Li Zhiqun finally understood Wang Hanmin's meaning completely: Wang Hanmin was afraid that Fu Shengyuan would hold back and hide this clue.
He took a few deep drags on his cigarette, then threw the remaining half on the ground and crushed it with his toe. He said decisively, "You're absolutely right. There's one more thing. If our hypothesis is correct, and there really is a force lurking in Qingdao, ready to sabotage the tripartite talks at any time, then Fu Shengyuan's arrest probably won't be concealed for long. If we can't catch them before they realize what's happening, they'll definitely launch an operation once they discover Fu Shengyuan's disappearance. Brother Hanmin, time is of the essence. We must find out everything today and arrange the arrest operation. I'll go call General Yingzuo right now."
Li Zhiqun knew that he had to report the situation to Yingzuo Yushu at this point. Not to mention the seriousness of the situation that followed and the need for Yingzuo Yushu's help, he also had to report the merit of capturing the Qingdao station chief to his master.
Li Zhiqun turned and left quickly. Wang Hanmin breathed a sigh of relief and stood guard at the door of the interrogation room, waiting for the people inside to come to a conclusion.
In about ten minutes, Li Zhiqun returned, excitedly saying, "General Yingzuo was very pleased to hear my report. He is talking with Mr. Wang and will be here soon to personally oversee this matter. Brother Hanmin, General Yingzuo is very satisfied with you. This is a great opportunity for you!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Hanmin quickly smiled and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Director. It's mainly because of your excellent leadership; I was just helping out!"
Li Zhiqun was also satisfied with Wang Hanmin's attitude. This man was very methodical and tactful in his dealings with others. He had worked very well with Li Zhiqun since they got together. Since Wang Hanmin joined the company, Li Zhiqun felt much more relaxed. Wang Hanmin was able to fill in the gaps in his work and was indeed Li Zhiqun's most capable assistant.
"Brother Hanmin, let me tell you the truth. General Yingzuo promised me that after Mr. Wang reorganizes the Nanjing National Government this time, I will soon be promoted to Minister of Police. This time, I will definitely recommend you as Vice Minister of Police. You and I will work together and have a bright future!"
Wang Hanmin was overjoyed. The puppet government was currently gaining momentum. If the tripartite talks were successful and it annexed the Nanjing Reformed Government and the North China Provisional Government, it would have a political system of considerable size and would no longer be the small court that had cowered in Shanghai. With the support of the Japanese, it might really be able to take the final step. At this time, boarding this ship would be a promising prospect, and it might not be worse than under the Chongqing government.
"This humble servant will certainly follow the director's lead to repay the kindness shown to him!" Wang Hanmin bowed and saluted, once again expressing his loyalty to Li Zhiqun.
Li Zhiqun laughed heartily, patted Wang Hanmin's arm, and said with a smile, "We're brothers, no need to be so polite!"
The two were in high spirits and chatted happily. Just then, the door to the interrogation room opened, and a haggard-looking Ding Mingzhen walked out.
Upon seeing this, Li Zhiqun and Wang Hanmin quickly went to greet her. Li Zhiqun asked, "Madam Fu, how did your talks go? What was Station Chief Fu's attitude?"
Ding Mingzhen looked at the two people in front of her and nodded silently.
"Great!" Li Zhiqun clapped his hands excitedly and shouted.
But Ding Mingzhen continued, "We also have conditions!"
Wang Hanmin immediately nodded and said, "Madam Fu, please speak freely, and we will do our best!"
“We can hand over Qingdao Station, but we can’t stay here any longer. Give us some money so we can leave Qingdao and arrange a way for us to go abroad.”
Ding Mingzhen's words startled Li Zhiqun, and his face immediately darkened. He had high hopes for Fu Shengyuan and would never let him leave. He resolutely rejected the condition: "Madam Fu, your conditions are too wishful thinking. Money is not a problem, but given Station Chief Fu's status, even if I agreed, how could the Japanese possibly let him leave? Take my advice: once the arrow is released, there's no turning back. Trying to have your cake and eat it too is absolutely impossible!"
Ding Mingzhen was not surprised by Li Zhiqun's refusal. She knew that it was unlikely that he would agree to the terms. After falling into enemy hands, how could they escape so easily?
However, this was merely a negotiation tactic employed by the couple. Ding Mingzhen then changed the subject, saying, "Mr. Li wants us to continue serving him? Very well, now that the new Nanjing government is about to be established, we should at least have a proper status, wouldn't you agree?"
Upon hearing this, Li Zhiqun and Wang Hanmin were immediately invigorated; this meant he was asking for an official position!
However, their attention was not on that. The two men quickly exchanged a glance, and Li Zhiqun's gaze sharpened. He slowly asked, "Madam Fu's information network is quite impressive. How did you know about the upcoming reorganization of the Nanjing government? I don't think you could have kept the tripartite talks a secret from us, could you?"
Ding Mingzhen was taken aback. She hesitated for a moment before saying, "These are just some guesses from before. Besides, there was such a big commotion in Qingdao today. Even though we've lost our intelligence capabilities, we can still get some general information."
Despite Ding Mingzhen's attempts to conceal her true feelings, Li Zhiqun saw through her deception and immediately pressed her for details: "The tripartite talks are not public, and the representatives only arrived in Qingdao today. They are all active in the Japanese expatriate area. Your Qingdao station has been hiding in the northern suburbs. How did you find out about it so quickly? Madam Fu, you don't seem to be telling the truth. Did you already know about this?"
Li Zhiqun's words caught Ding Mingzhen off guard, leaving her speechless. Although Li Zhiqun appeared calm, he noticed a flicker in her eyes, confirming his suspicion that Ding Mingzhen had known about the tripartite talks all along.
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