allonlinenovel Chapter 1204 Keeping him alive is more valuable than killing him
Chapter 1204 Keeping him alive is more valuable than killing him
"Leave them alive?" Matsui Ryosuke, who was standing by the car window awaiting Zhou Zhengqing's orders, suddenly froze, his face filled with disbelief. He turned around, bowed to Zhou Zhengqing, and said, "General? Absolutely not! These Military Intelligence agents are fearless. If we capture them alive, our casualties will increase significantly! It would be better to shoot them directly to eliminate any future troubles!"
Zhou Zhengqing did not answer, but slowly turned his head and looked at Matsui Ryosuke.
Matsui Ryosuke felt a sudden pressure as he was stared at, cold sweat broke out on his back, and he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
"Yes, sir! I spoke out of turn!" Matsui Ryosuke immediately stood at attention, bowed, and dared not utter another word. He then turned to the military police beside him and ordered, "Listen up! The general has ordered that they be captured alive! No firing without authorization. Encircle them with all your might and capture them alive!"
Upon hearing this, the Japanese military police put away their guns, brandished their bayonets, and approached the alley entrance, forming a tight encirclement.
More and more military police arrived, their footsteps and shouts mingling together, trapping Chen Gongshu, Lan Zichun, and the others.
After a long gunfight with Wang Kemin's guards, Chen Gongshu and his men had almost run out of grenades and bullets. Now, facing the relentless advance of the military police, they were in dire straits.
Soon, surrounded by military police, the Kuomintang agents' area of operation became smaller and smaller, and their situation became increasingly dangerous.
Qi Anzhi finally couldn't hold on any longer. The wound on his left leg prevented him from standing, and he collapsed to the ground, his pistol slipping from his hand and falling to the side. He was barely breathing.
But he kept his eyes open, his gaze fixed on the direction of the Buick, a faint smile on his lips. Although he did not witness Wang Kemin's death, he had at least given it his all.
Lan Zichun had run out of bullets. He was tackled to the ground by several military police officers, his arm pressed firmly against the ground, the rough surface making his arm ache.
But he continued to struggle desperately, twisting his body and cursing at the military police: "Traitorous dogs! Japanese devils! You will not have a good end! One day, we will drive you out of China and make you pay for your blood debts!"
His voice was hoarse, yet it possessed a penetrating power that made the military police around him frown.
Chen Gongshu leaned against the broken wall, his pistol long out of bullets. He slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and the excruciating pain in his abdomen almost made him faint.
He thought of his brothers at Tianjin Station and Beiping Station; two assassination attempts had crippled two major Kuomintang military intelligence stations.
Fortunately, Zhao Guangyuan was eventually persuaded to stay, thus preserving the last seed for Beiping Station.
He recalled the promise he made to Dai Li before he left, and the lost territory, his eyes filled with determination.
He was about to take out the iron box that Dai Li had given him from his pocket, but perhaps due to excessive blood loss, his hand trembled and the iron box fell from his hand.
Chen Gongshu gave a bitter smile and closed his eyes.
That's all...
When he opened his eyes again, a cold smile appeared on his lips. Even if he was captured alive, he would not reveal a single word. At worst, he would die, sacrificing himself for his country, and he would have no regrets.
Soon, of the dozen or so people Chen Gongshu brought with him, only Chen Gongshu, Lan Zichun, Qi Anzhi, and the last two Military Intelligence Bureau personnel were taken into custody by the military police.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps approached, and Terauchi Hisaichi was helped out of another car by Okabe Naosaburo.
Seeing the surrounded Kuomintang agents, and then looking at the corpses and burning vehicles on the ground, his anger almost burst forth, and the air pressure around him was frighteningly low.
"Tuo Ren! Why don't you order their execution? These people are remnants of the Military Intelligence Bureau, enemies of the Empire. What's the point of keeping them alive? Order them all shot immediately! Leave no one alive!"
The Japanese soldiers who followed Terauchi Hisaichi raised their guns, aiming them at Chen Gongshu and the others in the encirclement, their fingers on the triggers, waiting for Terauchi Hisaichi's order to fire these Kuomintang agents into a hail of bullets.
Lan Zichun stopped struggling, slowly raised his head, and stared firmly at the gun barrel pointed at him. There was no fear on his face, but rather a hint of mockery. He had long since disregarded life and death. To die on the battlefield, to die in a duel with the enemy, was perhaps the best end for him.
Chen Gongshu slowly sat up straight. Although the severe pain in his abdomen made him tremble all over, he still straightened his spine, like a tall pine tree.
He slowly closed his eyes, as if he was ready to die, and what flashed through his mind was the day the country was restored.
Zhou Zhengqing also got out of the car and stood there, meeting Terauchi Hisaichi's angry gaze without backing down. Instead, he slowly raised his hand and ordered the military police in a deep voice: "Put down your guns! I said, leave them alive! Anyone who dares to fire without authorization will be dealt with according to military law!"
These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the quiet alley. All the Japanese soldiers present were stunned, and the guns in their hands involuntarily dropped.
Terauchi Hisaichi stared at Zhou Zhengqing in disbelief, his eyes wide with astonishment: "Takuto!? Do you know what you're doing?"
These people are dangerous elements; keeping them around will only cause trouble for the Empire!
Zhou Zhengqing turned around, looking calmly at Terauchi Hisaichi, his tone steady yet undeniably firm: "That's Chen Gongshu over there. I've seen his picture; he's a top assassin for the Military Intelligence Bureau."
Having operated in North China for a long time, he knew the core intelligence of the Military Intelligence Bureau in the region. Keeping him alive was more valuable than killing him.
We can extract intelligence from him and destroy the Military Intelligence Bureau's organization in North China in one fell swoop. This would be far more beneficial to the empire's rule than killing him.
Terauchi Hisaichi's expression shifted between anger and uncertainty as Zhou Zhengqing presented the intelligence-based reason.
He knew Zhou Zhengqing was right; if they could destroy the Military Intelligence Bureau through Chen Gongshu, it would indeed be a tremendous success.
But the anger in his heart was hard to quell. These Kuomintang agents had not only almost killed Wang Kemin, but had also almost blown him to pieces. He just couldn't swallow this insult.
After a long silence, Terauchi Hisaichi finally sighed helplessly and waved his hand: "Alright! I trust you! They're yours to handle!"
After saying that, he glared fiercely at Chen Gongshu and the others in the encirclement, his eyes filled with murderous intent. Then he turned around and walked to the side, staring intently at Kita Seiichi, who had come with agents from the Special Service Department. Kita Seiichi's face was pale and his expression was terribly gloomy. His aura was still icy cold.
At this moment, several members of the puppet government's guards cautiously opened the car door, their movements slow and their faces full of fear.
They peeked inside, then helped each other carry Wang Kemin, who was covered in blood, out.
Wang Kemin was wearing a dark suit, which was already soaked with blood and clung to his body, outlining his thin figure.
He had been shot several times, and the wounds were bleeding profusely. The most serious wounds were the two bullets in his lower abdomen, from which blood kept gushing out and staining the guards' arms red.
Wang Kemin's face was as pale as paper, his lips were bloodless, his eyes were filled with fear, and his body trembled incessantly due to the excruciating pain and terror.