The Chimney

"Mother, Tang Yan from Xuban Bridge is here to see me," Fang Jibai said. Mother Fang was absorbed in packing her fourth son's luggage, looking all around the room to see what else she could squeeze in for him. She merely waved a hand, motioning for her son to go about his business. "Fourth Brother," Tang Yan said in a low voice, stepping forward the moment Fang Jibai emerged. "The section chief sent a telegram." With that, he handed the telegraph slip to Fang Jibai. Fang Jibai took it and glanced down. Seeing the words *Mountain goods sold out, business is booming*, he nodded. This was the secret code he had agreed upon with Chen Xiuqi. The message meant everything had gone off without a hitch, and the latter phrase about booming business indicated their credit had not been swallowed—Jiang Wendao had stood by his word. "Fourth Brother, is it good news?" Tang Yan asked eagerly in a hushed tone. "Your section chief has found himself a powerful benefactor. He's on his way up," Fang Jibai said with a smile. "Stick with him, and you'll make a name for yourself one day too." "Isn't our section chief's benefactor you, Fourth Brother?" Tang Yan blinked. Fang Jibai looked at him and laughed. Tang Yan really was an amusing fellow. "Let's go," he said. "Where to, Fourth Brother?" "Just accompany me for a stroll," Fang Jibai said casually. "Right." "Is anyone snooping around Xuban Bridge?" Fang Jibai asked. "You mean those folks from the Secret Service, Fourth Brother?" Tang Yan said. "They aren't snooping around—they're strolling right out in the open. That Zhao Ding even treated us to barley porridge, trying to pump me and Zhang Yin for information." Tang Yan spat onto the dirt. "Trying to pry secrets out of us with a single bowl of barley porridge—he really lives up to his reputation as Zhao the Miser." Fang Jibai burst into laughter. Zhao Ding hailed from Jiuli, near Lücheng, so Fang knew a bit about him. The man had real ability and was certainly daring and combative, but he was stingy to a fault. *** At the foot of Taiding Bridge. Dongfang Xu stood at the bridgehead, gazing out at the scattering of sails on the Grand Canal. Beside him stood Zhang Minquan, his face tight with anxiety. Some twenty meters off, Jiang Guanghan and Zhao Ding stood with a squad of men, sullenly smoking cigarettes. For two days, they had pushed themselves without a moment's rest to track down the Japanese spies, conducting secret inquiries and canvassing everywhere until some of them had developed bleeding blisters on their feet. Yet Secretary Dongfang, a close confidant of Section Chief Yiyan, had suddenly arrived bearing shocking news: The Japanese spies had already been captured—and by none other than Chen Xiuqi of the Lücheng Police Station! It felt as though the sky had collapsed. Working themselves half to death only to have someone else beat them to the punch was bad enough, but what they found truly intolerable was that the credit had been snatched by policemen they had never even respected. "Boss Dai is furious, and the consequences will be severe." Dongfang Xu flicked his cigarette, letting the ash drift and scatter on the breeze. "Boss Dai originally ordered you to Nanjing to report on your duties, Station Chief Zhang..." He glanced sideways at Zhang Minquan. Beads of sweat dotted Zhang Minquan's forehead. "It was Section Chief Yiyan who put in a good word for you," Dongfang Xu continued. "Boss Dai has agreed to let you redeem yourself through meritorious service." "I am deeply indebted to Section Chief Yiyan for his kind words, and to Boss Dai—" "Save the flattery." Dongfang Xu sneered contemptuously. "Section Chief Yiyan only cares about results. "Station Chief Zhang, do you have any idea that this case was personally supervised by Section Chief Yiyan? Leaving aside the fact that Danyang Station failed to catch the Japanese, you let those fools from the Lücheng Police Station steal all the glory!" His expression darkened, turning grave. "When they bask in the spotlight, whose face is being dragged through the dirt?" "Yes... it is mine. I have disgraced myself," Zhang Minquan said bitterly. He cursed relentlessly under his breath. He was so consumed by resentment that he did not even know who to blame, unable to fathom how those morons in the Lücheng police had suddenly become so sharp and capable. Japanese spies were notoriously elusive, yet that bunch of fools had quietly cracked such a massive espionage ring without the Secret Service catching the slightest whisper. "What is your face worth?" Dongfang Xu scoffed. "I lost face before Section Chief Yiyan, Section Chief Yiyan lost face before Boss Dai, and Boss Dai lost face before the Police Department of the Ministry of the Interior! Do you understand?!" "Yes, yes, of course!" Zhang Minquan replied hastily, though internally he was seething with rage: *Who do you think you are, you arrogant fool?* Back when Zhang had traveled to Nanjing for an audience with Section Chief Yiyan, this Dongfang Xu had stood to the side, acting rather courteous and polite. He had never expected that meeting the man here in Lücheng would reveal such an insufferable attitude. Just then, Zhang Minquan spotted a rider galloping toward them. It was his trusted subordinate Ge Yong, who also served as Danyang Station's telegraph operator. "Station Chief," Ge Yong called out, pulling a telegram from his satchel. "A wire from Boss Dai for Officer Dongfang." Zhang Minquan took the telegram and respectfully handed it to Dongfang Xu with both hands. Dongfang Xu unfolded the paper, a flicker of surprise crossing his brow. Folding the telegram and slipping it into his pocket, he looked into the distance and pointed a finger. "Did you mention earlier that the man over there is Fang Jibai, and that he might know something about what happened that night at the Lücheng police station?" "Yes, that's Fang Jibai," Zhang Minquan confirmed with a nod. "Tell me about him," Dongfang Xu commanded. "Zhao Ding," Zhang Minquan waved him over. "Come brief Secretary Dongfang on Fang Jibai." "Yes, sir." *** "Fourth Brother, what are we doing here?" Tang Yan asked in astonishment. He had been chatting with Fang Jibai as they walked, only to find that Fourth Brother had led him straight to Anggong's house in Jiangjia Village. "Just taking a look," Fang Jibai replied offhandedly. He tore the paper seal off the front door and pushed it open. Standing beneath the crossbeam, Fang Jibai surveyed the room, scrutinizing every detail. The Lücheng police search two nights ago had been rough. The bedding was tossed aside, tables and chairs overturned, and bowls and chopsticks lay scattered and smashed across the floor. Suddenly. Fang Jibai's gaze fixed upon the shards of a large bowl on the ground. He bent down, picked up a porcelain fragment, and examined it closely. Tang Yan opened his mouth to speak, but seeing the deep focus on Fang Jibai's face, he swallowed his words. Instinct told him that disturbing Fourth Brother's thoughts right now would not end well for him. Fang Jibai rose abruptly and began sifting through the debris, hoping to find an intact bowl or at least a large piece, but he was ultimately disappointed. "A search is a search—why did you have to go smashing the bowls?" Fang Jibai grumbled in annoyance. "Fourth Brother, you were the one who told us to search thoroughly," Tang Yan ventured timidly. "I—" Fang Jibai glared at him, rubbed his chin, and thought for a moment before snapping, "Go ask the nearby villagers if they saw any cooking going on in Anggong's house these past few days." "Huh?" "Huh what, you blockhead!" Fang Jibai said, exasperated by Tang Yan's lack of quick wit, slipping into Nanjing slang. "Go ask if anyone saw smoke coming out of Anggong's chimney!"