Chapter 270: This guy poked a hornet's nest again

"Team Leader Li, what are you doing?"

"Want to... break the rules?"

Xie Ruolin shook his head slightly and asked with a cold smile.

"Old Xie, we are friends, I don't want to make things difficult for you."

"You have your money faith, I have my principles."

"Since we can't talk it out, we can only do things by the rules."

"You are suspected of trafficking intelligence and colluding with Red tickets."

"Come with me."

Li Ya waved his hand, and several staff members rushed out from the corner to roughly restrain Xie Ruolin.

"Understood."

"Low-class means, if you can't eat it, you smash the pot."

"Testing my faith?"

"I, I like it, then let's try."

"Let's see if your fist is hard, or my mouth... mouth is hard!"

Xie Ruolin laughed contemptuously.

"Is that so?"

"I also want to try."

"Take him away!"

Li Ya waved his hand, and someone immediately pushed Xie Ruolin into the car.

Afraid of too many eyes, he didn't enter the station through the main entrance.

He took the special underground passage requested from the Station Chief, going directly into the most hidden basement for interrogation.

Entering the basement.

Lu Baoxing had already heated the furnace, the branding iron was red, the electric chair was ready, and various torture instruments were all prepared.

"Get up."

The two staff members roughly pushed Xie Ruolin onto the electric chair.

"Old Xie."

"I've always treated you as a friend, that piece of intelligence is very important to me, I need the original."

"Tell me, who exactly bought it."

The temperature in the room was a bit high, Li Ya took off his coat, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and leaned against the interrogation table to ask.

"That's right."

"We are... friends."

"If you can't beat me to death today, I'll still do business with you later."

"But there won't be... no discounts in the future."

"Don't make it difficult, come on."

Xie Ruolin laughed, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, trembling all over.

From the moment he started this business, he knew he would eventually encounter people who would force their way in, he was mentally prepared.

But nothing could defeat his faith in money.

His family wasn't wealthy, he wasn't considered smart, and he was often ridiculed for stuttering.

During the Japanese occupation, his parents, grandmother, and sister all died under the Japanese butcher's knife.

No connections, no background.

He struggled, lived hard.

Took college exams.

Worked like an ox for Shang Bo, and relied on accumulation and hugging a woman's thigh to enter the Dangtong Bureau.

He relied on integrity, efficiency, and professionalism, from an unknown errand boy to having his first business deal. 【270-

And now, the "Little Jinhai" that everyone in the Jinhai underground knows about.

He had realized his own life's value.

Relying on his own expertise, he lived the life he wanted.

More importantly, professional competence, beyond material gains, allowed him to enjoy the taste of being trusted, respected, and admired.

This was far more important than money, even transcending life and death.

Li Ya could have him killed.

But betraying his profession and selling out his faith was absolutely impossible.

"Apply torture."

Li Ya waved his hand.

Lu Baoxing picked up a whip and lashed out at him, covering his head and face.

He was beaten until his skin was torn and flesh was mangled, screaming repeatedly.

"Old Xie, speak."

"If you don't confess, I'm bringing out the branding iron," Li Ya said.

Xie Ruolin didn't speak, just sneered at him with a sinister look, as if Li Ya were nothing but a pathetic clown.

"Hmm."

Li Ya waved his hand.

Lu Baoxing took the red-hot branding iron and thrust it hard into Xie Ruolin's chest.

Black smoke rose.

The stench of burning skin and flesh filled the room.

Xie Ruolin convulsed all over, and after a few screams, he passed out from the pain.

Splash.

Li Ya splashed a ladle of water on his face, waking him up.

"Old Xie, don't make things hard for yourself."

"Isn't it just a name?"

"Say it, and I'll send you to the hospital immediately."

Li Ya continued to attack his mind.

"No... impossible," Xie Ruolin gasped, smiling weakly.

"Then there's no other way."

"Apply electricity."

Li Ya gave the order and walked out.

Two days in a row.

Xie Ruolin was tortured in turns, yet he never uttered a single word.

Li Ya was very annoyed.

He hadn't expected this stutterer to be so stubborn.

"Captain Li, the Security Section says the Station Chief wants you in his office," a basement guard walked in to report.

"I know."

"Baoxing, keep beating him until he opens his mouth," Li Ya said.

"Captain Li."

"If we keep beating him, I'm afraid he won't hold up..." Lu Baoxing said.

"Call a doctor."

"Treat him while you beat him; give him injections if needed, and apply anti-inflammatories."

Li Ya gave the instructions and walked out.

"Li Ya, how is it?" Wu Jingzhong asked when he reached the Station Chief's office.

"Teacher, this man's mouth is very hard."

"We've shocked him several times and used every torture available, but he won't say a word."

Li Ya said with some helplessness.

"Then let him go," Wu Jingzhong said.

"Teacher, we can't let him go."

"This man is a confidant of Sun Chuanzhi."

"But at the same time, he's a scalper who knows many people and has naturally offended many as well."

"If he goes missing or ends up at the bottom of the river."

"Sun Chuanzhi might think he made enough money and ran off."

"But handing him over, isn't that just asking for trouble?"

Li Ya frowned.

His initial thought was to scare Xie Ruolin, and that if the guy confessed, that would be it.

He hadn't expected him to be so stubborn.

Now that the person was beaten half to death, handing him over would definitely cause trouble with the Dangtong Bureau.

"Then deal with him as soon as possible," Wu Jingzhong nodded.

Old Juntong, after all.

Quietly getting rid of a person or two is nothing.

Especially for someone with a Zhongtong background.

There's even less sentiment to speak of.

Wu Jingzhong knew this Xie Ruolin, a black-market scalper, had a decent relationship with Hong Zhiyou.

However, in his eyes, he didn't count as an important figure.

Crucially, if Li Ya really killed Xie.

That would mean he had caught a big handle on him; no matter how you look at it, this deal was worth it.

"Understood."

"Give me two more days; if he still doesn't open his mouth, I'll send him to the river to feed the fish," Li Ya nodded.

Infirmary.

Dr. Liao, carrying his medical bag, followed the basement clerk, walking hurriedly to the lobby.

He bumped right into Yu Zecheng.

"Dr. Sun, what happened?" Yu Zecheng asked.

"Deputy Station Chief Yu, this..." Liao Hua didn't know how to answer for a moment.

"Go ahead."

Yu Zecheng knew the rules, smiled, and didn't ask further.

"Yes."

Liao Hua hurried away.

"Someone is being tortured in the basement?" Yu Zecheng frowned sharply.

He walked quickly to the secretary's office and closed the door.

"Zhiyou."

"I just saw Liao Hua go to the basement; did the Station Chief reveal anything?" Yu Zecheng asked.

"The Station Chief's heart is as deep as the sea."

"Let alone me being the prospective son-in-law, even if I were his real son-in-law, he wouldn't necessarily tell me everything."

"It must be Li Ya who caught someone."

"I've seen him acting strange these past few days."

Hong Zhiyou put down his teacup and pondered.

"I feel like something is wrong."

"Li Ya blocked Cuiping at the Station Chief's house the day before yesterday and asked about Chen Cuiping; he even had photos."

"Now Cuiping has the possibility of being exposed at any time."

"And because of Cuiping's matter, she hasn't eaten for three days."

"Zhiyou, to tell you the truth, I don't even know if I should withdraw or stay."

"Once Li Ya confirms Cuiping's identity, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Yu Zecheng said with a nervous expression.

"Don't panic."

"If he's caught someone and is interrogating them, it means there's no lead yet."

"I'll go find out who was caught."

Hong Zhiyou said.

For Hong Zhiyou, this wasn't difficult.

The basement guards belonged to the Security Section.

Plus, his relationship with Liao Hua and Lu Baoxing wasn't bad.

By the afternoon.

Hong Zhiyou had received the news.

The person caught was Xie Ruolin.

This was somewhat unexpected for Hong Zhiyou.

It wasn't hard for Li Ya to know that Xie Ruolin had sold Cuiping's intelligence.

But Xie Ruolin had brokered many deals for Li Ya and was a member of the Dangtong Bureau; logically, Li Ya shouldn't have caught him.

Now it seems he had overestimated Li Ya's character.

This person had no bottom line at all.

To achieve his goal, he would stop at nothing.

The current difficulty was that the Station Chief didn't want him to get involved in the muddy water.

Yu Zecheng was also a suspect, and getting involved with Xie Ruolin without any relation would undoubtedly be like sticking a red-label tag on his forehead.

Hong Zhiyou had asked Liao Hua.

Old Xie had already been beaten to the brink of death.

If he wasn't rescued now.

According to the Station Chief's intention not to make a scene, it meant he was going to "cold-handle" it.

Saving a person is like fighting a fire; not a moment could be delayed.

"Who should I find?"

Hong Zhiyou frowned slightly and quickly thought of someone.

Lu Qiaoshan!

The fuse buried on Shang Bo's side had been lit for so long; it was time for it to explode.

But he couldn't say this himself.

He had to find someone to quietly pass the word to Sheng Xiang.

Lu Qiaoshan would definitely act.

Because he had a handle held by Xie Ruolin.

Sheng Xiang had once sold intelligence about Yuan Peilin hiding in the Embroidery Spring Tower; the buyer was Xie Ruolin, which had caused Sun Chuanzhi to lose a large sum of money.

Although it was fake intelligence.

But if Li Ya pinned Yuan Peilin's matter on Lu Qiaoshan, it wouldn't be a small crime.

After all, the case of Yuan Peilin's murder was related to the bombing of Yancheng, and even the Generalissimo had been alarmed.

It would depend on Old Lu.

Originally, this move with Shang Bo was left for Lu Qiaoshan.

Now it was just the right time to use it.

Doing this wasn't difficult.

Soon, Hong Zhiyou found someone to locate Sheng Xiang in the black market, made a small profit of a dozen US dollars from him, and leaked the news.

3:46 PM.

Sheng Xiang walked hurriedly into Lu Qiaoshan's office:

"Brother Shan, something happened."

"So jumpy."

"What's wrong?"

Lu Qiaoshan had felt a dull, stabbing pain in his chest for the past few days; at this moment, he was still flipping through that white paper.

Thinking that these pearls of words were all his own hard work.

And then looking at the three big characters "Zheng Jiemin" on the cover.

He was very annoyed.

What was even more depressing was that last night, Zheng Jiemin had come to urge for the manuscript without mentioning a shred of his credit.

He had mentioned several times whether he could add his name to the new manuscript.

Zheng Jiemin had dodged the question and refused him.

"Brother Shan."

"Xie Ruolin has been caught," Sheng Xiang said.

"He's been caught, what are you rushing for, what's wrong with you?" Lu Qiaoshan rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Brother Shan."

"He was caught by Li Ya; it's said he's been locked in the basement for days, and he's been beaten to the point of collapse."

"Liao Hua from the infirmary revealed it while drinking with someone."

Sheng Xiang said in a low voice.

"What does that have to do with us?" Lu Qiaoshan frowned.

"Brother Shan, don't forget."

"For Yuan Peilin's matter, I sold intelligence to Xie Ruolin."

"Listening to the rumors outside, when Liao Hua was treating Xie, he personally heard Li Ya interrogate Xie, mentioning the case of Yuan Peilin's assassination."

"Xie is a hard bone and has been holding out."

"But in my opinion, he won't hold out for long; if he spills, it'll be trouble."

"Don't forget, the intelligence on Okamura was bought from him."

"Yuan Peilin plus Okamura, the Generalissimo has inquired about both; Brother Shan, saving a person is like fighting a fire, we can't wait anymore."

Sheng Xiang said anxiously.

He was a direct participant in both matters; if Xie really spilled, he would be caught for sure.

"This is indeed a troublesome matter."

"Don't make a scene on your end; keep a close eye on Li Ya in secret, and don't let him transfer the person."

"Leave the rest to me."

Lu Qiaoshan instructed cautiously.

Xie Ruolin was no ordinary person.

He was a favorite under Sun Chuanzhi.

Likewise, he was also a tool for certain people in the upper echelons of the Ministry of National Defense; otherwise, how could he have obtained Okamura's top-secret intelligence in the first place?

And it was the only copy.

He had been able to keep it for so many days without it expiring.

Once this news reached the Ministry of National Defense, certain upper-echelon figures would definitely be more anxious than him.

At least one person, Lu Qiaoshan knew.

He Yingqin's adjutant, Lai Tonghai.

This person was deeply involved in the intelligence market.

With one Lai Tonghai and one Ye Xiufeng, he didn't believe they couldn't handle a Li Ya.

"Li Ya, oh Li Ya."

"You really know how to poke a hornet's nest."

A cold smile appeared on the corner of Lu Qiaoshan's mouth.

"Zhang Li, go to the equipment room and get a listening inspection device," he ordered for caution's sake.

Zhang Li took the order, stepped in high heels, and wiggled her hips as she left.

Just watching her hips wiggle those few steps made Lu Qiaoshan annoyed.

Like Wu Jingzhong, he had a decent prostate, but he had no interest in women.

Except for money and power, everything else was floating clouds.

If it weren't for the fact that this woman knew foreign languages and would be useful later, he would have cleared Zhang Li out long ago.

"Section Chief Lu, I've brought it," Zhang Li walked in.

Lu Qiaoshan personally checked it once to ensure the phone wasn't being monitored, then ordered:

"Zhang Li, you go outside and guard the door; without my permission, no one is allowed to enter."

"Including... Secretary Hong."

"Understood, Section Chief Lu," Zhang Li took the order and walked out.

Lu Qiaoshan picked up the desk phone and quickly dialed Lai Tonghai's number:

"Adjutant Lai, it's me, Lu Qiaoshan."

"It's like this."

"Li Ya of our Jinhai Station arrested Xie Ruolin today; yes, that scalper from the Dangtong Bureau."

"Xie Ruolin couldn't withstand the torture and asked someone to plead for him to me."

"He said he knows you."

"The problem is, I don't get along with this Li Ya; you must have heard about that little matter in Beiping."

"So, I was wondering if you could discuss it with Bureau Chief Ye."

"I don't mean anything else."

"If he can be saved, save him; if not, it's his fate."

"But I see he's been beaten very badly, and it's hard to say how much longer he can hold on."

"Hmm, what could Xie Ruolin have done?"

"Nothing more than scalping some intelligence, getting some supplies, and so on."

"Alright, sorry to trouble you."

"Give my regards to Minister He, goodbye."

He hung up the phone.

Lu Qiaoshan made another call to Sheng Xiang, telling him to notify Sun Chuanzhi.

After doing all this.

Lu Qiaoshan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

That dog Li Ya is really jumping around happily.

He had to get Old Shang's intelligence as soon as possible to give him a good checkmate.

Station Chief's office.

Wu Jingzhong leaned on the sofa for a short nap, and as soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Yu Zecheng and Hong Zhiyou talking.

Just today alone.

He had attended four meetings.

Back and forth, it was all the same old talk; today a special envoy from the Ministry of National Defense, tomorrow someone from the Generalissimo's aide-de-camp office.

It was endless.

At his age, he really couldn't take it.

He dozed off during a meeting and was even called out by Zhang Qun, which made him lose a lot of face.

"Teacher is awake."

Hong Zhiyou quickly handed him a hot towel.

Wu Jingzhong applied it to his face to soothe his spirit:

"Sigh."

"Zecheng, from now on, as long as it's not a special envoy meeting for the Generalissimo, you will attend all others on my behalf."

"Day after day, it's nothing but meetings."

"If we keep meeting like this, we won't even need to do our security work."

He leaned his head on the sofa and complained unhappily.

Actually, he wasn't very willing to let Yu Zecheng go.

In the past, Lu Qiaoshan would have been very suitable.

But now Yu Zecheng is the Deputy Station Chief; according to the system and rules, if he doesn't go himself, it has to be him at the very least.

To have fewer worries, he could only labor himself.

However, his body really couldn't take it.

The meeting venues were full of old chain-smokers; just the smell alone could choke someone to death.

"Yes, the war at the front is tight."

"The front and rear lines need to summarize the united front, and intelligence is the top priority."

"Livelihood and the military need to crack down on scalping and corruption."

"City defense and military equipment also need the participation of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics."

"Not to mention catching red-labels."

"Teacher, you have endless meetings to attend."

Yu Zecheng smiled.

He had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.

Being able to participate in such confidential meetings meant he could continuously transport intelligence to the organization's organs.

"Yes."

"If we could win battles just by having meetings, that would be great," Wu Jingzhong smiled.

Just as they were talking, the phone rang.

Wu Jingzhong got up to answer: "Hello, it's me."

As soon as he finished speaking, his expression became serious:

"Bureau Chief Ye, Jingzhong knows absolutely nothing about this matter you mentioned."

"To tell you the truth."

"I haven't been to the station for a week, drifting outside all day attending meetings; I really don't know what happened in the station."

"Furthermore, you also know that Li Ya is Jianfeng's man."

"He has always acted on his own, and I can't keep an eye on him either."

"Yes, yes!"

"I'll go ask; if this really happened, as long as there's no major problem, I guarantee I'll release the person."

"Goodbye."

Clack.

He hung up the phone.

"Well, Ye..."

He hadn't finished his sentence.

The phone rang again.

"It's me."

"Oh, it's Adjutant Lai."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, Bureau Chief Ye just mentioned it to me, and I'm investigating it now."

"Oh, he's scalping compressed biscuits for the Seventh War Zone, is he? Since he's a person personally appointed by Minister He, how could Jingzhong dare not comply."

"Rest assured, I'll go ask Li Ya right now."

"I'll strive to release the person as soon as possible."

After finishing, he hung up the phone.

"Ye Xiufeng, Lai Tonghai, both have come to me to ask for people," Wu Jingzhong curled his lips and sneered.

"Teacher."

"What exactly is going on?"

"Listening to the tone, Captain Li has caught their people?"

Yu Zecheng asked.

"Yes."

"Li Ya caught a scalper from the Dangtong Bureau, the guy who used to go to Mu Liancheng's house to extort money and stutters when he talks," Wu Jingzhong said.

"Xie Ruolin," Hong Zhiyou said.

"Right, that's him."

"They say he colluded with red-labels and sold intelligence."

"I'm really fed up."

"Either firing at our own people or provoking old enemies; it's like they think I have too few meetings a day and am too idle."

Wu Jingzhong smiled.

For him, Xie Ruolin's matter could be handled any way.

It was Li Ya's business anyway.

If Li Ya comes, follow what Li Ya says.

If someone wants to save him, release him immediately.

Of course, he preferred the latter; it's good to let people outside put some pressure on Li Ya, otherwise this guy will never stop going crazy.

He didn't have that much energy or time to play with him.

"Station Chief, Director Sun from the Dangtong Bureau is here and says he wants to see you."

"Do you want to see him or not?"

Just as they were talking, Lu Qiaoshan walked in and reported.

Sun Chuanzhi, as the office director of the Dangtong Bureau in Jinhai, although one belonged to the Party Department and the other to the Ministry of National Defense, his status was equal to Wu Jingzhong's.

Wu Jingzhong didn't like this person.

But after all, they were both eating the Party-State's rice, and they would see each other every day; he had to give him this much face.

"Invite him in," he thought for a moment and ordered.

(End of chapter)