Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 549 There's an art to shifting blame.
One o'clock.

The back alley of Cuixianglou was deathly silent.

Peng Hu sat in the driver's seat, the car window rolled down a crack, and the cold night wind blew in, but it couldn't blow away the little scarlet spark between his fingers.

He patiently smoked his cigarette, his gaze fixed like a nail on the tightly closed window on the second floor.

moment.

The window creaked open, and a dark figure peeked out, gently waving towards the car.

Peng Hu flicked the cigarette butt out the window and made a simple gesture.

The door of the car behind opened, and four henchmen got out silently.

They were paired up, each supporting a "person".

The "person" had a tattered round hat on his head, the brim pulled low, covering most of his face. His body was held upright, like a drunken customer of prostitutes.

At the back door, an inconspicuous little door quietly opened.

Several people helped the body upstairs to two upper rooms, numbered 2B and 2C.

Not long after, those men quickly came out.

Peng Hu was already waiting in the shadows under the eaves.

He pulled a wad of crisp new banknotes from his pocket, and without counting them, divided them into four portions:

"Fourth brother, things are going to get really tense in Harbin lately. You guys should find somewhere to hide for a while."

The young man, referred to as the fourth brother, took the money but did not immediately pocket it.

He looked at Peng Hu, his eyes showing no joy at receiving the money, only an almost obsessive determination:

"Brother Tiger, don't worry, the brothers know what they're doing and who they're eating from."

His voice was low, but every word was clear.

"Ever since we started following Master Hong, everything in our family, from the elderly getting medical treatment and medicine to the children's school fees, and even the livelihood of my good-for-nothing brothers and sisters, has been taken care of by Master Hong."
"Last year, when my father turned seventy, Uncle Hong personally came to our house and threw a grand birthday banquet for the old man."

The fourth brother's eyes were slightly red.

"This kindness is greater than the sky and deeper than the sea. We brothers could not repay it even with our lives."

"If I ever die, I, Ma Si, will die without batting an eye, and I will never let down Master Hong and Brother Hu."

A man next to him nodded emphatically and said in a deep voice, "That's right, Brother Tiger, don't worry, there are no cowards among us from the Kui Clan."

"Yes, there are no cowards!"

Others echoed.

Peng Hu looked at them, and the lines on his usually expressionless face seemed to soften for a moment.

He nodded:
"Ok.

"Good job, brothers. Be careful."

……

The next morning.

"Ah! Someone's dead!"

A piercing scream came from the window on the second floor of Cuixiang Tower.

8am.

Harbin Police Department.

Gao Bin had just stepped into the hall with a pipe in his mouth when he was blocked in front of him.

It's Lu Ming.

His face was deathly pale, his lips trembled, and he stared at Gao Bin with an expression as if his mother had died, hesitant to speak.

Gao Bin's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition gripped him instantly.

He stopped and lowered his voice: "Something happened?"

Lu Ming swallowed hard and nodded.

"Yes, Section Chief."

"I just received a call from the Daoli Police Station. Two people have died at Cuixianglou."

He paused, his voice trembling slightly: "It was Cheng Bin and Zhang Xiruo."

"boom!"

Gao Bin felt as if his head had been hit hard by a hammer.

He bit down hard on the wooden handle of the pipe, his teeth making a "clunking" sound.

An uncontrollable rage surged from the depths of his heart to the top of his head. He suppressed the urge to slap Lu Ming and raised his finger, pointing it at Lu Ming's nose:
"What did I tell you?"
"I'm telling you to treat them like your own father! Protect them every step of the way!"

"Now tell me, how did they end up at Cuixianglou?"

"Did they grow wings and fly there themselves?"

Lu Ming shrank back, his face full of frustration and grievance, after being yelled at.
"Section Chief, this really isn't my fault."

"I went there in person last night with Xiao Li and the others. But those two bastards don't trust me, and they're trying all sorts of ways to harass the brothers!"

As he spoke, he seemed to remember something, and hurriedly took out a mini recorder from his briefcase and pressed the play button.

"Listen."

The tape recorder immediately emitted a crackling electrical sound, along with several clear conversations.

"...Gentlemen, are you sure you don't need our protection?"

"Yes, please."

"Alright. You two, take care of yourselves."

Gao Bin listened to the conversation coming from the tape recorder, his face turning pale and then red.

He waved his hand, signaling Lu Ming to turn it off.

"You're really something."

Gao Bin's tone was full of undisguised sarcasm: "Going out on business, you even carry this thing with you."

Lu Ming forced a smile that looked more like a grimace:
"Section Chief, I'm just out of options."

“These two are treating us like thieves. If I don’t have a backup plan, and something really happens, we’ll never be able to clear our names even if we jump into the Songhua River.”

Gao Bin sighed deeply: "Sigh, what can I say to you?"

He rubbed his swollen temples.

"Let's go and take a look at the scene."

……

Speechless all the way.

The car sped along and soon arrived at Cuixianglou.

The area outside the building had already been cordoned off, with military police and officers from nearby police stations surrounding it in layers. People in various uniforms were going in and out, creating a tense atmosphere.

As soon as Gao Bin's car arrived, the crowd immediately and spontaneously made way for him.

A Japanese officer in a military police uniform strode forward to greet him; it was Takeda.

Behind him followed a middle-aged woman dressed in a flashy cheongsam and adorned with jewels; she was none other than Wang Cuixiang, the madam of the Cuixiang Pavilion.

"Section Chief Gao."

Takeda explained, "She is the owner here, Wang Cuixiang."

Gao Bin glanced at the woman. "What's going on?"

Wang Cuixiang immediately put on a tearful expression and pressed a handkerchief to the corner of her eyes.

"Section Chief Gao, I don't know either!"
“Something happened at home last night, so I wasn’t in the building.”

"Early this morning, the girls in the building were urging the guests to check out. They knocked on the door for a long time but no one answered. So the waiter broke down the door and... and found those two people."

"They are in rooms 2B and 2C upstairs respectively."

As Gao Bin listened, he walked into the building: "Don't you register your guests here?"

Wang Cuixiang followed behind, explaining step by step:

"Oh, Section Chief, you have no idea how many people come and go here every night."

"The first half of the night was fine; everyone was registering."

"But if there are vacant rooms late at night, we usually skip that procedure. The customer pays and the waiter just takes them upstairs."

Lu Ming stood beside her, glancing at her sideways: "Surely there must be girls accompanying them, right?"

Wang Cuixiang immediately slapped her thigh, her face full of embarrassment:
Yes, of course we have it!

"But as you know, in our line of work, we're always getting drunk by customers."
"I just asked those two girls, and they couldn't explain it either!"

"One said she drank with the guests for a while, and then the guests sent her away. The other said she seemed to have stayed with them, but then again, she didn't, and she couldn't quite remember. Anyway, it's all a mess, and I can't really explain it."

The group quickly went up to the second floor.

The hallway was filled with a strange smell, a mixture of cosmetics, alcohol, and blood.

Gao Bin first entered room 2B.

Cheng Bin lay stiffly on the messy bed.

His chest had a gaping hole the size of a bowl, and his heart was nowhere to be found.

His body was covered with a white cloth soaked in blood, on which four ferocious characters were written in blood.

Traitors must be punished.

Gao Bin glanced at it expressionlessly, then turned and walked towards the adjacent Room 2C.

The scenes inside are exactly the same.

Zhang Xiruo was also disemboweled and died a gruesome death.

"Ouch!"

The madam, Wang Cuixiang, covered her eyes, peeked through her fingers, and immediately began to wail:

"He died such a horrible death, how am I supposed to do business here in the future! It's a tragedy!"

Lu Ming frowned and asked her impatiently.

"Don't you have anyone to guard this building?"

Wang Cuixiang wiped away her tears: "Sir, it used to exist."

"But a new police station was later set up next to it."

"I figured out that the money I was supposed to give them as a gift hadn't been shortchanged at all. These old policemen would also come in from time to time for a drink and to show their support."

"With them protecting me, I thought I could save some costs, so I dismissed all the guards and only kept a few cooks and hardworking waiters to serve tea and water."

Gao Bin nodded, seemingly neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her explanation.

He turned around and gave the order to Lu Ming:

“Take every single girl and guy who was in this building last night back with you.”

“Those who had dealings with the two deceased should be thoroughly questioned and interrogated, and their statements should be recorded and submitted to the Security Bureau for backup.”

Lu Ming nodded immediately.

"Yes, section chief."

After inspecting the scene, Gao Bin and Wu Tian walked out of the building one after the other and stood in the sunlight again.

Takeda handed Gao Bin a cigarette.

"The military police's forensic doctor has conducted a preliminary examination."

"The time of death should be between midnight and 2 a.m. last night."

"The method was swift and efficient, most likely carried out by the 'red ticket' assassination squad."

Gao Bin silently smoked his cigarette, the smoke obscuring his expression.

"These two people died in Harbin, which is very troublesome."

Takeda nodded in deep agreement.

"you do not say.

"The key point is, Section Chief Gao, you are the person directly in charge of this security mission."

"You need to think carefully about how to explain things to Director Kishitani and Director Miyagawa."

Gao Bin's eyes suddenly turned cold.

He threw the cigarette butt hard on the ground and crushed it out with the toe of his foot.

"It seems it's time to thoroughly clean up these rats hiding in the nooks and crannies."

Takeda nodded in agreement:

"Yes, I think it's very necessary."

"I have some things to do with my team, so I'll be leaving now. Feel free to call me anytime if you need anything."

After Takeda left, Lu Ming, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, strolled over leisurely.

"Section Chief, shall we go back?"

His heart was in turmoil, filled with disappointment.

This was originally a golden opportunity.

If Cheng Bin and Zhang Xiruo die in that abandoned warehouse, a place personally chosen by Gao Bin, then he will definitely be implicated, and even if he doesn't die, he will be severely injured.

But damn it, those two idiots had to come to their deaths at a place like Cui Xiang Lou, a place frequented by all sorts of shady characters.

With this, coupled with his own "clever" cassette tape, Section Chief Gao had the perfect excuse... It wasn't a lack of protection, but that they were courting death by ignoring advice.

Grass.

What a disappointment!

Lu Ming took a deep drag on his cigarette, cursing inwardly.

If I had known this would happen, I would have preferred not to record that audio. Now, it has become irrefutable evidence to exonerate Gao Bin.

……

Harbin Police Department.

Hong Zhiyou carried a bag of freshly baked Russian bread and walked in side by side with Zhou Yi.

"Old Zhou, ask Sister Qiuyan to spread jam on this bread, fry two eggs, and sandwich it in. It'll taste amazing."

"You certainly know how to enjoy yourself," Zhou Yi chuckled.

The two were chatting and laughing when a figure walked straight over.

It's Liu Kui.

His eyes were bloodshot and sunken, and he looked utterly defeated after staying up all night.

Liu Kui steadied himself and looked at the two relaxed-looking people in front of him, his eyes full of surprise.

"You two...didn't go to the scene?"

Zhou Yi's brow twitched almost imperceptibly: "What scene?"

"You still don't know?" Liu Kui lowered his voice and leaned closer, a smell of tobacco mixed with acridity wafting towards him.

"Cheng Bin and Zhang Xiruo, those two precious darlings of the Kwantung Army, were killed last night by the 'Red Ticket' anti-traitor squad!"

"The body was found in Cuixianglou. It had been disemboweled and its heart had been ripped out."

"Section Chief Gao and Lu Ming went there early this morning, and now the area is under martial law."

Zhou Yi's expression remained unchanged, only his eyes deepened.

"I see."

Hong Zhiyou popped a cigarette out of the cigarette box, put it in Liu Kui's mouth, and lit it for him.

"Where have you been training your eagle again? You've gotten into this mess!"

Liu Kui took a deep drag of his cigarette, as if trying to expel all the pent-up frustration from his lungs.

"Don't mention it!"

He waved his hand, his face full of gloom.

"Section Chief Gao set a trap, saying he wanted to catch a big fish."

"And what happened? Chief Miyagawa's people, the military police, and our people all gathered around, looking at us like we were watching a monkey show."

Liu Kui spat out a mouthful of anger.

"Now look what's happened, they didn't catch any fish, and Cheng Bin and Zhang Xiruo are also ruined."

"This time, I've really embarrassed myself."

As soon as he finished speaking, the light at the entrance to the hall dimmed.

Gao Bin walked in with a gloomy face.

He didn't look at anyone, he just raised his hand, and his cold voice echoed in the hall.

"Meeting."

……

The Special Service Section's meeting room.

The curtains were drawn, and the air was so stuffy it was hard to breathe.

Gao Bin sat in the main seat and tapped his fingers on the table:
"That's interesting."

"It took a lot of effort from me and Chief Miyagawa of the Police Department to persuade Chief Kishitani Ryuichiro of the Kwantung Army to borrow Cheng Bin and Zhang Xiruo, two important witnesses."

"I originally intended to use them as bait to catch the fish that are underwater in Harbin."

"Now look what's happened, we didn't catch any fish, the bait was taken by the fish."

"It's really embarrassing."

Gao Bin's gaze fell on Lu Ming.

"Lu Ming."

"You are in charge of this security incident."

"what do you say?"

Lu Ming's body stiffened abruptly, and his mind went blank.

principal?
When the hell did I become a person in charge again?
Didn't you say last night that you would personally handle this matter?

Looking into Gao Bin's unfathomable eyes, he felt a thousand words stuck in his throat, ultimately turning into a bitter feeling.

He knew he had no choice but to take the blame today.

Lu Ming stood up and said expressionlessly:
"Section Chief Gao, this matter... I, I do indeed bear responsibility."

“I should have stuck to my own opinion then. Even if it meant tying them up, I should have kept them tied up in the warehouse and protected them every step of the way.”

He then changed the subject, attempting to muddy the waters.

"As for the two baits outside the city, to be honest, they weren't very safe to begin with."

"Chief Miyagawa and the military police are secretly deployed. With so many people and so many eyes, if any link goes wrong, the flaws could be discovered."

"Who knows which link in the chain went wrong?"

Gao Bin sneered and interrupted him.

"I will personally explain the matter of those two baits to Director Miyagawa; you don't need to worry about it."

He tapped his finger heavily on the table.

"What I'm concerned about now is how Cheng Bin and Zhang Xiruo will explain themselves to the two department heads and to the Kwantung Army Headquarters!"

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Lu Ming's forehead.

"Isn't there a recording?"

Gao Bin's eyes suddenly sharpened.

"recording?
"They say you don't need protection, so you stop protecting them?"
"What can a recording prove? It only proves that you are incompetent at your job and can't even convince two country bumpkins!"
"When Director Kishitani and Director Miyagawa ask about it, won't the responsibility still fall on you?!"

Lu Ming was completely numb.

He felt as if he were trapped in an invisible net, and the more he struggled, the tighter it tightened.

After going around in circles, it seems they're determined to pin the blame on themselves.

Cold sweat trickled down his temples. He wiped it away, his voice pleading:
"Section Chief, then... then what do you suggest we do?"

Gao Bin ignored him and turned his gaze to Zhou Yi, who had remained silent.

"Captain Zhou, what are your thoughts?"

Zhou Yi knew exactly what was going on.

Gao Bin played that move brilliantly.

This was both a warning to Lu Ming for becoming arrogant and acting on his own initiative after his recent promotion.

He was also doing it for his own benefit. Such a big thing had happened, yet he, the team leader, had been completely kept in the dark. Gao Bin had to give an explanation and appease him.

Now, they're going to sell this favor to themselves, making Lu Ming owe them a debt of gratitude.

Zhou Yi cleared his throat, and all eyes in the conference room turned to him.

"Alright then, Section Chief Lu."

"There are no outsiders here. This matter concerns the reputation of our entire police department."

"Please tell us the actual hiding place of Cheng Bin and Zhang Xiruo last night."

Lu Ming paused for a moment, then subconsciously glanced at Gao Bin.

Seeing Gao Bin's expressionless face, he hesitated before speaking.

"It's...it's in that abandoned old warehouse on the back street, in the little house where the drunkard Zhang used to live."

Zhou Yi took a cigarette out of the cigarette case, lit it, and took a puff.

"The Kwantung Army headquarters will definitely have to look into these two people."

"It's definitely not okay to report directly that we're abandoning our defense."

He paused, then looked at Lu Ming.

How about this?

"I remember that warehouse room had a back window."

"Send someone over there immediately to set up the scene."

"Just so you and Xiao Li and the others stayed outside the door all night, without leaving for a moment."

"It was Cheng Bin and Zhang Xiruo who, behind your backs, found the room stuffy and secretly slipped out through the back window, intending to go out and have some fun."

"As a result, it slipped out of our sight and suffered this misfortune."

"In this way, the nature of the matter changes."

"It's not that our police department failed to protect them properly; it's that they broke the rules and courted their own demise."

"It's also a form of protection for you."

Hong Zhi nodded and chimed in.

"That's a good idea."

"They came from the mountains, they haven't seen much of the world. What kind of place is Harbin? It's the Paris of the East, a paradise on earth."

"The two grown men, after eating potatoes for days, couldn't stand the loneliness and wanted to go out and have some fun. That's perfectly normal and makes no sense."

Lu Ming's eyes lit up instantly.

It was a ray of light that seemed to bring life out of the brink of despair.

His voice trembled with excitement:
"Section Chief Gao, I think it's a good idea! Team Leader Zhou's idea is brilliant!"

"I'll call Xiao Li and the others over right now, get their statements straight, and then go to the warehouse to set up the scene. It'll be absolutely flawless!"

Gao Bin nodded, a slight relaxation appearing on his tense face.

"Yes, if you're going, then go quickly."

"Don't wait for the military police and security bureau to react before sealing off the warehouse."

"Yes!"

As if granted a pardon, Lu Ming abruptly pulled out his chair and turned to rush out.

"stop."

Gao Bin's voice came from behind him.

Lu Ming stopped and turned around, puzzled.

Gao Bin pointed at Zhou Yi with his pipe.

"Look at you, so careless and impulsive."

"Captain Zhou helped you out of such a big predicament, you should at least say thank you."

Lu Ming then realized what was happening and quickly turned around to bow deeply to Zhou Yi.

"Old Zhou, thank you so much! Really, I can't thank you enough!"

"Once this is over, I'll treat you to dinner at the best restaurant in Harbin. You can pick any of them!"

Hong Zhiyou laughed from the side.

"And me?"

Lu Ming laughed heartily, his previous dejection vanishing.

"Call everyone! Call everyone! Section Chief Hong must be present!"

After saying that, he walked away quickly, as if the wind was blowing through his feet.

Hong Zhiyou also stood up, smiled at Zhou Yi and Gao Bin, and then walked out.

Only Zhou Yi and Gao Bin remained in the conference room.

The two walked out side by side, their leather shoes making a dull thud on the floor.

"What's wrong? Are you unhappy?"

Gao Bin asked with a smile, his tone tinged with a hint of probing.

Zhou Yi made no attempt to hide it.

"Yes, a little."

"Section Chief Gao, as the captain of the action team with the most manpower in the Special Service Section, I was completely unaware of such an important security mission from beginning to end."

"Section Chief Lu did a really good job keeping things secret."

There was a barb in his words; anyone could hear it.

Gao Bin laughed.

"Don't even mention you, he kept it from me too."

"Who would have thought he would hide people in that dilapidated warehouse?"

He easily absolved himself of responsibility.

Zhou Yi's steps did not stop.

"If I and the brothers in the action team had gone to help, maybe this wouldn't have happened."

"At least, I'm not as easily swayed by two country bumpkins and forced to abandon my principles as Section Chief Lu."

He glanced at Gao Bin.

"It seems that after Section Chief Lu was promoted, he developed a grudge against me."

Gao Bin reached out and patted Zhou Yi's shoulder heavily.

"Zhou Yi, don't overthink it."

"It's also my decision not to involve you in this matter."

He lowered his voice.

“You and Zhiyou are close friends, too close. And these two people are too important, I don’t want you to get involved.”

"This is also a form of protection for you."

Zhou Yi remained silent for a moment.

"In that case, I won't say anything more."

Reaching the office door, Gao Bin took off his police cap and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand:

"To be honest, I broke out in a cold sweat."

"Thank goodness, thank goodness they died in Cuixiang Tower, at least there's some explanation."

"Otherwise, I'm afraid I really won't be able to keep my official hat."

He turned his head, and his signature smile reappeared on his face.

"By the way, Sasha hasn't come to my house in a long time. Your sister-in-law keeps talking about her."

"When everything is alright, let Qiuyan bring the child over for a visit."

“Sasha has been asking to come to your house to play, but I’ve been too busy lately. I’ll tell Qiuyan when I get back today,” Zhou Yi said with a smile.

Gao Bin put on his hat and was about to go into the office.

He took two steps, then stopped and looked back at Zhou Yi.

"I have received information that Dai Li has recently sent a lot of assassins to the Northeast."

"That Iron-Blooded Youth Group is probably going to start getting active again."

"Be careful when you're out there."

Zhou Yi's gaze sharpened slightly.

"knew.

"Thank you for the reminder, Section Chief."

……

(End of this chapter)