Chapter 3: Arrested
“What’s going on?” Confirming there was no tail, the two walked to the small park by the riverside.
This incident happened too strangely. The two’s contact location was in the French Concession. How could they suddenly be targeted by the Japanese?
He Yun had been holding it in for a long time too. Frowning, she said, “Bowen and I went to make contact. The contact location was arranged long in advance by the superior via broadcast.
Before coming, Minister Chen said this was a very experienced old underground operative who had been in Shanghai for a long time and never had any problems. By reason, it should be very safe. But when we arrived, this old underground operative had actually already been targeted.
The organization arranged for a Cantonese tea house on Xingfei Road, second floor by the window. Per discipline, I couldn’t meet this old underground operative either. Bowen went in, and I observed the surroundings from the roadside.
The situation happened very suddenly. Bowen’s foot had just stepped into the tea house door when suddenly someone from an upstairs window threw a tea set downward, attracting the attention of many people on the street. Immediately after, noisy sounds came from upstairs, and some people suddenly rushed out onto the street—some were vendors, some were hiding in alleys. They all rushed toward the tea house upon seeing trouble.
I saw Bowen immediately pinned down on the bar by these people, and then the tea house doors were sealed.
Those people didn’t look like police station people to me. Confirming I hadn’t been targeted, I wanted to call you, but thinking it over, it wasn’t safe. I waited a few minutes to observe, and then the police station people arrived.
The French Police seemed to know these people. Some guests were protesting at the time, but the French Police ignored their opinions entirely and arrested everyone in the tea house, loading them into cars that had pulled up outside and sending them to the police station.
Bowen should now be locked up in the police station with these people.”
“You’re saying it was a group? Not just Old Lu alone, confirmed?” Gu Yansheng seized the key information inside.
He Yun nodded firmly. “I’m sure. About a dozen people were arrested. That tea house was pretty big. Xingfei Road in the French Concession has lots of people, it’s lively. The organization picked a location with access in all directions. There were plenty of people eating tea snacks there, and passersby too. Calculate the time we went in—wasn’t it just after lunch? There were people around. Everyone passing by the door and inside the building was arrested. There were also two men on the street who were probably just passing by and got arrested too.”
Gu Yansheng more or less understood. “Assuming the person on the second floor was our contact, then he discovered something wrong and threw the thing to warn us.
But it was already too late in time. Old Lu had already gone in, so he was pinned by the Japanese who wanted to fish but lost the hook.
How many guests entered and exited around the same time as Old Lu? Male guests? Coming alone.”
He Yun carefully recalled: “There should have been two or three single men at the same time. We were late getting off the boat and worried the contact might leave early, so we didn’t observe the door area for too long at the time.”
“Not bad, the situation isn’t too dire.”
As long as there were some, it was fine. Gu Yansheng breathed a small sigh of relief. He was afraid of a situation where one person entered every hour.
“This situation isn’t bad?” He Yun looked worried: “With Bowen in the Japanese’s hands, forget not completing the mission—we could be secretly arrested at any time too.”
The situation really wasn’t bad. Gu Yansheng analyzed for her: “The contact’s reminder was in place. Bowen was pinned right after going in, meaning they didn’t meet face-to-face.
One on the first floor, one on the second floor—that means even if the contact couldn’t hold out under torture and betrayed in the end, he couldn’t identify Lu Bowen as the contact.
And as long as Bowen is smart, he can stick to saying he just went in to drink tea and eat. It’s the French Concession, there’s room to maneuver.”
If it were in the Japanese-controlled Shanghai urban area, it would all be over. Fortunately, the organization considered things thoroughly and picked the French Concession.
At this point, Gu Yansheng thought of something and immediately stood up: “You need to go back right away.”
“Go back where?” With the sudden change, He Yun was a bit unsettled.
Gu Yansheng had to explain clearly to keep He Yun from making mistakes: “Old Lu is now in the French Concession prison for the time being and should be fine. The French have no reason to wear the same pants as the Japanese. They should only have reached a certain degree of deal.
So even if the French believe the Japanese claim that there’s a spy here, among these dozen people, it’s impossible they’re all spies. So I judge the French won’t hand people over to the Japanese immediately. They were arrested in the French Concession—that’s a matter of face.
But per your account, the Japanese and French have clearly reached an agreement on today’s arrest. So even if the French won’t let the Japanese interrogate on their turf for the sake of face, they will definitely question them.
The Japanese will ask what Bowen went to the tea house for.
Bowen’s first reaction will definitely be to say he went to drink tea and eat. If the Japanese ask in detail, asking if he has anyone to prove it? His statement has two possibilities.
One is he considers the worst outcome, for your safety, doesn’t implicate you, says he came alone, just arrived in Shanghai, no one to prove it—then the chance of him being targeted by the Japanese greatly increases. A single man, just arrived in Shanghai, making contact—no evidence and he’ll be targeted.
Two is he’ll say, I came with my wife, she went out—that is, you, to prove for him.
Then the Japanese might ask him, why didn’t you go in with her? Or ask where she is?
The incident developed up to now”
Gu Yansheng glanced at his watch: “Almost an hour. A couple coming to Shanghai to do business, first time here, strolling around the French Concession—no problem. Woman likes shopping by herself—no problem.
But it’s time to go back.
The Japanese won’t let you out just because you went back, but the reasonableness of your story can keep you from being the focus.
But if you keep not showing up, that’s a big problem.
Bowen said he has a wife, but the wife doesn’t appear.
Once you disappear and don’t show up, the Japanese will absolutely think you have a guilty conscience, saw Bowen arrested and chose to flee directly—then Bowen is dead for sure.
I lean toward Bowen saying you exist. That reduces his suspicion. You’ve just arrived in Shanghai, and aside from entering the tea house, nothing out of the ordinary. The contact hasn’t seen you. I think Bowen will consider this too and say he has this wife.”
Gu Yansheng explained very clearly.
He Yun listened, her face a bit pale, but her expression firm: “Then I’ll go back right away.”
With that, she started to leave.
“Wait.” Gu Yansheng called her back.
Not going was an option too, but neither discussed that possibility.
Gu Yansheng asked: “The Japanese might ask you, why not eat tea snacks together but go out alone?
And why it took so long outside to realize something happened.
Rushing back from here, counting round trip time, it’s about an hour and a half since the incident. Have you thought about where you went, what you saw, and why? The Japanese will definitely ask, and verify.”
“I” He Yun furrowed her brows, paused, then said immediately: “I wasn’t hungry, didn’t want to eat. I was playful, but actually that’s fake.
The fact is I feel sorry for the money. We got ripped off a lot on the good citizen certificates. The principal we brought to Shanghai for business wasn’t much to begin with, and now it’s even less.
So I wanted to save him some money. I’m an accountant, so I’m stingy about it.
As for being out an hour and a half, that’s because I was enchanted by Shanghai’s charm. It was so spectacular, I looked a bit longer. While looking, I didn’t even know where I ended up.
I could have taken a rickshaw, but like I said, I feel sorry for the money, so I chose to walk back myself.
Shanghai has so many alleys. I finally found my way back, only to find the tea house closed and my husband gone.
I asked a rickshaw puller on the roadside and only then inquired clearly what happened. He told me I could go to the police station to look, so I came here.
Does that work?”
“What places did you go? What shops on the road, any interesting things?”
“I walked through the French Concession and British American Concession twice today. When looking for you was when it happened. The rickshaw I took, I saw quite a few roads—I can remember roughly.”
“What did the rickshaw puller look like?”
“The rickshaw puller was someone I asked temporarily on the roadside. I really can’t remember his appearance.”
Gu Yansheng nodded upon hearing this, placed both hands on her shoulders: “Facing the Japanese, or even the French Police, you can act a bit panicked—you should act a bit panicked. Unfamiliar place, afraid of getting into big trouble. A bit panicked, memory a bit jumbled, forgetting details—it’s nothing, it’s normal, and necessary. Absolutely don’t give the feeling your confession was prepared in advance.”
“I understand.” Gu Yansheng’s calm could infect He Yun a bit, making her feel calmer too.
“Then what do I do after I go? The Japanese won’t let us go easily. What next?”
“After you get there, if there’s a way to meet Old Lu face-to-face, try to get locked up together. That way it’s easier to align confessions and avoid slip-ups. Leave the rest to me, I’ll figure it out.
Remember, stick to being ordinary people, here to do business, went for tea, mistakenly arrested.
I’ll find a way to keep you in the French Concession. As long as you’re still in the French Concession and not in the Japanese’s hands, there will be a way. That’s all for now—go first.
Right, before talking to Old Lu, confirm there’s no eavesdropping equipment in the prison. And don’t trust others in the prison.”
“Okay, got it.” He Yun turned and walked quickly two steps, then came back, opened her bag, took out the two gold bars wrapped in newspaper, and secretly handed them over.
“Keep these with you first. If money is needed, use it first. If not, return it to the organization, Yansheng.
If we’re to be handed to the Japanese, I’m afraid we might not hold up under torture. Remember, once either Old Lu or I is to be transferred, find a way to leave Shanghai immediately. I don’t want to drag you down, or betray you.”
Gu Yansheng nodded, gave her a reassuring smile: “Hold on. I’ll think of every way to get you out. As long as you’re still in the French Concession, never give up that belief.”
“Okay.” He Yun nodded solemnly and left briskly.
Gu Yansheng frowned watching He Yun’s back, gripped the gold bars in his hand. The incident happened too fast, too fast—this was only the first day in Shanghai.
