Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 450 Planning
Tanaka snatched it away, glanced at it twice, and handed it to Shibuya Saburo.

“What you’re doing is torture to extract a confession,” Tanaka said, pointing to the tormented corpse on the ground.

"Assistant Tanaka, have you ever seen an interrogation without torture?"

"I was just conducting the interrogation according to normal procedures."

"Based on the military police's law enforcement authority, I have the right to carry out severe wartime punishments."

Murakami said.

In fact, ever since Hideki Tojo began his frenzied expansion of the military police in Manchukuo, the military police have wielded astonishing power, typically directing and supervising the police department as well as espionage and intelligence work.

Especially after the establishment of the special forces, the organization was greatly expanded and they also took on intelligence and espionage work.

To a certain extent, compared to Keiichi Kato's military police headquarters, the military police force usually has stronger and more specific execution capabilities, although there is a subordinate relationship, it is not absolute.

Hideki Tojo stipulated that local military police units should report directly to the General Staff Headquarters.

Logically speaking, the Binjiang Provincial Police Headquarters can only request the cooperation of the military police under the guise of assistance or cooperation in investigation, and does not have the right to directly intervene or command.

Murakami respected Shibuya Saburo so much that he even obeyed his every command, largely because Shibuya Saburo had been a confidant of Ishihara Kanji, the powerful deputy chief of staff of Manchukuo.

Saburo Shibuya has the authority to speak directly with Kanji Ishihara.

In other words, Saburo Shibuya has the ability and resources to coordinate various parties.

Even though Ishihara Kanji had stepped down six months earlier, Murakami still instinctively obeyed Shibuya Saburo's orders and control in the face of the political capital he left behind.

But this does not mean that Saburo Shibuya has the right to govern him.

Clearly, spurred by money, this military police captain was about to rebel against the Heavenly Gang.

"You idiot! How dare you speak to Mr. Shibuya like that!" Tanaka roared in anger.

“If Mr. Shibuya and Assistant Tanaka feel that there is a problem with my law enforcement, they can raise their objections with the General Staff.” Murakami’s tone became firm, and he met Tanaka and Shibuya Saburo’s gaze without fear.

He knew there was no turning back, so he decided to stick with Hong Zhi to the bitter end.

"Just wait for your punishment," Tanaka said angrily.

"Captain Murakami, you're right, this is the right of your military police."

"Well done."

Shibuya Saburo smiled, raised his hand to stop the furious Tanaka, and handed back Lai Wenbin's signed document.

"Thank you, Director Shibuya," Murakami replied.

Saburo Shibuya got into the car as if nothing had happened.

“Hong-san, this time we’re really in the same boat, brothers in misfortune. Tanaka and Shibuya Saburo will definitely report me to the General Staff. I might be demoted to a commoner tomorrow.”

"You'll have to take care of me then, little brother."

Murakami smiled with a hint of bitterness.

"There will be penalties."

"Chief of Staff Isoya Rensuke will punish you to some extent in order to quell the anger of the Ishihara faction, but given time, he and Vice Commander Yano Otosaburo will definitely give you an important position."

"A new emperor brings a new court, and someone like you who dares to go against the main force of the Ishihara faction is their lifeline."

"They will be reused sooner or later."

"Here are your exact words: If you were to become the Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Army someday, I wouldn't be surprised at all."

Hongzhi has the Way.

"I hope it's as you say, that I become the Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Army, and that all the gold, silver, minerals, and mountain products of Northeast China will be yours," Murakami said.

No, they are all yours and mine.

"I'll use my money to pawn off a prime minister for you."

Hong Zhi patted him on the shoulder.

"I wouldn't dare dream of becoming prime minister; I'd be content just to get into the General Staff," Murakami said with a smile.

"People only achieve things if they dare to dream and fight for them; otherwise, what's the point of living like a salted fish?"

Hong Zhiyou stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant sky with a deep look in his eyes, as if he could see the future.

Murakami was also inexplicably infected.

Being with Hong Zhi is like a fantastical adventure, full of both danger and fortune, and incredibly exciting.

This kind of life is undoubtedly very interesting.

“Hong-san, with Shibuya Saburo’s intelligence, he’ll quickly connect it to the Anti-Japanese Alliance. If he reports it to the General Staff for a thorough investigation, I’m afraid we still won’t escape his execution.” After a long silence, Murakami sighed.

"You're overthinking it. Shibuya Saburo will take the initiative to smooth things over."

"His current situation is more difficult than ours. He has lost Ishihara Kanji, and he is a Nichiren sect member. Such a person has a reputation but is actually feared by everyone."

"Once a mistake is made, it will be magnified and criticized infinitely."

"He was the planner and the inspector of this matter. If he were to be exposed, his fate would be worse than mine."

Therefore, he will only choose to remain silent, or even cover it up.

"Of course, unless he's gone mad and decided to take us all down with him!"

……

On the car.

Tanaka angrily cursed, "Director, there must be something wrong with this. There were obvious signs of torture before Lai Wenbin died. They must be covering something up by killing him so hastily."

"And it must be related to Hong Zhi."

“The person is already dead. No matter how angry you are, he cannot be brought back to life. Don’t let hatred cloud your judgment; that will only make you foolish,” Shibuya Saburo said calmly.

"we need to……"

He was about to speak when he suddenly fell silent.

Lai Wenbin was a special commissioner of the Manchurian Provincial Committee.

This person has access to top-level intelligence.

What kind of intelligence could make Gao Bin and Murakami so restless in the middle of the night, Hong Zhiyou so eager to silence them, and make the usually obedient Murakami turn against him?

It is highly likely that this matter threatened their lives, so they had no choice but to fight to the death.

What could it be?
Shibuya Saburo pondered for a moment, then suddenly trembled and a cold glint appeared in his eyes.

germ warfare!
Anti-Japanese United Army!

Yes, things went too smoothly; there must have been a problem along the way.

Murakami and Hong Zhiyou were the direct executors.

That's right.

Saburo Shibuya quickly and astutely grasped the truth.

However, this hint of excitement lasted less than half a second before fading away.

This is a huge matter. If it is thoroughly investigated, it will give Isogai Rensuke a pretext to remove him from the case, or even execute him.

Shibuya Saburo wanted to get rid of opportunistic individuals like Hong Zhiyou, who were corrupting the military of the Imperial Japanese Empire.

But he wasn't ready to die together with Hong Zhi.

I don't have the courage either.

"Should we continue the investigation?"
“Old Qiu is also one of the executors. He’s in Harbin. Maybe we can find a breakthrough through him,” Tanaka said.

“You can give it a try,” Shibuya Saburo said calmly.

He knew very well that Tanaka was a very curious person.

If you try to suppress it, Tanaka will definitely investigate it privately.

Old Qiu was the person involved, so he wouldn't say anything and just let Tanaka do as he pleased.

"Furthermore, I plan to report Murakami to the General Staff. If we don't teach this kid a lesson, he'll really think we're made of clay," Tanaka said angrily.

“Okay.” Shibuya Saburo nodded again.

He couldn't be bothered to offer guidance to someone who lacked political acumen.

……

Hong Zhi returned to the police station.

Gao Bin paced back and forth in his office with his hands behind his back. When he saw Hong Zhi, he couldn't wait to ask:
"how was it?"

“Lai Wenbin has already been executed, and Shibuya Saburo and Tanaka came up empty-handed!” Hong Zhiyou said.

"Shut up!"

Gao Bin breathed a sigh of relief: "Luckily you acted quickly. Alright, the storm has passed for the time being."

"After all, few people know the truth, and the political commissar of Red Ticket No. 1 Underground and the one on the mountain are not so easy to catch."

"Thank you for your hard work, Uncle. Without you, I might have been done for," Hong Zhiyou said gratefully.

"As long as you're okay."

Gao Bin said this with a double meaning.

"By the way, didn't Lai Wenbin give any other instructions?" It's a bit of a pity that he wasted such a big fish.

"We dealt with a few small fry on the periphery, but the village chief was too lazy to catch them, to avoid any unnecessary trouble and potential problems later," Hong Zhiyou said.

"Why.

"It's restrictive."

"But he's right to do this; let these clowns live a little longer."

"By the way, we need to keep a close eye on Lao Qiu. Try to stall him for a while longer. This guy can't be allowed to live, but we shouldn't make a move."

"Killing him at this juncture, coupled with the matter of the special envoy, would easily attract the attention of the General Staff."

"As long as he stays in Harbin long enough, the red ticket will catch him sooner or later."

"I'm quite shrewd," Gao Bin said shrewdly.

“Yes, Uncle.” Hong Zhiyou accepted the order.

……

Hong Zhi returned to his office.

Lu Ming followed right in: "Brother, tell me, are you angry or not?"

"What are you angry about?" Hong Zhi asked.

"We finally caught a big fish at the train station, but before we even got the reward, the military police intercepted him."

"These idiots didn't understand anything at all."

"A special envoy of the Manchurian Provincial Committee, if he casually leaks any information, it must be something useful, enough to make him rich."

"These idiots didn't get a single word out of him, they just dragged him out and shot him."

"Sigh, with such a bunch of pigs, all our work has been for nothing."

Lu Ming lit a cigarette, crossed his legs, and started complaining.

You son of a bitch, you're the pig!

Hong Zhi rubbed his face and chuckled, "There's nothing I can do. They're my superiors. I tried to negotiate with them myself, but to no avail. I guess I'll just have to accept my fate."

"I miscalculated. I should have subjected him to severe torture when I caught him yesterday. A full set of the Five Elements Technique would have made him confess."

Lu Ming said, somewhat annoyed.

"Yes, next time it will be up to you, Section Chief Lu, to take charge personally," Hong Zhi replied somewhat wearily.

"Brother... it's like this, I have a cousin who just graduated from police academy, and he wants to join the security bureau."

"His father is my uncle. When I was a child, I fell into an ice hole and my uncle saved my life."

"Everyone in the village knows I'm a high-ranking official in the police department, and they've put me on a pedestal."

"Now that my uncle has come to find me in person, I'm really in a difficult situation."

"Tell me, what kind of place is the Security Bureau? It's our sworn enemy. Not to mention the Security Bureau, even the Police Department's staffing is completely restricted right now, and I can't get a place there."

"Ugh, this is really worrying me."

Lu Ming sat to the side and began to pour out his grievances.

"The Security Bureau now wields a lot of power and acts extremely arrogantly. They even dare to interfere in the affairs of the military police, and they treat us like dirt, defecating and urinating on our heads."

"Isn't there a saying like this?"
"Even a dog guarding the gate at the Security Bureau is worth more than a deputy director of a department in the City Hall."

"Your cousin has a good eye for choosing."

Hong Zhi didn't respond, but just made a joke.

"Brother, I know you have a wide network of connections, could you help me out?"

"Now my family back home is watching me closely. If I can't get this done, I'll have nowhere to hide my face when I go home."

Lu Ming made his request, feeling quite frustrated.

Sigh, yet another pathetic creature bound by morality and vanity.

The Security Bureau... Hong Zhiyou really knows how to operate.

"It's possible to work on it, but that depends on how sincere you are."

“You know those guys eat like madmen; they won’t open their mouths unless there’s some oil or fat,” Hong Zhi said.

I understand.

"Don't worry, this number is fine." Lu Ming spread his five fingers.

"Five gold bars?" Hong Zhiyou raised his eyebrows.

"If it's not enough, I'll add another two thousand yuan," Lu Ming said through gritted teeth.

This was during the height of Japan's military expansion, with various fronts emerging. Manchukuo had not yet experienced inflation, and the Kangde currency was still quite valuable.

Five hundred yuan can buy a decent house, and two thousand yuan is enough for an average person to live on for two or three years.

"Two thousand isn't enough, how about three thousand?"

"I can try."

Hong Zhiyou said.

"Fine," Lu Ming gritted his teeth and agreed.

“Your uncle is very rich,” Hong Zhiyou said with a smile.

“The village’s nouveau riche still has some wealth,” Lu Ming said.

"Okay, wait for my news." Hong Zhi nodded.

"I'll go get you the money." Lu Ming went out and returned a moment later with a bag, which he threw on the table.

"Good work."

After saying that, he reluctantly put his hands in his pockets and walked out.

A moment later, Zhou Yi walked in and looked at the bag on the table: "You can even handle the Security Bureau? Those guys don't even give Section Chief Gao any face now, and Section Chief Gao is still working as an assistant supervisor over there."

It's clear that Lu Ming also contacted him.

“Once the money is in place, you’ll have face,” Hong Zhiyou said.

"Well, your money theory seems to be invincible at the moment."

"By the way, the special envoy is dead. Did he leave anything behind at the military police headquarters?" Zhou Yi pulled out a chair and sat down.

"You look a little sad?" Hong Zhiyou said with a smile.

“Of course, this is a major blow to the entire underground organization,” Zhou Yi said.

You're overthinking it.

"He had an affair with Lao Qiu's woman, Li Hong. Last night, Li Hong came over, and he confessed after just a few words, revealing the details of the Anti-Japanese United Army's bacteriological warfare."

"They even intend to admit that you have the Manchurian No. 1."

"..."

Hong Zhiyou recounted the details of the interrogation.

"This was too dangerous. If you hadn't intervened in time, the entire underground organization in Northeast China might have been wiped out."

"Zhiyou, thank you."

Zhou Yi bowed deeply to him to express his gratitude.

"I'm doing this for myself too."

"However, this matter should be handled discreetly. In addition, Lao Wei, the Manchurian No. 1, the transportation station, and the old contact points should all be changed."

"Nobody knows if my uncle and the villager managed to get any other useful information out of him last night."

"It's better to be careful."

Hongzhi has the Way.

“Understood. I will meet with Lao Wei today and tell him the truth,” Zhou Yi said.

"Judging from this incident, your people, especially the Manchurian Provincial Committee, have made many incomprehensible decisions. You'd better have a backup plan or flexible contingency measures for everything."

"These people admire the Soviet Union and Stalin, especially those who always want to go to the Soviet Union to study and get their credentials. I don't think they're reliable."

"Blindly listening and following will lead to the same tragedy as Li Debogu."

"You must maintain your own independent thinking. Practice is the only criterion for testing truth. Unrealistic guidance or actions are called empiricism, and they can kill you."

"For example, this award, no matter what their reasons were, is a pile of dog shit."

Hong Zhiyou rarely discussed theory with Zhou Yi.

In his previous life, he experienced the Shibamoto case on Wandao Island, where thousands of people from the island's underground organization were arrested and killed, and the soil of Baba Town was stained red—a bloody memory.

"You're right, I'll discuss this with Lao Wei in detail."

“If one day in the future we really achieve victory in the War of Resistance against Japan as you say, I will definitely recommend you to the higher-level organization.” Zhou Yi expressed his heartfelt gratitude.

Hong Zhi smiled but didn't say anything.

If the war had truly ended in victory, he would have gone to Tianjin with Lao Wu to make his fortune long ago. In this freezing weather, who could endure eight months of cold a year?

"By the way, we're running out of medicine on the mountain; it's time to get some," Zhou Yi reminded him.

"Easy to say.

"Some time ago, the 3rd Battalion of the 26th Regiment of the National Army clashed with bandits. I will ask the village to allocate a batch of medicines for Hao Guifang to take up the mountain."

“They used to have secret channels and methods for trading with bandits. You can have the Anti-Japanese Allied Forces disguise themselves as bandits and move this batch of medicine up the mountain.”

"I've been too busy lately. If I could recruit Xu Yunying, the daughter of Guo Sanjiang, to work for me, it would be much easier for her to handle these matters."

Hong Zhiyou gets a headache whenever this matter is mentioned.

Guan Weilong is still hogging his gold mine and hasn't had the time to deal with these bastards.

“Alright, once you and Hao Guifang have discussed it, I’ll have Lao Wei send someone up the mountain in the next couple of days,” Zhou Yi nodded.

"besides.

"It is certain that Li Hong betrayed Sun Yuejian and Lai Wenbin. She is the owner of Hongyun Teahouse. The last time the matter of transporting medicine and radios up the mountain was leaked, it was she who got the information out of Lai Wenbin in bed."

"Li Hong is Lao Qiu's wife."

Hongzhi has the Way.

“That Lai fellow deserves to die.” Zhou Yi frowned.

"However, I suggest we don't take action against them now. The Kwantung Army's high command may not be paying attention to Lai Wenbin's case right now. If we kill the couple now..."

"When you put everything together, it's hard for them to associate it with germ warfare."

"Tell your people to be patient and not cause me any trouble."

Hong Zhiyou reminded him.

“I understand. Since Lao Wei and his men can’t catch Lao Qiu right now, I won’t reveal Li Hong’s identity for the time being. I will just send people to keep an eye on them.”

"Unless they're in a hurry to escape."

Zhou Yi nodded.

"No, I had someone get rid of Wang Erganzi from Nangang. Things are a bit chaotic there now, and Lao Hei's men are secretly intimidating the teahouse buyers."

"Furthermore, Li Hong was unfaithful to Lao Qiu and had also become accustomed to life in Harbin."

"Before the teahouse goes out of business, the couple will be lured in by it and will probably not leave Harbin anytime soon."

Hong Zhi had planned this all along.

Zhou Yi laughed: "You really have a perfect plan. With you here, I suddenly feel that living isn't so hard anymore."

"Don't be too happy yet, I know your Russian grandmother left you a lot of inheritance."

"Today's conversation will be charged."

"Intelligence is also a business."

Hong Zhiyou smiled.

"Don't worry, I won't treat you badly. I'll settle the bill for you tomorrow morning." Zhou Yi readily agreed.

……

night.

Hong Zhi went to the leather goods store.

Wu Jingzhong was practicing his martial arts upstairs. I couldn't understand what kind of boxing he was using, but it was powerful and impressive. He was obviously quite skilled, otherwise, how could he have such a strong voice?

Upon seeing Hong Zhiyou, he did not stop.

He finished the entire set of punches before stopping, glaring at him with displeasure:

"Are you kidding me? You come here every day, even if I have nothing to do, it'll seem like something's wrong."

"It's cold, and I'm worried about your health, old man." Hong Zhiyou smiled and tossed the money onto the table.

The sound of money clinking instantly calmed Wu Jingzhong's anger. He turned around and smiled gently, "Speak, what is it?"

"Lu Ming from the Special Service Section wants me to help his cousin get into the Security Bureau. Can you help me think of a way?" Hong Zhiyou sat down, casually poured himself some tea, and started cracking sunflower seeds.

Now that there's no fruit as a perk, he can only mooch sunflower seeds and peanuts.

……

(End of this chapter)