Espionage codename: Shen Gongbao

Under the neon lights.

The music on the dance floor continued, and the Christmas atmosphere was strong.

Fang Yao, holding a glass of champagne, moved among businessmen and celebrities with a polite yet charming smile.

She clinked glasses with a director of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and was exchanging pleasantries when she caught a glimpse of Wang Xuesen and his entourage standing up and heading towards the door.

Fang Yao's smile faded slightly.

She put down her wine glass, quickly walked over, and called out to Wang Xuesen:

"Director Wang, it's only a few o'clock. Everyone's planning to stay up all night, why are you leaving already?"

Wang Xuesen gestured for Yang Jie and his group to leave first.

Yang Jie was preoccupied with Fang Yao and wanted to stay longer, but seeing Wang Xuesen give him a wink, he had no choice but to reluctantly lead his men to the door.

Wang Xuesen stopped and turned around.

He looked Fang Yao up and down: "What, isn't Section Chief Fujita going to drill you tonight?"

Fang Yao's smile instantly froze on her face.

She gritted her teeth and lowered her voice: "How dare you talk like that, you brat? I even put in a good word for you with Mr. Fujita."

Wang Xuesen put his hands in his pockets and curled his lip indifferently.

"Keep that in mind for fooling ghosts."

"Alright, I need to go home and be with my wife. I'm off."

He was about to turn around as he spoke.

Fang Yao stepped forward and blocked his path.

She extended her right hand, palm facing up.

"Shouldn't it be alright to shake hands and say goodbye?"

Wang Xuesen smiled and said, "Okay."

Their hands clasped together.

A small, square-folded piece of paper slipped into Wang Xuesen's palm.

Wang Xuesen put his hand back in his pocket, blinked, a smile playing on his lips, and his tone suddenly became flippant:

"Your makeup and outfit tonight are very tasteful; I really like them."

Fang Yao bowed gracefully, her posture elegant: "Thank you for your praise, Young Master Wang."

Young Master Wang is long dead!

Wang Xuesen didn't say much, and casually took a glass of red wine from the bartender's tray as he passed by:

"I'll drink this one, you can do whatever you want, have fun."

He raised his head and drank it all in one gulp.

He put the wine glass back on the tray and strode out without looking back.

Fang Yao stood there, watching his figure disappear through the doorway, her eyes becoming deep and complex.

She knew she was finished.

The syphilis has been diagnosed.

Now, all she wants to do is get rid of Bai Junqi, who ruined her life.

……

Outside the Huxi Ballroom.

The night wind was biting.

Three people huddled in the shadows at the alleyway across the street.

Old Guo rubbed his hands together, his eyes fixed on the dance hall's entrance.

Two assassins were waiting beside him, one with a cigarette in his mouth and the other with a gun in his pocket.

Not long after, the dance hall doors were pushed open.

Lin Zhijiang walked at the front, followed by several members of the action team who supported Zheng Pingping, half-pushing and half-shoving her towards the car at the door.

Zheng Pingping's hands were tied behind her back, and her face was ashen.

"Damn it, this is bad!"

The assassin, who was smoking, flicked the cigarette butt off and cursed.

"That stupid woman's been caught. Let's go, kill them!"

He reached out to draw his gun.

Old Guo raised his hand and slapped him hard on the back of the head: "Are you out of your mind?"

"Look around you, it's full of Japanese soldiers and spies. Do you think you'll survive if you shoot?"

The other person shrank back and asked hesitantly, "What should we do then?"

Old Guo's face was gloomy, and his jaw was clenched.

"Let's go back and inform Old Xu."

The three of them slipped into the deep alley and quickly disappeared into the darkness.

Not far away, Qingfu stubbed out his cigarette and quickly walked to the public phone booth across the street.

He picked up the receiver and quickly dialed a number.

The phone rang twice, and then the call was answered.

"Hello, is this Commander Li?"

"Please inform Director Ding that Zheng Pingping was arrested at the Huxi Dance Hall by Yang Jie's scheme."

After saying that, he slammed the phone down.

……

76 number.

The car was parked in the yard.

When Wang Xuesen got out of the car, Zhan Shen immediately came to greet him, with two pistols tucked into his waistband and a sleepy look on his face.

"How is it?"

"Got him." Wang Xuesen said succinctly.

Yang Jie jumped out of the car behind, straightened his tie, and walked towards Wang Xuesen.

"Brother, I'll go report to my brother-in-law."

Wang Xuesen raised his hand to stop him: "No rush."

He pointed to the watch on Yang Jie's wrist.

"It's too late, the director and his wife went to bed early."

"So what if Zheng Pingping is a genuine member of the Kuomintang's Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (Zhongtong)?"

"Keep him in the interrogation room overnight, and let the director interrogate him at his own pace tomorrow."

Yang Jie was in a hurry to get back to the dance hall.

As Fang Yao left, she even gave him a flirtatious wink, her eyes clearly indicating that something was up.

He nodded repeatedly: "That makes sense, that makes sense."

He paused, then leaned closer: "By the way, who got the credit? You know how to write the report tomorrow, right?"

Wang Xuesen scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Do you think I'm some kind of 'four-time protector' who'll take everything from you?"

He patted Yang Jie on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, you deserve the credit."

Yang Jie beamed and patted Wang Xuesen hard on the back: "That's a good friend! Let's go!"

He jumped into the car, floored the accelerator, and sped out of the gate of No. 76.

……

Lin Zhijiang and Lao Si escorted Zheng Pingping to the underground interrogation room.

The corridor was dimly lit, and the sound of each footstep was amplified several times by the stone walls.

We arrived at the door of the interrogation room.

Ma Laosan and Ma Gan'er quickly came over to greet them.

"Director Wang, Captain Lin."

Lin Zhijiang glanced at Zheng Pingping beside him, then turned to look at Wang Xuesen.

"What should we do with this woman?"

Wang Xuesen didn't rush to answer.

He turned his head and glanced at Zheng Pingping.

Her face was deathly pale, and her lips were completely bloodless.

The spirit that she had been holding onto in the dance hall had clearly dissipated considerably here.

Being unafraid of death and being unafraid of torture are two completely different things.

Even the hardest bones will buckle at this point.

Besides, she's just a young woman.

Wang Xuesen withdrew his gaze, his tone indifferent.

"Her case is still undetermined."

"Furthermore, they used to address me as brother and sister."

He wrinkled his nose, feigning disgust, and said, "Oh, she's on her period."

"How about this, pull a rattan chair in for her, bring in a stove, and a thick cotton quilt."

"Let her rest here tonight, and we'll wait for the director's decision tomorrow."

Ma Laosan scratched the back of his head, looking troubled. "This...this has no precedent?"

Wang Xuesen glanced at him sideways and smiled.

"It's available now."

"Do as I say."

Ma Laosan dared not say another word and quickly led Ma Gan'er to move the things.

Wang Xuesen walked up to Zheng Pingping.

He raised his hand and playfully patted her cheek twice.

The force was very light.

It was so light it didn't feel like a pat; it felt more like a soothing gesture.

"Think about it carefully tonight."

"Such a beautiful face and figure, it's such a shame to ruin it."

Zheng Pingping played along, glaring fiercely and saying, "I want to see Director Ding."

Wang Xuesen withdrew his hand and smiled slowly.

"What happened tonight can't be kept secret any longer; you'll see him tomorrow."

"Good night."

He walked out slowly, his hands behind his back.

Zhan Shen followed silently.

Lin Zhijiang took two quick steps to catch up, leaned close to his ear, and asked in a low voice, "Boss, what's my next step?"

Wang Xuesen kept walking, his voice kept very low.

"As long as it's normal."

"If Ding Mocun asks, just push all the blame onto Li Shiqun."

Lin Zhijiang nodded: "Okay."

……

Wang Xuesen did not have the habit of working overtime.

Zhan Sen started the engine.

Wang Xuesen opened the back door and climbed in, then slumped into the back seat.

The car drove out of Gate 76.

When they reached a secluded stretch of road, Wang Xuesen finally freed one hand and took out the note Fang Yao had given him from his pocket.

He unfolded it to look at it in the light of the street lamp.

The note had a line of neat handwriting: "Perhaps we can be friends."

Making friends?

We can be friends.

Let's just forget about paying.

I'm afraid of being poisoned.

Fang Yao, this woman, has completely confused him.

According to intelligence, she is Bai Junqi's mistress.

Wang Xuesen lit the note and started a cigarette.

This can't be rushed.

Tomorrow, I'll have Wanjia go to the club to find an opportunity to talk to Fang Yao and get a feel for her background.

……

It was nearly midnight when I got home.

Xiaomin had already gone to bed.

A small nightlight was still on in the bedroom upstairs, casting a dim and warm glow.

Wanjia lay on the bed, covered with a thin brocade quilt, with an open, face-down English novel beside her.

It was clear that she was trying very hard to wait for him to come back.

But unfortunately, Miss Su is destined to go to bed early; her biological clock is more accurate than an alarm clock.

Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, Wang Xuesen felt inexplicably at ease.

The fact that a woman could sleep as soundly as a pig in such chaotic times of war only proves one thing.

She believed him.

They regarded him as a shelter from the wind and rain, as a pillar that could hold up the sky even if it collapsed.

Sometimes, being needed by others is a kind of enjoyment.

Wang Xuesen tiptoed to the bathroom, took a hot shower, changed into his pajamas, and got into bed.

I just lay down.

Wanjia groggily turned over, her eyes still closed, before her hand reached out to her:

"You're finally back."

"I'll go downstairs and heat up some food for you."

Wang Xuesen grabbed her waist and pulled her back.

"No, I'm not hungry."

Wanjia leaned against him, squinting as she looked up at him: "How did things go?"

Wang Xuesen had one arm around her shoulder, staring at the ceiling.

"Zheng Pingping's case is proceeding as scheduled; she is already in the interrogation room."

He paused.

"However, I suspect Zhao Huimin won't let her off the hook."

Zhao Huimin is Ding Mocun's wife, and she is a notoriously jealous woman.

He had long been dissatisfied with Zheng Pingping.

Now that Zheng Pingping has been caught, it's like handing over a piece of fat meat to a tiger's mouth.

He was to be subjected to torture and humiliation; there was no escaping it.

"There's a high chance Dingmo Village will protect Zheng Pingping tomorrow."

"The more he protected her, the more Zhao Huimin hated him."

"It will only add fuel to the fire."

Wanjia was fully awake. She tugged at his sleeve and said urgently, "You have to help her."

"Pingping is a righteous person; she did these things not for herself."

Wang Xuesen glared at her: "Watch your words."

"If Director Dai hears that she's from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS), it's even more serious than saying you're a 'red ticket' (a derogatory term for someone who has connections to the Communist Party)."

Wanjia pouted, pulled her head back under the covers, and mumbled, "Okay."

Wang Xuesen reached out and pinched the tip of her nose.

"I'm already thinking of a way. As long as nothing unexpected happens, her life should be saved."

Wanjia was silent for a moment, then her voice suddenly lowered.

"Compared to Pingping, I am nothing."

"All they do is play cards, eat, drink, and have fun."

"I'm useless now."

Wang Xuesen turned to the side and lifted her chin:

"Who said that?"

"If you take good care of me, keep your body healthy, and give me a big, healthy son in the future, that will be the greatest achievement."

"Who said that?"

"If you take good care of me, keep your body healthy, and give me a big, healthy son in the future, that will be the greatest achievement."

Wanjia's face flushed red: "This is my duty."

She paused, then asked, "What about Chen Mingchu?"

Wang Xuesen lay down, pulled her into his arms, and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"I don't know. Japanese soldiers are still patrolling, so it's probably difficult for Lao Wang's men to make a move."

"Wait for the call."

"If the assassination succeeds, someone will definitely call me tonight."

He yawned.

"sleep."

Wanjia snuggled closer to him, her eyelashes fluttering twice.

"How about... I go take a shower?"

Wang Xuesen pressed down on her shoulder, his voice already tinged with sleepiness: "Don't worry, I'm really sleepy."

Wanjia pouted and obediently rested her head on his chest.

"Okay, time to sleep."

The room fell silent.

The two of them quickly fell into a deep sleep.

I don't know how long I slept.

Jingle Bell!

the phone is ringing.

Wang Xuesen opened his eyes reflexively and fumbled for the microphone on the bedside table in the darkness.

"Feed".

It was Qingfu's voice on the other end, low but unable to hide his excitement.

After listening, Wang Xuesen smiled slightly and said, "Okay, I understand."

He sat up, his voice steady.

"Now we can proceed with the second step of the plan: have Bai Junqi hijack this batch of American goods."

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub."

"I can afford to lose this amount of money."

The person on the other end of the phone agreed.

"It's getting late, you should go and get some rest."

Click.

Put the microphone back in its place.

He glanced at the alarm clock on the wall.

It was already 3 a.m.

Qingfu had just finished his surveillance work at the new location.

Not long ago, a shooting occurred at the entrance of the Mega Nightclub.

Chen Mingchu and He Xingjian were shot and killed on the spot.

Wang Tianmu narrowly escaped death.

The ones who made the move were Ma and Tu's group.

The military police are currently pursuing the perpetrator overnight.

Wang Xuesen let out a long sigh.

The two traitors were executed.

Who can escape the wrath of Heaven?

Good riddance! It's a great relief!

Chen Mingchu was a traitor to the Military Intelligence Bureau and the deputy director of the 76th Intelligence Division, while He Xingjian was the commander of the Peace Army who defected to the Wang Jingwei regime.

The lives of those two dogs have been taken by God tonight.

He was in a good mood and was about to lie down.

Jingle Bell!

The phone rang again.

Wang Xuesen frowned and picked up the microphone.

Hu Junhe's sinister voice came from the other end of the line, just as it always had.

"Have you heard?"

Wang Xuesen pretended to be confused and rubbed his eyes.

"Old Hu, what's wrong now?"

"Oh, it's nothing, we'll talk about it tomorrow."

Before Wang Xuesen could reply, the call was disconnected.

beep.

Damn it.

Riddlers hate this kind of thing the most.

It's just that Chen Mingchu was assassinated, what's there to hide?

However, Chen Mingchu's death was also a blow to Lao Hu.

Hu Junhe has always wanted to establish his own independent force. Judging from the fact that he was able to obtain Chen Mingchu's top-secret information last time, the two have already reached a cooperation agreement in private.

With Chen Mingchu's death, Hu Junhe has lost another valuable asset.

Regardless, it removed a thorn from Dai Li's side.

This can be considered a great achievement.

Chen Gongshu should at least get a few dozen taels of gold as a bonus.

He chuckled and put the microphone back.

Wanjia was awakened by the series of ringing bells and opened her eyes groggily.

"What's wrong...?"

Wang Xuesen pinned her down, rolled over, and moved close to her, his eyes brimming with barely concealed excitement:

"I'm getting into it, I have to have some fun to celebrate."

Wanjia suddenly became mostly sober and grabbed his collar: "Chen Mingchu has been executed?"

Wang Xuesen nodded.

"Yes."

Wanjia was so excited she almost shouted, "Great! We've finally gotten rid of this traitorous dog!"

She threw back the covers and was about to get up.

"I'm not sleeping anymore, we have to celebrate! I'm going to take a shower now!"

Wang Xuesen shoved her back down, saying, "Wash my ass."

"I specialize in fighting tough battles!"

As he spoke, he rolled over and pinned Wanjia beneath him.

……

The next morning.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a golden glow on the floor.

Wang Xuesen was in a good mood, and in the morning he got up again and had another round of fun with Wanjia in the bathroom.

I went downstairs.

Xiaomin had already prepared breakfast.

He ate three eggs, two bowls of porridge, and four fried dough sticks before wiping his mouth contentedly and heading out to work.

Zhan Shen waited at the door and opened the car door for him.

Speechless all the way.

On the road, Japanese military vehicles were patrolling everywhere, and there were noticeably more checkpoints.

We arrived at the building entrance.

Japanese soldiers would occasionally come in and out carrying documents, and the clerks in the building all looked panicked.

Wang Xuesen happened to run into Hu Junhe in the lobby:

"Old Hu, what happened?"

Hu Junhe said, "Let's go to my office to talk."

As he walked, he whispered, "At around 3 a.m. last night, Director Chen and Commander He were shot dead at the Zhaofeng Nightclub. The perpetrators were Wang Tianmu's private bodyguards, former subordinates of the Military Intelligence Bureau."

"What?! Director Chen!" Wang Xuesen exclaimed in surprise.

"Brother, the Military Intelligence Bureau is now everywhere, so you'd better be careful."

Upon entering the office, he closed the door behind him and poured tea for Wang Xuesen, asking, "What kind of mess is this?"

"Arresting Zheng Pingping and Mao Liying is none of my business."

"I finally got along better with Lao Chen, and then he messed up again."

"Damn it, I feel like I've been plagued by a plague god, what bad luck!"

Wang Xuesen said with a heavy expression, "It was quite dangerous. Luckily, I didn't go to Zhaofeng last night, otherwise I probably wouldn't have escaped being shot either."

Wang Xuesen followed his gaze and saw the old Chinese calendar!

"Huh? What do you mean?" he asked, puzzled.

"Look, these past two days have been either unlucky days for Yang Gong or unsuitable days for anything else. They're not days to go out. Old Chen has run into bad luck," Hu Junhe explained.

"No, bro, you actually believe in this?" Wang Xuesen was a little confused.

Hu Junhe laughed and said, "Brother, sometimes you have to believe in the wisdom of our ancestors. If you go out without consulting the almanac, you'll regret it."

Wang Xuesen said, "Okay, I'll buy a copy later too."

"Alright, I guess I'll be busy today. I've handed over the director of the military police and the director to Wang Tianmu; I have to go and question them, so I can't keep you company any longer." Hu Junhe said, patting Wang Xuesen on the shoulder.

"Remember to buy a Chinese almanac, you can't go wrong with it, just be careful."

"understood."

A thought suddenly flashed through Wang Xuesen's mind. He hadn't expected Hu Junhe to have this habit, which could be a useful point in the future.

This is truly a stroke of luck!

……

He felt sleepy as soon as he entered the office.

He leaned back on the sofa, put his legs on the coffee table, and dozed off with his eyes half-closed.

I only slept for a little over three hours last night.

The rest of the time was spent half on the phone and half celebrating.

Both are mentally taxing.

boom!

The door was pushed open.

Ding Mocun walked in with a dark expression.

He was wearing a dark gray suit today, and his hair was neatly combed, but the dark circles under his eyes were very pronounced, indicating that he hadn't slept well all night.

They came in and immediately started interrogating me.

"What happened to you?"

"I told you to persuade her to leave, how did Pingping get arrested?"

Wang Xuesen sat up straight on the sofa, rubbed his temples, and looked aggrieved: "Uncle, I didn't know about this either."

"I invited her to go dancing, and then we discussed leaving."

"Who knew that as soon as she entered the dance hall, she was taken control of by Yang Jie's men."

He spread his hands, his tone helpless: "It's obvious that Director Li has been watching her for a long time."

Ding Mocun gritted his teeth and pointed at him.

"I am giving you this order as the director."

"This woman cannot be tortured, and her case cannot be reopened."

Wang Xuesen sighed: "Yang Jie arrested the man, this..."

Ding Mocun strode up to him, his eyebrows furrowing:

"Don't you understand?"

"If Zheng Pingping were a member of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS), the consequences would be extremely serious!"

He paused, as if he had made a great decision.

"In that case, you will come with me to see Li Shiqun."

Wang Xuesen looked at him.

Old Ding is different today than usual.

This guy usually avoids or goes around Li Shiqun whenever possible, rarely confronting him head-on.

I'm really going all out today.

It seems that Zheng Pingping holds a more important place in his heart than the outside world has suggested.

Wang Xuesen thought for a moment and nodded.

"Okay, as long as Director Li agrees not to interrogate her, I will release Zheng Pingping."

He stood up, about to leave.

Suddenly, a rapid thud of high heels echoed in the hallway.

A woman with a slightly gaunt face appeared at the door.

She was wearing a maroon wool coat, her hair was neatly styled, and her thin lips were tightly pursed.

His eyes widened, staring intently at Ding Mocun, and he shouted sharply:

"What, you still want to protect that little bitch?"

"You may be shameless, but I still have a sense of shame."

This woman was Zhao Huimin, the wife of Ding Mocun.

Even a fool could guess that Zhao Huimin was most likely secretly contacted by Li Shiqun to come and deal with Ding Mocun, so as to save him from the awkwardness of confronting Old Ding directly.

Ding Mocun was henpecked.

Furthermore, Zhao Huimin had long harbored resentment towards Zheng Pingping's presence.

Now that he was stuck here, Ding Mocun's face turned ashen, and he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

Zhao Huimin ignored him and glared coldly at Wang Xuesen:

"From now on, I'll interrogate this woman. Is that alright?"

Wang Xuesen smiled and said, "According to the rules, it's not allowed."

He paused, then changed the subject.

"But you are Mrs. Ding, my aunt, so of course you can."

In fact, Ye Jiqing and Yu Aizhen also had opportunities to get handsy with the female prisoners in Case No. 76.

Moreover, Zhao Huimin was brought in by Li Shiqun, so there was no need for him to try to stop her, as it would offend both sides.

Moreover, this was originally part of his plan.

Zheng Pingping's beating was unavoidable.

Otherwise, the testimony would not be convincing.

After seeing the couple off, Wang Xuesen went directly to Li Shiqun's office to await further instructions.

However, it's likely that Lao Li is currently preoccupied with Chen Mingchu's matter.

They must be in a terrible predicament.

Of course, for Wang Xuesen, this was a major victory with multiple points of success.

Now he just needs to wait for time to ripen and reap his rewards.

……