Period drama: Old Cao's carefree life

Chapter 270 You ask me? Who should I ask?

The next day.

Zhang Xiaofeng, exhausted from spending the night in the pavilion reeking of sweat and feet, returned to his barracks listlessly.

"Damn it, don't these guys know anything about hygiene?!"

"And those soldiers, don't they have any self-awareness at all?!"

"Your feet smell so bad, why the hell are you taking your shoes off?!"

The first thing he did upon returning to the barracks was to take a thorough shower in the bathroom.

If he stayed any longer, he wondered if he would be pickled and seasoned!
After taking a nice shower, Zhang Xiaofeng felt more refreshed and hurriedly arrived at the assembly point. Before he arrived, his platoon leader and company commander had already arrived.

"Xiao Zhao."

"exist."

"Who else hasn't arrived yet?"

"Sir, everyone except Company Commander Liu has arrived."

"Company Commander Liu hasn't arrived yet." Zhang Xiaofeng's face was somewhat gloomy. There was no doubt that something must have happened.

The other two company commanders couldn't resist stirring things up again, saying in a sarcastic tone:
"He didn't come all day yesterday, and he didn't come today either. It seems that Company Commander Liu has truly gained Regiment Commander Zhang's trust."

Before he could finish stirring up trouble, Zhang Xiaofeng interrupted him sharply: "Shut up! What's all the noise about! Do you think you're all that free?"

"Should I assign you some more tasks so you won't just sit here idly whining?!"

What kind of time is this to be fighting amongst yourselves?!
Absolutely stupid!

"."

The two company commanders immediately fell silent. They hadn't risen to their positions through ability, but through bribery and flattery.

Letting them indulge in drinking, gambling, whoring, and smoking is one thing, but making them stand guard?!
Hurry up and finish this!

Their bodies, ravaged by alcohol, women, and opium, were already in agony from standing guard for half a day yesterday. They didn't want to suffer like that again.

"Alright, stop being so sarcastic in front of me. If you have nothing to say, get out of here!" Zhang Xiaofeng impatiently waved them out, then called over Xiao Zhao:

"Go and find out if anyone went missing last night."

"Sir, you mean..."

"Stop talking nonsense and get going!"

the other side.

Zheng Chaoyang summoned Cao Weida: "Master Cao, I was told by the higher-ups to tell you that they already know about that matter and have decided to pay to buy it off."

This result was not unexpected for Cao Wei Da. Given that it was not advisable to launch a major attack, but he still wanted to take back all the people and medicines, the best way was naturally to buy them back.

Although this is frustrating for the Red Party, the situation is beyond their control, and this is the safest and most reliable solution.

"Also, I would like to apply for a transfer from the Confidential Section to the patrol police force."

This was unexpected for Cao Weida. He asked in confusion, "What does this mean? You were doing well in the Confidential Section, why are you suddenly being transferred to the patrol police?"

Not just anyone can get into the Confidential Affairs Section. Zheng Chaoyang was able to get into the Confidential Affairs Section because he graduated from the police academy, which gave him a natural advantage.

Secondly, he bribed Xu Hancheng, which is how he finally got into the confidential department.

Not only do officers in the Confidential Affairs Section receive better benefits than regular patrol officers, but more importantly, they have access to intelligence in the Confidential Affairs Room!
Unlike patrol officers who are exposed to the elements every day, so many people are desperate to get in but don't even have the chance.

Now that he suddenly wants to switch back, how can he not be surprised?

"Hey, spending all day in the confidential room is relaxing, but also incredibly boring."

"to be frank!"

“Okay, I need to stay in constant contact with you, so I have to switch roles.”

Ever since Cao Wei Da became restless, he has done quite a lot.

Take this situation for example. If we need Cao Weida's help, but it's inconvenient to contact him at the crucial moment, wouldn't that be terrible?

To ensure Cao Weida's safety and to facilitate establishing contact with him, the organization, after careful consideration, decided to remove Zheng Chaoyang from the Confidential Section and transfer him to the patrol police force.

After all, the people in the Confidential Affairs Department were disciplined and it was inconvenient for them to have frequent contact with Cao Wei Da.

Zheng Chaoyang added, "Moreover, he was on duty under your command."

This is right.

Cao Weida nodded, "Okay, no problem. You submit the transfer report, and I'll talk to Director Xu about it."

It would be very troublesome to push people from the outside into the Confidential Section, but it would be much simpler to push people from the Confidential Section out.

Given his relationship with Xu Hancheng, Xu Hancheng would naturally give him face for such a small matter.

"."

"Sir, we've found out that Feng Ergou, the company commander of the 2nd Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment, didn't come to the assembly today."

When he said this news, Xiao Zhao's lips started to tremble uncontrollably.
"I made some inquiries, and it turns out that Feng Ergou and his brother-in-law have disappeared together."

The unexplained disappearance of Liu Dadan might not prove anything, but the sudden disappearance of Feng Ergou is strikingly similar to Liu Dadan's situation.
For two consecutive nights, both company commanders disappeared. Even a fool would know something was wrong.
“I went to Feng Ergou’s house specifically. His wife told me that they slept in the same room last night, but when she woke up, she didn’t see Feng Ergou anymore.”

"Sir, do you think it might be related to the disappearance of those Japanese soldiers?"

"Okay, stop talking!"

If I keep going, it'll get scary!
Zhang Xiaofeng clenched his teeth. He was already exhausted from not sleeping all night, but surprisingly he was not sleepy at all. A chill rising from the soles of his feet kept lingering in his mind, making him shiver all over.

"You keep an eye on the team, I'm going to find the commander!"

This matter can no longer be kept secret. He doesn't care whether Liu Dadan lives or dies.

After all, these days there's a shortage of everything, but there's no shortage of people who want to get promoted and make a fortune!

What he feared was that if things continued like this, he might be the next one to disappear without a trace!
Since it concerned his own life, he had no choice but to act quickly. He immediately ran to the regimental headquarters to find Regiment Commander Zhang Pinghe and reported the matter without daring to hide anything.

Finally, he said worriedly, "Brother, if this continues, all the junior officers in our unit will have to be replaced!"

"The truth will eventually come out, and I'm afraid that people will become restless!"

Upon hearing this news, Zhang Pinghe was clearly startled, and a look of worry appeared on his face.

He naturally understood what was being said. If things continued like this, it wouldn't just be a matter of morale turmoil. He was a company commander now, but what if he became a battalion commander later?
And then, will it be his turn as the regimental commander?

No, we can't let them do this patrol job anymore. At least we can't let the security brigade do it alone. If we're going to die, we have to drag the Japanese devils down with us!

"I'll go find the brigade commander right now."

Without any hesitation, he immediately got up and walked towards the brigade commander's office.

Inside the brigade headquarters, in the brigade commander's barracks.

Brigade Commander Cui Qi sat on the sofa, smoking and humming a tune, clearly in a good mood.

Two days have passed, and the patrol team is operating normally. No one has gone missing without reason, and he believes that his method has worked.

In his view, all of this was due to his own brilliance and bravery, and he thought himself incredibly clever! Otherwise, why would the Japanese troops suffer so many mishaps while his troops remained unscathed?

Doesn't this explain the problem?
Just as he was secretly gloating, a voice suddenly came from the doorway: "Report!!"

"Come in."

Upon seeing the person who pushed open the door, Cui Qi greeted him with a beaming smile, "Oh, it's Ping He. What's the matter?"

Zhang Pinghe didn't speak immediately, but turned around and closed the door.

He then quickly walked to Cui Qi's side: "Brigade Commander, something has happened."

Cui Qi, who had been secretly pleased with himself, suddenly felt a pang of unease, and his expression gradually stiffened as Zhang Pinghe continued his narration.

I was just thinking how brilliant I was, and now I'm telling him something's happened?!
Isn't this a slap in his face?

Thankfully, no one else knew about my boasting, otherwise I would have been incredibly embarrassed!

Seeing that the brigade commander remained silent, Zhang Pinghe said urgently, "Brigade commander, we can't let this continue, or the troops will be difficult to lead!"

"And another thing, I heard that many Japanese soldiers have secretly gone to Longquan Temple to pray for peace and safety. It is said that even Major Zhantai Boneng prayed for peace and safety, but they still made us patrol. Isn't this a clear case of not valuing our brothers' lives?"

"Alright, stop complaining." Cui Qi interrupted with a frown, his hand unconsciously reaching into his pocket to feel the peace charm inside. He wondered if it would even work if he put it in his pocket, and that he would have to find a small bag to put it in and hang it around his neck later.

"But."

"Alright, I know what you're worried about. I understand. You can go back now."

After sending Zhang Pinghe away, Cui Qi lost his previous good mood and lowered his head in deep thought with a heavy expression.

After a while, he suddenly got up, left the brigade headquarters, and went straight to the military police headquarters.

Nobody knows exactly what was said in between.

However, when Cao Wei Da went out to cause trouble again at night, he found that the patrol team had changed again.

A patrol team of thirty men, including five Japanese soldiers and twenty-five security guards, expanded their patrol area from the area around the pavilion to a section of street.

"Has the disappearance of Liu Dadan and Feng Ergou been discovered?"

Cao Wei Da seemed to be deep in thought. He had carefully selected his targets beforehand, avoiding targeting any group, in order to avoid being discovered too early.

However, it now seems that it was all for naught.

"Since that's the case, then I won't be picky." A smirk appeared on his lips behind his face, and unaffected by the unexpected turn of events, he headed straight for a hidden spot.

Although the patrol team expanded its patrol area today, it only covered the main roads. The nearby alleys remained unaffected and were still completely unobstructed for Cao Weida.

"Diao Jinguo, battalion commander of the security brigade, preys on the people, disregards human life, and lives in Daji Lane."

This is his goal for tonight.

Half an hour later, a pair of eyes peeked out from the corner of a courtyard house in Daji Lane.

"."

Two days later, in the morning.

Brigade Headquarters.

With a 'bang', a cup was smashed to pieces.

"Bastard! Bastard!!"

Cui Qi's face was full of anger, but he could not hide the fear in his eyes.

In the past two days, he has notified officers of all regiments, battalions, companies, and even platoons, as well as patrol teams, to pay special attention to their personal safety at night.

The patrol team suffered no losses, but for two consecutive nights, more than one officer went missing each night!

The night before last, a battalion commander went missing, causing a huge uproar within the security brigade.

Today's investigation revealed that two more company commanders went missing last night!

Now, all the officers in the brigade are in a state of panic, not knowing who will be next.

As the brigade commander, Cui Qi was also extremely frightened. Now that a battalion commander had gone missing, would the next one be the regimental commander?

Will he become the brigade commander next?
Before, they were disappearing one by one, but last night it suddenly became two.
A chill ran through him, and an invisible fear lingered in his heart for a long time.

"That damned guy, why did he suddenly target my security brigade?!"

"There are so many Japanese devils in Beiping, why don't you go find them!"

He has been under tremendous pressure these past few days, and he hasn't had a good night's sleep in the last two days. He always feels like something is lingering around him.

Just then, Zhang Heping ran in.

"Commander, we have a lead!"

The brigade commander shuddered, immediately stood up, and said impatiently, "Speak!"

"Brigadier, I suspect that what has happened these past few days is not some kind of evil spirit at all, but rather someone playing tricks!"

"Hmm?! Explain in detail!"

"Yes, brigade commander! I checked carefully and found that all the money in the homes of the missing officers had been looted!"

Zhang Heping said firmly, "If it were really some kind of ghost, why would it need money!"

“That makes sense!” Cui Qi’s spirits lifted. He was right. If there really were ghosts, taking lives would be enough. What use would money be?

Even if they want money, it'll be money from the dead!

Zhang Pinghe continued, "Also, you should know about the previous search by the Military Police Headquarters for the murderers, right? Many Japanese soldiers stationed in China suffered tragic deaths. A lot of people were mobilized to search for them. Although not all of them were found, some were found."

"The necks of all those corpses were snapped, and they were all taken away without anyone noticing!"

"Such methods don't seem like something unclean could do; they seem more like something deliberate!"

"It's just that the murderer now has some new, unknown methods that allow them to kill people silently in a short period of time!"

Cui Qi nodded emphatically. After this analysis, the gloom in his heart dissipated considerably.

He was aware that during the previous large-scale search of the five outer districts, not only patrol officers participated, but also many traitors.

Since it wasn't done by anything unclean, there's nothing to be afraid of!

As long as someone is human, there will always be ways to prevent and detect it.

"But I still don't understand how the murderer managed to kill the Japanese patrol team and move the bodies in such a short time?" Zhang Heping asked Cui Qi, puzzled.
"Brigade Commander, you are very knowledgeable. Do you know of any methods that could achieve this?"

Cui Qi couldn't help but curse under his breath.

I know nothing!

You ask me, who should I ask?

He said seriously, "This murderer is elusive and highly skilled. He can kill people silently and move the bodies. It's possible that he didn't do it alone, but rather as a team."

"Only a gang could commit this crime!"

(End of this chapter)