Chapter 1536 - Liu Fuqing
Before long, surveillance revealed that a young woman had left code marks at the location. What startled the tailing agents was that the young woman ultimately walked right into National Police Headquarters.
Soon, detailed investigation results came in. She was a female officer in the National Police Household Registration Division: Probationary Commander Li Yongxun.
This result shocked the investigating agent. Obviously, there was much more to this case. Subsequently, a check of the Political Security Bureau archives revealed that this Li Yongxun was also on the "controlled-use personnel" list, further increasing her suspicion.
While reporting to superiors, the agent dispatched more surveillance personnel to cover a one-kilometer radius around the code marks, watching for anyone else leaving marks or making contact.
But in the days that followed, such contact completely ceased. No one else went there. Not even Li Yongxun returned.
After obtaining Zhou Botao's approval, the agent sent a request for investigative assistance to the National Police's General Affairs Section Nine, formally requesting investigation and surveillance of Li Yongxun.
Zhou Botao rang a small bell. His secretary appeared at the door, standing ramrod straight.
"Has Comrade Liu Fuqing arrived?"
"He's been waiting outside."
"Please show him in."
A moment later, a middle-aged man appeared at the door. His hair was half-bald, his forehead and eye corners lined with wrinkles, his small eyes squinting and blinking occasionally. The black Political Security Bureau uniform hung wrinkled and baggy on him—a rather wretched appearance.
After a listless salute, Zhou Botao invited him to sit.
"How was the voyage?"
"Thanks to your blessing, Chief. Everything went smoothly." Liu Fuqing blinked his small eyes and answered with a smile. His manner, like his appearance, had nothing of the Political Security Bureau's "style."
"How long did you work on Jeju Island?"
Liu Fuqing wasn't sure why the Chief was asking. He had been assigned as Political Security Bureau Special Commissioner to the island three years ago. Though this return was a routine end-of-term reporting to headquarters for reassignment, being summoned by a division-level superior immediately upon arrival meant there was some important assignment.
This former Nanjing Ministry of Justice clerk was worldly-wise, with generations of shrewd capability in his blood. Sensing an opportunity for promotion, he promptly stood at attention. "Reporting, Chief: I served as Political Security Special Commissioner on Jeju Island for a total of three years. This return is for end-of-term debriefing."
"No need for 'reporting' and all that—our Yuan Elder Court doesn't go in for that. We're all comrades. Please, sit down, sit down." Zhou Botao took out a cigar and handed it to him. "I've read your file. A veteran of the public service indeed—thorough and capable."
Liu Fuqing accepted the cigar with flattered gratitude. This cigar with its red band was Yuanlao special-issue—ordinary naturalized citizens couldn't afford or even buy them. "It's all thanks to the Chiefs' leadership..."
He didn't specify which chiefs, lest Zhou Botao feel slighted. Besides, there might be friction among the Chiefs. Better not lay on the flattery too thick.
"Skip the pleasantries. There's a case." Zhou Botao lit his own cigar. "Your file mentions participation in cracking the Jeju Island 3-15 counter-revolutionary case—considerable experience. So I'm assigning this case to you."
"Thank you for your trust, Chief!" Liu Fuqing was overjoyed—and also somewhat alarmed. Chief Zhou had specifically mentioned the 3-15 case. That had been designated a "counter-revolutionary case"—in Ming terms, "rebellion," a crime of the utmost gravity: execution of nine generations of kin!
Back when he handled the 3-15 case on Jeju Island, cracking it had earned him not only the "Director's Award" but also a rank promotion. Now back in Lingao, Chief Zhou had specifically named him for a case—this was the trajectory of a meteoric rise!
Though Liu Fuqing wasn't from the various yamens of Hainan Island, his background as a clerk meant he belonged to the "retained faction" in the Yuan Elder Court's administrative system. This faction came from officials, clerks, and runners of various Ming yamens who had either defected voluntarily or been brought in for their specialized skills.
But their origins meant they were inherently distrusted by the Yuan Elder Court. Liu Fuqing knew the Chiefs trusted Fangtso Di graduates most, followed by "destitute households" promoted from naturalized citizens who owed the Yuan Elder Court great debts.
Liu Fuqing had at least "come as a convict seeking refuge," which counted as "owing a great debt." But he was well aware of the Yuanlao's distrust of petty officials. Rising high under Yuan Elder Court rule with his background would be difficult. He was already in his fifties; he couldn't keep up with the younger folks, clicking heels and saluting "Service to the Yuan Elder Court" and all that. The only sensible path was to crack more cases.
"You're a veteran of our Bureau..." Zhou Botao blew a smoke ring. Seeing Liu Fuqing's craving look, he smiled. "Go ahead and smoke." He handed him the cigar cutter.
"Yes, yes." Liu Fuqing leaned forward to take the cigar, carefully cut it as Zhou Botao had done, and was patting himself down for matches when Zhou Botao pushed the table lighter toward him and flicked it alight.
Liu Fuqing, overwhelmed by the honor, kept saying, "I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it," and drew deeply on the flame.
"You're an old public-service hand. I trust nothing from the Ming public service world will escape your eye."
"You flatter me, Chief." Liu Fuqing, a decades-long veteran, knew at once this case must involve the Ming court. He had defected years ago and understood that the Australians, though holed up on this little island working the land, harbored ambitions of "taking their place."
Now that the Chief was speaking of this so seriously, he immediately declared without hesitation that he would do his utmost to complete the assignment.
"Here's the case file." Zhou Botao handed him the document box. "This case may involve the Brocade Guard." He watched Liu Fuqing's reaction.
Liu Fuqing wasn't overly surprised. "That's to be expected. The Brocade Guard has always had the duty of gathering frontier intelligence."
"Are you familiar with the Brocade Guard?"
"I used to work at the Nanjing Ministry of Justice. I dealt with the Brocade Guard." Liu Fuqing spoke slowly. "During the Tianqi reign, those were the Eastern Depot's good days. Plenty of agents out and about—most were Brocade Guard. I had some contact, some knowledge."
"Does the Brocade Guard have its own contact codes?"
"Yes." Liu Fuqing answered without hesitation.
"Do you know the details?"
Liu Fuqing shook his head regretfully. "That's their secret. Let alone outsiders like me—even ordinary Brocade Guard military households don't know. Only the officers in charge of investigation know."
Zhou Botao wasn't too surprised. If everyone knew, the Bureau would have found out long ago. He gave Liu Fuqing a general overview of the case, then said:
"Deputy Director Zhao's intent is to play the long game and catch the big fish. Root out the spies embedded in key agencies. I'm giving you no deadline on this case."
"Yes, I understand completely."
"I'm now appointing you as Team Leader of the Parasol Case Team to handle this case exclusively!"
Besides him, there was a deputy team leader—Ke Yun. As Li Yongxun's "surveillance handler," Ke Yun was extremely familiar with her personal life and patterns, making her well-suited for the role.
Liu Fuqing left Zhou Botao's office clutching the case file, feeling its weight like a thousand pounds. This wasn't just a few sheets of paper—it was his future and his descendants' futures!
But if he bungled it, this was also the shackles that would cast him into the eighteenth level of hell!
At this thought, his hands began to tremble again.
With these mixed emotions, Liu Fuqing arrived at the Case Team office. Ke Yun hadn't arrived yet. He sat alone and began studying the materials at hand.
Besides what Zhou Botao had given him, the archives gradually delivered more materials. The files roughly contained two parts: the Southern Infinite Sect infiltration case from the Umbrella Case, and Li Yongxun's materials.
Liu Fuqing read through everything carefully. As a former Ministry of Justice clerk, reading case files was fundamental. An experienced clerk, without even meeting the defendant, witnesses, or presiding officials, could roughly tell from the files the true facts of a case—whether there was injustice or malfeasance, whether the interrogating officials had made errors in questioning or sentencing. Of course, clerks didn't cultivate this skill for the sake of justice—mainly as a source of income.
Clearly, the Umbrella Case had no profit to squeeze. These were small fry—not even sect leadership. Despite repeated interrogations, they had yielded no important leads. Apart from proving that spies familiar with local conditions and Yuan Elder Court administration existed, they were useless.
If there was a breakthrough, Li Yongxun was indeed one. Arresting and interrogating her directly should yield important clues. But that would violate the "play the long game and catch the big fish" directive. Liu Fuqing thought that even if Li Yongxun was Brocade Guard, she wouldn't be a big fish. Moreover, one point largely ruled out her possibility: Li Yongxun had been captured and brought to Lingao, not a voluntary defector. To say the Brocade Guard had orchestrated all this would be too ingenious. Besides, how could the Brocade Guard have ensured Li Yongxun would enter the National Police after being captured instead of being summarily executed?
So where was the lead? Liu Fuqing thought it over and decided to start from the social relationships around Li Yongxun. According to reports, Li Yongxun's unusual behavior—leaving marks on walls—had started just over a month ago. Analyzing her activities and the people appearing around her before and after that time should reveal who might be problematic.
Since Li Yongxun was a "controlled-use subject," surveillance of her should be comprehensive. Once Ke Yun arrived and fully analyzed the surveillance materials, Liu Fuqing was confident he could find useful leads.