Chapter 205: Lure The Snake Out Of Its Hole
“Mr. Chen, do a good job..” Kagesa patted Chen Yang on the shoulder, then glanced at Zuo Mingquan who was standing timidly to the side, and turned to leave the office.
“Director Zuo, this report is well done!” After Kagesa left, Chen Yang sat behind the large rosewood desk, flipping through the report in his hand, his fingers tapping slowly and rhythmically on the smooth desktop.
Zuo Mingquan stood in front of the desk, slightly lowering his head, wiping the fine sweat from his forehead and said fawningly: “No, no, this is what a subordinate should do.”
“Heh.” A cold laugh sounded, followed by a brief silence, only the “tap, tap” sound of Chen Yang’s fingers knocking on the desktop, like a small hammer striking Zuo Mingquan’s heart.
Finally, Chen Yang spoke, his voice not loud: “Director Zuo.”
Zuo Mingquan’s body trembled slightly, and he quickly responded: “Subordinate is here.”
Chen Yang threw the report on the desk, stopped tapping the desktop, leaned forward slightly, his gaze like two cold scalpels, staring straight at Zuo Mingquan:
“You should remember clearly what I said to you before, right?”
“I remember… a subordinate dares not forget for a moment…” Zuo Mingquan’s voice was somewhat dry.
“Dares not forget?” Chen Yang sneered, his tone suddenly sharpening, “I think you’ve forgotten it completely! Or rather, you don’t care about the overall interests of the Special Affairs Committee at all!”
“When there’s trouble in Nanjing, I stick my neck out for you, and when there’s a problem in Shanghai, I have to clean up your mess again.”
“Damn it, Director Zuo, aren’t the black pots I’ve taken for you enough? It’s only been a few days, and you’ve stirred up another mess for me..”
“You told the Special Higher Police Affairs about what the blacksmith confessed? Heh, what? Is the Special Affairs Office so short of people now that you can’t even handle your own duties?”
A series of questioning voices made cold sweat break out on Zuo Mingquan’s forehead: “Director Chen, this subordinate didn’t, didn’t…”
“Shut up!” Chen Yang interrupted him sharply, his voice not loud but carrying an unquestionable authority, “Did I tell you to speak?”
Zuo Mingquan immediately fell silent, his head drooping even lower. Chen Yang stood up, walked around the desk, paced to Zuo Mingquan, and looked down at him:
“I want to know who gave you the guts to leak intelligence to the Special Higher Police Affairs on your own? Hmm? Did Section Chief Matsui promise you some benefits? Or do you think that by hugging the Special Higher Police Affairs’ thigh, you can bypass me?”
“Privately trading sensitive information with other intelligence agencies, and such crucial strategic intelligence at that! This is serious dereliction of duty!”
“Do you know how valuable the intelligence you gave out is? It’s the key to us eliminating the Communist Party underground transportation station, not for you to offer to the Special Higher Police Affairs to curry favor and exchange for that paltry merit!”
“Giving the intelligence to those idiots at the Special Higher Police Affairs—what good does it do besides alerting the enemy and exposing our intelligence sources?”
“If your stupid actions cause Your Excellency Kagesa’s entire plan to fail, ten heads of yours, Zuo Mingquan, wouldn’t be enough to chop off!”
Zuo Mingquan’s face turned from ashen to deathly pale, stammering in defense: “Director Chen… I… at that time, I just wanted to crack the Communist Party radio as soon as possible…”
“Wanted?” Chen Yang interrupted again, his tone dripping with sarcasm, “You didn’t want, you’re stupid! And not just ordinarily stupid..”
“To be honest, I’ve seen plenty of stupid people, but one as stupid as you, Director Zuo, is truly the first I’ve encountered.”
“You think the Special Higher Police Affairs will credit you with merit after getting the blacksmith’s intelligence from you?”
“Has your brain been kicked by a donkey? When have the Special Higher Police Affairs’ benefits ever been something the Nanjing Special Affairs Committee could share in?”
“Even when acting like a dog, you should at least know who your master is.”
He circled Zuo Mingquan once, sneering, “Director Zuo, I think when you have time, you should sunbathe more, tan yourself a bit darker, so no one will call you an idiot.”
“I” Zuo Mingquan was scolded until his face was flushed with embarrassment, but he couldn’t find any reason to retort.
Chen Yang returned to his seat and sat down heavily. “For the sake that you’ve done some work for the committee, I will, for now, retain your position.”
“But, Director Zuo, listen to me carefully.”
“From today on, no one may act without my personal approval for all actions of the committee!”
“All information exchanges with external units, especially with the Special Higher Police Affairs, must go through my review! You and your subordinates, if you dare to make the same mistake again…”
“Hmph hmph.”
Chen Yang didn’t continue, but that icy gaze and the sudden silence were more powerful than any threat.
Zuo Mingquan felt a chill run down his scalp and quickly bowed: “Hai! This subordinate understands! This subordinate absolutely obeys Director Chen’s orders! Will never offend again!”
“Knock knock knock” a knock on the door sounded, timely interrupting the conversation between the two.
“Come in.” Chen Yang said in a deep voice.
The office door was opened, and Section Chief Gao Bin of the Intelligence Section handed a note to Zuo Mingquan: “Director, Bamboo Leaf Green sent intelligence that the Communist Party will risk activating the radio in Xue Lian’s hands tonight to send intelligence to the outside.”
“The one leading this action is very likely the special commissioner ‘Blackjack’ that Communist Party Headquarters just sent to Shanghai. He thinks this is a good opportunity to catch Qing Hu and Blackjack.”
Zuo Mingquan’s pupils contracted slightly, and after taking the intelligence, he quickly and respectfully handed it to Chen Yang.
Chen Yang opened the note, which read, “Radio will be activated at 1 a.m., this action led by Qing Hu, do not miss the opportunity.”
“Director Zuo, what do you think?” Chen Yang placed the note on the desk and gently pushed it toward Zuo Mingquan.
Zuo Mingquan glanced at the writing on it and said respectfully: “Director Chen, I think Bamboo Leaf Green probably isn’t lying. He is responsible for compiling intelligence on the Shanghai underground transportation station.”
“He has some influence within the organization.”
“I think it’s not simple.” Chen Yang tapped the desktop lightly.
“Xue Lian was just caught, and Bamboo Leaf Green suddenly receives such an instruction. The Communist Party aren’t fools. Right now, all intelligence agencies in Shanghai are hunting for this radio’s location, and at this time they risk activating the radio.”
“The risk of doing so is too great. I think there’s something off.”
Zuo Mingquan was stunned for a moment and said softly: “Director Chen, do you think it could be that they have very urgent intelligence on hand.”
“This special commissioner, for the so-called overall situation, has no choice but to risk activating the radio to transmit the message.”
“This reason is a bit forced,” Chen Yang looked up at Zuo Mingquan and said: “Director Zuo, do a good deed to the end, pass the message to Section Chief Matsui of the Special Higher Police Affairs.”
“They’re always chasing the radio, so let’s give them a hand.”
“Ah.” Zuo Mingquan hesitated: “Your Excellency Kagesa just said we can’t let the Special Higher Police Affairs.”
Chen Yang waved his hand, interrupting Zuo Mingquan: “Director Zuo, didn’t you hear what Your Excellency Kagesa said?”
“I call the shots here. They want merit, so I’ll let them have it. Is there a problem with that?”
“This, , yes..” Zuo Mingquan responded, a complex look in his eyes, as if blaming Chen Yang for letting such great merit go to the Special Higher Police Affairs.
Shanghai, Special Higher Police Affairs Headquarters.
Investigation Team Leader Matsui Koji knocked on Fujita Go’s office door.
“Message from Zuo Mingquan?” Fujita Go looked at the note Matsui brought, somewhat surprised.
“Section Chief Fujita, do you think there’s something wrong?” Matsui Koji looked at Fujita Go’s expression and asked curiously.
Fujita Go hesitated: “Can’t say, but this intelligence came too timely.”
“We’re having a headache over Xue Lian’s matter, and suddenly this intelligence comes that can lock the radio’s position.”
“It feels too coincidental.”
Matsui Koji said respectfully: “I don’t think so.”
“Section Chief Fujita, the radio in Xue Lian’s hands is one of the Communist Party’s main channels for external contact.”
“Now that we’ve caught Xue Lian, they can’t send out the intelligence they have.”
“You know, intelligence has a shelf life. Once time drags on, this important intelligence becomes useless.”
“Now they’re risking activating the radio, I think it makes sense.”
Fujita Go frowned, pondered for a moment: “Alright, this matter is yours and Major Nantian’s to handle.”
“Communicate with Ando if you need anything.”
“Hai.” Matsui Koji bowed slightly and quickly left the office.
Shanghai, French Concession, late night, Sixteen Rows Wharf Warehouse.
The river wind was biting, carrying a heavy fishy smell.
The wharf area was under blackout, with only a few dim yellow streetlights outlining the black silhouettes of cargo piles and ships.
At an inconspicuous spot on the warehouse roof, Lin Xueli and Sun Yong, codenamed Carrier Pigeon, watched the abandoned warehouse hiding the radio from left and right.
Their task was only one: watch.
Watch everything that happened today clearly and report to Blackjack.
According to the plan, the radio Xue Lian was responsible for would transmit to the organization at 1 a.m. Lin Xueli raised his hand to check his wristwatch, and by the faint light, he could vaguely see that the appointed time had arrived.
Suddenly, Sun Yong lightly tapped the roof’s iron pipe, two “ding ding” sounds.
Lin Xueli quickly picked up the binoculars. In the distance, blinding lights came on. In the shadows near the abandoned warehouse at Pier Number Three, several sneaky figures appeared. They didn’t turn on lights but used flashlights toward the warehouse on the other side, flashing extremely regular three long two short light signals!
And almost at the same moment the three long two short signals were sent, in the shadows of another area, someone also raised two flashlights and flashed twice!
At the same time, a radio detection vehicle disguised as a commercial car quietly started, its antenna slowly rotating, but its main scanning direction clearly focused on the nearby warehouse.
They seemed to have known long ago that someone would use the radio to transmit intelligence at this time.
Lin Xueli and Sun Yong lay flat on the warehouse roof, not moving a muscle.
The detection vehicle below rocked its top antenna, scanning the warehouse area over and over for signals.
And under the eaves of Warehouse Number Six, several figures hid in the shadows, quietly waiting for the capture signal from ahead.
