Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 479: Taking advantage of the situation
Binjiang Provincial Police Headquarters.

Ma Wendong, dressed in a plain long gown, sat calmly at the tea table, slowly brewing Gongfu tea.

This newly appointed regional governor is thirty-eight years old, with a fair complexion, a neat buzz cut, and thick black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

He held a string of shiny Buddhist prayer beads in his hand, twirling them between his fingers. He exuded a scholarly air, peaceful and approachable.

This appearance is completely different from the ruthless and vicious character in the legend.

Old Qiu sat opposite him, his expression respectful yet urgent: "Director, I suspect that the real mole within the police department is most likely Gao Bin, the head of the Special Affairs Section!"

"Gao Bin?"

Ma Wendong picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and smiled slightly.

"When he was in Fengtian, he was a notorious butcher. The blood on his hands was so thick that it was hard to wash it off."

Old Qiu hurriedly said, "Director, people change! Didn't I used to be a red ticket holder? Now I'm wholeheartedly serving the empire."

"A person who is good at hiding will always label himself with the least suspicious tags in order to deceive the world."

"Gao Bin is clearly that kind of old fox."

He leaned forward and lowered his voice, as if afraid of being overheard.

“I have several pieces of evidence.”

"Firstly, the police department had sent a message to the mountains before Zhou Yi returned from outside the pass."

"Gao Bin has been testing Zhou Yi both openly and secretly. I think this is very likely a smokescreen he released to divert attention and hide himself!"
"Also, when the Red Bandits were transporting penicillin to Laotuo Mountain, a woman named Sun Yuejian ran away."

"One of the red tickets that was caught was called Lao Wang, who once revealed what the woman looked like."

"But what happened? Gao Bin's men arrested a prostitute named Little White Shoes! Who was this Little White Shoes? She was an informant for Captain Murakami of the military police! In the end, the matter was dropped, and Old Wang, the only one who could identify Sun Yuejian, died in prison not long after!"
"There was also Li Qingquan, the head of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Jiamusi station, who defected. He originally intended to identify the newly appointed head of the Manchurian station."

"But what happened? Jin Xiaoyu, the communications squad leader who was best at profiling people, received a mysterious phone call that very night and was killed! And Li Qingquan was also swiftly executed because of some ridiculous bombing case!"

"The person who did it was named Lu Ming, and he was Gao Bin's confidant!"
"It is said that he was executed in a very hasty manner, without even completing the normal interrogation process!"

Old Qiu became more and more excited as he spoke, his spittle almost spraying into his teacup.

"Chief! The police department has clearly been able to catch huge fish several times, but without exception, they've all failed! With so many things piling up at once, do you still think it's a coincidence?"

Old Qiu took a breath and concluded: "Gao Bin was involved in this to some extent. I would never believe he wasn't involved!"

Ma Wendong nodded, his gentle smile still on his face: "Mr. Qiu, your analysis is correct. The Harbin Police Department does indeed have serious problems."

He then changed the subject: "However, compared to these, I am more concerned about the Anti-Japanese Allied Forces on Laotuo Mountain."

He was a businessman at heart. He had no interest in the petty stunts of arresting corrupt officials and military intelligence agents in Harbin unless he could gain real benefits.

On the contrary, he knew very well that getting involved in these things too much could easily lead to his death.

This transfer to Harbin was a temporary arrangement by my father-in-law, mainly to warn Hong Zhiyou and prevent him from becoming too powerful with the backing of a prince.

A Chinese company can be exploited at any time, which is something the royal family and those who have vested interests are very happy to see.

This is tantamount to undermining the foundation of his father-in-law, Takuichi Ōmura.

Therefore, Ma Wendong's goal was clear: either to subdue Hong Zhiyou with a single blow and force him to hand over his benefits, or to find irrefutable evidence to permanently eliminate him and prevent future troubles.

As for Gao Bin...

He had read the case files about what Lao Qiu was talking about. Although there were suspicious things everywhere, which police department in Manchukuo had a clean record?
This could involve internal strife or unequal distribution of spoils.

Investigating further would take too much time, and Gao Bin had close ties with Commander Kato and Captain Murakami of the Military Police Headquarters, and Chief of Staff Isogai Rensuke was also involved. If they really dug deeper, it would only cause a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Ma Wendong knew very well that Isogai Rensuke was weak, but he was, after all, the Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Army.

His strategy leans towards a slow and steady approach, encouraging Hong Zhi to wisely relinquish his interests and compromise, rather than engaging in a fierce battle. After all, if things really come to a head, it won't look good for anyone.

Why did former Shibuya Saburo end up in such a predicament? Wasn't it because he didn't have the support of the Military Police Headquarters?

Cha Gaobin... Ma Wendong naturally had little interest in this kind of unprofitable business that was predictable from the start.

Old Qiu couldn't help but feel a little disappointed when he saw him casually change the subject.

He pointed to a stack of photos of the scene spread out on the table and said, following Ma Wendong's words, "Director, look, the clothes of these dead people and some identification documents found at the scene do indeed look like those of the Anti-Japanese United Army."

“But…” he emphasized, “none of these people are familiar faces from the mountain gangs; they seem more like bandits from the nearby mountains.”

Ma Wendong put down his teacup and said slowly, "In other words, Mr. Shibuya's bacteriological warfare actually failed. The main force of the Anti-Japanese United Army did not suffer any losses."

He looked up, his gaze behind his glasses landing on Old Qiu's face.

“At that time, the only people who could go up the mountain and reveal this intelligence to the Anti-Japanese United Army were you, Hong Zhiyou, and his assistant.”

Old Qiu's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately said, "Director, is there even a question? If Gao Bin is a corrupt official, how could his precious nephew be clean?"
"It must be a secret that Hong Zhi revealed!"

Ma Wendong played with the Buddhist prayer beads in his hand, smiled gently, and made no comment.

"Old Qiu, this matter involves Dr. Ishii's troops, so it ends here with me."

"Don't spread this around anymore. After all, you were one of the participants at the time."

His words were very stern.

"If you really want to determine whether Hong Zhiyou is a red vote, it's simple."

Ma Wendong changed the subject, "Later I'll give you men, and you can personally lead the team deep into Laotuo Mountain to find out the strength of the Anti-Japanese Allied Forces."

"Bring back that political commissar of their Fourth Brigade and confront him face-to-face, and everything will be clear."

Old Qiu nodded immediately: "Yes! I understand!"

Ma Wendong took off the Buddhist prayer beads from his wrist and placed them in Lao Qiu's slightly trembling palm: "Your loyalty to the empire is as clear as the sun and moon. Buddha will bless you."

Old Qiu was overwhelmed with gratitude, holding the warm, smooth Buddhist prayer beads in both hands, tears streaming down his face: "Thank you, Director! Thank you, Director!"

Ma Wendong nodded in satisfaction and continued, "By the way, this time, you need to personally lead the team to capture that female bandit. There is no room for error."

"A female bandit?"

Old Qiu was puzzled: "Director, please forgive my ignorance."

“A female bandit, what value is she? Even if she has some connection with Hong Zhi, she's just a woman. Hong Zhi is the kind of person who might not care about her.”

Ma Wendong smiled and said meaningfully, "I heard she's very beautiful. Heroes have always found it hard to resist the charms of a beautiful woman."

He had already made up his mind.

If Hong Zhiyou loses his composure over Xu Yunying, it shows that he is sentimental, has weaknesses, and is not a cause for concern.

But if Hong Zhiyou is indifferent to this woman's life or death, without even blinking an eye.

Then this person would have the bearing of a tyrant.

A ruthless and ruthless leader is terrifying, but he is destined to die.

As he spoke, he picked up his teacup and asked casually, "How is the interrogation of Hao Guifang going?"

Mentioning this makes Lao Qiu angry: "Director, this guy is very stubborn!"
"He admitted to embezzling some military funds and to accepting bribes from Guan Weilong. But he stubbornly denied providing equipment to Xu Yunying or having any contact with her."

"It's obvious that he's covering up the truth for Hong Zhiyou!"

"Has torture been used?" Ma Wendong asked casually.

Old Qiu, feeling embarrassed, said angrily, "They've moved! All sorts of weapons have been deployed!"
"This guy is usually so tough, who knew he'd suddenly become so stubborn!"

Ma Wendong put down his teacup, his tone still calm: "Go and bring the person over here."

Old Qiu nodded in acceptance: "Yes!"

He had just reached the door when his secretary hurried in and bowed to report, "Chief, the police have arrived."

"Let them in," Ma Wendong said in a deep voice.

"Section Chief Gao, Section Chief Hong, please come in quickly," the secretary said.

Gao Bin, Hong Zhiyou, and Zhou Yi took off their hats and went inside.

"Director Ma." Gao Bin bowed slightly, adopting a very humble posture.

Hong Zhiyou, on the other hand, seemed much more casual, simply smiling and greeting him, "Director Ma, I've long admired your name."

"Not at all," Ma Wendong greeted him warmly, extending his hand to shake Hong Zhiyou's. "I've long admired Section Chief Hong."

He looked Hong Zhiyou up and down, his eyes full of approval.

"Before I left Tokyo, I made a special trip to visit Mr. Ichiro Sakanishi."

"Mr. Banxi speaks highly of you, saying that you are a rare young talent in the empire, and that I must rely on you as much as possible when I get to Harbin."

"I'm new here, and I hope Section Chief Hong and everyone else will give me their full support in the future."

"Director Ma, you're too kind." Hong Zhiyou smiled. "You are the director, our superior. We will do whatever you ask."

"Sit, everyone, sit down."

Ma Wendong greeted everyone and personally poured tea for them.

"Try it. This is Gyokuro that I brought from Japan. It's not anything special, just something to enjoy for the freshness."

For a moment, the office was filled with the aroma of tea, and the atmosphere was peaceful, like old friends who had not seen each other for many years reuniting.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ma Wendong put down his teacup, and the smile on his face faded somewhat.

He walked to the wall, unfurled a huge military map of the area surrounding Harbin, and picked up a baton.

"Gentlemen, let's skip the small talk and get down to business."

“In recent years, the activities of the Anti-Japanese Allied Forces and bandits in the Laotuoshan area have been extremely rampant.”

He drew a circle on the map with his baton.

"Especially recently, a female bandit leader named Xu Yunying has emerged as a dark horse."

"In just six months, she had gathered more than 300 men under her command, and they were well-equipped, even possessing standard weapons of the Nationalist Army, posing an extremely serious threat to the security of our Harbin area."

Ma Wendong's gaze swept over everyone present.

"This time, I specially recruited a special forces brigade from the Kwantung Army Headquarters, and together with the 26th Regiment of the National Army, we planned to use Wang Mazi of Feiyunzhai as a guide to encircle and wipe out this band of bandits from two directions, Wazikou and Hutouling."

"I invited you all here today to hear your insightful opinions."

Gao Bin immediately waved his hand: "Director Ma, I'm a complete novice when it comes to warfare. Why don't you ask Captain Zhou and Zhiyou? They're experts."

Zhou Yi remained expressionless and silent.

Ma Wendong's gaze finally landed on Hong Zhiyou, and he said with a smile, "Section Chief Hong is a top student from the Japanese Army University. Why don't you go first and tell us?"

Hong Zhiyou did not refuse, stood up, and walked to the map.

He picked up another baton, pointed to several mountain roads on the map, and began to speak eloquently.

"Director Ma, I think that in order to completely wipe out this bandit group, a frontal assault alone is not enough."

“Xu Yunying’s stronghold is called Erwangling. Look here,” he pointed with his baton, “It’s a strategic location, easy to defend and difficult to attack. As soon as our main force moves, they will definitely get the news. Once they disappear into the back mountain, it will be difficult to find them in this vast forest.”

His analysis was professional and well-organized. "To completely subdue them, we must cut off their escape routes."

Hong Zhi had the sharpest tip of his baton, drawing a tricky route on the map.

"Send an elite squad from here to circle around to the back of Erwangling and ambush them in this canyon called 'One Line Sky.' This is their only way out."

"Launch a frontal assault, feigning fierceness, and force them back into the mountains."

"Once they're in this trap, they're like turtles in a jar, unable to escape!"

He spoke with absolute certainty, his face expressionless, as if he were discussing not the lives of more than three hundred people, but a simulation on a sand table.

Ma Wendong listened quietly, but his eyes behind his glasses suddenly turned cold:

"It's widely rumored that Section Chief Hong and Xu Yunying have a close relationship. How can you be so heartless as to destroy such a beautiful woman?"

The air solidified instantly.

Hong Zhiyou seemed oblivious to the trap in Ma Wendong's words, met his gaze calmly, and replied with two words.

"rumor."

He paused, then added, "There is absolutely no such thing between her and me."

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Ma Wendong's eyes.

What a brilliant Hong Zhiyou!
In order to sever ties, he actually went so far as to treat his lover so cruelly, showing no regard for their past relationship.

This person has no feelings for his children, only cold calculations and boundless ambition!

What else could this kind of person be but a ruthless and powerful figure?
"Hehe, it seems the rumors are unreliable." Ma Wendong's face regained its smile, and his tone softened. "I thought so too. Section Chief Hong has a bright future ahead of him, how could he possibly associate with thieves?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the office door was pushed open.

Old Qiu dragged in a person covered in blood.

That man was Hao Guifang, the battalion commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 26th Regiment of the National Revolutionary Army.

He had clearly just been tortured; his military uniform was soaked in blood, his face was covered in bruises, and he was staggering as he walked. Old Qiu pushed him to the ground.

Hao Guifang struggled to lift his head, and his eyes met Hong Zhiyou's in mid-air.

"Section Chief Hong, you should know this person, right?" Ma Wendong's voice rang out softly.

Hong Zhi glanced at Hao Guifang on the ground and said indifferently, "I know him."

"Hao Guifang, the battalion commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 26th Regiment. A few days ago, he was drinking and causing trouble at Yongshengkui and got beaten up. I was the one who stepped in to bail him out."

He spoke of it casually, as if he were talking about some unfortunate, unrelated person.

"Oh?" Ma Wendong drawled, "According to Section Chief Qiu's investigation, this person took advantage of his position to supply Xu Yunying with military equipment on multiple occasions. But he refuses to admit it."

Ma Wendong turned his gaze to Hong Zhiyou, a hint of amusement in his eyes: "Why don't you, Section Chief Hong, give him some advice? After all, you two are old acquaintances."

This is another trap.

To persuade someone is tantamount to admitting that one's relationship with Hao Guifang is unusual.

Not offering advice would appear cold-blooded and heartless, chilling people's hearts.

"Director Ma, I'm afraid this is inappropriate." Hong Zhiyou shrugged, looking helpless.

"There are rumors that I'm having an affair with Xu Yunying. If I go to persuade him now, whatever he says will be assumed to be something I did. I can't explain myself no matter how hard I try."

He glanced at Lao Qiu, then changed the subject.

"Besides, as the saying goes, good advice is hard to persuade a damned ghost."

"With an interrogation expert like Section Chief Qiu here, there's no need for my few words of advice. I believe Battalion Commander Hao will tell the truth sooner or later."

"I didn't!" Hao Guifang, lying on the ground, suddenly roared with all his might, "I don't know any Xu Yunying! Director Ma, I've been wronged! Wronged!"

He was pleading his case to Ma Wendong, but his eyes were fixed on Hong Zhiyou.

Hong Zhi understood that Hao Guifang was telling him that he wouldn't say anything.

That guy's a real man.

Was he certain he had the ability to save him? Or was it simply a matter of loyalty?

interesting.

Ma Wendong waved his hand impatiently.

Two guards immediately stepped forward and dragged the shouting Hao Guifang away.

Silence returned to the office.

Ma Wendong gestured for everyone to sit back down at the tea table, as if nothing had happened.

"Old Qiu used to be Section Chief Gao's informant. There are no outsiders here today."

He took a stack of photos from the drawer and threw them on the table.

"I would like to ask a few people to take a look."

The photo shows the horrific state of the corpses in the mountains after the last bacteriological warfare.

"These are some photos that Lao Qiu took at the time."

"According to his identification, most of the dead here were bandits from the nearby mountains, and none of them were the main force of the Fourth Detachment of the Anti-Japanese United Army."

"In other words, Mr. Shibuya Saburo's supposedly flawless germ warfare plan may have been discovered by the Anti-Japanese United Army long ago."

Ma Wendong said.

Gao Bin picked up a photo, his face turning extremely pale: "This...this is terrifying!"

"This whole thing was orchestrated by Chief of Police Shibuya. Only a handful of people in our police department know the inside story."

"Moreover, at the time of the operation, we were all under the surveillance of the military police, and there was absolutely no opportunity or possibility for a leak!"

Zhou Yi also picked up a card and said in a deep voice, "Could it be that someone close to Chief Shibuya leaked it?"
"Don't forget, they also foolishly plotted to assassinate Stalin before. It's not impossible that an arrogant fool like Tanaka accidentally leaked the information."

Both analyses were reasonable, leading the suspicion elsewhere.

Ma Wendong nodded, then looked at Hong Zhiyou, who had remained silent, and asked, "Section Chief Hong, what's your opinion?"

Hong Zhiyou picked up his teacup, blew on it to cool it down, and then said something surprising.

"Don't think about it."

He put down his teacup and said very frankly, "At that time, there were only three people who had the opportunity to go up the mountain and make contact with the Anti-Japanese United Army: me, Ren Changchun, and Section Chief Qiu."

"Ren Changchun doesn't know much. The only one with the means to leak information to the red ticket is either me or him."

He pointed to Old Qiu, who was standing to the side with a gloomy expression.

In short, the ball was neatly and decisively kicked to the feet of Ma Wendong and Lao Qiu.

This surprised not only Lao Qiu, but also Ma Wendong.

He never expected Hong Zhiyou to act so unpredictably, and he flipped the table!
Old Qiu was speechless, pointing at Hong Zhiyou, unable to utter a single word.

Hong Zhi looked at him and laughed coldly: "Section Chief Qiu, you don't suspect that I leaked the information, do you?"

Old Qiu was speechless.

Doubt? Of course he doubted! But did he dare to say it?
He had no direct evidence before he caught Political Commissar Zhou and confronted him.

How could he dare to talk about something that could cost him his life!
The scene of Tanaka's assistant identifying Hong Zhiyou as a red ticket, being called an idiot on the spot, and being forced to commit seppuku is still vivid in my mind!
Looking at the situation before him, Ma Wendong cursed inwardly, "Impressive."

Hong Zhiyou, with just a few words, broke his own trap and even turned the tables on Lao Qiu.

He still wore a gentle smile and tried to smooth things over: "Hehe, Section Chief Hong is joking."

"However, whether it's true or false, once we capture the bandits and the Anti-Japanese Alliance members on the mountain and confront them face to face, the truth will naturally come out."

He stood up and ended the meeting.

"That's it for today."

Everyone took their leave.

Ma Wendong held Hong Zhiyou's hand and said affectionately, "Zhiyou, we are both students of Mr. Sakasai, so we can be considered fellow students."

"If you have nothing to do in the future, come and sit here often and have some tea."

"Definitely, definitely." Hong Zhi bowed and scraped, his face beaming with smiles.

Watching Hong Zhiyou and Gao Bin's departing figures, Old Qiu finally couldn't help but complain, "Director, you saw that! This guy is sharp-tongued, arrogant, and doesn't respect you at all!"

Ma Wendong remained calm and composed, waving his hand and saying, "You go ahead and get busy."

"Yes."

Old Qiu left dejectedly.

Ma Wendong was the only one left in the office. He walked to the window and looked at the cars driving away downstairs. His eyes instantly turned extremely sinister.

Hong Zhiyou's coldness towards Xu Yunying and his refusal to help Hao Guifang in his time of need both exceeded his expectations.

This person is ruthless and will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

This is no longer just simple ambition; it's the demeanor of a ruthless and ambitious leader!

Kill!

……

In the car, Gao Bin, sitting in the back seat, glanced at Hong Zhiyou, who was driving, through the rearview mirror.

“Zhiyou, the way you acted today doesn’t seem like you’re willingly surrendering or begging Ma Wendong for mercy.”

Hong Zhiyou laughed and said, "Uncle, being too obedient and humble will make you look foolish."

“In the eyes of someone like Ma Wendong, I am clearly not a stupid person. If I were to do that, it would only arouse his suspicion.”

"Besides, Captain Zhou was also present at the time."

"If I act too compliant and spineless, it would not only be illogical, but it would also make me, a graduate of China University of Geosciences, seem unprudent."

Zhou Yi, sitting in the front passenger seat, smiled faintly: "That makes sense."

He looked at Hong Zhiyou and said, "Ma Wendong is just like Shibuya Saburo; he's good at being friendly on the surface but stabbing people in the back."

"He got the short end of the stick today, and he's definitely plotting an even more insidious way to deal with you. How do you plan to resolve this?"

Hong Zhiyou raised the corners of his mouth and said with a faint smile, "I will visit his wife this afternoon."

"The daughter of the president of the South Manchuria Railway Company."

……

(End of this chapter)