Chapter 150: I Am Not Someone to Be Trifled With

Upon arriving at Qingfengdian, the handover went smoothly.

Zuohushan accepted the fifteen gold bars, and everyone was released.

The tape recorder was also returned.

Ma Kui opened the lid to check the cassette, and his mood instantly brightened: "Brother, I really owe you for this; otherwise, I truly wouldn't have known where to get these fifteen gold bars."

"We're colleagues, don't mention it," Hong Zhiyou said.

"Ma Kui!

"You god-forsaken wretch, I can't even visit my maiden home in peace.

"I'll kill you!"

Beside them, the disheveled and unkempt Cuiping's eyes turned red, and she charged over like a fierce tiger.

"Sister-in-law, don't be impulsive."

Hong Zhiyou hurriedly reached out to stop her.

Ma Kui had always looked down on Cuiping.

Cuiping's unique skills were destined to be a lethal weapon in the future.

Now that her cover was blown, many things would be difficult to handle later.

"What, you want to kill me?

"Back at the station, we'll see who dies first."

Ma Kui brandished the cassette and dove into the car.

"Sister-in-law, come back with me." Hong Zhiyou opened the car door.

Cuiping got into the car, and after they had driven a distance, she said in a low voice:

"Secretary Hong, I've done something wrong."

"Isn't that your specialty?" Hong Zhiyou teased.

Cuiping pursed her lips and said in a deep voice:

"Qiao Sanmei grew up with me; we fought the Japanese together, so I didn't suspect her.

"She tricked me into talking."

"What exactly did you say?" Hong Zhiyou asked.

"I told her some things about the Mobile Corps Commander days.

"And, and I also said that Old Yu works underground!" Cuiping said.

"Is that tape recorder really so powerful that it can record everything?"

She asked again in a small voice.

"Of course.

"Congratulations, you've successfully sent Old Yu to the electric chair.

"With this cassette, even the Station Chief won't be able to save Old Yu.

"Sister-in-law, you can get out now.

"I'll pretend I never saw you; go and save your life."

Hong Zhiyou slammed on the brakes and threatened her.

"No, I can't.

"If I go back, I'll say I was just spouting nonsense, or that it was fake.

"If I run away, wouldn't that be the same as Old Yu confessing without being asked?"

Cuiping frowned and said.

"Heh, is your brain working now?

"Sister-in-law, do people with big mouths always leak air?

"Old Yu is as cautious as a mouse all day long, but when it comes to you, you blab to anyone, friend or foe.

"How about this, when I go back, I'll buy you a megaphone.

"You can go to Haihe Square and shout that your Old Yu is a Red!"

Hong Zhiyou shook his head and sneered.

Cuiping was left speechless by the retort.

"Secretary Hong, for the sake of our time as master and apprentice, you must save my Old Yu.

"Really, I'm not afraid of death.

"If I sit on that electric chair and let out even a whimper, then I'm not worth my salt."

She lifted her chin, her gaze burning like a torch.

"Alright.

"Old Yu and I had long guessed you were a big mouth.

"I was the one who sent the bandits.

"It's just that Qiao Sanmei and Li Guinian are trouble; Kong was not convenient to meet with me earlier, so how did that go?"

Hong Zhiyou asked.

"So you knew about Ma Kui's plan all along.

"Oh my.

"Why didn't you say so earlier? You scared me to death!"

Cuiping's eyes turned red, and she happily punched Hong Zhiyou on the shoulder.

Ah!

Hong Zhiyou let out a cry of pain, and the car nearly swerved into a ditch.

"Look at you all, so incredibly soft.

"Let me tell you, I smashed Qiao Sanmei in the back of the head with sixty percent of my strength.

"Forget that traitor; even an ox would have had its brains scrambled by me.

"Don't worry, she definitely won't be able to open her mouth again in this lifetime."

Cuiping was an optimist; once she heard there was nothing to worry about, the corners of her mouth lifted again.

"What about Li Guinian?" Hong Zhiyou asked.

"That second-in-command is one of our people, right?

"He shot Li Guinian dead and took the tape recorder.

"I can tell he's a good person."

Cuiping asked with a smile.

"Hmm, then that's fine," Hong Zhiyou nodded.

"The cassette was taken by Ma Kui," Cuiping said.

"Don't worry.

"It's already been wiped," Hong Zhiyou said.

"That's great.

"Secretary Hong, you really are a great benefactor to my Old Yu.

"It wasn't a waste of time teaching you the true arts of Master Sun.

"Let me tell you, if we have a Red nation in the future, my Old Yu will at least be a municipal official in Jinhai.

"When that time comes, I'll get you, a friendly person, an official position too.

"We'll still live together."

Cuiping laughed.

"Thanks to you.

"But I'll pass; serving tea and water for others every day? Wouldn't it be better if I went to Xiangdao or abroad to live a carefree life?" Hong Zhiyou said.

"That's true, you've made so much money.

"My Old Yu says you have enough money to buy half of Yixian," Cuiping said.

"You two are both big mouths," Hong Zhiyou said with a helpless smile.

Ma Kui hurried back to his office.

He immediately shoved the cassette into the large tape recorder.

"Heaven bless me, please let it have recorded."

Ma Kui muttered to himself, and with a click, he pressed the play button.

It had recorded.

He clasped his hands in joy.

However, apart from the noise inside the car, the few sentences that were occasionally recorded were very blurry, and most were unintelligible.

There were some clearer parts.

But they were all trivial matters.

Things about Jinhai, how this tastes good, how that tastes good.

Her husband works at the Jinhai Daily.

After listening, Ma Kui's face turned ashen, and he took out the cassette and smashed it hard against the floor:

"Two country bumpkins, can't even handle a simple task like this."

"What kind of garbage is this recording!"

"Could there be something wrong with the tape recorder?" Sun Xing said.

"The tape recorder is fine; I used it before giving it to them. They must have muffled it too tightly," Ma Kui said.

"Captain Ma, what do we do now?"

"Qiao Sanmei is definitely a lost cause."

"The person has been beaten into an idiot."

Sun Xing shook his head and said.

"Go call Song Fei in," Ma Kui ordered.

Song Fei walked in.

"Did you hear it?" Ma Kui asked.

"Hear what?" Song Fei didn't understand for a moment.

"Idiot, I'm asking if you heard Mrs. Yu and Qiao Sanmei talking?" Ma Kui said.

"I heard a little, but it wasn't clear," Song Fei said.

"You tell me, what the hell does 'not clear' mean?"

Ma Kui grabbed him by the collar, gritting his teeth and shouting coldly.

"That car was too noisy, and Qiao Sanmei and Mrs. Yu were whispering together, so I only heard them talking about food and drink," Song Fei said with a bitter face, trembling with fear.

He really hadn't heard it clearly.

Even if he had, he couldn't say it.

He wasn't a fool.

Could a fool climb to the position of section chief at such a young age?

Talking nonsense at a time like this would get someone killed.

Ma Kui beckoned to him with a cold, sinister look in his eyes.

Song Fei leaned in closer.

Ma Kui leaned into his ear and spat out cold, piercing words through his teeth:

"You're nothing but a fart!"

Song Fei lowered his head and said nothing.

"Get out, get out!"

"All of you, get out!"

With his brilliant plan failing completely once again, Ma Kui roared in a frenzy.

Station Master's office.

Wu Jingzhong was so angry he was choking, pointing at his two favorite subordinates and saying sternly:

"Look at this Ma Kui, spending all day pondering these trivial, petty matters."

"Jiang Jianfeng has assigned me a mission this time."

"To clean up corruption."

"It's being carried out simultaneously in the two most prosperous cities, one in the south and one in the north: Shanghai and Jinhai."

"I can't control Shanghai."

"But this shot in Jinhai must be heard!"

"Teacher, it's all my fault," Yu Zecheng stood up with his head bowed, his expression sincere and earnest.

"Back then, there was Lu Zongfang, and there was Zuo Lan."

"They were like invisible shackles, locking me down tight."

"Section Chief Liu, Ma Kui."

"Because of these little things, the whole station has been in turmoil."

"Teacher, everything is my fault."

Yu Zecheng bowed in shame.

"The innocent are self-cleansing, what are you afraid of?"

"Let them investigate; you must be able to withstand an investigation."

"Isn't it just this little matter of Lu Zongfang?"

"Xie Ruo and I were even sent to university on Red Party recommendations back in the day."

"So what? Didn't we still get heavily used by Boss Dai and reach the rank of Major General?"

"The Generalissimo was even saved by General Chen once; didn't he let the Red Party facilitate his rescue back then?"

"Does that mean the Generalissimo is also suspected of having Red Party ties?"

"There is me in you, and you in me; that is the way of survival, otherwise many things are impossible to accomplish."

Wu Jingzhong pointed at him and laughed as he spoke of old times.

"Hearing your words is better than ten years of study."

"Now that you've said this, Teacher, I feel much clearer."

"Then let them go ahead and investigate."

Yu Zecheng said.

"Hmm, you and Hong Zhiyou need to set up the stage."

"Zecheng, you are familiar with the government side; go make a list. Identify the traitors, old warlords, remnants of the past, or officials and wealthy merchants with close ties to the Zhongtong Bureau."

"My old classmate loves to be thorough; if you don't use some strong medicine, he won't be satisfied."

"Don't be afraid; I've returned with a title this time."

"Director of the Jinhai Anti-Corruption Investigation Committee."

"Not many of these people have clean hands; whoever you don't like, just set them up."

Wu Jingzhong ordered proudly.

"Of course, the most important thing is still this..." As he spoke, he rubbed his fingers together with a smile.

"Understood!" Yu Zecheng nodded.

"And that Red Party female representative, don't see her anymore."

"You must avoid suspicion."

"Otherwise, there will be endless trouble."

"Women, they're all the same once the lights are out, and you get tired of eating the same thing three times a day. You'll understand when you reach my age," Wu Jingzhong reminded him with a smile.

"Hong Zhiyou, your business needs to start as well."

"Jinhai is so big, is there really no one suffering from disaster or hardship?"

"If there's no disaster, then create one."

"There's a good saying among the common people: 'If an official doesn't act as master for the people, they might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes'."

"If we officials only take our salaries and don't act as masters for those wealthy merchants and traitors."

"Then it really would be better to go home and farm."

As he spoke, he gave Hong Zhiyou a hint.

"Teacher is right."

"I'll go play cards at the club tonight to see who needs justice and a master," Hong Zhiyou laughed.

"That's right, go get busy."

"Don't forget to come to my house for dinner tonight, bring your leather jackets."

Wu Jingzhong said with a beaming smile.

"Alright."

"Thank you, Station Master."

The two said immediately.

After leaving the office.

Yu Zecheng took two quick steps:

"Hong Zhiyou, come to my office for a moment."

Hong Zhiyou followed him into the office.

Yu Zecheng was not in a hurry; he poured tea and said with a beaming smile: "Hong Zhiyou, this matter was all thanks to you, otherwise I would have fallen into Ma Kui's hands."

"I just passed by Ma Kui's office, and he was cursing Song Fei to high heaven."

"Don't mention it, I'm just doing business for money," Hong Zhiyou said.

"It's different."

"You take money, I deal in favors."

"I'll return one to you right now."

After Yu Zecheng finished speaking, he wrote a name on a piece of paper:

"Wu Taixun!"

"Boss Dai is dead, and this guy is now a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow. I heard his bodyguard, named Zhang something, is very attentive to Wanqiu."

"This man is a remnant of the old warlord era, and I intend to use him as the first target."

Yu Zecheng said.

"His name is Wang De!"

Hong Zhiyou gave a disdainful smile and sipped his tea:

"Wang De's younger brother is the manager of the Shun'an Flour Mill."

"Within the last six months, this flour mill has jacked up prices twice, and Kou Zhengguo from the Civil Affairs Bureau suppressed the matter."

"As far as I know, Kou Zhengguo is precisely Wang De's brother-in-law."

"And this flour mill has shares held by Wu Taixun."

"So..."

Yu Zecheng pointed at him and smiled with tacit understanding: "Brother, you are too sharp; you've had this planned for a long time."

"I suppose so."

"Just because I don't bully others doesn't mean I'm willing to be bullied."

"I'll leave this matter to you," Hong Zhiyou said.

"Rest assured, not a single one of them will get away!" Yu Zecheng said righteously.

Hong Zhiyou's kindness to him was as heavy as a mountain.

He had never been able to repay it, and since such a rare opportunity had arrived, he naturally had to give it his all.

"I'm off!"

"I still have to go to the club to inquire about some business."

"The Station Chief hasn't opened for business in a long time; it's time to stretch his muscles."

Hong Zhiyou said his goodbyes and walked out quickly.

Passing by the Intelligence Section.

Lu Qiaoshan grabbed him and pulled him inside:

"Brother, the liquor is gone; you need to hurry up."

"This foreign liquor of yours is incredibly popular among the middle and lower classes in Jingling."

"Send over twenty more cases this month."

"Brother Shan, we are all family; I'll send you forty more cases," Hong Zhiyou said.

"That's wonderful."

"My son has just become a clerk at the Second Department of the Ministry of National Defense."

"It takes money to grease the wheels in every aspect."

"Brother..."

Lu Qiaoshan bit his lip slightly and smiled, stopping mid-sentence.

"If you lower the profit margin by another ten percent, I'll give my share of the kickback to you, brother."

Hong Zhiyou agreed very generously.

Fearing that Lu Qiaoshan might overthink it, he lowered his voice:

"Brother Shan, once you become the Deputy Station Chief, you must look after me."

"Believe me, brother, you have the official seal of a high-ranking official on your forehead."

"In the future, you will at least be a general."

"If the Station Chief retires after a few years, I will only be able to rely on you, Brother Shan, in Jinhai."

"I hope your words come true, brother. If I can take the top spot in the future, there will definitely be a place for you in Jinhai," Lu Qiaoshan said, patting his chest to guarantee it.

"Alright, I'm off."

Hong Zhiyou waved his hand, went downstairs, and drove to the club.

Arriving at the club.

Lin Tian, dressed in a designer suit and looking handsome and dashing, was flirting with the young lady at the front desk.

He saw Hong Zhiyou.

He smiled slightly but did not greet him.

It was only after a few minutes that he went upstairs.

"Brother Hong, there's a lead," Lin Tian said.

Hong Zhiyou handed him a cigarette and signaled for him to continue.

Lin Tian said: "Recently, at the Mazi Casino in Xiqing, I discovered a group of men with Northeast accents."

"The owner of Mazi Casino, Jiao Mazi, originally came from Guandong."

"He is extremely ruthless."

"Don't let the small size of the place fool you; the people under him aren't afraid to draw blood—the kind of tough characters who fear no one."

"Your father has been to Mazi Casino."

"Furthermore, combining that with what you said before, I've tracked down one person."

"Who?" Hong Zhiyou asked.

"Zhao Chuncheng, the assistant manager of the Longyang Company," Lin Tian said.

"Zhao Chuncheng is from Shenyang, and Mazi is his cousin."

"He used to be very close with the gang of Fourth Master Zhang."

"His connections with the municipal garrison are also quite decent."

"That's why his liquor sales have always been good, and the head office in Shanghu and the foreigners hold him in high regard."

Lin Tian took two puffs and continued.

"That makes sense."

"Just a little business matter."

"Thanks, keep watching them."

"But you must be careful; these people kill without leaving a trace of blood."

Hong Zhiyou reminded him.

"Don't worry, I might not be their match in a fight."

"But if I want to run, they wouldn't even be able to catch a glimpse of my shadow," Lin Tian said with a smug smile.

"Don't be careless."

"Caution is the parent of safety. Is the money still enough?" Hong Zhiyou asked.

"Enough. I won quite a bit with the money you gave me last time."

"I'm going now."

"The young lady at the front desk agreed to have dinner with me tonight," Lin Tian said with a wink and a roguish smile.

"Good luck," Hong Zhiyou smiled.

As he spoke, the sound of high heels clicking came from outside the door.

"I won't disturb your good time."

Lin Tian left with a smile.

The person who arrived was Mrs. Kang, Fang Min.

Hong Zhiyou had gone to Xiangdao, and upon returning, he was tied up with affairs and hadn't found the time to see her.

At this moment, both of them were like a long-awaited rain after a drought.

After their intimacy, Fang Min lay in his arms and asked coquettishly:

"I heard rumors that the higher-ups intend to crack down on corruption."

"It won't be like the purge of traitors, where they'll take a group of people to the chopping block again, will it?"

"Did Mr. Kang ask you to come and ask me?" Hong Zhiyou pinched her delicate cheek and said.

"Yes."

"He's terrified at the slightest hint of trouble now."

"Seeing that you hadn't come to see me for so long, he thought you were bored of me and looked down on me."

"He urges me to come find you every single day."

Fang Min pouted and hummed.

"How could that be?"

"With your skill, no man could ever get bored."

"Tell him to rest easy; I can still have a say in matters like this," Hong Zhiyou said, kissing her.

"I haven't taken any jobs for the Station Chief in a long time."

"Do you have any news on your end?" Hong Zhiyou asked.

"Yes!"

"Pujie has been detained by the Soviets in the Northeast."

"His adjutant has been running around, trying to get Station Chief Wu to step in and plead with Station Chief Wen in the Northeast, to see if they can at least save his wife and daughter and send them back to the Japanese islands before he is transferred to the Soviet Union," Fang Min said.

"Saving Pujie is impossible."

"He was captured by the Soviets; if it were the Americans, it might be a bit easier to handle."

"His wife and daughter could certainly be maneuvered."

Hong Zhiyou pondered for a moment and said.

"That works too."

"Pujie loves his wife and daughter very much, and he is willing to pay a heavy price for them."

"You know, these Manchu Qing princes are never short on money or antiques."

"After all, the Forbidden City used to be their family home."

Fang Min nodded and said.

"How much money can he put up?" Hong Zhiyou asked.

"Pujie has a residence in Beiping that serves as a secret treasury."

"If Station Chief Wu can help his wife and daughter, he is willing to hand it over."

"But you have to give me a cut this time."

"My old Kang's business has been tight lately, and he's short on cash; I can barely afford my rouge and powder anymore."

Fang Min turned over, wrapped her arms around his neck, and acted coquettishly.

"Easy."

"If that house is worth it, I'll give you five thousand US dollars," Hong Zhiyou readily agreed.

"Good daddy."

"Five thousand isn't enough, I want ten thousand," she pouted, shaking her head and saying in a sweet, wheedling voice.

"Fine, who else would I give it to if not my own girl," Hong Zhiyou agreed.

"I love you to death."

Fang Min blinked and gave a charming smile.

She twisted her body like a water snake and slid toward Hong Zhiyou's waist.

The next day.

Yu Zecheng arrived at the office.

Last night, he went to see Zuo Lan and handed the photo of the Buddhist shrine to her.

Zuo Lan traveled to Beiping overnight to meet Old Hao from the Border Region Liaison Office.

Old Hao recognized the Buddhist shrine as belonging to Feng Jian, a teacher at the Border Region's Second Nursery School.

Yu Zecheng immediately realized that this was an excellent opportunity to rescue Jiang Aimei and Huang Zhong.

At the same time, he might also be able to take the opportunity to get rid of the persistent Ma Kui.

Everything now depended on Zuo Lan.

(End of chapter)