Chapter 55: Exaggeration

The Japanese squad leader’s eyes gleamed with cruelty as he growled in a coarse voice, “How many… anti-Japanese elements are there? Where did they run off to?”

Li Haibo quickly raised his trembling hand, pointing eastward. “Three men and one woman—they fled east on bicycles!”

Without hesitation, the Japanese squad leader waved his hand and shouted loudly, “Kill them as a warning!”

A pack of Japanese soldiers surged eastward like ravenous wolves.

“Hey—don’t all run off! Leave a few to take me to the hospital!”

“Damn those little devils… come back here, damn it!” Li Haibo cursed furiously, watching their receding backs.

At that moment, Ma Quanyi was pulling a rickshaw with all his might, racing westward with Bai Jie seated inside.

Panting, he said, “Bai Jie, what’s wrong with you? We’ve been neighbors for decades—how could you attack Brother Bo?”

Bai Jie had long been a tear-streaked mess, sobbing as she replied, “I didn’t know! I thought he’d become a Japanese policeman, a traitor, so I attacked him!”

Ma Quanyi scolded, “Why are you so stubborn? Many become policemen just to make a living—it’s not the same as being a hardcore traitor. Besides, Brother Bo… ah! This time he really suffered unjustly!”

Bai Jie lifted her tear-stained face and asked in a trembling voice, “Brother Ma! Do you think Li Haibo will die from the stab wound I gave him?”

Catching his breath, Ma Quanyi reassured her, “Don’t worry! Your stab probably won’t be fatal.”

…

Li Haibo was soon discovered by patrolling officers and rushed to the nearest Mary Hospital.

Inside, doctors and nurses worked tensely around him, performing emergency surgery.

Thanks to the thick winter clothing, the impact of the screwdriver was somewhat cushioned. Moreover, Bai Jie had cruelly sharpened the screwdriver’s tip into a blade; otherwise, the wound would have been shallower.

At the critical moment, Li Haibo instinctively dodged, avoiding vital areas, which made the treatment relatively straightforward. After just twenty minutes, the surgery was declared complete.

The doctors breathed a collective sigh of relief, bandaged his wound, and settled him in a ward to rest.

Not long after, several senior officers from the Zhabei Police Precinct arrived hurriedly upon hearing the shocking news.

In the disinfectant-scented hospital corridor, leading the group beside the hospital director was Police Chief Wang Fugui.

Not far behind them stood the deputy chief, Jin Ye, head of the Green Gang, whose eyes occasionally flickered with inscrutable light.

Chief Wang walked steadily into the ward and immediately saw Li Haibo lying on the bed. A trace of concern appeared on his face as he asked, “Uh… brother, what’s your name?”

Li Haibo quickly gathered himself and answered, “Reporting, Chief—I am Li Haibo.”

“Brother Li, how bad are your injuries?” Wang bent slightly, scrutinizing the bandaged area.

“It’s nothing serious! The doctor says I can be discharged tomorrow to recuperate at home!”

Wang frowned slightly and glanced sideways at the director, his eyes conveying a hint of skepticism. “Hmm… your injuries are quite serious, aren’t they, Director?”

The director was momentarily taken aback but quickly recovered, bowing and saying, “Ah! Oh! Yes, yes. He’s severely injured—he’ll need at least five more days… no, ten days in hospital.”

“Did you hear that, Brother Li? You’re badly hurt!” Wang turned back and spoke earnestly.

“Oh! Yes, yes! I’m seriously injured! I’ll stay in the hospital!” Li Haibo, understanding the implication, hurriedly changed his tone.

“Now, how did you get hurt, Brother Li?” Wang pulled over a chair and sat by the bedside, continuing to inquire.

“I—I don’t know! On my way home, I saw a crowd gathered in a small alley. I thought there might be some commotion worth watching, so I went to check it out. Before I got close, I was attacked!”

Wang smiled slightly, paused, then pointed at the screwdriver on the tray that the doctors had just removed. “Ah, what’s this?”

“A screwdriver,” Li Haibo replied honestly.

Wang’s expression instantly turned grave as he addressed the others loudly: “Yes, but this is no ordinary screwdriver! This is the murder weapon used by the elite Military Intelligence assassin known as ‘Screwdriver,’ who has committed several heinous killings!”

Everyone’s faces turned pale in alarm, murmuring, “The Military Intelligence elite assassin ‘Screwdriver’?”

“That’s right! Intelligence obtained by the Imperial Army confirms that a ruthless assassin from Military Intelligence is lurking in Shanghai. The Military Police and High Police have temporarily dubbed him ‘Screwdriver.’

“This man is extraordinarily brutal—whenever he strikes, bloodshed follows, leaving no survivors. He has orchestrated several horrifying murders in Shanghai. The victims all suffered fatal blows to vital areas with a screwdriver, dying gruesome deaths. These incidents have caused public uproar, spreading fear and panic among innocent civilians.

“The Imperial Army is enraged and, to uphold order and protect innocent lives in Shanghai, has placed ‘Screwdriver’ as a top wanted target, vowing to capture him.”

Wang then fixed his smiling gaze on Li Haibo and asked, “So, how did you get hurt?”

Li Haibo thought to himself: Liu Fatty and those little devils really are in cahoots—both code names assigned on the spot, yet exactly the same!

Hearing Wang’s question, Li Haibo caught the hint and answered loudly, “Oh! I understand now!

“While on patrol duty, I noticed a suspicious group lurking in an alley, acting furtively. Fulfilling my duty, I approached to investigate and unexpectedly stumbled upon a secret meeting of Military Intelligence agents preparing another attack to disrupt social order and massacre innocent people.”

“Exactly!” Wang approved.

“Though alone, I fought desperately against the Military Intelligence operatives. Unfortunately, outnumbered, I was ambushed by the assassin ‘Screwdriver’ and injured.”

Wang nodded with satisfaction and continued, “Good.

“When the Japanese authorities come to question you later, will you know how to respond?”

Li Haibo promptly replied, “I know, I know!

“At the Zhabei Police Precinct, under Chief Wang’s wise leadership, all colleagues see combating anti-Japanese elements, supporting the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, and maintaining local order as sacred duties, remaining constantly vigilant.

“This time, we successfully foiled the Military Intelligence agents’ meeting, dealing a heavy blow to their arrogance.

“We want them to understand that here in Zhabei, they are like rats hiding in the sewers—devoid of light or hope, doomed to tremble forever in the shadows!”