My spy diary

Chapter 547 Interrogation (Seeking monthly votes)

As night fell, Guan Ayue, dressed in a cheongsam, walked briskly home.

In the distance, she spotted the noodle shop in the alley, and her gaze suddenly sharpened.

She lived in a shantytown, where all sorts of people lived, but most of them were laborers. So every night, the simple restaurant in the alley was bustling with people, but today there seemed to be fewer people.

As she walked, she looked back.

The rickshaw that brought him there had long since disappeared, and the alleyway remained calm; no one was following him.

Hesitantly, she opened her handbag, took out a fruit knife, and then continued walking forward as if nothing had happened, her steps light.

The distance is getting closer.

Guan Ayue noticed that some "guests" were looking up at her intently. Indeed, her high-slit cheongsam revealed her snow-white thighs, and in the past, customers who dined here couldn't help but steal glances. Some people's gazes were unrestrained, moving from her thighs to her face and then to her chest, and they would even make suggestive remarks.

However, today's guests all seemed to be preoccupied with something, their expressions serious and tense, staring only at her face out of the corner of their eyes.

At that moment, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of a familiar figure. Although the person was sitting diagonally opposite her, the red socks on his feet gave him away.

Wang Wanyun, the head of public security.

This year is his birth year in the Chinese zodiac, so he not only wore red socks but also red underwear. Guan Ayue felt nauseous when she recalled how this man, fueled by alcohol, acted like a exhausted wild beast that had suddenly spotted its prey, blocking her at her doorstep and pouncing on her without a care, nuzzling her all over.

Some people pretended to be calm, while others touched the hard guns behind their waists, ready to fire.

"Is it her?"

"It's her."

Although they were several steps apart and the "guests" spoke very softly, Guan Ayue's well-trained ears allowed her to hear their conversation clearly.

As soon as Wang Wanyun finished speaking, the "guest" quickly stood up and pounced on her like a cheetah.

Guan Ayue's eyes narrowed, and she suddenly threw the handbag in her hand.

The plainclothes officer at the front nimbly dodged the flying handbag and rushed in front of Guan Ayue in the blink of an eye, throwing a powerful punch.

Guan Ayue may look frail, but she is actually well-trained. She dodged the plainclothes officer's fist by sidestepping, and at the same time, she slammed her elbow backward, hitting the chest of one of the plainclothes officers who was flanking her.

The plainclothes officer grunted, but did not back down. He quickly grabbed Guan Ayue's arms with both hands, trying to subdue her.

Guan Ayue kicked backward, breaking free from the plainclothes officer's restraints. At the same time, she drew a fruit knife from her hand, and with a flash of cold light, stabbed at another plainclothes officer.

The plainclothes officer reacted quickly, using his arm to block the attack. The dagger tore through his sleeve, and blood seeped out.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the plainclothes officer behind her took two steps back, then kicked out with tremendous force, striking Guan Ayue in the waist. This extremely powerful blow caused Guan Ayue to stagger and crash into the wall with a thud.

Guan Ayue grunted, shook her head, gripped the fruit knife tightly, and lunged at the plainclothes officer who had kicked her.

However, halfway through the dagger's trajectory, she made a bizarre turn and stabbed a plainclothes officer on her left.

Caught off guard, the man hastily dodged to the side, but it was too late. The dagger grazed his shoulder, drawing a trail of blood.

Seeing that she had failed, Guan Ayue cursed angrily and instead of retreating, she lunged at the plainclothes officer.

Just then, a foot kicked from the side, striking her wrist squarely, and the dagger clattered to the ground.

The other two plainclothes officers immediately pounced on her and grabbed her arms. After their accomplice pinched her mouth and pressed down on her wildly kicking legs, they swiftly handcuffed her.

Guan Ayue struggled desperately, refusing to give in no matter what. Her cheongsam was torn, and her hair was disheveled and covered her face, but it was all in vain. After a barrage of punches and kicks, she immediately collapsed to her knees, limp and powerless.

At the same time, the operation to arrest Shi Xiong also began.

Leading the charge was Old Liu, the coffin shopkeeper and neighbor who lived next door to Shi Xiong.

As the plainclothes officers lying in ambush on both sides of the gate gave a hand signal, Old Liu took a deep breath, steadied himself, and went to Shi Xiong's door, knocking on it.
"Shi Xiong, are you asleep? Shi Xiong?"

No one answered from inside the house.

Old Liu nervously glanced back at the plainclothes leader.

The plainclothes officer gestured for him to continue.

Old Liu had no choice but to go up and knock on the door a few more times: "Shi Xiong, it's me, Old Liu."

Still, no one answered.

Seeing that a fight had broken out on the other side, the plainclothes leader thought for a moment and waved for Lao Liu to step back. The trap had failed, and they had to use the backup plan.

He tiptoed to the gate, listened carefully, but there was no sound from inside the courtyard. Seeing that the bolt was firmly in place, he knew that it would be impossible to open it easily, so he had no choice but to retreat and give a hand signal to the plainclothes officers lying in ambush.

Upon receiving the signal, the four plainclothes officers immediately took action, working in pairs.

One person crouched down to form a human wall, while another, with a pistol in his mouth, stepped on his companion and quickly climbed up the wall, then silently slid down.

By the dim light coming through the window of the main house, the two could roughly make out the layout of the courtyard—on the left was a shed piled with miscellaneous items and a rickshaw, and on the right were a few pieces of clothing that hadn't been taken down yet, with the clothesline swaying gently in the night breeze.

The two men exchanged a glance. One held his gun on guard, while the other quickly went up and unlocked the door. The remaining three then tiptoed in.

"Move!" The plainclothes leader made a "divide and conquer" gesture, and the two plainclothes officers immediately crouched down and moved forward stealthily.

However, at that moment, two gunshots rang out.

The two plainclothes officers screamed twice and collapsed.

The plainclothes leader's expression changed instantly; he hadn't expected the gunman to be hiding right next to the door.

To ensure the operation went perfectly, he privately discussed all possible scenarios with several people, fearing any oversights.

I never imagined the oversight would be so significant.

He cursed the two men who had led the charge in his mind, but he didn't have time to think about it. He raised his hand and fired a burst of bullets at the gunman.

The bullet pierced through the figure, and he slowly collapsed to the ground.

The gunfire ceased, and Deputy Station Chief Li Mulin rushed in anxiously. Upon seeing the scene, his face immediately darkened:
"Didn't we say we'd capture him alive?" "Who knew he'd be lying in ambush right next to the door?" The plainclothes leader's face was even darker than his.

"You're only concerned with the head, not the tail!" Li Mulin sneered. He had wanted to show off the strength of the Yuzhou Action Team in front of Director Zhang, but he didn't expect to be outmaneuvered.

He glared coldly at the plainclothes leader, then looked at the two plainclothes officers lying on the ground, shot in the waist and abdomen, bleeding profusely and pale-faced, and snapped, "What are you standing there for? Get them to the hospital! The rest of you, start the search immediately."

"Yes."

Inside the interrogation room, Sato Kenjiro was alone, feeling anxious and restless. His training at the special agent school and his many years of experience told him that once arrested, he would be subjected to a barrage of interrogations. However, since being detained here, he had not been interrogated even once. Thinking about the photos that had been taken of him, he couldn't help but feel agitated.

Zhang Yi stood outside the one-way reflective coated wall, quietly observing his every move.

Suddenly, Sato Kenjiro raised his head with a snarl, as if he had sensed Zhang Yi's presence, and glared fiercely with his eyes wide open.

Zhang Yi asked the plainclothes guard, "Has he eaten anything?"

"He went on a hunger strike, refusing even water, and refused the cigarettes offered to him."

Zhang Yi wasn't surprised. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Bring him in and let the female spy go in instead."

"Yes."

In another room, the female spy was handcuffed to an interrogation chair, standing there blankly and without uttering a word.

Sato Kenjiro was dragged into the interrogation room. His expression was calm and indifferent, but when he came in, he slightly raised his eyelids and glanced at the wall. However, it was dark inside and he could not see anything.

Once he was strapped to the chair, Zhang Yi slammed the newspaper down in front of him and said with a smile, "Don't you want to take a look?"

Sato Kenjiro glanced at him with a contemptuous look in his eyes and remained silent.

Undeterred, Zhang Yi looked at him and asked, "Are you hungry?"

Sato Kenjiro remained silent.

What followed was a long silence and standoff.

Today's intelligence has been updated.

[1. You met with Sato Kenjiro today and obtained relevant intelligence: the Japanese spy 'Fish Belly' has infiltrated the First War Zone's confidential room.]

Fish belly?

[2. You met Guan Ayue today and obtained relevant information: Guan Ayue's children were born to her and Sato Kenjiro.]

Huh? His biological father is Sato Kenjiro? Does that Ishio know about him?

As he was pondering how to use this information to break down Sato Kenjiro's psychological defenses, a knock sounded at the door, and Monkey came in carrying three steaming bowls of hot and sour soup.

Zhang Yi slowly picked up a pair of chopsticks and said, "This place has the most authentic Hu spicy soup. I bought it all the way here for you. You really don't want to eat it?"

Sato Kenjiro was starving and naturally wanted to eat, but eating would be tantamount to admitting defeat, and his pride wouldn't allow him to do so. He gave a noncommittal smirk, lazily shifted his sitting position, and simply closed his eyes.

Zhang Yi didn't bother with him; he was already starving. As soon as the spicy soup was brought in, he was the first to start eating.

After taking a few bites, he suddenly looked at the food box and asked the monkey, "Where are the fried dough sticks and scallion pancakes?"

The fried dough sticks have a crispy outer layer and a soft interior. When soaked in hot and sour soup, they can fully absorb the broth. With one bite, you get both the crispy texture of the fried dough sticks and the rich, spicy flavor of the hot and sour soup.

The scallion pancake dough is filled with scallions and has a rich fennel flavor, making it a perfect match for hot and sour soup.

The monkey had only taken its first sip of soup and hadn't even swallowed it when Zhang Yi caught it off guard: "Sorry, sir, I forgot."

"Hey, even an old agent can be so careless? Without fried dough sticks and scallion pancakes, is it still called hot and sour soup?"

The monkey took a sip of soup, sweating profusely, and laughed, saying, "I'm just afraid the soup will be cold by the time I bring it back, and I'll be in a hurry."

Zhang Yi nodded: "If you put it that way, you're right. Chickens eat when they crow, fish eat when they jump, and soup is drunk hot. Anyone who knows how to eat will specifically guard the table closest to the kitchen, and as soon as it's cooked, it's the first thing they eat."

"Wok hei," Qian Xiaosan said, gesturing with his chopsticks. "I also like it when it has wok hei, but my wife says that eating it too hot is bad for my stomach."

"Ha, having a wife makes all the difference, but is there any truth to what your wife said?"

"She heard it from a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, so how could it be false?"

"Nonsense. If you ask a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, no matter what the illness, they will tell you to avoid certain foods and avoid spicy food. If you can't eat spicy food, how can you eat anything?"

The three of them chatted back and forth, asking and answering questions, eating until they were sweating profusely, completely leaving Sato Kenjiro standing to the side.

Finally, Sato Kenjiro's stomach betrayed him and started growling.

"Hungry? Just tell me what I want to know, and I'll give you all the spicy soup you want." Zhang Yi said, chewing on a slice of meat.

Sato Kenjiro opened his mouth slightly, whether he wanted to eat or speak, but in the end he closed his mouth and chose to remain silent.

Zhang Yi shook his head: "You don't eat, and neither does she. You two are really quite alike."

Sato Kenjiro assumed Zhang Yi was referring to "Zhang Xianmin" and lowered his gaze dismissively.

"I'm talking about her, Guan Ayue."

Upon hearing this, Sato Kenjiro felt as if he had been scalded by freshly cooked hot and sour soup, his whole body jolting: "Impossible!"

Zhang Yi stopped talking. He scooped out the last bit of side dish, picked up the bowl, and focused intently on drinking the soup.

Sato Kenjiro stared at him intently, as if trying to discern the truth in his words. Despite his vehement denial, the name Guan Ayue had already revealed everything; even if she hadn't been arrested, she had been exposed.

But Sato Kenjiro just couldn't figure out how Zhang Yi knew about her. His subordinates were divided into two groups, each with a single line of communication. Neither Morikawa Insuke nor "Zhang Xianmin" knew Guan Ayue's identity.

After finishing his soup, Zhang Yi put down his bowl and chopsticks, let out a burp, nodded to the monkey, and said to Sato Kenjiro, "Turn around and take a look."

Sato Kenjiro hesitated for a moment, but finally stiffened his neck and turned his head to the side. Through the one-sided coated wall, he saw Guan Ayue. At this moment, she no longer had the charm of the past. She was handcuffed to the chair, her eyes lowered and her expression gloomy.

(End of this chapter)