chsdbacks Chapter 57 Operation Fox Hunt
Chapter 57 Operation Fox Hunt
In the office of Ji Chuan, the captain of the Second Action Team at the 76th Special Agent Headquarters, Hu Er Kui stood in front of the desk with his neck hunched, clutching his top hat, and fine beads of sweat on his forehead.
He had just arrived from Taifeng Hotel, and now, facing Ji Chuan, he didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
"Captain Ji, are you busy?" Hu Erkui smiled obsequiously, took out his cigarette case, pulled one out and handed it to him, "Just got some Hademen, have a taste."
Ji Chuan leaned back in his chair, a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers, not even lifting his eyelids: "Stop with the pretense. You wouldn't come here without a reason. So, what do you want?"
Hu Erkui withdrew his hand, scratched his head awkwardly, and took two steps forward: "Here's what happened, Captain Ji. A couple of days ago, something went wrong here; three of my men were shot dead."
"Oh?" Ji Chuan finally raised his eyes. "On your turf, someone dares to touch your people?"
"That's right!" Hu Erkui sighed, looking aggrieved. "It was a girl named Meng Jia who did it. That girl had a gun and a legal gun license. I originally wanted to settle the score with her, but it turns out she has someone backing her up."
"Who?" Ji Chuan leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming more serious.
"A guy named Liu Jie," Hu Erkui lowered his voice, "that's what he's called outside. He told me his real name is Bernd Krauss, and he's the financial director of West American Trading Company. You know West American Trading Company, right? It's German-owned, and the boss is a German count named Lucas von Wolff. I heard he even met with Director Li last week with the German consul in Shanghai!"
Ji Chuan frowned, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table: "West America Trading Company... I vaguely remember them. They're in import/export trade, and they're quite wealthy. What's Liu Jie's background?"
"When I talked to him, he was very confident," Hu Erkui recalled the scene, his tone tinged with fear. "He brought a suitcase, and when he opened it, it was full of Chinese currency and US dollars. He threw down a thousand Chinese currency and two hundred US dollars, saying it was compensation for my little brother. I originally wanted that girl to kowtow to me and apologize, but he immediately turned hostile and said that Meng Jia was a person from a foreign company and an employee of a German citizen, so she couldn't be touched."
He paused, then added, "By the way, Liu Jie also has bodyguards with him. They look like tough guys; I heard they're former German soldiers. Meng Jia is his subordinate. Not only can she shoot, but she seems pretty skilled too. My three underlings were all shot in the head by her; she's very accurate."
After listening, Ji Chuan remained silent for a moment, then a meaningful smile suddenly appeared on his lips: "So, this Liu Jie is a wealthy and powerful man?"
"That's right!" Hu Erkui nodded repeatedly. "I think he doesn't take me seriously at all, nor does he take our No. 76 unit seriously. He keeps talking about the relationship between his boss and the German consul and Director Li."
"What do you know?" Ji Chuan glared at him. "This isn't arrogance, it's confidence. In Shanghai, anyone who can connect with the Germans and get face from Director Li is no ordinary person."
He stood up, walked to the window, looked at the sentry post in the courtyard, and his tone became serious: "Do you think he's from the mountain city or Yan'an?"
Hu Erkui paused, scratched his head, and said, "I really can't say for sure. He doesn't seem like a politician; he's more like a pure businessman. All he sees is money, and he solves problems by throwing money at them."
Ji Chuan turned around, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness: "Businessmen are good, they're all about profit."
He walked up to Hu Erkui, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "You did a good job. You didn't confront him head-on. Otherwise, you would have really offended Ximei Trading Company, and it would have been difficult to explain to Director Li."
Hu Erkui breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, "Captain Ji, you are so wise. I was just thinking that it's better to avoid trouble."
"However, this matter is not over," Ji Chuan changed the subject, "This Liu Jie is a person worth befriending. Think about it, he is in the import and export trade, so he must have a lot of channels. If we can get in touch with him, we can make a lot of money."
Hu Erkui's eyes lit up: "Captain Ji, you mean...?"
"I want you to find out the real background of this Liu Jie," Ji Chuan said seriously. "Focus on whether he's from Shancheng or Yan'an. If he is, we'll take action directly and seize his channels and money; if not, that's perfect."
His smile deepened: "Go and tell him that I, Ji Chuan, admire his straightforwardness and would like to invite him to dinner to make friends. During the meal, I'll sound him out and see if we can cooperate to smuggle some in-demand goods—medicines, steel, and ammunition are all selling well right now. We'll provide the manpower and connections, and he'll provide the capital and channels. We'll split the profits 50/50. Isn't that better than you collecting protection money on the street?"
Hu Erkui was overjoyed and nodded quickly, "Okay! Okay! I'll take care of it right away! Captain Ji, don't worry, I will definitely investigate his background thoroughly and then convey your message!"
"Remember, be careful when you investigate, don't alert him," Ji Chuan instructed. "Be polite when you pass on messages to him, don't be as arrogant as before. This Liu Jie is a smart man, our cooperation with him is mutually beneficial, not a turf grab."
"Understood! Understood!" Hu Erkui replied repeatedly, then turned to leave.
"Wait," Ji Chuan called out to him, pointing to the cigarette pack on the corner of the table, "Leave the cigarettes here, and go get me two more packs."
"Okay!" Hu Erkui quickly put his cigarette case on the table, smiled obsequiously, and strode out of the office.
Ji Chuan picked up the cigarettes left by Hu Erkui, lit one, and took a deep drag. He stared at the gloomy sky outside the window, his eyes full of calculation.
In the chaotic world of Shanghai, those with money and power were the best bargaining chips. As long as Liu Jie could be brought to their side, it would be of great benefit, whether for making money through smuggling or for consolidating their position in the 76th Division.
As for Liu Jie's background, he believed that as long as Hu Erkui investigated carefully, he would eventually uncover some clues. At that time, whether Liu Jie would be an enemy or a friend, a partner or a annexation, would all depend on him.
In the dead of night, the "beep beep" of the telegraph machine broke the silence.
"Imai Tsubasa, Deputy Chief of the Operations Section of the Japanese Army Ministry, has arrived in China with mysterious operational orders. He is expected to arrive in Shanghai within three days, but his target is unknown. Shanghai Station is immediately initiating 'Operation Fox Hunt' to ascertain his arrival time and port, and then carry out his kidnapping. Yamashiro Headquarters!"
Yan Shuo lit the coded message.
The lights in the French Concession were sparse, and a few gunshots could be faintly heard from the direction of the Chinese-controlled area in the distance—the signal for action from the Shanghai station.
At the same time, inside the temporary outpost at Shanghai Station, the person in charge, Zhao Gang, was yelling into the phone, his voice hoarse with anger: "What's going on? Wasn't it said that there was only one squad guarding the dock? How come a whole company of Japanese military police suddenly appeared!"
Rapid breathing and gunfire came from the other end of the radio. The liaison officer's voice was broken: "Team Leader Zhao... the intelligence was wrong! Imai Tsubasa is a core high-ranking officer in the Japanese army, his security level has been doubled! Our men were discovered as soon as they approached the dock warehouse. Three brothers were killed, and the rest have no choice but to retreat... retreat!"
"Useless!" Zhao Gang slammed his fist on the table, shattering the teacup and splashing tea onto the spread-out map.
He took a few deep breaths, suppressing his anger, and gritted his teeth as he spoke into the radio: "Immediately report to headquarters that 'Operation Fox Hunt' has failed, and request the activation of the Red Bean Squad!"