Chapter 232: Three Fools
Gendarmerie Headquarters, duty room.
A strange phone call came in.
It involved the deputy director of Agent Headquarters, so the operator reported it layer by layer according to procedure, and the information finally reached Gendarmerie Commander Miura Jiro’s office.
Miura Jiro was not an expert in this area, so he made a phone call to Tokko.
A man wearing a Japanese military uniform appeared in the office; he was Tokko’s person in charge in Shanghai, Lin Xiucheng.
“Just this one sentence?” Lin Xiucheng did not have much reaction upon hearing the phone content relayed by Miura Jiro.
Miura Jiro hummed and said, “The operator reported that it was indeed only this one sentence. The operator asked for his identity, but the caller did not answer and chose to hang up.
Li Shiqun is arresting Shanghai Military Statistics Bureau personnel, and at this time an anonymous tip-off call appears. Don’t you think that’s very interesting?”
Lin Xiucheng nodded thoughtfully: “It is indeed very interesting. Since the Wang Faction personnel were attacked, No. 76 has indeed intensified the search and arrest of Chongqing elements.
According to Shibuya’s report, yesterday Li Shiqun arrested a Military Statistics Bureau personnel section chief. With this person’s level, normally one could find higher levels in the Military Statistics Bureau based on him.
But Shibuya has not given me the latest report, which proves that Li Shiqun has no new gains, and yet Li Shiqun has been taking frequent actions at No. 76 without achieving better results.
From the results, the tip-off is not baseless.”
Lieutenant Shibuya is the gendarme squad dispatched by Tokko to No. 76, with the purpose of monitoring No. 76’s activities; of course, nominally it is to assist No. 76 in operations.
However, monitoring is hard to achieve the imagined effect. No. 76’s members, apart from the early gang elements, are all later recruits who are experienced agents; even a hundred schemes per person is not too many.
Expecting gendarmes to keep an eye on agents is wishful thinking.
Moreover, a gendarme squad has only a few people, while No. 76 has hundreds; it’s impossible to watch them all.
So now, it’s more about deterring the morale of No. 76 personnel.
Symbolic meaning greater than practical meaning.
Of course, it’s still possible to probe some arrest information from the operations.
“What do you think the tip-off caller is?” Miura Jiro asked.
Lin Xiucheng replied, “First, it can be confirmed that it must be internal personnel from No. 76.
From analyzing the tip-off content, ‘Li Shiqun has been turned, privately concealing clues to Military Statistics Bureau high-level in operations,’ so in terms of identity inference, the tip-off caller is either from the interrogation room or a mid-to-high-level at No. 76 who can contact Li Shiqun and access operations.
The other is Ding Mocun.
Shibuya reported that Ding Mocun and Li Shiqun have long been at odds; Ding Mocun has the ability to obtain information and the motive to tip off.
And from this tip-off caller unwilling to provide a name, Ding Mocun’s suspicion is the greatest, followed by Li Shiqun’s own action captain under him.
If it were a captain under Ding Mocun, they could first report to Ding Mocun and let Ding Mocun come forward to tip off against Li Shiqun, with witnesses; believe Ding Mocun would not give Li Shiqun any face.
But since there is no such thing now, this person should be one of Li Shiqun’s own men, tipping off for fear of being discovered by Li Shiqun, so choosing anonymity.”
“So you judge that Li Shiqun concealing clues is real?”
“It must be real; a fake matter is very easy to expose, and no matter who the tip-off caller is at No. 76, they would not gain from it.”
Miura Jiro nodded upon hearing this. “No. 76 has great power in Shanghai. Once the city government proposed an opinion to reclaim No. 76’s law enforcement power except for secret service, but at that time for other reasons, I did not agree.
Actually, whether this power is given to the city government or No. 76 makes no difference to us.
The only thing to note is that this power must be used for us.
Thoroughly investigate No. 76 and ensure Li Shiqun’s loyalty.”
“Hai.”
One hour later, Jisiweier Road No. 76.
Two Japanese military vehicles carrying gendarmes suddenly arrived, panicking everyone inside No. 76.
Normally, even when the Japanese leaders come, they come alone or with one or two subordinates; like now, arriving with a large force fully armed, this display is too frightening.
Li Shiqun and Ding Mocun were both baffled inside, quickly going downstairs to welcome them.
Seeing that the visitor was Tokko’s Lin Xiucheng, they went forward directly to greet him.
Lin Xiucheng scanned the crowd, wanting to quickly open a breach and clarify the whole matter; the first thing to do was to tear apart Li Shiqun’s control over No. 76.
“Deputy Director Li, received a tip-off that you are colluding with the Military Statistics Bureau; come with me to the Gendarmerie for a trip.”
As soon as these words came out, Li Shiqun and Ding Mocun immediately understood what was happening.
As for the others, they were directly in an uproar: Li Shiqun is actually Military Statistics Bureau? Many at Agent Headquarters felt themselves naive like little white rabbits; this was completely undetectable. Director Li, you hid it too well.
Li Shiqun suddenly looked at Ding Mocun, eyes full of anger.
Ding Mocun felt so wronged; from Li Shiqun’s look, he knew Li Shiqun suspected it was him who tipped off, but it really wasn’t.
Good tip-off!
Which hero did it!
Hahaha.
Ding Mocun frowned sadly: “Isn’t this a mistake? How could Deputy Director Li collude with the Military Statistics Bureau?”
Lin Xiucheng looked at Ding Mocun and said, “From today, all affairs of Agent Headquarters will be handled by Director Ding. Director Ding, the pursuit and arrest of the Military Statistics Bureau must continue; sorry to trouble you.”
Not troublesome, not troublesome, good things come in pairs!
Ding Mocun stood at attention and bowed: “Serving the Empire, no shirking hardship.”
Lin Xiucheng nodded slightly, “Which captain-level personnel participated in this arrest operation against the Military Statistics Bureau? Step forward.”
The captain-level personnel were terrified to death, but now they could only brace themselves and step out; not stepping out would be a bigger problem.
Lin Xiucheng waved his hand, “Take them away.”
The Japanese came fast and left fast too.
In an instant, the section chiefs and division chiefs of the other sections all crowded over.
“Director Ding, what’s the situation?”
“Yeah, Director Li—no, Deputy Director Li—how could he be Military Statistics Bureau? Real or fake?”
Ding Mocun straightened his back, exuding authority without anger, enjoying the feeling of being the top director at Agent Headquarters for the first time.
“What nonsense are you discussing? Didn’t you hear the Japanese say? The arrest of the Military Statistics Bureau must continue; convene a meeting immediately!”
Since the entire arrest operation was handled by Li Shiqun from start to finish, for Ding Mocun to understand the situation from beginning to end, just one meeting took the whole morning.
Moreover, since all the participating captain-level personnel were taken away, he could only learn the overall context from confessions and vice captains and team members, which was very cumbersome.
Adding the afternoon, he finally pieced together the entire process and gained a complete understanding of the Military Statistics Bureau’s current situation.
Next was promoting vice captains to captains, promoting his confidants, and reorganizing each action team and section.
By evening, he could finally start taking action.
With Li Shiqun arrested, he had to produce results to fully gain the Japanese’s recognition.
Right now full of vigor, no rest tonight either; dispatch personnel to continue searching and arresting Military Statistics Bureau.
After arranging everything, he thought of chatting with Gu Yansheng.
Haha, not showing off at all; just at this moment, he needed someone to confide in, best with a pot of wine to drink heartily.
Thinking of it, he picked up the phone and put it down again.
Brother Gu had said that the concession was very resistant to propaganda slogans; he had to help with this.
At that time, he agreed not just for Gu Yansheng; the reason also included gaining recognition from Wang Faction personnel.
At that time, there was no matter of Li Shiqun being taken away yet; he was also considering how to regain control of No. 76, how to suppress Li Shiqun’s prestige.
Undoubtedly, there were two breakthroughs: one was Mr. Wang and Minister Zhou, where he must show his role.
The other was opening up the concession situation, which was what the Japanese hoped to see.
Now, one arrow hits three targets.
Ding Mocun thought for a moment and called over a subordinate, issuing instructions.
“The concession has always been very resistant to our No. 76 personnel entering the concession for law enforcement; now the city government also has an operation needing our cooperation.
You few take men and visit all directors of the Municipal Council one by one, polite first then forceful: from greeting him personally to greeting his whole family. If they don’t buy this courtesy, kill one to warn a hundred! Go all out!”
“Yes!”
Quiet for a day, Shanghai reignited with war as No. 76 personnel were dispatched.
Citizens were somewhat accustomed to arrests and gunfights with Military Statistics Bureau personnel.
But threats to the concession Municipal Council were seen for the first time by concession citizens.
Night in the concession, neon lights flashing, various glamorous signs flaunting the prosperity here.
Municipal Council personnel had plenty of banquets and wine parties from all circles; even without wine parties, Shanghai’s nightlife in this world of flowers and glamour intoxicated foreign expatriates.
They enjoyed the various night venues, then were raided by No. 76 personnel.
With Ding Mocun’s instructions, the few bodyguards around Municipal Council personnel were directly taken down.
First meeting, No. 76 action team members were still quite polite, first inquiring, wanting law enforcement power in the concession.
Municipal Council people gave no face at all: what identity, any tomcat or dog dares negotiate terms with them, telling them to get out immediately.
Second threat.
Municipal Council people directly flew into a rage. The Chinese director was a bit better; all mixing in Shanghai, they had to give No. 76 some face, saying, ‘As long as the British agree, we have no opinion; otherwise our power is not comparable to the Britain and America directors.’
But the British were not so easy to talk to; authority challenged, they scolded on the spot.
Really giving face to No. 76; usually No. 76 and Chongqing elements fighting in the concession was already a provocation to concession law enforcement power; they were too lazy to care, turning a blind eye was already polite, and now they even dared threaten them?
Threatening to let No. 76 people try it.
Try it then try it.
Polite first then forceful, still in the polite stage, No. 76 people didn’t strike hard.
Don’t know where they got several buckets of night soil from, directly dumped at the British director’s doorstep.
Even the best villa couldn’t withstand such nourishment; overwhelming stench wafted through the whole street.
News spread from one to ten to a hundred.
Municipal Council directors still out playing received the news, faces ashen, ordering the police station to arrest No. 76 personnel while heading to get their car.
Then right in front of him.
No. 76 people took a hammer and smashed all his car windows, leaving a warning look for him.
“Think it over carefully; next time what we smash may not just be the car.”
The British director trembled with anger all over.
Commanding the police station, “Catch them!”
British constables charged ahead, wanting to show off in front of the British director.
No. 76 people showed no courtesy, drew guns aimed at the British constable, signaling him not to approach.
The British constable was not afraid at all; at such times, of course charge—Chinese fear international incidents and dare not shoot at them.
But this time, it really was different.
No. 76 agents kept their word; bang bang two shots, hitting the British constable’s thigh squarely.
The pursuing British constable’s leg went soft on the spot, kneeling to the ground.
“Ah~” The British constable let out a piercing scream, face contorted, curling and rolling on the ground.
The British director’s face changed drastically, scolding the No. 76 people on one side while hiding behind the crowd.
No. 76 people said coldly: “Last warning; next time I shoot, I’ll aim at your chests. Want to die? Try it, we’re leaving!”
