Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 538 Tonight, I'm in charge here.

late at night.

Japanese Residents Club, third floor.

Inside the private room, the heating was scorching hot, and the air was filled with a rich aroma of sake, grilled meat, and women's cosmetics.

Geishas dressed in brightly colored kimonos danced gracefully to seductive music, their eyes sparkling.

The officers, including Incheon and Takeda, were already staggering and drunk.

They took off their officer coats, wearing only shirts, and, with their arms around each other, sang folk songs from their hometown in off-key voices, roaring out their long-suppressed frustration and rage.

Hong Zhiyou sat alone on the sofa to the side, his legs crossed, a cigar between his fingers, smoking elegantly.

He watched the Japanese soldiers shouting and yelling with a smile, as if he were watching a comical monkey show.

Takeda, his face flushed, staggered over, holding a wine glass.

"Hong Sang!"

He let out a burp.

"Come on, let's jump together and sing a song for the glory of Great Japan!"

Hong Ji put his arm around a geisha who leaned in beside him and pinched her plump waist, eliciting a coquettish reproach.

He chuckled dryly and said to Takeda, "You guys are so proud of yourselves. You turned my perfectly good China into Manchukuo. What am I supposed to sing praises about?"

Upon hearing this, Takeda was not angry at all. Instead, he pointed at him and laughed drunkenly: "As expected of Hong-san, well said, straightforward and satisfying!"

"Okay, then... then I won't sing!"

He raised his sake cup, the sake inside swirling within:

"Cheers to our friendship!"

"Fuck you, you old man..." Hong Zhi cursed inwardly, but a smile appeared on his face as he raised his glass and lightly clinked it with the other person's.

"Cheers to friendship."

The liquor was spicy and burning as it went down my throat.

A moment later, Hong Zhi raised his wrist to look at his watch; it was almost time.

He clapped his hands.

The door to the private room was pushed open, and Peng Hu walked in expressionlessly. He placed the box on the low table in front of Hong Zhiyou, then bowed and stepped back to stand guard outside the door again.

Hong Zhi exhaled a thick puff of white cigar smoke and gently flicked the brass clasp on the suitcase.

"Clap."

The crisp sound, though inconspicuous amidst the noisy singing, seemed to possess a certain magic.

He opened the box.

Inside were stacks of Kant coins, neatly bound together with paper strips.

In addition to the 100,000 yuan given by Zhou Yi, there was also 150,000 yuan that he added himself.

A total of 250,000.

Hong Zhi calmly stacked the money on the table.

The Japanese officers, who had been wailing and howling, seemed to be frozen in place, and their singing stopped abruptly.

Everyone's eyes were completely drawn to the money.

His previously hazy and confused eyes instantly became crystal clear, and his drunkenness vanished completely.

Hong Zhi was very satisfied with the effect. He stood up with the same hearty smile on his face as at last year's annual meeting.

"Gentlemen, I owe my success today entirely to your care and support."

"This is just a small token of my appreciation, please accept it."

"Yoshi!"

A look of wild joy flashed in Takeda's eyes, and he rubbed his hands together, about to reach out.

"Qiang!"

A sharp metallic clang.

Section Chief Incheon drew his sword from his waist and slammed it down on the low table, stopping Takeda's movement.

He swayed as if he were too drunk to stand, but his face carried a menacing aura.

“Hong-san, if I remember correctly, last year when Captain Murakami and Section Chief Yamanami were there, the distribution was 400,000.”

His voice was loud and accusatory.

"How come it shrank by almost half when we took office?"
"Could it be... that Brother Hong looks down on us?"

Takeda's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, and the joy on his face quickly faded.

The other officers also suppressed their greedy expressions, each putting on a stern face and looking at Hong Zhiyou with serious eyes, their gazes revealing a sense of humiliation and anger.

The atmosphere in the private room instantly plummeted to freezing point.

The smile on Hong Zhiyou's face slowly disappeared.

He looked at Incheon, his eyes calm and undisturbed.

“Mr. Incheon, there is an old Chinese saying: ‘Even between brothers, accounts should be settled clearly.’”

"When Captain Murakami and Section Chief Yamanari were in Harbin, even if I committed murder or arson, they would cover for me."

"I want to ship goods, I want mines, I want any resources, they can get them for me."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and his voice suddenly rose.

And you?

"May I ask, what have you done for me, Mr. Hong?"
"All I asked you to do was get me a few dozen guns, a few listening devices, and a recorder. You couldn't even do something this simple!"
"Why do you want 400,000?"
"Um?

Tell me, on what grounds?
"All you guys ever do is shout, 'Yes, yes, yes...' you're all just spouting nonsense!"

He sat back down on the sofa, crossed his legs, sipped a cigar, and raised his chin slightly, his posture domineering and contemptuous.

Incheon, Takeda, and the others turned pale and then red, speechless after being bombarded with insults.

Hong Zhiyou held a cigar between his fingers, tapping the cigarette butt in the air as if he were surveying the world.

"To tell you the truth, even if Murakami and Yamaaki were to die, I would still send their families at least 30,000 yuan in dividends every year."

"This money is enough for their wives and children to live a wealthy and respectable life in Japan."

"This is my promise to my brothers and friends."

His gaze sharpened, piercing Incheon's heart.

And you?

Where is your sincerity?
"Sorry, I didn't see anything."

Incheon, Takeda, and the others exchanged glances, their eyes darting away, no longer daring to look at him.

Hong Zhiyou continued, "Just this year, my casino has lost so many high-quality customers because your military police have been checking on National Army officers every few days."
"This one source of income alone has reduced our income significantly!"
"Not to mention that even if I wanted to smuggle some opium to sell to you Japanese, I would be restricted everywhere and unable to move forward when I tried to open an opium pipe in the Japanese settlement."

His tone was full of grievance, as if he were the biggest victim.

"Everyone, my money didn't come from thin air."

"The reason I can still contribute half of this money today is because I consider you all brothers and know that you are all having a hard time right now, especially your families back home, who are having a very tough time."

"I'm willing to lend my brothers a hand."

At this point, he changed the subject, his eyes sharpening, and pointed at everyone present with his finger.

"But remember this!"
“I don’t run a charity or do charity work, and I don’t owe you anything!”
"Even without you, I, Hong Zhi, can still walk sideways in Harbin!"

This speech, employing both soft and hard tactics, and combining kindness and severity, clearly explained the reasons, sentiments, and interests involved.

He wanted to show these Japanese people that if you're going to take money, you have to act like you're taking money.

Feelings are feelings, and reason is reason.

If the principles aren't made clear, these blind bastards won't be able to distinguish between what's important and what's not, and they'll really think of themselves as money bags to be offered as tribute.

Money, if it's going to be given away, every penny must have its value and meaning.

Hong Zhiyou would never do something as foolish as spending money to suffer or be angry.

Either take his money, obediently act like a grandson, and be at his beck and call.

Either get lost.

Want to get paid and be treated like royalty? No way.

He suddenly shouted.

"Peng Hu!"

"Master Hong, what are your orders?"

Peng Hu's burly figure stormed in again, carrying a chilling aura that warned strangers to stay away.

Hong Zhi didn't even look at the money; he just waved his hand impatiently.

"Close the stall!"

"Yes!"

Peng Hu accepted the order and stepped forward to collect the money.

Takeda panicked: "Hong-san, wait!"

He rushed forward and blocked Hong Ji-young, then turned around and glared angrily at Incheon, who was still standing there in a daze.

"Section Chief Incheon! Apologize to Mr. Hong right now!"

The other officers also realized what was happening and began to cast disapproving glances at Incheon.

Who doesn't know that Hong Zhiyou is Harbin's God of Wealth?
Being with him meant I could at least get some food and improve my meager life.

If you really offend him, then you'll have absolutely no hope left.

Incheon originally wanted to take advantage of his official power to squeeze more money out of him, but he didn't expect Hong Ji-yoo to be such a tough nut to crack, and he cornered him with just a few words.

Feeling the murderous glares from his colleagues, Incheon broke out in a cold sweat, and the alcohol completely sobered him up.

He quickly stepped forward and bowed ninety degrees to Hong Zhi.

Hong Sang! I'm sorry!
"I had too much to drink. I was too loud and offended you!"

"I sincerely apologize for my rudeness, please forgive me!"

For a moment, Hong Ji acted as if nothing had happened, placing his hands on Incheon's shoulders, biting a cigar, and laughing loudly:

"forgive?
"Of course we have to forgive him, we're brothers after all."

Takeda chuckled awkwardly, "That's right, we're brothers...brothers, we're all good brothers."

Hong Zhi sat back down on the sofa and told Peng Hu to leave.

He looked at everyone and said with a gentle smile:
"I, Hong, have always believed in making money through harmony and sharing the wealth with everyone."

"Since we can all get together, we are friends, we are brothers. I certainly can't treat everyone unfairly."

He pointed to the money on the table.

"Take this money, everyone. Consider it my treat for drinks."

"Wait until business picks up in the future."

"I assure you all that the dividends I will give you will be three times, four times, or even ten times what they are now!"

Incheon and the others instantly beamed with joy, their previous embarrassment and displeasure vanishing completely.

They raised their glasses, their expressions excited.

"Cheers to our good brother, Hong Sang!"

"cheers!"

Everyone raised their glasses in celebration, drinking them down in one gulp, and the atmosphere became increasingly harmonious and lively.

……

late at night.

The streets of Harbin were covered with thick snow, and the wind and snow raged, howling like ghosts.

Chun San wrapped his old cotton-padded coat tighter around himself and trudged through the ankle-deep snow, the cold seeping up his trousers.

He stamped his numb feet, pushed open the door of a public phone booth, and crawled inside.

He picked up the cold receiver, skillfully dialed the dial, and the call was quickly connected.

"Hello, is this the Military Police Inspection Office?"

A lazy voice answered from the other end of the phone.

"I want to report this."

Chun San's voice was very low, with a deliberate hoarseness.

“Japanese officers held a gathering at the Sakura Club and accepted bribes from Hong Zhiyou.”

"Yes, there are quite a few people here, including Captain Takeda and Section Chief Incheon."

"If you don't catch them soon, they'll get away."

The person on the other end of the phone seemed to have sobered up a bit and began questioning, "Who are you? How did you know?"

"Who do you care who I am? Stop talking so much nonsense."

"Just tell me whether you're going to arrest him or not."

"Rambling on and on."

Before the other party could ask any more questions, he slammed the phone down, turned around, pushed open the door, and disappeared back into the boundless snowstorm. He quickly turned into a dark alley and vanished from sight.

……

Chengcang official residence.

The bedroom was warm and cozy, with women's clothes scattered on the expensive carpet.

Shirokura was fast asleep, with a soft, warm body in his arms, when the telephone by the bedside rang sharply at an inopportune moment.

He frowned in annoyance, pushed away the woman who was clinging to him like an octopus, and leaned over to answer the phone.

"it's me."

Listening to the report on the other end of the phone, his sleepiness quickly vanished, and his eyes became clear and sharp.

"what?
"Sakura Club?"

"Are they with Hong Zhi?"

He was silent for a moment, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the silk quilt.

A subordinate's urgent request came from the other end of the phone: "Commander, should we proceed with the arrest immediately?"

"Do not."

Shirokura's voice was frighteningly calm.

"We cannot arrest them."

"Take your men to the scene now, warn them a few times, and take pictures of the evidence."

"Remember, don't escalate things, or you'll suffer the consequences."

I'll deal with it tomorrow.

After hanging up the phone, a flash of anger crossed Cheng Cang's eyes. These guys are getting bolder and bolder.

To close the case, Takeda resorted to deception and found a scapegoat to cover it up; he hasn't settled that score yet.

They still dare to openly gather together, accept bribes from Hong Zhiyou, and share money while drinking.

Are the discipline and honor of the soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army so vulnerable in the face of money?

If things continue like this, the empire's military fortunes may truly be doomed.

Of course, he wasn't blinded by anger.

He knew that this matter involved too many people, almost all the main officers of the military police and the Special Higher Police.

Direct arrests would inevitably cause severe internal turmoil, which is not the situation he wants to see.

These people can be gradually divided and defeated one by one.

Alternatively, one could simply deal with Takeda, the culprit, as a warning to others.

In any case, Takeda absolutely cannot be allowed to stay.

……

Sakura Club.

Lieutenant Ogasawara, leading a squad of military police, aggressively pushed open the door to the private room on the third floor.

The door slammed against the wall with a loud "bang".

The previously lively and noisy atmosphere in the private room instantly froze.

The decadent music stopped, and the drunken singing abruptly ceased.

All eyes turned to the doorway.

When they saw the inspector's armband worn by Yoshikazu Ogasawara, everyone sobered up considerably.

Takeda waved his hand, signaling the panicked geishas to leave quickly.

He straightened his collar, forced a smile, and went to greet her.

"Oh, it's Lieutenant Ogasawara. It's so late. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Ogasawara Yoshi's gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on the mountain of banknotes on the low table.

A cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"According to the decree issued by Commander Shirokura, military police officers and soldiers are not allowed to have more than three people dining and drinking outside.

"In particular, one must not dine with personnel of the Manchukuo authorities or businessmen, as this may involve the transfer of benefits."

He pointed at the money, his voice suddenly rising.

"It's a lot of money."

"Excuse me, what's going on?"

Takeda's smile froze for a moment, and he forced a dry laugh, "Lieutenant Ogasawara, this...this is a misunderstanding."

"Misunderstand?"

Ogasawara Yoshi sneered, "Captain Takeda, don't tell me you're unaware of the Commander's decree."

Takeda quickly stepped forward, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of flattery, "Ogasa-kun, we're from the same hometown and friends. Section Chief Hong is treating us to a simple meal today to catch up. This... doesn't seem like a violation, does it?"

"Have you reported to the commander?"

Ogasawara Yoshi was unmoved, his voice remaining icy.

Whether it's a violation or not isn't up to you or me to decide. We'll make a decision once we get to headquarters.

As he spoke, he waved his hand.

Immediately, two military police officers from the Inspectorate stepped forward, raised their cameras, and frantically snapped photos of the banknotes on the table and everyone present.

The blinding flashlights made everyone's faces turn extremely pale.

After taking the photo, Ogasawara waved again.

"Guards, confiscate the money and write down all their names."

"Tomorrow, we will await further instructions from the commander."

"and many more."

A cold, stern voice came from the sofa.

Hong Zhi stood up, walked up to Xiao Li, and smiled faintly:

“Lieutenant Ogasawara, we’re all on the same side, there’s no need to be so ruthless.”

Ogasawara Kichi turned around and angrily rebuked with a righteous expression: "Who says you're one of us!"

"You are a Chinese, and I am a soldier of the Great Japanese Empire!"
"The commander repeatedly emphasized that no one is allowed to bribe the military police or the Special Higher Police. Now that you've been caught red-handed, what else do you have to say?"

Hong Zhi laughed: "Bribery?"
"Did I ask them to do anything for me?"

No, nothing was done.

"I'm happy, can't I treat my friends to a meal?"

"I have plenty of money, so why can't I give my friends some pocket money?"

He spread his hands, his posture calm and composed.

"It's my money, I can spend it however I want. Commander Chengcang has strict military discipline, does he have to tell me how to spend it?"

Ogasawara Yoshi said, "You can spend your money however you like, but you are not allowed to spend it on Imperial soldiers. Because that would corrupt their spirit and will!"

"Okay."

Hong Zhi nodded, his voice suddenly rising in pitch.

"Since that's the case, why don't you ask the commander of the city warehouse to give them more military pay so that everyone can have a better life!"

"Commander Shirokura came from a prominent family in Osaka. His family had more money than he could spend, so he naturally had no worries about food and clothing and knew nothing of the hardships of the world."

"Of course he'd love to talk about iron discipline all the time!"
"But what about Captain Takeda and Section Chief Incheon?"

"Their wives and children are starving and suffering in Japan, crammed into dilapidated and cramped houses, waiting for them to send money home!"

"Their meager salaries are simply not enough to support their families!"

"They are bleeding and risking their lives for the empire here, are we going to let their families shed tears in the rear?"
"Ogasa-kun, we're all human, there has to be some fairness in everything!"

These reasoned and well-founded arguments struck like a heavy hammer against the hearts of all the Japanese officers present.

Takeda, Incheon, and the others' eyes instantly reddened.

They had been holding this grudge in their hearts for far too long, never daring to speak out.

Today, finally someone spoke up for them.

Ogasawara Yoshikichi maintained his arrogant demeanor, giving a disdainful smile:
"A soldier is a soldier; he should have an iron will."

"For the Emperor, for the Great Japanese Empire, nothing is not worth sacrificing."

He ignored Hong Zhiyou and ordered again, "Men, confiscate the stolen money!"

Two military policemen immediately stepped forward and reached for the money on the table.

"boom!"

Hong Zhiyou, with a cigar in his left hand, suddenly smashed the wine glass in his right hand on the ground with a sharp, piercing sound.

A chilling, murderous aura emanated from him like a tidal wave.

It was the kind of imposing aura that only those who had long held a high position possessed, the aura he had accumulated from being in a position of power for two lifetimes.

In his previous life, even the Governor of Hong Kong had to follow his lead, and people like Jianfeng and Chen Cheng were afraid of him.

How dare a mere Japanese adjutant be so insolent in front of him?

When Ogasawara Yoshi met his cold gaze, he felt an immense pressure bearing down on him, as if a mountain were pressing down on him, and for a moment he was at a loss.

Hong Zhi pointed at him, then tapped his own chest, his voice as cold as ice:

"You call the shots in Harbin during the day."

"But in Harbin at night, I'm in charge!"

“You, draw back the curtains and look down.”

Ogasawara Yoshi instinctively walked to the window, peeked down, and instantly gasped.

The area downstairs from the club had become a dense, dark mass of people, each holding aloft a blazing torch.

At a rough glance, there were at least one or two hundred people.

“Hong Zhiyou, what… what do you want to do? Do you really want to go against the headquarters?” Ogasawara Yoshi’s voice trembled slightly.

"I have no intention of going against Commander Chengcang."

"I just want to speak the truth for my brothers."

He turned around, took a stack of brand-new Conde coins from the money box, and handed them to Ogasawara Yoshi:

"Didn't you want money?"
"Here, take it."

Ogasawara Yoshi looked at the stack of money and hesitated.

Hong Zhiyou removed the cigar from his lips and stared at him coldly:
"I told you to take it!"

Ogasawara Yoshiki was embarrassed; his face flushed red, and he reached out to take the wad of money.

The instant his fingers touched the banknotes, Hong Zhiyou suddenly reached out and gripped his fingers tightly like an iron clamp, then crushed them mercilessly.

"Click!"

The terrifying sound of bones grinding together sent chills down the spines of everyone present.

Ogasawara Yoshi's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, and beads of cold sweat rolled down his forehead. He tried to pull his hand away, but found that the other's palm was like steel, and he couldn't break free at all.

The excruciating pain finally broke him, and he let out a pig-like scream, disregarding all dignity.

"what!"

Seeing that things were not going well, the two military police behind him immediately raised their rifles and aimed them at Hong Zhiyou.

"Qiang!"

Almost at the same time, Incheon and Takeda, who had long been annoyed by the Inspector General's Office, also drew their pistols and aimed them at the two military police officers.

The two sides glared at each other, the tension reaching a boiling point.

"Captain Takeda! You've gone mad!" Ogasawara Yoshi shouted in disbelief as he screamed.

Takeda's eyes were incredibly firm, and his voice was deep and powerful:
"We're not crazy."

"Section Chief Hong is our friend; he was just telling the truth."

"I'll be the first to stop anyone who tries to hurt our friends!"

"Yes! I don't agree!"

Incheon and the other officers shouted in unison, their guns pointed steadily at the other side.

Seeing that he could not gain any advantage and was at the mercy of others, Ogasawara Yoshi's arrogance was finally crushed.

He groaned in agony, "Section Chief Hong, let go... first."

Hong Zhiyou flicked his wrist and released him.

Ogasawara stumbled, clutching his almost deformed hand, wincing in pain.

Damn it, haven't shown off your skills in a while. Do you really think I'm Harbin's number one gigolo, only good for playing around with women? Hong Zhi slowly took a puff of his cigar and blew on the bangs that were scattered on his forehead.

He pointed at Ogasawara Yoshikichi, then at the money on the table.

"Didn't you say that this money was bribe money?"

"it is good."

He picked up an unopened bottle of vodka from the table, unscrewed the cap, and poured it all over the mountain of banknotes.

"Ding."

He flicked open the gold-plated lighter casing, lit the flame, and tossed it aside casually.

"chant!"

Blue flames roared up and instantly devoured the 250,000 Kant coins.

"No!"

"do not want!"

Amidst the agonizing, desperate, and frantic growls of Incheon, Takeda, and the others, the pile of banknotes rapidly curled up, turned black, and crumbled into ashes.

Their family's rice, grain, wine, and meat, their wife's beautiful clothes and jewelry, and their dream house were all burned to ashes in the flames.

Hong Zhiyou looked at the raging flames and felt a secret joy in his heart.

He certainly wasn't really against money.

He was using this fire to completely ignite the anger that Takeda and his men felt towards Shirokura.

They had just brandished their guns at the military police in the Inspectorate, which meant there was no turning back.

Now, he has personally burned their only hope.

After hope is shattered, all that remains is deeper despair and more insane hatred.

And this hatred will only have one target—the city granary.

Hong Zhiyou exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and shrugged at the dumbfounded Ogasawara Yoshi.

"Alright, there's no more stolen money."

"We just had a meal and some drinks together."

"If you want to arrest me, then arrest me."

Upon hearing this, a young Japanese officer in the room could no longer control his emotions. He suddenly took off his military cap, threw it hard on the ground, drew his gun, and pointed the muzzle directly at Ogasawara Yoshi's forehead.

"Ogasawara Kichi, you son of a bitch!"

He shouted out the most common swear words used by locals in Harbin in broken and awkward Chinese.

They were truly driven to desperation.

"Ono-kun! Don't be impulsive!"

Takeda and Incheon rushed forward and grabbed him tightly.

Ogasawara Yoshi's back was completely soaked with cold sweat.

He knew that if he stayed any longer today, he might never be able to leave this room.

He glared venomously at Hong Ji-yoo, then glanced at Takeda and Incheon.

"Takeda, Section Chief Nichewa, and all of you!"

"Okay, okay, very good."

"See you at the Military Police Headquarters tomorrow!"

With a wave of his hand, he led his men and slunk away from the private room amidst the angry glares of the crowd.

Hong Zhi glanced at Takeda and the others, shrugged with slight regret, and said, "Sorry, my friends."

After saying that, he picked up his clothes, leaving behind a group of resentful and distressed Japanese scum, and strode out.

……

(End of this chapter)