My spy diary

Chapter 656 An Unexpected Incident (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"Haha, you're too kind, brother. I can't really offer any criticism or guidance. I don't know much about secretarial work either. My biggest shortcoming and regret in life is not being able to be a secretary like you. Don't be fooled by the fact that I have secretaries around me; using a secretary and being a secretary are two different things. You joined the Military Intelligence Bureau back in the Special Service Department, first in the Action Department, and later in the Judicial Department, where you did a lot of things, and did them all very well. With such a rich resume, wouldn't you be more than qualified to be a deputy director's secretary?"
Don't worry, I fully support your work. If Mao Qiwu dares to make things difficult for you, you can tell me anytime.

"Thank you, Commander Zheng." Zhang Yi felt a thud, as if a weight had been lifted from his heart.

"Come in."

Mao Qiwu was working at his desk in his office, completely unaware that lunchtime had passed. A knock came at the door, and he answered instinctively.

"Director Mao, it's so late, are you still busy?" Mao Zhongxin pushed open the door and walked in.

"Ah, what time is it?" Mao Qiwu looked up at the wall clock and said:
"It's already one o'clock. Didn't I tell you to keep a close eye on him? What happened?"

"Zhang Yi just went out to Zheng Mingyuan's house to deliver a gift. He said it was tea, but it's probably not as simple as tea."

Mao Qiwu said "Oh," and upon hearing the tea leaves, a feeling of envy and jealousy welled up inside him. He thought to himself, "How much money has Zhang Yi made?"

The Mao residence had seven or eight people, from family members to servants. The cost of their food and drink was considerable. Mao Qiwu's salary alone was certainly not enough.

Although he was promoted to major by Boss Dai from the moment he joined the Special Service Department, and his salary was specially approved at 100 silver dollars a month, several times higher than others, and now his salary has increased even more, it cannot keep up with inflation and soaring prices.

Sometimes, Boss Dai would give Jiangshan-native spies a little extra reward, but it was limited. Most of his income came from the tributes from his subordinates. Mao Qiwu, on the other hand, didn't like managing money. When close friends sent him gifts or odds and ends, he would politely decline and then accept them.

He wouldn't dare accept bribes from people trying to use his connections to get promoted. He had just secured his position as acting chief secretary and wanted to advance further, so he absolutely refused to leave any dirt on anyone.

Therefore, he was never financially well-off. To save money, he sometimes considered ordering Xiang Xinying to reduce her Peking Opera lessons and clothing purchases, and he also considered dismissing the servants. However, it seemed impossible to cut any of the cooks, maids, or other household staff. After all, he was now the de facto second-in-command of the Military Intelligence Bureau, and a certain level of formality was still necessary. In this dilemma, Mao Qiwu often found himself strapped for cash, and therefore, the word "money" was the one he dreaded most.

Fortunately, Xiang Xinying's family was wealthy. When she fled Chang'an, she had taken a lot of gold and silver from her ex-husband Hu Yimin, which prevented her from becoming destitute and running out of money.

Then, thinking about how Boss Dai had gotten several thousand taels of gold from Li Jue, while he hadn't gotten a single penny, he felt resentful. He immediately thought of the gold bars that Mao Zhongxin had squandered under various pretexts, and his anger flared up again.

When are you going to pay me back?

Mao Zhongxin stammered, "Soon, I'll give it to Uncle as soon as I get my salary."

Mao Qiwu scoffed and snorted. Seeing his nephew hesitate, he asked impatiently:

"What else?"

"Zhang Yi."

Before he could finish speaking, Mao Qiwu's expression hardened: "What did you say in your last sentence?"

"I said it would be soon, it's been sent."

"One more sentence!"

I told him Zhang Yi had gone out to deliver a gift to Zheng Jiemin.

"How dare you! How dare you address your superior by his first name? Have you forgotten all your manners?"

Mao Zhongxin shrank back in fright, stealing a glance at Mao Qiwu's expression. Seeing that his tone was stern but he wasn't really angry, he grinned and said:
"Uncle, this is right here with you. I wouldn't dare say anything out of the house."

Mao Qiwu sneered: "Those of us who do this job must abide by the ironclad rule of being cautious in our words and deeds. Whether in front of others or behind their backs, we must maintain an instinctive sense of vigilance and always remember the principle that trouble comes from the mouth and that too much talk leads to mistakes."

"Understood." Mao Zhongxin replied in a low voice, feeling that his uncle was making a mountain out of a molehill. As long as Boss Dai's banner remained in place, who would dare to really make things difficult for the people of Jiangshan?

Mao Qi glared at him and asked irritably:
"What did you want to say?"

Mao Zhongxin hesitated for a moment, then mumbled in response: "Zhang, the guy surnamed Zhang talked to the adjutant about the whistleblower letter, and even used it as an excuse to punish me by making me copy the internal affairs work guidelines. I have to hand it in. Do you think he might find out that I wrote the whistleblower letter?"

"Are you afraid?"

"Uncle, he said Boss Dai gave orders that any suspects found should be arrested on the spot. How can I not be afraid?" Mao Zhongxin almost pleaded. "Uncle, you must help me with this!"

Mao Qiwu was disgusted by his appearance:
"What are you afraid of?"

"If I hand in what I copied, what if he finds something during the comparison?"

"Is he a handwriting expert?" Mao Qiwu interrupted him coldly.

Mao Zhongxin shook his head.

"Neither he nor I are. If he wants to find someone with a poorly written report, he's just dreaming without a handwriting expert! The most authoritative handwriting expert in the bureau is Feng Wenrao. Have you heard of him?"

"You mean that old geezer? Isn't he one of Li Shizhen's men? Can he be trusted?" Mao Zhongxin was somewhat disdainful of this man who had joined him halfway through his life.

Li Shizhen is hailed as the "Father of the Police Force in the Republic of China". After graduating from the second class of the Whampoa Military Academy, he served as the head of the Central Police Academy for a long time, cultivating a large number of police talents and having a great influence in the police force.

Feng Wenrao was trained by him and has been deeply involved in the fields of criminal investigation and forensic identification. He is the author of "The Complete Book of Scientific Knowledge for Criminal Police", which discusses in detail the method of using a microscope to observe and identify handwriting forgery, and clearly states that genuine and fake handwriting can be quickly distinguished by observation under a microscope.

After Dai Chunfeng took over the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Police Academy in 35, he used a combination of coercion and enticement to recruit this person, who has since served the Military Intelligence Bureau and is currently the deputy head of the Technical Section.

"I just told you to be careful with your words, but you turned around and ignored me." Mao Qi was furious. He glared at him and poked his eyeballs to scold him, "If Mr. Feng hears these words, he'll let it go, but if the boss hears them, he'll skin you alive."

Mao Zhongxin shuddered and quickly explained:
"Uncle, I was wrong. I promise I won't do it again!"

"I hope so! Hmph, since he might ask Feng Wenrao to do handwriting analysis, then this person is worth paying attention to."

"Uncle, what do you mean?"

"Take care of him!" Mao Qiwu's tone left no room for doubt.

"Win him over? How do I do that?"

Mao Zhongxin couldn't help but repeat the sentence, feeling a surge of excitement. As long as the most authoritative handwriting expert in the bureau could help him, Zhang Yi would end up with nothing, and the matter of the whistleblower letter would inevitably come to nothing.

But then he thought again, even though Feng Wen was Boss Dai's man, would he really obey? Lost in thought, his eyes flashed, and he made a slashing motion with his hand, tentatively asking:
"What does Uncle mean?"

"Idiot, use your brain when you speak!" Mao Qiwu sneered, peeked at the closed office door, and said in a low voice, "Just find a reason to keep him from coming to work at the bureau."

"Reason? What reason?"

“I heard he’s a filial son,” Mao Qiwu said with a hint of sarcasm, his eyes becoming increasingly unreadable. “If his mother suddenly fell ill or broke an arm or a leg, would he still be in the mood to come to work at the bureau? As the saying goes, it takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone. By the time he comes back, everything might be over.”

Mao Zhongxin didn't find this method malicious at all; on the contrary, he was tempted. But then he thought about it again, and his heart skipped a beat. He immediately looked worried and distressed.
"Uncle, you're not asking me to do this, are you? You know I'm just an office clerk."

Mao Qiwu interrupted him impatiently: "Did I say that?" Mao Zhongxin glanced at him but didn't dare to say anything.

Mao Qiwu frowned, sat down again, took out a file from the drawer, and went straight to the point:

"His home is at No. 87, Zhongshan Fourth Road, Yuzhong District."

"Yes." Mao Zhongxin hurriedly found paper and pen.

Mao Qiwu gave him a sharp look and then said, "Memorize it."

".yes."

Mao Qiwu repeated the address again, and seeing Mao Zhongxin nod to confirm that he had memorized it, he smiled knowingly: "Got it? If you do, go find Qian Xiaosan. Remember to use a public phone outside."

"Understood, thank you Uncle, oh no, thank you Director Mao." Mao Zhongxin couldn't hide his joy.

On the other side, Qian Xiaosan walked out of the office in an extremely depressed mood, feeling worse than ever before.

In the bright corridor, a young agent passed by him and greeted him. He seemed not to hear him, and absentmindedly brushed past the man.

He walked alone, recalling the past with himself, Zhang Yi, Monkey, and Mao Qiwu, as well as the order that Mao Zhongxin had just issued in Mao Qiwu's name.

In the sweltering air, he felt an unprecedented chill.

It was nearly two o'clock when I left Zheng Mingyuan's house.

According to the original plan, Zhang Yi was supposed to visit Tang Heng, but after making the call, he found that this usually humble, cautious, steady, and resourceful leader of the Sixth Group of the Attendant's Office, who was known as the "wise strategist," was not fond of him at all. He was very cold and said bluntly, "You don't need to report the Military Intelligence Bureau's affairs to me." After saying that, he hung up the phone with a "bang," leaving Zhang Yi completely confused. He wondered if he had offended this person in some way.

However, Zhang Yi also had a temper and would not try to win someone over by being ignored, so he drove directly back to the bureau headquarters office.

In the height of summer, the weather is hot and humid.

Zhang Yi rolled down the car window dejectedly, but the warm air blowing into the car was still unpleasant, so he shook his head in annoyance and prepared to close the window.

Just then, his gaze was drawn to a brand-new black Buick across the road.

Seeing that the car had no license plates but was speeding towards the Military Intelligence Bureau's office, he became curious and immediately told the monkey to speed up.

Soon, the car caught up with the Buick in front.

The driver was a sharp-looking young man in his early twenties wearing a Zhongshan suit. In the back seat sat a man with slicked-back hair and gold-rimmed glasses. He appeared to be resting with his eyes closed, but his brow was furrowed and his face was long and sour, clearly indicating that he had something on his mind.

Zhang Yi glanced at the man and immediately recognized him. He turned his head back, staring straight ahead with no expression on his face.

He was somewhat surprised to run into Yu Bin here.

Although this person is not a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau, he can be considered a staff member employed by the Military Intelligence Bureau.

His public identity is that of a Catholic bishop.

Before the War of Resistance against Japan, when he was working in Nanjing, he had close ties with the Military Intelligence Bureau.

After Nanjing fell, this man also fled to Chongqing and served as the bishop of Leshan District in Sichuan. However, he rarely went to Leshan and instead lived near Dai Chunfeng's mansion on Zhongshan Fourth Road, where he frequently visited Dai Chunfeng.

As far as Zhang Yi knew, this person was very enthusiastic about the work of the Military Intelligence Bureau, even to the point of being more dedicated than to his main job.

Judging from his expression, Zhang Yi guessed that this person was in a hurry to go to the office to see Dai Chunfeng. What could it be about?
The car arrived at the office quickly.

As soon as he arrived at the office, Mao Zhongxin eagerly approached him, appearing to be a dutiful and responsible person.

"Deputy Director Zhang, are you tired? Shall I make you some tea?"

Zhang Yi glanced at him: "You're always so attentive, what exactly do you want?"

These words were too blunt. Mao Zhongxin's heart clenched, but he feigned shyness and said:

“Deputy Director Zhang, you misunderstand. I just wanted to know how I could help you.”

“I appreciate the thought, but I don’t like people who are overly clever and obsequious. It makes me uncomfortable, you understand?” After saying that, Zhang Yi changed the subject and asked, “Have you finished copying the internal affairs work guidelines I asked you to?”

"It's already been written."

Zhang Yi was somewhat surprised: "Let me see it!"

"Yes, yes, yes." Mao Zhongxin nodded and bowed, then immediately ran back to retrieve the manuscript paper he had copied.

Zhang Yi glanced at it a few times, snorted, and turned back to his office.

Mao Zhongxin nodded obsequiously. As soon as he disappeared, he also hurried back to his office, entered, closed the door, and locked it—a series of movements that were light and practiced. Then, he sat down at his desk, opened a drawer, took out his headphones, and put them on.

At this moment, Zhang Yi is holding the receiver and making a phone call:

"This is Zhang Yi. I'm looking for Deputy Section Chief Feng Wenrao, yes, to do a handwriting analysis. Is he on leave? Is your mother injured?"

His words betrayed a suppressed anxiety:

"Understood. Of course, Mother comes first. It's alright, we'll talk about it when he gets back. Thanks!"

"Bang!" Hearing the sound of the phone being slammed down, Mao Zhongxin's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down, and he couldn't hide his smug joy on his face.

He naturally had no idea that Zhang Yiyan had shown him all of this.

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Yi locked himself in his office, drinking tea and reading the newspaper, his mind preoccupied with figuring out how to deal with Mao Zhongxin.

Meanwhile, Yu Bin had arrived at Dai Chunfeng's office.

After exchanging pleasantries, Dai Chunfeng got straight to the point:
"Hey buddy, do you have enough manpower on your side?"

Yu Bin smiled smugly: "Of course, Brother Yu Nong should know that the Red Party does not allow people to believe in superstition. Even my religion is classified as feudal superstition. This naturally arouses great resentment among believers, especially among the people in many counties in the border areas who originally believed in our Catholicism."

"Very good!" Dai Chunfeng smiled mysteriously. "I'll introduce you to someone later."

As he spoke, he picked up the phone.

(End of this chapter)