Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 536 Fanning the flames
Hong Zhiyou strolled leisurely to Zhou Yi's office door with one hand in his pocket.

The office lights were still on.

Zhou Yizheng took a dark coat off the hanger, preparing to put it on.

He saw Hong Zhiyou, his face remained expressionless, only his eyes twitched slightly: "Shall we go to Liu Yawen's restaurant for a drink?"

Hong Zhi leaned against the door frame and shook his head.

"forget it.

“My uncle told me to go home early, saying there’s an operation tonight.”

Zhou Yi paused in putting on his coat. He turned his head and looked at Hong Zhiyou, his voice low: "Targeting me?"

Hong Zhi nodded: "Yes."

"Judging from my uncle's expression, he'd love for me to leak this information to you."

He sat down on the sofa by himself and said:
"Lu Ming has an alibi."

"On the night of his accident, he was on a date with Jinzhi, Li Guoyi's concubine."

“That woman named Jinzhi has confessed everything.”

Zhou Yi buttoned up his coat and gave a self-deprecating laugh: "So, Section Chief Gao wants me to assassinate Jinzhi so that Lu Ming can be completely nailed down."

Hong Zhi snapped his fingers approvingly:
"It's so much easier to talk to smart people."

"The plan he and Shirakura came up with seemed brilliant, but it was actually incredibly stupid."

He spread his hands, looking completely indifferent.

"They completely missed the point."

Why should Lu Ming die?
Whether Lu Ming lives or dies is secondary.

"I really want him dead. It's just a phone call. Why go to all this trouble?"

Hong Zhi looked at Zhou Yi, his eyes flashing with a hunter's light: "I just hope that Commander Chengcang is dissatisfied with me, the more dissatisfied the better."

"And incidentally, let's cover up that mess between you and Gu Qiuyan."

Zhou Yi smiled and said, "So, what suggestions do you have?"

Hong Zhi stared at him and slowly said:
"calm.

"True peace."

"Based on my understanding of my uncle, just because you don't touch that golden branch doesn't mean you've passed the test."

"In this case, anyone who acts too proactively and tries to rescue Lu Ming will also arouse his suspicion."

"So you can't do nothing, nor can you try to do everything."

Zhou Yi smiled faintly and said, "I understand, this is exactly what I'm good at."

Hong Zhi leaned back on the sofa and crossed his legs:
"In short, I really have to thank my sister-in-law this time."

"If she hadn't made that little mistake, how could I have demonstrated my 'strength' to Shirokura, and how could she have once again designated me as her number one enemy?"

Zhou Yi's smile brightened: "If your sister-in-law heard this, she could down a whole bottle of vodka by herself."

"She has been feeling guilty these days."

"I feel like I'm causing you and the organization trouble."

Hong Zhiyou pursed his lips: "She just loves to pretend. When she makes a mistake, she acts pitiful, but she will still be stubborn next time."

"Alright, at least this time it was a close call. Go back and tell her she did a great job."

"Also, you'll have to find a way to lend me some Conde coins."

"I currently hold mostly gold and US dollars, and I'm constantly selling off my Conde coin; it's almost at its bottom."

"I'll pay you back as soon as my cash flow improves."

Zhou Yi asked almost without hesitation: "How much do you want?"

Hong Zhiyou held up one finger.

"One hundred thousand."

He was indeed short of money.

For the fur trade in Jinhai, he instructed Lao Xie to convert all the accounts into gold and US dollars, even if it meant suffering a slight loss in exchange rates.

Every two or three months, Wu Jingzhong and Lao Hei would try to exchange the Kangde coins they collected from the casino and other businesses for gold bars through the black market.

Now, the underground vault left by General Guan in the suburbs is filled with gleaming gold bars.

On the contrary, the amount of Kande coins needed for daily expenses is indeed running out.

Without hesitation, Zhou Yi replied, "Okay."

"I'll go to the bank to withdraw the money tomorrow."

Now it was Hong Zhi's turn to be surprised. He looked Zhou Yi up and down and said, "Wait, are you really that rich? Didn't you say you wanted to sell antiques last time?"

Zhou Yi's expression remained unchanged:
"I really don't have that many left."

"If that's not enough, I'll borrow some more from Qiu Yan; she has money."

"You've done us a huge favor this time; we need to make her bleed a little."

Hong Zhiyou deeply agreed:
“That makes sense.

"As soon as the money arrives, I will immediately treat Takeda and his men to a meal and drinks and give them generous gifts."

"Takeda is being passive and uncooperative in this matter, and I guess he's been categorized as part of my faction by Shirogane again."

"And this is precisely what Shirokura fears most."

"After this meal, it will be a fight to the death between Takeda and Shirokura."

Zhou Yi looked at him, his gaze deep:

"You're really good at making moves without making a sound."

"Sometimes a move that seems like a bad one can actually have a surprising use."

"If you don't think ten or a hundred steps ahead, you'll never see things clearly."

"Section Chief Gao is stuck with a nephew like you..."

Hong Zhi raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to say that my uncle is very unfortunate and unlucky?"

Zhou Yi shook his head.

"no.

"I think he's very lucky."

"At least, his hands will have less unnecessary blood on them."

Hong Zhi patted the ash off his clothes, stood up, and said, "Maybe."

"I have to go."

Zhou Yi also stood up and put his hand on his shoulder: "Thanks, Zhiyou."

"Stop talking nonsense and get to making money."

Hong Zhi smiled and left gracefully.

……

The night is getting darker.

The bedroom lighting is soft.

Xu Yunying, with her belly slightly protruding, still had a lingering blush on her cheeks after a long day of hard work.

She brushed her teeth and washed her face again, went back to bed, and snuggled into Hong Zhiyou's arms like a docile cat.
"Last night, my aunt told me that the Kwantung Army has a new commander and has launched a large-scale encirclement and suppression campaign against the Anti-Japanese United Army. The Anti-Japanese United Army is now in a very unfavorable situation."

"is that true?"

Hong Zhi hugged her and kissed her on the forehead: "Auntie, really, why do you tell me everything?"

Xu Yunying snuggled against him.

“I asked my aunt to tell me that I’m so bored staying at home all day.”

She sighed and gently placed her hand on her lower abdomen.

"Oh, it's all this little guy's fault, he ruined my important business."

"Otherwise, I would have at least ten Japanese soldiers' lives on my hands by now."

"Look at me, I'm so pregnant, I've gained a lot of weight, I'm afraid I won't even be able to ride a horse anymore."

Hong Zhi pinched her cheek: "If you can't go up, stay at home, be a good wife and mother, isn't that good?"

Xu Yunying rolled her eyes at him.

"Forget it, I can't stand that kind of life."

"You wicked devil, let's make this clear first, you have to let me go after I give birth."

Hong Zhi nodded: "Of course."

A husband's word is as good as his bond.

"I will definitely let Chief Xu go up the mountain then, and I will also give you a large sum of money."

He paused, then lowered his voice:
"Perfect timing, by then the city warehouse should already be gone."

"Once Hao Guifang is back in his position as the battalion commander stationed in the mountains, it will be easier for you to move around."

Xu Yunying's eyes lit up for a moment, then closed again with relief.

"Ah."

She buried her head in Hong Zhiyou's chest, enjoying this rare moment of peace as a beloved wife.

……

Next room.

Liao Chunxiang lay on the bed, her ears perked up.

Hearing the man's steady breathing, as if he were already fast asleep, she gently lifted a corner of the blanket and prepared to get out of bed.

"Why are you going?"

Gao Bin suddenly spoke up.

Liao Chunxiang's body trembled violently. She patted her chest and said irritably, "You scared me to death! Why aren't you asleep yet?"
"I'll go listen to the foot of the bed."

"I'm afraid that Zhiyou doesn't know his own strength and might end up killing my grandson."

Gao Bin turned on the bedside lamp and glared at his wife.

"You're so bored, you've gone crazy."

Liao Chunxiang sat back on the bed, rolled her eyes at him, and said, "Then why aren't you asleep yet?"

Gao Bin exhaled, his craving for a cigarette kicking in, his fingers unconsciously twitching.

"I'm waiting for news from Liu Kui."

"If all goes well, Zhou Yi should make his move tonight."

Liao Chunxiang seemed to have heard a joke.

"I think you're the one who's obsessed."

"Since Zhou Yi came back, have you had a single good night's sleep?"
"Didn't Old Qiu already say that last time?"

"Before Zhou Yi returned, someone in the hall was already sending intelligence to the mountain."

Why are you still fixated on Zhou Yi?

The more she talked, the angrier she became.

"Can't you see how close Zhiyou is to him now?"

"You're always investigating, one day you'll find Zhiyou in the investigation too, then you'll be happy!"

"What do you know, you woman!"

Gao Bin, annoyed that his secret had been exposed, cursed under his breath, then threw off the covers and put on his clothes.

"Where are you going?" Liao Chunxiang asked from behind.

Gao Bin, buttoning his shirt, didn't turn around: "I'm going to find Liu Kui."

……

The room was filled with a pleasant shampoo scent.

Jinzhi had just finished showering and changed into a silk nightgown. She curled up in the corner of the bed, hugging her knees tightly with her arms, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.

In the living room, Liu Kui sat on the sofa, smoking one cigarette after another.

He's reckless, but not stupid.

The whole thing that Section Chief Gao did tonight was ostensibly to protect the witness, but secretly he was trying to set a trap.

He could probably guess what kind of fish he caught.

But Liu Kui didn't want to delve into it, and he was even less inclined to take sides.

He neither wanted to nor could he get involved in the messy affairs of the Special Branch.

All he knew was to honestly go on missions and collect his salary; as for the power struggles above, that was none of his business.

Click.

The door lock clicked softly.

Gao Bin pushed open the door and walked in, bringing with him a chilly aura of the late night: "How is it? Any movement?"

Liu Kui stubbed out his cigarette and stood up.

"Reporting to the section chief, the brothers who are keeping watch outside haven't found anything unusual yet."

Gao Bin hummed in agreement, not surprised: "It's only a little past ten o'clock, it's still early."

"If you're really going to do it, you have to pick the late hours of the night, when people are most tired."

His gaze swept over the two police officers standing in the other corner of the living room, and he lowered his voice.

"Are those two okay?"

Liu Kui followed his gaze.

Those two men were borrowed from Zhou Yi's action team by Liu Kui under the pretext of manpower shortage; they were both trusted confidants of Zhou Yi. Gao Bin's intentions couldn't be clearer.

If Zhou Yi really wanted to kill them to silence them, the easiest way would be to manipulate these two of his own people.

"Nothing's happened, they've been quite well-behaved," Liu Kui replied truthfully.

Gao Bin sneered: "With your big, round eyes, even demons and monsters wouldn't dare to make a move."

"You have to create opportunities for them."

He patted Liu Kui on the shoulder, gesturing for him to sit down.

"Go lie down on the sofa for a while, take a nap, and keep a watchful eye on things."

"If you don't make room for others, how can they start?"

Liu Kui paused for a moment, then subconsciously asked, "Section Chief, what if... someone actually kills this woman?"

"Isn't that great?" Gao Bin retorted, his tone completely calm. "It's perfect because the evidence is conclusive, we can arrest them on the spot, catch them red-handed, and find out who instigated them."

Liu Kui's heart skipped a beat.

"This...this is Commander Li Guoyi's precious treasure."

Gao Bin let out a sneer, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world: "If your precious darling were to sleep with other men every night, would you still find her delicious?"

Liu Kui smiled and said, "Understood, Section Chief."

Gao Bin nodded in satisfaction, deliberately cleared his throat, and raised his voice to instruct the two police officers:

"You all need to be on your best!"

"Ms. Jinzhi is an important witness, and we must not allow any mistakes to happen to her!"
"If there's any disturbance, call my home immediately!"

After saying that, he opened the door and left without looking back.

Silence returned to the room.

Liu Kuichong waved to the two police officers.

"You two keep an eye on things. I'm going to take a nap. Call me if anything happens."

He took off his coat, lay down on his side on the sofa fully clothed, and soon began to snore softly, seemingly already fast asleep.

But his ears remained perked up, picking up on the slightest sound in the room.

This job looks easy, but it's actually the most grueling.

You must be highly focused; if you lose focus even slightly, you might actually fall asleep.

The night is getting deeper and deeper.

Liu Kui didn't know how long he had been enduring it, but his eyelids grew heavier and heavier until finally everything went black and he lost consciousness completely.

……

When I opened my eyes again, it was already broad daylight.

The two officers, one lying on the sofa on the other side and the other slumped over the table, were sleeping even more soundly than him, their snores rising and falling.

Liu Kui's heart sank. He jumped up from the sofa and rushed to the bedroom door, pushing it open.

On the bed, Jinzhi was fast asleep, wrapped in a quilt, with a rosy blush on her cheeks.

Liu Kui was annoyed by this shameless slut.

He raised his hand and slapped Jinzhi across the face.

Snapped!
Crisp and loud.

Jinzhi screamed and woke up from her dream, covering her burning face and looking at him in horror.

"You...what do you want to do?"

Liu Kui glared down at her and ordered impatiently, "Get up and make some breakfast for the brothers."

With tears welling up in her eyes, Jinzhi shook her head in grievance: "I...I can't."

Liu Kui stared coldly at her and said:

"If you don't cook, I'll cook you."

Jinzhi was so frightened that she quickly ran into the kitchen.

After a while.

She carried several steaming bowls of egg noodles and placed them shakily on the table.

Liu Kui picked up his chopsticks, took a couple of bites, looked up and smiled: "Isn't this pretty good?"

Jinzhi shuddered in fright, her voice barely audible.

"I... I never thought I'd be making noodles."

Liu Kui ignored her and finished eating. He wiped his mouth, got up, and dialed Gao Bin's home phone number.

"Section Chief Gao."

"Yes, she's fine, no one's hurt."

"understood."

After hanging up the phone, he yelled at Jinzhi, who was still in a daze, "Pack your things quickly and come back to the police station with me."

……

8am.

Gao Bin appeared at the police station with two bright red eyes.

Liu Kui stayed up half the night.

He was completely out of it all night, anxiously waiting for the phone call.

In the end, nothing came of it.

He called Liu Kui into his office.

"what happened?"

Liu Kuili stood at attention, looking helpless: "Section Chief, I really didn't sleep all night."

"Not only did those two not make a move, they even slacked off and fell asleep in the middle of the night. My whole night was wasted."

He paused, then cautiously added, "Section Chief, I'm wondering if... there's something wrong with our investigation direction?"

Gao Bin rubbed his aching temples in frustration: "Perhaps the other side is too skilled and saw through our tricks."

He waved his hand, not wanting to dwell on the matter any longer.

“Forget it, let’s not talk about this.

"Get ready, take Jinzhi with you, we're going to the Security Bureau to bring Lu Ming back."

……

Ten o'clock in the morning.

Security Bureau, conference room.

Gao Bin and Zhou Yi's group sat down opposite Wu Tian and Chen Jingyu.

Gao Bin got straight to the point, his voice hoarse from not having slept all night:

"We've found Jinzhi."

"She was with Lu Ming the whole night the incident happened."

"She has already admitted this to me and Commander Shirakura herself."

"So, everyone, should we call her in again and question her in person?"

Chen Jingyu touched the bridge of his nose, a professional smile on his face:

"Since the commander has already inquired, then I naturally have no problem."

He spread his hands.

"Section Chief Gao can take people away at any time."

After he finished speaking, he turned to look at Takeda, who had been silent all along.

Takeda nodded, his expressionless face revealing no emotion.

"If Lu Ming is innocent..."

His voice was deep and powerful.

"Then who is the real murderer?"

Takeda's gaze swept across Gao Bin and Chen Jingyu's faces one by one.

"His Excellency the Commander called me personally this morning."

Three days.

"The real culprit must be found within three days."

"Otherwise, none of us here will have an easy time."

Gao Bin's heart sank.

three days?

His original plan was to use the opportunity of exonerating Lu Ming to muddy the waters and dig deeper to expose Zhou Yi or the mole lurking in the police department.

Chengcang's order completely disrupted all his plans.

In three days, there was no way he could find any evidence against Zhou Yi.

"Captain Takeda, isn't three days too tight?" Gao Bin tried to persuade him.

"Gao Binjun".

Takeda stood up, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"You can take the person with you."

"But the commander's orders must also be carried out."

“We all know that the Commander always keeps his word. For the sake of everyone’s job, we should act as soon as possible and capture the murderer.”

After saying that, he walked straight out of the conference room and went to the reception room next door.

Hong Zhiyou was leaning back on the sofa, smoking a cigar.

With his rank, he is not qualified to attend a meeting of this level.

Of course, I don't want to participate either.

Upon seeing him, Takeda found an outlet for his pent-up anger.

"damn it!"

He slammed his fist on the table.

"Originally, Lu Ming was executed, and the case was about to be closed! Now the case has been suddenly overturned, and I have to find the real culprit within three days!"
"I strongly suspect that the commander is deliberately targeting me!"

"Harbin is so big, where am I supposed to find the murderer for him?"

Hong Zhi slowly poured him a cup of tea and asked casually, "What if we can't find out?"

Takeda picked up his teacup and took a sip:
"What else can they do? Deduct my salary, or demote me, or transfer me to another post."

Hong Zhi shook his head and corrected, "It's not as simple as a demotion."

"I guess he'll just transfer you out of the military police."

"I even suspect that Lu Ming's exoneration and this suddenly appearing Jinzhi were all deliberately created by the city granary commander."

"The purpose is to find a pretext to kick you, the old subordinate left behind by the village team leader, out of Harbin."

Takeda's face instantly turned ashen, and he said coldly:
"yes!
"Ever since that old man came, the whole of Harbin has been shrouded in his nightmare, making it almost impossible for us to breathe!"

He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and looked at Hong Zhiyou.

"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore."

“Hong Sang, we’re friends, now you have to help me get through this difficult time and find the damned murderer.”

Hong Zhi smiled:

“It’s very simple.

"At the Fujiadian Police Station, didn't a police officer named Li Jiawang report that a few bullets were missing that didn't match up?"

Takeda's eyes lit up.

Hong Zhiyou continued, "Arrest him, torture him to extract a confession, force him to sign and fingerprint documents, and make him take full responsibility for his crimes."

"I believe that with the military police's interrogation methods, it shouldn't be too difficult to make him admit that he is a red voter, right?"

"Doesn't Shirakawa just want evidence?"

"At worst, you can just pick up another old radio that nobody wants from the trash can, put it in his house, and you'll catch him red-handed, right?"

The gloom on Takeda's face vanished, replaced by ecstasy.

He grabbed Hong Zhiyou's hand:

"Hong Sang! As expected, any problem becomes so simple in your hands!"
"Thank you so much!"

Hong Zhi patted him on the shoulder, his smile carrying a meaningful meaning:
"No need to thank me. I can only say that Captain Takeda, you're lucky."

"Don't even mention finding a radio; it wouldn't be strange if you found a bag full of gold bars on the street one day."

Takeda understood instantly.

He took a step back, straightened his uniform, and bowed solemnly to Hong Zhiyou.

“Hong Sang, I swear to His Majesty the Emperor!”

"From this moment on, you are my lifelong friend, Takeda! My only feelings for you are loyalty and friendship!"

"If I break this oath, may I be shot to death and leave no trace of my body!"

Hong Zhiyou smiled and helped him up:
"We're all brothers, let's not say such discouraging things."

"Hurry up and get on with your business. The commander is waiting for your good news."

Takeda nodded heavily, bowed to him again, and strode away.

……

(End of this chapter)