Liang Damin took a drag of his cigarette.

He didn't answer immediately, but instead fell into thought.

Honestly, he couldn't believe the investigation team suspected Qiu Jingwen at all.

In his mind, Qiu Jingwen and his wife could not possibly be involved in the murder of that old man Liu Xianghai, let alone in enemy agents.

Of course, before today, he had no idea that Liu Xianghai was a veteran spy, and even the deputy leader of a covert infiltration team. All he knew was that Liu Xianghai was just a barber in Yushan Township.

Shao Jian didn't even let Liang Damin see Niu Dajiang's letter that revealed Liu Dahai was a spy. He also instructed Wu Dinghuai and Zhao Le to keep it a secret from Liang Damin. It wasn't that he suspected Liang Damin might also be a spy, but he was worried that Liang Damin would inadvertently reveal the information to Qiu Jingwen after he knew it.

"Director Shao, tell me honestly, did you also suspect my identity from the beginning?"

Finally, he looked at Shao Jian and asked.

However, he did not respond to Shao Jian's question about Qiu Jingwen, but rather about the suspicion against him.

Shao Jian looked at Liang Damin and shook his head.

"Old Liang, don't overthink it. Theoretically speaking, we designated every employee over 45 years old in your Hongqi Factory as a suspect, including your top leader Zhou Huaihai. To be honest, I also considered that he might be a hidden agent. Please understand that this is a requirement of our work. But I still have to tell you that the reason you weren't invited to the previous meeting was not because you were a suspect, but because of your relationship with Qiu Jingwen."

"What is my relationship with Qiu Jingwen?"

"Your relationship is extraordinary. Aside from being chess friends, you must have a deep revolutionary friendship over the years. I remember you patted your chest that day and assured me that Qiu Jingwen would be absolutely fine."

"Director Shao, may I hear your reasons for doubting Qiu Jingwen?"

Liang Damin was eager to know why Shao Jian would suspect Qiu Jingwen and Jiang Yuping.

Shao Jian looked at Liang Damin, thought for a moment, and then presented his reasons.

"First, Liu Xianghai, no, we should call him Liu Xianghai now, has several connections with members of Qiu Jingwen's family. Qiu Jingwen's wife, Jiang Yuping, has treated Liu Xianghai twice, so you could say they have some connection, right?"

"Secondly, according to Qiu Jingwen's son Qiu Shou's report, Liu Jihan had followed him before he died. Yes, the child said that he was followed, which means that Liu Jihan and Qiu Shou had some connection."

"Third, Liu Han once ate in the canteen wearing his factory uniform and deliberately chose to sit behind Qiu Jingwen. I can see this as indirect contact with Qiu Jingwen. Think about it, all three members of the family had contact and interaction with Liu Han. Do you think that's normal?"

Upon hearing this, Liang Damin shook his head at Shao Jian, having to admit that Shao Jian was right.

But he still didn't believe that Qiu Jingwen and his wife had any problems, so he shook his head and said:

"Director Shao, it's impossible. I know Qiu Jingwen and his wife too well. They can't possibly be related to agents or spies, nor can they be related to the murderer who killed Liu Xianghai."

"Old Liang, nothing is impossible in this world. We now know that Liu Han has a subordinate who was only fifteen or sixteen years old around the time of liberation. This age matches Qiu Jingwen perfectly."

Upon hearing this, Liang Damin stared wide-eyed at Shao Jian.

"Director Shao, you don't suspect that Qiu Jingwen is Liu Han's subordinate, that enemy agent codenamed Cobra, do you?"

Shao Jian smiled at Liang Damin.

"Whether Qiu Jingwen is the enemy agent codenamed Cobra requires evidence. Analysis and reasoning alone cannot solve the problem. This is why I sent people to monitor Qiu Jingwen and his wife, and this is also why I kept you here. I have work that requires your full cooperation, Section Chief Liang."

Upon hearing this, Liang Damin's expression immediately turned serious. He sighed and agreed.

"Director Shao, thank you for trusting me. Tell me, what kind of work do you need me to do?"

“Investigate Qiu Jingwen’s family background thoroughly. You know, when we checked the files last time, the information in Qiu Jingwen’s file showed that his father was named Qiu Zhongjing, his mother was Zhang Wenjuan, and he had an older sister named Qiu Jingxuan. From the file, we can see that Qiu Jingwen took one character from his parents’ names. But, Liang Ke, let me ask you, you think you know and understand Qiu Jingwen, then tell me, over the years, have you ever met Qiu Jingwen’s parents or his sister?”

Shao Jian remembered Qiu Jingwen's and Jiang Yuping's information in the archives very clearly because after he suspected that Qiu Jingwen and his wife had problems, he went to the Hongqi Factory archives again and reviewed Qiu Jingwen and Jiang Yuping's files.

Liang Damin was speechless after being questioned by Shao Jian.

Yes, regarding Qiu Jingwen's family relationships, over the years, Liang Damin only knew about Qiu Jingwen's wife and five children. He had never heard Qiu Jingwen mention his parents or his sister Qiu Jingxuan. He also did not expect Shao Jian to remember the names of Qiu Jingwen's parents and sister so clearly.

Thinking of all this, he looked at Shao Jian and asked:

"Director Shao, could it be that his parents and sister died before the liberation, or lost contact during the chaos of war?"

"That's why I kept you here. I hope you, Lao Liang, can thoroughly understand Qiu Jingwen's family background. How did he get into your Hongqi Factory? Who did he rely on? Did he have other connections? Once we understand his background, many things will become clear. Right now, I only have suspicions, and I don't want to wrong an innocent person, nor can I let a bad person go unpunished."

Liang Damin knew that Shao Jian, as the team leader, had spoken so frankly, which showed his trust in Liang Damin.

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