Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 459 Critical Situation

The Yong Sheng Kui Tea House was in a complete mess.

Broken tables, chairs, and benches were scattered about, and porcelain shards and tea leaves mixed with water stains were spilled all over the floor.

"Uncle Hei, what do we do? They're clearly coming for us!"

A man who looked like a manager approached Old Hei, his brow furrowed, and asked.

His name is Cai Zhong, and he has been Lao Hei's right-hand man for many years.

Old Hei's face was as still as water. He took out his old pipe from his pocket, silently loaded it with tobacco, lit it, and took a deep drag.
"What's the panic? The sky isn't going to fall, and Young Master Hong hasn't even made his move yet."

Cai Zhong stamped his feet anxiously: "It still won't collapse? The one who arrested people is Tanaka from the Binjiang Provincial Police Department, the deputy of Shibuya Saburo!"
"Even Little Hong himself almost fell into Shibuya Saburo's hands last time, so what are we compared to him!"

He lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming: "Uncle Hei, take my advice, let's break up! Going against the Japanese will only end badly!"

Several of the other men chimed in.

"Yes, Uncle Hei, that's a Japanese man, he kills without blinking an eye!"

"What if... what if Peng Hu really is a red ticket? All of us, dozens of people, will lose our heads!"

"Brother Cai is right. As long as we're alive, we can always make a comeback. Let's get out of here!"

Panic spread rapidly among the population, like a plague.

Cai Zhong glanced at everyone's reactions and a slight, almost imperceptible, smile appeared on his lips.

He had long disliked Peng Hu, that taciturn fellow. What right did a wild boy from the mountains have to be Master Hong's right-hand man?
Now that Peng Hu has fallen, Yong Sheng Kui's mess is about to fall apart as well.

Over the years, I've built up a large list of regular customers at casinos. If I could gather a group of people and start my own casino, I might just be able to make a name for myself in Harbin.

Moreover, he also has... powerful backers.

Old Hei gave Cai Zhong a cold glance.

This guy is incredibly stupid.

When gods fight, why are you, a mere brat, joining in the commotion?

Even if Master Hong really can't beat Shibuya Saburo, it's not someone like you who can pull a fast one.

Very well, this is a good opportunity to see which of these people are human and which are ghosts.

"Young Master Hong has treated us all well, hasn't he? Now that there's just a little trouble, you're all clamoring to break up. Isn't that a bit disloyal?" Old Hei exhaled a smoke ring, his voice not loud, but it drowned out all the noise.

"That's right, Young Master Hong is always responsive to requests and follows the rules!"

"They even got us food ration coupons from the police department, and they give us money and meat during holidays. Where else can you find such a boss!"

“My mother went to the hospital last month, and it was also arranged by Master Hong. Now that we’ve run away, it’s really disheartening.”

Several of Hong Zhi's grateful colleagues immediately stood up and loudly refuted him.

Cai Zhong scoffed and interrupted them rudely: "Good? What good is that! You're about to die, and you're still thinking about those little favors?"

He stepped forward, raising his voice to make sure everyone could hear him:

"I just got the news that Little Hong went to Xinjing to complain, and what happened? He was kicked out by Chief of Staff Isogai Rensuke of the Kwantung Army like a dog!"

He pointed to the clear handprint on Old Black's face, his expression full of mockery.

"See? This is what happens!"

"Uncle Hei, stop holding on, let's break up! Divide the money, go home and find your mothers!" Cai Zhong shouted.

Old Hei tapped his pipe on the sole of his shoe and poured out the ash.

"Alright."

He straightened up and looked around at the crowd.

"Now, those who want to leave, step forward."

"I, Lao Hei, won't stop you. Go to the accounting office to collect your wages, and from now on, we'll be even," Lao Hei said.

Cai Zhong was the first to step forward, a smug smile on his face.

One by one, seven or eight more people followed behind him.

Old Hei didn't even glance at them; he simply had the accountant fetch the money and distribute it to them on the spot.

Cai Zhong took the money and gave Lao Hei a sarcastic bow: "Uncle Hei, take care."

“Brothers, believe me, after tonight Yong Sheng Kui will be completely finished. If anyone goes hungry, just come to me, Cai Zhong.”

After saying that, he led his men away.

The huge teahouse suddenly felt much emptier.

Looking at the twenty-odd men who remained, Lao Hei's cloudy eyes finally showed some warmth.

He solemnly clasped his hands in a fist and bowed deeply to the crowd:
"Thank you, brothers, for staying with this old man and helping Little Hong through this difficult time."

"Uncle Hei, what are you doing! You're making us feel so bad!"

"Exactly! In this world, you're going to die soon either way. Where's the point of making a living? Where else can you find a benevolent boss like Master Hong?"

"When Liu Bei was down on his luck, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei stayed by his side. Although we are not heroes, we know what is good and bad!"

"That's right! Let the Japanese kill us if they want! We'll fight them to the death! We'll be heroes again in eighteen years!"

"On the road to the underworld, let's all keep Little Hong company, so he won't be lonely!"

The remaining men were filled with righteous indignation, each of them stubbornly refusing to back down.

Old Hei's eyes felt a little hot.

He knew that these people were the real source of Little Hong's wealth.

"okay."

Old Hei waved his hand, silencing the crowd:

"Those with wives, children, and elderly parents should go home now and find a place to lay low for a while."

"Those who have no burden left can stay here and wait with me for Master Hong to come home."

"Don't go!"

"We're not leaving!"

"If we're going to die, we'll die together!"

Everyone disagreed, and no one moved an inch.

Looking at the simple yet resolute faces before him, Lao Hei felt a surge of pride welling up inside him.

He clasped his hands in a fist salute again, and his voice became more impassioned:
"Good, good, good! You're all great! You're all my good brothers!"

"On behalf of Master Hong, I thank everyone!"

"Then let's wait here!"

"Wait for Little Hong to come back, then we'll have a go at that son of a bitch, Shibuya Saburo!"

……

Late at night, Zhou Yi got out of the car, hurried up the steps, and knocked on Gao Bin's door.

"Who is it that comes knocking at mealtime?" Liao Chunxiang said, clearly displeased.

"Shh!"

Gao Bin made a shushing gesture.

He took a pistol from the inner room, concealed it in the wide sleeve of his pajamas, walked to the door, and shouted, "Who is it?"

"Section Chief Gao, it's me, Zhou Yi. It's urgent." Zhou Yi's gentle voice came from outside the door.

After confirming the location through the peephole, Gao Bin opened the door.

He knew that Zhou Yi never liked to curry favor with influential people, and he rarely spoke of being anxious, so it seemed that something had happened.

"Section Chief." Zhou Yi walked in.

"Captain Zhou, what happened?" Gao Bin asked.

Zhou Yi glanced at Liao Chunxiang, who smiled and said, "Captain Zhou, you two chat."

After he went upstairs, Zhou Yi walked to the stove, warmed his hands, and said in a deep voice, "Something has happened."

"Shibuya Saburo's men just raided Tomoyuki's Eisei-kai teahouse."

Gao Bin's eyes sharpened instantly: "Who led the team?"

“Assistant Tanaka,” Zhou Yi replied.

"He brought more than a dozen plainclothes officers and a squad of military police; it was quite a large force. They arrested one of Zhiyou's men, named Peng Hu."

Gao Bin picked up his pipe: "What's the reason? There has to be some excuse."

“A general ticket.” Zhou Yi uttered two words. “In front of everyone, Tanaka said that Peng Hu was a suspect with a red ticket and even showed an arrest warrant from the Binjiang Provincial Police Department.”

Gao Bin paused in his act of filling the tobacco container, his brows furrowing tightly.

It's that Saburo Shibuya again.

It's like a persistent ghost.

He rubbed his temples, feeling a surge of anger rising from his heart to his head.

This madman does things completely unconventionally.

Arresting someone on charges of "using a pass" is clearly an attempt to torture them to death.

Moreover, he deliberately chose to make his move when Zhiyou went to Xinjing; his intentions were truly malicious.

"Pass..."

“The Japanese have never been reasonable. I’m worried they’ll torture him into confessing, forcing that guy named Peng Hu to make baseless accusations, and eventually implicate Zhiyou as the mastermind,” Gao Bin said.

"They might even send the person directly to the Togo unit in Ishii. They usually use this tactic against people without concrete evidence."

Zhou Yi also frowned.

Gao Bin waved his hand irritably: "Sigh, it's true that a higher rank can crush you. I'll go ask Commander Kato and see if he has any say on the matter."

He got up and went to the inner room to make a phone call, then returned a moment later: "Commander Kato has gone to Xinjing and we can't get in touch with him."

Gao Bin then remembered something and said to Zhou Yi, "By the way, doesn't Lu Ming have some personal connections with that Tanaka?"

“I remember he even visited us in person.”

"Send him to the police headquarters to find out what's going on and what the situation is."

Zhou Yi immediately replied, "Section Chief, I'm afraid that won't work. Lu Ming just called me and said that his mother has suddenly fallen seriously ill and he needs to take two days off to go home and take care of her."

After hearing this, Gao Bin's lips curled into a cold smile, and he let out a sneer:
"Hehe, asking for leave?"

"I bet he heard something beforehand and went into hiding! This guy just wants to see us fail, wants to see Zhiyou get into trouble! He's quite shrewd."

Zhou Yi immediately volunteered: "Section Chief, this matter cannot be delayed. I'll ask Liu Kui to go to the Police Headquarters and see if he can find out anything."

"Thank you for your hard work, Captain Zhou."

Seeing Zhou Yi neglecting his pregnant wife and busy himself late into the night, Gao Bin felt that Hong Zhi's efforts hadn't been in vain since he had associated with this man.

Of course, this excludes his private affair with Gu Qiuyan.

……

Interrogation room, Binjiang Provincial Police Headquarters.

The cold, damp air was filled with a strange smell, a mixture of rust and blood.

Peng Hu was tied to a wooden cross, his whole body was soaked, and his hair was wet and stuck to his forehead.

Xiao Jia, a shop assistant at Futai Leather Shop, was handcuffed to a tiger bench next to him, his face pale and his lips trembling.

Tanaka, dressed in a crisp uniform, strolled slowly in front of the two men, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

He pointed to the things on the table.

One item was a radio and several boxes of anti-inflammatory drugs found in Peng Hu's home.

The other document was a codebook and several letters found under Xiao Jia's bed.

"Speak."

"Between the two of you, who is the upline and who is the downline?"

"What is your code name in the Red Ticket organization? What role does Hong Zhi play in your organization?"

Peng Hu raised his head, spat out a mouthful of blood, and looked at him coldly: "If you want to kill me, then kill me, stop talking nonsense!"

"The bones are quite strong."

Tanaka waved his hand, and the interrogator proceeded to give him a severe beating.

Peng Hu gritted his teeth and refused to beg for mercy.

Tanaka then looked at Xiao Jia: "What about you? Want to try this too?"

Xiao Jia was terrified and shook his head repeatedly: "I...I don't know...I don't know anything! Sir, spare me! I'm just a leather seller!"

“I won’t cry until I see the coffin!”

Tanaka lost his patience.

Screams soon echoed throughout the interrogation room.

Branding iron, chili water, pouring cold water...

Various forms of torture were used in turn.

Half an hour later, Peng Hu and Xiao Jia, who seemed to have suffered enough, finally confessed.

They pressed their fingerprints tremblingly onto a pre-prepared statement.

The confession clearly states that both men were red ticket agents operating in Harbin, and their direct superior was Hong Zhiyou, the head of the Economic Section of the Harbin Police Department, codenamed...God of Wealth.

The moment he pressed his handprint, a cold smile appeared on Peng Hu's lips.

Hong Zhi had repeatedly warned Lao Hei and himself that if they were caught by Shibuya Saburo, they should never resist to the death.

Instead, one should reasonably admit defeat and confess when one is unable to withstand the beating.

As long as a person is alive, he will find a way to get them out.

……

early morning.

Shibuya Saburo, dressed in a loose white training uniform, was practicing Tai Chi in the courtyard at a leisurely pace.

His every move was well-structured, steady, and graceful.

This executioner, whose hands were stained with blood, had an almost obsessive interest in traditional Chinese culture.

He firmly believed that only by deeply understanding the culture of this nation could he find the most effective way to completely conquer it.

"Mr. Shibuya".

Tanaka waited quietly by the side until Shibuya Saburo finished his routine before daring to speak.

The two entered the Japanese-style room one after the other.

Shibuya Saburo knelt on the tatami mat, poured himself a cup of tea, and took two slow sips.
"They've all confessed?"

Tanaka replied excitedly, "They were beaten badly. After all, they were just two guys. What tough nut could they be? They were all taken down in one go."

"We've got the evidence. Should we take care of these two people now?"

“No need.” Shibuya Saburo shook his head.

"If we want to get to the bottom of Hong Zhiyou, we'd better have witnesses. Keep them around, and when Hong Zhiyou returns, we'll arrest him immediately," he said.

“Hong Zhiyou will arrive in Harbin by train at 3 p.m. today,” Tanaka added.

"Yoshi."

A cold, shrewd glint flashed in Saburo Shibuya's eyes:
"Arrange the men, plainclothes officers will do. Arrest him as soon as he arrives at the station!"

……

Nine o'clock in the morning, Special Operations Division of the Police Department.

Liu Kui pushed open the door and walked into Gao Bin's office. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked slightly tired.

"Section Chief, I've found out."

"That bastard Tanaka claimed to have found evidence at the homes of Peng Hu and Xiao Jia, the shop assistant at Futai Leather Shop."

"The interrogation took place overnight, and I heard they used severe torture. Those two... confessed."

"They even admitted... that Section Chief Hong was the mastermind behind them."

Gao Bin raised his eyelids and stared at Liu Kui: "Is the information reliable? Where did you get it from?"

"That's what a cook at the Police Headquarters said."

“Whenever there’s an interrogation, the cook has to work overtime all night to deliver food to the interrogation room. I gave him a hundred yuan tip, and he told me everything,” Liu Kui explained.

"Hmm." Gao Bin nodded, a hint of approval on his face. "As expected of my old subordinate who has followed me for many years, he is reliable in his work."

"Where is Captain Zhou?" he asked again.

"Captain Zhou is still contacting his friends in Xinjing."

"In addition, he called Yu Jingtao, the police superintendent of the provincial department, to report Tian Zhong's arrogant behavior in Harbin and asked Superintendent Yu to put in a good word for him."

Liu Kui sighed as he finished speaking:

"Unfortunately, Inspector Yu wasn't too keen on it and was unwilling to get involved in Shibuya Saburo's affairs."

His face was full of worry: "Section Chief, I'm worried that Shibuya Saburo will take the confession and use it against Tomoyuki!"

Gao Bin remained silent, only puffing on his pipe, filling the office with smoke.

“Zhi will be back sometime, you know?” he asked.

"We'll arrive at the station at 3 PM," Liu Kui replied.

Gao Bin slammed his pipe down on the table: "No matter what, we must go to the station at three o'clock this afternoon and bring Zhiyou back to our hall!"

"Even if Shibuya Saburo has the most compelling evidence, he still has to go through the proper procedures to arrest and interrogate people!"
"Buy time first, then think of another way!"

Liu Kui angrily cursed, "Those sons of bitches, Saburo Shibuya!"

"Even a fool could see that Zhiyou couldn't possibly be a red ticket. This is blatant revenge!"

"Keep your voice down!" Gao Bin glared at him. "Be careful, the walls may be eavesdropping!"

Liu Kui stiffened his neck, suppressing his anger, but his voice didn't quiet down much: "What are you afraid of! Section Chief, you have to have a conscience."

"If it weren't for Tomoyuki, Tanaka would have chopped off our heads long ago at Shibuya Saburo's official residence last time!"
"That coward Lu Ming actually thought the Japanese were being merciful."

"I know it all perfectly well. It's all because of Tomoyuki's connections in Tokyo. It was His Highness the Prince who personally protected him!"
"My abilities are limited, but I will remember this kindness in my heart!"

Looking at Liu Kui's sincere face, Gao Bin's eyes revealed a rare warmth: "I am very gratified that you have this intention."

Just then, Zhou Yi pushed open the door and walked in.

He looked dejected and helpless, and shook his head at Gao Bin.

"Section Chief, no way."

"My connections all cowered like turtles the moment they heard that this matter was related to Shibuya Saburo, not daring to utter a single word."

"These officials in Manchukuo are all bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong..."

He shook his head and looked at Gao Bin: "Section Chief, you'll have to step in and go find Commander Kato and Captain Murakami!"

Gao Bin's face turned even uglier:

"We still can't get in touch with Commander Kato."

“I called the village head, but he was vague and didn’t give a clear answer.”

"What do the two directors mean?" Zhou Yi asked.

"Director Bai said he could bring the person back. He would contact Shibuya to see if the Security Bureau could conduct an investigation and gather solid evidence, but only if Zhi could be brought to our department."

"Director Liu, he's taken his wife out to the hot springs again."

Gao Bin sneered.

“Director Bai’s suggestion is correct. We can question the evidence presented by the police department and hand it over to the third-party security bureau. After all, Zhi You is a section chief, and the security bureau’s investigation is in accordance with procedure.” Zhou Yi nodded.

The air in the office was so heavy it was almost suffocating.

The situation is worse than we imagined.

Gao Bin suddenly stood up, his eyes becoming resolute and ruthless:
“Never mind!

"At 3 PM, take everyone from our department to the train station!"

"We must bring Tomoyu back to our Special Service Section before Shibuya Saburo does!"

Zhou Yi immediately echoed, his tone equally firm: "Yes! We absolutely cannot let the people fall into the hands of the Japanese."

"Once you're in their interrogation room, you'll have to admit it, even if you're not!"

……

(End of this chapter)