Chapter 165: Cheng Qianfan Will Become a Traitor Sooner or Later!

“On Avenue Joffre...”

“Hundred Herbs Medicine Shop.”

Hearing Haozai mention that address, Cheng Qianfan felt both surprised and excited.

He was excited because he had previously learned from Old Mo’s confession that Huang San of Hundred Herbs Medicine Shop was a Japanese agent, but he had never found a suitable opportunity to “reveal” that intelligence.

Now, thanks to Haozai’s surveillance, Hundred Herbs Medicine Shop and the British Tea and Coffee House had been linked together through Miss Ruth.

As a result, Hundred Herbs Medicine Shop and its owner Huang San would naturally fall within the scope of investigation.

What surprised him was that Miss Ruth truly seemed very likely to be a Japanese agent.

This woman was connected to both Hundred Herbs Medicine Shop and the British Tea and Coffee House.

This was absolutely not a coincidence.

Intelligence work did not believe in coincidences.

A connection to a single surveillance target was enough to arouse suspicion.

To be connected to two separate Japanese strongholds was even more significant.

In Cheng Qianfan’s mind, he had already concluded that Miss Ruth was a Japanese agent.

“Well done.”

Cheng Qianfan looked pleased as he praised Haozai.

The boy was cautious in his work, yet also clever.

It was just that his handwriting...

“Haozai, when I have time, I’ll teach you to read and write,” Cheng Qianfan said.

“Team Leader, I don’t want to learn.”

Haozai shook his head, looking frightened.

Cheng Qianfan was surprised.

This was the first time he could remember Haozai refusing one of his orders.

“Idiot. Being illiterate is like being blind with your eyes open,” Cheng Qianfan scolded. “You should know the rules of the Special Service Office. People who can read and write, people with an education, are valued more than ordinary people and get promoted faster.”

After being scolded, Haozai could only lower his head and say that he was willing to learn.

However, he secretly made up his mind.

Even after learning to read and write, he would continue using his old method when recording intelligence.

It was the safest way.

Apart from himself, nobody would know what he had written.

Cheng Qianfan glared at Haozai and picked up the notebook again with great interest.

Even with all his experience, he had to admit that the boy was truly a talent.

If this notebook were lost, or even captured by the enemy, nobody could figure out what it contained in a short amount of time unless Haozai himself explained it.

Indeed, Haozai believed that his intelligence-recording method came with its own built-in cipher that nobody could “decrypt.”

Cheng Qianfan’s view was that it could be decrypted.

It simply required time.

And on the intelligence front, such a time advantage was already extraordinarily valuable.

“In the future, continue recording intelligence using your own method.”

Seeing Haozai’s delighted expression, Cheng Qianfan added sternly,

“Don’t celebrate too early. You still have to learn how to read and write. There’s no escaping it.”

Number 26 Rue Vallon.

He Guan’s residence.

This was a house he had secretly rented for himself.

The purpose was to maintain secrecy whenever he someday undertook some “great undertaking.”

Now it happened to be useful.

He Guan opened a can of fruit, a can of fish, a plate of pickled vegetables, and several cold meat-filled steamed buns.

“The conditions are rough. We’ll have to make do.”

As he spoke, he looked at Fang Muheng.

The eldest son of the wealthy food merchant Fang Guohua surely lived a comfortable life, eating delicacies every day.

He wondered whether this newly sworn brother could endure hardship.

“He Guan, don’t underestimate me. I’m not someone who can’t endure hardship.”

Fang Muheng picked up a meat bun, took a huge bite, then used his chopsticks to pick up a slice of yellow peach.

Liu Bo looked at the two of them and thought to himself that perhaps these young masters had a mistaken understanding of what hardship meant.

These two fools could feast on meat and fish every day.

How could the hardworking people of the Yamato race tolerate such a thing?

The Chinese did not deserve such luxurious lives.

After running around for half a day, all three men were exhausted.

They quickly devoured every bit of food.

“We’ve searched for so long and still haven’t found Ah Hai.”

Frowning, He Guan asked Fang Muheng,

“Brother Fang, think again. Are there any other places Ah Hai might go?”

“We’ve already checked every place I could think of.”

Fang Muheng shook his head.

“Ah Hai is too cautious. If he had brought me into the organization earlier, I could have found him directly and wouldn’t have needed to trouble you two.”

When Fang Muheng arrived at the Shen Bao office that morning, he learned a piece of news that shocked him beyond belief.

Ah Hai was a Communist.

He had been captured by National Government agents the previous night.

According to reports, he had been shot several times and his fate was unknown.

Fang Muheng was stunned.

He had always known that Ah Hai was a Communist.

What he had not expected was that Ah Hai would run into trouble.

How could this happen?

Ah Hai had been far too careless.

Fang Muheng hurriedly requested permission from the editor to go out and gather material, then left the newspaper office.

He wanted to find Ah Hai.

He wanted to help him.

Knowing that Ah Hai might have been shot, Fang Muheng was deeply worried.

Soon, after wandering the streets for a while, Fang Muheng suddenly realized something.

For his good friend Ah Hai, whom he had always thought he understood well, the truth was completely different.

Most importantly, he did not even know where Ah Hai lived.

This made Fang Muheng extremely anxious.

In his desperation, he directly sought help from Liu Bo and He Guan.

These two good brothers were policemen.

Surely they had ways and connections.

The three men investigated all the places that Fang Muheng believed Ah Hai might have used as hideouts.

After a great deal of effort and exhaustion, they found nothing.

Both He Guan and Fang Muheng looked toward Liu Bo.

Among the three, Liu Bo had the sharpest mind.

The three of them understood their own strengths.

They often joked that He Guan was responsible for action, Fang Muheng for talking, and Liu Bo for thinking.

A very good team configuration.

“Muheng, are you sure you haven’t been exposed?” Liu Bo asked after some thought.

“No.”

Fang Muheng shook his head.

“If I had been exposed, those despicable agents would already have arrested me. Besides, I’ve always acted cautiously and never made any mistakes.”

Liu Bo nodded.

Although he believed there was a very high probability that a fool like Fang Muheng had exposed himself, the man’s serious and confident tone created an illusion.

Perhaps this fellow usually appeared so foolish that the Chinese National Government agents had simply overlooked him.

“Ah Hai must have reported your situation to his superiors,” Liu Bo said. “What you need to do now is wait. Wait for them to contact you again.”

“Is that the only option?”

Fang Muheng sounded disappointed.

“I’m worried about Ah Hai.”

“We’re all saddened by what happened to Ah Hai, and we’re worried as well. But all we can do is wait.”

Liu Bo spoke earnestly.

He felt it was necessary to give these two fools a proper lesson.

“Patriotic action isn’t a children’s game. It isn’t hosting banquets and dinner parties. It means facing dangers of every kind. Therefore, we must be cautious and protect ourselves.”

Liu Bo felt mentally exhausted.

His real concern was being exposed because of these two idiots.

“Listen to Liu Bo.”

He Guan nodded.

Although he could be reckless at times, there was one thing he understood clearly.

He was not good at thinking.

Therefore, he should listen to people who were.

Just as when he had previously spent time with Cheng Qianfan, Cheng Qianfan was responsible for making plans while He Guan excelled at taking action.

“Fine.”

Fang Muheng nodded.

“I have a suggestion. Our group is still too weak,” He Guan said. “We should recruit more patriots and expand our ranks.”

“I agree!”

Fang Muheng immediately raised his hand in support.

Liu Bo also nodded.

Naturally, he strongly supported the idea.

The larger the group became, the better.

If all the anti-Japanese elements gathered together in one place, it would be ideal.

Then they could be wiped out in a single thunderous strike.

Once rats emerged from the sewers, there was only one path awaiting them.

Death.

“I’d like to recommend someone. He’s a colleague of mine at the police station,” He Guan said. “Brother Liu knows him well too.”

“You mean...?”

Liu Bo deliberately dragged out his words while thinking about which officer at the Central Police Station hated the Empire.

“Brother Liu has probably guessed already. Cheng Qianfan.”

Liu Bo was greatly surprised.

From what he knew, Cheng Qianfan had always stayed away from politics.

Moreover, although Cheng Qianfan concealed it well, he occasionally revealed a trace of goodwill toward Japan in his remarks.

Later, Liu Bo learned from Yingzuo Eiichi that Cheng Qianfan had once studied at the East Asia Common Culture Academy.

That made him view Cheng Qianfan even more favorably.

This should be a man who had been educated and influenced by the Empire and who maintained a friendly attitude toward it.

Yet in He Guan’s eyes, Cheng Qianfan was actually an anti-Japanese activist?

Could it be that Cheng Qianfan had been pretending to be close to the Empire all along?

As these thoughts raced through Liu Bo’s mind, he suddenly heard:

“I object!”

Fang Muheng spoke emotionally.

“Muheng, you...?”

Liu Bo looked surprised.

“I know Cheng Qianfan. He’s a black-hearted policeman.”

Fang Muheng spoke without noticing the awkward expressions on He Guan’s and Liu Bo’s faces.

“He bullies merchants and despises and humiliates patriots. A man like that is someone we should overthrow. How can he become someone we recruit instead?”

Looking at the indignant Fang Muheng, Liu Bo nodded inwardly.

Exactly.

This was the Cheng Qianfan he knew.

He turned to He Guan, wanting to hear his response.

He Guan was caught off guard.

In his impression, Cheng Qianfan was a highly capable friend.

He was not a bad person.

In fact, he was an ideal recruitment target.

How had he become such a terrible person in Fang Muheng’s eyes?

“Brother Liu, you’re on good terms with Qianfan. Say something fair,” He Guan said.

“My relationship with Little Cheng is indeed very good. I admit that he’s a fine young man.”

Liu Bo looked directly into He Guan’s eyes.

“However, there is one thing that has always puzzled me. Little Cheng’s attitude toward the Japanese seems somewhat ambiguous.”

“What?”

Fang Muheng shouted.

“Qianfan did study at a Japanese school before, so it’s inevitable that he was influenced to some extent, but...”

He Guan tried to defend Cheng Qianfan.

“Traitor!”

Fang Muheng slammed the table.

“He’s a traitor poisoned by Japanese influence!”

He paused before declaring firmly:

“I’ll say this now. Even if he isn’t a traitor today, he will definitely become one in the future!”

Shanghai Railway Station.

Zhou Ru stepped off the train.

She carried a peach-pink suitcase containing her clothes and several books.

Most importantly, it contained a radio set.

Zhou Ru had never used this particular model before.

It was a five-watt shortwave radio, one of the newest models among the recently arrived German aid shipments to China.

It was said to have stable output and a low failure rate.

Only a few dozen units existed in total.

The Special Service Office had obtained ten of them.

The Nanjing headquarters had argued fiercely over those ten radios.

The fact that Deputy Director Yu had managed to secure one and entrust it to her for transport to Shanghai astonished Zhou Ru.

Privately, Zhou Ru speculated that the leader of the independent sleeper cell she was about to join must possess extremely powerful connections.

Cheng Qianfan had brought Haozai with him and had been waiting at the railway station for quite some time.

At last, the train from Hangzhou arrived.

His gaze casually swept toward the third streetlamp to the left of the station exit.

At that moment, a woman carrying a peachwood-colored suitcase stopped beneath the third streetlamp.

Cheng Qianfan waited for approximately two minutes.

The woman did not leave.

He signaled to Haozai with his eyes.

Haozai moved away and stood guard twenty to thirty metres away.

“Miss, may I ask if you are Miss Wu Fang from Hangzhou City?”

Cheng Qianfan walked over and spoke softly.