Chapter 132 Bet
Wang Xuesen then made a move as if he was about to leave.
The more he said that, the more Wu Sibao objected, clinging to him tightly and refusing to let go: "Brother, you're the smartest one in this building, help me out. I'll treat you to... Yantai apples later."
"All you ever buy is Apple products, huh...?" Wang Xuesen rolled his eyes and sat down again.
"Alright."
He leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and held up his finger:
"I think the director is currently preoccupied with Yang Jie and Ding Mocun's affairs, so let's not add to his troubles."
"After all, Chen Mingchu is already dead."
"What's this Zhang guy? He claims to be an undercover agent, so what?"
"There's no way to prove it when the dead are dead."
Wu Sibao opened his mouth as if to speak, but Wang Xuesen silenced him with a look:
"If you release him, and then others follow suit and cry foul, alerting the Japanese, aren't you just asking for trouble?"
Wu Sibao scratched the back of his head: "If he really is Chen Mingchu's man, then he's our top informant, one of our own."
Wang Xuesen rolled his eyes at him: "Are you deliberately playing dumb with me?"
"The building is short on funds right now. Are you hoping to keep him here to collect an extra salary from us, or are you hoping he can go back to the Military Intelligence Bureau and continue being an informant?"
"Once this person is exposed, the Military Intelligence Bureau will definitely have cut off all contact."
"He's a dead piece."
Just pretend he's just messing around; out of sight, out of mind.
He tapped the table with his index finger, speaking slowly and deliberately.
"If you mess this up and attract the Japanese, I'll chop your head off."
"Or what if Lao Hu finds something wrong with you? Do you still want the credit then?"
Wu Sibao's expression changed several times, and his lips trembled as he spoke: "Then, then if Big Brother finds out..."
"Just tell me what I said truthfully," Wang Xuesen leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Or simply say it was my idea."
He dared to say that because he had the confidence to do so.
First, he's a lazy bum, so he prefers to avoid trouble.
Especially when it comes to cases involving the Japanese, Li Shih-Chun has always tacitly approved of and supported this style of settling matters peacefully and not escalating them.
Secondly, these are turbulent times, and Chen Mingchu is already dead, leaving no way to verify the facts.
Even if Li Shiqun were to deal with Zhang Pingshun personally, he would most likely just make the man disappear completely.
Wu Sibao chuckled and patted his thigh with a sigh of relief: "I'm relieved to hear you say that."
He waved his hand at Ma Laosan and gestured with his chin toward the interrogation room.
"Go, give that kid an electric shock, all the way."
"The report later said he had a heart condition and didn't make it."
Ma Laosan wiped the blood off his hands and nodded, saying, "Understood."
He turned and went into the interrogation room with a quick movement.
Soon, Zhang Pingshun's hoarse roar came from inside.
"I'm one of Director Chen's men!"
"I need to see Director Li!"
"You can't treat me like this! I'm one of our own!"
……
Wang Xuesen stood in the corridor, leaning against the wall, and lit a cigarette.
After a moment, it became quiet inside.
Not long after, the door to the interrogation room opened.
Magan'er and Liangzi carried out a bulging burlap sack, one in front of the other.
The two walked quickly, and when they passed Wang Xuesen, Ma Gan'er nodded slightly to him.
Wang Xuesen exhaled a puff of smoke, feeling relieved.
Traitorous dog.
You dare to offer me a list to frame me? I'll make you pay.
Wang Xuesen stubbed out his cigarette on the windowsill and turned to go back to his office.
He closed the door and ate a few cookies.
It's time for a post-mortem analysis.
This is his old habit.
After completing each task, you must tidy up all the loose ends in front, behind, left, and right to make sure there are no exposed tails.
He picked up the pen on the table and casually drew a few circles on a piece of white paper.
Zheng Pingping.
Throughout this whole affair, he played a completely clean role.
The interrogation was instructed by Li Shiqun, the confession was given by Zheng Pingping herself, and the list was written by her own hand.
He was merely an enforcer; he didn't even extend the sentence.
Li Shiqun viewed Su Wanjia's visit to the hospital as her acting as a mediator on his behalf.
perfect.
Even if that old dog Liu Zhongwen sharpened his head and tried to squeeze through, he wouldn't find a crack.
Dingmo Village.
He touched the paper with his pen and drew a line.
The rhetoric of "winning less, winning more, winning later" is ostensibly meant to guide Ding Mocun, but in reality, it's about kicking him off the chair at No. 76.
As for whether Ding Mocun would relay these words to Li Shiqun?
Most likely not.
These two are mortal enemies.
Even if Ding Mocun simply repeated it verbatim, it wouldn't matter.
He meant what he said: he was judging the person, not the issue.
I'll analyze it for anyone who asks.
Li Shiqun had always tacitly allowed him to infiltrate Dingmo Village, and it was normal for him to use Yingxue.
Wang Xuesen crossed out the three characters "Dingmo Village" and moved them to the next one.
Bai Junqi.
This situation isn't so straightforward.
The goods were seized by Bai Junqi, resulting in a loss of two thousand US dollars in capital.
Despite the loss, the goal was achieved.
As for whether Li Shiqun would fight Bai Junqi to the death, Wang Xuesen was not worried at all.
He has a third trick up his sleeve.
His biggest worry right now is Liu Zhongwen.
Being constantly watched by a conspiracy theorist is definitely not a good thing.
But Liu Zhongwen probably won't be able to glean anything from this.
He cut off his own flesh.
Two thousand US dollars of real money was lost.
Bai Junqi has been targeting Li Shiqun for quite some time now, and he's also eager to establish a new intelligence agency.
It's perfectly normal to take drastic measures.
Overall, it is clean.
After reviewing the situation, Wang Xuesen leaned back in his chair and began to think about the next step.
There are three days left until New Year's Day.
We need to hurry up with Miyako's matter.
But his pursuit of Miyako was not solely driven by her beauty.
Bai Junqi was able to roam freely in Shanghai simply because he had two legs.
Zhang Xiaolin, Fujita Hajime.
Severing the connection between Bai Junqi and Fujita Hajime is tantamount to uprooting the Bai family's backer.
Everything is ready.
All that's missing is Fang Yao's phone call.
Just as I was pondering this, I suddenly heard the rapid sound of high heels in the corridor.
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
He knows that cadence too well.
It is Ye Jiqing.
The footsteps passed by his office door without stopping, heading straight upstairs.
They didn't even come in for a seat.
Haha, he must have gone to cause "trouble" for Li Shiqun.
……
Third floor, Li Shiqun's office.
When Ye Jiqing pushed open the door, Liu Zhongwen was sitting on the sofa drinking tea.
Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she started yelling as soon as she came in:
"The guy surnamed Bai robbed our goods, and my brother is still trapped in the Special Higher Police and can't get out."
"Are you going to do anything about it or not?"
Li Shiqun put down the documents in his hand, his brows furrowing slightly: "Mr. Liu is here, so stop crying."
Liu Zhongwen held his teacup, head down, and remained silent.
Just as we were at an impasse, the phone on the table rang.
Li Shiqun picked up the receiver and listened for a few seconds.
"Okay, got it."
He hung up the phone and turned his gaze to Liu Zhongwen: "Shibuya released Zhao Huimin because of Xuesen's departure."
Liu Zhongwen nodded slowly: "A wise move."
Ye Jiqing said irritably:
"What's so wise about that!"
"I finally got a chance to mess with Zhao Huimin, and she just let that bitch get away with it so easily." ?"
Li Shiqun raised his hand and pressed it down, his tone still gentle: "Ji Qing, sit down."
"I brought Zhao Huimin into the interrogation room not to torture her."
"From the very beginning, the target was Dingmo Village."
"Zhao Huimin defied the discipline of the No. 76 agency and broke into the interrogation room without cause, assaulting an important witness."
"Ding Mocun knew that Zheng Pingping was a spy sent by the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics to assassinate him. After being ambushed at the fur shop, he not only did not investigate, but also secretly protected her."
"These things, plus the identity of the person who handled Tang Zengyang's case."
"I prepared the written materials last night and submitted them to the head of the agency."
"Chief Yingzuo was very angry and called Mr. Wang on the spot." Li Shiqun smiled and handed her tea.
"Mr. Wang was mindful of Zhou Fohai's reputation, and with the new government about to be formed, it was not advisable to cause any unforeseen complications. He agreed that after the new government was established, Ding Mocun would be transferred back to Nanjing for another appointment."
"The objective has been achieved."
"They also arrested so many people from the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics and the Military Bureau of Investigation and Statistics."
He smiled slightly, with a hint of satisfaction: "In Xuesen's words, we've already won big."
"It's time to stop here."
Ye Jiqing's expression softened slightly: "Alright, I can overlook Zhao Huimin's matter."
"But what about A-Jie?"
"Don't you know what the Special Higher Police are? He's suffered a lot in there."
She stood up and took two steps toward Li Shiqun:
"And that batch of goods, the goods that Xuesen went through a lot of trouble to get for me."
"That bastard Bai Junqi just sent someone over and said he caught them red-handed, and they stole everything?"
"This is just too much!"
"If this continues, he can take anything that's ours whenever he wants? How are we supposed to survive in Shanghai?"
Li Shiqun frowned.
It wasn't because Ye Jiqing's words were particularly harsh, but because the matter itself was indeed troublesome.
"I see."
"You go back first, I'll have someone go and bail Yang Jie out later."
Ye Jiqing wanted to say a few more words, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he met Li Shiqun's cold gaze.
She didn't dare to cause any more trouble, so she pouted, turned around, and left.
Li Shiqun turned to Liu Zhongwen: "Mr. Liu, what's your opinion on Bai Junqi's robbery?"
Liu Zhongwen remained silent for a few seconds. He held up his teacup and said, "I heard that Wang Xuesen is currently pursuing Miyako."
Li Shiqun didn't respond, waiting for him to continue.
"He already has Su Wanjia and Li Lu by his side."
"Miyako is no ordinary woman; she is the daughter of the head of the Special Higher Police. This relationship cannot be hidden; sooner or later, it will reach the Su family and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce circles."
"He couldn't possibly not have thought of that."
Liu Zhongwen pushed up his glasses, his gaze deep: "Unless he's pursuing Miyako and not for the woman."
Li Shiqun raised his hand and tapped the armrest with his index finger: "You're overthinking it."
Liu Zhongwen looked up at him.
Li Shiqun smiled:
"There are two things that are ingrained in Xue Sen's bones."
"He was lustful and loved to associate with the powerful and wealthy."
"You don't need to doubt these two points; they were written all over his face from the very first day he entered No. 76."
He stood up and walked to the window:
"You know about his feud with Bai Junqi. From the American goods channels to the outposts in the Japanese concession, the two have been fighting for a long time."
"Where does Bai Junqi's foundation lie? Fujita Hajime."
"Now that the Bai family has cut off his channels, where can he go? He can only focus his efforts on Fujita Hajime."
"Young people are competitive and good at currying favor with the powerful. By pursuing Masako, they not only gained the beauty but also got in on Fujita Hajime's trail."
"It's a win-win deal; if you or I were in your shoes, we would do the same."
He turned around and looked at Liu Zhongwen: "Not only that, he's also secretly pursuing Madam Huixiang."
He turned around and looked at Liu Zhongwen: "Not only that, he's also secretly pursuing Madam Huixiang."
Liu Zhongwen's brow twitched slightly.
"You're not unaware of the connections behind Madam Huixiang."
"If Xuesen wants to open up channels for Japanese businesses, he has to take this route."
Li Shiqun walked back to the sofa, sat down, lit a cigarette, and took a puff.
"I've always wondered how this young man in his early twenties could be so popular everywhere."
"He can strike up a conversation with anyone, whether they're Japanese or American."
"Now I understand."
"He really knows how to cultivate relationships. He can turn every relationship into money."
"At least for now, this is to my advantage."
He analyzed it very steadily.
Liu Zhongwen sneered, "I'm afraid Wang Xuesen has ulterior motives and wants to use the director to sow discord and eliminate the Bai family."
Li Shiqun stubbed out his cigarette, his gentle smile still on his face, and asked slowly, "Old Liu, why do you think that way?"
Liu Zhongwen took a piece of paper out of his briefcase and spread it on the coffee table.
Above is his handwritten timeline.
The handwriting is neat and the entries are clear.
"Director, after investigation, it has been found that Bai Junqi's report on the sentry post was triggered by Hu Junhe's theft of a batch of his smuggled goods in Liujiagang."
"What Peng Sanhu secretly told us was that the location of the sentry post was chosen by Wang Xuesen."
"Then Hu Junhe demanded Liujiagang, hijacked Bai family's goods, and our outpost's funding was cut off—a series of events."
He raised his head and stared intently at Li Shiqun:
"Considering the Suzhou River incident last night, don't you think he's intentionally trying to escalate our relationship with the Bai family?"
Li Shiqun smiled, picked up his teacup, and took a sip:
"Old Liu, you're overthinking it."
"I personally signed off on Hu Junhe's demand for the guard post. Besides, don't you know what Old Hu is thinking?"
"Because they're greedy."
He put down his teacup and continued:
"Wang Xuesen's only flaw was that he was too smooth in his dealings with people, always leaving himself some benefit for everyone. If he had just reported to me truthfully, none of this would have happened."
"Of course, it's also possible that he underestimated the extent of the situation."
Li Shiqun stood up, put his hands behind his back, and took two steps.
"This also indirectly proves that he may know there are goods there that can be exploited and that he can help Hu Junhe, but that doesn't necessarily mean he knows they belong to the Bai family."
Liu Zhongwen's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something.
Li Shiqun didn't give him a chance and continued, "As for the Suzhou River incident, Ji Qing has always paid the bill only after the goods are sold."
"If this was a setup by Wang Xuesen, this shipment is worth thousands of US dollars, and he would have lost it all for nothing."
He turned around and his gaze fell on Liu Zhongwen's face.
"Is it worth it for him, a man who is lustful and greedy?"
This statement was made lightly, but it carries immense weight.
Liu Zhongwen fell silent.
Li Shiqun could tell that Lao Liu still had something to say.
But he wasn't in a hurry.
He knows Liu Zhongwen.
Once this person has made up their mind about something, they won't give up until they've said everything.
This is also why he has used Liu Zhongwen for so many years.
It's not scary when a loyal dog bites; what's scary is when a loyal dog stops biting.
really.
Liu Zhongwen remained silent for more than ten seconds, then gritted his teeth:
"Director, let's take a step back and say..."
"Even if Wang Xuesen did not do it intentionally, he has the abilities of Zhang Yi and Su Qin, and his silver tongue can stir up trouble wherever he goes."
"And that's exactly what I'm worried about."
"I fear that what he is plotting is not for personal gain at all."
"But it's you."
"It's number 76."
Li Shiqun's eyes turned cold: "What do you mean?"
Liu Zhongwen put his glasses back on and met Li Shiqun's gaze without looking away.
"You still suspect he's a spy sent from Shancheng?" Li Shiqun asked, frowning.
Liu Zhongwen said, "Bai Junqi is backed by Zhang Xiaolin, who is also the Chief of Staff of the 13th Army, Sakurai. I'm worried that he's trying to incite you, Zhang Xiaolin, and the Japanese to fight amongst yourselves, and in the end..."
He paused for a moment.
"He fell from a building and died."
Liu Zhongwen added at the end: "It will make Shancheng, Dai Li, and Xu Enzeng a laughing stock."
Li Shiqun's face darkened.
It wasn't that I was persuaded, but rather that I felt a vague unease.
He stared at Liu Zhongwen for three seconds, his voice turning slightly colder: "Mr. Liu, how could I not have thought of that?"
"But Zhang Xiaolin and I were never meant to be."
"I need money, I need to develop No. 76, and make it bigger and stronger. This is an obstacle I can't avoid."
"What I think about Wang Xuesen is actually not that important."
He walked back to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down: "And don't forget, I'm the one playing chess."
"Wang Xuesen was just a pawn."
Liu Zhongwen lowered his eyes and sighed deeply: "Director, good medicine tastes bitter."
"Believe me, Wang Xuesen is definitely not simple; he must have some ulterior motive."
Li Shiqun was unhappy.
Old Liu went a bit too far.
To put it bluntly, they just felt they had misjudged Wang Xuesen and couldn't grasp his sharp sword.
The smile on his face faded slightly, and he said patiently, "Old Liu, you're overthinking it."
"Alright, Director. Words aren't enough, let's make a bet." Liu Zhongwen stopped arguing and changed his approach.
"Summon Wang Xuesen for advice. He will surely explain the difficulties in obtaining supplies and, taking advantage of the 76th Division's financial strain, persuade you to assassinate Bai Junqi and Zhang Xiaolin."
"This will thoroughly ignite the conflict between you and Boss Zhang."
Li Shiqun glanced at him, and seeing that he was determined to gamble, said:
"Let's see what Wang Xuesen has to say."
"Let's make this clear first, what happens if we lose?"
Without hesitation, Liu Zhongwen said resolutely, "If I lose, I will cut off one of my fingers and never again utter a single word of criticism against Wang Xuesen."
"Severing a finger is unnecessary."
Li Shiqun glared at him, clearly displeased.
"I've said it before, you are my Crouching Dragon and Phoenix Chick, and neither of you can be missing."
"If you lose, you must then work together with Wang Xuesen, how about that?"
Liu Zhongwen nodded: "That's for sure."
Li Shiqun certainly wouldn't completely trust Wang Xuesen.
However, he wouldn't be tempted to kill Liu Zhongwen just because of a few words.
"Don't use those you doubt, and don't doubt those you use"—that's just nonsense from a fool.
The true art of managing people lies in using them with suspicion, and using them with suspicion.
Hold the reins firmly, but don't strangle the horse.
Liu Zhongwen is right; Wang Xuesen does indeed possess the abilities of Zhang Yi.
But no matter how capable Zhang Yi was, wasn't he just doing somersaults on the King of Qin's chessboard?
He wanted to see how this piece would play today.
Li Shiqun picked up the phone and quickly dialed the number:
"Xuesen, it's me."
"Come to my office."
……
"Spy Code: Shen Gongbao" - Stunning writing style and a thrilling plot!