My spy diary

Chapter 676 Intelligence (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Zhang Yi was reviewing interrogation records in his office, seemingly unaware that it was already late at night.

There was a knock on the door, and he answered naturally:

"Please come in."

"Yunyi, it's so late, are you still busy?" Deputy Officer Jia pushed open the door, and Dai Chunfeng walked in with his hands behind his back.

"Ah, Director!" Zhang Yi looked up and saw Dai Chunfeng, and quickly stood up to make way for him. "What brings you here? Please have a seat."

Dai Chunfeng smiled and hummed in agreement, then sat down in Zhang Yi's chair. "I heard there's been progress in the interrogation?"

“Yes, I just interrogated the Japanese spy Liu Ningxue and her maid Xiaodie. We can now basically determine that Xiaodie is Japanese, and she may not be just a maid. Before we arrested Liu Ningxue, Xiaodie left the brothel, probably to pass on intelligence to her superior.” Zhang Yi reported the interrogation process in detail.

"To be able to uncover her disguise just by her pronunciation, that's incredibly meticulous. I can't match you in that." Dai Chunfeng said admiringly, staring into Zhang Yi's eyes, then changed the subject, "Intelligence? What intelligence do you think was conveyed?"

"You flatter me, Director. It was all a combination of deception and trickery," Zhang Yi said humbly, shaking his head. "It's hard to say. Perhaps it was information that Liu Ningxue overheard, or perhaps it was information obtained from other guests."

"What kind of story is this?" Dai Chunfeng asked listlessly, tapping his fingers on the table in front of him.

Zhang Yi stood quietly.

After a while, Dai Chunfeng suddenly asked, "What do you think about the recording?" As he spoke, he looked up and stared intently at Zhang Yi, trying to discern something.

Zhang Yi's expression changed slightly, and he hesitated, as if he had something difficult to say.

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Dai Chunfeng asked in a deep voice:

"Why? Is this question difficult to answer?"

Zhang Yi opened his mouth and said with difficulty:
"I—Director, I can't say anything about this."

Dai Chunfeng squinted at him, clearly smiling, but there was no smile in her eyes:

"What's there to be embarrassed about? There are no outsiders here."

Zhang Yi seemed hesitant to speak: "Director, this matter involves me, and I should recuse myself in the first place. Especially Zheng Huhe, I used to work with him and relied on him quite a bit for a time. No one would have guessed that he was a member of the Communist Party. Although I have a clear conscience about this matter, I was wrong to judge people and I cannot shirk my responsibility. If any investigation is needed, I am willing to cooperate."

"Investigation? Hasn't it already been investigated?" Dai Chunfeng sensed that Zhang Yi's words implied evasion and a switcheroo. His eyes turned cold, and he said icily, "I asked for your opinion on the recording, not for that traitor Zheng Huhe."

"Director, it's hard to say. This might be a smokescreen put up by the Communist Party, or he might be playing along with a real undercover agent."

Faced with Dai Chunfeng's persistent questioning, Zhang Yi became increasingly frank, giving the impression that he felt he could no longer refuse and might as well lay everything out and reveal his true thoughts.

Dai Chunfeng tapped the table, pondering that this coincided with his inner speculation. The sudden appearance of Zheng Huhe and the recently exposed Red Party spy Guo Xinya, meeting at a brothel, was bound to raise suspicions. Was it a coincidence, or were they putting on a show to cover something up?

But how did they know that Liu Ningxue was a Japanese spy, and how did they know that there were eavesdropping devices in her room?
Also, how exactly was Liu Ningxue exposed?

What clues have those bastards from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) concealed this time?

Insiders, Communist Party members, Japanese spies, Kuomintang secret police, recordings—more and more mysteries are being added to this enigmatic story, making it even more shrouded in mystery.

After thinking for a moment, he tentatively asked:
"Playing a double act? You mean there are other Communist Party moles within the bureau?"

"Yes, but it's just speculation, there's no evidence yet. I just learned that Mao Zhongxin was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS), and they said he was a communist. As for whether he's really a communist or if the CBIS is deliberately slandering him, everyone should know the answer. If Zheng Huhe and the others are really putting on a show, then it might be to cover up the existence of a real undercover agent. In that case, that person isn't just a communist, but a member of the Communist Party."

"Then who do you think he is?" Dai Chunfeng frowned and muttered to himself, "Such a person is hiding in the headquarters, secretly watching us from behind. No matter what we do, he can see it all. No matter how well-thought-out your plans are, it's useless. You can't fool him about anything."

Zhang Yi smiled helplessly: "It might be me, it might be Wang Xinheng, or it might be someone else." At this point, he smiled bitterly, "Director, although I have a clear conscience, people's words are a fearsome thing, and I cannot prove my innocence. I am truly speechless now. Therefore, I request to resign from all positions and cooperate with all investigations by the Bureau."

As he spoke, Zhang Yi took out his identification and service pistol and placed them on the table. He stepped back and waited quietly for his fate, his face showing utter exhaustion.

"What are you doing?" Dai Chunfeng was caught off guard. He stood up and patted Zhang Yi on the shoulder, looking very sincere. "Yunyi, I trust you completely. There have been too many strange things lately, but believe me, everything will be found out." He paused for a moment and then continued, "You don't know yet, do you? The arrest warrant has been issued. I believe that as long as Zheng Huhe is still in Shancheng, he can't escape."

Zhang Yi slowly raised his head, his dejected eyes brightening slightly:
"If we can catch him, all the mysteries will be solved."

“Be patient, we have plenty of time.” Dai Chunfeng looked at him steadily, returned his identification and service pistol to him, and said, “Don’t talk about resigning anymore. Do your job properly. What you need to do now is to break through the Japanese spies’ psychological defenses as soon as possible, get their confessions, and wipe out their accomplices.”

"Yes."

Heavy rain enveloped the mountain town, but many people were still busy.

Qian Xiaosan left home feeling uneasy. Just as he reached the roadside, a rickshaw stopped not far from him. Qian Xiaosan waved for the rickshaw to come over, but hesitated before getting on.

The rain was pouring down. The rickshaw driver, his head wrapped in his raincoat, peered out and asked him:

"Sir, are you going? There are few rickshaws on rainy days. Get in."

Qian Xiaosan paused, then suddenly made up his mind:
"I'm not leaving, thank you."

The rickshaw driver looked disappointed, shrank back into his raincoat, and pulled his rickshaw away.

After the rickshaw drove away, Qian Xiaosan lowered his hat brim to cover his face. He walked with his head slightly down, but he was still fully aware of his surroundings. After reaching a relatively quiet street, he slipped into a public phone booth and dialed Mao Qiwu's number:

"Hello, this is Qian Xiaosan."

The air around Mao Qiwu's house was thick with smoke, a somber atmosphere prevailing. Mao Qiwu was discussing Mao Zhongxin's funeral arrangements with several relatives, and everyone's expressions were grim.

the phone is ringing.

The maid answered the phone: "Hello." She put down the phone and walked to Mao Qiwu's side, carefully saying:
"Sir, someone is looking for you."

Mao Qiwu muttered, "Who is it? So late?" As he spoke, he got up to answer the phone.

The maid whispered, "He said his name is Qian Xiaosan." "Him?" Upon hearing the name, Mao Qiwu snorted coldly, then sat back down. "Tell him to just do his own thing and not to call unless necessary." With that, he waved his hand with a look of disgust.

"Yes," the maid replied cautiously, hurrying back to the phone.
"The master asked me to tell you to just focus on your own business and not to call unless necessary."

After saying that, he slammed down the phone.

"Yes." Qian Xiaosan hung up the phone, the maid's words echoing in his ears: Just do your own thing. Do your own thing.
These simple words filled Qian Xiaosan with despair.

After standing in the phone booth for a moment in a daze, he suddenly pushed open the door, hailed a rickshaw, and rushed towards the judicial office.

The office door was locked. Qian Xiaosan opened it and went in, intending to make himself a cup of tea, but when he picked up the thermos, he realized it was empty. He immediately stood at the office door and shouted into the hallway:

"Little Ma, where is he?"

"Here it is." Xiao Ma responded and came out from a door. Seeing Qian Xiaosan's ashen face turn and go back into the office, he quickly followed. As soon as he entered, he was given a severe scolding:
"Why is the thermos empty? If I don't come to work, I don't need to get water, right?"

"No, Director Qian, you..." Xiao Ma was about to explain, but was interrupted before he could finish.

"What do you mean, 'not'? Just because I'm off work today, does that mean I don't have to do my job? Let me tell you, whether I'm here or not, you have to do your job properly. Now, I'm waiting for you, go get some water right now! And where are the other people on duty in the department?"

Qian Xiaosan launched into a rapid-fire speech. Several times, Xiao Ma tried to interject, but was repeatedly silenced. He felt Director Qian was being unreasonable, but there was nothing he could do; rank had its own way of putting it. Finally, seeing that Qian had remained silent for a long time, Xiao Ma said, somewhat aggrieved:

"Director Qian, everyone else has been temporarily reassigned to guard the detention center."

"Reassigned? Who reassigned him?" Qian Xiaosan asked.

"Me!" the monkey said, walking over. "Sorry, I've been so busy. I was going to say hello, but I've been so busy all day that my brain is completely blank, and I forgot."

"What do you mean? Why are they being transferred to the detention center?" Qian Xiaosan asked tentatively.

The monkey didn't answer Qian Xiaosan's question immediately. He patted the horse on the shoulder, telling him to hurry back. The horse glanced at Qian Xiaosan and dashed off.

“My men are now completely obedient to you.” Seeing how submissive Xiao Ma was to the monkey, Qian Xiaosan felt a bit awkward and said irritably, “Tell me, what are the people in the department doing being transferred to the detention center? To interrogate prisoners with whips?”

“What are you talking about? What do you mean by ‘your people’ and ‘my people’? We’re all following the Chief’s orders.” The monkey gave him a meaningful look. “As for what they do, they don’t need to carry out the executions, but they can help with some fine work.”

"skilled work?"

"Yes, the intelligence and action departments arrested a lot of people from the brothel today. They're all locked up in the Wanglongmen No. 21 Detention Center. They're working like crazy."

"A brothel? Japanese spies?" Qian Xiaosan asked cautiously.

"Yes, it has been confirmed that he is a Japanese spy."

"Did they confess? Japanese spies are always stubborn; it'll be difficult to break through their defenses, won't it?"

"Not necessarily. Everyone says the Japanese are ruthless, that they'll commit seppuku if they lose, but that's mostly a lie. Nowadays, there are Japanese deserters on the battlefield, and it's not an isolated case, yet we haven't seen them commit seppuku. Interrogation is like warfare; if you lose, your morale drops significantly. Besides, even if she were made of steel, she'd still confess obediently in the hands of the Director." Monkey seemed to be in a good mood and was talking more than usual.

Qian Xiaosan glanced at him: "Need any help? I'm just killing time anyway."

Unexpectedly, the monkey did not accept this more advanced helper; he waved his hand and said:
"No, we have enough people. Besides, the department always needs someone on duty, otherwise if things go wrong, the director will criticize me again. You go ahead and do your thing."

After saying this, he turned and left.

Qian Xiaosan sat expressionless at his desk, his fingers tapping erratically on the surface. He believed that the female spy was being held at Wanglongmen No. 21, but what excuse could he use to approach her?

Monkey is a very easy person to deal with, let alone Zhang Yi.

But the thought of the threats over the phone left him feeling utterly exhausted and helpless, as he had never felt before.

At this moment, Zhang Yi was sitting in his office, resting with his eyes closed, receiving today's intelligence.

Today's intelligence has been updated.

[1. You met Liu Ningxue today and obtained relevant intelligence—Liu Ningxue's codename is Black Spy, her real name is Kawashima Yukina, a Japanese-Korean, and she belongs to the Special Higher Police. In 39, she infiltrated the mountain city, posing as a prostitute to gather intelligence.]

[2. You met Xiaodie today and obtained relevant information—Xiaodie's codename is Shirayuki, her real name is Matsumoto Yukina, and she belongs to the Special Higher Police's Snow White Group. She is working as a courier, infiltrating Kawashima Yukina's inner circle. Today, she was ordered to place the stolen information under a bench in Fuhe Park, Yuzhong District.]

Zhang Yi pondered deeply. It seemed that Liu Ningxue, or rather Kawashima Yukina, was unaware of Xiaodie's true identity; she was nominally an assistant, but in reality, a supervisor. And what exactly was the purpose of this so-called "Snow White" group's infiltration of Yamashiro?
A park bench? Is that their dead mail box?
[3. You met Shen Linfeng today and obtained related intelligence—Shen Linfeng visited Fuhe Park today, triggering intelligence: Zhao Deshan visited Fuhe Park today, disguised as a writer, real name Nakamura Shinsuke, codename Know-It-All.]

Zhao Deshan? Writer?

Zhang Yi continued reading intently. This Zhao Deshan was clearly no ordinary person; he was ruthless and decisive, and his methods were highly sophisticated and cunning. Based on the information Liu Ningxue obtained from Mao Zhongxin about Qian Xiaosan, he dared to audaciously impersonate Mao Qiwu's man and instigate Qian Xiaosan to assassinate Liu Ningxue. This "borrowing a path to attack Guo" tactic not only eliminated the crisis facing the organization, but also, if successful, could frame someone else—a double kill.

[4. You met Dai Chunfeng today and obtained intelligence—Wang Xinheng has been ordered to carry out "Operation Lone Boat," which has been launched. 24 highly trained agents selected from the ninth training class at the Bai Mansion in Shancheng, Hanzhong, have been dispatched to Yan'an in batches.]

They acted so quickly?
Zhang Yi pondered that since the intelligence had already been sent out, it was only a matter of time before these people were captured, so he wasn't worried about it.

After thinking for a moment, he turned his attention to the third piece of information and made a decision.

Since both the Japanese spies and Qian Xiaosan wanted to get rid of Liu Ningxue, they might as well throw out a bait.

On the other side, Qian Xiaosan was a little restless. He paced around the office twice, racking his brains, but still couldn't come up with a solution. Just then, he heard someone passing by outside, so he picked up the kettle and went outside.

In the hallway, Monkey was leading a group of people out, giving orders as he went: "Security room number three, prepare vehicles and guards immediately."

Qian Xiaosan listened intently without making a sound.

At this moment, the monkey seemed to notice Qian Xiaosan. He looked up and his eyes met Qian Xiaosan's. Then, he lowered his voice and gave a few instructions before looking at Qian Xiaosan:

"Old Qian, haven't you gone back yet?"

(End of this chapter)