Chapter 18: A Bright Future Beyond the Willows

Chapter 18: A Bright Future Beyond the Willows

Chapter 018: A Bright Future Beyond the Willows

Xiu Gongshen was the translator and trusted confidant of Xi Neng, head of the Investigation Unit.

He assisted in managing the affairs of the Investigation Unit, whose primary responsibilities included arresting Communist activists.

This was also the department that Cheng Qianfan had always wanted to infiltrate.

Therefore, drawing close to Xiu Gongshen and becoming one of his trusted men was part of Cheng Qianfan’s plan.

This did not mean Cheng Qianfan was being opportunistic.

He genuinely respected both Xiu Gongshen and Teacher’s Wife He Xuelin and truly regarded them as elder relatives in his heart.

However, Cheng Qianfan never forgot what Comrade Zhulin had told him before his death.

Zhulin had suspected that Xiu Gongshen’s identity was far more complicated than merely being a translator in the Political Department of the police station.

Zhulin had instructed him to remain cautious whenever dealing with Xiu Gongshen and to pay special attention to concealing and protecting himself.

Therefore, a portion of Cheng Qianfan’s performance today had been deliberate concealment and acting.

In fact, Xiu Gongshen’s analysis regarding Qin Detai’s attitude toward Old Mo had long been included in Cheng Qianfan’s own calculations.

He had already thought everything through before decisively making his move against Old Mo.

However, when facing Xiu Gongshen, he could not appear so intelligent, as though he had considered every possibility so comprehensively.

A young man with an ordinary background and a spotless history, a newly graduated policeman from the Police Cadet School supplementary class, could be outstanding because of natural talent.

But he could not be too monstrous.

He needed both impressive qualities and shortcomings in judgment.

Otherwise, Xiu Gongshen might become suspicious.

There was another reason as well.

It would deprive Xiu Gongshen of a sense of accomplishment.

More precisely, Cheng Qianfan needed to improve gradually under Xiu Gongshen’s guidance and cultivation.

This would allow Xiu Gongshen to enjoy that sense of accomplishment, naturally trust him more, and at the same time conceal the unknown period of growth and experience Cheng Qianfan had undergone before meeting him.

Thus, his sudden attack on Old Mo without first seeking approval was somewhat reckless, but by no means mindless.

It stemmed both from personal anger and from a desire to help advance Xiu Gongshen’s interests.

Combined with the half-truthful, half-false performance during his subsequent visit to Xiu Gongshen.

Overall, although the operation had been created and executed on short notice because of an unexpected incident, the entire plan had been carefully considered and highly reasonable.

The city lights had just begun to glow.

Fashionably dressed men and women filled the streets.

Automobile horns sounded.

Rickshaw pullers ran back and forth, shouting for people to make way.

The extravagant nightlife of great Shanghai was about to begin.

While pulling his rickshaw, the driver skillfully wiped away sweat with a towel.

Cheng Qianfan leaned back against the seat.

The exact words Comrade Zhulin had said to him were:

“Do not easily trust anyone, not even those you believe you know best...”

In the distance came the long, mournful whistle of a steamship on the Huangpu River.

Nearby, several Japanese rōnin swaggered down the street with women from fallen Korea draped around their arms, looking exceedingly pleased with themselves.

Knock knock knock.

“Old Ma, are you in there?”

“Mr. Fu, is my Old Ma in your room?”

Inside the room, the barrel of a pistol had been shoved into Old Ma’s mouth.

He trembled uncontrollably and silently cursed his wife for not leaving already.

Was she trying to murder her own husband?

“That damned fool, where has he gone?”

After a while, the footsteps in the corridor receded into the distance.

Old Ma whimpered through the obstruction, desperately signaling downward with his eyes.

One of the team members chuckled and withdrew the pistol.

“Idiot. Next time use a knife. What if the gun accidentally goes off?”

Song Fuguo scolded.

Old Ma became even more frightened upon hearing this.

So he had just taken a stroll past the gates of hell?

Old Ma knew very little.

The man renting this room was surnamed Fu and claimed to be a mathematics teacher at St. John’s Middle School.

The man the Special Service Office had followed today was someone Old Ma had never seen before.

Mr. Fu had introduced him as a friend helping organize teaching materials.

Song Fuguo gave Liao Zhishen a meaningful glance.

Liao Zhishen immediately arranged for someone to investigate Mr. Fu’s background.

This could very well be a big catch.

“You people really are here to arrest Japanese spies?”

Old Ma glanced at Song Fuguo and asked nervously.

“What?”

Song Fuguo patted Old Ma on the shoulder.

“Old Ma, right? Don’t be afraid. Just tell us whatever you know.”

“That stranger, I don’t know anything about him.”

Old Ma lowered his head and spoke softly.

“As for Mr. Fu, he doesn’t seem like that sort. I’ve even heard him curse the Japanese.”

“You don’t know a damn thing.”

One of the team members cursed.

“If Japanese spies didn’t curse Japanese people, were they supposed to praise Japan right in front of you?”

Song Fuguo did not stop his subordinate.

This was precisely one of the greatest difficulties in hunting Japanese spies.

These spies spoke Chinese and could converse in local dialects.

In daily life they were no different from ordinary Chinese people.

Some even appeared more patriotic than Chinese citizens themselves.

They were exceptionally skilled at deceiving uninformed civilians.

After being scolded, Old Ma smiled apologetically.

“Yes, yes, yes. The officer is right. I almost got fooled by those damned Japanese.”

“Did anything unusual happen today?”

Song Fuguo asked.

“Something unusual?”

Old Ma looked bewildered.

He did not understand what qualified as unusual.

After thinking for a moment, his expression changed slightly.

Yet he immediately shook his head.

“You old bastard aren’t being honest.”

The same team member from earlier cursed.

“Team Leader, I suspect this fellow is a Japanese spy.”

“No, no, no, Officer, you’ve wronged me. I’m not.”

Old Ma was terrified.

He dropped to his knees and repeatedly waved his hands.

“I’d like to believe you’ve been wronged too.”

Song Fuguo suddenly grabbed a clump of Old Ma’s hair and said coldly,

“But you’re clearly hiding something.”

“Aaaah! That’s terrible! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!”

Old Ma bared his teeth in pain.

Song Fuguo released him.

“Speak.”

“Earlier in the daytime, the police came to arrest someone. Mr. Fu and I were watching the excitement together. The teaching materials in his hands fell to the ground. I didn’t pay much attention at first. Then when I went looking to speak with Mr. Fu again, I don’t know when he disappeared. Officer, I really don’t know anything. I’m innocent.”

“Now that’s much better.”

Song Fuguo patted Old Ma’s face.

“Why didn’t you say that earlier?”

“I was scared, scared. I didn’t dare say anything.”

Song Fuguo nodded.

Ordinary citizens feared trouble.

The less trouble, the better.

He waved a hand.

Someone immediately led Old Ma away for further questioning.

Meanwhile, Song Fuguo lit a cigarette and began thinking.

The teaching materials had fallen?

He bent down and picked them up.

If it had been an ordinary citizen, there would have been nothing suspicious about that.

But when the person involved was a Japanese spy, the matter became intriguing.

What appeared to be an ordinary action could not be judged by ordinary standards when performed by a Japanese operative.

Bending down, bending down... then disappearing?

People did not simply vanish.

After picking up the teaching materials, he had quietly slipped away while Old Ma was distracted by the commotion.

He had been avoiding something!

A thought suddenly struck Song Fuguo.

What had he been trying to avoid?

There were two possibilities.

Either the person arrested by the police was his accomplice, and he wished to avoid being implicated.

Or there was someone among the policemen whom he knew, or who knew him.

The more Song Fuguo thought about it, the more excited he became.

Although Liao Zhishen had already gone to investigate Mr. Fu’s status at St. John’s Middle School, he doubted much would come of it.

The room had been cleaned so thoroughly.

The suspect had relocated calmly and methodically.

He would not have left many traces behind.

For all they knew, even the identity of mathematics teacher at St. John’s Middle School might be fake.

Now, a matter that had seemed completely devoid of leads had unexpectedly revealed a new path forward. Dark willows and bright flowers, another village ahead.

“Go find out which patrol division’s policemen made the arrest today, and find out whom they arrested.”

“Yes, sir!”