cicada

Chapter 1460 A Special Interrogation

Luo Yongying's questioning suddenly rang out in the interrogation room, but apart from a slight change in his breathing rhythm, Liu Wusan had no other reaction and quickly returned to his previous innocent appearance.

The underground party interrogators present knew that they had met their match this time; an ordinary mole wouldn't be so calm.

Sure enough, Liu Wusan appeared nervous but was actually very calm, answering all kinds of questions with ease.

Either insist that you don't know, or respond with only brief and vague words.

When pressed on sensitive topics, the other party would deliberately steer the conversation toward irrelevant details, gradually wearing down Luo Yongying and the others' patience.

Seeing this situation, Luo Yongying decisively adjusted the interrogation plan and instead talked to Liu Wusan about life in the base area, hoping to find a breakthrough, but unfortunately, he still found nothing.

The interrogation lasted for several hours when someone walked in and whispered a few words in Luo Yongying's ear. Luo Yongying then ordered the interrogation to be suspended and got up to leave.

Outside the gate, Vice Minister Li stood under the jujube tree in the center of the courtyard, smoking with his head down. Hearing Luo Yongying's footsteps, he looked up and smiled.

"How about it? This guy's not easy to deal with, is he?"

Luo Yongying nodded seriously and voiced his guess: "Liu Wusan must have been exposed to the British research on the [memory severing] method. He is indeed a formidable opponent."

Vice Minister Li was somewhat surprised. The so-called "memory severance" is actually self-deception, completely separating the "undercover experience" from the "daily identity".

Experienced agents are generally familiar with this technique, which aims to maintain logical consistency during interrogations. The British Military Intelligence Service has systematically summarized this method, and related research is still classified.

As for why the underground party knew about the secret research of the British intelligence agency, that's perfectly normal; everyone in London had connections with the Red Russians.

People in Chongqing always think that the Northwest is full of bumpkins, but in fact, the Northwest has always kept up with the world's major powers in science and technology. Even if it cannot be put into practical use for the time being, it is not lagging behind in theoretical research.

After a moment's thought, Vice Minister Li asked about the progress of the interrogation of Liu Wusan's wife, and Luo Yongying shook her head again.

“Like Liu Wusan, these two are very determined. They are not ordinary moles who lurk for money or profit. I suspect they have undergone mind-enhancing treatment.”

Vice Minister Li's expression gradually turned serious. The phrase "strengthening ideology" was not simple; it revealed a great deal.

If Luo Yongying's judgment is correct, then the possibility that Liu Wusan and his wife came from British and American intelligence agencies can be ruled out first.

British and American agents are simply doing their jobs for money; they have virtually no faith or loyalty.

Even the few die-hards who are obsessed with the twilight of the British Empire and interventionism① would not be so resolute in the interrogation room.

Ultimately, being a secret agent is just a job, at most a thrilling one. No British or American would risk their life for a job.

To strengthen ideology, there must be a core ideology, such as the Nationalist government's Three Min Doctrines or the Japanese monarchy.

Therefore, Liu Wusan's contacts can only come from three places: Japan, Yamashiro, and Red Russia.

After thinking it over, Vice Minister Li decisively eliminated this answer from his mind; there was no need to reveal Ban Jun's existence to the Japanese.

It's not that they can't, but that there's no benefit in it. Ban Jun's infiltration of the Japanese and puppet regime would be beneficial to both the Northwest and that region.

It's unlikely that Liu Wusan was a Japanese spy. While it's true that Japanese spies are good at disguising themselves, they are like stubborn rocks in a latrine, rarely employing such sophisticated psychological tactics as memory cut-off.

Then the arrival of Liu Wusan and his wife is imminent: Shancheng!
As an ally of the UK and the US, Yamashiro possesses both core ideas and access to the research findings of British intelligence agencies.

It's just unknown which organization Liu Wusan and his companion belong to—the Military Intelligence Bureau, the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, or some other intelligence agency.

In a short period of time, Vice Minister Li had roughly figured out the direction and even narrowed down the range of suspects, truly deserving of being one of the "Three Heroes".

At this moment, Vice Minister Li suddenly thought of Qiu Chan's telegram. The telegram asked if the Northwest knew the time of Ban Jun's arrest and if they had guessed something but could not tell him for some reason.

It seems that Qiu Chan's status in the Military Intelligence Bureau is higher than they imagined. Deputy Minister Li's mind flashed through photos and information of the high-ranking members of the Military Intelligence Bureau, and he seemed to be deep in thought.

But now is not the time to pursue this matter. He told Luo Yongying his thoughts and asked her to think of a solution.

Like Zuo Zhong, Vice Minister Li is clearly not someone who likes to do everything himself and prefers to cultivate the abilities of his subordinates.

After pondering for a moment, Luo Yongying came up with an idea and said decisively, "Since the target has been reinforced by ideology, let's shatter his illusions and make him understand that the ideology he believes in is false."

"Haha, very good, go ahead and do it." Vice Minister Li laughed heartily; Luo Yongying had grasped the core of the problem.

The more stubborn the enemy, the more vulnerable they are. As long as you seize their strongest point, you can turn the difficult situation into an easy one and the passive situation into an active one.

With the support of Vice Minister Li, the interrogation was quickly moved to a different location. The Liu couple were taken to a hillside in Zaoyuan, where a unique "competition" was taking place in the courtyard below.

In the small open space, more than 200 hand-cranked spinning wheels were neatly arranged, and the area was crowded with people, all of them energetic and cheerful.

Among these people were some wearing military uniforms, some farmers from nearby villages, and some students who were watching the spectacle.

With a whistle, more than 200 spinning wheels turned in unison, and each spinner concentrated intently on spinning. Before long, a thick circle of yarn was wrapped around the spool.

Looking at the scene below, Luo Yongying asked Liu Wusan, "You've been in the border region for almost a year, you should know how to help yourselves through production, but do you know who that is?" As she spoke, Luo Yongying pointed to the man behind one of the spinning wheels. The man was dressed simply and had a smile on his face.

Liu Wusan tiptoed to take a look, then shook his head slightly. His wife, standing beside him, did the same. She looked quite ordinary.

Luo Yongying didn't look at the two of them, and simply uttered a name.

Mr. and Mrs. Liu opened their mouths wide, because they were too familiar with the name. But he was one of the highest leaders in the Northwest. How could he possibly be spinning thread with the common people?

Do you think I'm lying to you?

Luo Yongying asked again, then turned to look at the two of them: "You have kept a low profile in the border area and have basically never left the village where you are hiding, so it is normal that you do not recognize the leader."

“If you weren’t so cautious and went out more, you would know that what I’m saying is true. And it’s not just this leader; all the leaders in the border region have participated in production self-help.”

"Some of the yarn, grain, and industrial products produced were used for self-sufficiency, while a large portion was given to disaster victims in Henan Province."

After she finished speaking, regardless of whether Liu Wusan and his wife believed her or not, she led the two away to the next location.

The commander in the yard seemed to sense something, glanced up in their direction, and then continued operating the spinning wheel; he still wanted to compete with his old comrade-in-arms.

On their way to the next location, Liu Wusan and his wife remained silent, but their expressions finally changed slightly, appearing quite complex.

Anyone who heard that the leader went to compete with a group of farmers in spinning thread would probably think it was fake news, but they saw it with their own eyes, and that can't be faked.

They didn't think they were qualified to get the other party to cooperate in acting; there were very few people in the entire Republic of China who were qualified.

Several hours later, the wagon carrying everyone stopped in front of a camp where refugees who had fled were queuing to receive food and other necessities.

Luo Yongying and his group did not enter the camp or even get out of the car. Liu Wusan and his wife sat in the car and silently observed the movements of the crowd.

Suddenly, cries of anguish erupted from the dense crowd of refugees, growing louder and more numerous.

A man, holding a bowl of millet porridge in both hands, knelt down with a thud, looked up, and burst into tears.

"God, why can't you wait? It's only one day!"

The man's cries were extremely mournful, and the people around him also showed sadness. Many disaster victims had starved to death on the road, and some had even died outside the camp.

Among the crowd were local residents who had come to help. Upon seeing the situation, they asked the disaster victims if the Nationalist government had not distributed any food.

Due to the strict blockade imposed by the Nationalist government, it was difficult for people inside the border region to know about the situation in the Nationalist-controlled areas, especially for villagers who were illiterate and did not read newspapers.

Upon hearing this question, the weeping man suddenly stood up, his eyes red and shouting angrily.

"Distribute grain as disaster relief? Bah! If those bastards hadn't stolen the grain, my parents, my wife, and my kids wouldn't have starved to death!"

These words acted as a fuse, completely igniting the anger in the hearts of the disaster victims. Their tearful accusations echoed through the crowd, making the people of the border region furious.

The militiamen carrying red-tasseled spears and red flags, and the Eighth Route Army soldiers holding rifles gritted their teeth, wishing they could kill all those Kuomintang reactionaries.

Liu Wusan and his wife, who were in the carriage, heard these words clearly. They frowned, seemingly a little incredulous.

Without further ado, Luo Yongying took Liu Wusan and his wife to visit several disaster relief camps in Henan Province over the next few days. In the end, she even allowed them to conduct on-site observations at the border between the border area and the Kuomintang-controlled area.

The outcome was predictable: the Kuomintang soldiers and bandits even robbed the refugees of their last possessions, let alone provided disaster relief.

Not only that, this special interrogation team also visited the Eighth Route Army hospital and saw wounded Eighth Route Army soldiers who had returned from the front lines to receive treatment.

In the makeshift operating room in the cave dwelling, kerosene lamps and kerosene lamps served as operating lights, and the operating table was simply a door panel or a straw mat.

Lacking the necessary anesthetics, the wounded soldiers drank strong liquor or bit down on wooden sticks, relying on their comrades to hold down their hands and feet to complete the surgery.

Even so, when these wounded soldiers woke up, their biggest concern wasn't their own health; what they cared about was whether they could continue fighting the Japanese in the future.

After witnessing all this, the attitude of Liu Wusan and his wife changed imperceptibly, and the interrogation resumed.

(The reasoning process of Zuo Zhong will be discussed in the next chapter.)
① Internationalism/Interventionism

Background: The foreign policy thought dominated by the Roosevelt administration.

Core idea: The United States should play an active role in world affairs, support its allies in resisting aggression, and safeguard the international order.

Notable figures: Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) and Secretary of State Cordell Hull.

Practice: Through the Lend-Lease Act (1941) and the Atlantic Charter (1941), the United States gradually established its leadership position in global affairs.

Impact: After World War II, it developed into the concept of the "liberal international order" during the Cold War.