Chapter 332: Sending You on Your Way

"Why wouldn't it be Hong Zhiyou?"

"Besides him, who else could get their hands on this kind of gun right now?" Sheng Xiang expressed his confusion.

"Two points.

"Do you think if Hong Zhiyou had sent someone to do it, he would be stupid enough to leave the gun at the scene?

"The US military manages this type of new sniper rifle very strictly.

"Anyone would suspect him immediately.

"The killer left the gun at the scene to mislead us, to make us think it was Hong Zhiyou who did it."

Lu Qiaoshan said in a deep voice.

"Hmm, that's true.

"Hong Zhiyou is a crafty fellow; he wouldn't do something so foolish." Sheng Xiang nodded.

"Also.

"Li Ya has been getting very close to a US military second lieutenant named Anderson lately.

"This man is a hopeless drunk who will do anything for money.

"It is highly likely that Li Ya got the gun from Anderson."

Lu Qiaoshan took a sip of coffee and continued.

There was another point: he considered his relationship with Hong Zhiyou to be decent for the time being.

Lu Ming and Hong Zhiyou had no direct conflict of interest.

For such a deep, irreconcilable blood feud over the death of a son, Hong Zhiyou would gain nothing by doing it.

"Brother Shan is right.

"Secretary Hong's relationship with you is still good on the surface.

"But isn't it a bit too extreme for Li Ya to do this?"

After all, Sheng Xiang had come out of the Luojiawan training center, and his sharp intuition as an agent always made him feel that something was not quite right.

"Extreme?

"Last time in Beiping, he even dared to personally storm the inspection team to cause trouble for me face-to-face.

"Is there anything he wouldn't do?"

Lu Qiaoshan said coldly.

"Brother Shan, is there a possibility that the Red agents did it?

"The goal would be to scare us, to transfer Qian Siming early, and then strike from there.

"According to what Qian Siming said.

"At the time, Liu Shan had gone out to buy books, and Lu Ming was helping to tidy up the flower pots by the window, which is how the killer found the opportunity," Sheng Xiang reminded him.

"That possibility cannot be ruled out.

"Let's leave it at that; transfer Qian Siming first. This is also the intention of Deputy Minister Zheng."

Lu Qiaoshan rubbed his chin and did not pursue it further.

To him, whether it was Li Ya, Yu Zecheng, or the Red agents in Jinhai, it didn't matter.

Because these people in the Jinhai Station were all on his revenge list.

Every one of them had to die.

After Lu Qiaoshan finished handling Lu Ming's funeral, he returned to the Garrison Headquarters.

"Old Lu, it's time to move Qian Siming.

"That female professor from Yenching University you arrested last time went back and made the news of Qian Siming's lecture at Yenching public.

"She even claimed that Qian Siming was being detained by us.

"It's been almost a week past the lecture date, and some commercial newspapers and Democratic League papers are all accusing us.

"Students are gathering in groups at Qian Siming's old residence.

"Our public opinion position is very passive. Deputy Minister Zheng's intention is to transfer him as soon as possible; it's time to act."

As soon as Peng Chengtao walked in, he began to persuade him earnestly.

"What kind of tricks are Fu Zuoyi and He Siyuan playing? How can they condone this Chen Yan running wild? And are there no one in charge of those newspapers in Beiping?

"Are Wang Puchen and Qiao Jiacai just a bunch of useless freeloaders?"

Lu Qiaoshan was already filled with rage, and he couldn't help but slam the table and curse.

"Old Lu.

"The current Bureau of Investigation and Statistics is not like the Military Statistics Bureau during Boss Dai's time; not many people are afraid anymore.

"Let alone us, even when Mao Renfeng speaks, how many people listen?

"I know you're holding back anger and fire, but send him away quickly to avoid further complications.

"Gu Zhutong is about to be transferred to Chief of the General Staff of the Ministry of National Defense, and Tang Zong is always shooting cold arrows from behind. These are not people to be trifled with, and Deputy Minister Zheng is under a lot of pressure too."

Peng Chengtao frowned.

"What time is it now? Whether we catch the Red agents or not is no longer important.

"Look at the current situation; who is still catching Red agents?

"We don't seek merit, only to avoid mistakes.

"Having the mind to fill one's own pockets... that is the most important thing."

As he spoke, he leaned in closer and made a gesture of counting money.

"Right now, students and Red agents are blocking the outside of Qian Siming's residence twenty-four hours a day; there's simply no chance to transfer him.

"You tried it in the middle of the night last time, too.

"This group of students even dares to block military vehicles, and on top of that, the man surnamed Qian is threatening to die to show his resolve, just staying there and refusing to come out. If we use force, he'll commit suicide. It really is hard to handle."

Lu Qiaoshan sighed slightly, feeling quite a headache.

"That's right, we need to find a legitimate reason to get Qian Siming out." Peng Chengtao rubbed his nose and began to ponder.

"The hospital.

"Even if the students are fierce, they can't storm the emergency room, right?

"But I can't think of the follow-up operations for a moment."

He suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

"The hospital?"

Lu Qiaoshan narrowed his eyes, deliberated for a moment, and nodded:

"The hospital is not a bad suggestion.

"I'll think it over and get the person transported to Wandao as soon as possible."

"Then I'll wait for your good news." Peng Chengtao stood up and walked out.

"The hospital?"

Lu Qiaoshan tapped his fingers rhythmically on the sofa.

Soon, the prototype of a plan formed in his mind.

He quickly stood up, grabbed his coat, and walked out of the office.

Downstairs, he drove straight to the hospital.

At the side door of the hospital, several coffins were waiting there.

These were for patients who were about to die or for the families of those who had died unexpectedly. Once the hospital completed the procedures, they could collect the bodies, place them directly into the coffins, and transport them to the funeral home or their homes.

Although the Ministry of the Interior had been promoting cremation, except for a very small number of cities like Shanghai, Changchun, and Wuhan that had established crematoriums in operation.

In most cities across the country, including Jinhai, burial remained the primary method.

A few days ago, Lu Qiaoshan had brought Lu Ming home in the same way.

Coffins!

Lu Qiaoshan drove to the coffin shop on the street adjacent to the Shuitun Prison.

The owner, sporting a black beard, sat at the entrance smoking a dry pipe.

Seeing him, the owner nodded and bowed hurriedly: "Seeing a coffin brings wealth; please come in, sir."

"Make... two coffins.

"I need 'living coffins,' the kind that can let air in."

Lu Qiaoshan got straight to the point.

"Living coffins? This is..." The owner didn't quite understand.

"It's for a living person to lie in, the kind that won't suffocate someone," Lu Qiaoshan said.

"Understood.

"I can cut two large gaps in the floorboards, and additionally, place two wooden blocks where the coffin lid covers it to make the coffin slightly larger. That way, even when the lid is closed, there will be enough support to leave plenty of ventilation gaps."

The owner was clearly a man who understood, and he immediately had a plan.

"Two of them.

"How soon can you deliver them?" Lu Qiaoshan asked.

"I'll rush the work; the day after tomorrow should be about right," the owner said.

"It's not about 'about right'."

"That is certain."

"Otherwise, I'll shoot you, understand?"

After Lu Qiao showed his credentials, he grabbed a handful of silver dollars and slapped them into his hand.

"Understood, officer." The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly.

Lu Qiao straightened his clothes.

Operations Team office.

"Captain Li, the men we had tracking Lu Qiao just discovered he went to order two coffins," Gao Yuan reported as he walked into the office.

"Coffins?" Li Ya frowned.

After a moment of contemplation, he smoothed his brow and smiled: "That is a pretty good trick; tell Liu Shan to be sharp."

"Understood." Gao Yuan nodded.

"Also, notify Ding Defeng to prepare two more corpses; I have a use for them," Li Ya instructed.

Two days later.

8: 3 AM.

Qian Siming finished breakfast and habitually sat on the sofa to read the newspaper.

"Are the students still outside?" he asked.

"Yes."

"There must be over a hundred of them."

"A batch came from Beiping, but they are mainly from Beiyang and Nankai."

"They want to come in to visit you; they sent representatives to talk several times, but they were all blocked by people from the Garrison Headquarters."

"Now, rumors are spreading outside that you have been detained by the Secret Service Bureau, and there is also news that you have been poisoned and transported to Wandao."

"Everyone is afraid that something might happen to you, so they are taking turns standing guard outside."

Liu Shan answered respectfully.

"It has been hard on them," Qian Siming sighed.

"Teacher, they might be planning to transfer you; you must be careful," Liu Shan warned while serving warm tea.

"Who do you mean by 'they'?" Qian Siming asked, looking up.

Liu Shan smiled slightly and did not answer again.

"You tell the people outside, Laozi will die right here even if I die; if they want me to go to Wandao, there is no chance."

Qian Siming took the tea and drank a few mouthfuls; just as he was about to stand up, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, and his vision began to go black.

"Teacher, are you alright?" He saw Liu Shan's blurry face swaying before him.

"You, you..."

White foam spilled from the corners of Qian Siming's mouth, and he collapsed to the ground, his whole body convulsing.

Liu Shan rushed out like an arrow and shouted to the outside:

"Oh no, Professor Qian is having a seizure."

"Someone come quickly."

Lu Qiao and the men from the Operations Division immediately rushed in, threw the person onto a stretcher, and carried him out.

"What, what happened?"

The students outside immediately crowded around, and the leader, Guo Youliang, asked in alarm.

"Professor Qian has fallen suddenly ill and must receive medical attention immediately," Lu Qiao said sternly.

"It must be you people playing tricks on Professor Qian," a student in the crowd shouted.

"That's right, you Secret Service Bureau people love using these underhanded tactics."

"They want to harm Professor Qian, stop them."

The students were all filled with righteous indignation.

"You can make a scene, but if you delay the emergency treatment, your Professor Qian will have to go see the King of Hell," Lu Qiao said coldly, looking around at them.

"Quick, quick, everyone hurry and make way." Guo Youliang came to his senses and hurriedly organized the students to make way.

Lu Qiao waved his hand, and his subordinates immediately carried the stretcher onto a truck.

"Everyone follow, go to the hospital."

Guo Youliang waved his hand.

The students swarmed after the truck, running.

Arriving at the hospital.

Ding Defeng had long been prepared and immediately pulled the person into the emergency room.

"Director Ding, are the other corpses ready?" Lu Qiao asked.

"Rest assured, everything has been arranged properly," Ding Defeng said.

"First, give Professor Qian the antidote, just keep him in a comatose state," Lu Qiao instructed.

After giving the instructions.

He went to Ding Defeng's office on the second floor, picked up the receiver, and dialed the number:

"It's almost done here; is the plane ready?"

"Good."

He hung up the phone.

He walked to the window; the students below were blocking the hospital entrance, and those who tried to rush into the hospital were all stopped by soldiers.

"Old Lu, there are quite a few people."

"Even firing shots won't scare them off."

Peng Chengtao walked in.

"This bunch of trash is getting more and more restless."

"This is because the suppression hasn't been ruthless enough."

"Especially that leader, Guo Youliang; next time, no matter what, I must shoot him first."

Lu Qiao closed the curtain and said coldly.

"The plane is ready and can fly at any time," Peng Chengtao said.

"Wait."

"To do a play, you must do the whole thing; the rescue needs some time," Lu Qiao said, glancing at his watch.

"Hmm."

"The other corpse is ready, just waiting to be put in the coffin," Peng Chengtao nodded and said.

Half an hour later.

Lu Qiao walked to the emergency room: "Director Ding, how is it?"

"The poison has been neutralized; the person won't be able to wake up for a few hours," Director Ding said.

"Good."

"Take him to the back door immediately to be put in the coffin."

Lu Qiao instructed.

In this day and age, those who can afford to see a doctor at the Army Hospital are not necessarily rich or noble, but at least they have some family assets.

The hospital specifically opened a side door in the back; as long as you give a small tip, once the hospital issues the death certificate and registers it, you can put the body in the coffin from the side door immediately.

Arriving at the backyard.

Someone immediately placed Qian Siming into a coffin.

They then placed the other unknown corpse into the other coffin.

"Lift the coffins!" Peng Chengtao waved his hand.

Sixteen staff members carried the wooden poles tied with hemp ropes to lift the coffins.

A group of people carried the coffins out the back door.

Military police cleared the way in front.

In the corner of a nearby alley.

Dozens of funeral procession members dressed in mourning clothes were already prepared.

These were all new recruits Li Ya had transferred overnight from the Baoding Police Academy.

Li Ya instructed: "Listen well, once the students start making trouble later, you all act fierce. Remember, one of the coffins has a black scarf on it; find a way to get mixed up with them and take advantage of the chaos to swap the coffins."

"Understood," said a youth with a face full of acne who was leading them.

"And you lot, make the gongs, drums, and suonas loud, and cry more realistically."

"I'll have rewards for you later."

Li Ya pointed at the refugees he had brought in.

"Yes, boss," those people nodded hurriedly.

Over here, Lu Qiao and his group exited the back door; he gave a look to Liu Shan at his side:

"Liu Shan."

Liu Shan understood, took a scarf belonging to Qian Siming, and draped it over the coffin containing the unidentified corpse.

"Once this is done, I will immediately promote you to the Intelligence Division... as a formal staff member," Lu Qiaoshan said, patting him on the shoulder with a smile of approval.

"Those who understand the times are heroes."

"Division Chief Lu oversees two divisions and one group; your subordinate will naturally swear loyalty to the death."

Liu Shan hurriedly offered flattery.

"Hmm," Lu Qiaoshan nodded.

The moment the coffin left the door, before it could be loaded onto a vehicle, a swarm of students came rushing over.

"Professor Qian!"

"This... what is going on? Where is Professor Qian?" Guo Youliang blocked the front of the funeral procession with both hands.

"I am very sorry."

"Professor Qian could not be saved; he is in this coffin now."

Lu Qiaoshan patted the coffin, his face filled with grief.

"In accordance with Professor Qian's dying wishes, we are now escorting his remains to the airport to be sent back to Ludong for burial immediately."

"You may now bid farewell to Professor Qian."

He continued.

"You are lying! You must have been the ones who killed Professor Qian."

"They are deliberately using tricks to try and spirit Professor Qian away."

"Stop them!"

The students began to wave their fists and clamor.

"Bang!"

Lu Qiaoshan fired a warning shot.

"You are rebelling!"

"With such clamor, how can Old Qian rest in peace?"

"I am Lu Qiaoshan; I could kill ten of you in the past, and I can wipe all of you out today just the same."

"If you don't get lost now, don't blame my bullets for being blind."

He struck a menacing, murderous pose.

"Lu Qiaoshan, you murdered Old Qian and then shot at students; can you bear the responsibility for such a grave matter?"

"It does not matter if we are beheaded, as long as our principles are true!"

"We are not afraid!"

"We will escort Professor Qian's remains to Ludong; you executioners are not fit to guard the spirit."

Guo Youliang roared with righteous indignation.

"Take back the coffin!"

The students quickly crowded into a mass with the secret agents and soldiers.

Lu Qiaoshan did not dare to fire his gun rashly.

Firstly, too few people had come today.

Furthermore, there was no suitable pretext, and he had not received instructions from his superiors to suppress them.

"Move!"

Li Ya waved his hand, and the funeral procession, playing music, cut in from the side and headed straight for the coffin draped with the scarf.

"I will stay here to hold them off; you take the coffin and go that way," Peng Chengtao gestured and ordered.

"Good."

Lu Qiaoshan waved his hand, and under the desperate protection of the soldiers and agents, they squeezed the coffin of Qian Siming toward another street to the east.

They had just passed through the alley and squeezed out.

Heaven knows that it was even more chaotic over there; two funeral processions, one from the east and one from the west, came head-on, directly sandwiching Lu Qiaoshan's procession in the middle.

What was even more hellish was that both of those coffins, like theirs, were unpainted wooden coffins.

"Retreat, let them pass first," Lu Qiaoshan ordered.

"We can't leave."

"The students have caught up."

"Hurry!"

When those carrying the coffin saw the students chasing after them aggressively, carrying stones and book bags,

they ignored Lu Qiaoshan's order and plunged into the middle of the funeral processions.

Now it was a mess.

Three funeral processions were squeezed onto the street, and students were rioting and attacking.

For a moment, the scene descended into total chaos.

The pallbearers swayed, moving this way and that, until finally, they were forced to abandon the coffins, and all three coffins were left in the middle of the street, everything in disarray.

Lu Qiaoshan was also beaten black and blue by the students and could only cover his head and hide.

Toot!

Toot!

A dense crowd of patrol police blew their whistles and rushed over, raising their batons.

"Withdraw, withdraw."

Guo Youliang and the others waved their hands and led the students away.

"Liu Shan, which, which one is Professor Qian? Where is the mark you made?" Lu Qiaoshan shouted amidst the noise.

"That, that one, the one I marked with a line of chalk," Liu Shan shouted, pointing at one of the coffins.

"It is fortunate that you are quick-witted, kid."

"Quick, that one, carry it away!" Lu Qiaoshan shouted.

His subordinates then lifted that corpse, quickly loaded it onto a car, and headed straight for the airport.

The other two funeral groups did not dare to linger.

Each picked up their coffins and swarmed away under the urging of the police.

"Division Chief Lu, are you alright?" Inspector Li Dong walked over and handed Lu Qiaoshan a handkerchief.

Lu Qiaoshan touched his head and discovered he was actually bleeding.

"Inspector Li, detain those two funeral groups for me; I will interrogate them when I return from the airport," he said irritably, taking the handkerchief to press against his wound.

"Division Chief Lu, there must be a reason to arrest people," Li Dong said.

"I told you to arrest them, so arrest them; why so much nonsense?" Lu Qiaoshan said angrily.

"I apologize."

"Bureau Chief Bai sent me here to maintain order; there were no instructions to make arrests. Perhaps you should give Bureau Chief Bai a call," Li Dong said with a faint, neither humble nor pushy smile.

"You!"

In the time it took to delay, those two funeral processions and the students had long since vanished.

"I will settle the score with you later," Lu Qiaoshan pointed at him angrily.

When he returned to Jinmen this time, he had directly pushed Bai Shiwei from the Inspection Team to the Police Bureau; although his rank had not changed, his functions had been greatly reduced.

It would be strange if Bai Shiwei's men were willing to help him sincerely.

Lu Qiaoshan did not waste any more time; unable to go to the hospital, he walked toward the car his subordinates had driven over.

"Liu Shan."

He subconsciously wanted to call Liu Shan to get in the car.

Turning his head, he saw that Liu Shan had also disappeared, whether to arrest someone or do something else.

Lu Qiaoshan got into the car and headed straight for the airport.

Upon arriving at the airport.

The plane was already prepared.

"Division Chief Lu, where is Qian Siming?" An officer walked over and gave a military salute.

"In the coffin."

"This man is very unyielding and would rather die than go to the island. I have already drugged him so he will be unconscious for a while, which is enough for you to transfer him to Wandao," Lu Qiaoshan said, pointing at the coffin.

"Good."

The officer waved his hand, and someone immediately lifted the coffin onto the plane.

Soon, the plane taxied away amidst a roar.

Lu Qiaoshan let out a secret sigh of relief.

"Division Chief Lu, have we forgotten something?" Someone nearby whispered a reminder.

"What is it?" Lu Qiaoshan frowned.

"Verify the corpse."

"What if it is not Professor Qian inside?" the subordinate said.

Lu Qiaoshan shuddered all over.

With so many funeral processions appearing on the street in one day, it was clearly meticulously planned by someone.

He had just been dazed by the students' chaotic punches and stones.

He was only thinking about getting the person sent away quickly.

Plus, he had not yet emerged from the pain of losing his son, so his entire mental state was not in the right place, which was why he had been distracted and careless.

He had originally wanted to go to the control tower.

But his head was still oozing blood and hurting severely; he feared tetanus if he did not treat it immediately.

Moreover, the people at the control tower had always come from the aviation school; they were all Jianfeng's men, every one of them stubborn and obsessed with procedures and seeking authorization.

Even Chen Zhangjie could not order them around on a daily basis.

If he asked them to call the plane back, there was no telling how long they would drag their feet.

"Bah!"

"You crow's mouth, the one in the coffin is Professor Qian."

"Go and find Liu Shan."

"Tell him to wait for me at the station."

Lu Qiaoshan could not be bothered to pay him any mind; he got into the car and headed straight for the hospital.

……

"Quick, quick."

The men from the Baoding Police Academy and the suona and drum players carried the coffin into the courtyard.

"Boss, the coffin has been swapped; shouldn't our payment be settled?" A hunchback stepped forward, fawning as he asked for his wages.

Li Ya fished a stack of silver dollars out of his pocket.

Just as he was about to hand them over.

His sword-like brows furrowed, and he put the money back into his pocket: "No rush, open the coffin and let me see first."

He had already made up his mind.

If it were Qian Siming, he would not kill him, but hide him for a few days himself.

Once the fake that Lu Qiaoshan sent to Wandao was exposed, the Ministry of National Defense would surely be furious and search for the person, and he would then find an excuse to hand Qian Siming over.

Not only could he disgust Lu Qiaoshan, but he could also incidentally earn a great merit.

"Yes."

Someone immediately opened the coffin.

As soon as Li Ya saw the person inside, his face turned green, and he glared and shouted: "What is going on? Where is Qian Siming?"

"I, I don't know."

"We just snatched the coffin with the scarf draped over it," the man replied.

"You dog bastard!" Li Ya's cheeks tightened, his eyes flashed with a murderous glint, and he kicked the coffin lid fiercely.

He realized he had been played by Liu Shan.

"Boss, our wages..." The hunchback ignored this and asked for the money again.

Li Ya drew his gun and pressed it against his forehead:

"Money?"

"Do you believe I'll take your lives?"

"Get out of here, all of you!"

"Yes, yes." The hunchback and his group dared not offend him and hurriedly ran off in a flash.

"Take the coffin outside the city and bury it," Li Ya instructed his subordinates, then stormed off in a rage.

He swore that he would find that animal Liu Shan and skin him alive.

……

Liu Shan sprinted all the way to a corner of the Cao Gang wharf and, following Hong Zhiyou's prior instructions, hid inside a small covered boat.

There was water and food on the boat.

He ate his fill, lay down on the felt mat, and happily daydreamed about the future.

First tricking Li Ya, then tricking Lu Qiaoshan—staying in Jinhai any longer would only be a dead end.

But Secretary Hong had already promised him.

He would first send him to Changsha to lie low, and once his new identity was ready, he would arrange for him to take a post at the Hankou Yangtze River Water and Land Management Office.

Of course, he would also pay the remainder of his balance.

Thinking of this, Liu Shan touched the two gold bars, US dollars, and silver dollars in his pocket, a happy smile appearing on his face.

Once he received the final payment, even if he didn't go to Hankou.

This money would be enough for him to live out the rest of his life in comfort, and he could even marry a pretty wife to settle down.

He had a wonderful sleep.

When he woke up, it was already dark.

A candle was lit in the cabin.

As he opened his eyes, a middle-aged man wearing a long gown with a short beard, his eyes as deep as cold pools, was sitting cross-legged at the bow of the boat looking at him.

"Are you... sent by Secretary Hong?" Liu Shan asked with some unease.

"That's right."

"Secretary Hong told me to come and send you on your way."

"This is the remaining money."

Zhou Yan took out the gold bars, US dollars, and silver dollars, not a single cent missing, and placed them on the deck.

"Thank you." Liu Shan was overjoyed.

"Did you count it clearly?" Zhou Yan said.

"Counted it clearly." Liu Shan nodded.

"Then be on your way."

Zhou Yan flicked his hand, revealing a gleaming short axe.

……

(End of chapter)