My spy diary

Chapter 301: Counterattack (asking for monthly ticket)

Not long after Wang Tianlin returned home, Chen Mingchu came to his house.

Seeing Wang Tianlin sitting alone on the sofa smoking with a gloomy look on his face, he flickered his eyebrows, pretended to be surprised, and asked respectfully:
"Didn't the district chief go out for a drink? Why is he back so early?"

"Which side are you from?"

Wang Tianlin suddenly raised his head, looked him up and down for a while, and asked coldly.

Chen Mingchu was stunned, knowing that he was suspected of leaking Wang Tianlin's whereabouts. He felt uneasy, but pretended to be calm and forced a smile on his face:
"District Chief, if you say that, I am naturally your man."

The answer is wrong!
Wang Tianlin glanced at him. This was a different situation. If he had found something wrong with this guy before, he would have made him pay for it. But now...
He snorted noncommittally and asked:
"What has Mr. Zhao been doing these days?"

If Wang Tianlin felt confusion, disappointment, resentment and hatred towards Dai Chunfeng, he felt disdain, hatred and even deep hatred towards Zhao Libiao.

He stayed in Shanghai during this period of time, firstly to contact his old subordinates, and secondly to prepare for an opportunity to take revenge on Zhao Libiao.

"District head, ever since Chen Lu was killed, Japanese military police and plainclothes officers have been hunting for the murderer all over the city. They arrest any suspicious individuals they see and offer a reward for tip-offs. The people in the district are also in a state of panic. Zhao Libiao hasn't shown up for a long time. Now the work in the district is being managed by the district secretary Zheng Xiuyuan."

At this point, Chen Mingchu sneered and said:
"I think he must be hiding. First, he is afraid of your revenge, and second, he is on guard against me."

At that time, Shanghai was actually an isolated island under the iron hoof of Japan. Beneath the prosperous appearance of feasting, drinking, singing and dancing, it was rife with betrayal, kidnapping and assassination, and gunfights could break out in the streets at any time.

What is most frightening is not the brutal and cruel Japanese spies, the lawless Japanese ronin, or the unpredictable and unguarded stray bullets, but the people around you.

The servant in your home who is respectful and obedient to you may very well be a long-lurking Japanese spy.

The kid next door who always helps you out may become the ignorant kid who exposes and reports you because of a piece of candy.

Your best friend or confidant who was chatting and laughing with you one second may report you or betray you the next second after knowing your secret.

You can always trust no one except yourself.

Zhao Libiao had obviously been prepared. He went into hiding the day he learned that Wang Tianlin was released by No. 76.

Especially since there is a person in the district headquarters named Chen Mingchu who is close to Wang Tianlin, how could he dare to come out to preside over the work?

"This guy is really quick to get away." Wang Tianlin sneered, then changed the subject and asked:

"Any other news from the district?"

Chen Mingchu thought quickly and said:
“Zheng Xiuyuan received a telegram today and then left in a hurry.

I don't know the specific content, how about I go and test his words? Maybe there will be new instructions from Boss Dai."

The confidential telegrams of the Military Intelligence Bureau were sent directly to station chiefs and district heads. They were not only "encrypted" but also had to be translated personally.

Even if Zhao Libiao was not there, District Secretary Zheng Xiuyuan was responsible for receiving and keeping the documents. Naturally, Chen Mingchu, the assistant secretary, had no right to know the contents.

"No need." Wang Tianlin sighed and said quietly:
"People from the mountain city have arrived."

"Who?"

"Zhang Yi."

"Zhang Yi, deputy director of the Operations Department?"

Hearing Wang Tianlin mention this name, Chen Mingchu looked solemn and asked anxiously:

"He told you everything, District Chief. What do you plan to do?"

Wang Tianlin looked at him in surprise, snorted coldly, and said:
"What else can we do? We should remain unchanged in the face of ever-changing circumstances."

Chen Mingchu tried to figure out what he meant by that, his eyebrows flickered, and when he saw Wang Tianlin's gaze, he immediately expressed his loyalty:
"District Chief, I am grateful to you for your kindness. I have said that I will follow your lead. No matter in the past or in the future, I will do whatever you say."

Chen Mingchu's words were sincere, and Wang Tianlin felt a warm current in his heart. He nodded and said:

"Okay, I'll think about it. You go back first."

Chen Mingchu nodded and responded respectfully:
"Yes, I'm leaving then."

When I came out of Wang Tianlin's house, it was already dark, with tiny stars twinkling in the sky.

Chen Mingchu walked a distance away, glanced behind him vigilantly, and when he found no follower, he immediately went into a public telephone booth.

Half an hour later, Chen Mingchu appeared at No. 67 Daxi Road.

This is the residence that Li Shijun carefully selected for himself.

To the west of the apartment is the home of the Japanese traitor Xie Youchu.

This man was a profit-seeking illegal businessman and economic traitor. He sold Chinese goods to the Japanese at low prices, and then dumped Japan's junk products on the Chinese, making huge profits, most of which became the Japanese military expenditure.

Li Shijun believed that such a neighbor would definitely not betray him. Moreover, this man was rich and powerful, and was surrounded by many bodyguards and Japanese plainclothes officers, who could serve as a line of defense to protect his safety.

On the east side of No. 67 Daxi Road is another American military camp in Shanghai. Even the Japanese did not dare to offend them, so the Guo Party forces naturally did not dare to rashly cause trouble for them.

This place has invisibly become Li Shijun's voluntary guard.

Opposite the apartment is Yunfei Auto Shop, separated by a road.

Outside the car dealership is a wall several dozen meters long, separating it from other businesses.

So if you look out from No. 67 Daxi Road, you can have a clear view of what's happening on the road outside. If a stranger approaches, he or she will be discovered immediately and you will be safe.

Even so, Li Shijun was still very cautious every time he went out. He would send out several cars at the same time, setting up a confusing array so that you could not figure out which car he was in.

Being so cautious, Li Shijun naturally would not let Chen Mingchu into his house, but would meet him in the car outside the door.

After listening to Chen Mingchu's report, Li Shijun hesitated for a long time before speaking, as if he was asking Chen Mingchu, or talking to himself:

"What on earth did they talk about?"

"Wang Tianlin said that one should remain unchanged in the face of ever-changing circumstances. I guess Zhang Yi must have brought a message from Boss Dai. Wang is probably bargaining."

"Will Mr. Dai agree to this?" Li Shijun sneered and said:
"It seems that Wang Tianlin hasn't given up yet."

"You won't cry until you see the coffin." Chen Mingchu smiled and said:
"Director, is it time for us to take action?"

"It's time to take action, but not by us, but by you."

"Me? What can I do?"

Chen Mingchu was surprised and said nervously: "Wang Tianlin must have doubted me. If I reveal my identity..."

"I didn't ask you to convince him. You looked so nervous." Li Shijun smiled and waved his hand, saying:
"I've said that a forced melon is not sweet. If we want Wang to be willing to work for us, we have to make him give up."

"What do you mean?" Li Shijun smiled strangely and looked at him deeply:
"telegraph."

"Telegram? What does that mean?"

Seeing Chen Mingchu's puzzled expression, Li Shijun cursed him for being stupid, stared at him coldly and said:
"Didn't you say that District Secretary Zheng Xiuyuan received a telegram today?"

"But it was an encrypted telegram. I didn't see it, and I don't have the code book. I don't know the content at all. If I try to steal it, what if my identity is exposed?"

"Who told you to really steal the telegram?" Li Shijun glared at him and said with a playful smile:
"You don't know the contents of the telegram, but Wang Tianlin knows it? What I mean is that you forged a telegram, or told him that you saw or peeked at the contents of the telegram."

"The Military Control Commission has strict management over encrypted telegrams, and I have no access to them at my level. Will he believe me if I say this?" For a moment, Chen Mingchu's mind was a little confused.

"Whether you believe it or not is up to him, not you."

Li Shijun looked at him coldly, his tone serious: "Since Zhang Yi came to Shanghai, he must have brought a verbal or handwritten letter from Dai Yunong...

Since Wang Tianlin is still hesitating, we can take advantage of this time difference to catch him off guard and make Wang believe that his conditions have been rejected and the Military Control Commission has issued a sanction order against him. If it were you, what would you choose? "

"So that's how it is." Chen Mingchu said with admiration:

"Wang Tianlin will surely be furious and give up on the Military Control Commission. At that time, he will take the initiative to throw himself into the arms of No. 76."

"It's just human nature. Compared to staying alive, is being ruined important?"

Li Shijun sneered and asked, "Hasn't Liu Geqing, who murdered Chen Lu, shown up yet?"

"He should still be in Hong Kong."

"Then let him live a few more days." Li Shijun paused for a moment and asked again:

"Do you know Zhang Yi?"

"Not many. I heard he's a rising star in the headquarters."

"A rising star?" Li Shijun sneered, "Then let him fail in Shanghai."

"If the director takes action, it will definitely be easy to catch him."

"Don't underestimate him. Although he is young, he is cunning and a formidable enemy."

Li Shijun thought for a moment and said, "You go back immediately. First, continue to keep an eye on Wang Tianlin's every move. Second, you have to find a way to find out where Zhao Libiao is hiding."

"Yes," Chen Mingchu answered with some difficulty. He was an insider and was not good at tracking and stalking, so he had no idea where to find Zhao Libiao's residence.

Li Shijun saw that he was in trouble and comforted him:

"Don't worry, I will let Lin Zhijiang cooperate with you."

"Lin Zhijiang"

Chen Mingchu was stunned. Lin Zhijiang graduated from the sixth class of Whampoa Military Academy and is now the leader of the Second Action Group of the Shanghai District. He has much more experience than him. He didn't expect that this guy had also secretly thrown himself into Li Shijun's arms. He thought that he was hiding it deeply enough!
Li Shijun smiled complacently and patted Chen Mingchu on the shoulder:

"Okay, go back. Everything is going according to plan. Once we dismantle the Military Control Commission in Shanghai, you can take up your post at the Secret Service Headquarters, Director Chen."

"Thank you, Director." Chen Mingchu said with joy.

After getting off the car and watching Li Shijun's car return to the apartment, Chen Mingchu walked alone on the road. The joy he had just felt was long gone, and his face was full of sadness.

From the moment he embarked on the path of being a spy and colluded with Li Shijun, he no longer cared about reputation and loyalty. He knew he could never go back, but once he openly became a traitor, would the Military Control Commission let his family in Changsha go?

French Concession, temporary residence.

Zhang Yi was already sitting at the table. He tested the radio signal and sent the first secret message to Shancheng.

Taking off his headphones, he looked at Monkey and Qian Xiaosan standing at the window with guns on guard and said:

"Three grown men living together is bound to arouse suspicion if we stay together for too long. Let's find a way to rent a few more houses tomorrow and prepare a few more sets of identification documents."

Monkey said worriedly, "Since the fall of Shanghai, hundreds of thousands of refugees have poured into the French Concession. Prices have skyrocketed, and it's even harder to find a house. I'll ask a real estate agent tomorrow."

Zhang Yi nodded, and as he spoke, the radio started to ring again.

Zhang Yi immediately put on headphones, copied down the telegram, and then took out the code book he carried with him to translate the message.

"Director, what did Boss Dai say?"

"The director called and said that if Wang Tianlin is unwilling to return to the Military Control Commission, he can take the opportunity to infiltrate Unit 76 as a spy and continue to work for the Military Control Commission. As long as he does not betray others, he will retain all his military rank and benefits in the Military Control Commission. Wang Luqiao will bring a letter to you tomorrow with the specific plan."

"Boss Dai hasn't given up on Wang Tianlin yet!" Qian Xiaosan sighed.

Zhang Yixin said that it was the same for Wang Tianlin and Chen Gongshu.

The assassination attempt on Wang in Hanoi failed. Wang was shocked and immediately accelerated the pace of contacting Japan to establish a puppet regime.

After receiving the report from the consulate in Hanoi, the Japanese government convened the so-called Five-Minister Conference and again appointed Kagesa Tadayoshi, chief of the China Department of the General Staff, to go to Hanoi to escort Wang Tianhai and his party to Shanghai.

They were on the cargo ship "Beiguang Maru", which carried not only spies, military doctors, and military police, but also warships as escorts. The Guo Party, whose navy had been completely destroyed in the Battle of Wuhan, had no power to intercept them.

After this incident, Dai Chunfeng knew that it was impossible to take action in Hanoi again, and immediately ordered Chen Gongshu and others to return.

Other people involved in the action were punished as they should be, but Chen Gongshu was treated coldly by Dai Chunfeng again, who appointed him as the acting deputy director of the Second Division of the Bureau Headquarters.

The Second Department is the Party and Government Intelligence Department, an internal affairs agency. There is no need for a senior field cadre like him. It is just a sinecure created for a certain person, so naturally he is left sitting on the bench.

At the same time, Dai Chunfeng appointed Mao Qiwu's cousin Mao Qianli as the "Chief Inspector" of the Military Control Commission's Shanghai District, and sent his guard Wang Luqiao, who had participated in the Hanoi operation, to Shanghai to assist Mao Qianli. Their main job was to continue hunting down Wang Tianhai.

"Will Wang Tianlin agree? What if this person gets angry and turns to No. 76? What about us?" Monkey frowned.

Zhang Yi thought for a moment and said:

"We can only deal with it as it happens. If he is really determined to be a traitor, he will not be spared by military law or family rules."

After saying this, he raised his hand and looked at his watch.

"There are still six hours until dawn. Let's hurry up and eat something, then rest. We'll go our separate ways in the morning, and we'll take turns keeping watch at night. I'll be the first one."

Monkey and Qian Xiaosan only then felt their bodies tired. In the past few hours since arriving in Shanghai, their nerves had been tense and they dared not slack off for the moment. After hearing what Zhang Yi said, they felt extremely hungry.

But it’s inconvenient to go out now, so I can only eat some dry food and rest.

Zhang Yi ate something simple, then pulled over a chair and sat behind the window, closed his eyes and began to receive today's information.

(End of this chapter)