Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 553 Using Money to Subdue
Zhou Xi's facial muscles relaxed, and the taut string seemed to snap.

He picked up his wine glass, his tone softening considerably.

"Brother, I know that four thousand five hundred taels of gold is no small amount; it would hurt anyone."

"It's not that I'm pushing you too far, but we can't disobey orders. We're all working for someone else's paycheck, so we have no choice but to do what they say."

Zhou Xi sighed, leaned forward, and adopted a sincere and open-hearted demeanor:

"When I came, Mr. Ye repeatedly told me that you are a straightforward person, like a reincarnation of Mengchang or Lord Xinling."

"In that case, I'll put in a good word with Boss Dai later, and you can give me four thousand taels of gold."

"How about we gather it within three days?"

Hong Zhi sneered inwardly.

Although Dai Li's special envoys were all ruthless and corrupt, they were all quite capable when it came to business.

First, they ask for an exorbitant price, then they cut back twice to appear as the good guy.

This tactic really works on those unsophisticated, nouveau riche types who have never seen the world, and they end up gratefully handing over their money.

He estimated that four thousand taels was far from Dai Li's bottom line.

At a rate of 10 taels per large yellow croaker, 3,000 taels would amount to 300 croakers.

This amount of money, no matter where it is, would be a terrifying sum capable of causing a massive upheaval.

If Zhou Xi asked for an extra thousand taels, it would be a huge achievement in front of Dai Li when he got back.

Hong Zhiyou's face was filled with surprise and gratitude, and he slapped his thigh:
"OK!
"Mr. Zhou has been so kind to me, it would be very rude of me, Hong Zhiyou, to make excuses again!"

"Three days! I'll definitely gather them within three days!"

As he spoke, he clapped his hands decisively.

Chun San pushed open the door and bowed as he walked in.

"Sir, what are your orders?"

Hong Zhiyou laughed and said, "Don't we have a few pretty foreign girls here?"
"Send it to Mr. Zhou as well, and take good care of him."

"clear."

Chun San accepted the order and turned to leave.

"Hey, Section Chief Hong, this, this won't do."

Zhou Xi quickly stood up and pretended to decline, but her face was already flushed.

"I'm just here today to have a drink and make some friends. If Boss Dai finds out, it's against the rules."

Hong Zhi stepped forward, winked, and whispered:

"Brother, you're being too polite by saying that."

“We’re all working for Boss Dai. My shop, isn’t that Boss Dai’s shop?”
"If you're staying in your own shop, shouldn't you be able to eat well and be made comfortable by others?"
"Just treat this as your own home and enjoy it. I'll take care of everything."

Zhou Xi felt lightheaded after hearing all the flattery.

He has never tasted foreign food in his life.

He excitedly picked up his wine glass, his hand trembling slightly:
"Well... thank you very much, brother!"

Hong Zhi laughed heartily and raised his glass to clink with his:
"Harbin is known for its beautiful women, if nothing else."

"I've had too many social engagements these past few days, and my back is hurting terribly, so I can't keep you company, brother."

Zhou Xi understood immediately and waved her hands repeatedly:
"Please, please go ahead! You go ahead with your work, brother!"

After Hong Zhiyou left.

Chun San immediately led two tall, blonde, blue-eyed Russian girls in.

Immediately afterwards, several more beautiful geishas dressed in kimonos filed in.

The finest sake and freshly cooked, authentic Northeastern dishes were served in a continuous stream.

Zhou Xi and his two trusted subordinates were completely in heaven, pampered to the point of ecstasy.

……

In the following days, Hong Zhi personally entertained Zhou Xi.

During the day, I take him to the most upscale Western restaurant in the city for steak, and to the mall to buy him the most fashionable wool coats and brand-name watches.

In the evening, a grand banquet was held at the Sakura Club, where Japanese geishas, ​​Russian dancers, and Korean girls served the guests in different ways each day.

Zhou Xi was completely corrupted by this decadent lifestyle.

He was completely absorbed in the pleasures of love, so engrossed that he forgot all about Boss Dai's orders.

The two became sworn brothers, inseparable.

……

night.

The air in that inconspicuous old bungalow was still cold and damp.

Ma Kui unfolded a greasy paper package, inside which was a fragrant piece of braised pig's head.

He poured himself a cup of strong liquor, took a sip with the meat, and then...
"Yu Bo, how's the situation with Mr. Zhou?"

Yu Bo huddled by the brazier, rubbing his hands together, and answered cautiously, "He...he only told us to wait."

Ma Kui snorted coldly and slammed the wine cup heavily on the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Wait, wait!"

"We used to be able to follow along, but now it's all peanuts, pig's head meat and wine every day. Are the brothers in this mountain town missing out on this?"

His voice was filled with barely suppressed anger.

Yu Bo felt the chilling aura emanating from him and forced himself to say, "How about... you meet him in person and say hello?"

"Are you stupid?"

Ma Kui suddenly glared, his eyes fierce:
"What are we here for? We're here to follow and take action!"

"So many eyes are on Zhou Xi right now. If I go to him, I'll be immediately followed, and then we'll lose our purpose!"

Yu Bo trembled at his shout.

"Then...what should we do?"

Ma Kui scratched his hair in frustration: "Call him!"

"I'll tell you that if there's no news, don't blame me for going back to Chongqing and reporting this to Director Mao!"

Yu Bo hesitated for a moment, then came up with another idea: "Brother Ma, how about we meet with the stationmaster of Manchuria Station?"

"Let him send a telegram to Director Mao via radio; that would be a proper explanation."

Ma Kui beckoned: "Come here a bit."

Yu Bo thought he had agreed, so he quickly smiled and moved closer.

Ma Kui grabbed his collar and whispered, "You're nothing but a fart!"

"He's always acting on a whim!"
"Under Japanese rule, even rats couldn't survive in Manchukuo! When they saw us, they could easily sell us off for money!"
"To put it another way, if you get arrested, will you give him away?"

"Are they stupid enough to see us?"

He released his grip and angrily pushed Yu Bo away.

"Make a call and urge that good-for-nothing Zhou Xi to hurry up!"
"If you have money, make money and go; if you don't have money, kill people."

"Why so much nonsense, all this fuss and dragging on?"

"Damn it, I don't want to stay in this godforsaken place for even a day longer!"

Yu Bo was thoroughly scolded, his face turning pale and then red: "Yes, yes, I'll contact Mr. Zhou right away."

……

The next day.

Futai Leather Goods Store.

Hong Zhiyou walked into the store. There weren't many customers at the moment. He leaned against the counter and lit a cigarette.

"Teacher, are you ready?"

Wu Jingzhong didn't even lift his eyelids, continuing to fiddle with the abacus.

A moment later, he pulled a heavy leather suitcase from under the counter and placed it on the counter with difficulty.

"Click" sound.

Hong Zhi opened the box.

The gold bars were stacked neatly, exactly one thousand two hundred taels, no more and no less.

Wu Jingzhong put down the abacus, his voice icy.

"I'm warning you, kid, this is all the funds that the Manchurian Station and I have personally saved up."

"If you mess this up, I'll blow you to bits and we'll all die."

Hong Zhi closed the box, his face showing no sign of tension.

"rest assured.

"When have you ever suffered a loss by following me?"

Wu Jingzhong snorted coldly, his eyes full of suspicion:
"Who knows if you're playing the long game, waiting for this moment to completely gamble me out."

Hong Zhiyou laughed and said, "I wouldn't dare treat anyone else like that."

"Who are you? You are my teacher, Rui Rui's father."

It would have been better if we hadn't mentioned Rui Rui.

The mere mention of it sent a sharp pain through Wu Jing's chest, and he waved his hand irritably.
"get out.

"I'd like to see how you're going to outwit Boss Dai."

Damn, this is heavy... Hong Zhi waved directly to Xiao Guohua, "Old Xiao, give me a hand."

Xiao Guohua walked over, picked up the suitcase with one hand, quickly walked to the car, and put it in the trunk.

……

night.

Sakura Club.

In the backyard, there was a secluded private room.

The air was filled with the warm aroma of sake mingling with the scent of charcoal fire.

Zhou Xi sat at the table, drinking one glass of wine after another in silence, her brows furrowed in worry.

Hong Zhiyou pushed the door open and asked with a smile, "Brother, why are you drinking alone?"
"With a beautiful woman in your arms and warm wine beside you, what could possibly make you so troubled?"

Zhou Xi raised her head, her eyes showing a mixture of irritation and alcohol intoxication.

He sighed and slammed his wine glass down: "Brother, you don't understand."

He glanced towards the door to make sure no one was there before continuing in a low voice, "I've brought a group of people with me this time."

"They are Mao Renfeng's men."

“These people are jealous of how much the boss values ​​me, and now they’re planning to go back and report me on the wrong side.”

Hong Zhi pulled out a chair and sat down opposite him: "Insubordination?"
"These guys are incredibly audacious. This is a major taboo in the Military Intelligence Bureau. You're a special envoy, after all."

"you do not say!"

Zhou Xi slapped her thigh, her pent-up anger finding an outlet:
"What's wrong with me?
"I'm here diligently discussing this important matter of gold with you, my brother, and I'm working tirelessly for the sake of the Party and the country's funding."

"They're fine, they sleep all day and don't have to do anything, and now they dare to call me and nag me!"

Hong Zhi scoffed, "Who is it that's so blind?"
"Give me his name, and I'll send someone over to loosen his muscles and let him know the rules of Harbin."

"I dare not say about other things, but my words still carry some weight in this area."

A flicker of interest crossed Zhou Xi's face, but she quickly waved her hand dejectedly: "Let's forget about it."

"After all, he's Mao Renfeng's man. Boss Dai values ​​Mao highly these days. I can't afford to offend him, so I can only put up with it."

At this point, he looked up at Hong Zhiyou and changed the subject.

"Brother, I know you have your own difficulties."

"These past few days, I've been fortunate to receive your gracious hospitality, and I've also taken care of things for you for a while longer."

"But I have to say it, the gold issue can't be delayed any longer. If this continues, I won't be able to explain it to Boss Dai, and he'll really get angry with me."

Hong Zhi laughed and said, "Brother Zhou, what are you saying?"

"It's as if I, brother, am deliberately delaying you with wine, women, money, and anger."

"Am I that kind of person?"

He leaned closer, his face full of sincerity:
“I truly consider you my own brother, and I wish you could stay in Harbin for a while longer so we brothers could get to know each other better.”

Zhou Xi felt comforted by his words, picked up her wine glass and raised it to him: "Alright, brother, I appreciate your kindness."

"Let's... get down to business."

Hong Zhi nodded:
"talk!

"We've reached an agreement today!"

He stood up and winked mysteriously at Zhou Xi:
"Come on, I have a surprise for you."

A hint of wariness flashed in Zhou Xi's eyes, but after thinking for a moment, she followed him out.

Hong Zhiyou led him through the corridor to a private room deep inside the clubhouse.

It was quieter here than anywhere else; there weren't even any waiters at the door.

He took out his key and opened the heavy wooden door.

The two walked in one after the other.

In the very center of the room stood a huge black marble table, on which was piled a high mound covered with a black velvet cloth.

"Brother, what kind of trick are you playing?"

Zhou Xi shook her head, trying to clear her mind.

Hong Zhiyou walked to the table, suddenly reached out, and lifted the black velvet cloth.

"Wow!"

In an instant, the entire room was illuminated by golden light.

Under the lights, the large yellow croakers were piled up into a small mountain, and the dazzling yellow light almost made Zhou Xi unable to open his eyes.

He froze on the spot.

"Brother, how much is this?"

Hong Zhiyou pulled a cigar from his pocket, lit it, and exhaled a smoke ring with gusto.
"not much.

"It's only nine thousand taels."

Zhou Xi's mind went blank with a "buzz".

Nine thousand taels!
That's all!

Boss Dai's ten-year agreement has actually been... piled up in front of me?

He stammered, "You, you said... there weren't that many?"

Hong Zhi laughed: "There's nothing we can do, we're brothers after all."
“I’ve thought about it carefully. This money will have to be given to Boss Dai sooner or later. Since it’s going to be given sooner or later, I might as well do you a huge favor.”

Zhou Xi was trembling with excitement.

He looked at Hong Zhiyou with eyes full of jealousy and gratitude, and almost knelt down on the spot to call him godfather:
"Brother! You...you've done me an immense favor!"
"If Boss Dai finds out, he'll definitely reward you handsomely!"

Hong Zhi waved his hand dismissively:

"I live in Harbin, enjoying a good life, so the award means nothing to me."

"Consider this as paving the way for your future success, brother."

"Thank you, thank you!" Zhou Xi said gratefully.

Hong Zhi walked to the wine cabinet, took out a bottle of champagne, popped it open, and poured a glass for Zhou Xi: "Brother, what do you think of Manchukuo?"

"Paradise on Earth!"

Zhou Xi held a glass of champagne, but her eyes never left the mountain of gold for a second.

Hong Zhi took a sip of champagne, his voice suddenly becoming somewhat playful:

"I know that when this batch of gold was sent back, ostensibly for military expenses, it actually went into Boss Dai's private pocket."

"I'm just curious to ask, with such a large sum of money transported to Chongqing, how much will you, the number one contributor, get?"

Zhou Xi said somewhat awkwardly:
"I...I'm just a gofer."

"I'd be lucky if the boss could give me a few; the rule is ten at most."

"Ten?"

Hong Zhi repeated a sentence.

"Ten taels for one stick, that's a hundred taels of gold. Hmm, that's quite a lot."

As he spoke, he suddenly walked to the side of Jinshan.

To Zhou Xi's astonishment, Hong Zhi reached out and shoved a huge pile of gold bars in front of Zhou Xi.

"Brother, there are about five hundred taels here."

"They're all yours."

Zhou Xi was completely dumbfounded.

He stared at the gold bars in front of him, then at Hong Zhiyou, his tongue lolling out: "What...what does this mean, bro?"

Hong Zhi swirled his wine glass and said:
"This five hundred taels is a personal gift to you as we first meet."

"In addition, I will give you another sum of cash."

Zhou Xi chuckled dryly, then instinctively became alert:

"Brother, you... you might as well speak your mind."

“We’re brothers, so I’ll be frank.”

Hong Zhiyou's smile vanished, replaced by a cold laugh:

"I'm a stubborn person by nature."

"Last time I rescued Station Chief Zeng, I put in a lot of effort, but instead of giving him a single word of praise, Boss Dai extorted a million in cash and ten thousand taels of gold from me."

"I can't swallow this insult."

He pointed to the mountain of gold, his voice filled with undisguised arrogance:
"I have plenty of gold."

"But I don't want to hold him accountable for even the slightest thing."

"That's the situation. You decide what to do, brother."

Zhou Xi sobered up instantly, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead: "Brother, you want to go against the boss? You...you're pushing me into a fire pit."
"I may live to collect all this money, but I won't live to spend it!"

"is it?"

Hong Zhiyou gave a cold laugh.

"What's the state of things inside the pass now?"
"The Japanese are almost at Guangzhou, and Hong Kong has fallen. What are your chances that Chiang Kai-shek can turn the tide?"

Zhou Xi's face darkened, and he remained silent.

"Think about what happened to Station Chief Zeng."

“If I hadn’t spent money to bribe the Japanese, he would have been killed by them long ago. Actually, it didn’t cost much at all, just a few hundred taels of gold.”

Hong Zhi walked over to him and patted him on the shoulder:

"Station Chief Zeng is Boss Dai's most valued protégé, a high-ranking official, yet he's reluctant to spend even this little bit of money."

"If you were to fall into the hands of the Japanese one day, do you think you would have any chance of survival?"
"You're Boss Dai's favorite, so you should understand this better than I do."

"The boss always uses the guise of national righteousness to extort money from everywhere."

"The soldiers on the front lines can't even fill their stomachs, while his mistresses outside are all dressed in gold and silver and spend money like water."

"I'm not stupid."

"I'd rather throw this gold into the water and hear the splash than give it to him."

"I'm saying all this to tell you, brother, not to take the Party-state system too seriously. This war is far from over."

"Besides, if the army is defeated, Boss Dai and Chairman Chiang Kai-shek can just take their vast fortune and fly away."

"They can eat and drink well wherever they go."

"What about you, bro? What are you going to do?"

Even if they were lucky enough to survive, would they still be as glorious as they are now?

Zhou Xi's face grew paler and paler, her lips trembling: "What...what exactly are you trying to say?"

"What I mean is, we have to bet on both sides."

Hong Zhiyou's voice was incredibly alluring.

You have to side with me.

"If anything changes in the future, with my connections, I can guarantee you'll continue to enjoy a life of luxury in Manchukuo. No problem."

"If all else fails, going to Hong Kong is fine too."

"With the money I'm giving you, you can go abroad right now and live a carefree life for the rest of your days."

What is the point of living this life?
"Isn't it just about wealth, luxury, and a carefree life? Why did you, brother, choose to give up such a good life to become someone else's dog, only to end up with a terrible death? What was the point?"

Zhou Xi was a little dizzy, but not stupid yet:
"Brother, I understand what you mean, and I really want to help you."

"But... right now Mao Renfeng's gang is watching me. If this money isn't accounted for, we'll both get shot, and neither of us will have an easy time."

Hong Zhi smiled.

"Of course I know.

"I never intended to have a falling out with my boss."

He leaned close to Zhou Xi's ear and lowered his voice: "Here's a plan, listen to it and see if it works..."

He whispered a few words to himself.

As Zhou Xi listened, the fear and hesitation on her face were gradually replaced by excitement and greed.

After hearing this, he clapped his hands suddenly.

"Great! This method is brilliant!"
"In that case, the responsibility will fall entirely on those idiots in the action team!"

"Brother, you can also do Director Mao some face while you're at it!"
"I've finally given Boss Dai an explanation!"

"but……"

Hong Zhi smiled, everything was under control.

"I'm ready."

He walked to the cabinet by the wall, took out a camera from the drawer, and handed it to Zhou Xi.

Zhou Xi immediately understood.

He took the camera and snapped away at the golden mountain from different angles.

"Alright! Buddy, hurry up and pack it up, I'll get started as soon as possible!"

Zhou Xi's tone was full of impatience.

Hong Zhi nodded.

"Okay, nice to work with."

Zhou Xi turned to leave, but Hong Zhiyou called him back.

"Brother, what's the rush?"

"Take your share first."

"I'll have the rest of the money converted into US dollars and sent to you once you arrive in the mountain city."

Zhou Xi was overjoyed.

He hurriedly took off his woolen overcoat and spread it on the ground, no longer caring about appearances. He used both hands to pick up fifty heavy yellow croakers, rolled them up, and left happily.

……

the next morning.

The streets of Harbin are sparsely populated.

Hong Zhiyou, wearing a worn-out cotton-padded coat with his sleeves rolled up, slowly walked past an inconspicuous old bungalow.

He appeared to be strolling around, but his peripheral vision kept fixed on the tightly closed door.

Just then, the door creaked open.

A burly man with his sleeves rolled up came out.

Hong Ji-yoo, who was in disguise, suddenly brightened up.

Ah, it really is an old acquaintance.

Old Ma!

haven't seen you for a long time!

……

(End of this chapter)