178: Chapter 178 All the spies were stunned!

"The black widow... Miss Yu Manli!"

The voice was not loud, but it exploded in Yu Manli's ears like a clap of thunder!

She jerked her head up, her tear-filled eyes full of unbelievable shock!

He... he even knew this?

If the exposure of her "Alias" identity could be explained as a slip-up in some link...

Then her real name, "Yu Manli," especially her common identity as a secret agent for the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, was a top-secret matter!

Even within the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, very few people knew her real name and could match it to the "black widow" code name!

It turned out... this man had known everything from the very beginning!

He knew her name, he knew her code name, and he might even know her mission...

She was like a clumsy actor, performing a script that had already been seen through right in front of him.

All her previous persistence, disguises, and techniques had become a complete joke.

In an instant, Yu Manli's emotions became incredibly complex.

There was the shame and powerlessness of being completely seen through, the despair over the mission's failure, the fear of her uncertain fate, and even...

It was mixed with a sliver of awe for this mysterious man's unfathomable methods and an indescribable flutter that she herself was unwilling to admit.

She lowered her head and remained silent for a full ten seconds, seemingly digesting this fact and undergoing a final psychological struggle.

Finally, she sighed as if resigned to her fate.

When she looked up again, although there were still tears in her eyes, her emotions had calmed down a lot, leaving only a sense of frankness from hitting rock bottom and deep exhaustion.

"Since the gentleman knows everything... then Manli has nothing left to hide."

Her voice was hoarse from crying, but her words were clear.

"However, before I confess, Manli... has a small request."

She looked at the thin prison clothes she was wearing, which were slightly messy from her earlier struggle, and an unnatural blush appeared on her pale face.

"Can I... let me put my clothes on properly first? And this rope... it's too tight, and... it's not very convenient..."

Shen Wang raised his eyebrows upon hearing this.

He did not answer immediately, but slowly stood up and walked to the side, a half-smile appearing on his face.

"Clothes? Rope?"

He slowly paced back to Yu Manli and looked down at her.

"Miss Yu, we are conducting a serious interrogation right now. Do you think... now is the time to discuss clothing comfort and binding methods?"

He leaned down, getting closer, his voice lowering with a hint of danger:

"Or does Miss Yu want me to 'carefully' 'check' you again to see if there are any other... 'little secrets' hidden on your body?"

"No, no, no!!"

Yu Manli's face instantly paled, her forced composure vanishing completely. She recoiled reflexively, her voice carrying a sob.

"I'll talk! I'll confess everything! The rope is... fine! Very convenient!"

She was completely terrified by Shen Wang's unpredictable interrogation methods and dared not mention any more improper requests.

Shen Wang smiled with satisfaction and sat back in his chair. "Very good. He who recognizes the circumstances is a wise man!"

"Then, Miss Yu Manli, please begin!"

"Everything from your mission, superiors, contact methods, known accomplices or subordinates, to the other latent networks of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics in Southeast Shanxi and even North China—confess everything in detail."

Over the next half hour or so, Yu Manli poured out everything she knew like beans from a bamboo tube.

This included the death order personally issued by Boss Dai to "approach Shen Wang at all costs," the specific details of the "black widow" plan, several backup contact points and sleeper agents she knew of in Southeast Shanxi, as well as her personal training background and skills.

Shen Wang listened quietly, occasionally asking about one or two details.

After the confession, Yu Manli seemed to have been drained of all her strength, her eyes empty.

...

Half an hour later.

Shen Wang stood up, walked to the water basin in the corner of the cell, slowly washed his hands, and dried his fingers with a clean cloth.

Then he walked to the door and instructed the female guard waiting outside, "Untie her, change her into clean and comfortable prison clothes, and set her meals according to the medium standard."

"Without my order, no one is allowed to interrogate or contact her!"

"Yes!"

However, just as Shen Wang was about to step out of the cell, a weak voice suddenly came from behind him:

"Who... who are you exactly?"

Shen Wang smiled slightly.

"Didn't you come here for me? And yet you're asking who I am?"

Boom!

Yu Manli's mind went blank.

It was him!

It really was him!

That... Mr. Shen!

...

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had gone by.

For the Southeast Shanxi base, these two weeks were a time of bold and decisive action.

But for the spies from all sides lurking here, it was a nightmare.

Relying on his bug-like "Mini-map" skill, Shen Wang started from City Name and drove his "Mengshi" command vehicle under the tight protection of the Flying Tiger Regiment, beginning a "touring sweep" of all major towns in Southeast Shanxi.

One city a day, sometimes even two!

The efficiency was jaw-dropping.

Moreover, his itinerary followed no pattern at all; today he might be in Ling County in the east, tomorrow he might appear in Jincheng in the south, and the day after he would circle back to Hu County in the west.

Every time he arrived at a location, he didn't communicate much with the local garrison or organization. He simply held the "highest anti-espionage authority" warrant specially approved by Headquarters and the Brigade Commander, then commanded the Flying Tiger Regiment to conduct area blockades and mobile deployments under the guise of training or exercises.

Then came the "roll-call" style arrests that were precise to a terrifying degree.

"The third house in Yangliu Alley in the west of the city, Old Wang who sells flatbreads—arrest him!"

"The grocery store owner next to the county magistrate's office and his 'nephew'—arrest them!"

"The new female music teacher at Nanguan Primary School—arrest her!"

"The engineer in the Beishan Mining Area who is said to understand machinery—arrest him!"

"The accountant at the largest cloth shop in the East Market—arrest him!"

...

One by one, these seemingly ordinary and even inconspicuous identities were exposed under Shen Wang's "Fiery Eyes."

Radios, codebooks, invisible ink, weapons, gold and silver, intelligence summaries... they were often caught red-handed with ironclad evidence.

Multiple intelligence networks and action groups meticulously arranged by the North China Tokkō to remain latent for a long time and execute "hibernation" orders...

The hidden moles planted by No. 76 in the early years, attempting to take root within the new regime...

Several secret lines painstakingly arranged by the Mountain City Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, responsible for observation, instigation, and sabotage...

There were even spies left behind by local warlords trying to fish in troubled waters...

No matter how deep their background, how clever their disguise, or how long they had been lurking, they all failed before Shen Wang!

Half a month passed in a flash!

However, the results achieved over these two weeks completely shocked the entire high command of the Eighth Route Army...