My spy diary

Chapter 282 Hatred (asking for monthly ticket)

In Shanghai, the French Concession was unusually quiet.

In a dim room on Kelsi Road, two people sat opposite each other.

The table in the middle was filled with delicacies such as shrimp, black sea cucumber, eight-treasure duck, braised pork, and Fengjing pig's trotter, and there was a jar of Shaoxing rice wine next to it.

One person ate heartily, his face greasy. Seeing the person opposite him with an uncertain look, he couldn't help but smile:
"Brother Li Biao, just put your mind at ease. District Chief Zhou has been arrested, and now Shanghai District is leaderless. Who else but you?"

The two people having dinner were the captain of the Shanghai Undercover Zone Action Team, Zhao Libiao, and the deputy captain, Wang Kequan.

Zhao Libiao graduated from the fifth class of Whampoa Military Academy and was known for his quick action, decisiveness and calmness in times of crisis.

Deputy Captain Wang Kequan had a different background. He joined the Secret Service as a traitor to the Red Party.

This person is one year older than Zhao Libiao. He is from Anhui Province. He joined the Red Party at the age of 18 and then entered Moscow Oriental University to study. After returning to China, he served as the head of the Red Party's JS Province. After being arrested, he immediately defected and joined the Shanghai District of the Secret Service.

His greatest characteristic is that he is meticulous and does things flawlessly. As Zhao Libiao's deputy, they complement each other's strengths and weaknesses.

Zhao Libiao is in his early thirties, with a fair face and no beard, and looks harmless.

Hearing this, his long hooked nose twitched, his eyes narrowed into a line, and his voice was hoarse:
"That being said, I'm still worried about something happening until the dust settles."

"What could happen?"

Wang Kequan smiled disapprovingly and said:

"Kill Tang Shaoyi, brother, you have been promoted to the rank of major general, and you are on par with those directors of the headquarters. No one is more suitable than you in terms of qualifications and experience."

Zhao Libiao thought about it and it made sense. Those who had more background and qualifications than him had been transferred one after another, and the others also occupied their positions. Even if some people were eyeing the glamorous world of Shanghai, they were not familiar with the situation here, and even if they were parachuted in, they would not be able to carry out their work. No one should seek bad luck for themselves.

Thinking of this, Zhao Libiao felt much better. It is said that there are four steps in officialdom: one year to explore, two years to work, three years to wait, and four years to make a move. Zhao has been waiting for six or seven years, so it should be him.

He raised his glass and clinked it with Wang Kequan's, saying:
"I will be the district chief, and you will take over as the operations leader. When we brothers accomplish a few more great things and have made great contributions, I will immediately recommend you to the boss to be the deputy district chief."

"Thank you, District Chief."

"We have been brothers for many years, and you are still talking about this?" Zhao Libiao smiled and reminded:

"The action team is the foundation of our lives, you and I brothers, we must keep it in our hands."

"Understood." Wang Kequan understood and said, "I will find a way to make these Liu guys get out of here on their own."

The surname Liu naturally refers to the leader of the action team, Liu Geqing.

Zhao Libiao smiled contemptuously: "Humph, this fool, if he wasn't someone that Boss Dai valued, I would have kicked him out long ago."

Liu Geqing's ancestral home is Wandao. After the Japanese occupied Wandao, they burned, killed and looted everywhere. Liu's father organized a militia to resist and was stabbed six times, but luckily he survived.

Due to national hatred and family feud, Liu Geqing hated the Japanese since he was a child.

After graduating from Jinan University in Shanghai in 35, Liu Geqing wanted to serve the country through industry, but was spotted by Dai Chunfeng and recruited into the training class of Jiangsu and Zhejiang Police School.

After graduation, Liu Geqing entered the Shanghai district and worked under Zhao Libiao. When Shanghai fell, he took the initiative to ask to stay undercover in Shanghai and engage in underground struggle against Japan. In his own words, "I stayed in Shanghai because I was ready to die at any time."

Liu is an upright person and his achievements are obvious to all.

But such a person is naturally not the same kind of person as Zhao Libiao. All his achievements were recorded by Zhao Libiao in his own credit book.

Birds of a feather flock together. Zhao Libiao just couldn't stand the group of people that Liu Geqing was with.

However, when Zhao Libiao takes over as district chief and holds power, these people will naturally step aside and he will then promote all of them to be his own people. The entire station will be united and will be able to accomplish some earth-shaking events.

Zhao Libiao was thinking proudly when suddenly there was a knock on the door.

He thought it must be a telegram from headquarters, and immediately stood up happily and opened the door, only to see that the person standing at the door was Chen Mingchu.

Chen Mingchu's original name was Chen Dirong. He was from Changsha, Hunan. He was transferred from Nanjing to Shanghai after the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War and served as assistant secretary.

As a newcomer, Zhao Libiao, the "landlord", did not take him seriously at all. Coincidentally, the district head Zhou Zhilong also disliked this man. He was domineering and criticized him severely. He also replaced his position of assistant secretary with deputy assistant secretary and replaced him with his confidant Wang Fangnan.

Chen Mingchu got to the top based on his seniority and had no background at all. He was furious but dared not speak out.

However, with the arrests of Zhou Zhilong and Wang Fangnan, his position as deputy assistant secretary also rose.

Zhao Libiao looked at Chen Mingchu, who was timid and submissive, and smiled contemptuously in his heart. But thinking that this person was now quite worth winning over, he forced out a smile and asked in a friendly manner:

"A telegram from headquarters?"

"Yes."

Chen Mingchu nodded, handed over a folder and said, "This is the encrypted message from Room A. Captain Zhao, please translate it yourself."

Hearing the title "Captain Zhao", Zhao Libiao felt displeased. He thought to himself that he was so arrogant that he couldn't even speak. No wonder no one liked him. He would open his eyes wide and take a good look.

He suppressed his displeasure, took out the code book he kept close to him, spread out the message on the table and began to translate it.
Zhao Libiao had just translated half of the telegram when his face became gloomy and he was burning with anger.

Wang Kequan sensed something was wrong, and when he looked out, he saw the glaring words "Wang Tianlin will take over as District Chief" and said quickly:

"Brother Li Biao, please be patient and check what else is written in the telegram."

"Knowing it's shit, is there any need to watch it?"

That's true. Just like when you scratch a lottery ticket, the word "thank you" appears, but do you still have the heart to continue scratching it?

Seeing that Zhao Libiao was about to tear up the telegram, Wang Kequan had to persuade him before he translated the entire telegram.

"Deputy District Chief and Captain of the Action Team" Wang Kequan read the telegram with a bitter look on his face. Zhao Libiao's dream of becoming district chief was shattered, and his position as captain naturally came to nothing.

"Boss Dai Yunong is so calculating. Why? What is this? A consolation? If he is not satisfied with me, why doesn't he just remove me from my position as the operations team leader?"

Zhao Libiao was furious. He grabbed the telegram and tore it into pieces. Still not satisfied, he kicked over the table and cursed with red eyes:

"Wang Tianlin is an old bastard. He is already in his twilight years, but he is still not satisfied with being the head of the North China District. He is still thinking about my Shanghai District. Does he think he is here to retire? This bastard, I have no sworn brotherhood with him."

"Why are you pulling me?"

After roaring for a few words, Zhao Libiao saw Wang Kequan saying "be careful with your words" and pulling his arm, so he glared at him fiercely. Then he realized that Chen Mingchu was still sneaking around the door, so he became even more furious and stepped forward to grab Chen Mingchu's collar.

"Clap"

Two unexpected slaps from both sides made Chen Mingchu dizzy.

"You son of a bitch, what are you still doing standing here? Are you waiting to see me make a fool of myself?"

Chen Mingchu was trembling all over, half out of fear and half out of anger, with a fleeting hint of viciousness and sadness in his eyes.

He thought to himself that I, the assistant secretary (office director), was the third or fourth in command of the Shanghai undercover area, but what am I in your eyes, Zhao Libiao?
Worse than a dog? Zhou Zhilong is like this, and so are you. Very good, if you are unkind, then don't blame me for being unjust.

Suppressing the hatred in his heart, Chen Mingchu pretended to be humble and said tremblingly:

"District Chief Zhao Zhao, here is another telegram of yours. It was sent by Director He of the Operations Department of the headquarters."

"Brother Zhiyuan?" Zhao Libiao was stunned and shouted, "Bring me the telegram."

Chen Mingchu delivered the telegram honestly.

Zhao Libiao took a quick glance and knew the ins and outs of his appointment as deputy district chief. He looked at Chen Mingchu coldly and said:

"I am now in charge of the work of the entire district as the deputy district chief. You must immediately bring all the personnel files, reserve funds, and financial information of the entire district to me for review."

Chen Mingchu said timidly: "These are in the hands of Wang Fangnan, I don't know either."

"What's the use of you then? Go away, get out of here as far as you can, and don't let me see you again."

"Bang" the door of the room closed, blocking Chen Mingchu's sight, but it could not block the hatred in his eyes.

He stared at the gate with a sinister look on his face, then walked away without looking back.

Inside the house, Zhao Libiao threw the telegram to Wang Kequan and sneered:

"When there is no tiger in the mountain, the monkey becomes king. In recent years, a new man named Zhang Yi has risen in the headquarters. He has usurped the rank of major general by luckily catching a few Japanese spies. Humph, he is a young boy. When I was killing the Red Party, he was still wearing open-crotch pants. If he had said a few good words for me in front of Boss Dai, how could Wang Tianlin, the villain, be so rampant?"

"Zhang Yi?" Wang Kequan looked at the telegram and said disdainfully:

"What a joke! Is there really no one left in the party-state? Or is it that he can be important just because he is from Jiangsu and Zhejiang?"

After a pause, he said suspiciously, "Director He must have bad intentions in sending this telegram. The telegram didn't say that Zhang Yi slandered me in front of the director!"

"His words carry weight in front of Boss Dai, so why doesn't he speak up for me? Having no bias is the greatest bias."

Wang Kequan shook his head. Although he was not happy that Zhang Yi was in such a high position at such a young age, Zhao Libiao's words were a bit far-fetched. He did not want to offend him at the moment, so he just consoled him:

"Brother Li Biao, you should change your temper. You shouldn't have attacked Chen Mingchu just now. This person is worth winning over.

You are now the deputy district chief. You can take this opportunity to sort out the personnel relations while you are in charge of the district. When Wang Tianlin comes, we will directly sideline him. He will be unable to make a difference and will naturally leave in disgrace. By then, the position of district chief will not be yours."

Zhao Libiao agreed with that thought. For a new official, especially an official like Wang Tianlin who is posted in a foreign place, he is unfamiliar with the place and is completely in the dark. When he arrives at a place, he has to pay his respects and explore the way there first. Once he is familiar with the situation and has established connections, he can then think about how to let go and achieve some political achievements. Then, once he has achievements and reputation, he will begin to hope that the organization and superiors will pay attention and consider moving to a new place.

There are generally two possibilities: either rise high and soar, or flee in a panic.

However, as long as he sidelines Wang Tianlin, he will have no choice but to escape in a panic.

Thinking of this, Zhao Libiao began to regret hitting Chen Mingchu just now. He smiled awkwardly and looked at Wang Kequan:
"Brother, I'll have to trouble you to appease him. You can use money and beautiful women to get him to come back and continue to be the assistant secretary."

"Don't worry, I'll go right away." Wang Kequan smiled and went out to find Chen Mingchu.

But Chen Mingchu had disappeared long ago.

A few minutes ago, Chen Mingchu walked out of the temporary secret agency in the Shanghai hidden area in disgrace, and immediately found a public telephone booth to make a call.

At this moment, he was sitting with a well-dressed man in the Great World Ballroom.

This person is Li Shijun, a traitor to both the Red Party and the Central Bureau of Investigation.

On the eve of the fall of Nanjing, he colluded with Kawashima Yoshiko, but because of his low reputation, he was not reused.

Li Shijun was unwilling to give up, so he took advantage of the opportunity to perform his official duties, embezzled the funds of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, and secretly fled to Hong Kong. He went to great lengths to establish a relationship with the Japanese Consul General in Hong Kong.

The other party thought that he was unfamiliar with Hong Kong and could not play a valuable role, so they introduced him to Shimizu, the secretary of the Japanese Consulate in Shanghai, to do intelligence work for the Japanese Consulate.

In this way, Li Shijun returned to Shanghai after a long absence.

How could the ambitious Li Shijun be willing to be an intelligence officer? He secretly began to recruit soldiers. At this time, Ding Mocun, who was on the run after being reported for corruption by Boss Dai, also returned to Shanghai.

After these two former superiors and subordinates met, they quickly hit it off.

Li Shijun had channels with the Japanese, but what he lacked was prestige and status. Although Ding Mocun had been dismissed from office, he still had his status as a major general and senator. He had long been associated with high-ranking Kuomintang spies and had plenty of appeal. After the two conspired, they were introduced by Shimizu, the secretary of the Japanese consulate, and finally met the Japanese spy chief, Tobi.

The "List of Anti-Japanese Groups in Shanghai" and the "Shanghai Special Agent Plan" were used as tokens of their allegiance, which finally moved their Japanese master. Doiyuan gladly accepted them and asked his assistant Haruki to support the two in establishing a special agent organization.

"Are you getting mad again? I told you before that I'm recruiting people now. If you come here, the position of director will be within your reach. Why are you hesitating?"

Li Shijun was playing with his wine glass, looking serious and thoughtful.

Chen Mingchu took a sip of wine and sighed:

"Brother, you are talking without any pain. My hometown is Changsha, Hunan. My parents are there. If I surrender to the Japanese, what will happen to them?"

"Wuhan will soon be conquered, how far is Changsha?" Li Shijun said disapprovingly:
"Once the imperial army occupies Changsha, it will only take a few words to bring your family to Shanghai."

Chen Mingchu was somewhat moved, but hesitated and said, "We'll see when the time comes."

Li Shijun did not urge him and asked, "What happened today?"

Chen Mingchu told everything without any hesitation.

"So, Wang Tianlin, the head of the North China Region, is coming to Shanghai?" Li Shijun's eyes sparkled. After thinking for a while, he suddenly smiled and said:

"Congratulations, Brother Mingchu."

Chen Mingchu asked depressedly: "What do you mean?"

Li Shijun sneered, "Dai has always been self-proclaimed as a good judge of talent, but this time he made a mistake in employing people. Wang Tianlin took Zhao Libiao's position, how could he let it go? Even if Wang Tianlin is knowledgeable, mature and experienced, can he handle it without support?"

"But what does this have to do with me?"

"Brother Mingchu, you are the one who is in charge and you are confused." Li Shijun smiled and waved his hand, saying:
"Wang Tianlin took up the post alone, completely clueless, while you are familiar with the situation in Shanghai."

"You want me to join Wang Tianlin and fight against Zhao Libiao?" Chen Mingchu suddenly realized.

"That's right, but this is not the most important thing. Let Wang Tianlin go on the charge. Since you have helped him, you must give him something in return. You must find a way to secure your position as district secretary." Li Shijun looked at him meaningfully.
"I know you have concerns, whether it's about your family, the war, or your future. It doesn't matter. I'm not forcing you to come here. As long as you can hold on to your position as district secretary, it will be a great achievement."

Chen Mingchu's expression was stern. He naturally understood what Li Shijun meant. The position of district secretary could get access to almost all the secrets of the Shanghai hidden area, including the secret office locations, personnel lists, and financial records of the internal and external staff.
Once he gets these things, he can present them to Li Shijun as a "big gift" for joining the gang, in exchange for high positions, generous salaries, and wealth.

"Let me think about it." Chen Mingchu said hesitantly.

"Don't worry, I have plenty of patience." Li Shijun said with a smile. From the contact during this period, he has already understood Chen Mingchu's temperament very clearly. This person is submissive but ambitious. Such a person can be easily defeated by adding fuel to the fire.

He believed that this wolf in sheep's clothing was mixed in with the flock of sheep in the Shanghai lurking area and would definitely give him a big surprise.

(End of this chapter)