Chapter 121: Shot Nine Times, Suicide Out Of Guilt
“Look at what you’re saying, how could that be? No matter who I suspect, I wouldn’t suspect you, brother.”
Xu Hancheng smiled awkwardly. He had only instinctively suspected for a moment, but immediately dismissed it.
After all, someone like Scarface who mixed in Jianghu had way too many enemies.
Scarface was not only a bully, but also a traitor!
It could well be the Military Statistics Bureau or the Underground Party’s Exterminate Traitors Squad who did it, just happening to be caught by Cao Weida.
He knew Cao Weida’s background very well. Cao Family Village was not far from Beiping City, easy to check, and if the information was fake, it would have been discovered long ago.
According to the information, Cao Weida had never learned martial arts. He couldn’t sneak silently into the room of a Jianghu veteran like Scarface and kill him without a sound; he simply didn’t have the ability.
Not long after, Ono Shiota hurried over.
“Officer Ono.” Xu Hancheng quickly bowed respectfully.
Ono Shiota kept a straight face. “Cao Sang, take your men and come with me immediately. I’ve already notified the Gendarmerie Headquarters. You need to assist with the investigation!”
“Yes! Guarantee to complete the mission!”
“Go prepare.”
After sending Xu Hancheng away, Ono Shiota sat on the sofa, rubbing his brow, his eyebrows furrowed tightly.
“Ono-kun, what’s this?”
Ono Shiota shook his head and suddenly said, “Cao Sang, where were you last night?”
Cao Weida was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting Ono Shiota to ask this. After reacting, he hurriedly said, “I was sleeping at Yan Dai Xie Jie last night, Ono-kun. What’s wrong?”
Ono Shiota stared at him intently for a moment. Seeing no flaws, he withdrew his gaze and said with a furrowed brow:
“You should know about that mysterious man who’s appeared recently. He’s already killed quite a few brave warriors of the Great Japanese Empire.”
“Last night when Scarface was killed, I suspect it was him again.”
Ono Shiota loved money very much, but he valued his life more.
There was a blade hanging over his head at all times, one that could take his life at any moment. No one could feel at ease with that, and Ono Shiota was no exception.
Cao Weida seemed frightened and said belatedly, “No, Ono-kun, you weren’t just suspecting me of being that mysterious man, were you!?”
Ono Shiota sneered inwardly: If only you were that mysterious man. Greedy for money, lecherous, cowardly and afraid of death—you’ve practically gathered all the bad traits.
“Cao Sang, you misunderstood. What I mean is, if there’s no need, it’s better to stay home at night as much as possible.”
“You know, that mysterious man has some misunderstanding about the meritorious officials promoting the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, and you’re on good terms with us—you get what I mean?”
Ono Shiota couldn’t bear for Cao Weida to die right now. If Cao Weida died, it would be like poking a big hole in his money bag; it would pain him to death!
Cao Weida sneered inwardly: Don’t worry, this old man has a tough life. You’ll all be dead, and I’ll still be alive and kicking.
“This…” His neck shrank, and he gave a dry laugh: “It should… probably not go that far, right? I haven’t done anything harmful to heaven and reason. At most, I’ve just made a little money. It shouldn’t be to the point of killing me, right?”
“Perhaps.” Ono Shiota thought about it and seemed to agree. The targets that mysterious man went after seemed to be all those who did evil deeds. He really didn’t bother with people who had no great sins.
Just as Ono Shiota was about to speak, hurried footsteps came over.
“Cao’er… ah, Officer Ono, you’re here too.” Duomen stood awkwardly at the door, continuously signaling Cao Weida with his eyes.
“Master Duo, what’s wrong?” Seeing Duomen rushing over anxiously, Cao Weida walked over doubtfully.
Duomen whispered a few words in his ear, and Cao Weida’s brows immediately furrowed.
“Master Duo, you go first. I’ll be right there.”
“Cao Sang, what’s happened? Do you need my help?”
“I really do need your help.” Cao Weida’s face was grim. “Ono-kun, bad news: Goto Kenji has sealed Ruixin General Store, confiscated all the supplies, and arrested all my employees.”
“Not only that, he’s also arrested all our customers.”
“Hm?!” Hearing this, Ono Shiota immediately panicked. The supplies in Ruixin General Store were all his and Fujita Sosuke’s!
Sealing Ruixin General Store and confiscating the supplies was tantamount to cutting off their source of income!
“Baka yarou! Damn Goto Kenji, how dare he?!” Ono Shiota jumped up angrily, forgetting even about the mysterious man, and hurriedly asked: “What exactly happened? Why did Goto Kenji confiscate our goods?”
“Master Duo just told me that Goto Kenji believes we’re stealing military logistics supplies, so he’s detained all the supplies and people on charges of stealing military supplies.”
“He also said he suspects that among those buying our supplies, there are anti-Japanese elements mixed in, so he’s taking them all away for interrogation and investigation.”
“Absurd! Utterly absurd! I think he’s just jealous of us doing well, so he’s deliberately finding fault!”
Ono Shiota stormed out with a grim face. “I think he’s tired of living! I was planning to keep him around a few more days, sell off some more supplies first, but since he’s so eager to die, I’ll oblige him!”
The grim look on Cao Weida’s face behind him vanished, replaced by a slight smile.
To earn big money, you have to bear big responsibility. He didn’t need to worry about this; Ono Shiota and the others were more anxious than anyone.
He hurried to catch up. “Ono-kun, it’s time for Sang Liuji to play his role.”
“Yōshi, I understand. Cao Sang, rest assured, I’ll give you a proper accounting on this matter.”
Sure enough, the matter was handled cleanly and efficiently.
Near noon, a fierce gunfight broke out at the Fengtai East Warehouse. Just as uninformed people were panicking, a piece of news appeared on the desks of various high-level officials:
Special Higher Police action team captain Goto Kenji was discovered by Police Station Patrol Captain Sang Liuji while stealing military supplies. A fierce conflict ensued, ultimately triggering a gunfight.
Goto Kenji resisted fiercely, killing Sang Liuji first. Realizing escape was hopeless while surrounded and knowing his deep sins, he ultimately committed suicide out of guilt.
Cao Weida collected the corpse. Seeing nine gunshot wounds in total on Goto Kenji’s back and front abdomen, he couldn’t help but sigh: “Nine gunshot wounds and he committed suicide out of guilt—Goto Kenji was really ruthless to himself.”
He had men drag the wide-eyed corpse of Goto Kenji to a prepared pyre and burn it on the spot. Watching the blazing fire, Cao Weida took out a cigarette, lit it, and slowly exhaled blue smoke.
Now, not only Ono Shiota and Fujita Sosuke, but even the Special Higher Police section chief had been pulled onto the thief’s ship by Matsui Koji.
It could be said that now the Police Station, Matsui Special Agency, Gendarmerie Headquarters, and Special Higher Police were all on the same thief’s ship.
In such a situation, Goto Kenji actually dared to jump out and harm everyone’s interests—who but him deserved to die?
Of course, Goto Kenji was bound to die sooner or later; it was just a matter of a few days earlier or later.
“You say, why were you so pigheaded? Why insist on serving that dogshit emperor? Now look, you’re dead, and you’ve got a war crime on your record. Not only is your reputation ruined, your family and dependents will suffer too. Was it worth it?”
The little devils were inhumanly wealthy, ruthless not only to enemies but to their own people as well.
Once a little devil soldier died in battle, his family would have a hard life.
And if he had sins on his record, it was even worse.
Mother, wife, even daughter—very likely to be forcibly taken as comfort women.
“Big Brother Cao, what about Sang Liuji’s corpse? Burn it on the pile too?”
Cao Weida curled his lip. “Burn what? Burning it would be too easy on him. Drag him to the random burial ground outside the city to feed the dogs!”
For scum like Sang Liuji, feeding him to dogs was still too kind. If conditions allowed, he’d want to inflict the Manchu Qing Ten Great Tortures on him one by one!
“Got it, I’ll go do it now.” Little Ear didn’t think there was anything wrong with this. Though he was also from the underworld, Little Ear was the most reasonable and never did anything harmful to heaven and reason. He despised scum like Sang Liuji.
On the other side, in the Special Higher Police cell.
Old Luo, who had been captured here, lay on the straw mat, but his thoughts drifted uncontrollably.
From what he knew, he wasn’t caught due to exposure, but because of that batch of supplies.
He wasn’t too worried about his own safety now. A small life was nothing; from the moment he joined the organization, he was prepared to sacrifice at any time.
He was more worried about how the organization would continue collecting supplies if this transit station was destroyed.
“Shopkeeper Luo, do you think we can get out?” A comrade from the Underground Party locked up with him was anxious. He had been transferred from out of town and wasn’t very familiar with Beiping.
The transit station they had finally established was suddenly taken down without warning, so he was inevitably uneasy and suspicious.
“I suspect there’s a traitor among us. Do you think it could be Cao Weida who betrayed us? He let us work at his place just to catch us all in one net?”
“Watch your words!” Old Luo’s face darkened, and he scolded in a low voice. He didn’t know Cao Weida’s identity, but Old Luo knew it all too well.
He could assert that it absolutely wasn’t Cao Weida who betrayed them.
If it really had been Cao Weida, they wouldn’t be lying here quietly now, but would have been in the interrogation room long ago, beaten until their skin split open.
However, he couldn’t say too much. Cao Weida’s information was top secret, not to be revealed to anyone except a limited few.
He comforted: “Don’t worry, the master is benevolent. Once he knows we’re in trouble, he’ll definitely come save us.”
“Moreover, I think he’s already taking action. Didn’t you see? When we were first brought in, that little devil was going to interrogate us, but it was quickly called off. The master must be using connections.”
The questioning comrade thought about it and nodded: “Hope so.”
Looking up at the dark, damp surroundings, his heart felt heavy. Those who hadn’t experienced it could never imagine how oppressive and despairing the environment here was.
With Goto Kenji out of the picture, Cao Weida immediately headed to the Special Higher Police.
After showing his pass, Cao Weida smoothly entered the prisoner detention area.
The Special Higher Police prison was underground beneath the Special Higher Police building, dark and damp. The corridors in the cell area were narrow and dim, with cells lined on both sides.
The floor was cold concrete, and the walls had mottled water stains and bloodstains.
The prison also had interrogation rooms, torture chambers, water dungeons, underground cells, and overhead cells in different areas.
Walking further along the corridor, seeing the conditions in the cells, Cao Weida’s eyelids twitched involuntarily.
These cells were generally very low, only about 1.4 meters high. People inside couldn’t stand upright; they could only squat or hunch over.
Each cell had only a simple board bed and straw mat. Sanitation was unthinkable, filled with rot and moldy smells.
Thud thud thud~
Cao Weida knocked on the cell bars. “Shopkeeper Luo, Shopkeeper Luo?”
“Hm?” Old Luo, who had been lying on the straw mat with eyes closed, suddenly sat up.
Clang~~
“Ouch~~”
Old Luo clutched his head and wailed.
