Looking at Feng Sinian's appearance, Li Zhiqun knew that his identity was no mistake. If someone like him could be fooled, then his acting skills were too outstanding.
He cut straight to the point, asking, "So, Su Jiaxiang is a mole you recruited? Then who is your superior?"
When asked by Li Zhiqun, Feng Sinian answered very readily this time: "Phillips, the military attaché of the American consulate in the Shanghai International Settlement."
Upon hearing this, Li Zhiqun's spirits lifted. Sure enough, the intelligence was heading towards the Shanghai International Settlement. However, the other party was no ordinary person; he was a diplomat from the American Consulate. This identity made him hesitant to act rashly.
Li Zhiqun pressed further, "An American? Or a diplomat? How did you make contact with him?"
Feng Sinian did not hide anything; he explained the matter clearly. It turned out that more than two years ago, he was a broker in the black market of the Shanghai International Settlement, mainly introducing business to various merchants in the black market and earning some intermediary fees in the process.
Foreigners in Shanghai, with their diplomatic channels, were able to purchase various supplies that were in short supply in China. These supplies could be sold on the black market at the highest possible profit, so foreign powers held a significant share of the black market.
Phillips was one of the biggest arms dealers. He used his diplomatic status to smuggle scarce supplies on a large scale and made huge profits in the Chinese market. Feng Sinian was the main person who introduced him to the arms business.
However, Phillips' identity was complicated. He was not only a military businessman, but also one of the top intelligence dealers in the Chinese intelligence market. He controlled many intelligence channels and cultivated and developed many moles who continuously provided him with various intelligence.
Following the Battle of Shanghai, Nanjing fell to the Japanese and was later occupied by the so-called reformed government. The city became a new target for intelligence brokers. Phillips spent a lot of effort developing several moles in Nanjing, and thus needed an agent to manage his intelligence business in Nanjing. In the end, he chose Feng Sinian.
So Feng Sinian came to Nanjing and became the manager of Yuanda Trading Company, where he was responsible for contacting and collecting information on the moles.
Upon hearing this, Li Zhiqun was overjoyed. He then asked, "How many moles do you have?"
"two!"
"What? Just two? You've been keeping watch over these two moles in Nanjing?" Li Zhiqun didn't believe it at all, his words were harsh, and it seemed like he was about to take action again.
Upon seeing this, Feng Sinian hurriedly explained, "There really are two, and I personally developed Su Jiaxiang."
There were only two before. One was a reporter from the Japanese newspaper "Chochu Times," who was killed by a stray bullet a year ago when he went to the front lines to report.
There was also a operations staff officer from the pacification army of the reformed government, plus Su Jiaxiang, that made up just the two of them.
Li Zhiqun was not actually interested in the fact that Feng Sinian had a few moles. These intelligence moles could be developed at any time as long as there was money and effort, and they could never be caught.
What he cared about was how to follow this lead and find the Shanghai Intelligence Bureau; that was the real task that Kagesa Hiroki had given him.
“Alright, I’ll believe you for now. Let’s talk about your contact, that diplomat Philip…”
"Phillips!"
"Yes, when you were running errands for him, did you come into contact with any clients or buyers in the Shanghai intelligence market, or perhaps those in Chongqing?"
Upon hearing this, Feng Sinian realized that Director Li's target was still Chongqing elements. He could only shake his head and say, "I used to only hang around in the Shanghai black market, just reselling some scarce materials and weapons. But the black market and the intelligence market are completely different things."
Let me put it this way: the goods on the black market are tangible and you can be sure they exist.
But the intelligence market is all an illusion; it's just a name. In reality, it's just a dozen or so names, all top-tier figures. People in the circle maintain their reputations, and each of them has their own intelligence channels. Take Phillips, for example; he has quite a few people like me under him, all relying on connections.
The goods might be traded with just a word, a message, or even just a few words between two people, and these transactions are all between the big bosses; we outsiders have absolutely no access to them.
Li Zhiqun had only heard of the intelligence market but had never actually been involved. Now, after hearing Feng Sinian's account, he couldn't immediately tell if it was true or false.
"You haven't met anyone from Chongqing, but surely Phillips has?"
"Of course, the intelligence market in Shanghai has been much more prosperous in recent years than before. Everyone in the industry knows that this is because Chongqing has become the largest buyer in the Shanghai intelligence market. They are generous and buy up almost all valuable intelligence. It can be said that we have never seen such efficient buyers. Even intelligence that cannot be sold in Harbin and Tianjin will be quickly bought up in the Shanghai market. The Shanghai intelligence market is booming right now."
Upon hearing this, Li Zhiqun couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. He knew that Chongqing had done a very good job in acquiring intelligence, but to be able to make the Shanghai intelligence market so prosperous on one's own, required an investment of an unimaginable amount of money.
Li Zhiqun asked, "Don't you have any way to find them?"
Feng Sinian said with a wry smile, "People at our level can't get in touch with us. Only big businesses like Phillips can."
They only deal with big bosses. You don't know, intelligence trading is different from other goods. If you buy fake goods, you might just lose money. But if you buy fake intelligence, you could lose your life, or even many, many lives.
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