Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 438 Double Spy
Deep in the snowy forest.

From the low wooden houses, the laughter of the anti-Japanese fighters and Natasha playing the harmonica could be heard from time to time.

Old Qiu sat by the fire, slowly eating the roasted meat with a small knife.

"Damn it, these days are getting harder and harder to bear."

"There is nothing to eat, nothing to wear."

"Every day it's either roasted rabbit or roasted wild boar. My stomach is so bloated that I can't even poop."

Beside him, Xiao Yu, who was slightly thin, cursed.

"I wanted to steal a few women to play with, but the political commissar wouldn't allow it."

"With all these rules and regulations, even if we're not killed by the Japanese and the Nationalist soldiers, we'll suffocate sooner or later if we're trapped in this wretched place."

"Think back to when we were in Liaoning, we were quite a big shot. We spent our days going to brothels, sleeping with women, drinking and eating meat. That was what I called a carefree life."

"Brother Qiu, when are you going to take me down the mountain?"

"This is just too damn unbearable to live like this."

Xiao Yu kept rambling on and on.

Old Qiu, with a pipe dangling from his lips, his thin face etched with a cold, sinister expression, poked at the firewood with a stick in his hand, his eyes flashing with unspoken pain.

His name is Qiu Daqiang, and he is from Liaoning.

In the past, he and his wife were the liaison officers for the Red Tickets in Fengtian. Their official identities were henchmen of Master Cai at the Fengtian Wharf. They were the kind of people who could hold court, so they were considered big shots.

Three years ago, the transportation station was destroyed by the Japanese.

Old Qiu was arrested by the Fengtian Police Department at the time, but Gao Bin, the then-action captain of the Special Affairs Section, secretly arranged for him and his wife to be released.

His wife remained at the Red Ticket Underground Transportation Station as a liaison officer.

Old Qiu was secretly sent to the mountain by Gao Bin to act as a spy. With the intelligence revealed by Gao Bin, he led his team to evade the search and capture by the Nationalist soldiers and the Japanese several times, and gradually gained prestige and status on the mountain.

Now he is the captain of the ninth squad of the Fourth Detachment of the Anti-Japanese United Army.

Even the battalion commander Zhang Yong and political commissar Zhou usually had to show him some respect.

Of course, Lao Qiu was also very frustrated.

His wife was being controlled by Gao Bin, living in constant fear and anxiety on the mountain, with no idea when this would end.

It's so painful.

"Alright, stop nagging. That cunning Political Commissar Zhou has set up a lot of lookouts in the team. Be careful someone overhears and treats you as a spy," Old Qiu said irritably.

“We were spies to begin with,” Yu Bo said with a dry laugh.

"Why.

"I also want to go down the mountain, but I don't have the chance."

"Gao Bin is very shrewd. He must have more than just me as a spy on the mountain. If we come down the mountain without a reason or with insufficient justification, he will kill us without hesitation."

"Just hang in there."

"When the opportunity is right, or when I become a battalion commander in the future, I can at least go down the mountain and collect some reward money. The Japanese are quite generous to people like us."

Qiu Daqiang offered a word of comfort.

Just then, a trusted anti-Japanese guerrilla fighter walked over.

Old Qiu gave Yu Bo a look, and the two of them shut up at the same time.

"Captain, three people have arrived outside. One of them gave the password and said he's one of us," a soldier reported as he approached.

"Tie him up first and bring him over."

A hint of wariness flashed in Lao Qiu's eyes as he gave the order.

Soon, three people, including Hong Zhi, were pushed in with their hands bound by hemp rope.

"Police?" Old Qiu asked, looking him up and down.

"Comrade, I'm not a policeman, they are..."

Xiao Dong clearly recounted the whole story.

"Keep making things up, go ahead and make them up!" Old Qiu sneered.

"I'm truly surrendering. I've even brought you the medicine. How could that be fake?" Ren Changchun said unhappily.

"The medicine might be fake, and the surrender might also be fake."

"Heh, I bet you're just using this as a pretext to try and join the Anti-Japanese United Army, aren't you?"

Old Qiu stared sharply at the three of them and said.

"A cover-up?"
"Comrade, do you know who he is?"
"Hong Zhiyou is the nephew of Gao Bin, the head of the Special Affairs Section of the Harbin Police Bureau."

"This kid just replaced Commander Guan, and he's got a fortune of millions. Do you really think this kind of rich kid would risk his life to put on a show for us?"

Xiao Dong argued loudly.

“Yes, he has identification on him. Search him quickly,” Ren Changchun said.

Old Qiu and Yu Bo looked at each other, their hearts skipping a beat.

Gao Bin's nephew.

If someone who defected is taken hostage, that would be troublesome.

"Hmm." Old Qiu waved his hand.

Yu Bo stepped forward and roughly searched the place, taking everything from wallets, lighters, cigarette cases, and even ID cards.

"Hong Zhiyou, head of the Economics Section?"
"Shouldn't Gao Bin's nephew have the surname Gao?" Old Qiu asked after taking a look.

"A name is just a code. When you're working in the same building, it's always good to be careful."

"My uncle should have received the news of my kidnapping by now."

"I advise you to be sensible and release me immediately."

"Otherwise, not a single chicken or dog will be left on your mountain."

Hong Zhi, with the air of a spoiled rich kid, raised his chin and said.

"Don't let him go, this kid has money."

“If you take him, he’ll be your granary; you can trade him for anything.” Ren Changchun patted Hong Zhiyou on the shoulder, offering his advice in a flattering manner.

"Alright, stop rambling and take me to see Political Commissar Zhou right now."

"Or Lao Fu, or Sun the gunner."

“They can all verify my identity.”

Xiao Dong was getting a little impatient.

"Stop pretending to be a big shot. I don't know any Sun the Cannonman."

"Damn it, take them all away and execute them."

Old Qiu said angrily.

The rules on the mountain are very strict. Besides, is it something that an ordinary person can do to transport medicine up the mountain?
When the man surnamed Zhou came to the mountains, he secretly did a lot of strange things.

These three people are acting strangely; it's possible that the guy surnamed Zhou is deliberately putting on an act to create a false impression.

Several traitors have already been purged from the mountains.

The less trouble, the better.

Old Qiu had to be cautious.

"go!"

Immediately, two anti-Japanese guerrilla fighters pushed the three people to leave.

"Let me go."

Hong Zhiyou, with his hands behind his back, deliberately rolled up his sleeves, revealing Gao Binwen's mark.

Old Qiu caught a glimpse of it, and was both surprised and delighted.

To everyone's delight, Gao Bin sent someone over.

This is just a play.

To his surprise, Gao Bin had not given him any prior notice, and he had no idea what was going on.

"hey-hey.

"Gentlemen, what I just did was merely a routine test. I was simply following procedure, so please bear with me."

"Our Anti-Japanese Alliance welcomes every patriot who surrenders."

"Xiao Yu, take Officer Ren and Comrade Dong downstairs to rest first, get them some food, and then I'll talk to Section Chief Hong."

Old Qiu chuckled dryly and gave the order.

"That scared me to death."

"I thought the Anti-Japanese Alliance had been taken over by bandits," Xiao Dong muttered under his breath.

Ren Changchun glanced at Hong Zhiyou uneasily.

The latter blinked almost imperceptibly, signaling him to relax.

Old Qiu led Hong Zhiyou into the wooden house, and Yu Bo tactfully took away the surrounding guards.

He closed the door and led Hong Zhiyou to the brazier.

While slicing meat and stuffing it into his mouth, he stared coldly at Hong Zhiyou.

Before knowing the identity of the person he was talking to, Lao Qiu knew that speaking first would only invite trouble.

"Old Qiu, there's no need to be so formal."

“I know that you and your wife are both my uncle’s men.”

"Let me start by saying that your wife's teahouse business is doing well. She has made a great contribution by providing intelligence on the last few occasions, especially in the case of the Red Ticket Fengtian underground organization's attempt to transport medicine up the mountain.

"Her uncle and the Japanese gave her a lot of money as a reward."

"I'm telling you this so that your uncle won't mistreat anyone who works hard and honestly, especially someone like you who went deep behind enemy lines. When you retire and return to the department after your success, you'll at least get the treatment of a section chief."

Hong Zhiyou seemed like a completely different person, becoming sharp and mature.

As he spoke, he tore off a rabbit leg and began to eat it in large bites.

"You didn't come up the mountain just to tell me this nonsense, did you?"

"The mountain is currently conducting a thorough investigation of spies."

"Your coming here will only put me in danger of being exposed."

Old Qiu sneered, remaining vigilant.

"of course not.

“That Officer Ren was one of my men. He deliberately betrayed me and kidnapped me to transport medicine up the mountain.”

"The Japanese tampered with that batch of drugs."

"Once the members of the Anti-Japanese Alliance were injected with the drugs, it would cause bacterial infections."

"It is certain that these bacteria are highly lethal, and the Japanese considered it one of the few epic attempts that could completely destroy the Laotuoshan Anti-Japanese United Army."

Hong Zhi said expressionlessly.

"Very good.

"The person who came up with this plan is simply a genius."

“I’ve had enough of being up in the mountains. Tell me, what do you need me to do?”

Old Qiu was overjoyed and asked.

"Simple.

"First, administer medication to the wounded soldiers immediately."

"Second, ensure my safety. Only if I come down the mountain alive will the department confirm the success of the plan, and when that happens, you will naturally receive a share of the rewards," Hong Zhi said.

"The use of medicine requires the approval of Political Commissar Zhou, but there is a shortage of medicine in the mountains right now, so this is not a big problem."

"What I'm worried about is whether you can handle things if Political Commissar Zhou wants to see you."

Old Qiu frowned and asked.

“As long as you insist that I have value, that’s enough,” Hong Zhiyou said.

“But I’m worried about that Ren Changchun…” Old Qiu’s eyes were filled with murderous intent.

"He is one of my men, and he doesn't know the specifics of the plan, nor does he know your identity, so you don't need to worry."

"If he survives and can take your place in infiltrating the Anti-Japanese United Army, it might not be a bad thing for you to escape."

"I've met your wife; she's still charming and quite beautiful."

"You two don't have any children. Aren't you afraid that she will be kidnapped if you live apart for so long?"

"Don't forget, women can be very fickle."

Hong Zhi gave a cold, dry laugh.

"Damn it, shut your beak, your wife has been kidnapped."

"I can spare that kid's life."

Old Qiu said.

"Also, prepare your things for going down the mountain as soon as possible. If you don't want to stay, I don't want to stay either," Hong Zhi said.

"Don't worry about that. With something this serious happening, I'll be prepared tonight," Old Qiu said shrewdly.

"You should hurry up and eat more."

"If they put you in solitary confinement, you might go hungry tonight."

Old Qiu gave another reminder.

Hong Zhi was really hungry at this moment, so he ate the rest of the roasted rabbit and sat by the fire to warm himself.

"You rest for a while, I'll go find the political commissar."

Old Qiu tightened his cotton-padded coat and went out.

"Old Qiu, did this kid find out anything?" Yu Bo asked once they were outside.

"This kid is indeed Section Chief Gao's nephew."

"He's just unlucky. He was betrayed by his subordinates and became a hostage. Let Political Commissar Zhou handle it when he gets back."

Old Qiu said casually.

Such a top secret as medicines cannot be told to outsiders.

"Should we deal with Ren Changchun?"

“I noticed this kid’s eyes were darting around, constantly looking into your room. He’s probably hiding something,” Yu Bo said.

"How many sets of escape equipment are left?" Old Qiu asked.

"There are only three sets left," Yu Bo said.

"Well, we'll use the excuse of rescuing Chief Gao's nephew to go down the mountain directly, so Gao Bin won't be able to find any fault with us."

"As for Ren Changchun, without escape equipment, it would be difficult for him to survive in the snow forest."

"Once we escape from Old Camel Mountain, whether he lives or dies will not matter."

Old Qiu laughed coldly.

"It's truly heaven's help to us."

"I was just wondering how to get down the mountain, and now this opportunity has come," Yu Bo said with great joy.

"Sigh."

"You need to be more cautious, especially in times like these, and never get carried away," Old Qiu coldly reminded him.

……

Zhou Yunfei returned to the camp that evening.

He traveled dozens of miles to the Third Brigade for a meeting today and is now exhausted.

"Old Zhou, how's the situation?" A middle-aged man with a thick beard came over.

"Old Fu, let's talk inside."

Zhou Yunfei's voice was very low.

Once inside, close the door behind you.

Fu Jun scooped out a few cooked sweet potatoes and potatoes from the brazier and handed them over. Zhou Yunfei, panting, wolfed down a couple of mouthfuls and said, "Phew, I'm starving! I almost fainted from hunger in the mountains just now."

"Didn't we bring some dry rations?" Fu Jun asked.

"I met an old hunter with a child in the mountains and gave him some money," Zhou Yunfei said.

"You're really something."

“Running out of food in the mountains is practically suicide, Comrade Zhou. Our entire team is counting on you to lead the way. How can you treat your life like a game? You need to be more careful in the future,” Fu Jun said angrily.

"I understand, I humbly accept your criticism." Zhou Yunfei nodded.

"What new instructions have been given from above?" Fu Jun asked.

"The situation is not good."

"The Japanese are becoming more and more familiar with Manchukuo. With the upgrading of their equipment and a series of measures such as food and medicine embargoes, life in the mountains is becoming increasingly difficult."

"Another problem is that our composition is too mixed."

"Many spies have infiltrated."

"The Japanese and Manchukuo offered high bounties to our anti-Japanese guerrilla leaders."

"Among them, a particularly outrageous reward was offered for General Zhao Shangzhi: 'One coin of bone for one coin of gold, one ounce of flesh for one ounce of silver.'"

"Just after General Zhao Shangzhi returned from the Soviet Union, the puppet Manchukuo agents hidden within the Anti-Japanese United Army launched at least three waves of assassinations."

"Captain Zhang Yong has given instructions to further eliminate the traitors, otherwise our living conditions will become even worse."

Zhou Yunfei said.

"You suspect there are spies among us?" Fu Jun asked, frowning.

I'm not sure.

"The more difficult the times, the more some people's confidence will waver."

"It's always good to be careful."

Zhou Yunfei said.

"Political Commissar, Yu Bo is here. He says he has something important to report." Just then, the guard walked in.

"Mm." Zhou Yunfei nodded.

Yu Bo came in and told him about what happened to Xiao Dong and the others.

"I understand. Have Lao Qiu bring them over first," Zhou Yunfei said.

"Old Zhou, this is great news!"

"The medicine that was lost in Fengtian last time has been recovered, and the wounded soldiers can be saved." Fu Jun was overjoyed.

Zhou Yunfei's face darkened, and he remained silent.

"What, do you think there's a problem with this?" Fu Jun asked.

"This is quite a coincidence."

"It's always better to be cautious than to let something fall from the sky," Zhou Yunfei said.

"Old Zhou, you're just too cautious."

"There are many ambitious people in China, so it's quite possible that some of them will surrender," Fu Jun said.

"Let's wait and see. Better safe than sorry."

"Don't forget, Dong Chen was arrested before while transporting medicine. Be careful, this could be a trap set by the enemy," Zhou Yunfei said calmly.

Fu Jun knew Xiao Dong; he was one of Sun Yuejian's men and a very reliable comrade.

However, the organization always treats those arrested with a cold shoulder. Even if they are allowed to stay, they will only do some peripheral and miscellaneous tasks, and it will be impossible for them to participate in important operations.

Because no one would believe, nor dare to believe, a person who has been arrested.

Soon, Lao Qiu led his men in.

"Political Commissar, Xiao Dong and the other two have been brought here," Old Qiu said as he walked in.

"Political Commissar Zhou, Lao Fu, I'm back."

Upon seeing the political commissar and Fu Jun, Xiao Dong burst into tears.

"Xiao Dong, you've worked hard." Zhou Yunfei stepped forward and shook hands with him.

"Political Commissar, this righteous man who surrendered is named Ren Changchun, and this is Hong Zhiyou, the nephew of the notorious spy Gao Bin. We brought them up the mountain together, along with their medicine," Xiao Dong introduced the two men.

At the same time, he recounted the events that had occurred down the mountain in their entirety.

"Xiao Ren, you're a lifesaver for us."

"On behalf of the Fourth Detachment of the Anti-Japanese United Army, I welcome you. From now on, please consider this place your home," Zhou Yunfei said warmly.

"Thank you, Political Commissar. As long as we can fight the Japanese, we are all brothers under heaven. From now on, we will fight together against the common enemy."

Ren Changchun gave a respectful military salute.

"Political Commissar, there are ten boxes of sulfonamide antibiotics in total. I have already had them unloaded from the truck."

"The health department was so anxious when they heard the medicine had arrived that they were practically scrambling to get it. If I hadn't stopped them, they would have been planning to snatch it by force," Old Qiu said humorously.

"Hello.

"Commissar, can you name your price? Just tell me what you want and let me go. I don't want to stay in this godforsaken place for another minute."

"My aunt is waiting for me to come back so I can have yellow croaker soup."

Fearing he might order the medication, Hong Zhi quickly changed the subject in a nonchalant manner.

Drinking yellow croaker soup was a secret code that Zhou Yi and Zhou Yunfei used to use.

Zhou Yunfei immediately understood and sneered:
"If you want to drink yellow croaker soup, that depends on how much you're worth."

"Store the medicine for now. Old Fu, you personally lead a team to oversee it. No one is allowed to touch the medicine without my order."

"Old Qiu, take Xiao Dong and Xiao Ren to the barracks to rest first."

He immediately gave the order.

"Alright." Old Qiu glanced at Hong Zhiyou subtly before leading his men away.

When there are no outsiders left.

Hong Zhi asked, "Brother, have they been releasing hawks on the mountain lately?"

"Release him, what do you want?" Zhou Yunfei narrowed his eyes and asked in a deep voice.

"No pheasants, no bears, just a few ounces of good ginseng."

"Political Commissar Zhou, I am Lao Wu's friend."

"The Japanese injected poison into this batch of medicine. This was a vicious scheme by Shibuya Saburo and the National Police Agency against the Anti-Japanese United Army. Those medicines must be handled with utmost care."

After exchanging the secret code, Hong Zhi revealed the truth.

"I knew this wouldn't happen, Xiao Dong betrayed us," Zhou Yunfei said angrily.

……

(End of this chapter)