Espionage: I Have Photo Editing Software

Wang Guangyi, male, 32 years old, is the owner and editor-in-chief of a Shanghai evening newspaper. He has published numerous articles in the newspaper advocating for Sino-Japanese friendship, raising suspicions of collusion with Japan.

Wei Renming put down Wang Guangyi's ID photo and said:

"Shanghai Evening News? Never heard of it."

"normal.

In Shanghai, tabloids are launched every day, but most of them go out of business after only a few months.

We have people who specifically collect newspapers on the market and censor them.

If there are any problems, we will be asked to follow up and investigate.

I've checked countless small newspapers like the Shanghai Evening News, and almost all of them have been fruitless.

"Some newspapers, even knowing they were working for the Japanese, couldn't be arrested," Liu Zhidao said.

"Why not arrest them?" Wei Renming asked.

"I'd like to arrest them, but I wouldn't dare. Without solid evidence, arresting them would be like stirring up a hornet's nest. Those literati don't care about that; they'll only criticize us with their pens and words. With just a few words, we'd be condemned to our faces. It's truly hateful," Liu Zhi said through gritted teeth.

Seeing his deep resentment, Wei Renming went along with him and said:

"Intellectuals are ruining the country! They're practically accomplices of the Japanese!"

Liu Zhi nodded and said:

"I haven't read much, so there are many things I can't understand."

All I know is that they clamor in the newspapers all day long, defending this today and that tomorrow.

The Japanese were engaged in large-scale smuggling and opium trafficking in eastern Hebei, so why didn't they do anything to defend it?

"Yes. If the Japanese really come, it will be us who will have to risk our lives, while they can win applause and praise by writing a few words in the rear. Who will remember us?" Wei Renming chimed in.

"Yes. That's exactly right. We don't need their help, just don't make things worse."

Liu Zhi loved chatting with Wei Renming.

He had lived for over thirty years and had never met anyone who understood him so well.

Seeing his interest, Wei Renming continued chatting with him for a few more minutes before asking, "How should we investigate this Wang Guangyi?"

"When investigating someone, you essentially start from three aspects: personal experience, social relationships, and economic situation. If someone has a blank past, simple social relationships, and daily consumption that doesn't match their identity, then there's probably something wrong with them. When you encounter such a person, you have to dig deeper," Liu Zhi said.

The two then went to North Sichuan Road.

Liu Zhi pointed to a three-story detached building along the street and said:

"That's the address registered with the Shanghai Evening News. Most tabloids, due to a lack of funds, can only rent residential buildings as office space. The fact that Wang Guangyi can rent a small building shows that he is not short of money."

Wei Renming nodded in deep agreement.

The two found a teahouse and sat down by the window. They waited until it got dark before they saw someone come out of the building.

"It's Wang Guangyi," Wei Renming said in a low voice.

"Your tracking skills are still a bit lacking. Don't go any further, lest you alert them. Just ride your bike behind me, keeping a distance of about a hundred meters."

After Liu Zhi finished speaking, he left first, and Wei Renming waited for a moment before following him.

Wang Guangyi left the small building, hailed a rickshaw, and headed towards the French Concession.

Seeing this, Wei Renming could only ride forward on his bicycle, carrying Liu Zhi and following behind.

Finally, the rickshaw stopped at a coffee shop on Avenue Joffre.

Wang Guangyi went inside, chose a seat by the window, ordered a coffee, and slowly sipped it.

"He traveled all this way just to drink coffee?" Wei Renming hid at the alley entrance, his eyes fixed on the coffee shop.

"Of course not."

Liu Zhi pointed to a young man who had just walked out of the coffee shop and said:

"Did you see that?" Wang Guangyi entered the coffee shop and deliberately slowed down as he passed by this person.

The man then got up and left.

I'm pretty sure those two are in cahoots.

"Come on, let's follow him."

"Are we just going to ignore Wang Guangyi?"

"You can run away from the monk, but you can't run away from the temple."

The young man was quite alert, taking several detours and making some counter-following maneuvers, all of which were easily thwarted by Liu Zhi.

Finally, the young man came to a small alley.

At the end of the alley, there is a bar with a neon sign that reads "After Dark Bar".

"Why is he here?" Liu Zhi frowned.

"Is there something wrong with this bar?" Wei Renming asked.

"Nightclub has been open for over ten years. It's a gathering place for intelligence brokers, and brokers from all over the world come here to trade intelligence," Liu Zhi said.

"His presence here only proves that there's something wrong with him, doesn't it?"

"Not necessarily. Many newspaper reporters also come here to inquire about gossip."

"Shall we go in?"

"No entry."

"Because there are too many people and too much attention?"

"No. The bar entrance fee is too expensive, two yuan per person, I can't afford it."

"Uh..." Wei Renming was taken aback. "I'll take care of it."

"This money can't be reimbursed," Liu Zhi said with heartache.

"I'm a photographer, I'm not short of money," Wei Renming said, patting his pocket.

"Alright then." Liu Zhi grinned.

As they approached the bar entrance, two masked men blocked the way, speaking in broken Chinese: "Tickets."

Wei Renming took out the money and handed it over.

The man took the money and said:

"Don't cause trouble, or no matter who you are, you won't leave this bar!"

As he spoke, he took out two masks and handed them over.

After Wei Renming and his companion put on masks, the two men stepped aside and opened the bar door.

"Does this bar have such a powerful background?" Wei Renming whispered.

"The Public Works Bureau makes a fortune every year just from ticket revenue," Liu Zhi sneered.

The two walked down the long corridor, lifted the curtain, and entered the bar.

The bar was dimly lit, and everyone was wearing masks, chatting in small groups.

"Eleven o'clock." Based on his clothing, Liu Zhi located the young man.

The man sat at the bar, drinking alone.

Wei Renming and his companion sat in a corner, ordered two drinks, and pretended to talk while secretly keeping an eye on each other.

A short while later, a man wearing a fox mask walked up and sat down next to the young man.

After exchanging a few words, the fox-like man took out an envelope and handed it to the young man.

The young man tucked the envelope into his pocket, handed over a roll of money, downed the wine in his glass, and got up to leave.

"Did he buy intelligence?"

"right."

Should we follow suit?

"Walk."

The two returned to the corridor, but were stopped by someone. The man looked at his watch and said:

"A customer just left. According to the rules, you two need to wait three minutes before you can leave."

Liu Zhi clearly knew this rule and did not argue.

Three minutes later, the two left the bar, but the young man had disappeared.

Liu Zhi quickened his pace and headed towards the coffee shop.

When they arrived, they saw Wang Guangyi walking out of the gate.

Wei Renming peered into the café and spotted the young man.

"These two are definitely in cahoots."

"As expected. Let's go, follow Wang Guangyi."

More than forty minutes later.

Wang Guangyi returned to an apartment and went inside.

A short while later, a light came on in a room on the third floor.