Chapter 22: Communist Party Special Branch, Red Team, Chenzhou!

Chapter 22: Communist Party Special Branch, Red Team, Chenzhou!

Cheng Qianfan snorted. He could tell that Old Mo would rather lose his life than his money.

“Last chance. If you hide anything else, I’ll pull the trigger,” Cheng Qianfan said coldly.

“N-No, I wouldn’t dare. I’ve told you everything. On the fifth day of every month, I go to Huichang Teahouse at the City God Temple and drink tea. Every time, I sit at Seat B-3. I place the token on the table briefly and then put it away. Someone will then deposit the money into my account at HSBC on schedule.” Communist Party Special Branch, Red Team, Chenzhou, acting under organizational orders, executing the traitor Mo Shouli!

“The name of the Japanese intelligence organization you serve?”

“I don’t know.” Old Mo shook his head.

“What are the words on the back of this token? What do they mean?”

“Words? I don’t know. Isn’t it just used to collect money?”

“How did you participate in the Japanese operations?” As Cheng Qianfan spoke, he suddenly stuffed the towel back into Old Mo’s mouth and smashed the pistol grip directly onto his hand. “Tell the truth.”

Old Mo howled and whimpered in pain and no longer dared conceal anything or make excuses.

At the beginning, the Japanese only assigned him minor tasks after gathering intelligence.

As he completed more and more assignments, the “operating funds” he received each month also increased.

Later, Old Mo began voluntarily providing intelligence to the Japanese, tipping them off, and eventually participating directly in the operations of Japanese agents.

“The murder case on Avenue MacKay last year, did you lead the Japanese there?” Cheng Qianfan asked in a deep voice.

Old Mo hesitated. This was the first time the other man had specifically asked about a particular incident, and he could not tell what he meant.

“Relax. We know the dead were Communists. We’re from the Special Service Office, we’d rather arrest them than anyone else.” Cheng Qianfan patted Old Mo’s cheek. “We’ve been investigating those two as well. We just didn’t expect you people to beat us to it.”

Old Mo relaxed.

Right, although the Special Service Office was now primarily fighting the Japanese, arresting Communists was also part of their work.

“It was me who noticed something suspicious about those two women and informed the Japanese.”

“What was suspicious?”

“I knew the house was rented by two women and there weren’t any men living there. One time after I’d gambled away all my money, I sneaked in to see if there was anything valuable. I found anti-Japanese propaganda leaflets inside.” Old Mo endured the pain and smiled ingratiatingly. “Mr. Mo, I was helping the Party and the nation eliminate subversives. That counts as meritorious service, doesn’t it?”

“I’ll take that into consideration as appropriate.” Hatred surged within Cheng Qianfan. It was confirmed. This Japanese-collaborating traitor had caused the death of Aunt Luo and the two anti-Japanese female comrades!

A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he asked with apparent interest, “Did you personally take part in the operation?”

“At first, I was outside keeping watch.”

“And later?”

“Later they called me inside.”

“What for?”

“They had already captured the short-haired woman. I went over and finished her off.”

“How?”

“Strangled her with a belt. The very belt by my bed. It’s French-made. I couldn’t bear to throw it away.” Old Mo squeezed a smile onto his swollen face. “Mr. Mo, I personally eliminated a subversive. I’ve rendered service to the Party and nation.”

“Whether you’ve rendered service to the Party and nation isn’t for me to decide.” Cheng Qianfan chuckled. “That depends on your performance.”

“Mr. Mo, I... I don’t understand what you mean.” Old Mo swallowed.

“You do understand.” Cheng Qianfan revealed a meaningful smile. “Officer Mo, the seal for your HSBC account. You know exactly what I mean.”

Based on Cheng Qianfan’s understanding, there was no way Old Mo had opened that account under his real name.

For money that could not bear scrutiny, the most likely arrangement was an anonymous secret withdrawal system. Anyone carrying the seal and providing the account name could withdraw funds.

Old Mo fell silent. For a man like him, taking his money hurt more than taking his life.

“Officer Mo, money is something you can’t bring with you into life, and you can’t take with you in death,” Cheng Qianfan said with a sneer. “If you’ve got this money, then you’re a traitor serving Japanese agents. In that case, I’m sorry. The principle of our Special Service Office is that traitors are never shown mercy.”

As he spoke, Cheng Qianfan pressed the muzzle against Old Mo’s forehead.

“My apologies, Officer Mo. Farewell.”

“I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you.” Old Mo trembled in terror. “There’s a hidden compartment under my bedside cabinet. The seal is inside.”

After saying those words, Old Mo’s face turned ashen, as though half his life had been drained away.

“You only cooperate after punishment.” Cheng Qianfan snorted coldly. Feeling around beneath the bedside cabinet, he shifted a wooden panel aside and retrieved a small box.

Opening it, he found a small seal inside.

“Very good. That’s more like it.” Cheng Qianfan chuckled. “But Officer Mo, given what we know about you, there can’t be much money in that account. Trying to save your life with that alone won’t be enough.”

“I suspect there are others in the police station working for them.”

“You suspect?”

“The Japanese never fully trusted me. I’ve always felt they knew my every move.”

“Why do you suspect that?”

“Mr. Mo, you should have heard a little about what I used to do. I’m very sensitive to the feeling of being watched.”

Cheng Qianfan nodded, understanding what Old Mo meant.

“Do you have any suspects?”

“Cheng Qianfan. That brat has always been at odds with me,” Old Mo said through gritted teeth.

“Cheng Qianfan, is it? Fine, I understand.” Cheng Qianfan was secretly astonished. He had never expected Old Mo to suspect him of working for the Japanese.

He silently warned himself. Had some of his usual behavior, things even he had not noticed, made others suspicious? Of course, it was also possible that Old Mo simply disliked him and was deliberately slandering him.

“And Liu Bo.”

That truly shocked Cheng Qianfan. Old Mo actually suspected Liu Bo.

“Why do you suspect him?”

“One time I arrived at the teahouse early and saw someone leaving just before me. Judging from the back, it looked a lot like Liu Bo,” Old Mo said.

A thoughtful expression appeared on Cheng Qianfan’s face.

A man like Old Mo survived through pickpocketing and breaking into homes. He relied on quick eyes and nimble hands and was highly skilled at reading people.

His judgment of appearances was naturally excellent. If he said the silhouette looked like Liu Bo, and if the possibility that he was fabricating accusations to save his own life could be ruled out, then the matter truly deserved attention.

Cheng Qianfan had always thought highly of Liu Bo. In his impression, Liu Bo was a police constable who still possessed a certain moral bottom line, and he had generally treated Cheng Qianfan quite well.

However, one never truly knows another person’s heart. Perhaps precisely because he had such a favorable impression of Liu Bo, he had overlooked certain details all along.

Cheng Qianfan committed those words to memory.

“Anything else?”

“No more, no more. Everything I know, everything I’ve guessed, everything I should say and shouldn’t say, I’ve already told you.” Old Mo pleaded. “Mr. Mo, please let me go.”

“Mhm.” Cheng Qianfan nodded. “Your attitude has been good. I’m fairly satisfied.”

As he spoke, he stepped forward and pulled the belt from beside the bed.

“This is a nice belt.”

“French-made, top quality.” Though he did not understand why the man was interested in the belt, Old Mo hurried to ingratiate himself. “If you don’t mind, please take it.”

“I like it. I like it very much.” Cheng Qianfan crossed the room in two steps and wrapped the belt around Old Mo’s neck.

“Mr. Mo, y-you... what are you doing?” Old Mo was terrified.

“Officer Mo, I forgot to tell you.” Cheng Qianfan suddenly pulled the belt tight. “I’m not from the Special Service Office.”

Old Mo kicked desperately with both legs, his eyes bulging. Before finally sinking into endless darkness, he vaguely heard:

23.txt Qingming Festival was approaching.