Fatal Evidence

In the secret compartment of the church, the room was simply furnished. At a simple eight-immortal table, He Qingcheng and Father Tong sat facing each other on a long bench, comparing the latest deployment map passed on by Section Chief Li. The only sounds in the room were the scratching of paper and pencil.

Father Tong was not a talkative man, while Qingcheng was preoccupied with his own thoughts. Finally, after the two of them compared the telegrams in reverse, they found that the people in Wuyuan, Panzhihua, and Xuzhou were suspected of major leaks. Father Tong immediately arranged to send a telegram to the Soviet area to request an internal investigation.

After Father Tong left, the room became even quieter. Qingcheng stared blankly ahead, her brows slightly furrowed, as if deep in thought. Suddenly, the loud sound of the door opening startled Qingcheng, making her jump up.

"He Qingcheng, come out!"

She looked blankly toward the door. Li Shifa was staring at her angrily with a stern face. Qingcheng didn't know whether to stand or sit, and just silently thought to herself, "Oh no."

Qingcheng's heart leaped into her throat. Dragging her weary body, she followed Old Li to the courtyard. Old Li didn't speak immediately, but if she couldn't smell the tension in the air, she'd be wasting her time.

"Did you go to the headquarters again? And at night?" Sure enough, that was the question. Faced with Old Li's questioning, Qingcheng lowered her head and tacitly admitted it. The courtyard fell into a deathly silence. Suddenly, the cicadas in the trees began to chirp wildly.

"If you slip up, do you know how many comrades will have to risk their lives to cover it up? And you're absent from the evening meeting without reason. If you don't want to work here, I'll help you apply to the organization to leave our Second Section." Li Shifa suddenly roared, his tone extremely harsh, clearly genuinely angry.

He Qingcheng froze upon hearing this, her lips trembling slightly. She wanted to explain something, but swallowed it back, her eyes reddening as she whispered an apology.

However, Li Shifa continued to condemn Qingcheng's apology, saying, "Without organization or discipline, why should other comrades entrust their backs to you?"

"I'm sorry." Qingcheng's voice was already choked with sobs. The faucet in the courtyard kept dripping water, and a blurry crescent moon was reflected on the damp stone bricks.

“You’re doing work behind enemy lines, and you can’t even control your own emotions. You should get married and go back to be an official’s wife.” Li Shifa basically denied He Qingcheng’s identity as a female revolutionary worker.

In an instant, resentment, anger, sadness, grievance, and heartache all surged into her heart. A myriad of emotions mixed with tears dripped onto the stone slab. Qingcheng pursed her lips, forcing back the tears.

From the moment she took on the task of uniting Gao Junxiao, protecting him became her responsibility. She had no right to shed tears, much less to back down.

The moon seems rather unhappy tonight, hanging pitifully in the sky as if it has a small tear in it. Gao Junxiao stood by the window thinking: The moon has its phases, but it doesn't have its own joys and sorrows. It's only people who have worries.

Was it really He Qingcheng that night? Gao Junxiao both hoped it was her and hoped it was just his imagination. No, no, he couldn't assume everyone he met was He Qingcheng; that was a problem that needed treatment.

Suddenly a dark figure appeared in front of the window, knocking on the glass. Gao Junxiao tilted his head and squinted for a while before realizing it was Lei Shanhai. He had blood-soaked gauze wrapped around his hand, a bruise around his eye, and thin red and purple marks on his neck.

This is the second floor, and there are guards standing watch. How did he climb up with just one hand? With these questions in mind, Gao Junxiao opened the window for Shan Hai and watched as Shan Hai nimbly climbed into the room and carefully closed the window. He couldn't help but admire how skilled the kid was!

As soon as Shan Hai landed, he proudly put his hands on his hips and declared that he had won a fight that night. Gao Junxiao was amused by his overconfident appearance. Even a blind man could see that he had fought a tough battle. What was he so smug about?

On second thought, a fight at night? The General Staff finally couldn't help but take action, which was good news. Gao Junxiao then praised Shan Hai and asked him to recount the events.

Shan Hai, emboldened by the praise, used his old street performer's eloquence to embellish the story. Stripping away the exaggerations, Gao Junxiao sorted out the events.

Tonight, after Shan Hai finished washing up and returned to his barracks to rest, he instinctively felt that something was strange about his barracks. Since the lights were off and it was dark, he didn't pay much attention to it, but he didn't dare to sleep too soundly.

Sure enough, not long after he fell asleep, four burly men he didn't recognize suddenly jumped up in the barracks. They pinned him down and tried to smother him with a pillow. If Shan Hai hadn't practiced breath-holding, he would have really been killed by them.

While they were checking their breathing, Shan Hai pulled out a hidden pistol and killed two of them. The gunshots quickly attracted the patrolling guards. Hearing the whistle outside, the other two rushed towards him in a panic, but at the critical moment, his gun jammed.

These two were also well-trained soldiers. The three of them wrestled together, and one of them pulled out an electric wire from somewhere and tried to strangle him. He didn't know why the guards outside were so slow.

The first to rush in to help him weren't guards, but Xiao Hu and Camel from the next barracks. Anyway, with the help of others, he finally managed to break free from the man's reverse control. Xiao Hu and Camel were pinning down another person.

Who knew that someone ahead wasn't quite dead yet? They touched the hand the man had thrown away, and the gunman fired a shot at him, resulting in Shan Hai's hand being like this. In the end, they captured two people alive, seriously wounded one, and killed the other.

"I came to get my wound bandaged, not specifically to see you," Shan Hai added at the end. Before Gao Junxiao could tell him that he could leave through the main door, he jumped out of the window and ran away.

Ah, it's true what they say, "He leaves without a trace, without even taking away a single cloud." No sooner had Shan Hai left than Li Sheng opened the door and came in again, carrying a brown paper file folder.

There are quite a lot of visitors tonight!

A few days ago, the General Staff hadn't gotten any benefits and had lost several men. Gao Junxiao and Li Sheng predicted that the General Staff would definitely take bigger actions in the next few days. Sure enough, Li Sheng was invited to the General Staff Headquarters by Chief of Staff Tang as soon as he arrived at the Songhu Command today.

Chief of Staff Tang's meaning was also very clear: Gao Junxiao had serious problems and he hoped to re-interrogate him. Moreover, they had obtained new evidence. Li Sheng could only sneer in his heart. Last time, the torture failed to produce a confession. What kind of evidence had they fabricated this time?

Of course, the Chief of Staff's authority had to be respected. Li Sheng was extremely efficient and quickly organized a new public interrogation, which everyone in the headquarters could attend. Excluding Chen Yao and others who genuinely wanted to know the outcome, the rest were just there to watch the spectacle.

Even after being summoned again, Gao Junxiao calmly straightened his military uniform like a listener and slowly walked into the noisy auditorium.

The person next to Li Sheng seems to be Staff Officer Lin, another beloved apprentice of Chief of Staff Tang. Staff Officer Lin and Staff Officer Xu graduated at the same time and were known as the "Two Generals of the General Staff." The two have always been at odds, but Xu Xun has somehow gotten involved with Staff Officer Lin's sister. The poor boy has climbed up to the rich girl, and it is rumored that they are about to get engaged, but Staff Officer Lin has been interfering all along.

So the rumors are just rumors. While gossiping, Gao Junxiao thought: They're about to break off relations, yet Chief of Staff Tang is still participating in the infighting by sending puppets. Is he trying to leave himself a way out?

The interrogation followed the same old routine: How did you join the Party? Who were your superiors and subordinates? Confess and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll be punished severely. Gao Junxiao felt that answering was a waste of breath; he hoped they could produce some strong evidence today.

"Gao Junxiao, do you really think we have no other evidence? Bring him up here." Staff Officer Lin slammed his hand on the table and gave the order to the guards.

A moment later, a guard led in a thin man dressed in a gray short jacket. His eyes were dull and cloudy, as if he had been tortured, and his exposed skin was covered with old scars.

As the witness entered, Staff Officer Lin revealed an extremely smug smile, while Li Sheng's expression gradually changed, his hands under the table clenching uncontrollably. "Hmph! This traitor! We didn't kill him back then, and now he's become a lackey of the Nationalist government."

"Greetings, officers. My name is Liu Wukui. I once went astray and joined the Communist Party." This self-introduction drew disdain and contempt from the officers present. So he was a traitor to the Communist Party. Traitors are never welcome anywhere.

“I’ve seen this person in the organization before.” Liu Wu-kui pointed, pointing directly at Gao Jun-xiao. The crowd immediately erupted in an uproar, and even Gao Jun-xiao frowned slightly and glared at Liu Wu-kui.

"Quiet, everyone, quiet down. Let the witnesses speak." Li Sheng suppressed his murderous urge and patiently chaired the meeting. The hearing was turning into a teahouse.

"Liu Wu-kui, tell me his name and what his position is in the Party. Don't hold back, just say whatever you want," Staff Officer Lin asked Liu Wu-kui kindly.

“I don’t know his real name. We are required to use pseudonyms within the organization. But I know that his level of secrecy is very high. I personally saw Zhou (the male god everyone knows) meet with him.” Liu Wukui said this with great seriousness, as if it had just happened yesterday.

Even Li Sheng couldn't help but doubt whether Gao Junxiao was really his comrade, and his gaze frequently swept towards Gao Junxiao. Gao Junxiao simply shook his head slightly, indicating his denial.

"This is utter nonsense! It's fabricated and a frame-up!" Gao Junxiao's men in the back row started making a fuss. If it were according to normal rules, as long as a member of the Communist Party identified the person, regardless of whether it was true or not, they would be shot first.

Ignoring the protests from the rear, Staff Officer Lin approached Li Sheng and said, "Section Chief Li, this matter is very clear; there's no need for further investigation."

“Officer Lin, if you don’t ask clearly and just arrest Gao Junxiao based on a single identification, do you believe his men could rebel on the spot?” Li Sheng deliberately held a public interrogation to prevent them from making any underhanded moves. Officer Lin glanced at the officers carrying weapons and immediately shut his mouth.

Seeing that Staff Officer Lin tacitly agreed to the interrogation, Li Sheng continued to ask questions, following Liu Wukui's words: "You were just a security guard at best before. How did you manage to meet someone like Zhou, a key figure?"

“My original rank wasn’t high, but because I did security work, I would usually participate when high-ranking members of the Communist Party came to Shanghai for meetings,” Liu Wu-kui continued to explain.

"Then you said that our young superior has a very high level of secrecy, and that Zhou is known for his meticulousness, so why would he let a security guard like you meet with him?" Li Sheng found the flaw in the statement and asked directly.

"I discovered it by accident. Zhou's black bus would pick him up regularly. I guess they talked and exchanged information in the bus." Liu Wu-kui was clearly flustered, and he accused Gao Jun-xiao with great conviction.

"You said Zhou's bus would pick him up regularly? Are you a louse on Zhou's body?!" Li Sheng raised his chin and asked Liu Wu Kui again, "Brother, we can't get his itinerary, how did you know?"

“Once, Zhou asked me to fill up his car with gas, insisting that I go to the gas station on Kangke Road. He also made me park the car on a secluded side road after filling up. I was hungry, so I went to eat nearby. When I came back, I saw him get into the car and drive away.” Liu Wukui recounted the situation with a flushed face.

He insisted that Gao Junxiao had driven the car away, but his eyes darted left and right, suggesting there was more to the story.

"But why did you turn back after you finished eating? Your mission should have ended after you refueled." Li Sheng was now 100% certain that this guy was framing Gao Junxiao. Zhou Gong might let him refuel, but he would never risk exposing the secret envoy by letting the secret envoy drive himself.

If what he said was true, then if Zhou Gong was to meet with the secret envoy, then Zhou Gong would definitely have a third, unrelated person drive his carriage to pick up himself and the secret envoy separately. Li Sheng could understand this logic, but he couldn't share it with others.

"I was curious, and later I found out that Zhou's car would go there to refuel at fixed intervals." Liu Wukui was still trying to explain, but his hands, which were gripping his clothes, were red from the effort.

"My mind is all messed up again. One minute you say you saw Zhou meet him with your own eyes, the next minute you say he drove Zhou's car away. Did you see the two of them meet or not?" Li Sheng stopped being polite and roared at Liu Wu Kui fiercely.

Faced with Li Sheng's intimidating presence, Liu Wu Kui hesitated for a moment before finally gritting his teeth and stamping his foot to admit, "I...I...I...I saw it."

"Oh, I forgot to ask, what year or when did you see it?" Li Sheng propped his head up with his hand and looked at Liu Wu Kui coldly.

"It was probably around May of last year," Liu Wu-kui said, trembling as he held up a five.

This remark elicited another round of boos from the audience, especially from Chen Yao, who booed the loudest. Everyone knows that Gao Junxiao was only officially transferred from Nanjing to Shanghai last September. Of course, it's not that he couldn't have come to Shanghai secretly before, but you can ask Committee Member Tan in Nanjing for the facts.

Staff Officer Lin immediately gave him a look that he was wrong, and Liu Wukui quickly changed his story, saying that he had misremembered and that it was after the Spring Festival this year. Then he changed his story again, saying that he had seen him several times. He repeatedly contradicted himself, and the audience thought that his words should be taken with a grain of salt.

"Ahem, Section Chief Li, I think it's understandable to misremember the time, but people remember his face very clearly." Staff Officer Lin cleared his throat, trying to save face.

"Chief of Staff Lin, the timing is crucial, it's a sensitive issue. We can't let a single member of the Communist Party get away with it, but we absolutely cannot wrong any pillar of the Party and the country. You understand what I mean?" Li Sheng said halfway, implying that Gao Junxiao had powerful connections.

"But they didn't know each other before, so why would anyone frame him?" Staff Officer Lin commented seriously.

"It's hard to say. Who knows what that traitor from the Communist Party is thinking?" Li Sheng felt contempt for the people in the General Staff, but he had to continue chairing the meeting. "Gao Junxiao, you should defend yourself in this matter."

"I have never met that person. I find his accusations against me completely baffling. Everyone knows Zhou, but how many people actually know him? You overestimate me," Gao Junxiao calmly defended himself.

"It would be strange if you didn't know Zhou. He was the director of the political department of the Whampoa Military Academy back then. You spent at Whampoa for at least half a year. How could you not know him?" Staff Officer Lin asked aggressively.

"There are hundreds, if not thousands, of teachers and students at Whampoa Military Academy. Just because I met Zhou at Whampoa doesn't mean they know me. Staff Officer Lin, you seem to be a Whampoa graduate and have met President Chiang Kai-shek, right? You can go and ask President Chiang if he knows you," Gao Junxiao retorted sarcastically.

"That's right, Principal Jiang doesn't even know you. He's just trying to frame you. Investigate this thoroughly!" Chen Yao suddenly shouted from the audience.

"Commander Chen, rest assured, we will conduct a thorough investigation. Gao Junxiao, please continue," Staff Officer Lin said awkwardly, knowing full well that this man was also a troublesome figure.

"Moreover, that G party member was vague about the time, place, and content. Not to mention he could even get summer and winter wrong, you need to ask more detailed questions. Did he see us meeting at night or during the day?" Gao Junxiao prompted.

"Liu Wukui, did you see them meeting during the day or at night?" Li Sheng asked, cooperating with Gao Junxiao.

"It happens both at night and during the day." This time, Liu Wu-kui learned to be ambiguous.

"Explain clearly, was it during the day or at night the day you first met Zhou and made contact with him?" Li Sheng wasn't going to give him a chance to muddy the waters.

"During the day," Liu Wu-kui could only answer honestly.

“Alright, let’s talk about the daytime first. Both the headquarters and the camp have regulations that prohibit leaving the camp without permission. It’s okay if the Communist Party doesn’t know about this, but you two officers must be very clear about this rule. You can compare my travel records.” Gao Junxiao’s words made everyone have new ideas.

"Well, Liu Wu-kui, do you have anything to add?" Li Sheng asked.

“Then he must have met with Zhou while on official business. Boss, I was injured in the head before, so my memory isn’t very good, but I can still recognize faces.” Liu Wu Kui also calmed down, realizing that his presence was the best evidence.

The interrogation had reached a temporary stalemate, and Li Sheng realized that Liu Wukui was the chief of staff's trump card. As long as he insisted that he had seen Gao Junxiao and that Gao Junxiao was a member of the Communist Party, even if it reached the higher-ups, it would be enough to make Gao Junxiao suffer.

Li Sheng felt a mix of emotions. He hadn't expected the interrogation to end like this; he, a true member of the Communist Party, was sitting in the dock. Gao Junxiao, on the other hand, wasn't a member of the Communist Party; he was a rare good officer of the Kuomintang, willing to work for the people's well-being, yet he was sitting in the defendant's seat.

Such ridiculous things will happen again in the future. Li Sheng waved his hand with some disappointment, signaling the guards to take Liu Wu Kui away. Lin, the staff officer beside him, was now full of confidence, his face full of a smug look, urging Li Sheng to pronounce the sentence quickly.

Brother Gao, you're in deep trouble. This witness is far more important than you expected. Why did you have to do this?

At this moment, a guard handed Li Sheng a telegram. Staff Officer Lin glanced at the contents of the telegram, and his face instantly lit up with joy. The telegram was from Commander Xiong, instructing them to detain Gao Junxiao in jail and decide whether to execute him upon his return.

Suddenly, the winds shifted from south to north, and Li Sheng had no choice but to announce the temporary detention of Gao Junxiao, since Commander Xiong had already spoken. However, Li Sheng found it strange that the telegram had suddenly appeared; who had sent the message to Commander Xiong? He hadn't sent it.

Staff Officer Lin next to him seemed unaware of the situation either. Looking at the few people below the stage who were qualified to send telegrams to Commander Xiong, they all looked completely bewildered. Could it be that Commander Xiong had some hidden agents he didn't know about?

In the staff headquarters, Chief of Staff Tang said to his men, "This time we must confirm Gao Junxiao's CCP identity."

"Yes, just insist that he met with Zhou after the Spring Festival. Anyway, he was basically training troops and gathering intelligence during that time, and he often left the camp," Staff Officer Lin replied, a cruel glint in his eyes.

In prison, Gao Junxiao was moved from a comfortable and clean single hospital room to a damp and cold single cell, a significant change. However, there was one advantage: he could see other people, and he could easily bribe the guards.

The first to visit him was Chen Yao, who proceeded to hurl insults at everyone from Commander Xiong to the ancestors of that Communist traitor. Even Gao Junxiao couldn't stand it anymore, advising him to watch his words, giving him some instructions on military affairs, and then dismissing him.

Then came Shan Hai, who had disguised himself as a guard. If it weren't for his injuries, Gao Junxiao wouldn't have been able to tell them apart. Shan Hai thought, "Why put up with this humiliation? I've done prison break attempts before, as long as Gao Junxiao agrees."

They went out and started a new bandit group, with Shan Hai as the leader and Gao Junxiao as the second-in-command. Of course, Gao Junxiao politely declined the suggestion of becoming bandits together. Watching Shan Hai leave in a huff, he smiled knowingly; this kid hadn't settled down yet.

Finally, he met the person he most wanted to see...