The Spy

Chapter 219 One-year mission

Fang Laibao and He Rongtang were not there.

For such a big case, they personally led people out to investigate, but Xu Qingyun had someone call them back.

"This intelligence is only for you to see. It must not be leaked. Based on the content of the intelligence, investigate all those who know about it, including but not limited to those who only know part of the deployment."

Xu Qingyun had reminded them before, and the two of them sat together and carefully looked through the information. The more they read, the more frightened they became.

The two of them looked at each other as if they had telepathic connection.

This information is very detailed. Where did the section chief get it?
The most important question is, through what channels did the Japanese obtain such confidential information?

The Japanese are indeed better at intelligence work than them. Now they are all on the passive defense, and it is difficult to obtain Japanese intelligence. However, they are obviously doing such work, and this intelligence is confirmation of it.

They also gained the ability to obtain intelligence from the Japanese.

Neither knew William.

William's case was handled by Yan Ming. As for informants like him, unless they were insiders, they would not be allowed to know, even Fang Laibao.

When going to Shanghai, Xu Qingyun did not bring Fang Laibao with him, but asked him to go to Hangzhou to investigate the case first.

"Chief, with this information, our investigation will be easier."

Fang Laibao first said that their investigation based on the leaked intelligence would be much simpler than random investigation. At least those who could not have access to this intelligence could be completely ruled out.

For example, some low-level staff officers may have access to a small part of it, but it is impossible for them to be so detailed.

The Japanese would not compile such intelligence from many low-level staff officers, because there are certain times and places that all low-level personnel would not be able to know.

In this way, the subjects of their investigation must be at least in the middle level.

It is equivalent to greatly narrowing the scope.

"Okay, check and investigate carefully. I'll wait for your good news."

Xu Qingyun nodded. Fang Laibao was steady and He Rongtang was smart. They could cooperate well with each other. The combined combat effectiveness of the two groups was definitely stronger than one plus one.

Xu Qingyun believed that He Rongtang would definitely use Fang Laibao, or Group 4, as the main team to handle this case.

His guess was correct. As soon as the two men left, He Rongtang and Fang Laibao went to his office together to discuss the next investigation plan, mainly with Fang Laibao as the lead.

There were two groups and six teams. Fang Laibao decided to set up a temporary command center outside.

The case is important, and they are not working at the headquarters to reduce attention.

Secondly, they set up the location close to the General Staff Headquarters to facilitate the transmission of messages.

This time they rented a building with a yard instead of a hotel.

Furniture is easy. Just buy some first. They will be away from home most of the time, so some desks will be enough. The main thing is to set up a meeting room to facilitate meetings and discussions.

Fang Laibao decided that all six teams should go out and only a small number of people should be left behind.

He personally stayed at the command center to summarize the information brought by each team.

He Rongtang led the team out and served as the commander-in-chief of the outside operations. The two of them, one inside and one outside, could coordinate better.

He Rongtang had no objection to this.

Both groups went out, and Hou Yigong and Xiang Jiesheng could not hide it. The two came to find Xu Qingyun one after another, but Xu Qingyun evaded them.

They went to see Xu Zhanjie again, but were scolded by him.

This case is very important. They are not allowed to make random inquiries. If they dare to ask anything about Group 2 and Group 4 again, they will be thrown into jail and await punishment.

Such a serious threat immediately scared the two men away, and they dared not ask anything related to the case.

Xu Zhanjie understood that they were jealous and wanted to see if they could use him, but now was not the time to use them.

No one can ask questions before they are allowed to intervene. This is the rule of the intelligence department.

"Section Chief."

At the command center, Fang Laibao saw Xu Qingyun coming in and immediately stood up.

There are not many people left behind, only a few, who are mainly responsible for organizing documents and materials.

Each team would bring back a large amount of information every day when they went out for investigation, and all the information they found would be summarized here.

"Sit down, just a few of you?"

Xu Qingyun asked, and Fang Laibao nodded immediately: "They are all out. There is nothing to do at the headquarters, so there are fewer people."

"Too few is not good. I will go to the Operations Department and ask them to send a team over to protect your safety."

This time we are investigating not ordinary people. Their safety is very important. Don’t think that all members of the Guo Party are honest. When facing life and death crisis, many people do extremely crazy things.

The traitor knows very well what the consequences will be if his deeds are discovered.

Not only will you die, but your family will also be implicated.

They didn't want to surrender, so they had to either run or fight.

Xu Qingyun would not allow either situation to occur, so it was necessary to give them some action team members.

The people from the Operations Department would not know what they were investigating, and once they arrived, no one was allowed to leave alone until the case was over. Just like the people from the Intelligence Department, they had to work in groups of two.

Avoid information leakage.

"Thank you, Chief."

Fang Laibao thanked him immediately. It was indeed very empty with just the few of them. If a team from the Operations Department could come, the security would be much better.

Of course, only for a small number of people.

However, it is enough to target a small number of people. The people in the General Staff cannot directly mobilize the army. This is Nanjing. They cannot mobilize people without complete procedures. The main purpose is to prevent someone from doing something desperate.

Please ask the operations department for help, there is no need for Xu Zhanjie to show up.

Xu Qingyun went directly to He Ming's office.

"Chief He, are you busy?"

After coming in, Xu Qingyun asked with a smile, and He Ming stood up and asked Xu Qingyun to sit next to him.

Now Xu Qingyun is no longer the team leader as when he first came, but has become the deputy section chief of a large section, the Intelligence Section.

It's only one step away from his job level.

Xu Qingyun deserves his attention and courtesy.

"It's OK. Not as busy as you guys. This is your first time in my office. Tell me what's up."

He Ming laughed heartily and said that Xu Qingyun would not come to visit him for a chat. Since he came, he must have something to do.

"I need your help to borrow some people."

"How many?"

"One team."

A team is not too many, but not too few either. A team of 40 people in the Operations Department is enough.

"No problem, when do you want it?"

He Ming didn't ask about the mission. If he could know, Xu Qingyun would tell him proactively. If he couldn't know, there was no point in asking.

It’s best not to ask too much about the Intelligence Department.

"Now, after these people have gone there, they cannot come back for the time being, nor can they contact the people in the department."

Xu Qingyun replied, and He Ming was slightly stunned. If they couldn't come back, it meant that they had to eat and live outside, but they couldn't even contact each other, which meant that the case was kept extremely confidential.

"How long will it take?" He Ming asked.

"I'm not sure yet. I can't give you a guarantee."

This time the investigation was targeting traitors within the General Staff, and might even include agents from the Japanese Army Intelligence Department. He couldn't guarantee the exact time.

"Do you need me to tell them what to pay attention to?"

After thinking about it, He Ming took the initiative to ask. In fact, this was a test.

"When you talk to them, make it sound serious. If you're worried, you can ask the director. This is a case arranged by the director himself."

Xu Qingyun nodded. He Ming's heart sank. It seemed that the case was more important than he thought. Why did the director come in person?

"I understand. Don't worry, I will explain it to them."

"Thank you, Chief He. I'm leaving now."

Xu Qingyun stood up and went directly to the command center. Lai Bao from the rear would arrange work for them there and explain it to them again when the time comes.

Working in pairs is essential.

Let me be frank, if anyone fails to follow the rules and information is leaked, they truly cannot bear that responsibility.

After Xu Qingyun left, He Ming immediately ordered a team to go to the place designated by Xu Qingyun.

After making proper arrangements, He Ming came to the office.

"Director, Xu Qingyun just came to me and borrowed a team."

Xu Qingyun said that the director arranged it personally. He was not here to verify it, but to make a final test to see how important the case was.

The test just now has made him realize that this case is of great importance and he must take it seriously.

"Of course. One team may not be enough. Give them one team first, and have another team on standby."

The director nodded, but did not mention the case at all. He Ming did not ask any more questions and left quickly.

The chief actually said that one team was not enough. He Ming attached more importance to the case. After thinking about it, he asked a group to be on standby. They were on call during this period and were not allowed to go out during the day. Especially the group leader and the team leader, they were required to stay in the Military Intelligence Department if they had nothing to do.

All weapons are checked as they may be used at any time.

Each of their groups consists of more than a hundred people, all of whom are good at operations. When there is a real need, they can be deployed immediately.

He Ming was also curious, what case was Xu Qingyun handling that was so mysterious?

But he understood that since the director didn't say anything, he couldn't ask about it. Even if Xu Qingyun was willing to tell him, he couldn't listen.

There is no benefit in hearing too much about the Intelligence Department, and being curious about them can kill you.

Even if he is the section chief.

On Lianhua Street, Niu Yuanxiang was inviting workers to eat.

The pharmacy is being renovated. Once it is completed, we will choose an auspicious day to open it.

He did have a secret mission when he came to Nanjing this time.

Opening a pharmacy was not his purpose. He would not keep this pharmacy for too long and would have to sell it out soon.

He came to Nanjing this time with an important mission.

He is a comrade from Shanghai.

An old comrade disappeared in Shanghai and was later confirmed to have been arrested, but this comrade did not surrender. He was very strong and faced severe torture from the enemy, and he never said anything about his comrades.

He is worthy of the Party and worthy of his own beliefs.

The old comrade was arrested three years ago, but people in Shanghai only learned about his situation this year.

A comrade who infiltrated the Hangzhou Station of the Party Affairs Investigation Office discovered that he was detained in a prison in Nanjing and learned about his situation.

Not only him, but also other comrades who were arrested in various places and have never confessed.

The spies were very cruel and would torture them every once in a while. Many comrades had been killed because they could not bear the torture, and some had even been driven crazy.

The organization was in a difficult situation at the moment, and Shanghai knew that it would be very difficult to rescue them, but as long as there was hope, they would try. Niu Yuanxiang was sent to inquire about the situation.

It costs money to gather such information. He happens to be in the medicinal materials business, and opening a branch in Nanjing will allow him to create an image of a wealthy persona.

Secretary Huang knows him, but he doesn't know Secretary Huang.

Shanghai and Nanjing have always maintained contact, but they cannot contact the organization.

This time, Shanghai told Secretary Huang that if there is really hope, they can ask Secretary Huang and others for help then, but don’t contact them now.

There is no direct relationship, no connection at all.

Secretary Huang is the only one who knows about this.

Xu Qingyun's guess was correct, Niu Yuanxiang was indeed one of their own.

As for the two calls, they were not made by himself in Shanghai, but by Niu Yuanxiang’s wife, who stayed in Shanghai.

Niu Yuanxiang’s wife is also a comrade in the organization, but she lacks experience in underground work and is not a professional agent.

She was purely worried about Lao Niu, so she made the special call. As long as someone answered the phone, it would be fine.

Fortunately, she knew it was wrong to do so, so she didn't dare use her home phone and instead used a public phone.

She could call home, but Lao Niu had told her not to call unless it was something special, so as to avoid revealing any flaws when talking.

It is not difficult to make local calls in Shanghai and Nanjing, but long-distance calls require manual transfer. Not to mention now, even in the first few decades after the founding of China, many long-distance calls still required operators.

At that time, being a telephone operator was a very good job.

Niu Yuanxiang himself was also puzzled. Unfortunately, he did not have a radio and could not organize a report on the matter. After he arrived in Nanjing, he wanted to contact the organization, but there was only one way, which was to make a phone call.

But unless it was an emergency, he wouldn't make this call casually.

They cannot speak directly on the phone, so they will use code words that have been decided long ago, with various words corresponding to other situations, so that comrades can understand the progress of his work.

These two calls did catch Niu Yuanxiang's attention, but after hesitation, he did not report them.

His job was to find out the situation of those comrades in prison, and if feasible, bribe the people in the prison to see if there was any chance of rescuing them.

If it doesn't work, he will give up.

He only has one year for this mission, and he will withdraw after one year regardless of whether there is hope or not.

This pharmacy will only be open for one year.

But Lao Niu knows how to do business. He won’t lose money even in a year. If the business is good, he can make some money by selling it off.

He had already thought of the reason. When the time comes, he would say that the business in Shanghai was good and he had children at home who needed to be taken care of, so he had to transfer the property.

Outside the shop, a car drove by.

Xu Qingyun noticed Niu Yuanxiang. Yan Ming's investigation included photos of Niu Yuanxiang, which could be found at the police station.

Xu Qingyun looked specifically at the ground and his feet.

Leng Wenxuan was driving and had no idea what Xu Qingyun was doing in the back seat.

Xu Qingyun was going to the headquarters, so this place was not a must-go place. However, Xu Qingyun asked to buy some food for the people in the headquarters on the way and bring it over to comfort them at noon.

By going around like this, you can pass through here.

"Section Chief, you are here."

Xu Qingyun entered the headquarters office. Fang Laibao and He Rongtang stood up together. Yan Ming was also there. They were holding a meeting to analyze the recent findings.

"Have you got a meal yet?"

Xu Qingyun asked with a smile. There were a lot of food in the car, and Leng Wenxuan was asking people to move them into the car.

"not yet."

Fang Laibao smiled foolishly and said that they were busy and had no time to eat.

"Eat first, and then do things after you have a full stomach."

Leng Wenxuan just brought the food over, and Xu Qingyun waved his hand, asking everyone to come and eat together.

Xu Qingyun bought a lot of things. He fried a big pot of vegetables and also bought a lot of braised meat, including roast chicken, beef, etc.

Pork head is essential.

The staple food is sesame seed cake, and it is most comfortable to eat these dishes with sesame seed cake.

"Thank you, section chief."

Fang Laibao was not surprised at all, as this was the method Xu Zhanjie had used before. When they were handling a case, the section chief had come to see them and brought them a lot of delicious food.

Deputy Section Chief Xu is worthy of being the section chief's student, he learns in an excellent manner.

"Did the operations department tell them?"

Xu Qingyun asked casually, and Fang Laibao nodded immediately: "I have explained everything. You must pay attention to confidentiality and safety. If anyone makes a mistake, the lightest punishment is exile, and the worst is death."

"Very good, send them some food."

There are a lot of people in the Operations Department, and they are here to help, so we cannot favor some over others. Xu Qingyun bought a lot, including ten roast chickens.

He did not use the money in Group 4's slush fund. Now that he is no longer in Group 4, he wants to leave this money to Fang Laibao to facilitate his future work.

To Xu Qingyun, this amount of money is nothing.

"I'll have someone deliver it."

Fang Laibao was greeting people. The car was full of delicious food and you could smell the aroma as soon as you opened the door.

Leng Wenxuan had been distributing food. When the captain of the operations department learned that they would get a share, he immediately brought people to get it. They took away half of it, including a large bag of sesame seed cakes.

When they received it, they did not forget to say thank you.

These are much better than what they usually eat. Even though they work in the military intelligence department and have a good salary, they can't expect to eat meat every meal.

They have to take care of their families. The operations department does not make much money, and usually they cooperate with the intelligence department, so they can't make much.

Today they can eat to their heart's content. Many of them are very happy that they can have delicious food right after arriving. Although the requirements of this mission are strict, at least it makes them feel comfortable.

Just do as the Intelligence Department requires, Deputy Section Chief Xu will not treat them unfairly.

Now Xu Qingyun has the best reputation in the Operations Department. He is the first person who cares about the casualties in the Operations Department. Whenever there is a mission, if there is any benefit, he will share some with them.

If the brothers are injured or killed in battle, Chief Xu will give them an additional pension.

Never before.

"Show me what you found."

After they finished eating, Xu Qingyun sat at the conference table. The case belonged to him and he had to take care of it.

He doesn't have to come in the early stage, but he will still have to stay here to work in the later stage.

"Yes, I'll get it for you."

Fang Laibao took out a handkerchief and quickly wiped his mouth. There were no napkins in this era, so many people would prepare a handkerchief, also called a handkerchief, for their daily use.

It didn't take long, and what they found was limited, mainly concentrated in the Operations Department and the Planning Department.

The military deployment is proposed by the Planning Department and improved by the Operations Department. The two parties will discuss with each other, so the possibility of leaks is highest in these two departments.

The heads of the two departments have not been investigated for the time being. Although they are not the top-level people ordered by the old man, they are important generals. If they are investigated rashly and they find out, the department will not be able to bear it.

Moreover, they were in high positions and had great power, so the possibility of them being subverted by the Japanese was lower.

The people under investigation are mainly mid-level staff and military officers, including 22 from the Operations Department and 18 from the Planning Department, forty in total.

This did not check the ordinary employees, but only checked those who had access to this information.

If everyone is checked, with hundreds of people in each department, it will probably take several days to check all of them.

The first is their financial situation.

Among the forty people, as many as twenty-six had problems with their property, which is more than half.

They have high ranks, do good jobs, and can earn more. Apart from the normal filial piety, there must be people who give them money and ask them to do things for them.

They need to verify this money slowly.

It’s okay to do things normally, but if the source cannot be explained clearly, it will be investigated immediately.

They are not investigating military corruption this time. Even if they were, they would not poke a hornet's nest in the General Staff Headquarters.

Military Intelligence could not afford their counterattack.

Twenty-six people have problems and their belongings are being verified.

In addition to money, there are their social connections. Among the forty people, ten have studied in Japan or have been to Japan.

The proportion is as high as one quarter.

Four of them are still in contact with the Japanese.

They have been targeted as key targets for investigation, especially those who have returned from studying in Japan and are still in contact with the Japanese.

Xu Qingyun looked very carefully, bit by bit, and checked the situation of each person.

Group 4 and Group 2 did a great job. It is not easy to detect so many cases in such a short time.

However, no real suspect has been found yet.

Out of the forty people, only four have full access to this intelligence.

Among the four people, two had unclear financial information, and one had a history of contact with the Japanese.

He Rongtang was not there. He was outside leading people to investigate this person.

Xu Qingyun took out his file and looked through it again.

Meng Zhitang, 31 years old, is a senior staff officer in the Operations Department with the rank of colonel.

He graduated from the third class of the Whampoa Military Academy, then studied in Japan for two years. He served as a chief officer and was transferred to the Operations Department at the beginning of this year. He has a backer and a connections.

No ordinary person can enter the Operations Hall.

Many of the deployments this time were based on his suggestions.

Meng Zhitang is married and has children. His wife is a lady from a noble family, well-educated and well-mannered. His father-in-law is an important general in the army and his own family situation is also good. On the surface, he does not look like a traitor who has been instigated, but he has a lot of assets and cannot earn that much from salary and filial piety.

Not only does he have thousands of dollars in deposits in the bank, he also has tens of thousands of dollars in ocean currency. He also owns more than a dozen stores in Nanjing, Wuhan and other places.

There are a lot of properties in his hometown, which were not left by his parents.

His father was not in the army, but he supported the Guo Party in his early years and now enjoys his life in his hometown. Meng Zhitang's assets are all his own.

Meng Zhitang still has businesses under his name, but according to their investigation, Meng Zhitang's business is average, and some of his businesses even lose money, and these are not earned from his business.

Where did he get so much money?

Meng Zhitang was a senior staff officer and had access to a lot of confidential intelligence, each of which was priceless. For example, if the Japanese wanted to get this intelligence, they would have to pay at least several thousand taels of gold, or even tens of thousands of taels.

He has access to a lot of information like this.

Could this money be the result of him selling out intelligence?

His property is under investigation, and Xu Qingyun does not know the purchase date for the time being. Everything will be known only after the results of the investigation come out.

A 6,000-word supplement is not for today’s update, but there is one today.


(End of this chapter)