Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 118 Newspaper
After Liu San left, Gu Yansheng remembered something else. Knowing that the visitor was Gao Zhongwu, he should have asked the Military Intelligence Bureau in Chongqing to send over a file on Gao Zhongwu, as physical characteristics would make it easier to identify the target.

It would be even better if there were photos.

It would be too late to send the photos, but Gao Zhongwu was the Director of the Asian Affairs Department of the Nationalist Government. Although they had never met him, it was very likely that someone in Shanghai had seen him and might have taken a photo with him.

If Chongqing can provide relevant clues, that would be excellent.

I forgot to remind you earlier. I don't know if Liu San thought of this. The Japanese are digging a trap. They can't even tell if Gao Zhongwu is really Gao Zhongwu. We still need to be careful.

Communication is really bad these days; after walking for several minutes, it's impossible to catch up.

But it's okay, there's a small loudspeaker in the office.

Gu Yansheng summoned the head of the personnel department.

"The department has recently hired a lot of people. Are there any women among them who are of good quality? They should be young."

The head of the personnel department smiled and nodded, "Yes," and then mentioned two names that Gu Yansheng had never heard of before.

"Gone?"

"Who else? Um... who is the section chief talking about? I don't think there is anyone else I know."

Gu Yansheng was puzzled. Wasn't the plan to have Shen Shuyun demonstrate her abilities to facilitate personnel transfers? It seemed like the personnel director knew nothing at all.

Since Shen Shuyun couldn't possibly rebel, the only one who could rebel was the head of the personnel department.

He looked at the head of the personnel department with a half-smile: "I think I've seen other new people come to the department before, but not by these names. What, you, as the head of the department, don't know that new people are coming to the department? Are you very busy?"

The head of the personnel department suddenly realized and laughed, "No, no, I know who you're talking about, Director. Shen Shuyun. There is indeed such a woman who has been recruited, but she doesn't have much work experience, her personality is just average, and she's not very popular with her colleagues. I don't think she fits your description of a person with good qualities, Director. I was afraid of delaying your work, so I didn't mention her."

"Hehe, you can even make decisions for me now." Gu Yansheng smiled.

"No, no." The head of the personnel department immediately bowed slightly. "Director, it's just that this person has a bad personality. He doesn't get along well with his colleagues, and he's clumsy and makes a lot of mistakes. I'm afraid he'll delay your work."

"Bring him in." He's been getting out of hand for three days straight, so Gu Yansheng didn't have time to deal with him for the time being.

After a while, Shen Shuyun walked in.

"Director."

Gu Yansheng waved his hand, dismissing the head of the personnel department.

"There's something I need you to do. Take a leave of absence and send a telegram to Director Dai asking for detailed information on Gao Zhongwu, the Director of the Asian Affairs Department, and Mei Siping from the Propaganda Department, including their physical characteristics. If you can provide any clues such as photos, please do so."

"Okay, I'll go now."

"Hey, wait a minute, I just asked him for the person, why is he hiding you and not giving it to me?" Gu Yansheng asked curiously, explaining what had just happened.

Shen Shuyun smiled helplessly: "I was assigned to the personnel department when I first entered the office. His nephew was there that day. I guess he took a liking to me, so he came to plead with his nephew, saying that he saw me all alone in Shanghai and wanted to introduce us, invite me to dinner and a movie. I didn't agree, and now he's giving me a hard time. When he called me just now, he warned me not to tell you about this, or he would transfer me to prison."

"Oh~" Gu Yansheng chuckled knowingly, "Okay, I got it. If something like this happens again, just refuse. If he causes you trouble, just tell me and I'll deal with him."

Shen Shuyun nodded and smiled, "Then I'll be going now."

"Go."

That evening, Liu San made a special trip to Gu Yansheng's residence to report.

It's definitely much more convenient to travel now.

Liu San whispered, "The team leader has already led a group of people to infiltrate Hongkou to observe, and they have arrested a waiter from the Kaifu Hotel for questioning. He confirmed that a group of people did check into the Kaifu Hotel in the past two days, and that they were being protected by plainclothes Japanese officers who were not only relaxed on the surface but also on the inside."

The team leader deduced that these two individuals, who rarely went out but did for extended periods when they did, and who would never reappear afterward, were the true special envoys sent for negotiations. They were there only for talks, and once back, they would disappear from public view.

"Are the waiters reliable?"

“It’s reliable. We have an informant in the police station. This man’s whole family is in Shanghai, and he said he’s Chinese and willing to be our inside man, but on one condition: he hopes that after our operation, we can send his whole family to Hong Kong or Chongqing. He’s afraid that the Japanese will track him down and he’ll panic and be unable to withstand the interrogation. The team leader agreed.”

Gu Yansheng nodded: "Having an inside man makes things easier. Today I had Shen Shuyun send a telegram to Chongqing requesting information on Gao Zhongwu. Don't rush into action. Wait until this person is confirmed to be Gao Zhongwu before taking action. The Japanese have set a trap for us. Now that we've gone this far, it's hard to say whether what we see is necessarily true."

"You've thought this through carefully," Liu San said after a moment's thought. "I'll pass this on. Also, the team leader has scouted out the three hotels; there should be opportunities to make a move."

Near the two feint attack locations, you can find buildings. Before the operation, temporarily infiltrate a high point, and a sniper rifle can be used to shoot at the hotel entrance from a distance. Regardless of whether the people in the hotel are real or not, you can find an opportunity to strike. As long as you create a little disturbance at the entrance, you can buy time to strike.

As for the actual location of the operation, the Kaifu Hotel, the team leader meant that he didn't know how many days they would talk. It was already the second day, and tomorrow would be the third day.

To avoid any unforeseen complications, we need to check into the hotel by tomorrow at the latest. Then, while they're out for their meeting the day after tomorrow, we'll sneak into the room through the ventilation ducts and hide until they return, then strike when the opportunity arises.

"Are you sure you can climb through ventilation ducts?"

"It's possible to climb it. The waiter explained that a maintenance worker had climbed up that vent before, but only one person could pass through at a time, and that person had to be small and thin. We have one in our group, and we'll have him climb in alone tomorrow. We're also keeping him in the room waiting for the other person to come back for this reason. The person who unlocks the door can't go in with him. If the documents are in the safe, we won't have a chance. We can only get them when they're still outside."

Gu Yansheng wasn't as professional as the others when it came to the specifics of the operation, so he didn't interfere. "How should we deal with the person? Kill them on the spot or what?"

"We can't kill them all. There are orders from Chongqing, and someone has to take the documents back to Wang Jingwei. If they all die, it won't matter even if we get their conspiracy agreement. No one will admit it. So we need to see how things go. It's not necessary to kill them all."

Gu Yansheng nodded, understanding; it was both a matter of national law and a requirement for propaganda.

Ding-ling-ling. Ding-ling-ling.

"Hello." Gu Yansheng picked up the phone.

"Director Gu, this is the gatekeeper. A female employee from your judicial department is looking for you, saying she has an appointment with you."

"Yes, let her come up."

Liu San gave him an inquiring look.

Gu Yansheng comforted him, "It's alright, Shen Shuyun is here, it must be news from Chongqing."

Not long after, Shen Shuyun knocked on the door.

Upon entering, he said, "A telegram from Chongqing: The Hong Kong Ta Kung Pao published on September 26th last year contained an interview with Gao Zhongwu, and there were photos of Gao Zhongwu and Mei Siping in it."

"Last year?" Liu San frowned. "Where can we find a newspaper that's so old? And I remember the Shanghai edition of Ta Kung Pao stopped publishing at the start of the Battle of Shanghai, and the Hong Kong edition wasn't distributed in Shanghai, was it? Is it even possible to find one?"

Shen Shuyun said, "There will always be newspapers leaking in. Headquarters must have asked around; that's the most certain way."

"Where can we find this?" Liu San muttered.

"I know a place where it might be."

Gu Yansheng thought of the law firm; they had a habit of keeping newspapers, and it seemed that this habit was very useful in critical moments. "I'll go find the newspapers tomorrow. You can wait for me at the coffee shop across from Danwen Law Firm at 10 or 11 a.m., whichever time you're free. Shu Yun, you come with me. We'll meet at the law firm entrance at 9 a.m. tomorrow."

"Ok."

The next morning, Gu Yansheng went to visit Danwen Law Firm.

"Mr. Gu," said Susan, the beautiful British receptionist, with a look of surprise, "What brings you here today?"

"I came to see you." Gu Yansheng smiled and placed the pastries he had bought on his way on her table. "Please take it easy."

"Haha, thank you, but you're definitely not here to see me, otherwise you wouldn't have brought a pretty lady with you." Susan blinked. "Are you looking for Mr. Wolf or Mr. Cooper?"

"Where is Mr. Wolf? Is he there?"

"Here I am."

"Thank you."

Gu Yansheng walked into Wolf's office and greeted him.

"It seems the law firm has been quite busy lately; you didn't even look up when I came in."

"Gu?" Wolf looked up when he heard the voice, his eyes showing surprise, but his expression quickly turned serious: "I hope you've been fired by the city government, but I don't think so."

Gu Yansheng smiled and sat down by himself. "It seems there's a lot of business."

"Of course there are many. Eight out of ten cases are related to your municipal government."

Wolf took out a cigar and pointed to the file folder on the desk: "These are all foreign companies suing your municipal government for breaching agreements. It's good that you're here today. As the deputy director of the judicial department, shouldn't you give an explanation? So many foreign companies have suffered losses, why is your court so slow to proceed with compensation?"

“Because we don’t have any money,” Gu Yansheng said matter-of-factly. “The municipal government is almost out of money to even start its own business. Even if you win, we can’t pay you back. That’s what I mean by being poor but having a right to do so.”

Wolf's gaze at Gu Yansheng was incredibly clear, practically screaming "You're shameless!"

Gu Yansheng smiled helplessly: "I support you in suing, suing however you want, since it's not my money. But you really have to wait. The commander of the Japanese military police headquarters has been called back to report on his duties, and he might even commit seppuku. At this critical juncture, the Japanese themselves don't have a backbone, and they don't have the funds to support the SH municipal government in compensating you."

However, this matter will surely ease up one day, because the Japanese cannot give up their interests in Shanghai, and they will still have to maintain good relations with all parties in the concessions.

So when the time comes, the compensation will still have to be paid; it's just a matter of time, and it won't be long.

"How about this insider information? When the city government has the money, I'll be the first to tip you off, and I'll even let you jump the queue. All the cases you, Mr. Wolf, handle will be given priority."

"Hahaha, you said it." Wolf pointed with his rough hand holding a cigar.

Gu Yansheng nodded, "I said it."

"I'll treat you to coffee," Wolf said, briskly stepping out to operate the coffee machine.

"I'll have my coffee later. I needed your help, so I'd like to borrow your archives. There's a case I need to look up in the old newspapers, is that alright? You won't refuse to let me see them just because I'm not working for the law firm anymore, will you?"

Wolf got excited. "Sure, but I'm curious, what case requires your personal attention?"

Gu Yansheng smiled and said, "It's a secret. You keep cooking it while I look up some information. We'll drink it later."

Gu Yansheng led Shen Shuyun into the archives room.

Unlike government agencies, law firms' archives are completely unmanaged, and insiders can access them at will.

The newspapers were piled up in the corner like clutter. Gu Yansheng found the Ta Kung Pao, but it was the Shanghai edition. He continued searching and finally found the Hong Kong edition in a small box.

"Not bad, it wasn't a waste of effort."

The Hong Kong version of Ta Kung Pao has significantly fewer pages than the Shanghai version; judging by its thickness, it's only about a few dozen sheets.

But that's because they were founded later. Gu Yansheng looked at the date on the newspaper. The first issue of the Hong Kong Ta Kung Pao was published on August 13, 1938, and the front page news of that day introduced the history of Ta Kung Pao.

37年12月14日在上海停刊，38年8月13号在香港办刊。

Judging by the date, this is a newspaper with style.

As you flip through the pages, the one from September 26th is soon found.

"Found it." Gu Yansheng showed Shen Shuyun the photo of the person in the newspaper. It was alright, quite clear, and the person's face was definitely recognizable.

They were indeed not the two he had met before.

Gu Yansheng thought for a moment and said, "Keep looking. Look for a case from last April, about Jiangbei tycoon Gu Zhuxuan being accused of colluding with the Military Intelligence Bureau. The newspapers should have reported on this, but I don't want the case after the sentencing. Look further back and see if there are any news events related to this. Find it. That's why we're here today."

Gu Yansheng had already thought of his reasons.

"Ok."

"You go first, I'll go check if the person has arrived yet."

Gu Yansheng folded the newspaper and stuffed it into his pocket. As he walked out of the law firm, he saw Liu San already sitting in the coffee shop waiting for him.

Gu Yansheng handed him the newspaper. "Have you seen this before?"

"No." Liu San immediately confirmed that it wasn't the Gao Zhongwu he had met. "The Japanese are really cunning; they've fooled everyone."

“That’s normal. Others use people they suspect and don’t use them, but they don’t have that option. They believe that those who are not of our kind are bound to have different intentions. We must confirm that these are the two people before taking any action.”

Liu San nodded and put it away: "Then I'll be going now."

In the afternoon, Gu Yansheng didn't receive a call and assumed they were still in action.

To everyone's surprise, Liu San called that evening.

When they went outside, they saw Liu San, with Chen Mo beside him.

Both of them looked somewhat depressed.

Chen Mo smiled helplessly at Gu Yansheng, "It's a good thing you found this newspaper, otherwise we would have really been in deep trouble this time."

"what happened?"

"Fake!"

(End of this chapter)