pdf-ebookys Chapter 38 Restaurant Turmoil
Chapter 38 Restaurant Turmoil
In the Blues Western Restaurant, crystal chandeliers cast a warm yellow glow, and soothing violin music flows through the air.
The guests were all well-dressed and sat around the dining table, talking in hushed tones.
In the corner by the window, a young man in a light gray suit and gold-rimmed glasses was slowly and methodically cutting a steak. He looked like a businessman who had just returned from overseas; it was Yan Shuo in disguise.
To gather information, he specially changed into a human skin mask, altering his originally rugged features. He even deliberately softened his voice, using the alias "Shen Wen," and entered the Western restaurant frequented by members of the Japanese puppet regime, the Military Intelligence Bureau, and the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, posing as a businessman.
His gaze seemed to casually sweep across the restaurant, but in reality, he took in the expressions of every guest at each table.
At a table to the left, three men dressed in silk jackets were talking in hushed tones, but a few words still drifted into Yan Shuo's ears.
"...Speaking of the most talked-about person in Shanghai lately, it's that Military Intelligence Bureau agent named Yan Shuo." The speaker was a middle-aged man with a mustache, a cigar between his fingers, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily. "I heard that last month, in the early morning, they launched a surprise attack on Nishimura's unit, directly taking down the Japanese agents' headquarters and even killing Colonel Matsui Ichiro. Very impressive!"
Another man wearing a melon-shaped hat chimed in, "Not just impressive! For this one battle, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, received a commendation throughout the army, and was awarded 30,000 silver dollars! He's climbed to this position at such a young age; his future is limitless."
"Future? I think it's the root of all trouble!" The third man, with a gloomy face, sneered. "Haven't you heard? Mr. Chen Lifu was reprimanded by the Chairman and ordered to resign and be confined to his home because of that telegram. Who are the Chen family? Can they swallow this insult? I heard from my friends in the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics that the Chen brothers are secretly plotting to teach Yan Shuo a lesson."
Yan Shuo paused slightly in his knife and fork, his eyes sharpening instantly before returning to normal. He continued cutting the steak, his ears perking up even more.
"The Chen family wants to take action against him? But Yan Shuo is now a meritorious official personally commended by the Chairman. It might not be appropriate to take action against him openly, would it?" the man with the mustache asked doubtfully.
"If it's not going to happen openly, won't it be better to do it covertly?" The gloomy man lowered his voice. "I heard that the Chen family plans to use someone else to do their dirty work. They've arranged for the people in the Shanghai district of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics to leak the whereabouts of Yan Shuo and his group to Japanese agents, so that the agents can deal with him. In addition, they're also planning to spread rumors that his surprise attack on Nishimura Ban was to seize his wealth, ruin his reputation, make him lose public support, and then get questioned by the Chairman."
The man in the melon-shaped hat gasped, "That's ruthless! Attacked from both sides, even if Yan Shuo has extraordinary abilities, he probably won't be able to withstand it. By the way, I heard that Yan Shuo's family has already moved to the United States?"
"So what if they've moved?" The gloomy man curled his lip. "The Chen family has already sent people to track down his family members' whereabouts, and they even plan to contact anti-China forces and Chinese gangs in the United States to label them as 'relatives of Japanese spies,' ensuring they never have a peaceful day in America. As long as his family is being controlled, Yan Shuo will lose his composure sooner or later."
The conversation at the next table continued, but Yan Shuo's heart was already in turmoil.
He never expected that the Chen family's revenge would be so vicious, targeting not only him but also his family members overseas.
What alarmed him even more was that the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) was actually colluding with Japanese agents, which would undoubtedly put him and his group in a fatal crisis.
Just then, the sound of conversation coming from the table diagonally opposite could be heard.
Two men in military uniforms were sitting at the table. Although they were dressed in civilian clothes, their every move exuded the toughness of soldiers. Judging from their demeanor, they seemed to be from the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.
"Your Military Intelligence Bureau has really had a good time this time, with Yan Shuo stealing the spotlight." The man speaking had a clear sarcasm in his tone; he was a minor leader in the Shanghai district of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. "However, behind this glory, there are probably quite a few hidden dangers, aren't there?"
The Kuomintang agent opposite him frowned: "Our Kuomintang affairs are none of your Central Bureau of Investigation's business. Yan Shuo earned his merits through his own abilities, unlike some people who only try to trip us up behind our backs."
"Stabbing us in the back?" A junior officer from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) sneered. "We're all serving the Party and the country, so why should your Military Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (JBI) get all the credit? Over the years, how many resources have you taken from us and how many of our brothers have you suppressed? Now that Yan Shuo has ruined Mr. Chen's affairs, he has ruined the affairs of our CBIS. We'll settle this score sooner or later."
"Calculate it all? I'd like to see how you calculate it!" The Kuomintang agent slammed his hand on the table, drawing several glances from those around him. He quickly lowered his voice, "Yan Shuo is currently a person of great concern to the Chairman. If you dare to touch him, be careful not to get burned!"
"Touch him? We don't have the guts," a low-ranking officer from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) said with a sinister smile. "However, if the Japanese agents do touch him, then it's none of our business. I heard that the Japanese agents have already tracked down several groups under Yan Shuo and will be making their move soon. At that time, we just need to watch from the sidelines."
The Kuomintang agent's expression changed drastically: "You actually colluded with Japanese agents? You're traitors!"
"You can't just say things like that." The junior officer of the Central Bureau of Investigation waved his hand. "We just 'accidentally' leaked some information. As for how the Japanese agents use it, that's their business. Alright, enough said. I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now." With that, he got up and left the restaurant.
The Kuomintang agents were trembling with anger, but there was nothing they could do.
Yan Shuo witnessed all of this, and his heart grew even heavier.
The conflict between the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) and the Military Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (MBIS) had long been public, but no one expected that the CBIS would go so far as to collude with Japanese agents and sacrifice him and his team in order to retaliate.
He put down his knife and fork, picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, waved to the waiter, paid the bill, and slowly walked out of the Western restaurant.
Reaching a deserted street corner, he quickly removed his gold-rimmed glasses, his eyes instantly turning cold and sharp.
"The Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, the Chen family, Japanese spies..." Yan Shuo murmured, his fists clenched tightly. "Trying to put me in a pincer movement, trying to harm my family? Not so easy!"
He immediately turned and walked into a quiet alley, picked up his encrypted phone, and dialed Li Zhiyao's number: "Zhiyao, it's me. Immediately notify all teams to activate the highest alert level, conduct a comprehensive investigation of suspicious persons around them, change all routes, and suspend all non-essential contact."
Li Zhiyao on the other end of the phone paused for a moment, then replied in a deep voice, "Understood, Captain! Has something happened?"
"Yes, the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) is colluding with Japanese agents to target us." Yan Shuo's tone was icy. "The Chen family also plans to contact American forces to deal with my family members who are far away in the United States. Contact Victor immediately and tell him to increase security and ensure the safety of my family. Also, have the Black Blade Group secretly investigate the CBIS's activities in Shanghai and collect evidence of their collusion with Japanese agents."