Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 178 Responsibilities
Ding Mocun didn't know what to say about this conclusion.

He secretly rejoiced, but now he was in deep trouble. All the soldiers had been sold, and they were all from Shanghai. As the commander, he bore an unshirkable responsibility.

With a serious expression, he said, "The confession should be fine. Since he dared to say that, he must be able to find the corresponding soldier. General Miura, do you need to interrogate him personally?"

Jiro Miura's face was grim as he said to Ding Mochun and Li Shiqun, "Get your men out of here."

"Yes."

Ding Mocun and Li Shiqun went out, and less than five minutes later, Miura Jiro came out with his men, carrying the already dead quartermaster.

"There were no cases of military personnel reselling guns in Shanghai. He died in a car accident, understand?"

The person is dead, how could they not understand?
"Understood." The two men bowed.

Jiro Miura stared at them coldly. "If I hear anyone utter a word of dissent, everyone involved in this investigation today, including you, will die."

"Yes!"

"Continue to investigate the gun incident, but stop investigating the British. However, we must find out how the guns left Shanghai and who was in the port allowing them to pass through. Once we find out, hand them over to me."

This is a bit of a dilemma. Ding Mochun frowned and said, "General Miura, only the British know the channels through which the goods were leaked. If we investigate from the port, it will involve too many people. It's possible that the navy allowed it to pass. We simply can't investigate it."

"I'm not here to listen to your complaints!" Jiro Miura was in a bad mood and shouted, "It would be best if you could find out about the Navy. Now that people are dying in the Army, why can't people die in the Navy?"

He's dead, so the source of the missing guns is closed. But what if the person who let them through also let other supplies through? This is something we absolutely must find out!

"Yes!"

Jiro Miura led his men away first, while Lieutenant Colonel Haruki lagged behind.

Li Shiqun immediately understood and stepped forward to listen to the instructions.

Qingqi Qingyi said, "Smuggling in Shanghai has never stopped. I know that with your abilities, you must know who is involved in smuggling. Arrest a Chinese person and a naval officer from the customs. Don't take them alive, but make sure it's a fact. It must be the navy's responsibility."

Li Shiqun understood and bowed, saying, "Don't worry, I know what to do."

Qingqi Qingyi hummed in agreement, patted Li Shiqun on the shoulder, and left.

Li Shiqun frowned and thought for a moment, then looked at Ding Mocun, "Besides our people, the only people at customs are Gu Yansheng's."

"We can't touch his people, can we?" Ding Mochun exclaimed in shock. Before Li Shiqun could finish speaking, he glared at him and cursed, "Li Shiqun, I know you're a scoundrel, but you can't be this scoundrel! He helped you make money, and you arrest his people? And then you drag him into this too? What are you planning?"

"Who's being a villain! Can't you just let me finish?!" Li Shiqun was still annoyed, his voice rising as he glared angrily. "Aren't there two bureau chiefs over there? Sent by the Xingya Institute? Didn't their subordinates report that they only cared about collecting money and then releasing the boats? Can't they be brought out and reported back?"

Ding Mocun breathed a sigh of relief and pondered for a moment before saying, "The two of them are fine, and quite a few people know about their role in allowing ships to pass. There must be British ships among them. Okay, let's choose them. The Japanese don't have any credibility for this official position. Which one should we pick?"

Li Shiqun casually said, "Arrest both of them. The Finance Bureau and the Social Affairs Bureau are both wealthy. Pay up to save your life. You take one, I'll take one. I can include you in this money-making scheme. Is that enough?"

Ding Mocun scoffed, "It's just about sharing the responsibility, don't make it sound so grand."

"Then do you want it?"

"Yes, why wouldn't you want it? What if you've already paid?"

"Make them hand over their section chiefs to take the blame. The customs officers who are actually enforcing the law are definitely not the ones themselves; there should be a responsible section chief."

Ding Mochun had no objection. "Let's do it your way. What about the candidate for the Navy?"

“Let’s pick a lieutenant commander. Isn’t there a naval lieutenant commander who’s usually quite arrogant?” Li Shiqun raised his head.

Ding Mocun understood.

Their inspection department operated in Wusongkou, and they knew exactly what kind of people the Japanese officers at the customs were like.

Given the opportunity to commit murder legally, killing one's own partner is impossible, but killing someone who charges a high price, or someone who will be insulted even if you pay, or someone who considers themselves superior and refuses to accept payment, is acceptable.

With a shared goal and tasks assigned, the investigation into smuggling began that very night.

The two bureau chiefs were arrested and, after an hour of interrogation in the interrogation room, walked out of No. 76 unharmed. Apart from their clothes being a little soaked from fright and some financial losses, they were otherwise fine.

They brought in their own men to be tortured. When they were beaten to a pulp, they did whatever the 76th Division said.

The person being tortured never imagined that working for the Japanese would earn him some money, only to be arrested and interrogated like a secret agent at No. 76. He was in a very dazed state.

The confession was obtained, the signature was signed and fingerprinted, the bribes received were retrieved, and there were both witnesses and physical evidence, making the facts clear.

Following a series of actions, based on the confession, the incident was linked to a naval lieutenant commander. That night, a secret arrest was made. When the man came out of the izakaya and went home alone, they forced him into a car and took him in one go. After arresting him, they locked him in the interrogation room and beat him half to death.

Find out the location of all the hidden money, send someone to retrieve it, and once the money is gone, the person is no longer of any value. Kill him, transport him to the suburbs, and burn him to the ground to completely destroy the evidence.

The next day, an interrogation report was submitted to the Military Police Headquarters, requesting that the Military Police Headquarters contact the Navy and ask the Navy Lieutenant Commander to come forward and assist in the investigation.

After carefully reviewing the report, the Military Police Command felt that the case was too serious and immediately dispatched military police to the Navy Command to demand that the Navy hand over the person.

How could the Navy hand over personnel to the Army?

There can be no smuggling officers in the navy.

"You can leave now. We will conduct an internal investigation into this matter." The navy personnel dismissed the army and prepared to question someone.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that the person had disappeared.

disappeared?
Upon further investigation, it was discovered that all the family's money was gone.
This sounds like someone who knew the news beforehand and fled to avoid punishment.

Then it's even less likely that they'll admit it.

But then I thought, it's one thing if they escape, but what if they're in the hands of the army? What if the army deliberately comes to demand them back, just waiting for them to deny it, and then brings them out and says they've caught them? That would be bad.

After discussing it, the Navy sent someone to the Army Military Police Headquarters to request the release of the personnel.

Did they arrest and hide the people? What right do they have to arrest navy personnel?

A large naval force, with dozens of personnel, went to the Army Headquarters to demand the release of personnel. How could the Army Military Police Headquarters possibly allow naval personnel to enter?
But the navy wouldn't let it go. A lieutenant commander had gone missing, and if the testimony he gave was false, then they had to find him. They absolutely couldn't let him be smeared like this.

If it's true, then we absolutely must get him back; how can he fall into the hands of the army?

The two groups argued and cursed at each other in front of the headquarters, and eventually they started fighting.

This scene was captured by a reporter and made it into major newspapers the next day.

The matter escalated, and the Navy Commander personally led his staff to the scene, accompanied by representatives from the Asia Development Institute and the consulate, to pressure the Army Military Police Command and demand an inspection of the prison cells.

The Army Military Police Headquarters outwardly agreed to the inspection out of spite, but of course, even if they turned over the entire prison in the Military Police Headquarters, they would definitely not be able to find the major.

Next, they searched the prison cells at the intelligence headquarters, but of course, they found nothing.

The army remained calm, but even if the navy turned the entire city of Shanghai upside down, they wouldn't be able to find a navy lieutenant commander whose dust had been scattered everywhere.

The navy refused to give up, and the only clue was the section chief who admitted to smuggling.

After discussing it, they decided that each side would send a colonel to conduct a joint public trial of the director of the Finance Bureau, and make sure to find out the truth about the matter.

76 number.

The director of the Finance Bureau admitted that the ship had indeed been allowed to pass. When the Japanese asked if the naval lieutenant commander had been involved, the director nodded and said he had.

"I did this simply to complete the mission, to collect taxes from the ships. Part of the tax revenue was used to complete the mission, and part was given to the naval lieutenant commander. I took a few hundred silver dollars for myself. My original intention was to complete the tax collection mission, not to embezzle. These few hundred silver dollars were actually a reward from the naval lieutenant commander."

The navy men's faces darkened upon hearing this, but this wasn't something that could be admitted with mere words. They wouldn't admit it until the person was found, and they continued the torture.

The torture was initiated, and after only a few moments, the man died.

The navy was furious; it must have been the army who did this.

"They were already barely alive when you beat them. If you continue to torture them, it's quite normal for them to die."

Li Shiqun would never admit to drugging the section chief, or that he had promised him beforehand that if he insisted the naval lieutenant commander had taken money, he could save his life.

But in reality, he gave the section chief an injection before the navy personnel entered the room. The person definitely wouldn't last more than an hour; he would have died whether he received the injection or not.

As for an autopsy, there will be none, because the Military Police Command will not allow the body to be taken away by the Navy.

The navy personnel were helpless; regardless of how the person died, he was indeed dead.

Then there's no way to prove it now, and this matter has nothing to do with the Navy.

Then he turned to talk about the Xingya Institute.

The decision to assign two bureau chiefs to manage Wusongkou was made by the Xingya Institute, and they should be held responsible.

Although the head of the Asia Development Institute is from the Navy and they seem to be on the same side, the Asia Development Institute is essentially an extension of the Cabinet's power, so they are not that close.

Anyway, the people were arrested by the army, so it's either the army's responsibility or the Asia Development Institute's responsibility; it has nothing to do with the navy in Shanghai.

What's going on with Guan Xingya?

The man from the Xingya Court was taken aback. He felt that he was there as a juror, to judge the case from a neutral perspective.

How did you get dragged into this?
"Are you all crazy? What does this have to do with us?"

"Without you demanding a 30% tax increase, would these people have gone to such lengths to allow ships to pass? The testimonies clearly state that the policy of allowing ships to pass only came about after your Xingya Institute sent these people to Wusongkou! There was never anything like this at Wusongkou before!"

"Raising taxes benefits your army and navy! The Asia Development Institute's efforts are all for your military budget! And you still dare to shirk responsibility onto us!"

And what are the problems with this policy?
Raising taxes by 30%—is that encouraging smuggling? Our policy is flawless. Even if there's a problem, it's their implementation issue, not our Asia Development Institute's!

"They are from your Xingya Institute!"

"Customs officers are your people! The money they earn is for you to spend!"

"How much did we get? It's the army that's spending the money! You idiot! What are you arguing with me about? This is the army's problem, not our navy's!" The navy turned around and yelled at the army, "Don't hide on the sidelines! Why is this prisoner dead? Where is our major? Hand him over!"

(End of this chapter)