Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

Chapter 1181 You dispersed your forces without authorization; what if you get exposed?

The driver was a mute man in his forties, his face etched with the marks of time, his left hand missing a little finger, and his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing his muscular build.

Seeing the two of them come out, he grinned, revealing two yellowed teeth, and gestured a couple of times, as if to tell them to get in the car quickly, that he had already checked the surroundings and it was safe.

Chen Gongshu and Zhao Guangyuan bent down and sat on the cart. The stack of picture frames was just high enough to cover most of their bodies. The mute driver pulled the cart shaft and walked steadily forward. The cart wheels rolled over the frozen ground, making a dull "gurgling" sound that blended into the cold wind without sounding abrupt.

The cart meandered through the crisscrossing alleys, avoiding several main streets patrolled by Japanese military police.

Chen Gongshu leaned against the picture frame, observing the scenery along the way without making a sound.

Several refugees were huddled at the base of the wall, begging and shivering in their tattered clothes.

The opium den on the street corner was still open, with two emaciated men standing at the door.

Occasionally, a fake policeman would walk by, tapping his baton against his palm and scanning passersby with a sinister look.

The ancient capital of Beiping, with its thousand-year history, seemed to have lost its soul at this moment, leaving only a depressing silence. Only the Japanese flags of the Japanese strongholds fluttered conspicuously in the cold wind.

About half an hour later, the cart stopped at the back gate of an inconspicuous courtyard.

The gate is made of old elm wood, and the copper rings on the gate are long rusted. A few withered grasses are stuck on the top of the wall, blending into the surrounding houses.

Zhao Guangyuan jumped out of the car first, paused when his toes touched the ground, and scanned both ends of the alley with his eyes like a hawk. After confirming that no one was following him, he raised his hand and knocked on the door three long and two short times in a steady and unhurried manner.

The courtyard gate creaked open a crack, and a wary gaze peeked out from the gap. The gaze remained defensive as it fell on Zhao Guangyuan, until it saw the cart and Chen Gongshu behind him. Only then did it slowly pull back the bolt and let the two of them in.

The person who opened the door was a young man in his early twenties. After entering, he immediately pressed himself against the door and closed it again, his fingers still resting on his waist, continuing to be vigilant for any movement outside.

The courtyard was small, with bluestone slabs paving the middle, several bundles of firewood piled in the corner, and dim light shining through the paper windows of the main house.

The courtyard was so quiet that you could hear the howling of the cold wind whistling through the eaves. But as soon as Chen Gongshu stepped into the courtyard, a familiar tension rose on the back of his neck. It was the instinctive intuition of a professional agent against danger. At least four pairs of eyes were hidden in the shadows, watching his every move closely. Their gazes were scrutinizing, wary, and sharp as a soldier's.

He didn't look up or glance around; he simply stood steadily in the center of the bluestone slab, his hands hanging naturally at his sides. His aura was neither humble nor arrogant, calmly welcoming the hidden gazes.

"Station Chief Chen, I've heard so much about you." A deep male voice came from the main entrance, and then a man in his thirties came out.

He wasn't very tall, only a little over 1.7 meters, but he had broad shoulders and a thick back, and his body was very sturdy. He walked very lightly, and his footsteps were almost silent when he landed, which clearly showed that he was someone who had practiced hard kung fu.

He was wearing a gray coarse cotton-padded jacket, with the collar buttoned up tightly, but the cuffs rolled up to his forearms, revealing his strong muscles. A three-inch-long scar on his forearm stretched from his wrist bone to his elbow, like a knife cut, which was particularly conspicuous against his pale skin.

Chen Gongshu looked up and his gaze lingered on the man's face for a moment—thick eyebrows, large eyes, a high nose bridge, a taut jawline, and sharp, piercing eyes, carrying the composure of someone who had been through many battles.

"Qi Anzhi?"

He asked the question, his voice not loud, but with an undeniable certainty.

“It’s me.” Qi Anzhi stepped forward and saluted Chen Gongshu with a respectful but not obsequious attitude: “The former captain of the Special Service Company of the Nanjing Training Corps, these are all brothers I brought from Nanjing, each one a good fighter in tough battles.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the main room was pushed open again, and five burly men walked out one after another. They were all different in build, but they all exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.

Leading the way was a tall man, a head taller than Qi Anzhi. A scar ran from his left eyebrow to his chin, making him look particularly ferocious. He crossed his arms and stared coldly at Chen Gongshu with a hint of defiant arrogance.

Following closely behind was a young man wearing glasses, the lenses of which were somewhat blurry. He was dressed in a worn-out long gown and looked like a frail scholar, but the firmness and composure in his eyes were not those of an ordinary student. His knuckles had thick calluses that were inconsistent with his scholarly status.

Further behind was a short, stocky man, less than 1.6 meters tall, but as strong as an iron tower. His shoulders were a size wider than average, and his hands hung at his sides with thick knuckles and bulging veins. Just standing there, he exuded a sense of oppression.

The last two were twins, looking exactly alike. They were both wearing gray shorts, with neat hairstyles, and even their eyes were identical. When they stood together, their movements were synchronized, like a reflection in a mirror, exuding a tacit understanding.

Chen Gongshu's gaze slowly swept over the five people, memorizing each person's characteristics. Then, he frowned slightly and looked at Qi Anzhi: "Where are the others? Manager Zhao said you brought sixteen brothers with you."

Qi Anzhi gestured towards the courtyard gate with his lip, his voice low: "I've divided the people into three groups. Besides the ones in the courtyard, there are two observation posts outside, one at the general store at the alley entrance and the other on the roof opposite. They form a triangle with this place, allowing them to monitor each other and provide cover for each other when necessary."

"How could you make such a decision on your own!" Zhao Guangyuan immediately became anxious upon hearing this, stepped forward and said to Qi Anzhi with a hint of reproach in his tone: "I clearly told you that everything should be decided after Station Chief Chen arrives. What if you expose yourself by dispersing the manpower on your own?"

This is Beiping, not a battlefield. There are Japanese and traitorous informants everywhere!

Qi Anzhi turned around, his face showing no remorse, and explained frankly, "Manager Zhao, I had no choice."

During the Battle of Nanjing, one of our entire company of brothers was wiped out by the Japanese army because we were all gathered at one stronghold. In the end, very few of us survived.

I can't take that risk again. A dozen people together make us too conspicuous. Once we're targeted, we won't have any room to maneuver.

By dispersing the forces, even if one location is discovered, the other two can be evacuated in time, preventing total annihilation.

Zhao Guangyuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but Chen Gongshu raised his hand to interrupt him.

Chen Gongshu took two steps forward and slowly said, "Old Zhao, Company Commander Qi is right."

In enemy-occupied territory, the worst thing to do is to concentrate personnel; once exposed, it will be annihilation. A triangular deployment not only expands the surveillance range but also provides room for retreat; this arrangement is very prudent.

As he spoke, he turned around, walked towards Qi Anzhi and the others, and extended his hand to shake hands with them.

When your fingertips touch the other person's palm, you can clearly feel the thick calluses on their palm. These are not calluses from farm work, but from holding guns and practicing with knives for a long time. They are hard, rough, and have the smell of blood and gunpowder.

When Chen Gongshu shook hands with the tall, scarred man, the man deliberately increased his grip. Chen Gongshu calmly returned the grip, his strength steady, his eyes fixed on the man without flinching. The arrogance in the scarred man's eyes gradually faded, and he nodded slightly.