PDLP 137, 3 routes
137, 3 routes
Zhou Hongyi returned to the antique shop immediately, closed the door, took out a large sheet of white paper, and rearranged the clues he had sorted out.
Ah Gui, Fu Sheng, the blind man, Xiao Bei, including Qing Xia and Xiao Nannan, all gathered around to watch, but the more they looked, the more frightened they became.
Originally, there were some unrelated words scattered on the paper, but as Zhou Hongyi kept drawing with his pencil, a simple map quickly appeared on the paper, connecting these words together.
The words "early morning," "1 PM," and "January 15th"—these seemingly random time points, at first glance, evolved into a unique pattern and rhythm under Zhou Hongyi's calculations. Especially when paired with the phrase "transportation of important materials," it became even more suspicious.
Next, he turned his attention to the keywords related to the location, such as "Wujiaochang," "dock warehouse," and "Huangpu River." These words were scattered on the paper like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, gradually outlining a clear route.
In addition, there were descriptions of supplies, including phrases like "specially sealed boxes" and "hazard markings." Although not explicitly stating they were biochemical materials, Zhou Hongyi could easily deduce their meaning based on the intelligence he possessed. These tightly sealed supplies with hazard markings were highly likely to be biochemical materials. Moreover, the locations of these descriptions in the document were closely related to the sections mentioning "Wujiaochang" and "dock warehouses," further convincing him that these locations were key links in the biochemical material transportation route.
More importantly, the documents numbered "TK-01" contained, in addition to the previously mentioned descriptions of time, location, and supplies suspected of being related to the transportation of biological materials, also information on "escort force deployment," detailing the number of troops and their weaponry assigned to different sections of the route. From the distribution of these escort forces, Zhou Hongyi deduced the specific routes the enemy used to transport the goods.
As Zhou Hongyi drew his final long stroke across the paper, three crystal-clear paths finally appeared.
Route 1: Qiujiang Wharf – Jungong Road – Xiangyin Road – Wujiaochang.
Route 2: Yangshupu Wharf – Pingliang Road – Changyang Road – Dalian Road.
Article 3: Shiliupu Wharf – Zhonghua Road – Fuxing East Road – Xizang South Road – Zhaojiabang Road.
"Brother, why are there three routes drawn? Which one is the real one?"
Fusheng couldn't keep things to himself; he would immediately ask questions if he had any.
Zhou Hongyi looked at the map excitedly, licked his lips and said, "Being able to deduce three routes from these scattered clues is already my limit. What we need to do next is to use the 'elimination method' among these three routes to find the one that is truly correct."
At that moment, Zhou Hongyi's mind raced. He whispered, "Qiujiang Wharf is a military wharf. If the Japanese are transporting biological materials here, they will likely head north along Jungong Road, pass Xiangyin Road, and then go to the vicinity of Wujiaochang. Wujiaochang is a transportation hub in the northeast of Shanghai. From there, they can turn onto some more secluded side roads to reach the secret laboratory located in a hidden position. This route is relatively direct and is near the core area controlled by the Japanese, making it convenient for them to organize defenses and deploy troops, but it is also likely to attract attention."
Yangshupu Wharf was one of Shanghai's important cargo terminals. Starting from Yangshupu Wharf, the route west along Pingliang Road, then turning onto Changyang Road and Dalian Road—all major thoroughfares—allowed the Japanese to utilize their transportation network. From there, they would use side roads or secret passages to reach their secret laboratories in districts like Hongkou or Yangpu. This route passed through areas with many factories and warehouses, facilitating camouflage and covert transport, but the relatively dense population in the surrounding areas made leaks easy.
The Shiliupu Wharf is considered one of the oldest wharves in Shanghai. From there, one could enter the Chinese-controlled areas along Zhonghua Road and Fuxing East Road, then head south along Xizang South Road, finally reaching the secret laboratories located in districts like Xuhui or Luwan via Zhaojiabang Road. This route avoided some of the complex areas of the former concessions, but it might attract more attention and interference when passing through the city center. However, the Japanese might also use the residential buildings and shops along the way for cover…”
The people around him listened intently to Zhou Hongyi's low monologue, not daring to breathe loudly for fear of interrupting his train of thought.
About a minute later, Zhou Hongyi suddenly felt dizzy, as if the duration of [Master of Deception] was about to end.
"Hmm... Fusheng, go eat a few more bowls of rice near Wujiaochang, and keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Come back and tell me... Agui, take a few clever brothers and go to the Dalian Road area. Blind Man, Zhaojiabang Road is yours, go now... Tell me your investigation results tomorrow, remember, be thorough... Hmm... Now, I need to rest for a while... Be careful..."
As Zhou Hongyi was talking, he actually fell asleep.
The group looked at each other, and finally Qingxia was the first to break the silence.
"Oh dear~~ Look how tired my brother is! You guys, stop daydreaming and do what Young Master Zhou just said. Remember, no detail is too small! Make sure you keep this map safe and don't let anyone else see it."
Qingxia, knowing how much older she was than them, urged them to hurry up, while she gently covered Zhou Hongyi with a blanket and stayed by his side until it was completely dark.
When Zhou Hongyi woke up, he felt as if he had drunk a lot of alcohol the night before, and his head was still spinning.
"Good little brother, you're awake? I made some porridge for you. I didn't want to wake you up last night because you were too tired. You must be starving!"
As soon as Zhou Hongyi woke up, he saw Qingxia carrying a steaming clay pot out. Just by smelling it, he could already guess that it was salted pork and vegetable porridge.
"Hmm... thank you, Sister Brigitte. I was just feeling hungry."
"Here are some fried dough sticks I just bought, have some!"
Zhou Hongyi rubbed his face, got up to wash up, and then sat down at the table to eat porridge and fried dough sticks.
A short while later, Fusheng, Agui, and the blind man returned one after another.
They stayed out late yesterday and went out again at dawn this morning, strictly following Zhou Hongyi's instructions to investigate any possible suspicious points at these three locations.
"Brother~~ What are you eating? It smells so good~"
As soon as Fusheng entered the door, he twitched his nose, and the drool at the corner of his mouth almost splashed into Zhou Hongyi's casserole.
"You're having porridge. This bowl is mine. Go get another bowl."
"No need, this bowl is fine with me."
Fusheng didn't stand on ceremony and took Zhou Hongyi's casserole directly, also grabbing four fried dough sticks as a side dish.
“…Fusheng…Agui, the blind man, you should also have some porridge to warm up. Let’s eat and talk.”