Chapter 450: Tunnel

Zhang Yong asked about the details of the office.

Mei Lu told him that this was also a temporary decision by Minister Anderson.

Therefore, the specific details and so on need to be discussed at a later date.

But one thing is certain. That is, as long as Zhang Yong purges the Japanese spies in the Kailuan Coal Mine, the British will not treat him badly.

Self-financing.

Self-equipped.

Hire his own staff.

The British will not be responsible for any specific matters. But they can give Zhang Yong some privileges.

What privileges?

Privileges equivalent to those of a British diplomatic envoy.

Including but not limited to free access to the British concession.

'Oh?'

Zhang Yong's eyes lit up.

This seems very important.

Because there is also a British concession on the Bund. The management there is stricter.

Mainly because there is an assistant to the Japanese police commissioner, what's his name? I've forgotten. That guy controls the constabulary.

If you enter as an agent of the Fuxing Society, you will definitely be hassled.

However, if you enter as an employee of the Kailuan Coal Mine Office, it should be much more convenient. That Japanese probably doesn't even know about it.

Yes!

Yes. This is very important. You must be sure.

There is no room for error.

'Can you freely enter and leave the British concession in Shanghai?'

'Of course you can.'

'Are you sure?'

'I've already asked for you. Minister Anderson promised that it is absolutely possible. Otherwise, you can call him directly.'

'Then there is no problem.'

Zhang Yong nodded. As expected, his woman has grasped the key point.

The British concession in Tianjin is not important. What matters is the public concession on Shanghai Beach. He may need to handle a lot of business there in the future. Having a legal identity is very important.

'Then I will reply to Minister Anderson.'

'No. Wait. Reply in the evening.'

'That's good!'

Mei Lu understood what he meant.

The guy was clearly tempted. But he wanted to drive up the price.

By deliberately waiting until the evening to reply, he made himself seem less cheap. This was the Chinese art of guanxi. Unfortunately, the British didn't buy it.

For the British, as long as you say yes, they won't drive up the price.

'Ring ring ring...'

'Ring ring ring...'

Suddenly the phone rang.

Mei Lu looks at the phone. Then she looks at Zhang Yong. Is it for him?

Zhang Yong stands up. He goes to answer the phone.

Who is it?

Is it Yuan Wenhui?

Oh, this brat, finally willing to pay his respects to the second master?

Come...

The second master will give you a kick!

He picks up the receiver.

It turns out to be a strange voice. Definitely. He has never heard it before.

'Is this Mr Zhang Yong?'

'Yes. This is Zhang Yong. I'm with the Secret Service Bureau of the Restoration Society. How may I help you?'

'I'm with the British Chamber of Commerce.'

'British Chamber of Commerce?'

Zhang Yong turned his head. He waved at Mei Lu.

Mei Lu then stood up. She walked over to him. Standing next to him, she said

'Yes. I'm with the British Chamber of Commerce.'

'What do you want with me?'

'According to the Minister, there is a shipment that I want to give to you.'

'What shipment?'

'The address is at the Taku Forts Wharf. British Harbour. Warehouse 17. You can collect it yourself!'

'What the hell is it...'

Zhang Yong hadn't finished speaking when the other party hung up.

Obviously, this made Zhang Yong very unhappy. He immediately wanted to call back and scold.

Damn it, you haven't finished speaking and you're already anxious to be reborn? Are you going to become a pig? Wait, I'm not going to scold you!

British Chamber of Commerce!

Is the British Chamber of Commerce so great?

Damn it...

In the end, Mei Lu gently and softly pressed his hand, and his anger slowly dissipated.

'It's ammunition!' Mei Lu whispered in his ear.

'What?' Zhang Yong was stunned.

Ammunition?

Is there such a good thing?

When did the British become so generous as to actually be willing to give away ammunition?

'It's the equipment for an entire battalion.'

'What?'

Zhang Yong was stunned again.

He looked at Mei Lu suspiciously. He couldn't quite believe it.

A battalion's worth of equipment! That was no joke. That was worth a lot of money.

The British were only paying themselves 500 pounds a month. How could they afford to give themselves a battalion's worth of equipment?

No way!

There was a conspiracy.

His eyes sparkled. He stared at Mei Lu.

Mei Lu bit her lip lightly. She felt that this guy must be imagining things.

It's just the bridal chamber, isn't it? So impatient...

whispered, 'I know about that warehouse number 17. I've been there before. There are a lot of rifles and light machine guns inside.'

'Really?' Zhang Yong's eyes sparkled.

In that case, the guy wasn't bluffing.

Mei Lu then gave a detailed introduction.

It was all light weapons. There were no heavy weapons.

No heavy machine guns.

No mortars.

The bullets are all 7.7mm rifle bullets. There are quite a lot of them. There are 800,000 rounds.

Although there are no heavy machine guns or mortars, the rifles and light machine guns are quite good.

The rifles are British 77s. The light machine guns are an improved version of the Czech-style, also known as the Bren light machine gun. Some people translate it as the Boron light machine gun. It uses an arc magazine. It has a capacity of 30 rounds.

The original Czech model used a straight magazine with a capacity of only 20 rounds. Firepower was relatively weak. The British bought the patent for it and improved it. The overall performance is much better.

'Strange, why would the British give me the equipment for an entire battalion?'

'They want something from you.'

'Wouldn't it be better if they just gave me 5,000 pounds a month?'

'It's not about the money.'

'Then...'

'I think they want to borrow your hands to transfer some of the weapons and ammunition to the 29th Army.'

'Oh? What do you think about that?'

'You definitely won't be able to take all that weapons and ammunition. You'll have to give it away. To whom? It would be best to give it to the 29th Army. You have a good relationship with Commander Zhang, so you can give it to him.'

'Why?'

'The British and Japanese are getting more and more tense. Their interests are in conflict. But they are very weak in North China. There is no garrison. Only a mining protection unit. There are less than a thousand men. They can't fight the Japanese. If we want to put pressure on the Japanese, we need the strength of the Chinese. Strengthening the 29th Army is in the interests of the British.'

'A battalion of equipment is useless!'

'This is just the beginning. If you can ensure the normal operation of the Kailuan coal mine, the British will definitely send you some more benefits.'

'All weapons and equipment?'

'I think so. They don't lack this the least. They have no problem supplying the equipment for a few thousand or even ten thousand people. The key is that they feel it is valuable. What they give away will be used accordingly.'

'Really?'

Zhang Yong nodded thoughtfully.

The British were certainly not being kind. They just wanted to use them.

But that's fine. If they want to use us, let them. The 29th Army does need weapons and ammunition at the moment. Especially the generals who are determined to resist the Japanese.

Last time at the headquarters of the 34th Division, Zhang Yong discovered that the division's weapons and equipment were not very good.

The main force of the 29th Army is stationed near Beiping. It's almost as if they've given up on Tianjin. Naturally, Zhang Kexia is not well-liked either.

Fine. Just help him out. See if you can kill a few more Japanese.

But for now, there is no time to go to the Taku Forts dock to collect the goods.

It's over 100 kilometres away!

It takes half a day to get there and back by car. And the roads are not safe.

We need to wait until we have finished here, free our hands, and then join forces with Commander Zhang.

For now, we must first explore the secret passageways.

There is actually a secret passageway from the Fuli Palace to the Yuan Mansion. That's amazing.

I wonder who built it. It's such a big project. I really admire it.

Wave your hand. Ask Tiger Ba to come over.

'What is it?'

'Brother, are you claustrophobic?'

'What's that?'

'Are you afraid of tunnelling?'

'Why would I be afraid?'

'It could be several kilometres away.'

'No.'

'Okay, let's get ready to go down.'

'Great!'

Zhang Yong leads the men in search of the entrance to the tunnel.

At this time, the two Japanese spies, Tong Tiangong and Yu Hongzhi, must be there!

Who discovered the tunnel? Of course it was them.

After taking over the Yuan Mansion, the two spies' contributions must be widely publicised. Let Mao Chuanxiu spit blood.

'Eh? How did you know about the tunnel?'

Finally, Tiger Ba has reacted. He asks in puzzlement.

It's strange, how does Zhang Yong know everything?

He knows about the secret door in the Furong Palace.

And he knows that there is a tunnel in the Furong Palace?

Who told him? He's an outsider, so he couldn't possibly know, could he?

His gaze falls on Tong Tiangong and Yu Hongzhi.

Could it be these two guys again?

Zhang Yong happened to see Ba Tiger's puzzled expression, and immediately added, 'Yes, they're the ones who told me.'

'No wonder...' Ba Tiger's expression was strange.

Believe it.

No doubt.

It's just a bit stuffy.

These two guys didn't mention it to him at all before. Obviously, they don't know him very well.

As soon as Zhang Yongyi arrived, these two guys were all over him, telling him all their secrets. No wonder Qu's yin-yang chart showed that Zhang Yongyi was a person of great fortune.

He is domineering and overbearing.

Without even trying, these two guys have already fallen for him.

Well, he has picked a good disciple. There is no difficulty at all in making him the head of Tiexian Boxing in the future.

'I...'

Tong Tiangong always felt that something was wrong.

Why did Zhang Yong know the entrance to the tunnel? Who on earth told him?

It didn't seem to be Tiger Ba!

Could it be an insider?

Yes! An insider! A sudden flash of inspiration hit him.

Zhang Yong had mentioned before that he had developed spies within the Japanese.

The tunnel at the Furigong mansion was only known to the senior staff of the Maochuan mansion, so it must have been them who leaked the information. It seems that this spy is of a very high level...

Could it be Maochuan Xiu?

I was shocked. Cold sweat was pouring down my back.

Why would I have such a ridiculous thought? Shigekawa Hide is the head of the secret service!

The head of the secret service is actually a spy?

You've got to be kidding...

However, it's not impossible!

The only person who could know so many secrets about the Furigu Palace might really be Shigekawa Hide...

I dare not think about it.

The more I think about it, the more scared I get.

'Bang!'

Zhang Yong kicked open a room door.

He accidentally discovered that there were actually two dead women inside.

Huh?

What's going on?

He turned his head to look at Cao Mengqi.

Cao Mengqi shook his head to indicate that they had not killed innocent people.

'It was poison!'

Yang Zhi looked strange after examining the bodies.

Both women had died from poison. But there were many bruises on their bodies. It looked like external injuries.

'Suicide?'

'No. They were forced to drink it.'

'Oh?'

Zhang Yong never expected there to be complications.

However, the Furong Palace was a place where all kinds of people mixed together, from all walks of life.

No one could say for sure what had happened before.

These two women seemed to be from Belarus. That made their background even more complicated.

There were many Belarusian women in Shanghai. There were even more in the north. There were quite a few in Tianjin. There were even more in the three provinces of Manchuria: Fengtian (Shenyang) and Xinjing (Changchun).

As for the famous ice city Harbin, needless to say. The streets were full of White Russians.

Borscht and other things were brought by White Russians.

The huge Furong Palace had hundreds of rooms. Among them, there were two or three hundred guest rooms. It was not an exaggeration to call it a luxury hotel.

There were some strange and weird things in the guest rooms. It was a rare sight.

Some things were more despicable and indescribable.

If they were placed in later generations, they would definitely be investigated again and again.

However, in these chaotic times, there really is no law. The more obscene it is, the more popular it is.

Zhang Yong says he is really sick. But he still feels sick. Many times, he dares not look too closely.

He is afraid of being corrupted...

'Register!'

'Yes!'

Zhang Yong doesn't have time to deal with these accidents for the time being. He has to deal with the tunnel first.

Go around to the storage room at the back.

The entrance to the tunnel is in the underground storage room.

Open the door to the tunnel.

The air inside is surprisingly not too stuffy.

Enter.

The tunnel is a bit narrow, only able to accommodate three people walking side by side. The height is estimated to be about two metres.

To say that the amount of work involved is truly enormous.

You have to understand that in those days, there were no excavators or shield tunnelling machines, and the tunnel was dug purely by hand.

Countless human, material and financial resources were required.

What's more, there was no cement or anything. It was all built with stones and wood.

In other words, Yuan Wenhui might not have had the energy to do this.

It's strange, who on earth dug this tunnel?

Moving on.

No one's here.

All the way to the sewer.

Luckily, it's not raining.

But there must be dirty water and stuff. And rats.

Disgusting.

Filthy.

Luckily, they're all men. Not afraid at all.

Quickly through.

Finally, gradually approaching the Yuan Mansion.

Just then, the map shows that there are a dozen small white spots approaching on the other side of the tunnel.

Zhang Yong immediately gave a sign.

Without having to guess, it was definitely from inside the Yuan Mansion.

It seems that Yuan Wenyao is not as determined as he seems. He wants to run away. I thought this guy was going to die defending the Yuan Mansion!

It looks like they are going to run to the Furong Palace?

No...

The middle of the tunnel has an exit.

It comes out from inside the Yuan Mansion. If you follow the tunnel, you can run away from the nearest exit.

It's a perfect escape!

Luckily, he bumped into him.

Otherwise, if he rushed into the Yuan mansion and found that everyone inside had fled...

No.

They couldn't have fled. The system map is monitored.

He only needs to get close to the Yuan mansion and include it within 350 metres to be able to monitor the movements of the people inside.

If the people inside the Yuan mansion flee, he will be able to go in and take over.

This is his grandson's home.

I guess there should be some valuable things.

He can take the movable assets with him. He definitely can't take the rest.

Unexpectedly, they encountered each other in the dark tunnel first.

Good. A blow to the head for the other party.

However, the tunnel was narrow, so there was no way to ambush. They could only face each other.

The other party must also have a gun. So forget about capturing them alive. They would be exchanging fire as soon as they met. The main point was to be fast, accurate and ruthless.

The enemy must be crushed with the fiercest firepower.

Zhang Yong himself had long ago obediently hidden behind the crowd.

Sure enough...

The enemy appeared.

He staggered over holding a torch.

'Da-da-da...'

'Da-da-da...'

Cao Mengqi and the others opened fire quickly.

Unfortunately, the space was cramped, and only three Thompson submachine guns could unleash their firepower.

But that was enough.

After a hail of bullets, the enemy in front of them immediately fell.

'Da da da...'

'Da da da...'

The firing continued.

When the bullets ran out, they immediately switched to the next gun.

Not the drum magazine. That would be too wasteful. They switched directly to the next gun.

They threw the empty gun to the person behind them. The person behind them handed Cao Mengqi and the others a Thompson submachine gun with a loaded drum magazine.

They maintained suppressive fire at all times.

The dense rain of bullets killed everyone behind them.

The narrow tunnel gave the Thompson its best chance to shine. The enemy had no way to hide.

Finally...

the last enemy fell.

The gunfire finally stopped completely.

Zhang Yong let out a sigh of relief. He looked ahead. He found Cao Mengqi still alive.

This guy is really brave!

Whenever something that doesn't require thinking is arranged for Cao Mengqi to do, this guy can soar to the skies. Often, blue weapons can deal damage that would be expected from golden weapons.

Zhang Yong came up from behind and found all kinds of gold and silver treasures scattered on the floor of the tunnel.

They had originally been packed in boxes. But many of the boxes had been smashed. They had fallen to the ground. They were all scattered. They were among the bodies lying in every direction.

Alas...

It really was time to flee!

He wanted to take the Yuan family's wealth and run! But he had been caught.

Well. He was lucky.

Unfortunately, sorting through all this wealth could take a lot of time.

'Third Boss!'

Zhang Yong was about to call up two Japanese spies to come up.

Such a good tool must be put to good use.

Even if it has only the slightest value, it must be extorted in its entirety.

'Me?'

Tong Tiangong came up.

Zhang Yong nodded.

'Help us identify Yuan Wenyao.'

'He...'

Tong Tiangong glanced around.

He shook his head.

He didn't see Yuan Wenyao.

Ba Laohu also came up. He looked carefully. Indeed, there was no one.

Zhang Yong frowned.

Yuan Wenyao was not there?

He sent someone to deliver something and he was still at the Yuan mansion?

Then it's fine.

Continue the raid.

For the remaining few hundred metres, they didn't know if the Yuan mansion had heard the gunshots.

Logically, it was all gunshots, there was no explosion. And it was underground again, so they shouldn't have heard it. Therefore, they could still burrow their way out of the tunnel and set off a massive explosion in the centre of the Yuan mansion.

But...

Suddenly, Zhang Yong thought of something very frightening. If someone blows up ahead...

They will all be buried alive in the tunnel.

Oh...

He was suddenly overcome with fear.

Hurry up and go!

Hurry up and go!

Don't care about the wealth on the ground.

Don't be buried alive down there in a moment. What's the use of having all that gold and silver jewellery?

He could sense something was wrong before.

It turns out that when raiding someone, you are also in great danger.

Run!

Run for your life!

Zhang Yong kept running, saying, 'Don't get into trouble, don't get into trouble...'

He secretly vowed, 'I don't want any of Yuan Wenhui's money or goods. I also want to ensure that I stay safe and sound. I don't want to be buried alive in the tunnel...'

Finally, he drew near the Yuan mansion.

He let out a huge sigh of relief.

He felt like a weight had been lifted.

He wasn't buried alive. He was still alive.

He felt a little remorseful. If he had known, he wouldn't have sworn. It hurts so much.

Yuan Wenhui has so many riches, how can he not want any of them?

But...

After all, they did take an oath.

What if it comes true?

They're just being paranoid...

They're just being indecisive...

Fortunately, no one here seems to have noticed anything unusual.

So, they successfully darted out of the tunnel.

Just as well, they saw a man in a long silk robe. He was lying on a wicker chair nearby, leisurely picking his teeth...

Bata immediately shouted, 'Yuan Wenyao!'