The gaunt man standing at the entrance of the opium den, cursing loudly, was Zhen Guangxi, a newly recruited officer in the General Affairs Section of the Second Operations Division of the Military Intelligence Bureau.
Ning Zhiheng's instructions to him were to investigate the opium dens near Zhao Jiagang and trace the trail of red opium.
So Shao Wenguang arranged an identity for him, and he was given a badge and a gun. After that, he began to frequent various opium dens near Zhao Jiagang. As instructed by Shao Wenguang, as soon as he arrived at the opium den, he would deliberately cause trouble, constantly stirring up trouble and deliberately making things difficult for people. Once a conflict occurred, he would immediately show his gun and badge. Relying on the prestigious name of the Military Intelligence Bureau, he scared several opium dens into swallowing their anger and letting him eat and drink for free, and respectfully seeing him out.
The intention behind doing this was, of course, to expose his identity. A Kuomintang officer who was addicted to opium was definitely a worthwhile target for Japanese intelligence organizations.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zhen Guangxi, cursing and swearing, walked to a car parked at the entrance of the opium den, opened the door, started the engine, and drove off.
Only after they had driven some distance did someone get up from the back seat of the car and ask in a deep voice, "So? Is there something wrong with this opium den?"
Zhen Guangxi, in the driver's seat, did not turn around, but shook his head and said, "Section Chief, I don't think there's anything wrong with Xiaoyaotian. I asked them for good opium, but their best opium is only Guizhou horseshoe opium. I made a fuss for a long time, but they couldn't come up with anything good."
The person in the back seat of the car was Shao Wenguang, the head of the Second Intelligence Section. He had been tracking down Chai Ren for the past few days, but to no avail. The man seemed to have vanished into thin air and had disappeared without a trace.
He had no choice but to focus his energy on the search for the red opium, but after searching all the opium dens near Zhaojiagang, he still found nothing, which made Shao Wenguang a little anxious.
"It seems our approach is flawed. Too many people are coming and going through these chimneys, which is not conducive to secret operations. The Japanese don't operate in such a high-profile manner. Perhaps we should go to some more secluded and upscale places, which would be more in line with the requirements of our important development goals."
Shao Wenguang thought about it and found it made sense. The Japanese could not possibly be targeting ordinary people. These people must have status and achievements in their respective industries, which would be in line with the interests of the Japanese. Ordinary opium dens would seem too low-class and too ostentatious.
Zhen Guangxi agreed, nodding and saying, "The places you mentioned do exist. When these rich people come out, it's all about eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring. I think those brothels or clubs fit your requirements. Think about it, those places only cater to wealthy and influential people. It's only natural for them to close the door, smoke some opium, and have some fun. It only takes a few days to become addicted to this kind of opium. I smoked it once and I still can't forget it. After a while, who can resist it?"
Zhen Guangxi's words enlightened Shao Wenguang. He slapped his thigh excitedly and said with a smile, "That's right! We were only focusing on the opium dens before and missed this detail. We'll investigate whether there are any such places near Zhaojiagang right away."
At this point, he glanced at Zhen Guangxi and said, "These places aren't for ordinary people, so don't give yourself away!"
Upon hearing this, Zhen Guangxi chuckled and said, "Section Chief, you know what? Back when I was still doing well in Nanjing, I frequented places like this. I know how to do it. As long as the money is right, nothing will leak out."
At this point, he patted the pistol at his waist again: "Besides, there's this too! You know what, these past two days have been the most powerful I've been in years. After my family fell on hard times, I was always begging for food and having to smile at others. But now, as long as I slam the gun on the table and show my Military Intelligence Bureau ID, those bastards treat me like an ancestor, not daring to utter a single word."
Zhen Guangxi spoke from the heart. Only now did he truly feel the benefits that his identity as a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau brought him. He was filled with immense satisfaction and was reluctant to take off his clothes.
He then said with a fawning smile, "Section Chief, you see, the case is closed, and I don't want to leave the Military Intelligence Bureau anymore. Why don't you let me follow you from now on? I will definitely serve you wholeheartedly."
Upon hearing this, Shao Wenguang couldn't help but laugh and said, "Hehe, when I arrested you and put you in the Second Division, you were crying and begging for it. Now look at you, you're addicted to it. Dream on! Do you think it's so easy to get into the Second Division? Once the case is over and things are done, you can go back to doing what you were doing. Do you really think you can wear this uniform for the rest of your life?"
Upon hearing this, Zhen Guangxi said anxiously, "No! Section Chief, didn't the Director say that I won't be allowed to leave the Military Intelligence Bureau anymore!"
Shao Wenguang slapped Zhen Guangxi on the back of the head and laughed, "Can't you tell if I'm being nice or mean? I mean if you don't handle things well, I'll throw you in the Military Intelligence Bureau's jail. Don't try to fool me. This time, we'll see how you perform. If you do well, maybe I'll give you a job. But don't just think about living the high life. In our line of work, you can lose your life if you're not careful. You'll know how tough it is later!"
At this point, he instructed again, "Let's go to the police station. I'm going to visit Director Liu. These local bigwigs know the most about these things."
Shao Wenguang and Liu Datong were old acquaintances, having worked together in Nanjing. Later, when they arrived in Chongqing, Liu Datong, being new to the city and lacking a stable foundation, was unable to carry out his work. Wei Liangbi, out of respect for Ning Zhiheng, stood up for Liu Datong. As Wei Liangbi's confidant, Shao Wenguang had also helped Liu Datong a lot, so the two had a very good relationship.
At 11 a.m. the next day, in the office of the Military Commission's Conscription Department, Major Staff Officer Liang Shi'an was handling his official duties.
He was wearing an old military uniform that was faded from washing, but it was still clean and tidy. However, compared to two years ago, his face looked noticeably more haggard.
He sat down, quickly finished his work, sighed softly, leaned back in his seat, stared blankly at the ceiling above him, and couldn't help but worry about how hard it would be to make ends meet this month. It wasn't even the end of the month yet, and his whole family would have to live on boiled vegetables again.
The Ministry of Military Service was a low-income department, and Liang Shi'an had a large family to support. He could make a living in Nanjing, but when he arrived in Chongqing, prices were soaring everywhere, and the meager salary he received was not enough to cover his expenses, making life extremely difficult.
However, this is the current situation of the National Revolutionary Army. The salary of an officer is only enough to support himself, and if ordinary soldiers did not eat and drink in the army, they would probably not be able to support themselves.
People in Liang Shi'an's situation are everywhere in the army, and he has too many entanglements, making his life particularly difficult.
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