Espionage codename: Shen Gongbao

"Spy Code: Shen Gongbao" ranks highly in readers' poll for best military novel!

Who doesn't like to win?

Wang Xuesen's theory of winning was undoubtedly a shot in the arm for Li Shiqun, who was in a slump.

Li Shiqun's eyes lit up immediately, and he was delighted: "So it was Mr. Su who was guiding me behind the scenes. I have learned a lot."

As he spoke, he stood up, took a plastic box from the drawer, and handed it to Wang Xuesen:

"I've had high blood sugar lately, so your sister-in-law bought some chocolate."

"I don't like eating this stuff."

"Take this to Wanjia."

"Brother, this is my sister-in-law's heartfelt gift. How could I possibly take what she loves?" Wang Xuesen absolutely dared not accept it.

"Alright."

"Take it quickly, and get on with your work."

Li Shiqun tucked the item into his arms and gave instructions with a smile.

"Alright, then I'll thank you on behalf of Wan'er, brother." Wang Xuesen didn't refuse any longer and took his leave.

"What do you think of Wang... Su Quanshan's suggestion?" Li Shiqun asked when no one else was around.

"Ding, Tang, and Fu came with great force. Now, whether they stick their necks out or not, they're going to get stabbed anyway. There's no way to avoid it."

"Why not give Wang Xuesen's winning strategy a try?"

"Moreover, Wang Xuesen made a very insightful point: No. 76 is the culmination of your and Lieutenant Colonel Haruki's hard work, and it's not something Ding Mocun can simply take as he pleases."

"The Mei Agency is a mixed group of factions, and there are many Japanese factions in Shanghai that are involved in intelligence work, but General Kagesa and Lieutenant Colonel Haruki are genuine Army General Staff personnel."

"I don't believe they'll just stand by and watch the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stick its hands into the pot."

Liu Zhongwen tidied up the chessboard while analyzing the game.

"Okay, it's settled then."

"I'll immediately tell Sibao and Yang Jie to give Fu You'an's men some strong medicine. The brothers are short on cash lately, so we can just take advantage of Old Fu." Li Shiqun's eyes sharpened, and he immediately made the decision.

"Director, these are all minor matters."

"Right now we're like begging monks, asking the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Meizhou government, the military, and various municipal agencies for funds. Not to mention, Fu You'an and Zhou Fohai can hold us by the throat."

"Anyone, human or demon, can use funding to their advantage and put us at a disadvantage."

"Only by establishing your own company or obtaining tax collection authority from the Zhejiang, Anhui and Shanghai General Tax Bureaus, and controlling opium tax, salt tax, etc., can you truly have a secure job."

"Didn't Wang Xuesen help Ding Mocun get a nominal position as an honorary director of some chamber of commerce?"

"How about we ask him to help us set up a company?"

Liu Zhongwen's calculation method.

"Ji Qing and I have considered it; the target is too big."

"First of all, Zhang Xiaolin and Fu You'an wouldn't do it."

"Furthermore, I previously established the Concession Commando Team, which cost a lot of money and manpower. However, Fu Laogou signed an agreement with Lieutenant General Fujita Susumu of the Japanese 13th Army in advance and set up the Shanghai West Police Headquarters to block my way. The Commando Team became a money-burning decoration."

"This incident was once regarded by Lieutenant Colonel Haruki as a disgrace to the intelligence agency."

"Now that Fu Laogou and Zhang Xiaolin are being so aggressive, establishing a company will definitely invite a united attack from them."

"This is difficult."

Li Shiqun shook his head and sighed. Only in front of Liu Zhongwen would he reveal his unease and depression.

"Then let Wang Xuesen set up a company."

"He was originally Chairman Su's son-in-law. He secretly set up a company under the Su family's name, and no one could find fault with it."

"You and your wife can handle things behind the scenes."

Liu Zhongwen pondered for a moment and said.

"Hmm, let me go home and discuss it with Ji Qing."

"Have Ye Yao send the account books to Wang Xuesen first, and add some information to Dingmo Village. I don't have time to waste with them anymore."

"If you're going to sue, do it sooner rather than later."

Li Shiqun gave the instructions.

"Yes, Director." Liu Zhongwen nodded.

……

Wang Xuesen returned to his office and leaned back on the sofa to ponder.

We need to consider rescuing Mao Sen.

This can't go on forever. We don't want to end up being tortured to death by the Japanese.

Mao Sen's identity is very sensitive, and I absolutely cannot get involved myself.

At the very least, one should not act as a direct intermediary to build connections.

Otherwise, if this guy causes trouble in Shanghai again and gets detained by Li Shiqun or the Japanese, he'll be covered in dirt, and many things will be hard to explain.

He closed his eyes and pondered for a moment.

A moment later.

Wang Xuesen opened his eyes, quickly got up, and went to the archives section of the confidential office.

"Section Chief Chu, I need to check the files of the Japanese military police and the Special Higher Police in the Hangzhou area," he asked directly.

"Director Wang, you are no longer the director of the confidential office, so according to the rules you do not have the authority to view this information."

"Unless... you have instructions from Director Liu or Director Li."

Chu Deguang, who was in charge of managing confidential documents and archives, looked troubled.

He was unaware that Wang Xuesen had already sided with Li Shiqun.

Li Shiqun and Liu Zhongwen had previously instructed that Wang Xuesen's every move in the confidential room should be closely monitored, let alone his direct access to information from the Hangzhou military police.

"I know you're an honest man, I won't make things difficult for you," Wang Xuesen said with a smile, his hands behind his back.

He continued, "Liu Zhongwen is in Director Li's office. I just came from there. You can call Director Li now."

"Thank you, Director Wang. Then I..." Chu Deguang bowed to express his gratitude.

His position is that of a doormat.

In the past, people like Tang Huimin and Ding Mocun wanted to get involved with everyone, forbidding this person from looking and that person from looking. The key was that they couldn't afford to offend any of the people who came, and for this they often got slapped by people like Wu Sibao and Ding Zijun.

Xuesen is a kind and honest person.

Chu Deguang bowed and walked to the telephone, dialing: "Director Li, this is Deguang. Director Wang in the interrogation room wants to view the files of the Special Higher Police Section of the Hangzhou Military Police."

"Okay, I understand."

After hanging up the phone, he said with a smile, "Director Wang, please go ahead."

Despite this, he kept bowing and following closely beside Wang Xuesen.

Wang Xuesen casually picked up the documents and said while looking at them, "Section Chief Chu, I heard from Si Bao that your daughter went to university and wanted to join No. 76 a while ago, but Director Ding rejected her?"

Chu Deguang gave a wry smile: "Yes, actually my daughter is quite pretty and does very well in school, but she was injured when she was little and has a slight limp."

"Take a look."

When the topic turned to his daughter, Chu Deguang became interested and took out a small photo from his pocket and handed it over.

Wang Xuesen took one look and thought, "She's quite pretty and educated. Why doesn't Director Ding hire her? I see there's still a vacancy for a clerk in the confidential office."

"Sigh, it's because she has a slight limp in her left leg that Director Ding looks down on her, saying it affects the image of No. 76."

"As for me, I have no status or power."

"The girl is too proud. The flour mill and the match factory are short of people who can write and do math, and we've already made connections, but she doesn't want to go. That's why we're at an impasse."

Chu Deguang sighed repeatedly.

"Director Ding has gone too far."

"The position of a clerk in the confidential office doesn't require them to show their face in public. As long as they are loyal and hardworking, their image is secondary."

"My father-in-law is the honorary director of the Commercial Library. They happen to be short of a librarian there. He doesn't need to do much; he can just sit and register people."

"If your daughter is interested, I can make recommendations."

Wang Xuesen chatted casually as he looked through the files.

"The Business Library, that's a great place."

"Director Wang, can you...really...help my daughter with this?"

Chu Deguang never dreamed that such a windfall would happen, and he was so excited that he couldn't speak coherently.

"Section Chief Chu, do I look like someone who talks big?" Wang Xuesen smiled, put the file back, and picked up another one to read.

"Pooh!"

"Look at my foul mouth!"

"Director Wang, I know you're incredibly powerful, but as for the operating costs... you know my wife isn't in good health, and this position isn't anything special..." Chu Deguang lightly slapped himself, looking at him pitifully.

Unless he sells intelligence, he can't make any money in his position.

I can afford something that costs around a thousand yuan.

Any more, and it's all for nothing.

"Hey, why are you saying that?"

"Everyone has their difficulties, right?"

"When I first arrived in Shanghai, I was poor and even borrowed money from loan sharks. Everyone in the building knows that."

"Haven't we finally made it through?"

"Don't worry, I have connections, I don't need to go through any back channels or spend any money."

"It's just a matter of a word."

"We're all friends, so let's skip the money."

Wang Xuesen finished reading and put the document back, patting him on the shoulder generously.

"Director Wang."

"Thank you, you are truly kind-hearted and a great person. I, I have nothing more to say, I'll kowtow to you..." Chu Deguang's eyes reddened, and he was about to kowtow to Wang Xuesen.

In the past, he had humbled himself and begged many people for his daughter's job.

Most of them were met with cold rejection, or even humiliation, like Ding Mocun.

There are also people like Ye Jiqing who verbally agree but when asked, it seems like the timeframe is far off.

Ultimately, isn't it just that he looks down on his daughter because she has a limp and he feels he has no status?

Who would have thought that Wang Xuesen could solve such a difficult problem with just a few words?

"Don't mention it."

"Okay, I've finished reading it. You can go ahead with your work."

"Just have your daughter report tomorrow morning."

Wang Xuesen gently helped him up, without seeking credit or deliberately trying to take advantage of him, and left after giving his instructions.

"Director Wang!"

"What a wonderful person!"

Chu Deguang held the documents, his eyes already filled with tears.

……

Not long after Wang Xuesen left, Li Shiqun and Liu Zhongwen came in.

"Old Chu, what documents did Director Wang just look at? Please compile a list of the documents he's read and bring them over," Liu Zhongwen instructed, his hands behind his back.

"Yes." Chu Deguang quickly picked out a few documents.

Liu Zhongwen flipped through it and handed it to Li Shiqun.

Li Shiqun glanced at it a few times: "Why is Xue Sen researching the Japanese military police and the Special Higher Police in Hangzhou?"

Liu Zhongwen laughed and said, "Director, I'll make a bet with you."

"What are we betting on?" Li Shiqun asked curiously.

"I, Wang Xuesen, will soon come up with a plan for Zhejiang Province."

"Isn't Zhang Xiaolin running for the chairmanship of Zhejiang Province?"

"This position is a lucrative one now, and everyone wants a piece of it. The current one, Wang Ruikai, is an old-school Beiyang official who has a firm grip on even the appointment of a county magistrate in Zhejiang Province."

"Wang's patron is none other than Fu You'an."

"Furthermore, Fu You'an and Zhang Xiaolin are mortal enemies."

"Zhang Xiaolin's wishful thinking is known to all: to seize control of Zhejiang Province and its tax revenue, and then in turn encroach on Shanghai, thus ruling both ends."

"The problem is, it's not just Zhang Xiaolin who wants to eat it; Zhou Fohai wants to eat it too."

"Didn't he openly shout the slogan at the last mobilization meeting for the return of the capital to Nanjing that Zhejiang Province must be managed by civil officials? Isn't that clearly pushing Mei Siping to the forefront to compete?"

"Now it's like three tigers eyeing a piece of meat."

"Wang Xuesen's review of Zhejiang Province's military and political documents at this time was very likely intended to make a fuss about it."

Liu Zhongwen stroked his glossy chin and speculated.

"Hmm, you're overthinking it."

"Xuesen is truly devoted to me, so why should we worry about not achieving great things?" Li Shiqun slapped the back of his hand and said with a faint smile.

"No rush."

"Time will tell."

"We cannot completely trust this boy; let's see if his winning strategies will be effective."

"If we can't get past this hurdle, everything else is just empty talk."

Liu Zhongwen poured cold water on his enthusiasm.

"That makes sense, let's see." Li Shiqun thought it made perfect sense.

……

Wang Xuesen stood by the window smoking.

He had just reviewed the files of the Hangzhou Military Police.

The captain of the Hangzhou Military Police was named Harano Taro.

If I remember correctly, Lieutenant Shibuya once mentioned that he and Taro Harano were teammates in the same regiment when they were in the North China Expeditionary Army, and the two had a very close personal relationship.

If it weren't for Wang Xuesen, his "good brother," Shibuya would have applied to be transferred to Hangzhou long ago to curry favor with a powerful figure.

Mao Sen was formerly the head of the Kuomintang's Hangzhou station.

Betrayed by his subordinate Zhao Yiwen, he was directly arrested and imprisoned by the Special Higher Police Section of the Military Police.

According to Lao Du's intelligence, Mao Sen had been subjected to many cruel tortures, but he was a man of unyielding integrity who refused to admit it and insisted that he was a rice merchant, thus enduring the ordeal.

This is also one of the reasons why Boss Dai personally intervened in the rescue.

Fortunately, Zhao Yiwen didn't know much about Mao Sen.

Furthermore, the telegrams and radio broadcasts had been dealt with by Mao Sen in advance, leaving the Japanese with no evidence.

In addition, the Hangzhou Chamber of Commerce has been consistently speaking out on Mao Sen's behalf.

Mao Sen was thus able to survive.

"I've got it." As he pondered, Wang Xuesen's eyes lit up with a sudden inspiration.

The reason Mao Renfeng failed to rescue Mao Sen was because he relied on Wang Ruikai's connections. Wang Ruikai was a cunning old fox, a notorious old-fashioned bureaucrat who was afraid that Mao Sen might be a troublemaker who would just take money without doing anything.

This is the crux of the problem.

Shibuya is different; he and Harano Taro belong to the same system and are old friends of many years.

Shibuya desperately needs money.

His words even hinted at a willingness to take any risks.

It would be best if he were to act as the persuader.

Of course, Wang Xuesen also needed a middleman to handle this matter and completely absolve himself of responsibility.

There really is such a middleman.

Xu Pucheng, commander of the First Army of the puppet army in Hangzhou.

Xu Pucheng's fourth concubine was named Li Moli, nicknamed Sai Jinhua, a famous socialite in Shanghai.

After Wanjia and Mrs. Okamura became sworn sisters, she often invited Wanjia and Mrs. Okamura to the villa to play cards and drink tea.

If you can get her to ask Wanjia for help, then you can push Shibuya over there yourself.

That makes things much safer.

Anyway, it was Xu Pucheng's woman who was going through the door; he was just a middleman who picked up jobs and collected money.

Even if Li Shiqun became suspicious.

It's not like I haven't helped him with this kind of work before.

Wanting money and cleanliness at the same time? There's no such thing as a free lunch.

It's settled then.

"Li Moli was a famous beauty in Shanghai. It is said that Xu Pucheng spent a fortune to marry her."

"Beauty!"

"Hehe, she's the one."

The thought of the beautiful woman made his heart itch with desire.

Damn it.

Near Zhu Zhechi, near the ink is black.

I'm starting to resemble Ding Mocun more and more.

However, Boss Dai is also a womanizer. If the upper beam is crooked, it's normal for the lower beam to follow suit a little.

5:30 p.m.

Wang Xuesen finally made it to the end of his workday.

As soon as I got downstairs to the parking lot, I saw Mao Ziming pointing and gesturing in front of his car with a young man in a white suit, and even kicking the tires a few times.

"Secretary Mao, is something the matter?" Wang Xuesen walked up behind the two of them and suddenly spoke up.

Mao Ziming shuddered, then glanced at the young man and sneered, "Director Ding, this is Wang Xuesen, the newly promoted star of No. 76."

"Oh, so you're the one who took over my office and slept with White Rose?" The young man in the white suit stared at Wang Xuesen with hostility.

"Director Ding Zijun?" Wang Xuesen asked with a raised eyebrow and a smile.

……