Chapter 276: Do You Know What It Means To Wish You Were Dead?
“Boss Guo, I’ve come to bother you again.”
Cao Weida entered with a document bag in his hand, his smile not reaching his eyes.
Although he inwardly looked down on the other man, the current situation forced Guo Dashuai to greet him with a smile:
“Oh my, Patrol Officer Cao, you’re an official, yet you had to go through such hardship to come yourself.”
Cao Weida: “There’s no choice. I’m just a laborer destined to take orders and toil. I can’t compare to you, Marshal Guo. When you have something to say, you just open your mouth, and countless subordinates rush to your service, doing all the dirty and hard work for you.”
Guo Dashuai pretended not to hear these words, which were tinged with sarcasm and veiled meaning, and replied with an apologetic smile:
“I am truly sorry. I was blind and didn’t recognize you, Marshal Guo Weida, a distinguished figure. In my haste, I acted too rudely. I apologize here and now!”
“You are too kind, Boss Guo.” Cao Weida chuckled, thinking, “You must be taking me for a fool, trying to fool me!”
“You, Marshal Guo, have been entrenched in Beiping for so many years, knowing so many dignitaries and nobles, and you’re telling me you don’t know me?!”
He did not expose the other man’s excuse. He walked to the sofa, sat down, crossed his legs, and ordered, “Have your men leave. I want to talk to you alone.”
Guo Dashuai was inwardly annoyed by his audacious demeanor.
In normal times, all the people he associated with were brigade commanders or mayors!
Let alone a mere patrol officer, even Xu Hancheng, the Police Station Chief of the Outer Fifth District, wouldn’t dare to have such an attitude towards this old man!
Suppressing the anger in his heart, he waved his hand to signal the servants to leave and sat down on the opposite sofa. He looked at Cao Weida, having decided that if the other man asked for favors, he would give him a little, just to appease a beggar.
How could the contempt in his eyes escape Cao Weida’s notice?
He let out a scoff and said unhurriedly, “Marshal Guo, I’ve come today to inform you that you are in big trouble.”
Guo Dashuai, convinced the other man was here to extort him, dismissed his words with a grin and a fake smile: “What, are you threatening me, Master Cao?”
Cao Weida raised his eyebrows and nodded in acknowledgment: “Yes, you can interpret it that way.”
“Oh my, I truly don’t understand. What have I done to offend you, Master Cao, to make you so intent on dealing with me!” Guo Dashuai, still immersed in his own thoughts and not sensing anything amiss, tried to explain:
“I’ve already apologized for what happened that day. We might even become friends in the future.”
“The Jianghu is full of storms; we should look out for each other.”
“As expected of a veteran of the Jianghu. His words carry threats mixed with a desire for friendship. If it were someone truly here to extort, they might have been swayed.”
“It’s a pity, Cao Weida is here to take everything. These words naturally can’t threaten him, nor can they possibly be of concern to him.”
He slowly raised his eyes and said unhurriedly, “I’m not that petty. I’m not here today because you spat on us that day.”
“When human lives are at stake, that little matter is nothing.”
“Human lives are at stake?” Guo Dashuai couldn’t help but laugh. “Master Cao, is it really that serious?”
“It is very serious, even more serious than you imagine.”
As soon as he said this, Guo Dashuai’s heart sank.
He began to realize that perhaps things were not as he had imagined, and Cao Weida’s attitude was far from that of someone merely here to extort!
He no longer felt like smiling. His face stiffened slightly as he asked, “What exactly do you want?”
Cao Weida pointed his chin towards the window. “You can look down from the window, and you’ll know your current predicament.”
“I will look! This is my territory. I want to see what you can possibly reveal!”
Guo Dashuai snorted inwardly, walked to the window, and lifted the curtain to look down.
With just one glance, he felt his scalp tingle, and a chill instantly struck his heart.
Just then, Cao Weida’s faint voice reached his ears: “Did you see clearly? Those are vehicles from the Japanese Military Police.”
Guo Dashuai shivered all over, his scalp prickling. He immediately realized something was wrong.
“This is not someone here to extort him, this is someone who intends to take his life!!”
His heart tightened, and his breathing became rapid.
He never dreamed that Cao Weida’s methods would be so forceful, capable of deploying the Japanese Military Police at will!
“If you dare to spit at their feet, then that would show some guts,” Cao Weida said, looking at him with amusement and a smile:
“They won’t be as merciful as we are. They might tear your tongue out!”
Having lived in Beiping for many years, Guo Dashuai naturally understood the weight of these words.
If the medicine case attracted the attention of the Japanese Military Police, even if Cui Qi personally intervened, he would not be entirely sure of protecting his life!
As for Wang Kemin…
Although they were from the same hometown, they were merely acquainted; there was no deep friendship. To expect Wang Kemin to plead on his behalf?
How could that be possible!
Moreover, the charge of colluding with communists and bandits didn’t need proof; all initiative was now in the hands of the police.
Wang Kemin was always cautious; if he knew about this, he would be even less likely to plead for him!
Even Cui Qi, upon realizing the implications of this matter, would undoubtedly sever ties with him without hesitation!
If he continued to deny it, he would surely die before Liu Changjiang!
He scurried to Cao Weida’s side, his expression completely devoid of its previous composure, looking quite flustered:
“Master Cao, please tell me directly what you want.”
“We are all sensible people. We can sit down and talk things through.”
“Didn’t I just say that we will become good friends in the future?”
Faced with his apologies and submissiveness, Cao Weida had no patience for pleasantries: “It’s useless to tell me this. I’m not the protagonist in this play; at best, I’m just the announcer.”
He pointed to the documents on the table: “Take a look yourself.”
Cao Weida had been holding the document bag when he entered earlier, but at that time, Guo Dashuai hadn’t thought of anything else, merely assuming Cao Weida was here to extort him, so he paid no attention.
Now that his life was at stake, how could he not pay attention?
He quickly grabbed the document bag, opened it, and took out the documents to examine them.
Upon seeing the contents of the documents, Guo Dashuai was utterly stunned.
The documents contained anti-bandit directives issued by the Gendarmerie, along with Fujita Sosuke’s personal signature.
In other words, from this moment on, the protagonist of this grand drama had shifted from the police to the Japanese!
His heart sank completely. Facing the police, facing Cao Weida, or even facing Xu Hancheng, he had no fear.
But when it came to the Gendarmerie, especially a battalion commander of the Gendarmerie, he couldn’t help but be afraid!
Especially since these documents contained a large amount of confessions and evidence, directly or indirectly pointing to him as the source of that batch of medicine. This was extremely disadvantageous for him!
Although there was no direct proof, based on this alone, the Japanese already had sufficient reason to arrest him for interrogation!
What?
No direct evidence?
Hahaha, since when do those little devils need conclusive evidence to make an arrest?
They’ll just drag you back for interrogation, and then the evidence will appear!
Cao Weida, seeing all the changes in his expression, smiled slightly, took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a puff.
“How about it? Do you believe now that this is a matter of life and death? With this, do you think the Japanese will let you off the hook?”
“I am not here today in my capacity as a police patrol officer. I am here to assist the Japanese Military Police in investigating a communist collusion case supervised by the Gendarmerie Headquarters.”
Hearing this threat, Guo Dashuai was in utter disarray, his expression flickering.
He knew he absolutely could not admit to this. Once he did, he would be beyond redemption!
At the same time, he understood that if Cao Weida truly wanted to act, he wouldn’t need to waste words with him; he could simply have the Japanese Military Police step in.
However, he couldn’t fathom why Cao Weida had gone to such lengths.
“Master Cao, I truly don’t understand what you mean.”
“In this Jianghu, one must be cautious at all times. I don’t eat poison and I don’t break the law.”
Cao Weida interrupted with a cold laugh: “Whether you eat poison is your business, but whether you break the law is my business.”
Faced with such a strong threat, Guo Dashuai no longer had his former arrogance. He felt even his breathing was a heavy task.
He remained silent, or rather, he didn’t know what to say at the moment. He just stared blankly at Cao Weida, his heart filled with an unprecedented heaviness and despair.
In contrast, seeing his bewildered look, Cao Weida inwardly savored it.
“Damn it, where’s that swagger you had earlier?”
“Weren’t you quite arrogant?”
“Are you still arrogant now?”
He leaned back on the sofa with a mocking expression, flicking cigarette ash carelessly onto the floor.
“I’m telling you, don’t think that knowing a few officials will save your life.”
“If you truly end up with the Japanese, dying immediately would be a blessing you’ve cultivated over three lifetimes!”
Cao Weida’s tone was filled with threats, and the corners of his mouth curled into a sinister smile:
“Do you know what it means to wish you were dead rather than alive? I don’t think you’d want to find out, would you?”
Guo Dashuai’s body trembled instantly, his face filled with terror, as if recalling something that filled him with dread.
He knew a little about the interrogation methods of those little devils; they were torments that no human could endure!
It might seem like he was an imposing figure to others, but when faced with such terrifying torture, he didn’t believe he could hold up!
Seeing his fear, Cao Weida smiled: “You must understand that I am giving you a chance now!”
“If you remain stubborn and unappreciative, I will have no choice but to handle this according to procedure.”
“What… what do you want me to do?” Guo Dashuai’s throat constricted a few times. At this point, he no longer dared to show any defiance, and his eyes held a hint of pleading.
With his life and death in someone else’s hands, and even the prospect of a fate worse than death looming, how could he possibly refuse?
Moreover, he was a man who feared death and clung to life.
