Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 522 Master Hong Teaches You How to Be a Man
Harbin Police Department, conference room.

Gao Bin and Yoshio Miyagawa sat facing each other. The tea on the table had been changed once, and the steam rose gently, leaving a lingering fragrance.

Both were anxiously awaiting the result, but their faces showed composure and confidence.

Yoshio Miyagawa picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and slowly asked, "Chief Gao, do you think we can catch them tonight?"

Gao Bin smiled, tapped his pipe in the ashtray, and refilled it with tobacco.

"of course."

His tone was confident.

"This is top-secret intelligence personally delivered by Director Guo of Jiamusi. As soon as the intelligence arrived, our men set off immediately."

"If we can't catch them here, doesn't that mean there's a problem in Jiamusi?"

He looked up at Yoshio Miyagawa, his eyes filled with a hint of inquiry.

"A red ticket, it can't be a clairvoyant or a clairaudient, can it?"

Miyagawa Yoshio was left empty-handed, while Gao Bin cleverly outmaneuvered him.

This guy has already started subtly assigning responsibility before the matter is even settled.

However, Yoshio Miyagawa didn't care; his ultimate goal wasn't to catch a few small fry. As long as the people escaped, he had plenty of ways to pin all the blame on Zhou Yi.

He smiled and said, "Well, the people who pay money don't believe in ghosts and gods, and I believe they aren't either."

"Then let's wait patiently for good news."

……

after an hour.

The conference room door was suddenly pushed open.

Murakami's face was grim. He strode up to Yoshio Miyagawa and bowed deeply.

"I'm sorry, Director Miyagawa, my men failed!"

"Before we arrived, those red tickets had already been withdrawn!"

"Snapped!"

Yoshio Miyagawa slammed his hand on the table, splashing water from his teacup.

He stood up, feigning anger, and demanded sharply, "How is this possible! Our intelligence was accurate; are you sure you searched everything thoroughly?"

Captain Murakami straightened up: "We searched the place and questioned witnesses. The address and personnel information matched, but when we arrived, the place was deserted."

His voice was filled with suppressed anger and confusion.

"Chief Miyagawa, I suspect someone leaked the information beforehand! The Red Tickets were able to evacuate before we arrived; otherwise, it would have been impossible for us to not be able to catch a single one!"

Both Gao Bin and Yoshio Miyagawa have something to hide.

Gao Bin knew very well that Hong Zhiyou must have already leaked the information.

Apart from the two special envoys who were in direct contact with the Provincial Working Committee, everyone else was just an extra.

In Gao Bin's view, this plan was flawless and the most effective way to identify Zhou Yi.

As for what ulterior motives Yoshio Miyagawa and Zhu Yi might have, he didn't care at all.

Anyway, his goal was very clear, and he has already achieved it.

Now, all he needs to wait for is the final answer—whether those two work committee hotlines have absconded.

If they also ran away, then the person who leaked the information is most likely Zhou Yi.

Gao Bin believed that no matter how much Yoshio Miyagawa wanted to seize power, he wouldn't be foolish enough to let such an important key figure escape.

After all, this is crucial to whether or not the Red Ticket Organization in the entire Manchukuo can be eradicated.

He composed himself and said in a deep voice, "That shouldn't be the case."

"The intelligence came from Jiamusi and was delivered directly to the police station via the train station, escorted by Captain Zhou the whole way. There was no way anything could go wrong."

Upon hearing this, Captain Murakami's temper flared. He turned sharply to glare at Gao Bin: "Section Chief Gao, are you doubting the abilities of my men? Or do you think I deliberately let them go!"

Gao Bin slowly took a puff of his pipe: "Captain Murakami, that's not what I meant."

"All right!"

Yoshio Miyagawa raised his hand, interrupting their argument.

"Don't rush."

"Most of those who ran away were peripheral members of the Harbin Transportation Station."

"According to intelligence, there are still several core members, especially two important informants who have not yet been captured."

His gaze held a confident air of control as he continued:

"It is certain that these two people have no lateral connection with the Harbin underground transportation station."

"Therefore, even if the red tickets hear any rumors, it is very difficult for them to inform those two people."

"Let's wait for Captain Zhou and the others to return before making a final decision."

……

Nine p.m.

Hong Zhiyou, Zhou Yi, and the others hurriedly entered the conference room.

Gao Bin immediately stood up, his eyes blazing, and asked impatiently, "So, did you catch them?"

Zhou Yi shook his head, his expression grave.

Lu Ming plopped down in a chair, grumbling angrily, "Don't even mention it! When we went there, there wasn't a soul in sight. What a wasted trip!"

Liu Kui glanced at Miyagawa Yoshio, whose expression was unfriendly, and blurted out, "Director Miyagawa, could it be that there's a problem with the intelligence from Jiamusi?"

Zhou Yi denied the guess in a deep voice: "It's unlikely."

"Based on our on-site investigation, we can confirm that the addresses and identity information of these individuals are completely consistent."

"In other words, there is no problem with the intelligence."

He paused, then said in a chilling tone, "It's highly likely that there was a leak."

The meeting room fell silent instantly, with only the ticking of the wall clock breaking the silence.

Yoshio Miyagawa cleared his throat and looked directly at Zhou Yi: "Captain Zhou, do you have any leads on Dong Yunfeng and Wang Jin on the list?"

Zhou Yi replied, "Dong Yunfeng works as a shop assistant in a rice shop, and Wang Jin works at a water company."

"We have already invited the manager of the rice shop and a Japanese manager from the water company over."

"The specific details can only be known after questioning."

Yoshio Miyagawa nodded in satisfaction: "Okay, then let's begin the interrogation!"

He stood up, looked around at everyone, and his tone became unusually stern.

"This matter is of utmost importance, and it is also the first major case I have handled since I came to Harbin to take charge of police work. We must get to the bottom of this!"
"No matter who is involved, no matter which link or person made the mistake or leaked the secret, they must be severely punished!"
"Thank you all for working overtime here tonight."

Hong Ji-yoo, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.

He leaned back in his chair, slowly swirling the teacup in his hand, and said with a faint smile:

"Director Gongchuan, since you also think it might be an internal leak, my suggestion is to immediately notify Director Guo, Section Chief Zhu Yi, Captain Cui Wannian, and others in the Jiamusi area and ask them to come to Harbin overnight."

"Everyone sat down together, broke down every step of the process, and looked at the intelligence to see where the problem occurred."

What do you think?

Yoshio Miyagawa narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the nonchalant young man before him.

A moment later, he smiled.

"Section Chief Hong, that's a good suggestion."

He turned to Captain Murakami: "Murakami-kun, immediately notify the Jiamusi Police Department and have them come over."

"The trains at this point have already stopped. We shouldn't delay. Have the air force in the Jiamusi area send military aircraft to transport them over tonight!"

Captain Murakami immediately bowed and accepted the order.

"Yes!"

Gao Bin stood up, exuding a chilling aura, and announced:

"From now on, all staff members in all departments must stay in their respective offices and are not allowed to move around freely! All outgoing phone calls will be monitored!"

His gaze shifted to Lu Ming and Liu Kui.

"You two are in charge of interrogating those landlords and managers who have been captured."

"Remember, just ask the Japanese manager at the water company a few simple questions, and be polite."

"As for the rest, they shall be thoroughly interrogated! Get them to talk and see if they are really the protectors of the red tickets!"

"Let's get moving!"

"Yes!"

Everyone responded in unison, then stood up and quickly left the conference room with their respective tasks.

……

Hong Zhiyou sat in his office for a while, the cigar between his fingers half-burned, the ash about to fall.

He felt a little bored.

He dusted off his suit, opened the door, and walked outside.

The corridor outside the office was empty, with only the echo of leather shoes on the floor.

At the top of the stairs, two armed military policemen raised their arms and blocked his way with expressionless faces.

"Chief Hong, the village team leader has ordered that everyone must stay in their respective offices and await summons."

Hong Zhiyou frowned slightly. "Me too?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable weight.

The two military police officers exchanged a glance, a hint of hesitation flashing in their eyes.

They are not fools.

Over the past year, Harbin has undergone dramatic changes, and they know perfectly well who the real big shots are.

Not to mention this Section Chief Hong, who is as close as a brother to the village team leader.

Stopping him would only make things difficult for you.

The two silently lowered their arms and made way for each other.

Hong Zhi took out a few hundred-yuan notes from his wallet and casually stuffed two into each of their chest pockets.

"Hard."

He swaggered toward the action team's office area, a cigar dangling from his lips.

Inside the police station lobby, the lights were on, but the atmosphere was frighteningly oppressive.

Yoshio Miyagawa's assistant adjutant, Taro Kubo, was assigning tasks to several police officers.

He looked up and saw Hong Zhiyou slowly swaying down from upstairs, which surprised him greatly.

"Hey! Who let you out?"

Kubo Taro pointed at Hong Ji-yoo and shouted loudly.

Hong Zhi didn't even glance at him, and walked straight through the hall toward Zhou Yi's office.

He's now going to play his cards right, just like Yoshio Miyagawa.

A newly arrived department head with no established connections, yet he wants to challenge me?
If we don't figure out his little schemes today, he'll keep causing trouble every few days, leading to fights and violence, which is really a hassle.

The door to the action team's office was ajar.

Hong Zhiyou pushed open the door and entered.

Zhou Yi was leaning back on the sofa, resting with his eyes closed. Hearing the noise, he opened his eyes and asked, "Why are you here?"

A relaxed smile immediately appeared on his face.

"I forgot, this is your territory."

"It seems you're planning to openly confront Yoshio Miyagawa."

Hong Zhiyou walked over and sat down opposite him. "They've come to my doorstep, so of course I have to take action."

Zhou Yi's gaze was calm and still.
"Yoshio Miyagawa might have someone backing him up, so don't underestimate him."

"I know." Hong Zhiyou took a sip of water, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"I'd also like to know who's been targeting me behind the scenes."

"This person is of a high rank and is very likely in Tokyo."

"But it doesn't matter, the fox's tail will be revealed sooner or later."

He popped a cigarette out of the pack and tossed it to Zhou Yi.

"Is everything ready on your end?"

Zhou Yi smiled, got up, locked the door from the inside, and took a tape recorder out of his briefcase.

"It's all here, listen to it."

Hong Zhiyou took it and pressed the play button.

After a slight hissing sound of electricity, a familiar voice came from inside. It was Cui Wannian's voice, carrying an undisguised smugness.

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

……

Click!

Hong Zhiyou pressed the stop button.

A mocking smile appeared on his face. "Fool, your cleverness backfired."

Zhou Yi said, "Old Cui is also a pitiful pawn."

"From the moment Zhu Yi sent him to give me a heads-up, it was destined that only one of us could survive."

"He has always prided himself on his intelligence, but I never expected him to make such a stupid mistake this time."

Hong Zhiyou stubbed out his cigar.

He is not stupid.

"He just thinks you're doomed to lose, so he's feeling emboldened."

He glanced at the wall clock; it was still early. "Let's play a couple of rounds."

"It's so boring to just sit here like this."

The two quickly set up the chessboard. "How's Chun San doing?"

Zhou Yi placed a piece and asked softly.

"rest assured."

Hong Zhi responded with a move, his tone resolute.

"I've already had someone drive away the car that Chun San left in Jiamusi. The license plate will be changed halfway there, and it will disappear without a trace."

Zhou Yi frowned slightly. "He got off the bus at Zhuhe and hasn't come back yet. Will something happen to him?"

"will not."

Hong Zhi smiled.

Chun San is a clever person with a very quick mind.

"Besides, Zhuhe is close to Harbin, and there are many people coming and going every day. Who would pay attention to such an insignificant little guy?"

"Moreover, once we get to the Zhuhe area, those damn police from Jiamusi, no matter how far their reach is, can't do anything about it."

Zhou Yi's expression softened slightly, and he placed another chess piece. "When you have time, help me bring your sister-in-law and child back."

“She’s not very shrewd, and I’m always worried about leaving her there alone.”

"After all, she used to be active in Jiamusi. Although Lao Song and Zhang Pingjun have already sacrificed their lives, it's uncertain whether anyone still remembers her face."

Hong Zhi nodded. "Yes, once I've dealt with the troublesome Miyagawa Yoshio, I'll personally go to Jiamusi and bring Gu Qiuyan and her daughter back."

At this point, he couldn't help but curse.

"Damn it, we're practically Zhang Pingru's family's full-time nannies now."

"When we catch that guy, we have to squeeze him out of his money, with interest!"

Zhou Yi shook his head and smiled: "At least you still have the spirit of a man, what about me?"
“He wears a hat of unknown color every day, and wherever he goes, people gossip about him behind his back.”

After playing a few games of chess, Hong Zhi felt sleepy and yawned several times.

He greeted Zhou Yi and then leisurely returned to his office.

He lay down on the sofa, pulled a coat over himself, and quickly fell asleep.

……

The next day, eight o'clock in the morning.

The office door was gently pushed open.

Ren Changchun walked in carrying a food box.

"Section Chief, are you awake?"

"I'll wash up first. I just bought some mutton offal soup and meat-filled flatbread from a time-honored brand. They're still warm."

Hong Zhiyou rubbed his eyes and sat up, his head still feeling a little heavy.

After a quick wash, he sat down at the table, slurping down his mutton offal soup, and asked indistinctly:

"Changchun, how's it going?"

Ren Changchun handed over the sesame seed cake, "Those guys from Jiamusi arrived around 2 a.m. last night."

"The military aircraft they were on was directly arranged to rest at the Police Headquarters."

"They said they'd hold a meeting in our hall at nine o'clock this morning."

He paused, then lowered his voice, "Section Chief, I think Yoshio Miyagawa is making such a fuss because he's targeting our department?"

Hong Zhi took a big bite of the sesame seed cake, the aroma of meat filling the air. He looked up at Ren Changchun and asked, "Why do you say that?"

Ren Changchun's thinking was very clear: "Section Chief, think about it. The document was brought back by Captain Zhou from Jiamusi."

"Now that the person has escaped, we need to investigate the leak, and Captain Zhou is the first to be responsible."

"Moreover, everyone knows that Yoshio Miyagawa and Zhu Yi from Jiamusi are friends."

"The reason they've gone to such lengths to call everyone over is either because of Captain Zhou or because of you."

Hong Zhiyou took another sip of soup and asked slowly, "How do you know that Gongchuan and Section Chief Zhu are friends?"

Ren Changchun analyzed:

"Zhu Yi and his team came from Jiamusi to assist in the investigation."

"According to the rules, shouldn't they be taken directly to our police department, treated the same as everyone else, and then fenced off first?"
"But Chief of Police Miyagawa took them directly to the National Police Headquarters. Isn't that obviously to give them time to rehearse their statements in advance?"

Hong Zhi nodded, a look of approval on his face.

"You have a politically astute mind, which is truly commendable."

"Becoming a section chief in the future shouldn't be a problem."

Ren Changchun's face instantly turned red, and he chuckled, "I've been by your side for so long that I've learned a little bit of the basics."

After finishing breakfast, Hong Zhi went to the backyard for some fresh air.

Nine o'clock sharp.

Several black sedans pulled up in front of the Harbin Police Department right on time.

The car door opened, and Yoshio Miyagawa stepped out surrounded by a group of people. Beside him were Zhu Yi and Cui Wannian from the Jiamusi Police Department.

Gao Bin and Zhou Yi stood on the steps, offering a brief welcome and introducing Liu Kui, Lu Ming, and others behind them to Zhu Yi and the others.

Without much small talk, the group went straight into the conference room.

The atmosphere around the long conference table was somber.

Yoshio Miyagawa took the seat of honor without hesitation, his gaze sweeping across the room, and asked directly:
"Section Chief Gao, how's the interrogation going?"

Gao Bin glanced at everyone and tapped his pipe on the table: "Based on our overnight interrogation, the undercover agents deployed by the police department, and the questioning of witnesses related to the suspect's residence and workplace, one thing is clear."

"The exact timeframe for the withdrawal of all suspects was roughly between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. yesterday."

He paused, then emphasized his words.

"In other words, someone had already tipped them off before our arrest operation even began."

"very good."

Yoshio Miyagawa nodded; this outcome was within his expectations.

His gaze shifted to Gao Bin, carrying a hint of pressure.

"So here's the question: how did those two special agents who were in direct contact with the Manchurian Provincial Committee disappear?"

Gao Bin casually made a joke: "Well, only heaven knows."

The atmosphere in the meeting room instantly became somewhat strange.

Zhu Yi cleared his throat and was the first to stand up and express his opinion:
"Although I was one of the participants in this operation, I did not see the specific list; I simply handed over the documents."

"Director Miyagawa can vouch for this."

Yoshio Miyagawa immediately took over the conversation.

"That's right. This list was secretly submitted by an informant working for Director Guo in Jiamusi. Only Director Guo and I know the specific details."

"Section Chief Zhu and Section Chief Gao only knew about this list and that there were two important people on it before the operation began, but they did not know their specific addresses or identities."

"Therefore, there is no possibility that the two section chiefs leaked the information."

"After handing over the list, Director Guo stayed in the military police station in Jiamusi to prove his innocence."

"Captain Fujisai over there can testify that Director Guo did not leave before the operation began, nor did he make any phone calls."

"Moreover, Director Guo deserves the most credit for this mission, and he has no reason to leak any information."

He looked around at everyone, his voice suddenly rising.

"If these suspicions have been ruled out, then the problem must lie in the way the document was being transported."

Hong Ji-yoo, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up:

"Yes, Director Miyagawa's analysis is absolutely correct."

"But I still have some questions that I would like to ask Section Chief Zhu."

Zhu Yi stroked his beard with an air of maturity and said with a smile, "Section Chief Hong, please don't be so polite. I will tell you everything I know."

"Section Chief Zhu, when did you hand over the document to Captain Zhou?" Hong Zhi asked.

Zhu Yi thought for a moment: "A little after eleven o'clock."

"The specific time."

Hong Zhiyou pressed on relentlessly.

Around 11:40.

How did you obtain this document?

"Director Miyagawa personally handed it over to me."

"Did anyone else touch the documents before you handed them to Captain Zhou?"

"no!"

Zhu Yi's tone turned stiff. "I've been watching it the whole time. No one has touched the documents."

He looked at Hong Zhiyou defiantly, "Section Chief Hong, do you have any more questions? Why don't you just ask them all at once?"

Hong Zhi nodded and shrugged.

"Thank you, I've finished asking."

Gao Bin took over the conversation, turning his gaze to Zhou Yi.

"Captain Zhou, was the sealing wax intact when you received the document?"

Zhou Yi replied in a deep voice, "It's intact."

Yoshio Miyagawa smiled, as if he had everything under control:
"Now it seems there's only one possibility."

"Someone opened the document midway through, peeked at its contents, and managed to leak the list."

"Only this possibility can explain why those two informants, who couldn't even contact the Red Ticket Transportation Station, also escaped in advance."

Hong Zhiyou, with a cigarette between his fingers, casually picked at his ear with his little finger: "Director Miyagawa, you might as well be more explicit."

Miyagawa Yoshio looked at Hong Zhiyou and sneered, "Section Chief Hong, you seem to be in a hurry."

Hong Zhiyou shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Yoshio Miyagawa stopped beating around the bush and revealed his true intentions: "That's right, I suspect that Zhou Yi leaked the list!"

"At the very least, he is the prime suspect!"

"I propose that Zhou Yi be immediately placed in isolation for interrogation!"

In the conference room, everyone's eyes were focused on Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi sat upright, his face ashen, without uttering a word.

Gao Bin, pipe in mouth, stared intently at Zhou Yi with his hawk-like eyes:

"Zhou Yi, is there anything you'd like to say?"

Zhou Yi slowly raised his head, his gaze calmly sweeping over Miyagawa Yoshio and Zhu Yi, finally landing on Gao Bin's face.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was steady and powerful:
"Faced with such a foolish accusation, I feel that any response would be an insult to the intelligence of everyone present."

"Zhou Yi, how dare you!" Kubo Taro slammed his fist on the table and roared.

"I don't mean any disrespect to Director Miyagawa, but this kind of deduction is just too frivolous."

"The police department, like the courts, should be a place where logic and evidence are upheld and the law is applied."

“You’re making baseless accusations against a second-class police officer for leaking secrets. Isn’t that absurd?” Zhou Yi retorted.

“That’s just humility and sophistry,” Kubo Taro said.

"Reasoning is just humbly sophistry. Are you so eager to label Captain Zhou out of humility or because you have something to hide?"

As Hong Zhiyou finished speaking, he drew his sidearm from his waist, released the safety, pulled the rifling, and pushed it forward.

He walked straight up to Taro Kubo, grabbed his hand, and slapped the gun into his palm.

“If you don’t want to talk about evidence or reason, then show your Japanese Bushido spirit and just kill him.” He pointed at Zhou Yi, then grabbed Kubo Taro’s hand and aimed at Zhou Yi.

Everyone was shocked.

Even Gao Bin didn't expect Hong Zhiyou to be so tough, showing absolutely no respect for Miyagawa Yoshio.

Kubo Taro was suffering a great humiliation; his hand trembled, but he just couldn't pull the trigger.

Miyagawa Yoshio's goal was to bring down Hong Zhiyou by investigating Zhou Yi.

If he were shot dead, how would the score be settled?
Besides, he really didn't have the guts.

Facing the gun barrel, Zhou Yi acted as if he didn't see it, calmly drinking his tea.

Hong Zhiyou said, "I'll count to three, one, two..."

"three!"

Fearing an accidental discharge, Hong Zhi quickly grabbed the gun back after three counts of what was coming out of his mouth.

“I gave you a chance, but you still couldn’t do it!” He stuck out his finger and poked Kubo Taro’s head a few times.

"Baka!" Kubo Taro's face turned red, but he was in the wrong and had lost his courage, so he could only grit his teeth and endure it.

Yoshio Miyagawa, Zhu Yi, and the others were all dumbfounded.

Zhu Yi, in particular, originally intended to take advantage of Yoshio Miyagawa's influence to show off his power in Harbin.

Who would have thought that Hong Zhi would be so incredibly brave?

Taro Kubo is Japanese, an assistant to the director, yet he was humiliated like a grandson.

Kubo Taro's eyes were red and glistening with tears as he looked at Captain Murakami almost pleading for help.

Zhu Yi, Yoshio Miyagawa, and Lao Cui all looked at Murakami at the same time.

As the military police of the Great Japanese Empire, shouldn't they take it upon themselves to protect their own officers?
Is this still the domain of the Great Japanese Empire?

Is it Manchukuo?
However, Murakami sat upright, as if he hadn't seen anything.

At the same time, several police officers at the conference room door drew their guns, their eyes wide with fury, ready to fight at any moment.

"Alright, Lieutenant Kubo, apologize to Captain Zhou now." Yoshio Miyagawa finally realized how difficult it was for Saburo Shibuya and Wendong Ma to survive in Harbin, and ordered with an icy face.

"Snapped!"

Hong Zhi raised his hand and slapped Kubo Taro on the back of the head. "If you can't speak, then don't speak. Today, I'll teach you a lesson."

Tears streamed down Kubo Taro's face as he stood up straight, his eyes brimming with tears, and bowed deeply to Zhou Yi.
"Captain Zhou, I'm so sorry!"

……

(End of this chapter)