Removing the disguise, Little Henry instantly looked more than ten years younger, and his appearance was impressive: tall, with bright eyes, sharply defined facial features, and a high, straight nose. When he walked, his steps were light, his upper body steady and composed. He appeared to walk slowly, but in fact moved quickly, all the while using his peripheral vision to vigilantly observe his surroundings.

Turning right, then right again, then left through the alleyways, he returned to Gordon Road from another lane. As he walked, his hands didn’t stop moving—he took something from his pocket and popped it into his mouth, then put on a wig. In addition, he changed his black clothes for a white undershirt.

When Little Henry appeared again, his face was altered by a dental brace, and with the change in hairstyle, he looked like a completely different person.

Walking north along Gordon Road, he turned right onto Fengxian Road. Near the Nanhui Road intersection, he could see the brightly lit neon sign of the Metropolis Dance Hall.

Little Henry didn’t go in immediately. Instead, he crossed to the opposite side of the Metropolis Dance Hall, turned onto Nanhui Road, and then walked from Nanhui Road to Jing’an Temple Road. Circling once more around Jing’an Temple Road, Gordon Road, Fengxian Road, and Nanhui Road, he made sure he wasn’t being tailed. Only then did he buy a dance ticket at the entrance and walk slowly into the dance hall.

Although he had made a detour, Little Henry felt exceptionally calm as he entered the dance hall. As long as he remained vigilant and composed, even the most dangerous places could become safe.

The dance hall was crowded. As soon as he pushed open the door, he heard a pleasant singing voice. A scantily clad woman was singing on stage:

“Searching for a soulmate at the ends of the earth and the sea,

Little sister sings while the gentleman plays the zither,

Gentleman, our hearts are as one,

Love, oh love, gentleman, our hearts are as one…”

The young man didn’t enter the dance floor. He walked through the corridor toward the seating area opposite and quickly spotted his target. But he didn’t approach immediately. Instead, he made a circuit to check that the back exit of the dance hall was clear, then sat in a corner nearby, quietly observing the other guests. Only after confirming there was nothing unusual did he move over.

Seated was a man in his thirties, with short hair and a slightly plump build. He was intently watching the singer on stage. When he saw the young man sit down and turned to look at him, he almost didn’t recognize him.

The young man flashed a toothy smile, and the short-haired man suddenly understood. He leaned in and whispered in the other’s ear, “Henry, did you succeed?”

His name was Howard Grant, head of the Second New Unit, directly under the Shanghai District of the Military Statistics Bureau. Tonight’s operation at Shuanglong Lane on Jinshenfu Road was carried out by the Second New Unit, and he had assigned the task to Henry Clark, who had just arrived in Shanghai.

Henry Clark placed a wallet on the table and pushed it in front of Howard Grant, saying softly, “With you strategizing behind the scenes, how could I possibly fail?”

A self-satisfied smile appeared on Howard Grant’s face. Although he had only provided Cao Bingsheng’s address and left the rest to Henry Clark to handle alone, everyone likes to hear flattery.

The weight in Howard Grant’s heart was lifted, and he casually asked, “Did you plant the item?”

Henry Clark had suggested planting a secret writing book on Cao Bingsheng to confuse the enemy and mislead the judgment of No. 76. Howard Grant hadn’t paid much attention; as long as Cao Bingsheng was dead, the mission was accomplished.

Henry Clark nodded and said no more. For him, meeting in a place like this was already extremely risky. Even with his new disguise, he dared not let his guard down.

Howard Grant smiled and said, “Sit down and have a drink, I have something to discuss with you.”

After glancing around, Henry Clark whispered, “It’s too noisy here. How about we go somewhere else?”

Since becoming a special agent, Henry Clark had always believed in one saying: caution is the parent of safety.

Having chosen this line of work, he had to be forever vigilant. Only by being more meticulous, more cautious, and more thorough in planning than others could he survive longer.

With so many people and prying eyes in the dance hall, who knew what might happen?

Howard Grant had assigned him the task three days ago, but Henry Clark spent two and a half days designing the operation plan and escape route.

From Shuanglong Lane, Cao Bingsheng’s place, to Jinshenfu Road, it was 362 steps on foot—he had measured it twice. From firing the shot to getting into a car and leaving, it would take at most three and a half minutes—he had rehearsed it in his mind more than ten times.

If there were no taxis, he would take a rickshaw, following an alternate route. If someone tried to entangle him, how would he handle it? If he ran into patrolmen, how would he escape? For every possible accident, he had a backup plan.

To assassinate Cao Bingsheng, most people would fire a single shot, but he fired twice. He had scored the bullets with a file, and by aiming at the heart, the damage would be devastating. Even so, he still felt it necessary to fire two shots.

As for the terrain around Jinshenfu Road, he knew it like the back of his hand. He had even scouted this meeting place over the past two nights. He already knew there was a back door, but he always made sure it was clear each time.

Since arriving in Shanghai, if Henry Clark had no assignments, he did only one thing: familiarize himself with the terrain.

This familiarity didn’t come from maps, but from walking the routes himself. Sometimes, knowing one more alley could save his life in the future.

Howard Grant said dismissively, “Relax, this place is perfectly safe.”

Henry Clark sighed inwardly. Howard Grant was his superior, and any more persuasion would be inappropriate. So, Henry Clark said little more. After all, walls have ears—how much more so in a dance hall?