Chapter 170: Fang Muheng Takes Action

“Madam, Mrs. Cao called and invited you over for cards.”

“Got it.”

At He Guan’s home on Honolulu Road.

Mrs. He hummed a little tune as she wore a brand-new qipao, “Mama Jing, what do you think? How does this outfit look on me?”

“Madam, wearing this qipao, you look ten years younger.”

Mama Jing said flatteringly.

“I’m old, old. Beauty fades with age.”

Mrs. He said while secretly feeling delighted, waving her hand dismissively.

“Madam, is Young Master Guan coming home for dinner today?”

Mama Jing asked.

She needed to prepare the day’s meals and wanted to know in advance.

“That little brat hasn’t come home for days.”

Mrs. He grumbled.

“Guan Guan loves small yellow croakers, buy two today.”

“Alright.”

After admiring herself in the full-length mirror a while longer, Mrs. He picked up her handbag and prepared to leave for the card game.

The moment she stepped outside, she saw a scruffy little boy peeking about at the entrance.

The sight startled her.

“You little brat, what are you doing blocking the doorway? Go, go, go.”

“Madam, is this Young Master He Guan’s house?”

“Where are you from? Why are you looking for my Guan Guan?”

Mrs. He asked in surprise.

“I... I’m delivering a letter for Sister Lan...”

The little boy was somewhat frightened.

He stretched out his hand, clutching a letter.

“What letter? Give it to me.”

“No. Sister Lan said it can only be given to Young Master He Guan.”

“Hand it over.”

Mrs. He snatched the letter from the little boy’s hand and immediately tore it open to read.

After only a brief glance, her expression changed dramatically.

Her face cycled through every color imaginable, and she resembled an enraged cat with fur standing on end.

“That little bastard!”

She grabbed the boy, who was trying to flee.

“Speak! Who is this Sister Lan?”

“Sister Lan, Sister Lan is Sister Lan from Cat’s Ear Alley... Madam, Madam, let me go.”

The little boy hopped around frantically.

In the confusion, he stepped on her foot.

Mrs. He cried out in pain and loosened her grip.

The boy fled in terror.

“Little bastard! A little bastard who learns nothing good!”

Mrs. He was too furious to bother chasing him.

Cat’s Ear Alley was the haunt of a group of shameless half-professional prostitutes.

That little brat was actually carrying on with one of those young prostitutes.

The thought nearly drove her mad.

Hearing the commotion outside, Mama Jing came out to investigate and saw Mrs. He turning left after exiting the house.

“Madam, Mrs. Cao’s house is to the right.”

“Not going!”

Mrs. He huffed angrily.

“Call Mrs. Cao and tell her I’m not going today.”

“Madam, where are you going?”

“To the police station!”

Looking haggard and unshaven, Fang Muheng arrived beneath the Shen Bao building.

“Mr. Fang, Mr. Fang.”

The gatekeeper, Old Kang, called out to him.

“Old Kang, what’s the matter?”

“Mr. Fang, there’s a letter for you.”

Old Kang handed him an envelope bearing a fresh postmark.

“Thanks, Old Kang.”

Fang Muheng took the letter and glanced at the words “To Be Opened Personally by Mr. Fang Muheng” scrawled across the envelope in handwriting that looked like a dog’s scratches.

He shook his head disdainfully.

He took great pride in Chinese characters.

Previously, a group within literary circles had advocated abolishing Chinese characters and replacing them with the Latin alphabet.

Fang Muheng had fiercely argued against them in newspaper columns.

Whoever had written this had atrocious handwriting.

Fang Muheng opened the letter.

Seeing that the contents were written in the same dog-scratch script, he shook his head again.

Then his expression suddenly changed.

He stuffed both the letter and envelope into his pocket and turned around to leave.

“Mr. Fang, aren’t you going to work?”

Old Kang shouted after him.

“Old Kang, help me ask the editor-in-chief for leave. I’m going out to gather material.”

Fang Muheng hailed a rickshaw and shouted back over his shoulder.

About an hour later.

No. 22 Rue Vallon.

Central Police Station.

Fang Muheng hurriedly paid his fare.

“Keep the change.”

He quickly approached the entrance and was about to walk in.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

A sentry grabbed him and asked.

“Reporter for Shen Bao.”

Fang Muheng produced his press credentials and replied impatiently.

Hearing that he was a reporter, the sentry’s expression immediately improved.

“Sir, who are you looking for?”

“Officer He Guan of Third Division.”

“Officer He isn’t here.”

The sentry replied.

“What about Officer Liu Bo?”

“Officer Liu is here. I can call him down for you.”

“Hurry up. If something important gets delayed, you won’t be able to bear the consequences.”

Fang Muheng snapped.

The sentry cursed inwardly.

He entered the guard booth, picked up the telephone, and cranked it.

“Connect me to Third Division.”

“This is Cheng Qianfan. What’s the matter?”

“Officer Cheng, there’s a reporter from Shen Bao outside looking for Officer Liu Bo.”

“Alright, I know.”

Cheng Qianfan hung up the phone and called toward Liu Bo, who was gambling with domino tiles.

“Brother Liu, a reporter from Shen Bao is outside looking for you.”

“Got it.”

Liu Bo leisurely rubbed his dominoes in his hand.

Suddenly he flipped them over.

“Hahaha! I take everything. Pay up, pay up.”

“Damn it!”

“Old Liu, your luck is incredible.”

Liu Bo burst out laughing as he accepted the banknotes handed over by the others.

After counting them, he returned half.

“Sorry, brothers. Someone’s looking for me. I need to step out.”

The others laughed and cursed as they accepted the refunded money.

“Go on, go on.”

Liu Bo did not leave immediately.

Instead, he changed into civilian clothes and then went to request leave from Jin Kemu.

Only then did he head outside.

Cheng Qianfan stepped into the corridor to smoke.

Watching Liu Bo hurry across the courtyard and meet Fang Muheng at the gate, he slowly exhaled a ring of smoke.

Big-Head Lu came over.

Cheng Qianfan took out a lighter and lit Big-Head Lu’s cigarette.

The two men stood there puffing away.

“What has Old Liu been busy with these past few days?”

Big-Head Lu pointed out the window and asked.

“No idea.”

Cheng Qianfan shook his head.

“I’ve been back in Shanghai for several days. Today was the first time I’ve run into Brother Liu.”

Big-Head Lu nodded and said nothing further.

The conversation turned to the unfortunate He Guan.

“What do you think Young Master Guan did to make Mrs. He come all the way to the station to drag him away?”

Big-Head Lu asked with a suggestive grin.

“Where’s He Guan?”

Fang Muheng asked urgently.

“His mother dragged him home.”

Liu Bo replied quietly.

“What happened?”

Just ten minutes earlier, Mrs. He had stormed into the police station and thoroughly berated He Guan, who had been gambling with dominoes.

The normally arrogant Young Master Guan had not dared move a muscle in front of his mother.

Like a kitten, he had been dragged away by the ear.

“They sent word to me.”

Fang Muheng said quietly, his tone excited.

“Where’s the letter?”

Liu Bo was overjoyed inside and immediately asked.

He did not linger at the entrance.

Leading Fang Muheng away, he continued talking as they walked.

“The handwriting is awful.”

Fang Muheng took out the letter.

Liu Bo glanced at him.

He found it amusing that this fellow was still fixated on the quality of the handwriting at a time like this.

From his experience, intelligence operatives deliberately disguised their handwriting when transmitting information.

If the writing looked beautiful, that would be the strange thing.

After carefully reading the letter, Liu Bo casually slipped it into his pocket.

“Come on. Let’s find somewhere secluded.”

Fang Muheng did not object in the slightest when Liu Bo pocketed the letter instead of returning it.

Seeing this, Liu Bo cursed inwardly:

Idiot.