Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 462 Hong Zhi Has a Plan

Miao Futian returned to his office and slumped into the sofa, feeling as if his bones had been removed.

He had someone summon Zhang Chunyuan, the head of the investigation department.

"You'll handle Hong Zhiyou's case. I agree to the interrogation." Miao Futian's voice sounded weary.

Zhang Chunyuan straightened his back almost instantly, his face filled with barely suppressed ecstasy:

"Director! That's right!"

He leaned closer, his voice full of self-satisfaction: "It's all over Tokyo now, saying that your old leader, General Ishihara, will soon be back to replace that spineless coward, Isogai Rensuke!"
"At this critical juncture, you're going against Chief Shibuya. Aren't you just asking for trouble? It's really unwise!"

Miao Futian listened expressionlessly, but his heart was in turmoil.

“You’ve misunderstood. Commander Shibuya is an old friend of mine. There’s only friendship between us, no rivalry.”

He coldly corrected Zhang Chunyuan.

Immediately, his brows relaxed: "Everyone says there's a mole in the Harbin Police Department who's involved in corruption."

“If Hong Zhi is confirmed to be the mole, then you will have done a great service.”

"I dare not accept credit; it is all thanks to Chief of Staff Shibuya and your excellent leadership!"

Zhang Chunyuan spoke modestly, but his face was beaming with a smile as bright as a flower.

Miao Futian waved his hand, signaling him to leave.

"You bastard, you keep mentioning Shibuya all the time!"

The smile vanished the moment the office door closed, replaced by an overwhelming cloud of worry.

He knew very well that if he really managed to kill Hong Zhiyou this time, he would certainly please Shibuya Saburo.

But if Hong Zhi were to have someone behind him cause trouble, he would be the first scapegoat to be pushed out.

Moreover, given Shibuya Saburo's uncompromising nature, his indecisiveness today will eventually lead to his downfall.

Hey.

Being an ordinary citizen in Manchukuo is hard, but being an official is fucking even harder!
……

Shibuya Official Residence.

Even indoors, the air remained cold.

Tanaka strode in, his face beaming with undisguised joy:
"Sir! That old fox Miao Futian has finally given in!"
"He has agreed to interrogate Hong Zhiyou, with Zhang Chunyuan presiding over the trial, and has tacitly permitted us to take all necessary measures!"

Saburo Shibuya slowly sipped his tea.

He usually enjoys listening to others talk.

Tanaka continued his report: "However, he also made a condition: that Zhou Yi from the National Police Agency and Chen Jingyu from the Security Bureau serve as jurors."

"Hmph, these Chinese people love to play these social games! They won't shed a tear until they see the coffin!"

"After Murakami made that arrest, I think he'll behave himself!"

We can't be too careless.

“I always felt that Hong Zhiyou was not as simple as he seemed.”

Saburo Shibuya put down his teacup and said.

"His willingness to accept the Security Bureau's investigation is itself very strange."

"You should know that the Security Bureau has always been controlled by our people, and it has never been on good terms with the Police Department."

“His going there was no different than walking directly into the police station or into my office.”

Saburo Shibuya's gaze deepened.

"Why did he do this?"

"Could it be that he is really so naive as to think that Miao Futian will give him a just trial?"

"Go and find out immediately everything about Hong Zhiyou from the time he was brought to the Security Bureau yesterday until now! I need to know everything about him, including his sleep, his diet, and his every move!"

He suddenly became alert and gave the order.

"Yes."

Tanaka immediately went to the outer room and made a phone call.

A moment later, he hung up the phone, walked quickly back to the Japanese-style room, and stood up straight.

"Sir, everything is under our control!"

He reported, "When Hong Zhiyou first arrived at the Security Bureau, he was very arrogant. He specially ordered a roast goose from Wuweizhai and also asked for wine. He looked very confident."

Tanaka paused, his smile growing increasingly contemptuous.

"However, by evening, he seemed to have lost his composure."

"He started to lose control of his emotions and kept insisting on seeing Chen Jingyu, asking him to provide his phone number or contact Gao Bin to help him make phone calls or send telegrams to Tokyo."

He didn't eat dinner, and he didn't eat breakfast this morning either.

"Just as I was making the call, he was still arguing with the security guards and frantically trying to make an international call!"
"Hmph, he thought he could contact His Highness the Prince and get him protected like last time, but little did he know that we had already instructed the telephone exchange to suspend all long-distance communications to Tokyo!"

"Clearly, his trump card has failed, and he's completely panicked!"

He took a step forward, his voice laced with a bloodthirsty excitement:
"In my opinion, he's already a dead man!"

"Without being able to contact the prince, Gao Bin's connections are no match for him!"

"Sir, I will personally go to the Security Bureau tonight to supervise the interrogation and will not give Hong Zhi any chance to escape!"
"As long as we act decisively and swiftly, even their Buddha and Wang Yangming cannot save him!"

Saburo Shibuya listened in silence.

He didn't speak.

Every word Tanaka said was reasonable and logical.

Hong Zhiyou, relying on his powerful connections, acted with impunity.

Once they realize they can no longer rely on their backers, they will immediately reveal their true colors and panic.

This is exactly the normal reaction of a gambler after losing all their chips.

Logically, there is no problem.

but……

Saburo Shibuya frowned, a strange sense of irritation rising in his heart.

It was as if a persistent dark cloud was hanging over our heads.

He could sense the danger, but he couldn't grasp the source of it.

This feeling made him very uncomfortable.

He only hoped for good news tonight and that Hong Zhiyou would be dealt with as soon as possible, so that he could feel at ease.

……

Half past nine in the evening.

Chen Jingyu walked into the reception room, where the dim light cast a long shadow of him.

He glanced at his watch and said to Hong Zhiyou, who was resting with his eyes closed, "I've received word that you'll be interrogated at ten o'clock."

"Tell me what you want to eat, and I'll have it delivered. Eating too much can make you vomit, but if you don't eat anything, your body won't be able to handle it."

Chen Jingyu looked at Hong Zhiyou, who seemed far less confident than when he first arrived. He looked tired, with faint bloodshot eyes.

This inexplicably dampened his spirits; perhaps this guy really was beyond saving.

The prince's trump card seems to have been completely rendered ineffective with Shibuya Saburo's blockade of the telegraph office.

Hong Zhi opened his eyes, and though they were slightly bloodshot, there was no trace of panic in them. He looked at Chen Jingyu and suddenly smiled:

"You think I'm destined to lose?"

Chen Jingyu shrugged, not answering directly: "I don't want to say it like this, but the truth seems to be..."

He lowered his voice: "There are military police guarding outside the Security Bureau now. I can't help you, and no one else can help you."

Hong Zhi smiled, stood up from his chair, and stretched his limbs.

"No hurries."

“The good show has just begun.”

His confident demeanor piqued Chen Jingyu's curiosity again: "You have another trick up your sleeve?"

Hong Zhi kept everyone in suspense, then smiled faintly and said, "No rush, you'll find out in time."

Chen Jingyu smiled politely, turned around and left the reception room.

As he stepped outside, he glanced back at the closed door, shook his head slightly, and sighed.

It's unclear whether this guy truly possessed extraordinary abilities or was simply making a final self-deprecating joke before facing death.

……

In the investigation department office.

Zhang Chunyuan carefully straightened his tie, then touched the two meticulously trimmed mustaches on his lips, looking quite pleased with himself.

Zhang Feng stood to the side, his face filled with excitement and resentment.

"Father, you must not be soft-hearted tonight! No matter how powerful Hongzhi is, we must beat him until he can't take care of himself!"
"At the very least, we need to scratch that pretty boy's face first!"

Zhang Chunyuan smiled and glanced at his son: "Look at your pathetic self, is it really worth it for a Japanese widow?"

"You should think about why so many people are speaking up for him. He's only been here for less than six months, yet he's already doing incredibly well."

Zhang Feng thought for a moment and said, "Because he's rich."

"What money could a student who just returned from studying in Japan possibly have?" Zhang Chunyuan scoffed.
"He got his money by getting on the good side of Commander Guan!"

"Sigh, we still call him 'Lord Guan' all the time, but he just pulled off a scheme and swallowed up all the money that General Guan had accumulated over most of his life of fighting and killing!"

"That's enough to make someone richer than a country!"

He then exclaimed, "What's this called? The timid starve, the bold feast!"
"Our Security Bureau has a much higher profile than their Police Department."

"And what happened? We got nothing, all we're left with is envy."

"Dad, you mean... our chance has come?" Zhang Feng's eyes lit up instantly.

“That’s right.” Zhang Chunyuan lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming with greed. “Judging from Shibuya Saburo’s attitude, as long as we get a confession tonight, he will definitely execute Hong Zhiyou tomorrow.”

"You must take people to take over Yong Sheng Kui Tea House and all of Hong Zhi You's properties as soon as possible!"

"That's exactly what you should be doing." "Dad! You're so clever!" Zhang Feng was overjoyed. "That's how it'll be done! I'll be waiting for your good news!"

When the time comes, the money will be his, and that slut Huizi will be crying and begging to throw herself into his arms.

……

It was exactly 10 p.m.

The interrogation room door was pushed open, and Tanaka led a squad of heavily armed military police in, their leather boots making a dull thud on the floor.

Under the watchful eyes of two staff members, Hong Zhiyou slowly walked into the interrogation room.

Zhang Chunyuan, Zhou Yi, and Chen Jingyu were already seated behind the interrogation table.

Zhou Yi glanced at Hong Zhiyou and saw that he looked tired, had bloodshot eyes, and was in very bad condition. He couldn't help but frown with worry.

All of this was observed by Tanaka, which delighted him greatly.

It seems that Hong Zhiyou has truly run out of ideas and is having a very difficult time at the Security Bureau!

"Let's get started already!" Tanaka urged impatiently.

Zhou Yi pressed the record button on the recorder on the table without any expression, and the red indicator light lit up.

Zhang Chunyuan cleared his throat, picked up a document, and read it aloud in an official tone: "Hong Zhiyou, based on the testimonies of witnesses Peng Hu and Jia Chong, as well as the physical evidence we have seized, it is confirmed that you are the senior leader of Hongpiao in Harbin, codenamed 'God of Wealth'."

"These are their signed testimonies, and you secretly purchased the radio station for them."

"Now that we have both witnesses and physical evidence, what else do you have to say?"

Hong Zhi smiled: "God of Wealth? That's a good code name, I like it."

He then changed the subject, his tone becoming indifferent: "However, all the accusations against you are purely fabricated."

"This is a malicious frame-up and slander against me by Assistant Tanaka and Chief of Staff Shibuya."

"Baka!" Tanaka roared in fury, slamming his fist on the table. "You're about to die, and you still dare to argue!"

Zhou Yi gave him a cold glance: "Assistant Tanaka, watch your words and actions, and don't interfere with the normal interrogation."

"So, you're denying all the charges against you by the police department?" This was exactly the result Zhang Chunyuan wanted, and he pressed on with feigned seriousness.

"Of course," Hong Zhiyou replied crisply.

Zhang Chunyuan turned to Zhou Yi and Chen Jingyu, shrugged, and said in a businesslike manner: "As you two have seen, according to our Security Bureau's interrogation system, if a prisoner still tries to deny the charges despite being faced with irrefutable evidence, we have no choice but to use torture."

Chen Jingyu picked up his teacup, blew on it to cool it down, and remained silent.

Zhou Yi spoke up: "Perhaps he wasn't making excuses, but stating the facts."

"Our Security Bureau's rule has always been to presume guilt before conviction."

"In other words, whether he is making excuses or stating the facts, he must be subjected to torture."

He stared at Zhou Yi with a hint of provocation: "Captain Zhou, isn't this how your police department treats suspects?"

Zhou Yi frowned and stopped making such pointless arguments.

Hong Zhiyou suddenly laughed. He looked at Zhang Chunyuan, his voice not loud, but it clearly carried throughout the interrogation room.

"In other words, as long as I don't confess, you will torture me until I do."

"Can I assume this was a case of forced confession?"

Zhang Chunyuan was very experienced and sensed a trap.

He stroked his mustache, not immediately giving his opinion.

Hong Zhiyou then turned his gaze to Tanaka: "Assistant Tanaka, do you think so too?"

Tanaka sneered, his face full of cruel pleasure: "You can interpret it that way. Today, you have to confess, whether you like it or not!"

"very good."

Hong Zhiyou turned back again, staring intently at Zhang Chunyuan: "Section Chief Zhang, what Assistant Tanaka said, is it correct?"

Zhang Junyuan felt somewhat uncomfortable under his gaze, but out of consideration for Tanaka, he could only nod vaguely.

"Please answer," Hong Zhiyou's voice suddenly rose.

The voice echoed in the interrogation room, carrying an undeniable sense of oppression.

Cornered, Zhang Chunyuan had no choice but to grit his teeth and say, "Yes."

"Well."

Hong Zhiyou's face instantly lit up with a smile that was almost blindingly bright.

"You don't need to torture me anymore, I'll confess."

"No matter what crime you accuse me of, even if it's assassinating the Emperor, I will accept it."

This shocking statement left everyone present completely bewildered.

Tanaka and Zhang Junyuan, in particular, froze instantly, as if they had thrown a punch with all their might but hit cotton, feeling indescribably frustrated and astonished.

Even Zhou Yi and Chen Jingyu were momentarily confused about what Hong Zhiyou was really up to.

Hong Zhi waved to Zhou Yi: "Captain Zhou, bring the documents over."

Zhou Yi handed over the interrogation records and indictment documents.

Hong Zhi picked up a pen, and without even looking at it, he signed his name on the confession in a flamboyant manner.

Then he grabbed the inkpad and pressed his handprint down heavily, the action so swift it was unbelievable.

A glint flashed in Zhou Yi's eyes, and he instantly understood something.

He stood up, picked up the signed statement and the audio tape, and said in a businesslike manner, "According to the rules, I will immediately have two copies of this audio evidence made. The original will be kept by the Security Bureau, and the Police Department will keep one copy."

"Also, this is the jury record. Please sign it so I can take it back to the police station for filing."

It took Tanaka a while to come to his senses. He stared blankly at the scene before him, feeling as if he were dreaming.

"It's...it's over just like that?"

He also wanted to see Hong Zhi beaten to a pulp, his skin peeled off and tendons pulled out.

Zhou Yi looked at him with a sneer: "If Assistant Tanaka feels it's not enough, you can add a few more charges. Feel free to fill them in."

"I believe that Section Chief Hong will admit to everything."

Tanaka was speechless, then turned to Zhang Junyuan and asked unwillingly, "Aren't we going to use torture?"

Zhang Chunyuan opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

They've already confessed everything, so what's the point of torture?

Chen Jingyu put down his teacup and said slowly, "Since the suspect has confessed, there is naturally no need to use torture."

"As for whether to execute or try, that's a matter for the next step, to be reported to the Xinjing Police Headquarters and the General Staff."

Tanaka glanced at Zhang Junyuan, who then got up and came out.

The two men went straight to the corner: "What's going on? Didn't you say you were going to use torture no matter what?"

"I never expected him to pull this trick," Zhang Chunyuan said angrily.

"Tanaka's assistant, the good news is that he has admitted to the charges, and his identity as a Red Bandit has been confirmed."

“This kid is more slippery than a fish. My suggestion is to announce his execution first thing tomorrow morning,” Zhang Chunyuan suggested.

"Well, that's the only way."

"waste!"

He pointed at Zhang Chunyuan's nose, flicked his trench coat, and strode away with his men.

Pooh!
Damn those Japanese devils!

Zhang Chunyuan spat.

Zhou Yi and Chen Jingyu escorted Hong Zhiyou back to the reception room, where Gao Bin was already waiting.

"Uncle, what brings you here?" Hong Zhiyou asked hurriedly.

"How could I not come? No matter what happens tomorrow, I will protect you tonight."

"Don't worry, I have a part-time job at the Security Bureau, so I have the authority to stay with you overnight."

Gao Bin looked him up and down, his face full of worry.

"Thank you, Uncle." Hong Zhi felt grateful.

"Section Chief Gao, you two chat, I'll head back now. Call my home if anything comes up, I'll be there anytime," Zhou Yi said.

"it is good.

"Thank you for your hard work." Gao Bin was very pleased to see Zhou Yi busy with all the work.

"Old boss, I'm right next door. I'm working overtime tonight, so call me if you need anything." Chen Jingyu greeted him and tactfully withdrew.

No more outsiders.

Fearing eavesdropping in the house, Gao Bin pulled him into the bathroom, turned the tap on full blast, and asked in a low voice, "You confessed everything. Although you escaped torture, Shibuya Saburo can use these documents to execute you directly under the severe wartime punishment."

"Given his personality, once the materials are submitted tomorrow, he'll start working on them no earlier than eight o'clock."

Do you still have any trump cards up your sleeve?

Hong Zhi said, "Uncle, I do. Tomorrow, Yano Otosaburo and Commander Kato will go to the police station to hear the results of my interrogation. I will recant my confession."

"Peng Hu and Jia Chong also recanted their confessions, accusing them of being tortured into confessing and deliberately framing them."

"And Tanaka himself admitted tonight that they would be happy to extract a confession through torture."

“They can’t stand on this point.”

"The problem is, how did Yano Otosaburo and the others..." Gao Bin was completely baffled.

"Chief of Staff Isogai deliberately kicked me out."

"Tomorrow morning, the newspapers will be filled with reports of the Kremlin condemning Saburo Shibuya for assassinating Stalin, and the Soviet ambassador will also be there."

"Shibuya Saburo's plot to assassinate Stalin failed, and this time he shot himself in the foot."

"Chief of Staff Isogai has been waiting for this opportunity for a long time."

"Just wait and see the show tomorrow morning."

Hong Zhi smiled with a slightly sly look.

……

(End of this chapter)