-or-death rendezvous with Sparrow.

The woman was Shen Qiuxia, a core member of the underground party codenamed "Prime Minister." Her true identity was the sister-in-law of the undercover agent Chen Shen—her entire family of seven had perished in the flames of the War of Resistance against Japan, their bodies still warm.

She was a revolutionary whose very bones burned with conviction.

Shen Qiuxia was sitting upright in the soft chair in the private room, her fingertips lightly tapping the armrest, while Guo Qiyun silently sat down beside her, his voice low and steady: "Sister Shen, I've heard so much about you."

"Who are you?" Her eyes sharpened, her gaze like a knife, piercing straight at him.

"Names don't matter. I'm here to deliver a message—your contact, An Liusan, has already spoken up at Special Operations Headquarters and confessed everything. He revealed that you're meeting 'Sparrow' at the MGM Grand at 8 PM tonight."

Shen Qiuxia's pupils contracted sharply, and her left hand quietly slipped into her pocket, gripping the cold palm grenade tightly.

"Don't rush," Guo Qiyun nodded slightly, "I've delivered the message. Whether you believe it or not is up to you. But if you still keep the appointment, you'll not only ruin your own life, but also 'Sparrow's's."

As soon as he finished speaking, he got up and left without even glancing at her again.

7 PM, Special Operations Headquarters Operations Room.

Bi Zhongliang slammed his hand on the edge of the table: "Action Division, all personnel assemble!"

Su Sansheng stood at attention and replied, "Yes, sir!"

Five minutes later, more than twenty dark figures lined up in front of him, but Chen Shen was the only one missing.

Bi Zhongliang frowned: "Where is Chen Shen?"

Flathead scratched his head and grinned: "Captain Chen... he's probably sneaked off to listen to some folk songs again."

"You dared to skip your shift after I gave you a heads-up? You're getting more and more unruly!" He glanced at his watch—7:45.

The drive from headquarters to MGM takes about ten minutes, and time is of the essence; we can't wait any longer.

"Su Sansheng, lead the team out!" Bi Zhongliang's gaze was like iron. "Tonight, not a single one can be missed—'Prime Minister' and 'Sparrow' must be crushed together!"

"yes!"

In an instant, helmets, belts, pistols, and submachine guns were all strapped to their shoulders, and the entire team charged out of the gate with murderous intent.

This battle was crucial, and Bi Zhongliang personally took command.

He had just stepped out of the building when he bumped into Zhou Xiao and Feng Manna.

Zhou Xiao glanced at the fully armed team members, a slight smile playing on his lips, and bowed slightly to Bi Zhongliang: "Director Bi, do you need any help?"

"Thanks, Director Zhou, but we don't need it right now." Bi Zhongliang straightened his tie, straightened his back, and strode away leading the team.

Feng Manna scoffed coldly: "What's with the attitude?"

Zhou Xiao smiled but said nothing, then turned and strolled back to the headquarters building.

The scheme, which killed three birds with one stone, has quietly come to an end.

Next, we'll see how the Mingtai Action Team handles things.

Today, Zhou Xiao's shrewd methods and meticulous planning are no less than those of the Military Intelligence Bureau's top ace, "Kite" Zheng Yaoxian.

MGM Grand, one of the most bustling nightclubs in Shanghai, is a place of dazzling lights and revelry on the dance floor, and a melting pot of all sorts of people around the bar.

Chen Shen mingled in the crowd, tapping his wine glass lightly with his knuckles, waiting for the "Prime Minister" to log in.

The intelligence that Bi Zhongliang extracted from An Liusan was crystal clear: at 8:00 AM sharp, the "Prime Minister" would appear at MGM to meet "Sparrow"—the underground Communist Party mole hidden in the heart of the Special Operations Headquarters. As long as they could capture the rendezvous site on the spot, they could follow the clues and expose this long-buried fang.

At 8:00 AM sharp, Bi Zhongliang led his team to the scene.

The four doors and eight windows of the dance hall were instantly sealed shut, so that not even a sparrow could fly out.

Deep in the alley, Shen Qiuxia crouched on the wall, taking in the entire scene.

"An Liusan... has really betrayed us." Her throat tightened, her fingertips turned white, but her heart was in turmoil: Who tipped them off?

"Sparrow"? Absolutely not!

But if it wasn't him... then who was it?

She gritted her teeth and thought: If I don't show myself, Chen Shen will be safe.

Turning around, he lightly touched the ground with his toes and darted into the deeper shadows like a night owl.

At this moment, Bi Zhongliang stood under the gilded signboard of MGM, looking up at the neon-lit facade, his face as dark as ink.

Su Sansheng strode forward: "Director Bi, we're completely surrounded. Not even a fly can get in or out!"

"Okay!" He had just lifted his foot to go in when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a shadow at the second-floor window—someone had jumped down!

With a single sweep of his hawk-like gaze, Bi Zhongliang determined that the slender figure was indeed a woman.

An Liusan explained clearly: "Prime Minister," female, around thirty years old, with a nimble figure.

She's the one who escaped most likely!

"Stop!" he roared, turning sharply to the entrance of the dark alley and ordering sharply, "There's someone in the alley—chase them!"

Without saying a word, Su Sansheng strode forward and led his men inside.

After a moment's thought, Bi Zhongliang turned and called Liu Erbao over: "You take some men and guard the main gate to the death, leave no one alive! I'll go and cut off the rear!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already led five or six capable men into another narrow alley and surrounded them from all sides.

Logically speaking, why would a section chief need to personally go to arrest a suspect? But Bi Zhongliang knew perfectly well that since the "Prime Minister" was the "Sparrow's" superior, he must be a high-ranking member of the underground party, ruthless, experienced, and with strong counter-intelligence capabilities—he dared not underestimate such a tough opponent.

Unbeknownst to him, he was stepping into the Soul-Severing Path that Zhou Xiao had personally paved.

The alleys surrounding MGM are covered with cobwebs, winding and twisting, dimly lit like will-o'-the-wisps, and the ground is uneven and slippery, making it difficult even for a cat to find its way.

The moment Bi Zhongliang stepped into the first fork in the road, three dark gun barrels were already firmly locked onto the back of his neck, his left rib, and his right knee.

He is certain to die tonight.

This was the ending Zhou Xiao had tailored for him—no way out, no room for luck.

Because Zhou Xiao at this moment is no longer the subservient deputy he once was, but a true hunter who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Zheng Yaoxian.

Bi Zhongliang led his men, moving swiftly and weaving through the dim streetlights, preparing to launch a pincer attack and trap them like turtles in a jar.

"Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!" His voice was low and hoarse, like a taut bowstring. This old fox was alert enough, but in the end, he failed to see through Zhou Xiao's scheme. Every step he took was a death mark drawn by Zhou Xiao himself.

In the shadows, Mingtai and Guo Qiyun lay in ambush on a high vantage point, their eyes fixed on the figure at the alley entrance, without hesitation—

Pull the trigger.

boom!

boom!

Flames tore through the inky darkness of the night, and bullets whistled through the air.

The bullet tore through the night, leaving a scorching, blinding arc as it hurtled towards the special operations headquarters.

In the deep, narrow alley, not even half a brick could be found, let alone cover. Mingtai and Guo Qiyun had already thoroughly familiarized themselves with the terrain and adjusted their guns—both were former members of the Military Intelligence Bureau, experts in surveillance, ambushes, and rearguard action. At this moment, dealing with these unsuspecting agents was like counting bullet holes at a shooting range.

Puff puff……

Blood splattered one after another, falling rapidly and heavily, piling up at Bi Zhongliang's feet.

Bi Zhongliang himself wasn't spared either—his left shoulder jolted violently, burning hot, and his entire arm went numb instantly.

In just a few seconds, the five or six people he brought in were all paralyzed on the ground, motionless, with only blood flowing down the cracks in the blue bricks.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" He pressed his back against the cold wall, raised his gun with one hand to return fire, the muzzle swaying wildly, most of the bullets hitting the opposite wall and scattering sparks.

But this was nothing more than a dying struggle.

The alley was too straight, too empty, and too quiet—Mingtai and Guo Qiyun had been lying in ambush, just waiting for them to sneak in, making them the perfect target!

puff--

Just three minutes into the exchange of fire, Mingtai shot Bi Zhongliang through the heart. Bi Zhongliang's body stiffened abruptly, his throat bobbed, but he made no sound.

He slid down the wall, his head hitting the bricks. His pupils dilated suddenly, his eyes rolled upwards, staring intently at the dark alleyway ceiling, as if asking God: How did I end up here?

Lost!

A complete and utter defeat!

Bi Zhongliang, who had just taken up the position of director of the Special Operations Headquarters Operations Department, was wiped out just like that.

He couldn't understand it until his death—where did the ambush come from? Who leaked the information? Who could have set up such a tight trap in such a short time?

This was by no means a spur-of-the-moment decision; he had been eyeing tonight for a long time, carefully planning the time, route, and number of people, even taking into account the rhythm of his breathing.