My spy diary

Chapter 579 You're Teaching Me How to Do Things (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

The night breeze, carrying a slight coolness, brushed against Zhang Yi's cheeks, bringing with it a low, deep shout.

The last ferry they were on finally docked.

The night is getting darker.

After the car safely stopped at the dock, Zhang Yi sent away the anxious Deputy Director Yu, then found a public phone booth and made a call.

At that moment, the phone rang in the Party and Government Intelligence Department office. He Shangyou anxiously grabbed the phone and said, "Hello?"

The voice of Section Chief Liu came from the other end of the phone:
"Chief, the car has been found, but we've searched the entire dock, inside and out, but we still can't find Director Zhang."

"The dock? They've crossed the river?" He Shangyou was somewhat surprised. The other side was Tangjiatuo. What was Zhang Yi doing in that godforsaken place?
"It should be. The ferry has stopped operating, and we are requisitioning fishing boats to cross the river and take a look."

He Shangyou thought for a moment and said, "Hurry up and remember to bring more people. We must find Lin Jingyi before he gets her confession."

"If he's already gotten a confession, then stall him, absolutely!" With that, he burst out the door and ran upstairs without stopping.

Upon arriving at the director's office, without waiting to be announced, he pushed the door open and entered.

"Director, I have something urgent to report."

Inside the room, Dai Chunfeng and Mao Qiwu were talking when they saw He Shangyou suddenly barge in. Dai Chunfeng looked displeased and coldly asked:
"what's up?"

The atmosphere in the room was somewhat stiff and cold. He Shangyou glanced at the two men and quickly realized that his behavior had been too rash: "I'm sorry, Director, Director Mao, I've interrupted your discussion of important matters."

Mao Qiwu smiled and said, "It's nothing. I was reporting on the internal affairs to the Director. I've finished reporting. Director, I'll head back now."

“No need,” Boss Dai said expressionlessly, tapping the table to signal him to sit down, and then looked at He Shangyou.

He Shangyou quickly recounted what had happened that afternoon.

“Zhang Yi? Isn’t Lin Jingyi the person you’re looking for? Why are you dragging Zhang Yi into this?” Dai Chunfeng looked surprised when He Shangyou mentioned Zhang Yi.

“Originally, it had nothing to do with the judicial department. It was my subordinate who privately approached Director Yang, wanting to use Director Zhang to arrest the person. I did this for two reasons: first, for efficiency, and second, I did have my own selfish motives.” He Shangyou was still a little out of breath from running all the way.

Dai Chunfeng frowned, remained silent, and waited for what was to come.

"I reported to the Director before that, according to the intelligence sent back by the insider of the Pseudo-Special Agents Committee, this Lin Jingyi and Ding Mocun have made a secret deal, which should be related to the military intelligence of the Red Party. That's why we are so determined to capture him. In addition, we also want to use him to test Director Zhang."

"Kill two birds with one stone?" Mao Qiwu was somewhat surprised. Dai Chunfeng was clearly unaware of this beforehand. He frowned and asked, "Testing him? You still suspect him? Do you have any evidence?"

He Shangyou said earnestly, "The Director once said that skepticism is a virtue, and I'm just taking precautions." This explanation seemed reasonable, so Dai Chunfeng didn't pay much attention. He picked up his teacup and took a sip.
"Have you found any evidence?"

“My original intention was to use him to capture Lin Jingyi and obtain a confession. If he really is that person, he will definitely pass on intelligence to the Red Party. We can follow the clues and gradually force him to reveal his true colors. I arranged for several teams to track him, but he managed to shake them off. Just now, my subordinates reported that they found Zhang Yi's abandoned car at the dock. I estimate that he has already crossed the river and found Lin Jingyi's secret hideout.”

Dai Chunfeng sniffed: "If that's the case, why aren't you following up on this? Why are you looking for me?"

“Authorize him, lend him the man!” He Shangyou said bluntly. “I believe that with his abilities, as long as he finds the man, he can get a confession immediately. He’s probably already thinking about how to pass the information out. My men have already gone there to try to find him and buy as much time as possible. As long as the Director agrees, I will immediately launch a full investigation into him.”

Dai Chunfeng stared at him for a few moments, his face grave: "To catch a thief red-handed, to catch an adulterer in the act. If it's really as you say, shouldn't we follow him and catch him red-handed?"

He Shangyou sighed and said, "That's the problem. Zhang Yi has disappeared. I'm worried that by the time we find him, he will have already passed on the intelligence. So, I hope the Director will order the First and Third Divisions to give me their full support and find him no matter what."

"All of this is your assumption. Where is the evidence?" Dai Chunfeng waved his hand dismissively and said, "My attitude has always been clear: whoever that person is, we will investigate to the end. But the premise is that you have to produce evidence, evidence that is harder than iron."

He Shangyou immediately realized that his painstakingly planned scheme was about to fail, and hurriedly looked to Mao Qiwu for help.

But Mao Qiwu ignored it.

Boss Dai took a sip of tea and continued, “Family scandals shouldn’t be aired in public. If you’re going to investigate, you should do it discreetly, not make a scene like this. I’ve been thinking about something these past few days. He just returned from Yuzhou, having achieved great merit, and I haven’t even figured out how to reward him yet. Yesterday, when I went to report to the old man, he specifically mentioned this matter and praised him highly. Now you’re saying he’s a suspect, but you can’t get any evidence, and you want me to agree? How can I agree?”

He Shangyou: "But... he really has too many suspicions. Just based on what he said to Niu Zidao, it's not an exaggeration to say that he sympathizes with the Red Party, is it?"

"Suspicion is not evidence. If you can produce evidence, you can arrest him now, and I will interrogate him personally."

"I can find out."

"Under the command of the Three Trees, what can't one obtain? And then what? Arresting a high-ranking officer who has made outstanding contributions without any evidence, what are you going to tell others? If morale is low, how can you lead the troops? Sitting in my position, I have to consider the overall situation from top to bottom when making decisions." Dai Chunfeng glared, his tone somewhat harsh.

He Shangyou remained silent.

Mao Qiwu chimed in, "Director, Director He was just being cautious, but he was a bit too eager to achieve results. His intentions were good."

"I don't deny that, but haste makes waste. Especially on matters of principle, we must be extremely cautious. As for his sympathy for the Red Party, can we really make such a judgment based on just a few words?"

He Shangyou persisted: "Anyway, I feel that he is not the same kind of person as us. Also, I heard that he amassed a fortune in Yuzhou, collecting gold, US dollars, and cash. I don't know how much he collected, but he came back as if nothing had happened, acting like he had nothing to lose. This kind of person is too scary. We must take him seriously, otherwise he will cause a disaster sooner or later!"

"Enough! You talk as if your ass is so clean!" Dai Chunfeng's face darkened. Zhang Yi had made a lot of money in Yuzhou, but most of it had ended up in his own pocket. Investigating him for embezzlement and bribery would be the same as investigating himself.
Principles are meticulously chosen, but self-interest comes first. The Military Intelligence Bureau is cracking down on corruption, but in the end, they only execute petty spies who don't know their place—it's just a warning to others. As for big-time spies, the law doesn't punish the masses; as long as they don't go too far, they're turned a blind eye.

Mao Qiwu glanced at Boss Dai without showing any emotion, and his smile also disappeared: "Director He, let's get down to business. What are your plans for the next step?"

He Shangyou hesitated for a moment, then finally said in a huff, "Of course I will obey the Director's arrangements. But I am really worried about this person. I will go and keep an eye on him personally now. As long as he takes action, I will definitely catch him red-handed."

Just as he finished speaking, a knock sounded at the door, and Lieutenant Jia pushed the door open and entered:

"Mr. Dai, Director Zhang just called and said he wants to report to you."

The group looked surprised.

an hour ago.

As the action team arrived and took Lin Jingyi away, Qian Xiaosan hesitated to speak.

Zhang Yi asked, "What are you trying to say?"

"Chief, are we just handing the person over to the Operations Department like this? Shouldn't we interrogate him first?"

"What are we interrogating? Knowing too much won't do us any good." Zhang Yi waved his hand dismissively. "Let's go, we'll wait for our next target."

"Who?"

Zhang Yi smiled mysteriously: "You'll find out soon enough."

Half an hour later, a rickshaw stopped at the dock. Passengers got off carrying large and small bags, looked around, and hurriedly walked toward a fishing boat.

Just then, several flashlights shone on him, and Qian Xiaosan laughed:
"Deputy Director Yu? Where are you headed?"

Deputy Director Yu was taken aback for a moment: "You've mistaken me for someone else."

"We've only been apart for a short while, how could you admit your mistake? You made a promise to our section chief before, so confident, and now you're going to run away?"

“Yes, Lao Yu, how can a person break their word?” Zhang Yi looked at him with a half-smile.

Deputy Director Yu's forehead was covered in sweat, and his eyes hesitated and flickered—signs that he was about to lie.
"Director Zhang, you've misunderstood. What do you mean by running away? I just received a letter from home saying that my mother is sick, and I'm going to the countryside to visit her."

"What a coincidence?" Zhang Yi sneered. Deputy Director Yu was indeed an official; he could spout lies so easily. Too lazy to argue, he waved his hand, signaling Monkey and Qian Xiaosan to search him. Soon, the contents of Deputy Director Yu's bags were found.

Antiques, calligraphy and paintings, gold, US dollars, and ledgers.

"Didn't you say you were incorruptible? What's the deal with all this stuff?"

Deputy Director Yu was pinned to the ground, face down, and said with a bitter smile, "I got it by lying."

It turned out that after returning home, Deputy Director Yu became increasingly fearful, worried that the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) would come after him if his crimes were exposed. He decided to flee to the countryside to hide for a while. But he was not willing to just leave like that. So, he went all out and, under the guise of a new government project, found several construction contractors and, through a combination of deception and fraud, made another sum of money.

To prevent any leaks, he didn't even inform his wife, only saying that he had business to attend to and wouldn't be home for the next few days.

It wasn't that Deputy Director Yu was truly heartless; in his view, as long as the accounts of the "Tangjiatuo Project" were in his hands, his own people would be hesitant to act rashly and would not only refrain from making things difficult for his family, but would also protect them in a roundabout way.

With that thought in mind, Deputy Director Yu had no more worries. By the time Zhang Yi realized something was wrong, he had already disappeared.

I thought the plan was flawless, but who would have thought...
"Director Zhang, I beg you, please let me go. I have no other requests, just let me leave this city. I'll go to jail, is that alright?" Deputy Director Yu clung to Zhang Yi's leg, weeping bitterly.

"If only you had known this would happen, you wouldn't have done it in the first place." Zhang Yi dismissed him with a look of disdain and waved his hand.

Qian Xiaosan stepped forward and knocked him unconscious with a single chop, then stuffed him into the trunk of the car that had previously contained Lin Jingyi.

Then the car drove on the road, passing by several secret agents from the Second Bureau who were sneaking around on the road.

Headquarters.

Guided by Deputy Jia, Zhang Yi pushed open the door to Boss Dai's office. He saw He Shangyou and pretended to be surprised:

"Director He is here too? Chief, I hope I didn't interrupt your conversation?"

"I was just talking about you with Director He." Dai Chunfeng glanced at him and asked with a smile, "Yunyi, what are you busy with? I haven't seen you all afternoon."

"You didn't say anything bad about me, did you? Hey, Old He isn't the kind of person who talks behind people's backs, is he?" Zhang Yi glanced at He Shangyou, then handed the two documents in his hand to Dai Chunfeng one after the other:
"Director, this is an unexpected discovery today."

Dai Chunfeng took the document with suspicion and looked at it.

The report above was clearly freshly written, with slightly messy handwriting. It was a list detailing the items seized from Yu Dacheng, categorized by type.

Several ordinary antiques were marked with a checkmark, but one valuable antique was marked with an X.

The same applies to calligraphy and paintings.

The meaning of the checkmark and cross is self-evident.

Those marked with a checkmark will naturally be handed over to the national treasury, while those marked with an X will be sent to their own residences.

After all, taking down Yu Dacheng, this parasite, and seizing these things has already saved the country from losses. It's not a sin for the investigators to reward themselves with a little something.

Dai Chunfeng's gaze lingered on Zhu Da's masterpiece, "Ink Lotus Painting," for a few seconds, and he nodded almost imperceptibly.

As his power and status continued to rise, Boss Dai also learned to cultivate an air of refinement and decorate his home. For a period of time, Zhang Daqian and Qi Baishi were frequent guests at his home, and they were well aware of the value of this painting.

Thinking this, he erased all the other crosses and handed it to Zhang Yi:

"It's up to you."

"Understood!" Zhang Yi took the document and glanced at it, understanding immediately. He Shangyou, standing nearby, unaware of their coded conversation, assumed Zhang Yi had obtained Lin Jingyi's confession and was filled with anxiety. Just as he was about to steal a peek, he saw Zhang Yi close the document with a wary expression.
"Director He, is there something you need?"

"Cough, it's nothing." He Shangyou shook his head dejectedly.

"You don't look well. Are you feeling unwell?"

"I am fine."

Dai Chunfeng glanced at the two of them, but didn't bother to pay them any attention, and continued to bury himself in the second document.

This is the ledger.

It took him a long time to finish reading it, and after putting the document away in the drawer, he asked Zhang Yi:

"How was this Yu Dacheng caught?"

Zhang Yi said frankly, "I was entrusted by Director Yang and Director He to help them find someone. I disguised myself and went out on the way. I met this person and just took him back with me."

Hearing this, He Shangyou could no longer contain himself and asked anxiously, "You found Lin Jingyi? Where is he?"

Zhang Yi feigned surprise: "Is Director He also looking for him? Is this person very important?"

"Never mind that, where is he now?"

"It's been handed over to the operations department."

"It was handed over to the operations department? How could you hand it over to them?"

Zhang Yi looked at him with displeasure: "What do you mean by that? Director Yang and Chief Zhiyuan asked me to find the person. Now that I've caught him, I should naturally hand him over to them. Is there a problem? Chief He, are you telling me how to do things?"

These words were like a punch to He Shangyou's heart. His face turned ashen, and he could only look to Boss Dai for help: "Director, this person is very important to our Second Division. I request to take over this person!"

Boss Dai watched the verbal sparring between the two from the sidelines, then looked thoughtfully at Zhang Yi: "Yunyi, you arrested him, so according to the rules, it should be your judicial department that handles the case. What's your opinion?"

Zhang Yi smiled and said, "I'll follow the Director's instructions."

Dai Chunfeng nodded in satisfaction: "Then that's settled. Director He, go and take over."

He Shangyou finally smiled and suggested, "Chief, how about this: our Second Division will take over the case, and the Action Division and the Judicial Division will jointly participate in the interrogation?"

Although he didn't understand why Zhang Yi so casually handed the person over to the action department, he decided to devise another plan if one failed, determined to drag Zhang Yi into a trap. He didn't believe that Zhang Yi was truly uninterested in Lin Jingyi.

"A joint trial by three departments? Is that necessary?" Zhang Yi said with displeasure as soon as he finished speaking. "Since this person is so important, you two departments should conduct the interrogation yourselves. Our judicial department will not participate. Don't let the information be leaked and then blame us."

"Zhang Yi, it's inappropriate for you to talk like that."

Zhang Yi still wanted to reason with him "calmly," but Dai Chunfeng had already exploded:

"Enough! Do you think this place is a marketplace? He Shangyou, the person is yours to handle. How you interrogate him is your business, but you only need to report to me. If anything goes wrong again, I'll hold you responsible!"

"Yes." He Shangyou accepted the order with a stern voice, but felt extremely uncomfortable inside.

Zhang Yi glanced at Dai Chunfeng and said tactfully, "Director, I'll be going now."

"You stay."

(End of this chapter)