Chen Xiuqi truly had a ruthless streak.
Gritting his teeth, he lifted the lid of the wooden box millimeter by millimeter, exercising the utmost caution.
There was no bomb.
Fine beads of sweat broke out across Chen Xiuqi's forehead, and then his gaze locked onto the radio transmitter resting inside the box.
"Splendid!" Rubbing his hands together with delight, Chen Xiuqi beamed. "Just splendid!"
"The radio is secured," Fang Jibai said. "A codebook is even more important than the radio itself."
"Right, the codebook!" Chen Xiuqi's eyes lit up. "Search the place! Turn up anything and everything with writing on it!"
"The two thatched huts as well—check them thoroughly," Fang Jibai reminded him.
"Did you hear that? Do as Fourth Brother says!" Chen Xiuqi called out loudly.
"Yes, sir!"
"Understood!"
Armed with flashlights, the police officers scoured every corner of Anggong's home, yet they uncovered nothing more.
Even after Chen Xiuqi subjected Ji Mingshuo and the other man to brutal interrogation, neither captive uttered a word.
"Could the codebook and the radio have been separated?" Chen Xiuqi asked Fang Jibai in a hushed tone. "The radio was kept here, but the codebook was entrusted to someone else?"
"Hard to say." Fang Jibai shook his head, his brow furrowing. "Strictly speaking, we lack experience when it comes to capturing Japanese spies. We aren't familiar with their usual tricks and methods."
"Let's leave it at that for now, then." Chen Xiuqi sighed.
"You've captured two Japanese spies and seized a radio transmitter. With such an enormous merit in your hands, Xiao Qi, are you still not satisfied?" Fang Jibai chuckled softly. "Xiao Qi, a man must know contentment."
"True enough, one must know contentment," Chen Xiuqi laughed. Then he looked at Fang Jibai, his expression turning solemn and earnest. "Little Fourth, regarding tonight's matter, your elder brother owes you a massive favor."
"Look at you, Xiao Qi. The moment you pocket this colossal credit, you don't even call me Fourth Brother anymore," Fang Jibai teased.
...
Accepting the cigarette Chen Xiuqi offered, Fang Jibai kept his voice low. "My advice is to take Feng the Third and these two Japanese spies, gather enough men, and set off for Nanjing tonight."
"Straight to Nanjing?" Chen Xiuqi asked after a moment of thought.
"Yes, straight to Nanjing."
"By water?"
"Yes, take the water route."
"Little Fourth, that means leaving myself no way out," Chen Xiuqi said.
"Xiao Qi, the moment you took unauthorized action tonight without reporting or registering it with Danyang, you already had no way out," Fang Jibai said. "I will write you a personal letter. Take it directly to Nanjing's Jiangjun Temple Police Station and find Chief Jiang Wendao."
"Does this man have real pull?"
"Plenty," Fang Jibai nodded. "Brother Jiang's brother-in-law is the leader of Section Three of the Capital Police Department's Special Operations Branch."
Chen Xiuqi nodded, yet a lingering trace of scrutiny remained in his eyes as he looked at Fang Jibai.
"Brother Jiang is also on intimate terms with Chang Naiyun, Deputy Director of the Inspectorate Division," Fang Jibai added. "Their families have been close for generations."
Chen Xiuqi continued to nod, hesitating as if wanting to say something more.
"I saved Jiang Wendao's life, and Brother Jiang is a man of honor," Fang Jibai said. Pausing briefly, he added, "Many people know of this."
*Now that made sense!*
*That explained everything!*
Hearing this, Chen Xiuqi let out a long breath of relief, and a smile broke across his face.
...
"Over at Xuban Bridge, you need to leave behind reliable, capable men," Fang Jibai instructed.
"Tang Yan and Zhang Yin—the two of them will stay," Chen Xiuqi whispered. "Those two listen to you. I can tell they have immense respect for you. If you keep an eye on things for me in town, my mind will be at ease."
"All right. But at the latest, I'm heading back to Nanjing the day after tomorrow." Fang Jibai glanced at Chen Xiuqi. "Those two caught Ji Mingshuo and do whatever they're told without hesitation. They're good, obedient subordinates."
"Don't worry," Chen Xiuqi nodded, catching Fang Jibai's drift.
"I'll take the men and set out right away," he told Fang Jibai. "Third Sister is getting married, and I won't be able to attend the wedding feast. Later on, I'll definitely host a banquet for Third Sister and Third Brother-in-law to make it up to them."
"That's your third cousin-aunt and cousin-uncle," Fang Jibai chided with a laugh.
"Right, right, right!" Chen Xiuqi chuckled heartily, no longer arguing the point.
He leaned closer and asked in a low whisper, "Earlier, were you truly certain there was no bomb in the box, or were you just bluffing me?"
"See for yourself." Fang Jibai walked over to the manure basket, crouched down, and pointed first at the basket, then at the hemp rope.
"It really takes someone like you, young Fourth Fang." Thinking it over for a second, Chen Xiuqi had a sudden flash of insight and gave a thumbs-up. "Daring, yet remarkably meticulous."
There were cobwebs on the manure basket, some of which had been torn just moments ago when the box was taken down. Furthermore, the hemp rope had evidently snapped earlier and been tied back together to keep using it; the knot was relatively fresh, likely tied within the last few days.
This indicated the knot had been tied by Ji Mingshuo and his cohort.
Meanwhile, the presence of the cobwebs proved the basket had been hanging up there for at least a full day, rather than being stashed away in a hurry tonight.
Unless those Japanese bastards truly had a death wish, none of them would plant a bomb in a box suspended directly above their bed and still sleep peacefully below it. At the very least, they would have discarded the broken rope—since the frayed break was considerably thinner—and replaced it with a sturdy new one rather than making do with a knot.
Although the odds of the knotted rope snapping were slim, one could never be too safe when it came to a matter of life and death; no one in their right mind would gamble their fate on such reckless odds.
At any rate, unless he swapped it for a solid new rope, Chen Xiuqi would never dare sleep beneath a bomb hanging directly over his head.
Glancing at Fang Jibai, Chen Xiuqi could not help but click his tongue in awe once more. Every single inch of this young Fourth Fang was packed with cunning.
...
Three-quarters of an hour earlier.
Shijiapu.
The station of the Lücheng Team, Danyang Station, Zhenjiang Station of the Lixingshe Special Services Department.
Exhausted from traveling through the starry night, Zhang Minquan had only just drifted off to sleep when a sudden crack of gunfire jolted him awake.
Then came several more shots.
"Where's that shooting coming from?" Leaping out of bed, he swiftly seized the holster hanging on the wall. "Where are the shots coming from?"
"Station Chief!" Jiang Guanghan called out from outside. "It's not here. By my ear, it's coming from the direction of Jiangjia Village."
Hearing Jiang Guanghan's assessment, Zhang Minquan let out a breath of relief.
Shijiapu lay west of the Grand Canal, while Jiangjia Village lay to the east. The two villages occupied the western and eastern ends of the town, separated further by the Shanghai-Nanjing Railway.
With a creak, Zhang Minquan pulled open the door.
"Gunfire in the dead of night means trouble," Zhang Minquan said, slipping on his Sun Yat-sen suit jacket. "Send someone to investigate immediately and see what happened."
"Yes, sir," Jiang Guanghan replied. "I've already dispatched Zhao Ding to look into it. There should be word back shortly."
The waiting was agonizingly slow.
From the direction of Jiangjia Village, more gunshots echoed through the night.
"At first it was Mauser pistols," Zhang Minquan murmured, squinting as he pondered. "Those last two shots weren't handguns, though. Sounded like rifles to me."
"Station Chief, they sounded like Hanyang 88s to my ears," Jiang Guanghan offered.
"Then that's it." Zhang Minquan nodded. Though Jiang Guanghan had never served in the regular army, he was obsessed with firearms, fond of both long and short arms, and thoroughly familiar with their signatures.
"Both pistols and rifles were brought into play," Zhang Minquan mused. "Just what in the world happened?"
Stroking his chin, he asked Jiang Guanghan, "Do you think this has anything to do with the Japanese we're after?"
"Hardly likely," Jiang Guanghan pondered aloud. "When it comes to hunting Japanese spies, we're the professionals. It's not as if anyone else could catch wind of them and start hunting them down."
Footsteps sounded in the courtyard.
"Station Chief, Team Leader!" Zhao Ding's voice arrived before he did.
Out of breath, he panted, "I've found out! Anggong from Jiangjia Village was murdered, and the police are hunting the killer!"
"'Anggong'?" Zhang Minquan reflected on the name. "Why does that sound somewhat familiar..."
"Xiaoyouzhuang, the Right Widow," Jiang Guanghan murmured. "Anggong is her younger brother, a local ruffian."
"Ah, him." Realization dawned on Zhang Minquan, and he nodded with a chuckle before stifling a yawn. "The police rounding up a scoundrel has nothing to do with us. Nothing to worry about."
Turning to the two men, he added, "Go get some rest, both of you. Conserve your energy so we can track down those Japanese spies come daybreak."
Chapter 21