Chapter 771: Reputation First

"What? Are you dissatisfied?'

'Who wants a crappy bed!'

'What did you say?'

'I, no, no, I am, flattered, flattered...'

Zhang Yong changed his mind on the spot.

Damn it. It seems that things are not under control!

It's obvious that things are getting out of hand. I don't want any credit. Why is the President still looking at me?

I really want to ask, 'Are you out of your mind, President?

For no reason at all, you've arranged a bed for me in the Presidential Palace.

What for?

Winter is coming. Are you a Night's Watchman?

The long night is coming. I will start watching from now on, until death do us part. I will not be greedy for wealth, lustful, or have children...

What the hell!

He patted his head vigorously.

He tried to pat the muddy water inside out.

Something seemed to be wrong recently.

No matter what he did, it seemed that he could win the approval of the chairman.

Damn it...

Where did he go wrong...

Finally, after a few hard slaps, his mind seemed to have returned to normal.

After a long time, he remembered what he had to do. What was he doing in Jinling? Ask Li Boqi.

Are you done asking? Yes. Then why aren't you leaving? Are you going to stay here and wait for the New Year?

There are 36 stratagems, and the best is to retreat. I'll go now as a show of respect.

Back to Shanghai. Never mind Jinling...

'Ring ring ring...'

'Ring ring ring...'

Suddenly, the phone rang.

Zhang Yong immediately stood at attention, saluted, and turned to leave. He pondered asking Yang Lichu for a plane...

Leaving like the wind.

No one could catch him...

'Answer the phone,' came Li Boqi's voice.

'Me?' Zhang Yong frowned.

You're ordering me around again!

You're right next to the phone!

You don't have hands!

You're such a leader!

He turns back sulkily and picks up the receiver.

'Hello...'

'Yes? Where's Li Boqi?'

'He's not here at the moment. What's the matter? I'll let him know.'

'Tell that Zhang Yong to come to the Presidential Palace.'

'Zhang Yong? Which one?'

'That Zhang Yong! How many Zhang Yongs are there in your Secret Service?'

'Just one.'

'Then tell him to come to the Presidential Palace. It's urgent. Hurry.'

'You are...'

'Click!'

The phone hung up.

Zhang Yong took the receiver. He was in a daze.

Who is this? So arrogant. I really want to hit him behind his back.

Alas, I didn't react quickly enough just now. I should have cursed at him and said, 'I'm your father.' That would have been perfect.

Every time I get cursed at, I feel like I didn't react well enough.

Damn it. I haven't learned to curse well.

'Who was it?'

'I don't know. It was the Presidential Palace. He sounded really arrogant.'

'Get used to it.'

'What do you mean?'

'He's a high-ranking official, so he's used to looking down on people and giving orders. Even the President is often bossed around like that.'

'No way!'

'In the eyes of high-ranking officials, what are we?'

'Shit!'

Zhang Yong cursed angrily.

Surprisingly, Li Boqi didn't react. Maybe he wanted to swear too.

'What did you say?'

'Tell Zhang Yong to come to the Presidential Palace immediately.'

'The person who called doesn't know you.'

'The caller is not friendly.'

'What if it's the Executive Yuan?'

'I'm not going.'

'You can't not go. But you can make a phone call to confirm. Ask Director Lin. Or someone else.'

'Oh. Okay.'

Zhang Yong reacted. It seems that he can ask Director Lin.

It's fine. I know him well. He still has more than 10,000 taels of goods in his hands that he hasn't yet paid tribute for!

Seeing as it's worth more than 10,000 taels, it's not too much to answer the phone, right?

'Make the call here.'

'Yes.'

Zhang Yong picked up the receiver. He dialed the attendant's office.

He reported his identity properly. Then he asked for Director Lin. As it turned out, he really found him.

'Shaolong, what's the matter?'

'Director Lin, did you call for me? Just now someone...'

'I didn't call you!'

'Someone just called and asked me to go to the Presidential Office...'

'I didn't call you. Hold on. I'll ask.'

'Thanks.'

Zhang Yong frowned inwardly.

If it wasn't Director Lin, then who was it? Who was so arrogant?

Damn...

Don't let me find out. I'll definitely deal with them.

A moment later, Director Lin's voice came over the line, 'Shao Long, it's the Executive Yuan that's looking for you.'

'The Executive Yuan?' Zhang Yong's brows furrowed into a river.

'Yes.'

'Then I won't go.'

'Why?'

'I only listen to the President. Not the Executive Yuan.'

'You...'

'Director Lin, that's how it is with me. If the Executive Yuan doesn't like it, let them!'

'You...'

'Thank you, Director Lin. Sorry for the trouble. I'm hanging up.'

'You...'

Director Lin wanted to say something else.

Zhang Yong hung up the phone.

He saw Li Boqi's somewhat sharp gaze. He wasn't afraid. He was at ease.

I don't give a damn about Wang!

Hmph!

"You're very assertive!'

'What?'

'You've directly offended President Wang.'

'So what if I have. It doesn't matter. He can't do anything to me.'

'You're wrong. President Wang is still very capable. Even the Prime Minister has to give him face in many cases. Especially when it comes to party affairs.'

'I'm not a member of the party.'

'Neither is the Director.'

'So, in terms of party affairs, he can't control me.'

'Be careful in the future. President Wang holds a grudge.'

'Is he more powerful than the Japanese?'

'That's right. Go!'

'Yes.'

Zhang Yong stood at attention, saluted, and turned to leave.

President Wang holds a grudge? Haha. The one who holds a grudge the most is me, Zhang Yong. Okay. If I get the chance, I'll immediately take care of the Wang family...

When this emotion came over him, he forgot again that he had to go back to Shanghai.

He turned to the reference room.

He was going to find some Wang family information. Then he would strike.

However, he ran into Chen Qingquan, the head of the finance department. This Maitreya Buddha, without further ado, dragged Zhang Yong into his office.

There was nothing else. Just tea. Chen Qingquan had prepared some excellent tea.

'Chief Chen, you're too kind...'

'Shaolong, you're busy all day long, and now where are you going? Can't you just rest?'

'I'm not busy. I'm going to dig up some dirt on President Wang.'

'Who are you talking about? President Wang?'

'Yes. Wang Jingwei. We've fallen out. I want to do something behind his back.'

Zhang Yong makes no secret of it.

This is the secret service office. It's the secret service office of the Committee.

If someone reports a secret, it means the secret service office is unreliable. Someone is trying to stab us in the back.

When that happens, the head of the secret service will take care of it himself, without Zhang Yong having to do anything.

Someone in the secret service is actually informing Wang Jingwei? How can that be? Betraying one's country...

'You're not thinking of doing something stupid, are you?'

'Of course not. Just a little behind-the-scenes mischief.'

'Then go to Yuanyang Lake.'

'Oh? What's the catch?'

'That area is all Wang's property. If you want to cause trouble, you can go there. But don't say I told you.'

'Don't worry. The Wangs are coming after me. I can handle it.'

'Hey, this is really good tea!'

'Good tea...'

Zhang Yong couldn't help but say.

Half an hour later, Zhang Yong finally left.

However, before he could even get out the door, Zhang Yong noticed that the doorway was blocked again.

It was those two again. One was Gu Bafeng, the other was Li Shiqun. They were standing right in front of the headquarters on Jie'e Lane. It was as if they were waiting for him to come out.

No, it wasn't as if. They were definitely waiting for him. They wanted to see his dead body.

Zhang Yong was at a loss for words. These two guys.

Gu Bafeng was just being silly, but why was Li Shiqun acting like a lunatic too?

If you want to investigate a case, why don't you do it yourselves?

Why must you drag me along?

I only know how to catch Japanese spies, I really don't know anything else!

In terms of traditional detective skills, just pick a few people from the police station, they are all much better than me.

Besides, this is Jinling! It's the national capital! The police headquarters is here. It concentrates the best detective elites. You should go to the police headquarters!

Helpless.

Go out.

Leaning his head to the side, he looks at the two of them.

Without saying a word.

'Shaolong...'

'Shaolong...'

Gu Bafeng was impatient. He handed Zhang Yong a stack of photos.

Seeing that Zhang Yong didn't react, he showed Zhang Yong each photo one by one. Obviously, he was unwilling to let go.

Zhang Yong was originally indifferent.

They were all photos from the scene. They had just been developed. The scenes were very bloody and cruel.

However, he was determined not to pay any attention to this matter. He already had a lot on his hands. There was simply no way he could finish everything. Where would he find the time...

'Huh?'

'Wait,'

Zhang Yong suddenly exclaimed.

But on one of his photos, he noticed a word.

It was the bloody character 'Li'.

It was written on the ground.

It looked vaguely familiar.

Suddenly, he remembered that he had seen a character like this before in Tianjinwei. The two were almost identical.

Yes. Almost exactly the same. Even the circumstances were similar. Both were Japanese invaders who had been killed. Both had been tortured to death. The murderer seemed to have used very cruel methods to make the victims suffer for a very long time. Killing was not the goal. Torture was.

'How long did the torture last?'

'Four hours.'

'Ah...'

Zhang Yong frowned.

It had been almost four hours in Tianjinwei as well.

At the time, someone had told him that four hours was almost the limit of torture. It couldn't have been longer.

Unless it was to seek medical treatment. Treatment. And then it started again.

Obviously, the murderer could not have taken the victim to a hospital. So, after four hours, the Japanese soldier died.

Then the question arises...

How could there be two almost identical cases, one in Tianjin and one in Nanjing?

Bring the photos over here and carefully examine the bloody character '李'.

Yes, it is indeed exactly the same.

It is almost certain that the murderer is the same person.

The murderer may have killed someone in Tianjinwei first, and then fled to Jinling.

It is also possible that he killed someone else somewhere else. But no one noticed. And it may not have been a Japanese person.

'Shaolong...' Gu Bafeng asked expectantly.

'What are your conclusions?' Zhang Yong frowned.

'The murderer is a very professional guy. He didn't leave any valuable traces. However, he deliberately left a character 'Li'. It seems to announce to everyone that his surname is Li. He cut off all the clues. But he wants people to know that he did it,' Li Shiqun said.

'Why do you say that so awkwardly?' Zhang Yong said he didn't understand.

'This is the guy. He's an absolute professional. He knows that no one can trace him. But he also wants someone to be able to trace him,' explained Gu Bafeng. "Put simply, he's a psychopath.'

'Oh, so it's a psychopathic murderer. That's none of my business. I only know how to catch Japanese spies. I don't know how to catch psychopaths," said Zhang Yong, and then led the team away.

Gu Bafeng: ...

Li Shiqun: ...

The two of them looked at each other in silence.

Alas, this Zhang Yong...

It's over.

How can Zhang Yong solve the case without getting involved?

I'm completely at a loss!

The murderer is so professional.

So professional that everyone is at a loss.

Alas...

Zhang Yong led the team and quietly arrived near Yuanyang Lake. They observed from a distance.

Yuanyang Lake is actually a small lake near Xuanwu Lake. It is closely related to Xuanwu Lake. In the Ming Dynasty, it was a lake. It is said to have been quite large. But now, there is only a small pond left. The surrounding area has basically been filled in.

There are all kinds of industries surrounding Yuanyang Lake. There are many shops. It is quite prosperous.

Later generations of history have relatively few descriptions of the great traitor. In particular, there is not much information about his economic situation. Generally, people only know about the four families of Chiang, Soong, Kung and Chen.

In fact, the Chen family was a bit of a weak link. It was the Wang family that was fully capable of replacing the Chen family.

After Wang Jingwei defected to the Japanese, the Wang family's power skyrocketed. They became the number one family in the Japanese-occupied zone.

Because the Wang family was so greedy, the Japanese were also very annoyed with them.

'One...'

'Three...'

'Five...'

Zhang Yong silently counted the red dots on the edge of the map.

Damn, there are more than 30 red dots near Yuan Yang Lake. What do so many Japanese want here?

He raises his binoculars and looks closely. He discovers that some of the red dots are Japanese people just hanging out. But there are more, and they are hiding.

These Japanese people have a very simple occupation. Almost all of them are shopkeepers.

They control almost all the businesses around Yuan Yang Lake.

Damn, why didn't I notice this before?

Oh, before, in Jinling, he didn't sweep enough places, and there were many dead ends. This Yuanyang Lake is one of them.

Observe silently. Look for an opportunity to strike.

Huh?

Zhang Yong suddenly saw someone.

Who?

Little Nail.

A petty thief.

He had been caught by Zhang Yong before. Ready to be used.

But then Zhang Yong was too busy to care, and forgot about this little nail.

Now they meet again, it is fate.

They move quietly.

They sneak up on the little nail. Several people work together to hold the little nail down.

The little nail struggles desperately, but it is useless. Soon it is dragged outside.

Zhang Yong appears in front of him.

'Hey? Officer Zhang!' The little nail is overjoyed.

'You remember me?' Zhang Yong waves his hand. He tells someone to release the little nail.

The look on Little Nail's face just now did not seem like an act.

The other party was indeed happy to see him.

'You're from the Restoration Society...'

'What are you doing here?'

'Oh, I'm here to keep an eye on someone. A rich man.'

'Who?'

'I don't know his name. He doesn't even need to register at the hotel. But I understand that he's from the Liangguang region.'

'Liangguang?'

'Yes. He speaks with a strange accent. And he can't eat spicy food.'

'Oh.'

Zhang Yong didn't pay it any mind.

The target of the little nail was completely different from his own.

Coming from the Liangguang region, it seemed that he didn't have any goals either.

Suddenly, a marked red dot appeared. Check. It turned out to be Kitakata Taro.

Heh heh. This guy! He actually showed up again.

Unfortunately, it was daytime, so it wasn't a good time to sneak up and hit someone.

But there was no problem with arresting someone.

Deployed secretly.

Zhang Yong quietly approached Kitakata Taro from behind.

and raised the hawthorn stick.

Pop!

Kitakata: !@#¥%...

What's going on?

Why did it get dark so quickly?

And then...

There was no then.

Fainted.

Quickly picked him up. Then covered him with a black hood. Brought him to an empty house nearby.

Zhang Yong removed the hood. Waved his hand. Someone brought cold water.

'Clatter...'

'Clatter...'

Kitakata Taro woke up.

He was anxious and angry.

And scared.

Seeing Zhang Yong, he felt a sudden sense of relief.

He wondered who it was. It was Zhang Yong!

It's all right...

This guy only wants money, not life.

If you don't have any money, you can find someone to help you.

As long as you know someone else who has money.

Reputation first.

No cheating.

'What do you want? I don't have any money right now.'

'I'm not asking for money.'

'What do you want then?'

'Please introduce me to some fat sheep. I want to treat myself to a feast.'

'You...'

Higashigata Taro hesitated.

Zhang Yong immediately knew that there was a chance. The other party knew where to find fat sheep.

Good, good, good, looking forward to it!

'I'll give you 500 silver dollars for the information.'

'I don't want money.'

'What do you want then?'

'Can you not hit me on the head next time?'

'Yes!'

Zhang Yong readily agreed.

Tarō Kitakata let out a sigh of relief.

He had really worried that he would be beaten up. Crazy.

'Tell me.'

'Someone from Lingnan is here, with a lot of money, staying at the Yonghe Hotel.'

'What's his name?'

'I don't know the exact name. But I know the room number. It's room 305 at the Yonghe Hotel.'

'Good.'

Zhang Yong saw off Tarō Kitakata.

He entered the Yonghe Hotel quietly.

The map monitor shows that there is only one person inside room 305 of the Yonghe Hotel.

No weapons are visible. No gold either.

Knock on the door.

No response from inside. No movement from the person either.

Keep knocking.

Finally, the white dot inside reacts. It moves closer to the door.

'Who is it?'

'Sir, I'm the waiter! Emergency, there's a fire...'

Cen Zhaohai shouts.

The next moment, the door opens. The group rushes in.

The target was quickly subdued. Hands and feet were reversed. Bound.

Zhang Yong entered the room.

At a glance, he saw a large rattan box.

His spirits were suddenly lifted.

It really was...

After searching high and low, success came without any effort!

"Bang!'

The rattan box was opened.

Bales of French currency rolled out.