Chapter 98: The Radio

Everything had happened too quickly.

Gu Changyou was completely stunned. Sitting on the floor, he was at a complete loss.

As if suddenly coming to his senses, he climbed to his feet and rushed toward the window, intending to jump out and escape.

Cheng Qianfan stood up.

Several agents immediately stepped forward and tied Liu Tao up securely.

As for Gu Changyou, who was trying to jump out the window, everyone merely sneered and made no attempt to stop him.

The window opened.

Looking at the black muzzles of the guns outside, Gu Changyou froze.

Then he collapsed onto the floor with a thump and wailed, “It’s over.”

Wan Delong strode in and picked up the two documents on the table.

“Minutes of the 421 Military Conference of the Division” and “Hydrological Records of Hangzhou Bay Through the Years.”

“Bastard!”

Wan Delong stepped forward and kicked Gu Changyou to the ground.

Military conference records!

Hydrological data!

Both were top-secret documents. How could this man dare do such a thing!

A traitor who had forgotten his ancestors and betrayed his nation!

At that moment, He Qichen walked in, glanced around the room, and reported to Wan Delong.

“Everything went smoothly. We’ve got them all.”

Wan Delong was overjoyed and revealed a satisfied smile.

Without firing a single shot, without anyone being injured, they had successfully captured a Japanese spy safe house and seized both the criminals and the evidence.

The operation could be described as perfect.

“Beautiful work!”

Wan Delong patted Cheng Qianfan on the shoulder and said happily.

“It was all thanks to Team Leader Wan and Captain He’s excellent command. This subordinate only did some manual labor.”

Cheng Qianfan showed no arrogance over his contribution and answered with a smile.

“Hahaha!”

Wan Delong laughed heartily.

This kid had ability, brains, and knew how to conduct himself.

He liked him.

Even He Qichen, who had always found Cheng Wufang disagreeable, revealed a smile upon hearing those words.

The arrest had succeeded, and he would receive a share of the credit.

Compared with that, what did a little displeasure matter?

Cheng Qianfan stepped forward and searched Gu Changyou’s body.

He found a wallet.

Opening it, he saw a stack of legal tender notes and a photograph.

The photograph showed Gu Changyou himself, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, standing beside a sedan.

He then found two drafts.

A bank draft worth two thousand five hundred silver dollars.

A gold redemption voucher worth one thousand silver dollars.

Without saying a word, Cheng Qianfan turned around and handed the two drafts and the stack of legal tender to Wan Delong.

Wan Delong did not take the cash.

He signaled for Cheng Qianfan to keep it.

Taking the drafts, he glanced at them and clicked his tongue.

“Heh, these little Japanese really are willing to spend money.”

As he spoke, he slipped the drafts into his pocket.

Cheng Qianfan noticed He Qichen staring at the drafts as though he wished he could rush over and snatch them away.

This case had been jointly handled by Xiongzhen Tower and the Hangzhou district office.

Had the Hangzhou district office handled it independently, the greater part of those three thousand five hundred silver dollars would have gone straight into He Qichen’s pocket.

As for Wan Delong, he naturally did not dare embezzle the money.

There were still powerful superiors above him.

Of course, Yu Ping’an would not treat him unfairly.

Even Cheng Qianfan, besides the stack of legal tender, would be able to skim off a little benefit.

And it was not just this “stolen money.”

This teahouse, and even Liu Tao’s other assets, would all become property of the Special Service Office.

“Search!”

With a spirited wave of his hand, Wan Delong gave the order.

Several hundred yuan in legal tender and dozens of silver dollars were found in the cash cabinet.

With a grand gesture, Wan Delong divided it equally among all the personnel who had participated in the operation.

The result was a chorus of cheers.

The big shots ate the meat, and they got to drink the soup.

“Found it yet?” Wan Delong asked.

“No.”

“Reporting, Team Leader. We’ve searched everything. Nothing.”

“Keep searching! Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, find it!”

Wan Delong issued the order.

Capturing the Japanese spies had only been the first step of this operation.

The priority now was finding the radio set and codebook.

“Could it be that there wasn’t one to begin with?” He Qichen asked.

Wan Delong did not answer.

He was considering the possibility.

Generally speaking, a spy cell would possess a radio and codebook.

After all, if everything required personal contact, emergencies would be impossible to handle in time.

Moreover, personal contact increased the risk of exposure.

Of course, it was also possible that they genuinely did not carry a radio.

Hangzhou itself had a Japanese consulate and a Japanese concession.

Through certain channels, they could contact the consulate or Japanese intelligence agencies in the concession directly.

Cheng Qianfan remained silent.

He was conducting a careful search.

He was inclined to believe that they had hidden a radio.

Both the Japanese concession and the Japanese consulate in Hangzhou were under close surveillance by the Special Service Office.

Take the Okada residence, for example.

It was watched around the clock.

If Japanese sleeper agents contacted the consulate or concession directly, the risk of exposure would be enormous.

Radio communication was far safer and more discreet.

The storeroom.

The kitchen.

Everywhere had been searched.

Yet the radio still had not been found.

Wan Delong was beginning to feel disappointed.

Failing to find the radio would diminish the value of the achievement.

Of course, if interrogation later confirmed there had never been a radio, that would be another matter.

Still, even if the Japanese spies claimed there was no radio, could such testimony truly be trusted?

Where would a person feel safest hiding a radio?

Cheng Qianfan pondered.

He returned once more to inspect the counter area.

Behind the counter stood a storage cabinet built against the wall.

Originally it had held various tea canisters.

Now those canisters had all been smashed by the searching agents and thrown onto the floor.

Walking behind the counter, he pulled open the cash cabinet.

It had already been thoroughly emptied by the agents.

“Clean this up.”

Cheng Qianfan beckoned.

He Qichen’s men would not obey him.

Wan Delong’s subordinates looked toward their own leader.

Fortunately, he had his own men.

Haozai immediately led several people over to clear away the shattered porcelain and pottery fragments scattered across the floor.

“Bring me a basin of water,” Cheng Qianfan said.

“Didn’t you hear him?” Wan Delong barked.

An agent hurriedly found an enamel basin and brought over a basin of water.

Cheng Qianfan took it and poured the water directly onto the floor.

“Not enough.”

He stared at the floor and shook his head.

“Bring more water, quickly!” Wan Delong shouted.

He Qichen also hurriedly ordered his men to help.

Soon another basin of water was poured down.

Cheng Qianfan watched carefully.

Very quickly, he noticed that beneath the cash cabinet there was a crack in the floor where the water seeped through visibly faster than elsewhere.

“Quick! Clear away the water!”

Overjoyed, Cheng Qianfan gave the order.

The agents hurriedly swept the water away with brooms and then dried the area with mops.

“Pry up this floorboard.”

Cheng Qianfan pointed beneath the cash cabinet.

Without a word, Haozai crouched down and crawled underneath.

Pulling a dagger from his person, he carefully inserted it into the crack Cheng Qianfan had indicated and slowly pried up the floorboard.

The corner of a box immediately became visible beneath the floor.

“Keep prying!”

Both Wan Delong and He Qichen crowded over.

Seeing it, they shouted in delight.

Very soon, several floorboards beneath the cash cabinet had been removed.

A black wooden box lay hidden underneath.

Bending down, Cheng Qianfan lifted it out.

It was quite heavy.

“Hurry and open it.”

The box was locked.

That was no problem.

Taking the dagger from Haozai, Cheng Qianfan forced the lock open, using the blade to pry it apart.

He lifted the lid.

Inside sat a radio set.

“Excellent!”

Wan Delong clapped his hands and laughed.