Chapter 613: Qi Si

"Sir, please believe me, I truly did not help the Japanese harm you. I only came over yesterday afternoon to tidy up the room and left early; I really had no idea when the Japanese came to install these things."

Looking at the listening device extracted from the telephone, Auntie Li stood to the side, at a loss, explaining to Wang Yan, who sat on the sofa with a dark face, legs crossed, smoking.

"Auntie Li, I know you and your husband are honest, decent people who wouldn't lie. Look at your hands—you've pinched your thighs until they're almost bruised, haven't you?" Wang Yan shook his head. "Let me guess: did the Japanese arrest your son? Did they say your son is a Red Party member, an anti-Japanese element, and that if you cooperate with them, you can save your son's life and spare him from physical torture?"

University students of this era were basically progressive intellectuals, upright patriotic youths, and were always the main demographic the Red Party sought to win over. Therefore, basically, many university students had participated in various propaganda activities, becoming peripheral members of the Red Party. Only later would they slowly develop into activists, and then, with someone to introduce them, join the Party and the ranks of the anti-Japanese national salvation movement.

Thus, the Japanese couldn't be bothered to pay attention to those hot-headed university students, because most were just peripheral members who knew no useful intelligence. Every day, they would only produce some anti-Japanese leaflets promoting Red Party ideology and pull people aside to lecture them. The Japanese generally didn't care much; they would just arrest two batches when they had nothing better to do, give them a beating, and scare them. Their main focus was sending secret agents to infiltrate and catch the Red Party members who were developing these peripheral members.

Like Auntie Li's son, the situation was naturally much the same; once caught, it was a sure thing. Of course, even if Auntie Li's son hadn't participated in any activities, the Japanese would have arrested him anyway; he certainly couldn't have escaped.

Hearing Wang Yan's words, Auntie Li sat on the floor and began to wipe away tears. "The Japanese are not human. They beat my son half to death, saying he was an anti-Japanese activist. They told me to tell them everything you said and did, and they said if I didn't listen, they would beat my son to death. I had no choice, sir."

"Enough, stop crying. It was the Japanese who beat your son, not me. Now the Japanese have turned my house upside down and installed listening devices everywhere, and I haven't even cried yet, yet you're the one starting?"

Wang Yan waved his hand impatiently. Once Auntie Li stopped crying, he continued, "Come to think of it, it really was because of me that your son was arrested and brutally beaten by the Japanese. Is he still in their hands now?"

Auntie Li nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice. "They have him locked in prison, covered in wounds, and they won't give him medicine or let him see a doctor. My son has been weak since he was little; how could he possibly endure this suffering..."

"Enough!" Wang Yan gave a light shout and took money from his wallet, placing it on the table. "Although you are innocent, after something like this has happened, you cannot work for me anymore. You go. I will resolve your son's matter; he will be home tonight. Take this money—it's impossible to get the Japanese to pay. When your son returns, use it to get him medical treatment and medicine."

"Thank you, Mr. Wang, thank you, Mr. Wang..." Under Wang Yan's impatient waving, Auntie Li hurriedly ran to pack her things and left.

Wang Yan was a famously ruthless man; no one knew how many people he had killed. It was fortunate enough that she could leave safely. She only wanted to return home now and wait for her son to come back. The Japanese were too evil; they beat people too cruelly...

It seems that from ancient times to the present, from East to West, places for interrogation and torture are always dark, damp basements. The purpose is to rely on this environment to first attack the prisoner psychologically. Ordinary people in such places always recall many guilty deeds, scaring themselves, and before long, they confess everything.

The police station naturally had a basement, specifically used for detaining and interrogating prisoners. The two Japanese spies who had been listening were there. By the time Wang Yan arrived, they had already been beaten beyond recognition.

Wang Yan had no interest in asking questions; these two little Japanese didn't know that much anyway. Even if he wanted to know other information, unless he had made up his mind to kill these two, in reality, even if he were to kill these two Japanese spies, he couldn't obtain information by interrogating them at the police station.

After seeing the dying state of the two Japanese spies, Wang Yan went upstairs to the Inspector General's office and knocked on the door. After receiving permission, he walked in, saluted the bespectacled, elegant-looking foreigner behind the desk: "Inspector General Mitchell."

This elegant-looking man was Steven Mitchell, who managed three detectives and would be Wang Yan's direct superior in the future. When he arrived, Mitchell had someone notify him that he wanted to see him.

Unsurprisingly, Mitchell asked, "Wang, I heard that the two people you brought back were Japanese spies who were monitoring you from next door to your house?"

"Yes. Not only that, they even sent people to search every inch of my home yesterday before installing the listening devices." Wang Yan nodded, his face gloomy. "If it weren't for a kid passing by who saw suspicious people entering and leaving and came over to claim credit, I wouldn't dare imagine what would happen in the future. My nanny's son was seized and threatened by the Japanese to make the nanny listen to them. If they wanted me dead, they only needed to give the nanny an order."

Mitchell shook his head and sighed. "The Japanese are indeed ruthless. It seems they don't trust the cooperation between you and them; otherwise, they wouldn't have controlled your nanny, searched your home, and monitored you. How do you intend to handle this?"

"There's no way. We are still counting on the Japanese to make money; we can't fall out with them. The losses would be too great. Perhaps, I'll just squeeze another sum of money out of the Japanese."

"Wang, you are a loyal Chinese detective of the police station. With such an encounter, the entire police station, and even the Municipal Council, are your backing. Don't be afraid of those damn Japanese monkeys; they wouldn't dare do anything to you."

Wang Yan could clearly see that this foreigner breathed a sigh of relief when he heard he didn't intend to escalate the situation, yet the words he spoke were so high-sounding. Damn it, he was clearly afraid of falling out with the Japanese and affecting his ability to make money, yet he spoke so righteously.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, great France." Wang Yan put on a look of being honored, saluted the foreigner again, and said, "I certainly won't let the Japanese have an easy time."

"Wang, handle this matter entirely as you see fit."

"Yes, sir." Wang Yan nodded, turned, left the office, and went downstairs. When he reached the second floor, his path was blocked by Chen Jiangliu again.

"What's going on, A-Yan?"

"Just like that. Damn it, I cooperate with the Japanese, but they don't trust me. Not only did they search my house from top to bottom, they also arranged for people to live in the empty house next door to monitor me. Detective, you were right; it's time to leave this place of right and wrong early."

"The Japanese are suspicious; they never trust others. You'll have plenty of trouble in the future." Chen Jiangliu laughed gleefully, patted Wang Yan on the shoulder, and said, "Alright, this old man won't delay your work. Go, go."

Watching the old man's back as he walked with his hands behind his back, humming a tune, Wang Yan shook his head and smiled. He didn't even know his death was imminent, yet he was still mocking him. Truly interesting.

When he reached the first floor, before he could return to his office, another little Chinese detective came up and said, "Captain, there's someone named Meng Chunping who says he's an old friend of yours and wants to see you. He's waiting outside our courtyard."

"No rush, I'll go back and drink some tea first."

Wang Yan really did drink tea for a while, even read the newspaper for a bit, and dealt with Fang Yuantu and Zhang Xian, who had come over to express concern, for a while. After dawdling for half a day, he finally put on his overcoat, lit a cigarette, and walked out of the building with a cold face toward Cunben Ichiro, who had been standing at the entrance for half a day.

"Is this how the Japanese treat their partners?"

Cunben Ichiro had a strong "bowing spirit." He bowed and nodded in apology: "I'm sorry, Detective Wang. It's our fault for giving you a scare."

"You should understand that 'sorry' is the most pale and powerless word in the world. The matter has already happened; what's the use of saying sorry? What I want now is a solution. Speak, how do you intend to resolve this?"

"I heard you want to buy a big house and also need to give an account to the French, so how about you transport two more shipments of medicine? Every shipment of medicine transported by the French is calculated by the ton. I don't need to say more; you should know the value of two shipments of medicine. This is our sincerity."

Cunben Ichiro already understood the whole process of the matter. He never expected that such a meticulous arrangement would be discovered by a half-grown kid the very next day and reported to Wang Yan. The result was that they hadn't received any wind of it before they were blocked there and caught red-handed. This was a huge loss of face.

They knew Wang Yan liked money, but if they were asked to give money directly, that was certainly impossible. So, just like the previous compensation, they still let them sell medicine. Although this was something they had been selling all along, the soldiers were in their hands, and the main land and water traffic routes were also controlled by them. They could only sell if they said so.

Wang Yan pondered for a long time, threw away the cigarette butt, and held up three fingers: "Three shipments."

"Agreed." Cunben Ichiro said, "Then, Detective Wang, since we have reached a cooperation again, can the previous matters be let bygones be bygones? Can the two people in your hands also be released?"

"What about my nanny's son?"

"Detective Wang is truly magnanimous. Your nanny betrayed you, and now you are still speaking up for her."

"It's not magnanimity; I'm just a person who values old ties. She has worked for me for several years. You guys are also truly useless, kidnapping someone's son, insisting they are Red Party members, and threatening the nanny to monitor me."

Cunben Ichiro shook his head and smiled. History is written by the victors; naturally, whatever is said goes. He nodded and said, "We'll release him when we go back."

"Those two people of yours were injured during the arrest. Is there any problem?"

"It's all as it should be."

"That's good. To be honest, I don't want to make things difficult for you. Just this once. If there's a next time, I won't be able to avoid opposing you, and then I, Wang Mou, won't be able to survive in the Shanghai Bund in the future."

"It's all our fault, Detective Wang. Don't worry, I guarantee there won't be a next time."

Cunben Ichiro had a humble smile on his face, but his attitude was just "ah, yes, yes, yes" to deal with him. He was still unconvinced, still thinking it was just that they had been discovered...

Wang Yan waved his hand, stopped paying attention to the little Japanese, turned, and returned to the police station building, having people send those two Japanese spies out.

Before long, two half-dead, bloody messes appeared in front of Cunben Ichiro. He just frowned, confirmed that they were still alive and that they were all external injuries, turned, got into the car, and left.

Having encountered such a thing, it is understandable that Wang Yan would give these two people a ruthless beating to vent his anger.

From the two cars on the side of the road, six or seven people in uniform got out, came over, helped the two Japanese spies, who were like dead dogs on the ground, into the car, and left...

This incident ended here. Actually, Wang Yan hadn't intended to do much; after all, they were not opponents of the same level, so there was no point in playing. He just wanted to let the Japanese suffer a loss openly and honestly, remove all those disgusting arrangements, and make the Japanese fear the consequences, not daring to easily search his house secretly again or install listening devices in his home.

Moreover, he had indeed obtained benefits. Although the Japanese didn't let them transport medicine, they would definitely transport it secretly anyway. But compared to the amount sent in openly and honestly, the difference was simply too great; it was not even the same order of magnitude. The French were happy, and he was happy; everyone made money. Although they had been making this money all along, there was no other way; after all, the situation was different now.

He went upstairs to report to the foreigners one by one. By the time he finished, it was evening and time to get off work. Having been frightened today and having just made the Japanese lose face, it was clearly not a good time to go out and have fun. So, after finding a restaurant to eat dinner, he returned home and rested early...

The next day, just as Wang Yan drove to the entrance, he saw that kid from yesterday, now dressed up like a human being, smiling and saluting him.

He went in, parked the car, waved at the kid, and then went to the office, poured hot water to make tea, poured a cup for the kid as well, and then lit a cigarette: "You performed well yesterday."

"That's for sure. I've been acting since I was little; otherwise, I would have been beaten to death long ago. It's not that I'm talking big, Brother A-Yan, but your acting skills aren't up to par; they looked too fake."

This was the kid from the beggar gang who clung together for life and death, and who had stolen Aige's wife's bag a few years ago. His name was Qi Si; there was no other meaning, just that his surname was Qi and he was the fourth. His dad smoked opium, his mom had a serious illness, and he had come begging from Jiangsu just for the Shanghai dream of this era.

In Shanghai at this time, there were also many legends about who had become a tycoon in the Shanghai Bund overnight, and what glorious deeds they had. As they spread to other places, they naturally became more and more outrageous. This also led to many people carrying a yearning for success, abandoning their homes and families to come to Shanghai to seek wealth.

This Qi Si was like that. Even though he was begging, because he could beg for more in Shanghai than in other places, there was more profit. Fortunately, he met Wang Yan; otherwise, this little brat who knew how to read the room would have died long ago.

Over the years, he had listened to Wang Yan, organized the little beggars, and worked together to make money. Coupled with Wang Yan's occasional relief, they were all living quite well.

Qi Si was sixteen this year; he was no longer young and couldn't spend all day scaring people with a butcher knife. He had to find some proper work to do. So, taking advantage of this opportunity, he brought him to his side.

Wang Yan shook his head and smiled: "That's because you knew everything; no matter how you looked at it, it looked fake. To others, it looked as real as could be."

"Brother A-Yan, what will I do in the future? What about my younger brothers and sisters?"

"Why? Can't they live without you? Can't they do anything? Naturally, it will be the same as before."

"But I'm worried about them."

"I have three jobs here: one is watching the gate at home, one is driving for me, and the other is going to the warehouse. You choose."

"How about I drive for you? That way I have more free time and can go back to see them."

Wang Yan shook his head: "You should keep your distance from them in the future; just go and send them some money occasionally. Starting from yesterday, you should have been investigated thoroughly by the Japanese. You haven't mentioned me to those kids all these years, have you?"

"I haven't said a single word."

"My previous nanny, because she tidied my room every day and was closest to me, the Japanese arrested her son and beat him half to death to make her monitor me. So once you show any closeness to those kids, believe me, their end will definitely be miserable."

"Brother A-Yan, I'll listen to you." Qi Si shivered, then grinned and said, "Brother A-Yan, if I'm your driver, I have to be equipped with a gun, right?"

Wang Yan pulled open the drawer, took out a Browning pistol and two magazines from it: "There's a shooting range in the backyard. Go out and find someone to take you to practice shooting; just say I told you to."