Kingsman Agent in Film and Television

Chapter 823 My money, no one can take it away!

Along the wharf, at the fish market.

An agent disguised as a fishmonger is carrying a bucket of fish and pretending to be one—having chosen this profession as a disguise, one must honestly blend into the fish market before dawn.

Perhaps because the fish basket was too full, it caught the attention of a young man carrying a notebook, who came straight over and "caught" him:
"I am a specialist from the Chongqing Social Affairs Bureau, and I am conducting a survey. Please cooperate with me; I will ask questions, and you will answer them."

Before the agent could refuse, the young man opened his notebook and began to ask questions directly.

The first question is about the tax rate at this fish market.

The "caught" agent felt a chill run down his spine as he listened to the young man's questions.

I'm here to work, I didn't even bother to find out about the damn tax rates!
He really wanted to pull out his Social Affairs Bureau ID to show the other person that he was one of their own—but seeing how professional the other person was, the agent knew that if he pulled out his Social Affairs Bureau ID, the other person might call the police.

Although there wasn't a single policeman to be found at the port.

But the operations department requires a low profile, and making a scene wouldn't do him any good, so he hesitated and said:
"The tax... the tax isn't high, sir. I... I still need to sell fish, or else..."

"Cooperating with the Social Affairs Bureau's investigation is every citizen's duty—"

The Social Affairs Bureau's commissioner was fixated on the other party and, no matter what excuses he gave, insisted on making him the subject of the investigation. The agent was devastated, thinking to himself, "Could it be that I'm being punished for targeting too many Social Affairs Bureau members?"

Fortunately, his team leader noticed something amiss and secretly made a few hand signals. Several agents disguised as fishmongers and customers surrounded them. Under the cover of their chatter, the agents seized the opportunity to run away, and the rest scattered. The young man from the Social Affairs Bureau was so angry that he cursed.

The head of the intelligence agency in charge of this area was also alerted. After secretly observing the social affairs bureau commissioner conducting the investigation, he quickly gave orders to his subordinates:
"Tell the brothers to be alert, and don't let this kid catch us."

The order was quickly relayed, and the spies hidden in various places became wary upon hearing the news. Whenever they saw a young man from the Social Affairs Bureau carrying a notebook and conducting an investigation, they would avoid him without hesitation.

The Social Affairs Bureau Commissioner was naturally Zhang Anping.

He had deliberately questioned the agents from the Operations Department to make them avoid him, and this tactic was clearly successful. As he continued his questioning, no agents were around him.

This gave him ample freedom, and after wandering around the bustling fish market for an hour, he thoroughly investigated the operation's deployment within the market.

Regarding the deployment of the operations unit, Zhang Anping had only one idea:
松！
Whether it's arrest or counter-surveillance, Zhang Anping can now be considered a master in this field. He only needs to look at the arrest setup once to guess most of the arresters' intentions.

In less than twenty minutes, he determined the operation's setup at the fish market, arriving at a conclusion that it was "loose and haphazard." Then, he had to spend twice as much time to make sure he hadn't overlooked anything—after repeated scrutiny, he finally confirmed that he hadn't made a mistake.

Therefore, the operation's setup at the fish market was indeed as follows:
loose.

According to Zhang Anping's mental calculations, with such a loose arrest setup, if there were fifty people to be arrested, at least half of them would easily slip away from the net.

Shen Zui is indeed incredibly clever.

Zhang Anping sneered inwardly. Clearly, Shen Zui had no intention of wiping out all the kidnappers.

Shen Zui made this arrangement not only to guess the emperor's intentions, but also because of sympathy.

It may sound strange to say that a spy has compassion, but a spy is ultimately a living, breathing human being. As a human being, it is only natural that he or she possesses human emotions.

[It seems easier than I thought—since Shen Zui's arrangements at the fish market are mainly relaxed, there must be a tense aspect as well. A balance of tension and relaxation is necessary to make things work. So… what will the tense aspect be?]

Fang Minghui!
Zhang Anping immediately had an answer.

[It seems Shen Zui's assessment of Fang Minghui is similar to mine; he's also certain Fang Minghui is observing from the shadows.]

Zhang Anping smiled enigmatically. Fang Minghui was doomed to lose this time—he thought everyone was a pawn, someone he could manipulate at will, and that was the biggest mistake he had ever made.

Having barely played chess before, he dared to directly sit at the table and play against an old agent like Shen Zui. Did he really think that Shen Zui was easy to manipulate because he was young?
……

Lin Nansheng is also playing the role of an investigator for the Social Affairs Bureau. Although he is quite professional, he still tries his best to avoid the special agents of the Action Department whom he knows or has met.

Ultimately, he was insecure and didn't have the same courage as Zhang Anping.

Under the cover of the "questionnaire," he gradually figured out the operation's setup in the fish market and came to the same conclusion as Zhang Anping.

However, he didn't think as deeply as Zhang Anping; his only thought was:

Shen Zui definitely has a backup plan!
He didn't believe Shen Zui would let such a good opportunity slip by. He thought Shen Zui definitely wanted to catch all the kidnappers in one fell swoop, but what he saw so far was a loose operation—the operation was like a fish market, as if a net with an opening wide enough for two-foot fish to pass through. This abnormal phenomenon could only be explained by one thing:
The opponent still has a backup plan.

This backup plan was something he hadn't seen.

No, we have to find out the truth, otherwise things will get complicated.

Just as he was figuring out how to find out what the action department had up its sleeve, Zhang Anping came looking for him.

“There’s a problem, a big problem—I want to walk around some more.”

When Lin Nansheng gave his report, his tone was not urgent, giving the impression of a student answering a question to a teacher.

He instinctively thought that Zhang Anping had already found the result, while he was like someone doing a problem—he couldn't give the answer now, but he had discovered the problem himself.

What's your impression of them?

"loose."

"Any ideas?"

"There's another trick up my sleeve that I haven't seen yet."

Zhang Anping smiled and shook his head, giving part of the answer: "What you see is all there is here; there's no backup plan."

Now it was Lin Nansheng's turn to be stunned.

After thinking for a moment, he tentatively gave an answer:

"He's trying to let the water go?"

"What's the reason?"

reason……

Lin Nansheng hesitated for a moment: "To figure out the superior's intentions?"

The Emperor's intention—the Emperor's intention refers to Zhang Anping's meaning.

Zhang Anping's mindset from the very beginning was: they were all his brothers.

Although things changed later, the principle remained the same: only the ringleaders should be punished!
"anything else?"

Lin Nansheng was speechless this time.

Zhang Anping looked around as he spoke:

"For each opponent, you need to analyze their personality as much as possible, from their actions, ways of doing things, and so on."

"Planning, in the final analysis, is about scheming against your opponent. If you are not familiar with your opponent and cannot figure out their nature, have you forgotten the examples that are right in front of you?"

A prime example is Zhang Anping.

Zhang Anping, whose plans were seemingly flawless, had his horse stumble many times, but these were all deliberate mishaps on his part. He only truly caused his horse to stumble once:
Old Cen was arrested by Fang Minghui!
To summarize briefly:

Zhang Anping failed to discover that the kidnapping group had two leaders, one overt and one covert, and was even less familiar with Fang Minghui's personality, which led to so many incidents.

In fact, Zhang Anping's calculation was correct. If Fang Minghui hadn't thought about retaliating against his brothers after accepting the ten-for-one exchange, he would have had no reason to make things difficult for Lao Cen.

For the kidnapping gang, taking the money and leaving was the only way out.

But Fang Minghui didn't want such a "small" amount of money, so he caused a series of troubles, but his real purpose was just one thing:
He delayed his plans, allowing the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics to eliminate all those who would share the spoils.

The so-called attempts to negotiate with the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics are like trying to get something from a tiger, or to negotiate with Emperor Taizong of Tang; these are just tactics to buy time!
This could go on for thousands of words, so I'll stop here for now and continue later.

Lin Nansheng understood that Zhang Anping's "example" was a self-inflicted wound. The thought that even a teacher with impeccable calculations had nearly made a grave mistake due to momentary carelessness made Lin Nansheng's expression turn serious.

"I understand."

Zhang Anping stopped pursuing the topic, glanced at the already brightening sky, and said softly:
"Next... let's prepare for action!"

……

Wu Liwei was eating breakfast at a food stall when a man dressed as a waiter rushed over and whispered something to him:

"Manager Wu, I just saw Manager An leading people to the fish market."

Wu Liwei paused for a moment before replying, "I understand. I'll go to the fish market after I finish eating—where's Manager Fang?"

"Didn't see it."

"Ah."

Wu Liwei didn't know why he said "um." His subsequent movements didn't speed up; instead, they unconsciously slowed down, as if to buy his brothers more time. But breakfast still had to be finished eventually.

After finishing his meal, Wu Liwei slowly got up, put the money under his bowl, and called out to his companions who had already finished their breakfast. They then got up as well.

Wu Liwei said in an enigmatic tone, "Let's go to the fish market."

Several of Wu Liwei's men exchanged glances. Wu's tone seemed a bit off.
The fish market remains bustling with people, a lively and crowded scene.

But in Wu Liwei's eyes, this huge fish market was filled with terrifying killing intent.

Seeing that Wu Liwei had stopped outside the fish market and was not moving forward, one of his subordinates couldn't help but wonder:

"Manager Wu?"

"Where are Manager An, Manager Pi, and Manager Song?"

"They're all in the fish market."

The core members of the kidnapping gang, besides Wu Liwei who is known to the public, are Yan, An, Pi, and Song. Yan Hua went to Tongliang to bail people out—most likely because he was being watched or secretly arrested by the action department. The remaining three are currently inside.

With these three people present, it means that everyone in the entire kidnapping gang is now inside.

"Later..." Wu Liwei paused, "If something happens, you must cover our people's evacuation."

The men who followed Wu Liwei were stunned. After exchanging glances, they all had a bad feeling.

Some people paled and instinctively reached for their clothes, but were stopped by their companions:

"Follow Manager Wu."

If Wu Liwei had a problem, he wouldn't have gone inside!

After being reminded by his companion, the kidnapper who was reaching for his weapon came to his senses, but the murderous intent in his eyes was intense.

Fish market.

Changji Fish Shop.

Chang Kee Fish Shop, usually bustling with people, was closed today.

But inside the fish shop, seven people were sitting there, barely containing their excitement.

An Lihui, who outwardly sided with Wu Liwei but in reality remained closely aligned with Fang Minghui; Pi Xinjie, who blindly followed Wu Liwei's lead; and Song Yuanhang, who "lost" nearly two million US dollars—these three core members were feigning sleep, while the other four, including You Haoxiang, were pacing back and forth.

Fang Minghui will be here soon, and they will complete the first round of distribution of the spoils here. After they get the money, they will have the final distribution with their subordinates. As the agreed time approaches, they are all getting a little impatient.

Strange noises came from outside. Pi Xinjie, who was pretending to be asleep with his eyes closed, said:

"Old Wu is here."

"Everyone's here except for Boss Fang."

What about Fang Minghui, whom everyone is waiting for?
He, of course, did not enter the port.

The Jialing River forms a U-shape within the territory of Yankou Town, with the bottom of the U-shape facing the Yankou Wharf. At this moment, Fang Minghui is on the inner bottom of the U-shape, looking across the mighty Jialing River at the Yankou Wharf fish market not far away.

He pulled three incense sticks, two candles, and a bottle of wine from his bag, along with three thick stacks of ghost money—it was in the style of US dollars, but it couldn't compare to the exquisite ghost money of later generations, because it was printed using handmade molds. The ghost money was greenish in color, but not like US dollars.

Moreover, the only color available is greenish.

After lighting the candles and placing the incense sticks in the burner, Fang Minghui said softly:

"In the end, I chose to keep my promise."

The ghost money was lit, and flames roared up, turning each piece of ghost money into ashes, as if it had become real US dollars.

A strange smile appeared on Fang Minghui's lips, as if he were talking to himself:

See, I'm a person of principle.

The burning of ghost money is actually very slow, but Fang Minghui had enough patience to wait for it to burn out—after all, he had made use of it, and he had the patience to offer this thick "gift" to these unlucky guys who were destined to be shot at.

But his composure, calmness, and patience vanished without a trace because of a single, casual remark:

"You've really put your heart into this!"

Fear filled Fang Minghui's face. He turned around with difficulty and saw a young man in a Zhongshan suit staring at him coldly.

Shen Zui!

The moment Fang Minghui recognized Shen Zui, his heart sank to the bottom.

Silence, suffocating silence.

Shen Zui didn't move, but just stared coldly at Fang Minghui. After a long while, he broke the silence first:
"I never expected that the mastermind behind this was you—when Old Yang was shot, he asked me to look after you, saying you were a good subordinate. I deliberately let you off the hook, but I never imagined that both he and I had misjudged you!"

The old Yang that Shen Zui mentioned was Fang Minghui's former backer—the unlucky guy who was ordered by Zhang Anping to be shot at.

This man was quite "conscientious." Knowing he was doomed, he didn't try to shift the blame but took all the responsibility. Shen Zui, in turn, went along with it and didn't settle scores with his subordinates.

"Director Shen, I...I..."

Fang Minghui is actually quite good at speaking, but at this moment he couldn't help but stutter.

Shen Zui looked at Fang Minghui with amusement in his eyes.

Fang Minghui's heart sank to the bottom.

Shen Zui is incredibly skilled in combat; even three or five of him wouldn't be able to handle him.

He tried to plead: "I'll give you all of the $39, just let me live."

"It's not that I don't like money, but some money is too hot to handle."

Shen Zui's eyes flashed with disdain: "Not to mention that this money is stained with the blood of his own brothers!"

Fang Minghui's last hope was shattered. He now deeply regrets his "fussy" ways. He could have just taken the money and run away. Why did he have to come and see him off?
After his hopes were dashed, Fang Minghui actually felt relieved:

"If I don't come, will Director Shen be powerless to do anything about it?"

The sudden relaxation in his tone made Shen Zui's heart sink.

"Fang Minghui, do you know how many brothers you'll kill? Since you've already reached a dead end, I suggest you obediently surrender—I guarantee you'll die a quick and painless death, without suffering any injustice before you die! Then I can still try to protect the others!"

"They're all our brothers. Since you've run out of options, do something humane!"

"brother?"

Fang Minghui laughed loudly: "If we were brothers, they wouldn't have swept us out like garbage—have I done nothing to the Party and the country? It's just because I lost my backer that they swept me out like garbage!"

"You're talking to me about brothers now?"

"joke!"

After laughing, his expression turned incredibly venomous:

"Since I've lost, I accept my fate—but none of you are getting any of my money!"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Fang Minghui burst into laughter, a particularly unrestrained laugh.

Taking advantage of Fang Minghui's laughter, Shen Zui moved like a rabbit and rushed forward without hesitation, wanting to capture Fang Minghui before he committed suicide. Shen Zui was confident that he could capture him if he got within three steps.

But Fang Minghui was prepared. As soon as Shen Zui made a move, a white pill appeared in his hand. A mocking look appeared on his face, and he swallowed the white pill without hesitation.

Shen Zui's expression changed drastically. He lunged forward and punched Fang Minghui hard in the stomach. Fang Minghui, in pain, was knocked down and convulsed, but stubbornly refused to vomit.

Shen Zui threw a few more punches, trying to induce vomiting, but Fang Minghui gritted his teeth and remained silent.

When Fang Minghui's retina began to bleed, Shen Zui gave up on the violent induced vomiting and sighed helplessly.

As Fang Minghui's consciousness faded, before it vanished, he saw the still-burning ghost money, and a strange smile appeared on his face:

The money from the underworld is just what I need to take;
None of you are entitled to any of the money from the mortal realm!

As his consciousness was completely extinguished, Fang Minghui suddenly thought:
Thanks to Cen Anyan.

(End of this chapter)