My spy diary

Chapter 561 The Hotel (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

The Luoyang Hotel was bustling with activity.

Both intersections leading to the hotel have been set up with checkpoints, and police are randomly checking pedestrians' identification documents. Anyone carrying personal belongings is being searched. This has become the norm for the past two days.

At the entrance of the restaurant stood two young men dressed in dark-colored lapel suits with straight trousers and polished leather shoes. If it weren't for their hats with red polka dots and white gloves, one might mistake them for rich young masters.

They were actually doormen.

"Hey, Zhu Zi, how did your blind date go yesterday?"

"They just don't want us. To put it nicely, we work at a government restaurant; to put it bluntly, we're just lowly servants, a third-rate job with no future." Zhu Zi looked gloomy when he talked about blind dates.

"Don't be discouraged, and don't think about marrying up. This kind of thing is about matching social status. If we're going to find someone, let's look for someone within the restaurant. Didn't I introduce you to my cousin? What, you don't like her?"

"Little Kui, can you please stop talking about your cousin?" Zhu Zi squeezed the pimples on his face and shook his head like a rattle drum. Little Kui's cousin looked just like the stone roller used for threshing wheat in their village—long as one roller and wide as two. He really couldn't understand it. They both grew up eating grains, so he didn't know how she got so fat. She used to be in charge of cleaning the restaurant, but now she's getting fatter and fatter, and she gets out of breath just walking. The manager reassigned her to washing dishes in the kitchen.

The thought of marrying this woman and breaking his own bed filled Zhu Zi with disgust.

"What do you know? Being fat has its advantages. And who? Right, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, didn't he like Yang Guifei? Wasn't Yang Guifei fat? Do you know why he liked Yang Guifei?"

"What?"

"warm."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was already in his sixties or seventies, so he must have been thin. Yang Yuhuan was plump, so how could he not be warm sleeping with her in his arms?"

"Hehe!" This made Zhu Zi chuckle.

As the two were chatting and laughing, Zhu Zi suddenly caught sight of a fair-skinned, slender young woman walking towards them. She wore a headscarf, a plain floral jacket, and cloth shoes. Even so, Zhu Zi felt that she possessed a unique气质 (qi zhi, a kind of refined elegance or aura), especially compared to her colleagues at the restaurant.

So, Zhu Zi walked up to her enthusiastically and asked:

"Miss, are you looking for someone?"

"What?" The woman was taken aback.

Zhu Zi pointed to the magnificent hotel entrance behind him: "I'm the doorman here. I mean, are you looking for someone? Do you need any help?"

"No thanks."

Zhu Zi let out an "Oh," somewhat disappointed, and was about to turn around and walk away when a woman's voice came from behind him again:
"Excuse me, how do I get to the manager's office?"

Zhu Zi suddenly turned around: "You need to see him?"

"I'm here to apply for the job."

"Applying for a job? That's great, I'll take you there." Zhu Zi said with delight.

"Won't this interfere with your work?"

"No, don't worry, come with me." Compared to the woman's reserve, Zhu Zi was very enthusiastic, with the simplicity of a country boy, and he spoke directly: "Don't be so polite, we'll be colleagues from now on. Hey, you're from out of town too, right? It's not easy being away from home, let's help each other out. If you need anything in the future, just come to me."

"Thank you."

"No, no, you're too kind." Zhu Zi scratched his head, looked at her, and said as he walked away, "My name is Zhou Sizhu. What's your name? What position are you applying for?"

"Liang Yutang".

"That's a good name."

"Where's the good?"

“Anywhere is fine.” Zhu Zi smiled foolishly, and as he spoke, the two of them arrived at the door of the manager’s office on the third floor.

"arrive."

"Thank you, Brother Zhu."

"You're being too polite with me." Zhu Zi smiled, glanced at the tightly closed office door, thought for a moment, and then leaned closer to whisper:

"This manager isn't a good person, so be careful. If he dares to bully you, tell me and I'll stand up for you."

Liang Yutang looked shy and lowered her head, saying a little embarrassedly, "Thank you, Brother Zhuzi, you're so kind."

"Hey." Zhu Zi's bones melted at the sound of "brother," and he gave a thumbs-up before walking away, turning back to look at Zhu Zi every few steps.

Liang Yutang watched his figure recede into the distance, her gaze turning cold, a stark contrast to her earlier attitude towards Zhuzi.

The manager of the Luoyang Hotel was a stout man in a suit and tie. He seemed particularly thirsty, constantly sipping tea as he spoke. From the moment Liang Yutang entered, his gaze roamed over her like a hunter eyeing its prey. This gaze made Liang Yutang extremely uncomfortable; she lowered her head slightly, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her clothes.

After finishing his tea, the manager finally spoke:

"Take off your headscarf."

Liang Yutang obediently took off her headscarf.

The manager sized her up for a few moments and nodded in satisfaction: "She has a good appearance and figure. Since Mr. Liu introduced her, I'll take her on."

Liang Yutang knew that the so-called Mr. Liu was actually the manager's business partner and a regular customer of Hongxiulou. This time, she was playing Mr. Liu's niece in the countryside.

"Thank you manager."

The manager stared at her face, smiled, and then changed the subject: "However..."

"What's wrong, manager?"

“Our restaurant is, after all, a government-run establishment, and your attire is rather inappropriate.”

"Then I'll go change into something more suitable."

The manager shook his head and looked her up and down again: "Your clothes are from the countryside, aren't they? How can country clothes be appropriate for a formal occasion? We serve dignitaries every day. Wearing this would be an embarrassment to the hotel."

Liang Yutang said with difficulty, "Then should I buy a whole outfit? But, but I don't have much money."

"You should have said so earlier! I have money! Besides, you're a restaurant employee now, you don't need to pay for anything. The hotel will provide you with a uniform." Liang Yutang quickly bowed: "Thank you, manager."

"Do you know what size you wear?"

"know."

The manager shook his head dismissively: "Can a padded jacket and a cheongsam be the same? What if they don't fit? And what about the shoes?" With that, he opened a drawer and took out a measuring tape.
"Take off your coat, I'll take your measurements."

Liang Yutang waved her hands repeatedly: "No need, the hotel has clothes, right? I'll just try on a few more."

The manager curled his lip, his face darkening: "Xiao Liang, what are you afraid of? I, Li Hongwei, am a gentleman. Haven't you gone out and asked around? Every single one of the waitresses in this restaurant is wearing a cheongsam that I personally measured. Do you still want to keep your job?"

For a female spy, selling her body was commonplace, but being asked to undress before the mission even began still made her somewhat uncomfortable. However, she acted convincingly, feigning fear and trembling. Soon, she hesitantly unbuttoned her jacket. Her body, encased in a red corset, was fully revealed under the manager's greedy gaze. The manager stood close behind her, a measuring tape wrapped around her chest.

A single tear silently slid down Liang Yutang's cheek.

Li Hongwei, however, had a satisfied expression on his face: "Okay, go to the dressing room and find Aunt Liu to get your clothes and shoes."

Liang Yutang hurriedly dressed and left. Li Hongwei stared greedily at her retreating figure, and couldn't help but gasp.

The atmosphere at the Yuzhou Military Intelligence Station was heavy.

Zhang Yi, Monkey, and Qian Xiaosan entered the conference room. Station Chief Cui and Deputy Station Chief Li Mulin stood up and said, "Director Zhang."

Zhang Yi nodded: "Station Chief Cui, Deputy Station Chief Li."

The three of them skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

"The police station reported that six bodies were found. One was the Liu family, a family of three from the police station's household registration department. The murderer used a dagger-like sharp knife, and each death was fatal with a single blow. No useful clues have been found at the scene so far. The second location," Li Mulin paused slightly, "was a luxury apartment. The deceased was named Wen Mansheng. She died of suffocation. The police station's preliminary investigation indicates it was a burglary. That's right, Station Chief Cui should know this woman."

Cui Fangping snorted coldly: "Are you saying I'm a suspect? And that I need to recuse myself?"

"Station manager, you're joking. I only said that she should know you, so I didn't want to put you in a difficult position."

"Hmph, just say so if you need me to leave. I'm a person who keeps my personal and professional life separate." Cui Fangping said without changing his expression, and then stood up as if to leave. "Director Zhang, I'll go back to my office now."

Zhang Yi waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down: "No need. I believe Cui Fangping wouldn't break the law. Sit down, let's discuss this together." He then asked Li Mulin:
"Where is the other body?"

Li Mulin's expression turned serious: "He was a street thug who had his neck broken. He's been dead for about two days, and his body is already rotting. The important thing is that he died right in the hotel opposite our office."

"You mean someone is spying on the Military Intelligence Bureau?" Zhang Yi knew that it was the people in the Inspection Office who were doing this, so he deliberately asked the question knowing the answer.

"Yes, that's what I thought too. But the innkeeper has disappeared, and we can't find any useful clues now."

Zhang Yi pondered for a moment and said, "The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease. Six people have died in succession, and we haven't found a single clue. Isn't that too strange? Who did it? Could it be related to the Japanese spies we're investigating? Have you thought about that?"

“Who would target a scoundrel?” Li Mulin shook his head. “As for the case of Section Chief Liu from the household registration department, the murderer was clearly well-trained. I believe it was done by a Japanese spy. We can take over this case first, and the other cases can be handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department of the police station.”

Zhang Yi looked at Cui Fangping: "Station Chief Cui, what do you think?"

Cui Fangping downplayed the issue: "Since Deputy Station Chief Li says so, I have no objection. Let's do it this way. As for Wen Mansheng's case, if you need my cooperation in giving a statement, I will take the responsibility without hesitation."

Li Mulin glanced at him and said with a forced smile, "I'm relieved to hear you say that. In the end, it's all for the Party and the country."

Zhang Yi smiled and said, "Okay, let's do it that way. Our main focus now remains the security for the government meeting." He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and continued:
"If there are still Japanese spies lurking in Luoyang, do you think they would take action if they had already obtained the time and place of the meeting through their own channels?"

"Director Zhang is insightful and perceptive," Li Mulin complimented, then said solemnly, "If it were me, I certainly wouldn't let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip by."

"So many Japanese spies?" Cui Fangping frowned. "This provincial administrative meeting, besides the guards, military police, and police officers present, also had our Military Intelligence Bureau's top agents. Not a single person, not even a fly, could get in. Isn't this a bit too paranoid?"

"Never be careless in anything. Military strategy says—first make yourself invincible, then wait for the enemy to become vulnerable." Zhang Yi shook his head, his face grave, and pondered as he said:
"Here's what we'll do, Deputy Station Chief Li. Could you get me a list of the specialists and their entourage who are coming to the meeting? Also, could you get a list of the hotel's staff? Let's do a thorough review to identify any omissions and prevent any potential problems."

Seeing that Zhang Yi's words were unquestionable, Cui Fangping nodded: "Alright, in any case, Director Zhang is an expert in catching Japanese spies, at least more familiar with Japanese spies than I am. Everything will be done as you say."

"Those in positions of power should fulfill their responsibilities; I'll make the arrangements right now," Li Mulin said directly.

“Alright, let’s each do our own job and go our separate ways,” Zhang Yi decided.

The two men stood at attention and answered "Yes, sir," then walked outside. Li Mulin also hurried out, but Zhang Yi grabbed him and gave him a wink, "Deputy Station Chief Li, wait a moment, I need to borrow the radio."

Li Mulin understood immediately. After Cui Fangping left, he closed the door and turned to Zhang Yi:

"Director Zhang?"

"You just mentioned Wen Mansheng's case, which was a home invasion robbery. Regardless of who the murderer is, since it was a robbery, the question is, if she really had money, how much? And what did she do with it?"

Li Mulin could tell that Zhang Yi had begun to suspect Cui Fangping. He shared the same suspicion, but hadn't voiced it because he lacked evidence. More importantly, he wanted to make his suspicion a fact, even if it wasn't true in the first place.

"Director Zhang, what do you mean?" Hearing Zhang Yi's concern about money, Li Mulin was a little confused. Did Zhang Yi mean to use money to find the murderer?

Zhang Yi didn't answer him directly, but instead asked:
"How long has Station Master Cui been working at this station?"

Li Mulin was stunned for a moment: "Three months."

“Three months is not a short time. They say a new broom sweeps clean, but what about Station Chief Cui? He almost stumbled over the secretary issue, and now he's watching you rise to the same level as him and take control of the action team. He's practically all alone. Do you think he'll be content with that? Will he just sit and wait to die?”

"You mean he might try to win him over through Captain Cui?"

Zhang Yi interrupted him: "It's not a possibility, we've already won them over."

Li Mulin's expression changed drastically: "No way?"

"Money can be a powerful motivator. Leaving aside those with ideals and beliefs who are willing to do anything for the revolution, what are most people risking their lives for? Isn't it fame and fortune? Are you giving them those things now?"

Hearing Zhang Yi's words, Li Mulin knew that the situation was serious.

"There are some things I shouldn't have said, but people's hearts are unpredictable. We should always be careful and not let anyone take advantage of us, causing our plans to fail!"

"Understood, thank you for the reminder, Director Zhang." Li Mulin bowed respectfully. If before it was because of his position or the superior-subordinate relationship, now he was genuinely grateful to Zhang Yi and deeply moved by Zhang Yi's heartfelt sincerity.

Zhang Yi nodded, watched him leave, and said to Monkey and Qian Xiaosan, "Go to Luoyang Restaurant."

(End of this chapter)