Chapter 127 My Territory, My Rules

It was sunny on March 12.

The winter sun was thin, casting a golden glow over the courtyard of No. 76.

Wang Xuesen was in a good mood.

The news of Chen Mingchu and He Xingjian's execution has spread throughout Shanghai.

The Japanese military police searched for the murderer overnight, and the 76th Division was in chaos for two days. It must be said that Chen Gongshu was quite capable, and Ma Hetu and others moved out of Shanghai overnight.

This is enough to prove that it is not that the channels in Chongqing are incompetent.

It's purely about whether those above treat those below as human beings.

If Zheng Pingping were Old Chen's person, her whole family would probably have moved away long ago, instead of suffering here.

Wang Xuesen's schedule today is very simple.

I went to Warrant Officer Shibuya's place for tea and a chat, and we talked about the water pumping at the outpost and Zheng Pingping's matter.

Shibuya has become quite shrewd and sophisticated, almost like a seasoned veteran.

This guy has been giving Okamura a lot of gifts lately, and he was just promoted from warrant officer to second lieutenant not long ago.

Moreover, Shibuya was even more greedy than Okamura, adhering to the principle that even a mosquito's leg is meat.

If it's possible, I'll do anything worth tens of thousands.

It can be done even if you give me a few thousand or a few hundred.

Wang Xuesen discussed the profit-sharing with him, and this lieutenant directly under the command of No. 76 agreed without hesitation that the military police stationed at the checkpoint could turn a blind eye and continue to allow Li Shiqun's men to pump water through the checkpoint.

As for Zheng Pingping's matter, he readily agreed.

Managing matters related to No. 76 was within his authority and responsibilities.

Moreover, he held a low-ranking position and was protected by Okamura, so he didn't have many concerns and didn't care about the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' influence behind Ding Mocun at all.

At the same time, as a soldier of the Japanese Empire, Shibuya was furious at Zhao Huimin's blatant interference with the No. 76 interrogation, disregarding discipline, and intended to use this incident to seriously rectify the discipline.

After finishing their business, Wang Xuesen chatted with Shibuya for a while until 11 a.m. before he got up to say goodbye.

After leaving the Shibuya compound, he didn't take the road through the main gate.

Instead, he deliberately took a detour from the direction of the family quarters, intending to talk to Ye Jiqing.

Zheng Pingping's side is about to reach its limit; it's time to make the next move.

As I passed by the family building, Ye Jiqing was swinging with Yunxiang and Yunshu. Her light blue silk cheongsam and trousers gleamed softly in the sunlight.

In the occasional moment of bending over, , Her hip line was so captivating that even the guards beside her would steal glances at her from time to time.

However, she was clearly not in a good mood.

When the kids get naughty, you can't help but scold them a few times.

Wang Xuesen withdrew his gaze, smiled, and greeted her, "Sister-in-law."

Ye Jiqing was pushing the swing when he suddenly heard a sound and turned his head to look.

Upon seeing that it was Wang Xuesen, her originally gloomy expression immediately brightened considerably.

Recently, Zhao Huimin has been causing quite a stir in the building.

He led a group of female hooligans in and out, treating the underground interrogation room like his own backyard.

Li Shih-chun intentionally allowed her to interrogate Zheng Pingping.

To put it bluntly, Lao Li didn't want to offend Ding Mocun directly, so he let Zhao Huimin, who was so jealous, take the lead while he watched from behind.

He also secretly gave Ye Jiqing a death order, forbidding him from getting involved in Zheng Pingping's affairs.

This infuriated Ye Jiqing, who always considered herself the boss.

Zhao Huimin acted like a tyrant in No. 76, and Ye Jiqing didn't even have the chance to say a word; he could only stare helplessly.

Who wouldn't feel aggrieved in that situation?

"Xuesen, aren't you at work?" Ye Jiqing asked.

Wang Xuesen strode over, his hands in the pockets of his wool coat: "I just sat with Warrant Officer Shibuya for a while, since I had nothing else to do anyway."

As he spoke, he squatted down and opened his arms.

"Yunxiang, come here, let Uncle give you a hug."

Yunxiang jumped off the swing and rushed over with her little arms outstretched.

Wang Xuesen picked her up, pinched her cheek, and teased, "Yunxiang really takes after her sister-in-law; she's a little beauty in the making."

"She'll definitely be the most beautiful woman in Shanghai when she grows up."

Ye Jiqing smiled radiantly at his praise and pointed at him, saying, "What's the use of being good-looking? In this world, you still have to know how to get married."

She abruptly changed the subject, her tone turning somewhat cold.

"You're just like Zheng Pingping, beautiful but determined to be Ding Mocun's concubine."

"Now look what's happened, we've fallen into Zhao Huimin's hands."

"We don't even know if they'll survive."

"Mommy, what does 'small' mean?" Xiao Yunxiang asked curiously, her big, bright eyes wide open.

Ye Jiqing was already angry, and couldn't help but pinch her: "Why are you interrupting when adults are talking?"

Wang Xuesen quickly put Yunxiang down, patted the little girl's head, and waved to Yunshu: "Yunshu, take your sister over there to play for a while. Uncle wants to say a few words to your mother."

"Okay, Uncle Wang." Yun Shu obediently led Yun Xiang away.

Ye Jiqing took a few steps to the side, left the swing frame, and stood under a bare plane tree.

She lowered her voice: "Aren't you going to do anything about this, as the head of the interrogation room?"

"I heard that Zhao Huimin brought a bunch of rats into the interrogation room last night, and Zheng Pingping screamed all night long."

Wang Xuesen stood next to her, his expression turned serious, and he slowly nodded.

"I've heard about it."

"First, we had her put on the rope; it took us a long time to get her to put it on."

"Then they smeared honey all over their bodies and put rats in their crotches."

"They went straight for the lowlifes, leaving him a bloody mess."

"The methods were extremely cruel."

"That woman is a real beast." Ye Jiqing looked at him, his tone urging, "You and Zheng Pingping were at least friends in the past."

"Now that they've taken over our place, shouldn't you, as the head of the interrogation room, do something about it?"

"Are we just going to let Zhao Huimin run rampant?"

Wang Xuesen shook his head with a wry smile.

"My sister-in-law has the heart of a bodhisattva."

He sighed, lowering his voice even further.

"You tell me, as the head of the interrogation room, I'm treated like a servant, ordered around and bossed around. How could I not be angry?"

"Zhao Huimin is nothing."

These words were quite blunt, and Ye Jiqing raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt him.

Wang Xuesen continued with a snort: "She's acting like a tyrant here; anyone who didn't know better would think that No. 76 still has the surname Ding."

"If we're talking about the eldest sister, then it has to be you, sister-in-law."

"She's still pretending. In my opinion, she hasn't figured out her place and doesn't understand who's in charge in this building now."

"They think they're Empress Dowager Cixi."

Ye Jiqing's lips twitched slightly, and a layer of barely perceptible smugness appeared on his face.

But she didn't show it.

Wang Xuesen glanced at her and continued adding firewood:

"In the past, at high-society parties, she was used to ordering you around, sister-in-law, to serve her tea and water."

"Oh, things have changed so much now, and she's still acting like this."

"Isn't this just asking for... a scolding?"

"They have absolutely no sense of propriety."

Ye Jiqing finally couldn't hold back any longer. She gently poked his chest and rolled her eyes, saying, "Alright, stop provoking me."

"Do you think I don't know what you're thinking?"

She looked Wang Xuesen up and down: "You're just trying to get involved because you feel sorry for the beauty, aren't you?"

Wang Xuesen scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "With my little schemes, nothing can escape your notice, sister-in-law."

After laughing, he composed himself and his tone became much more serious.

"However, I can't stand seeing that guy surnamed Zhao beating my sister-in-law, and that's from the bottom of my heart."

"Furthermore, regardless of whether Zheng Pingping was a member of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS), I used to address her as my brother and sister."

"Zhao Huimin's revenge is so cruel and outrageous. She completely disregards me, both publicly and privately."

He sighed and spread his hands: "I'd like to intervene and teach her a lesson."

"The problem is that this was an order from my older brother, and I can't interfere."

Ye Jiqing glanced at him, a half-smile playing on his lips: "Just say what you have to say, you slippery fellow."

This is exactly what Wang Xuesen was waiting for.

He took half a step forward and lowered his voice to a minimum.

"I'd like to invite my sister-in-law to my brother's place for some fresh air."

"That's about enough."

"Ding Mocun has stopped protecting Zheng Pingping, which is the biggest advantage of our interrogation."

"Zheng Pingping has endured this long, and now she's been humiliated by Zhao Huimin. Her mental defenses must have collapsed."

"If I offer some advice now, it might have a surprising effect."

He took the opportunity to inhale the faint fragrance emanating from Ye Jiqing, and continued:

"What I'm most worried about is that Ding Mocun secretly instructed Zhao Huimin to kill Zheng Pingping."

"In that case, all our efforts will have been in vain."

Ye Jiqing didn't answer immediately. She flicked the hem of her cheongsam, which had been blown open by the wind, but she knew exactly what was going on in her mind.

Old Li surely knows this?

But he was attacking Zheng Pingping, who had been arrested under the guise of the military police.

If we intervene now, and make sure to arrest and interrogate people, we will completely offend Dingmo Village.

They might even be accused of malicious harm.

During their last internal conflict, both Kagesa Yoshiaki and Captain Okamura were already quite dissatisfied with Lee.

Zheng Pingping is certainly important.

However, if this is expanded, it will be at a legal disadvantage and could very well result in heavy losses for both sides.

And so, the situation has reached a stalemate.

Old Li himself was also waiting for Wang Xuesen to make the suggestion.

I just didn't expect this kid to be so calm.

He watched helplessly as the beautiful Zheng was tortured, and he held back for two days without uttering a sound.

However, Wang Xuesen was sensible enough to finally speak up.

Otherwise, Old Li would have gotten restless and gone to talk to Wang Xuesen.

Although the task was carried out in the same way, it would put the usually composed Lao Li at a disadvantage in terms of saving face and maneuvering with the leaders.

Thinking of this, Ye Jiqing smiled:

"Xuesen, your older brother is the deputy director after all, so you should call Zhao Huimin 'sister-in-law'."

"You know Zhao Huimin is a shrew; when she gets angry, she won't give anyone any face."

"She's in a bad mood right now. What if she doesn't give your brother face and it gets out and damages his reputation?"

Wang Xuesen frowned, feigning understanding, and sighed.

"Too."

He paused for a moment, then tentatively asked, "So, what does Big Brother mean?"

Ye Jiqing rolled her eyes at him: "What do you mean by calling you 'big brother'?"

"That's what I meant."

Wang Xuesen nodded quickly, forcing a smile, "Yes, yes, what does your sister-in-law mean?"

Ye Jiqing beckoned him closer, and as he drew nearer, she whispered sweetly in his ear:

"Aren't you on good terms with Warrant Officer Shibuya? You asked him to take over the interrogation under the guise of a military police investigation."

"Wouldn't that mean Zhao Huimin would obediently give in?"

"She wouldn't be so arrogant as to throw a tantrum in front of the Japanese, would she?"

Wang Xuesen immediately put on a look of sudden realization and nodded repeatedly.

"Sister-in-law, to be honest, Lieutenant Shibuya is also very dissatisfied with Zhao Huimin."

"You say we're a secret service agency, a serious and ruthless violent organization, not the palace of Dingmo Village."

"It's one thing for our own people to tolerate her tantrums, but the Japanese are cold-blooded and ruthless."

"Lieutenant Shibuya didn't touch her only because of his older brother."

"Since you've spoken, sister-in-law, I'll go back and call Lieutenant Shibuya immediately and have him send military police to handle this matter."

Upon hearing this, Ye Jiqing beamed with joy: "Ah, I must say you understand your sister-in-law's heart best; you get it right away."

She brushed a stray hair behind her ear and changed the subject.

"By the way, how's the negotiation about the outpost and the American goods going?"

Wang Xuesen took two steps to the side and whispered in her snow-white ear: "The deal on the sentry post has been finalized. Shibuya can be lenient on a few lucrative positions."

"But he refused to share the profits, only asking his sister-in-law to give him three hundred silver dollars every month."

"I did the math. Three hundred silver dollars, according to the black market exchange rate, is roughly between 1,200 and 1,500 yen. Shibuya also has to give some to the inspector soldiers, so there are only a little over 800 left."

"Our outposts pump far more water than that; this business is still quite reliable."

Ye Jiqing nodded with a smile, a greedy glint in his eyes:

"Of course, it's the same old rule. Sister-in-law will give you 10% later. I already gave Wanjia the money from last time after we finished playing cards yesterday."

"Don't worry, your sister-in-law will make sure you earn money."

Wang Xuesen immediately put on a fawning smile and bowed slightly: "That's right, to be honest, my sister-in-law treats me even better than my mother-in-law."

"Oh, I've already put the American goods in the usual place. Sister-in-law, just send someone to pick them up tonight."

Ye Jiqing smiled more brightly than a flower: "Okay, I'll have Yang Jie pick it up tonight."

"You know how things are between Ah Jie and me. Your older brother always looks down on him. That kid has complained to me a lot about not having a chance to make a name for himself and get promoted."

"I have read your report on the arrest of Zheng Pingping."

"You've given all the credit to him, and your sister-in-law remembers it all."

"You should help him out on weekdays."

Wang Xuesen waved his hand, adopting a magnanimous demeanor: "I think Captain Yang is overthinking it."

"If I were him, why would I fight for credit? Anyway, with you and my elder brother around, I'll be living a life of wealth and luxury."

"Just hide in the back and relax and have some fun."

Ye Jiqing nodded in deep agreement: "That's what I advised him too, but he wouldn't listen."

She glanced at her two daughters swinging on the swing in the distance.

"Alright, I still have to look after the kids."

"You need to take over Zheng Pingping right now and get Zhao Huimin out of here. I'm disgusted."

Wang Xuesen bowed and accepted the order.

"Don't worry, sister-in-law."

"Okay, you go ahead and do your thing."

Ye Jiqing's gloom vanished, and she went to find the child, her waist swaying.

Wang Xuesen stood there watching them go for a while before turning and leaving.

Everything is going according to plan.

Li Shiqun didn't want to get his hands dirty, and Ye Jiqing wanted to save face, so he took advantage of the situation to kick Zhao Huimin, that crazy woman, out of the house.

Back in the underground interrogation room.

The air in the corridor was cold and damp, mixed with a strong smell of blood and the stench of excrement.

Wang Xuesen pushed open the heavy iron door of the interrogation room.

Zhao Huimin wasn't there; she probably went to the cafeteria for lunch.

Only two burly, fierce women remained in the room, sitting imposingly in chairs, cracking sunflower seeds.

Sunflower seed shells were scattered all over the ground.

Wang Xuesen's gaze passed over them and landed on the rack.

Zheng Pingping was completely naked and tightly bound to a wooden frame.

Her once fair skin was now torn and bleeding, covered with whip marks and burns.

His lower body, in particular, was a horrific sight, a bloody mess.

In the iron cage next to it, several huge rats were jumping up and down, making squeaking noises that sent chills down one's spine.

Wang Xuesen frowned almost imperceptibly.

In this world, it's better to live a miserable life than to die. Suffering a little is always better than losing your life.

He didn't react immediately, but walked straight to the interrogation table and clicked on the recorder.

"Gentlemen, this is a sensitive interrogation area. Please leave and don't disrupt our work."

Wang Xuesen's tone was flat, revealing no emotion.

The burly woman on the left, with a black mole on her face, stopped eating sunflower seeds and glanced at Wang Xuesen sideways.

"Who let you in? Get out!"

She spat out the sunflower seed shells from her mouth, stood up, and began to scold them.

Another shrew with a face full of scars stood up as well, hands on her hips: "That's right, who do you think you are? Get lost."

Wang Xuesen sneered, hands in his pockets: "I'm the head of the interrogation department. You're telling me to get out?"

Those two shrewish women were completely ignorant of their place and had long been used to running rampant and being domineering in No. 76, relying on Zhao Huimin's influence.

"So what? Madam Ding said that no one but her is allowed to set foot here."

"You pretty boy, do you dare interfere in Director Ding's affairs?"

The woman with the mole pointed at Wang Xuesen's nose and cursed him.

"If you offend Director Ding, he can fire you anytime."

"Can't you hear me?"

"Get out of here!"

The two shouted at each other.

Wang Xuesen looked at them with a smile, his eyes as cold as ice: "Gentlemen, I don't understand. You mean Director Ding sent you?"

The woman with the mole looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Nonsense, if it weren't for Director Ding, would we even be allowed in here? Now that you know, get out of here."

That's exactly what Wang Xuesen wanted to hear.

His face suddenly darkened, and his voice became stern:

"Director Ding has always been impartial. I advise you not to use his name to carry out illegal and private punishments, otherwise the consequences will be severe."

The two shrewish women became even more agitated and wouldn't listen to any of the official jargon.

"Why are you spouting so much nonsense? Get lost."

The woman with the mole cursed as she strode forward, reaching out to push Wang Xuesen's shoulder.

Wang Xuesen stood still.

Suddenly, the skinny guy next to her raised his right foot and kicked her hard in the stomach.

"what!"

The woman with the mole screamed and fell to the ground with a thud.

Upon seeing this, the other shrew froze for a second, then screamed and bared her teeth and claws as she lunged forward.

"How dare you!"

"Protection Director".

The other two staff members in the interrogation room, seeing this, immediately grabbed chairs and threw them at him.

Click!

The woman groaned, swayed, and collapsed to the ground.

Wang Xuesen didn't even glance at her before shouting angrily.

"Third brother!"

Ma Laosan, who had been waiting outside, immediately led his men in.

"Tie them both up, drag them to the next room, and serve them a Manchu Han Imperial Feast."

Wang Xuesen's tone was icy, leaving no room for negotiation.

Ma Laosan and his men had been ordering them around by Zhao Huimin's people for the past few days, and they had been harboring a lot of resentment for a long time.

Upon hearing the order, there was no room for politeness.

They swarmed forward, grabbed the two shrewish women by the hair, and dragged them outside.

Interrogation room intensity is generally divided into three types.

They'd give you some thin porridge, or just slap you a few times, or put you on the tiger bench.

The main dishes are things like sticking bamboo skewers or whipping with salt water, which can cause serious injury or bone damage.

The Manchu Han Imperial Feast involved branding irons and electric shocks, essentially aiming to maim or kill the victim.

These two foolish women had no idea what they were about to face.

"You dare! I'm Madam Ding's woman!"

"Let me go! Help!"

The piercing screams echoed in the corridor, but were quickly silenced by the heavy iron door next door.

Once the person was taken away, the interrogation room fell silent, with only the squeaking of rats in their cages remaining.

Wang Xuesen walked back to the table and turned off the tape recorder.

He walked up to the wooden frame and looked at Zheng Pingping, who was on the verge of death.

Her face was as pale as paper, her lips were cracked and bleeding, and she was so weak that she looked as if a gust of wind could blow her away.

Wang Xuesen reached out and untied the rough hemp rope that was digging into her flesh.

Losing her support, Zheng Pingping's body went limp and fell forward.

Wang Xuesen caught her and took off his woolen coat to wrap her battered body tightly.

He half-carried her and walked to a chair next to them to sit down.

He turned and poured a cup of hot tea from the thermos on the table, then held it to her lips: "Are you alright?"

Zheng Pingping barely opened her eyes; her pupils were still somewhat dilated.

She raised her hand tremblingly, held the teacup, and took a small sip from Wang Xuesen's hand, regaining a little bit of her vitality.

"He won't die."

She paused, then asked softly, "Are my parents alright? I hope they weren't implicated because of me."

Wang Xuesen looked into her eyes and nodded heavily: "They're fine, they're pulling strings to get you out of trouble."

"However, we only contacted people from the municipal government. We went to the wrong place and wasted our money."

Zheng Pingping's tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and she let out a long sigh of relief.

"I'm relieved that everything is alright."

A brief silence fell over the interrogation room.

A few seconds later, she spoke again: "Has the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) ever considered rescuing me?"

Wang Xuesen did not answer immediately.

He looked at the woman who had changed so much for the mission, and finally slowly shook his head.

As expected... Zheng Pingping looked at his actions and gave a relieved, bitter smile.

There was no resentment, no despair, only a calm that had settled.

Wang Xuesen stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette and stood up.

"I'll take you to the infirmary."

Just as he was about to reach out to help her, the iron door of the interrogation room suddenly made a loud bang.

boom!

The door was kicked open hard from the outside and slammed against the wall.

Zhao Huimin, accompanied by two fully armed guards, barged in menacingly.

She spotted Zheng Pingping sitting in the chair at a glance, her eyes widened instantly, and she screamed.

"Hey Wang, what do you mean? Who told you to let this little bitch go!"

"Auntie, may I speak to you in private?" Wang Xuesen forced a smile.

Zhao Huimin retorted without hesitation, "Speak your mind. I know you're having an affair with this little slut. I'm telling you, nobody can protect her."

Wang Xuesen's smile turned slightly cold: "Is that so?"

"Auntie, let me remind you, you're using torture here, which violates the interrogation rules of this building."

"You've already put people in such a state, so you should let go of your anger. It's best to leave some room for maneuver in everything you do."

Zhao Huimin glared at him: "Hey, why do I feel like you're lecturing me?"

"Don't you know your own limitations?"

"Who do you think you are? If it weren't for my old Ding protecting you, would you even be sitting in this position?"

"Get out!"

"Get out?"

"Um!"

Wang Xuesen tilted his head to one side and chuckled as he sucked on his cheek.

Suddenly, his eyes sharpened, and he abruptly turned to the side, delivering a powerful backhand slap to Zhao Huimin.

……