The train driver in the courtyard

Chapter 1066 The Truth and Suspicious Points: The Frustrated Sweet Company

"Lu Shichang comes from Zhaojiahe Commune in northern Shaanxi. He settled there before liberation as a refugee. He currently works as a livestock worker in the commune and is not yet married."

The interrogation room at the weather station.

Lu Shichang had originally decided to fight to the bitter end, but when he heard that his secrets had been exposed, his expression changed several times, and finally he burst into laughter.

"Chiyoko, that stupid woman, finally couldn't hold on. She's a disgrace to the empire."

“You are the ones who should feel ashamed to let a woman be defiled in a brothel for more than ten years.”

Old Cat had already read Chiyoko's confession and was shocked by the shamelessness of the Japanese devils. He slammed his hand on the table.

"Disgrace? No, no, no, you misunderstand. It is Chiyoko's honor to be able to serve Tenkō."

In fact, Chiyoko was making amends for the crimes committed by her spineless fiancé.

Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo, who had been taking notes, looked up and asked in confusion, "Didn't Inoue Kazukiyoshi die on the battlefield?"

"Kagesa didn't tell Chiyoko about this?" Lu Shichang was momentarily dazed, then muttered to himself, "That's true. If Chiyoko knew, she definitely wouldn't continue working at the brothel."

"Answer the question," Li Aiguo emphasized.

"Well, since the mission has completely failed anyway, Chiyoko is useless now, so telling you won't hurt."

Lu Shichang probably felt the chair was too uncomfortable and wanted to stand up, but the two men in gray Zhongshan suits quickly grabbed his shoulders and pressed down hard, making Lu Shichang wince in pain.

This seemingly unintentional action was actually a test.

Seeing that the weather station had no interest in the intelligence, Lu Shichang knew he had lost his bargaining chip. He grinned and said, "Inoue Kazukiyoshi is too cowardly. He came here, carried out only one mission, and started complaining that we are too brutal."

He didn't want to serve anymore; he wanted to go back and marry his fiancée. Inoue's actions had seriously jeopardized the entire regiment.

"So Inoue was killed by his own people?" Li Aiguo asked.

"One of our own? No, no, no. A coward like Inoue doesn't deserve to be one of our own. He was shot in the back during a mission."

After Inoue was executed, the regimental commander found his hidden letters and photographs. Seeing that Chiyoko was beautiful, and knowing that Kagesa needed to send women to gather intelligence, he tricked her into coming from Hokkaido.

He said this without a trace of remorse on his face; instead, he looked rather smug.

He was mocking Chiyoko's stupidity.

But when he saw the door open and a woman walk in, the smugness on his face was instantly replaced by panic:

"Chiyoko, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be locked up?"

“I invited her here, intending to confront you and prevent you from making excuses. I just didn’t expect that she would find out the truth about Inoue’s death,” Li Aiguo said, standing up.

Lu Shichang broke out in a cold sweat instantly. He suspected that this was a trap set by Li Aiguo, who deliberately used Inoue's matter to get him to talk.

But he didn't have time to think about it at the moment, as Chiyoko had already walked up to him.

Subsequently, Li Aiguo experienced the true meaning of the word "anger" for the first time.

Chiyoko's face was covered in white smears, obscuring her true expression. When she walked, her legs were stiff, and her movements were strange, seemingly slow but actually very fast.

In the blink of an eye, they arrived in front of Lu Shichang. The meteorologist in charge of escorting them looked at Li Aiguo and asked if they should stop Chiyoko. Li Aiguo shook his head.

"Don't come any closer, don't. I didn't do these things!"

Faced with Chiyoko lunging at him, Lu Shichang panicked and tried to make excuses.

At this moment, Chiyoko was overwhelmed by anger and hatred, and had lost her ability to think. She could only rely on instinct, using her teeth, her fingernails, and anything else she could get her hands on.

Lu Shichang's screams instantly echoed throughout the interrogation room. At first, he shouted "Baka!" but then it turned into pleading: "Spare me! I was wrong!"

Just as Chiyoko was about to bite Lu Shichang's throat, Li Aiguo grabbed her by the back of her collar and pulled her away: "Chiyoko, he still has a use."

Chiyoko was still furious and was about to bite the enemy to death when she was stopped. She let out a howl and charged towards Li Aiguo.

Li Aiguo didn't tolerate her either, and slapped her hard across the face.

The slap was very powerful, and Chiyoko staggered. Her eyes gradually cleared, and her imposing aura vanished instantly.

"Yes, yes. You interrogate him, can you hand him over to me?"

Chiyoko covered her face and remained silent for a moment before turning to look at Lu Shichang.

Lu Shichang felt a chill run down his spine from the look in her eyes.

"Comrade leader, you absolutely must not hand me over to her!"

"Then it depends on your performance."

Li Aiguo had Chiyoko taken away, sat back down at the interrogation table, and picked up his pen: "Now you can confess everything."

Lu Shichang was now terrified by what had just happened.

Just kidding, if a geisha wanted to devour him alive, who wouldn't be afraid?
My original name was Murakami Masao.

Lu Shichang's situation was somewhat different from Chiyoko's. He joined the Bamboo Organization voluntarily and was a minor leader within the organization. Before liberation, he had harmed many people.

Later, when the Japanese retreated, Lu Shichang was left behind by Yingzuo as a spy. At that time, the situation was chaotic, so he forged documents and disguised himself as a refugee, which did not arouse suspicion.

Lu Shichang had thought he would spend the rest of his life alone here.

After receiving orders from Kagesa a while ago, I immediately rushed from the commune to the capital.

After meeting with Chiyoko, Lu Shichang had her find Hu Deli, the deputy head of the security department of the steel rolling mill, among his clients.

Hu Deli was a very lecherous man, and soon he was completely infatuated with Chiyoko, becoming obedient to her every word.

Lu Shichang lied that he was Chiyoko's distant cousin and, under Hu Deli's arrangement, got a temporary job in the propaganda department of the steel rolling mill.

Subsequently, Lu Shichang obtained a pass to the technical department through Hu Deli's connections.

While Wang Jishu was eating in the cafeteria, he secretly photographed the blueprints and hid them in the film, but they were eventually discovered by Li Aiguo.

The whole case is now crystal clear, and Old Cat couldn't help but sigh, "These guys are really cunning."

If Li Aiguo hadn't discovered the problem with the film reel, the engine blueprints might have already been leaked.

Old Cat stood up, intending to have Lu Shichang sign and put his fingerprint on the document.

Li Aiguo, who had been smoking nearby, suddenly asked, "Lu Shichang, how did Yingzuo know about the twin-cylinder engine? Was it your men?"

"No, as far as I know, only Chiyoko and I are left here." Lu Shichang said halfway through his sentence, then lowered his head again.

"You don't want to talk to Chiyoko alone later, do you?" Li Aiguo walked up to him and said coldly.

Lu Shichang visibly panicked and quickly said, "I really don't know, but I have a guess."

"speak out!"

“I suspect that Yingzuo has an informant in the capital. After I arrived in the capital, before I even had a chance to report the situation, Yingzuo sent a telegram ordering us to take action as soon as possible. There must be an informant watching us.”

"Is there anything else besides this?"

“Without me, I’d just be a small fry. Yingzuo would never have told me all this.” After saying that, Lu Shichang asked timidly, “I’ve cooperated with you all, so you have to keep your promise.”

"Take him away." Li Aiguo had no intention of handing Lu Shichang over to Chiyoko.

Chiyoko did indeed have a deep-seated hatred for Lu Shichang, but ultimately Lu Shichang had to be dealt with by those above.

After the man was taken away, only he, Old Cat, and Captain Liu remained in the interrogation room. The light from the incandescent bulbs was still glaring, but it couldn't dispel the heavy atmosphere.

As usual, everyone went through all the details of the case.

This is standard practice at weather stations; it allows them to brainstorm ideas, identify blind spots, and prevent any fish from escaping.

The whole thing is clear now: Lu Shichang and Inoue Chiyoko were both members of the Bamboo Agency. They were left behind when the Japanese retreated.

Over the years, the two have evaded numerous investigations by concealing their identities.

After receiving a telegram from his superior, Yingzuo, Lu Shichang abandoned his long-used identity and came to the capital. Through Hu Deli, he entered the steel rolling mill.

There are two questions now:

One is the person who provided the engine information to Kagesa. Who is he, and what is his identity?
Li Aiguo recalled the information that Professor Ji Huai had once revealed: Ji Huai had a mysterious friend in the capital.

Could it be this person?
Ji Huai is still being held at the weather station. Lao Mao has decided to interrogate him again, but Li Aiguo has little hope and doesn't stop him.

The second question is why Kagesa used nails to steal the motorcycle engine.

This thing is just civilian equipment and has no military use.

Li Aiguo simply put aside the things he couldn't figure out.

As long as we remain vigilant, if the other side dares to make a move, we will show them what an iron fist is.

The next step is to deal with the people involved.

Lu Shichang and Chiyoko are both members of the Bamboo Agency and have a lot of intelligence. They need to be interrogated several more times until they reveal everything they have.

The steel rolling mill can now be unsealed.

However, the key suspects will be interrogated several more times to verify their statements and will only be released after it is confirmed that they are not guilty.

Li Aiguo reported the situation to the farmer, who nodded and said, "Aiguo, you deserve a lot of credit for solving this case and thwarting the enemy's conspiracy in such a short time."

"Teacher, this is what I should do."

Seeing that it was getting late, Li Aiguo planned to return to the steel rolling mill, but stopped after taking only two steps.

"Teacher, I suggest sending Chiyoko some white foundation."

The farmer was tidying up documents when his pen paused, and he looked up at Li Aiguo.

In the dim light, a hint of understanding flickered in his eyes. He then slowly nodded and said, "There are spares in the warehouse. They were used for disguising the team members before, and they're the same kind as the ones from Hong Kong. Go get them. You take care of this."

"Yes," Li Aiguo replied, turning and walking towards the warehouse.

The warehouse's iron gate creaked open with an old, grotesque sound.

On a metal shelf in the corner, several boxes of white foundation were neatly stacked, with blurry foreign writing printed on the boxes. They were obtained from foreign trade channels.
Li Aiguo picked up the two boxes and turned to walk towards the North District.

The North District held important prisoners. As soon as the footsteps approached, the guards immediately raised their guns in alertness. Only when they saw it was Li Aiguo did they slowly lower them: "Leader."

Li Aiguo nodded and walked towards the detention room.

The iron gate of the detention cell gleamed coldly, and through the gaps between the bars, one could see Inoue Chiyoko huddled in a corner, her dark purple kimono wrinkled and her long hair hanging loosely over her shoulders.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up abruptly, her previously empty eyes instantly lighting up.

Li Aiguo passed the foundation through the railing, but the box was snatched away impatiently the moment it touched her fingertips.

Her hands were still trembling, and there were bloodstains from scratching Lu Shichang under her fingernails, but she carefully opened the cardboard box, took out the powder sponge, and frantically applied it to her face in the blurry reflection of the iron gate.

The cracked white paint hadn't been washed off, and the new foundation applied over it was extra thick, but it couldn't hide the anticipation in her eyes.

"Do I look...like a beautiful bride?" she asked timidly, looking up.

Li Aiguo didn't speak, he just nodded slightly.

Chiyoko seemed to have received great affirmation, and a faint smile appeared on her face. Although it was covered by thick makeup, it looked very genuine.

She continued touching up her makeup in front of the iron gate, her movements slow but earnest.

Li Aiguo stood there for a moment, then turned to leave, but stopped and looked at the guard: "If she dares to cause trouble, we can force her at the crucial moment!"

"Yes!" The guards straightened up immediately, their hearts skipping a beat.

They had thought that even this tough "train driver" had moments of weakness, but now they realized they were wrong.

Li Aiguo returned to the steel rolling mill at 7 p.m.

The employees had been locked up all day and were already starting to feel the strain.

If Section Chief Ma hadn't led the security officers to inspect each workshop, things would probably have turned upside down long ago.

When Section Chief Ma saw Li Aiguo return, he asked what to do next. "The matter has been investigated and the factory lockdown is lifted! Let everyone go home."

"Great."

Section Chief Ma summoned the security officer and instructed them to notify each workshop in turn.

Soon cheers erupted from inside the workshop as workers rushed out in droves.

Deputy Factory Director Li stayed in his office the whole time. Hearing the commotion outside and seeing that the factory lockdown had been lifted, he felt a little relieved.

He jogged all the way to the security office, and the first thing he said to Li Aiguo was, "Is there really something wrong with Hu Deli?"

"There's a problem, and a big problem at that."

"I never expected this person to be a wolf in sheep's clothing! Patriot, I misjudged him, I must reflect on my mistake." Deputy Factory Director Li looked heartbroken.

Li Aiguo smiled and said, "Director Li, it is appropriate to make a self-criticism, but this is Hu Deli's mistake, and it has little to do with you."

Upon hearing this, the chill down Deputy Factory Director Li's spine gradually dissipated, and his gaze toward Li Aiguo was filled with gratitude.

Li Aiguo continued, "The steel rolling mill has lax confidentiality regulations, and as the executive deputy director, you cannot escape responsibility."

"Understood, don't worry, I'll hold a meeting tomorrow to reorganize the entire factory."

After experiencing this incident, how could Deputy Factory Director Li not be in high spirits?

After chatting for a while, Deputy Factory Director Li, seeing that Li Aiguo still had work to do, asked Nan Yi to prepare a special meal and bring it over before hurriedly leaving.

Although Li Aiguo didn't escalate the matter, Director Yang wouldn't let this opportunity pass; he had to hurry to the ministry to do his work.

Nan Yi's cooking skills were getting better and better, and the food was delicious. After Li Aiguo and Captain Liu finished eating, they interrogated the group again.

Seeing that it was getting late, he rode his motorcycle back to the courtyard house.

By this time, the workers in the steel rolling mill had already returned.

The residents of the compound all knew about the steel rolling mill being shut down, but they didn't know the reason for it.

"I heard that Dieter was planning to bomb the factory, but Li Aiguo and his security officers captured him."

"What factory bombing? I heard someone stole a motorcycle."

"By the way, why hasn't Xu Damao come back?"

"He's in big trouble this time. I heard that Xu Damao and his apprentice have been arrested."

In the crowd, Jia Dongxu could no longer hold back and started making sarcastic remarks.

Liu Lan was also puzzled by Xu Damao's delayed return, and her heart skipped a beat when she heard the news.

She didn't argue with Jia Dongxu, left Hailong and Haitao at home, and took Xiao Xuhua to her second uncle's house.

My second uncle is now a leader, and he's very well-informed.

"Second Uncle, what happened to my Da Mao?"

Uncle Er was also frightened today. Guns and arrests are terrifying.

He was drinking one glass after another when he saw Liu Lan come in, and he quickly told his second aunt to close the door.

"Liu Lan, don't spread what your second uncle is about to tell you."

Seeing her second uncle's nervous expression, Liu Lan's heart jumped into her throat: "Don't worry, I, Liu Lan, am not the kind of person who can't keep a secret."

Second Uncle had a good impression of Liu Lan, and now he and Xu Damao were practically allies.

After hesitating for a moment, he recounted the story of the steel rolling mill being shut down.

As the deputy team leader, he knew more than the average worker.

“I was coordinating materials at the time when I saw Xu Damao and Lu Shichang being taken to the security department by Li Aiguo.”

"Then Lu Shichang was taken away by a couple I had never seen before."

“Those guys were all carrying guns, it was really scary.”

Liu Lan never expected things to turn out this way.

Her face turned pale, her body swayed, and she almost fainted to the ground, but her second aunt quickly grabbed her arm.

"Things aren't completely clear yet, Liu Lan, don't worry too much. I don't think Xu Damao is a bad person. Right, old man?"

Auntie Er glared at Liu Haizhong, who quickly said, "Yes, yes, if you're worried, you can ask Li Aiguo. I think he's quite familiar with those people in gray Zhongshan suits."

Liu Lan, a woman who had weathered many storms, didn't bother to say thank you before bringing Xu Hua to the Li family.

When Li Aiguo returned, he saw Liu Lan chatting with Chen Xueru in the room.

Liu Lan was extremely anxious and immediately stood up: "Brother Aiguo, how is my Da Mao?"

Li Aiguo knew Liu Lan's purpose as soon as he saw her, and said with a smile, "No problem, you can probably go to the security department to pick up the person in a few days."

"Okay, okay," Liu Lan was instantly relieved, but she quickly realized something was wrong.

Since everything is alright, why go to pick them up instead of just letting them go back?

Seeing that Li Aiguo had no intention of continuing, Liu Lan could only leave with her child.

Chen Xueru also noticed something was amiss. After Liu Lan left, she helped Li Aiguo wash his feet while whispering, "Is Xu Damao still in trouble?"

"A little bit, actually." Li Aiguo squinted comfortably, finally able to relax after a busy day.

Although Xu Damao had no connection to the leak case, he had at least visited the half-closed door.

Chiyoko's statement now clearly records that Xu Damao went there three times, each time for five minutes.

This kind of mess falls under the jurisdiction of the steel mill's security department. If they investigate it thoroughly, it could give Xu Damao a run for his money. It all depends on how the Xu family handles it.

Li Aiguo had no intention of interfering, nor did he plan to.

The night is getting darker.

The entire capital city fell into slumber, and the whole of China was enveloped in peaceful tranquility.

Thousands of kilometers away, in the offices of Honshin Corporation's headquarters in Tokyo.

Chairman Ben Tiansheng's mood hit rock bottom.

What made it even more difficult for him was that he had to speak politely to the person on the other end of the phone.

"Sir, I understand. You have done your best. It's just that the other party is too stingy, treating a broken engine like a treasure."

"Don't worry, I will deliver this month's donation on time and make sure it won't delay your important matter."

"Yes Yes Yes"

After hanging up the phone, Honten took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead. Goto, who was next to her, asked in a low voice, "Did those people fail?"

"Yes," Ben Tiansheng sighed. "I just got news that their people over there have been arrested."

The mere mention of this incident fills Ben Tiansheng with rage.

Because of pre-war relations, Bentian Company had a good relationship with the Bereaved Families Association and secretly donated a lot of money to the association.

Firstly, they wanted his protection, and secondly, they were unwilling to accept defeat.

A while ago, the bereaved families suddenly contacted us, saying that a new type of twin-cylinder motorcycle engine had been developed in mainland China, and they had a way to get their hands on it.

Ben Tiansheng was not initially interested in the proposal from the bereaved families association.

He had a very clear understanding of the level of industry in mainland China; there were not many manufacturers of single-cylinder engines, and the technology for twin-cylinder engines was far from mature.

He only agreed because of his relationship with the bereaved families association, and even paid a fee for the operation.

I was thinking that if I picked up some junk, I could take it apart and see what kind of technology was inside.

result.

They didn't even find any junk, and the bereaved families suffered heavy losses due to manpower losses.

“Boss, I think we should sever ties with the bereaved families as soon as possible. We are businessmen and shouldn’t get involved in these things.” After hesitating for a moment, Wu Teng finally spoke up.

Ever since the establishment of Honsweet Company, Goto has advised the new company to sever ties with the past and not get involved in these messy matters anymore.

Many people within the company support this view, with Goto being a representative of them.

Previously, Goto had only hinted at it indirectly; this was the first time he had said it so directly.

This left Ben Tiansheng with no choice but to wonder: could the failure of this mission be due to Wu Teng leaking the timeline?
"I understand." Ben Tiansheng's expression changed slightly, but then returned to normal. "That kind of engine is optional. Our focus now is on planning next year's production schedule. Call a meeting with all senior executives immediately."

"Yes!"

A moment later, the company's senior executives gathered in the office.

"The rubber from Southeast Asia has already been delivered to the warehouse, enough to produce 500,000 motorcycles."

"We have already ordered a large quantity of steel from the Kangaroo family's steel mill, which will be delivered in a week. The price is 20% higher than last year. The prices of materials such as molybdenum and nickel have also increased."

Upon hearing this, Ben Tiansheng frowned and interrupted the executive: "Why the price increase?"

He appeared gentle, yet possessed an imposing presence without anger; the cold glint in his eyes sent chills down one's spine.

The executive was startled and quickly replied, "I heard that several large iron ore mines in Africa have been taken over by Red Star Mining, and the iron ore has been transported there. As a result, the price of iron ore on the international market has soared, and steel mills have also raised their prices."

"As for rare earth elements, since mining there has been suspended, they are now all coming from Central Asia, and the price has increased several times over."

Upon hearing the words "Red Star," Ben Tiansheng felt depressed once again.

In the past, the small country could obtain a lot of minerals from Africa every year, but now it has been reduced by more than half.

"If it were a few decades ago, we wouldn't have to worry about materials," Ben Tiansheng sighed.

Wu Tengqing clearly stated that the term "sweet victory" refers to the period when the country occupied Northeast China.

The predecessor of Bentian Company was named Donghai Precision Machinery. In those days, machinery companies were all military-related, and they were once responsible for producing engines for the Japanese Type 98 tank.

Back then, a large amount of the materials needed came from Northeast China, and the prices were very low.

An executive quickly assured him, "Don't worry, we are also preparing to organize manpower to mine in Africa. It won't be long before we can turn the situation around."

"A slightly higher price is fine, as long as production is guaranteed. This batch of motorcycles is crucial to the future of our Bentian Company." Bentian Sheng regained his confidence.

With millions of motorcycles sold every year, it won't be long before Bentian becomes the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer.

After the meeting, Wu Teng and the executives left the office.

Honten Katsu picked up the phone and called Soichiro, the team leader of Honten's racing team, to his office.

"I heard that Hongxing Company has already produced four-cylinder motorcycles and they are currently training on them. You must not be careless."

Soichiro raised his head and said disdainfully, "Don't worry, Red Star Company's scrap metal is no match for us."

Furthermore, the team is full of top-notch athletes; I heard the members of the Red Star team are just ordinary workers.

"Very good, very energetic."

Honten was very satisfied with Souichirou's attitude and said in a warm tone, "In addition to training, you should also pay attention to rest, watch a movie or something, invite Kaoru over. You're a young man, don't just know how to work."

"Hai!" Soichiro was overjoyed.

Kaoru is the third daughter of Honten Katsu, which means that Soichiro has accepted him as his son-in-law.

Although she could not inherit the Ben Tian family business, she was able to rise rapidly in her career and directly enter the upper echelons of Ben Tian's society.

"Miss Kaoru, I'm here!"

Soichiro left the office with a very cheerful gait.

(End of this chapter)