Republican Era Spy Shadow: Bloodstained Sanctions

Chapter 129 Xiaoqing Delivers a Message

The wire instantly pierced his flesh, and blood splattered out. A sharp pain shot through his nerves and shot straight to the top of his head. Wang Xiaoan suddenly tilted his head back and let out a heart-wrenching scream, his voice so hoarse it was almost cracking.

"The first thing." Zhao Lie said expressionlessly, the whip falling one after another, each strike landing precisely on the flesh, the wire tearing at the wounds and amplifying the excruciating pain.

Wang Xiaoan convulsed in pain, tears mingling with cold sweat and blood streaming down his face. His foul language gradually turned into desperate pleas for mercy: "Stop hitting me... I was wrong... I'll never do it again..."

Liu Kuai stood to the side, holding several thin bamboo sticks in his hand. He waited until Zhao Lie finished lashing the tenth time before slowly stepping forward.

He pinched Wang Xiaoan's fingertips, aimed the bamboo skewer at the nail crevices, and stabbed it in hard.

"Ah—!" The excruciating pain spread from his fingertips to his entire body. Wang Xiaoan's vision went black and his body trembled violently. However, due to the effects of the muscle-relaxing medicine, he didn't even have the strength to curl up. He could only watch helplessly as the bamboo skewers pierced his fingernails one by one, and blood dripped down his fingertips, forming small pools of blood on the ground.

"The second one." Liu Kuai said coldly, pulling out a bamboo skewer and then using a thicker one to pierce another fingernail.

Wang Xiaoan's screams grew increasingly shrill, broken sobs escaping his throat, before finally his vision went black and he completely fainted.

"Splash me awake." Yan Shuo's voice rang out at the right moment.

One of the team members immediately brought over a basin of cold water and splashed it on Wang Xiaoan's head.

The cold water stimulated the wound and also woke up the unconscious Wang Xiaoan. He suddenly opened his eyes, gasping for breath, his eyes filled with extreme fear. The arrogance in his eyes when he looked at the torture instruments was gone, replaced only by a deep-seated fear.

The torture proceeded methodically: a red-hot branding iron was pressed against his shoulder, instantly charring his skin and flesh, filling the air with a strong smell of burning. Wang Xiaoan was in so much pain that he almost couldn't breathe. A spiked club with barbs gently grazed his body, the barbs pulling at his flesh and tearing the wounds wider. The electrodes of the electrocution machine were placed on the wounds, and tiny currents traveled through his body, bringing a torment of numbness, itching, and excruciating pain. Each time the electricity was applied, Wang Xiaoan's whole body stiffened, and he lost control of his bladder and bowels.

Twenty different instruments of torture were used in turn, without stopping or showing any mercy.

From his initial screams and pleas for mercy, to his later silent convulsions, and then to his repeated fainting spells and being repeatedly woken up by cold water, Wang Xiaoan had become completely unrecognizable.

He was covered in blood, his wounds were raw and bleeding, his fingernails had all fallen off, and his skin was charred black from being branded with a hot iron. Only the faint rise and fall of his chest proved that he was still alive.

The effects of the muscle-relaxing drug were still ongoing. He could clearly feel the pain in every inch of his flesh, but he didn't even have the strength to lift his hand. He could only be like a lamb to the slaughter, letting the instruments of torture torment him at will, etching despair into his bones bit by bit.

Inside the torture chamber, there were only the sounds of instruments colliding, the rustling of film reels turning, and Wang Xiaoan's occasional broken groans of pain.

As night deepened, Zhao Lie and Liu Kuai stopped what they were doing and wiped the blood off their hands.

Wang Xiaoan had already fainted, his breath as weak as a candle flickering in the wind.

"Commander, we've used all 20 kinds of torture instruments. If we keep going, I'm afraid we won't last until tomorrow," Zhao Lie reported.

Yan Shuo stood up, walked to the rack, and gently kicked Wang Xiaoan's knee with his toe.

Wang Xiaoan showed no reaction, only weak breathing.

"Treat his wounds, stop the bleeding, and put him on an IV drip. Don't let him die." Yan Shuo said calmly, "That's all for today. We'll continue tomorrow. Remember, I'm going to torture him for 10 days, not a single day less."

"Yes!" The team members responded and stepped forward, taking out hemostatic medicine and carefully treating Wang Xiaoan's wound.

It wasn't out of pity, but simply to help him endure the next nine days and suffer even more torment.

The camera was turned off, the film was carefully put away, and the torture instruments were wiped clean and hung back on the wall.

Wang Xiaoan was left on the rack, covered with a thin cloth. Cold wind blew in from the vents, blowing on his wounds and causing a constant stinging pain.

Yan Shuo walked out of the torture chamber, closed the heavy iron door, and completely shut out the despair and wails inside.

He leaned against the wall, stubbed out his cigarette, and his eyes remained completely calm.

Traitors deserve the cruelest punishment. These ten days of purgatory are the price Wang Xiaoan paid for betraying his faith and becoming a traitor, and also a warning to all those with ulterior motives.

Those who betray will surely die a gruesome death, and will never find peace.

Sunlight filters through the gaps in the plane tree leaves at the outdoor tea table in front of the West American Trading Company. The aroma of tea on the stone table and the lively atmosphere of the street corner create a rare sense of tranquility.

Yan Shuo leaned back in the rattan chair, twirling a teacup in his hand, chatting with a few of his brothers about all sorts of things. Occasionally, he would burst into a hearty laugh, completely unlike his usual ruthless demeanor at the command post.

In the distance, a slender figure walked briskly towards them. It was Xiao Qing—the little girl he had sent to run errands for Shen Qing. At this moment, her face was filled with barely suppressed excitement, and her steps were even faster than usual.

"What's wrong? Why are you in such a panic?" Yan Shuo glanced up at her, gestured for the waiter to bring him a cup of tea, and spoke as casually as an older brother.

Xiaoqing ran to the table, panting, her voice filled with excitement: "Captain, Mizutani Akihiro has arrived in Shanghai!"

"We're here, it's nothing, look how tired you are." Yan Shuo pointed to the empty chair next to him, "Sit down, have some tea and rest. Did that old bastard Shen Qing bully you?"

"Ah! Captain, what did you say!" Xiaoqing's face flushed red instantly, the redness spreading from her ears to her neck. She clutched the hem of her clothes with both hands, her eyes darting away, and she didn't even dare to lift her head.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, I got it, I got it." Yan Shuo raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eyes, his mind perfectly clear.

Although Shen Qing was middle-aged, he was handsome and refined, had a witty manner, and was a skilled cook. It was no wonder that Xiao Qing, a young girl, was "lured" into bed with him since she followed him around every day.

In terms of looks and temperament, Shen Qing is indeed quite attractive among older men, and he can easily charm young girls.

He smiled and pulled a small wooden box from his pocket, then handed over an exquisite women's handbag, bulging with the outlines of banknotes faintly visible: "Take this, there's 30,000 French francs in here. Go to the foreign firm and pick out a Florasis suit. Put it on my tab, consider it a congratulatory gift for you. Work hard for Shen Qing."

Xiao Qing was so embarrassed she didn't know what to do, unsure whether to accept it or not. Her cheeks were burning hot enough to fry an egg: "Captain, this...this is too precious..."

"Take it if I tell you to." Yan Shuo waved his hand, his tone leaving no room for refusal. "Shen Qing has no other relatives. His wife died in a bombing years ago. You should stay with him. You might become a major general's wife someday. You can't dress too cheaply, or you'll embarrass our Red Bean Team."

"Oh..." Xiaoqing bit her lip, obediently took the handbag, and carefully stuffed the wooden box inside.