Chapter 187: Taking Over the Sky Net Plan

In the original drama, Li Ya and Lu Qiao were at each other's throats, but the reason was never explicitly stated.

It was only said that Lu Qiao could not stand Li Ya's arrogant face.

Now that I think about it.

The grudge between these two was likely set from the very first day they arrived at the station.

Hong Zhiyou rubbed his nose.

A plan quickly formed in his mind.

Li Ya was a man sent by Jiang Jianfeng.

With that kind of backing, it was difficult for the station chief to take action against him openly or covertly, and getting him transferred away was impossible.

Furthermore, if this man were to die in Jinmen, there would undoubtedly be endless trouble.

Given Jiang Jianfeng's zero-tolerance personality, he might just flip the table and draw his blade.

Therefore, letting Lu Qiao give Li Ya a hard time was a good choice.

Distracting him and holding him back was a decent option.

Li Ya carried two roast ducks into Lu Qiao's office.

As the Intelligence Section Chief, Lu Qiao had received news that morning that Li Ya was coming to replace Ma Kui.

To get on good terms, he had put on his favorite red tie early that morning.

Waiting to have lunch together.

Who knew the station chief was holding a "family dinner," and he wasn't invited at all.

What was even more annoying was that he had only been in charge of the Action Team for a few days.

He was just taking advantage of the anti-corruption drive to make some extra money by arresting people.

For this "Buddha Niche" to suddenly appear—wasn't that cutting off his own source of income?

"Brother Shan, any good intelligence lately?"

In the office, Sheng Xiang, with his pockmarked face and greasy skin, asked with a fawning smile.

"There's very little top-secret intelligence on red tickets passing through Jinmen lately.

"Some common goods—we know them, and others know them too, so they don't fetch a high price.

"And it carries risks; it's not worth it."

Lu Qiao shook his head and said.

"Then is there any news about the release of US dollar bonds?

"That's worth more; all the rich people in the market now are scrambling to buy US bonds.

"Those people on the Sales Committee release fake news every day, and every one of them is raking in a fortune.

"Brother Shan, if you know any inside information, give me one.

"At least two gold bars... the big ones."

Sheng Xiang whispered.

"Hong Zhiyou is very close with the wife of Director Zhang of the Sales Committee.

"He's also on very good terms with the Americans.

"He might know some inside information."

Lu Qiao pondered for a moment and said.

"Alright, then I'll wait for your news, Section Chief Lu.

"It has to be fast.

"This kind of news has to catch the trend; once it's released, it won't be worth anything."

Sheng Xiang reminded him.

"You be careful lately; a new captain named Li Ya has been transferred to the Action Team.

"This man is an old hand from the Qingpu Special Training Class.

"He has inherited the true teachings of the 'Grey Eagle' Liu Xiong and is a pawn planted by Jiang Jianfeng.

"His methods and background are very strong.

"Once he catches you in a compromising position, let alone me, even the station chief and your ancestors won't be able to save you.

"Do you understand?"

Lu Qiao lowered his voice and warned him.

"I understand.

"Section Chief Lu, rest assured, even if I get caught, I wouldn't dare sell you out.

"Besides, nowadays, who in the Party Affairs Bureau, the Municipal Government, or the Inspection Team isn't selling intelligence?

"If you don't earn this money, someone else will just snatch it up."

Sheng Xiang said with a mercenary, dry laugh.

As the two were talking, the door knocked.

"Come in," Lu Qiao shouted.

Li Ya walked in with one hand in his pocket and the other carrying gifts, his face full of smiles:

"You must be Section Chief Lu.

"I am the new captain of the Action Team, Li Ya."

"Oh, it's Captain Li."

Lu Qiao gave Sheng Xiang a look, signaling him to leave first.

"Captain Li, I am the File Section Chief, Sheng Xiang.

"Please look after me in the future."

Sheng Xiang bowed and scraped as he greeted him.

"My pleasure," Li Ya nodded with a smile.

Once Sheng Xiang left, Li Ya stood straight and greeted him with a smile:

"Section Chief Lu, I am a newcomer, please offer your guidance in the future."

"Guidance is too strong a word; let's just help each other.

"Brother, infiltrating Yancheng alone—your courage is commendable; you are a role model for our generation," Lu Qiao said with a smile, but he did not reach out his hand.

Regardless of age or seniority, he was older than Li Ya.

And this was his own office.

As a newcomer, Li Ya should have paid his respects and reached out first.

As a man from Yuedong, he valued these rules of conduct.

"Not at all.

"You are a veteran from the Nanchang Investigation Section days; you are a highly respected senior brother."

Li Ya was polite in his speech, but he kept one hand holding the gifts and the other in his pocket, showing no intention of reaching out.

A flash of displeasure crossed Lu Qiao's eyes, but he took the initiative to reach out and asked with a smile:

"I heard Jiang Jianfeng invited you to dinner?"

"Just a simple meal." Li Ya finally took his hand out of his pocket and gave a brief handshake.

"This hand has shaken Jiang Jianfeng's, right?" Lu Qiao asked with a smile.

"Yes," Li Ya nodded proudly.

"Precious, then I must hold it a bit longer," Lu Qiao said with a beaming smile, secretly expressing his dissatisfaction.

"Not at all, just a handshake and a meal, that's all."

Li Ya smiled, his gaze falling on the coffee machine.

"Tsk.

"That's incredible.

"In our station, the only ones who have eaten a meal with the big boss are Yu Zecheng and you.

"Brother, you haven't seen this in Yancheng, have you?

"A coffee machine, British goods.

"Want a cup?"

Lu Qiao followed his gaze, introducing it with the intent to show off, and made a move to pour him a cup.

"No thanks.

"I ate too much yellow dirt in Yancheng; seeing this dark-colored stuff makes me feel nauseous."

Li Ya said with a faint smile.

He wasn't trying to disgust Lu Qiao on purpose; it was purely an offhand remark.

A chill flashed in Lu Qiao's eyes, and he pointed at him with a smile:

"Yes, yes.

"Brother, having drunk Jiang Jianfeng's tea, how could you look at these foreign trinkets of mine?

"Sit down, is there something you need?"

Li Ya sat down, crossed his legs, and said: "There are two things I'd like to ask Section Chief Lu to facilitate.

"First, help me arrange a house.

"Second, please advance me three months' salary."

"Third, arrange a better car."

"You know, being new here, everything is inconvenient, so I'm relying on you to arrange it."

Seeing his arrogant tone and his leather shoes propped up higher than his own, Lu Qiaoshan felt increasingly annoyed.

Is this how you ask someone for a favor?

This was clearly him coming to issue orders.

"Captain Li, you need to find Secretary Hong of the General Affairs Section for this matter."

"You're new here, so you might not know yet."

"Secretary Hong is the chief steward of our Jinmen Station; just go to him for everything."

Lu Qiaoshan chuckled, passing the buck.

"I did."

"He said the stamp is with you, and that his word doesn't count," Li Ya said.

"How about this."

"The rules for finances and logistics at Jinmen Station have always been very strict."

"To get a house or a car, you must first get Secretary Hong to sign, then get the Dispatch Section Chief to sign."

"Once they have both signed, I will stamp it for you."

Lu Qiaoshan said.

"So troublesome?" Li Ya frowned.

"No choice, official business must be done by the book; without the procedure, I can't report back to the Station Master," Lu Qiaoshan said.

"Fine then."

Li Ya stood up and pointed at the roast duck sitting on the table:

"Section Chief Lu, a small gift, please don't mind it."

"Thanks."

He stood up and walked out.

Lu Qiaoshan opened the plastic bag and smelled the roast duck; it had already started to turn:

"Pah!"

"What kind of garbage is this? Do you think I care about your roast duck?"

Li Ya arrived at the Station Master's office.

Wu Jingzhong was leaning on the sofa, resting his mind.

"Station Master, why is it so hard to get a house and a car?"

"Secretary Hong pushes me to Lu Qiaoshan."

"Lu Qiaoshan pushes me back to Secretary Hong."

"Are they intentionally making things difficult for me?"

Li Ya had his hands in his pockets, his tone very dissatisfied.

"Li Ya, you can't blame them for this."

"Things aren't like they used to be, where a simple greeting was enough to get things done."

"After the budget and staffing were cut, headquarters has been extremely strict with the audit of each station's accounts."

"What was approved, and when it was approved, must be precise down to the hour and minute."

"Go find Secretary Hong to follow the procedure, just say I told you to, and ask for an expedited request."

Wu Jingzhong was very happy to set some rules for Li Ya.

"Fine."

"I hope these guys follow the rules in their conduct just as they do in their work."

Li Ya pouted and turned to walk out.

He arrived at Hong Zhiyou's office.

"Captain Li, is there something you need?" Hong Zhiyou asked with a smile.

"Yes."

"Section Chief Lu said you need to sign," Li Ya said, sitting down without wasting words.

"Captain Li."

"I have already picked out a house for you, the Western-style house where Captain Ma used to live; all facilities are complete, you can move in with just your bags."

"As for the car, there are three spares parked downstairs; pick whichever one you like."

While speaking, Hong Zhiyou also wrote out a slip for a salary advance.

"Brother, aren't you quite efficient?" Li Ya said, feeling somewhat displeased.

"Captain Li, do you have a grudge against Section Chief Lu?"

"Don't say you're a Lieutenant Colonel, even a junior officer wouldn't have such a small matter pushed to me."

"The Station Master is upright."

"But those of us below are still quite..."

Hong Zhiyou winked at him, with an expression that said 'you know'.

"Understood!"

"Thanks for the advice, brother."

"Coming to Jinmen, you can count as my first friend."

"I know Jinmen Station is missing a Deputy Station Master."

"The root of it is right here."

A cold sneer appeared on the corner of Li Ya's mouth as he nodded knowingly.

"You are Jiang Jianfeng's man."

"Section Chief Lu is Zheng Jiemin's man."

"Both are Lieutenant Colonels, so a bit of competition is normal; don't take it to heart, Captain Li."

Hong Zhiyou appeared to be offering a reminder, but in reality, he was fanning the flames.

Isn't that what office infighting is all about?

If he didn't lock these two in a cage to bite each other, they would jump out to bite him and Yu Zecheng.

Hong Zhiyou believed that the Station Master sending Li Ya here meant the same thing.

"It doesn't matter who becomes the Deputy Station Master."

"But I am not someone to be bullied either."

"Thanks, brother."

Li Ya sneered and left with his hands in his pockets.

Hong Zhiyou couldn't help but shake his head.

It was fortunate that he was only a Major and had no conflict of interest with Lu Qiaoshan or Li Ya; otherwise, with these two troublemakers, who knows how they would end up biting each other.

Just as he sat down, Yu Zecheng returned after bringing someone in.

"Were Wu Taixun and Zhu Jiu caught?" Hong Zhiyou asked.

"Yes."

"I have already reported it to the Station Master."

"His meaning is to lock them up for two days; these playboys and young ladies will talk once they get scared."

"Just wait, I expect Mayor Zhang will be at the office shortly."

Yu Zecheng laughed.

"That's right, Zhu Qiling still has that much face," Hong Zhiyou nodded and said.

"I just passed by the Security Section and saw Li Ya asking Section Chief Xiao for Liu Xiong's files."

"This Li Ya is a real doer."

"This is very troublesome."

"I always feel like he is coming for me."

Yu Zecheng said with concern.

"That is certain."

"Didn't you hear what the Station Master said? Jiang Jianfeng is someone who loves to get to the bottom of things."

"You pushed everything onto Ma Kui so easily, and now that Ma Kui is dead, Li Ya has arrived immediately."

"What does this mean? Jiang Jianfeng must have obtained some intelligence."

"Or he is extremely dissatisfied with the previous intelligence leaks."

"War is about to break out, he definitely needs to stabilize things; this is understandable."

"And it's clear that the Station Master has already felt the will and pressure from his superiors, so many things will definitely not be as easy to talk about as before."

"He might even cooperate with and promote Li Ya."

"You had better be careful."

Hong Zhiyou whispered a reminder to him.

"Yes, I will be careful," Yu Zecheng nodded.

"By the way, has Zuo Lan left yet?" Hong Zhiyou asked.

"Not yet.

"She was supposed to go to Beiping last night, but with Ma Kui dead, she has to collect the body for Emeifeng.

"Tonight, I suppose."

Yu Zecheng said.

"Are you sure you don't want to meet one last time?" Hong Zhiyou winked and smiled.

"Can you be serious?

"Meeting at a time like this will only harm her; let's talk about it later." Yu Zecheng said with a hint of disappointment.

As they spoke.

Hong Zhiyou stood up, walked to the window, and peered down.

Yu Zecheng also leaned over: "Captain Li is picking out a car; I couldn't tell he was so particular."

"Perhaps I should find Captain Li some business," Hong Zhiyou said, rubbing his chin.

"What kind of business?" Yu Zecheng asked.

"Anything, as long as it makes money," Hong Zhiyou said.

"That can't be right, would someone like Li Ya care about money?" Yu Zecheng was somewhat skeptical.

"This man is very cunning.

"He has the capability to get things done, and he likely understands the ropes of taking kickbacks and bribes.

"If we get him into some business, we might be able to hold something over him in the future," Hong Zhiyou said.

Li Ya was very poor.

At least his pockets were clean for now.

But for a man who ate steamed buns and pickled vegetables every day, once he reached this world of glitz and glamour, it was impossible for him to have no desire for money.

Li Ya was no ascetic monk.

Judging from his usual appearance—handmade suits, leather shoes, crisp Zhongshan suits, and hair gel—it was clear this man was particular.

Moreover, he could pull out large amounts of US dollars to buy intelligence from Xie Ruolin several times.

Where did so much money come from?

It must have been skimmed while on duty, or he had some other source of income.

As long as there is desire, that is fine.

If there is desire, one can grasp his Achilles' heel.

After looking at the cars, Li Ya returned to the Station Chief's office, his face full of resentment.

"What is it now?" Wu Jingzhong asked.

"Nothing, I just feel that Department Chief Lu seems to have an opinion of me," Li Ya said.

"Personnel is politics.

"You are both Lieutenant Colonels, so it is normal to have differing views.

"The Intelligence Department is the eyes of the Action Team; be a bit more polite when you speak in the future."

Wu Jingzhong understood this student of his quite well.

"I have already been very polite," Li Ya said.

"Let's not talk about this.

"Is there something else?" Wu Jingzhong asked.

"Before I came, Jiang Jianfeng expressed serious concern regarding the issue of intelligence leaks within the Jinhai Station.

"Especially regarding Yu Zecheng.

"Jiang Jianfeng obtained some secret intelligence; after this person was shot, he once disappeared for three full months.

"The Nanjing Political Security Bureau once traced a businessman surnamed Dong based on clues from the Shaanxi Guild Hall and discovered that this person was a high-level leader of the Nanjing underground Red organization.

"The one surnamed Dong had been to Yang Village.

"According to the oral accounts of the people in Yang Village, outsiders had visited a small, abandoned courtyard on the north side of the village.

"That small courtyard originally belonged to someone named Yang Erniu.

"Yang Erniu's parents died long ago.

"The year the Japanese invaders left, Yang Erniu was conscripted as a laborer and never returned.

"This house had been vacant ever since.

"Later, Wan Lilang took photos to compare and confirmed that it was the one surnamed Dong, the owner of the Shaanxi Guild Hall, and Yu Zecheng."

Li Ya said.

"Since there is such sufficient evidence, why not arrest him?" Wu Jingzhong countered.

"The problem is that Wan Lilang, who was in charge of the operation, is dead.

"That village suffered a plague; basically, everyone in the village either died or fled, so there are no witnesses.

"Qin Shuangcheng also knows nothing about this matter.

"These materials have no corroboration.

"Jiang Jianfeng holds a positive view of Yu Zecheng's killing of Li Haifeng.

"Therefore, in the absence of sufficient evidence, the resolution to investigate Yu Zecheng was shelved.

"This time, I have been ordered to come to Jinhai.

"Besides assisting you, Station Chief, in clearing out the Red agents, rooting out internal traitors is also of the utmost importance.

"I am not targeting Yu Zecheng.

"I even question the authenticity of those materials from the Political Security Bureau.

"But necessary screening is still required."

Li Ya was not a reckless man; he was careful with his words when there was no clear evidence.

"I still trust Yu Zecheng," Wu Jingzhong said.

"You two are both my students; I would like to see you work together in sincere unity.

"Do not repeat the mistakes of Ma Kui."

He frowned and reminded him.

"My dear Station Chief, trust must have its limits.

"This is my mission.

"If Yu Zecheng is truly clean, it should be no problem for me to investigate him.

"Internal supervision is an old tradition of the Juntong Bureau."

Li Ya was very firm on this point.

"Hmm.

"Let's be clear, it is limited to suspicion of being a Red agent.

"People in the station are well-connected in Jinhai, familiar with the garrison, gangs, and beggars of all walks of life; if you try to manage everything, you will invite trouble, do you understand?

"When something goes wrong, don't blame me for not warning you."

Wu Jingzhong said with a straight, solemn face.

"Yes, I understand the rules.

"In this day and age, who doesn't have a little side income or extra money."

"Rest assured, I certainly won't investigate matters unrelated to Red agents."

Li Ya looked at him and nodded with a smile.

That cold, arrogant gaze made Wu Jingzhong feel a bit pricked, so he patiently asked:

"How do you intend to investigate?"

"Originally, I wanted to use Ma Kui's wife to make a scene, lure that Zuo Lan into the trap, and use the disruption of the Military Mediation to observe Yu's reaction.

"Now Mrs. Ma is gone.

"The Military Mediation Office has also withdrawn, so that move is effectively wasted.

"However, I have checked the top-secret files at headquarters.

"When Director Dai was still here, you once launched a 'Sky Net' plan, lobbying a certain key member of the Jinhai Regional Committee.

"I wonder how that has developed?"

Li Ya asked.

"To be honest, after Ma Kui died, this plan was temporarily shelved," Wu Jingzhong said.

He had recently received several large hauls.

He couldn't even finish authenticating all the antiques, so where would he find the time to care about any Red agents.

The Jinhai Regional Committee was already riddled with holes.

He figured there was no real substance to be gained, and since Director Dai had already passed on, he couldn't be bothered to waste his energy on such trivial matters.

"Station Chief.

"This is the number one person of the Jinhai Regional Committee; the underground situation in Pingjin is already a muddy pool, if you don't reach in to feel around, how will you know if there are shrimp or big fish at the bottom?"

Li Ya raised an eyebrow and said with a sidelong glance.

"Since you want to handle it, then go ahead and handle it."

Wu Jingzhong knew he couldn't let this guy stay idle, otherwise, sooner or later, he would start suspecting him.

"Hmm, but I have two conditions.

"First, this operation will be under my full authority; from now on, Lu Qiao shall not interfere.

"Second, I must clean up the Action Team.

"All those people who were previously with Ma Kui and Lu Qiao must be replaced.

"Replace them all with the new recruits trained this year.

"Isn't the station planning to lay off a batch of people anyway? It's a perfect time to start with the Action Team, and it can be considered me sharing your burden."

Li Ya said.

"You can't lay them all off; let's make it half and half.

"Many of them have settled down locally, with elderly parents and young children to support.

"It's about making a living; if you cut off their livelihood, they'll fight you to the death if they can't survive."

Wu Jingzhong was worried that this guy would wipe out his own people too.

"That works too, then half and half.

"As for Section Chief Lu, I'll trouble you to go and have a word with him."

After Li Ya finished speaking, he turned and walked out.

Upon arriving at the Action Team, Li Ya acted as soon as he spoke; after a brief meeting, he directly circled the names on the list.

Except for section-level personnel like Mi Zhiguo, Qi Physician, and Song Fei, everyone else, such as Wen Shiming and his like, were all swept out the door by Li Ya.

Even someone like Sun Xing, who was sent by Mao Renfeng, did not escape.

That same evening.

Li Ya personally selected his team again.

He recruited a large batch of new members, and after an assessment, he kept one-third of the elite.

The Action Team was officially reorganized.

Of course, there were still quite a few people planted by the Station Master among them.

For example, old-timers like Qi Physician.

But Lu Qiao's people had been cleaned out completely.

Jinmen.

Zhou Yunyi looked around vigilantly before hurriedly walking into a small hut in the alley.

A man with a wrinkled face, looking just like an old farmer, was sitting by the bed smoking an opium pipe:

"Old Liu, is there any stock left?

"Xiao Tao's illness has flared up again, and she urgently needs opium to stop the pain."

Old Liu frowned and said: "If it's really not working, you should have someone send her to the hospital.

"Ma Kui had looked for me before; I've been acting with him, so I've had to reduce the supply to Xiao Tao.

"But this can't go on forever.

"Living like this is more painful for Xiao Tao than death."

"I know, I've asked the hospital; sleeping pills have no effect on this kind of injury.

"For now, let her live one more day if she can."

Zhou Yunyi sighed with a frown.

"Your situation is very dangerous; they are using Xiao Tao to threaten you.

"Old Zhou, if it really comes to it, find an opportunity to take Xiao Tao and leave.

"The underground organization in Jinmen cannot afford any more losses."

Old Liu said, filled with worry.

"Leaving is impossible.

"I have other arrangements for this matter."

Zhou Yunyi didn't continue, and Old Liu didn't ask further; there was discipline, and one shouldn't ask what they shouldn't.

He took the opium for pain relief.

Just after returning home.

He saw a man with meticulously combed hair, wearing a grey Zhongshan suit, sitting by the table.

Beside him were several guards wearing round hats.

Just by this getup, one could tell he was from the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.

"Hello, Mr. Zhou, my name is Li Ya, the new captain of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics Action Team." Li Ya stood up and smiled arrogantly.

"They changed people?" Zhou Yunyi asked with no expression.

"That's right.

"Let's have a talk.

"I know Old Liu's opium can only relieve your wife's suffering for a moment.

"I know a surgical expert in Xiangdao.

"Perhaps he can treat your wife, or at least spare her from the pain."

Li Ya knew what he cared about most and got straight to the point.

"State your conditions." Zhou Yunyi said.

"I know you have a separate radio call method.

"The corresponding code is 'Dream Butterfly'."

Before Li Ya finished speaking, Zhou Yunyi's face changed drastically.

Radio and wireless receiver calls were the organization's ballast, ensuring that if the local organization was destroyed, they could receive instructions from above at the first opportunity.

The codebook was precisely "Dream Butterfly".

(End of chapter)