Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 448 Desperately Denying

Gao Bin slowly walked out of the interrogation room.

The lights were dim, casting a long, weary shadow on him.

Back in his office, he lay back in his chair, staring intently at the ceiling, the lit pipe in his mouth flickering with each breath.

Gao Bin had sensed something was off about the last bacteriological warfare incident.

It went so smoothly.

Everything was a coincidence, and everything went smoothly without any flaws.

Now, upon learning the truth from Lai Wenbin, Gao Bin was so shocked that his spine went cold. Having worked in this industry for decades, this was the first time he had ever felt fear.

This operation was directly planned by the Japanese. Only the two chiefs, myself, Lu Ming, and a few others in the police department knew the inside story.

Zhou Yi, the most suspicious person, was under close surveillance and it was unlikely that he would pass on any information.

Lu Ming and Liu Kui were also under surveillance, and they had been following him for many years.

Lu Ming is a petty person blinded by greed.

Liu Kui is a reckless fool.

Moreover, the city was sealed off before the operation, and there were radio surveillance vehicles patrolling the city 24 hours a day.

Even if the mole wanted to send a telegram up the mountain, there were no suitable conditions.

Not to mention that the radio reception on the mountain is very weak.

This can be seen from the fact that Sister Lan asked Zhang Pingjun to risk his life to send a message up the mountain.

They wouldn't take this risk if telegrams could be kept running smoothly.

Pigeons are even less reliable for delivering messages.

These circumstances had been taken into account by Saburo Shibuya and the Military Police Headquarters long ago, which is why they were so confident in the outcome of the operation.

Then the problem is coming.

Since there was no timeliness or efficiency in transmitting messages down the mountain, who accurately delivered the intelligence and enabled Hong Piao to implement a series of perfect deception plans in a short period of time?
There is only one answer: the people who go up the mountain.

There were three people going up the mountain.

Xiao Dong and Ren Changchun were unaware of the inside story.

The only person who knew that the batch of medicine had been injected with poison was his nephew, Hong Zhiyou.

So, Zhiyou is... a red ticket?
Or perhaps he'd lost his mind selling mountain produce, daring to tip off the people in the mountains.

Either way, it would be disastrous if the Japanese found out about this.

Especially Shibuya Saburo, he will definitely make an issue of it.

Regardless of who is behind Zhiyou, the various interrogations by the Special Higher Police, the Security Bureau, the Military Police, and other agencies can torture a person to death.

No, we must deal with Lai Wenbin before the Japanese find out.

Gao Bin was about to call Lao Tu.

Then they heard the chaotic, hurried thumping of military boots outside, and saw Captain Murakami of the military police unit leading several military policemen into the room.

Gao Bin felt a chill run down his spine; it was exactly what he feared.

He quickly got up and went to the door to greet them: "Village Captain, is there something you need so late?"

“Gao Binjun, it’s good that you’re still here. I’ve received confirmation that you’ve arrested the special envoy of the Manchurian Provincial Committee of the Red Tickets. I now demand that you immediately hand him over to the military police,” Captain Murakami said.

"Captain Murakami, the person was arrested by our Special Service Section. There are still many details we haven't figured out yet. How about we hand him over after the interrogation tomorrow?" Gao Bin asked with a smile.

"No.

"This person is very important to us. Thank you for your hard work, Section Chief Gao."

Murakami didn't allow any objections and led his men directly to the interrogation room to take the person away.

Gao Bin did not object.

They watched as the military police escorted Lai Wenbin out.

"Section Chief Gao, the chairs in the interrogation room are too hard. It seems I can find a more comfortable place to sleep now." As he turned away, Lai Wenbin touched the scars on his cheek and said coldly.

"Sweet dreams," Gao Bin said with a smile and a nod.

He did not stop Murakami.

First, it cannot be stopped.

Secondly, he feared that showing too much would arouse the suspicion of Lai Wenbin and the Japanese.

As it stands, Lai Wenbin probably doesn't know that his nephew is among the people who went up the mountain, otherwise he wouldn't have revealed this information.

come back to the office.

Gao Bin went to the communications team immediately.

The person on duty, seeing the murderous rage on his face, jumped up from his chair in fright: "Section Chief Gao!"

"Find out immediately who from the police department called the military police within the last hour," Gao Bin said in a deep voice.

The duty officer immediately checked and quickly replied: "Chief Gao, the police department has not made any outgoing calls within the past hour."

"understood."

Gao Bin returned to his office with his hands behind his back.

boom!
He slammed his hand on the table, his eyes blazing with murderous intent, and spat out a chilling voice through clenched teeth:
"You two adulterers, you've come after me now."

"Eat two portions!"

"Humph!"

Immediately, he placed his hands on the table, his eyes flickering with an uncertain light, and fell into deep thought.

Li Hong was unaware of the list of people going up the mountain.

But Lao Qiu must know.

He might be with Li Hong right now.

It was either Li Hong or Lao Qiu who tipped off the military police.

There is only one reason: to drag Zhiyou down with him and ensure that the Gao family line ends.

This was to avenge the betrayal of Lao Qiu and his wife by using their family members to blackmail them into betraying him.

Old Qiu, oh Old Qiu.

Even as you're leaving, you still manage to stab me in the back.

Cruel enough!
……

Gendarmerie.

Murakami personally arranged the banquet.

"Do you speak Japanese?" he asked Lai Wenbin across from him.

"I know a little." Lai Wenbin nodded.

"Gao Bin must be very frustrated right now. He didn't expect Li Hong to work for me. It was Li Hong who called me first and said that you know a lot of important information."

"It's certain that the military police paid you more than Gao Bin did."

"please."

Murakami raised his hand and said.

“Thank you, Captain Murakami. It’s strange, but I mentioned something. Gao Binjun’s eyes looked very strange. I could tell he seemed to want to kill me,” Lai Wenbin said.

"Oh, tell me about it." Murakami was very interested.

Lai Wenbin then repeated the story of the Anti-Japanese United Army.

Then he saw the smile on Murakami's face gradually freeze, and then turn into fear, anger, and unease.

Then, he was gradually enveloped by murderous intent.

……

The next morning.

Hong Zhiyou got out of the car and ran into Zhou Yi.

"Hey, I don't know why, my eyelids are twitching really badly today," Hong Zhiyou said as he walked, carrying his briefcase.

"People back home say that a twitching left eye means good fortune, while a twitching right eye means bad luck. Looks like you're about to make a fortune again," Zhou Yi said as he walked.

“My right eyelid is twitching badly,” Hong Zhiyou said.

Zhou Yi was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Don't take it seriously, it's all superstition."

As soon as the two arrived at the police station, Gao Bin's assistant, Officer Li, was pacing in the corridor. Upon seeing Hong Zhiyou, he quickly said, "Section Chief Hong, the section chief wants to see you."

"Uncle, you're here so early today?" Hong Zhi glanced at his watch.

He usually arrives half an hour early to wipe the table.

"He doesn't look too good," Xiao Li said, not daring to say more.

Arrived at the office.

When Hong Zhi saw Gao Bin, he was startled. His uncle's face was gloomy, his eyes were bloodshot, and the ashtray next to him was full of ash, obviously he hadn't slept all night.

its not right.

Didn't they just arrest the special envoy?
"Uncle, what happened?" Hong Zhiyou asked.

"What did you do on the mountain?" Gao Bin stared at him sternly and coldly, as if he were about to betray a family member for the greater good.

"Uncle, what do you mean? I... I don't understand." Hong Zhi was shocked, but his face still showed innocent astonishment and fear.

"Don't you understand?"
Lai Wenbin revealed that the Japanese plan failed; they did not kill any members of the Anti-Japanese United Army, but rather a group of bandits.

"Someone leaked the information to them in real time."

“I’ve investigated. There’s absolutely no way for people down the mountain to tip them off. Of all the people who went up the mountain, only you know the inside story.”

"Kid, are you obsessed with money?"

"Once this matter is discovered, not even the Emperor, let alone a prince, can protect you."

"Are you crazy?! Huh!"

Gao Bin lowered his voice and questioned repeatedly.

"Uncle, I'm a little confused. I don't know what you're talking about." Hong Zhiyou still looked bewildered.

"Do you know why Lai Wenbin came to Harbin this time? He came specifically to commend the Fourth Detachment of the Anti-Japanese United Army for cracking the Japanese bacteriological warfare."

“Child, I am your uncle, and I raised you myself.”

"Tell me the truth, and we can work together to find a solution; there might still be room for improvement."

"I hope you can tell the truth."

Gao Bin said coldly.

Hong Zhiyou was speechless.

What a bunch of incompetent teammates.

Why not cover this up completely? Why send people to Harbin to give them a commendation? Are they out of their minds?
No wonder they were able to expel General Zhao Shangzhi from the Party later.

“Uncle, I didn’t, it wasn’t me,” Hong Zhiyou said solemnly.

"Look me in the eyes and say it again," Gao Bin said, pointing to his eyes and staring intently at him.

"Uncle, you've taught me since I was little to be an honest person."

“When I was in elementary school, I stole money from my aunt, and you made me stand in the snow for three hours. I almost froze to death.”

“From that moment on, I told myself that I would never tell you or my aunt a lie for the rest of my life.”

"Think about it, I now own General Guan's private property. Even if I do nothing, it's enough to last three lifetimes. I also have connections with a prince and the head of the guard."

"My future is bright. How could I possibly hand over my head just because the Anti-Japanese Alliance can kill a few minks?"

Uncle.

"I swear to His Majesty the Emperor, if I have uttered even the slightest lie, I..."

As he spoke, Hong Zhiyou turned to face the photo of Puyi in military uniform on the wall and was about to swear a solemn oath.

He dared not gamble his life on "family ties," especially with someone like Gao Bin, a deeply entrenched pro-Japanese figure.

I absolutely cannot admit to this.

If he admits it, not only him, but also Zhou Yi and Lao Wu, who are closely related to him, will suffer the same fate.

"Alright!" Gao Bin interrupted him.

“The problem now is that, regardless of whether you leaked the information or not, the Japanese will take drastic measures; they won’t let you off the hook,” Gao Bin said.

He slapped his forehead and sighed, "Sigh, I thought I'd caught a net full of fish, but I ended up with a dead duck. Now it's stinking in my hands, and I have to figure out how to swallow it."

"Who told you to be the only one on the mountain who knew the inside story?"

“Uncle, there’s one more person who knows as well.” Hong Zhiyou feigned realization and surprise.

"Old Qiu?" Gao Bin immediately understood.

"That's right. After I met with Lao Qiu, I passed on the information that the medicine was poisonous to him in order to facilitate our descent down the mountain."

"If the intelligence was leaked by the people who went up the mountain."

"There can only be one, and that's Lao Qiu!"

Hong Zhi's eyes lit up, and he quickly said.

"Old Qiu... um."

"If it is him, it is not surprising. He was a red flag member. Even if he defected, he spent three years on the mountain with the Anti-Japanese United Army."

"This kind of person is entirely capable of being redized again and infiltrating our ranks. No wonder he was so eager to have Li Hong call the village head and take Lai Wenbin away as soon as he heard that Lai Wenbin had been captured. It seems that he wanted to strike first, both to cut off the Gao family's lineage and to use you as a scapegoat."

"What a cunning and insidious plan to kill two birds with one stone!"

Gao Bin, who was always prone to suspicion, became increasingly convinced that this was true.

“Uncle, it seems we’ve underestimated the power of red tickets,” Hong Zhi nodded.

“The problem now is that Lai Wenbin has been taken away by Murakami. The Japanese now regard Lao Qiu as a meritorious official. Once this matter is reported to Shibuya Saburo, it will be you, if not you!” Gao Bin said, rubbing his temples with great distress.

"Uncle, as long as you're still in the military police force, you have a chance."

"I'm going to see Murakami."

Murakami was, after all, a "brother," and Hong Zhi believed he had a good chance of winning.

“Okay, remember, even if Murakami wants to report it, he must report it to Kato Keiichi at the Military Police Headquarters. He is an old friend of mine, and I can put in a good word for him,” Gao Bin said.

"Understood, Uncle." Hongzhi nodded.

……

morning.

Old Qiu stood by the window, wearing a coat and smoking a pipe, looking somewhat haggard.

Li Hong, with a radiant complexion, sat in front of her dressing table applying lipstick.

Her willingness to elope with Lao Qiu was largely due to his good physical condition and enduring virility.

"Sigh, I'm worried that Gao Bin will be furious about last night's phone call. He's a scary guy." Li Hong finished her makeup and admired herself in the mirror.

"What's there to be afraid of? He's just a head and two eyes."

"The uncle and nephew are at odds with Shibuya Saburo now, so they won't have many good days left."

"Humph."

Old Qiu looked disdainful.

"Lai Wenbin has been arrested. Are you not in danger?" Li Hong asked.

Her tone was indifferent, lacking the concern a wife should have.

Old Qiu is gone, but she won't lack support for the rest of her life.

No, Old Qiu is in good physical condition and has so much money; he can still live a good life in Xinjing.

"Of course there is danger."

“This person is of a very high rank. If he were to reveal that the Anti-Japanese Alliance was not poisoned, the whole world in Harbin would change.”

"It would be better if he were arrested by the Japanese military police. Shibuya Saburo could use him to get rid of Hong Zhiyou."

"But it fell into Gao Bin's hands."

“Hong Zhi, that bastard, will definitely try to pin the blame on me, and then I'll be the one who gets dragged down with him.”

"Compared to offending Gao Bin, I had no choice but to make this call to protect myself."

"It's a pity we can't get in touch with someone like Shibuya Saburo, otherwise we could have easily sent the only son of the Gao family to heaven."

Old Qiu said coldly.

“Such an important matter, the village shouldn’t dare to hide it,” Li Hong said.

"Maybe.

"But it doesn't matter. Once you sell the shop, we can leave."

Old Qiu said.

"By the way, isn't your shop always packed with people looking at it? How's it going? You're not reluctant to leave, are you?" Old Qiu wasn't stupid; he'd heard rumors about Li Hong's reputation as a flirtatious proprietress.

"There are many people watching, but they all want to get a bargain. It's all money. Anyway, they're not in a hurry to leave, so they want to get a satisfactory price and not be ripped off."

"You wouldn't be so bad at making money, would you?"

Li Hong pouted and said coquettishly.

"You should hurry."

"Also, don't go see Youyou lately. You betrayed the special envoy, and I'm afraid the red tickets will eventually end up in your hands. It's best to be careful," Old Qiu warned.

Youyou is their adopted daughter and has been raised by Li Hong's sister.

Old Qiu didn't really care; he always acted as if nothing was wrong.

But Li Hong treated him like her own son, and the constant back and forth between them was quite troublesome.

"knew.

"Once we've settled down in Xinjing, I'll have my sister take her there," Li Hong said, nodding repeatedly, still somewhat afraid of Lao Qiu.

……

Ten o'clock in the morning.

Hong Zhiyou arrived at the military police station carrying a small suitcase.

Murakami was meditating in his room.

This is how he calms himself down.

However, after sitting quietly for an hour, he still couldn't calm his anxiety and unease.

The plan failed.

He was the main executor.

Once the report is submitted, one's own fate is uncertain.

Not reporting such a serious accident, which concerns the honor and disgrace of the Great Japanese Empire, is a great disrespect to the Emperor. He should commit seppuku.

"Captain, Hong Zhi requests an audience." A guard walked in.

Murakami frowned and fell silent.

If what Lai Wenbin said is true, based on the deduction, he can almost certainly identify this person as the mole who leaked the information.

But he couldn't make such a hasty decision.

Besides Hong Zhiyou being his "patron" and friend, it was also because this guy was involved with too many people.

For a while.

Murakami hesitated.

"Let him in." He gritted his teeth slightly and nodded.

soon.

Hong Zhiyou walked in with a beaming smile, as if he knew nothing.

"Captain Murakami, am I not disturbing you?" he asked with a smile.

“No disturbance, Mr. Hong, please have a seat.” Murakami Masashi raised his hand.

Damn, those Japanese are so realistic.

Last time he called me "little brother," but this time he's called me "Hong Sang."

However, he's still better than Lao Lu; at least he didn't become Xiao Hong.

“Hong-san, if you’ve come for Lai Wenbin, then there’s no need for us to talk. I’ve already reported this to Chief of Staff Shibuya.”

"The fact that such a flaw has appeared in the Imperial Japanese Army's germ warfare plan is of paramount importance. Out of loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor, I have no other choice," Murakami said bluntly.

“No, I’m here to save you today,” Hong Zhiyou said.

"You'll save me?" Murakami found it ridiculous, but out of politeness towards money, he merely gave a slight smirk.

"First of all, the bacteriological warfare was a complete success."

"The dozen or so corpses found in Guanyin Cave have proven the infectivity and effectiveness of the virus. Dr. Ishii's research has not been in vain."

"And this is what the Great Japanese Empire, including Chief of the General Staff Rensuke Isogai, wanted to see."

Hong Zhi spoke methodically.

After a brief silence, Murakami poured Hong Zhiyou a cup of tea, gesturing for him to continue.

"Chief of Staff Isogai, Deputy Chief of Staff Yano Otosaburo, and even Shibuya Saburo were all very satisfied with this operation."

"Now that you've suddenly brought this up, it's purely a strategic mistake."

"The medicine was effective, but it was poisoned by the wrong person."

"The responsibility will fall on Chief Shibuya and you. Chief Shibuya is the planner, and you are the executor."

"The General Staff will definitely find someone to give them up."

"Chief Shibuya has Kanji Ishihara behind him, who's behind you?"
"Besides, you'll be the one carrying out the task, so all the responsibility will fall on your shoulders. You don't think those guys at the General Staff think killing a few Chinese will quell their anger, do you?"

Hong Zhi looked at him and sneered.

"How do you know you poisoned the wrong person, or did you leak this plan to the Anti-Japanese Alliance yourself?" Murakami said coldly.

"If I'm not mistaken, it was Old Qiu and his wife who called you."

“After we got up the mountain, I met with Lao Qiu and told him the whole plan in order to coordinate with its implementation.” Hong Zhiyou showed the mark on his wrist.

"Didn't you ever think about why the Anti-Japanese Alliance's defenses were so meticulous, why Lao Qiu was able to safely lead me down the mountain, while his assistant, who had followed him for many years, was personally silenced by him?"
"The reason is simple: the Anti-Japanese United Army was deliberately letting the enemy down."

"He was able to get Lao Qiu down the mountain smoothly, and because he saved me, someone testified that the plan was successful. He could then take credit and successfully infiltrate the upper echelons of the intelligence system."

"If I'm not mistaken, Lao Qiu must have gotten a good job in Xinjing."

Hong Zhiyou continued.

"Continue." Murakami tapped the table lightly.

"Old Qiu was a member of the Anti-Japanese United Army."

"He was turned by my uncle, but don't forget, he stayed in the mountains for three whole years, and it's entirely possible that he would return to the red flag."

"He did this to get revenge on my uncle and to frame me for the leak."

Hongzhi has the Way.

“That’s not scientific. Old Qiu is taking a lot of risk by doing this. There’s no need for him to let Li Hong betray the special envoy and get himself into trouble,” Murakami retorted.

That's because Li Hong is greedy for money.

"Moreover, he and Li Hong have long been estranged, and since they just came down from the mountain, they don't work well together. You can find out about Li Hong's past romantic affairs with a little investigation."

"The most important point is that Li Hong was just an external intelligence agent. According to my uncle's interrogation of Lai Wenbin, he said that Li Hong did not know about this matter."

"So, in order to avoid disaster, Lao Qiu took the initiative and dumped everything on me."

"this is all."

Hong Zhiyou said in a deep voice, "You don't mind if I smoke, do you?"

"Please do as you wish," Murakami said.

Hong Zhi lit a cigarette, took a puff, and then casually flicked his finger to open the box in front of him, which contained ten yellow croakers.

He pushed it in front of the village:
"Please tell me, I have a prince above me, a chief guard above me, you below me, and this endless wealth, am I out of my mind to risk my life to go up the mountain to help a group of people who can't even get enough to eat?"
"You don't think I'm a philanthropist or Buddha, do you?"

Murakami looked at the gold bars and narrowed his eyes slightly: "This is also a question I've been pondering all night, but I still can't figure it out."

"It seems we have the answer now," Murakami said with a smile.

"There was no such thing as bandits impersonating the Anti-Japanese United Army. Lai Wenbin was fabricating stories to deceive the military police into giving him a reward and getting away with it."

"He has ulterior motives. Brother, you must see through him and not let a villain use you to hurt our relationship."

"I'm still hoping you can become the chief of staff."

Hong Zhi solemnly pushed the gold bars in front of Murakami with both hands.

Murakami smiled faintly and remained silent.

"You didn't report it to Shibuya Saburo either, because you know better than I do that if you did, you'd be dead."

"This is money."

"Here is the katana you used to commit seppuku."

"Can you say that a samurai sword is more valuable than money?"
“Look at how much Hideki Tojo and Kanji Ishihara argued back then over the position of ‘Emperor Emeritus’ in Manchukuo. Did they ever think about the Emperor?”

"No, it's all for their own selfish interests."

"There's an old Chinese saying, 'If a man doesn't look out for himself, he'll be punished by heaven and earth.' When you die, do you know whether Saburo Shibuya will lay flowers on your grave or throw a pile of dog shit on it?"

"Wake up, my friend."

Hong Zhi raised both hands, palms outstretched, and said in a sincere tone.

Murakami's loyalty was always on his lips; otherwise, he wouldn't have been on such friendly terms with Commander Guan and Hong Zhiyou. Now, after hearing Hong Zhiyou's words, he felt enlightened and refreshed.

"Brother, listening to your words is like drinking a hundred cups of fine wine."

“I admit that I was used by Lao Qiu and blinded by Lai Wenbin. Thank you for reminding me, brother.”

Murakami bowed to him in gratitude.

"I'm already grateful you didn't arrest me and execute me," Hong Zhiyou said with a smile.

"How could that be? We're friends, we're brothers!" Murakami raised his glass and laughed.

"Cheers." Hong Zhiyou also raised his tea in a toast.

"I have to deal with Lai Wenbin immediately!"

"I won't keep you any longer."

Murakami said.

……

(End of this chapter)