My spy diary

Chapter 632 Extremely Bizarre (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Upon seeing the fortune slip, Dai Chunfeng immediately felt unlucky and extremely uncomfortable.

He pondered to himself, "playing the role of a beautiful woman day and night" naturally meant he had no shortage of women, which was true. "Serving the retired emperor" should refer to his service to the chairman, but what did "though defeated, still honorable" mean?
I just escaped death from the Japanese invaders. Although it was a miserable and tragic battle, it was still a victory. How can I say that I was glorious in defeat?
As for the last two lines, "Suddenly a strong wind rises overnight; wind is rain, rain is wind," although their meaning is unclear, they feel even more ominous, as if they are trying to put a period to his life. His career is thriving, he is favored by the old man, and he holds great power. How could a mere storm affect his future?

Although his mind was in turmoil, he feigned disdain and said:

"What kind of divination sticks are these? They're all vague and illogical statements. I simply don't believe in them."

After saying that, he threw the divination slip on the ground and stomped on it twice.

Director Gong looked embarrassed and quickly chimed in, "Mr. Dai is right. These fortune tellers love to make far-fetched interpretations; they are not reliable at all."

Before he could finish speaking, Dai Chunfeng interrupted him: "But we can't completely disbelieve it. This wind and rain coincide with my name. A fortune teller once said that I lacked water in my destiny, which is why I changed my name."

Director Gong was speechless and quickly looked to Zhang Yi and Deputy Officer Jia for help, hoping they could get him out of this predicament.

But Zhang Yi looked like he was deep in thought, so he could only subtly give Jia, the adjutant, a meaningful look.

Deputy Officer Jia quickly said, "Mr. Dai, monks are different from Taoist priests. You've had your birth chart analyzed, right? Only what fortune tellers say counts."

Reminded by Deputy Officer Jia, Dai Chunfeng thought of his birth date and time. The fortune teller said that he lacked water in his destiny, and that as long as he changed his name, he would surely rise to prominence in the future. Hasn't this all come true?
Strangely enough, Dai Chunfeng only thought of these things when he was doing poorly or encountered setbacks; he rarely thought of his "Double Phoenix Facing the Sun" destiny when he was successful. In his heart, he knew best that his success was achieved by risking his life.

In fact, from the perspective of human nature and psychology, when people encounter setbacks and experience strong feelings of powerlessness and anxiety, they often seek out fortune tellers or pray to gods and Buddhas, hoping to gain psychological comfort, thereby obtaining a sense of certainty and reducing their fear of the unknown.

"Yunyi, what do you think?"

Only then did Zhang Yi come to his senses, shake his head dismissively, and chuckle as he replied:
"I have never believed in ghosts and gods. As the saying goes, three parts are destined by heaven, and seven parts depend on hard work. It can be seen that the effort after birth is greater than everything else. It is up to man to do things, and don't say that everything is fate."

Despite saying that, Zhang Yi felt extremely strange and his mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts.

Dai Chunfeng drew the forty-eighth fortune stick, which described both wind and rain. As it turned out, his private plane crashed due to a severe storm. The plane crashed into Daishan Mountain, and his body was found lying in a ditch in the rain. He was 48 years old.

shudder!

Zhang Yi couldn't help but shiver and quickly tugged at his collar to hide his unease.

“Yes, Deputy Director Zhang is right.” At this moment, Director Gong chimed in to agree, “Everything Mr. Dai has achieved is entirely due to his own hard work and the Chairman’s appreciation. The feng shui explanation is far-fetched and not credible.” At this point, Director Gong suddenly realized that Dai Chunfeng had risen to prominence because of changing his name, and realizing his slip of the tongue, he quickly covered it up with another sentence, “If Mr. Dai is still worried, when we return to Shancheng, we can have Master Liu Mazi give you another divination.”

This Liu Mazi was one of the many people from all walks of life that Dai Chunfeng met during his wanderings, and he was a master of physiognomy.

After Dai Chunfeng rose to prominence, he recruited him and placed him at a police academy in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, where he taught "physiognomy" as an instructor. He did this for two reasons: first, he was a firm believer in superstition; second, he felt that secret agents needed to deal with all sorts of people on missions, and knowing some divination techniques could help conceal their identities.

Upon hearing this, Dai Chunfeng seemed to have a plan, and feeling relieved, he yawned and said:

"We'll talk about this later. Let's go, let's deal with Li Jue first."

Night had fallen, and in the stillness of the night, a gray building stood, almost entirely shrouded in darkness from afar. Most of the lights upstairs were off, except for the large red lanterns hanging high at the entrance, and the entrance light still on, the gilded characters of "Jiya Xuan" faintly visible.

Suddenly, the lights at the door went out.

A man who looked like a shop assistant came out, said something to someone inside, and then locked the door from the inside. The shop assistant then locked the door from the outside, and then turned and left.

At that moment, in a black sedan parked not far from the building, an undercover officer who had been intently watching the entrance suddenly turned around, his gaze sweeping over Lu Shu'er, who was huddled in the passenger seat, and said to the three undercover officers in the back seat:
"It's finally closed."

One of the plainclothes officers in the back row glanced at his watch and gave the order:

"Do it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the other two people in the back seat instantly pulled out their pistols.

Lu Shu'er was stunned for a moment. Before he could speak, the car had already started and sped off in the direction the waiter had left.

Then, with a sudden stop, it came to a halt right in front of the guy.

The man froze, staring straight at the car. Before he could react, the plainclothes officers with guns jumped out of the car and surrounded him from the front and back.

"Brother, can I borrow a light?" One of the plainclothes officers said this, pulling out a cigarette and smiling.

"Who are you?" the waiter asked, looking at the two with a puzzled expression.

"Borrow a light!" the plainclothes officer holding the cigarette repeated. As soon as he finished speaking, another plainclothes officer rushed forward and covered the waiter's mouth and nose with a handkerchief.

The man struggled frantically, but to no avail, and soon he lay limply on the ground.

Seeing this, the two plainclothes officers smiled smugly, stepped forward, dragged the man into the trunk of the car, and then the car started again and disappeared into the darkness in a flash.

Meanwhile, Dai Chunfeng, Zhang Yi, and others had already arrived at Bao'an Village with minimal travel.

Originally, they planned to go to the base of the Loyal and Patriotic Army, but the base was located in Wanjialing, Guangde County, Anhui Province, which was nearly 300 kilometers away. The actual distance was even farther, and the road conditions were complicated. It would take at least two to three days. Therefore, as soon as they left the city, Dai Chunfeng changed his mind.

This was also Dai Chunfeng's first time returning to his hometown to visit relatives since the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan.

When his wife passed away in 39, Dai Chunfeng wanted to go home to handle her funeral arrangements, but the Military Intelligence Bureau had just been established and was busy with many affairs, so he couldn't get away for the time being.

This time, in addition to dealing with the Plum Blossom spy case and easing the conflict between the Loyal and Patriotic Army and the Third War Zone, his return home to visit relatives also had special significance, because his eldest grandson was born.

Dai Chunfeng's mother, surnamed Lan, was nearly seventy years old and often bedridden.

Besides visiting his eldest grandson, the purpose of this trip back to his hometown was to bring his mother to the mountain town to take good care of her.

Upon entering the main room, the elderly mother lay on the bed with her eyes closed, barely breathing, while her younger brother, Dai Chunbang, stood guard by her side.

Upon seeing his brother return, Dai Chunbang looked surprised and was about to speak when Dai Chunfeng stopped him.

Actually, Dai's mother wasn't asleep. She opened her eyes when she heard footsteps. She was overjoyed to see her eldest son and immediately tried to sit up, but Dai Chunbang quickly helped her up.

Mother Dai suffers from lung disease, and this movement triggered a violent cough that felt like her internal organs were being pulled out.

Seeing her mother in such pain and feeling powerless to help, Dai Chunfeng felt ashamed and blamed herself, saying:

"Mother, it's all my fault. I should have brought you to the mountain town to recuperate and enjoy your retirement long ago." Mother Dai waved her hands repeatedly, and only after her cough subsided did she say, panting:
"I'm not going anywhere. With war and chaos, if I were left out there, I wouldn't be able to come back."

No matter how Dai Chunfeng tried to persuade her, the mother insisted on staying in Bao'an.

Unable to persuade his mother, Dai Chunfeng decided to build her a new house.

The Dai family has four generations living together, with the exception of Dai Chunfeng, the others all living in their hometown.

Dai Chunbang had one wife and one concubine, who bore him one daughter and two sons.

Dai Chunfeng now has no wives or concubines, only Dai Zangyi as his sole heir, who has already had children and given birth to his eldest grandson.

At this time, Dai Chunfeng's grandson had turned 100. Even if his mother went to the mountain city, the whole family had to stay in Bao'an. The dilapidated old house, which had been passed down from his grandfather, was no longer habitable, and a new house had to be built.

When it comes to building a house, Dai's mother has something to say:
"Spring Breeze, you've had such a smooth journey all these years, do you know why?"

This question left Dai Chunfeng completely baffled.

All I heard was Dai's mother nagging, "Have you forgotten what the fortune teller said?"

As women of Dai's mother's age grew, they became increasingly superstitious, believing not only in fortune-telling but also in ghosts and spirits. Before Dai Chunfeng could reply, she continued:
"I won't go into your fate, but over the years I've burned incense, prayed to Buddha and Guan Gong, hoping for smooth sailing and for the safety of my whole family. These prayers have all been very effective."

Dai Li suddenly realized that he hadn't yet given his mother the money he promised to allocate for the repair of the Guandi Temple, and that was why his mother was so upset about it.

He immediately said, "Mother, don't worry, I'll pay for it. We'll repair the Guandi Temple right away."

Only then did Dai's mother beam with joy.

Then, Dai Chunfeng introduced Zhang Yi and others to her mother: "Mother, these are my good helpers and the people I trust the most."

The old lady had met Director Gong and Deputy Officer Jia many times, so she still remembered them. But Zhang Yi was a stranger, so she asked him a few more questions.

"What's your name? Are you married with children?"

Zhang Yi's gunshot wound had not yet healed. The long journey of dozens of kilometers had made his internal organs feel like they had been displaced. Blood scabs mixed with sweat soaked through the bandages, and even breathing was a dull pain. Faced with the old lady's question, he could only force himself to answer a few words.

After finally coaxing the old lady to lie down and rest again, Zhang Yi and the others went to the guest room to rest.

Dai Chunfeng then discussed building a house with his younger brother, Dai Chunbang. Seeing that his elder brother was in a good mood, Dai Chunbang took the opportunity to say:

"Brother, now that the new house is finished, can you find me a job in this mountain city? So many people have risen to prominence by following you, while the two men in my family are stuck in the countryside guarding a small plot of land. It's just too pathetic!"

It would have been better if this matter hadn't been brought up, because mentioning it reminded Dai Chunfeng of all the disgraceful and shameful things his younger brother had done, and he was furious. He asked with a mocking look:
"Oh, what kind of position would you like me to assign you?"

"You decide what to do. I'm a major general, after all. I should be given a position where I can use my skills." Dai Chunbang felt good about himself and didn't notice the sarcasm in his older brother's words at all.

"A place to use your skills?" This question shocked Dai Chunfeng, who sneered, "A person should know their own limitations. What skills do you have? Do you really think you're capable just because you're given a title?"

"Of all the people you took out, how many of them are truly capable? Is Mao Zhongshi capable? Or Mao Qiwu? And your two brothers-in-law, what skills do they have?" Dai Chunbang said, sticking out his neck.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately realized he had let slip a slip of the tongue; he shouldn't have mentioned anyone related to Dai Chunfeng's first wife. While she was alive, Dai Chunfeng had ignored her completely. After her death, however, he often felt guilty for neglecting her, and the longer it went on, the deeper his guilt became.

As expected, Dai Chunfeng's face instantly darkened, and he glared at Dai Chunbang, reprimanding him:
"What right do you have to compare yourself to them? Take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror; you're utterly hopeless!"

After saying this, he snorted coldly and turned away.

Dai Chunbang watched his retreating figure with frustration, feeling both dejected and helpless.

After scolding his younger brother, Dai Chunfeng went to find his son.

As soon as Dai Chunfeng stepped into the house, Dai Zangyi heard the news and hid, naturally because he had something to hide and was afraid of being scolded by his father.

Dai Chunfeng dragged him out of the kitchen and berated him harshly:
"Who gave you permission to organize an armed force without authorization and accept weapons from others? You're clearly giving them a handle against you. Why don't you understand that?"

"Didn't you organize a self-defense corps back then?" Dai Cangyi muttered, looking completely unconvinced.

"That was for protecting our homes and property. Now that we have a regular army, why do you still need to form your own? Forming your own army is tantamount to rebellion!"

Seeing his father spitting as he spoke, his face grim, Dai Zangyi became timid and dared not retort. So he quickly coughed.

No sooner had he finished speaking than his wife, Zheng Xiying, arrived carrying their son.

This was naturally a "wife saves the day" play directed by Dai Zangyi.

Dai Chunfeng naturally saw through it, but was too lazy to expose it. He took the adorable grandson from his daughter-in-law, his anger vanished, and he went to enjoy his family time with the child.

Dai Zangyi snorted, looking unconvinced, and complained to his wife:
"See? You always make a mountain out of a molehill. It's a double standard. What's wrong with forming an army? Others can't even form one if they wanted to. The weapons were given to us, not stolen or robbed."

Dai Zangyi only knew that it was good to have a big tree to shelter under, but he didn't realize that a big tree catches the wind and that even a big tree is not unshakeable. He didn't know that his father had many enemies, nor did he understand the principle that the moon wanes after it is full and things will turn into their opposites when they reach their extremes.

That's a story for another time, so there's no need to go into it further.

Meanwhile, Lu Shuer and four plainclothes officers had taken the employees of Jiyaxuan to a secluded courtyard.

After having two front teeth pulled out with pliers by plainclothes officers, the man answered all their questions.

It was all trivial information; an ordinary waiter wouldn't know much. Similarly, the plainclothes officer couldn't ask many questions. But at least he drew a map of the restaurant's interior, which he then handed to Lu Shu'er.

"The rest is up to you."

Lu Shuer was terrified: "Am I all alone?"

"What else?" The plainclothes leader chuckled wickedly. "Isn't this what you're best at? Your ancestor, Shi Qian, was known as the 'Drum-Scratching Scoundrel,' capable of scaling walls and rooftops. Don't embarrass him."

Lu Shuer wanted to refute the claim that their ancestor was "Dao Zhi," the younger brother of Liu Xia Hui, who had said the famous saying, "He who steals a hook will be punished, he who steals a country will become a prince." Later, the thief used "righteousness" to disguise himself and began to worship Guan Yu. But after opening his mouth, he put down his words and carefully studied the blueprint.

(End of this chapter)