Chapter 254: Only Failure Allowed, Success Forbidden

The interrogation room.

Li Ya leaned against the edge of the table, stroking his smooth chin, watching with great interest as Lu Baoxing worked on Mei Yingxue.

As a direct disciple of the Fifth, Lu Baoxing's methods were even more ruthless; the horsewhip, soaked in salt, tore Mei Yingxue's skin and flesh with every strike.

The once beautiful, snow-white woman was now covered in shocking whip marks.

That was not all.

Lu Baoxing also used a branding iron with heavy force.

There were underhanded tricks for men.

Naturally, there were also cruel methods for women.

All the assets Mei Yingxue had once been so proud of were now scorched and ruined.

So much so that the entire interrogation room was, for a time, filled with the stench of burnt flesh and urine.

No matter how Mei Yingxue begged, Li Ya remained unmoved.

Every time she was beaten unconscious, she was splashed awake with cold water.

By the end, even Lu Baoxing could not bring himself to continue.

"I beg you, I, I will confess everything.

"Brother Ya, I was wrong.

"Spare my life, don't, don't hit me anymore."

Mei Yingxue pleaded weakly, looking pitiful.

"Captain Li." Lu Baoxing looked toward Li Ya.

Li Ya looked at the ugly, disheveled Mei Yingxue before him, a cruel, cold sneer appearing at the corner of his mouth.

The mere thought of this woman's scandalous behavior with the foreigner, and the green socks and green tie that had humiliated him—all that talk of youthful vitality was clearly going too far.

What was even more infuriating was that this had been a trap from the very beginning.

This woman had deceived him.

She had even dared to tarnish his loyalty to the Party-State and to Jianfeng.

This was the most unforgivable thing.

It was no exaggeration to say that the humiliation brought by Mei Yingxue was a hundred, a thousand times heavier than that slap from Hong Zhiyou.

Li Ya even felt nauseated at the thought that he had truly loved her for a moment.

He felt sick.

That feeling of disgust was like having someone shit on his head; no matter how he tried to wipe or wash it away, it wouldn't come off.

It had even become a nightmare, often waking him up in the middle of the night in a state of revulsion.

If it weren't for the fact that he still had to keep her dog life.

Li Ya could have truly sliced her into a thousand pieces.

"Sign it, and press your thumbprint."

Li Ya handed over the confession transcripts and other materials.

Mei Yingxue trembled as she signed and pressed her thumbprint.

"Xue'er, look at yourself; you look like a dog now." Li Ya brought over a mirror, humiliating Mei Yingxue to the fullest extent possible.

When Mei Yingxue saw the ugly, bloodied, and mangled mess in the mirror, she let out a sharp scream and tried to hide.

"Being a slut requires capital, too; looking like this, no man will ever like you again," Li Ya mocked.

"Brother Ya.

"I, I..."

Mei Yingxue began to weep in despair.

"Captain Li, has she confessed?" At this moment, Yu Zecheng and Hong Zhiyou walked in.

"Deputy Station Chief Yu."

Li Ya put down the mirror and handed over the materials:

"She has confessed everything. Take a look."

Yu Zecheng looked at the materials and nodded quickly: "Secretary Hong, have one copy sealed and sent to the confidential office, and have the other boxed up immediately. Then prepare a plane; I will personally deliver it to Jingling later."

"Understood, Deputy Station Chief Yu." Hong Zhiyou accepted the order solemnly.

Seeing Yu Zecheng acting more and more like a deputy station chief, Li Ya asked with a sour feeling:

"How should this woman be handled?"

"That depends on whether you want the foreigners to claim she was tortured into a confession, or if you absolutely need her to testify in court." Yu Zecheng tilted his head slightly and smiled, showing his white teeth.

Li Ya's brow furrowed, realizing something was wrong.

He had made a serious mistake.

Once Mei Yingxue could no longer serve as a witness, there was only one choice left: send her to the afterlife.

Otherwise, if she were found by someone with ulterior motives.

Given this woman's nature, she would certainly recant her testimony.

Flipping the table at that point would be a troublesome affair.

Yu Zecheng, however, ignored him and stood up to walk out.

"Deputy Station Chief Yu, with these items, photos, and recordings, shouldn't that be enough to serve as evidence?" Li Ya hurriedly chased after him and called out to him.

"I've never fought an international lawsuit; you'll have to ask Ambassador Gu Weijun about that." Yu Zecheng smiled faintly.

"Then what about this woman?" Li Ya asked.

"I only took over temporarily, and I'm not very clear on your internal affairs. Why don't you ask the Station Chief or Jianfeng?" Yu Zecheng said.

"Fine." Li Ya said.

Once Yu Zecheng left, Li Ya raised his hand and slapped himself across the face.

He had truly been blinded by his anger toward this woman.

It also had to do with the fact that he had been endlessly entangled with Mei Yingxue lately, wasting a great deal of energy and spirit; lust had clouded his judgment, and his mind had become dull.

Li Ya could never have imagined.

That he would commit such a stupid, clumsy mistake.

Now it was done; if Mei Yingxue wasn't dealt with, she would be a huge problem.

"Section Chief Xiao, call everyone from the Action Team who was on duty today to the conference room. I want to personally interrogate and record their statements one by one.

"Also, tell the head of the Telecommunications Division, you, and Secretary Hong to come and observe as witnesses."

Upon returning to his office, Yu Zecheng called Xiao Guohua.

Soon, the security section personnel began to be summoned one by one.

"What is this for?"

Li Ya, who was already worried, grabbed a staff member who had been on the operation and asked.

"Director Yu wants everyone's on-site statements.

"They have to be sent to Jingling along with the confession."

The man replied.

"Is that so?"

Li Ya sensed something was wrong and hurried toward the conference room.

When he reached the door, he was blocked by security personnel: "Sorry, Captain Li, Deputy Station Chief Yu said you must avoid any conflict of interest and are not suitable to attend."

"Understood."

Li Ya pursed his lips and turned to leave.

Soon.

Gao Yuan and the others arrived at the conference room.

Yu Zecheng questioned them one by one:

"Are you certain that Captain Li was holding a gun at the scene of the adultery arrest?"

"Certain."

Mi Zhiguo nodded.

"Think carefully; this is an international case. If you give false testimony, you will lose your heads." Yu Zecheng said sternly.

Hearing him say this, the others echoed his sentiment.

"Good.

"I will ask one more thing: was Captain Li pointing his gun at James at the time?" Yu Zecheng asked again.

"Think carefully before you answer," he reminded them.

The few men looked at each other.

Gao Yuan wanted to speak, but was held back by a look from Hong Zhiyou.

"It seems there was."

Someone replied in a low voice.

"If there was, then there was; if not, then not. Think about it carefully," Yu Zecheng said.

"There was.

"Yes, Captain Li was pointing his gun at James."

Once someone took the lead, the others followed suit.

The transcript was finished.

Yu Zecheng then asked the bystanders to sign and press their fingerprints, only then returning to his office.

"Zhiyou, go call Li Ya in," Yu Zecheng said, looking slightly exhausted.

"Yes, Deputy Station Chief Yu."

Hong Zhiyou quickly called Li Ya in.

"Captain Li, this is their confession. Take a look and see if there are any issues," Yu Zecheng said, handing it over.

"Deputy Station Chief, this part about pointing a gun at someone—couldn't it be framed as a threat or coercion that forced James to jump from the building?

"James clearly jumped because his affair was exposed, leaving him ashamed and panicked, causing him to lose his way.

"I only went up there to catch them in the act.

"His death has absolutely nothing to do with me."

Li Ya immediately saw the underlying implications.

"James was, of course, panicked and lost his way.

"You are a meritorious servant of the Party-State and a hero of the Jinhai Station; the entire station will ensure your safety.

"This confession is classified as top secret. The executors and the bystanders have all signed and pressed their fingerprints; not a single word is permitted to be leaked to the outside world.

"It will be kept in the confidential room.

"Externally, I will draft another announcement document to report James's death to the International Observation Group.

"What do you think?

"After all, the man is already dead, and I suspect the observation group has already caught wind of it by now."

Yu Zecheng said.

"Then thank you, Deputy Station Chief Yu," Li Ya said, clicking his teeth.

"You're welcome," Yu Zecheng said, looking up and smiling brightly.

Li Ya walked out with a gloomy face.

Yu Zecheng was clearly targeting him; by meddling in affairs and insisting on leaving such evidence, along with a pile of corroborating witnesses, he had made it impossible for Li Ya to deny it even if he wanted to.

Damn it!

That idiot James, why did he have to jump off the building?

Now look at this.

He was highly likely to be hit with a lawsuit for threatening James into jumping—that was the murder of an International Observation Group deputy head; if this blew up, even Jiang Jianfeng wouldn't be able to protect him.

Not to mention that Jiang Jianfeng had given no clear instructions from start to finish.

It was obvious he was meant to handle it himself.

What was originally a perfectly good major achievement had turned into a total mess, with Mei Yingxue's situation unresolved and himself now backed into a corner.

It was truly infuriating.

Li Ya rubbed his temples, which were suffering from long-term indulgence, lethargy, and dizziness; his mood was at its absolute worst.

Yu Zecheng leaned back, held his head, and let out a sigh of relief.

The station chief didn't want to do it himself.

He had left it to him to offend Li Ya.

Yet he had no choice, and he was indeed the most suitable candidate.

The goods from Beiping.

Plus Li Ya's coveting of the deputy station chief position.

And the many times the two had clashed head-on before.

Now it was simply a matter of everyone dropping the pretense and fighting openly.

Sigh, there was no choice.

Who else could he rely on but the station chief?

If the station chief was going to let him sit in the deputy's chair, dirty and exhausting work was inevitable; that was the price.

The third floor of the British Club.

Kennard puffed on a cigar and picked up the phone: "It's me.

"Alright, I understand.

"Don't worry, I will hold onto him tightly; you may win the lawsuit, but this man's troubles are certainly not over."

Hanging up the phone, a hint of a smile appeared on Kennard's lips.

James was dead.

That was good news.

He had come to the National Government this time to handle only two things.

One: Persuade James to cooperate with the disinfection and leave the club.

Two: Handle James's funeral affairs and hold onto that Li Ya tightly.

How James died was something Kennard didn't need to know at all.

He only knew that this Li Ya had appeared at the scene of death with his men.

That meant he was the killer.

Li Ya must be held responsible for this matter.

This was the logic and reasoning of the British Empire toward the Jiang government.

He had earned over ten thousand US dollars from these two things, plus gold bars and antiques; it couldn't have been more worth it.

The next day.

Wu Jingzhong returned to his office with a face full of fatigue.

Going to Jingling was something Yu Zecheng could only talk about; he had no qualifications to have an audience with Jiang Jianfeng.

These matters still had to be handled by him personally.

Last night, he hadn't slept for a whole night, flying to Jingling to personally hand over various pieces of evidence to Jiang Jianfeng, who also hadn't slept all night.

Military aid concerned the fate of the Party-State, and Jiang Jianfeng had spent the night having the British spy case exposed loudly across the country and overseas.

Although Li Ya was suspected of murder.

To those in power, these things were secondary.

What they wanted was a victory in public opinion.

To be able to strike back resoundingly against those voices in the international court.

"Sigh, busy all night.

"Since I got home, I haven't slept a wink, just answering various phone calls.

"How is it over at Li Ya's side?"

The matter of military aid was no longer his concern; Wu Jingzhong only cared about his own interests now.

"Teacher, Kennard's side is now insisting that Li Ya murdered James; after a night of fermentation, it has now escalated into a diplomatic incident, and the British Embassy has already issued a statement.

"Furthermore, James has a certain background in Britain.

"The Prime Minister and the royal family have both spoken out.

"I estimate Jiang Jianfeng is under great pressure now; who knows, if we overplayed our hand, Li Ya might just confess directly."

Hong Zhiyou said in a low voice.

"This is within expectations.

"The key is whether the lawsuit can be won.

"I understand Jiang Jianfeng.

"If we can win and secure the military aid, Li Ya will be a meritorious servant and a capable official of the Party-State; Jiang Jianfeng is thirsty for talent, and since he is one of his own from the Blood and Iron Youth Corps, he will definitely protect him.

"If we can't win and the aid is cut off, Li Ya will definitely be sacrificed to take the blame."

Wu Jingzhong said.

"Zecheng, what is your take on this lawsuit?" He turned to look at Yu Zecheng.

"Isn't there a ready-made half-immortal right here?

"Why don't you calculate it?"

Yu Zecheng looked at Hong Zhiyou.

Hong Zhiyou smiled: "With the wisdom of the Chairman, of course we will win."

"I hope it is as you say," Wu Jingzhong sighed.

Just as they were speaking, the phone rang.

Wu Jingzhong pointed at the telephone and said: "The one coming to scold is here, and I have to be the one to take it; you two guess, is it Jiang Jianfeng or Mao Renfeng?"

"I bet on Jiang Jianfeng," Hong Zhiyou said.

"I bet on Bureau Chief Mao," Yu Zecheng said.

"I bet on the Chairman.

"One hundred US dollars!"

Wu Jingzhong glanced at the two of them, walked to the phone, and feigned ease: "Hello, it's me."

Immediately, his expression changed drastically, and he stood straight and respectful:

"Yes, yes!"

"Yes!"

"Please rest assured, Jingzhong will certainly complete the mission!"

Slap!

Hanging up the phone, he let out a breath: "Zhang Qun called, asking for money."

"It, it really is the order from the Chairman."

Yu Zecheng and the other man hurriedly dug into their pockets and handed over the money.

Wu Jingzhong grabbed it and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Teacher, what instructions did Mr. Zhang convey?" Yu Zecheng asked.

"The Old Man is generally satisfied with the situation in Jinhai; he cursed a few times and then asked for money.

"Big shots, after all, they will manage what has already happened; no one will dwell on it. After all, we are one of the victorious nations against fascism.

"The British are making a fuss, and the North American military aid faction isn't a pushover either.

"The Chairman doesn't care about the lives of the foreign devils or Li Ya; he only cares about when the US dollars you promised to Yu Xuan will arrive, and that Fu Zuoyi fully cooperates with Hu Zongnan in sending troops."

Wu Jingzhong said.

"This matter requires the Americans to operate and manage it. Since this matter is resolved, it will be easy to handle now that the military aid faction owes a favor," Hong Zhiyou said.

"It must be done as soon as possible," Wu Jingzhong instructed.

"Also, the trip to Shenyang on the third of next month has been confirmed.

"Heh, still in the mood to fly to Shenyang; it seems he is very confident about the lawsuit. The military aid faction should be able to stabilize their footing with this wave of public opinion.

"You two, the New Year is almost here.

"Jianfeng has thrown us a difficult problem: the assassination of Lin Tai.

"Since we must ensure the Lady's safety.

"And also complete the mission.

"This is also the meaning of the Chairman.

"My principle is to learn from Boss Dai.

"The momentum must be great, the attitude must be firm, but 'only failure is allowed, success is not'."

Wu Jingzhong did not avoid Yu Zecheng and said loudly.

He knew that Yu might have some connection with the Red ticket.

At least he was in close contact with Yong Jianqiu.

Letting Yu Zecheng tip off the Red ticket in advance is best; the best result is that Lin Tai doesn't come, then everyone is happy.

If he must come, the Red ticket must secretly make preparations for protection.

Furthermore, when necessary, he must cooperate with me.

"Yes.

"Only failure is allowed, success is not.

"Still your old three tricks: poisoning, planting bombs, and shooting from the shadows. First, let someone make a loud bang to scare them; if they can not come, that would be even better."

Hong Zhiyou laughed.

"Yes.

"Whether we can get through the New Year depends on this one bang," Wu Jingzhong said.

"The trouble now is that Li Ya is caught in the middle.

"Jianfeng might hint at me.

"Perhaps he will instruct Li Ya to take action; he certainly won't report such things to me.

"Let's see if the higher-ups reward or punish Li Ya this time.

"If they protect him, Li Ya will most likely take the mission.

"There might even be the Dangtong Bureau involved.

"Ye Xiufeng has repeatedly spoiled the mood in front of the Chairman, and he is very likely to take this opportunity to make a comeback."

Wu Jingzhong said.

"We must be on guard.

"Lin Tai has very deep roots; if something goes wrong in Jinhai, the blame will fall on you regardless.

"Those party elders will probably tear our Jinhai Station apart."

Yu Zecheng hurriedly echoed.

"That's why I say we are very passive.

"We have to act in front of Jianfeng while secretly ensuring Lin Tai's safety.

"Sigh.

"Forget it, it's lunchtime. Zhiyou, go to that Muslim restaurant from last time and book a private room.

"Since Rui Rui came back, I've been drinking crucian carp and chicken soup every day; my mouth has gone bland as a bird.

"Let's eat!"

Wu Jingzhong was too lazy to think about it, waved his hand, and stood up.

In the afternoon, Wu Jingzhong returned to his office after eating and drinking his fill. Just as he planned to drink tea and take a nap in the inner room, Li Ya followed him in.

"Li Ya, is something the matter?" he asked with a smile.

"Teacher, the situation in Britain is very intense right now. I'm worried that the higher-ups will use me as a scapegoat," Li Ya said with deep concern.

"Li Ya, I always thought you were a smart person. How could you do such a clumsy and stupid thing?

"Why did I go to such lengths to have you catch them in the act?

"That was to vilify James and increase our bargaining chips for winning the war of public opinion.

"It was also to cut off your relationship with Mei Yingxue in the future and block any gossip.

"Just for this mess of yours, I mobilized the City Defense Bureau and even asked Commander Chen to come forward to coordinate, causing a huge stir in the city.

"And you, you messed it all up.

"Wouldn't taking a few photos have been enough? Who told you to kill him?"

Wu Jingzhong slapped his palm, criticizing him with a feeling of "hate that iron doesn't turn into steel."

"Teacher, I really didn't mean to kill him.

"He went crazy himself, insisted on escaping and jumping off the building, and as a result, he was unlucky and fell to his death."

Li Ya explained helplessly.

"The problem is that the foreigners don't believe it. They hired the best forensic pathologist, saying James had broken ribs, all sorts of things.

"In one word, they concluded that you beat him to death.

"Now their Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have both spoken up.

"The key is that you didn't give clear instructions to your subordinates beforehand to unify the story—that is, the transcript made by Deputy Station Chief Yu. If someone with ulterior motives had sold these testimonies to the British.

"Then you would be convicted of armed coercion and murder, and you wouldn't be able to explain yourself even with a hundred mouths."

Wu Jingzhong pointed at him and said.

"Yes, my brain was muddled by that woman, and everything I did was a beat slow, so..." Li Ya said indignantly.

"Alright.

"I went to see Jianfeng last night and told him about your difficulties.

"Jianfeng has great influence; he will handle the British.

"But for this material, you should be grateful to Deputy Station Chief Yu."

Wu Jingzhong hinted to him with a squeeze of his eyes.

"Thank him?" Li Ya's brows went up again.

"Teacher, he took advantage of your absence to hold something over me. It's the act of a villain. It's a miracle I didn't shoot him dead," Li Ya cursed.

Who are you cursing, you brat... Wu Jingzhong frowned in displeasure:

"Foolish.

"You have always been picking on Zecheng, and now that he has caught an opportunity, it's because you lost your touch.

"You should understand the old rules of the Military Statistics Bureau.

"If you lose, you must accept the punishment, take the beating, and stand at attention.

"He holds something over you to protect himself; not bringing it out means he wants to live in peace with you. From now on, put away that arrogance of yours and treat him as a superior leader.

"He is already the Deputy Station Chief; you must accept reality.

"Respect is mutual.

"He gave it to you, so you must accept it, understand?"

"Yes, I understand, Station Chief. Tonight, I will go to Deputy Station Chief Yu's home to pay a visit and thank him," Li Ya said, obeying with his mouth but not his heart.

"Mm, as long as you know what you're doing.

"Since you are my student, I'll say one thing: even if Jianfeng can't protect you, the station will compensate you with a large sum of money and plan a good placement for you.

"Just say you slipped away; can the foreigners really search the whole world for you?

"Go, don't be so nervous, relax, and rest for a few days."

Wu Jingzhong comforted him with a few words.

"Thank you, Master. But how should I handle Mei Yingxue? She is your niece, after all; I find this quite thorny," Li Ya asked with a sidelong glance after nodding in thanks.

Wu Jingzhong was incredibly annoyed.

He had spent all that time playing the good guy, and before Li Ya had even finished bowing, he had already started stabbing him in the back.

This was a forced attempt to drag him into it, trying to share the pressure.

It was fortunate that Hong Zhiyou had prepared the materials in advance; otherwise, he really would have been cornered by Li Ya.

"You are overthinking it. That woman has had no relationship with me for a long time."

"When she first started seeing you, I had already investigated her background. This is the file I sent to Headquarters, and this is the backup copy—take a look."

Wu Jingzhong pulled open a drawer and handed him a file.

Li Ya was stunned; if it had already been reported to Headquarters, it was clearly a setup to catch a spy, and the bond of being a niece no longer existed.

"Station Chief, why didn't you tell me sooner?" Li Ya asked.

"If even Jiang Jianfeng didn't dare to issue instructions on this, how could I tell you?"

"If I had told you, with your temperament, would you have been able to crack this espionage case?"

"Why do you think I kept suppressing your marriage? I couldn't say anything, but I have been worried sick for your sake."

Wu Jingzhong patted his chest and sighed with emotion.

"That is true."

"Thank you, Master." Li Ya bowed sincerely.

"Master, then how should this female spy be handled?"

His tone softened as he pleaded.

"Send her to the Shuitun Prison first; figure out how to make her disappear yourself."

"Clean up your own mess. I am not the Thousand-Armed Guanyin; I cannot do everything for you personally."

"Make the method clean and tidy; don't let anyone get a handle on you again."

"This woman's matter ends with me here. As long as I am in this position, no one will ever bring it up again."

"Set your mind at ease and wait for Headquarters' final verdict on the espionage case."

Wu Jingzhong instructed.

"Understood!" Li Ya accepted the order.

Returning to his office.

Li Ya reviewed the entire matter from beginning to end.

He discovered that he might have truly misunderstood Wu Jingzhong.

If Wu Jingzhong really wanted him dead, he wouldn't have needed to do anything; by agreeing to his marriage with Mei Yingxue, the single charge of colluding with a spy would have been enough to finish him.

Then there was Yu Zecheng, and now the matter of covering for him regarding Mei Yingxue.

Without a very deep bond, it would be impossible to go to such lengths to protect him.

Perhaps he really had wronged old Wu.

The death of his Master, Liu Xiong, had no connection to him; it was all just his own paranoia.

Thinking of this, Li Ya immediately picked up the phone on the desk and dialed a number: "Is Li Chong at school?"

"Make arrangements; I want to see him."

(End of chapter)