The Spy

Chapter 102 He Lied
After asking the three people a few simple questions, Xu Qingyun let them go back.

"Fang Laibao, go and invite Lu Dawang's classmates in Hangzhou."

Xu Qingyun gave the list to Fang Laibao and asked him to call people.

Lu Dawang usually interacted the most with these classmates. After Lu Dawang's death, everyone had to be investigated. Now there were suspicious footprints, and everyone's footprints had to be compared.

First it was the people close to Lu Dawang, then their team, their group, and even the entire intelligence department.

"Yes."

Fang Laibao left again, and Yan Ming came back earlier.

"Team leader, I asked someone. Lu Dawang is an introvert. He is not familiar with other people except his teammates and classmates. Last time, he was having dinner with Gong Zhaolin, a classmate in the same group, and he asked about the case by accident."

"During the internal investigation, Gong Zhaolin explained this situation, but Lu Dawang did not say anything. It was discovered by Team Leader Hou during the mutual investigation."

Xu Zhanjie got angry. The three team leaders no longer dared to let their captains investigate, so they asked the matter in person.

Hou Yishan knew what his team members had said. He personally asked everyone in Group 3, and when he asked Lu Dawang, he discovered what he had concealed.

Under normal circumstances, hiding something is nothing, but in the intelligence department, especially during such a sensitive period, any concealment will arouse suspicion.

From the current perspective, Lu Dawang does have big problems, but his identity remains in doubt.

It is not clear whether he was instigated or used by Japanese spies.

"He seldom goes out, and no one at the headquarters knows what connections he has outside. Also, Lu Dawang's family is not well off, and he is very frugal. He saves his salary every time and sends it home, keeping only a little for himself. He has younger brothers and sisters at home, and he wants them to go to school and have a good future."

Yan Ming continued, this is another important clue.

"What about his family?"

"I just got a brief understanding. His house is not far away. If possible, I will go and check it out."

Yan Ming replied that Lu Dawang’s hometown was in Wuxing County, which was indeed not far from Nanjing.

Wuxing County was the name at that time. It was renamed in later generations and became famous throughout the country because of the loss of Taihu Lake.

"Okay, leave early and come back early."

After thinking about it, Xu Qingyun nodded. It was indeed necessary to know about Lu Dawang’s home. He didn’t have any extra manpower now, so Yan Ming was very suitable to go.

He is best at finding out about various situations.

Not long after Yan Ming left, Fang Laibao brought four people into the office.

They are Lu Dawang's classmates. From ancient times to the present, classmates have always been a large group. Even in later generations, the relationship between classmates is still very important.

"Group Leader Xu."

The four of them were all ordinary team members, and they greeted each other respectfully.

The team leader is already a big shot to them, but as for the section chief and director, they rarely see them.

"Come and sit."

Xu Qingyun smiled and said, just like before, he would wait until they passed by before asking any questions.

The four people had basically the same evaluation of Lu Dawang. Lu Dawang grew up in a poor family, and his parents gritted their teeth to support him through elementary school. At that time, studying was not free and the cost was not low.

It is not easy to let him go to school for a few years.

The conditions were too harsh, so Lu Dawang usually lived frugally. According to his classmates, the reason why he was willing to join the Military Intelligence Department was that he could learn things and secondly, he would be provided with food and accommodation during his studies and would receive an allowance.

He wanted to earn money as soon as possible so that his younger brothers and sisters could continue their studies and not have to give up halfway like he did.

Poverty made him feel a little inferior, so he was introverted, but his performance in school was not bad. Lu Dawang had the worst cultural foundation in their class, but his grades were always among the best, and he was eventually assigned to the headquarters.

He was very happy when he was assigned to the headquarters because the salary was high and it would allow him to earn more money.

A child who rose from a poor family did not initially understand what kind of unit the Military Intelligence Department was. By the time he found out, it was already too late. He could get in but could not get out.

Lu Dawang has been poor since childhood, and he longs to get more money to change his destiny.

There is a possibility that he might be turned against the government by the Japanese.

After Xu Qingyun understood the situation, he sent the four people out. After Fang Laibao sent them away, he ran over to help him pour water.

Xu Qingyun was thinking quietly.

According to what several people said just now, Lu Dawang would not buy sesame cakes and pork head to eat by himself.

He tries to save money as much as possible. He usually doesn't go out to eat, but always eats in the cafeteria unless someone treats him to a meal.

Because of this, he left the impression of being stingy among his classmates when he was in Hangzhou.

No matter how cheap pig head is, it still costs money.

It seems that the source of the poison comes from someone he knows. Who could it be?

He had already seen the footprints of Lu Dawang's four classmates, and the one under the bed was not there, so he could temporarily rule out the possibility that they had ever hidden in Lu Dawang's room.

After thinking for a long time, Xu Qingyun opened his eyes.

This case is indeed not that simple. The most important clue at the moment is the footprints under the bed, and finding the owner of the footprints is the first priority.

Secondly, investigate Lu Dawang’s financial situation to see whether the money he gave to his family was normal income.

As for other clues, please wait for now, there is no rush.

Xu Zhanjie did not give him a time limit to solve the case, but this case should not be delayed too long. The traitor has the greatest impact on morale. If the traitor cannot be found, many people will suspect the people around them, fearing that they have accidentally said something they shouldn't to the traitor.

The team member who leaked information to Lu Dawang has already been punished.

He is still in jail.

A total of six people including Lu Dawang were assigned to the headquarters, but Fang Laibao only brought four of them.

Xu Qingyun stood up, and Fang Laibao, who was sitting next to him, quickly stood up.

"Let's go to the cell."

Xu Qingyun said softly that among the six people, not one could be missed. It was not easy to take people out from the prison, so he would go and check it out himself.

The headquarters prison is much cleaner than the one at Tianjin Station and is larger in size.

The security inside was even tighter. There were not many people imprisoned at this time, only a few. Xu Qingyun was stopped when he arrived at the door.

No one knew him, let alone his identity.

I called Xu Zhanjie and they let him in.

As soon as Xu Qingyun entered, people outside started talking.

They didn't know Xu Qingyun, but they had heard a lot about Tianjin and had heard of Xu Qingyun's name. Today was the first time they saw him in person.

"Gong Zhaolin."

The jailer took Xu Qingyun and the other person inside, while Fang Laibao looked around curiously. The environment was indeed better than that in Tianjin. If he stayed in Tianjin, unless he had great luck in the future, he would not even have the chance to be transferred to the interrogation department of the headquarters.

How could it be like now, entering the most important intelligence department of the headquarters.

There was only one person in the cell, and he raised his head to look outside.

"Team Leader Xu, please ask. I'm leaving first."

The jailer opened the cell door and said with a smile that they had received orders that Xu Qingyun would come in to question Gong Zhaolin and he must cooperate.

Gong Zhaolin is not a criminal, he is being punished for his mistakes. Sooner or later he will be released, so the control over him is not that strict.

If it weren't for his unintentional leak of the secret that led to the failure of the operation, the punishment he would have received would have been solitary confinement at most, rather than being thrown into prison and awaiting punishment.

"you are?"

Gong Zhaolin looked at Xu Qingyun in confusion. The jailer was talking about Team Leader Xu. There were many team leaders in the Military Intelligence Department, and he knew most of them, but he had never seen this young man.

Xu Qingyun walked in and smiled: "My name is Xu Qingyun, the new leader of Intelligence Group 4."

"It's you."

Gong Zhaolin's eyes tightened. Everyone in the Intelligence Department knew this name. The chief went to Tianjin, accepted a favorite disciple, and then went on a killing spree in Tianjin, capturing dozens of Japanese spies and traitors.

Unexpectedly, Xu Qingyun suddenly appeared in Nanjing and became the leader of Intelligence Group 4.

He didn't know when Group 4 was established, and he had been locked up for several days.

"Let's sit down and talk."

The conditions in the cell were simple, there was no chair, Xu Qingyun did not mind the dirt on the floor, he sat cross-legged. There was a layer of straw on the floor, so it was not too hard to sit on.

"Team Leader Xu, did the Section Chief ask you to take charge of the Lu Dawang case?"

Gong Zhaolin sat cross-legged like Xu Qingyun, revealing the soles of his shoes. He was very smart and guessed the purpose of Xu Qingyun's visit.

Gong Zhaolin is not a criminal, he is imprisoned here as a punishment. He can bring in his clothes and shoes, and has something to change into.

Xu Qingyun looked at the soles of his feet and his eyes narrowed slightly.

The shoes he was wearing were not the same pair as the ones in the footprints under the bed, but they were the same size and specifications.

The footprints on the wall are different from those on the ground. Because of the force applied, the range of height and body shape estimation is wider. Xu Qingyun needs to see his footprints for comparison in order to make the most accurate judgment.

"That's right. I'll ask you a few questions, and you just need to answer them truthfully."

Xu Qingyun nodded slightly and asked questions calmly. Gong Zhaolin answered all of them. He said that he was deceived by Lu Dawang. He was drunk at the time and blurted out the words without realizing it.

"You two are having dinner together, who's paying?"

Gong Zhaolin was stunned for a moment, then immediately said, "Lu Dawang invited me."

"Where did you eat, what did you order, what did you drink, and how much did you pay?"

Xu Qingyun continued to ask. Gong Zhaolin didn't expect that he would ask so many detailed questions and was a little hesitant.

"I went to the Heji Restaurant next to the dormitory. I ordered half a pound of pork head and half a plate of peanuts, and drank Huadiao wine. The total cost was eighty cents."

Xu Qingyun had been watching him and noticed his hesitation.

Not to mention Xu Qingyun, even Fang Laibao noticed that something was wrong with him and immediately became alert.

"How did he pay?"

"Copper coins." Gong Zhaolin replied immediately.

"How much is the copper coin?"

"One is fifty coins, three are ten coins."

"Thank you for your cooperation. I'll ask you again if there's anything else."

Xu Qingyun stood up, and Fang Laibao called the jailer to lock the cell door again.

After leaving the prison, Fang Laibao immediately whispered, "Team Leader, there's something wrong with him."

"Tell me about his problem?"

Xu Qingyun glanced at him and found that Gong Zhaolin did have a lot of problems.

Fang Laibao immediately replied: "First, Lu Dawang is stingy and never willing to spend money recklessly, so why would he invite him to drink?"

"Second, when you asked him where he had his meal, he was a little slow, but when you asked him how he paid, he was able to explain it clearly, so I suspect that he paid the money and tricked Lu Dawang into telling you something."

Xu Qingyun nodded: "You are right, then why did he explain the situation during the self-examination, but Lu Dawang didn't say anything?"

"I don't know about this."

Fang Laibao was stunned. The team leader's question was very crucial. If Gong Zhaolin was a traitor, he would not take the initiative to explain these situations.

Lu Dawang didn't say it, but he did, which was equivalent to confessing himself.

"Go to Ho Kee Restaurant."

Xu Qingyun did not continue asking. At present, there are many suspicious points in the case, but Gong Zhaolin is indeed a major suspect.

Xu Qingyun would not easily sentence someone to death before finding out the facts or having a complete chain of evidence.

Cases must not be handled based on personal subjectivity, otherwise it is easy for unjust and wrongful convictions to occur.

What he wants is evidence and facts.

Yan Ming was not at home, so Fang Laibao drove and soon arrived at He's Restaurant.

They came out soon after.

"Team leader, do you want to interrogate Gong Zhaolin?"

Gong Zhaolin lied. He and Lu Dawang did have dinner here that day. The restaurant had an account book that recorded the dishes ordered by each table of guests.

The food matched, the amount matched, but it was not Lu Dawang who paid, but him.

This is an old store. The owner is the shopkeeper, who is in his fifties. He has been doing business here for more than 20 years and has met all kinds of people.

These shopkeepers actually remember people.

After showing the photos of the two people to the shopkeeper, he immediately said that it was Gong Zhaolin who paid the bill and provided another situation.

When Gong Zhaolin was paying the bill, he complained that Lu Dawang was stingy, saying that he had promised to treat him to a drink, but in the end he didn't bring any money.

Gong Zhaolin wanted Lu Dawang to keep the accounts, but the shopkeeper didn't agree because he didn't know him.

The restaurant does keep accounts, but they are all for regular customers.

With the shopkeeper's testimony, it can be confirmed that Gong Zhaolin lied.

"Go back first."

Xu Qingyun neither agreed nor refused. He was thinking and making inferences.

The shopkeeper confirmed that it was indeed Lu Dawang who wanted to treat Gong Zhaolin to a meal, but he forgot to bring money and asked Gong Zhaolin to pay the bill first.

This situation is not a big deal, why did Gong Zhaolin hide it?

Xu Qingyun couldn't figure out the reason for the time being, but he was not in a hurry because Gong Zhaolin was there and could bring the person in for interrogation at any time and get the truth.

Back in the office, Xu Qingyun picked up the photo again and looked at the footprints on the wall under the bed.

The footprints have not been verified yet.

"Go and get all of Gong Zhaolin's shoes, including those from his home and his cell."

Xu Qingyun gave instructions to Fang Laibao, who immediately ran out. After verifying the shoe prints, he could report to the section chief.

Although it was not confirmed, Xu Qingyun was 70% sure that the footprints under the bed were from Gong Zhaolin.

He has seen so many footprints and is very experienced that he can even tell the difference between different shoes.

Now it's just confirmation.

Fang Laibao came back soon and brought three pairs of shoes in total, one pair for the cell and two pairs for the dormitory.

Seeing one of the pairs, Xu Qingyun shook his head slightly.

It's these shoes.

Fang Laibao picked up the photo, faced the shoe print, and raised his head after a while.

"Team leader, is he the one hiding under the bed?"

He didn't know how to read footprints, but the prints and the shoes matched perfectly. Not only him, anyone holding the shoes and the photo could tell the difference.

"It's him."

Xu Qingyun nodded, and Fang Laibao didn't say anything. He didn't expect the team leader to find the person so quickly.

He is worthy of being the one who took the initiative to join him.

"Go to the post office now and check Lu Dawang's remittance records."

"Yes, Captain, I'll go right away."

Fang Laibao took the order and left, while Xu Qingyun stood up.

It has been confirmed that the shoe prints belong to Gong Zhaolin. Although there are still some things I haven't figured out, it's time to report.

Xu Zhanjie had instructed that any progress should be reported to him promptly.

Xu Qingyun would not act on his own initiative and conceal the investigation.

"Yes, team leader."

Fang Laibao returned to his office. He was the only one in the empty office, but he didn't feel uncomfortable at all.

The third update, extra update, will continue with three updates tomorrow.

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(End of this chapter)