Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 500 Blow Him Up
Inside a dimly lit bungalow.

Wu Jingzhong was roughly pushed into a chair, and he trembled with fear.

Ever since he betrayed his country and joined Boss Dai, his career has been smooth sailing. He has always been the one interrogating others. When did it become his turn to sit in this torture chair?
Even if you've seen a lot of storms, it would be a lie to say you're not afraid when you see this kind of scene.

Of course, some of that fear was feigned.

After all, his "identity" is just that of a leather goods shop owner; it would be a disaster if he didn't react in the face of a collapsing mountain.

Seeing Wu Jingzhong's trembling and pathetic state, Zhang Ling felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

It seems he's just a spineless businessman, which makes things much easier.

"Mr. Feng, there's no need to be nervous."

Zhang Ling wore a warm smile, as if he were welcoming an old friend.

"I just wanted to have a casual chat with you."

He handed Old Wu a cigarette.

Wu Jingzhong waved his hand with a trembling smile, his voice shaking, "No... I won't smoke, thank you, sir."

Zhang Ling didn't mind, put away his cigarette, poured him a cup of hot tea, and slowly asked, "Mr. Feng, what are your responsibilities at the shop?"

Wu Jingzhong, holding his teacup, composed himself and said, "Daily tasks like shipping, packing, bookkeeping, and inventory."

"Oh dear, let me tell you, there are a lot of tricks to this leather goods shop. I have to keep an eye on everything inside and out. Without me, Little Hong's business simply can't get going!"

He didn't care about the consequences; he just wanted to make himself look capable, as saving his own life was the priority.

As Zhang Ling listened, his smile deepened.

"Mr. Feng is indeed a talented person."

He then changed the subject: "I have a friend who is planning to open a leather goods store and would like to invite you to be the manager."

"As for wages, that's easy to say. Hong Zhi paid you whatever amount, but my friend will pay double."

Wu Jingzhong's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately understood the group's intentions.

He looked troubled and analyzed professionally, "Sir, not just anyone can do the fur trade."

"This kind of thing is all about selling what you have in stock first. If you don't have a source, your shop will have to close down within three days of opening."

Seeing how professional he was, Zhang Ling became even more satisfied.

He clapped his hands gently.

The door was pushed open, and two men escorted a man in.

The man had a bruised and swollen face, with blood still trickling from the corner of his mouth; it was Zhang Guaizi.

When Zhang Guaizi saw Wu Jingzhong, his face immediately fell, and he was almost in tears: "Old Feng, I really have no other choice! If you don't agree, they'll skin me alive!"

Wu Jingzhong pretended to be startled and jumped up from his chair, then quickly sat back down, cold sweat pouring down his forehead: "Old Zhang, you, why are you here too?"

"Look, isn't this the source of goods?"

Zhang Ling leaned back in his chair, watching him with a leisurely air.

"So, Mr. Feng, are you willing to join us?"

Wu Jingzhong looked astonished and somewhat frightened, saying, "You...you guys are trying to ruin Master Hong's livelihood?"

"In business, it's all about ability. Whoever is capable makes money," Zhang Ling said casually.

Wu Jingzhong seemed to have mustered all his courage and said in a deep voice, "Excuse me for speaking frankly, but Hong Zhiyou is not someone to be trifled with!"

"Gentlemen, I'm just a nobody trying to make a living. Whoever pays me, I'll eat their food. It's the same whether I work for you or for Section Chief Hong."

He changed the subject, cautiously probing, "I just don't know... whether you can handle it?"

"There's nothing in Harbin that I can't cover up."

Zhang Ling sneered, his eyes sharp as knives. "Just tell me, will you do it or not?"

Wu Jingzhong's eyes darted around, and he instantly understood. He tentatively stretched out his finger and wrote a word in the air.

horse.

Seeing this, Zhang Ling slowly nodded.

Hey! You should have said so earlier!

Wu Jingzhong slapped his thigh, and the fear and embarrassment on his face vanished instantly, replaced by an extremely mercenary and obsequious smile.

"I know exactly who's in charge in Harbin right now!"

He rubbed his hands together, leaning closer with a greedy look on his face: "But... that double pay you mentioned earlier..."

Zhang Ling immediately took out a pre-prepared contract from his briefcase and pushed it in front of him.

"It's all in black and white, Mr. Feng, please."

Wu Jingzhong picked up the contract, glanced at it briefly, and without saying a word, readily signed his name.

"Mr. Feng is indeed a smart man."

Zhang Ling withdrew the contract with satisfaction, but his tone became unquestionable.

"However, you'd better keep your team safe for me. My friend here doesn't like to drag things out."

"You'll probably receive the notice of transfer of the storefront from Hong Zhiyou tomorrow. I need you to take over seamlessly then, without delaying even a day."

"understand!"

Wu Jingzhong nodded and bowed.

Zhang Ling waved his hand, signaling for the release of him and Zhang Guaizi.

As the two left, the smile on Zhang Ling's face vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling killing intent.

He instructed his subordinates, "Is the wiretapping at the telephone exchange ready?"

The subordinate immediately replied, "Everything is ready, sir!"

"very good.

“Listen carefully to who he called and what he said after he went back.”

"If he honestly sides with us, then we'll let it go."

"If someone dares to pledge allegiance to Hong Zhi, and instead tries to betray him or play both sides..."

His eyes flashed with murderous intent.

"Bring him back in the middle of the night and kill him on the spot!"

"Yes!" the subordinate replied.

……

On the street, the July night breeze was faintly cool.

Wu Jingzhong and Zhang Guaizi walked hurriedly with their heads down.

"Old Feng, what do you think we should do?"

Zhang Guaizi asked with a worried look on his face.

Wu Jingzhong sighed and lowered his voice, saying, "What else can we do? We're at their mercy. We'll work for whoever pays the most."

"Hey!"

Zhang Guai Zi stamped his foot and said in annoyance, "I've really had the worst luck in eight lifetimes!"
"Last time I did business with Ni Xiaoping, Master Hong took pity on me and even gave me an extra percentage of the profits."

"If I sell this again, I, Zhang Guaizi, will never be able to work in this industry again!"

Wu Jingzhong patted him on the back and comforted him, "Never mind that, saving your life is the most important thing. Little Hong is so smart, he'll understand our predicament."

"Alright, stop looking like your father just died."

"If those bastards see this, they'll think we really didn't want to, and we might get arrested again."

Zhang Guaizi nodded helplessly: "Okay."

"Old Feng, if Young Master Hong asks about this in the future, you'll have to be my witness."

"Look at me, these bastards have beaten me to a pulp. I really had no other choice!"

Wu Jingzhong waved his hand impatiently: "Alright, alright, you're so long-winded, let's hurry up and go."

Upon returning to Futai Leather Shop, Xiao Guohua, Liu Xiong, and Xiao Jia immediately came to greet Wu Jingzhong and nervously ushered him into the inner room.

"Stationmaster, are you alright?"

Xiao Guohua looked him up and down carefully.

"fine."

Wu Jingzhong plopped down in the armchair, picked up his teacup, took a big gulp, and then slammed the teacup down on the table.

The timid businessman from a moment ago vanished instantly, replaced by a face full of rage.

"I've been around for so many years, and this is the first time I've ever been put on a torture chair!"

He cursed loudly.

"Damn it, they're trying to mess with me!"

He swept his cold gaze across the crowd: "Section Chief Liu, tomorrow you pass a message to Chen Jingyu, tell him to find out what this Zhang kid is all about!"
"Guohua, go prepare the bomb!"

"Think carefully, where can we blow him into the sky!"

The moment the topic of bombing people came up, Xiao Guohua and Liu Xiong's eyes lit up instantly, their faces beaming with excitement, like hungry wolves eyeing meat.

Xiao Jia chimed in from the side, "Stationmaster, isn't this too much trouble?"
"I'll just find an opportunity to shoot him, kill him and leave, it'll save me the trouble."

"You know nothing!"

Liu Xiong glared at him.

"It takes real force to blow a genius away to scare that coward Ma Wendong out of his wits!" Xiao Guohua added.

Liu Xiong couldn't wait any longer and said, "In my opinion, let's not let Lao Chen try to find out anything, let's just blow it up!"
"They've already dragged the stationmaster into this; how can this grudge last overnight?"

He took a sketch out of his pocket and spread it out on the table.

“I had a plan to seduce Zhang Jinghui, and this will come in handy! Just have Chen Jingyu invite him to the Ono Restaurant in the Japanese Quarter, over there…”

Liu Xiong pointed to a spot on the map, a cruel smile spreading across his face.

"Right here, I guarantee he'll be able to fly!"

He licked his lips and added, "Even if we accidentally blow up a few innocent people, they'll most likely be Japanese soldiers. We can then report back to Chongqing as a victory. It's a win-win situation!"

"it is good!"

Everyone cheered in unison.

A murderous glint flashed in Wu Jingzhong's eyes, and he slammed his hand on the table, declaring resolutely, "It's settled then! Blow it up!"

While Liu Xiong and the others excitedly left to prepare, Xiao Guohua stayed behind, a hint of worry on his face.

"Station Chief, since Ma Wendong orchestrated this whole thing, if we retaliate so quickly, Ma Wendong will most likely hold Section Chief Hong responsible, thinking that he is deliberately defying us."

"Won't this cause trouble for Section Chief Hong?"

"Should we ask for his opinion first?"

Wu Jingzhong picked up his teacup and slowly blew on the steam.
"We can't call him now. What if the Japanese are watching us? Wouldn't making a call be like walking into a trap?"

A shrewd, calculating smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Well, Mr. Dai has been a bit dissatisfied with our lack of action lately, so we might as well take advantage of this to stir things up."

"Besides, Chen Jingyu isn't stupid. He's always cautious, so he'll definitely contact Hong Zhiyou to get his opinion first."

"If Hong Zhi disagrees, he will definitely come to the store to stop us. We can cancel the plan then, so as not to dampen the brothers' fighting spirit."

"Even if we take a step back and assume that Boss Dai finds out in the future, Hong Zhi will still bear the responsibility."

"Of course, if Hong Zhiyou agrees, it proves that he is confident that he can withstand Ma Wendong's pressure, and we will be more confident when we take action."

At this point, Wu Jingzhong put down his teacup and snorted coldly, "Also, I really want to blow up these sons of bitches!"

Xiao Guohua suddenly realized and exclaimed sincerely, "I understand!"

"So you had a well-thought-out plan all along, Station Master. No wonder Boss Dai dared to entrust the entire Northeast region to you."

Wu Jingzhong glanced at him and pointed at him: "What? You've been spending too much time with Hong Zhi and you've learned to flatter him? That's not a good habit."

Xiao Guohua's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately realized that the station chief was referring to him. He quickly bowed and said:

"I will be more careful with my words and actions from now on!" "Rest assured, I know who I am!"

Wu Jingzhong stood up, patted him on the shoulder, and softened his tone: "There's no need for that. I know who you are. Go and rest."

After Xiao Guohua left, Wu Jingzhong's expression became somewhat complicated.

He was clearly the head of the Northeast region and the station chief of Manchuria.

Why is it that now we have to consider Hong Zhi's attitude in everything we do?

It shouldn't be.

……

The next morning.

As soon as Chen Jingyu stepped out of his house, he saw the pigeons at the door.

He glanced around warily, quickly took the note from the pigeon's leg, unfolded it, and his face instantly turned ashen. He couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath.

What the hell are you up to!
"I finally climbed to my current position and became the number three person in the Security Bureau. And you actually want me to openly bomb people with you?"
"Are they all crazy?!"

He returned to his office furious, and the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. He picked up the phone and dialed Hong Zhiyou directly.

"Is this Section Chief Hong? This is Chen Jingyu. Would it be convenient for you to come to my office now?"

"Here's a logistics checklist review document from the Police Department; you need to come over and sign it!"

Half an hour later, Hong Zhiyou pushed open the door and entered. A strong smell of smoke hit him, making him wrinkle his nose.

Chen Jingyu slumped in his chair as if he had lost his soul, a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers, his face full of worry.

"Old Chen, is your house on fire so early in the morning?" Hong Zhiyou fanned his nose and casually opened the window to let the smoke dissipate.

Chen Jingyu handed him the note with a sullen expression:
"See for yourself."

Hong Zhi glanced at the words written in code. The content was simple and straightforward, with only one meaning: meet Zhang Ling, and start the bombing at 11:30.

"Old Wu and his gang have gone mad!"

"To openly and brazenly bomb a pawn of the South Manchuria Railway Director!"
"Do they think they've lived too long? Do they want to die sooner?"
"I finally climbed to this position, and they... one bomb could kill us all!"

Chen Jingyu became more and more agitated as he spoke, standing up and pacing back and forth in his office like a wild beast trapped in a cage.

"What's the difference between this and taking a dump right in front of Ma Wendong?"
"No, this is even worse than taking a dump!"

"This is announcing to the entire city of Harbin that our Military Intelligence Bureau is right here. Come and arrest me if you dare!"

Hong Zhiyou laughed when he saw his furious expression.

He slowly burned the note and said calmly:
"Isn't this normal?"
"If you were tied up and invited for tea, I'd also try to blow up his whole family when I got back."

"How can that be the same? That was just said in anger!" Chen Jingyu stopped and stared intently at him.

Don't play dumb with me!
"Ever since that guy surnamed Ma came to Harbin, you've been yielding at every turn, even giving up such a big piece of fat meat as the gold mine. What was the reason for that?"
"Isn't it all for this little bit of barely surviving space right now?"

"Now that we've finally stabilized the situation, is it really worth ruining the whole thing just because the station chief suffered a little injustice?"

Chen Jingyu is a smart man; he sees things more clearly than anyone else.

In the murky waters of Harbin, he knew perfectly well who the bastards and the shrimp were.

Wu Jingzhong is indeed the station chief, but if the station chief is gone, another one can be sent from Shancheng.

But if Hong Zhiyou is gone, where can we find another god with a princely background who can be on friendly terms with Isogai Rensuke and those old men in the military police?
This deal is a losing proposition no matter how you look at it.

The key question is, what if he goes to meet someone and it backfires?

Hong Zhi walked over to him, patted him on the shoulder, and said with his usual smile, "Old Chen, we still have to listen to the leader on this matter."

"Calm down!" Chen Jingyu flung his hand away and shouted in a low voice, "I can tell even with my toes that Ma Wendong is behind this!"
"He just made a move to steal your business, and we immediately retaliate. Wouldn't that be tantamount to openly telling him that you're going to fight back?"

You're pushing yourself into a fire pit!

"I'm not crazy." Hong Zhiyou's smile faded, and his eyes sharpened.

"The reason we tolerated things in the past was because the time was not right."

"Besides, gold mines are easy to lose and easy to get back."

"It wasn't really in my hands to begin with, so there wasn't much profit to be made; it was just a favor."

"But the leather goods business is different."

His voice deepened, each word carrying undeniable weight.

"That's my source of income, my foundation."

"If he touches this part of me, he should have thought he would have to pay the price."

Hong Zhiyou walked to the window and looked at the pedestrians and vehicles coming and going below, his gaze distant.

"I can take a step back, but I will never allow myself to take two steps back."

"This is my bottom line."

"Because constantly giving in will only embolden your enemies and inflict even more torment on you."

He turned around, looked at Chen Jingyu, and uttered a single word with unwavering resolve.

"fry!"

Hong Zhiyou did not make this decision on a whim.

At present, the Kwantung Army was being beaten black and blue by the Soviets at the Nomonhan front, suffering defeat after defeat, and urgent telegrams were flying back to Xinjing like snowflakes.

Ma Wendong's powerful backer, Kenji Ueda, is currently in a state of utter distress.

At this critical juncture, it's incredibly tactless of Ma Wendong to bother the commander over such a trivial matter as a fur trade; Ueda Kenkichi might not even be interested in interfering.

Even if he did do that, he would need to produce irrefutable evidence if he wanted to use force against me in Harbin.

But what cards does Ma Wendong have in his hand?

Commander Kato of the Military Police Headquarters and Section Chief Yamanari of the Special Higher Police Section both had close relationships with my uncle.

Ma Wendong wanted to lure them to arrest him?

I'm afraid those old foxes will only agree verbally, and when it comes to actually doing things, they'll just drag their feet and wait as long as they can.

It's already early July, and if it drags on for another month or two at most, Kenkichi Ueda will be out of a job.

If Ma Wendong doesn't get poisoned to death, he'll be lucky to survive.

Chen Jingyu opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time.

Is this... is this still considered infiltration?
Is it still an underground operation?
can not understand.

"Fine, fine." He waved his hand dejectedly and plopped back into his chair. "You all want to blow this up, what can I say?"

"I'll arrange for someone to find out what's going on with that kid surnamed Zhang."

"No need." Hong Zhiyou smiled, took a document out of his briefcase, and tossed it in front of Chen Jingyu.

"I've got all the information you needed."

Chen Jingyu picked up the document and glanced at it, his brows furrowing involuntarily:

"Zhang Ling is Zhang Chunyuan's son?"

“That’s right.” Hong Zhi nodded.

"His father and his unfortunate brother were both killed by us."

"This kid is back for revenge."

"If you don't bomb him, he'll find a way to bomb you sooner or later."

"It's up to you."

Chen Jingyu shook his head and smiled, "There's no way to avoid it now."

"Made!
"fry!"

Hong Zhiyou's face broke into a smile again:

"That's right.

"Neither the station chief nor Liu Xiong are reckless people; their plan must have been carefully considered."

"Just do as they say."

"Moreover, you have a natural advantage."

Hong Zhi leaned close to his ear and whispered, "You can pretend that you already know Zhang Ling's identity, bow down to him and admit defeat, indicating that you are willing to abandon darkness and embrace the light."

"You could even sell me out and say that I forced you to do what you did back then, that you're under a lot of pressure now and want to find a new way out."

"He will definitely be interested in meeting you in order to undermine my power."

"That way, you can succeed easily."

Chen Jingyu licked his dry lips:
"Is Zhang Ling really that stupid? To see me at this time?"

“Psychologically speaking, his primary target right now is me, not you,” Hong Zhiyou analyzed.

"As my ally, you suddenly turned against me and sided with him. Even if you have doubts, you can't resist the temptation."

"Don't forget, you are now Director Chen of the Security Bureau."

"So I'm pretty sure he'll see you, 90 percent. He'll just bring a few more people with him and be on high alert."

Seeing Hong Zhi's confident gaze, Chen Jingyu finally felt relieved.

He let out a sigh of relief and nodded.

"Okay, you're the backbone, I'll listen to you."

"You seem to have a lot of confidence in me?" Hong Zhiyou teased.

Chen Jingyu gave a wry smile: "Of course. I trust you, even more than I trust myself."

"At least, I don't have the guts to challenge a madman like Shibuya Saburo and outmaneuver him."

Hong Zhi smiled slightly and patted his shoulder forcefully:

Go for it!

"If anything goes wrong, I'll take the blame."

These five simple words carried immense power, instantly filling Chen Jingyu with courage.

"What if something happens and the military police investigate me?"
“Ma Wendong might use torture on me,” Chen Jingyu said, frowning.

"No, everyone in Harbin knows we're brothers who share the same pants."

"This whole thing stemmed from his greed, so my small act of retaliation was justified. If he dares to use torture on you, then he's completely broken ties with me."

I don't think Ma Wendong would do that.

"Besides, he has a good wife who will persuade him."

Hong Zhi said confidently.

"it is good!"

Chen Jingyu took a deep breath, no longer hesitated, picked up the phone on the table, and dialed the switchboard.

"Please transfer me to the General Affairs Section of the Police Department to pick up Zhang Ling."

The call was answered quickly.

Chen Jingyu cleared his throat, and his expression instantly changed, becoming extremely humble, even somewhat obsequious.

"Hello? Is this Mr. Zhang?"

"I am Chen Jingyu from the Security Bureau. I hope I am not disturbing you by calling you."

"Well, I'd like to invite you to lunch at Ono Restaurant. Do you have time?"
"Oh, it's nothing serious, it's just... there are some things about Hong Zhiyou that I'd like to discuss with you in person."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment.

"it is good.

"Great! Let's meet at the restaurant at 11:30 a.m. I'll be waiting for you!"

After hanging up the phone, Chen Jingyu looked up at Hong Zhiyou, his eyes full of admiration.
"You're incredibly insightful; you've hit the nail on the head again. This guy hesitated for a while, but still agreed."

……

(End of this chapter)