Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

Chapter 63 Intelligence: The Only One!

Feng Manna reported to Aoki Takeshige that very evening.

On the other end of the phone, Aoki Takeshige's roar made the receiver buzz, and he unleashed a torrent of abuse that made her palms and ears burn.

Instead of achieving anything, he received a severe scolding—his fervent hopes instantly froze into ice.

Three days later, at the Shanghai Film Studio.

An old-fashioned camera is slowly turning, the film sniffing softly.

Li Xiaonan played a minor supporting role with three continuity errors and seven lines of dialogue; her role was as light as a feather.

After wrapping up a night shoot, she took off her wig, smiled, and bowed to the crew, saying, "Thank you all for your hard work! I'm going to take a break—just let me know if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask!"

"Alright!"

"This woman is so generous!"

"That crying scene just now was absolutely amazing!"

To outsiders, Li Xiaonan is the kind of bright and dazzling girl whose smile is like the early spring sunshine—she always smiles heartily at everyone, speaks frankly and straightforwardly, as if she never hides anything, and even walks with a carefree attitude. But this girl, who is often mistaken for a "naive and innocent" girl, is actually a meticulous and insightful individual with impeccable judgment. She is a true elite agent and Zhou Xiao's superior, codenamed "Doctor."

The disguise was flawless, and the acting was superb.

As soon as Li Xiaonan sat down, the director quickly approached her, his smile perfectly timed and his tone incredibly gentle: "Xiaonan, I've been thinking of adding a few more key scenes for you, what do you think?"

"Adding scenes?" Li Xiaonan raised an eyebrow, a little confused. "Director, wasn't my storyline already finished filming? Why are you adding more scenes?"

"That's how it is—" the director's tone shifted, gentle yet authoritative, "The whole film would be bland without your scenes." He paused, then added, "Of course, if you're really tired, we won't force you."

This director was never like this before—his voice would boom through the recording studio when he scolded people, and he would slam his fist on the table whenever he changed the script. Now, however, he spoke gently and offered concessions, which made Li Xiaonan's back tense slightly, and she subconsciously suppressed her smile.

She simply nodded slightly: "You decide, I'll cooperate."

"That's great!" the director clapped his hands with a laugh.

Once he was out of sight, Li Xiaonan turned to Huang Chunhua, who was eating sunflower seeds beside her, and asked in a low voice, "Chunhua, did the director take the wrong medicine today? Why is he treating me like I'm a goddess?"

Huang Chunhua chuckled, gathering the sunflower seed shells in her palm: "Why are you pretending to be confused? It's already common knowledge in the industry that Director Zhou Xiao is protecting you! What people are afraid of now isn't you, but the person behind you—the powerful figure in the Special Operations Headquarters. With a stomp of his foot, the Shanghai spy network would tremble. He could fabricate a charge against you and you'd be dead eight times over without even catching your breath..."

It's highly likely that Du Mingsheng leaked this information.

But that was exactly what they wanted.

Making the act real is the best way to cover up intelligence exchanges.

"What 'the man behind me'?" Li Xiaonan rolled her eyes in annoyance. "We've met three times, had two meals together, and haven't even held hands!"

Huang Chunhua leaned closer, winking at me: "Oh, you're still hiding it from me? If it weren't interesting, would you have turned down the food he brought? Do you think I don't remember you saying last time that 'he has a really good eye for restaurants'?"

Li Xiaonan's ears burned, and she lowered her head to fiddle with the flower petals: "...There's really nothing else."

Everything was proceeding according to their pre-planned schedule, steadily, accurately, and quietly.

Noon, outside the iron gate of the film studio.

Li Xiaonan and several female colleagues walked out chatting and laughing. Just as they turned the corner of the screen wall, they saw a shiny black sedan parked at the entrance, with a tall figure standing next to it—his suit was pressed so perfectly that there wasn't a single wrinkle, and he was holding a large bouquet of blooming red roses. Even the wind seemed to make way for him.

The man's eyes locked onto her the moment he looked up. He strode forward, handed her the bouquet, and said in a steady voice, "Young man, would you do me the honor of having a simple meal with me?"

It was none other than Zhou Xiao.

To convincingly portray lovers, one must act flawlessly.

Several female colleagues understood immediately, and dispersed with giggles. One of them even deliberately dragged out, "Little Nan, don't forget to come back and tell us the details!"

Li Xiaonan took the flowers, gently stroking the petals with her fingertips, and smiled as she looked up: "The flowers are so beautiful, it would seem petty of me not to accept."

Zhou Xiao bowed slightly, extending his arm with impeccable gentlemanly manners: "Please."

The car slowly drove away.

She lowered her head to smell the fragrance of the flowers, a subtle smile playing on her lips—

Fake or not, he wiped the dew off the bouquet of flowers with his own hands; and that smile was meant for her alone.

This is probably the simplest form of being moved.

"You've been coming in too often lately." She turned her head to the side, glancing at his sharply defined jawline out of the corner of her eye. "Now everyone in the factory is saying that Li Xiaonan has hooked up with a rich man."

Rumors flying around are actually the best cover.

Zhou Xiao chuckled: "Perfect. The more lively it is, the less people will think about the 'upstream and downstream' dynamics."

"That's right." She took a deep breath, the fragrance of the flowers filling her lungs. "These roses smell so good."

After chatting for a while, he suddenly changed the subject: "Has the organization received intelligence that the Japanese are planning a currency war?"

"No," Li Xiaonan shook her head. "My information is completely blank. If I had any news, I would have sent it over already."

Zhou Xiao's gaze darkened: "They plan to use counterfeit money to disrupt our financial lifeline and paralyze the wartime economy." Then, he explained the whole story, the printing sites, and the timeline, one by one.

Upon hearing this, Li Xiaonan's face turned pale. "This is top secret! I'll send the message immediately!" She gripped her handbag tightly. "If they succeed, the money in the hands of ordinary people will become worthless overnight, and the rations that the soldiers on the front lines risk their lives for might not even buy a bowl of coarse rice..."

"A couple of days ago, Feng Manna arrested several Kuomintang agents. They knew where the printing plates were hidden," Zhou Xiao said calmly. "I've taken care of it."

"You...you weren't exposed?" she blurted out.

"No." He shook his head, decisively.

"What's next?" she pressed. "How do we break this deadlock?"

"Eliminate Aoki Takeshige." His voice was as cold as frost. "Only with his death will the Japanese plan stall—only then can we buy ourselves some time."

"Ruthless, but effective." She nodded. "However, you have to come back alive. I won't forgive you if you lose even a single hair."

"Don't worry." A hint of certainty flashed in his eyes.

The time has come. Aoki Takeshige and Zhang Wanlin—neither of them can be spared.

After the luncheon, Zhou Xiao personally escorted her back to the entrance of the film studio.

Night falls at Zhou Mansion.

Besides Zhou Xiao, Lin Yiyi was also in the room.

"Wow—it smells so good!" He had just stepped into the entryway when he was enveloped by the warm, comforting aroma of food filling the house.

A short while later, Lin Yiyi came out of the kitchen wearing an apron, her hair slightly damp, and looked at him with a smile: "Brother Zhou is back? Quickly wash your hands, let's eat."

He sat down, picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs with his chopsticks, tasted it, and couldn't help but nod: "Yiyi, your cooking skills are really good. The saltiness is just right, and it's tender but not greasy."

As Lin Yiyi sat down, her back was ramrod straight, and the corners of her lips were slightly raised, exuding an undeniable arrogance: "Of course—I, Lin Yiyi, am, after all, the eldest daughter of the Lin family of Hangzhou. I can grace a banquet, and I can cook at the kitchen. My Hangzhou cuisine is truly authentic."

The heat was just right, the sauce was a glossy brown, and the aroma, carried by the steam, was irresistible.

If the Lin family hadn't fallen into ruin overnight, this young lady, cherished by the gentry of Jiangnan, should have chosen a respectable marriage, settled down as a wife and mother, and lived a peaceful life.

Having been here for so long, Zhou Xiao had long forgotten the warm, homely flavors of life—gentle, comforting, and full of human warmth.

He picked up a piece of Dongpo pork, chewed it slowly for a couple of bites, then suddenly looked up and asked, "Yiyi, are you ready?"

Lin Yiyi's fingers paused, her eyes suddenly brightening like a drawn blade: "It's been prepared for a long time. I've waited too long for this day."

She wanted to personally rip out Zhang Wanlin's heart.

According to Zhou Xiao's plan, he would first eliminate Zhang Wanlin, then help Lin Yiyi secure her position as the head of Yongxin, so that the ship would be completely under his control.

"Alright." Zhou Xiao nodded. "The plan is set. Now, it's up to you to wield the knife firmly and get things done efficiently."

The time to close the net has come.

The generous gift for Sixth Brother Zheng Yaoxian has also been quietly prepared.

Zhou Xiao's room.

The most spacious room in the entire villa, originally the master bedroom, is now for his exclusive use.

He quietly removed the lining of one wall and embedded a miniature radio in the interlayer—it fit perfectly normally, but could be pulled out and the antenna set up and the channel connected in three minutes when needed.

After returning to his room, he deftly took out the radio, turned on the knob, pulled out the thin antenna, and with his fingers flying, issued a secret order to the Mingtai Action Team: Three days later, Chunxi Road, assassinate Aoki Takeshige.

The radio signal had just disappeared, and he had intended to contact Sixth Brother to inquire about his arrival in Shanghai. However, the Special Operations Headquarters, 76th Division, and the Special Higher Police were all closely monitoring radio signals, forming an impenetrable surveillance network. Each additional transmission increased the risk of exposure—if the radio signal lingered even slightly longer, his identity could be exposed on the spot.

Bright Photo Studio.

Upon receiving the secret telegram, Guo Qiyun immediately summoned Mingtai and Yu Manli: "The King of the Underworld has given the order—three days from now, on Chunxi Road, eliminate Aoki Takeshige."

Mingtai pressed further, "Is there a detailed plan?"

"no."

Yu Manli frowned: "Then we'll have to scout the area ourselves, draw maps, and do the calculations, thoroughly understanding every side street and every checkpoint on Chunxi Road."

Mingtai glanced at his pocket watch and said calmly, "We have enough time. Yu Manli and Guo Qiyun, split up—pretend to be tourists during the day and change clothes at night to check the posts. Keep a close eye on the military police patrol routes, the points where the fake police change shifts, and the several hidden sentries that Aoki always passes through."

"The opponent is the head of the Special Higher Police, and he's definitely surrounded by a whole squad of military police. A head-on confrontation would be a sure defeat. Only overwhelming intelligence can deliver a fatal blow."

"Understood!" the two replied in unison, their eyes sharp.

Takeshige Aoki, the head of the Special Higher Police, was always surrounded by military police in black when he went out. Wherever his car wheels passed, even sparrows on the street dared not flutter their wings.

There is absolutely no way that Mingtai's elite team could break through this iron wall head-on.

Intelligence is the only weapon.

Since this is a mission personally assigned by Hades, we must forge a bloody path through even the most perilous situations.

Meanwhile, the operation to apprehend Zhang Wanlin was scheduled for three days later.

Two deadly situations unfolded on the same day.

Not a single one can survive.

This was the hottest, yet most satisfying, gift Zhou Xiao gave to Sixth Brother.