Chapter 116: Su Wenqing's Terror

Nangang Police Station, second floor, Akiyama Shinnosuke’s office.

"You went to see him?" Akiyama Shinnosuke stood up and walked over as Jin Suyeong entered.

"Yes."

"How was it? Any issues?"

"He looks quite ill, but there should be no immediate danger to his life," Jin Suyeong replied after a moment of thought.

"Ill? What kind of illness?"

"He claims it’s a cold, but it looks more like an injury to me," Jin Suyeong said.

"The gunfire at Xiaonan Garden..."

"Mr. Akiyama, are you implying the gunfire at Xiaonan Garden is linked to him? That little rascal!" Jin Suyeong exclaimed with irritation.

"Do not concern yourself with his affairs; just keep a close watch on his movements," Akiyama Shinnosuke instructed.

"There is a young Russian woman named Anna now staying with Zhou Sen. Should I investigate her identity?"

"No need. That was arranged by Chief Shibuya. Just focus on your own duties," Akiyama Shinnosuke replied.

"Understood." Jin Suyeong was startled. Zhou Sen had actually caught the attention of Shibuya Saburo—this was a new development. She quickly added, "Anything else?"

"He called me over today because he wanted to ask for a favor." Jin Suyeong hesitated, then decided to speak.

"What kind of favor?"

"He wants to seal off the Qunfang Brothel."

"He wants to seal off the Qunfang Brothel?" Akiyama Shinnosuke was slightly surprised; this was unexpected.

"It must be an act of retaliation against Qin Laoqi on behalf of Bai Yulan," Jin Suyeong said.

"The Qunfang Brothel is outside our jurisdiction, but sealing it wouldn't be difficult if we chose to. However, Qin Laoqi is behind that establishment. That old man has considerable influence in Bingcheng. Never mind Chief Shibuya, even General Qin Yan has to give him some face," Akiyama Shinnosuke noted.

"Then I shall decline his request directly," Jin Suyeong said.

"No, don't be in such a hurry to refuse," Akiyama Shinnosuke said, raising a hand. "To seal the Qunfang Brothel, we at least need a plausible excuse."

"Yuan Wenfu was assassinated in Taohua Alley. He had just come from the Qunfang Brothel that night before he was murdered," Jin Suyeong pointed out.

"Oh, that is a decent reason. Yuan Wenfu was the team leader of the Special Investigation Group. His murder implies someone leaked his whereabouts, so investigating the Qunfang Brothel is a logical step," Akiyama Shinnosuke asked. "The Police Department’s Secret Service Division has taken over Yuan Wenfu’s case, haven't they?"

"Yes."

"I see. You may go back to your work now," Akiyama Shinnosuke said with a wave of his hand.

...

"Are you certain he is injured?" Shibuya Saburo was also listening to Anna’s report, though not in his office at the Police Department. They were in the safe house Anna was currently renting.

Anna nodded. "He is injured and resting in bed. It shouldn't be too severe, though he has sustained a bone injury, which may require a period of recuperation."

"In other words, it will affect the special training?"

"It will be affected, but if we move some of the modules earlier in the schedule, we might minimize the impact," Anna suggested.

"That is a possibility. What about Front? Any progress?"

"Nothing found. Zhou Sen himself has been very cooperative. His house is currently empty, and Front went back to check again, but still nothing."

"And the office?"

"Front has been there, too. He searched every corner and found nothing," Anna said. "Sir, could the list be on Anthony himself? Given how important it is, it is possible he carried it with him."

"Impossible. When they went on the mission, they were not allowed to carry any personal items; everything was confiscated and stored. We have searched his belongings piece by piece and found nothing," Shibuya Saburo shook his head.

"Then this is strange. If the list isn't at home or the office, where could he have put it? Could he have really left it with Shergin for safekeeping?"

"We never expected Shergin to be Anthony’s assistant, let alone that he was a mole planted by the Soviets within the Russian Patriots' Alliance. If the list were in his hands, he would have handed it over long ago, yet our informants in the Far East have reported nothing of the sort," Shibuya Saburo said. "Anthony was 'The Pastor.' He had lived in Bingcheng for a long time and was a devout Orthodox Christian. Although our top-secret operation was leaked, leading us to suspect a Soviet mole within the team, these are merely speculations. So far, there is no hard evidence pointing to any one of them, and our vetting process has never stopped. Zhou Sen is Anthony’s adopted son, and his behavior thus far has been normal. His social circle is not that complex, so I have no trouble ruling out his suspicion."

"Zhou Sen wants to request leave."

"Leave? How long does he want?"

"Three months."

"He certainly has the nerve!" Shibuya Saburo sneered. "Tell him I will give him ten days at most—and that is only because he is injured."

"Yes."

"By the way, have you figured out how he was injured?"

"Su Wenqing used his daughter to write a letter to Zhou Sen, inviting him to Xiaonan Garden. He went, but it seems he didn't go alone; he brought people with him. Su Wenqing’s men likely fell into his hands," Anna said.

"Oh? Where did he get men from?" Shibuya Saburo’s eyes lit up. This was a pleasant surprise. He still hoped that Zhou Sen was not just a womanizing fool; otherwise, the chances of the Empire’s plan succeeding would be too slim.

"They were men from the Qin family’s second son."

"The Qin family’s second son?"

"Yes, Qin Lang, the second son of Qin Laoqi."

"How do the two of them know each other?" Shibuya Saburo asked in surprise.

"It seems one of Zhou Sen’s subordinates was caught cheating at Qin Lang’s Taiping Bridge gambling den. Zhou Sen went to bail him out, and it appears they hit it off," Anna explained.

"So that’s it. Interesting. This Zhou Sen—it’s not that he lacks ability, it’s that he’s lazy. Unless the trouble is at his own doorstep, he refuses to lift a finger," Shibuya Saburo said with a faint smile.

"Are you suggesting he has been pretending all this time?" Anna was slightly startled.

"No, you misunderstand. Some people are born disliking constraints; they want to live a free and easy life. When things happen, as long as it doesn't concern them, they stay detached. Zhou Sen is like that. He didn't have to worry about food or drink, and he lived a carefree life. Many people spend their lives struggling for a living, but he never had to. However, things are different now. Anthony is dead, and all the pressure is now on him to face alone," Shibuya Saburo analyzed.

"The master is right. Personal growth is always accompanied by pain; that is the price one must pay," Anna nodded.

"He is staying at the Ningxiang Mansion now, right?"

"Yes, he is injured and needs care. The old Russian servant at his home is still in the hospital himself." Anna nodded.

"Then let him recuperate there. Focus on the roster; having been out of contact for so long, things are prone to change," Shibuya Saburo ordered.

"Yes, I will go to see him once a day," Anna nodded.

...

Wenchang Bridge, Su Residence.

"Master, you haven't eaten anything since yesterday noon. Please, have something," Su Xing said as he brought hot food into the study, trying to persuade Su Wenqing.

"Is there any news about Fourth?" Su Wenqing hadn't slept all night, his eyes bloodshot. He knew his plan had failed.

Su Xing hung his head in shame.

"Absolutely no news?"

"It's not that there's nothing. Our informants reported that yesterday morning, the Qin family’s second son at the Taiping gambling den suddenly cut off the arm of his trusted subordinate, Hua Laosan, for the crime of 'eating from the bowl and smashing the pot'—betrayal."

"I am asking you about Fourth, what does the Qin family’s second son have to do with this? What is the connection between them?" Su Wenqing exploded in a rage, his eyes bloodshot like an injured beast.

"Someone saw the Qin family’s second son at the city park early yesterday morning..." Su Xing explained, head bowed.

"Are you saying Qin Lang ruined my plan? How did he know I was going to move against Zhou Sen?" Su Wenqing asked in shock.

"This..." Su Xing was also stumped. He had handled the matter personally and only confided in Guo Laosi. Could Guo Laosi have leaked the information? That shouldn't be right. The most likely scenario was that someone under Guo Laosi had caused the problem.

"Do we have informants under Qin Lang?"

"Yes, but not in core positions. Qin Lang looks reckless and impulsive on the surface, but he is actually extremely cautious. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to hold onto the Taiping Bridge gambling den so firmly all these years, preventing his older brother from intervening," Su Xing said.

"Contact them immediately and inquire about the situation. If Guo Laosi is in Qin Lang's hands, the outcome might not be so bad." Su Wenqing breathed a sigh of relief. What he feared most was Guo Laosi falling into the hands of the Police Department or the Japanese. Those people at the Police Department were wolves, and the Japanese were even worse—they would devour you down to your very bones. Although he had a good relationship with Kato, the commander of the Japanese Gendarmerie in Bingcheng, Kato only valued him for the wealth he could bring. If Kato were transferred and a new commander arrived, he would be in trouble. It was too difficult to build a new connection from scratch. He had always wanted to win over Lin Dakuan, but that guy was impossible to entice.

He wanted to become the chairman of the Bingcheng General Chamber of Commerce while Kato was still in power. Only then would he have enough capital to cooperate with the Japanese on a larger scale. Qin Laoqi was different; he had a relative who was the Chief of Police. Even though that man was in Xinjing, he had many businesses in Bingcheng. As long as that relative didn't fall, the Qin family’s position in Bingcheng was truly unshakable. Unless the Japanese decided to act—in which case, there was nothing to be done. In Manchuria, the Japanese were the gods.

The Japanese were also transient officials; they wouldn't stay in one place long before being reassigned. They needed local cooperation to achieve success, so unless absolutely necessary, they wouldn't easily strike at obedient local snakes like them. If they did, and chaos ensued, they would gain nothing from it. Of course, under such rule, anyone would feel their life was precarious. Ordinary people felt it, and Su Wenqing was no exception.

*Ring-ring...*

Suddenly, the telephone on the desk rang. Su Wenqing jumped, reached out, and grabbed the receiver. "Hello, this is Su Wenqing."

"Su-kun, this is Kato. I would like to invite you to dinner at Musashino tonight. Please, you must do me the honor!"

"Very well, Kato-kun, I will certainly be there." Su Wenqing felt a sinking sensation. Kato inviting him to dinner so suddenly meant there was definitely something afoot. Japanese hospitality was rarely simple.

In an instant, a flurry of thoughts raced through Su Wenqing’s mind.