Capital Police Department

Dusk fell. No. 32 Yihe Road. Headquarters of the Capital Police Department. Jiang Wendao and Jiang Xingzhi straightened their tunic collar hooks. Jiang Xingzhi stepped forward to greet the sentry, then led his brother-in-law through the checkpoint. Once inside, they parted ways. Clutching the dossier he had meticulously polished, Jiang Xingzhi headed straight to the Special Operations Branch to deliver his report, where Branch Chief Wei Shigeng was already waiting in his office. "Brother Linyi," Chang Naiyun called out, having arrived ahead of time. "Brother Zilong." A smile surfaced on Jiang Wendao's face at the sight of Chang Naiyun. Lowering his voice, he said, "Time is short, so let's make it brief." "Right. To my office," Chang Naiyun said with a nod. Before heading to No. 32 Yihe Road, two telephone calls had been placed from Pear Garden. Jiang Xingzhi had phoned Branch Chief Wei Shigeng with the good news, while Jiang Wendao had called the Inspectorate Division. A feat of this magnitude brought no small share of merit, and naturally, credit had to be distributed where appropriate. Chang Naiyun, deputy chief of the Inspectorate Division, was Jiang Wendao's lifelong family friend. Such an auspicious occasion naturally called for taking care of his own. Above all, in the matter of divvying up credit, one never worried about having too many people involved—only about leaving someone out. "That's the gist of it," Jiang Wendao said to Chang Naiyun. "Xiao Liu is reporting the victory in Branch Chief Wei's office right now." "This Fang Jibai... he's the very officer who saved your life in the Gulou shooting last year, isn't he?" Chang Naiyun lightly tapped the ash from his cigarette and murmured with admiration, "Linyi, you truly can't speak highly enough of this young brother of yours." Throughout Jiang Wendao's recounting of cracking the Japanese spy ring, Fang Jibai's name had surfaced repeatedly. At every critical turning point, it was on his lips without fail—plain proof of just how fond he was of the subordinate. "To tell you the truth," Jiang Wendao said, making no effort to conceal the pride in his brow, "Qiming is a rare, exceptional talent, unlike any young man I've ever encountered." He even counted off on his fingers for his friend. "Capable, sharp-witted, and most importantly, clearheaded. He knows what should be done and what shouldn't be touched. What's more, he values personal loyalty and knows what's right." Flicking his cigarette ash, Jiang Wendao added, "In this case, Qiming specifically entrusted me in his letter to look out for that Chen Xiuqi." Chang Naiyun nodded. Of all the virtues and abilities Jiang Wendao had listed for the young man, that final phrase—'knows what's right'—carried the greatest weight. Nobody wanted to groom an ungrateful wolf, even if seeing and hearing of such turncoats was all too common in their line of work. "Don't worry. Breaking a Japanese spy ring and seizing a radio transmitter is a monumental case, even by the standards of the entire Capital Police Department," Chang Naiyun said. He smiled faintly. "Commissioner Wu places immense emphasis on detecting and disrupting Japanese espionage. I reckon this triumph will be laid directly on his desk." "If so, all the better," Jiang Wendao said, delighted. *** Previously, the post of commissioner of the Capital Police Department had been held concurrently by General Xiao, but the man truly in charge of daily operations was Commissioner Wu Panshi. A native of Tianjin, Commissioner Wu had entered the Beiyang Police Academy in his early years, receiving rigorous training and acquiring a solid foundation in police administration. After graduation, he traveled to Germany, studying Europe's modern policing systems at the Berlin Police College. Upon returning to China, Wu Panshi served first as chief of railway police on the Tianjin-Pukou Railway, overseeing law and order along the line. Later, he took posts in Chahar as police director and acting police commissioner, then moved on to serve as commissioner of Province J's police department, managing law enforcement across the provincial capital. Eventually, he was appointed commissioner of the Capital Police Department. The Nanjing press showered him with praise, calling Commissioner Wu Panshi "meticulous in action, exceedingly capable, pragmatic, and resolute." Jiang Wendao held genuine respect for the man. Here was a thoroughly practical department chief, and most critically, one who handed out rewards and punishments with absolute fairness. In the Party-State, when a superior made rewards and punishments clear, subordinates would naturally lay down their lives for him. "Let's go." Jiang Wendao checked his pocket watch. "Xiao Liu should be just about finished over there." "Let's go," Chang Naiyun said with a hearty laugh. In busting this major espionage ring tied to the Japanese Naval Attaché's Office, the Inspectorate Division naturally had a claim to credit as well: The division had previously issued official directives to all bureaus, stations, and outposts ordering strict investigations into Japanese espionage. And that directive had come straight from the hand of Deputy Chief Chang Naiyun. Who could say the Inspectorate Division hadn't earned its share? *** "Splendid! Simply splendid!" Before Chang Naiyun and Jiang Wendao even set foot inside the Special Operations Branch chief's office, they could hear Wei Shigeng's exuberant voice, thick with a Fenghua accent. "Brother Zilong!" Wei Shigeng called out in delight upon seeing Chang Naiyun enter. "You come right on time! You must have heard my branch broke a major Japanese spy case and came specifically to offer congratulations!" "Listen to you," Chang Naiyun chuckled, pointing a finger at Wei Shigeng. "You make it sound as if our Inspectorate Division had no part in it. If not for our division pushing and overseeing the investigation..." "Enough, enough!" Wei Shigeng waved his hands repeatedly. "Your division shares the credit, of course you do! Honestly, you can't take a joke." "I can take a joke about anything else, but when it comes to credit, there's no joking," Chang Naiyun said in earnest. "Station Chief Jiang." Wei Shigeng turned to Jiang Wendao. "I've said it before: the Jiangjun Temple Police Station is a model unit—capable, effective, and primed for real distinction." He pointed toward Jiang Wendao, beaming. "And why? Because Jiangjun Temple has Brother Jiang! With such an outstanding leader and pillar of the Party-State lending a hand, my Special Operations Branch owes its success in smashing this nest of Japanese spies to you, Brother Jiang!" "Chief Wei flatters me far too much," Jiang Wendao replied smoothly. "This is all thanks to the overarching leadership of Chief Wei and Deputy Chief Chang, alongside the Special Operations Branch fighting on the front line. My station and the local officers merely did what little was within our power to bring about this victory." "Listen to that, just listen!" Wei Shigeng exclaimed happily. "Now that's what I like to hear!" Wei Shigeng, Chang Naiyun, and Jiang Wendao exchanged warm pleasantries amid a lively atmosphere. Jiang Xingzhi stood off to the side, pouring tea and serving water without interjecting a word. His eyes were lowered and his demeanor was obedient and sensible—a complete contrast to the loose-tongued youth who had been bantering with his brother-in-law in private. Wei Shigeng picked up the telephone. "Connect me to the commissioner's office." "Yes, understood. I will head over immediately." Hanging up, Wei Shigeng looked at the men with a broad smile. "Brother Zilong, Brother Jiang, after you. The commissioner wishes to see us." Jiang Xingzhi caught that his name hadn't been called. A flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes, though his expression quickly returned to normal. "The commissioner specifically mentioned your name," Wei Shigeng said, glancing at his subordinate. "He praised you as young, promising, and a true pillar of our police department." "Loyalty to the Party-State!" Jiang Xingzhi snapped his heels together, his expression rigid and solemn. "The commissioner ordered that the suspects, the radio, and the other evidence from this spy case be brought over from Pear Garden under armed guard," Wei Shigeng instructed. "He specifically named you to handle the escort." "Understood!" Overjoyed, Jiang Xingzhi gave a crisp salute.