Agent: Intercepting Yu Manli at the start!

Chapter 27: Lost!

Aokiyama stared intently at him, his pupils swirling with struggle, hesitation, and a hint of almost tragic resolve. A few seconds later, he gritted his teeth and nodded: "Fine! You swear to protect my life—I'll tell you everything I know!"

"That's great." Zhou Xiao's eyes lit up slightly.

"My name is Aoki Yamashita, I'm from Kyoto..." Once she started speaking, she didn't pause.

Like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, everything was laid out.

It turns out that at the foot of Qingmu Mountain was a big fish planted by the Mei Agency in the mountain city—the head of the intelligence section. His purpose was clear: to steal the core secrets of the Military Intelligence Bureau, codebooks, and military and political plans. He also secretly planned a number of assassination operations, the most important of which was the "decapitation plan" against Boss Dai.

He also revealed all of the Mei Agency's strongholds in the mountain city, their contact codes, infiltrator lists, and secret writing methods... without reservation, even clearly explaining the location of the miniature radio hidden under the stove in the teahouse.

Every word and sentence is packed with valuable information.

In the next cell, Zheng Yaoxian and Zhao Jianzhi held their breath and pressed themselves against the wall, listening to the entire interrogation clearly.

Seeing that Qingmushan had finally given in, Zhao Jianzhi couldn't help but gasp: "Sixth Brother, this Zhou Xiao... he's really something! He managed to pry open those stubborn Japanese devils with just a few words!"

Zheng Yaoxian chuckled and tapped his knee lightly with his fingertips: "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will defeat them. In short, when dealing with special agents, breaking the board won't help; the key is to strike at their core."

"The apple of your eye?" Zhao Jianzhi scratched his head, looking bewildered. "Sixth Brother, I have no idea what this 'apple of your eye' means."

Zheng Yaoxian simply smiled calmly.

He was known in the Military Intelligence Bureau for protecting his own and valuing relationships. His brothers trusted him, relied on him, and covered for him. This popularity was the solid foundation that allowed him to remain hidden for many years without revealing any flaws.

Half an hour later, Zhou Xiao pushed open the cell door and walked out.

"Slap, slap, slap—"

Zheng Yaoxian stepped forward, clapping and laughing loudly, "Zhou Xiao, well done! You've cracked a tough nut; you deserve the most credit!"

This batch of intelligence is extremely valuable, enough for the Military Intelligence Bureau to follow the clues and remove several traitors.

Zhao Jianzhi's eyes widened as he looked Zhou Xiao up and down, clicking his tongue in amazement: "Brother Zhou, I've been trying for over a month and couldn't even lift a finger to open his eyes, but you've done it in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea—amazing!"

"What did Sixth Brother just say, 'my darling'? I'm a rough guy, I don't understand. Can you explain it to me?"

Zheng Yaoxian also looked at Zhou Xiao with great interest.

Clearly, even this "Sixth Brother" of the Military Intelligence Bureau had been at a loss before, which is why he had left this tough nut to crack untouched.

Zhou Xiao smiled frankly and said without reservation, "The reason we were able to get him to talk wasn't because of brute force, but because we figured out the weakness of the Bushido spirit."

"Undeniably, this spirit is ruthless, precise, and vicious, capable of turning people into murderous puppets who only know how to be loyal, even regarding death as an honor. Therefore, harsh interrogation will only bring out the more stubborn bones."

"But it has two fatal flaws: First, Bushido has no concept of right and wrong, only the lord. Even if the lord is an incompetent fool or a moral scoundrel, they will still kneel and pledge allegiance without hesitation—loyalty itself becomes a shackle that obscures their conscience."

"Secondly, it fears failure the most. Japanese samurai dared not face defeat directly, preferring to commit seppuku rather than admit defeat. That obsession with 'defeat is shame' had long since crushed their mental resilience."

"I told him that the Emperor had issued an edict of surrender and the war was over—the spiritual totem of Bushido collapsed in an instant."

"Then, I took out a postcard from his hometown, describing his daughter with pigtails and how the autumn leaves of Kyoto covered the courtyard... The warmth melted my heart and cracked my defenses."

"In the end, I only gave him five minutes. No more, no less, just enough time for him to frantically choose the 'most respectable' way out."

"He truly believed that the war was over and that the intelligence was now worthless, so he naturally spilled it all out at once."

That forged Asahi Shimbun special edition, that trembling voice of the Emperor in that recording—these were all sharp blades specifically designed to pierce through his mental defenses.

It must be said that Zhou Xiao's interrogation was meticulously planned and executed, seamlessly blending reality and deception. He swiftly and decisively shattered the opponent's last psychological defense, leaving them no room to breathe before they surrendered.

This series of combined punches was executed cleanly and decisively, without any unnecessary delays.

"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Zheng Yaoxian exclaimed sincerely, his eyes shining. "I must take good notes on this lesson."

Zhou Xiao waved his hand: "Sixth Brother flatters me."

Zhao Jianzhi scratched the back of his neck and nodded as if he understood.

"Of course, Brother Jianzhi deserves the most credit for getting that mouth open at the foot of Qingmu Mountain." Zhou Xiao turned to Zhao Jianzhi and laughed loudly. "If it weren't for your tireless pressure over the past thirty days, softening his resolve and breaking his spirit, how could my little tricks have been so easily broken? When Sixth Brother sees us, you'll definitely get a top credit!"

That's absolutely true.

For over thirty days, Zhao Jianzhi's interrogation wasn't torture; it was a relentless, death-defying ordeal—cold water dousing, chaining, blinding bright lights, no sleep all night, even meals and water were timed precisely and forced to be swallowed. At first, Qingmu Mountain could grit his teeth and endure, sustained only by a sliver of samurai spirit, like a bowstring stretched to its limit, trembling but unyielding. But once the string loosens, it's difficult to pull it taut again. Zhou Xiao merely flicked it, and that remaining stubbornness snapped, spilling out like beans from a bamboo tube. For a well-rested, well-fed, and clear-eyed person, this method probably wouldn't even cause a ripple.

Upon hearing Zhou Xiao's words, Zhao Jianzhi scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly, "I don't have much knowledge, I just know how to use clumsy methods to wear people down."

Zheng Yaoxian glanced at Zhou Xiao sideways, sighing inwardly: This kid really knows how to handle people. He's impeccably polite, his words are witty and insightful, he understands boundaries and, more importantly, he understands people's hearts.

Outsiders might have thought it was just polite talk, but Zheng Yaoxian saw right through it – it was a genuine attempt to win people over.

Zhao Jianzhi interrogated him for a month without getting a single word out; Zhou Xiao, however, uncovered all the details in just three days. If Zhou Xiao had only focused on taking credit and hadn't mentioned Zhao Jianzhi's hard work, Zhao Jianzhi would have felt resentful: "I worked for thirty days for nothing, and you get all the credit and all the limelight. How can we work together in the future?" But Zhou Xiao deliberately highlighted Zhao Jianzhi's hard work, which both flattered him and reassured him—it turned out this man was grateful, didn't steal credit, and didn't put others down; he was someone he could rely on.

A single sentence, though not heavy, felt like a nail driven into my heart.

Without anyone noticing, Zhao Jianzhi's trust in Zhou Xiao had quietly grown a little stronger.

Zheng Yaoxian was able to remain hidden in the mountain city for ten years without revealing his true colors, precisely because of this skill: paving the way with personal connections and weaving respect into his words. Therefore, he could see through Zhou Xiao's intentions at a glance.

However, they knew but did not speak.

As a transmigrator, Zhou Xiao's true trump card, besides the system, was his "predictable" mind—he knew the historical context like the backyard wall and understood espionage plots better than a stage play. Because of this, he knew that Bushido was not a solid block of iron, but a piece of hardwood soaked in water; as long as you found a crack and poured a few scoops of cold water on it, it would crack open on its own.

Of course, this tactic only works on survivors. For madmen like Araki and Chida, who would rather die than surrender, their lives are already hanging on the line; they won't even wait for you to ask them a question.

Once Qingmushan let go of his mouth, Zheng Yaoxian and Zhao Jianzhi's attitude towards Zhou Xiao immediately changed from "somewhat interesting" to "undeniably convinced".

Just as Zhou Xiao stepped out of the Military Intelligence Bureau headquarters at noon, the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end—someone had followed him.

The man was skilled, keeping his steps very low and his breathing very deep, but unfortunately, Zhou Xiao still managed to reveal a slight flaw.

He turned and slipped into a narrow alley on the side of the street.

Sure enough, a shadow slipped in from behind.

What's even more ingenious is that the other party changed people midway through—the moment they entered the alley, another figure took over the surveillance.

The new man was dressed in casual gray clothes, with his baseball cap pulled low, the shadow of the brim almost covering half of his face, making him look very convincing.

He chased after Zhou Xiao into the alley, and just as he was about to reach the fork in the alley at the end, he looked up and saw that Zhou Xiao was gone!

The empty brick walls, the quiet moss, not even a corner of clothing remained.

Lost them!

It seems... they've already seen through it!

"Are you still looking for me?"

A sound suddenly came crashing down from above.

The man in the baseball cap looked up abruptly—and saw a figure lying across the alleyway, legs spread apart, wedged between the brick walls like iron clamps, the person suspended in mid-air, as steady as a rock.

It was Zhou Xiao!

Before he finished speaking, he loosened his knees and swooped down like a hawk, his left leg bending and slamming into the ground—

boom!

The man in the baseball cap was slammed against the wall like a sack, his internal organs seemingly displaced from the impact.

Zhou Xiao landed silently, his right hand flashing as he gripped the other man's throat, his knuckles turning white. His voice was as cold as well water: "State your name. Who sent you? You've got quite the nerve, wagging your tail."

The game in Chongqing is even more chaotic than in Shanghai. Various factions are surging beneath the surface, and the intelligence network is as dense as a spider web. If you are not careful for a moment, you will be trapped and unable to extricate yourself.

"Well……"

The man in the baseball cap turned a deep purplish-red, his throat gurgling from being choked, his limbs kicking wildly but he couldn't muster any strength, only his eyes darting around in terror.

Zhou Xiao's gaze darkened, and he reached straight for the man's right trouser pocket, pulling out a small blue booklet. Opening the cover, three small, gold-embossed characters immediately caught the eye: Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (Zhongtong).

"Someone from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics?" Zhou Xiao released his grip, quickly flipped through a few pages, and stared at the other person. "The Investigation Department?"

"Cough...cough cough!" The man collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath and nodding repeatedly, cold sweat mixed with dust streaming down his forehead. He now fully understood: Zhou Xiao could kill him more easily than crushing an ant.

"Come on, take me to see your director." Zhou Xiao tossed the blueprint back into his arms, the gun already pressed against his waist. "If you want to live, lead the way now."

Having nearly suffocated in the alley, the man dared not hesitate any longer, got up and led the way.

Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS), Investigation Division.

"Director! Something terrible has happened!" A clerk stumbled into the office, his voice trembling. "Zhou Xiao has taken our men hostage and stormed into the Investigation Department!"

"What?" Shen Lin jumped up, the chair leg scraping against the floor with a creak.