My spy diary

Chapter 646 Acting (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

[2. You met Qian Xiaosan today and obtained relevant information—Qian Xiaosan went to Mao Qiwu's house tonight, attempting to use a ruse to deceive everyone.]

A bitter plot?
Zhang Yi sneered.

[3. You met with Mao Qiwu today and obtained relevant intelligence—Mao Qiwu and his nephew Mao Zhongxin attempted to recruit Zhu Hua, a driver at the Eighth Route Army office, but the mission failed. Afterward, Mao Qiwu appointed Zhu Hua as your secretary.]

Turning Mao Zhongxin against his cause?

Zhang Yi never expected that Mao Zhongxin, this guy who indulged in all sorts of vices, would be back so quickly. Didn't he get syphilis? He's still alive.
Secretaries, under the guise of assistance, actually conduct surveillance. We've all seen this trick before, can't they come up with something new?
Zhang Yizheng was inwardly grumbling when suddenly a knock on the door startled him awake.

He immediately drew his loaded pistol and left the study.

But after taking only a few steps, the bedroom door opened, and Shen Ruozhu, wearing a coat, peeked out, trying to suppress her racing heart, and asked, "Who is it?"

"Go back, and remember, no matter how much noise there is later, don't come out!"

Zhang Yi whispered a few words of advice and walked towards the door.

The door opened, and there was Qian Xiaosan.

"Qian Xiaosan? What happened?"

Zhang Yi looked at Qian Xiaosan, who was soaking wet, with bloodshot eyes, and looked like a disheveled, drowned rat, with surprise. "Come on in. What happened to you? Didn't you know to bring an umbrella in the rain?"

Before Qian Xiaosan could speak, Zhang Yi had already stepped forward and pulled him into the house.

The rain was still falling, and it was getting heavier.

Zhang Yi walked briskly ahead, with Qian Xiaosan following awkwardly behind, dragging his waterlogged shoes. He had barely called out "Director" when Zhang Yi spoke first, unhurriedly:
"Why don't you go take a shower and change your clothes first?"

His ease only fueled Qian Xiaosan's anxiety. His carefully constructed mental preparation crumbled instantly, leaving him only with barely suppressed impatience.

"Chief, it's Monkey! He's trying to kill me!"

Zhang Yi was stunned: "A monkey? Why would he kill you?"

"He suspects I betrayed the director."

Zhang Yi looked surprised: "What do you mean?"

"Senior, you don't know?" Qian Xiaosan wiped the rain off his face and said urgently, "Director Mao has always suspected that you are...that kind of person!" He lowered his voice, as if he were keeping something very secret.

Zhang Yi made a helpless expression: "Oh, so be it. If you want to find fault, you can always find a reason."

"He arrested me and Monkey, tortured us, and forced us to accuse you of being a Communist!" Qian Xiaosan panicked, forgetting that he should have kept his voice down.

Zhang Yi stared wide-eyed in shock, his face showing complete ignorance.

"and then?"

"Director Mao personally interrogated me, using threats and inducements to force me to confess to the section chief's suspicious points," Qian Xiaosan said. Before he could finish, he saw veins bulging on Zhang Yi's forehead, his blood vessels throbbing. He gritted his teeth, grabbed his pistol, and walked towards the door.

"Mao Qiwu has gone too far! If he doesn't give me an explanation for this, I'll fight him to the death!"

This time, Qian Xiaosan was stunned. Seeing that Zhang Yi's hand had already grabbed the doorknob, he rushed forward and pulled him back.
"Senior, don't be impulsive, that's Director Mao!"

Zhang Yi's eyes were bloodshot, and he gritted his teeth:
"Let go! Anyone who dares to touch my people, I'll skin them alive!"

Qian Xiaosan still held Zhang Yi tightly, lowering his voice and saying, "Director, please calm down. Director Mao arrested us under the pretext of screening, so he has a legitimate reason. If you confront him now, you'll only give him a handle against you. Director, think about your future."

Zhang Yi struggled to break free from his grasp and kicked the door hard: "Are we just going to let it go like this?"

"Chief, a gentleman takes his revenge even after ten years!" Qian Xiaosan panicked. He was really afraid that if Zhang Yi openly stormed into Mao Qiwu's house, things would get messy. He struggled to drag Zhang Yi back from the door.

He didn't let go of her until they were on the sofa.

Zhang Yi seemed not to have recovered from his earlier outburst of rage. He stared intently at Qian Xiaosan and said resentfully:

"This matter cannot be left like this!"

Qian Xiaosan was also exhausted and anxious, panting as he said:
"Chief, I am deeply moved that you stood up for me. I was wronged at the time, and I had the urge to kill, but that was Director Mao, who represented Boss Dai. If I had touched him, I would have had no place in the Military Intelligence Bureau, and I might have even implicated you!" He said, sighing, his face filled with despair.

"Don't worry, I'll give you an explanation for this later, and an explanation for myself." Zhang Yi slumped onto the sofa, his emotions having calmed down a bit. He said with a guilty look, "It's also been hard on you and Monkey, making you suffer with me." Then, he changed the subject, "By the way, you just said that Monkey suspects you, why is that?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Xiaosan suddenly snapped out of his daze, stood up abruptly, and ripped off his wet, clinging clothes, revealing ugly wounds on his abdomen and chest from large areas of branding and whipping. The skin was a dark reddish-brown, clearly fresh injuries. Pointing to the horrifying scars, he roared like a provoked wild beast:
"Sir, look at this. I endured torture and severe beatings, but I didn't utter a single word from beginning to end. Yet that monkey of his, he inexplicably suspects me. I only feel wronged and indignant."

"He suspects you? What makes him think he can suspect you?"

Zhang Yi's face darkened. He found an overcoat and draped it over Qian Xiaosan, then gave him a towel to dry his head. He then tried to soften his tone and said:

"Don't rush. Sit down. Tell me slowly."

After calming Qian Xiaosan down, Zhang Yi sat down opposite him, and the conversation revolved around Monkey. "Smart, hardworking, and quick to learn anything. These are all Monkey's strengths. His weaknesses are also obvious: introverted, he keeps everything to himself, and never shows his emotions. Sometimes I can't even figure him out. By the way, normally you should have been interrogated separately, right? He doesn't know what you said, so why would he suspect you?" Zhang Yi spoke slowly and deliberately, noticing the fine beads of sweat on Qian Xiaosan's forehead, but deliberately ignoring them. "What is his purpose?"

Qian Xiaosan wiped the rain and sweat with a towel, his face full of frustration:
"Who knows? He didn't suspect him at all, but he's starting to suspect me."

"Why is that?" Zhang Yi frowned, muttering to himself. He got up and walked to the window, slowly opening it, seemingly trying to clear his mind and calm his emotions with the cold air entering the room. When he spoke again, he had regained his usual composure:

"Xiao San, based on your observation, has the monkey behaved anything unusual?"

"Abnormal?" Qian Xiaosan said indignantly, "I don't know if it counts as abnormal. Ever since he was discharged from the hospital and saw me, he's been acting strangely, saying inexplicable things. When I ask him, he won't answer directly, saying things like 'I know what I'm doing.' What do I know? If you haven't done anything wrong, you have nothing to fear. I, Qian Xiaosan, am upright and honest, loyal to the Director. If he suspects me, he should produce evidence and confront me in front of the Director. What kind of person holds a gun to my head in private?"

As he spoke, he sighed deeply, his eyes welling up with tears of grievance.

"They even used guns?" Zhang Yi suddenly turned around and stared at Qian Xiaosan. "When did this happen?"

"Just half an hour ago," Qian Xiaosan continued, recounting what had happened in his office and at his doorstep that day.

Zhang Yi listened without saying a word, his brows furrowed as he turned his face to the window.

"What is he trying to do? Kill me to cover it up? Why didn't he tell me about something as important as the investigation? There were so many opportunities during the day." Zhang Yi pondered for a long time before speaking, as if asking Qian Xiaosan, but also as if talking to himself:

"Is it possible that he's the one who truly betrayed me, and judging others by his own standards, he feels you've betrayed him too, and for some ulterior motive, he's decided to strike first?" Before Qian Xiaosan could say anything, he immediately continued, "Whatever he's thinking or what his intentions are, it's best to remain calm and wait. Don't worry, we'll find out the truth eventually, I believe it will be soon!"

"Oh," Qian Xiaosan replied somewhat tactfully.

"Just say what you have to say, why are you 'oh'ing me?"

Qian Xiaosan, who had been squinting and observing people's expressions, now felt the time was ripe. After a moment of contemplation, he carefully organized his words:

"Chief, should we take action against him?"

Zhang Yi was silent for a moment, then smiled meaningfully: "If you don't want people to know, then don't do it in the first place. Since it's an investigation, there must be interrogation records. After I've reviewed them, everything will naturally come to light."

These words struck Qian Xiaosan like a chord. His heart skipped a beat, and he feigned sudden realization, saying, "That's true. Now that the section chief has been promoted to deputy director's secretary, he has the authority to access all the files at headquarters. If we just retrieve the interrogation records from that time, everything will be crystal clear." He paused, then frowned, "What if Director Mao interferes?"

Zhang Yi also paused for a moment: "Then I'll go find Boss Dai and demand an explanation."

Instantly, Qian Xiaosan was speechless.

"Alright, it's getting late. Go home early and don't worry your wife and kids." Zhang Yi glanced at his watch and patted Qian Xiaosan on the shoulder.

"Yes." Qian Xiaosan nodded, his feelings complicated.

Just as he turned to leave, Zhang Yi called him back. He was somewhat taken aback, wondering what Zhang Yi wanted to say.

However, Zhang Yi simply handed him an umbrella:
"Take this with you, so you don't catch a cold."

Qian Xiaosan was a little stunned. He said thank you, took the umbrella, and turned to leave.

At his doorstep, Zhang Yi stood there calmly, watching Qian Xiaosan's figure grow smaller and smaller as he walked away.

Qian Xiaosan walked into the rain with a troubled mind. He shook the water droplets off his umbrella and gritted his teeth to overcome his guilt.

Heavy rain was falling, and there wasn't a single pedestrian on the road.

Qian Xiaosan stared intently into the distance and suddenly noticed a telephone booth by the roadside.

He ran toward it as if he had seen hope.

He slipped into a public phone booth and immediately dialed Mao Qiwu's home number:

"Director Mao, it's me. Things are going very smoothly; he's now suspicious of Monkey."

"Really? He believed it?" Mao Qiwu's voice came through the phone, sounding half-believing and half-doubting.

"It's pretty much a done deal," Qian Xiaosan replied, then suddenly added, "There's a problem right now."

Mao Qiwu was silent for a moment: "I'm afraid this is no small problem, is it? Otherwise you wouldn't have come to me."

"He mentioned the interrogation transcripts, and I'm scared."

“I thought it was something serious. This is easy to handle,” Mao Qiwu said confidently. “Just give him a fake one. Whatever he wants to see, I’ll satisfy his curiosity.” He paused and snorted coldly. “Lieutenant Colonel Qian, if I were you, I would kill the monkey after this incident, and that would be the end of it, eliminating any future trouble.”

For him, crushing someone like Monkey required no cost, yet it tormented Qian Xiaosan's conscience and embarrassed Zhang Yi, which made him feel completely at ease.

When Zhang Yi returned home, he saw Shen Ruozhu cleaning up the mess left by Qian Xiaosan with a mop.

Zhang Yi walked up to her and took the mop:

"Stop working, go to sleep, I'll do it."

Shen Ruozhu hesitated, but ultimately said nothing and turned to walk towards the bedroom.

Just then, the knocking sounded again.

The sudden knocking made the two exchange a glance.

Zhang Yi was startled and said with a touch of self-deprecation, "It's so hard to get a good night's sleep."

He went to open the door. The light outside was dim. A man, looking travel-worn, stood there. Under his raincoat was a face that was all too familiar.

Standing outside the door was Zheng Huhe.

Zhang Yi immediately turned into a displeased face and looked at him coldly.

Zheng Huhe noticed that Zhang Yi, who came to open the door, was clearly in a bad mood and somewhat displeased. Upon noticing this detail, he immediately spotted Shen Ruozhu standing inside and began to fawn over her, saying:

"Is this the madam?"

Zhang Yi asked with a stern face, "Who are you?"

“I am a relative of Commander Li.” Zheng Huhe bowed and scraped, smiling obsequiously. “I’m sorry to bother you, Director Zhang, but this is a matter of life and death.” In an instant, Zheng Huhe transformed into a timid and subservient gift-giver, appearing sleazy, his speech, mannerisms, and demeanor perfectly mimicking the person he was dealing with.

"Where did you find out where I live? Li Jue embezzled and accepted bribes; he deserved it. His crimes will be tried and judged by a military court. What are you doing here?" Zhang Yi hissed, shooing him away as he prepared to close the door.

Zheng Huhe was like a stubborn leech, refusing to leave no matter how hard you tried to chase him away. He muttered, "Director Zhang."

"Go, go now, or I'll have you arrested."

"It's just a small token of my appreciation, please accept it." Zheng Huhe stretched out his arm to hand over the gift, and Zhang Yi reached out to block it. Just as the two were exchanging the gift, "plop," the pastry in Zheng Huhe's hand accidentally fell to the ground.

The three of them looked down at the ground and saw a corner of the pastry wrapper peeking out, revealing a stack of banknotes inside.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Zheng Huhe's face. Without picking it up, he turned and left, muttering to himself:

"Director Zhang, as long as we can rescue Commander Li, we will surely reward you handsomely in the future. We will never go back on our word!"

"Stop! Take your things back!" Zhang Yi nodded to Shen Ruozhu, immediately picked up the snacks on the ground, and chased after her, closing the door behind him.

(End of this chapter)