Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 442 Powerful Background
“Sir, it’s me,” Yano Otosaburo said loudly.

"Hi.

"Hi.

"Prime Minister Lu, that's not true. I would cherish the heroes of the empire as much as I would a sword."

"These are all baseless rumors."

"I will convey to Dr. Ishii that you, His Highness the Prince, and the Chief of the Guards can rest assured that I will personally commend them and the entire Special Service Section."

"Hi.

"Goodbye."

Yano Otosaburo hung up the phone.

……

In the living room.

Shiro Ishii sneered, "Chief of Staff Shibuya, I heard someone called to plead for the Special Service?"

He didn't even know Hong Zhiyou's name.

Of course, there's no need to know.

In Shiro Ishii's eyes, the Special Service Section was nothing more than a dog, no, to be precise, it was far less important than the wolfhounds at the research base.

A good wolfhound is very difficult to train.

But for a Chinese person, death is just that—death.

No matter who they are, even those so-called royalty, they are all as stupid as pigs, only fit to be his laboratory "guinea pigs".

"That's right.

"Hong Zhiyou's teacher in Tokyo is Ichiro Sakanishi, who has a close relationship with Doiyuu. Not long ago, he asked Zhou Fohai in Shanghai to call me."

"The meaning is very simple...you all understand."

Shibuya Saburo said.

“Zhou Fohai? He’s a pathetic wretch who hasn’t even established himself yet and lives under our protection. What right does he have to plead for mercy?”
"Don't even mention him, even if you were fat and ugly, it wouldn't work."

"I thought they had some powerful connections, but frankly, it's just Gao Bin's outdated personal relationships."

Shiro Ishii chuckled dryly, his expression slightly arrogant.

"Chief Shibuya, let's get started," another officer said.

“Tanaka has already gone there, and we are just waiting for the deputy chief of staff’s order,” said Saburo Shibuya.

“That’s great,” Shiro Ishii said.

As they were talking, Yano Otosaburo returned to the main seat, sat cross-legged, and said with a solemn expression:

"Gentlemen, Prime Minister Lu has ordered that the Special Service Section and Hong Zhiyou, among others, be commended."

"what?
“Award them? Doesn’t Minister Lu know that this concerns the core secrets of our department?” Shiro Ishii exclaimed in surprise.

Of course he knows.

“But this is also the will of the Prince and the Chief of the Imperial Guard. If you have any objections, I suggest you ask them directly.” Yano Otosaburo was somewhat annoyed by Ishii Shiro’s rudeness.

Shiro Ishii and Shibuya looked at each other in silence.

They never expected that Hong Zhiyou's trump card was not Zhou Fohai or Tu Feiyuan, but an incredibly powerful royal family.

The prince is the emperor's younger brother.

Needless to say, the chief of the Imperial Guard was the one through whom the Emperor's decrees were conveyed, and even the Minister of the Army, such as Seishiro Itagaki and Hideki Tojo, had to defer to him.

“But this is also General Ishihara Kanji’s intention,” Shiro Ishii said, unwilling to give up.

"Baga!" Yano Otonzaburo was furious.

He took a deep breath and said restrainedly, "Dr. Ishii, you can call General Ishihara now."

Shiro Ishii was stubborn and was about to straighten his chest when Saburo Shibuya quickly grabbed him and glared at him fiercely.

Shiro Ishii sat back down, somewhat annoyed.

A hint of cold killing intent flashed in Yano Otosaburo's eyes.

He had just taken over as deputy chief of staff from Ishihara Kanji and had anticipated that Ishihara's old guard would be restless, but he did not expect that Ishii Shiro would be so arrogant as to dare to question his decision in public.

"Everyone, I think Section Chief Shanming's idea is correct."

"China is a vast country with abundant resources. They have hundreds of millions of people. The Imperial Japanese Army alone cannot control them. The same goes for Manchukuo and the Wang Jingwei government that is currently being prepared. We need the loyalty and courage of the Chinese people."

“We need ten thousand, a hundred thousand Chinese like Hong Zhi, who are loyal to His Majesty the Emperor, capable, and good at doing things.”

"They are our friends, our allies, and the spearhead of the Great Japanese Empire."

"Only by closely uniting them can we completely control Manchukuo and the whole of China, thereby realizing His Majesty the Emperor's Greater East Asia Prosperity Strategy."

"Therefore, I agree with the Vice-Chancellor's opinion. We cannot harm our friends, and we should reward them handsomely."

Commander Kato of the Military Police Headquarters echoed him in a serious and forceful tone.

He was Gao Bin's close friend for many years, so naturally he had to speak up for his "nephew" Hong Zhiyou at this time.

"But if the germ warfare is leaked, who will bear the responsibility?" Shiro Ishii sneered, pressing the issue relentlessly.

"Dr. Ishii, honor and responsibility go hand in hand; how you choose to bear them is your business."

"Furthermore, your unit's primary responsibility is to conduct experiments and research germ weapons; the internal affairs of the police department are not under your jurisdiction."

"Chief Shibuya, next time, please don't trouble the Doctor with how to carry out missions and handle internal affairs."

"Do your own jobs."

"Anyone who didn't know better would think Dr. Ishii was the chief of police in Binjiang!"

Yano Otosaburo slammed his teacup heavily on the table and said with dissatisfaction.

"Yes!" Shibuya Saburo's expression changed slightly, and he solemnly accepted the order.

"Humph!"

Shiro Ishii stood up, flicked his hand, and strode away.

Yano Otosaburo's gaze was like a knife, staring intently at his back, wishing he could devour this madman alive.

"Chief Shibuya, you're in charge of the commendation. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

He stood up and walked out with a furious expression.

"Chief Shibuya, there are no fish in water that is too clear. You admire Wang Yangming's philosophy of mind, so you should understand this principle. You should let Hong Zhiyou go."

Kato patted him on the shoulder and left the room with Yamanari and the others.

Shibuya Saburo's face turned sinister and ruthless.

"Bang!" He slammed his fist heavily on the coffee table.

He hated Chinese social etiquette the most, believing that it would only corrupt the will of the Japanese Imperial Army's soldiers. This was true when General Guan was in power, and now Hong Zhiyou was even more rampant.

From Kato and Murakami to the police officers in the National Police Agency.

Most of them were corrupted by Hong Zhiyou's sugar-coated bullets and had ties to him for personal gain.

Shibuya originally intended to use this mission to eliminate Hong Zhiyou through Ishii Shiro's hands, but he never expected that this guy would have such a powerful background.

It's like trying to draw water with a bamboo basket—all for naught.

What pained Shibuya even more was that this opportunist's reach had extended to the Imperial Palace and the military.

For the Emperor.

For the Empire.

We must get rid of him!
Of course, Saburo Shibuya is not an impulsive person.

Given his position, he has ample time and resources to deal with Hong Zhi, so there's no need to rush.

Thinking of this, he took a deep breath, regained his clarity of mind, and walked towards the courtyard.

……

The courtyard next door.

Tanaka led several of his men into the living room and lined up in a row. Their faces were gloomy, and they exuded a strong, chilling murderous aura.

"Assistant Tanaka, when can we meet with Chief of Staff Shibuya?" Lu Ming asked.

"That depends on your luck."

Tanaka sneered and pointed to the telephone next to him.

"This is not good. There's something wrong with this guy's eyes." Lu Ming felt a sense of panic.

"Do you know Zhou Fohai?" Tanaka suddenly looked at Hong Zhiyou.

“Yes, Mr. Zhou is my friend,” Hong Zhiyou said calmly.

"Perhaps you should make more friends," Tanaka said with a sarcastic expression.

“Don’t worry about it, I have always had many friends,” Hong Zhi said.

Having many friends is useless.

"It depends on who your friend is."

“Vice Commander Yano Otosaburo is right next door, but he doesn’t seem to know you very well. Cherish your time and enjoy this cup of tea.”

Tanaka laughed.

These words were tantamount to making it clear, and for a moment, Lu Ming and the others all turned pale and their hearts pounded in their throats.

"The tea is not bad."

Hong Zhiyou casually picked up his teacup and took a sip.

He was quite confident in Masako's abilities.

If all else fails, just restart it.

Death was never a reason to imprison him.

Tanaka chuckled dismissively, tilting his chin slightly.

He enjoys watching people who try to appear calm.

It doesn't matter how much you install now.

The more miserable she will cry later.

Soon, Saburo Shibuya walked in, his face beaming with a gentlemanly smile:

"Everyone, thank you for waiting."

"Congratulations on successfully completing the top-secret mission of the General Headquarters. On behalf of the Kwantung Army Headquarters and the National Police Agency, I would like to express my sincerest respect to you."

"Chief Shibuya, you're too kind. It's our honor to serve you." Lu Ming couldn't miss this opportunity to show his face, so he quickly spoke up to flatter him.

Hong Zhiyou could tell from his strange appearance that Yazi had succeeded.

"Can we go now?" Since we have different paths, we shouldn't bother talking to Shibuya.

"certainly.

"Someone come here," Shibuya called out as he turned around.

Lu Ming and the others tensed up.

A military policeman walked in carrying a tray with several stacks of Kande coins on it.

"This is a reward from the National Police Agency and myself to you. Please accept it," Shibuya said.

"no need."

Hong Zhiyou picked up his hat, put it on his head, and walked away with his head held high.

"Thank you, Commander Shibuya. I'll get his share for him."

Lu Ming couldn't bear to part with the reward, so he quickly grabbed two bundles and chased after them.

Ren Changchun looked at Liu Kui.

Liu Kui tightened his jaw and took his share.

Ren Changchun quickly took it too.

The two left quickly without even saying goodbye.

"Commander Shibuya, they are showing you contempt, why don't you kill them?" Tanaka was furious.

He certainly has the right to despise me.

"The prince and the chief of the guards pressured the deputy chief of staff through Prime Minister Lu, so we had no choice but to release them."

“We all underestimated Hong Zhiyou,” said Shibuya Saburo. “What!”

Tanaka was greatly alarmed.

“Oh dear, how could the royal family speak up for such a person? If he isn’t eliminated, he’ll become a scourge to Manchukuo sooner or later,” Tanaka said.

"This incident has been a profound lesson for us."

"Only by facing the enemy squarely and understanding the enemy can we truly be invincible."

"But don't be discouraged."

"As long as he's still in the police department, he'll be under my control. He won't be so lucky next time."

"Shibuya Saburo said coldly."

……

As they were leaving, a luxury car drove into Saburo Shibuya's residence, and two Russians got out of the car.

Upon seeing Hong Zhi, one of them smiled and nodded politely.

"You know him?" Hong Zhi noticed that Lu Ming's eyes looked a little strange.

"know.

"His name is Vasilyev, an old Russian who has lived in Harbin for about twenty years. He is a typical anti-Soviet. The Japanese like to deal with these Russians and specifically have them publish anti-Soviet statements and articles."

"I've dealt with them before."

"This old guy is quite cultured."

Lu Ming said.

Vasilyev?

Very familiar name.

Hong Zhi suddenly remembered that in the original drama "Cliff," this group of people had attempted to secretly assassinate Stalin, but were discovered by Zhou Yi, who telegraphed the Comintern, and the assassination plan ultimately failed and they died.

"It's useless. The Soviet Union's steel torrent can't be stopped by a few pens." Hong Zhiyou smiled.

The group returned to the police station.

"We were lucky; each person received 5,000, which is equivalent to two years' salary."

"It must be said that the Japanese are very generous when it comes to rewards."

"Zhiyou, this is yours. I just grabbed it for you."

In the corridor, Lu Ming handed a wad of cash to Hong Zhiyou.

"Thanks." Hong Zhi smiled and readily accepted it.

"Didn't you say you didn't want it?" Lu Ming asked, a little disappointed.

“Who doesn’t like money?” Hong Zhi said.

"Hey, looks like it was a false alarm today. The Japanese still know what they're doing. Without us, who's going to do their dirty work? You all agree, right?" Lu Ming lit a cigarette, looking quite smug.

"is it?
"I have a feeling they changed their minds at the last minute. Didn't you notice? Assistant Tanaka and his men were armed, and the way he said it made it seem like he was sending us to our deaths." Liu Kui frowned.

"It's probably because of Section Chief Hong's connections," Ren Changchun interjected.

Hong Zhi remained silent.

“Zhou Fohai, Tu Feiyuan, and Chief Gao don’t have that much influence, after all, the person personally presiding over this meeting is Yano Otosaburo, a high-ranking officer in the Kwantung Army.” Lu Ming raised an eyebrow, quite skeptical.

"Zhiyou, did you find other people?"

he asked curiously.

"What do you think?" Hong Zhi asked in return.

"How would I know?" Lu Ming chuckled dismissively.

It would be extremely rare in Manchukuo to be able to change the minds of people like Yano Otosaburo and Shibuya Saburo. With Hong Zhiyou wanting to get to know important figures like Isogai Rensuke, Chief Gao doesn't need to be so nervous.

Hong Zhi went directly to Gao Bin's office.

As soon as he pushed open the door, Gao Bin breathed a sigh of relief: "You're finally back. I was just wondering how to explain this to your aunt."

"I've awarded you five thousand Kangde coins. I'll treat you and your aunt to Western food tonight," Hong Zhiyou said with a smile.

"forget it.

“When you go home for dinner tonight, your aunt will probably hear something. If she doesn’t see you, she’ll start to worry,” Gao Bin said.

“Okay,” Hong Zhiyou replied.

"Alright, I'm relieved you're okay. I've made plans with Lao Qiu, do you want to come along?" Gao Bin asked.

"Forget it. To take care of Ren Changchun, Lao Qiu dealt with one of his trusted subordinates. I guess he doesn't want to see me now," Hong Zhi said.

"He did this to take care of you?"
"Hmm, he's probably afraid of getting an extra share of the money. The military police gave him a reward of 20,000 yuan, which is enough for him to live on for the rest of his life," Gao Bin laughed.

"gone."

Hong Zhi waved his hand and returned to his office.

……

Gao Bin arrived at Hongfu Teahouse.

Knowing that the Harbin Red Ticket underground party had issued a kill order, Lao Qiu deliberately chose a window seat upstairs. At another table, there were several military police members in plainclothes.

After his wife served tea, Lao Qiu glanced at her a few times.

Hong Zhiyou was right. He had aged and become haggard from staying on the mountain, while his wife, Li Hong, had become more voluptuous and beautiful with the passing years, and had a certain flirtatious charm in her smiles and frowns.

This left Lao Qiu feeling somewhat uneasy.

Tonight I have to have a good time and give this stinky woman a good thrashing.

Their eyes met, but neither dared to acknowledge the other on the spot.

Old Qiu only touched her finger discreetly when she was setting out the tea tray.

At that moment, Gao Bin arrived.

Li Hong tactfully withdrew.

Gao Bin sat down: "Why did you choose this place? It's not safe. There are red tickets (illegal smuggling tickets) around here."

"Where is there a safe place in Harbin now?"

"Isn't having red tickets exactly what you wanted?"
"Red, green, Japanese, everything, it has to be real."

Old Qiu had performed a meritorious service and now had the military police backing him up; his tone of voice was noticeably different.

A hint of displeasure flashed in Gao Bin's eyes, but his face remained smiling and friendly: "Old Qiu, you should finish what you start. Tell me about what happened on the mountain. You know what I want to know."

"To be honest, I feel something is off about how successful this plan has been," Old Qiu said.

"why?"

Gao Bin immediately became interested.

"The matter you asked me to investigate is basically confirmed: there are definitely undercover agents in the police department."

"This person once sent intelligence to the mountain by carrier pigeon."

"Moreover, it was a direct, one-line contact with the political commissar of the Anti-Japanese United Army, so the level of secrecy must have been very high. They used this intelligence to pass on to other brigades and escaped the large-scale manhunt in Zhuhe and the evacuation of personnel from the Qixinglazi Arsenal."

Old Qiu said with certainty.

Gao Bin nodded: "You're right. Only high-ranking figures in the police department can access this kind of intelligence. The other party is not low-ranking."

The image of Zhou Yi immediately came to mind.

“Yes, this person has been hiding in the police department for at least three years, maybe even longer,” Old Qiu said.

"what?
"Three years? Are you sure?" Gao Bin asked, somewhat surprised.

"Sure.

"He started delivering intelligence as soon as I arrived on the mountain," Old Qiu said.

"So, for the past two years, that person has been sending intelligence up the mountain?" Gao Bin asked, paying close attention to detail.

“That’s right. After I became the squad leader last year, I had access to more intelligence. I can confirm that this person has passed on intelligence to the mountain at least five times in the past year or two.”

"Sometimes we use carrier pigeons, and sometimes we send people up the mountain."

"The higher-ups in the Anti-Japanese Allied Army were very cautious. I was afraid of giving myself away, so I didn't dare to investigate carefully," Old Qiu said.

"I understand." Gao Bin's expression was somewhat unpleasant.

His intuition had always pointed to Zhou Yi.

However, Zhou Yi had been carrying out secret missions within the Great Wall for the past two years, so he couldn't possibly be the one who passed on the intelligence.

Moreover, even though Zhou Yi passively learned the inside story during this operation to transport medicine up the mountain, he did not take any further action.

Gao Bin had monitored Zhou Yi's phone and kept a close watch on him and his wife 24 hours a day, as well as on their servants, so there was no possibility of a leak.

If Zhou Yi really was a red ticket holder, he couldn't possibly not have tried to intervene in such a critical matter concerning the survival of the Anti-Japanese United Army.

In other words, his usually self-proclaimed keen intuition failed him this time.

Zhou Yi was not a pro-Japanese sympathizer at all, and had no intention of helping the Anti-Japanese United Army.

Hey.

Time waits for no one.

"You don't look too well. You must have mistaken me for someone else," Old Qiu teased him.

"Aren't you planning to stay? The police department is short of a formal head of the police affairs section." Gao Bin smiled.

"No.

“Right now, the Red Ticket is looking for me all over the world. Staying means certain death. Once things are settled here, I will leave Harbin and even Manchukuo,” Old Qiu said.

"That's good too. Staying alive is more important than anything else." Gao Bin nodded.

"I wonder how my wife has been these past few years. I haven't been down the mountain, so I don't know many things," Old Qiu said.

"It's alright. She's so beautiful, and there are all sorts of people in the teahouse, so her life is naturally more comfortable than yours."

Gao Bin also said something disgusting to him.

"Let's go, staying here any longer will only cause her trouble." Old Qiu said, his face grim as he paid for the tea and stood up.

in the car.

Gao Bin's face was gloomy.

If it's not Zhou Yi, and the rank is so high, then who could it be?

Three years ago, he was still in Fengtian.

Lu Ming and Liu Kui had been with him for a long time, so he knew them well.

It's not like Zhou Yi.

That would have to be the upper level of the hall.

Director Bai or Liu Zhenwen?

Gao Bin suddenly felt a headache coming on and didn't dare to think any further.

……

in the afternoon.

Hong Zhiyou was just about to leave work when Zhou Yi walked in, closed the door behind him, and said, "I hope I won't bother you."

"Excuse me, Huizi said she'd teach me flower arranging," Hong Zhiyou said with a smile.

"It's so good that you're back. It seems your power is far greater than I imagined. My worries were unnecessary," Zhou Yi said.

"It's my honor to make you worry," Hong Zhiyou joked.

"Thanks to you this time, you saved the team on the mountain and also dug out Old Qiu, that high-ranking mole." Zhou Yi took out a cigarette case and handed one to Hong Zhiyou.

Do you know Vasilyev?
“I saw him go to see Shibuya Saburo. Shibuya is the kind of person who does all sorts of underhanded things. If he’s involved, this is probably going to be a big deal.”

"When I went there, I saw a map at Saburo Shibuya's residence that marked Sochi."

Hong Zhi made a comment, but didn't say anything more.

“Vasilyev, I know him, he’s Japan’s mouthpiece for anti-Soviet propaganda.”

Why is Saburo Shibuya paying attention to Sochi?

Zhou Yi was quite puzzled.

……

(End of this chapter)