Your hearts are filthy when you play power games.

The rain outside the window was getting heavier and heavier. The rainwater on the roof flowed down the glass window and formed a small waterfall about the width of a palm. The flowers, plants and trees outside seemed to be restless, swaying and the branches were creaking in the wind.

Following Commander Xiong's instructions, the guards brought Tang Jizu to the interrogation table. Commander Xiong, with a forced smile, ordered Chief of Staff Tang to cooperate with the investigation.

Everyone understood that even if Chief of Staff Tang knew the truth, he still harbored a bit of wishful thinking and pretended to be ignorant.

"Alright, let's lay it all out today. You have four charges: first, overstepping your authority; second, framing someone; third, murder; and fourth, colluding with outsiders." Each of these charges was more serious than the last. As soon as Commander Xiong finished speaking, rumors began to circulate throughout the entire office building that the two had completely fallen out.

Commander Xiong didn't give Tang Jizu a chance to explain. He pointed at Chief of Staff Tang and said sternly, "Before I went to Nanjing, I told everyone that I was sending Gao Junxiao to suppress the bandits. I had just left when you detained him with a single order without even informing me. Isn't this overstepping your authority?"

A flash of lightning streaked across the window, and Chief of Staff Tang knew that Commander Xiong was serious. He immediately felt a tingling sensation in his hands and feet. Behind him were countless pairs of eyes waiting to see the show, which made him even more nervous. He had personally signed the arrest warrant, so he couldn't deny it.

"Commander, it's a misunderstanding. The higher-ups ordered us not to let any Communist Party member go. My subordinates were in a hurry to report and couldn't contact you immediately, so I had to detain the man in the military court. If we let a Communist Party member go to suppress bandits, it would be a betrayal of the trust the higher-ups have placed in us." Tang Jizu kept referring to the higher-ups, probably hoping the commander would consider the power behind him.

"Heh, you're trying to pressure me with your superiors?" Commander Xiong laughed instead of getting angry, but there was a hint of murderous intent hidden in his smile. "This brings us to your second charge: framing. Everyone clearly heard the witness change his story just now, saying that your General Staff ordered him to falsely accuse Gao Junxiao of being a member of the Communist Party."

"This, this, I really don't know." Chief of Staff Tang's eyes flickered; at this point, he had no other choice but to play dumb.

“You don’t even tell your subordinates what they’re doing. You’re a pathetic chief of staff.” Commander Xiong said, pounding the table with anguish. Suddenly, his face hardened and he roared, “Men, demote all the officers in the staff department by three ranks. Do it immediately.”

One after another, staff officers were pulled up and had their collar insignia removed on the spot. The thunderous sound not only echoed in the air but also resonated in everyone's hearts. Commander Xiong was not just "helping" with discipline, but also telling everyone that there was no future in following the Chief of Staff.

Commander Xiong then summoned Li Sheng and Shan Hai separately to recount the third charge: murder. The two recounted the events of that day from two different perspectives, complementing each other perfectly.

That night, Li Sheng was working overtime as usual. He went to the back door of the office building to smoke and get some fresh air. Just as he lit his cigarette, he heard faint gunshots from the barracks in the distance, followed by sharp whistles. Not knowing what had happened, he went to check it out.

Once he arrived at the barracks area, everything became quiet again, as if nothing had happened. He was even stopped by the dormitory manager from entering. It was only by chance that the guard who had blown the whistle ran over and said that there had been gunfire in Barracks No. 9.

The dormitory manager pretended to send a guard to check, but the guard didn't return for a long time. Since it was dark, he was afraid the guard would get lost, so he invited the dormitory manager to go with him to check. Of course, what Li Sheng didn't say was that he held a gun to the dormitory manager's waist before he was allowed to go.

Along the way, Li Sheng saw soldiers who weren't asleep peeking out of their barracks. When they saw the dormitory supervisor, they quickly closed their windows in fright. Strangely, there weren't any patrolling guards around, and no one was peeking out from the barracks near Barracks No. 9. It turned out that the soldiers in those barracks had received notice before going to sleep that they needed to move to a different dormitory.

It was indeed the dormitory manager's responsibility to change rooms, and there was nothing to say about it. However, after Li Sheng interrogated him afterward, the dormitory manager revealed that the staff had given him money to clear out all the barracks that night. Shan Hai had a habit of practicing boxing before bed, and by the time he returned, the place would be deserted.

The others were from the staff headquarters. They bought late-night snacks and treated the patrol team to the day's meal on the small parade ground. The one who blew the whistle was the least senior, so the captain left him to watch the area while the others went to collect their snacks. And those assassins were actually guards working for the staff headquarters.

"Chief of Staff Tang, you've prepared quite thoroughly. I say, you're a senior staff officer, why are you making things difficult for a mere soldier? Is it because of this?" Commander Xiong pulled out a piece of paper from his brown notebook, on which was written a long list of names, positions, ranks, and amounts of bribes.

Chief of Staff Tang sighed and resignedly closed his eyes. Outside, onlookers murmured amongst themselves: "Today, it seems we're going to have to pay homage to Governor Gao's anti-banditry banner with blood."

"Oh, let's read it. Zhang Weidong, second lieutenant of the 205th Security Regiment, collected ten silver dollars on the fifth day of the third month..." Commander Xiong casually read a few more names, mostly from the Security Regiment, and some were town government officials and local gentry.

"It was my fault for failing to discipline my subordinates properly. I am willing to go to the military court to accept punishment." The chief of staff, unaware of the trap, stopped arguing and immediately adopted a strategy of retreat.

Everyone was thinking to themselves, "Isn't the military law department still under your control?"

"What punishment are you going to receive? Aren't these all members of the security regiment? Does that mean the 205th Security Regiment is under your command? What about the garrison commander of Xuzhou City?" Commander Xiong's words left Tang Jizu speechless for a moment.

After a moment's thought, Tang Jizu decided to adopt an official tone: "It was my recklessness. We should first inform the Xuzhou garrison commander that the security regiment below is so lawless, creating a huge obstacle to our bandit suppression work. We should explain the situation to both sides. If he doesn't cooperate, we can file a complaint with our superiors."

"Chief of Staff Tang, we can only complain about other people's things, right? But what if it's one of our own people?" Commander Xiong asked, changing the subject.

Everyone was completely bewildered by Commander Xiong's interrogation pace. Tang Jizu was at his wits' end and blurted out, "He should be severely punished."

As soon as he said this, Tang Jizu knew that the situation was hopeless. He steeled himself and pretended to be ignorant, playing the victim: "It must be that Staff Officer Xu, Xu Xun. He made all the decisions on his own. I really didn't know."

Seemingly having anticipated Tang Jizu's attempt to shift the blame, Gao Junxiao sneered from the sidelines. He was so despicable and shameless, yet he pretended to be a benevolent superior willing to promote those from humble backgrounds, when in reality he was just using Xu Xun as toilet paper.

Clap clap, the crisp sound of clapping interrupted Gao Junxiao's thoughts. Li Sheng, on the interrogation table, clapped his hands and said, "Chief of Staff Tang, you're getting cocky. Xu Xun broke the law and is still being held by the anti-smuggling team."

Li Sheng's implication was that Xu Xun was still imprisoned, so how could he have planned the murder that happened a few days ago?

"That's Staff Officer Lin. Both of them have the right to falsely convey my orders. If they are colluding with bandits, I beg the Commander to punish them severely and restore peace to the General Staff Headquarters." Chief of Staff Tang absolved himself of any responsibility and pretended to be righteous.

"Chief of Staff Tang, do you think I don't know anything just because I'm not in Shanghai? Take a look at this confession. Those assassins and guards all identified Staff Officer Lin as the mastermind behind this murder. I have already handed him over to a military court." Commander Xiong took the confession from Li Sheng and showed Tang Jizu the bright red handprint.

Chief of Staff Tang breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his name wasn't on the confession. There was no other way; when it came to sacrificing a pawn to save the king, one had to be decisive. They couldn't all die together.

But this would truly leave Tang Jizu all alone in the headquarters. No one would be willing to follow such a treacherous superior anymore. Commander Xiong's real goal was to sideline him.

What upset Tang Jizu even more was the fourth item, "colluding with outsiders." Commander Xiong slowly flipped through the ledger and said, "The previous ledger was the security regiment's ledger, but I also have a ledger of collusion."

Could it be that Xu Qiao lost the contest of magic, or that Xu Xun betrayed him? Thinking of this, Tang Jizu clenched his fists and turned his head angrily to look at Gao Junxiao's location.

Feeling two sharp gazes fixed on him, Gao Junxiao returned the gazes with a victor's smile. He had to thank Chief of Staff Tang for allowing him to find another piece of evidence before his release from prison, an extremely crucial piece of evidence.

It was the brown notebook that Commander Xiong was currently pressing under his arm; sometimes things just happen by chance.

"Commander, I was wrong." Tang Jizu quickly admitted his mistake.

"How could you, a senior staff officer, admit to something wrong again? Am I that intimidating?" Commander Xiong slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Bring Captain Huang from the military law department here!"

As the guards dragged in a mangled, bloody body, leaving a long trail of blood in their wake, followed behind Director Yan, who appeared to be recovering from a serious illness. Director Yan was panting heavily, his face still covered in blood, looking like a demon from the underworld.

"Commander, this kid has confessed. The Party Affairs Investigation Section gave him ten gold bars and told him to find any officer to frame, in order to embarrass you, Commander, in Nanjing," Director Yan reported solemnly with a military salute.

"Hmm, are there any accomplices?" Commander Xiong asked, glancing at Chief of Staff Tang.

“Yes, they frequently fed information to the CC. My subordinates have already sent them all to the execution ground. Several of their subordinates with positions have been detained, awaiting the commander’s instructions.” Director Yan respectfully presented a list.

The adjutant took the list and presented it to Commander Xiong for review. Commander Xiong merely glanced at it indifferently, casually ticked a few boxes, and said lightly, "What I hate most are disloyal people. Keep those who are ticked for further interrogation, and execute the others according to military law."

This statement was both an instruction and a warning, warning everyone in the command headquarters that betraying him would result in either death or a fate worse than death.

Inside and outside the door, there was a graveyard-like silence. All heads were turned toward the list, followed by chaotic footsteps and desperate screams.

Commander Xiong stared at the trembling Chief of Staff Tang and issued the final order of the day: "Chief of Staff Tang, even if I believe that your subordinates acted on their own initiative, you, as their direct superior, bear inescapable joint responsibility. You are suspended from duty and without pay for one month, effective immediately, and should stay at home to reflect on how you manage your subordinates."

Thus, the contest between Commander Xiong and Chief of Staff Tang ended with Chief of Staff Tang's crushing defeat. The meeting hall had dispersed, but Li Sheng was still somewhat bewildered. Had he been used as a pawn by Gao Junxiao? At that moment, Li Sheng discovered that Commander Xiong had actually left behind that important "list."

But when Li Sheng caught up with the commander and returned the paper to him, Commander Xiong simply smiled faintly and replied, "Fake," before casually tearing the paper up and throwing it into the trash can. Instantly, all the clues in Li Sheng's mind connected into a single line.

With a heartfelt sigh, "So that's how it is!" Li Sheng's admiring gaze turned to Gao Junxiao in the crowd. Gao Junxiao also saw Li Sheng and smiled, nodding to him.

Li Sheng's guess was pretty accurate. Let's go back to the day Gao Junxiao and Chen Yao handed the secret list to the commander. Everyone only knew that Commander Xiong's furious roar echoed throughout the entire building; they didn't know that it was just a performance by the three of them.

In Commander Xiong's office, Gao Junxiao slowly explained his plan: there is a mole in the headquarters, and everyone can guess who the mole is. But the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light. We need to lure the enemy out from the shadows.

You can't really get something for nothing without having any bait first.

Gao Junxiao suggested forging a list, a "non-existent" list. He didn't know what kind of monsters he could lure out. There were too many uncertainties on the battlefield, but often taking the initiative was the only way to defeat the enemy. A true master could maneuver the enemy without being maneuvered by the enemy.

Commander Xiong thought for a moment and then agreed. Gao Junxiao understood that his fishing suggestion had hit the nail on the head regarding something Commander Xiong had always wanted to do but hadn't yet.

Chief of Staff Tang was actually sent by Chief of the General Staff Shi to be by Commander Xiong's side, with the aim of balancing the military power between him and President Chiang Kai-shek. Of course, if he could find something to hurt Commander Xiong, Chief of Staff Tang could probably become Commander Tang himself.

This fishing trip will not only clear away obstacles on the road to suppressing bandits, but also take the opportunity to eliminate the spies and informants planted by Chief of Staff Tang, allowing more power to be concentrated in the hands of Commander Xiong.

For Commander Xiong, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. With Commander Xiong's tacit approval, Gao Junxiao quickly spread the news of the existence of bandit ledgers within the army.

With the "list" in hand, someone was needed to translate it. At this point, Xiao Shan Hai volunteered to be the second bait. Firstly, since he was a bandit who had surrendered, it would be more convincing if he were found out. Secondly, he was very confident in his abilities.

Rumors spread like wildfire, easily reaching the ears of everyone in headquarters. After several rounds of transmission, everyone was convinced that a very important person would soon be revealed.

The play created a good sense of panic. Although it wasn't groundbreaking, Chief of Staff Tang felt uneasy. He was eager to find the person who had deciphered the code, so he kept sending An Fu and Xu Xun to visit the bandit suppression team under the guise of assisting, in turn, to find the person who had deciphered the codebook.

Since only these two were sent to test him, Gao Junxiao felt he would be letting Chief of Staff Tang down if he didn't teach them a lesson.

But the man surnamed Tang remained calm and collected. No matter how Gao Junxiao dealt with his beloved disciple and lackeys, he simply refused to show his face, pretending to be unaware of the situation. When he met Gao Junxiao, he was always polite and showed no dissatisfaction. Later, after an investigation, Gao Junxiao learned that among all the officers above the rank of lieutenant in the entire staff, the two of them had the least background.

The enemy didn't move, so I didn't move either. The two were locked in a subtle contest. After a period of stalemate, Gao Junxiao realized that he had overestimated the intelligence of the people in the General Staff. Half a month had passed, and the General Staff still hadn't figured out Shan Hai.

If they dragged things out like this, they would miss the best time to attack. So Gao Junxiao took advantage of Shan Hai's boastful nature and got Shan Hai to "accidentally" reveal that the supervisor had even higher-level ledgers involving arms sales.

Sure enough, the staff came looking for clues. Tang Jizu wanted the high-level ledgers and also wanted to use him to get rid of An Fu, this scoundrel who was holding him back.

In order to test Gao Junxiao's limits, he kidnapped He Qingcheng. Although it was within Gao Junxiao's expectations, his heart almost stopped when he saw Qingcheng being held hostage.

I underestimated their shamelessness. These damned scumbags won't even feed Qingcheng. Don't they know their precious baby has a sensitive stomach and can't afford to go hungry?

However, this also revealed Tang Jizu's first weakness: he was in cahoots with CC, which allowed him to find Qingcheng's location so quickly.

This violated Commander Xiong's taboo. He could tolerate Tang Jizu being Chief of Staff Shi's informant, but he could not tolerate his subordinates colluding with spies, stabbing him in the back, and betraying the interests of the headquarters.

It just so happens that someone sent a telegram to the Soviet area, which was intercepted by the CC, allowing the CC to legitimately intervene in the CCP investigation at the headquarters.

CC's intervention was like a spark that ignited the internal conflicts within the command headquarters.

How could Gao Junxiao let go of such a golden opportunity to attack? So when Gao Junxiao reported the clues he had found to Commander Xiong, he took the opportunity to pin the blame on Tang Jizu, accusing Tang of colluding with CC to fabricate stories and sow discord in front of their superiors.

This further strengthened Commander Xiong's determination to bring down Tang Jizu.

In fact, Gao Junxiao already knew that someone had installed a bugging device in his office. Everyone knew the person who made the call; it was Shen, the adjutant next to Commander Xiong. As for the noise, all he had to do was rub the microphone with a piece of candy wrapper while speaking.

The General Staff proceeded as if following a script, producing the intercepted recording. Moreover, Gao Junxiao wasn't genuinely trying to stage a self-inflicted injury; it just so happened that Section Chief Li Sheng was absent.

Captain Huang's appearance also exposed the Military Law Department, which had never been properly organized and was almost becoming an appendage of the General Staff.

However, Director Yan, that old opportunist, heard the news and realized the situation was turning in one direction. He stopped pretending to be sick and rushed over to reorganize the military law department. He also personally removed the spies and informants left by Tang Jizu and pledged his loyalty to Commander Xiong.

But Tang Jizu was too cautious and never showed his face in person. Even regarding the kidnapping of He Qingcheng, he only needed to claim ignorance, leaving Xu Xun as the scapegoat. Gao Junxiao also didn't have any particularly solid evidence to bring Tang Jizu down.

Until that despicable An Fu appeared, he sold Xu Xun out twice in order to save his own life. Once, he coerced Xu Xun into exchanging missions with him, even though An Fu was the one who received the kidnapping mission. The other time, he sold Xu Xun out of the real ledger.

Oh dear, I feel a little sorry for Xu Xun. Whenever Xu Xun is bullied, he just goes to the library to read quietly. What a good kid. He just chose the wrong side. I should give him a chance to choose again.

Gao Junxiao pondered a solution. Ignoring Chen Yao's objections, he told Lu Xian to turn the car around so he could go to the anti-smuggling team to meet Xu Xun and talk about his background.