Republic of China, 1922: Rise from the Post-Zhili-Fengtian War

The entire village was quickly surrounded by Yang Song and his men. Fengtian Army soldiers deployed in layers to block escape routes from the outside, and began searching house by house, from the main road at the village entrance to the fields and ditches, from farmhouses to woodsheds and cellars.

After committing the major night raid, the bandits knew their crimes were heinous. Before dawn, they scattered and fled back to Yangjiatun, hiding in the homes of their relatives and friends. They changed into ordinary people's coarse clothes and pretended to be farmers, hoping to deceive everyone.

They were certain that the government troops were unaware of their true strength and thought they had only managed to escape unscathed.

Little did they know that Gu Cheng had already figured out their scheme of hiding bandits while serving the people.

The search lasted the entire morning.

The soldiers checked each person individually, and all the able-bodied men who went out late at night and did not return were accurately identified.

Some hid deep in woodpile, some huddled in abandoned kiln pits, and some huddled in farmers' cellars, but ultimately they could not escape the layers of investigation.

The search was completely concluded at 1 p.m.

All eight remaining bandits who fled from the Jinzhou Daying construction site overnight were captured, with none escaping.

Groups of bandits, their hands bound behind their backs, were led out of the village dejectedly. They knelt in rows on the open ground outside the village, their faces pale and their bodies trembling, showing no trace of the arrogance they had displayed the night before when they set fires and committed atrocities.

Yang Song quickly counted the number of people and hurried back to report to Gu Cheng: "Master Gu! The search of Yangjiatun is complete. All eight bandits who fled last night have been captured, and none escaped!"

Gu Cheng sat upright on his horse, gazing at the trembling bandits before him, his eyes as cold as frost: "Where is Gao Wu, their leader?"

"We've taken him down by ourselves!" Yang Song stepped aside, and two guards escorted a burly man forward.

This man had a face full of scars, an old scar on his neck, and a burly build; he was Gao Wu from the Gaojiatun Insurance Team.

His hands and feet were bound, his eyes were full of panic, but he still pretended to be calm, pursing his lips tightly and refusing to utter a sound.

Gu Cheng didn't speak, but instead put his hands in his pockets, circled around him twice, and then slowly said, "You've got some nerve, kid, daring to lead a group of refugees to attack my construction site in Jinzhou... Don't you know your death is near?"

Gao Wu's forced composure crumbled instantly under Gu Cheng's all-knowing, cold gaze.

A chill ran down his spine and straight to the top of his head. Cold sweat instantly soaked through his clothes. He opened his mouth several times, wanting to argue and deny it, but looking at his accomplices behind him who had all confessed, and at the officers' overwhelming evidence, all his words got stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single word.

He knew perfectly well that each and every one of these crimes was a capital offense, and that denying them at this point would be futile and he had no way to defend himself.

The entire open space outside the village was deathly silent, with only the rustling of the wind.

Gu Cheng stopped, his eyes unwavering: "Take them all back and interrogate them one by one. Get them to talk!"

"Yes, sir!"

Yang Song immediately responded and waved to his personal guards to escort the person away.

The bandits were escorted to their feet by heavily armed soldiers, all of them looking dejected.

Gao Wu was held firmly by two bodyguards, his body limp and silent throughout, his heart completely enveloped by endless fear.

Gu Cheng mounted his horse and gazed intently toward the direction of Jinzhou City.

Capturing all the surrounding bandits is only the first step.

That night, Gao Wu, unable to withstand the torture, confessed everything. It wasn't the Japanese that Gu Cheng had speculated about, but two unfamiliar men.

They gave Gao Wu five hundred silver dollars and told him to gather more men to create chaos at the camp's construction site... He would be given another thousand silver dollars after the deed was done. So, following his usual practice of robbing, he gathered his brothers at the inn and set off for Jinzhou at night to carry out his mission.

During the night raid, six men led the way. After succeeding, they disappeared amidst the chaos, leaving no trace.

After listening to Mu Haisheng's report, Gu Cheng lowered his eyes and pondered silently.

The Japanese have a long history of using "agents" to carry out their schemes, bribing local thugs to kill their victims.

They created the established fact that the Jinzhou military camp was in chaos, while leaving themselves with no leverage, perfectly avoiding all accountability, and leaving only a group of bandits as scapegoats.

"The focus is on those six people."

Gu Cheng narrowed his eyes slightly. "They are familiar with Jinzhou and were able to accurately lead people to the main camp. There must be a problem inside."

Mu Haisheng frowned: "Who could it be? I know the guards at the construction site very well. The leader is Lu Qingshan. In the chaos last night, he led his men to defend the line to the death, fighting desperately. He suffered two abrasions and fought the bandits head-on. He doesn't look like a traitor at all."

In his eyes, Lu Qingshan was diligent and hardworking. He still vividly remembered Lu Qingshan's bloody fight against the bandits last night, and he showed no trace of the cowardice or perfunctoriness of a spy.

Gu Cheng looked back at him: "It is precisely him who is the most suspicious."

Mu Haisheng's pupils suddenly contracted, and the color drained from his face instantly.

"Master Gu! That's impossible!" he blurted out. "Qingshan and I are from the same hometown. We've been through thick and thin together since childhood. He served in the army for many years, risking his life together. He's loyal and devoted. There's absolutely no way he would collude with outsiders!"

Gu Cheng slowly revealed the key flaw: "Do you remember the other day when I temporarily transferred him and Cai Changyuan to the brigade headquarters to take orders? At that time, I casually gave them both a reward."

Cai Changyuan was clearly in a difficult position when he accepted the money, but your brother Qingshan couldn't hide the joy in his eyes when he took the money; that's the look of an extremely greedy person.

At this point, he stood up and patted the other person heavily on the shoulder, "In chaotic times, some join the army for their future, some for their country, and some just to make a living. But those who are greedy for money are the easiest to be bought off and become pawns of others."

Mu Haisheng's lips trembled violently as he tried to argue, "But he clearly fought desperately last night. If he were an inside man, why would he risk his life... Besides, he has always been..."

He was speaking when his voice suddenly caught in his throat, and he opened his mouth wide.

Yes, last night he seemed to fight desperately, but upon closer reflection, the breach in the construction site was exactly the area he was guarding.

The bandits' route into the city cleverly avoided all heavily guarded positions, precisely exploiting the gaps in his defenses.

The so-called desperate fighting and minor injuries may just be a show put on for everyone to see!

With a minor injury, he could clear himself of suspicion of treason, perfectly hide, and lie low in peace.

And most importantly...

Lu Qingshan had told him many times that Tang Yulin had treated him with immense kindness, which he could never repay in this lifetime.

Mu Haisheng's hands and feet were ice-cold, and he could no longer utter a single word in rebuttal.

The camaraderie of former fellow townsmen and the trust built through years of shared life and death shattered in the face of cold suspicion.

Gu Cheng quietly watched his discomposure and sighed softly.

A true mole will never openly neglect their duties or collude with the enemy.

The most dangerous parasite is always the one who seems the most loyal, hardworking, and trustworthy.

"Take him in for questioning."

Gu Cheng took out a cigarette and tossed it to him. "Don't alert the other brothers... Also, I'm leaving this matter to you."