My spy diary

Chapter 575 Tracking (asking for monthly votes)

The mountain city is located at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, while Tangjiatuo is located on the north bank of the Yangtze River. The most convenient way to get there is by ferry.

Zhang Yi, disguised as a wealthy young master on an investment trip, wore a well-tailored, pale white cotton suit with a snow-white shirt, a bow tie, and imported round-toed leather shoes. He also wore a Western-style soft hat, a Swiss pocket watch with a gold chain around his neck, and carried a jewel-adorned walking stick.

Zhang Yi looked at himself in the mirror and chuckled to himself. The words "not short of money" were practically written all over his face, but no matter how he looked at himself, he looked like the foolish son of a nouveau riche.

"how?"

Qian Xiaosan and Monkey, dressed as attendants—one with a camera around his neck, the other carrying a briefcase—were winking and saying in unison:

"A playboy, perfectly embodying the character."

Zhang Yi pursed his lips and asked, "Is everything ready?"

Qian Xiaosan: "I've already called the municipal government. I specifically went to a public phone near the Ministry of Finance. When they heard that we were here to inspect and invest in Tangjiatuo, they were very surprised and enthusiastic. They wanted to come and pick us up, but I refused. I said that I wanted to take a boat and see the scenery along the river. They understood and said they would wait for you at the dock."

Zhang Yi smiled. One could imagine the sheer joy of someone who couldn't sell a two-story building after 200 yuan, only to suddenly hear that a complete fool wanted to invest and investigate. Of course, before the investment, you were the boss; after the investment, you were the servant.

These need not be elaborated upon.

The monkey waved the briefcase in his hand: "Besides the Browning, as you instructed, I also borrowed three 20-shot Mauser pistols from the Operations Department."

"Box Cannon" is the Mauser C96 pistol. In China, it has many other names, such as Box Gun, Self-Laying Gun, Fast and Slow Machine, Big-bellied Box, Big-faced Mirror, etc.

This pistol comes in different magazine capacities. The standard model uses a 10-round magazine, while the Military Intelligence Bureau equips its personnel with an improved 20-round magazine.

When using it, you should fire at an angle, not to "show off," but because the recoil of the Mauser C96 pistol is greater than that of a regular pistol. During burst fire, the muzzle rises significantly. If you hold it normally and fire, the second bullet will almost certainly go into the air. By firing at an angle, you change the vertical muzzle rise to a horizontal rise, thereby improving shooting accuracy, especially during burst fire, allowing the bullets to hit the target more effectively.

Secondly, the Mauser C96 ejects spent cartridges from the upper rear. Firing at an angle allows the cartridges to be ejected to the side, preventing them from hitting the shooter's face and ensuring shooting safety.

Finally, firing the Mauser pistol at an angle allows you to utilize the recoil to create a horizontal sweeping effect during burst fire, increasing the bullet coverage area and enhancing its power in close-quarters combat.

Of course, if you're the kind of person who's wearing tank tops while using a Barrett rifle, that's a different story.

"Okay, let's go!"

With everything ready, Zhang Yi and his two companions drove their car, now with a different license plate, to the dock, where they would transfer to a ferry.

The car had barely left headquarters when the monkey driving it whispered:
“Someone is following us.”

Zhang Yi glanced at the rearview mirror following his gaze and, sure enough, saw a black Dodge sedan trailing far behind them.

"Turn left, then make a U-turn and accelerate."

"Yes."

No sooner had they finished speaking than the Buick they were in suddenly sped off from the left side of the T-junction.

A moment later, the Dodge also drove up.

However, at that moment, the Buick suddenly reversed and quickly turned a corner, heading towards the right side of the T-junction it had just passed.

The plainclothes officer in the Dodge's driver's seat was dumbfounded, then panicked and asked the two in the back seat:

"Could they have discovered us? What do we do now? Should we continue following them?"

The two men in the back seat exchanged a glance and remained silent for a moment. One of them picked up a black box that looked like a small radio from beside his feet, pulled out the antenna, put on the earpiece, and said into the microphone, "Reporting to Section Chief Liu, the target has headed towards the east side of Zaozilan Pass."

After a moment of silence, Section Chief Liu's voice came through from the other end:
"Stop following them, they might have discovered something. Which of the other groups is closest to the east side of Zaozilan Pass?"

A plainclothes officer's voice immediately came through: "I'm number three. We can take a shortcut and get there in no more than two minutes."

"That's it. Number three, move up. All other groups, stand ready and move to the next intersection. Immediately!"

Hearing what Section Chief Liu said, the people in the Dodge car immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

The man wearing headphones chuckled, "This thing is really useful; I no longer have to search for public phone booths."

"What was that thing the Americans discovered called again?"

"Walkie-talkie."

"Director He is quite capable. It is said that the Secret Service agents protecting the US president have just been equipped with this thing."

That's not wrong. Last year, Motorola developed the first handheld two-way AM radio for the U.S. Army Signal Corps. This year, the company's SCR-536 officially entered mass production. Its military designation is BC-611. Initially, it was issued to the U.S. Secret Service agents protecting Roosevelt, and then it was used for military communications.

The station manager of the American station, Xiao Bo, went to great lengths to obtain three of them. The technical department treasured them and refused to lend them to anyone. Unexpectedly, Director He actually lent them out.

It's ironic that this high technology, instead of being used against enemies, was first used on its own people.

However, as soon as Section Chief Liu gave the order, instantly, vehicles began to turn around or make U-turns on different streets within a one-kilometer radius east of Zaozilan Pass.

A brown sedan is making a U-turn, a black police car is turning a corner, and a military green truck carrying timber is turning a corner.

The Dodge sedan, now with a new license plate, sped through the streets and alleys until it turned a corner, where they finally spotted the Buick sedan again.

At that moment, a black police car also turned from another bend, following behind the Buick.

After overtaking several cars, the black Dodge rejoined the pursuing convoy.

The Buick in front made a turn, and the black sedan behind it followed suit.

Not long after, the Buick turned again, and this time the black sedan behind it did not continue; it drove straight away.

But soon, the black police car behind them pulled up and continued to follow the Buick.

At that moment, the young plainclothes officer sitting in the passenger seat of the bulky black police car raised his binoculars to observe the Buick. Suddenly, he saw something, grabbed the handheld radio, and said urgently:

"Section Chief, something's wrong, there's a problem!"

Before Section Chief Liu could answer, he added, "The number of people on the bus doesn't match up!"

After saying that, the black police car suddenly accelerated forward, overtaking the Buick in front of it from the side. The plainclothes officer in the passenger seat looked into the Buick and was immediately dumbfounded. There was only one driver in the Buick, a young man with a effeminate appearance, driving with a cigarette in his mouth and a happy expression. It wasn't the monkey who had been driving the car earlier.

a few minutes ago.

Zhang Yi's Buick continued on its way. In the back seat, he pulled down the curtains and saw a black Dodge parked on the street ahead. A young man with slicked-back hair and a smug face was leaning against the car door, holding roses and smiling broadly.

He immediately had a flash of inspiration and made the monkey stop the car immediately, then used threats and inducements to switch cars with the pretty boy.

The young man was naturally delighted. He had stolen the car from his home and had been using it for several years. He was just looking for a nice car to impress his girlfriend. Just as he was about to say something, his eyelids were drooping with sleep, and someone handed him a pillow. It was exactly what he wanted.

Having completely shaken off their pursuers, Zhang Yi and his two companions arrived at the dock without incident.

In order not to stand out too much and attract attention by being followed, Zhang Yi thought it over and the three of them changed their clothes and put them in their suitcases, planning to change them again when they disembarked.

The Jialing River wharf was once a thriving economic hub, bustling with merchants, travelers, and sailors. Two-story wooden shops, inns, and taverns lined the riverbank. In particular, there were many small, simple noodle shops, hot pot restaurants, and taverns near the wharf, providing rest and food for boatmen and impoverished travelers.

However, since the Nationalist government moved west and the Japanese army bombed the area continuously, everything here has been reduced to ashes. In its place are ruins, shacks, and many refugees, young and old, carrying backpacks and suitcases, flocking in wave after wave.

For a time, on the docks, along the streets, and under the ruins, refugees sat, lay, and wept, their hair disheveled and faces filthy, a truly pitiful sight.

In stark contrast, on the other side of the dock, a large convoy, driven by a lead vehicle shouting and yelling, drove away refugees along the way and stopped directly on the riverbank.

The car stopped, and a senior officer in a high-ranking police uniform with a large belly got out. Surrounded by his secretary and bodyguards, he came to the riverbank, seemingly to greet someone.

"Chief Tang Yi of the police station," Qian Xiaosan said softly after glancing around.

Behind the bureau chief followed several officials of varying ranks, some in police uniforms and others in Zhongshan suits, all with beaming faces.

Behind them were several well-dressed prominent figures and the people's representatives they had mobilized and instructed, all with beaming smiles.

Zhang Yi had no liking for this fat, self-important police chief of the mountain city and just watched him coldly.

Soon, a ferry arrived. A rather attractive woman stood at the bow, followed by two maids.

She wore a silk cheongsam with a crimson velvet cloak draped over her back, which was gently lifted by the river breeze, giving her a rather imposing air.

Before the boat had even come to a complete stop, Director Tang went to greet her. The woman was all smiles and beaming with joy.

As she stepped ashore with Director Tang's help, cheers and applause erupted on the dock, as if welcoming a female hero returning victorious from the front lines.

On one side, there was laughter and joy, and on the other, silence and bowed heads, trying to hide their grief. It was as if they were in two different worlds.

Zhang Yi watched in silence, only to hear an elderly man with white hair, dressed in a long robe, shaking his head and muttering to himself:

"Alas! With the nation in peril and people displaced, the bureau chief remains unchanged."

Zhang Yi empathized with this, chuckled coldly, and led Monkey and Qian Xiaosan through the crowd to the dock ticket office to inquire with the manager:

When does the boat to Tangjiatuo depart?

The manager, in his fifties with graying temples and a face crisscrossed with wrinkles, glanced at Zhang Yi sideways. Seeing that Zhang Yi was wearing a worn-out Zhongshan suit without a party badge or pen pinned to his chest, he raised his chin and said in a condescending tone:

"Which department are you from? What are you going to Tangjiatuo for?"

Zhang Yi shook his head: "Go do business, go take a look over there."

The manager scoffed, "I'm busy. Go wait over there until everyone's here."

There are only two ferries to Tangjiatuo each day. The number of passengers and who goes first depends on their status and position. When the manager heard that Zhang Yi was not from a government unit but just a businessman who did not offer him any benefits, he didn't bother to pay any attention to him.

Zhang Yi couldn't help but chuckle. This world was full of snobbish people who only respected appearances and not character. He didn't want to argue with a manager and was about to signal Monkey to step forward and identify himself when he saw the manager's expression suddenly change. He approached several couples with a smile, bowing and scraping repeatedly.

"Are you all staff members of the Central Party Headquarters? The ferry is ready. This way, please. I, Liu, will personally escort you across."

Hearing that they were from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS), Zhang Yi became wary and glanced at them out of the corner of his eye. Sure enough, they were MI6 agents, two men and two women.

Zhang Yi didn't recognize the man, but he had seen the woman's information before, because both women were quite well-known within the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS).

Although Xu Zeng'en was married for the third time, his lustful desires remained unchanged. Moreover, this man was shameless and devoid of any moral character in his pursuit of women; he would go to great lengths to get his hands on the wives of his friends or subordinates if he set his sights on them.

As for the female agents of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics who were even slightly attractive, they were his first targets.

In this respect, Mr. Xu and Mr. Dai are kindred spirits.

It is said that people spend their whole lives pursuing power, fame, and fortune, their eyes and hearts filled with nothing but fame and wealth, and their ears and eyebrows naturally revolve around the smells of money, sex, and alcohol.

As the saying goes, "What the superiors like, the inferiors will follow even more fervently." Since Boss Xu was so dissolute, the top secret agents of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics naturally vied to imitate him.

Zhang Yi recalled the intelligence he had read from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS). Xu's assistant, Gu, had been living with seventy or eighty women under the guise of work when he was a district head in Shanghai. That was practically a reinforced platoon.

There was also a female spy named Huang Jie, who studied in the United States. True to her name, she was both promiscuous and open-minded. She was a radical advocate of "sexual liberation" and had more than a dozen boyfriends at the same time within the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. That's quite a class.

The relationships became so chaotic that they spiraled out of control, eventually leading to a murder-suicide at headquarters due to jealousy and rivalry.

A male spy surnamed Zhang, holding a kitchen knife, hid at the entrance of the staff dormitory of the bureau headquarters. He slashed at the face of a female spy who had just come out of the other men's dormitory. Blood gushed out and she died on the spot.

When Mr. Xu saw that things had escalated, he couldn't sit still any longer and had no choice but to call in the heads of various departments to reprimand them: "Damn it, you don't learn my strengths, but only my weaknesses."

It's utterly despicable and utterly laughable.

Getting back to the main point, the two female spies present here are Zhao Dekai and Bai Shangyun from the Investigation Department. They are also playthings of Boss Xu, and their nicknames are Zhao Feiyan and Yang Guifei, respectively.

Faced with the manager's obsequious flattery, the group nodded reservedly. The female agent named Zhao Dekai, swaying her slender waist, paused as she passed Zhang Yi, smiling charmingly, and said:
"Sir, are you also going to Tangjiatuo?"

Seeing Zhang Yi nod, she added, "Meeting is fate, why don't we come up together?"

If it were anyone else standing on the dock, she wouldn't have bothered to say a word. But Zhang Yi had an extraordinary bearing, and could be easily recognized even in a crowd. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a dragon among men. Moreover, he was followed by two strong and powerful attendants, one of whom wore a watch with a winged hourglass icon on his wrist. If the attendants were like that, the man himself certainly didn't look like an ordinary person. So she extended an invitation.

Zhang Yi smiled faintly: "Then thank you, Miss."

(End of this chapter)