Espionage codename: Shen Gongbao

Let's Talk About Money: Read This Book!

White Rose was shrewd and immediately understood. Her almond-shaped eyes widened as she shouted, "Wang Xuesen, what do you mean? You want me to make up stories and betray my godfather?"

"It's not betrayal."

"It's stating the facts!" Wang Xuesen solemnly reminded her.

"Didn't we find out last time that it was intelligence bought by the Military Intelligence Bureau through Bai Jusheng? You all had them killed, so how did it get dragged into me and my godfather?"

"Isn't this a frame-up?"

"Don't forget, my godfather is friends with Mr. Mitsui at the embassy."

"You want to squeeze the persimmons? You've come to the wrong person!"

White Rose was so angry she felt like her lungs were about to explode, her incredibly soft breasts heaving violently.

"We have indeed found out."

"Jinze did buy information from Bai Jusheng, but buying information doesn't mean he's the murderer."

"The mystery surrounding Professor Ji remains unsolved."

"The murderer is right next door. According to his accusations, he was seduced and instructed by you to commit murder."

"With witnesses and physical evidence all presented, do you still dare to deny it?"

Wang Xuesen's tone became more stern.

"You're talking nonsense."

"Isn't occupying Shenzhen part of the Military Intelligence Bureau?" White Rose shouted.

"It's precisely because it's the Military Intelligence Bureau that it's troublesome."

"If it were just about assassinating Elder Ji, you would at most go to jail."

"But now Director Hu suspects that you are a high-ranking spy planted in Shanghai by the Military Intelligence Bureau."

"White Rose is both your flower name and your code name!"

"You and Zhan Shen are ostensibly lovers, but in reality, you have a superior-subordinate relationship."

"When Ji Lao defected to the Japanese, you cleverly exploited the grudge between Zhang Deqing and Ji Lao and sent Zhan Shen to assassinate him."

"Director Hu even suspects that you deliberately contacted Xiao Yufeng in order to obtain information about Mr. Ji's daily whereabouts."

Wang Xuesen stared into her angry and fearful eyes and continued to attack her fragile mind.

"Nonsense!"

"You, you!"

The white rose was stunned and speechless.

"Ms. Lu, it doesn't matter whether you admit it or not now, because all the evidence is already in order."

"According to the rules of the 76th Division regarding Military Intelligence personnel, I can take you out and execute you right now."

"The only reason I'm willing to come see you is out of consideration for our one-night stand, and to give you one last chance to live."

"I hope you can cherish it, okay?"

Wang Xuesen cupped her face in his hands, his tone softening and becoming gentler.

"Xuesen!"

"Director Wang!"

"I really didn't..." White Rose tried to explain in her panic.

Wang Xuesen's patience ran out, and his expression instantly turned sharp, cold, and cruel: "Think about it slowly. Tell me when you've figured it out."

snort!

With that, he turned and walked out.

Heh heh!

Ma Laosan picked up his whip and walked menacingly toward Bai Meigui.

soon.

The white rose's ghostly cries echoed throughout the entire corridor:

"I'll confess, I'll confess!"

"Xuesen, Xuesen, come save me!"

"They're going to ruin my face!"

“Wuwu!”

……

A dozen minutes later, Wang Xuesen returned carrying a delicate little cake. He frowned as he stared at the bloodstains on Bai Meigui's body and asked, "What happened? Who, who hit you?"

"Director, yes, it's me!" interrogator Xiao Li said, shrug his head.

"You bastard!"

Do you know who she is?

"Shanghai's top courtesan, the socialite White Rose, my friend and Mrs. Ye's friend—are you all capable of taking her down?"

"Hurry up and apologize to Miss Lu!"

Wang Xuesen feigned anger and rebuked him.

"Director Wang, Miss Lu, I'm sorry, brothers...we were too rough." Ma Laosan chuckled dryly and quickly put the red-hot branding iron into the bucket.

Zizi!

White smoke billowed up.

White Rose trembled uncontrollably, her face as pale as paper from fright.

"Sorry, my men are all roughnecks!"

"I wasn't keeping an eye on you, and you've suffered because of it."

Wang Xuesen offered gentle words of comfort.

"What are you all standing there for? Uncuff Miss Lu's handcuffs," he ordered.

Ma Laosan stepped forward and unlocked Bai Meigui's handcuffs and shackles.

Wang Xuesen took off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders, lit a cigarette and handed it to her, saying gently, "Rose, have some cake to relax."

"Thank you." White Rose snatched the cigarette and started taking deep drags.

After finishing the cigarette.

She relaxed a little, and while eating cake, tears streamed down her face.

After she finished eating, Wang Xuesen handed her a handkerchief.

White Rose wiped away her tears, regaining her shrewdness: "How should I put it, or rather, what do you want to know?"

Wang Xuesen took off his gold-rimmed glasses, squatted down beside her, and looked at her gently: "Rose, first you have to protest that you are not a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau, and Zhan Shen is not a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau either, right?"

"Of course, Zhan Shen did indeed have a Kuomintang (KMT) affiliation."

"But he had already left the Military Intelligence Bureau and was doing dirty work for your godfather Zhang Deqing. That house was a reward Zhang Deqing gave to Zhan Shen because he successfully assassinated Elder Ji, right?"

Looking into his clear, bright eyes, Bai Meigui immediately felt much more at ease and reassured, nodding repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice: "Yes, yes, that's right."

"Zhan Shen and I are definitely not from the Military Intelligence Bureau, and the house does indeed belong to Zhang Deqing. The deed is clearly in my name."

"Good girl, that's right, isn't it?" Wang Xuesen pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

White Rose knew she had no other choice.

Either die here.

They either need to give false testimony and betray their godfather, Zhang Deqing.

"Old Ma, get ready to record!" Wang Xuesen snapped his fingers and returned to the interrogation table.

"Miss Lu, I have questions for you regarding the case of Zhan Sen's assassination of Ji Yunqing. You must answer truthfully."

"What is your relationship with Zhan Shen?"

Wang Xuesen asked in a deep voice.

"A romantic relationship," White Rose said, looking at him.

"Do you know Zhan Shen's true identity?" Wang Xuesen asked again.

White Rose is a woman of the night who has also made a cameo appearance in a movie; her acting skills are quite good.

She hesitated slightly, then said with difficulty, "I know, I know. He used to be a Kuomintang assassin. My godfather, Zhang Deqing, wanted to win him over, so he asked me to...seduce him."

"Can I interpret this as him secretly working for Zhang Deqing?" Wang Xuesen greatly admired her acting skills and helped her clarify the situation.

"Yes!" White Rose nodded.

"Let's talk about the assassination case," Wang Xuesen said.

"My godfather Zhang Deqing has always been dissatisfied with Ji Yunqing. At the end of August this year, he was planning to take over Sanhetang."

"Let me contact Xiao Yufeng to obtain information."

"In September of this year, he learned that Xiao Yufeng's lover, Bai Jusheng, was secretly selling intelligence to Jin Ze of the Military Intelligence Bureau, and realized that this was a golden opportunity."

"Therefore, he secretly ordered Zhan Shen to assassinate Ji Yunqing near Huaqing Pool with a palm-shaped thunderbolt."

"This is a perfect opportunity to frame the Military Intelligence Bureau."

Once the white rose gets going, her lies become flawless.

"And then what?" Wang Xuesen smiled slightly, secretly giving her a thumbs up.

"After the matter was settled, Zhang Deqing kept his promise and gave Zhan Shen and me a villa on Ferguson Road as a reward," White Rose said.

Wang Xuesen smiled and continued, "It seems you two have a good relationship. So why did Zhang Deqing come to No. 76 with Zhan Shen's gun to report a crime?"

"After Zhan Shen assassinated Ji Yunqing, in addition to taking me for himself, he also kept threatening Zhang Deqing with this matter and demanded money from him on multiple occasions."

"Zhang Deqing had reached his limit and decided to use Director Li to get rid of him."

"My godfather asked me to testify for him, to prove that Zhan Shen was Dai Li's man and that he got the information from Jin Ze, so that he could completely clear me of his identity."

"Moreover, Zhan Shen was originally a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau."

"Assassinating Elder Ji is perfectly reasonable."

White Rose paused for a moment, but quickly figured it out with a hint from Wang Xuesen's eyes.

"Yes, the facts are clear."

"Your plan was flawless, so why did you betray us? I really can't understand it," Wang Xuesen said.

"Because...because before, when we got rid of Elder Ji, my godfather was very powerful."

"He can give me a lot of money and connections."

"Now, he can barely protect himself, and Zhang Xiaolin has swallowed up most of the plate."

"Besides, he's quite old, and he often abuses and humiliates me when he's with me in bed. I couldn't stand him anymore."

"Zhan Shen is young and loves me. Moreover, his father, Yin Dingyi, is the deputy director of the Special Committee's office in Sichuan Province. He is powerful and influential and highly regarded by Mr. Wang."

"Zhan Shen said he would take me to meet his father at the end of the year to discuss marriage."

"By being with Zhan Shen, I can find love and a promising future."

"Now that he is about to fall into trouble, I will do everything in my power to save him."

The white rose's lie was so convincing that even she was moved to tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Though I am a woman of the world, I know that one should be grateful and righteous. Zhan Shen loves me to the bone; how could I not risk my life to accompany him!"

Damn, this acting is way better than Hu Die's... Wang Xuesen nodded in deep agreement:

"Miss Lu's true nature is truly touching."

"This is the statement I made. Take a look. If it matches what you said, please sign and put your fingerprint on it."

Wang Xuesen turned off the recorder, stood up, and handed over the transcript.

White Rose glanced at it, then quickly signed and pressed her fingerprint.

The moment she pressed her handprint, she felt utterly exhausted and collapsed into Wang Xuesen's arms.

"Xuesen, can I talk to you alone?"

"Not yet."

"Old Ma, take Miss Lu to the reception room to shower and rest first. I'll go see her later," Wang Xuesen said.

As Wang Xuesen spoke, he beckoned Old Ma aside.

"No one is allowed to touch the white rose."

"If anyone forces their way in, call Director Li directly," he whispered the order.

"clear."

"Also, let Magan go and meet with Zhan Shen."

"Just one question: is he a KMT assassin sent by Boss Dai?" Wang Xuesen lit a cigarette.

Old Ma leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Director, so... should we have something sweet or salty?"

This is the jargon used in the torture chamber.

The sweet one is just a casual scare, nothing more.

Salty means to go all out and kill them.

"I'll have both sweet and salty."

"But don't damage the foundation. The director still has a great use for this person." Wang Xuesen exhaled a smoke ring.

Old Ma understood immediately and chuckled softly, "Got it, Director, don't worry."

After leaving the gloomy interrogation room, Wang Xuesen did not rush to report back to Li Shiqun.

At this hour, to bother your superiors is a sign of incompetence.

He drove home.

In the bedroom, Wanjia was fast asleep, her breathing even.

Wang Xuesen tiptoed into the bathroom, took a hot shower to completely wash away the lingering smell of blood and cheap perfume from the interrogation room, and then lay down next to Wanjia.

……

The next day.

Early in the morning, Wang Xuesen drove out, deliberately taking a detour past Du Song's Jishi Pharmacy.

Old Du had already opened the door early and was hanging a wooden sign at the entrance.

The words "Tiger Whip Arrives" were written in bold, flamboyant strokes.

Wang Xuesen's lips curled into a smile, and he understood.

Boss Dai agreed.

He stepped on the gas, and the car sped away.

When I arrived at office number 76, Old Ma was already waiting at the door.

"Director, Director Li just called and asked Director Liu Zhongwen to cover my shift."

"In addition, this is the interrogation record of Zhan Shen."

Old Ma handed over a folder, yawning repeatedly.

"That kid is really stubborn. We beat him all night, and he's almost covered in welts, but he still won't confess."

"He only admitted to killing the people, but refused to admit that he was a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau."

Seeing his bloodshot eyes, Wang Xuesen knew he had stayed up all night guarding the White Rose, so he patted him on the shoulder and said, "Alright, I know, go back and get some sleep."

"Director Xie."

Wang Xuesen took the records and went straight to Li Shiqun's office.

Ye Jiqing was also there.

Upon seeing Wang Xuesen, she immediately beamed with joy and picked up a steaming hot xiaolongbao from the steamer with her chopsticks.

"Xuesen is here! Come quick, try the Hangzhou-style steamed buns your sister-in-law made, with pork and scallion filling."

"Your older brother loves to eat this."

"Who doesn't love my sister-in-law's steamed buns!"

Wang Xuesen smiled, knowing this was a good opportunity to strengthen their "family" bond. Without being polite, he bent down, opened his mouth, and mumbled between bites, "Thank you, sister-in-law, it's delicious."

Damn, something sounds weird about that.

Seeing this, Li Shiqun's eyes darkened, and he glared at Ye Jiqing.

Ye Jiqing rolled her eyes: "Xuesen isn't an outsider. Can't I even feed my own brother a steamed bun?"

"Xuesen, ignore him, eat a few more."

"If you like it, your sister-in-law will make you more later."

Wang Xuesen was sensible enough to know when to stop. He quickly swallowed the bun, wiped his mouth, and said, "Sister-in-law, save it for me. I'll eat it later. I need to report to my brother about my work first."

He placed the interrogation records and audio tapes of White Rose on the table.

"Brother, we have White Rose's statement and witnesses. Now we just need to get Zhan Shen's statement."

"But there's good news."

"Zhan Shen refuses to admit that he is a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau, which is very advantageous for our accusation that Zhang Deqing murdered Ji Lao."

Li Shiqun picked up the notes, flipped through them, and listened to the recording. A satisfied look appeared on his face.

This confession is flawless.

Even if I were to personally take charge, it would be difficult to handle things so flawlessly in such a short time.

He looked at Wang Xuesen and asked, "What do you plan to do with Zhan Shen?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Ye Jiqing, who was standing to the side, became dissatisfied.

"Is that even a question?"

"Sneak out and execute him! Who cares if he's from the Military Intelligence Bureau or not? He killed Elder Ji, so he should pay with his life!" she said fiercely.

Li Shiqun didn't say anything, but he agreed in his heart.

Ji Yunqing had treated him with the utmost kindness, and their relationship was like that of father and son. Now that the real culprit had been caught, there was no reason not to kill him.

But he still turned his gaze to Wang Xuesen with a hint of expectation.

This kid always has a peculiar way of looking at things and always manages to maximize his own interests.

This is his strength.

As expected, Wang Xuesen did not disappoint him.

"Director, sister-in-law, according to the interrogation, this Zhan Shen's real name is Yin Sen."

"He is Yin Dingyi's son."

"Yin Dingyi?" Li Shiqun was quite surprised.

He certainly knew that name; it belonged to Zhou Fohai, who was now the deputy director of the Special Affairs Committee's office in Sichuan Province, and they had some past acquaintance.

"Since he's Yin Dingyi's son, how did he become a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau?" Li Shiqun asked, puzzled.

"Zhan Shen has been rebellious since childhood, and it is highly likely that he was misled into joining the Military Intelligence Bureau."

"Moreover, according to Wang Tianmu, Zhan Shen was originally a spoiled brat who was also undisciplined and extremely unruly during his time in the Military Intelligence Bureau."

"It makes perfect sense that such a person would leave the Military Intelligence Bureau and even be expelled from the organization because of a woman, only to be bought off by Zhang Deqing."

"Perfect, it matches White Rose's testimony," Wang Xuesen explained.

"So what if he's Yin Dingyi's son?"

Ye Jiqing snorted coldly.

"A life for a life, that's only fair! Even the Heavenly King himself couldn't save him!"

Wang Xuesen shook his head: "Sister-in-law, this matter of Zhan Shen should not be blown out of proportion, lest Jinbao's wife find out and be heartbroken."

"Besides, the dead cannot be brought back to life."

"Even if Zhan Shen were to die, Old Master Ji wouldn't survive."

"This person is far more valuable alive than dead."

Ye Jiqing raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased: "What's the value? Tell me."

Wang Xuesen flashed his signature smile, leaned closer, and lowered his voice, saying, "Sister-in-law, listen to me."

"First, the fact that he's alive preserves the personal relationship between my elder brother and Director Yin. I've heard that the salt from Xichuan is quite good. If our Yongxinglong Company can establish distribution channels, it would be a great help in the salt trade."

"Secondly, Yin Dingyi is rich. Brother can send him a telegram, inviting him to Shanghai to meet Zhan Shen. If it's inconvenient for you to show up, I'll go and talk to him about money."

Wang Xuesen stretched out his right hand and made a seven.

"Rest assured, both of you. If this amount is less than what I promised, I will offer my head in retribution. Moreover, it must be in gold bars of equal value."

"Third, and most importantly."

"As long as Zhan Shen is alive, he is our trump card in controlling Zhang Deqing! To put it bluntly, controlling Zhan Shen is equivalent to controlling Zhang Deqing's lifeline!"

"When the time comes, sister-in-law, if you fancy any of his businesses, or if you're short on cash, manpower, or distribution channels, we can always bring out Zhan Shen and give him a good thrashing!"

Excitement gleamed in Wang Xuesen's eyes.

"So, do you think Zhan Shen is still a murderer?"

"No!"

"He is your and your elder brother's benevolent spirit guide!"

Ye Jiqing's breathing quickened instantly, his eyes fixed on the "seven" that Wang Xuesen was gesturing.

Li Shiqun leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest, making a rhythmic tapping sound.

He looked at Ye Jiqing: "Jiqing, Xuesen has made his stance clear, so you can say it now."

"It's to avenge Elder Ji and take Zhan Sen's life."

"How about I invite Mr. Yin to Shanghai, and then introduce Xuesen to him so they can get to know each other?"

……