Chapter 266: National Traitor Li Ya

"Arrest Xie Ruolin?" Wu Jingzhong frowned.

"Yes."

"This man is a black-market scalper."

"He is the one who bought the original copy of this intelligence."

"Either the intelligence is still in his hands."

"Or if it isn't, I want to know exactly who bought it."

"If it was Yu Zecheng, then that is destruction of evidence."

"Yu must then provide a reasonable explanation."

Li Ya said.

"Hmm."

"That makes sense. I approve of the secret arrest of Xie Ruolin; we must pry his mouth open."

"If anything happens on the Dangtong Bureau's side, I will take the responsibility."

"You just go ahead and do it."

"In a word, regarding the Red tickets, investigate strictly and without delay!"

Wu Jingzhong made the final decision with ironclad resolve.

"Thank you, Teacher." Li Ya stood at attention and said.

"Li Ya, you have the demeanor of your teacher; I am very gratified. Section Chief Liu can surely rest in peace in the afterlife now." Wu Jingzhong looked at him and said with deep emotion.

"Teacher, you..."

"Thank you!"

"I will certainly not disgrace the mission, nor fail the spirit of my late mentor."

Li Ya's eyes reddened, and he bowed deeply to Wu Jingzhong.

"Teacher, I have one more request."

Then, he added.

Wu Jingzhong felt like exploding inside, but his face showed an even more amiable smile: "Speak. Don't say one, even if it's ten, a hundred, or a thousand—as long as it's for investigating Red tickets, I will approve it."

"I heard that Mrs. Yu is at your house every day accompanying your wife to look after the baby."

"Tomorrow, I would like to find some time to come to your house for a meal."

"And take the opportunity to probe Mrs. Yu's background."

"Do you think that's alright?"

Li Ya asked.

"Hey, what a small matter. I told you long ago, you aren't an outsider; do you still need to ask me for permission for such a small thing?"

"However, his wife has a somewhat brash personality, so be careful with what you say."

"Otherwise, you might get beaten up."

Wu Jingzhong reminded him with a smile.

Just as they were chatting, Hong Zhiyou walked in with two file bags, "Teacher, the ten gold bars, I've brought them."

"Give them to Team Leader Li."

"Zhiyou, list the expenses under staff dormitory maintenance. If Deputy Station Chief Yu asks, just say construction material prices have gone up."

"Save him from asking around."

Wu Jingzhong instructed.

"Understood!" Hong Zhiyou nodded.

"Zhiyou, thanks."

"Teacher, if there's nothing else, I'll go back to work." Li Ya said.

"Hmm." Wu Jingzhong nodded.

Li Ya tucked the file bags under his arm, frowning and biting his lip as he walked and pondered.

The reason he played his cards openly with Wu Jingzhong was to see the old man's attitude.

If the old man tried to gloss over this matter or deliberately shielded Yu Zecheng, it would mean Wu Jingzhong himself was in league with Yu Zecheng.

The death of his mentor Liu Xiong would then be a real question.

But he hadn't expected Wu Jingzhong to fully support him in investigating Yu Zecheng.

Moreover, looking at the intensity and support, it didn't seem like he was just feigning it.

Money aside—the old man wasn't short on money.

But rashly arresting someone from the Dangtong Bureau without evidence was a taboo; if things went wrong, it could reach headquarters or even the Military Justice Department.

After all, Ye Xiufeng had suffered a major loss over the Ji Weimin affair.

Once things escalated, Wu Jingzhong might lose his position.

The old man was bearing immense pressure to help him.

"Could I have misunderstood the Station Chief?"

"Back when we investigated Ma Kui and labeled him as Mount Emei, perhaps it was just because Ma Kui was investigating Mu Liancheng, and he did it to protect himself, not deliberately to shield Yu Zecheng."

"If that's the case."

"At least the Station Chief is clean and not involved in the death of my mentor Liu Xiong."

"Phew!"

"That would be good."

Li Ya secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Returning to his office, he took his car keys and drove straight to a remote village nearby.

Then he got out and turned into a small courtyard.

Inside, a middle-aged woman was tending a fire to cook.

"Where's Old Tang?" he asked.

"Inside." The woman, with a half-grown child wrapped on her back, poked at the firewood.

Li Ya went inside, where a middle-aged man was lying on the kang smoking opium.

"Yo, Team Leader Li." The man hurriedly sat up.

"Found a new hobby?" Li Ya frowned.

"Just bored, playing around with it." The man laughed dryly.

"Tang Dachun, it seems the Red ideology of Yancheng isn't all that; at least it didn't educate you well." Li Ya mocked.

"Hehe."

"I don't buy into their stuff. Back then, I just took a few extra boxes of matches and a few bags of white sugar, and they gave me a good lecture."

"That godforsaken place had nothing to eat or drink, and on top of that, it was rectification every day, and internal purges every day."

"If it weren't for my quick legs and your guidance, brother, I wouldn't have escaped."

"Otherwise, I'd probably be a ghost under Hu Zongnan's artillery by now."

Tang Dachun laughed dryly.

"Send a telegram for me." Li Ya said.

"Easy."

"If you don't arrange some tasks, the radio will start to rust."

Tang Dachun got up and led Li Ya to the woodshed.

The two moved the firewood aside and took out the telegraph machine hidden inside.

This was the telegraph machine seized from the homes of Huang Zhong and Jiang Aimei.

After Ma Kui confiscated it, he hid it away along with Tang Tang Simao.

Later, everything was taken over by Li Ya.

Li Ya silenced Tang Tang Simao, and the radio was transferred to Tang Dachun.

Tang Dachun had been a radio operator for the border security intelligence line in Yancheng; because he was light-fingered and frequently punished, he was extremely dissatisfied with the Red tickets, and Li Ya had seized the opportunity to secretly develop him into an informant.

"Team Leader Li, the content."

Tang Dachun skillfully turned on the telegraph machine.

"Butcher."

"Two things: first, investigate the resume of Chen Qiupin from the Sixth Section of Border Security, especially his marital status and family relationships, particularly in the direction of Weitou and Heigou in Yixian."

"It would be best if you could get a photo of Chen Qiupin in the border region."

"Second, Zuo Lan's recent situation."

"Cobra!"

Li Ya dictated with his arms crossed.

"Yes, Team Leader Li." Tang Dachun took the order.

"Beep-beep!"

"Beep-beep!"

He tapped the transmitter rapidly.

Soon.

He finished sending the telegram.

"Hide the radio well. Remember, without my orders, you must never send private telegrams to the border region." Li Ya emphasized.

"Understood." Tang Dachun said.

Inside the city.

A disguised military truck was slowly driving down the street.

Inside, several North American soldiers were operating precision instruments, while Lu Qiaoshan and Zhang Li stood to the side.

"Officer, radio waves detected."

The American soldier operating the instrument reported to Anderson.

"Track the location." Anderson ordered.

On the screen, the tracker was flashing.

Lu Qiaoshan looked at the improved, updated radio wave monitoring device, feeling completely dazzled.

"Zhang Li, what are they saying?" he asked the interpreter, Zhang Li, at his side.

"Division Chief Lu, they said they suspect they've found a radio signal." Zhang Li translated.

The car tracked for a while, then the signal disappeared near a cluster of old buildings in the NK District.

"Officer, the signal is gone." The soldier said.

"Can you lock onto the specific location?" Anderson asked.

"The time was too short; we couldn't lock onto it."

"However, as long as we stake out this area, we can determine the precise signal source and find the location." The soldier said.

"Very good." Anderson said.

"Division Chief Lu, how is it? Are you satisfied with the radio wave monitoring truck purchased this time?" He turned his head to look at Lu Qiaoshan.

"Good, good." Lu Qiaoshan knew a couple of words of English.

"If there's no problem, sign here; I should be heading back." Anderson handed over the notebook.

Lu Qiaoshan signed his name with a flourish.

"Happy cooperation."

"I've already handed the manual to this Miss Zhang. If there's anything you don't understand, call us anytime, and I'll send someone to guide you."

Anderson took the receipt and signaled for his men to get off the truck.

"Wait."

Lu Qiaoshan walked quickly to catch up with him.

"Does Division Chief Lu have more questions?" Anderson asked with a smile.

"I want to purchase another monitoring truck; I can pay ten percent more."

"But please keep it confidential, especially from within the Secret Service, including your friend Hong Zhiyou."

Lu Qiaoshan whispered.

"Rest assured, we American soldiers value integrity the most. This matter will be between you and me; no third person will ever know." Anderson patted his chest and guaranteed it.

"Be quick."

"It's best if you can modify it so it looks at least different from these trucks."

Lu Qiaoshan made a few requests.

"Pay more." Anderson said only two words.

"OK." Lu Qiaoshan reached out to shake hands, deal made.

Anyway, it was the Garrison Command Inspection Division footing the bill; the more he added, the more profit he made.

"Zhang Li, what did they just say?"

After seeing the Americans off, Lu Qiaoshan asked.

"They said someone in the NK District was sending a telegram, but we arrived a bit late, the radio waves were cut, and they couldn't pinpoint the location." Zhang Li said.

"Very good."

"Not a single word of today's events is to be leaked."

"Also, translate this manual into Chinese overnight."

Lu Qiaoshan ordered.

"Yes, Division Chief Lu." Zhang Li nodded.

"Xiao Wen."

"If you dare reveal a single word of today's events to anyone, you're dead!"

Lu Qiaoshan called the driver down and instructed him.

"Division Chief Lu, what if the Station Chief asks?" The driver, Xiao Wen, frowned.

"If the Station Chief asks, you can tell him." Lu Qiaoshan thought for a moment and said.

Testing the monitoring truck was station business, so he had to report to Wu Jingzhong.

"But if he doesn't ask, don't you dare wag your tongue." He warned again.

"Understood." The driver, Xiao Wen, said.

Someone in Nankai was sending a telegram.

If it was a Red ticket underground radio station, this was a rare opportunity to earn merit, and Lu Qiaoshan naturally wouldn't hand it over to others.

Don't forget, he was also the Division Chief of the Garrison Command Inspection Division.

Earning merit on both sides, his future was limitless.

Inside the station.

Wu Jingzhong tidied up a bit, preparing to go home to hold the baby.

Just as he was about to leave, the phone rang.

"It's me."

"It's for you."

He handed the phone to Hong Zhiyou, who was tidying the tea tray.

"It's me."

"Okay, understood."

"Thank you, I'll treat you to a meal later."

Hanging up the phone, Hong Zhiyou said:

"It was Anderson. He said they detected a radio signal while testing the monitoring truck in Nankai today, and Lu Qiaoshan turned around and privately ordered another one in the name of the Inspection Team."

"This man, he has too many petty tricks."

"But that's fine; it's better for him to earn merit than for Li Ya to earn merit."

"Let him go catch whoever he wants."

Wu Jingzhong sneered.

He glanced at Hong Zhiyou.

He had wanted to tell him about Xie Ruolin's impending arrest.

On second thought, he dismissed the idea.

Li Ya was already killing like a madman; if Zhiyou were involved in the slightest, he would know it was he who leaked the news.

Better to make the arrest first and talk later.

The next three days.

For Lu Qiaoshan, it was undoubtedly a torture.

Yu Zecheng remained completely still.

Neither the Red tickets nor the commercial stations had disclosed any intelligence related to Okamura.

Lu Qiaoshan really couldn't hold back anymore.

Every day the intelligence sat there, it depreciated in value.

If it leaked out and someone else broke the news first, it would be a total loss.

"Zhang Li, go, call Sheng Xiang over." He ordered Zhang Li, who was listening for orders at a small table nearby.

Ever since he discovered this girl knew English, Lu Qiaoshan, thinking about how he would have to deal with Americans to dominate Hong Zhiyou's resources in the future, simply transferred Zhang Li to be his little secretary.

Although there was some gossip in the station.

Old Lu didn't care.

In this day and age, to make money, things like face were secondary.

Zhang Li took the order and went to the archives, where Sheng Xiang was boredly flipping a silver dollar, the coin clinking on the table.

"Sheng Xiang, Division Chief Lu wants you to go over." Zhang Li ordered coldly.

"Hehe."

"Your wings have grown stiff, huh."

"Before, you called me Division Chief Sheng, Section Chief Sheng, Big Brother Sheng, chasing me to be your secretary."

"Now, with that little chin held high, you're something else."

Sheng Xiang laughed dryly and reached out to pat her shapely buttocks.

"Sheng Xiang, please have some self-respect, otherwise I'll report you to Division Chief Lu." Zhang Li dodged and warned.

Before, Sheng Xiang was a section chief.

He was a bit ugly, but he could make money.

Naturally, he was a good match.

Now he was just a staff member in the archives section, not even earning as much as Mi Zhiguo, so who would still care about him?

"Heh."

Sheng Xiang sneered and walked out.

Arriving at the office, Lu Qiaoshan closed the door and whispered: "Go to the black market immediately and handle the intelligence. Remember, you must at least double the price."

"And you must find a scalper with a Red ticket background."

"Do you understand what I mean?"

"Understood." Sheng Xiang nodded.

"Go do it." He waved his hand.

The next day.

Early in the morning, the Red ticket papers and some commercial headlines were plastered with news that Okamura Yasuji was evading trial by the Far East Military Tribunal and had been hired as a key official by the Nationalist Government.

And that Okamura Yasuji had secretly gone south to Xuzhou to command operations.

The news that Nationalist Government officials were shameless enough to treat him as an honored guest.

The photo published above showed Li Ya cordially shaking hands and chatting with Okamura in the car.

For a time, public opinion in the country was in an uproar.

Inside the office.

Wu Jingzhong "slapped" the noisy radio off and pointed at Li Ya, scolding him:

"You, give me an explanation."

"Station Chief, I..." Li Ya was completely stunned.

"Station Chief, what on earth is going on?"

"How did Okamura become an honored guest?"

"Why did Team Leader Li go to pay respects to the Japanese?"

"I didn't hear that Okamura came to Jinhai; I didn't receive any wind of it at all."

Lu Qiaoshan asked, feigning ignorance.

"How he became an honored guest, I want to know too."

"Secretly went south."

"Is there such a thing as a secret trip like this?"

"First thing in the morning, my phone was blown up by people from headquarters and the Ministry of National Defense."

"Now it's great, the stench of this matter has spread across the country, and the Red tickets, relying on this wave of noise, don't know how much public support they'll win over."

"The Jinhai Station is going to be famous again."

"Just wait, the students are going to start protesting again."

Wu Jingzhong said angrily.

"Station Chief, I will immediately call the Gendarmerie Command and have them send soldiers to guard the area." Yu Zecheng said hurriedly.

"Hmm."

"Go."

Wu Jingzhong nodded.

"Qiaoshan, you go back to the Garrison Command first and see what instructions Commander Chen has; you must ensure the safety of the military headquarters and all agencies in Jinhai."

"We are not the Beiyang government; incidents like those of Cao Rulin and Zhang Zongxiang must never happen."

Wu Jingzhong instructed again.

"Station Chief, rest assured."

"If the students dare to cause trouble, I will punish them severely." Lu Qiaoshan took the order coldly and left.

"Teacher."

"I won't be in the station for the next two days; I'm afraid someone with ulterior motives might attack my residence." Hong Zhiyou said.

"Hmm."

"I heard Ye Xiufeng was popping champagne in Jingling last night; he wants to watch our Secret Service make a fool of itself. You're right, we must be on guard."

"Section Chief Xiao has to keep an eye on the station; you should mobilize some men from your side."

"Ensure the safety of Rui Rui and the child."

Wu Jingzhong said.

"Yes!"

Hong Zhiyou walked out quickly.

At the entrance, Yu Zecheng and Old Lu were waiting.

"Old Lu, you really are something; one move and it's a thunderous stroke. Li Ya won't die this time, but he'll definitely lose a layer of skin." Yu Zecheng said in a low voice.

"To tell you the truth, someone has already leaked Li Ya's address to Guo Youliang."

"Now Li Ya is effectively the number one traitor."

"His reputation is even worse than Wang Jingwei and Zhou Fuhai; the people hate him so much they'd eat him alive. As long as the students catch him, he'll definitely be beaten to death and bleed on the streets."

Lu Qiaoshan laughed triumphantly.

"Old Lu, you made quite a bit on this wave, right?" Hong Zhiyou was concerned about this.

"Where."

"Just a small profit."

"Phew, once Li Ya is finished, I'll treat you all to a meal at Hongyun Tower."

Lu Qiaoshan made a shushing gesture and whispered.

He wasn't worried at all that Yu Zecheng and the other would betray him.

First, these two had also seen the intelligence.

Second, what he gave Sheng Xiang to trade wasn't the original copy at all.

Even if they investigated.

As long as he didn't admit it, the other side couldn't do anything.

Moreover, Sheng Xiang had traded it through several hands, so even if they investigated, they couldn't trace it back to him.

"Good."

"We'll wait for it."

The two smiled and nodded.

Watching Lu Qiaoshan leave, Yu Zecheng looked at Hong Zhiyou: "I heard the old man is extremely furious; Li Ya is really in trouble this time."

"I feel like Shang Bo's move won't even be needed."

"I bet Li Ya will be safe and sound." Hong Zhiyou said.

"No way."

"He's been exposed."

"He's torn the face off the Nationalist Government; can the Chairman forgive him?"

Yu Zecheng was very puzzled.

"Perhaps to the Chairman and Jiang Jianfeng, Li Ya is a hero?"

"When people have no face left."

"Those who are shameless naturally become the favorites of their own kind."

"Let's go."

"The students are already organizing a protest."

"If Lu Qiaoshan can sell Li Ya's address, he could sell the Station Chief."

"I have to go find Long... Anderson and think of a way to seal off Changde Road."

Hong Zhiyou had wanted to mention Long Er, but dismissed the thought as soon as it arose.

With Lin Sufang's intervention, this blade was already dull and very awkward to use.

Sigh.

The blade is dull.

If it can be sharpened, that's naturally best.

If it can't be sharpened, it must be replaced.

In the face of interests, everything must stand aside, including brotherly affection.

Inside the Station Chief's office.

Wu Jingzhong looked at Li Ya:

"Team Leader Li, what is your view?"

"Headquarters now thinks it was the Jinhai Station that leaked the secret, that the news was leaked. Fortunately, it was your photo that was exposed, not Gu Anxiu's, otherwise this would be even more troublesome."

He paused, glaring at Li Ya with slight annoyance:

"I told you, just getting on the car to show face was enough; why did you shake hands with the Japanese?"

"His hands are stained with the blood of our countrymen."

"Is that something you can shake?"

"Teacher, you know, I hate the Japanese even more than the Red tickets."

"I swear to the Chairman and Mr. Sun, after getting on the car, I didn't even greet Okamura, and that Japanese section chief, I didn't even look at him straight."

"I just found a place in the carriage to sit for a while."

"Where would I shake his hand?"

"Teacher, this is clearly someone setting me up."

"This photo was pieced together by someone."

Li Ya explained.

"That's not important."

"Now you've been branded a national traitor."

"Headquarters wants to strictly investigate this matter; how should we handle it?"

Wu Jingzhong said.

"I don't care about the name."

"It's not necessarily our Jinhai Station that leaked the secret."

"There were so many people accompanying him, and Okamura loves to show off his 'Anti-Red Guide'; who knows who the mole in that car was."

"If the Party and State make me die unjustly because of this."

"I won't be able to rest in peace even in the afterlife."

"Teacher, I was framed and wronged; this is a trap, you must fight for me and speak up for me."

Li Ya frowned and begged.

Wu Jingzhong was just about to speak when the phone rang.

He glanced at Li Ya:

"I'll fight for you; look to your fate."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 267 =====