Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 531 One plan fails, another is devised

The wind and snow seemed to have subsided a bit, but the chill was becoming increasingly biting.

Gao Bin stood before the ruins, his deep-set eyes gleaming with the excited light of a hunting dog spotting its prey.

He turned his head and his gaze fell on Lu Ming, who was looking smug.

"Detective Lu".

Gao Bin's tone carried a hint of mockery.

"Since you're so capable, go and get me a few wolfhounds."

"Search this land inch by inch, explore it carefully, and don't miss any details."

"Let's see if we can find any traces of the killer's injuries or bleeding, or any other bullet casings at the scene."

Lu Ming's smile froze for a moment.

He knew that Gao Bin was giving him a warning for stealing the spotlight earlier.

He quickly composed himself and stood at attention awkwardly: "Yes, Section Chief."

Lu Ming dared not delay, and turned around to negotiate with the military police technicians on site with Liu Kui. They quickly began a new round of investigation.

Hong Zhiyou and Zhou Yi walked tacitly to the more distant outer perimeter.

The two bent over, pretending to carefully inspect the road markings, but their eyes were actually scanning back and forth in the thick snow.

"How are you doing? Can you hold on?"

Hong Zhi lowered his voice, his gaze never leaving the ground.

Zhou Yi's lips were a little pale, but his voice remained steady:

"fine.

"We need to find the bullet that Qiu Yan missed firing as soon as possible."

"That bullet was fired from the office pistol. If it gets found by someone else, it will cause a lot of trouble."

Hong Zhi nodded, brushing aside a small pile of snow with his toes: "The bullets don't have individual serial numbers, so even if we were to investigate, it would be a matter for the entire department."

"It's not easy for them to find out the specific person in a short time."

Zhou Yi gave a bitter smile: "But the first person Section Chief Gao will definitely suspect is me."

Hong Zhi stopped what he was doing and sighed:

"This is indeed a troublesome matter."

"Hey, you two are really unlucky. You just went out to send a telegram and you got caught by two military police officers who were urinating."

"Who says it isn't?"

Zhou Yi's voice carried a hint of helplessness, "When you're down on your luck, even drinking cold water can cause problems."

"I have a feeling that this time it won't be so easy to get through."

"Section Chief Gao personally investigated; given his personality, he wouldn't overlook any details."

Hong Zhi hummed in agreement, a look of worry creeping onto his face: "Hopefully, we can find that bullet first."

The two stopped talking and began searching even more carefully.

Time passed second by second, and the cold wind stung my face like a knife.

Just as Zhou Yi's heart sank little by little, his eyes suddenly sharpened.

In a snowdrift created by the wind, a bright yellow bullet is embedded in the ice and snow.

found it.

His heart tightened, and he was about to bend down and reach out.

"Old Zhou, how's your search going?"

Lu Ming's voice came from behind him at an inopportune moment. He was walking towards them, leading a German Shepherd with its tongue lolling out.

Zhou Yi had a bad feeling and froze on the spot.

Lu Ming asked casually, but his eyes were extremely sharp, and he immediately noticed the unusual thing in the snowdrift at Zhou Yi's feet.

Before Zhou Yi could even react, he loosened the dog leash, took a few quick steps, and bent down to pick up the bullet.

He held the bullet in his palm, examined it carefully, and a look of surprise instantly appeared on his face.

"Section Chief Gao! We've made a discovery!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice full of excited boasting.

Hong Zhiyou stood not far away, letting out a heavy sigh.

Zhou Yi's luck was simply terrible; he deserved this calamity.

This is the true meaning of "my destiny is the destiny of the nation."

As the nation declined, so did he.

Gao Bin immediately strode over, his breath steaming in the air, and asked, "What's going on?"

Lu Ming handed over the warhead as if presenting a treasure.

"Section Chief Gao, I found a bullet."

Gao Bin took the bullet, and his eyes immediately lit up.

He patted Lu Ming on the shoulder heavily, making no attempt to hide his admiration.

"Lu Ming, well done!"
"This is a major discovery!"

Lu Ming smiled modestly, but couldn't hide the smugness in his eyes: "Just luck, just luck."

Gao Bin held the small bullet in his hand, a cat-and-mouse smile spreading across his face.

"The murderer thought that by removing the bullet from the body, we wouldn't be able to find any clues."

"I never expected that the net of heaven is so vast, yet nothing escapes its meshes."

He glanced around, his tone exuding a confident sense of control:
"Hmm, this is interesting. It's been a long time since I've encountered such an interesting case."

"Lu Ming, you and Liu Kui continue to investigate the scene. Don't overlook any clues."

Gao Bin turned his head and looked at Zhou Yi: "Captain Zhou, do you think the murderer really came here to send a telegram?"

Zhou Yi remained calm and analyzed the situation rationally: "If it was a deliberate ambush, the murderer wouldn't have waited for the military police to finish relieving themselves before making a move. They must have struck while the police were off guard."

"This shows that the murderer acted passively and did not want to reveal his identity."

"I think Section Chief Lu's speculation makes some sense. The murderer was most likely sending a telegram here and accidentally ran into these two unlucky military policemen. Under the possibility of being discovered, he had no choice but to kill them to cover it up."

Gao Bin smiled and took a puff of his pipe: "So how did they manage to transport the radio over here?"
“The radio is very heavy, and without a car, it would be difficult for the person transmitting the message to transport it to such a remote place.”

Before Zhou Yi could answer, Hong Zhiyou immediately nodded in agreement: "Uncle is right."

"I'll send someone to visit the nearby residents later to see if anyone saw any suspicious vehicles or people last night."

Gao Bin nodded in satisfaction: "I feel that we are not far from the truth."

After Lu Ming finished his survey and returned, he took out a cigarette and offered one to Zhou Yi.

"Captain Zhou, have one."

His gaze swept over Zhou Yi's face. "You don't look well. Are you alright?"

Zhou Yi took the cigarette, lit it, took a deep drag, and looked exhausted.
"Don't even mention it, my child is a night owl, he cries every night without stopping, you can hear him even three floors away, I haven't had a good night's sleep in a long time."

Upon hearing this, Gao Bin's doubts lessened somewhat, and he showed a hint of understanding as he defended his "granddaughter" Sasha:
"Yes, all kids are like that."

"Once he's a little older, once he turns one, he'll be able to sleep through the night."

Zhou Yi smiled wryly, "I hope so."

Around noon, the on-site investigation was completed, and everyone returned to the police station.

Lu Ming immediately sent the crucial warhead to the technical department for testing.

A tense yet exciting atmosphere permeated the entire Special Service Section.

3pm.

Gao Bin is working.

There was a knock on the office door, and Lu Ming walked in hurriedly, holding a test report.

"Section Chief, the lead has become clear."

Gao Bin looked up from the document and took the report.

He glanced at it and his eyebrows shot up sharply: "Are you sure it's a police gun?"

Lu Ming nodded and said:
"That's right.

There were two types of bullets at the scene.

"Among them, two military policemen had fatal wounds between their eyebrows, and the military policeman on the outer perimeter had bullets in his body, a total of four. The rifling marks on the bullets had been worn off, so it can be basically confirmed that they were 'dead guns'."

"The only military policeman who died in the ruins had two gunshot wounds, but the bullets had been removed by the murderer."

"With the addition of this evidence egg we found at the scene, we can deduce that the killer fired at least three police bullets."

There should have been two people at the scene.

"This can be inferred from the positions where the two dead men fell, indicating that they were engaged in a firefight with two opponents from different directions at the time."

At this point, Lu Ming looked at the ceiling and sighed deeply, feigning seriousness:
"Oh dear, the range of police guns is much wider."

"There are several police stations in several districts, with hundreds of police officers in total. This is not easy to investigate."

"Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that someone stole a police gun to commit the crime."

Gao Bin was very satisfied with Lu Ming's deductive reasoning ability, and he nodded.

“You are quite right.

"However, it's difficult, but we still have to investigate."

Fortunately, after the reforms by the commander of the city warehouse, an extremely strict registration policy was adopted for firearms and ammunition.

"At the beginning of this month, everyone who received a gun and a certain number of bullets was re-registered from the central office to the various districts."

"Therefore, the data is clear and straightforward."

He pointed his pipe at Lu Ming and gave the order.

"You, immediately notify all police stations in each district to confiscate all police firearms and require each officer to fill out a report on the use of firearms in recent days, especially to investigate the whereabouts of the bullets."

"Moreover, the gun and bullets must be handed over together."

"At the same time, a strict order was given to the Equipment Department of the Police Department: from now on, no bullet shall be issued until the case is solved."

"The killer is missing a few bullets; he has to give an explanation."

"I refuse to believe that if we investigate him one by one, he won't reveal his true colors."

Lu Ming's spirits lifted: "That's the only way. I'll go and order the guns to be put away right now."

He turned to leave.

"and many more."

Gao Bin suddenly called out to him.

"Don't rush to accept it."

"Send the document out first, let people know."

"Then tell the police chiefs of those districts to keep a close eye on things. If anything goes wrong, Captain Takeda will take their heads."

As he spoke, Gao Bin's eyes narrowed, like a fox poised to pounce.
"If anyone tries to go to the equipment room to get bullets to make up for the shortage at this critical juncture, that person must be a suspect."

"No matter who he is, we can arrest and interrogate him directly."

Lu Ming suddenly realized, and an admiring look appeared on his face: "Brilliant, truly brilliant!"
"Subordinates take orders!"

He gave a spirited salute, then turned and strode away.

Gao Bin was the only one left in the office.

He picked up the phone on the table and dialed a number.

"Director Li from the Equipment Department?"
"I am Gao Bin."

"Bring me the latest gun registration book."

"Yes, everyone's, including the gun records of the two directors."

There seemed to be some hesitation on the other end of the phone.

Gao Bin's tone turned somber.

"Just say that this is Captain Takeda's idea."

"They'll understand."

……

Action team office.

Zhou Yi was looking down at the documents, the nib of his pen scratching across the paper with a soft rustling sound.

The office door was pushed open, and Lu Ming walked in without knocking.

He placed a form on Zhou Yi's desk, poured himself a cup of hot tea, sat down in the chair opposite him, and crossed his legs.

"Old Zhou, fill this out."

Zhou Yi raised his head, his gaze falling on the paper printed with "Registration Form for the Use of Police Firearms and Ammunition".

"Gun registration?"

He calmly picked up the form and smiled slightly: "Looks like there's a lead in the bullet investigation?"

Lu Ming took a sip of hot tea, exhaling a puff of white steam, but his eyes never left Zhou Yi's face: "Yes, they are police bullets."

"Chief Gao has ordered all police officers, including those at the district police station, to conduct self-inspections of their firearms usage. It looks like a unified confiscation and inspection of firearms is about to begin."

His tone was flat, as if he were discussing some trivial business, but his narrow eyes gleamed with a searching light.

Zhou Yi smiled calmly and picked up his pen:
"Section Chief Gao is very efficient; this is a good method."

"The use and entry/exit of police guns are subject to a strict registration system."

"I remember that not long ago, Commander Chengcang had just ordered the re-registration and registration of all firearms information."

"With this little screening, the murderer should be able to show up."

Lu Ming nodded, seemingly agreeing with his statement.

"Yes, but with so many people, it's bound to be a bit of a hassle to investigate them."

"I heard that some police officers are secretly taking guns to Laotuo Mountain to hunt wild boars and roe deer, and there are probably quite a few of them who don't have enough bullets."

As Zhou Yi filled out the form, he casually replied, "Isn't it good that they found out? It'll be a good opportunity to straighten out the discipline."

"Moreover, those who hunt wild boars and those who attack military police are completely different types of people."

"Section Chief Gao can tell just by smelling it."

Lu Ming chuckled twice: "That's true. Our section chief is incredibly resourceful; nothing can escape his eyes." Zhou Yi quickly filled out the form and handed it over.

Lu Ming put down his teacup, stood up, and took it.

"Okay, you go ahead with your work, I'll be going now."

He turned and left, the office door closing softly behind him.

The calm on Zhou Yi's face vanished instantly, replaced by a solemn expression.

He slowly pulled open the bottom drawer of his desk.

In the corner of the drawer, three gleaming yellow bullets lay quietly.

He took out his sidearm from his waist, skillfully removed the magazine, and loaded the three bullets one by one with steady and swift movements.

The crisp sound of the mechanical springs was barely audible in the quiet office.

Gao Bin is incredibly resourceful and shrewd.

Commander Shirokura did indeed strengthen control over firearms and ammunition.

But Hong Zhi was incredibly capable.

That guy always manages to get his hands on these deadly things, like magic.

……

It was almost time to leave work.

Lu Ming walked into Gao Bin's office.

Gao Bin was fiddling with his pipe, not even looking up.

"how?"

Lu Ming stood respectfully in front of the desk: "Captain Zhou filled out the form, and his expression was normal."

"Judging from his expression alone, there was nothing unusual about him."

Gao Bin smiled and tapped his pipe in the ashtray: "This was expected."

“Zhou Yi is about your age, but his skill and cultivation are much deeper than yours.”

"Ordinary people can't see through him."

He raised his eyes, his gaze sharp: "How's the car inspection going?"

Lu Ming immediately replied, "I just had Zhou Yi's police assistant, Wang Dayun, thoroughly inspect Zhou Yi's car under the pretense of refueling it."

"The fuel level in the tank is normal, and there are no mud marks on the vehicle body."

"I also investigated the staff at the gas stations in the vicinity, and they could all confirm that Captain Zhou's car had not been refueled recently."

"So, this lead has been cut off."

Gao Bin hesitated for a moment, then stuffed the pipe back with tobacco:
Is there a possibility?

"If Zhou Yi was the one who sent the telegram, he was driving a different car that night, or... someone else's car."

Lu Ming frowned slightly: "That's possible, but if we investigate like that, the scope will be enormous."

"The city hall, the gendarmerie, the security bureau, and the wealthy merchants in the city—Harbin has quite a few cars."

"If we investigate each case thoroughly, we may not have any results by this time next year."

Gao Bin lit his pipe, took a deep drag, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.
"Yes."

"By the way, didn't those guys you sent to keep watch see anything last night?"

Lu Ming's heart skipped a beat.

Those bastards, Lao Liu and his gang, played cards all night at the surveillance point. They only vaguely remembered that Zhou Yi went out once that night, but they couldn't remember when he came back.

If Section Chief Gao finds out about this, he'll skin these guys alive.

Those guys were his loyal confidants, and Lu Ming was counting on them to do the work, so naturally he couldn't betray them.

Thinking of this, Lu Ming remained calm and told a lie without changing his expression:

"Lao Liu and the others did see Zhou Yi go out last night."

"However, at that time, Dog Ears' mother suddenly fell seriously ill, and Lao Liu, being kind-hearted, drove Dog Ears home."

"So, it's really hard to say exactly when Zhou Yi returned."

"However, he did go out anyway."

Gao Bin nodded, seemingly without doubt: "Doesn't Zhou Yi have a nanny at home?"

"Find a time to invite her over for a talk."

Lu Ming looked troubled. "Section Chief Gao, isn't it a bit... risky to ask for help so openly?"

"As you know, Captain Zhou and Zhiyou have been holding a grudge against me because of what happened with Ma Wendong last time."

“If I openly investigate his nanny like this, Zhou Yi will definitely turn against me on the spot.”

"Internal surveillance has always been conducted covertly."

"If this were brought out into the open, wouldn't that be tantamount to openly targeting Captain Zhou?"

Gao Bin pointed at him with his pipe, a hint of approval on his face:
"You're right, you've considered everything very thoroughly."

"Let's leave it at that for now."

"Tonight, let's see who will go to see Director Li of the Equipment Department, and who will sneak into the equipment room."

"If someone walks right into our trap, that's for the best."

"If not, then we'll have to ask Director Liu for instructions tomorrow. Everyone in the police department, including myself, will have to be questioned."

Lu Ming's spirits lifted:
"clear.

"The bullets are so strictly controlled, and Director Li was promoted by you. He is an upright and incorruptible person."

"I really can't imagine how anyone could conjure up three identical police bullets out of thin air overnight."

Gao Bin took a special pass from the drawer and handed it to Lu Ming:

"Okay, these next few nights you'll have to work overtime and come check on things. Keep a close eye on the equipment room."

Seeing Gao Bin's trust in him, Lu Ming felt a surge of excitement and immediately straightened his back.
"Yes, sir! Mission accomplished!"

……

Before leaving get off work, Gao Bin went directly to the economics section.

Hong Zhiyou was humming a little tune, thinking about going to the club to play some cards.

He truly couldn't bear the pain of being without a woman.

There are quite a few beautiful wives over there; you can still pick one to choose from.

“Wisdom exists.”

Gao Bin pushed open the door:

"Your aunt and Yunying want you to come home for dinner tonight. They've made your favorite sauerkraut and pork stew."

Hong Zhiyou's smile froze for a moment. He knew in his heart that this meal was a curse.

My uncle is worried that he might go out at night and perform "magic tricks" for certain people.

That's fine, Yunying is at least a person with hands and a mouth.

Once in the car, Gao Bin sat in the back seat, and the car smoothly merged into traffic.

"Zhiyou, do you think the murderer would break into the equipment room for just three bullets?"

Hong Zhi glanced at his uncle through the rearview mirror and smiled: "Maybe. It's like a desperate gamble. There's always a chance. Even if he doesn't go to the equipment room to look for an opportunity, he'll definitely be busy with all sorts of methods tonight."

"Uncle, I suggest that we give the murderer a day or two more time."

"Breaking into the equipment department is too risky, but if he deliberately finds someone to buy it or does something else, he will eventually leave some clues."

"Hmm, I could consider it." Gao Bin nodded.

"Speaking of buying, you're the biggest middleman in Harbin. Will you get involved?" he asked coldly.

Hong Zhi sighed dramatically:

Uncle.

"I love money and women, but I don't like to die."

Gao Bin smiled and said, "I believe you're not that fool."

"However, just in case, you can stay at my house tonight."

"Whether you're stupid or not is none of my business, but I can't be stupid."

Hong Zhiyou shrugged, looking helpless:
"Okay, it's all up to you."

……

The next morning.

Before dawn, Gao Bin arrived at the police station early.

He summoned Lu Ming, whose eyes were bloodshot and who looked exhausted: "What was going on last night?"

Lu Ming yawned and shook his head.

"I kept watch all night, but I didn't see a single ghost. The equipment room was very quiet."

"Director Li also said that Zhou Yi did not call him to ask for bullets or make any excuse to enter the equipment room."

"This morning, we checked the ammunition inventory together, and not a single bullet was missing."

"Perhaps the problem lies with the branch offices below, and has nothing to do with Captain Zhou."

Gao Bin glanced at his watch; the hands pointed to 7:30.
"It is too early to draw conclusions now."

"Do you remember the incident of the old camel mountain sending a telegram? At that time, the couple had many suspicious points."

"This time, two more people killed the military police, possibly because of sending a telegram."

"This makes me doubt him."

Let's not talk about that now.

"Mr. Yuanye is almost here. Go to the conference room and notify everyone to start a meeting."

Lu Ming was taken aback.

"Mr. Yuanye?"
"Is that the psychology expert from Tokyo who claims to be a 'mind reader'?"

"Yes." Gao Bin nodded.

Lu Ming's heart sank, and his face turned pale.
"Section Chief, we...we all have to be questioned?"

Gao Bin glanced at him and said with a playful smile, "Of course, everyone has to ask."

"What, are you hiding something?"

Lu Ming quickly replied, "How could that be? Just ask. A clear conscience fears no accusation."

A moment later, all the officers of the Special Service Section at the section level and above gathered in the conference room.

Gao Bin sat in the main seat, looked around at everyone, and spoke in a serious tone.

"Gentlemen, we now have bullet evidence to prove that the murderer who killed two Imperial Military Police officers the night before last is very likely one of us."

The conference room was deathly silent; everyone held their breath.

"In order to ensure everyone's innocence and to find the murderer as soon as possible, Commander Shirokura specially invited Dr. Harano from Tokyo to conduct one-on-one questioning of us as a special advisor to the military police."

"I want to emphasize again that each of us, including myself, must provide an alibi for the night of the crime."

"In addition, I would like to remind everyone that Dr. Haruno is an expert in psychology. It is said that no one in the world can fool his eyes."

"Now, everyone go back to your offices immediately and call your families."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Ming was the first to stand up, forcing a smile as he said, "Section Chief Gao, how can a bachelor like me...without a wife, testify?"

Gao Bin's gaze fell on him, tinged with a hint of mockery:

"Then I'll have to trouble you to personally answer Dr. Haruno's questions."

Lu Ming was completely numb.

On the night of the incident, he was having a secret rendezvous at home with the mistress of Li Guoyi, the commander of the 26th Regiment of the National Revolutionary Army.

If Li Guoyi finds out about this, that brute will probably chop him into mincemeat.

At this moment, Zhou Yi also stood up, his expression calm:
"Section Chief Gao, Qiu Yan... has to stay home to feed her child, so it might be inconvenient for her to come over."

Gao Bin seemed to have anticipated his response and waved his hand readily:
"Then you can send your servant."

"Anyway, as long as it can be proven that you didn't go out to send a telegram that night, that's fine."

Zhou Yi nodded: "Okay, I'll call Liu Ma right now and ask her to come over."

After the meeting, Zhou Yi immediately called home.

Soon, Captain Takeda and Dr. Harano and their group arrived at the police station and began questioning everyone one by one.

Taking advantage of the chaotic break, Zhou Yi and Hong Zhi went to a corner of the corridor to whisper to each other.

"Is everything going smoothly?" Zhou Yi asked.

"Don't worry, unless Lu Ming hides in the police station tonight and doesn't go out, he's just a fish on a chopping board."

"In addition, I have suggested to Captain Takeda that the Security Bureau investigate."

"Since this involves the police system, firstly, we should avoid suspicion, and secondly, the Security Bureau has the duty of oversight."

"Captain Takeda and Commander Shirokura both agreed to the proposal."

"If things go smoothly tonight, it will be difficult for Lu Ming to get away."

Hong Zhiyou said.

“Lu Ming has too many guilty consciences. Look at how pale he looked just now. It might be a good thing to let Dr. Yuanye examine him. It could actually help things get out of hand,” Zhou Yi said.

Hong Zhi smiled and said, "What could he possibly be up to? He just went to sleep with Li Guoyi's wife, but that's definitely going to give him a run for his money."

"By the way, is your servant alright?" he asked again.

Zhou Yi said, "No, I told her I was going to see a friend. That friend is very reliable, and he is indeed sick. If they really trace it back to him, we've already exchanged statements."

Hong Zhi nodded: "That's good. Things are different now than before. Cheng Cang is involved in everything and doesn't give us any chance to make mistakes."

Zhou Yi said, "I understand."

As they were talking, Aunt Liu walked over, led by Ren Changchun.

She seemed flustered when she saw Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi smiled and said, "Aunt Liu, it's alright, just tell the truth."

Aunt Liu nodded and went into the reception room.

……

(End of this chapter)