Although the police had investigated some matters, the No. 76 Special Agent Headquarters held absolute power in Shanghai. In particular, Wu Shicai and his gang acted recklessly and were extremely arrogant. It could be said that apart from the Japanese-controlled eastern urban area, the police in other areas were unwilling to offend the No. 76. Moreover, the Minister of Police Affairs of the Nanjing puppet government was Li Zhiqun, the director of the No. 76 Special Agent Headquarters. Therefore, the police naturally dared not pursue the matter any further, and these cases were dragged on and eventually left unresolved.
However, these rumors eventually got out. Wu Shicai's men were all members of the Green Gang. These people had been mingling in the streets for many years and had various flaws. As a result, it was difficult to keep the secret. The news eventually reached Bi Wenxiang.
At first, Bi Wenxiang didn't pay much attention. He knew that Wu Shicai would stop at nothing to make money, so it was to be expected that he would resort to petty theft. But now that he heard about Wei Hongde's car, it suddenly reminded him of this incident.
"This guy really knows how to make money; he never misses an opportunity to cash in," Luo Xingchao couldn't help but sigh. Wu Shicai truly lived up to his name, obsessed with money his whole life, his greedy nature seeping into his very bones.
Cui Yuanfeng was also very pleased. This gave his investigation a direction, making it more focused and saving a lot of time. The chances of finding Wei Hongde before tomorrow night had greatly increased.
But Bi Wenxiang wasn't finished yet. He continued to report to Luo Xingchao: "There's another matter. Cha Yutang, the chief Chinese detective of the International Settlement, has disappeared, along with several of his men."
However, Cha Yutang's disappearance is somewhat suspicious. Both the British and American consulates suppressed the news, and major newspapers didn't publish any reports. The new Chief Inspector of the Chinese Police Force has also taken office, and coincidentally, he disappeared the day before yesterday, exactly on the same day as Wei Hongde's kidnapping. Do you think there could be any connection between the two?
"No!" Luo Xingchao said decisively. He had just received a definite reply from Yi Hua'an and naturally knew the inside story.
He then recounted the details of the incident to his two assistants, and continued, "This situation was very dangerous. Cha Yutang did indeed possess some secret materials, posing a significant threat to the intelligence department. Fortunately, we promptly ascertained Feng Sinian's identity, and the intelligence department alerted Phillips. Ultimately, the intelligence department intervened, with Phillips' cooperation, and the crisis was resolved. We deserve considerable credit for this, and our superiors are very satisfied with our performance!"
"Great! All our hard work has finally paid off!" Cui Yuanfeng and Bi Wenxiang were overjoyed. They had been investigating this matter for more than two months, and now that they had achieved such a satisfactory result, they were naturally very encouraged and excited.
"Alright, everything has been explained. Time is of the essence, so get to work!"
In the Gu Mansion in the French Concession of Shanghai, Ji Hongyi sat to the left of Gu Xuan. Opposite him sat Wei Hongde's wife and his eldest son, Wei Xilin.
Wei Hongde is getting old, and now most of the family business is managed by his eldest son, Wei Xilin. This time, his father got into trouble, and as the eldest son, Wei Xilin naturally took on the responsibility of saving his father. He has been running around raising funds for the past two days. Today, he received a call from Ji Hongyi and rushed to the Gu Mansion.
As soon as Wei Xilin sat down, he asked impatiently, "Mr. Ji, you really have a way with things. You managed to exchange such a large sum of US dollars so quickly. I really don't know how to thank you!"
Ji Hongyi waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Young Master Wei, you're too kind. Old Master Wei and my master have been close friends for many years. If something happens to him, we will naturally do our duty. The money is right here, please count it!"
After saying that, he picked up a leather suitcase from under his feet, placed it on the table, gently unfastened the leather buckle, opened the lid, and pushed it in front of Madam Wei and her son, saying, "Madam Wei, Mr. Wei, please check it. It totals $150,000."
The Wei family had already transferred $150,000 worth of French currency and Japanese yen to Ji Hongyi's company account, so the currency exchange was successfully completed.
Of course, the Wei mother and son wouldn't actually check. Wei Xilin simply closed the suitcase lid and hurriedly expressed his gratitude, saying, "That's wonderful! I've long heard of Mr. Ji's reputation. He's not only Mr. Gu's capable assistant but also a leader in Shanghai's business community. I'm so grateful for your help today. By the way, I wonder how your investigation has been going these past few days? Who exactly are the kidnappers? Are you able to safely bring my father back?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Xuan was also worried that the kidnappers might disregard the rules of the underworld and kill the hostage after taking the money, so he asked, "Yes, Hongyi, what have you found out these past two days?"
Ji Hongyi naturally wouldn't say much. Although he and Ning Zhiheng had already determined that it was Wu Shicai, the gang leader of No. 76, it hadn't been verified yet, and Ji Hongyi didn't want the Wei family to know too much, otherwise it would be difficult for him to get involved.
So he said, "The other party left few clues and the time was too short. I haven't found out anything substantial. At present, I can only judge that it was not the work of forces in the concession. I estimate that it was mostly the underworld forces in the city."
Wei Xilin immediately nodded in agreement with Ji Hongyi's view. He was also a shrewd man and had his own judgment on the matter. He said, "Yes, Mr. Ji is right. My father has been operating in the concession for many years, and people in the concession give him some face. Moreover, the place where they asked for payment is Lanjiaqiao in western Shanghai. I think it should be the work of the Green Gang members in the city."
Taking the opportunity, Madam Wei quickly said, "Mr. Gu, this time the kidnappers specifically requested that Xi Lin go to pay the ransom alone. I am really worried about this. Western Shanghai is a notorious 'bad place,' with rampant bandits and chaotic public security. All kinds of villains can be found here. If the kidnappers take the money and don't release him, or even detain Xi Lin again, then our Wei family will be completely finished."
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