Chapter Sixty-One: No Tears Left to Cry

Hearing Kawakami Kenta's words, Shimazu Hiroshi was taken aback. Kawakami Kenta was a seasoned veteran, full of experience. If he said there was danger around Swallow, there certainly was a problem.

“With your experience, Kawakami, do you have any judgment?” Shimazu asked.

There could be no negligence in intelligence work; even a small slip led to bloody consequences. He had to get a clear answer.

“I can’t say for sure—it’s just a hunch. But in our line of work, intuition is often crucial! However, unless there is irrefutable evidence that Swallow has already betrayed us, we absolutely cannot abandon him. The Section Chief has personally emphasized the importance of this agent! Remember, you’re the only one in Nanjing who knows his true identity. No matter the situation or environment, you must never reveal it. Understood, Shimazu?” Kawakami said sternly, his eyes boring into Shimazu, his tone growing ever more severe.

He knew that Shimazu had always distrusted Chinese agents who had been turned or bribed, even harbored a trace of hostility toward them. He was concerned Shimazu might disregard the bigger picture and deliberately abandon Swallow because of the suspicion surrounding him, so he made his point clear.

Under Kawakami’s piercing gaze, Shimazu dared not object. He stood and bowed respectfully. “Yes, I understand.”

Only then did Kawakami nod in satisfaction, motioning for Shimazu to sit down. He continued in a gentler voice, “Coming to Nanjing this time, I feel our previous view of our Chinese counterparts as inexperienced, incompetent novices is outdated. We always thought our Empire’s intelligence work surpassed theirs by decades. Now, we must abandon that sense of superiority. They are progressing rapidly—so fast it’s hard for us to adjust! When I return, I will definitely suggest to the Section Chief that we must be more cautious with intelligence work in Nanjing. Security must be given even more consideration in our operational plans! Otherwise, we will regret it deeply.”

After Kawakami finished, Shimazu’s expression was solemn, showing agreement. But inwardly, he remained unconvinced. Having worked in espionage in China for many years, he believed, based on his experience, that Chinese intelligence methods were crude, lacking rigor. After all, Japan had been able to extract a considerable amount of valuable intelligence over the years—that was a fact.

People always trust their own experience most. Years of smooth sailing had made him look down on his Chinese counterparts from the bottom of his heart. Nevertheless, he wasn’t foolish enough to contradict Kawakami to his face, especially since he’d soon be leaving Nanjing.

In fact, he felt a trace of disdain for his senior’s anxiety and timidity.

“So, Kawakami, now that your mission is complete, are you preparing to leave?” Shimazu asked.

Kawakami’s specific task was to verify and reactivate the Shadow Unit. Now that Puppet had been captured, Swallow still needed to remain undercover, and the other three members had been successfully reactivated. The rest would be handled by Shimazu, the new team leader.

“Yes. There’s a train to Shanghai at two this afternoon. I’ll be leaving Nanjing today. Send a telegram to headquarters today to officially restart the Shadow Unit. From now on, report in every seven days to confirm your radio and your safety,” Kawakami instructed.

“Seven days—isn’t that a bit too frequent? If our radio signals are intercepted too often, won’t the Chinese telecommunications surveillance detect us?” Shimazu asked doubtfully. The Japanese standard was once every twelve days.

“Don’t take it lightly. This time, it was precisely because Yagita’s contact intervals were too long that, by the time we noticed something was wrong, it was already too late. Now, to strengthen communications, it’s worth taking a little risk,” Kawakami replied.

After the incident with Yukida Koju, the Tokko headquarters had been slow to respond. The Section Chief was furious and specifically ordered the contact intervals shortened.

“I understand. I’ll send the confirmation today,” Shimazu agreed, not insisting further. After all, even with more frequent contact, the chance of being intercepted was still very low.

“Then I’ll leave matters here in your hands, Shimazu,” Kawakami said, inclining his head in a slight bow.

With the details settled, the two parted ways. Kawakami left first, scanning the surroundings as he went. The restaurant was busy with customers, and seeing nothing suspicious, he walked straight out.

Ning Zhiheng nudged Sun Jiacheng with his elbow, and the two of them rose unhurriedly and left the restaurant.

This time, Ning had decided to take action against Cui Hai. He could not afford to wait any longer. As for the newly emerged target, the most experienced Shao Wenguang would be on his tail—no need to worry about losing him.

After leaving the restaurant, Kawakami hailed a rickshaw back to Yunlai Hotel, went upstairs to retrieve his suitcase, and approached the front desk to check out.

Miyake An, who had been stationed at the hotel, saw Kawakami with suitcase in hand and preparing to check out. It was clear the man was about to leave, and he grew anxious.

Still, he kept his composure, knowing Kawakami was likely being tailed by his own people, and refrained from acting rashly.

Taking advantage of Kawakami’s check-out process, Miyake quickly left the hotel and spotted Ning Zhiheng and Sun Jiacheng at a nearby corner.

He hurried over and said breathlessly, “Chief Ning, he’s just picked up his suitcase and is checking out—he’s about to make a run for it!”

“What? Checking out and leaving? He must have finished his business. We can’t delay any longer—if we don’t act now, we’ll be too late!” Ning was alarmed. Considering the sudden change in surveillance today—abandoning the watch on Lin Mucheng to meet with someone else—it was clear Cui Hai was making a move. Now it seemed he intended to leave.

This was a big catch! After all the effort, it was finally time to close the net; any further delay and the fish would slip away.

Hearing Ning’s words, Sun Jiacheng’s spirits lifted. At last, his moment had come. These past few days, Ning had not assigned him to any tracking missions; he’d simply followed Ning around without being of any real use. Now, it was his time to shine.

Ning was decisive. He had no intention of calling for backup, confident in his own agility and Sun’s skills. The two of them, acting with surprise, had every chance of subduing Cui Hai.

Kawakami settled his bill and, carrying his suitcase, headed for the hotel door. The moment he crossed the threshold, a sudden gust of force struck him, and a heavy blow landed on his head. The world spun around him, as if a giant hammer had crashed down.

His head rang violently, leaving him dazed and unable to react. Fortunately, years of martial arts training and his exceptional judo skills gave him a tenacity few possessed.

He staggered backward, swinging his suitcase by reflex toward his assailant, then sidestepped, body leaning forward.

His left arm blocked another incoming punch—so heavy it felt like an iron mallet, leaving his arm numb with pain. Damn it! Attacked from both sides, with his head splitting and reeling, he didn’t hesitate. He dropped his body, driving his knee fiercely into his opponent’s abdomen—a classic judo move.

Closing in, he wrapped his arms around the man’s neck and shoulders, clinging on like a shadow, ferocious and relentless.

Ning Zhiheng hadn’t expected Kawakami to be such a formidable opponent. Even caught off guard, he was able to fend off Sun’s supporting blow and counterattack with astonishing speed.

Ning shifted his weight and drove his knee into the side of Kawakami’s knee, then followed with a lightning-fast punch to the man’s neck. The heavy blow snapped Kawakami’s head back, nearly rendering him unconscious.

But Kawakami, like a madman, twisted both hands around Ning’s neck. Ning felt an excruciating pain in his cervical vertebrae and his body went limp.

Just then, Sun’s second punch landed squarely on Kawakami’s lower back. He could no longer hold on and released Ning’s throat.

Ning took the opportunity to attack with both arms: an elbow from the right, a punch from the left, both slamming into Kawakami’s chest.

After this, Kawakami finally collapsed. Having endured the combined force of two expert fighters, every bone in his body felt shattered. He simply could not hold himself up any longer and fell in defeat.

The entire exchange was over in an instant—three men, movements like flashes of lightning. Ning Zhiheng and Sun Jiacheng had subdued Kawakami.

Ning felt a touch of relief. Between the two of them, they had only just managed to take down Cui Hai. He had to admit, Japanese agents were indeed formidable. Of the three Japanese spies he’d personally apprehended, all had proven their mettle.

Yagita Koju had been agile and difficult to intercept—even several action team members had nearly let him slip. It was only when Ning shot him that the arrest was made.

Huang Xiansheng, or Ryohei Tetsuya, was even more capable, escaping multiple ambushes and wounding Ning himself. If not for the miraculous healing of the Bodhi leaf, he might have escaped entirely.

But today, this Cui Hai’s skills surpassed even Ryohei’s. Even ambushed by Ning and Sun, he had nearly injured them.

It was clear these Japanese spies were individually skilled fighters. Previously, he’d overestimated himself.

Ning pulled out a pair of handcuffs and pinned Kawakami’s right hand to the ground with his foot, reaching to wrench his left arm behind him.

Suddenly, that chilling sensation swept over him once more—a warning he’d come to trust. His eyes caught a glint: a metal ring on Kawakami’s left pinky finger.

A grenade!

Without a second’s hesitation, Ning abandoned the handcuffs, lunging sideways at Sun Jiacheng, knocking his unsuspecting comrade to the ground, and then diving into the hotel lobby.

Behind him, an explosion thundered. Shards of debris tore through the air, a powerful shockwave crashing over them. Ning’s chest convulsed, blood spurting from his mouth. Every bone in his body felt fractured; he was wracked with pain and weakness.

Moments later, Sun was the first to recover. The violent blast made him understand why Ning had tackled him—his commander had risked his life to save him.

He seized Ning, shaking him frantically and shouting, “Captain! Captain, are you alright?”

Before his tears could fall, Ning opened his eyes and glared at him, growling, “Stop shaking me, dammit—if you keep it up, I really won’t make it!”

Under Sun’s astonished, delighted gaze, Ning struggled to his feet, staggered over to the blood-soaked, lifeless Kawakami, and collapsed beside him, pressing a hand to the man’s forehead.

Ning’s consciousness quickly entered his spiritual space. All was as usual—the sacred chanting echoed softly, the leaves of the Bodhi tree swaying without wind.

No response at all. With Kawakami dead, there was not a single memory orb to be found.

He quickly withdrew from the spiritual space, unwilling to give up, and pressed his hand to Kawakami’s chest. Still nothing.

It was over. All their efforts had been for nothing. Ning slumped to the floor, heartsick and desolate, on the verge of tears.