My spy diary

Chapter 615 Yang Neng (Seeking monthly votes)

On the other side, Zhang Yigang parked his car on the side of the road, preparing to cross the street. Just then, a strange figure suddenly peeked out from the shadows of the hotel building.

It was pitch black, and it was impossible to see who the figure was or whether it was a man or a woman.

Who is it? Xiao Huan, an accomplice of the Japanese spy?

What is she doing here? Is she going to make a desperate attempt to assassinate Dai Chunfeng?
Or is there something else they want?
Zhang Yi thought to himself, and without making a sound, he shrank back and hid behind the car.

Under his gaze, the eerie figure, like a venomous snake, silently crept out of the shadows and darted to the roadside, then slowly rose. As it moved slowly toward the cars ahead, it took a tinderbox from its pocket, blew on it, and then extinguished it.

Just as the figure blew the tinderbox, Zhang Yi looked closely and realized that the figure was a woman, and judging from her figure, it was Xiao Huan, a remnant of the Japanese spy who had escaped from Yicui Tower.

What is she trying to do? Is the car parked on the roadside from the Kuomintang's intelligence agency? Is she planting a bomb? Or is she trying to escape using the agency's car?
While Zhang Yi was still in shock, Xiao Huan had already crouched down at the back door of a car and started unlocking it.

A moment later, with a soft "click," the car's back door opened, and she slipped inside like a cunning venomous snake.

Zhang Yi came to his senses, thought for a moment, and decided to wait and see.

On the other side, Station Chief Tong walked down the hotel stairs with a beaming smile. He had been reinstated and was naturally in a good mood. In return for his kindness, or rather, to reciprocate, he wanted to resolve Director Dai's worries.

Everyone at the Military Intelligence Station was overjoyed about the raid on Yicui Tower, eagerly awaiting their reward. Only one person remained anxiously inquiring about the situation: the operation leader, Yang Neng. Unexpectedly, in the brief moment he was making a phone call, things took a sharp turn for the worse. The madam was not only detained in solitary confinement but also restricted from contact with others. The thought of potentially being implicated by the madam filled him with both hatred and fear.

"Stationmaster, do you have some time now?" Yang Neng asked timidly as he approached Stationmaster Tong, who was walking down the stairs with a confident air.

Station Chief Tong probably already guessed why he had come. When he questioned the madam at the brothel earlier, anyone who wasn't a fool could tell that Yang Neng and the madam were acquainted. As for how deep their relationship was, and whether Yang Neng was acting as a protector for the brothel, further questioning was needed to find out.

If the two sides are not deeply entangled and have no connection with Japanese spies, Station Chief Tong does not want to investigate further, after all, too much clarity leaves no room for fish.

With the war pressing and prices soaring, the meager salary from the Military Intelligence Bureau is barely enough to feed and clothe one person, let alone support a family.

Station Chief Tong himself was struggling financially, let alone others. Therefore, the spies all had their own ways of making money, whether through extortion or accepting bribes from those they were protecting. As long as it wasn't too outrageous, Station Chief Tong usually turned a blind eye.

Sometimes, when his subordinates went too far, he would inevitably reprimand them severely, but he would never delve into the matter further. If morale were low, the team would be difficult to manage.

Thinking this, Station Chief Tong waved away his secretary and adjutant, and asked with a smile:
"Captain Yang, is there anything I can help you with?"

Yang hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "Station Chief, I... I've come to admit my mistake."

"Oh, what wrong have you done? Embezzled or accepted bribes, or colluded with the enemy and betrayed your country?"

"Stationmaster, you've misunderstood. I, Yang, am utterly loyal to the Party and the country, and I would never dare to do something so despicable."

Yang Neng trembled with fear, his voice growing increasingly panicked. "This humble servant... this humble servant only accepted a small bribe from her, agreeing to look after her business. It has absolutely nothing to do with treason or collusion with the enemy. You don't know, my son's pneumonia has recently worsened. Traditional Chinese medicine isn't working, so we have to see a Western doctor. But these medicines are a bottomless pit. If we weren't so desperate, I would never have gotten involved in such a sordid affair. Station Master, if something happens to me, his illness will truly be hopeless. Please forgive me this once; I promise I'll never do it again."

"Isn't it normal to be so nervous about something so small?" Station Chief Tong asked, his face tense.

"Is what you're saying true? You only took the money?"

"I dare say it to the heavens."

"Let's go, let's talk alone."

Station Chief Tong led Yang Neng to an open area outside the restaurant, placing a hand on his shoulder:
"Are you telling the truth?"

Yang Neng trembled as he said, "Station Chief, I swear to God, every word I said is true!"

"It's just a little money, why are you so nervous?"

"I'm afraid that old hag will start making baseless accusations when she's about to die."

"What are you biting?" Station Chief Tong gently released his hand from his shoulder and took a step back without making a sound.

"They falsely accused me of having a relationship with Su Jingyi."

Station Chief Tong suddenly realized, staring intently at him: "Oh, so do you two have any connection?"

"Yes, but only physical intimacy. I swear I have never revealed any information to her, not even a single word."

"Oh," Station Chief Tong remarked meaningfully, then fell silent. Just as Yang Neng's heart was sinking into despair, he spoke again, "The pleasures of men and women are understandable, but one must still be careful, for lust is a double-edged sword."

Yang Neng was taken aback, then quickly replied, "The stationmaster's advice is right, I am extremely grateful."

"To err is human, to forgive divine!" Station Chief Tong patted him on the shoulder and said earnestly:
“Captain Yang, although you’re not one of my men, I’ve always considered you a brother and have high hopes for you. Since we’re brothers, I won’t stand by and watch you die. Let’s pretend this never happened. If anyone asks again, just stick to one thing: you and Su Jingyi have absolutely no relationship.”

Listening to Station Chief Tong's heartfelt words, Yang Neng was moved to tears. Having witnessed so much deceit and betrayal, he was now able to see clearly who was truly willing to lend a helping hand. In that instant, he felt that Station Chief Tong was the closest person to him besides his own family.

"Stationmaster, you are my benefactor. If there is anything I can do to help you in the future, I will never refuse, even if it means going through fire and water!"

Station Chief Tong smiled and patted him on the shoulder: "Captain Yang, you're a kind father. I believe I haven't misjudged you. Once you leave here today, you'll be clean."

"Thank you, stationmaster."

"Still being polite with me?" Station Master Tong feigned anger and slapped him hard on the shoulder.

"Yang Neng, as someone who's been through this, let me say a few more words?"

"Station Master, please speak. Although I have never worked directly under you, I have always greatly admired your character, knowledge, and abilities. If there is anything I have done poorly in my work, I hope to receive your criticism and guidance." Yang Neng had calmed down by now, his tone was humble, his attitude sincere, and he deliberately bent over, adopting a posture of listening attentively to instruction, almost as if he were taking out paper and pen to take notes.

"Haha, Captain Yang, you're too kind. I can't really offer any criticism or guidance. Don't let my position as station chief fool you; compared to Boss Dai, I'm nothing more than a mudfish in a pond. I'm just taking advantage of my seniority and rambling on. Well, what I'm trying to say is that it's not good for a person to wear their emotions on their sleeve; it just makes them seem inexperienced. If you want to secure your position, you need to work on your temperament."

"Thank you for your guidance, Station Master. I understand now." "That's good, that's good, haha." Station Master Tong laughed heartily, then changed the subject, "Now there's a tricky matter I'm going to assign to you. Are you confident you can handle it? Of course, this is also to alleviate your worries." His smiling face gave off a kind and consultative impression. However, the occasional flashes of cold light in his eyes made Yang Neng feel a chill run down his spine. He took a deep breath and straightened his back:
"Stationmaster, what are your orders?"

"That madam, Manager Zhou," Station Chief Tong waved his hand, making a "chop" gesture, then added, "Take care of her cleanly."

"Yes, I guarantee I'll complete the mission." Only then did Yang Neng understand Station Chief Tong's true intentions. He couldn't help but admire Tong's cunning and shrewd methods immensely. He was clearly doing the dirty work for him, yet he used the guise of doing it for his own good, making Yang feel incredibly grateful. He readily agreed, then seized the opportunity to ask:
"Where is Su Jingyi? And do we need statements from the madam and the others?"

Station Chief Tong: "Just leave her alone. As for the statement, of course, we still have to follow the procedures, otherwise wouldn't that be treating human life like dirt? As for what kind of statement to make up, you can figure it out yourself."

"Yes." Yang Neng straightened up, bowed, and turned to leave.

Station Master Tong stared at his retreating figure and smiled meaningfully.

At this moment, the secretary walked over and asked with a puzzled look:
"Stationmaster, are we just going to let him go like this?"

Station Chief Tong glanced at him: "What do you mean?"

The secretary blurted out, "Of course, we should beat a dog when it's down."

Station Chief Tong shook his head: "We could take this opportunity to take him down and replace him with one of our own, but do we have a suitable candidate right now? Besides, Yang Neng is a veteran of this station, and most of the action team members are his confidants. If we deal with him too harshly, how can we win people's hearts? It would be better to use this as an excuse to recruit him to our own side. Furthermore, I now have leverage over him, so I'm not afraid that he will be two-faced or have any disloyal intentions."

The secretary thought for a moment and said, "This is a risky move."

Station Chief Tong laughed and pointed at him, saying, "You might as well just say it was a terrible move. I know you too well; that's probably what you're thinking."

The secretary remained noncommittal, offering only a forced smile. A sly glint flashed in Station Chief Tong's eyes, and he continued:

"Don't forget about Steward Zhou. He has a complicated relationship with Li Jue. If that old scoundrel investigates further, it won't be easy to explain. All we need to do is push Captain Yang out, and everything will be fine, haha." After saying this, he smiled smugly, stretched calmly, and then said:

"Let's go back and figure out how to capture that remnant of the Japanese invaders."

Yang Neng got into his car with a heavy heart. He closed the door, turned on the headlights, and prepared to start the car.

"Don't move! I'll shoot if you move an inch. Turn off the headlights and hand over your weapons!"

Just then, a gun was suddenly pressed against the back of his head. The attacker had obviously been hiding in the back seat, ready to strike.

Yang Neng obediently turned off the car lights, then pulled out his sidearm from his waist, stared at the blurry black figure in the rearview mirror, and slowly placed the gun on the steering wheel:

"Xiao Huan? You've got some nerve, daring to launch a surprise attack."

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Huan immediately interrupted him: "My name is not Xiao Huan."

"Whatever your name is, tell me, what do you want?"

"Get me out of here, now, immediately!"

"impossible!"

"That's not up to you." Xiao Huan's voice was sinister. "If I get caught, you won't have a good ending either. Hehe, if your Director Dai finds out that the news of his arrival in Jiangshan was leaked by you while you were entangled with Miss Jingzi, what do you think he'll do to punish you? Demotion? Removal from office? Or execution? Think about it carefully!"

Xiao Huan forcefully jabbed the gun barrel into the back of Yang Neng's head.

These words were like a sharp blade piercing Yang Neng, causing him to shudder involuntarily and fall silent.

Seeing this, Xiao Huan continued, "Oh, I forgot to tell you, before coming here, I also paid a visit to your wife, who looks haggard, and your son who has tuberculosis. He's coughing quite badly!"

This sentence successfully struck at Yang Neng's Achilles' heel, and he suddenly roared like a madman:
"What did you do to them? If you dare lay a finger on my son, I'll kill you!"

"Shut up, keep your voice down!" Yang Neng's madness gave Xiao Huan a glimmer of hope. She grabbed his hair tightly and whispered:

"Don't worry, as long as you get me out of the city, I'll tell you where they're being held."

Hearing her say that, Yang Neng gradually calmed down, took a deep breath, and asked, "Are they still alive?"

"Of course, I'm not that cruel." Xiao Huan smiled slightly, then looked at Yang Neng and said calmly:
"You have one minute to think it over, or you're out of luck."

Yang Neng grew anxious, stiffly turning his neck and saying impatiently, "How do I know you're telling the truth? At least let me see them! Otherwise, you might as well kill me!"

"Kill you? Wouldn't that be doing you a favor? A hero who would risk his life to save his wife and children? Heh, Captain Yang, from the moment you leaked Dai Yunong's information, you were already beyond redemption. Since that's the case, why not cooperate with our Great Japanese Empire? As long as you agree to be our inside agent in the Military Intelligence Bureau, once the Empire occupies Jiangsu and Zhejiang, you will be our honored guest. Not to mention wealth and glory, we will even hire the Empire's most famous doctors to treat your son's illness, and his recovery will be just around the corner. How about it, are you tempted?"

After saying this, Xiao Huan raised her wrist and glanced at her watch, seemingly casually.

Yang Neng was terrified, staring intently at her, wondering what her gesture of checking her watch meant, and even more so, what she had done to his wife and son.

"It's time, turn around and drive off right away!" Xiao Huan snapped at him when he didn't speak, urging him on.

Yang Neng was torn by an internal struggle, his mind churning. After a pause, he confessed:

"I can take you out of the city, but I must first make sure my wife and son are safe."

"You have no right to negotiate with me." Xiao Huan said coldly, urging, "Drive, or I'll shoot. If you die, I won't escape death either, but before I die, I'll take your wife and son with me." As she spoke, Xiao Huan raised her wrist to check her watch.

Yang Neng finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked:

"You're always looking at your watch. Why?"

(End of this chapter)