pdf-ebookys Chapter 89 Mass Arrests and Screening
Chapter 89 Mass Arrests and Screening
"Going in won't do any good. We can't just open fire on civilians," Yan Shuo muttered to himself, a hint of struggle flashing in his eyes.
He is not a cold-blooded person; he would never have peace of mind if his actions accidentally harmed innocent people.
The most important thing right now is to figure out where the Japanese army will take these people.
He looked around. This area was close to the dock and had many warehouses and abandoned factories, which were places that the Japanese army might have used to imprison people.
Given the Japanese army's modus operandi, if they couldn't identify Shen Qing within two days, these innocent people would likely be all silenced.
"A bunch of beasts," Yan Shuo cursed under his breath, then started the car and drove slowly along the roadside to survey the surrounding route.
He marked several of the most likely routes on the map in his mind, and then took out several weapon dolls.
These dolls were disguised in different ways: some were cigarette vendors, some were shoe shiners, and some were passersby drinking tea at a tea stall.
He placed the dolls at different intersections and whispered, "Pay close attention. If you spot a large number of Japanese vehicles passing by, report to me immediately. Remember, you must hide yourself well and not expose yourself."
"Received!" came the weapon doll's voice through the miniature communicator.
After everything was arranged, it was completely dark.
Night fell like a black cloth, enveloping the entire city.
The checkpoint remained in place, and the figures of Japanese soldiers swayed under the lights, appearing particularly menacing.
Yan Shuo found a mid-range restaurant and went inside.
There weren't many customers in the restaurant, mostly businessmen who spoke in hushed tones.
He found a seat by the window, which was half-open, and could clearly see the street outside.
"Boss, one order of braised pork and one bowl of rice, please." Yan Shuo waved to the waiter.
The waiter, a young man in his twenties, hurried over with a cautious smile: "Alright, sir, please wait a moment. Things haven't been peaceful lately, so you'd better finish your meal and go home as soon as possible. It's not safe outside at night."
"What's wrong?" Yan Shuo asked casually.
"Haven't you heard? Martial law has been imposed at Pier 11, and a lot of people have been arrested." The waiter lowered his voice and glanced uneasily out the window.
Yan Shuo nodded and told him to leave. A short while later, Yan Shuo had almost finished eating when he heard the weapon-wielding doll's report: "Report! A large number of Japanese vehicles have appeared at the Red Road intersection. There are about five trucks, carrying over fifty people, all dressed smartly, and they look like merchants. They're heading towards Massen Road. Should we follow them?"
"Follow them! Make sure you're well hidden and don't get spotted," Yan Shuo immediately replied, taking out his money and placing it on the table before telling the waiter, "Check, please!"
"Okay." The waiter quickly came over to settle the bill, not forgetting to remind him, "Sir, please take care on your journey."
Yan Shuo strode out of the restaurant, opened the car door, jumped in, and the engine started instantly. The car followed silently like a black shadow.
The area around Massen Road was mostly Japanese-owned property, with many warehouses and freight stations, as it was close to the docks and convenient for transportation.
Along the way, he saw several small cargo docks, with a few small fishing boats and cargo ships moored on the shore. Several fishermen were squatting on the shore, tidying up their fishing nets and talking in hushed tones.
"Why is it so strict today? They won't even let the fishing boats dock," a fisherman complained.
"I heard they're catching spies. Sigh, when will this ever end?" another fisherman sighed.
Yan Shuo did not stop, his eyes fixed on the Japanese convoy ahead.
The convoy eventually stopped in front of a large warehouse, whose doors were open and dim light shone from inside.
Several Japanese soldiers stood at the door with their guns at the ready, shouting and pushing the people out of the truck one by one.
"All of you, behave yourselves! Go inside!" A Japanese soldier kicked a middle-aged man, who staggered and almost fell, dropping a small package from his arms to the ground.
"Sir, my things!" The man hurriedly tried to pick them up, but another soldier hit him on the back with the butt of his rifle, making him wince in pain.
"What is this? Search it!" The Japanese agent next to him immediately stepped forward, picked up the package and opened it. Inside were clothes and a small amount of money.
Ri Te chuckled dismissively, threw the package on the ground, and stomped on it: "You poor wretch, I thought there was something good in it."
Several Japanese special agents were already waiting in the warehouse.
A Japanese officer in uniform stood in the middle and shouted to his men, "Search through the night! We must find these Kuomintang spies! If we don't have results by tomorrow morning, eliminate them all!"
"Yes, sir!" the men responded in unison, their voices laced with cruel laughter.
The people in the truck erupted in uproar upon hearing this.
"Sir, we are innocent! We are not spies!" an old woman cried out.
"Yes, we're just here in Shanghai to do business. How could we be spies?" A middle-aged businessman, sweating profusely, kept explaining.
"Shut up!" the Japanese officer roared, firing a shot into the ceiling. "One more word and I'll shoot you all!"
As soon as the gunshot rang out, the warehouse fell silent instantly, with only suppressed sobs and trembling breaths remaining.
Yan Shuo parked his car in the shadows some distance away, watching the scene through the car window, his fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white.
He knew that among these fifty-odd people, there might be corrupt officials and traitors, but at least 90% were innocent civilians.
If I don't take care of them, these people might not live to see tomorrow.
"We must find a way to save them," Yan Shuo muttered to himself, but then frowned. "But how? The Japanese army must have recorded their information. Even if we rescue them, the Japanese army will track them down, and they will be captured again, which may even implicate more people."
He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and quickly thought of a solution.
The shouts of the Japanese soldiers and the cries of the people coming from the warehouse kept coming to his ears, like needles piercing his heart.
"Boss Dai is really something. He insisted on having someone bring the secret order over. It would have been so much better to just send a coded telegram directly. Now he's put so many innocent people in danger."
Yan Shuo couldn't help but mutter a complaint to himself, but then forced himself to calm down. "Now is not the time to complain. We need to quickly come up with a foolproof plan that can save people, ensure their safety, and also get the secret order in time."
He opened his eyes again, his gaze hardening. He reopened the bird's-eye view map and began to carefully survey the environment around the warehouse, searching for a breakthrough.
Yan Shuo looked at the empty warehouse door. The door was not closed, and there were two Japanese agents at the door, dressed in plain clothes. They should be ordinary agents from the 76th Division.
The wall surrounding the warehouse was about the same height as the surrounding area's walls, less than 3 meters. Yan Shuo decided to go in first to scout out and see which one was the person he was looking for.
Once we find the person, we'll figure out how to rescue them.
Suddenly, Yan Shuo saw a group of people driving up. It was Miyamoto Ichiro, the head of the Special Higher Police's Action Section. Four people got out of the car, all of whom Yan Shuo recognized: Miyamoto's deputy, Captain Kuroda Tsuyoshi, Sergeant Tajima Keiko, and Major Kobayashi Kaoru, the head of the Communications Section. There was another car behind them, from which four Japanese soldiers got out: a corporal and three privates.