Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 566 The opportunity has come
The next morning.

Zhang Tao arrived at the hall early and sat down to eat breakfast in the cafeteria.

"Assistant Zhang, are you free tonight? Let's go out for a drink."

"Hello, Assistant Zhang."

A while ago, I was secretly watching him, and now all the weirdos are surrounding him.

A cold smile played on Zhang Tao's lips, and he was extremely pleased with himself.

He received the news last night that Gong Qingshan's trip to the Security Bureau had fallen through.

Ha ha.

They want to bring me down? They think they're so great just because they found Hong Zhiyou to be their backer?
They were easily controlled by me.

"Section Chief Wang, why didn't Section Chief Gong come to work today?" he asked deliberately.

"Assistant Zhang, he can come too."

"Section Chief Gong resigned from his position in our department, saying he was going to the Security Bureau to become the deputy section chief of the investigation section, but the Security Bureau wouldn't accept him."

"I heard that the banquet was already set up a few days ago, and his wife was bragging about it all over the club."

"Now look what's happened, once the daylily cools down, it's nothing."

"This is incredibly embarrassing."

Wang, the section chief, said with a sarcastic laugh.

That's just how the world is; seeing others in trouble is more satisfying than seeing oneself achieve something great.

Immediately someone nearby said, "When Gong Qingshan left, he was still saying in the department that he was going to deal with Assistant Zhang. We thought he was something special, but now he's nothing at all."

"Yes, if I were him, I wouldn't even have the face to stay in Harbin."

Others, eager to curry favor with Zhang Tao, joined in the commotion and laughter.

"Yeah, you should only take on as much as you can handle, but some people just don't know what's good for them." Zhang Tao peeled an egg smugly and popped it into his mouth.

"Assistant Zhang, please take care of me in the future."

"Don't forget the party tonight."

A whole bunch of people started befriending him.

Zhang Tao enjoys the spotlight and the adulation he receives.

What's the big deal about dealing with Gong Qingshan?
He has now gained He Qinghua's trust and is very likely to uncover the mole within the police department. It would be difficult for his future not to be bright.

Zhang Tao went straight to the director's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in," came Liu Zhenwen's voice from inside.

"Director, we've caught a big fish!" Zhang Tao said with a beaming smile.

"Oh, tell me quickly," Liu Zhenwen said.

Zhang Tao took out a photo from his pocket and placed it on the table: "That's him."

Liu Zhenwen picked it up and looked at it, then asked curiously, "Who is this person?"

Zhang Tao said, "His name is Wei Shan, and he is in charge of the Harbin underground transportation station."

Liu Zhenwen quickly picked up the photo. Even though he was usually calm, he became excited: "It was him who fought us through so many difficulties. You, Zhang Tao, you have such skills and methods. Where did you get this intelligence?"

"Director, it was all luck, really."

"Wei Shan alone is not the point; it's the people behind him who are interesting."

"Do you remember what Section Chief Gao once said, that there is a high possibility that there is a red ticket spy hidden in our department?"

"Old Wei is this person's contact person and superior."

Zhang Tao tried his best to appear calm and collected.

"Okay, go on." Liu Zhenwen stood up and poured him a cup of tea.

Zhang Tao accepted the document with trepidation: "That idiot He Qinghua, after I stirred things up, his work group and Lao Wei's communication team developed a rift, and he actually imprisoned Lao Wei and planned to secretly execute him."

"However, he valued the person who hid the money in the police station very much."

"Old Wei refused to speak, so he came up with a bad idea: he told me to take the photo to test who might be the one who got the red ticket."

"He said that if that person knew that Lao Wei had betrayed him or been captured, he would be very nervous, make emergency preparations, and escape."

"This will ensure that person's safety."

Liu Zhenwen nodded and said, "That is a feasible method, but it is also a good opportunity for us."

“Go and call Director Gao over,” he added.

Zhang Tao frowned, puzzled: "Director, why did you call him here? This is our lead."

"Gao Bin and I both had our sights set on Zhou Yi."

"If this person is really Zhou Yi, it is not convincing for you to tell such top-secret and important information."

"It might even arouse Zhou Yi's suspicion, but it wouldn't reach the point of damaging his heart or making him reveal his true colors."

"But Director Gao is different."

"He was the devil in Zhou Yi's heart, so it's only natural that he secretly dug out Lao Wei."

Liu Zhenwen patiently explained to Zhang Tao.

Zhang Tao is very proactive, but he lacks shrewdness and wisdom. Based on this alone, he is far from being able to compare himself to Hong Zhiyou and become his son-in-law.

"Understood, I'll go right now." Zhang Tao accepted the order.

Soon, Gao Bin walked in.

Liu Zhenwen made a hand gesture, and Zhang Tao acknowledged the order and withdrew.

"Old Gao, take a look at this." Liu Zhenwen handed over the photo.

Gao Bin glanced at it: "What's this?"

Liu Zhenwen told the whole story.

Gao Bin exclaimed in surprise, "Director Liu is truly still as sharp as ever! Without saying a word, he managed to obtain such important intelligence and complete such a perfect infiltration. I am ashamed of my own inferiority."

"To be honest, ever since I was transferred to Harbin, I've been dealing with Wei Shan."

"We haven't been able to bring you down all these years. Hey, Director, you've managed to do it all with just a little divisive tactic."

"I admire you."

"Director Gao, please don't make fun of me. I told you about Zhang Tao's identity the moment he was put into the department. Wasn't it just a matter of time before he infiltrated the enemy's ranks?" Liu Zhenwen said with a smile.

As he spoke, he tapped the table and said in a low voice, "To lift him up, I even sacrificed my Qingshan. To be honest, it hurts. He's been my old subordinate for so many years."

“That’s right, Director Qingshan understands the long-term vision of the department head,” Gao Bin said.

Then he got back to the main point: "Your plan is feasible, but I still think our primary target should be Zhou Yi."

"Well, in my opinion, you should secretly talk to people, not just Zhou Yi, but also Lu Ming, Liu Kui, and even Zhi You. You should let them see it too."

"Let's say that Old Wei is going to confess, and see who will slip up." Liu Zhenwen nodded in agreement.

In the matter of catching spies and bandits, he and Gao Bin were natural allies and could confide in each other completely.

"Alright, time is of the essence, I'll arrange it now." Gao Bin put the photo in his pocket and stood up.

"Old Gao, wait a minute."

“I heard that this Zhiyou fur trade seems to be somewhat related to the red tickets,” Liu Zhenwen said.

"Hmm, I reckon there should be some."

“You think the Anti-Japanese Allied Army occupies the mountain and has all the weapons in their hands? It would be strange if they weren’t involved,” Gao Bin said.

"Do you think Zhiyou might also have dealings with this old Wei?" Liu Zhenwen asked with a half-smile.

"If we don't know Lao Wei's identity, then it's possible."

"However, this doesn't necessarily mean that there are smart passes."

“You can say he was manipulated and misled by the red ticket, but the general ticket has already been confirmed by Shibuya Saburo and Director Ma, so I think it’s better if we don’t try to verify it.”

"To put it bluntly, right now, apart from Puyi, perhaps only Commander Yoshijiro Umezu could give the order to turn this area black."

"If this is Zhang Tao's investigation, my advice is not to waste our energy and time on this."

"Because in the end it will only hurt feelings."

"After all, we all know whether he will accept the pass or not."

Gao Bin took a deep breath and said with heartfelt emotion.

He did not intentionally show favoritism towards his nephew.

It's really impossible to investigate. Even someone as smart as Shibuya Saburo, with Ma Wendong backed by the South Manchuria Railway, has no chance. It's a waste of time for him and Liu Zhenwen to try.

Liu Zhenwen nodded: "It's 100% impossible for Zhi to get a pass. What I'm worried about now is that he's being used by someone."

"Isn't that my daughter?"

"If it weren't for the fact that I report things every time I'm free, and that Zhang Tao's infiltration went smoothly and he made a great contribution, General Kozuka of the Military Police Headquarters would have come after me a long time ago."

“Yes, so we need to find this person as soon as possible,” Gao Bin nodded.

"I'll stop talking now and get moving."

He stood up and walked out.

……

In the afternoon.

Zhou Yi walked into Gao Bin's office: "Director Gao, you wanted to see me? I received a notice this morning that I need to handle a printing shop in Nangang."

"It's nothing, it's not a big deal."

"That's right, our people secretly infiltrated the Red Ticket underground transportation station and successfully captured this person."

Gao Bin took out the photo and handed it to Zhou Yi.

“This man is named Wei Shan, and his real identity is the head of the transportation station. He has already given away some names, and the people in the department have been secretly making arrests.” Gao Bin lit his pipe, took a puff, and said.

"Director, how come I, the head of the Special Affairs Section, knew absolutely nothing about such an important matter?" Zhou Yi frowned.

“This was personally overseen by Director Liu,” Gao Bin said.

"Is there anything we, the Special Service Section, are needed to do?" Zhou Yi asked, sounding rather annoyed.

"I'm telling you this to remind you that the Special Service Section is rusty, and it's time for you, the section chief, to be reassigned."

"Although I have been promoted to director, my heart is still with the Special Service Section."

"Director Liu is now engaged in infiltration and has caught a big fish, while the Special Service Section is lifeless."

"Section Chief Zhou, this tastes wrong."

"If someone dares to take photos and openly show them to me, that's blatant showing off."

"This is saying that you and I are incompetent."

Gao Bin slammed his hand on the table and sighed in displeasure.

"Director, to be honest, Director Liu's move was brilliant. After General Zhao was captured by the Japanese, the Anti-Japanese United Army fell apart, and the entire Manchukuo Red Army seemed to have entered a dormant period."

"Our special operations section, besides arresting students, only checks printing records; there's practically nothing else to do."

"Now it seems that we were negligent."

"Don't worry, Director, I will definitely speed up the work and try to dig something down along this line."

Zhou Yi made a self-criticism.

Gao Bin waved his hand: "Forget it, we haven't done any work, and we're just looking to reap the benefits without doing anything. There's no such thing as a free lunch."

"I called you here because I was really feeling pent up and wanted to vent."

"While you're at it, call Lu Ming and Liu Kui over, have a little meeting with them, give them a good scolding, and try to win a better battle in the second half of the year."

"Otherwise, I would really have nowhere to put my old face."

Gao Bin sighed.

"Understood." Zhou Yi stood up and walked out.

Gao Bin stared coldly at his retreating figure.

Zhou Yi!

After being arrested online, can he still remain calm?

A hint of provocation appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Gao Bin hoped that this person was Zhou Yi.

But I also hope it isn't.

If that's the case, and it's all over like this, and you didn't even dig it up yourself, it doesn't seem very interesting.

After saying that, he picked up the phone and dialed the communications team:
"Hello, is this Squad Leader Xia?"
“It’s me. Immediately monitor Zhou Yi and his family’s phone calls. From now on, record everything, not a single word is allowed to be missed.”

"In addition, this is top secret and must not be disclosed. The recorder must keep a record of it. I have repeatedly reminded them of this."

……

Zhou Yi walked down the corridor.

His expression remained cold and stern, but his heart was as cold as ice.

The person in the photo is Lao Wei.

He was covered in blood and badly injured, and his life was in danger at any moment.

It seems to have fallen into the hands of Liu Zhenwen or the Japanese.

come back to the office.

Zhou Yi's mind was in complete turmoil.

The person who posted the ad was arrested.

He had never encountered such a crisis since he went undercover in Harbin.

Old Wei is in imminent danger.

He was not only my online friend, but also my closest friend.

We can't just stand by and watch someone die; we should at least try.

Moreover, he was already on the verge of being exposed.

Old Wei has principles, but the Japanese have developed many new interrogation tools, one of which involves using hypnosis after administering an injection.

People being tortured will unconsciously reveal a lot of things.

The entire transportation line is now in a deadly crisis.

Zhou Yi must make a judgment as soon as possible.

He picked up the phone and quickly dialed: "Zhiyou, come to my office and let's talk."

"No, I got scolded and just wanted to talk to someone."

Zhou Yi knew the phone call might be tapped, but at this moment he needed Hong Zhiyou's advice, because any small misstep could very well lead to an abyss of no return.

Hong Zhiyou walked in quickly.

Zhou Yi stood in the corner near the door. There were no telecommunications devices in this spot, so as long as they kept their voices down, it would be difficult for them to hear their conversation even if there were secret listening devices installed in the room.

After listening, Hong Zhi frowned and said in a low voice, "Old Zhou, don't be nervous. It's probably true that Old Wei was tortured, but since Liu Zhenwen and the others dared to take out photos to find you, there are only two possibilities."

"First, Lao Wei didn't say anything."

"Second, they're fishing for you, waiting for you to slip up."

"If Lao Wei really confesses, you should be in the interrogation room right now."

"So, at least for now, you are safe."

"Moreover, my uncle said that you should notify Lu Ming and the others to attend a meeting, which means that neither he nor Director Liu are absolutely certain that the mole is you."

"They also have suspicions about Lu Ming, Liu Kui, and Li Xiangwu."

Zhou Yi said, "Yes, but we need to find Lao Wei."

Hong Zhiyou said, "Don't worry, I'll have the leather goods store contact the transportation station tonight to find out the situation there, using the final payment method."

"After all, this is a very safe source of income and a major source of funding. The work group and transportation station will not give it up unless absolutely necessary."

Zhou Yi said, "It's worth a try. I'll leave it to you. I'm going to call a meeting with Lu Ming and the others now."

Hong Zhiyou got up and went out.

……

basement.

Old Wei was covered in blood and leaned weakly against the chair.

He Qinghua poured him a glass of water, sighed, and said, "Wei Shan, why are you doing this to yourself? I just want to know that person's identity, maintain contact with him, and serve the organization."

"I've thought it over. If you confess honestly, I can let you go."

"Furthermore, I have submitted an application to my superiors to remove you from your official position and to relieve you of all duties."

"The General Committee has agreed."

In other words, you can no longer do underground work.

“That comrade is a treasure to Lao Xu and the entire underground organization. You shouldn’t be so selfish as to bury him like this.”

He Qinghua spoke earnestly with Wei Shan.

"Do you think I would say these things to a pig?" Old Wei laughed.

"You!" He Qinghua was furious.

"Wei Shan, Wei Shan, why are you so stubborn? Do you have even a shred of conscience and faith left in your heart?" he questioned agitatedly.

Old Wei squinted and just smiled.

He Qinghua stormed off in anger.

Soon, Chen Zhen walked in, carrying a bucket of chili water. He pinched Old Wei's mouth shut and poured two large spoonfuls of the chili water down his throat.

Old Wei coughed painfully, choking on the fumes.

"Wei Shan, are you feeling unwell?"
"Want to live? I'll show you the way."

"I won't ask you about the police department today; let's talk about your business."

“I know you and Hong Zhi are doing business together. You’re living a life of luxury because of these deals.”

"Then, please tell me the channels for transferring the supplies, including the inbound, outbound, and cashier procedures."

"If you confess obediently, I can beg Team Leader He to spare your life."

Chen Zhen had no interest in the police department's undercover agents; he only wanted to completely control Lao Wei's path to wealth.

Old Wei coughed for a while.

He stared at Chen Zhen, finally seeing through the despicable man's intentions.

Hey!
How did He Qinghua, that pig, manage to survive until today?
Wei Shan sighed inwardly.

Looking at Chen Zhen's greedy, sullen face, he realized that a chance to survive and protect Zhou Yi had arrived.

“I, I can tell you.”

"But you have to prepare a meal of dumplings for me, along with a pot of good wine and vinegar."

"Also, you have to make sure I'm safe."

Old Wei thought for a moment and then said.

……

(End of this chapter)