Chapter 203: A Word of Advice

The interrogation didn’t last long. From his brief observation, Qian Shuixie knew that Jia Le wasn’t truly prepared to sacrifice herself. Perhaps she wasn’t afraid of death, but it was unlikely she could withstand mental and physical torment.

For a girl like her, there was no need for formal torture. Simple acts of violence and intimidation would be enough to shatter her psychological defenses and force her to submit completely. Xue Ziliang, in his training course on interrogation and torture for the special reconnaissance team, had mentioned that many human trafficking and organized prostitution rings used these methods to control the women they abducted.

Naturally, Qian Shuixie had no desire to stoop to such a low level. Although the Senate operated with considerable impunity, there were still some basic moral principles that everyone tacitly acknowledged.

The special reconnaissance team had members specifically trained in interrogation, but extracting information through psychology and logic was a technical skill. Like any skill, it required a great deal of practice to master. The team, however, had far more experience in killing than in questioning. Thus, they often resorted to simpler, cruder, yet relatively more “civilized” methods.

Several team members brought Jia Le’s parents directly into the interrogation room. In front of her, they stripped them naked and tied them up. Then, a burly man produced a sharp knife and began making threatening gestures.

Less than five minutes after they threatened to slowly slice her parents to pieces, Jia Le’s spirit broke. She struggled desperately in her chair, wailing, screaming for mercy, and professing her willingness to say and do anything.

“Question her carefully according to the interrogation outline,” Qian Shuixie instructed through the internal communication tube. “Especially about Hao Yuan’s situation!” He glanced at Zhao Yigong. “Well? Anything you want to add?”

“Nothing. The key now is to find Hao Yuan. Everything else is secondary,” Zhao Yigong said wearily. The air in the room felt stuffy, so he suggested they go out for a “smoke.”

The special reconnaissance team member standing guard at the door immediately snapped to attention and saluted, about to say “Sir!” when Qian Shuixie, following behind, waved his hand. Seeing the grave expression on Elder Zhao’s face, the sentries, well-trained, immediately fell silent, merely holding their salutes.

After leaving the small, dark room, the two walked to a nearby pavilion. Four special reconnaissance team members silently stood guard a dozen meters away, their positions layered with both visible and hidden sentries. Seeing their discipline, Zhao Yigong gave a silent nod of approval to Xue Weini’s training skills. Perhaps it was the fresh air outside, but Zhao Yigong felt a little more at ease, the sense of oppression lessening considerably.

This was a remote and quiet spot within the Phoenix Mountain Villa, chosen for the construction of the secret prison precisely because of its location on the mountain. Zhao Yigong took out a pack of “Holy Ship” brand cigarettes and offered one to Qian Shuixie. They lit up and stood in the hilltop pavilion, gazing out at the bustling lights of Hangzhou’s night market.

Qian Shuixie took a deep drag from his cigarette and spoke first. “Old Zhao, we didn’t know each other well before, but after these few days in Hangzhou, I was starting to think you had some real skill. The situations in Leizhou and Guangzhou… I don’t think Guo and the others handled them any better than you have, working single-handedly. But why does it feel like you’ve ticked someone off and can’t handle the heat anymore? All the local thugs and gangsters have been rounded up to give you a hard time. It feels like you’re on the defensive everywhere, fumbling in the dark. There’s a problem with how you’re running the Hangzhou Station.”

Just what he feared. Zhao Yigong almost broke into a sweat again. If those critics back in Lin’gao knew how rotten the situation here had become, they would tear him to shreds. And the inspection team was already on its way! Who knew what they would report to the Senate? But then he thought, Damn it, the worst that can happen is I get demoted and sent back to push around maids. What am I afraid of? It’s just a shame to lose this foundation I’ve spent countless hours and energy building.

He exhaled a lungful of smoke, a bitter taste in his mouth, and forced a smile. “Captain Qian, you know I’ve been a lone wolf here. I just wanted to create some economic value for our Senate first. The intelligence war in Hangzhou wasn’t a top priority yet. This isn’t the capital, after all. But as soon as I made a small move in the silk market, I got targeted. You think I don’t want to have both the legitimate and illegitimate worlds eating out of my hand? But this isn’t Leizhou or Guangzhou. I can’t just act with impunity!”

“Heh, it’s not me judging you, brother, but our Zhai Party saw this coming a long time ago. You’re just too ambitious for your own good,” Qian Shuixie said with a slight smile. “Your operation here is already large-scale and responsible for procuring goods for the trade department. That’s like having a special instance just for you to farm merits. But you weren’t satisfied. You had to open up new instances for yourself. You say you’re doing it for the public good, but others will say you’re following a ‘left-wing adventurist’ line.”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m so unpopular…” Zhao Yigong said with frustration. “It’s true I’ve made a lot of mistakes, and sometimes I’ve neglected the interests of the Elders. But at the very least, it should be a 70/30 split, right? Now everyone’s treating me like a ‘big tiger,’ dismissing the work of the Hangzhou Station as worthless. They’re practically on the verge of branding me a traitor. Is this how you treat a revolutionary comrade? I just don’t get it.” His voice trembled as he spoke.

Qian Shuixie exhaled a puff of smoke with a smile. “Old Zhao, Old Zhao. I spent many years in the States, at least. How can a man like you, who has been in the domestic scene for so long, lack such basic understanding? Credit and achievements are always obtained under the guidance of the leadership, not through your individual efforts! And who is our leadership? The Senate! You’ve been so neglectful of the Elder collective, treating only the few Elders you have direct dealings with as the Senate. How can that work? If they don’t come after you, who do they come after? A 70/30 split? With that level of awareness, your Hangzhou Station is nothing but a poisonous weed!”

His tone was gentle, but his words were sharp. “You think all the credit for this Hangzhou operation is yours alone? You’ve been wheeling and dealing, and indeed, you’ve managed things well. But you have to remember, your roots are in the Senate. Without the Senate, you wouldn’t last a minute here! We must always remember our ‘base’! Your mistake is thinking you’re hot stuff and rushing to do hot-stuff things, but you’re not hot enough to handle everything yourself! Back then, Little Guo and his group made the same mistake as you and almost didn’t make it through. The lesson isn’t far behind us.”

Zhao Yigong stood there, stunned, the cigarette in his hand glowing and fading. After a long moment, he finally let out a breath. “Old Qian, your words are a true wake-up call!”

“If you want to talk about problems, forget about the isolated overseas stations. Even the ministries and county offices in Lin’gao, which one doesn’t have issues you can pick on?” Qian Shuixie smiled. “Attitude. Attitude is what matters most. As long as your attitude towards the Elders is correct, I believe it’s not that people can’t see your achievements. Even if some don’t, many others will.”

Zhao Yigong nodded silently. For a moment, neither spoke, but they both understood each other completely.

The initial results of Jia Le’s interrogation were disappointing. She didn’t know Hao Yuan’s specific whereabouts either. They were hiding separately, and all contact was made through a dedicated courier. Jia Le would receive instructions from Hao Yuan every few days and would also give the courier messages to take back. But no one knew where the courier came from or where they went.

However, Jia Le did confess that Hao Yuan should be nearby, because every time they made contact, she would get a response overnight.

“Continue the interrogation!” Zhao Yigong was very dissatisfied with this result. “Make her tell you everything she knows. Don’t let her leave anything out!”

The analysis from the Sticky Poles and the special reconnaissance team was that Hao Yuan was likely still in the city. Currently, the Sticky Poles had people secretly monitoring all the gates and customs posts in Hangzhou, and the yamen had distributed official portraits for a public manhunt. To avoid the risk of exposure, Hao Yuan would not risk leaving the city.

Therefore, the main search effort was still focused within the city walls. Hiding in the city would inevitably leave traces. Qian Shuixie suggested that Zhao Yigong offer a large reward to entice informants.

“Will it work?”

“I think so. According to this girl’s testimony, this Hao Yuan has a considerably well-organized network and quite a few people under him,” Qian Shuixie said. “More people means a higher chance of a traitor.”

“I feel like Hao Yuan is no simple character…” Zhao Yigong said, his spirits low.

“The Political Security Bureau sent me a long telegram about this,” Qian Shuixie said, the cigarette on his lips glowing. “But even if he’s a genius transmigrator, the people under him are still from this era. Their thinking and behavior still follow the inertia of this time. They might be more than enough to deal with the local yamen, but they’re bound to have holes when facing us.”

“I hope so,” Zhao Yigong said with concern. If he could capture Hao Yuan before the inspection team arrived, the pressure on him would be much less.

Zhuang Haoren’s eyes were sharp as he squatted on a painted boat dock by the West Lake.

Although the Black Dragon Society had been mobilized several times during the recent crisis, ready for a big fight, they had never actually participated in combat, only performing intelligence gathering and perimeter security tasks. This left Zhuang Haoren, who had always fancied himself a strategist like Zhuge Liang, somewhat unsatisfied.

Although he didn’t know who Hao Yuan was or why Master Zhao wanted him captured so badly, since it was a request from his patron, Zhuang Haoren would do his utmost. After all, his life had gotten better every day since he started following this master, and during this crisis, he had witnessed the formidable power behind Master Zhao. He was now eager to prove his own abilities.

The information Zhao Tong had given them was that Hao Yuan was still hiding in the city. With Hao Yuan’s knowledge, the most likely hiding place for such a “notorious outlaw” would be a brothel.

Although the brothel business was considered one of the lowest trades, it was extremely profitable and often had powerful “big shots” backing it.

A famous courtesan could have connections reaching all the way to the provincial governor’s office. They also socialized with retired gentry and renowned young masters from noble families. The government wouldn’t dare to provoke them lightly. Brothels often had close, mutually beneficial relationships with the yamen runners and officials, making them well-connected both high and low. It was not uncommon for notorious outlaws to use brothels as their hideouts.