Chapter 231: Objective
“Here, your share.”
Gu Yansheng walked into Ding Mocun’s office, directly placed the money box on his desk, and went to brew coffee to drink.
Ding Mocun had seen the complete amount yesterday and knew the figure in his heart. He smilingly opened it for a look and felt doubly satisfied—around thirty-five thousand.
He touched it and asked, “Isn’t this more? Weren’t we supposed to deduct that stock investment funds? Are you not counting a share for me?”
Gu Yansheng said methodically, “Even close brothers must keep clear accounts. I have to let you see how much money there is. You look at it first, then give it back to me—that’s two different things.”
Ding Mocun sneered, laughed and said, “Still pulling this routine? Give it all to you. Deduct the medicine money, and the rest counts as investment funds. Enough?”
“Fine by me. Getting so generous now, not keeping a single share for yourself?” Gu Yansheng asked in surprise.
Ding Mocun chuckled lightly, “I do use some in the end, as you know—West Shanghai dividends.”
“Oh.” Gu Yansheng nodded in understanding, sipped his coffee, and mentioned the stock investment matter.
As they chatted, they could naturally turn to Li Shiqun’s action last night.
Ding Mocun said, “The one arrested from the Military Statistics Bureau Shanghai District is a Personnel Section Chief named Chen Mingchu. He knows quite a bit of information. He confessed the names of several important figures in the Shanghai District: District Chief Wang Tianmu, Deputy District Chief Zhao Lijun.
I know this Wang Tianmu. He’s an old-brand agent with very deep seniority. The Military Statistics Bureau’s predecessor was called the Revival Society Secret Service, started by Old Jiang, with Boss Dai in charge of operations and Wang Tianmu assisting. This Wang Tianmu was already Old Jiang’s backbone at that time—his seniority isn’t much less than Boss Dai’s.
Who would have thought the current Shanghai District Chief is actually him.”
“Don’t tell me he’s your friend too?” Gu Yansheng joked.
How could Ding Mocun not know Gu Yansheng was alluding to last night’s incident? He couldn’t help but scoff, “Relax, I have no friends in the Military Statistics Bureau. Boss Dai wishes I were dead. If any of his men befriended me and he found out, they’d be scolded to death by him.”
This was truly a factual statement. After Gu Yansheng laughed, he thought it odd and said, “Actually, there’s something I can’t figure out. Li Shiqun arresting people like this will sooner or later drag Yu Xiangqin out. Could Yu Xiangqin really not be his woman?”
“Even if dragged out, if he wants to protect this woman, do you think he can’t?”
Ding Mocun gave a sly, amused sidelong glance and laughed, “Now that someone from the Shanghai District has been arrested, even if I go complain to the Japanese, as long as he says this woman is his informant left in the Military Statistics Bureau, doesn’t that lie hold up? He might even fish a Division Chief position for this woman.”
Gu Yansheng snorted a laugh, “First half is right, second half impossible. Put her in your Agent Headquarters? You want your Agent Headquarters to stage two women fighting over one man? That wouldn’t cause an uproar?”
“Hahahaha.” Ding Mocun laughed heartily. After laughing, he suddenly thought of a point and said quite seriously, “Tell me, could this woman really not be Li Shiqun’s lover?”
“How so?” Gu Yansheng raised an eyebrow.
Ding Mocun hissed, pondering, “Tell me, could this woman be someone the Military Statistics Bureau sent to turn Li Shiqun?”
Ding Mocun had thought of his own defection last night and suddenly made this association.
Gu Yansheng was startled inside. Don’t mention it—Boss Dai had indeed entertained this idea. Chen Mo had told him that Boss Dai had sent a telegram instructing them to find a way, but Chen Mo’s proposal had been directly rejected by him.
Turn Li Shiqun? What a joke. At this stage, he’s at the height of his power—who’d want to be turned by you? If turning, it has to be at the right time.
But if the Shanghai District received the telegram and didn’t reject it, following Boss Dai’s instructions.
They found Yu Xiangqin, an old acquaintance of Li Shiqun, trying to play the feelings card to win him back.
Then Li Shiqun turned the tables, followed the vine to the melon, and dug out the entire Shanghai District.
Hiss. Gu Yansheng sighed—if that were true, Boss Dai was simply out of his mind, too hasty.
Ding Mocun analyzed, “Look, Yu Xiangqin was captured by my people—unavoidable. If she were Li Shiqun’s woman and brought to No. 76 by my people, she’d know she wouldn’t die and could follow along.
But when Li Shiqun’s people showed up later, she instead took the chance to run—that’s very abnormal.
If she were really working for the Military Statistics Bureau on Li Shiqun’s behalf, once she ran, there’d be no need to drag out this Personnel Section Chief.
Not right either. If Li Shiqun arrested no one, he couldn’t account to the Japanese. Arrest the Personnel Section Chief to let Yu Xiangqin continue lurking in the Military Statistics Bureau?”
Ding Mocun started negating himself again, frowning in thought.
But Gu Yansheng no longer doubted—the more he thought, the more likely it seemed. Yu Xiangqin was probably there to turn Li Shiqun.
The Shanghai District’s downfall this time was a bit unjust—too obedient, selling themselves out entirely.
The remaining ten or twenty percent possibility was actually one suspicious point.
Per Ding Mocun’s account, Wang Tianmu was an extremely experienced old agent. If so, even if he sent Yu Xiangqin to turn Li Shiqun, he should have prepared for Li Shiqun turning hostile—cut-line measures.
That is, first have everyone Yu Xiangqin knew cut contact with her, then have her execute the turning. That way, even if Li Shiqun flipped, losses could be minimized.
So how did Ding Mocun find Yu Xiangqin’s subordinates, and Li Shiqun find this Personnel Section Chief?
The Personnel Section Chief could still be explained as not discovered via Yu Xiangqin’s line.
But Ding Mocun’s finds—the few Yu Xiangqin subordinates—Gu Yansheng couldn’t find an explanation for that. Like giving them away for free, unless the Military Statistics Bureau upper levels treated them all as pawns to give to Li Shiqun.
Too abstract. Who knows what the Military Statistics Bureau Shanghai District is up to?
Ding Mocun still hadn’t figured it out. He frowned and thought for a long time, feeling the logic knotted up. Li Shiqun’s behavior was also strange. What exactly was the relationship between him and Yu Xiangqin? However he thought, it seemed problematic.
“What do you think?” Ding Mocun cast a puzzled, baffled look.
Gu Yansheng feigned disinterest, “What’s the use of you guessing here? Possibilities are endless.
Just wait for Li Shiqun to arrest people.
Whether Yu Xiangqin was sent over—Shanghai District upper levels definitely someone knows.
If Li Shiqun can catch the District Chief and Deputy District Chief, then you go ask directly—isn’t it just one question about whether it was a turning attempt?”
Ding Mocun sighed—nothing else for it.
But if the people really get caught by Li Shiqun, whether he’d let him question them is another matter. Might end up arguing again.
“Alright, busy yourself. I’m off.”
“Not staying?”
“Stay for what? Piles of things.” Gu Yansheng stood and said, “Wang Faction people have been giving speeches in Shanghai lately, doing propaganda, right?”
“Hm?”
“We’re posting slogans promoting Peaceful Nation Building. No problem in Chinese Territory, but protests are huge in the Concession. We posted for just two days at the start, now all taken down.
Municipal Council side won’t let us post anymore, and lectures are about to be banned. We now suspect Chongqing sent a telegram to the Municipal Council not to allow propaganda.”
Ding Mocun frowned, “So what are you planning to do?”
“Talk, of course.” Gu Yansheng shook his head helplessly and sighed, “Work the connections—Green Gang, influential figures, British Person, Americans. Fu Xiao’an and I are both working connections now, but if it’s really pressure from Chongqing, it’s truly quite troublesome.”
“It is troublesome.” Ding Mocun nodded, “With Municipal Council siding with Chongqing, our No. 76 operations in the Concession are also quite inconvenient. Wait—this matter, I’ll think of a way for you. Sooner or later, we’ll make these British bastards pay.”
“What way could you have?” Gu Yansheng asked, astonished.
Ding Mocun smiled, “Our kind of methods aren’t presentable, but usually, either don’t do them, or if done, they’ll definitely have some effect.”
Gu Yansheng thought and nodded, “Don’t go overboard. After all, the New Government still needs to deal with all sectors—gotta save face.”
“Deal my ass.” Ding Mocun sneered, “Things are already like this—won’t even let us do propaganda. You think this looks like they’re preparing to deal with you? Self-deception.”
“Quit grossing me out.” Gu Yansheng rolled his eyes and waved, “I’m off.”
Leaving No. 76, Gu Yansheng drove to the Concession to find Chen Mo.
Chen residence.
Gu Yansheng shared his analysis.
Chen Mo asked incredulously, “No way? The Shanghai District really tried turning? Isn’t that just giving themselves away?”
“I don’t want to believe it either, but this possibility is high. All events now support this conclusion.” Gu Yansheng waved it off, “Leave the guesses aside. Did you notify the Shanghai District side last night?”
“Notified.” Chen Mo nodded, “We have only one liaison channel with the Shanghai District. Afraid of issues with the receiver, I had headquarters forward it directly. Shanghai District won’t have just one radio—covers a broad area this way.”
“Mm.” Gu Yansheng thought and said, “For now, no contact with Shanghai District. Until this is clear, better keep distance.”
“Got it.”
Gu Yansheng got to the main point, “I’m here with a suggestion—see if you want to use it.”
“Say it.”
“Use a public telephone to call the Gendarmerie Headquarters.
Content: Li Shiqun has been turned, privately concealing Military Statistics Bureau upper level clues during the action.”
“Good, I’ll do it right away.” Chen Mo agreed first, then asked, “What’s the goal? Make the Japanese suspect Li Shiqun?”
Gu Yansheng nodded, “Something like that.
Do you know how many clues Li Shiqun holds? You don’t, I don’t, Japanese don’t. Right now, the biggest threat to Military Statistics Bureau Shanghai District is Li Shiqun.
Take down the all-knowing Li Shiqun, put up the clueless Ding Mocun—buys time for Military Statistics Bureau retreat, and lets us know what really happened.”
