Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 528 Wu Jingzhong's Headache

Chapter 528 Wu Jingzhong's Headache
Xinjing.

Umezu Yoshijiro's official residence.

General Shirokura, carrying his military cap, entered, led by a soldier.

Yoshijiro Umezu was standing in front of a huge map, hands on his hips, as if deep in thought.

"Commander!" Lieutenant General Shirakura stood ramrod straight, his eyes filled with awe and admiration.

"Kiyokura-kun, please have a seat." Yoshijiro Umezu turned around, raised his hand, and smiled.

This commander, who was rumored to be extremely strict and demanding, was mostly a gentle and refined person; at least he treated everyone with courtesy.

"Kirokura-kun, I know you've always been passionate about combining technology with espionage, but you've been ostracized by Kato and Yamanari in the past, which is why you've remained silent."

"Now that I'm here, you can confidently and boldly reorganize the military police and policing system."

"How's it going? How's it progressing?"

Yoshijiro Umezu asked with a smile.

"Thank you for your trust, Commander."

"As you instructed, I have reformed and reorganized the military police force."

"From now on, local military police units will be directly under the unified jurisdiction of the military police headquarters and will no longer enjoy special supervision and adjudication rights. In particular, the key rights of the military police captains, such as managing funds and equipment, will be restricted."

"In addition, an inspection office is set up in each military police unit, with personnel directly appointed by the military police headquarters."

"Furthermore, the selected personnel will be students from the Military Police Academy, where you yourself serve as principal, in order to eliminate the past practice of so-called classmates and superiors protecting each other."

Chengcang stood ramrod straight and reported.

Yoshijiro Umezu nodded. "Well done, but there's one more thing to keep in mind: we need to make use of the Security Bureau."

“People like Miao Futian who are just slacking off should all be kicked out.”

"Replace them with shrewd and capable ones."

Lieutenant General Shirokura gave him a somewhat troubled look: "The official appointments to the Security Bureau are made by the Prime Minister of Manchuria."

"Would it be displeasing if we intervened...? The Cabinet and the Emperor have given orders, and these are extraordinary times. Wouldn't that incur their displeasure?"

Yoshijiro Umezu sneered, "I am the plenipotentiary ambassador of Manchukuo. In the past, we cared too much about these Chinese people, which led to our passive situation everywhere."

"Politics is the business of the Prime Minister and the Secretary of the Army."

"Our mission is to build an impregnable Manchukuo and an invincible Kwantung Army."

"What's most detestable about Chinese people is their social skills and manners."

"It's like a dye vat; even a samurai protected by Amaterasu will become dirty and despicable once he gets tainted by it."

"Harbin, in particular, must be dealt with severely."

"Mr. Shibuya died here in bitterness, which is a disgrace to us Imperial soldiers."

"From today onwards, all of this should end."

As he spoke, he took out a document and handed it to Lieutenant General Shirokura.

Cheng Cang took it, frowning slightly: "Both the director and deputy director have been replaced?"

“Change? What, is it that difficult?” Yoshijiro Umezu said.

Lieutenant General Shirokura immediately straightened his body and snapped his boots shut.
"Commander!"

"I have long been deeply disappointed with the Empire's intelligence system in Manchuria."

"Now that you have the will to turn the tide, I am willing to risk my life to lend you a helping hand!"

Yoshijiro Umezu smiled gently and raised his hand to signal him to relax:
"Yes, that's why I'm using you."

The fervor in Lieutenant General Shirakura's eyes had not subsided. He pulled out Chen Jingyu's file from the documents:

"But Commander, why hasn't Chen Jingyu been removed from his post?"

"He was only demoted to his original position as the head of the third section?"

"As far as I know, this person is very close to Hong Zhi."

Yoshijiro Umezu walked to the map and his gaze fell on the location of Harbin: "Being close doesn't mean you're the same group of people."

Demoting him is a warning.

Sometimes you can't catch all the fish.

"Keep a few problematic ones; perhaps we can dig out more valuable information through their network of contacts."

He tapped the map lightly.

"Intelligence is our eyes."

"The fact that Rensuke Isogai and his group didn't take it seriously in the past may be one of the reasons for our failure."

"Imagine if Mr. Shibuya had been more careful with his original plan, and if the surveillance in the Harbin direction had been more cautious."

"Perhaps Stalin's grave is already overgrown with weeds."

"We must never repeat those naive mistakes."

Lieutenant General Shirokura nodded emphatically, his chest puffed out even higher.

"Yes!

"It is fortunate for both the Kwantung Army and myself that the Commander values intelligence."

Yoshijiro Umezu strolled back to his desk, sat down, and picked up his teacup: "How's it going with Kato and the others?"

Shirokura immediately reported: "Commander Kato, Section Chief Yamanami, Murakami, and others from the Military Police Headquarters have been secretly detained and interrogated."

"They have confessed that they received a large amount of bribes and benefits from Hong Zhiyou."

"Furthermore, in some orders and instructions from Shibuya Saburo and Director Ma Wendong, he deliberately favored Hong Zhiyou and repeatedly carried out orders passively."

His voice betrayed a suppressed anger.

"I even suspect that the information about Mr. Shibuya's assassination of Stalin was leaked by these people."

"They can be said to be the indirect culprits behind Mr. Shibuya's death!"

Yoshijiro Umezu put down his teacup with a soft sound.

"Yes.

"Mr. Shibuya possessed boundless wisdom, like the ocean, yet he tragically died at the hands of the Chinese."

A cold, murderous glint flashed in his eyes.

"My intention is to have the three mentioned above taken directly to Harbin and executed by firing squad."

"To intimidate the world."

Lieutenant General Shirokura's eyes gleamed with excitement: "Commander, you've got a brilliant idea!"

He then revealed a hint of ruthlessness.

"But the Harbin Police Department... that's a real hornet's nest."

"If all else fails, I'll take some men and poke them all out with one pole."

Yoshijiro Umezu waved his hand: "There's no need to rush this matter."

"I talked with Mr. Doihara before I came here."

"He thought highly of Gao Bin, believing him to be a pro-Japanese figure and very capable, and strongly recommended him to me."

"Mr. Doihara is a genius in the intelligence field and a friend whom both General Tojo Hideki and I highly value."

He changed the subject.

"The key issue lies with Hong Zhiyou."

"Out of respect for the prince and the chief of the guard, I originally intended to eliminate him secretly, but Commander Tada Shun of the North China Area Army pleaded for him."

"Moreover, the Wang Jingwei regime values this person highly."

They believed that this person's tact and resourcefulness would play a very important role in future negotiations with Chiang Kai-shek.

"Zhou Fohai even had a bold suggestion: to have Hong Zhiyou secretly persuade Dai Li and Kong Xiangxi, hoping to use them to turn Chiang Kai-shek against him."

"The Secretariat and the Cabinet attach great importance to this proposal."

"Therefore, this person must be kept on for the time being."

Lieutenant General Shirokura frowned deeply: "But this villain is making a fortune in Harbin, and he's turned the military police and public security systems into a complete mess."

"If this person is not eliminated, there will be endless trouble in the future."

Yoshijiro Umezu sneered: "You're right, he's a scoundrel."

"A petty person loves money, but that doesn't mean he's a corrupt official or a secret police officer."

"Isn't he a money lover?"
"Then let him continue doing business."

"As long as he's still in Manchukuo, when the time is right, we'll..."

Yoshijiro Umezu suddenly clenched his right hand as if he had crushed something.

"Once the Military Police and the Special Higher Police are reorganized, his money-based approach will fail."

"As long as he doesn't violate the principles, he can do whatever he wants."

Lieutenant General Shirokura's face was filled with resentment; he felt that this was too lenient on that bastard.

Yoshijiro Umezu stood up and walked back to the map.

"There's no need to rush to crush an ant."

I don't like politics.

"But sometimes, politics is also a necessity for the military."

"Just like this Hong Zhiyou, if he can really persuade Chiang Kai-shek, we can greatly reduce the pressure of General Okamura Yasuji's offensive."

"At that time, we can deploy a million troops to launch a surprise attack on the Soviet Union and wash away the shame of Nomonhan."

As he said this, he tapped the table with his knuckles, making a crisp sound.

"Your mission is to build the military police system into an impregnable fortress, so that Hong Zhiyou's money magic will completely fail."

“The military police are the best sword to punish them.”

"If you sharpen your sword, won't the police department and the security bureau be completely under your control?"

The resentment in Lieutenant General Shirokura's eyes vanished, replaced by unwavering determination.

"My subordinate understands."

……

a few days later.

The autumn chill lingered, and a north wind blew all night.

Hong Zhi obediently put on a wool sweater and cotton trousers.

That's the downside of Northeast China; you don't get to enjoy looking stylish for very long. Most of the time, you're dealing with bulky cotton-padded clothes and overcoats.

He followed Zhou Yi and walked out of the police station with Gao Bin.

Gao Bin stood with his hands behind his back on the cold steps, gazing at the withered yellow sycamore leaves whipped up by the wind along the roadside, and let out a long sigh:
"One autumn wind brings one chill."

"Harbin is likely to get even colder in the future."

Zhou Yi fastened the top button of his collar, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Yes.

"Lieutenant General Shirakura has taken over the Military Police Headquarters, and now he wants us to witness the execution. This is clearly a warning to our Police Department and Security Bureau."

Hong Zhiyou, with his hands tucked in his pockets, chimed in, "Miao Futian was forced to retire, and the Security Bureau underwent a major reshuffle, but our Police Department was completely retained. That's strange."

Gao Bin glanced at him, a hint of sarcasm on his lips.

"What's so strange about it?"

"They think we're just ants that can be crushed at will, and they don't take us seriously at all."

He slowly exhaled a puff of smoke.

There's a saying: "Sun Wukong can't escape the Buddha's Five Finger Mountain."

"This Commander Yoshijiro Umezu is very confident."

Hong Zhiyou knew that these words were meant for him, so he just smiled and didn't reply.

Once the following year arrived, Isogai Rensuke became the Governor-General of Hong Kong, and he devised a plan to transfer all his assets away.

The further they go, the more difficult the war will become for the Japanese.

Once they clashed with the Americans in the Pacific, Okamura Yasuji would be too weak to fight, and Umezu Yoshijiro would be even less likely to attack him.

Well, it's time to get on MacArthur's good side as soon as possible.

Gao Bin looked up at the gray sky and laughed:

"Actually, it's better if the Japanese are stricter."

“If we each do our job, then the red tickets in Harbin will have nowhere to hide.”

He looked away and waved.

"Let's go, get in the car."

"Go and observe the execution."

Everyone got in the car.

When they arrived at the execution ground in the suburbs, Lieutenant General Shirokura, wearing a khaki military overcoat, and Yoshio Miyagawa were already waiting there.

This was the first time Hong Jiyou had ever met Chengcang.

The newly appointed military police commander was in his early fifties, wore thick black-rimmed glasses, had deeply sunken cheeks, and a large frame but was unusually thin.

His appearance allows him to exude a sinister and mean feeling without needing to show any expression.

Gao Bin led the group forward and greeted them respectfully.

Chengcang simply nodded without a smile, his gaze sweeping over the crowd and landing directly on Hong Zhiyou's face.

"You're Hong Zhiyou?"

Hong Zhi nodded neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Yes, General."

Shirokura pointed at him and gave a cold smile:
"Today's show is wonderful, you should watch it carefully."

Hong Zhiyou smiled faintly: "Of course, I love watching plays the most."

Shirokura snorted and waved his hand.

Immediately, military police brought up Kato, Murakami, Yamanami, and some key figures from the military police system.

Commander Kato, who was once high and mighty, was now ashen-faced and disheveled. He was being pushed and shoved by two military policemen, and knelt down in the center of the execution ground like a stray dog.

Hong Zhiyou's other "old friends" also looked dejected.

Shirokura waved his hand again.

boom!
Bang! Bang! Several crisp gunshots shattered the silence of the countryside.

Those who once held power in Harbin all died with resentment on the cold earth.

After carrying out the execution by firing squad, Cheng Cang coldly glanced at Gao Bin and the others, his gaze like a knife scraping across each of their faces.

He shook his military overcoat, quickly turned and left.

"The show's over!"

Chen Jingyu walked over with his hands in his pockets, looking at Hong Zhiyou and Zhou Yi with a helpless expression that suggested he had made an example of them. "Let's go, everyone."

Gao Bin watched helplessly as his old friend Kato was executed. He was as if his soul had been ripped out; his face was ashen, and he remained silent.

He waved his hand and led the driver, Kim, back to the police station first.

Hong Zhiyou and Zhou Yi got into another car.

Zhou Yi started the car, his expression grave:

"The situation is not good."

"I need to inform Lao Wei and the others that we need to keep quiet for a while."

Hong Zhi leaned back in the passenger seat, a faint smile on his face:

"There's no need to be so nervous."

"A new broom sweeps clean, so he'll naturally have to be strict for now."

"We should continue to gather intelligence, just be more careful."

……

time flies.

Two months later.

On January 26, 1940, heavy snow fell.

The entire city of Harbin was enveloped in a pure white blanket.

Hong Zhi wrapped his coat tighter and walked into Futai Leather Shop.

The brazier in the inner room was burning brightly, making a soft crackling sound.

Wu Jingzhong was warming himself by the fire when he saw Hong Zhiyou. He poured him a cup of warm rice wine and handed it to him.

Hong Zhiyou took the wine glass, took a sip, and immediately felt warm all over.

"Teacher, is there something you need?" he asked, clicking his tongue.

Wu Jingzhong was always steady and cautious. After Cheng Cang took office, he ordered Liu Xiong and others to almost completely stop all intelligence work and go into hiding.

He would never risk calling his own phone at a time like this unless it was an extremely urgent matter.

Wu Jingzhong looked at him expressionlessly.

"Don't you know Zhou Yi?"

Does he know where General Yang is now?

Hong Zhi's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't figure out what the other man was up to, and his hand holding the wine glass hung in mid-air.

He pretended not to understand and asked, "Teacher, who is this General Yang you're talking about?"

Wu Jingzhong raised his eyelids and said coldly, "General Yang Jingyu."

Hong Zhi looked enlightened and took a sip of the slightly sweet drink:

Why are you asking about General Yang?

He quickly calculated in his mind.

Old Wu was a favorite of Dai Li and the station chief of Manchuria in Northeast China. At present, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party were cooperating, but Chiang Kai-shek's side had been negotiating with the Japanese for quite some time.

Who knows what Old Wu is up to?

Wu Jingzhong seemed to read his mind and rolled his eyes at him:
I know what you're thinking.

"Tell Zhou Yi that, according to our inside information, Yang Jingyu has puppet troops and Japanese spies around him."

"The Japanese are organizing a new round of encirclement and suppression."

"If we don't retreat now, we may not escape this calamity."

He paused, looking at the flickering embers in the brazier, and said in a low voice, "Alright, I've given you the information. The rest is up to you."

Hong Zhi smiled and put down his wine glass: "Teacher, this is top secret information. Are you willing to reveal it like this?"
"As far as I know, Boss Dai has been secretly collecting information on the Anti-Japanese United Army, just so that he can sell it to them when necessary."

"He and Chiang Kai-shek were staunch anti-bandit faction members."

Wu Jingzhong snorted coldly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: "I don't know where you got this bullshit information from!"

"All I know is that we are currently cooperating with the Communist Party, and the country is in dire straits!"
"If someone like General Yang were to fall victim to such a heinous act, it would be extremely detrimental to the anti-Japanese front!"

Seeing his righteous and stern demeanor, Hong Zhiyou suddenly stood up, took half a step back, and bowed deeply to Wu Jingzhong.

"The teacher is truly righteous."

Wu Jingzhong waved his hand somewhat awkwardly:
"Don't try to flatter me. I'm warning you, you're a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau, so don't get any ideas!"
"Otherwise, you won't get away with it from Boss Dai."

He lowered his voice, his eyes sharpening, and warned, word by word, "I advise you: never underestimate the boss's intelligence and methods."

"You never know who is his person."

Hong Zhiyou immediately stood up straight, a respectful smile on his face. "Understood, I will go find Zhou Yi right away."

"and many more."

Wu Jingzhong called out to him.

Hong Zhi stopped and turned around.

Wu Jingzhong squinted, a familiar, fox-like smile on his face.

"Is your partner about to give birth?"

Hong Zhi felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

He knew the real show was about to begin.

He still had a smile on his face and nodded: "It'll be soon, the due date is probably around April."

Wu Jingzhong leaned forward slightly and asked with a casual tone, "Don't you plan to marry her?"
"As the saying goes, a mother's status rises with her son's, so we should at least give her a proper title."

This question was like a poisoned dagger, silently pressed against his throat.

Having dealt with Lao Wu for half his life in his previous life, he knew all too well that when Lao Wu showed that harmless smile, it was often when he was harboring his deepest schemes.

Old Wu must have found out about his relationship with Rui Rui.

No matter how you answer this question, it will be wrong.

Saying he won't marry her makes him seem heartless and ungrateful, not even giving the woman who bore his child a proper title. Who would dare entrust their daughter's life to such a person?
If you say you'll marry her, what will happen to Rui Rui?
Are you suggesting that the daughter of Station Chief Wu should become a concubine to a female bandit? Given Old Wu's prideful nature, he would probably break them up immediately.

It's a dilemma.

Hong Zhiyou's mind raced with thoughts, but he smiled calmly.

"Teacher, you're joking."

"Xu Dangjia has a fiery temper. She said that after giving birth, she would go up the mountain to fight the Japanese devils."

"If she really marries me, and takes on the title of Mrs. Hong, many things will actually be inconvenient."

"So, we can't get married."

Wu Jingzhong turned his back, stretched out his hand to warm it in the brazier, but his eyes were darting around rapidly.

A moment later, he turned around and asked casually, "Oh? So you don't plan to get married? You're not exactly young anymore."

"I heard that your uncle Gao Bin has been trying to match you with the daughter of Police Chief Liu."

"I've met his daughter; she's quite attractive."

Hong Zhi shook his head, his tone tinged with disdain: "I might sleep with Miss Liu, but I'd rather not marry her."

"Marrying her would mean being completely tied to that old man Liu Zhenwen. I don't want to find myself a father figure."

"Besides, Miss Liu and I have never gotten along, we can't even talk to each other. Why would I marry a princess and have to worship her every day? Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?"

Wu Jingzhong seemed quite satisfied with the answer, and his smile deepened.

He stared into Hong Zhiyou's eyes and asked slowly, "So, you already have a girl you like?"
"Could it be... that big swindler from Jinhai, Mu Liancheng's niece?"
"I heard from Guohua that you two were really close when you were in Tianjin."

Hong Zhi sighed inwardly, not blaming Xiao Guohua.

Old Xiao is an honest man, caught in the middle and suffering from both sides. If Old Wu presses him for answers, he has no choice but to tell.

Besides, this kind of thing couldn't possibly be hidden from Lao Wu's eyes.

He simply admitted frankly: "I like Wanqiu. She is beautiful and has a good personality."

“However…” he changed the subject, “I don’t think she is the virtuous wife I’m hoping for.”

Wu Jingzhong scoffed.

"You don't like the director's daughter, and you're unwilling to marry a rich young lady."

"You've got pretty high standards, haven't you?"

Hong Zhi smiled, but his expression turned serious.

"Teacher, my ideal wife doesn't have to be stunningly beautiful, but she must be an intelligent woman."

"They can get things done, offer advice behind the scenes, and lend me a helping hand."

"To put it simply, it means people who can support each other through thick and thin, and who can work together towards a common goal."

"Someone who can lend me a hand when it matters, instead of a bunch of canaries that are always clinging to me."

He spread his hands.

“Look, like Wanqiu, she carries the Mu family’s mark.”

"Xu, the head of the household, has the label of a bandit."

"Director Liu's daughter isn't very bright."

Therefore, neither of them is a good match.

"Ah!"

Wu Jingzhong let out a short, cold laugh and mocked without any politeness: "With your appearance that you crawled out of a latrine, you're full of trouble, and now that mad dog Chengcang is keeping a close eye on you, whoever gets involved with you is doomed."

"You're being picky now?"
"Smart and capable, such a woman is hard to find even with a lantern."

"You say that so easily, kid!"

Hong Zhi chuckled dryly twice, but there was no embarrassment on his face: "Actually, it's not hard to find."

"I think your wife is very nice."

"Dignified and virtuous, bold yet meticulous in handling affairs, isn't she the best helpmate for you, teacher?"

This wasn't just a compliment.

Although Sister Mei wasn't exactly beautiful, she was by no means unattractive. Her competence was impeccable, and she was a quick learner. Later, she became an excellent assistant to Old Wu in managing his business.

More importantly, this statement has a double meaning.

She was both flattering Lao Wu and implying that Rui Rui was the "intelligent and capable" ideal candidate he had mentioned.

She may not be as eye-catching as Liu Yawen or Xu Yunying, but she is exactly what I want most.

Wu Jingzhong waved his hand, the sarcasm on his face fading considerably. "You really know how to talk, kid."

He leaned back in his chair, picked up his wine glass, and slowly took a sip.
"Alright, it's getting late, let's get down to business."

Hong Zhi nodded and bowed again.

"is teacher."

Hong Zhi wrapped his coat tighter, opened the door, and quickly disappeared into the wind and snow.

Squeak.

The door was closed again, shutting out the wind and snow outside.

The inner room returned to warmth and quiet, with only the occasional crackling of the charcoal fire remaining.

Wu Jingzhong held his wine glass, watching the flickering flames, and felt a little more at ease.

Just yesterday, his wife called and said that Rui Rui had confessed everything.

She not only admitted to having a relationship with Hong Ji-yo, but also confirmed that they were in a romantic relationship.

When Wu Jingzhong heard this, he was speechless with bitterness.

He felt something was off.

Rui Rui has been smart and sensible since she was a child. I don't know what kind of bewitching potion she drank, but she was tricked into bed by Hong Zhiyou after just one meeting.

One is in Harbin, and the other is in a remote mountain city. They are worlds apart and have absolutely no connection.

It shouldn’t be!

What a headache.

Of course, he still acknowledged Hong Zhiyou's abilities.

In these chaotic times, all those superficial relationships are secondary.

As long as I can survive, provide for my daughter, and continue to enjoy wealth and luxury, that's enough.

Looking back now, it seems Hong Zhi wasn't too foolish to have this kid.

If what he just said was really to make room for Rui Rui, then this kid is still a promising talent.

It wasn't in vain that I placed so many bets on him.

only……

Wu Jingzhong let out a long sigh.

In this way, he was essentially on the same pirate ship as this kid.