Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 573 He's Being Watched Tight

Five p.m.

It was already getting dark when Zhou Yi returned home early.

Aunt Liu is making dinner.

Zhou Yi took off his coat, which was damp with cold air, hung it on the coat rack, and went straight upstairs to the second floor.

He pushed open the bedroom door, his steps pausing slightly.

An unfamiliar smell filled the air.

It wasn't the brand of cigarettes he smoked.

He twitched his nose slightly, his gaze sweeping over the crystal ashtray on the bedside table.

It was very clean inside, obviously it had been cleaned.

But that faint, lingering scent of a man who didn't belong to this family lingered like invisible dust, settling in every corner of the room.

His gaze finally settled on the soft pillow on the bed.

He walked over, bent down, and gently sniffed it.

Besides the usual soap scent on Gu Qiuyan, there was also a very faint smell of smoke.

Zhou Yi slowly straightened up, frowning slightly in displeasure.

He quickly turned around and went downstairs.

At the kitchen doorway, Aunt Liu was busy wearing an apron, her forehead glistening with fine beads of sweat.

Has anyone come to your house today?

Zhou Yi's voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

Liu Ma's hand holding the spatula stiffened for a moment.

She didn't turn around; her back was to Zhou Yi, and her voice was somewhat muffled.

"Oh, my wife said this afternoon that the piano was broken, so she called a piano repairman to come and take a look."

Zhou Yi's gaze fell on her slightly trembling shoulders.

"How long did you stay?"

"do not know."

Aunt Liu's voice went even lower.

"I went out to buy groceries and only came back home a short while ago."

Zhou Yi roughly understood the situation.

He didn't make things difficult for the woman caught in the middle, and silently turned and went upstairs.

Back in his bedroom, he closed the door, took out a cigarette case from his pocket, and lit one.

A moment later, a slight noise came from the courtyard gate.

Gu Qiuyan walked in, holding Sasha's little hand. She took off her heavy boots, untied her cashmere scarf, and casually draped it over the coat rack.

"Aunt Liu, is dinner ready? Sasha is a little hungry."

Aunt Liu poked her head out from the kitchen.

"It'll be ready soon, the master is back."

Gu Qiuyan paused, muttering something unconsciously to herself.

"Why are you back so early today?"

The mother and daughter went upstairs.

As soon as Sasha saw Zhou Yi sitting on the sofa smoking, she immediately broke free from her mother's hand and flew into his arms like a happy little bird.

"dad."

Zhou Yi stubbed out his cigarette, a smile appearing on his face, and picked up his daughter.

"Sasha, you seem so happy today."

"Yes, Mom took me to see a movie."

Sasha wrapped her arms around his neck and swung her legs excitedly.

Gu Qiuyan stood to the side, smiling and nodding, which was taken as tacit agreement with her daughter's statement.

Dinner ended in an unusually quiet atmosphere.

Zhou Yi put down his chopsticks.

"Aunt Liu, stop tidying up and take Sasha to rest."

Feeling like she'd been granted a pardon, Aunt Liu quickly agreed and took Sasha's hand, leaving the restaurant in a hurry.

Zhou Yi stood up and went up to the second floor.

Gu Qiuyan hesitated for a moment, then followed.

In the bedroom, Zhou Yi took a bottle of whiskey from the liquor cabinet, poured two glasses, and pushed one of them in front of Gu Qiuyan.

He picked up his cup, took a big gulp, and the spicy liquid burned his throat.

Why teach children to lie?

His voice was as cold as the ice outside the window.

Gu Qiuyan pursed her lips and looked away.

"Isn't this because I was afraid you'd feel uncomfortable hearing it?"

Zhou Yi slammed his wine glass heavily on the table: "I don't feel uncomfortable at all that the child is seeing her father."

His voice suddenly turned cold, and his gaze was like a knife.

"But aren't you going a bit too far by doing this at home?"

Gu Qiuyan's cheeks flushed instantly, and she abruptly turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

Zhou Yi's face grew increasingly grim, his tone stern and leaving no room for argument:
"These are extraordinary times!"

“We must be extremely cautious with every step we take. Safety is our top priority. I understand your feelings for your children, but we cannot gamble with everyone’s lives!”

"You still went out to play?"

"Do you know that Lu Ming has been secretly monitoring me on Gao Bin's orders?"

"Do you really think that if you go to a special city park and find a deserted spot to ice skate, no one will know?"

"Xu Zhong, one of Lu Ming's men, has discovered you today."

"Now, Zhang Pingru's name might already be on Lu Ming's blacklist!"

At this point, Zhou Yi could no longer suppress his anger.

“You even brought Sasha with you! Zhiyou went through a lot of trouble to handle the premature birth incident at the hospital, but Gao Bin isn’t blind. Sasha doesn’t look like a member of the Gao family anymore!”
"She has single eyelids, while you and Zhiyou both have double eyelids."

"He is very likely to suspect that Hong Zhiyou is cooperating with me in an act!"

"Lu Ming and Gao Bin have been in this line of work for many years, and no detail can escape their notice."

"Aren't you just looking for trouble by meeting at this time?"

Gu Qiuyan's face turned deathly pale. She finally realized the seriousness of the situation, and her voice trembled.

"Then...what do we do now? Is Pingru in danger?"

Zhou Yi took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

"Zhiyou said he has already sent someone over there. I'll ask about the details tomorrow."

“Don’t do such stupid things again. We’re standing on the edge of a cliff every day, and you’re still doing dangerous things in this place. If the higher-ups find out, you two will both be punished.”

Gu Qiuyan fell completely silent, knowing she was in the wrong, and simply picked up her wine glass, drinking it down in silence.

Zhou Yi drank the rest of the wine in his cup in one gulp.

"If Zhang Pingru contacts you again, you'd better not see him. Tell him to go back to the mountain as soon as possible. Don't ruin your life for a moment of pleasure."

"The Japanese won't be able to cause trouble for long. Once Manchukuo is liberated, you'll have plenty of time to spend together for the rest of your lives."

Gu Qiuyan responded softly.

"understood."

Zhou Yi's gaze remained sharp: "Where did you break up with Zhang Pingru when you came back?"

Gu Qiuyan said, "When we were ice skating at noon, we immediately separated when we saw Zhiyou's car."

Zhou Yi frowned.

So, it's possible that the people Hong Zhi sent didn't actually intercept Zhang Pingru.

Are you sure it was safe when you separated?

Gu Qiuyan nodded vigorously.

"I watched him get on the bus and leave with my own eyes."

Zhou Yi then asked, "You didn't tell him about Zhiyou's identity, did you?"

Gu Qiuyan immediately shook her head.

"Of course not. Besides, Zhiyou was never one of us, so why would I tell Pingru about this?"

Zhou Yi secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. Have you arranged a time to meet again?"

Gu Qiuyan's eyes darted away.

"Tomorrow...at a small hotel on Gogol Street."

Zhou Yi laughed angrily: "You two are really addicted."

Do you have his contact number?

"Go find a public phone booth right now and contact him to cancel the call immediately and make him go back up the mountain right away."

Gu Qiuyan shook her head: "No, he's the one who contacts me."

Zhou Yi closed his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air: "Then don't go see him tomorrow."

Gu Qiuyan held her wine glass without saying a word.

……

Paramount Casino.

Lu Ming, with a cigarette dangling from his lips and legs crossed, stared excitedly at the card table, his luck on the table was astonishing.

A member of the action team dressed in plainclothes quickly walked up behind him, bent down, and whispered a few words in his ear.

Lu Ming's smile froze on his face instantly.

He slammed his cards on the table, cursed, and strode out amidst sighs of regret and curses.

Outside the gambling den, a black Ford sedan was parked quietly on the side of the road.

Lu Ming pulled open the car door and sat in the passenger seat.

"drive!"

Xu Zhong immediately started the car.

Lu Ming turned his head, his eyes filled with malice.

"sure?"

Xu Zhong nodded as he drove.

"Section Chief, there's definitely something wrong with this person. He spent a long time playing outside with Gu Qiuyan and her daughter, and they seemed to have a very close relationship. He even hugged the child."

"Do you think they might be lovers?"

Lu Ming glanced at him, as if looking at an idiot. "Are you a pig-brain?"
"You're taking your child on a date? Aren't you afraid the kid will tell Zhou Yi when he gets back?"

Xu Zhong gave an awkward laugh and added, "Besides, if this person is Section Chief Zhou's relative, there's no need to be so sneaky."

“We have investigated all of Section Chief Zhou’s and Gu Qiuyan’s social relationships, and there is no close relative of similar age at all.”

Lu Ming exhaled a thick cloud of smoke: "Go on."

Xu Zhong tightened his grip on the steering wheel: "Honestly, I rarely see such a cautious person."

"His counter-surveillance awareness is too strong."

He first boarded a bus, rode it for a few stops, then got off and walked into two hotels.

He registered at both hotels using different fake identities.

"But he doesn't stay there."

"I would stay in each room for no more than half an hour, then quietly slip out through the back door, changing my clothes and putting on a hat in between."

"If the brothers hadn't split up and kept a close watch, he would have gotten away if we hadn't been distracted for even a moment."

After listening, Lu Ming couldn't help but mutter, "That's pretty weird."

"Who the hell would go through all this trouble?"
"Is it really necessary to avoid Section Chief Zhou's relatives like this?"

He quickly went through the thought process in his mind; this person definitely had a big problem.

Seeing the change in his expression, Xu Zhong asked in a low voice, "Section Chief, what's the next step?"

Lu Ming turned his head to the side, his eyes like nails.

"Have you kept an eye on them?"

Xu Zhong immediately straightened his back.

"Section Chief, don't worry, we're keeping a close eye on things!"
"His last stop was a small hotel on Gogol Street. It wasn't a big place; it was run by a Japanese immigrant couple. He couldn't have run away."

Lu Ming nodded: "Okay, keep an eye on it."

He stubbed out his cigarette and threw the butt out the window.

"I'll go see Director Gao right now."

"Remember, this matter involves Section Chief Zhou, so be very careful. Do not act without my orders."

Having learned his lesson after suffering so many losses, Lu Ming has finally learned his lesson.

Zhou Yi and Hong Zhiyou are now inseparable.

Without Gao Bin's personal order, he would never again easily touch anything related to Zhou Yi.

Otherwise, you won't even know how you died in the end.

He didn't want to be targeted by Hong Zhi again; that would be absolutely fatal.

……

The next day.

In the early morning, the police station canteen was filled with the steaming aroma of steamed buns and soy milk.

Gao Bin sat alone in the corner, slowly peeling an egg.

He saw Lu Ming walk in and subtly gave him a look.

Lu Ming understood immediately, took a steamed bun and a few boiled eggs, and sat down opposite Gao Bin with the tray. The surroundings were noisy, and no one noticed them.

Gao Bin put the peeled egg into his mouth, his voice low, as if he were just chatting.

"Is he/she still alive?"

Lu Ming gave a mumbled reply.

"Not lost."

Gao Bin said, "Don't alert them yet."

“Look at who he contacts.”

"If it's Gu Qiuyan, don't make any moves. Wait until she leaves before arresting her."

"If the person making the contact is another woman or a man, take action and arrest them all."

Lu Ming put an egg into his pocket, a look of confusion on his face.

"Director, there's something I just can't figure out."

"No matter how shameless a woman is, she wouldn't use her own child as a shield to date other men, would she?"
"What exactly is the relationship between this man and Gu Qiuyan that allows them to act like family, skating and laughing together outside?"

"Section Chief Zhou is a man who cares a lot about his reputation, and besides..."

He didn't dare say anything more.

There are rumors circulating that Gu Qiuyan's child might be Hong Zhi's.

This makes things even more puzzling.

Gao Bin knew perfectly well what he hadn't said aloud.

A sinister smile flashed across his face as he peeled the eggshell away bit by bit.

"Is there anything you don't understand?"

"Once we catch the person and get them to talk, we'll know everything."

Lu Ming chuckled and immediately stood up.

“Alright, Director, I’ll eat in the car. I’ll personally keep an eye on him.”

Before leaving, he leaned closer and lowered his voice even further.

"By the way, if Zhiyou asks about it later, you have to cover for me."

"He finally respects me and treats me well now, I don't want to ruin our relationship because of Gu Qiuyan."

Gao Bin didn't even look up, focusing intently on dealing with the eggs in his hands.

"do not worry.

“You are doing my job, catching Red bandits, and it has nothing to do with Hong Zhi.”

"Even if it's not you, Lu Ming, Zhang Ming or Li Ming will handle it."

"Besides, he's done nothing wrong. You're just keeping your red tickets, why would he have a problem with you?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Ming felt immediately reassured.

"Yes, yes, I was overthinking it. I'll be going now, Director."

He stuffed the remaining eggs into his pocket and quickly left the cafeteria.

Watching Lu Ming's retreating figure disappear through the doorway, Gao Bin's eyes turned completely sinister.

He swallowed the last bite of egg, his knuckles turning white from clenching them.

Damn it.

He vaguely felt that he, and even Zhiyou, had been tricked by that slut Gu Qiuyan.

Sasha was fine when she was little; you couldn't tell anything was wrong.

But as it grew longer and longer, something just didn't look right.

Sasha has monolids.

But Hong Zhiyou and Gu Qiuyan both have double eyelids, as does Zhou Yi.

There's no reason why a child with three double eyelids could have a single eyelid.

Moreover, even though Sasha is occasionally brought to our home to play, there always seems to be a distance between us, making it difficult to truly get close.

It lacks that intimacy that should be there in blood ties.

A bold idea flashed through Gao Bin's mind.

Could it be that Sasha is not Hong Zhiyou's or Zhou Yi's child at all?

It was the man who was all lovey-dovey with Gu Qiuyan on the ice rink yesterday?
Only a biological father would risk offending Zhou Yi by taking Gu Qiuyan and her mother out so ostentatiously.

Regardless of the circumstances, this man who suddenly appeared has a huge problem.

Gao Bin even felt a long-lost sense of excitement.

The excitement of a hunter discovering the trail of his prey.

His intuition told him that this time, he might be able to catch a big fish that no one had ever seen before.

……

nine in the morning.

Zhou Yi pushed open the door and walked into Hong Zhiyou's office.

He glanced instinctively into the corridor to make sure no one was around, then gently closed the door behind him.

He walked up to Hong Zhiyou's desk, his voice trembling with nervousness.

"Qiuyan said that she watched Zhang Pingru get into the car and leave with her own eyes."

Hong Zhiyou was wiping a German Luger pistol that he had just acquired.

He raised his head and looked at Zhou Yi.

"Yes, by the time my men arrived at the ice rink, they had already separated."

He put down his pistol and the velvet cloth, his face more serious than ever before.

"I have a bad feeling, Lao Zhou, you need to prepare a contingency plan."

"Don't forget, when Liu Ping confronted Gu Qiuyan in the interrogation room, she drew a portrait of Zhang Pingru."

"Back then, we managed to get by by acting."

"But if Zhang Pingru falls into the hands of my uncle or Lu Ming this time, they won't need to go to the archives to look up that portrait as long as they see the real person."

"With my uncle's and Lu Ming's memory, they will never forget that face."

"As soon as they meet, they can confirm that Zhang Pingru is the boyfriend of Gu Qiuyan, the one they were looking for back then."

"In this way, they can assume that perhaps Liu Ping's testimony back then was correct, and that Gu Qiuyan did indeed study at the Soviet Red Army intelligence headquarters."

“If things get to that point, Gu Qiuyan will inevitably face a lot of trouble.”

A rare hint of panic flickered in Zhou Yi's usually calm and collected eyes.

"I'll have someone inform him right now!"

Hong Zhi frowned and shook his head.

"I'm afraid it's too late."

"Lu Ming led his men out early this morning. My men just reported that at least two teams from the action group have been dispatched."

"Judging from their posture, they plan to make their move today."

Hong Zhiyou stood up, walked to Zhou Yi's side, and placed his hand heavily on his shoulder.

"What you need to do now is not to notify him."

"Instead, immediately, right away, make a decision in your mind."

"Zhang Pingru, does he know your true identity?"

"Then, all we can do is pray."