sjar Chapter 363: Countdown to Life and Death, Operation to Rescue Overseas Chinese
Chapter 363: Countdown to Life and Death, Operation to Rescue Overseas Chinese
Chapter 363: Countdown to Life and Death, Operation to Rescue Overseas Chinese
Lei Tao looked at Xu Keming, and as their eyes met, a flash of determination flashed across his face. He knew that Xu Keming was right; the battle had only just begun. Suddenly, a thought flashed through Lei Tao's mind. He looked at Xu Keming and asked eagerly, "Captain Xu, are there any special public events happening in Chongqing today? Or are there any important people arriving?"
Xu Keming frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and then replied, "Today in Chongqing, a former actress from a Shanghai opera troupe teamed up with several female singers to hold a charity performance to raise funds for the soldiers on the front lines."
"A charity performance?" Lei Tao's heart tightened, and he asked, "Is that all? Is there anything else?"
Xu Keming slapped his forehead and said in frustration, "Look at my memory! A group of overseas Chinese from Southeast Asia are returning to China. Among them are drivers and weapons manufacturing engineers. They'll probably arrive in Chongqing today!"
Lei Tao's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, and he instantly realized that this might be the next target of Kazuya Uesugi and Haruki Kimura. With a serious expression, he said in a deep voice, "It seems that the enemy has already set their sights on these overseas Chinese. We must act immediately to protect their safety."
Xu Keming said: "This is a bit troublesome"
Lei Tao said to Xu Keming, "Brother Xu, I suggest strengthening security at all major transportation hubs in Chongqing, especially at the docks and train stations. We must not allow the enemy any opportunity to take advantage. In addition, we should arrange for agents to secretly protect the charity performance to prevent the enemy from taking advantage of the situation."
"Okay, I'll arrange it right away." Xu Keming nodded in agreement, turned around and hurried away with the agents of the Military Control Commission's action team.
When Lei Tao and Liu Zishan arrived at the charity performance, they saw that the place was already crowded and bustling. They hurriedly found the person in charge of on-site security, explained the situation, and asked for more security.
Meanwhile, Kazuya Uesugi and Haruki Kimura have infiltrated Chongqing, speeding through the streets on a motorcycle, looking for an opportunity to strike. Haruki Kimura contacts his accomplices in the city via radio and learns that the group of overseas Chinese have arrived in Chongqing and are on their way to the charity performance.
Kazuya Uesugi and Haruki Kimura waited anxiously in a dim alley, the air frozen. Kimura gripped his gun tightly, his palms sweaty, his eyes filled with anxiety. "We should have lured Lei Tao's gang away. Now's the perfect time to strike."
Kazuya Uesugi nodded sinisterly, a sly smile on his face. "That's right. We're the only ones in this alley right now, along with the overseas Chinese. We must ensure that our operation goes smoothly."
Finally, the convoy of overseas Chinese vehicles slowly entered the alley. The drivers, oblivious to the approaching danger, remained calm and focused on their driving. Suddenly, the tire of the first vehicle was punctured by a carefully placed caltrop. With a muffled "pop," the vehicle jerked, and the driver panicked and slammed on the brakes. The following vehicle, too close to the vehicle, nearly rear-ended it, forcing the entire convoy to a halt.
At that moment, Kazuya Uesugi and Haruki Kimura burst out of the shadows like wolves, MP35 submachine guns in hand, looking especially ferocious in the dim alley. Kazuya Uesugi roared in broken Chinese, "Get out of the car! Hurry!" Haruki Kimura responded by pointing his gun into the air and firing several times. The sharp gunshots echoed through the alley, startling everyone into a panic.
The overseas Chinese were terrified by this sudden turn of events, their faces pale and their bodies trembling. They stared at the two uninvited guests in horror, bewildered. Kazuya Uesugi and Haruki Kimura brandished their submachine guns and urged them on fiercely. The people in the convoy had no choice but to slowly disembark one by one, stumbling along, their eyes filled with fear and helplessness.
After everyone got off the bus, Kazuya Uesugi and Haruki Kimura sprang into action. They took out the thick ropes they had prepared and tied the Chinese expatriates back to back. Their movements were brutal, and the ropes dug deep into their wrists, leaving bloody marks. The Chinese expatriates groaned in pain, but could only endure it silently under the threat of gunfire.
After the tying up was complete, Shangshan Heye pulled booby traps and time bombs from his backpack, a sinister smile on his face. He first placed booby traps behind the overseas Chinese, under the wheels, and in the seats, ready to explode if anyone accidentally touched them. Then, he set the time bomb, adjusting the timing expertly while muttering to himself, "When Lei Tao and the others arrive, it will be time for you and these overseas Chinese to go to hell together."
Kimura Haruki stood by, vigilantly observing the surroundings to ensure nothing unexpected happened. He would turn back and urge, "Hurry up, don't dawdle. It would be troublesome if Lei Tao and the others arrived early."
Shangshan Heya hid the time bomb on a car in the middle of the convoy, clapped his hands, and stood up: "Okay, everything is done. Let's go!" The two of them quickly got on their motorcycles and disappeared at the end of the alley, leaving behind only the tied-up overseas Chinese and the bomb that could explode at any time. The danger was imminent.
Lei Tao, who had been keeping an eye on the movements of the overseas Chinese motorcade at the charity performance, suddenly received a message: the motorcade had entered the alleyway but had yet to emerge. With a foreboding feeling, he immediately rushed to the scene with his "Netherworld" team and the Military Control Commission's special forces.
"Oh no! The convoy might be in danger in the alley. We must get there immediately!" Lei Tao shouted, rushing out of the charity concert venue and heading towards the alley. Yi Guang, Chen Feiyang, Liu Zishan, and other members of the "Netherworld" team, as well as agents from the Military Control Commission's action team, quickly gathered and followed closely behind. Everyone looked solemn, knowing the situation was critical.
"Everyone speed up and make sure to get here before the enemy succeeds!" Lei Tao shouted as he ran, and everyone hurried towards the alley.
Lei Tao's mind raced through the possible scenarios, constantly reminding himself to remain calm. He knew the enemy was cunning and likely to set a trap, so he needed to act with extreme caution. "Once we reach the alley, everyone will split up. One group will rescue the overseas Chinese while carefully inspecting the bombs planted by the Japanese agents. The other group will follow me in pursuit of the enemy. Understand?" Lei Tao gave the order, and the team members nodded.
The crowd continued to move towards the alley.
When Lei Tao and his team arrived at the alley, they heard faint sounds of struggle. His heart sank, and he immediately quickened his pace and rushed into the alley. The scene before him made him gasp: the overseas Chinese were tightly tied together, their mouths gagged with rags, their faces full of fear, and the atmosphere around the convoy was filled with a dangerous atmosphere.
At this time, an overseas Chinese ordnance engineer wiped the cloth from his mouth and shouted, "Soldier, be careful! The Japanese spies have set up booby traps and time bombs nearby."
Lei Tao reacted immediately and shouted, "Everyone, disperse immediately and check the vehicles and surroundings for bombs and booby traps!"
The team members moved quickly, carefully searching around the convoy. Lei Tao quickly approached Huaqiao, pulled out the rag stuffed in his mouth, and anxiously asked, "Does anyone else know the exact location of the bomb?"
The overseas Chinese shook their heads, indicating they were unsure. Lei Tao nodded, turned, and shouted to his team, "Speed up! Find the bombs and booby traps!"
At this moment, team member Liu Zishan suddenly shouted: "Brother Lei, there is a bomb here!" He pointed to a car in the middle of the convoy, with part of a time bomb exposed under the car.
Lei Tao immediately ran over and saw the clock on the bomb ticking, time was running out. He calmly said to Zheng Fei, the military blasting expert, "Prepare to defuse the bomb. I'll assist you."
Zheng Fei nodded, quickly removed his backpack, retrieved his tools, and began dismantling the bomb. Lei Tao, on the other hand, stood by, gun in hand, vigilantly observing the surroundings to prevent an enemy attack.
At the same time, Lei Tao caught a glimpse of something flickering behind a Chinese expatriate. He looked closely and saw it was a booby trap. Lei Tao's heart suddenly sank. He knew that such booby traps were extremely sensitive and could detonate at the slightest mistake. He took a deep breath, suppressed his inner tension, and cautiously approached the Chinese expatriate.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here to save you. Don't move." Lei Tao gently comforted Huaqiao, his voice soft but reassuring. Huaqiao nodded slightly, his eyes filled with fear and trust.
Lei Tao crouched down, carefully examining the booby trap's structure. It was a trigger-activated booby trap, connected to a very thin wire. The other end of the wire was fixed to the overseas Chinese's clothing. The slightest movement by the overseas Chinese would trigger an explosion. Beads of sweat beaded on Lei Tao's forehead. He pulled a small pair of pliers from his pocket and gently approached the wire.
He aimed at the connection between the wire and the booby trap, gently clamped it, and then slowly applied force, trying to cut the wire. The wire was extremely tough, so Lei Tao didn't dare to use force rashly, so he could only test it little by little.
Finally, with a slight "click," the wire was successfully cut. Lei Tao's tense nerves finally relaxed. He gently patted Huaqiao's shoulder and said, "It's okay."
Other team members also searched carefully in the alley and discovered booby traps hidden under the wheels and in the seats. They carefully removed the booby traps to ensure safety.
After a tense bomb disposal operation, Zheng Cheng finally succeeded in removing the time bomb. Lei Tao breathed a sigh of relief and turned to the team members and said, "Now let's start rescuing the overseas Chinese!"
The team members quickly stepped forward, cut the ropes that bound the overseas Chinese with knives, and gently comforted the frightened people. Lei Tao continued to vigilantly observe the surroundings to ensure there were no other dangers.
After the overseas Chinese were rescued, Lei Tao immediately arranged for some of his team members to escort them out of the alley and to a safe place, while the other team members followed Lei Tao and prepared to pursue Uesugi Kazuya and Kimura Haruki.
"Everyone stay alert, the enemy may still be nearby." Lei Tao reminded, and the team members nodded to show that they understood.
Afterwards, Lei Tao led the "Youming" team members to chase in the direction where Kazuya Uesugi and Haruki Kimura fled, and a thrilling pursuit operation began.