Chapter 189: The Entrapment of Yu Zecheng

Yu Zecheng matched the code against the book and finished translating it quickly.

"Emei Peak, Pebble, Woodcutter.

"In view of the recent reconstruction of the Jinhai underground transit station, the Yancheng No. 1 special envoy, Mr. Dong, is coming to Jin to do business. Meet at 9: 0 PM tonight at the Hongqiao Hotel. Dark Tang suit, holding a copy of the 'Jinhai Daily', second-class signal for contact."

He wrote the text down on a piece of paper.

"What is all this written here?" Wang Cuiping asked, her eyes wide.

"The higher-ups have sent an experienced underground leader, Mr. Dong, to take charge of the Jinhai transit station work again," Yu Zecheng said with a smile.

"Do you know this Mr. Dong?" Wang Cuiping asked.

"I do.

"He is a steady, gentle wise man and a comrade with very rich experience in struggle.

"Back when I assassinated Li Haifeng in Jingling and was saved by Boss Tie,

"it was he who was responsible for leading me to Yancheng to meet Ke Gong.

"You could say he is my mentor and guide.

"I never expected to have the chance to work with him again."

Whenever Yu Zecheng thought of Mr. Dong, he couldn't help but say a few extra words.

"That's great.

"Right now, you have a pile of important intelligence on your hands that you can't send out.

"The two of us are almost becoming useless."

"We should have sent someone to get this operation up and running a long time ago."

Wang Cuiping clapped her hands in praise.

"Nine o'clock, Hongqiao Hotel." Yu Zecheng glanced at his watch, not in a rush to act.

"Wait.

"Do you think this could be a trap?

"I always feel that the woman on the radio tonight sounded a bit different from the usual voice."

Wang Cuiping suddenly grabbed him, starting to mutter with concern.

"Different? Tell me how it was different," Yu Zecheng asked, his brow relaxing.

"Although the tone of the broadcast tonight was about the same, it lacked something.

"I... I can't quite put my finger on it, but it just didn't feel right."

Wang Cuiping said, frowning.

"Believe me, I've always been quite sensitive in this regard.

"Back during the anti-mopping-up campaigns, I dodged the devils' ambushes several times.

"Li Ya just arrived, and Mr. Dong follows right on his heels.

"This is too much of a coincidence."

She tugged at Yu Zecheng's sleeve, refusing to let go, fearing that Yu Zecheng would go to the meeting.

Yu Zecheng had always been steady.

Seeing Wang Cuiping's anxious appearance, he suddenly laughed:

"Not bad, you've made progress; you're learning to think through problems."

"What do you mean? I'm being serious," Wang Cuiping said.

"Yes, yes.

"Serious, we must be serious!

"You're right, this matter is a bit suspicious.

"I need to make a phone call."

Yu Zecheng nodded repeatedly and smiled.

He had been on guard against Li Ya's move this afternoon, so he had naturally noticed the subtle details of the radio broadcast.

He hadn't expected this Mobile Corps Commander captain, Wang Cuiping, to have such a sharp mind; it was a pleasant surprise.

"To whom?

"If you call now, won't it be monitored?" Wang Cuiping pulled back the curtain and looked down at the street.

The car that parked there every day was not as calm as usual.

People were going in and out.

"It has to be made, even if it's monitored.

"This person is a key member of the No. 1 line and also my friend.

"If this is Li Ya's trap, he will inevitably be caught.

"Don't worry, making a call carries risks, but at most it's just suspicion; it doesn't count as evidence.

"But if a comrade is caught, it will be hard to rescue them.

"Between the two, let me be the one under suspicion."

Yu Zecheng quickly made up his mind and dialed a number.

The phone rang three times.

No one answered on the other end.

This was the signal he had agreed upon with Liao Sanmin.

Yu Zecheng's brow furrowed into a knot. "No, I have to go out."

Liao Sanmin hadn't answered the phone.

It was highly likely that he had heard the radio message.

Who could have guessed that the daily radio call might be decrypted by a clever devil like Li Ya?

Liao Sanmin was not like him; he didn't know that Li Ya harbored malicious intent and might be planning something tonight.

Without any precautions, he was very likely to fall into the trap.

"You will be in great danger," Wang Cuiping said.

"Danger or not, I have to go.

"Don't worry, I won't go to the meeting spot.

"I'll just go nearby to see if I can run into that friend.

"Besides, didn't you say it was just a hunch?

"Since it's a hunch, perhaps Mr. Dong's arrival in Jin is real?"

Yu Zecheng smiled to reassure her.

"No.

"You're the one who said that we underground workers can never rely on luck.

"If we go, we go together.

"If something happens, I can still cover you."

Wang Cuiping's gaze was firm. After saying this, she began to change her clothes and shoes.

Yu Zecheng tilted his head to look at her.

He suddenly felt that Wang Cuiping seemed to have grown up overnight.

This woman was quite malleable.

From the battlefield to the underground, she was a reliable, loyal, and fearless fighter.

"Fine.

"Lianxing Society recently opened a new branch at Hongqiao, and they tell good crosstalk there.

"The nine o'clock show, let me think what it is.

"Selling Cloth Scraps!

"Let's go, the two of us will go listen together."

Yu Zecheng thought for a moment and decided to take Wang Cuiping with him.

The station chief had not given any special orders.

If he and Wang Cuiping went to the Lianxing Teahouse to listen to crosstalk, no one could find fault with that.

As for Li Ya being suspicious,

Yu Zecheng didn't care.

Li Ya would be suspicious whether he went or not.

As long as no evidence was found, he couldn't do anything to him.

Betting on Liao Sanmin's life with suspicion was absolutely worth it.

Once out the door, he drove straight to Hongqiao.

No. 1 Changde Road.

Li Ya was drinking tea with Wu Jingzhong.

Mei Qiuju was secretly rolling her eyes on the side, her face full of displeasure.

Ever since they got home in the afternoon,

these two had been drinking tea and making small talk.

Aside from eating, drinking, and using the restroom, my old Wu hasn't even stepped into the bedroom.

The house phone rang several times.

Li Ya snatched it up every time.

Mei Qiuju had stuck by Wu Jingzhong since the Japanese occupation; how could she not see that Li Ya didn't trust her husband and was placing him under house arrest?

The phone rang.

Li Ya picked it up casually: "Hello, this is he."

"They've gone out?"

"Are you sure?"

"Excellent. Keep an eye on them, and report any situation immediately."

Hanging up, Li Ya dialed another number:

"Is this the Second Team?"

"They've headed over. Note that as soon as they arrive and make contact, execute the arrest immediately."

"Station Chief, that couple has gone out. Judging by the direction, they're heading toward Red Bridge."

"Don't you think it's too much of a coincidence?"

Li Ya sat down and laughed coldly.

"Going out doesn't necessarily mean they're meeting with a Red ticket."

"Everything still requires evidence."

Wu Jingzhong yawned, crossed his arms, and said.

"Zhou Yunyi is there."

"As long as Yu Zecheng arrives at the designated location, we can execute the arrest once the two make contact."

"Based on the investigation files left behind by Ma Kui and Section Chief Liu."

"The materials from Mr. Dong at headquarters."

"The archives from the former Jingling Political Security General Office."

"Synthesize them slightly, add the current offense, and once arrested, send them straight to headquarters; then we can serve them with heavy interrogation."

Li Ya said with great confidence.

"Hmm."

"If he really is Emei Peak, just handle it as you see fit."

"I have said, I have zero tolerance for Red tickets."

Wu Jingzhong pointed at him and stated his position.

"With those words from you, I can rest easy."

"Just wait and watch the show."

Li Ya nodded.

"Jingzhong, Captain Li, have some late-night snack."

Sister Mei brought over some freshly boiled chicken soup.

"Thank you, Lady." Li Ya bowed slightly to express his thanks.

"Don't be so formal."

Mei Qiuju smiled; the necessary surface-level courtesy was still there.

Red Bridge Hotel.

Under the surveillance of the Second Team agents, Zhou Yunyi walked into the lobby and sat down on a sofa.

"Sir, what would you like?" A waiter walked over.

"Nothing, I'm waiting for someone."

Zhou Yunyi unfolded a newspaper and began to read.

Across the street, separated by a few shops, cheers could be heard from time to time.

"What's going on across the street? It's so lively," asked Zhou Yunyi, who hadn't strolled around in a long time.

"The folks from the Lianxing Society are performing crosstalk."

"With this kind of enthusiasm, I reckon they'll be performing until ten tonight."

The waiter said.

"Alright, thank you." Zhou Yunyi gave him a small tip in legal tender.

The reputation of the Lianxing Society was quite significant.

In Jinhai, many wealthy masters enjoyed listening to this sort of thing.

Xiao Tao was dead.

He had no intention of living either.

How could he protect his comrades while also turning the tables on the enemy?

Zhou Yunyi began to ponder deeply.

Yu Zecheng had circled around from the northwest.

On the way, he had already spotted a tail.

From the Shuitun Prison to the Red Bridge Hotel, Liao Sanmin would most likely come through this Muslim street from the northwest.

He deliberately drove very slowly.

However, he did not encounter Liao Sanmin.

"Did you meet that comrade?" Cuiping asked.

"No, he might have come by rickshaw; I didn't see his car."

"Shuitun Prison is close to here."

"It's also possible he has already entered the Red Bridge Hotel."

Yu Zecheng frowned and said.

"Then what do we do? We definitely can't go into the hotel."

"What if Li Ya is waiting there with a net cast?"

Cuiping said, feeling a headache.

"Let's go to the Lianxing Teahouse across the street first to take a look." Yu Zecheng also looked worried.

The two entered the teahouse.

Just as they sat down, they saw Liao Sanmin walking straight into the Red Bridge Hotel from the other side of the street.

"Damn it."

"He went in," Yu Zecheng said.

"Then what do we do?" Cuiping asked.

"It's too late." Yu Zecheng glanced at the other table out of the corner of his eye.

That was Li Ya's secret line.

If he went to the hotel now, he wouldn't be saving anyone; he would purely be serving himself up on a platter.

"Are you sure we can't save him?" Cuiping asked in a low voice while cracking melon seeds.

"Sure." Yu Zecheng nodded.

"Then why are we still sitting here? Let's just go back," Cuiping said.

"No."

"If we leave now, we won't be able to explain ourselves tomorrow; we are here to listen to crosstalk."

"Yu Baolin's crosstalk is actually quite good."

"'Selling Cloth Ends' has been very popular lately."

Yu Zecheng suppressed his inner anxiety, cracking melon seeds and drinking tea while clapping and cheering just like the rest of the audience.

He had specifically chosen a seat facing the street.

He used his peripheral vision to observe the situation at the hotel across the way.

Liao Sanmin, wearing a trench coat and a round hat with his collar turned up high, arrived at the hotel.

When the organization had suffered heavy losses in the past.

He had always received instructions via radio codes.

Last night's instructions had nothing unusual.

He had heard of Mr. Dong.

An old-timer of the underground organization.

His prestige and seniority were very high, even above Yuan Peilin in Beiping.

It was very reasonable and necessary for the organization to send such a person to Jinhai to lead the reconstruction work.

He carefully observed the surroundings.

He did not discover any tails or suspicious people.

Liao Sanmin stepped into the hotel.

Several people were sitting on the gray sofa in the outer lobby.

They looked like ordinary casual guests.

Soon, he noticed Mr. Dong.

His hair was half-white, he wore a Tang suit, his expression was amiable, and he appeared to be around fifty years old.

In his hand, he was holding none other than the *Jinhai Daily*.

Liao Sanmin lowered the brim of his hat, glanced around, and prepared to make contact.

Zhou Yunyi, standing to the side, sensed something was wrong.

He was not certain if Liao Sanmin was a comrade of the organization.

But he knew this person was from the Shuitun Prison.

This spot.

This time.

Seeing Liao Sanmin look toward "Mr. Dong," Zhou Yunyi knew trouble had arrived.

Just then, he saw a man in his thirties with a potbelly, dressed in a suit, walking out from the inner corridor with his arm around a woman.

Zhou Yunyi knew many people in Jinhai.

Including this glowing-faced fellow before him.

He knew his chance had come.

Zhou Yunyi walked quickly toward the man and shoved him hard, "Comrade, run, there are secret agents here."

As he spoke, Zhou Yunyi drew his gun and aimed at that "Mr. Dong," firing two shots—bang, bang.

Mr. Dong's head tilted, and he collapsed onto the sofa.

The lobby instantly descended into chaos.

"Comrade, I'll cover you, run!"

"They are secret agents from the Confidentiality Bureau."

While firing at the people Li Ya had arranged, Zhou Yunyi pretended to protect the man in the suit and the woman at all costs.

"Damn it!"

"This son of a bitch has turned traitor."

"Open fire."

Qi Physician, in the corner, drew his service weapon, and they all fired toward Zhou Yunyi and the man and woman.

Liao Sanmin was so shocked his soul nearly left his body.

He instantly understood that this was his own comrade providing cover.

"Ah!"

There was a commotion among the crowd in the lobby and on the street.

Many people were clutching their heads and rushing outside.

"Nobody move, all of you stay right where you are!" Just as Qi Physician was about to fire a warning shot, a bullet from Zhou Yunyi struck his arm.

This shot did not ring out.

Liao Sanmin took advantage of the chaos to rush out and merge with the flow of people on the street.

Over here, the man in the suit, confused, also pulled out a gun.

He ended up in a scuffle with the undercover agents of the Confidentiality Bureau.

For a time, gunfire erupted throughout the lobby.

"Toot-toot!"

The police sirens of the patrol officers began to wail.

The teahouse was also in total disarray.

Yu Zecheng pulled Cuiping and walked quickly toward the exit.

In the crowd, he saw Liao Sanmin.

The two exchanged a glance, then each disappeared into the crowd and scattered.

No. 1 Changde Road.

The phone rang.

Wu Jingzhong and Mei Qiuju looked at the alarm clock on the wall at the same time, their expressions tightening.

According to the time.

If Yu Zecheng had gone to make contact at this hour, he should have been caught.

Li Ya answered the phone with a face full of joy:

"This is he."

"What?"

"Where are the people?"

"You bunch of good-for-nothings."

"Bring them all back to the station, every last one of them."

Bang!

He slammed the phone down hard.

The force of the slam made Mei Qiuju's liver tremble with heartache.

This was the newest, most Western-style telephone.

It was damn expensive.

That damned Li Ya.

Since it wasn't his own property, he didn't feel the pain.

"What happened, my Captain Li?" Wu Jingzhong frowned and looked at him coldly.

"Zhou Yunyi has turned traitor."

"He was shot dead on the spot."

"However, the informant who came to make contact was captured alive by us."

"Captured alive? Was it Yu Zecheng or Hong Zhiyou?" Wu Jingzhong asked with a smile, seeing the gloomy look on his face.

"Yu Zecheng did not, did not go to the hotel."

"Station Chief, shall we return to the station first?" Li Ya said.

"Li Ya, oh Li Ya."

"There is no need to be impatient about merit and rewards."

"I am getting old, so I won't accompany you in this tossing and turning; let's discuss it at the station tomorrow."

Wu Jingzhong truly couldn't stay up any longer, so he waved his hand and said.

"Alright."

"Station Chief, thank you for your hard work," Li Ya replied, his mood half-joyful and half-worried.

He went straight to the hospital.

Qi Physician was being treated for a gunshot wound.

"What happened? Where is Yu Zecheng?" Li Ya asked.

"Yu Zecheng was listening to crosstalk at the Lianxing Teahouse."

"He didn't enter the hotel."

Qi Physician said.

"How is that possible? Did your tailing team let him discover them?" Li Ya asked.

"I don't think so."

"We were very discreet."

"We had our people in the teahouse too; according to their report, Yu Zecheng and his wife were indeed listening to crosstalk, and they even gave a tip during the performance," Qi Physician said.

"What a pity," Li Ya frowned.

"Captain, we didn't catch Yu Zecheng, but we did catch a big fish from the Red side."

"After Zhou Yunyi turned traitor, he fought to the death to cover that person."

"We were lucky enough to capture him alive."

"This guy was carrying a gun; one look and you can tell he's no ordinary person."

"I reckon he's either Emei Peak or Pebble; he's definitely a big fish."

It was Qi Physician's first time handling a task for Li Ya, so naturally, he was doing his best to elevate himself.

"Hmm."

"If we can catch a big fish, it won't be a total loss."

"You focus on recovering; when you return to the station tomorrow, I will request a commendation for you."

Li Ya patted his shoulder and praised him.

"Thank you, Captain Li."

"It's much better following you; I can earn merit so easily."

"Following that dog-day Ma Kui, he would squeeze me for cigarette money and meal money every day, and I only ever ran into bad luck."

Qi Physician offered up some fresh, sweet flattery.

"Work hard."

"I won't treat you unfairly," Li Ya said, nodding with a somewhat ethereal expression.

Yu Zecheng and Chen Cuiping returned home.

"That damn Li Ya, he really did set a trap."

"If you had gone today, you definitely would have been caught. That was close."

Chen Cuiping poured herself a cup of tea, still feeling a lingering fear.

"Indeed."

"Thanks to you for noticing something was wrong in time."

"Comrade Chen Cuiping, you are already a qualified underground worker," Yu Zecheng praised with a smile.

"Just qualified?"

"Without me, you would have been in the electric chair this morning," Chen Cuiping said, wrinkling her nose at him.

"Yes, you are a hero."

"You are an excellent underground worker."

Yu Zecheng hurriedly corrected himself.

"That's more like it."

"How is that person you were going to save?" Chen Cuiping asked.

"Luck was on his side."

"For some reason, a gunfight broke out inside; he shouldn't have been exposed," Yu Zecheng said.

"Yeah, why did they start shooting?"

"Didn't you say this Mr. Dong called three people?"

"Could it be that the third comrade arrived, realized something was wrong, and intentionally exposed himself by firing to warn us?" Chen Cuiping analyzed.

"Very likely."

"Go to sleep, let's wait for news tomorrow."

Yu Zecheng pulled back the quilt and lay down.

The next day.

Hong Zhiyou arrived at the Station Master's office very late.

"Zhiyou, where did you go?" Yu Zecheng pulled him into the office and asked, sniffing the air.

"Today is the first of the month, I went to the temple to burn incense."

"The Station Master specifically approved it."

"I have to go on the first and fifteenth of every month."

Hong Zhiyou laughed.

"The Station Master actually believes in this?" Yu Zecheng found it incredible.

"He's getting old."

"Perhaps he's just looking for some peace of mind."

"But praying is fine too; it puts one's heart at ease."

"Take you, for example, aren't you alive and kicking?"

Hong Zhiyou laughed.

"Last night..." Yu Zecheng was just about to speak.

Lu Qiaoshan walked in quickly: "Have you both heard?"

"Heard what?"

Hong and Yu said in unison.

"Li Ya dragged the Station Master into some damn operation last night and smashed the Red Bridge Hotel to pieces."

"Now people are filing complaints."

Lu Qiaoshan lowered his voice and said unhappily.

"Just, just smashing a hotel? No, I was there listening to crosstalk yesterday, it seemed quite chaotic, and someone even fired shots," Yu Zecheng said.

"How is that possible?"

"I heard it was to lure and capture Red Party personnel."

"The Station Master was even put under surveillance along with them; at the Station Master's house, they aren't even allowed to touch the phone, and they have to be followed even when they go to pee."

"Look at that, that's what you call a real imperial envoy."

"That clumsy Ma Kui is far behind compared to him."

Lu Qiaoshan said with a look of annoyance.

"Old Lu, you said the Red Bridge Hotel was for catching Red Party members last night."

"Then, then I was listening to a play at the Lianxing Teahouse yesterday, won't I be mistaken for a Red Party member?"

Yu Zecheng asked in a panic.

"Hard to say."

"This Li Ya is very arrogant; just look at the way he looks at people, it's clear he looks down on us."

"It wouldn't be surprising if he pinned a label on you."

Lu Qiaoshan took the opportunity to stir up hatred against Li Ya.

"Old Lu, you're the one who should be careful."

"Old Yu and I are both Majors, but you're the only Lieutenant Colonel in the station."

"He's likely aiming for the Deputy Station Master position, you should watch out."

Hong Zhiyou warned.

"Sigh."

"You say, what kind of bad luck did our Jinmen Station have to attract such a plague god."

"We three were getting along so smoothly before."

"Now that this guy has come, he's turned everything upside down."

"And the Station Master follows his every word."

Lu Qiaoshan shook his head speechlessly.

"Shh."

"He's the Crown Prince's man, just endure it," Hong Zhiyou said.

Li Ya is not easy to deal with.

Moreover, this person is very smart; he is better at handling things than Ma Kui, and he is the Station Master's student.

He has no interest in trivial matters like investigating corruption or bribery, focusing solely on catching Red Party members.

The Station Master actually likes such a person.

Who wouldn't want a sharp blade in their own hands?

And without getting blood splattered on oneself.

Furthermore, with Jianfeng's name to back him up, everything is convenient; he has a legitimate reason for his actions, and who in the municipal government or military would dare not give him face?

Invisibly, Li Ya has also added prestige to the Jinmen Station.

Therefore, Hong Zhiyou also adjusted his strategy in time.

Regarding Yu Zecheng's affairs.

If he knows, he will help if he can.

If he doesn't know, he will never ask.

Without Yu Zecheng, Jinmen would just send someone else, and there would still be opportunities for cooperation.

Like the Station Master, avoiding the sharp edge of Jianfeng for now is the right path.

Once Li Ya causes too much trouble.

Yu Zecheng, the Red Party, and people like Lu Qiaoshan will naturally find ways to fight back.

Those will be masters clashing; it will definitely be a great show to watch, no reason to miss it.

Or perhaps Li Ya will miss a few shots, get humiliated, or get slapped in the face, and his enthusiasm will naturally wane.

Right now is the time for a new official to show his power, so he should stay as far away as possible.

Therefore, regarding last night's events, Hong Zhiyou had distanced himself completely.

He hugged the fragrant Wanqiu and had a wonderful, sound sleep.

As the three were chatting, Xiao Guohua walked in:

"The three of you, the Station Master wants you to go to the Station Master's office in ten minutes."

"Understood, Section Chief Xiao," Hong Zhiyou nodded.

"Nothing major will happen, right?" Yu Zecheng looked at the calendar on the wall and said.

"Could it be that Li Ya messed up?"

"Did he provoke someone tough last night?"

Hong Zhiyou laughed.

"It's possible."

"I look at his unlucky face and know he can't accomplish anything good," Lu Qiao nodded and said.

"I bet he won't."

"It must be that Captain Li caught a big fish, and the Station Chief is happy, so he's calling everyone to go celebrate Li Ya's success," Yu Zecheng said.

"Then let's make a bet, one hundred US dollars," Hong Zhiyou proposed.

"Deal."

"I bet he achieved merit," Yu Zecheng said.

"I'm with Division Chief Lu; I bet he's going to hit a snag and have bad luck," Hong Zhiyou said.

"Agreed."

Inside the Station Chief's office.

Wu Jingzhong was losing his temper at Li Ya:

"Didn't you say you caught an important Red agent?"

"Ye Xiufeng has even filed a complaint against you to the Chairman."

"This is the surprise you gave me."

"I think it's more of a shock!"

"The Ministry of National Defense and the Dangtong Bureau have almost worn out my phone."

(End of chapter)