Chapter 218: Is This How You Show Your Filial Piety?

"Captain Li, I also bear some responsibility for the sugar incident last time.

"Old Yu and I just wanted to stir up a little trouble, wait for you to soften your stance, and then move the goods out; who would have thought that in less than half an hour, someone would have tipped off the authorities.

"Man proposes, God disposes.

"This is a small token of appreciation from Old Yu and me; please accept it.

"Redeem the house deed.

"Eat well, drink well.

"Hair oil, suits, leather shoes—you still need to keep yourself looking sharp.

"You are, after all, a dignified Lieutenant Colonel; don't let people think our Secret Service Bureau is shabby."

Hong Zhiyou pulled another five hundred dollars from his pocket and placed it on the table.

"Oh, right.

"I've already paid back that one thousand dollars to Old Xie on your behalf."

He stood up, preparing to leave.

Li Ya felt a warmth in his chest, his nose stinging with emotion, and he grabbed Hong Zhiyou's hand:

"Brother, true feelings are revealed in times of adversity.

"The sugar incident was the work of a villain; I don't blame you or Director Yu. I accept my defeat.

"But I will keep this favor of yours in my heart, brother.

"I'll say this right here: from now on, whoever dares to call you a Red, I, Li Ya, will be the first to shoot the bastard!"

Hong Zhiyou also feigned being moved, nodded, and said:

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

"You know, strictly speaking, I am a businessman. Since I'm in business, it's inevitable that I have to deal with all sorts of forces.

"Director Yu is the same.

"Nothing else to say, but if you ever need anything from me regarding making money in the future, just say the word."

"Good!" Li Ya made no mention of Yu Zecheng.

Hong Zhiyou understood that this guy would not give up.

He might be a bit more lenient toward him.

But as for Yu, he would likely keep investigating.

After all, with Liu Xiong caught in the middle, it was no longer just a simple matter of checking for Red ties; the grudge between these two would likely be hard to resolve peacefully.

"Oh, right.

"A few days ago, Mrs. Ma called me, saying she left in such a hurry that she forgot to pack some things, and asked me to come over to collect them and mail them to Shanghai.

"Captain Li, you don't mind, do you?"

Hong Zhiyou glanced at the photo of Zhou Gendi on the wall, as well as the cheongsam, silk scarf, and nylon stockings hanging on the coat rack inside.

One look and he could tell they had just been washed and weren't even dry yet.

There were also high heels on the shoe rack, placed right next to Li Ya's large leather shoes.

Damn it, Li Ya!

You stinking loser!

"I heard you're very close with Mrs. Ma; people in the station say there were even rumors about you two..."

Li Ya dodged the question, his eyelids twitching as that familiar attitude surfaced again.

"How could that be?

"With Ma Kui's temperament, if I were really messing around with his wife, wouldn't he have shot me in the back long ago?

"It's just that his wife loves to play cards.

"I often went to the club to find people to join her games or dance; we just got a little closer, that's all.

"Captain Li, those things..."

Hong Zhiyou said this as he reached to take the photo.

Li Ya raised his hand to stop him and said coldly, "Secretary Hong, these things were left behind by Ma Kui; everything in this room could potentially become evidence.

"I have always suspected that Ma Kui was not the real Emei Peak.

"How about this: once I uncover Emei Peak, you can take whatever you want from this room.

"Of course, you could also ask Mrs. Ma to come and get them herself."

Li Ya began to talk nonsense.

What a joke.

Since he ran out of money, he hadn't been to the theater.

Xiao Yunxian had come to find him a few times, only to discover that she was being slept with for free every time, without even getting her rickshaw fare reimbursed.

The girl wasn't stupid; she saw that Li Ya wasn't sincere.

She decisively cut off contact and was now seeing a young playboy in Jinhai, living a happy life.

Li Ya, who ate nothing but cabbage and tofu, relied solely on Zhou Gendi's photo to satisfy his needs.

If Hong Zhiyou took the photo, the cheongsam, and the rest away,

wouldn't that be the death of him?

"Fine, it's getting late, I'll be going now."

Seeing that Li Ya was dead set against giving them up, Hong Zhiyou had no choice but to give up.

Sigh.

It was all because A-Di left in such a rush that day.

These things were a bargain for this kid Li Ya!

I wonder how A-Di is doing?

Thinking of the wild night they shared before parting, Hong Zhiyou felt his heart stir.

No.

Need to blow off some steam.

He took a coin and tossed it into the air.

Heads, he'd go find Fang Min.

Tails, he'd go find Ji Qing.

Heads.

Alright, it was time to visit Fang Min anyway.

After arriving at the club and getting a room, Hong Zhiyou called Fang Min.

Soon, the plump, beautiful woman arrived in her high heels.

Fang Min's makeup was exquisite today, and her legs looked straight and slender under her cheongsam; she had clearly dressed with great care.

As soon as she arrived, the two of them rolled into bed together.

They only stopped once they were both exhausted from the exertion.

"You bad man, why did you think of me today?"

Fang Min leaned into his arms, her face flushed as she asked.

"Who else is as good as you?" Hong Zhiyou winked with a wicked grin.

"Better than Boss Ji?" Fang Min asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"How about I have you two share a bed and compete one of these days?" Hong Zhiyou raised his eyebrows with great interest.

"Who's afraid of whom?

"I don't mind at all.

"But I don't think she has the guts.

"Everyone in the circle knows Mrs. Ji is quite conservative; when her husband was alive, he kept a very tight leash on her.

"That's why the Renji business gets worse every day.

"After her husband died, she latched onto you; she has food and drink, and her status has risen, so those playboys don't dare to be reckless with her for the sake of money.

"Unlike me, with my hard-labor life, still having to work like a beast of burden for others."

Fang Min's eyes turned red as she pouted.

"What's wrong, are you being mistreated at home?" Hong Zhiyou asked.

"Not really.

"That Kang fellow knows I'm your woman, so the whole family treats me like a bodhisattva.

"I just feel like I don't have the same fate as Ji Qing, and it makes me unhappy."

Fang Min complained in a coquettish tone.

"Contentment brings constant happiness."

Hong Zhiyou stroked her smooth, beautiful leg.

"By the way.

"There's a detachment leader named Lin Jusheng at the 94th Army's Mawanzhen warehouse.

"This guy has been reselling military supplies lately.

"Sugar, canned goods, cotton cloth, and some winter supplies.

"I've checked, and they are all American aid supplies."

"The canned goods are beef, and they taste pretty good.

"Oh right, there are also compressed rations.

"Old Kang says that with the fighting going on right now, once the war starts, it will be just like the famine of '46; neither gold nor US dollars will be of any use, only these cans will be worth anything.

"You could make ten times, dozens of times, maybe even sell one can for a gold bar.

"Do you think I should get into it?"

As soon as business was mentioned, Fang Min sat up straight and asked seriously.

"Lin Jusheng, what a familiar name."

Hong Zhiyou muttered softly.

He remembered; it was because that brat Li Ya had been beaten half to death by the 94th Army in Ma Wang Town.

"Are there many people looking for him for goods?"

Hong Zhiyou asked.

"Quite a few, including the Red Tickets," Fang Min said.

"Don't go to Ma Wang Town for the time being," Hong Zhiyou thought for a moment and said.

"Why? With a ten-fold price difference, you can't make that much money in any other trade," Fang Min said, feeling reluctant.

"It's not peaceful over there.

"Right now, the higher-ups are strictly controlling military and civilian supplies.

"The Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, the Garrison Command inspection teams, the military police, and the police department are all cracking down on smuggling; you never know when they might investigate you.

"In this world, making money is secondary; surviving comes first."

Hong Zhiyou checked his watch and realized he had to go home.

The two got up, dressed, and returned to their respective homes.

Rui Rui was due to give birth in two or three months.

Hong Zhiyou was afraid of upsetting Wu Jingzhong and his wife, so he hadn't dared to go to Wanqiu's place recently; he went home to rest every night and practiced martial arts with Cuiping every morning.

He was behaving very properly.

When he returned home, a military vehicle was parked at the gate of the courtyard.

As soon as he went in, he saw Yu Zecheng drinking tea with an officer.

"Brother Wu, what wind blew you here?" Hong Zhiyou asked.

"You two chat, I caught a draft last night and have a headache.

"Cuiping says she wants to let some blood for me."

Yu Zecheng smiled, greeted him, and got up to leave.

"Little brother, I had no choice but to come; there is something I want to ask for your help with," Xu Zhiwu said, his expression heavy and lacking his usual boldness.

It seemed he had truly encountered a difficult situation.

"Brother, what kind of relationship do we have? If you need anything from your brother, just speak up," Hong Zhiyou said.

"The civil war has already begun.

"I've made quite a bit in the last two years, and I want to live a normal life," Xu Zhiwu lit a cigarette, took a drag, and said.

"That's good.

"Where to?"

Hong Zhiyou asked.

"Yuezhou.

"The Red Tickets don't have a strong foundation there, and future battles will mainly be concentrated in the North and Huadong. I want to go to Yuezhou, marry a wife, have a child, and live a few peaceful days," Xu Zhiwu said.

"Does Army Commander Mou agree?" Hong Zhiyou asked.

"That is my dilemma.

"After Officer Yang was dealt with by Dai Li, everyone lost their spirit.

"Army Commander Mou still wants to fight.

"He has always been good to me, and as a soldier, if I say I'm leaving, he certainly won't let me go.

"Furthermore, such cowardly behavior would affect the morale of the army.

"After all, I have so many brothers under me, all of them looking forward to following me to win military honors and get rich.

"I can't tell him, but I want to leave.

"I'm truly at my wit's end, so I can only come to you, little brother."

Xu Zhiwu stroked his beard and looked at Hong Zhiyou with a headache.

"So you still don't want to fight," Hong Zhiyou laughed.

"That's right.

"Fighting the Japanese, I wouldn't even care about my life.

"During the Battle of Zaoyang-Yichang, this leg was broken, and I was covered in wounds; I basically snatched my life back from the King of Hell.

"But if you're talking about fighting our own people, what kind of hero is that?

"We are all of the same root and stock.

"If I'm killed by them, I've been wronged.

"If I kill them, I feel guilty.

"I really don't want to fight!"

Xu Zhiwu shook his head and sighed with emotion.

"I understand.

"I do have a way, but you'll have to spend some money.

"I remember you bought a new car a while ago.

"A Studebaker, the kind Chen Nade rides in?"

Hong Zhiyou asked with a smile.

"Yes.

"I just love cars, and at the time, I got itchy and let myself be talked into it.

"Now that thing is left here; selling it invites suspicion, and not selling it means I can't take it with me. It's a headache."

Xu Zhiwu said with a gloomy face.

"Give it away.

"I guarantee you'll leave the military camp and fulfill your Yuezhou dream," Hong Zhiyou said.

"Give it away?

"To whom?" Xu Zhiwu asked.

"Station Master Wu."

Hong Zhiyou leaned in closer and whispered: "You do it like this..."

After listening, Xu Zhiwu was dumbfounded:

"Brother, will this work?

"You have to make sure this holds up; if it goes wrong, I'll end up in a military court and sitting in a cell."

"Don't worry.

"Would I ever trick you?" Hong Zhiyou promised.

"Alright.

"As long as you can get me out of the military camp, I'll do anything.

"I'm off."

Xu Zhiwu slapped his thigh, didn't say another word, and limped away.

The next morning.

Cuiping came to knock on the door early in the morning and dragged Hong Zhiyou into the courtyard to practice.

She was teaching for real.

Although Hong Zhiyou was a bit grumpy in the morning, he had no choice but to honestly start practicing in the face of her iron fists.

They practiced for over an hour.

Hu-hu!

Hong Zhiyou finished his stance, retracted his fists, and wiped his sweat with a towel.

Cuiping hammered his shoulder and said: "How about it, little junior brother, your legs and feet have more strength than before, right?"

"Indeed, before, let alone hitting a sandbag, even just throwing a hundred punches in the air would make my chest rattle like a bellows.

"Now, throwing two hundred punches doesn't seem to take much effort."

Hong Zhiyou looked at his bright red knuckles, feeling it was incredible.

"Practicing martial arts without practicing Qi is like practicing in vain.

"This stuff relies on diligent cultivation; you keep at it, and one day you'll suddenly find you have the ability.

"Go, try climbing the wall.

"After wearing sandbags for so many days, let's see how your leg strength is."

Cuiping ordered with a smile.

"Yes."

Hong Zhiyou untied the sandbags from his lower legs, took a slight breath, accelerated into a sprint, and kicked off toward the courtyard wall, which was over two meters high.

He soared into the air following the run-up.

He kicked fiercely against the wall with his left foot, and his body rose a few more inches.

Then he stepped up with his right foot, exerted force, reached the top of the wall with his hands, and with a climb and a flip, he was up.

Hong Zhiyou sat astride the courtyard wall, his whole body numb.

Who am I?

How did I get up here?

"Not bad, the practice wasn't in vain."

"In another two years, once your leg and arm strength increase a bit more, I don't think you'll have any trouble climbing walls and roofs to be a thief."

Cui Ping clapped her hands and teased with a bright laugh.

"Thank you, Senior Sister!"

Hong Zhiyou flipped down and hurriedly said gratefully.

After finishing the training.

Hong Zhiyou drove to the station.

As soon as he entered the corridor, he saw the members of the Action Team looking hurried.

"What is this..."

Seeing Lu Qiaoshan walking toward him with a gloomy face, Hong Zhiyou asked.

"You tell me, that dead dog Li Ya has become active again."

"Don't know where he got the intelligence from."

"In one night, he wiped out two liaison stations, an underground printing plant, and a labor union."

"It is said that he even captured the flag-bearer of the Student Union, Guo Youliang."

Lu Qiaoshan said very unhappily.

"If he catches them, he catches them; that's the Action Team's job," Hong Zhiyou said.

"He caught people and earned merit, sure."

"The problem is, the informant I planted in the Student Union was also caught by him."

"Who doesn't know that Guo Youliang is one of the Red Ticket people."

"What's the value in catching him now?"

"I was waiting to cast a long line to catch a new Red Ticket liaison station."

"Now look, he's ruined everything."

"God-damned thing!"

Lu Qiaoshan hated him so much he could almost bite his teeth to pieces.

"Old Lu."

"Don't worry, Guo Youliang will be released."

"Just wait, there are plenty of people to bail him out."

"Once he goes back, he'll definitely keep shouting; there will be plenty of opportunities."

Hong Zhiyou comforted him.

"The problem is, he tortured my informant."

"That idiot confessed."

"The nail I buried for a year is ruined just like that; that was Guo Youliang's right-hand man."

"Do you think the Red Ticket people are all fools?"

"How long will it take before I can plant someone like that again?"

Lu Qiaoshan said irritably.

Just as they were talking, Xiao Guohua walked over:

"Everyone, the Station Chief wants us to go to the conference room for a meeting."

The group arrived at the conference room.

Wu Jingzhong was already waiting with a smile.

"Captain Li is busy, everyone wait for him a moment."

"He's been busy all night; they say he hasn't even had a sip of water yet."

After the few of them took their seats, Wu Jingzhong said happily with a smile.

"That still doesn't mean we should all wait for him."

"It's too lacking in discipline."

Lu Qiaoshan said in a dissatisfied, low voice.

After drinking a cup of tea, Li Ya, dressed in a suit and with his hair slicked back neatly, walked in with his leather shoes clicking loudly, and bowed slightly to the Station Chief and everyone else:

"Sorry, kept everyone waiting."

"Captain Li, sit down quickly," Wu Jingzhong said, waving his hand with a smile.

"Everyone, since the beginning of winter, our Jinhai Station has had a new atmosphere."

"Last night, Captain Li successfully destroyed two Red Ticket underground transit stations, as well as a printing plant, the Student Union, and a labor union; it can be said the harvest was bountiful."

"Winter Solstice, a good start."

Wu Jingzhong praised highly.

"Not at all, it was all due to the Station Chief's proper command; I was merely picking up what was already there," Li Ya said with a humble smile.

"Although the headquarters had punishments for you previously, commendations within the station are still very necessary."

"I hereby grant Captain Li a reward of one hundred silver dollars."

"In addition, for the team members who participated in this operation, ten silver dollars will be issued to each."

Wu Jingzhong said.

"Thank you, Station Chief," Li Ya said gratefully.

"This is as it should be."

"For those who work with dedication, regardless of which department they are in, they should be encouraged and rewarded."

"Furthermore, I will routinely request merit for Captain Li from the headquarters."

As Wu Jingzhong spoke, the smile on his face faded, and his gaze became stern:

"But for those who handle matters poorly, punishment must also be administered."

"Director Lu, regarding the theft at the cold storage warehouse and the fire at the Delong Inn."

"It's been almost a month, hasn't it?"

"Where is the report you were supposed to give me?"

Lu Qiaoshan's expression changed, and he hurriedly explained:

"Station Chief, regarding the theft at the warehouse, I, I am currently investigating."

"The matter of the fire has been cleared up; it was the logistics staff over there who smoked in their room and ignited a quilt..."

"Smoking?"

"Everything was fine before, why do things go wrong so frequently once they pass into your hands?"

"Also, the work of the Intelligence Division is busy."

"I think, let Captain Li share some of the burden for you; you can hand over the Delong Inn and let Captain Li manage it."

"You just focus on the work of the Intelligence Division and the cold storage warehouse."

Wu Jingzhong was using the "peach" to kill the "two scholars."

"I..."

Before Lu Qiaoshan could speak, Li Ya stood up first: "Thank you, Station Chief; leave the Delong Inn to me, you can rest assured."

"Good, then it's settled."

Wu Jingzhong smiled and made the final decision, then stood up and walked out with his hands behind his back.

Li Ya put his hands in his pockets and gave Lu Qiaoshan a contemptuous smile:

"Director Lu, thanks."

"Without that fire of yours, the Delong Inn wouldn't have come back to me."

Lu Qiaoshan said in a low, cold voice: "Captain Li, don't be happy too soon."

"Fortune turns; who knows, it might turn back in a few days?"

"Is that so?"

"It won't be through those sneaky methods of filing reports behind people's backs again, will it?"

"Be more clever; don't make me look down on you."

Li Ya patted him on the shoulder and walked away with a bright, twisted smile.

Dark clouds gathered on Lu Qiaoshan's face, and his eyes shone with a vicious, sinister luster.

This Li Ya is truly a natural nemesis.

As long as he is around, nothing good ever happens to him.

Last time he didn't manage to stomp him to death, and now he's let him crawl back up again.

No.

I absolutely cannot sit here and wait for death.

If I continue to let Li Ya act so arrogantly, let alone becoming the Deputy Station Chief, I fear I won't even be able to hold onto my current patch of territory.

Returning to the office.

Lu Qiao leaned back on the sofa and meticulously crafted a counterattack plan.

The reason Li Ya was so full of himself was because the Station Chief had leaked intelligence to him.

But "Red Tickets" were not there to be caught every single day.

Most of the time, the Action Team had to rely on the eyes of the Intelligence Section.

In this way... he could mislead Li Ya.

As long as he let him mess up a few times, no matter how much Wu Jingzhong favored him, he would have no excuses left.

Although this would also have a certain negative impact on his own intelligence work.

But as long as he could crush the ugly face of this petty man.

Everything would be worth it.

Hong Zhiyou returned to the office, where Wu Jingzhong was drinking tea.

"Did you see that? Lu Qiao was so angry his face turned green."

"Those two are going to have a real fight."

Seeing Hong Zhiyou, he said happily.

"The teacher is still the most brilliant."

"However, Captain Li needs someone like Lu Qiao to keep him in check," Hong Zhiyou said with a smile.

"Let's sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight," Wu Jingzhong nodded.

Lu Qiao's revenge came very quickly.

Very quickly.

In the subsequent operations, Li Ya suffered repeated setbacks.

Either he arrived to find nothing, or he arrested the wrong person.

On the contrary, Lu Yuxi of the Inspection Team rose to fame, successively cracking several major cases involving Red Ticket organizations and the smuggling of civilian supplies.

Li Ya, who had just begun to gain momentum, was once again severely struck by reality.

Hongfu Restaurant.

A steaming hot pot.

Lu Yuxi, his face flushed red from drinking, held up his wine glass and toasted Lu Qiao once more:

"Brother Shan."

"I won't hide it from you, I received another bonus this month. It's already been decided internally; as long as I make one or two more contributions, I'll be promoted next month."

"That I, your younger brother, can have today is all thanks to Brother Shan's promotion."

"I won't say anything else."

"Come, a toast to you, Brother Shan."

"You've caught so many smugglers, you must have made quite a bit of money," Lu Qiao said with a cold expression.

"Well, that... naturally there's a little bit."

"Brother Shan, this is a token of respect from your brother."

Lu Yuxi painfully fished a small gold bar out of his pocket and handed it over with both hands.

"Respect."

"Heh."

Lu Qiao picked up the small gold bar, a playful and cold smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

"Xizi."

"Back then, it was your brother who pulled strings to get you into the Inspection Team."

"It was also your brother's connections that let you climb from a tiny clerk to a squadron leader."

"You said Captain Zhou was suppressing you."

"I had someone replace that Zhou fellow and put you in his place."

"Now you're using my intelligence to sail smoothly and climb the ladder step by step."

He said unhurriedly.

"Brother Shan, that goes without saying."

"Without you, I am nothing; you are my second parent."

Lu Yuxi realized it.

Brother Shan was unhappy, and the consequences were very serious.

"And this is how you repay me."

Lu Qiao raised the gold bar in his hand, shook his head, and then picked up the gold bar and threw it into the copper hot pot.

"Brother Shan, what are you doing?" Lu Yuxi was stunned.

"I have top-secret intelligence this afternoon regarding the time and location of a military supply smuggling deal by the 94th Army."

"Catching military corruptors is the top priority for the Headquarters."

"If you succeed, your promotion will be a certainty."

"Well, are you interested?"

Lu Qiao had returned to his gentle demeanor.

"Smuggling military supplies!"

"Brother Shan, this is the hottest intelligence right now."

"Give me a hint."

"I will definitely show you proper respect later."

Lu Yuxi leaned in, his face fawning as he smiled obsequiously.

"I can give you the hint."

"You fish this gold bar out," Lu Qiao said with a smile.

"Easy, easy."

Lu Yuxi reached out with his chopsticks to fish it out.

Lu Qiao shook his head and smiled slightly: "I didn't tell you to use chopsticks, use your hand!"

"Use my hand..."

"Brother Shan, let's... let's not joke, okay?"

Lu Yuxi was a bit panicked, his smile looking worse than crying.

"Do I look like I'm joking to you?"

"The intelligence."

"Fishing out the gold bar."

"You choose."

(End of chapter)