Chapter 801: The Truth

Fei Xinqing came to Shanghai, so there must be something going on.

The problem is, Zhang Yong can't ask so directly. Otherwise, the other party may instinctively resist answering.

Even if it's a concussion, there is a resistance consciousness deep in the mind.

A roundabout strategy must be adopted. Ask obliquely.

This guy really doesn't seem to be in his right mind. I need to keep pulling the thread.

'Did you disembark at Wusongkou Wharf?'

'Jinling...'

'Jinling?'

Zhang Yong was secretly surprised.

This guy actually disembarked at Jinling?

No, maybe not disembarked. Maybe he came by train. There are direct trains from Tianjin to Jinling.

The famous Jinpu Railway artery runs from Tianjin to Jinling.

'Train? Ship?'

'Train...'

'Are there many people on the train? Where are all the people around you going?'

'People...'

Fei Xinqing hesitated for a long time.

Obviously, he couldn't remember this question.

Zhang Yong had to give up. Change the question.

'Where are you going?'

'Going...'

Fei Xinqing was plunged into painful thought again.

Obviously, he couldn't answer this question either.

When he thought about the pain, he reached up and touched the back of his head.

Zhang Yong: ...

He regrets it. If only he had known. He should have been more gentle.

But he has never been gentle with his male targets. What if he doesn't faint?

If the target fights back, he could be the one who dies.

Safety first...

'Eat...' Zhang Yong gestures for the other person to eat something.

In front of Fei Xinqing, there is already a variety of food laid out.

There are the polar bear's most classic foods: borscht, red sausage, pancakes, muffins...

Most likely, Fei Xinqing didn't ask for it himself. The waiter saw that he wasn't responding, so he just brought it directly.

Damn it, it's over. Fei Xinqing may really have been disabled by his own actions.

It's useless to say anything to him now.

'Eat, eat, eat...' Fei Xinqing muttered to himself.

Zhang Yong buried his head and ate.

He was going to finish eating and run.

Since Fei Xinqing was so stupid, he was useless for the time being.

'Yosuke Yamaguchi...' Suddenly, a word came out of Fei Xinqing's mouth. Zhang Yong immediately looked up.

What did this guy say?

Yosuke Yamaguchi?

Did he hear it wrong?

It seems not.

Fei Xinqing did mention the name Yosuke Yamaguchi. It seems that this guy is related to Yosuke Yamaguchi.

It so happens that Yosuke Yamaguchi works at the Bank of Communications. He is in the same industry as Fei Xinqing.

'He's not here...' Zhang Yong responded casually.

'Find him...' Fei Xinqing tried to say.

Zhang Yong shook his head.

He didn't want to go into details with the other person. It was hard to explain.

Zhang Yong himself didn't know where Yamaguchi Yosuke had gone. Where would he look?

Besides, what would he do if he went to find Yamaguchi Yosuke?

Want to get shot?

Right now, Yamaguchi Yosuke had a sniper rifle in his hands. With the help of the scope, he could kill someone from 500 metres away.

Thinking about this, Zhang Yong couldn't help but look at the map. He was afraid that there might be a Japanese ambush.

Fortunately, there wasn't. The position he was in was also not likely to be sniped at. All the firing angles were blocked by buildings.

'The key...' Fei Xinqing felt around his body.

Then he took out a key.

It was dark yellow. It seemed to be brass?

It was a bit old. The brass wasn't that shiny either.

Zhang Yong took it over. He looked at it carefully. He didn't see anything.

Could it be the key to a safe deposit box? It definitely wasn't the key to a normal room door. The question was, where was the safe deposit box?

'HSBC?' Zhang Yong asked tentatively.

'Citibank...' This time, Fei Xinqing answered very quickly.

Zhang Yong subconsciously wanted to take out his gun.

He thought this guy had regained consciousness. His true colours had shown.

Fortunately, he quickly restrained himself. He found that Fei Xinqing was not acting abnormally. He judged that it might be because this memory was very deep, so the response was faster.

Okay, the Citibank safe deposit box key. That's something.

Changing banks would make it impossible to operate in secret. But Gu Xiaoru is inside Citibank!

Okay, first I'll give Gu Xiaoru a call. See if she's there.

If she is, I'll take Fei Xinqing there directly. Then I'll withdraw the safe deposit box.

If it really is a safe deposit box, what will be inside?

I'm so looking forward to it...

Stand up and go make the call.

Call Citibank. It's not far.

'Hello, I'm looking for Gu Xiaoru.'

'Hold on.'

'Shaolong, what do you want?'

'Are you at work?'

'Yes!'

'Oh, I'll come over to you in a minute.'

'I'll take some time off...'

'I mean I have some business to discuss with you.'

'I thought...'

Gu Xiaoru giggles.

Zhang Yong: ...

It felt like her smile contained a certain provocative flavour. She had also become bad. But he liked it!

'Business!'

'I was going to say thank you properly!'

'Thank me for what?'

'I got promoted!'

'Congratulations.'

'It's all thanks to you.'

'Me?'

'I got 150,000 US dollars in investment, and got promoted. I'm now a team leader.'

'Really?'

Zhang Yong nodded thoughtfully.

It turns out that in this era, banks already have deposit-pulling tasks!

Promotion and pay rises are all linked to deposit-pulling.

Indeed, the American empire really is a century ahead of us...

Well, in the future, I'll find a way to keep pulling deposits for Gu Xiaoru and continue to get promotions and pay rises.

'How many US dollars does it take to continue getting promoted?'

'Half a million.'

'A fixed price?'

'More or less. Half a million will definitely get you a promotion.'

'Good. I'll work hard.'

Zhang Yong immediately perked up. He was quite confident.

It seemed that half a million dollars was not a lot. As long as he worked hard, he could still get it.

Kuroshima Ryuzo had 300,000 dollars there. If he could find a way to get it, he would have a big head start. The rest could be earned little by little. The source still had to rely on selling information.

From the current situation, the Big Thunderstorm plan that he had thrown out had indeed attracted some international spies. But the amount was not enough. He still had to work harder.

Without moving a muscle, he examined the twenty drawings in the space.

Perhaps, if necessary, five can be released?

Continue to ferment?

Hang up the phone.

Come back. See that Fei Xinqing is still thinking hard.

His face is very bad. Obviously, the harder he thinks, the more painful he feels. The whole person is very haggard.

'Boss Fei, let's go to the bank,' Zhang Yong helped him up.

'Bank...' Fei Xinqing was confused.

'We have a task to complete at the bank,' Zhang Yong helped him make up his mind.

Since this guy couldn't remember much, he would just order him to do something and see how he reacted.

In the end, Fei Xinqing's reaction was even more obedient than Zhang Yong had imagined.

'Okay...' Fei Xinqing replied.

There was no resistance.

No doubt.

It was as if he were a tool with no sense of his own. He did whatever he was told.

For a moment, Zhang Yong thought of countless possibilities. This guy is the boss of Sihai Money Exchange! He must know a lot of people and things. If I can just get a little bit out of him...

Get all the money from Number 4 Money Exchange...

Yes!

That's all ill-gotten gains.

No decent person would keep their wealth in an underground bank.

Only those who can't be seen in the light of day, or those with special functions, would use an underground bank to conduct transactions. Confiscation is definitely the right thing to do.

This is exciting!

Are there any such underground banks on Shanghai Beach?

Absolutely!

They are definitely more developed than those in Tianjin!

The reason I haven't encountered any before is because I haven't found the right guide.

Now, I have the guide. It's Fei Xinqing. He definitely knows something about his peers on this side of Shanghai Beach. As long as he reveals some information, he can follow the clues and destroy them all.

'This way.'

'Okay...'

'Get in the car!'

'Okay...'

Zhang Yong drove all the way.

Fei Xinqing really did not resist in any way.

On the contrary, he seemed to have been freed from his painful thoughts.

He no longer had to think for himself.

He just had to follow Zhang Yong's instructions.

It felt so easy.

The car arrived at the entrance to Citibank.

It pulled up slowly.

'Get out.'

'Okay...'

'Follow me.'

'Okay...'

Fei Xinqing followed Zhang Yong mechanically.

The two entered the lobby of the Citibank. Zhang Yong saw Gu Xiaoru at a glance.

Huh?

She's not at the counter anymore?

She's wearing a little suit and is now roaming around the lobby!

Everyone else seems to be much more enthusiastic towards her. Everyone passing by greets her. She's practically a little peacock.

Hm, is this the legendary promotion and pay rise?

Just 150,000 US dollars?

Oh, in 1936, 150,000 US dollars was a lot!

An airplane cost about 10,000 dollars. Fifteen thousand dollars could buy fifteen airplanes.

From this perspective, fifteen thousand dollars at this moment in time could be equivalent to more than 15 million dollars in the future. It was indeed a very large sum.

'Xiao Ru.'

'You're here? What business do you have?'

'Look at this key.'

'This is the key to our safe.'

'Yes. I want to take the safe out.'

'What's the number?'

'What number?'

'The number of the safe. Or the name. Otherwise, the key won't work.'

'The name. Yosuke Yamaguchi.'

'Okay. I'll go check.'

Gu Xiaoru turned and left.

Zhang Yong prayed secretly to the heavens.

Please let it work!

If it's not Yosuke Yamaguchi, then it'll be trouble.

And the result...

Gu Xiaoru returned quickly.

She shook her head. It means there is no such person as Yosuke Yamaguchi.

Zhang Yong frowned.

If it wasn't Yamaguchi Yosuke, then what was it?

Mori Usamaru?

Fei Xinqing?

Or...

He said his guess.

If it was someone else, he would never have agreed to such a wild guess.

But with Gu Xiaoru's help, there was no problem. As expected, having someone in the government made things easier. Having Gu Xiaoru's help was convenient.

'I found a Fei Xinqing.' Sure enough, Gu Xiaoru came back quickly.

'That's him,' Zhang Yong nodded.

The result was very good.

It was actually Fei Xinqing. He himself happened to be there.

At the same time, he was puzzled. What was the relationship between this Yamaguchi Yosuke and Fei Xinqing? Could it be that Fei Xinqing was also a member of the Saturday Club?

'Do you want to withdraw it now?'

'Yes.'

'Is Fei Xinqing here in person?'

'He is.'

'Okay. You guys come with me!'

'Okay!'

Zhang Yong led Fei Xinqing into the VIP room at the back.

Here, someone checks the fingerprints.

Not the fingerprint verification of later generations. Someone checks them with a magnifying glass.

For this step, the person must be present in person.

The fingerprints must be taken on site. Then they are taken in for verification.

The fingerprints must match in order to withdraw the safe.

The last time Zhang Yong withdrew a safe, no fingerprints were left. So there was no need for verification.

But this Fei Xinqing's safe, fingerprints were left.

Fortunately, Fei Xinqing himself was brought in.

Although he was a bit confused, the fingerprints were definitely correct.

Press your thumbprint.

Someone went in to check the fingerprints.

Zhang Yong silently observed his surroundings. He saw the heavily armed guards hiding.

It was obviously impossible to use force here.

A few minutes later, the fingerprint verification was complete.

It passed.

He could continue to go inside.

But only the person himself could enter.

Zhang Yong had to stay outside.

Fortunately, with Gu Xiaoru's help, there were no accidents.

Ten minutes later, Gu Xiaoru came out carrying the safe. She was followed by the still confused Fei Xinqing.

Zhang Yong let out a sigh of relief. No problem.

Then disappointment.

The map showed no gold symbol. This meant there were no gold bars inside.

Sigh...

'Here you go.'

'Thanks!'

Zhang Yong carried the safe into the enclosed space and drew the curtains.

He couldn't wait to open the safe. He hoped there were silver notes inside.

However, once again, he was disappointed.

There were no silver notes inside. There was no cash either.

There wasn't even a dollar. There was only a piece of black metal.

Huh?

What is this?

Suddenly, he remembered: This is tungsten!

Could it be that the gold is hidden inside the tungsten? Just like last time? The map can't be read?

Unfortunately, there are no tools around. There's no way to smash the tungsten open.

Tungsten is actually very hard. Later generations used tungsten alloy bullets, which are a common type of armour-piercing bullet.

For the time being, take out all the tungsten blocks. Arrange them.

You find a small notebook at the bottom.

Pick it up. Open it. Inside are some names. In Chinese. Chinese.

Some of the names have been crossed out.

Huh?

This is...

Suddenly, you come to a realisation.

These are the officers of the Songhu Garrison Command who were killed!

Yes, these are them.

There are a few names that Zhang Yong remembers.

Shit.

Someone actually kept a record?

The notebook had about 30 pages. Each page had almost 30 names.

More than 900 in total?

Holy shit!

More than 900!

Were they all targets of the Japanese invaders?

So the murders were planned? Organised? Someone was directing them from behind the scenes?

But the question remained. It didn't make sense.

What use could be gained from assassinating ordinary army officers?

Unless it was a practice run...

Wait!

Something suddenly occurred to him.

Training?

Are the Japanese spies training their assassins?

Are they choosing these targets to prove their strength?

Or is it some kind of assessment?

Frowning,

I feel like I might be thinking wrong.

But then, the more I think about it, the more I feel that something is wrong. Maybe this is the truth?

Or, to think more broadly, the Japanese spies might be training assassins. Or, it could be that Yosuke Yamaguchi is training assassins. Or maybe he is personally gaining experience in assassinations.

The possibilities are endless.

Anything is possible.

Therefore, the people on these lists have become victims.

If it was Yosuke Yamaguchi who committed the murders, it could put pressure on the Japanese secret service. It would make them the target of public criticism.

We must remember that Yosuke Yamaguchi was on Hirohito's side. He wanted to cause trouble for Hirohito.

When you think about it, Yosuke Yamaguchi's motives make sense.

Damn it. I regret it. I actually let this guy get away. I didn't realise that he had committed so many crimes.

No, I must find a way to bring this guy back in.

Keep the list safe. Then it suddenly occurred to him: Why is the list here?

Did Fei Xinqing come to Shanghai Beach before?

No...

He went out and asked Gu Xiaoru, 'When was the safe last accessed?'

Gu Xiaoru replied, 'There are three people who can access this safe: one is Chen Yang, one is Li Bin, and one is Fei Xinqing. All three have left fingerprints.'

Zhang Yong: ?

Three people?

One of them could be the pseudonym of Yosuke Yamaguchi?

But why is there another one? Who is the third person?

'The last withdrawal was three days ago,' Gu Xiaoru continued, "and it was Li Bin who made the withdrawal.'

'Three days ago..." Zhang Yong silently calculated the time.

Then it couldn't be Yosuke Yamaguchi.

Because by that time he had already been exposed.

He would not dare to come to Citibank in person. In case he was discovered.

Therefore, this Li Bin is not Yosuke Yamaguchi. He should be the third person who knows about it. So, who the hell is he?

I can't figure it out...

Forget it. I don't want to think about it.

Anyway, it's a fluke, and maybe it will be decrypted again sometime.

This is it. So many military officers were killed before, and it feels like an unsolved case. But as time goes by, the outline gradually comes out.

The Japanese spy killer is training. Or maybe Yosuke Yamaguchi is training.

Not only was he training to kill, but also to torture. That's why the victim showed signs of torture.

That's what happened...

The truth is actually not that complicated.

What's more frightening is that this Yamaguchi Yosuke has big plans.

He's very crazy.

And very ruthless.

It's conceivable that if Hirohito came to power, he might be even more radical than Hirohito. Even more crazy.

People like Yamashita Hōmon have always been the young and vigorous faction within the Japanese army.

Other Japanese officers had a strong desire to invade. However, they probably only had China in their sights.

But people like Yamashita might already have had designs on dominating Asia.

Compared to the older generation of invasion fanatics, they were even greedier.

They couldn't wait to launch the February 26th Incident, so that they could launch unbridled aggression.

In fact, after the mutiny, their goal was indeed achieved.

Next July, it was the Marco Polo Bridge Incident...

Leave the Citibank.

Zhang Yong calls the Songhu Garrison Command. He asks for Zhou Yang.

'Shaolong, what's up?'

'I found a list. The Japanese kept it. It has the names of the officers who were assassinated.'

'Where are you?'

'At the Citibank.'

'Meet me at the concession exit. I'll be right there.'

'Okay.'

Zhang Yong nods in agreement.

Then he feels a little strange. Can't he come in?

Previously, Zhang Yong had been able to bring people into the concession. It seemed that there was no need to wait at the entrance to the concession.

Get in the car.

Go to the exit of the concession.

Sure enough, Zhang Yong arrived soon. He was accompanied by a company.

Li Yuanqing was also there. Politely, he stopped Zhang Yong.

Behind the entrance to the concession, there were also French soldiers stationed. There were almost 50 of them.

There were even fortifications made of sandbags.

Zhang Yong handed over the notebook and asked, 'Can you still enter the concession?'

'No,' Zhou Yang said angrily, 'the Japanese are secretly doing evil things, I don't know how they persuaded the Public Board of Directors to intervene and join forces with the Ministry of Public Works to prohibit us from entering the concession.'

'I see,' Zhang Yong immediately thought of Kagezo.

This guy is really a silent dog. Biting people in the back.

Now they are restricting the Shanghai-Nanjing Defence Command from entering and leaving the concession. Next, I guess they will restrict the military and the like.

In other words, it will not be so easy for Chinese people to enter the concession in the future.

'No good,' Zhou Yang suddenly whispered in alarm.

Zhang Yong: ?

Something else happened?

Oh, no, please don't!

I really don't want anything to happen right now!