57. The Poisoning Plot

Zhou Hongyi had already learned of Chen Gong's intentions from the status tag floating above his head. He immediately laughed out loud and said, "Brother Chen, rest assured. What is a mere Special Operations Group? To be honest with you, our bureau chief had a talk with me today, and he is currently pulling strings to transfer out of the police department. Once he leaves, the position of the Second Precinct Chief will undoubtedly be mine. When that time comes, arranging for you to join is just a matter of a single word from me, let alone bringing all our brothers in as well."

Chen Gong let out an "oh" of surprise and said, "There is such a good thing? If all of us in the Special Operations Team join the police department by then, this puppet government's police bureau will practically become a contact station for our Military Statistics Bureau. Those damned little Japanese won't see it coming even if they die, hahaha, wonderful, wonderful, this is fantastic news!"

Inwardly, Zhou Hongyi sneered. He was just dangling some bait to keep these cornered Military Statistics assassins under control for now. Once he followed up with a continuous barrage of sweet words and favors, he was confident he could corrupt all of them into his own loyal subordinates.

"So, Brother Zhou, what are your plans for the next step?"

Facing the question from his new superior within the Military Statistics, Zhou Hongyi smiled mysteriously and replied, "Brother Chen, I do indeed have a major operation planned for the near future. After infiltrating the Japanese Chamber of Commerce, we still need to eliminate a certain person. This individual holds a great deal of secret intelligence belonging to our Nationalist Party and must be disposed of. Otherwise, the Japanese will never let up on their searches for us."

"What? Could there be a traitor among the high ranks of our Nationalist Party?"

Since stirring up trouble was his specialty, Zhou Hongyi framed the situation of the turncoat as involving high-level Nationalist officials, ensuring that these Military Statistics assassins would stand firmly on his side.

"Precisely, Brother Chen. That is the very reason why the brothers have been forced to hide from pillar to post recently, unable to even get enough to eat. Therefore, this person must die."

Chen Gong slammed his fist onto the table, his face turning murderous as he said, "Brother, thank goodness for you! Otherwise, we wouldn't even know where things were going wrong."

Zhou Hongyi said, "Rest assured, Brother Chen, I have already mapped out this person's movements. However, to avoid blowing our cover, I have decided to use poison."

"Poison?"

"Yes, exactly. Since my position is rather sensitive, I will have to ask Brother Chen to help me prepare the materials needed for the poisoning operation."

Chen Gong's gaze narrowed. "Just tell me what you need, Brother. Leaving the collection of materials to me is fine."

Triggering his Master of Trickery skill, a poisoning plan rapidly formed in Zhou Hongyi's mind. He immediately asked someone for paper and a pen, writing down the details as he spoke.

"First, I need amygdalin. Second, nitrobenzene. Neither of these substances taken individually is fatal, but if they are both present in the human body simultaneously, they will trigger a fascinating chemical reaction, producing a potent toxin that causes the victim to suffer from respiratory distress and cardiac arrest. Therefore, these two are the most crucial components of the assassination plan. The former is a natural compound found in various plants like bitter almonds, while the latter is a common industrial chemical. I trust that with your channels, Brother Chen, getting your hands on these two items shouldn't be too difficult. Once we secure them, my plan can officially be put into motion."

Chen Gong picked up the list of materials written by Zhou Hongyi, folded the paper into a small square, tucked it away, and said, "No problem. I will gather these materials with the utmost speed. But tell me, Brother, are you going to share some of the operational details with me as well?"

Zhou Hongyi cleared his throat and said, "Certainly, Brother Chen. While this plan is already set, it still requires cooperation across various fronts. Based on my observations over the past few days, I've discovered that the target frequently visits Western restaurants, the Paramount nightclub, and a secret residence on Xiafei Road. I suspect that this individual is not only cunning, suspicious, hedonistic, and fond of fine food, but he has also been invited to serve as a judge for this year's Miss Rose beauty pageant. Of course, I happen to be a judge for it as well."

"Oh? If this person has betrayed us, how is he still daring enough to frequent entertainment venues so openly? Isn't he afraid of being assassinated by us?"

Hearing Chen Gong's question, Zhou Hongyi smiled casually. "Brother Chen, you are brimming with bravery, but after all, you haven't lived side by side with the Japanese, so you don't understand their sinister ways. Wouldn't they realize this logic themselves? Therefore, the target's frequenting of entertainment venues is likely a trap, just waiting for you all to jump right in."

Chen Gong stroked his mustache, let out a muffled curse, and said, "Damn it! Those little Japanese bastards—on one hand, they crack down on our secret contact points everywhere, and on the other hand, they have the target making daily appearances at entertainment venues. They are forcing us to take desperate risks and make a move, right into the inescapable net they've prepared in advance to wipe us out in one fell swoop."

"Precisely," Zhou Hongyi agreed first, then continued, "But they could never imagine that I am standing here on your side, Brother Chen. Therefore, the inescapable net they've woven is full of flaws as far as I'm concerned. Let's play it as knowing there are tigers in the mountain yet heading toward the tiger mountain anyway—and what's more, we'll poison the tiger's lackey right under the tiger's nose."

Chen Gong shot Zhou Hongyi an admiring look. "Brother, your brain works better than mine. Go on."

Crossing his arms over his chest with a calm and composed demeanor, Zhou Hongyi began, "First off, I have already gathered sufficient intelligence. Next comes the process of administering the poison. Once Brother Chen has collected those materials, we can feed them into the target's body naturally in batches through different channels.

This poison doesn't cause immediate death upon initial ingestion, but it will still induce mild symptoms of dizziness and nausea. Therefore, we will make our move at the Paramount. The cover of alcohol will effectively mask the side effects of the poisoning, and alcohol will actually act as a catalyst for the poison, doubling its potency.

When the time comes, the personnel involved in administering the poison will leave in stages. After that, we will need Brother Chen to create a little commotion—both to provide cover and to divert the Japanese's attention, directing their gaze outward so that I can continue to lurk among them without arousing suspicion."

After listening to Zhou Hongyi outline the operation's procedures, Chen Gong nodded repeatedly and said, "Brother, why didn't I meet you sooner? Although your plan sounds rather complicated compared to just drawing our guns and going in guns blazing, it can quietly eliminate the target without alerting the enemy. Even the evacuation routes have been planned out in advance—truly leaving no trace behind.

Rest assured, everyone present here today is my sworn brother of life and death, and we all share the mission of killing the Japanese. Brothers, if a single word of what Young Master Zhou said today leaks out, every single one of us will die without a burial place, so watch your mouths. Leave the collection of materials to me. Everyone get ready recently, conserve your strength, and await Young Master Zhou's commands at any time!"

"Understood, Captain!"