Chapter 25: If You’re Gonna Do It, Do It To The Extreme!
“Hey, what’s all this about latching on or not? It’s just helping Officer Ono with some small matters.”
Cao Weida bared his teeth humbly. This matter couldn’t be hidden; others weren’t blind.
It was better to admit it straightforwardly: he had latched onto Ono Shiota’s thigh.
That way, others wouldn’t suspect anything; they’d either envy, jealousy, hate, or secretly despise him.
He really had latched onto the little devil!
Zong Xiangfang cursed inwardly but put on an envious look on his face:
“Oh wow, I say brother. Me, Cao Ye, then you’ll be getting rich soon! Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations Cao Ye!”
“No wonder Cao Ye doesn’t take Kui Biao seriously. With Ono Taijun as backer, forget Kui Biao—even the Four Hegemons of east, south, west, and north are just farts!”
Who were the Four Hegemons?
Xi Batian Fu Decheng was mentioned earlier. Dong Batian Zhang Dequan used to be a follow-along in an opera troupe, learned martial arts from a master, later joined the Green Gang and Kuomintang, had great influence in the Tianqiao area, and had multiple lives on his hands.
Actually, in these times, anyone mixing in the underworld basically had to have lives on their hands.
If you didn’t have lives on your hands, others would think you were weak and easy to bully, let alone standing firm.
Among the Four Hegemons, Dong Batian Zhang Dequan was actually the cleanest and most principled. At least he didn’t bully men and dominate women, nor collude with puppet army forces to throw his weight around.
Nan Batian Sun Yongzhen, a local tyrant born and raised in Tianqiao, later colluded with puppet constitutional police, occupied others’ land and restaurants, cut off people’s livelihoods, did plenty of dirty dealings, but compared to Xi Batian Fu Decheng and Northern Hegemon Liu Xiangting, he was much better.
Northern Hegemon Liu Xiangting, formerly manager of Tianqiao Jixiang Theater, now president of Tianqiao Liyuan Guild, colluded with puppet army forces for extortion and blackmail, raped women, and was also the altar master of a Consistent Way hall.
The Four Hegemons: three colluded with Japanese puppet forces, utterly wicked and notorious.
But no matter how powerful these people were, they only had backers in the puppet government.
And everyone knew the puppet government was the Japanese Army’s dog. If Cao Weida really connected with Ono Shiota, these so-called Four Hegemons truly wouldn’t measure up.
“What lord or whatever, that’s too distant. We’re all brothers in the same police station—no need to be so formal.”
Cao Weida humbly waved his hand and deliberately revealed some news: “Besides, what latching on? At most, just helping with small matters, and making some money to spend on the side.”
“If they need me, I’m already thanking the heavens. I wouldn’t dare say I’ve latched on.”
“Me, I’m cheap in fate, thin in fortune, didn’t get born into a good family, but I couldn’t do anything to harm the locals. I’m still hoping to be buried in the ancestral grave after I die.”
It wasn’t empty talk from his mouth; crucially, he knew too well Zong Xiangfang’s identity. He was afraid!
The Military Statistics Bureau had always upheld the tradition of exterminating traitors.
Zong Xiangfang was Military Statistics Bureau. If he thought he was a die-hard traitor helping the little devils and reported it up, then casually dealt with him, what then?
“Helping and still making money? That’s great!” Zong Xiangfang had an envious look: “Can you reveal what kind of matters?”
Seeming afraid of misunderstanding, he quickly added: “Of course, if it’s confidential, no need to say. I understand the rules!”
“Nothing that can’t be said.” Cao Weida looked around, leaned in closer, and said lowly: “Actually very simple. The Imperial Army didn’t arrest a lot of people? Many are my ‘friends’. To cooperate with the Imperial Army, they were invited to ‘assist in investigation’.
But we don’t say, the Imperial Army doesn’t know who’s our ‘friend’, so they can only handle things the Imperial Army’s traditional way. You should know the Imperial Army’s traditional way of doing things, right?”
The little devils’ traditional way of doing things?
Zong Xiangfang knew that all too well. The little devils’ prisons were never short of wrongful death ghosts.
“And then?”
“Then, of course, make a gesture. As long as the gesture is in place, the misunderstanding is cleared, all for assisting the Imperial Army in coordinating investigation, right?” Here, Cao Weida nudged him with his shoulder.
“Don’t say I don’t take care of you brother. If you have ‘friends’ with such needs, you can introduce them too. We split the money seven-three, you three me seven, how’s that?”
Zong Xiangfang wasn’t dumb; his brain was especially quick. He immediately got the meaning.
Actually, redeeming people from the devils’ prisons wasn’t new, nor was it Cao Weida’s precedent.
But this kind of redemption was usually by wealthy families’ relatives, who communicated with Japanese Army or puppet army through various ways, then used money to redeem.
But that didn’t mean anyone could succeed in redeeming. The Japanese Army’s attitude toward China captives and suspected anti-Japanese elements was extremely brutal, often casually maltreating and killing, persecuting; many died in prison from hunger, disease, torture, etc., never getting the chance to be redeemed.
Especially anyone with even a tiny link to ‘anti-Japanese elements’, even if mostly likely wronged, absolutely wouldn’t be released.
If anyone dared come to redeem, basically the person wouldn’t come out, and they themselves might get arrested too.
Only Cao Weida knew Ono Shiota was from Oita, not as ferocious and stubborn as the brainwashed brain-dead little devils, full of thoughts on how to make money. Otherwise, he wouldn’t dare do this.
If Cao Weida really turned this into business, he wouldn’t just be without fault—he’d have merit!
His mind turned quickly. If handled well, this would be a big benefit for the Kuomintang!
Then he flattered Cao Weida again, saying it was feasible. He’d go inquire if there were such ‘friends’, acting out a lowly, greedy character perfectly.
Cao Weida was naturally happy to cooperate in the play. The two arrived at the police station.
Just arriving at the police station, they saw Duomen already sitting on the concrete pier in front of the police station waiting.
Last night Cao Weida hadn’t returned. Though he’d told him in advance, he still came early to wait at the police station entrance. Not seeing Cao Weida, he couldn’t settle down.
After all, dealing with little devils was like scheming with a tiger.
Seeing Cao Weida come, he put down the big stone in his heart, stood up, and patted the dust off his butt.
“Cao’er’s here, Xiangfang you’re here too. What a coincidence, met on the road?” His eyes swept to the police baton at Zong Xiangfang’s waist. His just-relaxed heart suddenly tensed again.
The bloodstain on that police baton had been wiped, already dried, but as an old patrolman, he immediately noticed the remaining fresh blood on the police baton—clearly new blood not long ago!
Early in the morning, blood on the police baton—how could he not worry?
“Yeah, just ran into each other on the road. Master Duo, have you checked in?”
“Just waiting for you kid. Come on, together.”
Some words naturally couldn’t be asked in front of others. After check-in, Duomen pulled him aside.
“You kid, what’s the situation? How’d you come with Zong Xiangfang? And why’s there blood on his police baton?”
“I beat someone.” Cao Weida didn’t hide it and recounted the morning’s events.
Duomen listened, teeth aching as he sucked air, quite headache-inducing:
“You kid, can’t you settle down a bit? I find your courage is getting more reckless.”
“Front foot matter not done, back foot you provoke Fu Decheng.”
“That Fu Decheng isn’t some upright person. You offended his people; he’ll definitely retaliate later.”
“Even if you’re helping Ono Shiota, he won’t dare act openly, but secretly?”
“If something really happens to you, and he offers Ono Shiota a generous gift, would Ono Shiota quibble with him over a dead man?”
“Like this: go find Ono Shiota now and blow in his ear, find a reason to deal with Fu Decheng!”
Duomen’s eyes rarely flashed with killing intent.
“Remember, if you do it, do it thoroughly!”
Cao Weida was shocked. Master Duo, always a nice guy, also had such a murderous aura?
Truly rare!
“What’s that look?” Duomen slapped him irritably, helplessly: “You think I want to? It’s all because you kid stir up too much trouble.”
“If we don’t eliminate Fu Decheng, it’s endless trouble. That guy has no bottom line.”
Anyone living in Beiping City basically knew the Four Hegemons, especially Xi Batian the most bottomless and unjust—his heart was black!
If it weren’t Cao Weida who provoked, he really didn’t want to get involved.
From when Cao Weida actively asked to take him to make money, his relationship with Cao Weida had started changing.
It wasn’t seeing money; he truly felt Cao Weida worth befriending and treated him as one of his own.
Who could dislike someone who knew gratitude and repayment?
Cao Weida felt warmth in his heart. He knew Duomen treated him as one of his own to say this.
One arm over Duomen’s shoulder, he grinned: “Don’t worry, I’m not some soft-hearted type. But Master Duo, you caring this much touches me; I don’t even know how to repay.”
“Like this: tonight I arrange, we go to Yichun Courtesan House, find two top courtesans to loosen your bones. You run around all day; time to enjoy.”
“Get lost, you kid—even starting to tease me. I see you’re itching for a beating.” Duomen laughed and cursed, but why was his heart a bit tempted?
Men are boys till death—who doesn’t have impulsive moments?
Before, no conditions, and he wouldn’t take dirty money. Relying on that salary, he truly couldn’t bear to spend.
But now there was a way to get rich, money earned fair to conscience, so his heart naturally itched a bit.
“Look at you saying that. We’re all men, I get it.” Cao Weida gave an ‘I get it’ look. “What’s there to be shy? Food and sex, sex also!”
“You’re not young anymore. Duo’s family still counts on you to continue the family line. You can’t go see the ancestors later and say you cut off Duo’s incense, right?”
“.” Duomen was amused and helpless. How to respond to that?
But in his heart, he started pondering—maybe he should consider continuing the family line. Always single, nights were indeed a bit lonely.
