Interrogation of Big Gold Tooth
After delivering the telegram to Nanjing, Gao Junxiao pretended nothing had happened and returned to the military law department. The guards reported that Xiang Guozhong had woken up and was clamoring to go to Nanjing to see the president.
Gao Junxiao paused slightly, realizing he had woken up at just the right time. This fool thought he was some kind of rare commodity, attempting to use so-called "important intelligence" as a life-saving charm. But this fool will never become the second Zhang Tianhe.
He gave a cold laugh: "Fine. Strengthen the guard. No one is allowed to approach without my order."
"Councilor Gao, should we find a doctor to treat him?" the captain of the guards asked.
Gao Junxiao patted the guard captain on the shoulder: "Is he not awake? What just happened must be kept strictly confidential. If you all obey, at the end of the month, everyone on duty in the military law department tonight will get an extra five silver dollars. If you do, you'll get an extra twenty dollars."
"Thank you, sir." The captain of the guard snapped to attention and saluted, his eyes shining with joy.
"Go and find out where Chen Jian is. If he doesn't come back soon, I'm going to start the trial." Gao Junxiao waved for the guards to go find Chen Jian.
With the money backing him, the captain of the guards personally made the call and returned shortly with the message: "Director Shen said he encountered some trouble on the way and will probably arrive in another hour. If you can't wait, have Xiang Guozhong write a confession first."
After only an hour, Gao Junxiao was shocked: "Okay, go give him paper and pen and watch him write."
Time was even shorter than he had anticipated. Gao Junxiao closed the office door and paced back and forth, pondering how to quickly send out the information that "Chen Jian will be back in an hour" to buy time for the organization to transfer the documents.
I can't leave myself right now, and if I send my trusted confidants out, I'll definitely be the first suspect when things are settled later. Every seemingly feasible plan comes with a huge risk of exposure.
Ring ring! The phone on his desk interrupted his thoughts. Commander or Chen Jian? Gao Junxiao suppressed his anxiety and answered, "Hello, this is Gao Junxiao from the Military Law Department."
"Xiaoxing, we've arrived at our station." The long-lost voice of Sister Gao Lianxia came through. "Shanghai Station is so crowded. I have a child and a lot of luggage with me. Could you please send a car to pick us up?"
"Huh? Brother-in-law didn't come?" Gao Jun slapped his forehead, realizing he'd forgotten to pick them up. But why was his older sister in the office?
"He's here, watching the luggage. He just wants to keep a low profile right now, he won't even bring a servant, afraid that acquaintances will recognize him and laugh at him. He's so pathetic," Gao Lianxia complained.
Sigh, even the Dragon King of the Underwater Kingdom is no match for a dog, but Gao Junxiao has no time for reminiscing right now: "Big sister, I have urgent business at headquarters and really can't leave. How about I call you a taxi so you can go to the hotel and settle in first?"
"What urgent official business is more important than picking up your own sister?" Gao Lianxia raised her voice.
Just as Gao Junxiao was wondering how to answer, a child's voice, trembling with sobs, burst into his ears: "Uncle, I want my uncle."
"You are..." The eldest sister's voice changed.
"Mom, she's my aunt. You weren't here when she and my uncle came back last time," the eldest nephew interjected.
"Hello, big sister, I'm He Qingcheng. I've come to pick you up to go to the hotel." Qingcheng's gentle voice broke through the noise. "Sweetie, your uncle is at work. You'll see him tomorrow. Shall I ask him to bring you some delicious food?"
"No, no! I want my little uncle now!" Sweetie snatched the microphone relentlessly. "Little uncle, it's so noisy here, Sweetie is so scared."
In the background, you can hear his older sister coaxing him helplessly: "Sweetie, be good, don't bother your uncle, he's busy with important matters..."
How can a five-year-old understand work? But Qingcheng coaxed, "Sweetie, your uncle will give you candy, but he will only reward good children. If you cry again, your aunt won't take you."
"Don't cry, Sweetie. Auntie will take me to see Uncle. Let's go now." Sweetie's soft voice melted Gao Junxiao's heart.
"That's right, you can bring your family members!" Gao Junxiao suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "Big sister, you all go and rest first, let Qingcheng bring Tiantian over, otherwise she'll keep bothering you and no one will be able to sleep well tonight."
"I feel so bad about this," the older woman said, still a little hesitant.
"It's alright, I know the headquarters well, I'll just take a quick look around and come right back. It'll be good for the little one to burn off some energy so she can sleep better tonight," Kiyosumi comforted her.
"Alright, alright, Xiaoxing, you're not allowed to give her too much candy, or her teeth will get rotten," the older sister instructed, and Gao Junxiao naturally agreed without hesitation.
The receiver went dead, but Gao Junxiao didn't hang up for a long time. He stood there, his palms sweating. A glimmer of hope! His niece's visit might be his only chance.
He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, rummaged through the drawer, and found the wedding candies that he hadn't finished distributing. He pulled out the padding paper inside and wrote: "The shopkeeper has betrayed us and has written a confession. The goods are in danger. Move them immediately. Employees, be on guard against being exposed."
A few seconds later, the writing disappeared, and the area returned to its original wheat color. He immediately stuffed the writing paper back into the candy box.
Then he picked up the internal phone on the table and notified the guard at the door: "My niece and fiancée will be here in a bit. Let me know as soon as they arrive. Don't keep them waiting."
As night fell, a car appeared at the entrance of the headquarters. Gao Junxiao raised his hand to check his watch; twenty-five minutes had passed.
"Uncle!" When Tian Tian saw him, she immediately broke free from Qing Cheng's hand and flew over like a happy little bird.
Gao Junxiao smiled indulgently, bent down and picked up Tian Tian: "Tian Tian is here, did you miss your uncle?"
"Yes." Sweetie hugged his neck.
"This child can't wait a moment longer; he insists on seeing you right away. I hope I didn't disturb your work?" Qingcheng took a few steps forward.
"How could that be?" Gao Junxiao complained casually while holding Tian Tian. "I just got news that Captain Chen is delayed by something and won't be here for another half hour. This will give me a break."
Her smile remained unchanged: "Don't slack off. Finish your work early and come back early. You forgot that your sister and brother-in-law were coming to Shanghai. Luckily, I asked the operator to transfer your home call to your office."
"Haha, thank goodness you're smart. I forgot about it while I was busy. I'll apologize to them tomorrow." Gao Junxiao understood and immediately handed the candy box to Tian Tian. "Here, this is candy your uncle prepared for you. Take it and enjoy it with your aunt when you get back."
"Give it to me. Big sister won't let her eat more." Qingcheng took it and gave one to Tiantian, silencing the child.
Using Sweetie's cover, Qingcheng's lips moved slightly, and she said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "The streets are under martial law, and Chen Jian is searching. The box is too big to move. Unless it's hidden in my dowry chest."
"Don't do anything reckless," Gao Junxiao warned in a low voice. She actually wanted to use this method to transfer "Document No. 1," which was simply wishful thinking.
Qingcheng stared intently at him, then suddenly leaned in and pressed her cheek against his: "I need you to believe that I can do it, help me hold off Chen Jian, and also lend me your niece for a bit."
The guards at the gate cast envious glances, but Gao Junxiao felt as if she had punched him hard in the chest, a dull ache mingled with surging anger. So, she wasn't here to ask for his opinion, just to give him an announcement.
“You…” Gao Junxiao tried to find even the slightest hint of wavering on her face, but he failed. Her eyes clearly told him that she understood the risks of every step and was prepared to bear all the consequences, more clearly than ever before!
He wanted to yell at her for being childish, to grab her shoulders and shake her awake, to tell her that this was too crazy and too dangerous... but all the words stuck in his throat.
There was no time to hesitate; the footsteps of Chen Jian returning home resounded in his heart like a death knell. Gao Junxiao's voice was somewhat hoarse from trying so hard to suppress his emotions: "Okay."
That single word, "good," carried immense weight. Gao Junxiao calculated in his mind how long he could stall: "Captain Shen is an impatient person. I can stay for at most two more hours, and he'll probably close the case by then. I'll bring you some late-night snacks when I get back."
"Hmm." Qingcheng seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "Sweetie, we got the candy and met Uncle. We should go now, or Mom will worry."
Qingcheng took Tiantian from Gao Junxiao's arms, as if the life-or-death conversation had never happened.
"Hey, the candy's all gone. Don't rush to throw away the box. I'll pack some loose candy for her tomorrow." Gao Junxiao forced a wry smile.
Qingcheng glanced at the box and said knowingly, "I understand. Say goodbye to your uncle."
"Goodbye, Uncle." Sweetie waved obediently.
Gao Junxiao stood there, watching them turn around and get into the car. Qingcheng's slender back looked almost transparent under the streetlights. Before driving off, Qingcheng glanced back, a smile on her lips.
In that instant, fear reached its peak. Gao Junxiao tried to stop his lover, who was about to walk into the center of the vortex, but Qingcheng had already started the car and driven away from the headquarters.
His hand fell limply to his side. The dull pain in Gao Junxiao's chest from the heavy blow was still clear, but he had to move. He straightened his military uniform to make sure there wasn't a single wrinkle on it.
At the door of the room where Xiang Guozhong was being held, the guard saw Gao Junxiao and immediately straightened his back and saluted.
"Open the door, let me see if he's finished writing." Gao Junxiao said casually.
Hearing the noise, Xiang Guozhong looked up in alarm, but when he saw it was Gao Junxiao, he breathed a sigh of relief. Gao Junxiao didn't say anything, took the manuscript he had written, and looked down at him.
"Counselor Gao, you're here. I'm almost finished. There are just four hundred words left to wrap up." Xiang Guozhong gave a fawning smile, his conspicuous gold tooth gleaming in the dim light.
Gao Junxiao glanced at the manuscript paper. The handwriting was somewhat messy, full of platitudes about seeking credit and rewards, and expressing a willingness to repent. As for key information, apart from the addresses of a few important cadres who had already been given to Shen Jian, everything else was vague.
"Okay, let's hurry." Gao Junxiao casually folded the manuscript paper and held it in his hand. "Are you sure there's nothing missing here? You didn't clearly write down Honghu, the last person to handle Document No. 1. He's such a high-ranking official, how did you know?"
“I already said that I was sleeping in the same dormitory as Wu Hao, and I saw it by stealth.” Xiang Guozhong’s smile froze for a moment, and his gold teeth grinned unnaturally. “Also, the messenger who delivered the message was specifically for the headquarters.”
"Heh, peeping? Do you think I'm a three-year-old?" Gao Junxiao scoffed. "Wu Hao is known for his extreme caution. Top-secret information isn't something you can just sneak up and see in one nap."
A huge shadow loomed over Xiang Guozhong's head. Gao Junxiao pressed, "You mentioned the courier who delivered the documents earlier. Wasn't he the one who peeked into the notebook? What, did Wu Hao send away the entire work notebook?"
*Smack!* Gao Junxiao slammed the manuscript on the table, startling Xiang Guozhong.
"Speak! Who told you? What was your source? Did you get wind of it before your arrest, or did someone else leak it to you?" Gao Junxiao said coldly. "If you want to live, confess honestly, otherwise..."
After a pause, Gao Junxiao took off his gloves and threw them on the table, then unbuttoned his cuffs: "Now I have something to do."
Sitting in his seat, Xiang Zhongfa glanced around frantically, his lips trembling, as if he were weighing the pros and cons.
"Report!" The urgent voice of the confidential staff officer rang out from outside the door, interrupting the interrogation. "Counselor Gao, urgent telegram from Nanjing."
"Just in time," Gao Junxiao said, glancing at Xiang Guozhong's pale face. "Come in."
The confidential staff officer strode in, stood at attention, saluted, and then presented a transcribed telegram with both hands: "Counselor Gao, urgent telegram from Nanjing, regarding the handling of the wanted criminal Xiang Guozhong."
Gao Junxiao took the telegram, his eyes quickly scanning the few lines. He couldn't help but smirk. Now he had no choice but to take action.
Telegram: We have learned that the wanted criminal Xiang Guozhong has been captured. This villain's crimes are heinous and his harm immense. The Military Law Department of the Shanghai-Songhu Command is hereby ordered to execute him immediately to prevent future troubles. This order is hereby issued by Zhongzheng.
The sound of leather shoes clicking on the ground came simultaneously. Chen Jian pushed open the door and said with dissatisfaction, "Counselor Gao, you're really efficient. I rushed back as fast as I could, but I'm still a step behind you. What, did you find some new clues during the interrogation?"
Holding the execution order from Nanjing in his hand, Gao Junxiao calmly said, "Captain Shen's return is just in time. There's an urgent telegram from Nanjing; take a look for yourself."
Waving the telegram, Chen Jian's originally aggressive attitude turned into resentment at his failure: "How could Nanjing be so arbitrary? There are clearly still a lot of clues that this person hasn't been able to extract."
Gao Junxiao caught a glimpse of the displeasure on his face and sneered inwardly: "Captain Shen is absolutely right. Nanjing is thousands of miles away, and we don't know the specific situation. This order is indeed... a bit hasty."
After sending the telegram, Chen Jian rushed out the door, presumably to confront the person in Nanjing.
Youth is all about being energetic!
Gao Junxiao pulled him back at the right moment: "Captain Shen, don't try to take credit now. Since the order has been given, he's going to die anyway, so why not make the most of him? Maybe we can find some valuable clues and change their minds."
"Counselor Gao, why don't you go to Nanjing to reason with them?" Shen Jian asked habitually.
Gao Junxiao said regretfully, "The order from the commander has arrived, and as a soldier, I can only obey orders. But the commander did not say that you cannot conduct the interrogation, and you are not a member of my military law department."
“Interrogate him first, then kill him… that’s not impossible. If you don’t seize this last chance, he’ll have to take those big secrets to his grave. That would be 'making the most of him,'” Gao Junxiao said calmly.
These words were all tempting to Chen Jian. This kid had been running around all day and it seemed he had come up empty-handed, at least not to Wu Hao's residence. If he didn't get some interesting clues soon, all of Chen Jian's hard work would be for nothing.
Shen Jian suddenly turned his head and stared intently at Xiang Guozhong, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes: "What a fine 'making the most of everything'."
Gao Junxiao spread his hands and asked in return, "Did I say something wrong? Since Nanjing wants him dead, he should make one last 'contribution' to the Party and the country before he dies."
Shen Jian waved to his men behind him, with a desperate madness in his eyes: "Drag him to the interrogation room. I refuse to believe that we can't pry his mouth open before he dies!"
"No! No! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! Spare me—" Xiang Guozhong screamed shrilly, but was still roughly dragged away by the two agents.
"Councilor Gao, come and take a look, let's learn from each other." Shen Jian glanced at Gao Junxiao intentionally, then rushed into the interrogation room.
Desperate screams echoed down the corridor. Gao Junxiao picked up the telegram expressionlessly, turned, and handed it to a guard, instructing him to immediately pass it on to Commander Xiong. Regardless of whether Commander Xiong was the first to know, the procedure had to be followed.
Whips, branding irons, chili water, the tiger bench, bamboo skewers... Gao Junxiao silently recited all the methods of torture in his mind. If he went through them all, it would be enough to buy Qingcheng precious time.
Of course, he also had to control the situation. Xiang Guozhong had to die slowly; he couldn't just be put in the electric chair right away, or the game would be over.
Inside the torture chamber, a strange stench, indescribable as either rust or blood, filled the air. The stark white light illuminated the mottled stains on the walls and the metal instruments of torture. Xiang Guozhong, bound to the torture rack during the day, trembled with fear.
Chen Jian rolled up his sleeves, walked up to Xiang Guozhong, grabbed his hair, and forced him to look at him: "Xiang Guozhong, I'm giving you one last chance. Tell me! Who is 'Honghu'?"
"I, I really won't... Ah!" Xiang Guozhong's pleas for mercy were interrupted by the whistling of the whip.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Chen Jian lashed Xiang Guozhong more than a dozen times, but perhaps seeing that Xiang Guozhong had nothing new to say except screams and repeated "I don't know," he grew impatient. He threw down the whip and glanced at the red-hot branding iron.
Gao Junxiao stepped forward at the opportune moment and calmly reminded him, "Captain Shen, if you use a branding iron, his skin will be charred and his flesh will be torn apart. He's over fifty years old. Why don't we try something else first? For example, let him sober up."
"Pepper spray, give him a pick-me-up." Shen Jian gestured to his subordinate beside him, pacing impatiently.
Looking at the dying Xiang Guozhong, Gao Junxiao felt nothing, only silently calculating the time and Xiang Guozhong's endurance.
The Ironman Pentathlon has bought us a lot of time. Qingcheng should have already started, right? I don't know if two hours is enough. Just to be on the safe side, let's try to gain a little more time.
But Chen Jian's patience seemed to have run out. He shouted, "Someone, take him to the electric chair! I want to see if his mouth is tougher or the electric current is tougher."
Upon hearing the words "electric chair," Xiang Guozhong's voice trembled with tears: "I really don't know! 'Honghu's' identity is top secret. He only communicates with his superiors through a single line. I have no access to him at all. As for the documents... I only heard that he has them, but I don't know their exact location."
"Bullshit!" Shen Jian didn't believe it at all, and waved his hand abruptly, "It seems you won't behave unless I get serious."
"Captain Chen, this electric chair is a bit unstable. Use it with caution," Gao Junxiao kindly reminded him.
Chen Jian was on the edge of his seat, glared fiercely at Gao Junxiao, then turned to the agent in charge of the operation and said sternly, "Give him a taste of electric current, start with the first gear."
The operator pressed the button, and with a whoosh, Xiang Guozhong's body stiffened, and he let out a painful whimper as his muscles spasmed uncontrollably.
"Speak! If you don't, I'll speed up!" Chen Jian took a step closer.
"Spare me, I really didn't know, ah—" As the electric current slightly increased, Xiang Guozhong wept bitterly, but he was too weak to struggle.
Aggression quickly took over Chen Jian's mind, and he roared, "Upgrade to second gear! Let's see how tough his mouth really is."
The operator followed instructions and turned the gear selector knob to "2".
Sizzle—smack!
Sparks exploded on the electrode, and Xiang Guozhong bounced straight up before falling heavily back down. His eyes rolled back, his head lolled to the side, and a cloud of white foam spilled from his mouth.
"What's wrong?" Chen Jian asked.
The operator was startled and quickly shut off the power. He nervously checked the equipment. Gao Junxiao got up and checked Guo Zhong's breath. It was gone. The traitor was completely gone.
Another agent reached for the neck: "Captain Chen... the prisoner is dead."
"Wake him up! Quickly!" Chen Jian roared unwillingly.
Gao Junxiao gestured for a medic to come forward. After examining the prisoner for a moment, the medic shook his head with a troubled expression: "Captain Chen, the prisoner is dead. The voltage was probably too high, which caused his heart to be almost carbonized. Also, the prisoner was quite old, so there was no point in trying to save him."
"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!" Shen Jian roared, kicking the electric chair. "This is only second gear!"
"Captain Chen... it seems... it seems there's something wrong with the equipment." The operator swallowed nervously.
A deathly silence fell over the interrogation room. Shen Jian's face was so dark it seemed to drip ink. Gao Junxiao patted Shen Jian's tense shoulder to comfort him: "Captain Shen, calm down. It was an accident, purely an accident."
"Councilor Gao, look at this... what the hell is going on?" Shen Jian's emotions were in turmoil, and he looked like he was about to cry.
“The equipment is outdated, and the prisoner is physically weak and couldn’t withstand it. There’s nothing we can do about it. We’ve both done our best. In Nanjing, I will make it clear in the report that the prisoner’s sudden death was due to his own reasons and has nothing to do with you, Captain Shen.” Gao Junxiao had already prepared a draft of the report in his mind.
Shen Jian was stunned for a moment, his anger seemingly temporarily suppressed by Gao Junxiao's "understanding" attitude. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something...
"Report!"
Another confidential staff officer came running up, panting, holding a newly translated telegram in his hand: "Director Gao, Captain Shen, Nanjing... another urgent telegram from Nanjing."
Gao Junxiao's heart skipped a beat. He took the telegram and unfolded it. Shen Jian couldn't help but lean closer as well.
Telegram: The previous telegram is temporarily suspended. It is understood that Xiang Guozhong's involvement is of great importance and far-reaching, and many doubts remain to be investigated. He is hereby ordered to be immediately escorted to Nanjing headquarters for detailed interrogation, without fail. This order, written by Zhongzheng.
His gaze swept over the corpse, and Gao Junxiao wanted to clap his hands in delight. The ever-changing policies in Nanjing seemed so absurd at this moment.
"Temporarily...temporarily postpone the transfer to Nanjing? But he...he's already dead! He died in this damn electric chair! How am I supposed to explain this to Nanjing? Huh?" Shen Jian's eyes widened, on the verge of collapse.
"Captain Chen, it seems there's a slight delay in our communication with Nanjing." Gao Junxiao slowly put away the telegram.
These words, spoken lightly, absolved all responsibility: Xiang Guozhong is dead, the trail has gone cold. This is more than just a delay; it's a recipe for disaster for Shen Jian.
Heavy, hurried footsteps echoed again from outside the corridor. A guard stood ramrod straight at the doorway and shouted, "Commander Xiong has arrived!"
Hehe, the accountant has arrived. Gao Junxiao was already standing up straight and giving a salute as he pondered how to fool Commander Xiong.
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