Chapter 37: Boldly Playing the Tiger, Executing Zhang Si

Hong Zhiyou secretly cried out that it was bad.

Before coming, Wu Jingzhong had emphasized repeatedly: it must be resolved in secret; do not alert Xu Zhiwu.

He had thought the operation was covert enough, but he hadn't expected Zhang Si to be so cunning as to leave a backup plan.

What annoyed Hong Zhiyou even more was that Anderson's attitude was problematic.

According to the previously agreed-upon plan, the moment he gave the order, they could have begun the slaughter.

The excuse was ready-made: resisting arrest, shot dead on the spot.

He didn't know if the foreign devil had been intimidated by Zhang Si's presence or if he had other motives.

The submachine guns of this bunch had become mere decorations.

One could only say "ginger is still spicier when old"; the Station Chief was right, foreign devils cannot be relied upon!

"A single cloud-piercing arrow, and ten thousand soldiers and horses come to meet."

"In other places, this is just a line from a play."

"But in the Canal Gang, here with me, Master Zhang Si, it is your death warrant!"

Master Zhang Si mimicked the tone of a theatrical performer and laughed arrogantly.

Rumble!

Separated by only two streets, Xu Zhiwu's motorcade arrived quickly.

"Quick, charge in for me."

He jumped out of the car, drew his pistol, and strode to the front.

"Damn it, you dog foreigners, how dare you die on my turf."

Xu Zhiwu raised his hand and shoved aside the American soldiers guarding the gate.

The dozen or so Marine soldiers outside the door were immediately disarmed and kicked to the side.

"What the hell are you making such a fuss about in the middle of the night!"

With a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, Xu Zhiwu limped in, cursing as he went.

He was worthy of being an officer who had fought the Japanese and licked blood off the edge of a blade.

Xu Zhiwu's overbearing, manic aura left everyone unable to catch their breath.

"Officer Xu, you've come just in time."

"Long Er colluded with the Jinhai Station and the Americans to raid my warehouse, wanting to forcibly seize my property."

"I ask Officer Xu to preside over justice."

The situation turned abruptly; Master Zhang Si curled his lips and spoke in a loud, affected voice.

"You all have guts, don't you? Arrest them all and take them back to the barracks."

Xu Zhiwu waved his hand and gave the order.

"We are American..."

Anderson was just about to speak.

"American my foot!" One of Xu Zhiwu's adjutants raised his pistol and smashed it into his face.

"Ugh!"

Anderson let out a muffled groan and collapsed to the ground.

In an instant, dozens of Marines were driven to the corner by the soldiers, not daring to let out a peep.

Damn, the Americans are truly pathetic.

No wonder the Great Leader said they were paper tigers.

One still has to take the field oneself.

"Colonel Xu, you've come just in time." Hong Zhiyou breathed a slight sigh of relief and walked up to him with a smile.

"And who the hell are you?" Xu Zhiwu asked disdainfully.

"He is Wu Jingzhong's secretary, Hong Zhiyou."

"Officer Xu, this man framed me for harboring arms and sabotaging city defenses; he should be executed on the spot!"

"Hong Zhiyou, truly, there is a path to heaven you wouldn't take, and a door to hell you walked into yourself."

"Haha!"

Master Zhang Si laughed wildly.

The laughter was in full swing.

Hong Zhiyou suddenly drew his pistol and aimed it at his shiny, bald head.

Bang!

A shot to the soul!

"Ugh... ugh, how... how dare you..."

Master Zhang Si looked at Hong Zhiyou in disbelief.

"How dare I not?"

Hong Zhiyou's eyes turned cold, and he pulled the trigger repeatedly as if bullets cost nothing.

Master Zhang Si's chest instantly became a hornet's nest.

His fat body fell to the ground, twitching, his round eyes filled with unwillingness.

"You should thank Colonel Xu!"

"It was he who killed you!"

Hong Zhiyou calmly holstered his gun and smiled.

The sudden turn of events left everyone in the hall stunned.

"Old Zhang!"

Xu Zhiwu came to his senses, stepped forward to see the man was dead, and in a rage, drew his gun and pressed it against Hong Zhiyou's forehead:

"Damn it, I'll slaughter you!"

In an instant, dozens of guns were aimed at Hong Zhiyou.

"Colonel Xu, congratulations on your meritorious service."

"I am acting under the secret orders of Army Commander Yang to execute Zhang Si!"

"If you don't believe me, you can telegraph Officer Yang."

Hong Zhiyou did not change his expression and spoke without hesitation.

"Long Er, connect the phone," he ordered.

"Move aside!"

Long Er pushed at the soldiers in front of him.

The soldiers remained unmoved.

Xu Zhiwu's face was twisted and ferocious, his head swaying from side to side as he stared fixedly at Hong Zhiyou.

It was as if he wanted to see clearly what kind of medicine this madman was selling in his gourd.

Click!

He disengaged the safety, his finger hooked firmly on the trigger.

"Long Er, why haven't you gone yet? If you delay Army Commander Yang's important business, can you bear the responsibility?" Hong Zhiyou stood steady, his breath even, and spoke righteously.

"Get out of the way!"

Long Er spread his hands again.

Seeing that Xu Zhiwu had not signaled otherwise, the surrounding soldiers consciously cleared a path.

Long Er immediately rushed outside and shouted to his brothers in the shadows:

"Quick, connect the phone line."

Soon, the phone line was connected.

"You had better pray your life is tough enough!"

Xu Zhiwu gave Hong Zhiyou a cold look, holstered his gun, and walked to the telephone:

"This is Xu Zhiwu. Connect me to the combat readiness room; I have an urgent matter to report to Army Commander Yang."

In the combat readiness room, the atmosphere was somewhat strange.

Chen Zhangjie sat in the seat of honor.

Wu Jingzhong, Mou Tingfang, and Yang Wenquan were lined up on the left and right.

"Officer Chen, it is so late; is there a reason for summoning us?" Mou Tingfang sensed something strange.

The time was wrong.

The people were wrong.

If it were a military meeting, why were there no staff officers present?

Wu Jingzhong?

The Juntong head in Jinhai, a thorn in the side of the 94th Army.

Why was he here?

Even stranger was the large tape recorder sitting on the table.

"No rush!"

"Wait for the call," Chen Zhangjie said with a faint smile.

Wu Jingzhong kept his hands tucked into his sleeves, watching the two of them with a beaming smile.

"A phone call? What phone call?" A sense of foreboding rose in Yang Wenquan's heart.

Ring-ring!

The phone rang.

A guard nearby picked it up: "Commander Yang, it's for you."

Yang Wenquan hurriedly stood up to take it, and the murderous voice of Regiment Commander Xu came from the other end:

"Commander Yang, Wu Jingzhong's secretary has brought Americans to raid the docks.

"Zhang Si has also been shot dead on the spot by Hong Zhiyou.

"He said he was acting under your orders—isn't that a load of crap?

"Please give your instructions, Commander Yang."

Upon hearing this, Yang Wenquan was incensed: "Son of a bitch, he's coming for me.

"Right there, just..."

"Commander Yang, hold on. It wouldn't be too late to listen to this recording first," Wu Jingzhong interrupted him, pointing to the tape recorder.

"Zhiwu, keep an eye on them for me.

"Without my orders, no one is to move.

"Wait for the phone call!"

Realizing something was wrong, Yang Wenquan slammed the phone down.

"Wu Jingzhong, what the hell are you playing at?" He returned to the table and asked coldly.

"Listen!"

Wu Jingzhong pressed the play button.

When the recording finished, Mou Tingfang's expression changed drastically.

Yang Wenquan was even more ashen-faced, his whole body trembling like a sieve.

"Commander Yang, do you see now why this is a closed-door meeting?" Chen Zhangjie said solemnly.

"Commander, this is a frame-up, it's..."

Yang Wenquan pointed at the tape recorder, his voice lacking any conviction.

"A frame-up?

"If this is sent to Jingling, I don't think it will be hard for them to verify it.

"Oh, and by the way, Section Chief Lu Qiaoshan and the second young master of the Cao Gang—perhaps they can prove a thing or two as well."

Wu Jingzhong raised an eyebrow and sneered.

"Sigh!"

Mou Tingfang leaned back in his chair, tilted his head, and let out a sigh.

He had long known that Yang Wenquan was reselling military supplies.

Out of consideration for their past, he had turned a blind eye.

After all, they had crawled out of piles of corpses while fighting the Japanese; it was understandable for his own brothers to make some money to get by.

He hadn't expected the matter to come to light after all.

Chen Zhangjie and Wu Jingzhong had always been at odds with them.

He feared this disaster would be hard to survive.

"Commander, listen to my explanation..." Yang Wenquan still wanted to quibble.

Wu Jingzhong slammed the table hard and roared at him with authority:

"Yang Wenquan!

"You have some nerve!

"Assassinating officers, colluding with gangs, reselling military supplies!

"Any one of these charges is enough to get your head chopped off a hundred times over. If you want to argue, go argue in front of a military tribunal."

"I..." Yang Wenquan swallowed hard, shivering.

The evidence was conclusive, and there were witnesses.

Right now, the Generalissimo and Jiang Jianfeng were strictly investigating corruption to maintain the morale of the war effort.

Wu Jingzhong was also an old classmate of Jiang Jianfeng.

To commit such an offense at a time like this—

even the King of Heaven himself couldn't save him!

(End of chapter)