My spy diary

Chapter 595 Stunned (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Liu San and Zhao Si stood listlessly outside the room where Yao Zechong was being held. Having stayed up all night, their minds felt foggy, as if something was stuck in them. They couldn't muster any energy. Seeing Zhao Longwen approaching, they quickly straightened up and saluted.

"Director Zhao."

Zhao Longwen looked around: "Nothing went wrong last night, right?"

Liu San smiled ingratiatingly: "No, don't worry."

"Thank you for your hard work." Zhao Longwen glanced at the two of them, then pushed open the door and asked as he entered:
Where is Zhao Wenwu?

Liu San looked around and whispered, "Has the bureau chief not come to work yet? Did he go home too late last night and oversleep?"

Zhao Longwen remained noncommittal. Unable to find Zhao Wenwu in the office, he called Zhao's home, only to be told that Zhao Wenwu hadn't gone home at all the night before. This angered him somewhat, but upon seeing the injections lying at the prisoner's feet, he thought to himself, "Although Wenwu is a bit playful, he still takes his confessions to heart."

On second thought, Zhao Wenwu might have gone off somewhere to have some fun with Yao Zechong. He frowned, and just as he was about to turn and leave, he suddenly noticed a small section of gray sock peeking out from under Yao Zechong's trouser leg. He frowned again.

Why didn't you change your socks?

Black shoes with black socks—that's common sense. But Yao Zechong had a peculiar habit: he liked to wear white socks.

Liu San quickly said, "Yao, no, that person complained last night that this person's socks were too disgusting, so she didn't change them."

"Details determine success or failure." Zhao Longwen snorted and instructed his secretary Zhou Wenruo, "Find him a pair of white socks to change into."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Liu San and Zhao Si:
"Thank you for your hard work. Go back and rest early. I will remember your contributions."

Liu San and Zhao Si became excited: "Thank you, Director."

He bowed respectfully and turned to leave.

After the two left, Zhao Longwen asked his secretary, "Is the speech prepared?"

The secretary nodded, took out a carefully prepared speech, which contained several deliberately misspelled sentences. Zhao Longwen noticed them immediately and took out a pen to correct and revise them:

"The speech should highlight the police station, the Military Intelligence Bureau, and Boss Dai, and express Boss Dai's high regard and concern for this matter. The punishment of Yao Zechong and others in accordance with the law fully demonstrates Boss Dai's strong determination and clear attitude to punish scoundrels. No matter who they are or how high their position is, as long as they violate military discipline and national laws, they will never be tolerated or shown leniency. This demonstrates the Military Intelligence Bureau's determination and ability to eliminate the termites that erode the body of the Party and the country."

Yes, at the same time, we also need to assure our fellow villagers that our police station is fully capable of maintaining public order and upholding everyone's legitimate demands. In this case, our initial mistake was failing to acknowledge the legitimate interests and demands of our fellow villagers, allowing the incident to escalate further.

However, since the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Police Bureau took over the case, we have consistently resolved the people's reasonable demands with the utmost determination, sincerity, and effort, defusing intense emotions and creating the basic conditions for a complete resolution of the problem and for local stability and development. This political courage to correct mistakes reflects the consistent principles of the Party and the State: upholding justice and protecting the people!

After saying that, he asked his secretary in a low voice:
"Did you write it down?"

Secretary Zhou Wenruo: "I've noted it down. Director, you've really shown great foresight. Your words have been incredibly insightful, and the article's theme is even more profound. The effect will surely be even better. I'll revise it and send it to the newspaper immediately so they can publish it without any changes."

Director Zhao Longwen was very satisfied. What does it mean to be politically mature? It means having the ability to lie through one's teeth, and not only to lie, but to lie with a straight face and righteous indignation. He glanced at his watch: "Let's go, it's time to go on stage."

Half an hour later, the police station held a press conference on a makeshift platform in the market to explain the Plum Blossom spy case.

The speaker on the stage was Zhao Longwen, while the audience was filled with reporters, representatives of local gentry, relatives of the victims, and onlookers.

"Fellow villagers, ladies and gentlemen, since the Meihua spy case occurred, the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Police Bureau have attached great importance to it. Under our meticulous investigation, the case has made a major breakthrough." Zhao Longwen said with a serious face, "Now I can tell you clearly that apart from Liu Lianfang herself being a spy, the other female students have all been wronged."

According to the clues we have, the group of people who harmed Ma, led by Yao Zechong, director of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Investigation Office, and Wei Zheqiu, head of the Jiangshan County Action Group of the Investigation Office, have become ruthless and inhumane in order to achieve their ulterior motives. In the process of handling cases, they have used torture to extract confessions, fabricated evidence, and arrested innocent students indiscriminately, causing a terrible impact on society.

Last night, our police officers arrested the masterminds Yao Zechong, Wei Zheqiu, and others, who confessed to their numerous crimes. The female students who suffered injustice in this case will all be released soon, and the government will consider compensation.

The Plum Blossom spy case has been closed.

Due to the special status of Yao Zechong and others, and the extremely serious impact of the case, the Military Intelligence Bureau's judicial department conducted an overnight trial and sentenced several people to death, which will be carried out immediately. This press conference is held here to provide an explanation to the public and the people of their hometown.

Everyone in the audience was surprised and immediately started whispering and discussing among themselves.

"They caught them so quickly! And the interrogation is already over?"

"Wasn't Yao Zechong supposed to be Boss Dai's trusted and beloved general? This is putting righteousness before family!"

"Don't forget, Boss Dai is from our hometown."

As soon as Zhao Longwen finished speaking, reporters' cameras were all pointed at him, and flashes went off continuously.

Zhao Longwen puffed out his chest with a triumphant air, stood at attention, saluted, and was very satisfied with his performance.

"A bunch of ignorant fools." A short, thin reporter in the crowd, seeing this scene, sneered and asked:

"Director Zhao, you say Liu Lianfang is a spy. Do you have any evidence? As far as I know, Liu Lianfang suddenly jumped off a building and committed suicide, which is very suspicious. Is it suicide or murder? Please give us a reasonable explanation."

Zhao Longwen was prepared for this, and said with a serious expression:
"Of course, the facts are there and the evidence is conclusive. Apart from the confidential ones, we will make the relevant evidence public in the future."

This righteous and resolute statement left the reporter stunned. He smacked his lips, hesitated for a moment, and then said, unwilling to give up:
"As far as I know, this case has received a lot of attention from the very beginning. People of justice have written to you through various channels, requesting you to investigate the truth. However, you have been evasive and turned a deaf ear to the matter, ignoring the facts. This has led to the case escalating and causing the negative impact it has today. Director Zhao, what is your explanation for this?"

Zhao Longwen asked politely, "May I ask which newspaper this reporter works for?"

The reporter glanced at him indifferently: "Why is Director Zhao asking this? Does it matter which newspaper I work for? Please answer the question directly."

Zhao Longwen glanced at him, subtly gave his secretary a look, and then said, "This reporter's question is very pointed, but I still choose to answer it."

Indeed, as you said, after the Plum Blossom spy case, many righteous people reported the problem to us through various channels. Their original intention was good, but they used the wrong methods. Under the hype, manipulation, and instigation of some people with ulterior motives, especially with the help of Japanese spies, the case became more serious.

Of course, the police department should also learn from this incident and will require officers to prioritize the issues raised by the public in their work. They should implement a system of accountability, use discipline to prevent officers from failing to act, and establish a special task force with a publicly available contact number to listen to the voices of the people at any time.

I believe that, with the efforts of the police department, channels for expressing public opinion from the bottom up will be unimpeded.

After saying this, he bowed to the audience, then looked at the reporters with a smile:
"Reporter, are you satisfied with this response?"

"Excuse me." The reporter was somewhat astonished, but still persisted. Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Wenruo subtly nodded to the audience. With the help of people who had been arranged in advance, the audience erupted in applause and flashes of light.

Clearly, people agreed with Director Zhao's statement. Director Zhao was also satisfied with his approachable yet dignified demeanor, smiling as he dealt with the cameras while quietly asking his secretary, who had approached him:

"Who is this reporter?"

Secretary Zhou: "The guy from the Southeast Daily is named Ma Zhiyong. He's just a clown, not worth getting angry over. I'll kick him out right away."

Upon hearing this, Director Zhao immediately understood; they were from the CC Clique. These people, posing as reporters, had been stirring up trouble within the Plum Blossom spy network. Without them, how could this case have so easily reached the highest levels of justice? He snorted coldly and said, "Don't be impatient. They're just a bunch of thugs in reporter's clothes. We'll have plenty of time to deal with them after the press conference." After thinking for a moment, he added somewhat worriedly, "Be careful later, don't let the reporters get too close."

After saying this, Director Zhao looked at the noisy crowd below the stage and solemnly gestured for them to bring the prisoner up: "Bring the prisoner up."

Instantly, the scene became quiet.

The next moment, a group of fully armed police officers brought over prisoners who were tied up, gagged, and wearing hoods. It was more like dragging them than escorting them. Except for "Yao Zechong", the others were shaking like leaves.

The execution squad leader ran up to Director Zhao, stood at attention, and saluted him.

"Chief, the firing squad is ready. Please give instructions."

"Has your identity been verified?"

"It has been verified and is confirmed to be correct."

"Then let's do it."

"Yes, sir." The execution captain snapped to attention, saluted, and turned to walk towards the prisoners. With a wave of his hand, two officers dragged "Yao Zechong" forward, grabbed him, and forced him to his knees. The execution captain, pistol in hand, walked behind "Yao Zechong," aimed at the back of his head, and pulled the trigger.

"Bang!" A gunshot rang out in the market, and "Yao Zechong" fell to the ground.

A moment of silence fell. Then, gasps and screams erupted. A group of self-proclaimed well-informed reporters and gentry were stunned by the bloody scene, taking a long time to recover. Some were pale, their teeth clenched tightly. Some had sweat beading on their foreheads, veins bulging, while others covered their eyes with their hands.

Director Zhao, who was used to this kind of scene, seemed not to hear or see anything. He had been paying attention to Ma Zhiyong's every move, and at this moment the other party was pretending to be fiddling with his camera.

Director Zhao glanced at them a few times and, seeing that they were no longer making any moves, signaled the execution captain to continue.

Next up was Wei Zheqiu, trembling all over. The execution captain had his pistol pressed against the back of his head and was about to pull the trigger when Ma Zhiyong suddenly moved. He rushed to the front of the stage, raised his camera, and pressed the shutter on "Yao Zechong" lying in a pool of blood.

"boom!"

The gunshot did not disrupt Ma Zhiyong's rhythm of taking pictures. He stared at the hood on "Yao Zechong's" head, his eyebrows and eyes flickering with suspicion. Just as he was eagerly planning to rush onto the stage, lift the hood, and get a glimpse of "Lushan's face," a hand suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled his camera directly away.

Ma Zhiyong turned around and saw it was Secretary Zhou.

Secretary Zhou glanced at the camera and said seriously, "This reporter, please step back to a safe position. Bullets don't have eyes; we don't want to hurt innocent people."

Ma Zhiyong's eyes darted around: "Can't I even take a picture?"

Secretary Zhou spoke in an official tone: "Taking photos is your right, but please step back to a safe location, otherwise..."

"What else? You dare to arrest me?" Ma Zhiyong, seeing that he was a pretty boy, provocatively grabbed the camera and snapped a few more pictures of the stage.

Secretary Zhou flew into a rage and grabbed the camera: "You think I don't know who you are? Ma Zhiyong, don't push your luck, step back!"

"I think you're just feeling guilty. You're not going to pull some kind of switcheroo in front of everyone, are you?" Ma Zhiyong sneered. Seeing Secretary Zhou's expression change, he became even more confident and said arrogantly, "Let go, or I'll call for help."

Enraged by his stubbornness, Secretary Zhou snorted and grabbed the camera, pulling it towards her. A sly glint flashed in Ma Zhiyong's eyes. In the struggle, he suddenly let go, and Secretary Zhou, caught off guard, instinctively fell to one side.

Taking advantage of this brief moment, Ma Zhiyong, beaming with excitement, leaped onto the platform like a tiger pouncing on its prey. Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, he rushed over and ripped off the hood covering "Yao Zechong's" head, glaring and roaring:

"Look everyone, this isn't Yao Zechong at all! Someone's protecting each other, they've switched him out!"

He suddenly froze halfway through his sentence, his face filled with disbelief.

The crowd was stunned at first, then all the cameras were pointed at Yao Zechong, who was staring blankly with dead eyes, and the flashes went off continuously.

Secretary Zhou was dumbfounded and at a loss for what to do.

"Is that Yao Zechong?" A reporter stared intently for a few moments, then said incredulously, "It really is him, that's too much!"

"It's him, I'm sure, I've seen him before."

"It seems the Military Intelligence Bureau is serious this time!"

There was a commotion.

"Quick, stop the reporters!" Zhao Longwen was also caught off guard by this scene, and then he froze. Watching the man's hood being ripped off, and him slumping like a dead fish in a pool of blood, the crimson blood spreading towards his feet, in that instant, all the sounds in the world went silent, and he could only hear a buzzing ringing in his ears.

"It's over, it's over"

The atmosphere in the police station's conference room was harmonious. Dai Chunfeng, Zhang Yi, Director Gong, Station Chief Tong, and others sat on the sofa drinking tea and chatting.

Station Chief Tong glanced at his watch and said, "The gun went off. Director Zhao should be back soon. He's really riding high this time."

Dai Chunfeng smiled mysteriously, and was about to say something when the phone rang.

"Hello?" Lieutenant Jia walked over and answered the phone. "This is Jia Jinnan. You can tell me what's wrong. What did you say? How could this happen? Where is Director Zhao?" Lieutenant Jia's expression gradually changed from shock to disbelief. "Get Director Zhao back immediately, right now!"

After hanging up the phone, Deputy Officer Jia took a deep breath to calm himself down before stepping forward to whisper in Dai Chunfeng's ear to report.

Dai Chunfeng listened with a face full of suspicion, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty. Suddenly, he grabbed a teacup, smashed it on the ground, and cursed, "That Zhao Longwen is utterly useless, more trouble than he's worth!"

Director Gong and Station Chief Tong were bewildered, staring blankly at each other.

"Please calm down, Director!" Zhang Yi, equally bewildered, looked at Deputy Officer Jia and asked, "What happened?"

(End of this chapter)