Chapter 210: Caught?

Lu Qiao was in a great mood, humming a little tune as he walked up from the basement with a file tucked under his arm.

"Section Chief Lu, have you caught a fish?" Li Ya asked.

"What, only you Team Leader Li is allowed to make a big contribution, and I can't go fishing?" Lu Qiao smiled warmly, as if bantering with an old friend of many years.

"Not at all.

"Since we are all colleagues, we should naturally stand together; I am eager for Section Chief Lu to make many more contributions.

"Let's build our Jinmen Station into a fortress."

Li Ya laughed.

"Stand together, how well said.

"I thank you, Team Leader Li."

Lu Qiao nodded, then turned and walked away with a cold face.

Upon reaching his office, he immediately called Sheng Xiang in.

Sheng Xiang walked in looking dejected:

"Section Chief Lu, you were looking for me?"

"Look at that pathetic look on your face, pull yourself together for me," Lu Qiao scolded.

"Section Chief Lu, how am I supposed to pull myself together?

"The intelligence you gave me last time leaked; the Embroidery Spring Pavilion was a fake, and now everyone in the circle knows it.

"My reputation is completely shattered.

"Not only did the buyer threaten to kill me.

"Even the real intelligence you gave me afterwards, no one will buy.

"No one wants it even if I give it away for free.

"My source of income is effectively cut off."

Sheng Xiang complained with a bitter face.

"For someone who sells intelligence, who hasn't had a deal go sour?

"Sell one big one later, and your reputation will naturally return."

Lu Qiao frowned and offered a word of comfort.

"You say that lightly.

"That was a deal for ten gold bars.

"The buyer was from the Dangtong Bureau; not only did they buy fake intelligence, but several of their people were also arrested. I heard Sun Chuanzhi paid a heavy price to redeem them.

"I've been staying in the office these days, not even daring to go home."

Sheng Xiang pulled a long face, unhappy.

"Look at your lack of ambition; I will go talk to Sun Chuanzhi.

"Pull yourself together, I have an important matter for you to handle.

"If this is done successfully, I will reward you handsomely."

Lu Qiao patted the table, reminding him.

"Done.

"Section Chief Lu, please give your orders." Upon hearing there was a reward, Sheng Xiang immediately perked up.

"It's nothing else.

"Later, you take a few men to the Hongyun Teahouse; once you get there, someone will hand a person over to you.

"Just bring the person back to the station.

"Remember to cover their head, and especially do not let Team Leader Li know.

"If he asks, just say you caught someone from an underground printing shop, understand?"

Lu Qiao instructed.

"Understood," Sheng Xiang nodded.

Lu Qiao took out two silver dollars and handed them to him: "Go, have a cup of tea there."

"Thank you, Section Chief Lu."

This errand was simple, and Sheng Xiang left happily with the silver dollars.

Once Sheng Xiang left, Lu Qiao quickly dialed Lu Yu's number:

"Xizi, it's your Brother Shan.

"That theater by the Drum Tower, go check it out again, especially the woodshed in the small courtyard in the back.

"There's a guy named Old Zhou.

"Catch him and ask if he's a newcomer from this period.

"If so, catch him immediately and send him to the Hongyun Teahouse to hand over to Sheng Xiang.

"Remember, be clean and quick.

"Waiting for your good news."

Hanging up the phone, Lu Qiao let out a breath and walked out quickly.

Passing Yu Zecheng's office, he saw him and Hong Zhiyou drinking tea:

"Zhiyou, is the Station Chief in?"

"He is, looking at files.

"Recently, the City Defense Bureau and the Garrison Command have issued a pile of messy documents," Hong Zhiyou replied.

"What's up, Old Lu, is there good news?

"I've never seen you this happy, not even when year-end bonuses were issued."

Yu Zecheng saw his face full of joy and asked quickly.

"You guessed right, there is good news.

"The troupe leader at the Drum Tower confessed!

"When the police went to investigate last time, this guy hid the person in the woodshed.

"After a beating today, he spilled everything.

"I asked, it was indeed arranged by Li Ya a few days ago; not many people in the whole troupe knew about it."

Lu Qiao said.

"That's great!

"Old Lu, it had to be you," Yu Zecheng was overjoyed.

Hong Zhiyou was also overjoyed.

Regardless of whether it was true or false.

Lu Qiao's move would definitely have an effect.

If it really was Yuan Peilin, everyone would be happy.

If not, at least it could prove the troupe was a diversionary tactic by Li Ya, and they could make other plans.

In any case, it was a step forward.

"Caught, how to handle it?" Hong Zhiyou said.

"That's easy to handle.

"We definitely can't kill him ourselves; this is a golden nugget for headquarters.

"Station Chief Qiao in Beiping is asking for him, so we can send him to Beiping.

"Even if Li Ya doesn't agree and wants to hide him, there are so many eyes watching.

"Not to mention us, the Reds would spare no cost to eliminate Yuan.

"In a word, this person will die the moment he is exposed to the light."

Lu Qiao said with a sinister look in his eyes.

"As expected of the senior brother from the Nanchang Investigation Section, flawless.

"Once Yuan is lost while in Li Ya's hands.

"I don't believe headquarters can just brush it off like the last two times.

"At that point, not to mention punishment, at the very least, if he wants to be Deputy Station Chief, Director Zheng can veto him with a single stroke."

Hong Zhiyou timely offered some flattery to boost Lu Qiao's morale.

"I just can't stand Li Ya's arrogant and smug face.

"This time I must dampen his spirit.

"I'm going to report to the Station Chief now."

After finishing, Lu Qiao stood up to leave.

"Wait.

"Old Lu, hold off on going to the Station Chief's office.

"You and Old Yu were played by Li Ya, so it's normal to discuss things.

"It's better to wait until the person arrives before seeing the Station Chief.

"Otherwise, Li Ya will think it was the Station Chief who ordered it; don't forget Jiang Jianfeng and the Station Chief are old classmates.

"There are many things that are inconvenient to say."

Hong Zhiyou quickly called him back.

"That's right, some things are best understood without being spoken."

"Don't forget, the person the Station Chief nominated in the first place was you."

"Old Lu, wait a moment."

Yu Zecheng also chimed in.

Lu Qiaoshan stopped in his tracks, thought for a moment, patted his forehead, and said:

"Ha, I was so happy I got muddled."

"Wait."

"Wait."

"Captain, Sheng Xiang has taken people out."

Gao Yuan glanced out the window and said in a low voice.

"Let him go."

"They will be satisfied."

"Nanchang Investigation Section, bah, a bunch of trash, a bunch of pigs!"

Li Ya spat into the trash bin.

Then he checked his watch, "You go to the interrogation room and keep an eye on Dong Cheng."

"This is a rare find."

"Our wealth and glory all depend on him."

"The key is that he is a Red Ticket, the handle to dig out Emei Peak, Pebble, and Rattlesnake."

"Jianfeng has ordered that we must pry information out of his mouth!"

"Captain Li, should we transfer him somewhere else?" Gao Yuan reminded him.

"No need."

"Who would dare touch someone Jianfeng has given instructions about?" Li Ya had a near-divine reverence for this superior.

"That's true."

"The problem is that this Dong Cheng has been holding out."

"Mr. Yuan once worked with him in the Border Region; the Station Chief asked for him to be brought in to identify him. Should we act?"

Gao Yuan asked.

Li Ya gave him a cold look: "You still don't understand the truth of the matter."

"Since the days of the Juntong Bureau, have secret agents ever needed identification to arrest someone?"

"The intelligence and evidence are all laid out before us."

"If he is a Red Ticket, he is one; if he isn't, he still has to be!"

"Once we reach Jingling, Jianfeng and the people at headquarters have a hundred ways to identify him."

"Besides, I have already sent people to Yang Family Village to find eyewitnesses."

"Isn't the eyewitness..." Gao Yuan didn't finish his sentence.

"This person is no different from a stray cat or dog; it doesn't necessarily matter if they have actually seen Dong Cheng and Yu Zecheng."

"Dong Cheng can deny it, he can overturn it."

"But wanting Yuan Peilin to see the light of day? Not a chance."

"Bringing people in is purely to accompany them in making this play more spectacular."

"That's just how I am."

"If you respect me by a foot, I return it by an inch."

"If you hurt me by a hair, I repay it a hundredfold."

"It's just a game, who's afraid of whom?"

Li Ya raised his eyebrows, shook his head slightly, and gave a cold, sinister laugh.

"Understood."

"Then the Station Chief's suggestion, it wouldn't be aimed at you, would it?"

When Gao Yuan said this, his expression was somewhat startled.

"The Station Chief has a good relationship with the superior."

"Cheating money, I believe that."

"Committing the great taboo of offending the superior by letting Old Guang be the Deputy Station Chief? That's not very likely."

"After all, I am a Qingpu graduate, his student."

"I am the fool left for him to 'slaughter'."

"Bringing up the old-timer, cunning as a fox, Lu Qiaoshan, would do him a hundred harms and no good."

"He came up with this strategy either because he genuinely wants to help me rise."

"Or he was fooled by people like Hong Zhiyou and Yu Zecheng."

"He is getting on in years, after all."

Li Ya stretched his shoulders and let out a sigh of relief.

"Has Lu Qiaoshan entered the Station Chief's office?" He asked, squinting his eyes.

"No."

"This morning at the meeting, he had already secretly signaled to Lu Qiaoshan to stop looking for trouble with you."

"A phrase about sincere unity and guarding the fortress together."

"Everyone present could see he is still siding with you."

Gao Yuan said.

"Indeed."

"With Yuan Peilin and Dong Cheng in hand, the matter is settled; if he still wants to block me, he's just asking for trouble."

"The Station Chief is a smart man."

"He knows how to choose."

Li Ya said, full of confidence.

"That's true."

"Captain Li, what is the next step?" Gao Yuan asked.

"Nothing needs to be done."

"As long as Yuan Peilin doesn't show up, let the winds blow from all directions, I shall sit firmly on my fishing platform."

"Call me when Sheng Xiang returns."

Li Ya smiled, closed his eyes, and lazily listened to the song on the radio, his fingers tapping the armrest to the rhythm:

"Floating clouds disperse, the bright moon shines on those who come..."

Station Chief's office.

Hong Zhiyou pushed the door open and walked in; Wu Jingzhong was on the phone.

After hanging up, he said with a headache:

"Zhiyou, the situation is unfavorable."

"With wars breaking out everywhere, foreign cargo ships heading to Jinhai are working overtime."

"And even that isn't enough to go around."

"The various group armies want it, the municipal government wants it, the rich want it."

"Jinhai wants it, Ma Hansan in Beiping wants it too."

"Look outside, is money still money? Commoners buy grain by the basketful."

"Zhiyou, I had the Waterway Inspection Office seize a batch of flour and rice on the grounds of them being substandard."

"Get them to the underground warehouse in Hexi as soon as possible."

"No matter how much gold and silver you have, once chaos breaks out, it won't be worth a single grain of rice."

Wu Jingzhong had the conservative mindset of an old landlord in his bones.

Whenever he encountered a chaotic situation, he naturally couldn't help but hoard grain.

"Indeed, Teacher's foresight is profound."

"Teacher, Department Chief Lu has arrested the head of the Drum Tower opera troupe."

"That person confessed that Li Ya did indeed send someone over a few days ago, hiding in the woodshed in the back courtyard of the troupe."

"It is very likely to be Yuan Peilin."

Hong Zhiyou said.

"Could it be a trap set by Li Ya?" Intuition told Wu Jingzhong it wouldn't be that simple.

"A trap?"

"That shouldn't be."

"If this were a trap."

"The troupe head, the girlfriend, plus a body double prepared for Yuan long ago."

"Li Ya would be too terrifying."

Hong Zhiyou frowned and said.

"We cannot underestimate him.

"He is a prized student of Yu Lesheng and Liu Xiong.

"During the special training class, the book he liked to read most was *The Art of War*; people who read such books are often terrifying."

Wu Jingzhong frowned and said gravely.

"Does Captain Li know that the opera troupe leader has been caught?" He asked after taking a sip of tea.

"He should know by now.

"I saw him pacing back and forth outside your door several times earlier; he might be panicking," Hong Zhiyou said.

"Then this matter is certain?" Wu Jingzhong was overjoyed.

"It should be," Hong Zhiyou said.

"That is excellent.

"Because of this Yuan Peilin, I have been unable to eat or sleep in peace.

"And guess what?

"Li Ya, that pig, actually asked me to my face why there were only seven gold bars.

"If he were to become the Deputy Station Chief, he would be slamming his fist on the table at me."

Wu Jingzhong put his left hand behind his back and pointed annoyedly with his right hand.

"Yes!

"Captain Li has suffered too much in Yancheng.

"After coming to Jinmen, he was dazzled and inevitably values money a bit too much; please don't take it to heart, sir.

"If he cannot be taught, then stop teaching him.

"Having me and Director Yu to share your burdens is enough,"

Hong Zhiyou said with a smile.

One hour later.

Sheng Xiang escorted the person to the station; he did not go to the basement but came directly to the Intelligence Division.

"Division Chief Lu, the person has been brought," Sheng Xiang said.

"No one saw him, right?" Lu Qiaoshan asked in a low voice.

"Wuwu!"

The captured person had a hood over his head and a piece of torn cotton cloth stuffed in his mouth, struggling and moaning.

"No, he was hooded as soon as he was caught," Sheng Xiang said.

"Very good.

"Hmm..."

Lu Qiaoshan paced back and forth, tapping his index finger as he pondered.

This person's build looked extremely similar to Yuan Peilin in the photograph.

He must absolutely not touch this hood.

It could only be removed by Li Ya and the Station Chief.

If it were Yuan Peilin.

If Li Ya, in front of the Station Chief, or Qiao Jiacai demanded the person, or if Li Ya wanted to transfer him, he would have to report it.

If it were not.

He would just say this person was a Red contact agent; even if not, he could say it was a mistaken arrest.

Standing and the others could all testify.

It would not allow Li Ya to turn the tables on him.

If Yuan Peilin were killed or lost later, the investigation would be blamed on him.

Right, this point is very important.

Otherwise, with Li Ya's viciousness, just biting back would be enough to kill him.

After all, Yuan was no ordinary person.

"No, as soon as he was caught he was—"

They chatted for a while.

Then they heard footsteps coming from the hallway.

Lu Qiaoshan knocked on the door: "Station Chief, are you free?"

"I am," Wu Jingzhong said happily.

"Station Chief, my men caught a Red underground contact agent at the Drum Tower opera troupe.

"The person is already being watched in the interrogation room.

"Shall we all go take a look together?"

Lu Qiaoshan asked.

"Are you sure?" Wu Jingzhong asked.

"Station Chief, I had field agents catch him, and he was hooded and brought to the station immediately.

"I haven't looked.

"Perhaps you should be the one to remove it."

Lu Qiaoshan said, emboldening himself.

Wu Jingzhong looked at him, hesitated for two seconds, and said:

"Alright then, let's go take a look together."

"Thank you, Station Chief." Lu Qiaoshan stepped back half a step and bowed to him.

They were both sensible people.

If Wu Jingzhong did not take responsibility for this, Lu Qiaoshan would be stuck.

"Call Captain Li and Director Yu," Wu Jingzhong instructed Hong Zhiyou.

After Hong Zhiyou notified Yu Zecheng, he came to the Action Team.

Li Ya was leaning back in his chair, listening to music and resting his mind.

"Captain Li, the Station Chief is finished with his work.

"I saw you pacing at the door just now; you must have had something to ask him.

"As it happens, Division Chief Lu has caught a Red underground contact agent.

"It might be related to Dong Cheng.

"The Station Chief said you are specifically in charge of the Dong Cheng matter and would like to invite you to the interrogation room to take a look."

Hong Zhiyou said very tactfully.

"Underground contact agent?

"Where was he caught?"

Li Ya's expression changed, feigning a slight, yet noticeable, panic.

"Drum Tower," Hong Zhiyou said.

"Drum Tower!

"Let's go!"

Li Ya hurried toward the basement.

As he walked.

A cold sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Lu Qiaoshan, oh Lu Qiaoshan, playing games with me? You aren't qualified yet.

This time, let's see where you can hide your face!

(End of this chapter)