My spy diary

Chapter 603 Exposed? (Seeking monthly votes)

Li Jue took the sketch back to his office and looked at it over and over again, frowning almost the entire time.

Zhao Longwen held a high position and rarely went out, so even ordinary police officers rarely saw him, let alone Li Yishan, a shoemaker.

Furthermore, although Zhao Longwen occasionally appeared in the newspapers, Li Yishan was barely literate and couldn't possibly know Zhao Longwen through the newspapers. Besides, the last time Zhao Longwen appeared in the newspapers was a year ago; even if Li Yishan had known him by chance, he hadn't received any special training and couldn't possibly remember it so clearly. Therefore, he and his adjutant Liu could only believe that Li Yishan had never known Zhao Longwen before.

Li Jue threw down the portrait and sighed, "So it really was Zhao Longwen who secretly plotted to kill Yao Zechong. But why? I've never heard of any irreconcilable feud between the two of them. How did it escalate to the point of life and death?"

After thinking for a moment, Lieutenant Liu said, "Commander, I heard that the Military Intelligence Bureau found a lot of dirt on Zhao Longwen that Yao Zechong had secretly collected at the Yao family's house. Could it be because of this?" At this point, Lieutenant Liu looked regretful, "Unfortunately, I was incompetent and let the information fall into the hands of the Military Intelligence Bureau."

"Hindsight is 20/20," Li Jue snorted, then picked up the portrait again.

Deputy Liu continued, "Fortunately, we have evidence that Dai Zangyi has privately set up armed forces and demanded weapons and ammunition. With this evidence, even if Deputy Director Dai wants to attack you in front of the Chairman, he will have to think twice."

"Him?" Li Jue said with disdain. "The Japanese invaders are pressing us step by step, and the Chairman is in dire need of capable people. How could he believe his one-sided story? Besides, he hasn't even cleaned up his own mess yet."

The pinnacle of secret police politics was none other than the Ming Dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guard. But so what? The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was still extremely respectful to the Grand Secretaries and regional officials. The core reason was that the two belonged to different power systems, and the political status and power base of the Grand Secretaries and regional officials were far superior to those of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

The core functions of spies are investigation, arrest, and torture. Their power comes from the emperor's trust, and they are essentially tools of imperial power. They are powerful but lowly, belonging to the executive level of the political system. Because of their spy nature, they are almost universally rejected and guarded against, and lack broad political support.

Analogous to Dai Chunfeng, who seemed to wield immense power, he was not even a member of the Central Committee of the Kuomintang, and his party membership was specially approved by the Chairman. In the eyes of the power center and the powerful regional officials, he was still a junior.

He paused, then changed the subject, asking, "I heard that Dai Yunong is hosting a grand banquet at the Jiangshan Hotel tonight, and he's invited Zhao Longwen. Is that true?"

Just as Lieutenant Liu was about to say something, the phone on the table rang. After answering the call, Li Jue's expression turned even more grim:
"Zhao Longwen was killed by Yao Jinbao, Yao Zechong's beloved son, at the entrance of the restaurant."

"Ah!" Adjutant Liu was shocked. Although he had seen Yao Jinbao gathering men and preparing for battle, which indicated that this was the beginning, he still found it hard to believe that Zhao Longwen had been killed. "Commander, he just died like that? Could it be that the Military Intelligence Bureau tacitly approved it?"

"You mean using someone else to do the dirty work? Dai Yunong?" Li Jue raised an eyebrow at him. "But what would be the reason for that?"

"That possibility cannot be ruled out. Of course, it's also possible that someone else is eyeing Director Zhao's position."

"other people?"

"Yes. I heard that Yao Jinbao was previously disarmed and put in solitary confinement by Station Chief Tong, but he was released at this time."

"Oh? This is getting more and more interesting." Li Jue curled his lips with interest.

Lieutenant Liu continued, "However, there is one thing I can't understand. Even if Zhao Longwen is really the mastermind behind Yao Zechong's death, why did he release Li Yishan? When did he become so kind? Even if he was merciful, a wounded person can't run far. It's only a matter of time before he's found. He couldn't possibly not have thought of that. If it were me, I would never leave myself with any hidden dangers."

Li Jue nodded in agreement; Liu's ability to analyze and process cases was becoming increasingly sophisticated. Soon, his expression turned serious again, and he began:

"Yes, why would he spare Li Yishan's life?"

"Should we interrogate him again?"

"Let's go and hear what he has to say."

In the office, a second lieutenant brought over a bowl of boiled noodles and placed it on the table: "Company commander, here's your noodles."

A little noodle soup spilled on the table, and the fat man who had been interrogating the woman yelled, "Don't make a mess on the table!" He grabbed a newspaper from the rack, saw a picture of Director Zhao looking smug on the page, frowned, flipped it over, put it under his bowl of noodles, and started slurping it down.

Just as they were enjoying their meal, Li Jue and his adjutant pushed open the door and entered. The skinny man, who was leaning against the side smoking, coughed lightly. The fat man turned around, saw that it was Li Jue, and hurriedly stood up to salute.

Li Jue waved his hand and said in a friendly tone, "Hungry? Why are you only eating noodles? The Special Agent Company has done a great job this time and deserves a good reward." Then, he changed the subject, "What else did he confess?"

"It's all here." The skinny man quickly put out his cigarette and handed over the interrogation records.

Li Jue flipped through the pages, then turned his gaze to Li Yishan, who was hanging his head: "What did Zhao Longwen say to you that night?"

Li Yishan finally raised his head after a long while, staring blankly at him, without mentioning the man who drove him there: "No, he didn't say anything. When I woke up, I was already near home."

"Where's the pass to leave the city?"

"I woke up and found it in my pocket."

Li Jue sized him up for a moment, then said nothing more. Before leaving, he only instructed his adjutant to hand Li Yishan over to the Military Intelligence Bureau. He had originally intended to make something of Zhao Longwen, but now that Zhao was dead, Li Yishan had lost his usefulness. As for what would happen to this man in the hands of the Military Intelligence Bureau, he didn't care at all.

Meanwhile, at the Jiangshan Hotel, another meeting was being held discreetly in Dai Chunfeng's room.

Dai Chunfeng's expression was not very good:
"They failed so quickly?"

In the dim light, Shen Ruozhu's face was unusually pale: "It's more difficult than I thought; he directly rejected my advances."

"Looks like I overestimated you? You took your bow and left the stage before the very first round, before the gong even sounded."

Shen Ruozhu felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. She pursed her lips and remained silent.

Dai Chunfeng noticed her dejection, but he knew Zhang Yi better. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Tell me, what did you two talk about?"

Shen Ruozhu's thoughts were drawn back to her by this question. She looked at Dai Chunfeng, paused, and then recounted her experience in detail.

"A stray cat, a house cat?" Dai Chunfeng chuckled and smacked his lips, saying, "Wang Xinheng has taught a good apprentice."

He vaguely remembered a remark made by Director Wang, something like, "Women are like cats. They're fed and have a warm nest, but that's not enough. You also have to spend time with them, coax them, and keep an eye on them, otherwise, if you're not careful, they'll be seduced by some stray cat. It's said that loving fish is a cat's nature."

At first glance, this was just a lighthearted joke. For a womanizer like Dai Chunfeng, who had been through countless romances without ever getting attached to anyone, he was the one who seduced other women. He wasn't worried at all that his own woman would run off with someone else. He was confident in that.

However, after experiencing the affair of Secretary Yu Shuheng, his self-esteem was deeply hurt, and he increasingly felt that this statement made sense. He chuckled self-deprecatingly, banishing these thoughts from his mind, then glanced at the brightly dressed Shen Ruozhu, patted his own chubby belly, and said:

"Beauty is a priority ticket, but it can be a bad hand on its own. Only when combined with other skills, such as ability, knowledge, tactics, and resilience, can it play a greater role."

Shen Ruozhu frowned thoughtfully: "But, but I can't get close to him at all." "Flirting also depends on the time and place, otherwise it will become a fake flirtation, making people instantly wary, hmm? A little distance and reserve can arouse greater desire."

Dai Chunfeng waved his hand dismissively:
"Think about it, a man over thirty, living a life like a tightly wound but monotonous old clock. He smokes, drinks little, doesn't go to dance halls or brothels, has no other addictive hobbies, and love is practically foreign to him. His world is so clean he doesn't even have any scandals. Every day is almost a monotonous routine: work, home. How dull and repressive would that life be?" Dai Chunfeng smiled knowingly, adding a commentary to the passage, "But the more repressed a person is, the more dangerous they actually are."

Seeing Shen Ruozhu tilting her head and listening intently, Dai Chunfeng continued, "In this world, there is no man who does not desire women, especially beautiful women. The more boring and repressed his life is, the greater his desire for excitement becomes."

Believe me, even the smoothest egg will crack if left out too long. I don't believe anyone can endure such a monotonous life. So, use your true abilities, whether it's to gain his sympathy, pity, or sympathy, and hopefully, I'll hear good news when we meet again.

Shen Ruozhu opened her mouth, about to speak, when a knocking sound came from the door.

Dai Chunfeng casually replied, "Go in."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened, and Lieutenant Jia entered. He glanced at Shen Ruozhu, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Dai Chunfeng waved his hand at Shen Ruozhu: "Go back first and think carefully about what I said."

"Yes." Shen Ruozhu bowed and withdrew.

No sooner had she left than Lieutenant Jia told him about Station Chief Tong bringing Li Yishan back. Dai Chunfeng asked anxiously:

"What did he confess to?"

“He didn’t know the man, but the garrison drew a sketch based on his description, and it was Zhao Longwen.”

Dai Chunfeng looked incredulous: "Are you sure?"

"Station Chief Tong interrogated them several times on the way."

"How could this be?" Dai Chunfeng was taken aback. His sharp, scrutinizing gaze, which had just been filled with suspicion, dimmed slightly, like a candle flame dampened by a sudden rain. His Adam's apple bobbed silently, and his once straight shoulders slumped almost imperceptibly. He stared at Deputy Commander Jia for a long time, his eyes filled with astonishment, before finally asking:
"You heard him say it yourself? Does Director Zhang know about it?"

The adjutant, feeling somewhat uncomfortable under the watchful eye, understood his boss's astonishment. He sighed and said, "I saw the man, but not from what he said. Station Chief Tong tortured him again on the way back, and he's on the verge of death. Director Zhang doesn't know yet."

Having confirmed the news was reliable, Dai Chunfeng looked much relieved, finally letting out a sigh of relief after being tense for the past two days: "It's all over. I was wondering if this matter had anything to do with Director Zhang, but now it's all right."

Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; the power and security of those in positions of authority are inherently contradictory. Furthermore, power itself is exclusive; the greater the power, the more threats one must guard against, and the more prone one is to paranoia. Deputy Jia, long accustomed to this, thought for a moment and said:
"Probably not. Director Zhang has the ability, but he lacks the motivation and time."

"What about Li Jue? What about Station Chief Tong?"

"This..." Lieutenant Jia didn't know how to answer.

Dai Chunfeng waved his hand, saying with some regret, "Never mind, Zhao Longwen is dead, there's no way to verify it."

Lieutenant Jia kept looking at him.

Dai Chunfeng sensed that he seemed to have something else to say, and bluntly stated:
"Is there anything else?"

"It's Inspector Lien Ying-lien. He wants to report to you in person."

Dai Chunfeng snorted coldly: "This Lian Ying, sent to investigate the case, couldn't find a single clue in ten days or half a month, he's utterly incompetent. He even managed to get the garrison to take away an unarmed criminal suspect, calling him a good-for-nothing is no exaggeration. You don't need to plead for him." He pondered for a moment, "Here's the arrangement, punish him by keeping him in Shancheng, going to the investigation office to assist Station Chief Tong, to atone for his crimes."

Assistance is supervision, or rather, surveillance.

"Yes. I'll inform him immediately."

Before Deputy Jia could finish speaking, the phone on the table suddenly rang.

Dai Chunfeng walked over and answered the call. As he listened, his expression became inscrutable. He glanced at Deputy Commander Jia:

"Have Director Zhang come over."

Seeing his expression, Lieutenant Jia sensed something was amiss, but asked nothing, and bowed, saying:
"Yes!"

Meanwhile, Zhang Yi was in his office listening to Station Chief Tong vividly recount his challenge to Li Jue. Suddenly, Deputy Jia pushed open the door and entered:
"Director Zhang, the boss wants to see you!"

Zhang Yi's heart was slightly stirred. He had not yet found out what Li Yishan had confessed from Station Chief Tong. At this moment, Dai Chunfeng suddenly summoned him, and he had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow him.

The corridor on the third floor was eerily quiet. Guards Cao Jihua and He Qiyi stood like pillars in the doorway, expressionless. They glanced almost imperceptibly at Lieutenant Jia, who was equally expressionless.

This made Zhang Yi instinctively alert.

Fortunately, the guards did not search him or confiscate his gun, which secretly relieved Zhang Yi.

Guided by Lieutenant Jia, they entered the room, and the door closed immediately after Lieutenant Jia left.

Seeing Dai Chunfeng standing in front of the telephone with a solemn expression, he felt a pang of anxiety.

He thought to himself, "Why is he staring at the phone? Did Li Yishan betray me?"

Exposed?
Was Boss Dai about to call for an arrest, or were there already people lying in ambush outside?
"Seat!"

Zhang Yi looked up at Dai Chunfeng and found that Dai Chunfeng was also looking at him with an unusually complicated expression.

"Yunyi, let's go to the hospital, right now!"

Zhang Yi was completely bewildered and pretended not to understand: "Director Zhao was saved?"

"It's Shen Ruozhu. She committed suicide by poisoning herself!"

(End of this chapter)