PDLP 174. Gaze from the shadows
174. Gaze from the shadows
Zhou Hongyi is now a top-notch agent, spy, and master of deception with comprehensive skills.
Morinomaru's death was a carefully orchestrated and planned artistic act.
First, he used his poison-making skills to extract nettle toxin. Then, he used his disguise skills to impersonate a woman, applying a thick layer of toxin to his lips beforehand. Next, pretending to be a passerby, he entered the imported goods store run by the Japanese, tried several cherry blossom-scented lipsticks, and coated the lipsticks with all the toxin he had previously applied to his lips.
Of course, before doing all this, he had already figured out the izakaya waitress's movements and preferences. This woman paid great attention to her appearance; things like face cream and lipstick were very attractive to her, and she especially loved cherry blossoms, so cherry blossom-scented lipstick was always her favorite.
The lipsticks here are quite expensive, and as an izakaya waitress, she couldn't afford to buy them, so she would always go to those lipstick shops and try some on under the pretext of testing them. Zhou Hongyi took advantage of her tendency to try to get something for nothing, smeared the poison on the sample lipsticks beforehand, and used psychological suggestion to harass and give her many hints along the way.
For example, intentionally or unintentionally mentioning the word "cherry blossom" around her, or using lipstick within her line of sight. These psychological cues will make her want to try the lipstick, but she won't realize it and will think it's just her own thought.
Of course, Zhou Hongyi chose this target not only because she liked to take advantage of others, but also because her appearance was determined after multiple investigations and information gathering through the [Eye of Insight].
This woman bears a striking resemblance to Morinomaru's childhood friend. With the addition of alcohol and a small amount of tetrodotoxin, the resemblance would reach seven or eight tenths.
That evening, after a hearty meal and drinks, in a relaxed atmosphere, and listening to some folk songs from his hometown, Morinomaru would momentarily imagine her as his girlfriend. And coincidentally, she was wearing cherry blossom-scented lipstick. The familiar face, the nostalgic melody, and the alluring lips combined to lead Morinomaru to a bold move: to kiss the waitress.
The urticaria toxin entered Morinomaru's mouth through lip contact, dissolving into his saliva. During subsequent eating and drinking, it combined with tetrodotoxin. The interaction of these two toxins directly damaged the nervous system. Alcohol, being a catalyst for these toxins at all times, caused Morinomaru to be instantly poisoned by a cold breeze, leading to cardiac arrest, severe liver damage, and ultimately, death.
This poisoning was different from the previous one, which involved multiple people. Zhou Hongyi, with his strong personal abilities and ingenious design, carried out the murder almost flawlessly on his own.
If any one step in this assassination attempt had gone wrong, the entire operation would have failed. But things often happen by chance, and it seemed as if even fate was against these treacherous Japanese devils, and was helping Zhou Hongyi complete his plan.
Although Kondo and Yosuke Saotome were almost able to uncover the truth, they never imagined that the poison was left behind by a female customer who was passing by the shop and tried it out, and that the female customer did not exist at all.
This is a dead end. Zhou Hongyi has chosen Xiao Rizi's shops, Xiao Rizi's izakayas, and Xiao Rizi's hostesses. Everyone has become a pawn in his game, subtly cooperating with his actions to achieve the final result.
Although the owner of the shop selling imported lipsticks died in prison, neither Kondo nor Saotome felt any joy. They both felt they had overlooked something.
Is this the Four-Faced Buddha? It certainly isn't. But what went wrong? Even Saotome, the genius known as the "Flower of the Empire," couldn't provide the answer.
And so, Morinomaru's death was inevitable. The Special Higher Police could only brand the shop owner as a traitor, shut down the shop, confiscated all the goods, and execute the owner's wife, maid, and two employees. After all, they couldn't admit their incompetence.
The day after the Morinomaru case was declared closed, Yosuke Saotome warned his three remaining subordinates not to go out alone.
"In the darkness of Shanghai at night, a pair of eyes are watching us."
Although the shop owner and his family have been brought to justice, he is still very panicked.
Although the three agreed verbally, asking them to reduce their outings, especially sacrificing their evening entertainment time, was one thing, but staying indoors indefinitely was no different from being in jail. Besides, the nights in Shanghai were so alluring; how powerful could a mere assassin lurking in the shadows be?
Yasuda, a karate master, was the first to disagree.
"Captain Saotome seems to be terrified of that 'Four-Faced Buddha,' staying in the Special Higher Police every day and telling us not to go out either. I'm not afraid of him. If he dares to show his face in front of me, I will break his limbs and soak him in sake to avenge Yamamoto and Morinomaru."
Beside him, Kawasaki, skilled in tracking, let out a sigh of relief and said, "Perhaps we're just scaring ourselves. That 'Four-Faced Buddha' isn't a real person at all. We've had contact with quite a few Kuomintang and Red Party underground members before. They're very cunning, and it's highly likely they're just trying to divert our attention and deliberately create panic. If we're so scared that we don't dare to go out at night, wouldn't we be falling into their trap? Besides, Shanghai is now within our empire's sphere of influence. If we can't even leave our own occupied territory, wouldn't that be a joke?"
“Kawasaki-kun, you’re right. If they dare to come, the two of us can definitely catch him. Then Captain Saotome will look at us differently.”
As the two walked and talked, suddenly, in the corner within Kawasaki's sight, a dark shadow flashed by.
"Huh? Someone's watching us!"
As a master of tracking and counter-tracking, Kawasaki has extremely keen senses. While an ordinary person might not notice, he keenly caught the unfriendly gaze and the fleeting shadow.
"Is it him? Is it that Four-Faced Buddha? Kawasaki-kun, it's time to show your skills! Grab him and let me break his arms and legs!"
"Okay, come with me."
Kawasaki didn't think twice and ran towards the alley where the dark figure had flashed, with Yasuda close behind.
The two of them felt that Saotome was overestimating the enemy's strength. If the enemy was just a coward who only knew how to hide in the shadows and plot, then they were absolutely confident they could capture the enemy face-to-face. Besides, he could instantly distinguish the sex of even a fly that flashed past his eyes, and he would never lose track of it.
Kawasaki moved quickly, his eyes scanning the surroundings. Footprints, handprints, scents—all sorts of subtle clues would instantly come to mind, allowing him to determine the target's movements in a very short time.
Although this was a slum alley in Shanghai, with a complex network of roads, dense crowds, and poor visibility, Kawasaki still managed to use his powerful talent and abilities to keep a close watch on the malevolent gaze lurking in the shadows.
"Yasuda-kun, let's take a shortcut here and block him!"
Kawasaki's lips curled into a sinister smile. He noticed the shadowy figure had turned into another alley, and immediately dragged Yasuda into a house. Amidst the homeowner's gasps of alarm, they slipped out of their window and took a shortcut.
"Don't underestimate my memory. I got a detailed map of Shanghai on my first day here, especially the layout of these slums and alleys, which I know by heart. Let me see who you really are!"