Chapter 531: Seductive Operation

"What role will Mayu play?'

'Comrade Mayu will go on a more dangerous mission.'

'Go undercover with the Japanese invaders?'

'He betrayed his comrades, and now his identity has been exposed. He has no other choice but to defect to the Japanese invaders.'

'Will the Japanese invaders take him in?'

'I don't know.'

'Then...'

'This is something Comrade Ma Yu has been asking for himself. He wants to take this opportunity to get close to the Japanese.'

'What if he is found out?'

'That's why I came to see you in the middle of the night. I had to talk to you face to face.'

'What do you mean?'

'If you, Zhang Yong, don't do anything, Comrade Ma Yu will be safe for the time being.'

'But I have to do something. Otherwise, the Japanese will definitely suspect something.'

'Yes...'

Ant was silent.

Zhang Yong was right. This was a very crucial point.

In Zhang Yong's character, he could not let Ma Yu go. If Zhang Yong did not strike Ma Yu, the Japanese would discover that something was wrong.

It was a dead end.

Once Zhang Yong struck, Ma Yu would definitely die.

If Ma Yu did not die, it would mean that Zhang Yong might have let him go on purpose. Then Ma Yu would also be killed by the Japanese.

These days, there are too many ways to make someone disappear without a trace.

Once the Japanese suspect something, they will deal with it decisively.

Silence.

The cold wind whistled.

Zhang Yong's mind flashed with countless images.

Ma Yu...

What a surprise!

He was really, really ordinary. Very inconspicuous.

Although, he was an old hand at the Tianjin Station. But, normally, he really had no sense of presence. Completely unknown.

At the Tianjin Station, there was only Chen Gongshu, no one else.

After a few encounters, Zhang Yong had already treated Ma Yu as if he were invisible. Later, he simply sent him to the logistics department.

If you ask Zhang Yong to describe Ma Yu's appearance now, he can't even do it in precise words.

He's really, really ordinary. There's nothing special about him. If you put him in a crowd of people, no one would ever notice him. He doesn't seem to have any hobbies either. He's just so unremarkable.

Who would have thought that he was actually a member of the Red Party? He's been undercover in the Fuxing Society for years. There's no sign of it at all.

His work is so skillful that it looks effortless, and his swordplay is so subtle that it's unpredictable. They're all amazing people!

'Your code name is Ant?'

'Yes.'

'You're under the Beiping Prefectural Party Committee?'

'Yes.'

'I want to ask you about some people.'

'Go ahead!'

'Okay. They are...'

Zhang Yong gave a few names.

They were all among those who had participated in the Wuyuan Oath. They were all representatives of the Red Party.

'Are they in Beiping?'

'Some are.'

'So it is...'

Zhang Yong nodded thoughtfully.

No wonder the 129 Movement had such a big impact. It turned out that there were bigwigs in charge.

As the Red Army gradually gained a foothold in northern Shaanxi, more and more people began to enter northern China. They tried to take root here and establish a new base.

The Red Party is very resilient. One person is a seed.

They are like tumbleweeds. Wherever the wind blows, they take root and grow.

As long as there is one person, they can develop a large area.

'Comrade Zhang Yong...'

'I'm not your comrade.'

'As long as you share the same ideals, you can be called a comrade.'

'It seems that you and I don't share the same beliefs.'

'Aren't you fighting the Japanese invaders, defending the country against foreign aggression?'

'Er...'

'Our common goal is to expel the Japanese invaders. As long as you recognise this, then we are comrades.'

'Okay...'

Zhang Yong had to admit. The other person was very persuasive.

And also honest enough. He had completely revealed his identity. It was equivalent to putting his life in his hands.

If Zhang Yong even slightly doubts his loyalty, the ant will die.

'What's your name?'

'Zhao Guanglin.'

'Real name?'

'Pseudonym.'

'What's your real name?'

'Chen Ergou.'

'What's your current disguise?'

'Beiping Police Department, Menglan Street Branch, third-level sergeant.'

'You're on night duty alone?'

'It's more convenient for movement.'

'I see.'

Zhang Yong pondered thoughtfully.

Since the other party had already revealed his identity, there was no need for him to hide anything.

He spoke openly.

'The Japanese want to plant people among your students, and they are all armed...'

'We already know. We are dealing with this matter.'

'But what you may not know is that the Japanese invaders' goal is to lure out Centipede. Their target is Centipede.'

'What?'

Ant's face visibly stiffened.

Then he realised something. His eyes suddenly became fierce.

Zhang Yong knew that the information he had was valuable. It turned out that the Red Party had not noticed this either.

They had accurately gauged Boss Dai's pulse. However, they had not thought of this Japanese tactic for the time being.

They still thought that the Japanese wanted to sabotage the student movement and create bloody conflicts. However, they did not expect that the Japanese wanted to use these decoys to find the senior members of the Red Party and then eliminate them.

This is how espionage works.

You plot against me. I plot against you. No one can avoid making mistakes.

As long as you are human, you will make mistakes.

Even the Red Party makes mistakes.

No one can avoid being 100% predictable.

There are always unexpected places. There are always flaws that you don't notice. And then the enemy takes advantage of them.

'The centipede is your leader?'

'Yes...'

'Then you deal with it yourself!'

Zhang Yong ended the conversation.

Don't know what you shouldn't know. To avoid trouble.

In this day and age, knowing too much is definitely not a good thing. This was one reason why Boss Dai ended up dying in a plane crash.

He knew too much about some things. Other people might have second thoughts.

If you want someone to keep a secret forever, it's best to kill them.

'Is Ma Yali still alive?'

'Yes.'

'Can I speak to him alone?'

'Yes.'

Zhang Yong immediately made the arrangements.

He took Zhao Guanglin directly to the Shunfeng Pawnshop.

The other people were informants arranged by Li Boqi. They were there to help them.

Do we need to say hello to Li Boqi?

No.

Zhang Yong felt that he now had a grasp on Li Boqi's character.

Whenever anything involving the Red Party came up, Li Boqi would either pretend to be ignorant or take direct action to cover it up. This guy, I'm worried that sooner or later Boss Dai will get him.

Zhao Guanglin was left alone with the Japanese spy. Zhang Yong kept a lookout with his men.

It's a cold winter's night.

Fortunately, everyone is wearing sweaters under their Mao suits.

Unfortunately, Zhang Yong's custom-made overcoat is not yet finished. It cannot be distributed yet. Everyone has to endure the cold for now.

'Ring, ring, ring...'

'Ring, ring, ring...'

Suddenly, the phone rings.

He looks back. It's the pawnshop's phone.

Zhang Yong subconsciously checks the time. It's a bit strange. It's 2am!

Who would be calling at this hour?

A nuisance call?

A scam?

Don't be ridiculous. There's no such thing these days.

A call in the middle of the night can only mean something important. Maybe it's a spy from the Japanese secret service. Or maybe it's the boss.

What should I do?

I have to answer it.

If I don't answer the phone, it means something's happened at the pawnshop. The other person will realise straight away.

Answer it. But how? What if I get caught? There's nothing I can do. I'll just have to improvise.

Let the phone ring.

I'll fall asleep. How can I get up that quickly to answer the phone?

It's winter, and getting up is the worst. You need to get dressed. You have to take your time.

A winter night in the capital can be deadly.

The other party obviously knows this too. So they wait patiently.

After ringing for a full minute, Zhang Yongcai picks up the phone and says in a deliberately indistinct and somewhat dissatisfied tone, 'Who is it...'

'Where is your boss?' A serious voice comes from the other end of the line, 'Put him on the phone.'

'Our boss is not here,' Zhang Yong thought of a good excuse.

'Where did your boss go?'

'He was probably taken away by Jiang Chaozong's daughter. He didn't say where he was going. He didn't come back at night either.'

'Jiang Chaozong's daughter?'

'Yes. Today a young woman came, claiming to be Jiang Chaozong's daughter, and pawned a gold watch, demanding 5,000 taels of silver. Our boss refused. Then the woman threatened to get our boss into trouble. Then she left. In the afternoon, someone came, and our boss went out.'

'Baka...'

Someone on the other end of the line muttered angrily.

Apparently, the other person was convinced.

There was nothing he could do. Zhang Yong had told the truth. Nine points were true, one point was false.

He had just put what had happened to him onto Ma Yali. And added a little bit of tail.

The phone was hung up.

For the time being, it should have been dealt with.

However, the Japanese invaders were not fools. They would probably verify the matter soon.

In other words, there was not much time left for them. The Japanese invaders would soon realise that something had happened to Ma Yali. And then they would take decisive measures.

Suddenly, a bold idea came to mind.

He immediately turned his head. He came to the front of Yuntaro Date.

At this moment, Zhao Guanglin and Yuntaro Date were silently staring at each other, the atmosphere was tense.

What did they talk about, Zhang Yong did not know.

Zhang Yong now only wanted to know one thing, Jiang Chaozong's phone number.

Yuntaro Date must know. He and Jiang Chaozong must have been in contact.

'What do you want now?'

'I want Jiang Chaozong's phone number. Private. Not the public one.'

'What do you want the phone number for?'

'None of your business. Just give it to me.'

'You...'

Yuntao Ita reluctantly gave out the phone number.

Sure enough, it wasn't listed. No outsider would dial this number. Only someone close would know it.

Dial the number.

Dial it slowly, one digit at a time.

Don't make a mistake. It's the middle of the night. You'll wake someone up. You'll definitely get scolded.

Finally, the phone connected.

'Dudu...'

'Dudu...'

There is no answer on the other end. Zhang Yong waits patiently.

Who can answer the phone so quickly at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning in the dead of winter, and it's a personal call?

One minute is considered good. Two or three minutes is normal.

Zhao Guanglin walks out.

'You're looking for Jiang Chaozong?'

'Actually, it's not a big deal. I just need to borrow some money from him.'

'You...'

Zhao Guanglin is about to say something, but then stops.

He wants to say something, but it's not easy to say.

He remembered the guy's nickname, Moneybags. He wondered what kind of trick he was up to.

'Who is it...'

Finally, someone picked up the phone.

Zhang Yong couldn't tell if it was Jiang Chaozong. He had never dealt with Jiang Chaozong before. But he had a plan.

'This is Beijo Tsukasa from the Puwei Police Department,' Zhang Yong spoke in a low voice.

'Beijo...Ta-kun-sama,' the person on the other end of the line seemed to come to his senses immediately.

A Japanese person?

A Japanese person calling in the middle of the night?

'Are you Jiang Chaozong?' Zhang Yong said stiffly, "If so, you can continue to answer the phone. If not, tell him to come and answer the phone immediately.'

'Taijun, I am Jiang Chaozong..." the person on the other end of the line hurriedly replied.

'Yoshinobu! Jiang, I have something to tell you. Today, your daughter seriously offended the dignity of the Great Japanese Empire!'

'My daughter? Taijun, Taijun, what is it?'

'Today, your daughter came to the Shunfeng pawnshop with a gold watch and tried to extort 5,000 taels of silver from us, but was firmly refused by Date Yuntaro.'

'Date, Date...'

'Jiang, you may not know, but Maya is one of the best intelligence officers in the Empire of Japan. Maya is his pseudonym. The owner of the Shunfeng pawnshop is his cover identity.'

'Ah, this, this, this... Taijun, I really didn't know, I didn't know...'

'I want you to apologise to him immediately! Send a gift to him right away! Remember, it has to be a valuable gift! And it has to be sincere!'

'Understood, understood, understood...'

'Date-kun is a pillar of the Empire of Japan, and General Katsuji Katsuki highly values him. He once gave Date-kun all the precious gifts the Germans gave him...'

'Understood, understood...'

'Don't come here for now. Send it over. I'll speak for you.'

'Thank you...'

'Remember. My name is Hojo Tsukasa. I saved your life tonight.'

'Thank you...'

Jiang Chaozong suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

Zhang Yong hung up the phone quickly.

Review.

There didn't seem to be any loopholes.

Jiang Chaozong's tone also didn't sound suspicious. They should send the gift immediately.

Jiang Chaozong, holding the phone, felt a chill down his spine. Once again, his daughter had caused trouble. The Japanese had come knocking on his door. He should never have taken his daughter back to China!

He looked for it and sure enough, he found a gold watch missing.

He didn't bother to check with his daughter. He quickly prepared a big gift to apologise.

Not only must it be given to Ma Yali... no, it must be given to Date Yuntaro. It must also be given to Hojo Tsukasa. The last remark was a reminder that he must also get his share.

Two shares...

It must be two shares. Not one less.

Since it is a generous gift, the share given to Date Yuntaro must definitely be no less than 10,000 taels of silver!

Since his daughter has asked someone else for 5,000 taels of silver, she must apologise twice as much.

The Japanese called in the middle of the night to make a scene, and this matter could be serious!

From the tone of this 'Hojo Tsukasa', it seems that this 'Date Yuntaro' is highly regarded by Katsuji Katsuki, and he definitely has a bright future. Then...

More, more.

Since it's already 20,000. Then add 10,000 more. It shows that you are sincere.

Then 30,000. It's already 30,000. Then round it off? How about 50,000?

Although it hurts a little, after all, you have offended someone. And it's the Japanese you've offended. If you want Hojo Tsukasa and Date Yuntaro to be on good terms, you have to pay a lot.

After thinking about it, he finally decided to give 50,000.

Since he gave Date Yuntaro 50,000, he can't give Hojo Tsukasa too little. He definitely has to give 20,000.

When someone calls in the middle of the night, they repeatedly emphasise their sincerity. If they still don't understand, sooner or later they will be dealt with by the Japanese.

Understand...

They must understand...

One part is 50,000. One part is 20,000.

In addition to the 20,000, you must also put in a few treasures.

The Japanese are very interested in Chinese treasures. Naturally, you must cater to their interests.

Arrange it!

Immediately call in your trusted henchman. Prepare carefully.

The gift is divided into two parts. Both are marked in an obscure way.

Special instructions: Don't say a word. Don't ask any questions. Hand it over to the person inside and leave. The main thing is to leave no trace. If you give a generous gift, all will be well.

Over here, Zhang Yong lightly taps his finger on the table.

He learned this from Li Boqi.

Suddenly, he notices Zhao Guanglin looking at him. He turns his head. He notices Zhao Guanglin's strange expression. He is about to say something, but then stops.

'What are you looking at?'

'You...'

Zhao Guanglin really wanted to say, you're a sly one.

At this hour, you haven't forgotten to fleece Jiang Chaozong. It seems like you've succeeded.

You're talented...

Really.

Unfortunately, it seems like you're going in the wrong direction.

If this were a comrade in your own party, Zhao Guanglin might have to warn the other person. But Zhang Yong is not. So...

'Wait a minute. Jiang Chaozong will send someone with money soon.'

'I'm leaving.'

'Now?'

'Yes. I have to continue patrolling. I'll be seeing you again soon.'

'You're not afraid of being exposed?'

'You're a good cover. No one dares to touch you, except the Japanese. And no one dares to touch me.'

'Okay...'

Zhang Yong admitted. It was true.

No one would dare to lay a hand on Zhang Yong, except the Japanese.

'Wait!'

'What else?'

'I have tracked down the Japanese invaders' two spies within the 29th Army. One is stationed at Nanyuan Airport and is called Zhou Yukun. The other is stationed at Wanping City and is called Tian Fengmao. If you are capable, please help deal with them. I cannot appear in person for the time being.'

'Leave it to us!'

'Good!'

Zhang Yong waved his hand.

Zhao Guanglin then got on his bicycle. He continued his patrol.

Ding-a-ling...

Ding-a-ling-a-ling...

Everything is ringing except the bell...

Zhang Yong: ...

My heart feels much more at ease.

I have finally made contact with someone from the Red Party. I have some help.

As expected, 49th City is 49th City. Whether it is the enemy or our own people, the strength here is much greater than in other places.

Who were the representatives of the Red Party who attended the oath-taking ceremony in Wuyuan at that time?

Some of them were in the city. They silently directed the underground party's operations...

and waited patiently.

Soon afterwards, the map showed the arrival of a small white dot.

It was fast. It must have been driving.

Haha, it must be the person delivering the money. Not bad. This Jiang Chaozong. Very capable. Very efficient.

Immediately walked out of the pawnshop. Waited at the door.

Sure enough, soon saw the headlights of a car.

The car stopped at the door. A man got out of the car. He saw Zhang Yong. He nodded. He didn't say anything. Then he carried two wooden boxes down. One was big and the other was small.

He handed the big box to Zhang Yong with both hands. Then he brought the small box over again. Zhang Yong took them all.

The other person quickly drove away. He didn't say a word the whole time.

Zhang Yong took the two boxes back inside the pawnshop.

He opened them.

Inside were stacks and stacks of banknotes.

He was unhappy.

Because they are all from the Baoshang Bank.

Sigh...

But there's nothing I can do. I pretended to be Japanese and called, so Jiang Chaozong would definitely give me Baoshang Bank notes. How could he give me US dollars or British pounds? That would be asking for trouble,

That was careless...

But never mind, it's better than nothing.

Keep looking. There are still a few treasures. There are antiques. There is also jadeite. And nephrite?

I don't understand. Maybe some of it is worth something.

Shake his head.

That's enough for tonight. He can't think of any more tricks.

Go to sleep.

Continue digging for money tomorrow...

No...

Continue fighting!