Yang Fangyun worked the night shift in the office. He got up at dawn, stretched, yawned, and then went to shave. Before he finished shaving, an officer walked in.
Chinese intelligence agents are constantly operating within the sphere of influence controlled by Japan, and similarly, Japanese intelligence agents are also frequently operating within China.
Counterintelligence has also become an extremely important task.
One of the people in charge of this work is Yang Fangyun.
"Your telegram," the officer said straight to the point.
Yang Fangyun put the telegram next to the window sill. With the help of the dim morning light, it could be seen from the cryptographic signature that it was sent from Japan by one of Yang Fangyun's most diligent, loyal and reliable intelligence officers.
The cable said: "To carry out a special mission, the Japanese side has carried four spies carefully selected and specially trained. They will arrive in Fujian at 21:30 three days later and will land at the designated location."
Yang Fangyun glanced at the officer and gave a rare smile: "Let's get started!"
Yang Fangyun opened the map of Fujian. It seemed that the landing site had been carefully selected: an isolated recess on the beach was tightly blocked by the tall peaks behind it, so that no curious person would notice it. This was the ideal hiding place for the landers.
However, if someone is sent to ambush at the foot of the mountain, this recess may also become a trap for capturing them. The map shows that this location is crescent-shaped, far away from any villages, facing the sea, and with only one road leading to the land.
"This is the situation..." Yang Fangyun muttered: "This plan is not complicated, but anything that is easy in the dark will be difficult. Looking at the map, the beach is in the shape of a funnel. Notify Chang Bing of Fujian
Xuan, send two people to ambush above the mouth of the funnel, right here. This narrow path is the only exit from the beach, and it is the only way for the four spies."
"Yes. I will notify the Fujian authorities immediately..."
...
Fujian.
Chang Bingxuan put down the telegram in his hand: "This is a telegram from Director Yang himself. Prepare to act immediately!"
"How many people are needed?" his men asked.
"Twelve, maybe. They all wear casual clothes so as not to attract attention."
"Are you armed?"
"Of course you have to bring them. But you are not allowed to shoot without my order. Make it clear that you must capture them alive."
"Yes, understand."
"Everyone bring flashlights and agree on a signal before setting off. Any questions?"
"there is none left."
"Okay, let's enter the position at midnight. Inform all personnel to set off at seven o'clock, so that we have enough time to arrive calmly."
When Yang Fangyun and others walked in the predetermined direction, the sky gradually darkened. In the blackout, the weak light of the car lights gave people the impression of traveling in a fantasy world. Without moonlight, the captors seemed to be covered in ink bottles.
Like the ants in it.
Chang Bingxuan smoked one cigarette after another. He already had a premonition that Chang Bingxuan, a very addicted smoker, would suffer. In order not to expose himself to the light of the fire, he might not be able to smoke for six consecutive hours. Chang Bingxuan really wanted to
Store more nicotine in your blood, and you can't help but laugh at your ridiculous ideas in the dark.
Chang Bingxuan checked his watch from time to time and saw that everything was going smoothly. At this speed, he could reach the position effortlessly.
Looking at the vast night, a strange idea suddenly occurred to me.
The map and the outline of the coast fifty miles on each side emerged in Chang Bingxuan's mind. The two lines of land and sea converged in an isolated funnel-shaped area. In Chang Bingxuan's imagination, the two lines on both sides of the mountains were no longer
It was funnel-shaped, but an open iron mouth. As soon as he entered the position, the iron mouth immediately closed. No one could escape...
At midnight, the captors came to the foot of the mountain behind the recess. Chang Bingxuan quickly walked to the side of the twelve soldiers and the captain in charge of specific command. Only their outlines could be seen in the darkness. They ambush at the foot of the mountain.
OK, Chang Bingxuan ordered them:
"No talking; no smoking; no shooting unless for self-defense. The prescribed signal is that once a spy is discovered, flash the flashlight three times to the nearest companion!"
Everything was explained clearly, there were no other questions, and the captors began to open the net. There was complete silence, except for the occasional dull sound of a soldier stumbling on something.
Chang Bingxuan and the captain watched the soldiers disappear into the darkness one by one and sealed the funnel neck. After a sound of feet stepping on the wet sand, the soldiers took their positions and no more movement was heard.
Silence. Except for the monotonous whisper of the sea lapping at the beach and the unique sound of the waves rising and receding, it was deathly silence.
From the beginning of the world to the present, the sea has been rising and falling in a monotonous manner. That night, time seemed to have frozen. Every minute moved slowly and endlessly.
Chang Bingxuan felt as if a whole night had passed, but the bell of one o'clock came from the church in the distant village: It was just one o'clock!
Chang Bingxuan turned up the collar of his coat, put his hands deep into his pockets, and tightened his arms to resist the cold and humid wind on the beach. Being unable to smoke, Chang Bingxuan felt particularly uncomfortable. Chang Bingxuan couldn't help but touch the cigarette case. The unbearable craving for cigarettes made Chang Bingxuan turn up.
Bingxuan's heart moved.
But, no! The light of matches and burning cigarette butts can be spotted from a long distance. Especially now, Chang Bingxuan guessed that those pairs of keen eyes were searching the beach in the dark.
The clock slowly struck two o'clock, and the sound gradually disappeared into the night sky. Then, three o'clock. Half an hour later, he looked at the luminous watch again: it was just half past three. Chang Bingxuan held the watch to his ear again, and it was clearly there.
The watch was beeping, beeping, not stopping. I was too impatient.
It was almost four o'clock. Chang Bingxuan turned to the captain and muttered: "I really want to see the flashlight flash right away..."
Before he finished speaking, he saw the flashlight flash once, twice, and three times. Another flashlight flashed, and the third one came on again. In the short flashlight light, Yang Fangyun saw a strange figure, and then he saw another
The second and third figures. Suddenly, the sound of fighting was clearly heard, and the light of the flashlight formed an encirclement. Shouts, fighting sounds and chaotic footsteps were heard together. Chang Bingxuan and the captain had just ran to the place where the melee was taking place.
In the center, the crowd calmed down.
Twelve victorious soldiers escorted the dejected and silent prisoners. Yang Fangyun thought to himself: "This is too easy!"
One count: one, two, three. Easy indeed, but the fourth spy is missing.
Yang Fangyun was convinced that the four spies mentioned in the telegram were accurate. When an intelligence officer took the risk to send an extremely important telegram to another country, he was absolutely sure of the telegram. Since the telegram said "four",
Then it must be four.
But now, after winning by surprise, it is more difficult to catch the fourth one, especially at night. I have to wait until dawn to find him again. Maybe he is squatting somewhere between the mountains and the sea, and only by luck can he be found.
Land. Yang Fangyun and others acted quickly and neatly, but if one of them escapes, all efforts will be in vain.
Being able to escape from the captor's snare shows that this is a clever and dangerous spy, which may cause immeasurable losses and even frustrate the captor's plan to prevent the enemy's attack. Only one thing is beneficial to the captor:
He didn't go far. Maybe just to the beach, because the only way out was blocked.
Chang Bingxuan walked up to the captain and said: "Okay. He only has one chance to escape. We will wait here until dawn, and we will definitely catch him. Let's use this time to take a look at the few we caught!"
The prisoners were neatly dressed in Chinese style. Each of them carried some change with him, but not a large amount, and each of them carried a small but powerful transmitter.
Chang Bingxuan ordered the three of them to distance themselves. Then he began to interrogate. Like most of the prisoners, although they were quite ferocious in the battle, they were defeated in one attack because they knew that resistance would be useless. They all reluctantly,
But answered all the questions raised by Chang Bingxuan in quite detail.
Before he could call the third person, he took the initiative and said to Chang Bingxuan in Chinese: "Can you please talk to me?"
Chang Bingxuan was taken aback. Then he shined a flashlight on his face. He stood upright, motionless, and only blinked slightly when the flashlight hit him.
"Of course!" Chang Bingxuan replied.
"I am one of our own." Chang Bingxuan was surprised as soon as the prisoner spoke.
But Chang Bingxuan calmed down quickly: "You said you are from Yang Fangyun's side, which is good. How many of you landed tonight?"
"Four."
"Are you sure it's four?"
"Yes. I'm absolutely sure. There are four in total."
Sure enough, there were four, and the telegram was accurate. But where is the remaining one? Maybe he will come out at dawn.
Although it was basically certain that the spy who took the initiative to confess was one of his own, Chang Bingxuan still kept him under supervision.
What the specific identity is is beyond your control.
Five o'clock, six o'clock, time slowly moved: this night seemed to have no end.
Finally, a faint light appeared on the horizon, slowly stretching towards the calm sea. Soon, the boulders and figures on the beach were faintly discernible, and a quarter of an hour later, it was bright enough to start searching.
The captors marched in a line from one end of the beach to the other, searching the beach, caves, pits and thorny bushes bit by bit in the dim light of the morning.
Chang Bing announced to the soldiers to come back. The original formation was somewhat scattered, but they were still watching the beach vigilantly.
Chang Bingxuan was very annoyed. He clenched his fists and glanced at the soldiers. It was already bright enough to recognize people. Chang Bingxuan looked from the head of the platoon to the end of the platoon, and from the end of the platoon to the head of the platoon. Suddenly, the problem was solved
, Yang Fangyun laughed loudly involuntarily.
"What a cunning guy!" Chang Bingxuan said with a smile.
The captain looked at Yang Fangyun in surprise: "What's wrong?"
"What a cunning guy!" Chang Bingxuan raised his voice and repeated: "You, soldiers, stand still where you are!"
Everyone stood up, Chang Bingxuan turned to the captain and said: "Please come over, I will introduce you to my friends."
Chang Bingxuan and the captain walked towards the soldiers, stopping to look at each one. Eight, nine, ten... eleven, twelve, ten...
Chang Bingxuan stopped and put his hand on the last person's shoulder: "Hello, Mr. Spy."
He is the thirteenth person.
It was already clear that he took advantage of the confusion in the darkness to insert himself among the captors' soldiers. If the captors stopped searching, he would stay behind, wait for the car to drive away, and then hide somewhere.
If the number of soldiers hadn't been exactly twelve, and if Chang Bingxuan hadn't memorized the ominous number "thirteen" out of superstition, Chang Bingxuan would never have approached the team in the dark to count the number of people silently.
.
A person's life actually hangs on such a thin thread!