Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 550 This is aimed at me
in the office.

Gao Bin sat behind his large desk, feeling that something was wrong no matter how he thought about it.

The assassination of Cheng and Zhang is shrouded in mystery.

The first strange thing is Lu Ming.

Gao Bin's gaze fell on the mini recorder on the table, and he couldn't help but frown slightly.

I've heard of people sleeping with cameras on.

I've never heard of that. They record audio wherever they go.

Lu Ming goes on a field mission and carries something like this with him? I'll have to be careful when talking to this kid in the future, or he might sell me out one day.

Moreover, he had given a direct order: a "barrier-like" protection.

However, because of a few unpleasant words from Cheng Bin and Zhang Xiruo, Lu Ming took the recorded "disclaimer" and left with his people without any qualms.

This is not called fulfilling one's duties; this is called dereliction of duty.

But this dereliction of duty was given a perfect explanation because of this cassette tape.

This was premeditated and planned.

Lu Ming, that guy, recently got promoted to a police rank, and now he's got too big for his britches and his ambitions have grown wild.

He's hoping I'll get into trouble and be dismissed so he can make room for me as section chief.

What a foolish and incompetent little man!

However, Gao Bin believed he could easily deal with this kind of person and figured he wouldn't be able to cause any trouble.

Gao Bin put down the tape recorder, stood up, and slowly paced around the office.

What truly unsettled him was the second strange aspect.

Why did Cheng Bin and Zhang Xiruo die at Cuixianglou?
These two were seasoned veterans who had fought their way up from piles of corpses under General Yang's command.

Such a person may be greedy for money and lustful, but he will definitely cherish his life.

On their last night in Harbin, would they be foolish enough to abandon their only safe house and go to a brothel like Cuixianglou, a place teeming with all sorts of people, to seek pleasure?
Gao Bin didn't believe a single word of it.

That's not seeking pleasure, that's seeking death.

He walked to the window, pushed it open, and a rush of cool air rushed in, making his mind even clearer.

The only explanation is that Cheng and Zhang did not go to Cuixianglou on their own.

They were killed elsewhere, and then their bodies were transported there.

The scene was meticulously arranged.

The heart was ripped out, and there were strips of cloth soaked in blood.

Too deliberate.

It's just like a play.

If it were the "red ticket" anti-traitor squad that did it, they would never have gone to the trouble of risking sending the body to a place like Cuixianglou.

On the contrary, they would love for Cheng and Zhang to be killed and for themselves to be dismissed for failing in security, so as to vent their hatred.

There's only one possibility for the body to appear at Cuixianglou.

Someone is helping me.

He turned a "security dereliction of duty case" that should have ruined him into an "accidental death case" that he could use to shirk responsibility.

Who would go to such lengths to both eliminate Cheng Bin and Zhang Xiruo and prevent them from being implicated in this matter?
Lu Ming?

He probably wishes he were dead.

"Red ticket"?
They would prefer internal strife within the police department.

Gao Bin's brows furrowed into a knot.

A name, a figure, gradually became clear in his mind.

Hong Zhiyou.

Only he had the motive and the ability to set up such a scheme.

He killed someone, but at the same time saved his uncle's life.

Thinking of this, Gao Bin felt a tightness in his chest and let out a long sigh.

This stupid kid.

Would Yoshijiro Umezu not have thought of the things he could think of?

This seemingly flawless protection is, in the eyes of truly suspicious people, the biggest flaw itself.

This is troublesome.

Gao Bin turned around abruptly, strode back to his desk, and picked up the phone.

He quickly dialed a number.

"Hello, is this the telephone company?"
"I am Gao Bin."

"Check immediately all of Hong Ji-yoo's call records from last night in the Economic Division of the Police Department."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, as if they were quickly checking something.

Gao Bin seemed to remember something else:
"Oh, right, there's also Zhou Yi's."

A moment later, a reply came from the other end of the phone.

Gao Bin listened quietly, his expression unchanged.

"okay, I get it."

He hung up the phone, leaned back in his chair with a heavy thud.

No.

Last night, Hong Zhi had a phone call with Zhou Yi's family, but there was no record of him making any outgoing calls.

Gao Bin rubbed his temples.

Last night, he specifically sent people to stake out outside both of their houses, but neither of them came out.

If Cheng Bin and Zhang Xiruo decided to leave the warehouse on a whim, how could they have completed such a meticulous series of actions—tracking, intercepting, transferring, and arranging the scene of the body—without communicating by phone in such a short time?

How can this be?

Unless Hong Zhi has the ability to foresee the future and has arranged everything in advance.

Gao Bin's thoughts were stuck in a dead end.

There's something sinister about this.

He remained silent for a long time before finally pressing the alarm bell on the table.

The door was pushed open, and Assistant Li walked in.

"Section Chief."

Gao Bin raised his eyes, his gaze having regained its usual sharpness and coldness.

"Go and call Section Chief Hong to my office."

"Yes."

Xiao Li turned and left.

Not long after, the office door was pushed open again.

Hong Zhiyou strolled in, one hand in his pocket.

He wore his usual smile.

"Uncle, you were looking for me?"

Gao Bin didn't speak, but simply raised his chin and gestured towards the door.

Hong Zhi understood and locked the office door from the inside.

Gao Bin coldly scrutinized him, "What did you do last night?"

"last night?"

He pretended to think for a moment: "After having dinner at your house, I went home, read the newspaper, and then went to sleep."

Gao Bin leaned forward slightly:
“Zhiyou, tell me the truth.”

"Did you kill Cheng Bin and Zhang Xiruo?"

Hong Zhiyou's smile vanished. "Uncle, you can't make jokes like that."

"Didn't you go to the scene and see for yourself? It was done by the 'Red Ticket' anti-traitor team."

"How did you get dragged into this?"

"Anti-traitor squad?"

Gao Bin let out a short, cold laugh:

"It would be a miracle if they were an anti-traitor squad."

"I carefully laid out the bait, and the red tickets were almost hooked, but then they suddenly disappeared without a trace."

"Over here, Cheng Zhang turned around and had his men killed."

"I know Cheng Bin."

"They are cowardly bastards who are afraid of death to the core."

"Having lived on potatoes in the mountains for so many years, barely surviving, they cherish their lives more than anyone else."

"Do you think they would risk their lives to find two girls?"

Hong Zhi shrugged, looking helpless: "Uncle, this is just your speculation."

Anything is possible.

"Harbin is not Tonghua after all. No one can say for sure how tempting the bright lights of this 'Oriental Paris' will be for people like them who have never seen the world."

"Wisdom is there!"

Gao Bin's voice suddenly rose, and he slammed his hand on the table:
"Don't try to outsmart me!"
"If you did it, tell me now!"

"We're family. Your uncle will work with you to figure out a way to get this over with!"

A rare hint of urgency flickered in his eyes.

Hong Zhi looked at him and remained silent for a moment.

His expression returned to calm:

"Uncle, I don't understand what you're saying."

"If there's nothing else, I'll go out and get busy. I still have a bunch of accounts waiting for me to check at the economics department."

After saying that, he didn't even look at Gao Bin again, turned around and walked out.

He couldn't possibly admit it.

It will never be possible.

Even if presented with overwhelming evidence, he would never utter a single word.

He knew what his uncle was worried about.

My uncle is too shrewd; he understands people's hearts and can see through the logic behind every scheme.

Therefore, he felt that there were flaws in the situation, and that Cheng Bin and Zhang Xiruo's behavior was illogical.

However, not everyone in this world is like him, with the leisure and energy to ponder the psychological activities of two dead people.

At least Yoshijiro Umezu wouldn't!
What are Cheng Bin and Zhang Xiruo in the eyes of these higher-ups?
They were tools, two traitors who had lost their usefulness.

They sneaked out of the safe house and were murdered in the brothel.

This is the ironclad fact.

A simple, clear, and sufficient fact to close the case.

As for why they went to brothels, whether it was driven by lust or a sudden whim, does it matter?

unimportant.

Dead people cannot speak.

Since General Yang is no longer here, the biggest worry has been eliminated. Moreover, Cheng Bin has already been conscripted by the North China forces, so he has even less value to them.

Especially when the matter might involve him, the cash cow, and the South Manchuria Railway's military aid, the commander would be even less likely to investigate further.

Similarly, Director Miyagawa took so much money.

He needed to quell the matter and save face for Gao Bin and the police department.

Thinking of this, Hong Zhi shook his head and smiled.

My uncle understands people's hearts and knows a little about politics, but... he doesn't really know much.

……

noon.

Romantic Western Restaurant.

Zhou Yi, holding his camel hair coat, smiled at Hong Zhiyou.

"Go order first."

Hong Zhi walked to the counter and whistled softly at the slender figure wiping coffee cups inside. "Wenwen, you've gotten quite a bit in shape lately."

His gaze lingered on Liu Yawen's chest, making no attempt to conceal it.

This girl is naturally very attractive.

I reckon they switched to thicker fabric today, which made the tight wool yarn look all round and plump.

If this were on Douyin in the future, I reckon there would be a bunch of kids yelling "Mommy!" in the comments section.

Feeling Hong Zhiyou's burning gaze, Liu Yawen's pretty face flushed slightly, and she rolled her eyes at him:
"None of your business."

"If you want to eat, then eat. Don't interfere with my business."

Hong Zhiyou casually squeezed past, deliberately moving closer to her:

"In the service industry, the customer is king. Your attitude won't do."

He lowered his voice, a hint of mockery in it.

"Besides, it's not like I don't pay for my meals. Why do you smile at other people but have a long face at me?"

Liu Yawen turned to the side, avoiding his burning gaze: "I hate dishonest people."

"Hate?
"Heh, a woman's mouth is a lying devil."

"A foreigner named Freud once said that women often say the opposite of what they mean."

"When she says she hates you, it often means she likes you."

"If she says she likes you, she probably just wants to empty your wallet."

"You saying you hate me makes me very happy."

Liu Yawen's chest heaved with anger at his fallacies, making her full curves appear even more breathtaking.

"Who likes you!"

"Smug!"

Hong Zhi moved even closer to her, almost able to smell the fragrance of her hair:

Don't be like that.

"I ran into Mrs. Liu on the street last time, and she told me to ask you out more often and get to know you better."

"I can tell that your mom likes me quite a bit."

"Wenwen, how about we get together?"

"How about this, even if you don't want to marry me, we can still go on a date, right?"

"Look at you, you're not getting any younger. You can't do everything yourself, that would be so boring."

"Isn't it good to talk about happiness instead of feelings?"

This was not just a joke.

Hong Zhiyou felt that young people must have some ideas.

Since I'm currently living alone, it wouldn't be bad to find an attractive partner to satisfy my needs.

Liu Yawen was both ashamed and angry, wishing she could kill this loose-tongued guy with her eyes.

"You're so free, don't you ever have to go home and take care of the kids?"

"Oh."

Hong Zhi deliberately dragged out the tone.

"So that's what you're worried about."

"Don't worry, my wife has gone up the mountain. I'm a genuine bachelor now."

"How about you give me one too?"

Liu Yawen's face turned completely red. "Shameless wretch, who would give birth to you!"

She snorted coldly, turned her head away, and ignored him.

Just then, the restaurant door was pushed open.

A young man in a crisp police uniform, with slicked-back hair, walked in.

"Wenwen."

He glanced at Hong Zhiyou beside him, and instinctively stood up straight and raised his hand in salute.

"Section Chief Hong."

The visitor was Zhang Tao from the police department, a "top student" sent by Liu Wensheng from North China.

Hong Zhiyou feigned surprise, "You two know each other? This means... you've started talking?"

Zhang Tao quickly waved his hand, a hint of restraint on his face:
“No, no.

“I occasionally come over to bring some food for Director Liu, so I know Miss Liu.”

He knows who's in charge in Harbin.

"That's it."

Hong Zhi nodded. "Then you two talk, I won't disturb you."

After saying that, he walked to the corner and sat down opposite Zhou Yi.

Seeing Hong Zhi's "humility," Liu Yawen felt a strange sense of unease.

She snapped out of her daze and said to Zhang Tao in a low voice, "I've prepared the food, come in and get it."

Zhang Tao nodded and followed her through the counter to a small cubicle on the second floor.

As soon as she entered, Liu Ya-wen asked:
"So, is there anything I can help you with?"

Zhang Tao sighed, a somewhat forlorn expression on his face.

"How should I put it, I feel that the organization doesn't value me very much."

"I've always been in contact with one or two colleagues from the Nangang branch through a single-line communication channel."

"The assigned task was nothing more than to keep in touch with the drama club of the Industrial University and secretly participate in the printing of some leaflets."

Nothing important has happened.

"To put it simply, I have yet to meet with the person in charge of the underground transportation station in Harbin."

Liu Yawen frowned: "Why?"

"Professor Liu is highly respected in the Beiping Working Committee and is a veteran. He personally recommended you to come here for training, and now that you have successfully infiltrated the police department, there is no reason for Harbin not to value you."

"Hey."

Zhang Tao's eyes dimmed.

"Let me tell you, Wenwen."

"There is another comrade who is very well hidden in the hall."

"So the Harbin authorities probably felt that I might not be that useful."

A look of shock flashed in Liu Yawen's eyes, which quickly turned into indignation on his behalf.

"How could they do this!"

Zhang Tao looked at her, a hint of expectation in his eyes: "Wenwen, haven't you been sponsoring the drama club?"

"See if we can get me back online through them."

"I will also send another telegram to Professor Liu to ask him to urge the situation in Harbin."

"If I stay idle like this any longer, I'll really become a useless person."

Liu Yawen nodded immediately: "I'll try my best."

She glanced at the door and urged:
"You should leave quickly. If you stay too long, Hong Zhi will become suspicious."

"He... is very cunning."

"it is good."

Zhang Tao responded and picked up the packed lunchbox.

Before leaving, he stopped and looked at Liu Yawen solemnly.

"Wenwen, I know that Director Liu and your mother value Hong Zhiyou very much."

"However, don't forget, we're on the same path."

"We all have a red faith."

"You must remain steadfast in your faith and never fall into the money and charm traps set by someone like him."

Liu Yawen pursed her lips slightly. "I know, you should go now."

An encouraging smile appeared on Zhang Tao's face.

"Once we achieve something, I'll recommend you for Party membership."

Liu Yawen's eyes lit up instantly, filled with heartfelt joy and longing.

"Ok!"

She nodded vigorously.

After Zhang Tao left, Liu Yawen went downstairs and her gaze unconsciously drifted to the corner of the restaurant.

Hong Zhiyou had his back to her and was talking quietly with Zhou Yi.

Looking at his tall, straight back, Liu Yawen felt a strange, indescribable feeling rising in her heart.

……

Zhou Yi elegantly cut the steak on his plate with his knife and fork, keeping his voice very low.

"Miss Liu is looking at you."

"His eyes are very unusual."

"She seems to have a crush on you."

Hong Zhi took a sip of red wine and chuckled dryly, "She has a great figure."

Zhou Yi smiled, forked a piece of beef and put it in his mouth, "Your motives are impure."

Hong Zhiyou shrugged: "There's nothing impure about it."

"Feelings come first, then feelings; this is the normal foundation of a relationship between men and women."

"If you don't feel anything, who would want to spend money and energy on a woman?"

He paused, then abruptly changed the subject, the flippancy on his face vanishing without a trace:

My uncle suspects me.

"However, he had no evidence."

Zhou Yi continued cutting the steak, but his expression turned serious.
Will this matter escalate?
"I fear that Commander Umezu will stir up a storm in Harbin."

Hong Zhiyou shook his head, picked up his coffee cup, and looked resolute.

"Won't.

"He is now single-mindedly focused on challenging Stalin in the north."

"General Yang is no longer here, and Cheng Bin and the other two are just going to be transferred to the interior anyway, so they don't mean much to him anymore."

Zhou Yi nodded, feeling half relieved.

"I can rest assured that."

He seemed to remember something, and then said something else.

"By the way, Section Chief Gao said that Dai Li sent a large number of new people over."

"The 'Iron-Blooded Youth League' may be making a comeback and causing trouble in Harbin."

“I haven’t heard of it.” Hong Zhiyou frowned slightly.

I'll ask around tonight.

Even so, a sudden sense of foreboding welled up in his heart.

Such a big matter should have been leaked to him by Lao Wu long ago.

Then, recalling the telegram Dai Li sent to Lao Wu some time ago urging him to pay the outstanding funds, the words were filled with dissatisfaction.

Boss Dai is not someone who can be easily fooled.

Hong Zhi had a vague feeling that these newcomers were probably after him.

Dai Li was capable of doing anything, no matter how outrageous, for money.

Moreover, that guy was narrow-minded and stubborn. In order to establish his authority and teach his disobedient "god of wealth" a lesson, he actually sent someone to jump out and shoot him twice on the streets of Harbin.

This is entirely possible.

Mudd!

It’s so haunting!

……

(End of this chapter)