Chapter 246: Take Him Down, Take Him Down

Agriculture and Mining Bureau, Investigation Office.

Li Ya sat with an arrogant air, legs crossed and leaning back in a leather chair, listening to the report from Zhao Pusheng of the Agriculture and Mining Bureau.

"Captain Li, you know that our Agriculture and Mining Bureau is a 'clear-water' office."

"In the past, we could manage a few things, like taking stock of the rice in the various counties under Jinhai."

"Now that we are preparing for war, all supplies are managed and allocated by the Civil Affairs Bureau."

"Exploration is not our turn."

"Fish and shrimp also have specialized departments and the Waterway Investigation Office to assist in inspections."

"We are no different from mere decorations now."

Zhao Pusheng slapped the back of his hand, looking miserable as he complained.

Li Ya watched this pot-bellied bureau chief with cold eyes, rubbing his chin slightly; his conjecture became increasingly firm.

Why suddenly set up an investigation office for a cold, inactive bureau?

To make such a big move.

It was either the Chairman's or Jianfeng's intention.

There was only one goal: to cooperate with him in dealing with James.

He suddenly felt the heavy responsibility on his shoulders.

At the same time, he was grateful to Jianfeng and the Station Chief for not exposing Mei Yingxue, but instead giving him enough opportunities in secret.

"No."

"You are corrupt."

"A massive coal mine was discovered in the Baodi and Tangshan areas, and you colluded with the Tangshan Agriculture and Mining Bureau and the Police Chief Pan Zuyou, suspected of trafficking coal."

Li Ya shook the newspaper in his hand and spoke right off the cuff.

Three things happened this morning: Pan Zuyou of Tangshan was arrested and featured in the Central Daily News.

Large oil resources were explored in the directions of Cangzhou and Siping in the Northeast.

Officer Xiong personally went to the front line to supervise the battle and issued a declaration of supervision.

He keenly grasped the key to it all.

The battle with the British and James had already begun.

The first round was a war of public opinion.

The British wanted to smear the National Government as much as possible, then fan the flames to cut off military aid and reshuffle the internal situation in North America.

The Chairman and Jianfeng naturally had to fight back.

Pan Zuyou was arrested.

Officer Xiong supervised the battle at Siping.

An oil field was discovered in the Cangzhou area of North China.

These were all clear signals sent to the international community that the country had plenty of resources.

Especially oil.

Since the restoration, oil had become increasingly precious and had always been coveted by the Americans and British.

Throwing out this burden, though it could be called drinking poison to quench thirst.

It could at least make North America and the West seriously evaluate the value of the National Government and continue to maintain military aid in the short term.

As for what harsh conditions they would propose later.

That was a matter for the wise Chairman to consider; Li Ya could not think that far ahead.

The only meaning of him sitting in this chair now was to make this fire burn bigger.

Jinhai was a major international city.

There were many foreign ears and voices here.

His superiors needed him to tell the foreigners that the country had resources, and super-large oil field resources at that.

Therefore, whether Zhao Pusheng was corrupt or not was unimportant.

Just like Cao Cao cutting off the head of the logistics officer.

He had to execute Zhao Pusheng to cooperate in pushing the momentum of the public opinion battlefield.

"Director Li, I am wronged."

"The bureau hasn't paid out silver dollars for two months; everyone only gets a load of fiat currency, not even enough for two bags of rice."

"My whole family has no rice to put in the pot, eating clear soup and water every meal."

"Where, where would I go to be corrupt?"

Zhao Pusheng was scared pale, crying out his grievances repeatedly.

"If you aren't corrupt, how can you be so full of fat and have such a glowing face?"

"Confess truthfully, how did you collude with Pan Zuyou to traffic coal?"

"Who did you sell it to, and how much money did you embezzle?"

Li Ya demanded relentlessly.

"I, I don't even know Pan Zuyou at all."

"Captain Li, I swear to the heavens and to the Chairman that I have never had any dealings with this person."

"This is truly a massive injustice!"

Zhao Pusheng shouted in grievance.

"It seems you won't confess here."

"Come, take him to the Bureau of Confidentiality."

"Give him a taste of the 'cooker' and see if you still dare to be stubborn."

Li Ya sneered and waved his hand.

Gao Yuan and two other action team members immediately stepped forward, pressed their guns against Zhao Pusheng's head, and pushed him out.

The man was dragged out in plain sight.

Zhao Pusheng was dragged until his shoes fell off, his belly exposed, shouting wretchedly in the courtyard of the Agriculture and Mining Bureau:

"You are framing me."

"I know Secretary-General Kuang."

"I am going to the Military Tribunal to report you."

"I want to see Secretary-General Kuang!"

"I want to see Zhang Tinge."

"I am going to the Inspection Office to report you!"

"Is that so?"

"I will give my regards to Secretary-General Kuang on your behalf."

Li Ya patted his face, his eyes turning sharp: "Take him away!"

He turned to look at the people in the bureau who were anxious and whispering.

He straightened his collar, gritted his teeth, twisted his neck, and walked out with his hands behind his back.

He came from the Military Statistics Bureau and was a backbone of the Iron and Blood Youth Corps.

In the past, when lurking in Yancheng, he was Jianfeng's sharp blade.

After coming to Jinhai, he had suffered repeated setbacks.

Now that Jianfeng still trusted and favored him, how could he not risk his life to perform meritorious service?

Just do the official business, do not ask about right or wrong.

This was Li Ya's creed.

The man was quickly escorted to the Jinhai Station.

Yu Zecheng happened to run into them head-on: "Captain Li, this is..."

"Deputy Station Chief Yu, I will report to you later."

Li Ya tilted his head and escorted the man to the interrogation room.

Yu Zecheng smiled, but he felt very unhappy inside.

Li Ya prided himself on his "merit of following the dragon" and still treated him as the Director of the Confidentiality Office; on the contrary, because he also managed the Intelligence Division, Li Ya's arrogance was now becoming increasingly rampant.

Yu Zecheng pondered that once the mess in Jinhai was settled, he would have to find a way to deal with Li Ya.

Otherwise, being a Deputy Station Chief was in vain, and he couldn't get any real benefits.

"Baoxing, use the heavy-duty treatment."

When Li Ya arrived at the interrogation room, he gave an instruction to Lu Baoxing and went straight to the Station Chief's office.

Wu Jingzhong was drinking tea.

"Station Chief, I've caught Zhao Pusheng." Li Ya handed the newspaper to Wu Jingzhong.

Wu Jingzhong took a look and understood immediately: "Good."

"Make the momentum bigger, and have several mainstream newspapers report on it."

"Thank you, Teacher. If it weren't for you, I might have already been secretly arrested and sent to Jingling by now." Wu Jingzhong didn't mention it, but Li Ya's words were appropriate.

"You are my student."

"You are another hero who fought at Jinshanwei."

"Furthermore, because of your Master, I have always had feelings for you."

"Jiang Jianfeng is also in a difficult position."

"I am very gratified that you were able to capture Zhao Pusheng and see this connection."

Wu Jingzhong smiled and nodded.

"The student understands." Li Ya nodded.

Having received a clear answer from Wu Jingzhong, Li Ya's confidence increased even more.

"Come, have some fruit."

Wu Jingzhong pulled him to sit down on the sofa.

"One Zhao Pusheng is not enough.

"You must be good to certain people, preferably to the point of being madly in love.

"Only then can she reveal her true colors.

"Once she takes the initiative to urge you to leak data and promises you great benefits, if you can obtain solid evidence, these will be our sharp weapons to counter the Secret Intelligence Service in the international court.

"Engaging in espionage activities.

"Deliberately smearing and sabotaging military aid, creating international disputes.

"Regardless of whether it is the British royal family, or after Churchill stepped down, the current Prime Minister is called, what was his name again..."

Wu Jingzhong stumbled a bit when he got to this point.

"The Labour Party one, the name is very long, seems to be called Attlee," Li Ya said.

"Right, that's the one, Attlee!

"As long as we get ironclad proof confirming that they are using the name of an observation group to conduct espionage and sabotage on our territory.

"They will all have to pay the price."

Wu Jingzhong shook his index finger with an air of authority.

"Teacher's insight is profound, but dealing with women is not this student's specialty," Li Ya said.

"In this regard, you can look for Hong Zhiyou.

"The key is that you must know how to act."

Wu Jingzhong said.

"Acting, I am still capable of that, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to sneak into Yancheng," Li Ya said, crossing his legs and confidently puffing out his cheeks.

"No.

"They are two different things.

"Your temperament, your arrogance, your spirit, they are suitable for that red land.

"Red tickets, after all, fear neither heaven nor earth, fighting the King of Hell with two kitchen knives; you just need to play yourself.

"But now you are facing a woman who has experienced many men.

"Whether you are in true love or acting, she will see through it very easily.

"Especially that look of yours—the one where you look down on everyone except Jiang Jianfeng—if you don't restrain it, you will be exposed at any moment."

Wu Jingzhong frowned as he glanced at his crossed-leg sitting posture and gave him a pointer.

"Teacher, heaven and earth are my witness, besides Jiang Jianfeng, I also have a million times the respect and admiration for the Generalissimo and you," Li Ya hurriedly stood up to explain.

"Save the slogans and loyalty for when you are celebrating in Jingling and shouting them to Jiang Jianfeng.

"I wouldn't dare compete with him for your spotlight."

Wu Jingzhong said.

"By the way, if you need money, you can ask Secretary Hong for it; write a slip, and it will be covered by the station's public funds," Wu Jingzhong said after a pause.

"Many thanks, Teacher."

Li Ya was broke and penniless; this was exactly what he wanted to hear.

"Go on." Wu Jingzhong waved his hand.

Li Ya stuck his hand in his pocket and sauntered out.

Wu Jingzhong shook his head and sighed softly:

"He doesn't even know how to pretend.

"The idea that you could be loyal to me is a ghost story!"

Seeing the small to know the great.

One does not need deep interaction to judge a person; a small detail can reveal their heart and character.

Take Yu Zecheng, for example; he also crosses his legs on the sofa now, but that is only when there are outsiders present, wanting to use his own authority to put on a show.

When the two are in private, he is upright and proper, not daring to overstep by even half a point.

Not to mention Hong Zhiyou.

Although he has become a prospective son-in-law of the family, he still mops the table and serves tea and water on time every day, keeping his posture very humble.

With this style of Li Ya's, what difference is there between him and Lu Qiaoshan?

Sitting on this sofa of his, crossing his legs higher than his own—this is someone who, from the bottom of his heart, does not take him, the Station Master, seriously.

A wolf from Zhongshan, impossible to tame.

Li Ya walked out of the Station Master's office and headed straight for Hong Zhiyou's General Affairs Section office.

Hong Zhiyou was reading a newspaper.

Considering Hong Zhiyou's current status and duties, and because the hallway was too cold in winter, the reception desk was now manned by Xiao Guohua's nephew, Xiao Gan, a very capable and loyal young man.

Most of the time, Hong Zhiyou worked in the General Affairs Section.

"Section Chief Hong, busy?" Li Ya knocked on the door and walked in.

"Section Chief Hong?"

Hong Zhiyou was stunned for a moment, then laughed:

"To be honest, no one has ever called me Section Chief; that shout of yours almost stunned me."

"Zhiyou, do you know?" Li Ya asked.

"Know what?" Hong Zhiyou asked.

"The future sister-in-law you keep talking about, the Station Master's niece, is a spy for the Secret Intelligence Service, and now she is colluding with the international observation group to sabotage military aid," Li Ya bit down hard on the words "Station Master's niece."

Hong Zhiyou was a member of the Wu family.

Being able to drag him into the water would undoubtedly add another helper.

"There's such a thing?

"Captain Li, you shouldn't talk nonsense.

"A beauty as pure and noble as Yingxue could be a foreign spy? I would rather gouge out my own eyes," Hong Zhiyou said, feigning a look of surprise.

"Then you might really have to go blind.

"The situation is exactly as it is; the Station Master wants me to catch her in the act.

"It seems I have to play a fake role with her, and it's best if I get deep into the act."

Li Ya said.

Hong Zhiyou looked him up and down: "Simple."

"Simple?

"The Station Master said my eyes don't look like I'm in character, and he's afraid she will see through it easily," Li Ya said.

"What's hard about that?

"Do you love her? From the bottom of your heart?" Hong Zhiyou asked.

"If you ask if I like her, a little.

"But love? Forget it."

Li Ya turned his head and smiled, uninterested.

"Then shift your focus and indulge in her beauty.

"Don't think about anything else, just the beauty!

"Didn't I teach you how to take her down the other day?

"Once you've had a taste, you act as if you are addicted and unable to extricate yourself, and you go to the Station Master to apply for marriage repeatedly.

"Besides, to be good to her, you can make frequent demands.

"For this, you can give her gifts, the more expensive the better.

"I believe she is certainly very confident in herself; the crazier you are, the more she will believe it is real.

"When the time comes, when she thinks you can't live without her and are at her mercy.

"She will naturally reveal her true colors.

"Isn't your opportunity coming then?

"This way you get both the person and the beauty, and you can also take her down and earn merit; isn't that killing two birds with one stone?"

Hong Zhiyou laughed.

"Listening to you, little brother, I think I understand a little.

"Enough said, give me the money.

"The Station Master told me to get money from you, public funds!"

Li Ya nodded and said.

"My Captain Li.

"You suddenly withdraw a large sum of money from the station to buy her things.

"Who doesn't know you are currently under disciplinary action?

"She will grow suspicious.

"She will soon realize that it is either the Station Chief or I who is backing you.

"You must know that the Station Chief's attitude is opposed to your marriage.

"What's the matter, haven't even started the play, and you're already putting on the costume?"

Hong Zhiyou glared at him and said.

"That's true.

"I've also been scared by poverty lately, and didn't even realize such an obvious mistake.

"Then what should I do?"

Li Ya said with a sudden realization.

"Don't be anxious; to get money, first go crazy, you must take her down tonight.

"Then for the next period of time, pester her to death, endlessly requesting to stick together for that little bit of pleasure.

"Let her witness your madness.

"Then, I will have Old Xie recommend a loan shark to you, and you go to the underground bank to borrow money.

"When the time comes and you have performed a meritorious service, the station will pay it back for you.

"Borrowing high-interest loans from the underground, isn't that authentic and perfect?

"Even if she investigates, the source will be crystal clear, and she won't be able to pick any faults."

Hong Zhiyou said.

"Brother, you are very detailed, excellent!

"Let's do as you say."

Li Ya was very satisfied with this suggestion.

Walking out of the office, he rubbed his brow, a hint of coldness rising in his eyes.

Hong Zhiyou is young, yet so cunning and treacherous.

It is terrifying.

He must be more careful in the future.

Li Ya returned to his office and called Gao Yuan in:

"Speak."

"Sister-in... Miss Mei went to the British Club at nine yesterday morning, had lunch with James at the restaurant at twelve-thirty, and went out in between to meet someone.

"She returned to the hotel at one.

"At three in the afternoon, the two went downstairs and played tennis at the club for an hour.

"Then they returned to the third floor.

"Up until now, we haven't spotted her coming downstairs."

Seeing Li Ya's displeased expression, Gao Yuan quickly added:

"Oh, perhaps the hotel has other exits.

"We cannot go up to the third floor, she might have left earlier through another exit."

As he spoke, he glanced at Li Ya and silently felt a pang of pity for a few seconds.

Two days and one night... Li Ya frowned: "Who did she meet when she went out yesterday noon?"

"Shang Bo.

"This person was originally an adjutant to Staff Officer Ou of the Garrison Headquarters; after Staff Officer Ou fell, he was implicated and left the headquarters, becoming a well-known intelligence peddler in the underground."

Gao Yuan said.

"This kind of person is very crafty, be careful when following him next time."

Li Ya originally wanted to go meet Shang Bo, but after a second thought, he feared this person might turn around and tip off Mei Yingxue, so he dismissed the idea.

"Yes, Captain Li."

Gao Yuan received the order and left.

Evening, eight o'clock.

British Club.

After some lingering, James finally collapsed softly into Mei Yingxue's arms.

"Baby, no.

"If this continues, I will become what you Orientals call a ghost under the peony flower."

James panted and said.

Since Mei Yingxue came here in the morning, except for lunch and playing tennis for a while, the two of them hadn't left this bed.

Even though he was made of iron, he could only surrender at this moment.

"Annoying, I still..." Mei Yingxue saw his dead-fish appearance and pouted uninterestingly.

"Have you read the newspaper?"

James picked up the newspaper by the bedside to divert her enthusiasm.

"I read it.

"Jiang's public opinion war, shouting to the whole world that there is oil, wanting to attract Truman's attention to continue supporting military aid."

Mei Yingxue said.

"Yes.

"Earlier when you were taking a bath, I received a call; your fiancé arrested Zhao Pusheng of the Agriculture and Mining Bureau.

"I reckon that by tomorrow morning, all the foreigners in Jinhai will know there is a coal mine in Tangshan.

"Coal mines plus oil, very tempting!

"The situation is extremely unfavorable for us.

"You must get the real data as soon as possible and turn your fiancé to be used by us.

"As long as he stands up to expose these falsehoods, I can pass a bill in the Upper House to stop military aid, and then use the media's influence to blow this wind to North America, completely extinguishing the hope of the military aid faction."

James kissed her and said.

"I will try my best.

"Still the same words, I feel he doesn't love me that much.

"And he is a senior Juntong agent, I have to be careful everywhere; without certainty, being impatient will only cause trouble."

Mei Yingxue, however, was not muddled by the intimacy.

"Alright.

"My dear, I can only say hurry up."

James, in order to make her happy, gathered his spirits and prepared to go again.

Mei Yingxue, however, lazily got up and went to the bathroom:

"I should go.

"He has been in a bad mood lately; as his fiancée, if I don't go to accompany him, it won't be justifiable.

"Also, what if he brought back the data from the Agriculture and Mining Bureau?"

After bathing, she dressed up beautifully, smelling fragrant, went downstairs, got into the car, and headed straight for Li Ya's house.

Li Ya had long since bathed and was waiting.

Mei Yingxue met Shang Bo yesterday, so she should know his identity at the Agriculture and Mining Bureau.

He originally thought she would come last night.

He didn't expect this cheap woman to be so preoccupied with pleasure that she didn't even care about intelligence.

Now that he had arrested Zhao Pusheng, Li Ya didn't believe she could hold back anymore.

Rumble!

Hearing the sound of a car outside.

Li Ya quickly took out deer antler powder, bit into several large spoonfuls, and swallowed it down rapidly with water.

It's acting, after all.

Today he must perform in his true colors and properly grill her.

Soon, Mei Yingxue, wearing a fluffy mink cape on the outside and a waist-cinching sequined red short skirt on the inside, changed into high heels, got out of the car, and rang the doorbell:

"Is Brother Ya there? It's me."

Li Ya wiped his mouth, then picked up a bottle of white liquor on the table and sprinkled some on himself, gulped down several large mouthfuls, rubbed his face desperately, and then feigned a drunken, tipsy state and asked:

"Ying... Yingxue, why are you here?"

"I know you've been losing money lately and are in a bad mood, so I specifically came to see you.

"It's so cold, you don't intend to let me keep freezing outside like this, do you?"

Mei Yingxue pouted and hummed coquettishly.

"Of course I can't bear to."

"You, you are my heart and soul, my precious."

Li Ya pulled her into the room.

"Sigh."

"I went to see the Station Chief today; he, he said you are noble and elegant, and that you will surely marry... marry into a wealthy family, and that you deserve to wear gold and silver."

"He also said that because I was disciplined before, my career prospects are bleak, and I don't have the family wealth to support you."

"His words were all meant to persuade me to give up on you."

"I had dinner with Hong Zhiyou this evening, and from what he said, the Station Chief wants to introduce you to a corps commander under Hu Zongnan, a man with the rank of major general."

"He said that once Yancheng is taken, that man will surely be promoted further; his future is boundless."

"Xue'er, it is my incompetence that makes me unworthy of you."

As Li Ya spoke, his eyes reddened, and looking at her, tears were already welling up in his eyes.

"How could my uncle do such a thing?"

"Just to advance his own career and wealth, he wants to drag us both into this."

"Brother Ya, let's not listen to him."

"My father has the final say in this matter."

"As for money, my family has some; as long as I am with you, I don't mind enduring hardship."

"Anyway, I won't marry anyone but you."

Mei Yingxue endured the pungent smell of alcohol, pulled Li Ya into her arms, and pouted, putting on an act.

"Xue'er."

"You, are you telling the truth?"

Li Ya leaned into her warm, soft embrace, deeply moved.

"Of course."

"Isn't your punishment only for three years?"

"A year has already passed, with two more to go; with your ability and connections, as long as you topple Yu Zecheng, climbing back up will be an easy task."

"By then, what does my uncle even matter?"

"That old man just likes to mess things up."

Mei Yingxue said with a pout.

"Xue'er, thank you."

"To have met you, I, I must have used up ten lifetimes of luck."

Li Ya looked up at her, so deeply moved by his own affection.

"Brother Ya, I feel the same."

Mei Yingxue's pretty face flushed, and she looked at him with shy, watery eyes.

Li Ya cursed inwardly that it was a pity this bitch didn't become an actress.

The atmosphere was set.

Li Ya tilted his head to kiss her affectionately.

Mei Yingxue felt a bit nauseous from the smell of alcohol, but seeing the briefcase on Li Ya's table, she knew that since things had reached this point, she had to give him some benefit.

At least she had brushed her teeth tonight.

The two embraced and kissed.

Li Ya knew the opportunity had arrived and decided to strike first.

Once the mood was sufficiently built up.

He wiped his hands on Mei Yingxue's skirt and, emboldened by the alcohol, moved to tear at the hem.

"Brother Ya, no, we aren't married yet; this would be an insult to God." Mei Yingxue covered her skirt desperately.

"To hell with God."

"Yingxue."

"If I cannot have you, I cannot live for even another second."

Li Ya hadn't spent all those days at the cinema for nothing; his lines were incredibly cheesy.

As he spoke.

He pounced like a starving wolf, pinning Mei Yingxue down onto the sofa.

After some half-hearted resistance, Mei Yingxue consented.

She knew Li Ya was currently in a vulnerable state.

If she didn't give him some pleasure, who knew if Wu Jingzhong would suppress him further and cause him to truly lose interest in her.

Sigh.

Let it be.

A romp is a pleasure in its own right, and it's certainly better than going back to sleep alone.

The key was... Mei Yingxue's gaze fell upon the briefcase on the table.

That might just be her hope for settling down in England.

(End of chapter)