My spy diary

Chapter 584 Completely Unaware (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Across from the antique shop, a black sedan was parked on the side of the road. The window was rolled down, and inside, a man dressed as a businessman was staring intently at the shop's entrance, his eyes meeting those of Manager Zhang, who was staring wide-eyed.

Their eyes met, each with a stern expression.

As if the scene were playing out again, Manager Zhang suddenly remembered the few plainclothes Kuomintang agents who had come to the store with Yang Rong. His face was expressionless, but the ferocity in his eyes could not be concealed.

The Kuomintang secret agents are definitely in cahoots with the person inside; they've come with ill intentions!
Manager Zhang hesitated for a moment, then quickly closed the shop door, hung up the "Closed" sign, turned back, forced an awkward smile, and said to Zhang Yi:
"Please wait a moment, sir. I'll go and report to the boss right away."

Zhang Yi smiled at him: "Don't worry, they won't come in without my order."

"Alright, alright, sir, please wait a moment."

Manager Zhang gave the two thugs a wink and rushed into the back room.

The people in the car outside were none other than Ding Henian's subordinates, the deputy section chief of the intelligence department. He cursed under his breath, "Damn it," and turned to Ding Henian in the back seat, saying:

"Section Chief, it seems he's spotted us. That old guy is clearly guilty. What do we do now? Should we try to go in and search?"

“We’ll definitely search inside, but not now.” Ding Henian said while thinking, “Have you considered that if Director Zhang really came here to meet someone, then this place could very well be an underground communication station for the Red Party? But isn’t the person in charge a bit weak in counter-surveillance? If I were him, I should have kept a low profile. Wouldn’t closing down the place be too deliberate?”

"This counter-surveillance capability is weak? They've already discovered us."

"It was you, not us. You idiot, who gave you permission to make eye contact with the target?"

"So, what should we do now?"

Ding Henian said bluntly, "Drive. It's inconvenient for you to show your face anymore. Temporarily withdraw from the surveillance team and go and thoroughly investigate the identity information of this person in charge, the more detailed the better. Hand over the surveillance here to other teams. I'm going to report to Director He now."

In the back courtyard of Chunhui Pavilion, the owner, Lei Wenno, was practicing calligraphy in his study. He looked to be around fifty years old, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and an ivory-colored silk long gown, giving him a refined and gentle appearance.

After listening to Steward Zhang's report, he angrily threw down his brush.

"It's the Military Intelligence Bureau again? When will this ever end?!"

"What do we do now, boss? Should I call Director Tang and ask him to send someone to check on him? Or should we send Captain Pu from the Detective Team over to test his mettle?"

Director Tang is Tang Yi, the director of the Chongqing Police Bureau. The Detective Team is ostensibly under the police bureau, but is actually operated by the Military Intelligence Bureau's Chongqing Special District. The team leader also serves as the head of the Chongqing Special District's intelligence group.

Ravenon frowned: "Since he's from the Military Intelligence Bureau, I'll trouble Captain Pu to come in person." He paused, then said with some reluctance, "This guy is the type who won't act until he sees a benefit. You should prepare some gifts in advance to prevent him from causing trouble."

As the saying goes, it's easy to invite a god but hard to send him away. The detectives have great power and can arrest people at will, but the price they pay is also high. He really doesn't want to deal with these people unless absolutely necessary.

After saying this, Ravenno flicked his sleeves and stomped angrily into the front hall.

As soon as he entered, he saw a dashing young man sitting in a chair smoking. He didn't get up even when he saw him.

"What brings you to my humble abode, sir?" Ravenno said, sizing up Zhang Yi. He was wearing a well-tailored suit, casually leaning back in his chair with his legs crossed and his hands casually resting on the back of the chair. He looked relaxed and confident.

Zhang Yi sized him up: "You're Boss Lei?"

"I am indeed you. May I ask who you are? I heard from the steward that you and Director Yang are colleagues in the Military Intelligence Bureau. May I ask which department you work in?"

"Zhang Yi".

"Mr. Zhang, I've heard so much about you." Ravenno hadn't heard of him before, but he still instinctively extended his hand, thinking that a handshake was customary on a first meeting. However, Zhang Yi made no move to stand up and shake his hand. He could only awkwardly withdraw his hand and silently sit down in the main seat.

Zhang Yi smiled politely and said, "Mr. Lei, I apologize for bothering you, but I would like to ask you for a small favor."

Do you realize you've been presumptuous?

Lei Wenno felt extremely uncomfortable, but he put on a smile: "How could that be? Mr. Zhang, please tell me what you need. I will do my best to help if I can."

As he spoke, he ordered tea to be served and asked, "Mr. Zhang is a man of great talent and appearance. He must hold a high position in the Military Intelligence Bureau. You must see Mr. Zheng often, right?"

"Oh, Mr. Lei, you know Deputy Director Zheng?"

Lei Wenno said with a hint of pride, "Deputy Director Zheng is a refined and elegant man. I am fortunate to have met him a few times."

Seeing that the other party had brought up Zheng Mingyuan, trying to show off their connections, Zhang Yi found it amusing but said indifferently:
"Oh, although Deputy Director Zheng also serves as the bureau chief's secretary, he works at the Second Department of the Military Command every day. I don't have much contact with him, but I see Director Dai often." After a few perfunctory words, he got straight to the point, "Boss Lei, I heard that you have a close relationship with the Changsha tomb raiders. I wonder if you could introduce me to them?"

Ravenno's face turned awkward. He didn't know whether what the other party said was true or false, whether they were just like him, using someone else's power to bully others, or whether they were truly fearless. For a moment, he hesitated.

Upon hearing the other party mention the tomb raiders of Changsha, his heart skipped a beat. He said in a deep voice, "Mr. Zhang, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. My Chunhui Pavilion is a legitimate business. How could I possibly know those heartless tomb raiders? Let alone have any friendship with them! If that's how you see me, then forgive my rudeness, but guards, show him out!"

Zhang Yi remained unmoved: "Boss Lei, let's not beat around the bush. Can you guarantee that all the antiques and paintings here are genuine and have a clear provenance?"

"What do you mean?"

"The literal meaning." Zhang Yi waved his hand, playing with the teacup in his hand, and laughed: "Although I am an amateur, I like to indulge in a bit of culture and I always like to ponder over interesting objects."

Take this teacup in my hand, for example. The rooster is crowing with its head held high, while the hen pecks and plays. It should be a replica of a Ming Chenghua doucai chicken cup, a masterpiece of the Ming imperial kilns. Even Emperor Qianlong had very few pieces. I never expected to see a pair in your esteemed residence, casually used to entertain guests. Am I saying you're incredibly wealthy and don't value treasures? Or is it simply a fake?"

Lei Wenno was surprised that a spy would be knowledgeable about chicken cups. He said dejectedly, "What does this prove? Even Emperor Qianlong said, 'The Ming dynasty is not far removed from this, and the elegant pieces of the Xuande and Chenghua periods are still evident,' directly expressing his appreciation and high regard for Chenghua doucai porcelain. He ordered its imitation to preserve the craft. I admired it but could not have it, so I made a few myself to play with. Is that illegal?"

“It’s not illegal.” Zhang Yi shook his head, staring at him. “To put it nicely, it’s called imitation; to put it bluntly, it’s just counterfeiting. You’ve already admitted to counterfeiting, so can you still guarantee that everything else is genuine? Of course, nine out of ten collectors are fakes. As long as someone is willing to buy and vouch for it, it’s considered genuine. The items circulate among you, whether for fame or money, everyone gets what they want. Perhaps what you’re really playing with isn’t the antiques themselves, but the connections. Am I right, Mr. Lei? There are only so many treasures in the world, and how many have truly survived to the public? Although you have a dazzling array of antiques here, how many of them have a clear provenance? Aren’t they all imitations, collected items? I’ve already said all this, and if you still pretend to be deaf and dumb, it’s like you’re refusing to see the truth.”

Ravenno's nerves skipped a beat. He hadn't expected that this young man, whose background he knew, could see through the secret that others had been trying to figure out for years with just a few words. He asked with a gloomy face, "What exactly do you want?"

"I mentioned that I'm interested in the tomb raiders in Changsha and hoped Mr. Lei could help introduce me."

Before he could finish speaking, the shop door slammed open, and Detective Team Leader Pu Gang swaggered in with several burly plainclothes officers, impatiently saying from afar:

"Who's causing trouble? Have they got the guts to run wild on my turf?"

Manager Zhang followed behind the group, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement, waiting for Zhang Yi to suffer a setback.

Ravenno stared intently at Zhang Yi, hoping to glean some clue from his eyes—whether he was just a bluffer or genuinely capable; the truth would soon be revealed.

"Chunhui Pavilion? How long has he been inside?" On the other end, He Shangyou listened to the report from Deputy Section Chief Ding Henian on the phone with a cold face.

"It's been almost half an hour, and the door is still closed. We don't know what he's doing inside."

He Shangyou was clearly not satisfied: "Is that all? Has the background check on this antique shop been completed?"

Ding Henian said sullenly, "We're investigating, Chief. Should we send someone in to check now, just in case it really is a rendezvous?"

He Shangyou sighed, "We still lack confidence. If this antique shop really has a problem, we can arrest them now. If we make a mistake, it will be embarrassing."

"Director, although there is no conclusive evidence, my intuition tells me that this antique shop is highly suspicious, especially the manager, who was acting suspiciously. As soon as Director Zhang went in, he closed the door, which is too much of a coincidence."

He Shangyou pondered: "Of course, we can't rule out the suspicion of this antique shop. But we must be careful. Chunhui Pavilion has a good reputation and close ties with celebrities in the cultural and artistic circles. These people don't know their own limitations and love to cause trouble. If we make a mistake, we won't get any benefits but will get ourselves into trouble. In that case, we will both be in trouble."

"So, what do we do next?" Ding Henian asked, somewhat discouraged.

"Keep a close watch on everything that happens there. Also, find an opportunity to arrest that manager and interrogate him first."

Inside Chunhui Pavilion.

Seeing his backer arrive, Ravenno stood up with full confidence:
"Mr. Zhang, let me introduce you. This is Pu Gang, the captain of the detective team."

Zhang Yi glanced at Pu Gang, then slowly put down the tea: "Captain Pu, you're quite the big shot!"

Pu Gang stared intently, stunned. His heart skipped a beat. What was Director Zhang doing here? He quickly walked over, stood at attention, and gave a respectful salute.
"This humble servant, Pu Gang, greets Director Zhang."

Zhang Yi gestured with his hand: "No need for such formalities. We're not at the bureau, so why are you here?"

The men behind Captain Pu were just waiting for his order to attack, but when they suddenly saw their leader salute and greet them with a respectful attitude, they were stunned and looked at each other in bewilderment.

Manager Zhang was completely bewildered. Just as he was about to say something, Captain Pu glared at him to shut up, then smiled obsequiously at Zhang Yi and said:
"My subordinates received intelligence that there was trouble here, so I thought I'd bring some men over to check it out."

Zhang Yi smiled but remained silent.

Captain Pu smiled awkwardly and pointed at Zhang Yi, introducing him to his subordinates behind him: "What are you all standing there for? This is Director Zhang of the Fifth Division of the Bureau Headquarters, whom I often mention to you. Why aren't you saluting?"

"what?"

Since the start of the War of Resistance against Japan, the Military Intelligence Bureau (MIB) had expanded rapidly, almost to the point of bloat. A rough estimate puts its personnel at around 50,000, both internal and external, and its armed intelligence forces at around 200,000. Ordinary agents, without special orders, could only conduct their work at the MIB's external reception office, the "Shulu," and couldn't even enter the headquarters. They couldn't even see section chiefs or department heads, let alone have a chance to meet Boss Dai. Students in the various training courses fared slightly better, but they could only see Boss Dai at the opening and graduation ceremonies; without other opportunities, they probably would never see him again.

Director Zhang Yi was someone whose name they had only heard of but never seen. But now, upon hearing that the person in front of them was Director Zhang, the way these people looked at Zhang Yi immediately changed. Some even exclaimed in a low voice, "It's actually Director Zhang!" and hurriedly saluted him.

Zhang Yi waved his hand, gesturing for Captain Pu to sit down, and they exchanged casual pleasantries. Ravenno, the boss, stood to the side, feeling extremely frustrated as he watched his savior fawn over the other man. The two completely ignored his presence, engrossed in their conversation about the Military Intelligence Bureau. As an outsider, he knew nothing and couldn't join the conversation. The more enthusiastic the two became, the more awkward Ravenno appeared.

Captain Pu exchanged a few more pleasantries with Zhang Yi, then casually asked, "Director Zhang, what brings you here?"

Zhang Yi smiled faintly: "I'm just browsing around."

"I see. Since there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." Captain Pu saluted and left with his men, giving Ravenno a fierce glare as he departed.

After seeing Captain Pu off, Zhang Yi looked at Ravenno with amusement:
"Mr. Lei, what's the plan now? Why don't you make another call?"

Lei Wenno's face twitched slightly. He quickly put on a smile and walked up to Zhang Yi: "I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness. I offended Director Zhang. Please forgive me." After saying that, he quickly found a pen and paper and wrote down a name and address.

"Not bad!" Zhang Yi took the paper with a smile, tore it in two, wrote a few words on it with a pen, then put it in his pocket. He stood up and pointed at Steward Zhang, who was standing to the side, dumbfounded:
Aren't you going to see me off?

Manager Zhang was extremely nervous and hurriedly ran over: "Sir, this way please."

Once outside the gate, Zhang Yi glanced around casually, then turned and pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, solemnly handing it to Manager Zhang: "Give this to Boss Lei later, it's very important."

On the second floor opposite, behind a half-open window, a pair of sinister eyes watched everything unfold.

Zhang Yi seemed completely unaware of this.

(End of this chapter)