Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 564 Micro-Management Master
Dark as ink.

Zhang Tao gripped the steering wheel, his palms slightly damp.

He glanced at the rearview mirror; behind him was endless darkness, with no sign of any vehicles following him.

When they arrived at an abandoned factory, Zhang Tao turned off the engine, removed the car key, and got out of the car.

He took out a flashlight from his bag, pointed it at a broken window on the second floor across the street, and slowly switched it on and off three times.

The beam of light flickered in the darkness.

A moment later, the light in the window flickered three times in response.

The secret code was correct.

Zhang Tao put away his flashlight, scanned the surroundings, and made sure everything was normal before stepping inside.

As soon as he stepped into the cold, damp factory, a dark figure flashed out, a cold gun barrel pressed against his lower back.

"do not move."

The person behind him spoke in a very low voice.

Zhang Tao obediently raised his hands, showing no sign of panic.

The man swiftly took his sidearm.

"Give me your things for safekeeping. Team Leader He is waiting for you upstairs."

"Thank you."

Zhang Tao put his hand down and slowly walked up to the second floor.

At the window, a figure stood with his back to him, gazing at the night outside.

Hearing footsteps, the person slowly turned around.

He pushed up his glasses and extended his hand.

"Comrade Zhang Tao, this is He Qinghua."

Zhang Tao strode forward, bent down almost obsequiously, and tightly grasped the other person's hands.

"Team Leader He, I am Zhang Tao. I have long admired your name and am finally able to meet you today."

He Qinghua smiled gently and said:
"You've been in Harbin for quite some time now, and the Manchurian General Committee and the North China authorities have been paying close attention to your development."

"You have undergone rigorous testing and made significant contributions to the organization."

"Although some comrades still have doubts about you, I, on behalf of the Manchurian General Committee, formally welcome you to join us."

"From now on, you are an official member of our group."

Zhang Tao nodded vigorously: "Thank you, Team Leader He, thank you for the organization's trust!"
"I will definitely strive to make contributions, fight against the puppet Manchukuo regime and the Japanese invaders to the end, and never let down the organization that has nurtured me!"

He Qinghua nodded in satisfaction.

"Young man, your ambition is commendable."

He changed the subject and his tone became serious.

"However, your current position is extremely important, both to our work group and to the entire General Committee."

"Therefore, your primary task is to ensure your own safety and absolutely not to expose yourself."

Zhang Tao immediately responded, "Thank you for your concern, leader."

"Excuse me, is there any work I can do right now?"

He Qinghua paced back and forth for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "Yes."

"First, use your position as a police assistant to gather as much intelligence as possible on the Japanese and puppet troops' operations to suppress the anti-Japanese armed forces in the surrounding mountainous areas."

"second……"

He paused for a moment:
"Before I arrived, there was a hidden informant at the Harbin Transportation Station who had already been planted inside the police department."

"You have to find a way to find him."

"In this way, I can coordinate your work, ensure that your intelligence corroborates each other, and strive to achieve a result greater than the sum of its parts."

“When necessary, you can also support each other and protect each other’s safety.”

Zhang Tao nodded and said, "The person the team leader mentioned... I think I've heard of him before."

"The department has been secretly investigating him, but he is very well hidden and there has been no clue whatsoever."

"But don't worry, I will find him and integrate the organization and coordinate the work as soon as possible."

He Qinghua nodded, satisfied with his attitude: "Thank you for your hard work."

He took a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Zhang Tao.

"This is my secret contact method and code."

"In the future, if there is any extremely urgent matter, you can contact me directly without going through Lin Xuan, the student representative."

"I can't stay too long, be careful."

After He Qinghua finished speaking, he prepared to turn around and leave.

"Team leader, please wait!"

Zhang Tao hurriedly called out to him.

"I...I have something very important that I'd like to ask Team Leader He for help with."

He Qinghua stopped and turned around: "Go ahead and speak."

Zhang Tao's expression instantly became extremely heavy, even showing a hint of fear and struggle.

"Team leader, you know Hong Zhiyou, the head of the Economic Division of our Police Department, right?"

He Qinghua nodded, signaling him to continue.

Zhang Tao lowered his voice, his tone urgent:

"This man has our blood on his hands and is notorious in Harbin for extorting money and kickbacks."

"Of course, these are all secondary."

"Mainly, through my long-term covert investigation, I discovered that he... he may have infiltrated our underground transportation station through the trade of furs!"

"Moreover, his own uncle is the executioner, Gao Bin!"
"I even suspect that this uncle and nephew have already turned some of our comrades at the communication station against us!"
"Their continued silence is very likely part of a huge conspiracy targeting you, or even the entire General Committee!"
"I had always wanted to report to the organization, but unfortunately there was no way to do so."

"After all, Lin Xuan, the student council member, also has connections with the transportation station. I'm afraid that before the message even reaches you, he'll be silenced."

"Now that you're here, I can finally say these words!"

He Qinghua frowned and said:

"Is what you're saying... the truth?"

Zhang Tao met his gaze with an open and honest expression.

"Team leader, I can't guarantee 100% that these are just some scattered clues and my personal speculations."

"but!"

He emphasized his tone.

"If you go back and investigate secretly, or directly question them, you'll understand everything about the business of 'Futai Leather Shop'!"

"it is good."

He Qinghua suddenly reached out and tightly grasped Zhang Tao's hand.

Comrade Zhang Tao!
"The news you reported is extremely important!"

"I'll go back and investigate thoroughly!"

Zhang Tao's tone became increasingly earnest:
"Team leader, to prevent things from getting out of hand, my suggestion is... you should arrange for someone to get rid of Hong Zhiyou as soon as possible!"

"If he senses something and strikes first, the consequences would be unimaginable!"

A flash of murderous intent crossed He Qinghua's eyes:

"it is good!

"I will immediately convene the comrades in the work group to discuss this matter!"

"You should leave now, it's not safe here."

Zhang Tao nodded emphatically.

"Team leader, please be careful too."

After saying that, he didn't linger. He turned around, walked quickly down the stairs, and soon disappeared into the darkness.

He Qinghua stood at the window, watching Zhang Tao's car drive away, his chest heaving violently.

A cold wind blew into the factory, sending a chill down his back.

Downstairs, his deputy Chen Zhen strode up.

"Team leader, how's it going?"

He Qinghua slowly exhaled, his tone filled with lingering fear and relief:

"Comrade Zhang Tao is a good comrade."

"In retrospect, it was absolutely the right decision for the General Committee to send us to Harbin this time."

"The problem here is... huge!"
"Zhang Tao just reported that Lao Wei is very likely to have business dealings with Hong Zhi of the Police Department."

Who is Hong Zhiyou?

"Those are the biggest thugs and gangsters in Harbin, the exploitative class that sucks your marrow dry!"
"His uncle, Gao Bin, has a blood feud with us, and his hands are stained with the blood of countless comrades!"

"Old Wei actually colluded with this kind of person!"
"If this matter is not handled seriously, it could cause a huge mess!"

Chen Zhen was also furious after hearing this:
"I told you he was always wary of us, never on our side, and always acting suspiciously!"

"Heh, so he's colluding with traitors to live a life of luxury here, and he thinks we're in his way!"

He took a step forward, his eyes flashing with a fierce light.

"Old He, I suggest we immediately take control of Wei Shan!"
"Then report the situation truthfully to the General Committee and request instructions!"

He Qinghua nodded coldly: "It seems that this is the only way now."

"In addition, immediately convene a meeting of the work group comrades to discuss whether to eliminate Hong Zhiyou first."

"If Comrade Zhang Tao's information is true, it is highly likely that Hong Zhi has already turned Lao Wei to the side. In that case, we will be in danger at any time and we must prepare for the worst."

Chen Zhen calmed down.

"I think we can postpone dealing with Hong Zhiyou."

"We have only been in Harbin for a short time, and our foundation is not yet stable."

"Moreover, the anti-traitor squad is still in Lao Wei's hands."

"If we don't deal with him, we'll be without men and guns. How are we going to assassinate Hong Zhiyou?"

He Qinghua paced back and forth, deep in thought.

Chen Zhen's words awakened him.

Yes, even the disciplinary power is in their hands, so how can we talk about eliminating traitors?
He suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Yes, you're right."

"Then tomorrow, let's try to get Wei Shan under control."

"Once I have solid evidence, I will immediately report to the General Committee to see if... he should be executed on the spot!"
"In short, traitors and collaborators must not be allowed to live!"

Chen Zhen nodded, then reminded him, "Team leader, we still need to be careful."

"Wei Shan has been operating in Harbin for many years and has a large and powerful force. It would probably be difficult to force him to do anything."

We need to put some thought into this.

A cold glint flashed in He Qinghua's eyes.

"it is good."

……

Leave the factory.

Chen Zhen returned to his temporary lodgings, lay stiffly on the bed, stared at the mottled paint on the ceiling, and quickly began to make plans in his mind.

Harbin can be described as paradise on earth.

If he could take control of the transportation station and take over Lao Wei's business, he could continue doing leather trade with Hong Zhiyou.

Anyway, there's no important intelligence to gather right now.

Every day is filled with nothing but meetings and pointless busywork; it's so boring it's driving me crazy.

He could easily live a life of luxury like Lao Wei.

Then, find a voluptuous, beautiful woman to marry and have children with, and finally settle down in this fertile black soil.

After enduring so many years of hardship, it's time to enjoy life.

Now, He Qinghua and Lao Wei are on the verge of a complete falling out.

This was a godsend for him.

First, let's use He Qinghua to deal with Wei Shan, this local tyrant.

Then find a way to incite the anti-traitor team to kill He Qinghua, that stubborn fool.

Alternatively, to be on the safe side, one could secretly contact Hong Zhiyou, quietly reveal some information, and use him as a tool to kill someone.

In this way, he could gain the favor of Hong Zhiyou and his group of puppet Manchukuo agents, paving the way for future business, while also achieving his own goals discreetly.

Thinking about this, Chen Zhen was so excited that he couldn't sleep anymore.

His mind was filled with red wine, cigars, and steak.

And then there are the women on the streets of Harbin, wearing fashionable cheongsams and showing off their fair thighs.

And the demure, gentle, and charming Japanese geishas in the club.

……

The next day, early in the morning.

As usual, Zhang Tao arrived at the police station's canteen at 7:30 sharp.

He had just sat down with his tray when he keenly sensed that something was amiss.

Many police officers in the canteen were glancing at him while eating, whispering and pointing. He finished his breakfast without making a sound.

Then, I got up and went to the toilet.

I had just squatted down in the cubicle when I heard deliberately hushed voices coming from outside.

"Did you hear that?"

"what?"

"Gong Qingshan is being transferred to the Security Bureau."

There was a hint of schadenfreude in that voice.

“Last night, while he was playing cards at the Paramount, he said it himself that the Deputy Director of the Security Bureau, Chen Jingyu, signed the document to remove him.”

"I heard it was through Section Chief Hong's connections."

Another voice followed, its tone full of emotion.

"It's good to go."

"A perfectly good police assistant, sitting in the archives room all day getting moldy, served Director Liu for so many years, and in the end was squeezed out by a greenhorn from the inside of the Great Wall. Anyone would be upset about that."

"Hehe, this is going to be interesting."

"Gong Qingshan went to the Security Bureau, which is keeping an eye on our Police Department. Wouldn't he investigate Zhang Tao to the death?"

"That Zhang guy has been smug for so long, he's probably in big trouble."

Inside the cubicle, Zhang Tao's heart skipped a beat, and a cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.

He quickly rinsed himself with water, pushed open the cubicle door, and stared coldly at the two police officers chatting outside.

The two men were startled by his gloomy face and almost peed in their pants, so they quickly shut their mouths.

"Watch your words."

Zhang Tao glared coldly at the two of them, then turned around, walked to the pool, and turned on the tap.

Ah.

The man surnamed Gong was trampled down, but he still wants to climb back up?

There are no doors.

He washed his hands, shook off the water droplets, and passed by the police station lobby.

Lu Ming from the secretary's office happened to walk in from outside. Upon seeing him, he immediately hurried to greet him.

"Assistant Zhang."

Lu Ming handed him a document.

"This is the transfer approval letter from Deputy Director Chen of the Security Bureau, and Section Chief Gong's transfer application. Please give them to the Director."

"Section Chief Gong is in a hurry to reply, so hurry up here."

Zhang Tao took the document; the red seal of the Security Bureau was glaringly obvious.

"it is good."

He responded casually.

"Brother Lu, Section Chief Gong has quite a bit of influence; he was even able to be transferred to the Security Bureau."

Lu Ming lowered his voice, a smile on his face that suggested he was enjoying the spectacle.

"you do not say.

"If you go there, you'll become the deputy head of the investigation department, which is no joke."

"Those bastards in the Security Bureau, they do nothing, all they do is keep an eye on our internal affairs."

"Old Gong went there full of resentment. When he comes back, who knows what kind of trouble he'll cause us."

As he spoke, Lu Ming reached out and patted Zhang Tao's chest lightly.

"Especially you, brother, you'd better watch out."

"You two have quite a few grudges."

Zhang Tao's face twitched violently, but he forced himself to remain calm and said:
"I am upright and honest, and I am dedicated to public service. If he wants to investigate, let him investigate."

"Thanks, Brother Lu, let's talk later."

He turned to leave.

Lu Ming, however, sneered and shouted from behind him, "Hurry up and send it up. Deputy Director Chen and Section Chief Gong are waiting for news."

Zhang Tao paused for a moment, but without turning around, he went straight upstairs.

……

office.

Liu Zhenwen was packing a black briefcase, preparing to leave.

Upon seeing Zhang Tao enter, he smiled and asked, "How was last night?"

Zhang Tao immediately composed himself and respectfully replied, "It went very smoothly."

“I met He Qinghua, the group leader, and even got his contact information.”

"very good."

Liu Zhenwen nodded in satisfaction, "Congratulations on your successful completion of three years of work."

"I'll submit a promotion report to your superiors later."

He paused, his tone becoming earnest.

"Furthermore, we must remain calm and not be impatient for quick results. We should try to move up the ranks within their organization and find out the key contact points and personnel of the entire Manchurian underground organization."

"That is the truly earth-shattering feat."

"If the day ever comes when we can pull them all out, this position should be yours."

"Good job."

Zhang Tao was overjoyed: "Thank you so much for your guidance, Director!"

Liu Zhenwen smiled and waved his hand.

"Alright, the police department is having a meeting, and I have to go to Xinjing for a few days."

"Are there any important documents that I need to process?"

Zhang Tao's mind raced, and he calmly said:

"Gong Qingshan... wants to apply for resignation."

He only said half of what he meant, never mentioning the transfer order from the Security Bureau.

Liu Zhenwen frowned as expected.

"Resignation?"

Gong Qingshan had followed him for many years and was extremely loyal.

Although Liu Zhenwen was temporarily transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department to pave the way for Zhang Tao's outstanding achievements, he never intended to kill him outright.

Thinking of this, he said somewhat angrily, "Resign? What resignation? No approval!"

"It's nothing important, you can handle it as you see fit."

Zhang Tao was secretly delighted, but his face remained respectful.

"Okay, Director, have a safe journey."

Back in his office, he took out the transfer application and the security bureau's approval letter, and without even looking at them, simply opened the drawer and threw them inside.

Ha ha.

Want a job transfer?
There are no doors.

He picked up the phone, intending to call the security bureau immediately.

But then I thought about it again and slowly let it go.

Too hasty.

We need to keep them in suspense for a few days.

……

Economics Division Office.

Hong Zhiyou held a cup of hot tea and slowly blew on it.

Gong Qingshan pushed open the door and walked in, his face showing undisguised anxiety.

"Section Chief Hong."

Hong Zhiyou smiled, looked up, and pointed to the chair opposite him.

"How is it going? Is everything alright?"
"The Security Bureau just called me and said they've even prepared your office, just waiting for you to take up your post."

He put down his teacup and slowly increased the amount of tea.

"You know, there are quite a few people eyeing this position, including Yu Jingtao's nephew."

"Lao Yu was a high-ranking official in our Manchukuo, and the former Chief of Police."

"To be honest, it's only because Old Chen and I have a really good relationship that he's giving me face. If it were anyone else, this wouldn't have been possible."

Gong Qingshan bowed and scraped, his face full of gratitude.

"Chief Hong, your kindness to me is like giving me a second life, and I will always remember it."

"I don't want to stay in this godforsaken place for another second."

He changed the subject abruptly, looking worried, and said, "But a whole day has passed. I urged Assistant Zhang, and he said that Director Liu went to a meeting in Xinjing and couldn't sign the documents."

Just as I expected... Hong Zhi let out a helpless "Oh".

There's nothing we can do about that.

"I saw Director Liu this morning. If you had told me earlier, maybe we could have gone to him together to get the document signed."

"By now... they've probably arrived in Xinjing."

He shook his head and sighed regretfully.

Gong Qingshan panicked completely. "Section Chief Hong, then... this matter... won't fall through, will it?"

Hong Zhi waved his hand: "Don't rush."

"Let's wait until Director Liu comes back. I'll also talk to Old Chen and ask him to postpone it for now."

Gong Qingshan quickly bowed and thanked him.

"Thank you, Section Chief Hong, we're counting on you!"

He gritted his teeth, as if he had made some kind of decision.

"To be honest, my wife and family leaked the news last night."

"The banquet for relatives at Madier Hotel for promotion today has already been booked."

"If this falls through, I... won't be able to live with myself anymore."

What Hong Zhi wanted was precisely this sentence.

He smiled, secretly adding fuel to the fire.

"Don't worry, you've been unlucky for so long, it's time for your luck to change."

"I'll keep an eye on things for you."

"Okay, thank you, Section Chief Hong." Gong Qingshan expressed his gratitude again.

Hong Zhiyou got up and personally saw him out the door.

People are often burdened by these empty titles.

This time, Gong Qingshan probably has no choice but to make a move.

……

Gong Qingshan walked to the entrance of the police station and ran into Zhang Tao.

Zhang Tao spoke first with a forced smile.

Congratulations!

"Section Chief Gong has found a good backer. Section Chief Hong personally vouched for him, and Director Chen signed off on it. You're about to be promoted to the Security Bureau."

"I hope Deputy Section Chief Gong will take good care of me in the future."

Gong Qingshan also forced a feigned modesty: "But the director hasn't approved it yet, has he?"

Zhang Tao laughed and said, "You are the director's old subordinate, he can't wait for you to be promoted."

"Just wait, we should hear from you when you get back."

A hint of murderous intent flashed in Gong Qingshan's eyes. He chuckled dryly and said, "Thank you, it's all thanks to you, brother."

"When the time comes, I will definitely take good care of you, little brother."

Zhang Tao, however, seemed oblivious to the threat in his words, maintaining his unwavering smile: "Then I'll thank you in advance, brother."

After saying that, he brushed past Gong Qingshan and left with a smile.

Gong Qingshan spat fiercely at his retreating figure.

"Son of a bitch!

"Don't let me get a chance, or I'll kill you!"

……

Hong Zhiyou stood at the window, watching the two people part ways on the left and right. He knew that with a little manipulation, the plan was already half successful.

A few days later, Liu Zhenwen returned, and everything was settled.

If he loses the opportunity for a transfer, Gong Qingshan will definitely break down.

Zhang Tao's death is imminent!
……

(End of this chapter)