Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 520 The fish is hooked

Office of the Chief of the Special Affairs Section, Jiamusi Police Department.

Zhu Yi personally poured a cup of Da Hong Pao tea for Yoshio Miyagawa. The tea soup was deep red and had a rich aroma.

In the very center of the desk lay a manila envelope, sealed with a bright red wax seal.

"Zhou Yi will be here soon."

Zhu Yi's voice held a barely perceptible hint of excitement, "Whether we can catch this big fish or not depends on this one chance."

Yoshio Miyagawa picked up his teacup but didn't drink it. Instead, he gently swirled the cup, admiring the color of the tea.

A mysterious smile played on his lips: "Brother, it seems you still don't fully understand what I mean."

Zhu Yi paused slightly in his hand holding the teapot, his face showing just the right amount of respect and curiosity.

"Please enlighten me, Director Miyagawa."

Yoshio Miyagawa put down his teacup and lightly tapped his index finger on the smooth tabletop. "It's very simple."

"Whether Zhou Yi opens this file or not, the result will be the same."

"Before he returns to Harbin, I will immediately send someone to spread the word in Harbin's underground channels that we have a top-secret list of red tickets."

"At that time, the red ticket organization in Harbin will definitely be alerted and urgently relocate."

"If Gao Bin and Zhou Yi try to arrest people with this list again, they will only end up empty-handed."

"Think about it, a top-secret intelligence was passed through Zhou Yi's hands, but the intelligence was leaked in advance, resulting in the failure of the arrest."

Yoshio Miyagawa smiled, a cold smile: "Regardless of whether he actually opened the document or not, the mere fact that he leaked information makes him the prime suspect."

"At that time, I will have ample reason to secretly arrest him, interrogate him, and even... use all necessary means."

"I don't believe a man who has just become a father and has a beautiful wife at home can withstand the torture of the Imperial Military Police."

A fine layer of cold sweat seeped out from Zhu Yi's back.

Yoshio Miyagawa was even more ruthless and vicious than he had imagined.

This is not a test; it's a deadly question.

He suppressed the shock in his heart and put on an admiring smile: "Director Miyagawa is a man of great foresight, I admire him."

"That's a foolproof method."

He changed the subject abruptly, a shrewd glint in his eyes, and tentatively began to speak.

"However, Director, there's something I need to tell you first."

"I didn't read a single word of this document from beginning to end."

"I'm just a messenger, responsible for carrying out your plan."

"When it really comes down to tracing the source of the leak, I urge the Director to investigate thoroughly and provide some corroborating evidence for me."

He knew the nature of these Japanese people all too well; they could turn on you faster than flipping through a book, and they would devour you without spitting out the bones.

If things don't go as planned, and Yoshio Miyagawa uses him as a scapegoat to protect himself, then he'll be doomed.

We must take preventative measures first; it's always good to be on the safe side.

Yoshio Miyagawa burst into laughter, pointing at Zhu Yi with an affectionate "you, you" look.

"You old Zhu, you don't even trust me?"

He patted Zhu Yi on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I, Yoshio Miyagawa, never mistreat my own people."

"However, right now, there is a small problem in front of us."

"How can we make Zhou Yi more motivated to open this document?"
"I think we need someone to casually reveal some information about the list to him."

"Only in this way can we be truly foolproof."

Zhu Yi's heart sank.

He instantly understood the unspoken meaning behind Miyagawa Yoshio's words.

This requires preparing a substitute, a piece that can be sacrificed at any time, just in case.

He frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "You mean... Old Cui?"

Yoshio Miyagawa nodded approvingly:
"Well, Cui Wannian and Zhou Yi are old acquaintances. It's normal for old friends who haven't seen each other for many years to have a few drinks together and then reveal some 'truths' after drinking.

"Moreover, I believe that with your meticulousness, you have probably already arranged all of this."

"I'm being superfluous by saying this!"

Zhu Yi relaxed his brows: "Haha, Director, you really understand me."

The two pointed at each other knowingly and laughed in tacit agreement.

"Okay, everything will be done according to Director Miyagawa's instructions."

Yoshio Miyagawa stood up with satisfaction and straightened his military uniform.

"Alright, I'll leave everything here to you."

"I have to go back to Harbin to oversee things and wait for your good news."

"Once we get hold of Zhou Yi's weakness, you'll be the one to interrogate him personally. No one can take away that incredible credit from you."

"No matter what, I have to promote you to the position of deputy director of the provincial police department."

Zhu Yi was overjoyed and bowed deeply in excitement: "Then I will have to trouble Director Miyagawa! Rest assured, I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

After Yoshio Miyagawa left, Zhu Yi picked up his teacup and disdainfully poured the contents into the sink. He then quickly washed the cup and rearranged the tea tray.

A dozen minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

Zhu Yi said, "Come in."

Cui Wannian pushed open the door with a big smile on his face, followed by Zhou Yi, who had a calm expression.

"Section Chief, Old Zhou is here," Cui Wannian said.

"Section Chief Zhu, you wanted to see me?" Zhou Yi said, getting straight to the point.

Zhu Yi, beaming with enthusiasm, strode forward to greet Zhou Yi: "Zhou Yi, you've come at the perfect time!"

He patted Zhou Yi's arm affectionately.

Congratulations on the arrival of your daughter!
"Look at me, I'm so busy all day long, I haven't even had a moment to visit my brother, sister-in-law and children. Please forgive me."

Zhou Yi smiled slightly: "Section Chief Zhu, you're too kind. Qiu Yan has already accepted your gift, and she asked me to convey her gratitude."

Zhu Yi laughed and pulled Zhou Yi to the desk.

"We're old friends, so let's skip the formalities."

He pointed to the file folder on the table, his expression turning serious.

"There is a top-secret mission in the direction of Harbin, and Section Chief Gao specifically requests your immediate return."

"This is the intelligence he needs. It's urgent, and neither Section Chief Gao nor I would trust anyone else to do it."

"I'll have to trouble you to make this trip yourself, little brother."

Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow, then gave a helpless, bitter smile: "Looks like my rare vacation is ruined again."

Zhu Yi gave him a knowing look and sighed, "There's nothing we can do about it; that's just what we do in this line of work."

"The matter is urgent, and Section Chief Gao is pressing us hard. He can't refuse to give you the order himself, so I have to play the bad guy."

"Brother, you've worked hard."

Zhou Yi nodded, regaining his composure. "When do we depart?"

Zhu Yi glanced at his watch: "It's almost noon. No matter how urgent it is, we should at least finish lunch before leaving."

He picked up the file folder and solemnly handed it to Zhou Yi.

"Here's the document, keep it safe."

"After lunch, go to the train station. I've already made arrangements with them."

Zhou Yi took the yellow file folder and casually put it into his briefcase.

He raised his head and looked calmly at Zhu Yi:

"Section Chief Zhu, if I may be so bold, may I ask who else besides Section Chief Gao knows the specific details of this mission?"

A hint of admiration flashed in Zhu Yi's eyes. This old guy was indeed quite alert.

He looked completely unaware and shrugged, "Well, I also received a top-secret instruction from the department, instructing me to pass it on to Section Chief Gao."

"I only know that the matter is extremely urgent, but I don't know the specifics."

Zhou Yi nodded: "Okay, I understand."

Zhu Yi made a "please" gesture:

"I have official business to attend to, so I won't keep you any longer."

"Wish you a safe journey."

Zhou Yi extended his hand and shook his: "Thank you."

Zhu Yi turned his head and winked at Cui Wannian, who had been waiting beside him, "Old Cui, could you see Zhou Yi off for me?"

Cui Wannian immediately understood.

"okay!"

Stepping out of the Jiamusi Police Station, the afternoon sun was rather dazzling.

Zhou Yi stopped and said, "Old Cui, don't bother seeing me off. I need to go home and pack my things before I leave."

Cui Wannian grabbed him, his face beaming with smiles.

"Hey, there's no need to rush."

"It's almost lunchtime. It's been years since my brother and I have had a proper get-together."

"Come on, come on, there's a hot pot restaurant nearby, their mutton is absolutely amazing!"
"This is a perfect opportunity for you to have a farewell party and catch up with each other."

"Your brother wouldn't even give me this much face, would he?"

Looking at his warm smile, Zhou Yi remained silent for a moment, then smiled as well.

"also.

"I've heard that the mutton in Jiamusi is pretty good, so today I'll take advantage of your kindness."

Cui Wannian laughed even harder: "See, you're being too polite again, aren't you? Let's go!"

The two walked into a restaurant called "Lao Jin Hot Pot" on the street corner.

The shop was bustling with noise and steaming hot.

The two requested a quiet private room.

The charcoal fire was burning brightly in the copper hot pot.

Plates of thinly sliced ​​fresh mutton were quickly served.

Cui Wannian waved his hand and ordered the shopkeeper to bring out another pot of the best liquor.

Zhou Yi frowned and smiled: "Old Cui, I have to catch a train later, so drinking might not be a good idea."

Without saying a word, Cui Wannian filled his cup to the brim.

"Having meat but no wine is a regret in life!"

"Don't worry, just drink a little, it won't cause any problems."

He knew exactly what was going on.

Zhu Yi sent him here to find a way to "leak" the intelligence to Zhou Yi, to arouse Zhou Yi's curiosity, and to lure him into stealing the intelligence.

This wine is the best prop.

Furthermore, if anything goes wrong in the future, he can easily use the excuse of drunken slips of the tongue and rambling nonsense to cover it up.

Zhou Yi couldn't refuse, so he picked up his glass and said, "Alright then, I'll just drink a little."

The two clinked glasses and chatted about all sorts of things from the past.

Before we knew it, the pot of wine was empty.

This wine is sweet and smooth at first sip, but has a very strong aftertaste and can be quite intoxicating.

Zhou Yi put down his wine glass, rubbed his throbbing temples, and his eyes began to glaze over: "I can't take it anymore, Lao Cui. I haven't drunk like this in a while, and I'm feeling dizzy."

He leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.

"I need to take a break."

Cui Wannian picked up a few more pieces of mutton and diligently placed them into Zhou Yi's bowl.

"Brother, no rush. Have some meat to tide you over first, then we can drink slowly."

He squinted, scrutinizing Zhou Yi's flushed cheeks and slightly unfocused eyes, wondering if the kid was faking it.

However, this is not important.

What he wanted was for the message to be leaked.

Zhou Yi composed himself, picked up a slice of meat, rolled it in the sesame sauce, and mumbled a complaint while chewing:
"These days, our job is getting harder and harder to do."

He seemed to have opened a floodgate of words, complaining with a hint of alcohol in his voice.

"The provincial police department has changed its director three times in just one year."

"Now our Police Chief Bai is retiring, and we don't know who will be the next chief."

Upon hearing this, Cui Wannian immediately leaned closer and lowered his voice:
"Is that even a question?"
"It's definitely Director Liu Zhenwen who will be promoted to director, and as for deputy director, it'll naturally be your Section Chief Gao."

He paused, then pointed at Zhou Yi with his chopsticks.

"At that time, your younger brother will definitely be the head of the Special Service Section."

Zhou Yi waved his hand, a self-deprecating bitter smile on his face: "That...that's unlikely."

"I'm just a lowly third-class police officer, the head of the Special Affairs Section... that position is beyond my reach."

Cui Wannian chuckled, looking as if he knew everything.

"Who said that?

"If your brother goes back this time and pulls off this job with Section Chief Gao, he'll definitely be promoted to second-class police officer."

"By then, won't the head of the Special Affairs Section be yours for the taking?"

Zhou Yi seemed not to understand, "There's no such thing as a free lunch."

Seeing that the time was right, Cui Wannian glanced around cautiously, lowering his voice even further:
"Brother, as you know, what the Japanese and His Majesty the Emperor fear most now is not those useless Military Intelligence Bureau agents."

What they fear most is the red ticket system.

"Look at universities these days, they keep such close watch on students, afraid that they'll be brainwashed."

"Faith is more powerful than the airplanes and cannons that the Americans gave to Chiang Kai-shek."

"Do you know what this top-secret mission is?"

Zhou Yi shuddered, as if he had been startled:

"Brother, is this something that can be said?"
"Be disciplined!"

"Don't talk nonsense when you're drunk, buddy!" Cui Wannian laughed dismissively: "You're drunk, but I'm not."

"I only heard a little bit of the news that there was a traitor in the Red Ticket Manchurian Working Committee, and he was not of a low rank."

"He implicated a large number of people."

His gaze fell on Zhou Yi's briefcase, which was placed to the side, with a meaningful look.

"The documents inside are the list of red tickets from the Harbin direction."

"I heard there are quite a few people. If you can take them all down, your brother will have accomplished something truly remarkable!"

"At that time, will you still be afraid of not getting promoted?"

Zhou Yi's face turned pale, and he stammered, "Brother, I didn't hear anything."

"If Section Chief Gao and the Japanese find out about this, it's a matter of losing your head!"

Cui Wannian patted him on the shoulder and reassured him, "It's not that exaggerated."

"Oh, I really envy you, my friend."

"If anyone gets this list now, they'll be guaranteed to win. It's like God is practically feeding you food."

"Furthermore, I've heard that this list includes some hidden figures that even the head of the Harbin Transportation Station doesn't know about."

"It is said that it was in direct contact with the Manchurian Working Committee through a single line."

What does this prove?

Even if someone gave advance notice, the Harbin Transportation Station got wind of it and ran away.

"Those important red tickets with single-line contact still could not escape disaster."

"In other words, your brother can gain some credit either way!"
"Isn't this position as section chief a sure thing?"

Zhou Yi's eyes were filled with shock: "Brother, your connections and informants are amazing. This is top secret information."

Cui Wannian waved his hand smugly: "Hey, it's just idle gossip, don't take it seriously."

"Brother, when you get promoted, don't forget to treat me to a drink."

Zhou Yi picked up his wine glass and took a sip:
"Don't worry, brother. If we really catch a big fish, I'll definitely treat you to drinks!"

"No, this wine is too strong, I can't drink any more."

He stood up, leaning on the table for support, his steps unsteady.

"I'm going to the restroom. I should get ready to go back."

Just as Zhou Yi was about to leave, his body suddenly swayed, he staggered two steps, and almost fell.

He unconsciously swept his hand across the table, knocking over a cup or saucer on the corner of the table.

"Clap!"

The crisp cracking sound startled the restaurant staff.

A guy carrying a towel walked in quickly.

"Sir, are you okay?"

Zhou Yi waved his hand: "No, it's nothing. Please clean it up."

Cui Wannian immediately stood up: "Let me help you."

Zhou Yi pushed him away, saying, "No need. You've been talking to me all this time and haven't eaten much."

He turned to the waiter and said, "Hey, could you come with me?"

The waiter obeyed and helped the unsteady Zhou Yi out.

In the private room, Cui Wannian looked at Zhou Yi's briefcase on the chair, a sinister smile creeping onto his lips.

"Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi, I refuse to believe that this isn't enough to whet your appetite?"

He was well aware of the significance of the intelligence he had just revealed.

Not to mention that Zhou Yi himself is suspected of being involved in corruption, just based on the Harbin underground black market's enthusiasm for intelligence, if Zhou Yi just glances at this list and casually leaks a word out, he'll earn at least five gold bars.

There's no reason for him not to take the bait.

Cui Wannian believed he understood Zhou Yi quite well.

Although this kid usually looks upright, he's not some invincible saint in private; he'll still take the kickbacks he's entitled to.

Otherwise, where would he get so much money to marry that pampered young lady from the Gu family?

Thinking of this, Old Cui's cunning and petty nature kicked in again.

He reached out, wanting to open Zhou Yi's briefcase to see if he could find anything of value.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the metal clasp of the bag, he suddenly stopped.

Beside the gap of the clasp, there was a very thin layer of foundation applied by a woman.

There was a single strand of hair lying horizontally on top of the foundation.

"Damn it!"

He muttered a curse under his breath and reluctantly withdrew his hand.

This week, Yi is more meticulous than a needle tip.

A moment later, Zhou Yi relieved himself in the toilet and staggered back.

"Old Cui, I'm sorry, my alcohol tolerance is really..."

Cui Wannian quickly stood up. "It's alright, it's alright. Quickly eat something to fill your stomach, and I'll take you to the train station."

Zhou Yi ate a few bites hastily, picked up his briefcase, and said, "Let's go, or the train will be delayed."

After the meal, Cui Wannian escorted Zhou Yi all the way to Jiamusi Railway Station.

Standing at the entrance, a man wearing a dog-skin hat was squatting in the corner cracking sunflower seeds; it was Chun San.

He's been squatting here waiting for news ever since he closed his vegetable stall.

Soon, he saw Zhou Yi standing next to Cui Wannian.

Chun San clapped his hands, stuffed the remaining melon seeds into his pocket, pulled his hat brim down, and strode towards the ticket window.

"Give me a ticket to Zhuhe."

"This train is crowded today, and there are no tickets left. Is a standing ticket okay?"

"Alright, that's what I want, standing room only."

Carriage number eight.

Zhou Yi found his seat, asked the flight attendant for a newspaper, and began to read it slowly.

A moment later, a figure appeared beside him.

"Sir, may I take a look at this newspaper?"

It was the third day of spring.

Zhou Yi raised his eyes and gave him a cold look. "Wait a minute, I haven't finished reading yet."

Chun San pursed his lips, but didn't leave. He squeezed into the narrow aisle, cracking sunflower seeds half-heartedly, spitting the shells all over the floor.

The train started moving, and the scenery outside the window began to rush past.

Zhou Yi stood up, went into the restroom in the connecting area between the carriages, and locked the door.

He took the brown paper file folder out of his briefcase and, without hesitation, gently pried open the sealing wax seal with a knife.

This was also part of his and Hong Zhi's plan.

He pulled out the document and quickly scanned the list.

He quickly put the file back into the file folder, carefully sealed it, and made it look exactly the same as before.

Then, he quickly wrote down two names and addresses on a small piece of paper, folded it, and stuffed it into his pocket.

After doing all this, he returned to his seat.

Chun San was still there, cracking sunflower seeds.

"Here's the newspaper."

Zhou Yi handed the newspaper to Chun San.

In the instant the newspapers were handed over, the small note was also quietly slipped into Chun San's palm.

Chun San took the newspaper and casually thanked him.

A moment later, he also got up and went to the restroom.

Chun San wasn't very literate, so he stuffed the note into a small copper tube that had been soaked in tung oil and tightened the cap.

Then, a look of pain crossed his face, and he gritted his teeth as he hid the cold little copper tube inside his body.

The train sped along the tracks.

Soon, two plainclothes policemen came over and patted Chun-san on the shoulder.

"Someone suspects you of stealing his wallet. Please come with us."

Chun San immediately panicked:

"Sir, what, what's going on here? I've been perfectly fine here!"
"Stop talking nonsense and come with us!"

Without saying a word, the two policemen grabbed Chun San from both sides and dragged him to the warehouse at the back.

Zhou Yi glanced at it, then lowered his eyelids again.

He didn't rush to make a move.

He glanced at his watch, silently calculating the time in his mind.

If Chun San doesn't come out within half an hour, he will reveal his identity to rescue the person.

He knew very well that Zhu Yi's spies were watching his every move closely in this carriage, so he had to be as careful as possible.

Chun San was led into the bumpy freight car.

A middle-aged man in a long gown with a lean face waved his hand, and immediately a police officer stepped forward and snatched the newspaper from Chun San's hand.

The middle-aged man thoroughly examined the newspaper, inside and out, and then used developing solution and a heat lamp to inspect it. He finally determined that it was just an ordinary newspaper.

There is no information available from above.

"Strip him!"

The middle-aged man gave the order in a cold voice.

Chun San's clothes were roughly stripped off, from the inside out, even the soles of his shoes were thoroughly examined.

In the end, nothing was gained.

Chun San, naked and with his arms crossed, shouted in fear and anger: "Officers, my cousin is Hao Guifang, the battalion commander of the 3rd Battalion of the 26th Regiment of the National Revolutionary Army in Harbin!"

"We're all family, you can't treat us like this!"

A policeman with a long face approached the middle-aged man and asked in a low voice, "Section Chief Fang, the inspection is over, but there's nothing. What do we do?"

After taking the photo, the middle-aged man ordered in a deep voice, "What else can we do? Didn't you hear he's Hao Guifang's relative? It's better to avoid trouble. Release him."

"Once the train reaches the Zhuhe-Harbin area, it's easy for us to come here, but if things get out of hand, we don't even know if we can go back."

The horse-faced policeman hesitated, "But what about Captain Cui..."

Section Chief Fang's face darkened, displeased: "Fine, you're so capable. Then when we get to Zhuhe, you can handcuff him and take him back."

As the section chief of the Jiamusi Special Affairs Department, he had no intention of doing all the work for that scoundrel Lao Cui for nothing. He would just do a token job to get by.

Seeing that he was angry, the horse-faced policeman could only nod.

"Alright, release them."

The train made a brief stop at Zhuhe Station.

Chun San mingled in the crowd and slipped off the train.

After exiting the station, he found a secluded corner, squatted there for a while, and then stood up, his face pale, and took out the small copper tube.

He covered his nose and wiped it, then carefully unfolded the crumpled little piece of paper.

Damn.

Chun San cursed under his breath, "He can't read."

It's the same old rule that Zhou Yi taught us before.

Chun-san took a rickshaw to the nearby elementary school.

When school was over, Chun San stopped a little girl with a schoolbag, pointed to the note, and asked what it said.

After the elementary school student finished reading the poem word by word, he had the child repeat it several times to make sure he remembered it perfectly before going straight to a phone booth and dialing Hong Zhiyou's number.

"Hey, it's me..."

……

Songhua River Park, Harbin Special Municipality.

Old Wei, wearing a straw hat, sat by the river fishing, but the float didn't move for a long time.

A figure sat down next to him. "You seem to have a lot of free time."

Old Wei smiled:
"I often send leather to Yong Sheng Kui, but this is probably our first proper meeting."

He turned his head to look at Hong Zhiyou:
"According to organizational discipline, I cannot see you."

"But Old Zhou even told you the code, and you are a great benefactor to our transportation station, so I can't not come to see you."

“Well, it’s my pleasure,” Hong Zhiyou said casually.

Although Lao Wei is impulsive and a bit simplistic in his thinking, he is fundamentally loyal and has strong beliefs.

Hong Zhi succinctly relayed the information to Lao Wei.

Old Wei's face turned ashen: "Damn it, is Old Zhou in danger of being exposed?"

"Of course, this is a trap set for him, but don't panic. What you need to do now is to evacuate everyone immediately."

"Remember, the cleaner the better, especially for those two people who are in direct contact with the work committee."

Hong Zhi gave instructions.

"Understood. I'll call the committee leaders right now to see if I can get the code word so we can rescue them as soon as possible." Old Wei nodded.

Hong Zhi glanced at his watch: "Captain Zhou's train has arrived in Zhuhe. You have at most an hour and a half to evacuate the people."

"Remember, withdraw as many as you can, the key is those two people on a single line."

"They are crucial to Captain Zhou's comeback, so we must not be careless."

Old Wei nodded: "Section Chief Hong, thank you."

"Don't mention it. I just hope that if you get arrested one day, you won't sell me out," Hong Zhiyou said with a smile.

Old Wei smiled and said, "I swear to the Party flag that if that day ever comes, you will only see my corpse."

……

(End of this chapter)