Spy Wars: I am the Captain of the Military Police

Chapter 1035 I Choose to Stay in Nanjing

The chill, the biting chill, did not come from the hard, icy floor beneath me, but rather spread from the deepest part of my heart, instantly freezing my limbs and bones.

Inside the office, a Japanese-style charcoal brazier was burning brightly, and the warm air caused a layer of white mist to cover the window glass, creating a world completely different from the bleak winter outside.

But as Li Shouren knelt there, he felt a chill, even more biting than the cold wind of December, creeping up his spine and pinning him firmly to the spot.

Yusuke Ichijo's seemingly casual yet incredibly powerful "You choose for yourself!" was like a red-hot iron rod, not only burning his eardrums but also branding another humiliating mark onto his already wounded heart.

The wall clock ticked away, its sound so clear it was almost unsettling.

Going to Shanghai?

A path to survival, as Yusuke described it, that could "support" Widow Sun and her children.

Yes, leaving this dead city soaked in blood and tears might allow us to catch our breath, and perhaps temporarily relieve those dozen or so hungry mouths from the torment of hunger.

Before his death, Mr. Chen gave away all his wealth, placing those heavy gold bars into his hand. His cloudy yet resolute eyes looked at him, hoping that he would lead these innocent lives to find a true path to survival.

A piece of land where hope might be sown anew.

Should we stay in Nanjing?

To accept that cage called "protection" but in reality surveillance?

However, there was a faint, almost negligible reason for staying, yet it attracted him like a magnet: Xiao Juan.

His daughter, his deepest concern in this world.

Yusuke explicitly forbade him from seeing his daughter again, his tone resolute and leaving no room for argument.

Nanjing was neither a very big nor a very small city. For a commoner who had been "settled" into civilian life, the idea of ​​getting close to the daughter who had been "adopted" by a Japanese officer was nothing short of a pipe dream.

But... but... as long as we're still in this city, breathing the same air under the same sky, does that mean there's still a sliver of an almost impossible possibility at play?

Perhaps on some street corner, at some dusk, he might catch a glimpse of his daughter's grown-up figure from afar, secretly?

Even if it's just a blurry silhouette, even if it's just a familiar laugh carried on the wind... This thought, like a firefly in endless darkness, faint and fleeting, yet exuding a fatal allure, illuminated the deepest desire in his heart.

Supporting this longing was an even deeper, more unspoken expectation: the return of his wife, Xiu'e.

Although the hope was as slim as searching for a needle in a haystack, a corner of his heart stubbornly believed that Xiu'e was still alive.

She is so strong and intelligent; she must have survived under those ruins and is struggling to reach "home" after going through countless hardships.

If, just if, she really does come back, back to this land soaked in blood and tears, yet still "home," at least there's still a fragmented hope waiting for her here.

If he were to take the children and leave for faraway Shanghai, cut off from all communication, when Xiu'e returned, she would be faced with a truly deserted place, where even the faintest hope would be completely extinguished. He had experienced that feeling before, unlike Xiu'e.

Yusuke Ichijo sat leisurely behind the large desk, his fingers gently turning the pages of documents on the table, making a soft rustling sound.

He seemed to give Li Shouren ample time to think, and his demeanor could even be described as "composed".

But Li Shouren knew that this silence itself was the most intense torment, and behind this "composure" lay a cat-and-mouse game of teasing and absolute control.

Time ticked by, each second feeling like a dull knife cutting into his nerves.

He struggled violently, the voice of reason roaring in his ears: "Leave! Go to Shanghai! This is the only relatively 'safe' option that can ensure the survival of Widow Sun and the children! What do personal feelings and dignity matter for the lives of those dozen or so children?"

However, his emotions, like countless tenacious vines, grew from every inch of Nanjing, tightly binding his feet and his heart, binding him firmly to this land of despair.

That faint phantom of "home," that humble, dust-like expectation of a possible future reunion, possessed such immense power that it gradually overwhelmed the assessment of one's own absolute safety, and even surpassed the fear of greater risks.

The veins on his forehead bulged, his teeth were clenched so tightly they were grinding, and a whimpering sound came from his throat like that of a trapped beast.

Finally, as if he had used up all the strength he had in his life, he slowly raised his head, which felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

When his gaze met Yusuke's cold, scrutinizing eyes, he involuntarily shrank back, but ultimately went to meet his gaze.

His lips were cracked and parched; after several attempts, a hoarse, broken voice finally escaped from deep within his throat, each word sounding as if coated with blood and foam, painstakingly peeled from a crushed soul:

"T-Sir...I...I choose to stay in Nanjing."

The moment he finished speaking, he felt as if his spine had been removed, and he collapsed completely onto the floor.

His chest heaved violently as he gasped for breath, as if he had just gone through a life-threatening struggle.

Sweat soaked through the cotton-padded jacket on my back, bringing waves of icy coldness and exhaustion.

The choice has been made, the price unknown, and the road ahead is shrouded in a thick, impenetrable fog. He has already personally pushed himself into this fog.

Yusuke Ichijo raised his eyelids, his cold gaze sweeping over Li Shouren, who was lying on the ground, like a scalpel. A knowing, mocking sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.

This choice was entirely within his expectations.

These Chinese people, especially those like Li Shouren who still retain ridiculous "family values," are easily bound by such weak emotions.

Staying in Nanjing, on the surface, meant being closer to his daughter, but in reality, it suited his wishes perfectly.

With his activity range restricted, he could be more easily monitored. He had countless methods to completely and cleanly sever any possible connection between Li Shouren and Xiao Juan.

Furthermore, Yusuke Ichijo had already planned it out. He was just waiting for Koyasu's injuries to improve slightly so that she could withstand the long journey. He would immediately send his most trusted confidant to secretly send her to Tianjin and present her to Miss Takasaki Keiko.

By then, they will be worlds apart. Whether Li Shouren is dead or alive, insane or foolish, he will have no further connection with Xiao Juan, whom he "gave new life" to.

Nanjing will be a prison from which Li Shouren can never escape, and an eternal execution ground where he will miss his daughter.

"Yoshi! Very good." Yusuke Ichijo uttered two words indifferently, his tone completely calm, as if he had only dealt with a trivial matter.