Chapter 687: Do you know about Project Zeus?

"Congratulations.'

'Congratulations on what?'

'You've been made permanent.'

'What?'

'From now on, you're the head of the Third Intelligence Department. I've been removed from my post.'

'No...'

Zhang Yong's mouth grew wide.

He wanted to say something. But it was hard to say.

As expected, the fastest way to get a promotion is to sell your position. Pay tribute here, get promoted there.

Director...

Director...

Well, I'm on the same level as Boss Dai...

This is ridiculous.

Boss Dai is a Director, and so is he...

However, Boss Dai's Director oversees thousands of people. He reports directly to the Chairman. His Director is...

He only has a hundred people under him.

He's subordinate to the Staff Department under the Department of Planning...

There's a difference of about ten levels.

The Director is a junior general. I think his rank in the Secret Service is only Captain?

He was temporarily given the rank of Major in the Air Force. But it's all temporary. There's no record of it in the Civil Service Bureau.

If you use the words of a later era, it's a temporary worker.

Only the Restoration Society recognises him. The state doesn't. If anything happens, he'll immediately be made the scapegoat.

Well, more or less that's the way it is.

So don't get too happy. This position is worthless.

It's a favour.

More often than not, he'll be told to do menial tasks.

From now on, Zhang Yong will be in charge of this Third Intelligence Department.

If there are any security problems in the Air Force, he'll be the first one to be held accountable.

He doesn't have much power.

But he'll have a lot of responsibility.

If there's another Yang Junjian, he'll have to run around like a dog.

'Fund-raising.'

'Staff-raising.'

Yang Lichu continued.

Zhang Yong didn't react much.

It had been like this before. He was used to it.

The bosses above did things like this. They gave you the power, and you had to sort it out yourself.

Funding wasn't actually difficult.

There were too many opportunities to make money.

The Third Bureau was considered a semi-intelligence agency.

All intelligence agencies in the world, regardless of their nature, had their own ways of making money. The funding allocated by the higher-ups was not even close to enough.

In the middle and late stages of the war, Dai's military intelligence unit was raking in money like crazy. They were desperate to accumulate wealth. But the bottomless pit of greed was insatiable.

So, the Third Bureau of Intelligence also had to find its own source of income.

Only money that went into your pocket is your own money.

Oh no...

I'm thinking about Ding Furong's wealth again...

My heart aches...

Millions of silver dollars!

It's all been handed over.

Xuan Tiewu even got 30%...

Damn it...

It's better to just sink it in the Qiantang River...

Huh?

Wait!

Zhang Yong suddenly had a thought.

Sink into the Qiantang River?

It seemed like he had thought of something. But he hadn't grasped it.

Scratching his head.

'Right, the 4th Airborne Regiment...' Yang Li began to speak, but stopped.

'That's a mess,' Zhang Yong brought his thoughts back.

'It is a mess,' Yang Li said slowly, 'but you have to set it up. Do it beautifully.'

'Me?' Zhang Yong frowned.

What is this?

You want the horse to run, but you don't want it to eat grass?

You're kidding...

I'm not a fairy. I can't turn stones into gold.

How am I supposed to build something up from such a big mess? There's no one to do it, no money to do it...

Nonsense...

'In October, on the birthday of the chairman, you will be given a place at the banquet.'

'What?'

Zhang Yong was stunned.

It wasn't a surprise. It was a shock.

I'm doomed...

Attending Chiang Kai-shek's birthday banquet is the ultimate merit-based reward!

"You don't believe me?'

'No. I'm not worthy. Not worthy. Really.'

'My wife said it's a done deal.'

'I really have to thank her...'

Zhang Yong smiled bitterly.

Of course, Yang Lichu mustn't find out.

I'm doomed.

If this news gets out, I wonder what the Director will think.

Sigh...

There's nothing I can do. There's always a way out of a problem.

'Are you going?'

'Me? I'm not qualified.'

'Why?'

'Are you deliberately trying to make me angry, and you're asking why?'

'Why?'

'Go to hell!'

'I can't bear for you to die...'

'Hm...'

Yang Lichu was hugged again.

Angry, she reached down and stamped on his foot. Hard.

As a result, he just wouldn't let go. He kept pushing. Gradually, she ran out of strength. She didn't want to really hurt him by stamping on his foot.

So she had to give up. And he got his way again.

After a long time...

Zhang Yongzhai reluctantly let her go.

Yang Lichu blushed, lowered her head, and straightened her trench coat. She glared at him fiercely.

This jerk!

What a bad guy!

But why did she like him anyway? What a demon! She felt like she must be crazy, crazy...

'I'm leaving.'

'So soon?'

'I came to give you good news. Now that I've done that, what's the point of staying? What else do you want to do? You're such a jerk!'

'Well...'

Zhang Yong had no choice but to see her off.

She felt like a little bee. Or a mouthpiece.

Or a beautiful vase.

But that was fine. What he needed was a beautiful vase.

As long as she didn't get in the way. It was all good.

He would simply woo her with dollars.

Later, when he is more established, he will send her and Song Ziyu to the United States.

One in the east, one in the west. Each will carve out their own world.

He doesn't have time to slowly cultivate the land and develop it. But he can let them cultivate it.

He can just leave the domestic affairs to Liao Panxi.

There will be a clear division of labour.

The harem will be harmonious.

Escape...

After sending Yang Lichu away, he found a place to stay nearby. He monitored Sun Dingyuan 24 hours a day.

Zhang Yong didn't know what the Japanese spy had said to Sun Dingyuan after he returned, or whether Sun Dingyuan believed it. He guessed that Sun Dingyuan would continue to send people out to test the waters. Sun Dingyuan was a crafty old fox, and it was unlikely that he would believe it easily. Fortunately, the Japanese spy Song Fei was also an old hand. He would definitely be able to handle it.

Sure enough, at noon the next day, another Japanese spy appeared.

It wasn't Song Fei. It was someone else.

There was a weapon symbol. And a gold symbol too.

'Oh no...'

He suddenly realised something.

Yesterday, Song Fei had a gold emblem, but he didn't find any gold.

Because he had already found the silver banknote for 10,000 tael, Zhang Yong was so happy that he became careless. He forgot to look for gold.

But now, when he thinks about it, he did search his entire body!

Could it be hidden somewhere else? Where else? In the crotch?

No. That would be too...

Next time, he'll have someone else search him.

He's more or less a germaphobe.

He silently monitored the movements of the second Japanese spy.

This Japanese spy took a completely different route from Song Fei yesterday.

He made a very long detour. At one point, Zhang Yong doubted whether the other person was actually going to Adam's Inn.

But then he felt relieved. Yes, the other person was indeed going to find Wiggins.

So he quietly judged the other person's route and then ambushed him in advance. Then he knocked him out with one blow.

When the Japanese spy fainted, his body stumbled and he actually lost his shoes. At first, Zhang Yong didn't care. Then he realised that something was wrong.

Huh?

Why does it seem like there's gold light inside the shoes?

He hurriedly looked closer. He discovered that inside this guy's leather shoes, there was actually a golden insole stuffed in.

Yellow?

An insole?

He immediately realised something. He hurriedly pulled it out.

Sure enough, it was a gold insole. It was stuffed inside the leather shoe. Just like Chen Ming wanted to hide it from Xiu Ning.

Good guy, I guess Song Fei also missed it yesterday.

Who would go through the other person's shoes? It stinks.

But I can't worry about that now. Take off the other shoe as well. Sure enough, there was also a gold insole inside.

I admire this Sun Dingyuan, he is really cunning. He actually came up with such a method. He actually hid the gold inside the shoes.

I didn't find it yesterday. I guess it was swallowed by Song Fei. Song Fei is not going to return the gold shoe insole. He must have reported that he had already handed it over to Wiggins. These Japanese spies are quite professional when it comes to lying.

Continue to search the body.

It's all familiar territory.

I found another stack of silver notes.

They're also from the Citibank. The face value is 100 silver dollars. 100 pieces. That's also 10,000 taels of silver.

It seems that Sun Dingyuan really has a lot of money!

The troops have made a mess of things. But they're really good at making money. The escape route was also arranged properly.

Continue to search the body.

There was nothing else found. The crotch was also repeatedly beaten with a wooden stick.

Nothing unusual was found. But the Japanese spy was awakened by the repeated blows. Then, clutching his groin, he wanted to cry but couldn't. He was in so much pain that he couldn't make a sound.

After a long time...

the Japanese spy finally regained some strength.

Zhang Yong slowly asked, 'Yesterday, when Song Fei went back, did Sun Dingyuan suspect anything?'

'He...he...' The Japanese spy understood.

Song Fei had been arrested. And then released again. And told in the report that everything had been arranged properly.

He spoke with conviction, and the details were described very accurately. No one suspected. Including Sun Dingyuan. Sending him out today was to reconfirm it.

Who would have thought that there was a trap outside.

They thought it was safe outside, but in fact, they had been ambushed long ago.

Poor Sun Dingyuan, he thought no one could find him at all. In fact, every move he made was being watched by someone else.

'You want to go to Adam's Shop in Asia and find Wiggins?'

'Yes...'

The Japanese spy helplessly bowed his head.

Frustrated.

Desperate.

He had thought he could escape, but who knew that he had already been counted out.

He had just emerged, only to fall into the other party's trap.

There was nothing he could do.

His only hope was that the other party would not realise that he was Japanese. Then there would be a chance for him to rise again.

'Okay, let's go!'

Zhang Yong and the Japanese spy entered the Adam's Shop again.

Wiggins was a little impatient when he saw Zhang Yong. He didn't ask them to go aside and talk.

He said directly, 'Where's the deposit?'

'I've got it with me,' Zhang Yong said slowly, 'but there are some details we need to discuss.'

'The deposit,' said Wiggins coldly.

Apparently, he was also a man who wouldn't budge without seeing some results. He didn't bother arguing with them.

Zhang Yong took out the bank draft. He displayed it a little. Wiggins's face softened slightly.

The three of them went back to the clearing from the previous day.

There were wooden tables and benches.

They sat down.

'What do you want to know?'

'We want to take some weapons on board.'

'Impossible.'

'We must take weapons to protect ourselves.'

'Absolutely impossible.'

'Mr. Wiggins, if we don't take weapons, what if someone on the ship does something to us?'

'There's no such thing.'

'Mr. Wiggins, you don't want to throw us all overboard halfway through the journey, do you?'

'You're thinking too much.'

'One pistol per person. That's the bottom line.'

'No way!'

Wiggins flatly refused.

Zhang Yong was thus more and more suspicious that this guy was up to no good.

From Hangzhou to Shanghai, there might not be a problem. But once they arrived in Shanghai and boarded the ship to the United States, then it was hard to say.

It was possible that the people behind Wiggins would really kill them all and throw them into the sea.

The Americans must have weapons on the ship. If Sun Dingyuan and the others did not have weapons, they would definitely die.

It must be understood that the ship they were taking was not a regular ship.

The ship that Wiggins arranged for them to use is definitely a so-called 'black ship'. It is not registered and no records are kept. It does not officially exist.

Some of these black ships are purely run by pirates. They are all operating without a license.

Although you, Sun Dingyuan, may be very cunning on land. Like the cunning rabbit with its 30 dens. But once you are at sea, you will definitely be helpless.

Killing people and taking their money is the basic operation of pirates.

'You must bring it.'

'You cannot bring it.'

'You must bring it.'

'No discussion.'

Wiggins' attitude was quite firm.

It was as if he would rather not do this business than allow them to bring weapons on board.

It was written on his forehead that if you bring weapons, we cannot kill you and throw you into the sea. And then plunder your goods...

'Then we are not going with you,' Zhang Yong said angrily.

'Then I'll turn you in,' Wiggins replied coldly.

'You!' Zhang Yong pretended to be angry.

Damn these Americans. They really are like dogs. They turn on you as soon as you turn your back.

Turn you in?

Do you want to die?

However, this move was absolutely fatal for Sun Dingyuan.

If Wiggins really reported them, Sun Dingyuan would be dead. Even if there were five British hostages, it wouldn't work. Because it was the Americans who had come forward.

What did it matter to the Chinese if the foreigners were fighting among themselves?

'You are all outlaws. You are fugitives from the law. Only I can help you,' Wiggins sneered.

'Mr. Wiggins, we just have these concerns,' Zhang Yong said, changing his tone when he saw that he had won the argument. "We can accept any other arrangements. We will board the ship on time in three days.'

'Deposit," Wiggins said obstinately.

Zhang Yong shook his head.

Think I'll pay you?

Dream on.

There can be no deposit. There never can be a deposit. I, Zhang Yong, am counting on this small deposit to get by.

'Mr. Wiggins, I have some information here. Would you be interested?'

'Information? You should go to Safiya.'

'No. This information, I do not sell. Only for you.'

'Tell me.'

'The information was leaked by the five Englishmen. They also secretly spied on Germany.'

'What is it?'

'The Germans are designing and building a new battleship, named after Bismarck.'

'I'm not interested.'

'But someone must be interested. Right? Apart from the British, someone else must be interested.'

'You're being optimistic,'

'No. I'm telling you the truth. The Japanese are designing and building the latest battleship, the British are designing and building it, the Germans are designing and building it, so aren't you Americans?'

Zhang Yong spoke lightly.

Wiggins didn't respond.

It was as if he was dismissing Zhang Yong's words.

However, Zhang Yong was confident. Wiggins would definitely be interested. There must be someone behind this Wiggins.

The simple words just now were the result of Zhang Yong's thoughts last night.

It was all caused by the Yamato and the Prince of Wales. It made Zhang Yong think laterally a lot. He suddenly realised that the preparations for war before World War II were also in full swing.

Perhaps the aviation industry was a bit stagnant. However, the design and construction of warships at sea were indeed one after another, competing with each other.

The Washington Treaty, which limited the tonnage, had long been thrown into oblivion.

Now the world's major powers were racing against time to design and build new battleships. They wanted to gain an overwhelming advantage.

Moreover, the focus was on super-large battleships.

If a battleship didn't have a displacement of 40,000 tons, it was not worth greeting people when going out.

Britain was at the level of the Prince of Wales. Germany was at the level of the Bismarck. The Japanese were at the level of the Yamato. And the US was at the level of the Missouri?

I can't remember some of the details. I don't know if the Missouri is a North Carolina-class battleship, a South Dakota-class battleship, or an Iowa-class battleship. It's so complicated...

There is silence.

The Japanese spy seems to be listening to something from another world.

But Zhang Yong believes that the other party must be quietly memorising all the information just mentioned.

Now is the time to throw out the killer move.

'Mr. Wiggins, do you know about Project Zeus?'

'What project?'

'Project Zeus.'

'What is it?'

'A plan to design and build the latest battleship by the Japanese.'

'What do you know about it?'

'I learned from a spy network in the Japanese navy that the Japanese are designing and building an oversized battleship that greatly surpasses all warships in the world in terms of displacement and main gun caliber.'

'You're talking nonsense.'

'The design code name for this battleship is Archimedes.'

'What's the connection to Zeus?'

'Project Zeus. A total of eight such battleships were to be built.'

Zhang Yong treasured his words.

The fewer words, the greater the matter. The higher the value.

Eight?

That doesn't exist. The Japanese planned for a maximum of four.

But I had to add a bit to the number. It's eye-catching. It attracts spies from various countries.

'Displacement?'

'I don't know.'

'Main gun caliber?'

'I don't know.'

'Main engine power?'

'I don't know.'

'If you don't know anything, what are you telling me?'

'What do you think?'

Zhang Yong gave a meaningful smile.

Yes, I don't know anything. Because I haven't received any money. If I had received the money, I would know everything.

In the previous 226 project, there was no way to realise the plan. It was all for nothing. Zhang Yong decided to learn from his mistakes. He must receive the money first, and then disclose the information. Even if it's only 10,000 US dollars, it's good. Take things step by step. Earn money one step at a time.

'Gretel has arrived in the East...'

'Don't mention that name to me.'

'They are also interested in Project Zeus. They are willing to pay 100,000 pounds for the details of the project.'

'I won't believe it.'

'In that case, Mr. Wiggins, we will take our leave. Thank you for your hospitality. Although, there wasn't even a cup of coffee. But at least we got to sit and talk.'

'Please!'

Wiggins' face was set.

He ignored Zhang Yong's crazy ramblings. He invited him to leave.

Naturally, the Japanese spy also followed him out. He followed Zhang Yong silently. He tried to look obedient and low-key. But inside, he was thinking rapidly.

Project Zeus?

Archimedes?

Battleships designed by naval idiots?

They've actually leaked the information?

Good!

Good!

Damn it! Good riddance to the information!

The naval idiots are a bunch of useless idiots! They're just sitting there, not doing anything.

They've taken most of the Empire's funding and built so many battleships, but they've achieved nothing. They just lay around all day, basking in the sun.

What's even more outrageous is that the Navy's food is so much better than the Army's. While the brave soldiers in the Army can't even get enough to eat, the Navy brats get to eat red wine and steak. They're squandering the Empire's precious military funds!

We must make an issue of this.

We must strike a severe blow against the arrogance of the Navy brats.

We must get back the military funds!