Chapter 54: A Place Where One Lingers And Forgets To Return
This time the commotion was indeed quite big, with the entire Beiping on high alert far stricter than before, and the checks exceptionally rigorous.
However, no matter how strict the checks, if they don’t even know who the killer is, what characteristics they have, or even if they are male or female, what use is it?
However, Tada Naoyoshi still had a way.
No clues? Then find clues!
Over twenty people missing, such a big target, it’s impossible they were taken out of the city, right?
If over twenty corpses could be taken out of the city without anyone noticing, then all the guards, police, military police, and special agents in Beiping really ought to commit seppuku!
Therefore, he was certain the corpses were still inside the city, just hidden by the killer.
This time the checks wouldn’t focus on living people, but on the dead!
Once the corpses were found, there would naturally be clues, and then they could track down the killer based on those clues.
This way, at least it wouldn’t be like now, completely in the dark.
But one thing puzzled Tada Naoyoshi greatly: he checked the patrol team’s previous missing records, how did the killer transport the corpses away in such a short time?
Two of them at that!
Crucially, the trace investigation experts didn’t find any clues of the killer leaving, only a footprint on the wall that seemed like a toe print.
How exactly did the killer do it?
And why take the corpses away?
What was the purpose?
He had a bellyful of doubts and could only wait for the search results before slowly unraveling the mysteries.
Actually, Cao Weida hadn’t thought much about it; with the system space, he just casually stored them.
At first it was just a casual thing, but later he discovered, huh, the little devils didn’t make a fuss?!
After that, when killing in homes, he just wanted to avoid attracting the little devils’ attention as much as possible; although he definitely couldn’t hide it forever, dragging it out one day at a time was fine.
Those corpses were indeed still in the city, all thrown into garbage dumps by him.
Due to the Japanese Army’s cruel colonial rule over Beiping, under their rule, Beiping’s social order was severely disrupted, the economy plundered, and the people living in hardship.
Due to the war’s destruction, predatory resource exploitation, and the little devils’ neglect of management, Beiping City’s infrastructure was severely damaged; aside from concentrated residential areas, hygiene in other places was extremely poor, with many spots piled high with garbage and reeking.
Not to mention over twenty corpses; even twice that many, stuffed into those garbage dumps, would take a huge effort to find.
Who would want to dig through those stinking garbage dumps anyway.
Anyway, the police station folks weren’t willing to go; not to mention whether they’d find anything, after a day of digging, they’d be stinking to high heaven themselves.
Of course, the little devils would probably force them to search, but those reluctant ones would mostly just go through the motions.
Even if they really found them in the end, so what? All traces had been erased by him, and nothing could be traced back to him.
“Everything I said, you got it down, right?”
Little Ear nodded, “Big Brother Cao, rest assured, I got it all clear: around thirty-six years old, height about 178, somewhat gaunt, with a black mole next to the nose.”
“Rest assured, not many in Beiping match this description; once we see them, we’ll definitely remember.”
In the late Qing era, the average height of northern Chinese people was around 170, but by the 1940s, due to war destruction, declining living standards, and limited medical care, Chinese people’s height development was affected again.
At this time in Sijiu City, finding someone over 175 wasn’t impossible, but most were from families with some means, never short on good food from childhood.
And such families were a minority; plus features like age and the facial black mole, one glance and it’d stick in the mind.
Cao Weida instructed: “We’ll split into six groups; remember to keep it strictly confidential—no one else can know.”
“Rest assured, Big Brother Cao.” Little Ear patted his chest in guarantee; of the four who entered the police station with him, besides his own brother Lian Hu, the other three were absolute trusted confidants, no doubt about their loyalty.
Cao Weida patted his shoulder, “Pass the word: no need to search deliberately; if we find something, great, if not, no big deal—prioritize your own safety.”
“If somewhere seems suspicious, tell the brothers not to act rashly; just come back and tell me.”
Originally Cao Weida hadn’t held much hope; though he roughly knew the traitor was in the Outer Second District, there were plenty of residents there—not quite like finding a needle in a haystack, but rooting out a traitor hidden by the little devils or puppet government wasn’t easy either.
But things turned out just that coincidental; it seemed even heaven couldn’t stand such a scum selling out the country and harming compatriots living on, and sure enough, not even a day later, they actually found a clue.
“Big Brother Cao, a room on the third floor of Xiaguang Garden is sealed off, guarded outside by East Asia Academic Research Association people; we couldn’t get in.”
“But when I tried to get closer, I seemed to hear movement inside, and caught words like Military Statistics Bureau and special agents.”
East Asia Academic Research Association—sounds proper on the name; those who don’t know might really think it’s an academic research group.
But once you learn the truth, you’d find this damn thing isn’t any academic seminar—it’s a traitor special agent den!
Speaking of the East Asia Academic Research Association, you can’t skip Wang Kemin; he was a big traitor who dared challenge Wang Jingwei, and crucially, before the Japanese Army surrendered, he lived comfortably—imagine how much power he had.
The East Asia Academic Research Association was precisely his secret surveillance agency under him, a Japanese puppet special agent intelligence agency that could go toe-to-toe with Wang Jingwei’s No. 76, with influence across Beiping, Tianjin, Qingdao, Taiyuan, Kaifeng, Tangshan, and more—very powerful.
On the surface mainly responsible for monitoring corruption and illegal acts in puppet agencies, but actually mainly tasked with gathering intelligence on the Communist Party and anti-Japanese underground organizations; of course, Kuomintang intelligence was also in their scope.
Xiaguang Garden was Beiping’s famous money pit; it claimed over half of every generation’s top courtesans.
For example, the previous top courtesan Zheng Meijiao was Xiaguang Garden’s figurehead.
“This damn traitor wouldn’t really be hiding in Xiaguang Garden, would he?”
Cao Weida rubbed his chin; you know, that was actually possible.
Those who became traitors were mostly after money, power, or women.
Those former staunch anti-Japanese patriots who became traitors under enemy torture knew the Party and nation wouldn’t forgive them, so they mostly grew disheartened, self-abandoned, then persecuted China’s patriots even more cruelly than the little devils.
And after that, they couldn’t escape the temptations of money, power, and women.
No ideals, no faith—didn’t they have to swap in vulgar pursuits to numb themselves?
During the War of Resistance, Boss Dai strictly restricted Military Statistics Bureau internal special agents’ marriages, especially core intelligence personnel and field agents, to prevent family ties hindering missions or enemies exploiting relatives.
Though this rule didn’t bind lower-level special agents very effectively, it at least imposed some constraints on their behavior.
Especially for ordinary special agents; big international cities like Shanghai were okay, not under full little devil control, but in fully occupied occupied territory, their lives were miserable.
Their pay was meager to begin with, and often not received for long stretches—talk about tough days.
Like Chen Ming, Yu Xiuning, and others in Infiltration; six years without a dime in funds—if not for opening a small diner, they’d have starved!
Zhu Tianxi was a traitor who, once exposed, defected to the puppet government; having been poor and gone mad with it, could he resist wining and dining?
And though brothels were mixed bags, they weren’t bad hiding spots either.
You know, that really was possible!
And quite likely!
As the saying goes, the greatest hiding is in plain sight. Whether that’s an excuse or not.
“Little Ear.”
“Yeah, what is it, Big Brother Cao.”
“Tomorrow your big brother me is taking a concubine; say, shouldn’t we celebrate tonight?”
Little Ear was visibly stunned for a moment, then grinned broadly: “Yes, we should celebrate; I think Xiaguang Garden is perfect for it.”
“Big Brother Cao, you’ve found us brothers a good way out; we haven’t properly thanked you yet—give us the honor; tonight I’m treating, let’s go to Xiaguang Garden and relax?”
“Xiaguang Garden is about to feature the next courtesan; they say she’s stunning! Tonight she’ll give you a leg rub!”
“Smart kid.” Cao Weida approvingly patted his shoulder and smilingly agreed.
In Beiping’s Outer Fifth District, there’s a famous spot: Bada Hutong!
Bada Hutong is in the Outer Second District, around front gate Dashilar, outside Zhengyangmen, in the outer city’s western region.
Its area runs south of Tieshu Slanted Street, north of Zhushikou Main Street, west of Meishi Street, east of South Xinhua Street.
The eight hutongs from west to east are: Baishun Hutong, Yanzhi Alley, Han Family Hutong, Shaanxi Alley, Stone Hutong, Wang Guangfu Slanted Street, Zhu Jia Hutong, Li Shamao Hutong.
This is a famous place of pleasure, netting who knows how many desperate or sold/trafficked girls each year.
Some forced against their will, some out of helpless circumstance; it’s full of girls washing their faces with tears every night, and likewise the go-to spot for Beiping’s men young and old to linger.
Evening.
With Beiping’s controls tightened, especially evening outings facing repeated checks, many who wanted to carouse slunk home with tails between legs.
Thus, Bada Hutong, usually bustling at night, was unusually sparse, directly causing a sharp drop in Bada Hutong’s GDP.
Luckily Cao Weida had his black skin plus a little devils’ pass, so he smoothly reached Xiaguang Garden’s entrance.
The car stopped at Xiaguang Garden’s door; the procuress, already unhappy about few evening guests, grew even more displeased.
Clutching her handkerchief and hands on hips, she said in a sarcastic tone:
“Oh my, who might this be—oh, it’s the officer! What’s this, checked us in broad daylight, back again tonight—are you thinking of one of our girls at Xiaguang Garden?”
