Chapter 14: Resistance
“Mr. Gu, are you here to bail out the person arrested yesterday? Your friend? What’s the name? Let me check if they’re inside.”
Wang Defa bent his waist slightly, and an extremely polite subordinate escorted him to the sofa to sit down.
This should be Wang Defa’s own office. Although the room wasn’t large, it had a desk, guest sofa, and other furnishings all complete. On the wall hung several photos of him with French people, including commendations.
“Your coffee, this is the sugar jar, please enjoy.” The subordinate also smiled and brought the items in, then stood to the side in a posture ready for orders.
Gu Yansheng picked up the coffee and took a sip, smiling as he said: “It’s not wrong to say I’m here to bail someone out, but I don’t know the specific name. Trouble you to let me see the list.”
“No problem! Hurry and bring the list and documents to Mr. Gu!” After dispatching the person, Wang Defa also sat down. “But Mr. Gu, I’m a bit confused by what you said. You don’t know who you’re bailing out?”
“No need to know.” Gu Yansheng smiled faintly: “I’ll bail out everyone.”
“Everyone?”
Wang Defa’s smile stiffened a bit, twitching somewhat. “Hehe, is that so? Alright then? What about the documents? Hurry up!”
“Coming, coming.” The subordinate immediately hugged in a stack of folders and placed them on the coffee table: “All here, total of fifteen people.”
“Thanks, I’ll take a look first.” Gu Yansheng picked up one and opened it to flip through.
Wang Defa glanced at Gu Yansheng’s expression and probed: “Everyone is probably not possible. I don’t know what Mr. Gu wants to do bailing out so many people? They can’t all be your friends, right?”
“Are you the person in charge? Can you make decisions on this matter?”
“I’m not.”
“Then I won’t talk to you. Call the person who can take responsibility over.”
Gu Yansheng didn’t even lift his head.
Regarding the French and Japanese arresting people in this matter, exactly who in the police station is pushing it—we have to bluff out that person’s identity. Today, playing mysterious, acting arrogant and not chatting with small characters.
Feeling stifled, in the French Concession’s own police station being challenged by an outsider. Wang Defa decided to endure it for now.
“Then you look, I’ll go call someone.”
Wang Defa pulled the subordinate out. “Where’s Director Liao? Why hasn’t he come yet?”
“He went to Xianle Si to talk business. I called him, said a passing immortal has arrived, possibly a bodhisattva. He’s rushing back.”
Since that’s the case, Wang Defa couldn’t say much, frowning as he looked toward the office and muttered: “Where did he pop out from? Have you seen him before? He even called the consulate, quite the display. Did you verify the phone?”
“Never seen him, don’t know him, but the consulate phone is real. Earlier you didn’t you hang up the phone? It called back, asking if this lord inside is in our police station, if he’s encountered any trouble.”
“What did you say?”
“Of course I said no! I told him just now it was because the captain wasn’t there, Mr. Gu couldn’t find anyone. Now the captain’s back and handling it.”
Wang Defa nodded upon hearing it. “That’s all? You didn’t ask what he’s here for?”
“Didn’t dare to ask. How could I ask? If I ask what this lord is here for, my level isn’t appropriate either.”
“You’re fucking stupid enough to die, hey, alright alright.” Wang Defa felt a headache listening. “Anyway, as long as it’s real, let him look, keep him here. The rest wait for Director Liao to return and handle it himself, but as long as Director Liao hasn’t returned, the person can’t be taken away by him, got it?”
“Got it.”
In the room, Gu Yansheng finished drinking his coffee and had looked through all the documents.
They were just ordinary resume information, not involving any confessions.
From the registration information, He Yun’s social relations listed Lu Bowen as her husband, so at least it could be inferred that at the police station level, Lu Bowen said he had a wife, so the police chose to believe it and filled in this information. The first tacit understanding achieved—this is good news.
And the news that wasn’t bad was that Gu Yansheng still couldn’t judge from the remaining thirteen people who was the one they were to contact.
Consumption at the big tea house in the French Concession isn’t low; the people who come are somewhat well-off. Thirteen people, ten men and three women; the women all came with men.
According to the organization, this is an old underground operative. For contact, he shouldn’t bring his own wife, so after excluding these three couples, there were still seven single men.
And this old underground hasn’t been in Shanghai for a short time. Although he returned to Shanghai after the war, his local Shanghai identity existed before. Among these people, four had just arrived in Shanghai less than a year ago; this resume needs verification and seems genuine. Gu Yansheng eliminated these four, leaving three people with unclear identities.
One who runs a pharmacy, one university professor, one manager at a van dealership.
In terms of positions suitable for long-term lurking, any of them could be the real one. The manager is the youngest, thirty-five; the other two are about the same age, forty-two and forty-three.
Information too scarce; currently can only deduce to this extent. But next, as long as creating one more contact opportunity, it should all be clear.
If this person is highly valued by the Japanese, they probably won’t let him contact easily.
First find the person at the police station pulling strings.
“Where’s the person?” Gu Yansheng was about to curse; where had they hidden to avoid him—not even anyone to talk to.
“Coming, coming.” Wang Defa jogged two steps, even shook his hands, indicating he really went to the toilet and came back. “Mr. Gu, what instructions?”
“Trouble you to arrange it. I want to talk to each person alone. Also their confessions? You didn’t interrogate? Bring them over for me to see.”
“Meet them, right? Okay. Confessions? Hurry and bring them over.” Wang Defa scolded the subordinate while blinking.
The subordinate immediately got it: “Oh, those confessions, seems like they’re in the interrogation room. I’ll go find them.”
“Go quick, send them over as soon as you find them. Sigh, Mr. Gu, please wait a moment.”
Stalling for time, huh? Gu Yansheng was also very amiable. “Mm, Consul Richard asked me to check on the police station’s efficiency by the way. He said recently the police station is actually mixing with the Japanese, losing all face. He thinks someone inside is stirring trouble, wants to rectify discipline, fire a few. Captain Wang, you say, is there really someone stirring trouble?”
“Of course not really.” Wang Defa wanted to curse, curse Director Liao’s mother—you fucking still not back!
Going out to urge with a loud shout: “Run faster, hurry and bring the confessions to me!”
Just after shouting, he saw Director Liao’s figure coming up the stairs.
“Director Liao!”
French Concession Municipal Council Chief Constable, Liao Shan.
“Where’s the person?”
“Inside.”
“I was wondering why there were magpies calling in the tree in front of the police station this morning. Turns out a distinguished guest has arrived.”
Liao Shan entered keeping a smile; a face over fifty somewhat stiff—this smile looked fake.
Gu Yansheng stood to welcome him, giving full face: “Hope not a troublesome guest, disturbing you.”
“Chief Constable, Liao Shan.”
“Lawyer, Gu Yansheng.”
“So it’s Mr. Gu, please sit. I don’t know what business brings you this time? I heard from my subordinate it seems related to yesterday’s case?”
“Correct. I don’t know if Director Liao saw this morning’s newspaper? Yesterday’s action caused very serious reputational damage to the French and the Municipal Council. I’m here this time, entrusted by Mr. Richard, to handle this matter in full.”
Liao Shan raised an eyebrow: “Trouble Mr. Gu to speak clearly—what matter are you handling?”
“At all costs, help the French side restore full reputation, including but not limited to suing the newspaper company for false reports, requiring them to publish an apology in the newspaper.”
“This…” Liao Shan frowned and thought, then smiled puzzled: “Then what does this have to do with our police station?”
“Of course it does. The case originated from your police station. To quell this matter, my entry point is your police station—accurately, this case.”
Liao Shan thought seriously. “Sorry, I still don’t understand. A case is a case; if you want to sue the newspaper company, sue them. Does suing the newspaper company mean you also control how we handle the case?”
“Then I won’t explain. To put it bluntly, Director Liao, I want to release the prisoners—all of them.”
“This I understand.” Liao Shan smiled upon hearing it, shaking his head: “But sorry, impossible.”
“Looks like Consul’s words don’t carry much weight here.” Tough enough to be impressive.
“Consul’s words of course carry weight, but the premise is not violating the law. This is the Municipal Council’s police station!”
Liao Shan’s voice grew louder: “The concession has laws. For criminals, we arrest according to law. For suspects, we detain and investigate according to law. The biggest in the concession is the Municipal Council; I am the Municipal Council’s Chief Constable. I have the obligation and must safeguard the legal execution in the French Concession—this is my duty.
If the consul insists on early release of suspects, of course, it’s not impossible. Please relay to him to go through formal procedures via the Municipal Council. As long as the Municipal Council issues the order, we can release the prisoners early. I see the order, immediately release.
How’s that, Lawyer Gu? Is my answer clear enough?”
“Justice stands tall.” Gu Yansheng lightly clapped. “If one day a case happens in the French Concession, and the suspect happens to be one released irregularly by Mr. Richard, newspapers and media spread it, Mr. Richard would have no way to explain even if he had a mouth?”
Liao Shan sized him up and down, looked at him higher, smiled faintly: “Mr. Gu, actually suspects may not be guilty. Once the investigation is clear, our police station will naturally release them. Have the consul wait two days; we’ll complete the investigation as soon as possible.”
“But the consul can’t wait.” Gu Yansheng smiled and shook his head.
Liao Shan also smiled and shook his head: “Then I can’t violate the law.”
