Night Shanghai, night Shanghai, you are a city that never sleeps (Part 2)
The bright moon still shone outside the window, and only the rustling of the paulownia trees reached their ears. In contrast to the chilly night, inside the room, a few people were engaged in a lively discussion. Wang Renyong had Qingcheng and Gu Xiaojiang each hold an administrative map of the three northeastern provinces.
He pointed to Harbin, Manzhouli, and Suifenhe on the map, forming a triangle. He calmly explained that these three places were once important stations for high-ranking members of our Party traveling between the Sino-Soviet border and were also crucial links in our secret transportation network, so we must carefully investigate these three places.
Standing in front of the map, Li Shifa pointed to three provincial capitals, feeling that Shenyang, Jilin, and Heilongjiang should be given priority for investigation.
We definitely need to scout out provincial capitals like Shenyang. Wang Renyong patiently explained that the main purpose of this trip was to plan future secret transportation routes and the establishment of transportation hubs. Therefore, some smaller cities would be more conducive to our concealment.
Then Qi Kejun also spoke, saying that he thought Fushun was a good place to go. Fushun is not a big city, but the workers' movement along the Fushun line has been particularly successful. Last time, he was arrested by the authorities because he organized a workers' strike in Northeast China, which caused too much of a stir.
Gu Xiaojiang then chimed in with his fluent Tianjin dialect: "Fushun is a good option. There are two railways there that are particularly suitable for secret transport lines."
"Okay, Fushun is arranged. Anything else?" Wang Renyong took out his notebook and wrote this down. He looked up and saw He Qingcheng looking completely bewildered. "Young comrade, why aren't you saying anything?"
"My understanding of Northeast China is limited to a few dry place names, how can I recommend it?" Qingcheng shook her head, indicating that she was really unfamiliar with Northeast China.
However, encouraged by everyone, Kiyosumi offered her suggestion: since the goal was to establish a secret transport line, they could start with several stations along the railway line, especially small stations with stops of less than 10 minutes. Some transfer stations would also be particularly suitable for establishing transportation hubs in those cities.
After listening to Qingcheng's idea, the group gathered around the map and discussed it amongst themselves. In the end, Wang Renyong finalized about 10 small cities.
"By the way, would you like to take a trip to Tianjin while you're at it? I remember you have to transfer at Tianjin Station on your way back," Kiyosumi offered another suggestion.
"Oh, this suggestion is acceptable. Since we have to transfer anyway, we might as well go to Tianjin and check it out." Wang Renyong made another note in his notebook.
"Comrades, don't cause trouble. There are enough spies on one narrow alley in Tianjin to fill four or five mahjong tables. Besides, the Tianjin Party branch was destroyed long ago and hasn't been restored yet. I have to go to the Beiping Party branch every time I have a meeting," Gu Xiaojiang advised.
"You can't say that. There were several reasons why the Tianjin Party branch wasn't restored at the time. One was the high density of spies, but another important reason was that although Beiping was no longer the capital, it still had a strong foundation. It would have been easier to obtain resources if a new Party branch had been established in Beiping," Li Shifa explained, nestled on the couch and smoking his pipe.
"Actually, Tianjin is still very important. Even without a Party branch, we must set up a secret transportation station there. We must not let the bridgehead of the northern transportation line be cut off," Qi Kejun said slowly as he poured himself a cup of tea.
"We're going to Tianjin, but not everyone needs to go. Lao Qi, you go back to Nanjing first to stabilize Xuqiao. Comrade Xiao Jiang and I will go to Tianjin for a few more days to investigate." Wang Renyong put away his notebook and leaned against the couch to give his final instructions.
"Okay," everyone answered in unison.
"In addition, I have an announcement to make. Comrade Lao Li will soon be transferred from Nanjing to Shanghai to serve as the head of the Shanghai Special Service Section of the CC Clique. The appointment letter has been issued, and the handover is underway these days. Therefore, Lao Li will be in charge of the affairs of the Second Section during my business trip." Wang Renyong looked at Qingcheng, and these words were mainly for her.
Sensing Wang Renyong's gaze, Qingcheng immediately expressed that she would do her best to cooperate with Lao Li on any task that required her assistance.
“Old Li, I’ll lend you the young comrade for now. Take her to meetings and to the field when you have time.” Wang Renyong’s eyes were filled with a certain expectation, but after a few seconds he changed his tone: “But you have to return her to me when I come back.”
"But you have to give it back to me when I get back. Fine, fine, I won't fight you for it." Li Shifa finished imitating and turned his head away, too lazy to look at the stingy old Wang beside him.
“Since we’re here, we should at least listen to some music, otherwise it’ll arouse suspicion. Let’s order a few more dishes too. The chef here is just as good as those in big restaurants. This meal is on me.” Gu Xiaojiang stood up and went to order food and a singer. The others had no objections; after all, health is the foundation of everything, and you need to be well-fed to do anything productive.
In the other private room, after everyone remained silent, it was Master Wu's encouragement to drink that once again enlivened the atmosphere.
"It's okay if we don't know, let's find a breakthrough first." Gao Junxiao said, dipping his finger in the wine and drawing a circle with a notch on the table.
"For example?" Pang Minhao asked curiously.
“They haven’t ordered any new stock in almost a year, which means they must have a large stock on hand and don’t need resupply. Brother Dayou, you can check which manufacturer selling industrial oil has recently received a large order. Weapons are different from other things; they need to be protected from light, fire, and water, and their storage conditions are quite strict. When not in use, they also need to be coated with oil to prevent rust. And we can start by getting this kind of special gun oil and artillery oil from the oil refinery.” Gao Junxiao said, drawing another triangle on the table.
“I understand. I’ll get a few more brothers to investigate. I can also send a telegram to the northern branch saying there’s a batch of smuggled public oil and ask them to assist in the investigation.” Pang Minyou nodded, preparing to begin the investigation.
"No, do those bandits have such high standards? They usually just make do with lard or soybean oil," Master Wu replied with a disdainful look.
"Master Wu, do you really think they don't understand? They were poor before, but now that they have money, they naturally want to be sophisticated. I've captured a few bandits, and they treasured their guns like the plague, even sleeping with them in their arms." Gao Junxiao's description was so vivid that it caused everyone to burst into laughter.
"Holy crap, is she treating him like her own wife?" Master Wu was almost laughing himself to death.
"Pretty much." Gao Junxiao had even seen bandits talking to him with their guns, as if the guns would respond to him.
"Look—what's this?" Pang Minzhang suddenly pulled a Colt automatic pistol from his pocket with a mysterious air. Everyone looked at him with surprise. Wasn't this the standard sidearm of the concession police chiefs? What's wrong?
"Although we can't trace the source of the goods and can't be sure if the bandits are related to this batch of goods, as soon as I learned about it, I asked my friend in Tianjin to get one from the black market." It turned out that this was not his own police service pistol but one he had taken from that batch of goods.
"You brat, why didn't you show it to me sooner? You even kept it from your brother!" Pang Minyou angrily punched his younger brother.
"Hey, you're the captain of the anti-smuggling team, and I'm buying smuggled goods? Wouldn't that be embarrassing you? I had no other choice but to take it out." Pang Minzhang rubbed his chest, which was sore from being punched, and explained with a smile, "I took apart the parts and looked inside. It used professional maintenance oil. The kerosene smell was very strong. You could tell it was winter gun oil just by smelling it."
"That batch of goods probably appeared at the end of March. They would have applied the oil earlier. In March, the south is already full of flowers and greenery, while most provinces and cities in the north are still in winter." Da You played with the black market pistol and disassembled it into several parts for everyone to see.
Since these were goods intended for sale in the north, applying winter oil was understandable. The people at the table touched and smelled the parts after receiving them.
“Most of the gun uses winter gun oil, but if you look closely, the chamber actually uses brown gun oil, and the trigger spring uses regular gun oil. A pistol uses three different types of maintenance oil. I estimate that the maintenance of submachine guns must be even more complicated,” Pang Minzhang shared his findings.
“Oh, I’ve seen the British have a special gun-cleaning room, full of different parts’ oils and cleaning tools. But that’s reserved for special task forces and foreign officers.” Master Wu raised his head and said to the crowd.
Everyone thought the seller was quite particular, no wonder the guns were of such good quality. Except for Gao Junxiao, whose temples were throbbing, looking at the pile of parts on the table like a bunch of long-dead fly shells, exuding a strange desolation.
"Hey, stop guessing. Let's drink. No one is allowed to go home until they finish 5 jin of baijiu." Master Wu said as he filled everyone's glasses with wine.
The remaining three were both amused and exasperated. Five catties of liquor would mean each person would have to drink more than a catty each. They probably wanted to be carried back. The three exchanged glances while clinking glasses and successfully reached a consensus: if Master Wu didn't leave, none of them would be able to leave. They had to invite this ancestor home first.
"Uncle Wu, stop drinking. Everyone has to go to work tomorrow. Let's go home after we finish eating." Pang Minyou pressed down on Uncle Wu's hand, which was about to pour more wine, and spoke up to stop him.
"Master Wu, you should go back early too. If you're late, aren't you afraid the foreigners will report you to the Municipal Council? Who will protect our people then? It's not worth it." Gao Junxiao chimed in. Although he wasn't drunk, he would still get a headache the next day if he drank too much.
“Yes, Master Wu, my brother and Zexiu work for the government. They are much stricter than the police in our concession. If you are late, your bonus will be deducted,” Pang Minzhang concluded.
"That makes sense, but wait, those two brothers have families to support." Wu Ye, seemingly stunned by the three's words, suddenly put his arm around Gao Junxiao. "Brother~ what are you afraid of, being all alone? Going home will only lead to lonely nights anyway. Want your older brother to call a few girls to keep you company?"
"Master Wu, what are you saying? What do you mean by 'all alone'? He already has a beautiful girlfriend." Pang Minzhang kindly reminded Master Wu that Gao Junxiao was already taken.
"I've met his girlfriend, Miss He, she's quite fair-skinned, but they don't live together." Old Wu suddenly widened his eyes. "Brother~ you haven't fallen so low that you need alcohol to get your 'labor' done, have you? Hey, I told her not to rush things, it'll all be hers after it's all done. Did your wife make you some soup?"
"Stewed." Master Wu's words confused Gao Junxiao. What public grain? What is all this about? Oh no, could it mean what he thought?
“Master Wu, don’t talk nonsense. Miss He is the daughter of a wealthy family. She wouldn’t do the kind of thing you’re thinking of before marriage.” Pang Minzhang sensed Gao Junxiao’s embarrassment and spoke up to explain, “Our Zexiu is also sincerely seeking to marry this beautiful lady. He will definitely respect Miss He very much.”
"Oh dear, oh dear, how could I not have thought of that?" Master Wu said with a face full of shame. "Brother, I want to confess to you. I said some things I shouldn't have to Miss He in the emergency room last time."
An ominous premonition filled the air. Gao Junxiao cautiously asked, "What did you say to He Qingcheng?"
"Just tell her to go back and make some soup to nourish your two kidneys. Once they're healed, you'll keep her in bed for three days. I figured you didn't have much of a problem in that area, so I helped you spread the word. Besides, she didn't argue with me." Old Wu chewed on peanuts and repeated what he had said that day.
How could she possibly refute him?! Gao Junxiao felt as if the whole world had shattered. No wonder He Qingcheng had been wary of him ever since they returned from suppressing the bandits in Qiandeng Town; so this was the root of all evil. The Pang brothers beside him burst into laughter, their hands trembling so much they almost dropped their cups.
"What are you laughing at? How was I supposed to know my brother Gao could be so patient? He had a beautiful woman right next to him, and he just sat under the covers chatting. Didn't he want to do anything? Wasn't he even a little bit tempted?" Master Wu's face was full of disbelief.
Gao Junxiao immediately pictured He Qingcheng covered in a quilt, curled up with tears streaming down her face onto the pillow. Anyone who saw her would want to pull her into their arms and comfort her gently; no one would have any impure thoughts. But the lively He Qingcheng… well, he felt guilty.
“Master Wu, even if Zexiu is after Miss He, you shouldn’t say it out loud. They’re still dating. What if you scare her away? Are you going to compensate her with another Miss He?” Pang Minzhang was somewhat understanding of Gao Junxiao. “Zexiu wants more than just a woman to live with.”
"What love stuff? It's all so complicated. It's just a matter of mutual consent between men and women." Wu Ye suddenly leaned close to Gao Junxiao's ear and said mysteriously, "Brother, if you can really do it for three days, I guarantee she'll be clinging to you afterwards. Trust me."
“Those are the women around you. Miss He comes from a good family and is beautiful. She can find any man she wants. It’s because our Zexiu is responsible that she stands out.” Pang Minyou, speaking from experience, solemnly pointed out that men don’t marry just for their own enjoyment. They should consider their future family life and take on the responsibility of being the head of the household.
“Yes, Zexiu, I suggest you visit her elders first. If you can get engaged, settle the marriage first. It will also show that you are sincere and reliable.” Pang Minzhang raised his eyebrows and said that he was in a free-love relationship, got engaged first, and then waited two years until he had saved enough money before getting married.
Gao Junxiao chuckled dryly, indicating he had nothing to say. "It's not even close to happening yet, and you two brothers have already said all the nice things. As for meeting the parents, I'll have to arrange that after I deal with those parasites in the headquarters."
“Brother, it’s alright. She’ll be yours sooner or later. We’re not embarrassed; it’s others who will be. Just prepare the dowry, the house, the car, and everything will be fine once you marry her,” Master Wu comforted him. “I’ll definitely give you a really generous red envelope then. Come on, let’s have one of us go.”
Master Wu started trying to persuade him to drink again, but Gao Junxiao politely declined, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Master Wu, but that's enough. I have to train the soldiers early tomorrow morning. We're about to have a tough battle, and I don't want them to become sitting ducks for the bandits."
To divert Master Wu's attention, Pang Minzhang had no choice but to use his trump card: "Alright, Master Wu, don't even think about getting drunk and staying out all night. Don't let your little sixth wife wait for you at home. Don't stay out too late and make her worry."
"My little Liu is only two years old, what does she know? She'll be asleep by now, and her nanny is with her, so it's fine." Master Wu continued to squint at his wine, showing no concern for his daughter.
“Mr. Wu, you should go back. Even if he’s asleep, the child will sleep more peacefully with his father there.” Seeing that Mr. Wu was unmoved, Pang Minyou began to use his own child as an example to support his point of view. Gao Junxiao and Pang Minzhang, who had no children, could only silently give Brother Dayou a thumbs up.
Despite the Pang brothers' reasoned persuasion, Master Wu finally couldn't hold back and loudly announced to everyone, "Alright, alright, alright, I'm done playing. I'm going back to eat and spend time with my little Liu."
After a few rounds of drinks, they walked out of the private room noisily. Pang Minyou and Master Wu were arguing about who should pay the bill. Their physical actions were so intense that bystanders thought they were having a fight.
Pang Minzhang pulled Gao Junxiao aside, signaling him not to get involved. Master Wu seemed a bit drunk. Only his brother, that honest guy, liked to argue with Master Wu. The two of them silently watched them argue all the way from the stairs to the counter.
"Huh? CC's people are here for a meeting too." Pang Minzhang and Gao Junxiao stood on the second-floor corridor and looked down, where they could see the checkout counter.
"A meeting? Why do you think this is a meeting instead of something fun?" Gao Junxiao followed Pang Minzhang's gaze downwards and saw a refined man in a white suit paying at the counter.
"See that man in the white suit? That's Xu Qiao's new confidential secretary. They're said to be distant relatives, and he's been incredibly popular in the CC Clique lately." Seeing Gao Junxiao's confusion, Pang Minzhang continued to explain, "Although he works under Xu Qiao, he's completely untainted by the corruption. He doesn't indulge in drinking, gambling, or prostitution."
"The CC Group's headquarters are in Nanjing, right? How do you know all this?" Gao Junxiao looked at Pang Minzhang with some surprise; his information network was too extensive.
"When I first came to the police station in the foreign concession, I was a 'gossipmonger,' it was kind of an occupational hazard, I just liked to ask about all sorts of news." Pang Minzhang didn't shy away from the fact that the reputation of "gossipmongers" in Shanghai wasn't much better than that of special agents.
"See, I was right. That fat guy is the station chief of the CC Clique's Nanjing station, and he's supposedly about to be transferred to Shanghai. These two must be here for a meeting." Compared to Pang Minzhang's excitement, Gao Junxiao felt it was best to avoid these people.
Downstairs, Secretary Xu Qiao had already paid the bill, and Fatty, having finished relieving himself, walked to the counter, swaying his belly. Seeing that the two behind him seemed about to fight, the secretary quickly pulled Fatty away, probably not wanting to get involved in any trouble.
At this moment, two young men who were drinking soda walked towards them. They were probably a group of people. Gao Junxiao was not interested in spies and only glanced at them briefly. However, one of the young men was drinking soda with his little finger slightly raised and his index finger rhythmically tapping the bottle.
In an instant, his blood seemed to freeze, his limbs stiffened, and it took him a long time to tremble and utter a few words: "Who are these two young men?"
"One looks like the movie star Gu Xiaojiang, but his collar is turned up so I can't see him clearly. I don't recognize the other one; he looks too ordinary. He's probably a low-level CC agent," Pang Minzhang replied uncertainly.
Watching the four people leave, Gao Junxiao felt his brain lose its ability to function, and mumbled an "Oh" in response.
The night was gentle and graceful, the bright moonlight spread across the earth, and everything was shrouded in a thin mist. Coupled with the interplay of neon lights and candlelight, the dazzling light revealed pale souls sinking into its depths.
After Pang and Wu finally finished paying the bill, Wu, his neck flushed, insisted on driving back. He looked like he could barely walk, let alone drive! He was immediately restrained by the other three men. Pang Minzhang, quick-witted, ran to a public phone booth and called over one of Wu's underlings who was on duty at the police station.
It was only a few minutes' walk from the police station, and soon a young police officer in a black uniform with white leggings rushed over.
The young constable, still panting heavily, managed to stand up straight and salute Master Wu. Master Wu was drunk and unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred, and he rambled on for a long time, which the young constable couldn't understand at all.
In the end, Pang Minzhang and Gao Junxiao volunteered. The two of them struggled to carry the tall and strong Master Wu into the car. Looking at the thin and weak policeman, the stark contrast made them decide to see it through to the end.
After driving for a while, Master Wu squinted as if he were in a fog, and his stomach was churning, making him want to vomit. Seeing that things were not going well, Pang Minzhang, who was next to him, quickly told the junior officer to stop the car. The sudden stop made all three of them dizzy, not to mention the drunk Master Wu. Pang Minzhang quickly covered Master Wu's mouth and helped him to the garbage heap in the alley.
"You know, you wasted that last half jin of wine. It's fine, but that wine has a strong aftereffect. Why make yourself suffer?" Pang Minzhang scolded Master Wu while trying to soothe him.
"Don't waste food." Old Wu, leaning against the wall, suddenly widened his eyes and let out a loud "Wah!" as yellow soup splattered all over the ground. Only then did he feel satisfied.
"Master Wu, rinse your mouth." Gao Junxiao handed over a bottle of hawthorn water he had bought from a nearby vendor. Master Wu took the bottle and gulped it down.
As soon as the three of them got back into the car, the young police officer started the engine, and car lights simultaneously turned on in the alleyway not far away.
"That driver is...that one, Xu Qiao's secretary, right? What a coincidence to run into him again." After drinking the hawthorn water, Master Wu's mind was much clearer, but the streetlights were making his eyes blurry, so he could only judge by his clothes and appearance.
Following Master Wu's gaze, Gao and Pang saw a young man of medium height get out of the car, and the driver was none other than Xu Qiao's secretary, whom they had discussed earlier.
Gao Junxiao's hand inexplicably reached for the car door. If he followed now, he could definitely grab that person. But as soon as he touched him, he pulled his hand back abruptly. What was he doing? That was clearly a man, a small agent from the CC Clique.
"Let's go, stop watching, let me go home early. You guys are just watching the peep show." Master Wu grumbled as he slumped in his seat, and Pang Minzhang next to him couldn't help but roll his eyes at him.
Gao Junxiao gently told the young police officer to drive; he had also drunk too much and was feeling dizzy and needed to go home to rest.
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