My spy diary

Chapter 635 Gu Mingyuan (Seeking monthly votes)
PS: Updated, prompted for modification, but not displayed.

"What's Li Jue's brother-in-law's name?"

Station Chief Tong, Lu Dawei, and Zhang Yi were all puzzled and looked at each other in bewilderment.

After a few seconds of pause, Station Chief Tong quickly said:

"Gu Mingyuan."

"Yes, that's him. Let him take the stage and perform this time."

"Does the Director mean to arrest him first, pry him open, and then use this as a warning to others?" Station Chief Tong patted his chest and said, "That's easy, don't worry, Director. I'll send a telegram to the station right now and tell them to take action immediately."

Looking at Station Chief Tong's expression, Dai Chunfeng knew he had misunderstood her meaning and said impatiently:

"How many of Li Jue's secrets does he know? I mean, how he can smuggle the gold out of the country, you understand what I mean?"

"this."

"has a problem?"

Station Chief Tong shook his head: "No! This kid is all bark and no bite. As long as we control him and threaten him with the lives of his family, he can't possibly refuse."

"That's good. Go ahead and carry it out! Your station is responsible for making arrests, and the inspection department is responsible for negotiating with the garrison command. The sooner the better, and it's best to complete the mission before dawn."

"Yes, mission accomplished!" Lu Dawei accepted the order with a stern expression.

Station Master Tong hesitated for a moment, then asked:

"Director, what should we do with Gu Mingyuan? Also, he needs a reason to perform on stage, right?"

Dai Chunfeng scoffed, "People die for money, birds die for food. There are too many reasons to say he's greedy and wicked, or that Li Jue's power is waning and his followers are scattering. You can come up with your own. As for how to deal with him, do you even need to ask? Is there any need for such a person to exist?"

"understand!"

Dai Chunfeng smiled and said, "Once he disappears, the whereabouts of this gold will become a mystery, and Li Jue will be devastated."

"Mr. Dai is indeed brilliant!" Lu Dawei quickly flattered him and offered a suggestion, "Didn't Station Chief Tong's men arrest a restaurant waiter? It can be said that he colluded with Gu Mingyuan to steal this gold from the inside."

"Indeed, it's hard to guard against a thief within your own ranks!"

"In this way, the guards in the hotel can no longer stay, and when we take action, the guns and other weapons must be replaced with those of the garrison to avoid any slip-ups."

“Of course, to make the whole thing work, it has to be seamless.” Dai Chunfeng was very satisfied and waved his hand excitedly. “Go ahead and do it.”

After the two left, Zhang Yi looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Dai Chunfeng noticed his expression and asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhang Yi thought for a moment before saying, "I'm not worried about anything else, but mainly about Li Jue, who is no ordinary person. I don't know how long I can keep this from him."

“That’s what I’m worried about too.” Dai Chunfeng’s brows furrowed. “A delaying tactic might lead to unforeseen complications.” He pondered for a moment, then instructed his adjutant to summon Director Gong, and then addressed Zhang Yi and Director Gong:
"Here's what you'll do: discuss it among yourselves and write a strongly worded letter in my name to Commander Gu of the Third War Zone. Then, Director Gong can give it to Li Jue and ask him to pass it on. The letter should point out that Li Jue is not strict in managing his subordinates and that military discipline is lax."

"Understood!" Zhang Yi and Director Gong immediately understood. The letter was nominally addressed to Commander Gu, but in reality, it was meant for Li Jue. As long as Boss Dai didn't confront him directly but instead handed his case over to the war zone, Li Jue would understand that he was being let off the hook.

"In addition, we must also be prepared to set off immediately."

Director Gong looked surprised: "So urgent?"

"We need to catch him off guard. Once we get to the airport, you give him the letter immediately. After reading it, he'll definitely feel relieved. It's only polite to reciprocate, and he'll see us off at the airport, which is both reasonable and emotional. Then we can take him into custody." Dai Chunfeng's eyes shone with determination.

Zhang Yi glanced at Dai Chunfeng, who seemed confident, and said with some concern:

"Director, shouldn't we be more cautious? What if Li Jue makes a last-ditch effort?"

Dai Chunfeng waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "I understand your concerns. This matter is settled. We'll act first and report later. Once we have him under control, we'll immediately send a telegram to the Chairman. As long as we have the old man's order, the war zone can send people to take over the troops. A bunch of rabble, I doubt they'll dare to rebel."

"That's true," Director Gong replied, then asked with concern:

"But Mr. Dai, I'm afraid Commander Gu won't let this go so easily, will he?"

Dai Chunfeng sneered: "With the old man's orders, what can he do even if he's not convinced? Li Jue isn't his direct subordinate, so he certainly won't dare to disobey the old man's orders just because of Li Jue. His only option is to sacrifice a pawn to save the king. Once we take down Li Jue, I'll immediately have the newspapers in Shancheng create momentum in the media and launch an attack on the Third War Zone. At that time, he'll be too busy to care about Li Jue's life or death."

He paused, then gave a mocking smile. "Besides, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Once we launch an attack, Commander Hu, Commander Tang, and Commander He will immediately support us. Even Chen Tumu probably won't stand idly by. At that time, public opinion will be in an uproar, and that guy surnamed Gu will be in a real mess. Then he will be begging me, not the other way around."

Zhang Yi and Director Gong suddenly realized that this was Dai Chunfeng's trump card.

Within the Kuomintang, besides the three major factions—the CC Clique, the Political Science Clique, and the Whampoa Clique—there were also smaller cliques, each with a distinct core, including Kong, Song, Commander He, and Chen Tumu. Commander He had a good relationship with Dai Chunfeng, while Commanders Hu and Tang were staunch allies of Dai Chunfeng, and Chen Tumu was a common political enemy of Dai Chunfeng and his associates.

In military circles, it was widely rumored that Chen Tumu, who was favored by the old man, would be the most advantageous successor after the Chairman's death. Commanders Hu, Tang, and Gu naturally disagreed, as they all regarded themselves as the Chairman's successors. Therefore, Chen Tumu became the biggest obstacle and hindrance in their path.

The clash of ambitions further alienated the men politically, bringing them to the brink of a life-or-death struggle. They were all secretly vying for power, desperately searching for weaknesses in each other's hands to strike and destroy their rivals. This time, if the evidence of Commander Gu's corruption and smuggling in the Third War Zone were made public, these men would undoubtedly launch a coordinated attack.

Night fell over Jiangshan County, but many people were still busy.

After receiving a phone call, Li Jue became worried and sat alone on the sofa in a daze.

"Husband, what's wrong?" The wife, carrying a cup of hot water, came over and asked with concern when she saw her husband looking so upset.

"It's nothing," Li Jue shook his head, forcing a smile. His wife smiled gently, handed him some hot water, and massaged his temples. Li Jue took a sip of water and said:

"Madam, isn't it strange? Dai Yunong actually went home secretly without even saying goodbye." "Avoiding attention? Where did you get that information?" The madam asked with a gentle smile. Looking at her husband's eyes, she felt that it wasn't just hearsay. She frowned. "You mean he's on guard against you? Could it be that you're overthinking it? He just survived an assassination attempt, so it's normal for him to be cautious."

"Who knows what he's thinking?" Li Jue snorted. "What I'm most worried about is that he'll keep harping on the issues of military discipline and smuggling."

"Didn't Station Chief Tong accept the money? Those soldiers were executed, and Dai's goal of making an example of them has been achieved. What are you still worried about? What did Commander Gu say?" the lady asked.

“What could he say? Just empty rhetoric.” Li Jue shook his head in frustration. “He said that the Kuomintang’s intelligence agents were like mad dogs, searching everywhere for evidence of smuggling and trafficking within the military, and that I should be careful. He also said that regarding Dai Yunong’s assassination, I should take the initiative to talk to him and apologize.”

"It's just a pretense. At worst, we can give him some money, antiques, and calligraphy and paintings, and let it all go. Are you too proud to admit it, or are you just unwilling to spend the money?" The lady glared at him.

"What does face matter? What does money matter? What I'm worried about is that Dai won't let this go." Commander Gu instructed him to quickly go through the motions and get rid of this plague of Dai. Firstly, it would give an explanation to the higher-ups, and secondly, his departure would allow the smuggling and trafficking to continue. This concerned the interests of the entire war zone and couldn't be halted because of Dai Chunfeng.

Li Jue understood perfectly well that he had sent his brother-in-law to deliver gold bars to Station Chief Tong in order to test Dai Chunfeng's attitude. But now that the money had been received and the man had been executed, the matter should have been considered closed. However, Dai Chunfeng had not uttered a word, and Li Jue had a vague feeling that something was amiss.

"Impossible, right? Maybe they're waiting for you to give them a gift. The worst-case scenario is that they're greedy and will ask for an exorbitant amount."

“I’d love for him to take the money. Once he’s paid, we’ll have leverage over him.” Li Jue sneered. “Money is just an external thing; you can always earn more. Military power is the foundation of our existence.”

After discussing it for a while, the couple finally came up with a plan. They decided to first send a telegram to the father-in-law in Shancheng, explaining the situation and asking him to help find out the Chairman's opinion and try to mediate. Alternatively, he would directly talk to Dai Chunfeng. Perhaps, going straight to the point was the most effective method at the moment, to see what the other party was really up to.

Chunxiang Pavilion.

Gu Mingyuan, accompanied by two attendants, walked out with a satisfied expression, humming "Night Fragrance," and headed towards his car.

Tonight, the madam of Chunxiang Pavilion called him, saying that a new top courtesan had arrived at their brothel, exceptionally beautiful and talented. Gu Mingyuan couldn't resist and naturally went to try his luck. Having won her over, he was satisfied and was now preparing to go home to sleep.

"The night breeze was cool, the nightingales sang in unison, the flowers under the moon were all asleep, only the night-blooming jasmine exuded its fragrance, I love this vast night, and I love the nightingale's song."

Gu Mingyuan strolled along, singing leisurely. Just as he was about to cross the road, a black car suddenly sped towards him, screeching to a halt in front of him.

Gu Mingyuan was stunned for a moment, staring directly at the car. Seeing several burly men jump out, he sensed something was wrong and immediately hid behind his entourage, clenching his fists and asking, his voice trembling with fear:

"What do you do? Are you from the Hongmen or the Green Gang?"

The burly man in the lead sneered, then suddenly drew his silenced pistol and fired.

With two sharp "sizzling" sounds, Gu Mingyuan's two henchmen were caught off guard and fell to the ground.

"What...what do you want to do?" Gu Mingyuan was terrified, and instantly all the effects of the alcohol wore off.

The burly man remained silent. He waved his hand expressionlessly, and two more burly men pounced on him, grabbed Gu Mingyuan's arms, and dragged him into the car.

The remaining two quickly stuffed the body of their follower into the trunk of the car, then climbed in and the car sped away.

The black sedan sped along.

Inside the car, Gu Mingyuan, sitting in the middle of the back seat, had a pistol pressed against his lower back. He trembled like a leaf and asked timidly:
"Who are you?"

The burly man who had fired the shot glanced back at him and said coldly, "Enough with the nonsense. Just cooperate with whatever I tell you to do. If you dare to say a word against it, I'll kill you, and your family too."

As he spoke, he pulled a small hat from his pocket and tossed it to Gu Mingyuan: "Does it look familiar?"

When Gu Mingyuan saw that it was clearly his son's hat, his face turned ashen, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Soon, the black sedan stopped in front of Jiyaxuan.

Gu Mingyuan looked over in astonishment and saw that the restaurant door was wide open, a green truck was parked in front of it, and several plainclothes officers with guns were standing around it. Another seven or eight plainclothes officers were moving in and out in the darkness, loading boxes of goods onto the truck. Everything was done in an orderly manner. They moved quickly but made very little noise. This group of people were obviously well-trained.

Gu Mingyuan was dumbfounded and speechless with shock.

Are these people Commander Li's men? Otherwise, what are they doing here?
But if they were Li Jue's men, why were they treating him so brutally, even killing him? What did they want with him?
Also, what exactly is inside the box?
Just as he was lost in thought, suddenly, Lu Shuer, his face covered in blood and sweat, came running out excitedly carrying a box. As he ran, he whispered to someone, "Captain Chen, this is the last box."

Upon seeing Lu Shu'er, Gu Mingyuan froze. He was wrong, everything was wrong. These people weren't Commander Li's men at all; they were from the police station—no, they were from the Military Intelligence Bureau. They were robbing, they were stealing. Realizing this, Gu Mingyuan trembled, his breathing becoming increasingly rapid.

The burly man in the passenger seat looked at him coldly: "If I were you, I would tell myself to calm down, cooperate with us to get past the city gate guards' inspection, and if you behave well, you might be spared."

These words struck Gu Mingyuan like a thunderclap. He desperately wanted to shout for help and resist, but now he was at their mercy, unable to shed a tear. He could only nod vigorously and tremble as he agreed.

At this moment, Captain Chen walked over and said something to the big man, who immediately signaled the driver to start the car.

The car drove in front of the truck and headed towards the city gate, with the truck following closely behind.

Soon, the car arrived at the city gate, and Gu Mingyuan poked his head out with a "smiling" expression: "Squad Leader Zhang, it's me. This is the Commander's goods. Please check it."

Squad Leader Zhang glanced at it symbolically: "Alright, do you think I'd dare inspect the Commander's goods? What big deal is it this time?"

"You're asking about your superior's private affairs."

"The business dealings within the military aren't a secret."

"I have no comment. Open the door!"

"Okay, hey, open the door!"

And so, the trucks and freight cars were able to leave the city without any hindrance.

(End of this chapter)