thefictionvixens Chapter 12 Informant Police Officer Li Zeyuan
Chapter 12 Informant Police Officer Li Zeyuan
Yan Shuo quietly peeked out through a crack in the manhole, surveyed the surroundings, and judged that it was late at night and quiet, a secluded alley. He quickly slipped back up, concealed his manhole disguise, and returned to his previous appearance, taking in the surroundings of Zhou Hui.
"Ash, Ash!"
"Here I am!"
"Do you have an aerial map?"
"have!"
"Give me a map of this area, within a 1-kilometer radius!"
"10 million!"
"So expensive?"
"Stupid, cheap!"
"Um?"
"This map is mobile, meaning you can see a bird's-eye view map with yourself as the center wherever you go."
"Bought it!"
A bird's-eye view map with a radius of 1 kilometer centered on himself appeared before Yan Shuo's eyes. Looking at it this way, he quickly realized that he was located on Jessfield Road, and not far ahead was No. 76. The headquarters of the secret service was a newly established department, and there were not many people at present. At its peak, it was said to have tens of thousands of people. They had stations in important cities in the Japanese-occupied areas and fought back and forth with the Military Intelligence Bureau. They made the Shanghai station reorganize many times. Li Qun was a very powerful person, the founder and operator of No. 76, and a vicious dog of the Japanese.
Judging from this direction, the wiring in the manhole under our feet leads towards the Military Police Headquarters. It seems there are some other departments there, such as the Naval Intelligence Bureau, the Special Higher Police, the Military Police Headquarters, the Sho Mansion, and the Kodama Agency. If we follow this telephone line, we should be able to find something.
Hmm, this looks promising. Yan Shuo flipped open the cover and slipped down again, concealing the lid. He pondered at the edge of the stinking sewer. It seemed too conspicuous to install listening equipment here. If someone came to investigate, we'd be finished.
We need to find a midway point, or a connection point for the line.
Having made up his mind, Yan Shuo began to explore the direction of the next manhole. Following the route, he found a connecting point that seemed to be quite large. He was in luck.
Yan Shuo tore open the package. "Oh ho, the work is really rough. The telephone line is twisted into a big knot," Yan Shuo muttered. He soldered on the system listening head, which was about the size of a grain of rice, like a duct tape lump. Then he wrapped the package tape back on. It seemed okay.
Get out of here, it stinks!
I've done so much for the Party and the State, does the Party and the State even know? Do they give me any money for it?
Yan Shuo, lost in thought, exited the manhole and covered it up. He dusted himself off and wandered around the alley, noting down the addresses and contact numbers of several rental properties. He planned to rent a place tomorrow and arrange for someone to come over. The receiver needed power and protection, but the brick and stone walls here weren't ideal for it. He'd have to come back every few days to change the batteries, but he still wasn't entirely comfortable with that. It wasn't a one-time purchase; renting a place would be more cost-effective.
With more than three hours until dawn, Yan Shuo dared not delay and rushed to clean up the remaining dead mailboxes and safe houses. Some mailboxes contained new messages, some requesting ammunition, others reporting enemy agent movements. He wrote down the rendezvous codes and locations for each one and put them back in their original places. Most of the safe houses were intact, with no signs of being broken into. He silently memorized the locations in his mind, and only when the sky began to lighten did he drag his tired body home.
By the time he got home, it was already afternoon. Yan Shuo collapsed onto the sofa as soon as he entered, stretching his limbs out in a "big" shape, letting out a satisfied sigh: "Damn it, destroy it, at least we're done running away."
"Brother Jie, you're finally back!" Wang Xiaohong (Guan Tongyun) was sweeping the backyard when she heard the noise and rushed in, handing over a glass of warm water. "Have you seen Xiaoyuan? Did you get the good citizen certificate sorted out?"
"Not yet, I'm so busy I barely have time to breathe." Yan Shuo took the water glass and drank it all in one gulp, his throat dry and sore. "Is there anything to eat? I'll grab something to eat before I go find him."
"Go take a shower first!" Li Zhiyao came downstairs, frowned, pinched her nose, and pushed him. "You smell worse than a sewer. Go wash up and change your clothes."
Yan Shuo sniffed the air, frowning involuntarily, then chuckled and went to take a shower. When he came out in a clean shirt and trousers, he looked much fresher. A hot meal was already laid out on the table: a bowl of white porridge, a plate of stir-fried vegetables, and a dish of braised beef. He wolfed it down, while Li Zhiyao sat beside him, refilling his porridge and reminding him, "Eat slowly, don't choke. Xiao Yuan patrols during the day; go wait for him under the old locust tree at the alley entrance, he'll be there."
After finishing his meal, Yan Shuo, carrying Wang Xiaohong's photo and the forged basic documents, strolled leisurely towards the area under Li Zeyuan's jurisdiction. There was a tea stall under the old locust tree. He found a shady spot, sat down, ordered a bowl of cold tea and a plate of melon seeds, and waited while munching on them—Li Zeyuan was in charge of seven alleys and six lanes, an area with over a thousand people, and he would surely patrol this area during the day.
Not long after, a lean figure appeared. Li Zeyuan had a neat buzz cut, a square face with distinct features, and sharp, piercing eyes beneath thick eyebrows. His navy blue police uniform, though somewhat worn, was impeccably clean. His belt was tightly fastened, holding a baton and handcuffs, and his black leather shoes were polished to a shine. He strolled slowly, swinging his baton, his eyes scanning every corner of the alley, revealing the shrewdness of a seasoned policeman.
"Xiao Yuan! Over here!" Yan Shuo waved to him.
Li Zeyuan's eyes lit up, and he strode over, put his police cap on the table, and unceremoniously picked up Yan Shuo's herbal tea and took two big gulps. He wiped his mouth and said with a smile, "Brother Jie, you've finally shown up. I haven't seen you for several days. I thought something had happened to you."
"What could possibly happen? Look at my energy level." Yan Shuo patted his chest, pointing to his slightly tired but still bright eyes. "But you, things haven't been peaceful in your area lately, have they?"
"That's right!" Li Zeyuan sighed and lowered his voice. "There are a lot of things going on, mostly trivial matters concerning ordinary people, but a few days ago a big incident happened—one of your Military Intelligence Bureau's liaison points was raided by agents from the 76th Division. I heard they arrested several people, and it caused quite a stir. You'd better be careful; the 76th Division has been cracking down hard lately, and there are plainclothes officers everywhere."
Yan Shuo's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't offer any explanation. He took out Wang Xiaohong's photo and documents from his pocket and pushed them in front of Li Zeyuan: "This is a distant relative of mine, a refugee from Hebei named Wang Xiaohong. She wants to get a good citizen certificate. Can you help her file it and make it look real?"
Li Zeyuan picked up the photo and looked at it, then flipped through the documents. He glanced around warily to make sure no one was watching before nodding. "Don't worry, I've got it covered. Come back here to get your certificate at this time tomorrow, and there won't be any problems." He put the photo and documents into his police uniform pocket, then took a sip of his iced tea. "Should we find her some temporary work? I know a few honest families who need a caregiver; it's perfectly safe."
"No need, she can help out at my house for now, as a live-in nanny." Yan Shuo waved his hand. "The main thing is to get the good citizen certificate done as soon as possible, so we don't get caught by the secret agents and have trouble explaining ourselves."
"Understood." Li Zeyuan stood up, picked up his police cap and put it on, patted Yan Shuo on the shoulder, "I'm going on patrol now, I'll bring you your badge on time tomorrow. If anything happens, just leave a message for the tea stall owner, as usual."
"Okay. Here, take this and spend it." Yan Shuo nodded, took out a roll of banknotes, about several dozen yuan, and tossed it to Li Zeyuan. The kid chuckled and stuffed it into his pocket. Informants need to be supported, and daily maintenance is required. When they carry out their tasks, you have to give them some operational fees; you have to show some appreciation.
Watching Li Zeyuan swing his baton and slowly walk into the depths of the alley, Yan Shuo picked up his herbal tea and slowly drank it, taking a nap as he did so.