Chapter 72: Trapping The Traitor
“.”
“Cao Sang, you are a Chinese person and quite familiar with China. Analyze it for me.”
“Second Lieutenant Yoshida is missing, there are no signs of a fight at home, and no evidence was left behind.”
“Do you think your China has any methods to take someone away silently without leaving any clues?”
Cao Weida shook his head blankly. “Unless he left on his own, otherwise I really can’t think of any other methods.”
The stenographer and Fujita Sosuke shook their heads secretly, but they weren’t disappointed.
This performance was not beyond the stenographer and Fujita Sosuke’s expectations; they had only asked casually anyway.
After all, in their view, Cao Weida had only been working at the police station for over half a year, and he was a farmer before that. Where would he have gotten any case-handling ability?
The questioning ended quickly, and naturally, nothing was learned.
The stenographer closed his notebook and stood up. “Officer Fujita, my questioning is finished.”
“Yōshi, you can go down.”
After the stenographer left, Cao Weida couldn’t help asking: “Fujita-kun, everyone who contacted Second Lieutenant Yoshida yesterday should have been arrested—no, invited to cooperate with the investigation, right?”
“Yes, rickshaw puller Wen San’er, Na Laishun, patrolman Fang Jinglin, Xinmin Society vice president Lu Zhongyong.”
“Wait, Fujita-kun, that Lu Zhongyong you mentioned? The Xinmin Daily editor-in-chief Lu Zhongyong?”
“Yes, what’s wrong? Does Cao Sang know him?”
“I don’t know him, but I’ve heard of his reputation.” Cao Weida narrowed his eyes and chuckled slyly:
“Fujita-kun, this is a great opportunity to get rich!”
Lu Zhongyong, a thorough traitor!
Earlier, he was 《Capital Evening News》 entertainment section reporter, a man who would do anything for profit. As long as there was money, he dared to write anything, always exchanging conscience for manuscript fees.
After Beiping fell, he immediately couldn’t wait to defect to the Japanese.
At that time, they had just occupied Beiping, and the little devils urgently needed Chinese people to surrender. Lu Zhongyong’s active defection naturally delighted them, and even to set an example, they had to give generous rewards.
Sure enough, he became the Xinmin Society vice president, and later even the 《Xinmin Daily》 editor-in-chief, shouting slogans for the little devils all day.
He would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, such as holding Boss Yang’s mother hostage to force Beiping famous performer Yang Yichen to perform his signature play to welcome the Japanese army into the city. He was rotten to the core.
Trapping such a traitor, Cao Weida wished there were more deaths like that. It could purify the air, and buried in the ground, it could add some fertilizer to the land—a case of waste utilization.
“Oh? How so?” Hearing it was a chance to get rich, Fujita Sosuke’s big eyes nearly bulged out, full of greed for money.
Cao Weida smiled slyly: “Fujita-kun, think about it. What does the Xinmin Society do? It’s cooperating with the Imperial Army to plunder—er, collect strategic supplies and wealth.”
“I know damn well what kind of character this bunch of damn ones have. I don’t believe they don’t line their own pockets. They must have plenty of money and grain on hand.”
“If it were before, fine, but moving them might cause some concerns. But hasn’t he delivered leverage right into our hands? If we don’t slaughter him good, wouldn’t it be too wasteful?”
Hearing this, Fujita Sosuke’s heart moved instantly.
Having ruled parts of China for so many years, how could he not know the true nature of the people who defected to them?
If you ask them to carry out tasks, success or failure is really uncertain.
But if you ask them to gather wealth, they are all experts at it.
Though he didn’t know how much money and grain they had scraped together, he could guess with his butt that it was no small amount.
Fujita Sosuke was extremely tempted, but still pretended to be reserved: “This isn’t great, after all, anyone with eyes can see he actually has little relation to this matter.”
“If people with eyes can see it, then we can find the blind ones.” Cao Weida chuckled,
“Like our Captain Sang Liuji. If he weren’t blind, how could such a shocking murder happen in his jurisdiction?”
“He’s at the stage of atoning for his crimes with merits now. I think he’d be very willing to work himself to the bone for the Imperial Army.”
“We won’t ask for much. We can buy the grain and supplies at home with money. For the remaining family fortune, it depends on whether he wants to show some sincerity.”
“We won’t ask for much, half his family fortune should be fine, right? As long as he gives it, we can clear his suspicion. As friends of the Imperial Army, with the front lines tight on supplies, it’s only right for him to contribute. I think he’d be more than willing.”
“For such a big case, allowing him to pay to avert disaster is such great mercy!”
“If he can’t bear to part with even this money, then we have to question his loyalty to the Imperial Army.”
Letting one rotten-to-the-core deal with another rotten-to-the-core is a perfect match!
Maybe after they interact, they’ll take a liking to each other and fly off together.
Don’t those romance novels write it that way? If it really happens, they’ll have to pay us matchmaker fees.
“Not only that, we also have to let him know we’re fair and just.” Cao Weida continued:
“Didn’t we grab a few people? We’ll make them all pay half their worth too. Then no one can say anything!”
“Treating everyone equally, whoever dares oppose is provoking the dignity of the great Japanese Imperial Army!”
“Yōshi~~ Cao Sang, you’re too bad.” Fujita Sosuke also chuckled slyly. It sounded fair, but it was all nonsense!
How much worth does Lu Zhongyong have compared to those rickshaw pullers and patrolmen?
The two are completely incomparable!
But that doesn’t matter. Our great Japanese Imperial Army loves fairness the most. Whether it’s truly fair or not doesn’t matter—as long as it looks fair on the surface!
Cao Weida thought to himself, good thing you didn’t say ‘I like it so much,’ or I really couldn’t hold back from doing you!
On the other side.
Lu Zhongyong is well-known among the little devils, and many recognize him.
Therefore, he didn’t experience any blind person coming to extort him. The little devils were quite polite when inviting him.
“Mr. Lu, please don’t fear. It’s just a simple routine questioning.” The little devil doing the questioning had a decent attitude.
After the questioning ended, as he stood to leave, a phone call suddenly came into the interrogation room.
“Moshi moshi.”
“Hai, hai!”
The little devil who hung up called out to Lu Zhongyong who was about to leave: “Mr. Lu, wait a moment.”
“Taijun, is there anything else to ask? Don’t worry, I’ll tell you everything I know!” Lu Zhongyong smiled obsequiously, his fawning face disgusting to behold.
“You can’t leave for now.” The little devil gave no good face to Lu Zhongyong’s bootlicking and ordered sternly.
“Ah? Why? Haven’t I answered everything I should?” Lu Zhongyong was somewhat stunned. Who called? Why such a big attitude change?!
“You don’t need to know why, just await orders!” The little devil’s tone hardened. No matter how high Lu Zhongyong seemed outside—as Xinmin Society vice president and 《Xinmin Daily》 editor-in-chief—in the little devil’s eyes, he was just an obedient dog.
A dog daring to question its master’s orders—how could the little devil be polite to him?
“This…” Lu Zhongyong’s mind went blank. He didn’t know what had happened. He hadn’t done anything against the little devils!
“Taijun, yesterday I really just invited Second Lieutenant Yoshida for tea, then we parted. I’ve said everything there is.”
“You’ve said too much.” The little devil’s face turned cold as he shouted: “Someone, arrange a guest room for Mr. Lu to rest!”
“.”
Lu Zhongyong opened his mouth but ultimately didn’t dare refute again, obediently following the little devil to the so-called ‘guest room’ to rest.
Against Chinese people, he could be arrogant and prodigal, but in front of little devils, he truly lacked the courage.
Cao Weida sat in the rickshaw, having fleeced a big traitor, setting Sang Liuji to dogfight with him, and incidentally saving the captured people and Fang Jinglin. He was in a great mood now.
“Master, we’re here.”
“Mm.”
Tossing a union bond over to dismiss the rickshaw puller, Cao Weida saw someone climbing a ladder busy outside the courtyard. Below, the translator he’d beaten before was barking orders.
Seeing him, the translator scurried over fawningly, bowing and smiling:
“Cao Ye, you’re back?”
“We’re installing the telephone for you here. I’m personally supervising. It’ll be done soon. The courtyard is cleaned spotless, all scrubbed over. Those blue stones could be used as mirrors.”
Cao Weida glanced indifferently. “Speed’s decent. Alright, that’s it. You can go.”
Seeing his face made him annoyed; he really didn’t want to deal with him.
“Master Duo, Cao Ye, thank you, Cao Ye!” The translator kowtowed gratefully.
“Big Brother Cao.” Little Ear came out from the courtyard. Seeing his expression, how could Cao Weida not tell he had something on?
Waving the translator away, he walked a few steps aside,
“What’s up? Speak.”
“Do you remember Han Lu from Xiaguang Garden?”
“Nonsense, it’s not been that long. My memory isn’t that bad.” Cao Weida rolled his eyes. “What about her? Trouble?”
“Yeah, there’s been a murder at Xiaguang Garden. They say a Military Statistics Bureau traitor had an incident there, and someone wants to hold her accountable.”
“Actually, it’s just someone making a fuss to take over Xiaguang Garden. Seems her backers were taken care of; she sought help but was ignored, so she came to me.”
Little Ear finished and fell silent, not asking whether to intervene or not, just quietly awaiting Cao Weida’s orders.
Tsk, so in that sense, the Xiaguang Garden matter was caused by him?
Cao Weida grinned, then realized—no, someone had long eyed Xiaguang Garden; it had nothing to do with this.
Even without this, they’d find other things to trouble Han Lu.
He rubbed his chin in thought, wondering whether to get involved.
