Chapter Seventy-Two: Unreasonable Entanglement

Chapter Seventy-Two: Unreasonable Entanglement

Taking the envelope handed over by Bai Zeshou, Mr. Li opened it directly. Yet, when his gaze fell upon the fox paw seal stamped on its surface, his expression changed. He took the letter to the desk and revealed its contents.

After reading what was inside, his face grew heavy.

“Mr. Li, what’s happened?” Bai Zeshou asked, curious.

“It’s troublesome. This intelligence was just delivered. It says that Liu Peiru’s arrest was merely a ruse. The purpose behind the Special Service’s actions remains the same—they still want to uncover the mole within their ranks,” Mr. Li explained, waving the letter in his hand.

“Is the intel reliable?” Bai Zeshou asked, somewhat skeptical.

“Yes,” Mr. Li replied, his confidence in Fox’s intelligence gathering abilities unwavering.

“Mr. Li, do you truly not know which of our comrades has infiltrated the Special Service?” Bai Zeshou pressed, unwilling to give up.

“I don’t. And even if I did, I couldn’t tell you,” Mr. Li replied with a wry smile, shaking his head.

Bai Zeshou was silent for a moment, then looked up at Mr. Li and asked, “So what should we do about the Special Commissioner? Should we continue the rescue operation?”

Without waiting for Mr. Li’s response, Bai Zeshou continued, “Since Liu Peiru’s situation was a decoy, could the Special Service’s arrest of the Special Commissioner be for the same reason?”

Mr. Li’s eyes lit up, but then he frowned.

Admittedly, Bai Zeshou’s idea was bold—perhaps even risky—but on closer thought, it held some merit. In fact, at present, the likelihood seemed quite high.

Now, rescuing the Special Commissioner would be difficult for Bai Zeshou, given his current position. Only Fox could be dispatched. But if the Special Commissioner truly had betrayed the revolution, then Fox’s involvement would expose them entirely to the Special Service.

However, if they did not attempt a rescue, they would be unable to answer to their superiors. After all, leaving someone to die was not the Red Party’s way—even if there were suspicions of betrayal, they needed evidence before abandoning a comrade.

Such an approach might seem “foolish,” but wasn’t it precisely this unwavering faith and refusal to abandon anyone that had allowed the Red Party to grow and thrive?

Thus, Mr. Li found himself caught in a dilemma. Yet in the end, he made up his mind. “Xiaobai, your most important task now is to determine whether the Special Commissioner has betrayed the revolution. Investigate his situation within the Special Service and gather intelligence to support the rescue operation.”

“I understand.”

The next day.

As soon as Bai Zeshou arrived at work, he headed straight for Wu Zhengke’s office. “Captain, Leader Ye took the suspect away yesterday. Has there been any progress?”

“What’s wrong, getting anxious? Afraid Ye Mao will take credit for your accomplishment?” Wu Zhengke teased.

“Why would I be? This operation—from identifying the suspect to the final capture—was all my planning. Credit that’s mine won’t escape me,” Bai Zeshou replied with a smile.

But then his tone changed. “Still, I worry that the longer we wait, the more complications arise. Yesterday’s operation was so loud it surely alerted the Red Party underground organization. It’s best to get a confession as quickly as possible.”

“Don’t worry. Ye Mao will handle it well. Just wait patiently for your reward,” Wu Zhengke said, offering only comfort.

“Captain, two heads are better than one. I can learn Ye’s interrogation methods as well, can’t I?” Bai Zeshou persisted.

Wu Zhengke said nothing, but gave Bai Zeshou a deep look before speaking in a low voice, “Alright, tell me—what is this really about?”

“Fine, Captain, I’ll be honest. I’m a little dissatisfied. Why shouldn’t I be allowed to interrogate the suspect I caught? Not even permitted to watch?” Bai Zeshou feigned indignation.

“Alright, you may participate in the interrogation. If Ye Mao objects, just tell him I gave you permission,” Wu Zhengke finally agreed.

Actually, assigning Ye Mao to interrogate the captured Red Party member wasn’t Wu Zhengke’s idea, but rather an order from above. He was compelled to personally instruct Bai Zeshou.

Even so, he was curious himself about the newly captured Red Party member—worried Ye Mao might hide something from him, and puzzled by the motives of those above.

Now, with Bai Zeshou’s involvement, he saw an opportunity and ultimately agreed to his request.

With Wu Zhengke’s approval, Bai Zeshou hurried to the interrogation room. But just as he reached the doorway, he was stopped by a guard. “Leader Bai, I’m sorry. Leader Ye has ordered that no one is allowed near.”

“Hmph, I’m here by Captain Wu’s command to take part in the interrogation,” Bai Zeshou retorted, displeased.

“I apologize, Leader Bai. Please wait a moment while I get permission,” the guard replied, then walked to the room behind and reported to Ye Mao.

Upon hearing the guard’s words, Ye Mao frowned, glanced at An Guoming across from him, and inwardly cursed the complication. Still, he ultimately agreed to Bai Zeshou’s request—after all, Bai Zeshou was acting on Wu Zhengke’s orders.

He couldn’t risk exposing himself as a secret agent, so he had to maintain appearances and obey his superior’s command.

When Bai Zeshou entered the interrogation room and saw An Guoming seated and unharmed, he turned to Ye Mao. “Leader Ye, you’re far too gentle. Why treat a Red Party member so kindly? If it were up to me, I’d start with torture.”

“If Red Party members could be broken by torture, the situation outside wouldn’t be what it is now,” Ye Mao replied, casting a disdainful glance at Bai Zeshou.

“Leader Ye, even a Red Party member is still human. Humans feel pain; torture works. If you keep using such refined methods, there’ll be no results by tomorrow,” Bai Zeshou said, all the while inspecting the interrogation room’s instruments. When he reached An Guoming’s side, he suddenly turned to Ye Mao and spoke with layered meaning, “As far as I know, Leader Ye usually begins interrogations with torture, then questions the suspect. Why the change in approach this time?”

“So, you’ve been keeping close tabs, have you?” Ye Mao’s expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, he reflected on his mistake. He hadn’t expected Bai Zeshou to notice this subtle inconsistency.