Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 461 Then so be it, Shibuya.

Chen Jingyu was a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau. Although he did not know Hong Zhiyou's exact identity, he knew one thing.

His immediate superior, Wu Jingzhong, the head of the Kuomintang's Manchurian station, is now working as a shop assistant in Hong Zhiyou's fur shop.

The two interacted frequently and had a close relationship.

Who is Wu Jingzhong?

A smiling tiger who won't act without a profit motive.

The person who could make him lower himself to work as a shop assistant must be no ordinary person. Even if he wasn't one of their own, he was still extremely important to the Manchurian station.

If he were to fall right under his nose, Old Wu would surely eat him alive.

He paused for a moment, then slowly spoke, his voice calm and unhurried:
"Director, what Section Chief Zhang said sounds good, but if I may be so bold, it's pushing you into a fire pit."

"Oh?" Miao Futian looked up at him.

Chen Jingyu calmly analyzed, "It's true that Shibuya Saburo is backed by Ishihara Kanji, but Tojo Hideki has only lost power, not died. Vice-Commander Ishihara is still in Tokyo awaiting arrangements, and his future is uncertain."

"But who is behind Hong Zhi?"
"It's His Highness the Prince of Tokyo!"
"These are genuine members of the royal family."

“If we put all our eggs in one basket with Mr. Shibuya now, what if… I mean, what if Hiroji survives this ordeal and Mr. Shibuya falls from power, then you…”

He didn't finish his words, but the meaning was clear.

Like a reed in the wind, it bends whichever way the wind blows, but if the wind blows to one side, it will really fall.

Chen Jingyu changed the subject and said, "Besides, can't you see what Section Chief Zhang is thinking?"
"I've heard that he's been seeing a lot of officers from the General Staff lately."

He stopped, seemingly implying something.

Miao Futian's eyes instantly became wary.

He stared at Chen Jingyu: "You were kicked out of the police station by Gao Bin back then. Logically speaking, you should hate those uncle and nephew. Why are you speaking up for him instead?"

Chen Jingyu gave a wry smile.

"Director, I'm not speaking for him, I'm speaking for myself."

"I owe my success today entirely to your support, Director. You are my pillar of support and my benefactor."

"If anything were to happen to you, what good would come of it for me?"

He stood up, his tone sincere.

"As you know, the relationship between the Investigation Department and our Third Department is now irreconcilable."

“Once Zhang Chunyuan gains power, the first person he will deal with is me.”

"I was doing this to protect myself, Chief!"

These words were reasonable and persuasive, and Miao Futian's guard relaxed considerably.

He does need Chen Jingyu to check and balance Zhang Chunyuan.

"So, what do you think we should do about this?" Miao Futian asked.

Chen Jingyu immediately offered a solution: "Director, Hong Zhiyou came here, officially to 'cooperate with the investigation'."

"Then let's handle this officially."

“Treat him well with good food and drink, don’t interrogate or question him, just let him stay.”

"Let Gao Bin and Shibuya Saburo fight like dogs over what's going on outside."

"If we don't offend anyone and just follow the rules, they won't be able to find fault with us."

"That's called the delaying tactic!"

Miao Futian's eyes lit up.

Yup!

This is a good idea!

They keep people under their control but don't express their opinions, letting the two sides fight it out.

It's not too late to choose sides after they've settled their differences.

high!
It’s really high!

"Great!" Miao Futian slapped his thigh. "That's the plan!"

He stood up and straightened his collar.

"Come on, Jingyu, come downstairs with me and let's go meet them!"

Went downstairs.

Miao Futian, accompanied by Chen Jingyu, greeted them quickly with a warm, almost fawning smile on his face.

"Oh dear, Section Chief Gao, Assistant Tanaka!"
"What brings you two to my humble abode? It's truly an honor to have you here!"

He was adept at pleasing both sides, bowing respectfully to both with extremely humble posture.

The atmosphere in the hall remained tense.

Gao Bin's men and the men Tian Zhong brought were clearly separated and lined up on both sides.

Tanaka had no time for pleasantries. He pointed at Zhan Hongzhi and said coldly, "Director Miao, enough with the nonsense!"

"Hong Zhi is suspected of using fraudulent means, and the evidence is conclusive!"
"I'm handing this person over to you today, and I hope you can use the best skills your security bureau has to interrogate him properly!"

"Don't worry, Assistant Tanaka, I will handle this officially." Miao Futian nodded quickly.

Gao Bin, with a pipe in his mouth, also stepped forward and patted Miao Futian on the shoulder:

"Old Miao, I'm just a figurehead here, so I know the rules and ins and outs of the Security Bureau better than anyone else."

"You'd better investigate carefully whether this so-called evidence is true or false, my brother."

"Don't let yourself be used as a pawn without knowing why, or you'll end up in trouble. That wouldn't be good."

The threat in his words was made without any attempt to conceal it.

A fine layer of sweat instantly appeared on Miao Futian's forehead.

This is like gods fighting, putting this little devil on the hot seat.

He quickly straightened his back and loudly assured in an extremely official tone: "Section Chief Gao, rest assured, Assistant Tanaka, rest assured too!"

"Our Security Bureau has always conducted investigations impartially!"
"We will never wrong an innocent person, nor will we let any enemy of Manchukuo or the Great Japanese Empire go unpunished!"

Tanaka snorted coldly, a smug smile on his face: "Alright, I believe Director Miao knows what to do."

After some insincere pleasantries, Gao Bin and Tanaka each led their men away temporarily.

Miao Futian wiped his sweat, his gaze falling on Hong Zhiyou, scrutinizing him carefully for a few moments.

This kid was imprisoned, but he didn't panic at all. Instead, he seemed to be watching a show.

That composure is remarkable.

"Jingyu."

Miao Futian turned and instructed, "Arrange for Section Chief Hong to rest in the reception room."

"Section Chief Hong, since you're here, make the best of it. Just make do here for now," he said to Hong Zhiyou.

"Thank you, Director Miao." Hong Zhi nodded.

After saying that, he quickly walked upstairs to his office.

Zhang Chunyuan, the head of the investigation department, quickly followed, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement and resentment.

"Chief!"
"The criminal is already on our territory, please hand him over to me for interrogation!"
"I guarantee I can get this kid to confess everything tonight!"

Miao Futian glanced at him, his face darkening: "Interrogate? Interrogate what?"

"This person has a complicated background; interrogating him too much will cause us a huge problem!"

Zhang Chunyuan insisted unwillingly, "But Director, this is Mr. Shibuya's intention! If we..."

"how?"

Miao Futian suddenly raised his voice, his eyes sharpening:

“Are you teaching me how to do things?
"How about you take the position of bureau chief?!"

Zhang Chunyuan was so frightened by the rebuke that he immediately fell silent, pursed his lips, and said nothing more.

……

The security bureau's reception room was spotless and tidy.

Chen Jingyu personally brewed a pot of fine tea for Hong Zhiyou.

"Section Chief Hong, please rest here."

He pushed the teacup towards Hong Zhiyou and lowered his voice: "The director and I will handle things outside. I guarantee your safety here."

Hong Zhi picked up his teacup, blew on it to cool it down, and a playful smile played on his lips.
Section Chief Chen, do you have the final say?

Chen Jingyu smiled calmly: "Most of the time, I still have the final say."

He paused for a moment, then changed the subject.

"Of course, there are times when my word doesn't count."

"By the way, thanks to my cousin Lu Ming for arranging the job for me last time, brother," Hong Zhiyou said with a smile.

"We're all family, don't be shy." Chen Jingyu looked at him and smiled.

Some things are best left unsaid; once they're spoken aloud, it becomes a completely different matter.

……

Shibuya Official Residence.

Inside, the atmosphere was as cold as a Siberian cold snap.

Tanaka knelt on the tatami mat, trembling with rage like an enraged bull.
"Sir! That bastard Murakami dared to betray us in public!"

"And that Miao Futian, he's a two-faced old fox!"
Has he forgotten who promoted him from an unknown nobody?
"If it weren't for your and Mr. Ishihara's recommendation, he wouldn't be where he is today!"

"These Chinese are really unreliable!"

Shibuya Saburo remained unusually calm, slowly wiping his katana with a white cloth, the blade gleaming coldly.

"When people leave, the tea cools; this is the Chinese way of dealing with the world. Mr. Tanaka, there's no need to be angry."

His voice was calm and steady, without the slightest ripple: "Once General Ishihara returns, everything will return to normal."

Tanaka was furious: "So what do we do now? Are we just going to let Hong Zhiyou enjoy himself in the Security Bureau?"

Shibuya Saburo slowly sheathed his katana, making a crisp, soft sound.

"I have already sent a telegram to the General Staff."

He raised his eyes, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

"Report all the details of Hong Zhi's possession of a pass and his secret collusion with Murakami and others."

“I request the General Staff’s permission to interrogate Hong Ji-yoo and to detain and investigate Murakami.”

Tanaka paused for a moment, then said worriedly, "I'm afraid Isogai Rensuke won't agree!"

"Of course I know he doesn't want to agree."

Shibuya Saburo gave a cold laugh.

"What I want is his attitude. If he refuses directly in the telegram, it means he still wants to save his pitiful face. We'll drop this matter and wait for General Ishihara to return before making further plans."

"However, based on my understanding of that old fox, he will most likely choose to remain silent."

"Silence means support. We can then take action with confidence."

Tanaka was completely confused and said anxiously, "Then why not just make a phone call? It'll be straightforward and avoid any unforeseen complications!"

"madness."

Saburo Shibuya commented without any reservations.

“Making a phone call forces him to take sides immediately, to break off all pretense of civility. In everything, you should leave a way out for others, and also leave a way out for yourself,” he explained.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

A military policeman strode into the Japanese-style room, bowed, and reported: "Reporting, sir! Chief of Staff Isogai has replied!"

Shibuya Saburo took the telegram, glanced at it quickly, his face remaining expressionless, and casually handed it to Tanaka.

Tanaka eagerly took it, only to find a short line of text on it:

Murakami was removed from his post as captain of the military police and detained on the spot pending further action.

"what!"

Tanaka slapped his thigh excitedly.

"Isoya is indeed a coward! As soon as you took a hard line, he immediately backed down!"

But then he discovered another problem: "However, Mr. Shibuya, the telegram did not mention anything about Hong Zhiyou."

Saburo Shibuya stood up, walked to the window, and stood with his hands behind his back.

"His attitude was reflected in how he dealt with Murakami."

"This shows that he tacitly approved of our actions."

Tanaka suddenly realized, his eyes practically overflowing with excitement:

"Excellent! Sir, I'll take men to the Security Bureau right now and bring Hong Zhiyou out. I want to torture him myself!"

"Not urgent."

Shibuya Saburo raised his hand to stop him.

He looked at the gloomy street where he had been standing, and laughed coldly:

"Let the bullets fly a little longer."

……

late at night.

The streets of Harbin were deathly silent.

Several blinding headlights pierced the darkness as three military trucks came to an abrupt stop in front of the military police compound.

The car door opened, and Tanaka, dressed in a crisp military uniform, led a group of menacing soldiers straight into the military police building.

The military police on duty were about to step forward to question him when they were silenced by the telegram in Tanaka's hand, which bore the seals of both the Kwantung Army Headquarters and the Military Police Headquarters.

Murakami was startled awake from his sleep by the sudden intrusion.

"Tanaka's assistant? What are you trying to do?" Murakami questioned.

With the arrogance of a victor on his face, Tanaka slammed the telegram onto Murakami's desk:

"Mr. Murakami, by a joint order from the Kwantung Army Headquarters and the Military Police Headquarters, you are hereby relieved of your post as captain of the Military Police and detained on the spot for investigation!"

Murakami picked up the telegram, his fingers trembling.

"Mr. Shibuya..." Murakami had anticipated this and feigned alarm.

"Mr. Shibuya gave you a chance, but you didn't know when to stop!" Tanaka interrupted him with a sneer. "The evidence is conclusive that you colluded with Hong Zhi, a member of the general ticket holders! Take him away!"

Two soldiers stepped forward, roughly grabbed Murakami's arms, and dragged him out.

"Let me go! I'm an officer of the Empire! You can't..."

Murakami's struggles and roars sounded so powerless in the empty corridor, and soon disappeared into the night.

……

The next day.

At dawn, the newsboy's voice echoed through the streets.

Special Operations Division, National Police Agency.

Zhou Yi, holding a newspaper, strode into Gao Bin's office, his expression more solemn than ever before.

"Section Chief, something terrible has happened."

He spread the newspaper out in front of Gao Bin. The headline in bold on the front page was shocking: Military Police Captain Murakami Dismissed and Detained for Alleged Use of Unauthorized Documents!
Gao Bin grabbed the newspaper and read it word by word, and the air in the office instantly turned cold.

"boom!!"

He slammed the newspaper onto the table, nearly dropping the pipe he was smoking.

Zhou Yi said in a deep voice, "Shibuya Saburo's move is too ruthless; it's like cutting off the fuel supply at the root of the problem!"

"The fact that the General Staff and the Headquarters actually approved it shows that they have already sided with Saburo Shibuya."

"What I'm worried about is Miao Futian's side... With the village down, can his security bureau withstand the pressure from Shibuya?"

"Zhang Chunyuan, the investigator under Miao Futian, always wanted to show his face in front of the Japanese and was trying his best to climb the ranks."

"Zhiyou had previously caused his son Zhang Feng to lose face at Madam Huizi's party, thus creating a grudge."

"Now that Zhiyou is in their hands, Zhang Chunyuan will definitely take this opportunity to destroy him!"

Gao Bin didn't say anything, but picked up his pipe again and took a deep drag. The office was filled with smoke, which stung people's eyes.

His face, which always bore the marks of suspicion and calculation, was now filled with only gloom and ruthlessness.

After a long silence, he managed to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth.

"At this point, we've exhausted all the connections we have."

"All that's left is to do our best and leave the rest to fate."

"That kid Zhiyou is incredibly cunning. Since he dared to go to the Security Bureau, he must have his own plans."

"But if..."

Gao Bin paused, then tapped his pipe heavily in the ashtray.

"If those bastards in Shibuya really dare to take his life, I, this old man, will definitely drag a few of them down with me!"

……

Harbin Security Bureau.

In the director's office, Miao Futian paced back and forth anxiously, his forehead covered in sweat.

Chen Jingyu sat to the side, slowly brewing tea for him.

"It's over, it's over! This time it's really over!"
"The village has been investigated! It's all over the newspapers!"

"We underestimated Saburo Shibuya. His influence within the Kwantung Army is much greater than we thought!"

"Early this morning, he called Zhang Chunyuan and me over and gave me orders in front of me!"
"We must immediately torture Hong Zhiyou! We must solidify his crimes as soon as possible!"
"Jingyu, tell me, what kind of situation is this!"

"I really don't want to offend anyone, but given the current situation, do I even have a choice?"

Miao Futian touched his forehead, quite annoyed.

Chen Jingyu put down the teapot, his expression calm.

"Director, it is precisely at times like these that we must remain calm."

He pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Mr. Shibuya wants to use us to do something that he himself is not comfortable doing."

“But Hong Zhi is no pushover either.”

"In my opinion, why don't you... go and see Hong Zhiyou in person and hear what he has to say?"

Miao Futian was taken aback: "See him?"
"He's just a piece of meat on the chopping block right now, what thoughts could he possibly have?"

“Precisely because he’s like meat on a chopping board, we need to see just how tough he really is.” Chen Jingyu’s eyes gleamed with shrewdness. “Perhaps he’s waiting for you to come over.”

Miao Futian stopped in his tracks.

He felt that Chen Jingyu's words made sense.

The trouble should end it.

Instead of guessing here, you should just ask the person in question directly.

"Alright!" Miao Futian gritted his teeth. "I'll go and meet him!"

……

The reception room of the Security Bureau.

Hong Zhiyou is playing chess, holding black in his left hand and white in his right.

Miao Futian pushed open the door and walked in: "Oh my, what time is it? You still have the mind to play chess."

"You saw what happened in the newspapers, right?"

“I see it.” Hong Zhi nodded and picked up another black piece from the chess box.

His tone was so calm, as if he were talking about someone else's business.

Miao Futian was completely speechless.

"Brother Hong, you've got a really big heart!"

He leaned closer and lowered his voice: "This morning, Shibuya Saburo personally put pressure on me, specifically requesting that Zhang Junyuan preside over the interrogation and that he would subject you to severe torture. I really can't take it anymore!"
"Do you have any other tricks up your sleeve? Use them now! If you wait any longer, it'll be too late!"

Hong Zhi put down the chess piece in his hand and said with a smile, "Director Miao is too kind. If you can't handle it, then don't try."

"What?" Miao Futian wondered if he had misheard.

“Didn’t Shibuya Saburo ask Jang Jungen to interrogate me? Then let him interrogate me,” Hong Zhiyou said.

Miao Futian was completely stunned, and after a pause, he said:

"This...this won't do!"
"Zhang Chunyuan is a vengeful person; he'll torture you to death!"

"It doesn't matter." Hong Zhiyou shrugged, his relaxed demeanor as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

He leaned forward slightly, looked into Miao Futian's eyes, and said, word by word, "How about this, you can begin the interrogation tonight."

"However, I have a condition."

"What are the conditions?" Miao Futian asked hurriedly.

“When I am interrogated, Captain Zhou Yi of the Special Affairs Section of the Police Department and Section Chief Chen Jingyu of your Security Bureau must be present to listen in.”

Miao Futian thought for a moment, and realized that this was in accordance with the rules: "That's no problem. However, Shibuya will definitely instruct Zhang Junyuan to be the presiding judge, and if he tortures you..."

"Let him preside over the trial."

“He can interrogate me however he wants,” Hong Zhi said indifferently.

……

(End of this chapter)