Chapter 347: Don't cry until you've seen the coffin
The room fell silent.
Have you found the murderer? Who is the murderer? Where is he?
"The murderer...'
Gu Bafeng paused.
Suddenly, he realised that he didn't have any information.
He had indeed seen the murderer. However, he had no information about the murderer at all.
He had no idea who the murderer was.
Fortunately, Zhang Yong picked up the thread, 'I suspect that the murderer is Japanese.'
'What? Japanese?' Gu Zhenglun, Li Shizhen and the others all looked at each other in disbelief. It felt incredible.
'Nonsense,' Xu Enzeng coldly interjected.
Zhang Yong then shut up.
Anyway, I said it. Believe it or not, it's up to you.
He was 100% sure that the murderer was definitely Japanese.
The system can't be wrong.
'Shaolong, this is a big deal,' said Gu Zhenglun slowly.
'I particularly emphasise that the person who just injured the two military policemen is definitely Japanese,' Zhang Yong replied solemnly, 'but I cannot judge whether he is the murderer who attacked the Japanese Consulate.'
Gu Zhenglun frowned.
He believed that Zhang Yong's judgement was never wrong.
This guy was really good at catching Japanese spies.
If he said it was a Japanese person, then it must be a Japanese person. The problem was that the evidence could not be linked.
There is no way to prove that this is the same person who attacked the Japanese Consulate.
However, with this clue, they can hand in their work. After a busy night, they finally found a clue. All that remains is to continue the search.
In the meantime, the bullet has been removed. After everyone has seen it, no one says a word.
It is a Japanese rifle bullet.
It is from a Japanese Type 38 rifle.
Everyone present is a big shot. Naturally, they will not speak carelessly.
No one will say something like the murderer may have deliberately used a Type 38 rifle.
In the rifle world, there are some rules that everyone understands.
Well, they're not really rules. They're just facts.
Apart from the Japanese, or organised military units, no one else used the Type 88 rifle very often.
The Chinese sometimes believe in very strange rules.
For example, the calibre of the gun.
Basically, the bigger the better.
The Mauser 7.92 mm is ideal. Then there's the Mosin-Nagant 7.62 mm.
The Japanese 6.5 mm always feels too small. It doesn't seem powerful enough. If you could choose freely, most people would choose a Mauser or Mosin-Nagant.
Unless the person has been trained with the Type 88 rifle their whole life. And it's ingrained in their bones.
So it seems normal to judge this murderer as Japanese.
It's rare for an average Chinese person to be so good with the Type 88. This is already very peak marksmanship.
Shooting five Japanese soldiers!
He could be considered a master among masters.
Basically, all expert marksmen have their preferred weapons.
A marksman who is used to using a Mosin-Nagant and suddenly switches to a Mauser could be in danger in high-level matches. He could lose his life.
Similarly, a marksman who is used to using a Mauser and suddenly switches to a Mosin-Nagant could also fail to perform in high-level matches. He could lose his life in no time.
Therefore, no one would take such a risk.
'Strange, why would the Japanese attack their own consulate?'
'Is this a deliberate provocation?'
'Are they planning some kind of conspiracy? Trying to frame us?'
'Are the Japanese crying thief when they're the thief?'
No one spoke. Everyone's minds were racing.
There were all sorts of questions, and for the moment there were no answers. But it was clear that this was no longer a simple attack.
If the murderer was really Japanese, the implications were too bizarre.
'Zhang Yong!' Gu Zhenglun called out in a stern voice.
'Here!' Zhang Yong stood at attention.
'You and Gu Bafeng will continue to search for the whereabouts of the murderer.'
'Yes.'
'No matter where he runs, you must find him.'
'Commander Gu, I need permission.'
'What permission?'
'Permission to shoot the murderer.'
'Why?'
'The murderer is very dangerous. I don't think I can capture him alive. Otherwise, you can ask Director Gu if he is sure he can capture him alive...'
'I don't have it.'
Gu Bafeng hurriedly shook his head.
You're joking. Capture them alive? Are you crazy?
Just now, it was a split second...
It was a close call!
If they had reacted even a little bit slower, they would have been dead.
'Permission granted!'
Gu Zhenglun replied.
Zhang Yong was relieved. Then just shoot them dead.
He doesn't want to capture them alive.
No one's life is worth more than his own.
'Commander Gu, please select 30 sharpshooters to accompany us.'
'Permission granted!'
Gu Zhenglun immediately arranged it.
There were six military police regiments, nearly 10,000 people, and of course there were some very outstanding soldiers.
There were not a few people who were good at using rifles.
'In addition, I also need three Czech-style light machine guns and two 60mm mortars.'
'What do you need these for?'
'Once we find the murderer, we'll just bombard them.'
'You...'
Gu Zhenglun was speechless.
Did he have to be so exaggerated? Bombard them?
'You agents from the Rensheng Society are really timid,' Xu Enzeng could no longer hold back.
'Then please ask the Party Affairs Investigation Office to also send 30 people to follow us. You will be in the vanguard,' Zhang Yong would not indulge the other party. 'Director Xu, do you dare?'
'What's there to be afraid of?' Xu Enzeng really didn't believe in this evil.
It wasn't because of Zhang Yong's aggressive tactics. Rather, he felt that the Japanese really weren't that scary.
Just one Japanese person with a rifle, and you can't handle it with a few dozen people?
And you're carrying light machine guns? And mortars?
Are you going to catch someone? Or are you going to fight a war?
'I'll lead the team myself!' Xu Enzeng shut the door on the conversation.
'Good,' Zhang Yong said without saying anything else.
Xu Enzeng was experienced and shrewd, so of course he couldn't be provoked.
The other party really hadn't seen the Japanese's strength. They still thought they were all weak.
The Party Investigation Department usually arrests the Red Party. In terms of combat effectiveness, the underground party is indeed very weak. They don't even have weapons.
But they are now after the Japanese!
The Japanese still have guns in their hands! That's laughable.
They won't learn their lesson until they see the coffin.
Well, it's good to teach them a bloody lesson.
Soon, the personnel were deployed.
The sharpshooters transferred from the Military Police Command were of course under the command of Gu Gu Bafeng.
Xu Enzeng still leads his own unit, an action team. There are about 30 of them. They don't have as many people as the Fuxing Society.
They set off.
They chase in the direction the murderer might have fled.
Because all the nearby streets have been blocked off by the military police, the murderer can't have run too far.
The problem is, it's nighttime.
To be precise, it's just after midnight. A new day has begun.
In the dark, how can it be so easy to find the murderer's trail? It would be tragic if they were ambushed.
Xu Enzeng dared to say that he would personally lead the team and go in the front line, but he also felt that it was impossible to chase someone in the dark.
Zhang Yong is no immortal. He doesn't have magical eyes.
Sure enough, after searching for half an hour, they found nothing.
Xu Enzeng remained very calm. He didn't say a word. He just waited for Zhang Yong to say that it was impossible.
One hour...
Two hours...
Zhang Yong frowned inwardly.
Where the hell did this damned killer hide?
He hasn't been found?
Can he disappear underground?
"Shaolong...'
Gu Bafeng is also feeling a little confused.
It seems that Zhang Yong is just going round in circles!
Can they find the murderer this way?
Zhang Yong doesn't say anything.
He's not in a hurry.
To be precise, he doesn't really care.
Finding the murderer has its advantages.
Not finding the murderer also has its advantages.
Suddenly...
A red dot cuts into the map.
Here it comes!
Zhang Yong silently studied the map.
Damn map, it's very detailed. But there are no place names!
"Where are we now?'
'Mofang Street.'
'The third street to the north is...'
'Jingtai Street.'
'Let's go to Jingtai Street and have a look,'
Zhang Yong said casually.
The map showed that the situation there was very complicated.
How should I put it, there were a lot of various abandoned buildings. It might have been caused by previous demolitions.
At that time, after the capital was moved to Jinling, there was a major demolition and reconstruction in Jinling. But then there were some unexpected changes. The houses were demolished, but they were not rebuilt. It was a mess.
Jingtai Street was originally a very famous street. But it was messed up.
Over time, it also became a gathering place for all kinds of people. You could say there were all kinds of people here. Among them, it was not uncommon to hide a bandit.
Soon, they arrived near Jingtai Street.
There were only faint lights here. It felt like ghostly flames.
The buildings were in a mess. It looked like a shantytown. But it was messier than a shantytown.
The walls left after demolition and reconstruction, as well as the ruins, provided good cover. In short, this kind of place was perfect for training in alley warfare.
Even the most skilled expert, after breaking in, might be ambushed. They could die an unnatural death.
If they were a novice, they could be killed in a second.
It was dark, with only very faint light. In the darkness, it seemed as if a devil was hiding.
Zhang Yong immediately crouched behind the crowd.
No matter what others said, his life was more important.
'Director Xu. Please lead the way in front. Just as we agreed,'
'Hmph!'
Xu Enzeng immediately gave the order.
He didn't believe in ghosts. He felt that Zhang Yong was really timid.
Just a Japanese person, can fly into the sky?
He immediately ordered a dozen agents with pistols in hand to walk in front.
These secret agents didn't know whether they were living or dying. They walked without any cover.
They didn't think much of it. They thought that with so many people rushing over, the enemy would have long since fled, and there would be no need for them to intervene.
This was how they captured the Red Party. There was basically no chance of firing their guns.
'Pop!'
Just then, a shrill gunshot rang out.
Zhang Yong immediately crouched down.
His movements were fast.
Gu Bafeng also reflexively crouched down. Then he followed suit and got down on the ground.
He took one more step than Zhang Yong. He just lay down.
Zhang Yong: ...
Rash.
This guy is even more fierce than me!
Lie down after him.
These two scaredy-cats. I bet they're dying of laughter.
Sure enough, Xu Enzeng's mouth curled up in a sneer...
'Pop!'
Another gunshot.
Xu Enzeng didn't care at all.
Firing indiscriminately in the dark would only expose himself.
Idiot!
This murderer has a touching IQ.
'Go!'
'Go!'
Xu Enzeng shouted.
He wanted his men to go up and arrest the person.
In the darkness, the flashes of gunfire could be faintly seen. The location could be locked in.
Since they knew the location of the enemy, they should of course go up and catch them red-handed!
The agents immediately rushed up.
Zhang Yong: ...
Game over.
These guys are courting death.
If they didn't hide just now, they were already waiting to be slaughtered. Now they're even actively handing over their heads?
'Pang!'
'Pang!'
'Pang!'
Three more shots rang out.
It was clear that one of the agents had fallen.
You didn't need to look to know that it was a dead ball.
Xu Enzeng realised something was wrong. Damn it. One of his men had been shot.
The other side's shooting was fierce.
They were all shot one after the other.
'Pang!'
'Pang!'
More shots rang out.
Another secret agent was shot.
The secret agents in front of him suddenly became sparse.
The remaining secret agents realised something was wrong and hurriedly looked for somewhere to hide. As a result, in that split second, someone else was shot.
And then...
There was no then.
The red dot quickly disappeared. Fleeing to the east.
Zhang Yong: ...
Damn it. He ran pretty fast.
However, he didn't immediately stand up. He was afraid that the enemy would make a comeback.
In case a bullet flew...
It wasn't until five minutes later, when he was sure that the murderer would not return, that he cautiously got up.
Gu Bafeng watched him get up and then cautiously got up as well.
'Where is the enemy?'
'Probably gone.'
'Probably?'
'Should be.'
Zhang Yong deliberately left it ambiguous.
In the dark, he could not say that he was 100% sure, could he?
That would be too superstitious.
He was not clairvoyant.
'Bastard!'
Over there, Xu Enzeng was shocked and angry, and hurriedly counted the casualties.
The final result drove him crazy.
So tragic. Eight people had died.
All of them had been killed by a single shot. Not a single one had missed.
Such sharp marksmanship was simply terrifying.
He finally understood why Zhang Yong was so afraid of death. Anyone who wasn't afraid of death had probably already died.
The others were also secretly ashamed.
Many subconsciously hid in the shadows. They didn't want the torches to illuminate them.
It was too dangerous.
The enemy is in the dark. They are in the light. It's a complete waiting to die.
You are in the light, and you can't even see the enemy. However, the enemy hiding in the dark can see you clearly. As long as you pull the trigger, you will die instantly.
'Director Xu!' Zhang Yong said expressionlessly, "You guys go back and rest first!'
'Got it," Xu Enzeng was actually not angry.
Zhang Yong did not mock him.
He just wanted him to recognise the cruelty of reality.
The Japanese were just that fierce.
Disrespecting the enemy will result in death.
A little carelessness has cost eight people their lives.
And this is just one Japanese soldier!
If there were more...
Xu Enzeng didn't dare to continue thinking.
'Pah!'
'Pah!'
At that moment, someone fired a shot.
It seemed to be a military policeman under Gu Bafeng's command?
So fierce.
But...
It missed.
Fortunately, the killer did not fight back.
The killer continued to move.
He wanted to escape.
He moved very nimbly in the darkness.
Zhang Yong couldn't help but speculate that the other party should be very familiar with this area. Maybe he had scouted the area in advance. Or maybe he had hidden here before.
Jinling is actually very large. The suburbs in particular.
This is already close to the suburbs. Jump out of one street, and it's the countryside outside.
However, the surrounding streets have already been sealed off. There are heavily armed military police all around. It shouldn't be that easy to break through.
The map shows that the red dot is gradually approaching the street.
There are a dozen small white dots on the street. Presumably they are the military police. About the strength of a platoon.
Can they stop the murderer from escaping? Zhang Yong has little confidence.
He doesn't know much about the fighting power of the military police. Doesn't it feel very strong?
"Pop!'
'Pop!'
Sure enough, gunshots were heard.
It was the Japanese killer firing. It seems that he wants to break through by force.
Zhang Yong is at a loss.
What exactly is this Japanese killer trying to do?
What is his purpose?
Why is he fighting his own men and the Chinese?
Has he gone mad?
Just then, a shocking scene unfolded.
The red dot actually penetrated the military police's encirclement.
It charged out...
It got out...
For a moment, Zhang Yong felt heavy-hearted.
The combat effectiveness of the military police was indeed worrying. They couldn't even hold back a single Japanese.
He couldn't sit still. He had to go after them and take a look.
'Go!'
He waved his hand anxiously.
He hurriedly took Gu Bafeng to the street corner.
Chaos reigned.
The bodies of several military policemen lay scattered across the ground.
All had been killed by a single shot.
The remaining military policemen were also pale and looked like walking corpses. They were obviously terrified.
In a rage, Gu Bafeng cursed, 'Are you all eating shit? You are more than ten people, but you can't even stop one killer! You, you...'
The more he cursed, the angrier he became.
Soon after, Gu Zhenglun arrived.
Without saying a word, he ordered the remaining military police to be arrested and put in solitary confinement.
This is so humiliating.
A squad of military police could not even stop an assassin from attacking.
Zhang Yong nodded thoughtfully.
The combat effectiveness of the military police is indeed a bit poor.
In fact, the military police look awe-inspiring, but they actually have very little actual combat experience. They don't even have any actual combat experience.
It's not a big deal now. At most, a few people will die.
By the end of next year, during the incident at So-and-So, Zhang Xiaoliu will strike, and the military police won't be able to stop even a regiment. The regiment commander will be killed on the spot. A large number of the military police on guard duty will also die.
Who is that murderer?
How can he be so deranged?
He doesn't seem to be afraid of death at all!
Strange, why do I keep feeling like I've seen him somewhere before...
'Shaolong!'
'Here!'
Zhang Yong reflexively stands at attention.
It's Gu Zhenglun.
'Please continue the pursuit with your men!'
'Commander Gu, I'm afraid we won't be able to catch him.'
'What?'
'If my assessment is correct, this area to the southwest is unprotected and there are no roadblocks. He will definitely grab a vehicle and disappear into the wilderness.'
Zhang Yong told the truth.
Exit from Jingtai Street. This is the most troublesome place.
The southwest is the outskirts.
The opponent has obviously explored the terrain long ago. He knows which direction to run. He can escape.
Now the killer has crossed the last line of defence. He can grab a car and escape.
The people behind him will never catch up.
The southwest is so big, with so many roads branching off, how do you know which one the killer is taking?
Suddenly, Zhang Yong came to his senses.
He is Wu Yuanfu!
Yes, it's him!
Wu Yuanfu! Sakata Kazuo! The thief can fight!
Previously, when Sakata and his men had a conflict in the coffin shop, they also ran in a southwest direction.
In other words, this guy is very familiar with the southwest.
In fact, southwest of Jinling, if you continue, it is Anhui Province. Once you cross the border, it is a whole different world.
Once you enter Anhui Province, it is far away from the emperor, and the sky is high for the birds to fly.
So it was him!
No wonder he attacked the Japanese consulate.
It seems that he has fallen into a state of hysteria.
He doesn't recognise anyone.
He kills anyone he meets.
Anyone who gets too close is dead.
However...
Why didn't he kill him before?
Did Wu Yuanfu recognise him? So, in the split second of a lightning flash, he let him go?
No.
He wouldn't be that magnanimous.
In any case, this Wu Yuanfu is a very troublesome time bomb.
Because you never know who he'll attack next.
He's a trained Japanese spy. And he was once a well-known figure, so he must have known a lot of people.
He may even have secretly stockpiled enough supplies.
He may have even prepared himself with weapons. And enough money.
So neither the Fuxing Society nor the Japanese could dig him out.
On the contrary, he could strike at his own people.
He may have been provoked. So he directly attacked the Japanese consulate.
Perhaps it was a warning to someone?
"Shaolong, are you sure he's Japanese?'
'One hundred percent sure,'
Zhang Yong replied with certainty.
He knew that Gu Zhenglun would have to report to the higher-ups.
If it was confirmed that he was Japanese, the pressure would be much less.
'Good!'
Gu Zhenglun let out a sigh of relief.
Since Zhang Yong had given his word, his report would be plausible.
This is a Japanese infighting. It has nothing to do with us.
If the Japanese ask, just say it was the Japanese who started it. They killed themselves...
Yang Zhi hurriedly came.
'Captain, the director wants you to answer the phone!'
'Got it!'
Zhang Yong hurriedly answered the phone.
He walked a long way before he found the phone.
He didn't know how the director managed to call him here. Amazing.
He picked up the receiver.
'Director.'
'Shaolong, what's the situation over there?'
'Sir. It's Wu Yuanfu. It's that Sakata Kazuo. The one living in the small white palace.'
'It's him?'
'Yes. He's the one who attacked the Japanese Consulate.'
'I see. I'll handle this. Come to Changgang Road. You're needed here.'
'Okay.'