The Far East Bureau Interview (Part 2)
"Cheers to the new friends we met today!"
As Charlie raised his glass, everyone picked up their juice glasses. Qingcheng and Wuhao also brought their glasses to their lips. Wuhao touched the rim of his glass briefly before quickly removing it and placing it on the table. He then urged everyone to sit down so that their arrival wouldn't disrupt the salon.
As everyone took their seats, Qingcheng followed suit and placed her juice glass on the coffee table. Knowing that Wu Hao and she would be meeting today, why was a salon meeting being held out of the blue?
She glanced at the homeowner out of the corner of her eye, her gaze meeting his brown eyes. Charlie defiantly raised his glass and took a sip, his expression one of pure enjoyment.
Kiyosumi turned and whispered a few words to Smedley. The two of them burst into laughter at the same time. Under Charlie's watchful eye, Smedley picked up Kiyosumi's glass and downed the juice in one gulp.
Now it was Mr. Charlie's turn to be surprised. His gaze swept lightly between Kiyosumi and Miss Smedley, but the corners of his mouth still maintained the composed smile befitting a master.
Charlie gently shook his head: "Agnes, how could you drink someone else's juice? That's incredibly rude. You're punished by having to make Ms. Phil a glass of juice yourself."
“No.” Agnes tilted her head, her voice tinged with a hint of playfulness. “Instead of sour juice, shouldn’t you, as the host, make some cookies for everyone’s afternoon tea, instead of making everyone join you as hungry vagrants?”
“Oh dear, I don’t have time to serve it now.” Charlie spread his hands, his helplessness mixed with a hint of indulgence. “Jack, ask the cook to get some pastries for our gourmet Miss Agnes to taste. Remember to prepare plenty of frosting cookies, I’m afraid there won’t be enough for some people.”
Jack, standing to the side, smiled and replied, "Yes, sir."
Smedley blew a kiss: "Honey, you're so sweet. I hope you have enough money to support my voracious appetite. Oh, and another pot of hot coffee, you shouldn't go bankrupt, right?"
Charlie was amused by Agnes's words and pretended to scold Jack, who was watching the show: "Hurry up, or she'll eat me up if she gets hungry any longer."
The relaxed and humorous atmosphere put everyone in a good mood. Kiyosumi asked Smedley, who was standing closest to her, "Agnes, where were you guys talking about? I hope our arrival didn't interrupt your conversation."
“My dear Phil, we were just cursing that annoying boss of Wagner Hans’s, what’s his name again?” Smedley’s gaze turned to Miss Tertz.
Miss Tertz's face showed disgust: "Von Hornhardt, a complete scoundrel, greedy and lazy."
von Hornhardt? Kiyosumi repeated the name in her mind. She felt like she had heard the name somewhere before, but she couldn't remember where.
“He must have done something that angered even God,” Kiyosumi continued.
“Oh~ that little man is under Satan’s control.” Miss Tertz’s face contorted with rage. “He knew Wagner’s Chinese wasn’t good, yet he still let him communicate with those bastards in Nanjing.”
"Did they ask Hans for a kickback before the matter was even settled?" Kiyosumi asked.
"Phiel, you're so smart!" Miss Teltz exclaimed, her eyes wide with admiration.
“It’s not that we’re smart, it’s that we’ve encountered the same problem. If we don’t pay them, they won’t do anything. My husband, Mr. Belang, paid a lot of bribes to get some business licenses.” Qingcheng glanced helplessly at Wu Hao beside her.
"Never mind, it's all in the past. Did Hans's matter end up being resolved?" Wu Hao, who was observing from the side, interjected.
“No, things have dragged on and haven’t been resolved yet. Instead, they’ve conspired to accuse Hans of dereliction of duty and threatened to send him to a military court. Luckily, my brother intervened and saved him. Oh, and my poor Wagner has been inexplicably suspended from his duties.” Miss Schulz said, holding her fiancé’s hand, tears welling in her eyes.
"I just don't understand. These are clearly aid supplies for China, which are beneficial to them. Why don't they know how to be grateful? Instead, they act like they're only after money. Now that the aid has been delayed, what good is it for the Chinese government?" Hans's usually icy face showed a rare look of confusion.
"Heh, they've even managed to fool the foreigners," Qingcheng adjusted her glasses, silently answering in her heart, "because a country is a country, and an individual is an individual. They are all scoundrels who put their personal interests above those of the nation."
After Hans finished complaining, Wu Hao's eyes suddenly lit up: "I deeply regret what happened to you. The one who should be in court is that scoundrel von Hornhardt. As your compatriot, he actually helped those bastards in Nanjing frame you. I wonder how many kickbacks he took. I know some lawyers. If you need, I can help you contact them. Justice may be delayed, but it will never be absent."
“Mr. Brenand, you are such a good man.” Miss Schultz’s voice was a little hoarse, and she was almost crying.
“Sir, it’s my good fortune to have met someone like you who is willing to lend a helping hand.” A hint of gratitude appeared on Hans’s face.
Smedley chimed in at the opportune moment: "If von Hornhardt really did something dishonorable, he will be punished sooner or later. Hans, if you trust us, tell us what he did. We'll help you figure something out."
Hans frowned, seemingly recalling something, while Kiyosumi quietly observed the two of them talking back and forth, her heart beating slightly faster. She roughly knew who her work partner was today.
At the same time, Kiyosumi also noticed that the homeowner's sharp eyes kept glancing over, watching her reaction. This made her feel very uncomfortable. Kiyosumi suddenly turned her head and gave Mr. Charlie a big, professional fake smile. Only then did Mr. Charlie stroke his chin, pretending to think, and look away at Hans.
Seeing that Hans was still hesitant, Mr. Henry, who was older than everyone else, stopped them from asking further questions: "Gentlemen, don't ask anymore. Mr. Hans has his reasons for not wanting to talk about it. He is an officer, and the supplies may involve some sensitive military information. We should not ask about it casually, just like a doctor cannot disclose information about his patients. It is a matter of professional ethics."
In the corner, the young doctor nodded vigorously, but the next second Uncle Henry kindly handed him his business card: "But you still need to contact a lawyer. von Hornhardt and the Nanjing scoundrels must be punished by law. If you need witnesses, I can appear in court anytime. You know I'm not afraid of them."
Having said all that, Miss Schultz could no longer hold back: "They must be punished!"
"Lisa, don't..." Hans tried to stop her.
“I’m not an officer, what law have I broken by spreading rumors?” Miss Schulz shook off Hans’s hand. “I heard that von Hornhardt has been in close contact with a White Army officer in Tsarist Russia, apparently dealing in some scarce contraband, but I don’t know the specific details. I guess he framed Hans to remove an obstacle on his path to wealth.”
Kiyosumi rolled her eyes and said with feigned surprise, "Oh my god, they wouldn't be thinking of reselling aid supplies to China, would they?"
Upon hearing this, both Hans and Miss Schulz were stunned. Even if they had suspected it before, saying it in front of a large audience was still incredibly shocking.
Clang! The cup slammed heavily onto the coffee table, and the homeowner, Charlie, immediately cursed, "This is outrageous! This is aid supplies between nations, related to the friendly relations between China and Germany. How could they cause a diplomatic crisis between the two countries for their own selfish interests? It could even lead to a break in diplomatic ties!"
Perhaps Charlie was exaggerating, Wu Hao coughed lightly: "Cough~ It's not that bad. They probably haven't had a chance to commit the crime yet. It's just that we don't know when the supplies will arrive in China. You need to take precautions in advance, so you don't become a scapegoat for their dirty deals."
Perhaps it was Miss Schulz who started it, Hans exhaled through his nose and made up his mind: "Thank you for your concern. Actually, the supplies should have arrived in Shanghai at the end of last month, but the customs clearance procedures were not going smoothly and were delayed until September 18. The next day, there was a strike at the dock, and in order to avoid the supplies being looted, the cargo ship could only dock at a small island called Chongming nearby."
"What about the Chinese representative? Doesn't he care about anything?" Wu Hao asked, puzzled.
"You mean Colonel Chen? Not only did he not help with customs clearance, he also asked me to bribe customs officials to speed up the process. He even used his official business trip to Shanghai to spend every day in different brothels. I had to go to each brothel to find him." Hans's face grew darker as he spoke.
“That’s too much! Go complain to his superiors. It’s not like President Chiang won’t do anything about it.” Wu Hao pressed on relentlessly.
Hans pursed his lips and said, "I'm just a lieutenant. At my rank, I can't possibly see President Chiang. If I go to the heads of other departments, they'll just pass the buck to each other. They'll either distance themselves from me and refuse to see me, or they'll make me go through the reporting process. But you should know how inefficient they are."
"I know it all too well!" Wu Hao couldn't help but sigh. Qingcheng also felt a surge of heat on her cheeks, a sense of shame as if she had been stripped naked, mixed with a hint of resentment at her lack of self-confidence.
"What did von Hornhardt say? It's their problem if the Chinese representatives don't do their best. But as our representative, isn't von Hornhardt afraid of being purged by the general after returning home?" Charlie's tone suddenly turned stern.
"No one can sue him. Von Hornhardt has become one with the darkness here. He told me to do as the Romans do and warned me that if I didn't have money, I could use opium as collateral, as the Chinese all like it." Hans arrogantly raised his chin. "So what? I'm not him. Who would bother smuggling opium for a bunch of stupid and poor Chinese?"
Qingcheng narrowed her eyes, but Wu Hao gave her a warning look and shook his head slightly, signaling her not to act rashly.
In any private gathering of white people, they always reveal their self-righteous sense of superiority. Qingcheng tried to regulate her breathing; today's purpose was to meet with her comrades from the Fourth Bureau, not to argue with her work targets. She could only play dumb, letting things go in one ear and out the other.
At that moment, Heidum's voice rang out from the corner: "Mr. Hans, every country has its insects. Wasn't von Hoenhart a German-made insect? It is because of their existence that the common people at the bottom of society seem even more pitiful. Of course, I know that you, Mr. Hans, are actually a respectable officer. You really want to do something good for these poor people, otherwise you wouldn't have been framed by such a villain."
Like giving a slap and then a sweet treat, Kiyosumi suddenly realized that the young doctor diagonally across from her was very clever; he could immediately grasp the essence of the problem.
This resonated with everyone, and Miss Schultz gently advised, "Oh Wagner, I know you are very angry about the insects in Nanjing, but that doesn't mean we can vent our anger indiscriminately on all Chinese people. That would not only be unfair, but it would also not help us solve the problem."
Hans looked somewhat embarrassed. Perhaps realizing that his words had been too extreme, he quickly cleared his throat, trying to ease the tension: "That's not what I meant. I'm just angry at those who abuse their power. If I hadn't refused to tell him the ship's coordinates and encrypted call sign, he would have already resold the aid supplies to China."
Seeing that the discussion was almost over, the homeowner Charlie summarized: "Now our focus shouldn't be on whether or not to hire a lawyer, but on how to get von Hornhardt out of China!"
Qingcheng and Wuhao exchanged a knowing look. They both realized that Charlie's proposal was likely related to the batch of aid weapons, and the fact that he was willing to work in front of them meant that everyone who saw it would get a share.
Thinking of this, Qingcheng smiled and said in a loud voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, we need a plan, a plan that can expose the true face of von Hornhardt. This is not only for Mr. Hans's innocence, but also to protect those innocent and pitiful people affected by his actions."
Heidemm joined the discussion: "We might be able to exert pressure through diplomatic channels to bring the German government to the attention of von Hoenhart's corrupt practices. At the same time, we can also gather evidence to expose his crimes to the international community."
Uncle Henry cautioned, “Young man, you’re too naive. A small tree is easy to bend, but a large tree is hard to twist. Von Hornhardt isn’t fighting alone; he has allies. Who knows, there might even be Satan’s followers in the embassy.”
"Your reminder is very timely. The military attachés at the embassy are almost all his allies. We cannot act rashly," Hans said worriedly.
“That’s right, I think we should let things take their course. If von Hornhardt wants to resell supplies, then let him do it,” Charlie suggested confidently. “To catch a thief red-handed, I just need to notify the reporters and the police on the day of his transaction and catch him in the act.”
“Wow, this plan is so cool! I must find a good angle and take an unforgettable prison photo of von Hornhardt.” Smedley, not one to shy away from excitement, couldn’t contain her enthusiasm.
However, Hans's expression was far from relaxed: "But if I tell von Hornhardt the ship's coordinates, I'll also be held liable."
“How could someone as upright as you tell the insects your coordinates?” Charlie smiled mysteriously. “At most, someone might have overheard you talking nonsense while you were drunk in a bar.”
Hans kept opening and closing his fist, opening and closing his fist... His tone was still hesitant: "Even so, if they find out that I was the one who leaked the coordinates, I will still have to go to a military court."
Charlie patted Hans on the shoulder and reassured him, "I assure you you won't be implicated. We'll have a detailed plan to ensure every step is carefully arranged. This will all look like an accident, and you'll just be an innocent person suspended."
Hans's chest heaved, his wavering gaze sweeping over Miss Schulz's ring several times, as if trying to calm himself. This subtle movement went almost unnoticed, but was keenly observed by Kiyosumi.
After a long pause, he took a deep breath, his voice growing softer and softer: "Mr. Charlie, it's not that I don't trust you. I just... I just don't want to get into bigger trouble. At worst, I can just go back to Germany."
“Darling, wherever you go, I’ll go too.” Miss Schultz gently stroked her fiancé’s cheek.
Hans had other options, and his fiancée supported him, which left Mr. Charlie speechless, and the previously pleasant atmosphere froze.
His clear, insightful eyes swept over Miss Schulz before returning to Hans: "Mr. Hans, as a woman, I admire Miss Schulz's steadfastness, but what have you done for her? Won't your brother-in-law, who knows the truth, look down on you for the rest of his life, and by extension, on his sister? How will she maintain her standing in her family afterward? If you don't consider your own reputation, at least consider your future wife. Or do you have other concerns?"
"I..." Hans choked, "Von Hornhardt is not someone to mess with. He's a big scoundrel who's capable of anything."
“That’s it! If you’re worried about Miss Schultz’s safety, I can invite her to Hong Kong for a trip. We’ll come back after you’ve settled everything. I still need to capture the insect’s appearance when it gets caught.” Smedley took a knowing bite of her frosted biscuit.
Miss Schultz seemed at a loss, her big, wet eyes looking at Hans: "Darling, don't worry about me. You can't abandon your principles for me. We came to China to save the poor people in this poor country."
Hans was clearly wavering, and Qingcheng immediately added fuel to the fire: "Mr. Hans, think about the benefits for the future. Once the insect is gone, you can take his place and realize your ambitions. No matter how much time has passed, Miss Schulz will be proud of your courage today. Do you want to be her hero?"
The last words were like a devil's whisper. Hans, his expression a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, slowly nodded in agreement to participate in the plan.
With Hans's nod, a satisfied smile appeared on Charlie's face, and the salon began to discuss the plan.
The bright sunlight fell silently and unnoticed. He turned around and changed into his twilight pajamas. The lights in the room were turned on, and only three people remained in the elegant European-style study: Mr. Charlie, Wu Hao, and Qingcheng.
Wu Hao stood between the two men and said to Charlie first, "Comrade Sorge, I have transferred Liu Feier to work here as you suggested. I hope you will make appropriate arrangements for her."
He then said to Qingcheng, "Xiao Liu, this is Comrade Sorge, the person in charge of the Communist International. From now on, you will work under his leadership and you must actively cooperate with the new leader."
Comrade Sorge shook Qingcheng's hand again, his eyes full of admiration, and said in accented Chinese, "Comrade Liu Feier, welcome to the team. Your performance today deserves to be included in my special agent training materials."
"Comrade Sorge is too kind. I was just following Comrade Wu Hao's instructions. I hope to continue to contribute my talents and energy to the Fourth Bureau in the future," Kiyosumi said politely.
“You can definitely handle it. I have another question,” Sorge asked curiously. “What exactly did you say to Agnes that made her drink your juice for you?”
"Haha, I just told her I didn't bring any lipstick for touch-ups and didn't want to be rude," Kiyosumi replied lightly.
“Well, Agnes never wears makeup herself, yet she cares about other people’s makeup.” Sorge sighed helplessly. “Comrades, please sit down. I have bad news and good news. Which would you like to hear first?”
“Bad news,” Wu Hao blurted out without hesitation.
Sorge nodded: "Yes, the bad news is that the comrade who delivered the funds is trapped in Jinzhou and can't get out. I didn't expect the Japanese army to advance so quickly, I'm really sorry."
The room fell silent. Qingcheng understood that without funds, the organization's operations in Shanghai and the construction of the Soviet area would be greatly restricted.
"And what's the good news?" Wu Hao frowned slightly and asked again.
"The good news is that we plan to send a batch of weapons to the Soviet area as a token of my apology," Sorge said earnestly.
"Is it Hans's batch of aid supplies to China? How much can you allocate to the Chinese Soviet?" Wu Hao put away his smile and said frankly, "If possible, please give us as much as possible. Our Soviet area is being besieged by the White Army and is suffering heavy losses."
With a "pfft," Sorge laughed out loud: "My dear Zhou, what nonsense are you talking about? This is originally aid supplies for China! I will transfer all 20,000 rifles and 1,980 boxes of ammunition on the ship to the Chinese Soviet government. Only when you defeat the White Army can the Chinese revolution have a future."
"How many? How many?" Qingcheng, afraid she had misheard, gestured two to Wu Hao, mouthing the question, "Is it twenty thousand rifles?" Wu Hao suppressed a laugh and closed his eyes tightly. Comrade Sorge's image instantly transformed into that of a wealth god wearing an ancient official's hat; Qingcheng felt he was radiant with golden light, utterly serene.
It turned out that Comrade Sorge had already arranged for an agent to impersonate a White Army officer of Tsarist Russia and contact von Hoenhardt. That bastard was extremely greedy, and even after the agent had negotiated a price with him, he claimed that he did not know the ship's correct coordinates and did not have an encrypted call sign. The only person who knew the coordinates was the project leader, Wagner Hans.
Unfortunately, von Hornhardt had a bad reputation, and Hans happened to be an upright and rigid officer. The two talked privately several times but failed to reach an agreement. So Zogel, under the guise of an agent, suggested that von Hornhardt kick Hans out of the game first, and then find an opportunity to find the ship's encrypted call sign from the upper intelligence network.
However, that idiot von Hornhall could never get his hands on the encrypted call sign, because the encrypted call sign was compiled into a booklet by the German military and political authorities and airlifted directly over. Only Hans memorized that booklet, and it was only through several connections, through Miss Schulz's connections, that this salon was finally held.
Good heavens! Kiyosumi exclaimed, "Good heavens! So you're the one who's both good and bad! Even your wife has been turned into an informant. Hans must have had the worst luck in his life to run into you!"
"Of course, the supplies are still in someone else's hands, Fei'er. This is your first mission after joining the Fourth Bureau: to obtain these supplies and hand them over to the Soviet Area." Sorge changed the subject and asked, "I wonder if you're married? Or have you ever lived with a man?"
“Comrade Sorge, this is our female comrade’s privacy, we don’t need to answer.” Wu Hao answered first, then said righteously, “You don’t need to consider her if you have any special mission. Although the Chinese Soviet is a branch of the Communist International, our work is very different from that of the Soviet Union. We don’t use seduction. We hope you will respect that.”
Sorge waved his hands repeatedly: "Comrades, please don't misunderstand. I want to arrange for Phil to pretend to be a married couple with a male comrade. They'll be living together every day. If she doesn't have experience living together, I need to train her in advance so that she doesn't give herself away."
Wu Hao's expression softened: "Fei'er is already engaged, so there shouldn't be any major problems with her pretending to be a couple. Of course, if you're still worried, you can give her a mock test."
“No need for mock exams. I just have one question: do you know where the male head of the household usually keeps his slippers in a middle-class family?” Sorge looked at Kiyosumi expectantly.
“This question is a bit broad. Generally, when the male homeowner goes out, cotton slippers will be placed on the top shelf of the shoe rack in the entryway, or on the floor closest to the door frame. When he rests at home, cotton slippers will be placed in front of the multi-seater sofa and on the side of the master bedroom where he sleeps. Of course, there are also rubber slippers that get wet when showering. If there are no children, they will usually be placed in a corner of the bathroom to dry, while if there are children, they may be placed on the balcony to dry.” Qingcheng answered clearly and logically.
Sorge clapped his hands and said, "Excellent answer. I have another rule to mention: once you join the Fourth Bureau, you must completely sever ties with your original department. No one is allowed, including Comrade Zhou. If you really need to contact him, you can report to me first. However, you will be very busy during this period and won't have time to contact anyone. Can you accept that?"
“Okay, I will obey the organization’s arrangements.” Kiyosumi accepted with a smile.
“Great. Jack will take you to your new house in a bit. Your husband, Mr. Wu, is currently on a business trip in Nanjing and will be back in about two days. Mrs. Wu, you should prepare a nice welcome dinner.”
Kiyosumi accepted the task with a smile, determined to give her all for the ultimate victory of the revolution.
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