Chapter 398: The Old Uniform

“Has your Security Army company been dispatched?” Mu Min stood up straight and asked again.

Although Li Yiyang was the Lingao Garrison Commander, she was the “Director of the Cultural Festival Security Response Headquarters” and held command authority over security management.

“They have been dispatched,” Li Yiyang said. “But judging by the trend, it’s still not enough. My only mobile force is the riot control company.”

Originally, the Lingao Garrison Command had one National Army company and three Security Army companies under its command, which was barely enough to cover general security gaps. But this time, the joint operation between the National Police and Lingao Telecom to “comprehensively address the theft and sabotage of communication equipment” had drained all their manpower. The only unit left to call upon was a Korean company.

Although the Korean Security Army’s loyalty was not in question, their language skills were poor and their military quality was not high. They could only serve as gatekeepers, providing a deterrent with their bright helmets and armor. For actual security tasks, they had to rely on the police.

“The riot control company cannot be moved. In case of a mass incident, this is our only mobile force.” Mu Min stared at the colorful markers on the transparent glass panel, biting her lip in thought. Today, their task was to ensure the normal operation of the cultural festival and to protect the Elders and the naturalized citizen performers. The specific arrests were not their responsibility.

The phone suddenly rang sharply. Before her assistant could answer, Mu Min picked it up herself.

“This is Mu Min.” A moment later, her expression suddenly became grave. “This is a new development. Alright, I understand. You don’t need to conduct a detailed interrogation. Just bring the person directly to the Political Security Bureau and hand them over to Wu Mu for processing!”

“You’re saying a prostitute wanted to buy National School uniforms from you?” Yang Cao’s sharp gaze fell on Gou Buli, sending a chill through those present.

A few minutes earlier, a carriage from General Affairs Section 9 had sped over and delivered this middle-aged man, his head covered with a black cloth bag, to her office.

According to the introduction from the police officer of General Affairs Section 9 who handed him over, this man had walked into the police station’s duty room at dawn, trembling, and shouted at the officer on duty: “Someone is rebelling!”

According to regulations, after someone shouted this, the relevant investigation procedures were automatically initiated. Of course, if he was talking nonsense, the consequences would be very serious. No one but a madman would dare to make such a joke.

The officer on duty didn’t dare to be negligent and immediately summoned the Elder police officer on duty. After a brief conversation, the officer immediately discovered a serious problem. Subsequently, Lingao’s organs of dictatorship began to operate at high speed around Gou Buli.

“Yes… yes, it’s absolutely… true.” Gou Buli trembled, trying to calm himself. To add weight to his denunciation, he immediately added, “It’s a non-national!”

This Gou Buli was one of the early “followers” in Lingao. But he had only been an opportunist at the time, his stance wavering. He hadn’t become a naturalized citizen cadre like the others, but was content to be the owner of a small restaurant, gathering information for the Australians and reaping some benefits.

Over the years, he had grown increasingly regretful. Compared to other naturalized citizens who had surrendered at the same time, although he still received a stipend as a police “informant” to gather information on petty thefts, he remained a commoner. He was no better off than when he was a cook for the Gou family. And the prisoners captured during the attack on the Gou family village had all more or less become “officials.” Last time he saw Yang Zeng, a former servant of the Gou family, walking down the street in a military uniform with a Western-style sword, leading three or four soldiers, he was so filled with jealousy and regret that he almost wanted to kill himself.

Such a great fortune, and he had let it slip through his fingers so easily. Gou Buli knew that if he wanted to sell himself to them now, he wouldn’t get anywhere without some real skills. So his only hope was for a “major case of rebellion” to fall into his hands.

Although he was just an “informant” and had access to very little “material,” his desire to expose a major case of rebellion never died. He would report even trivial matters to the police station. This time, being brought to this mysterious place blindfolded, it had to be something big.

Heaven did not disappoint the determined man. Heaven had finally delivered the key to fortune into his hands. However, if nothing came of it in the end, he wouldn’t even be able to continue as a small restaurant owner. He would probably spend the rest of his life working for Fu Bu’er.

At this thought, his body trembled involuntarily.

Yang Cao picked up the bell and shook it. “Get a stenographer!”

The assistant nodded and was about to leave when she added, “Bring some tea.” She then looked at Gou Buli. “Do you smoke?”

“A little, a little.”

Yang Cao took a cigarette from the box on her desk and tossed it to him. “Speak slowly, and in detail.”

“Tell me the situation again, in detail. Report every detail truthfully.” When Gou Buli heard this, his spirits lifted. There’s a chance! This wasn’t the usual official standard answer: “We’ll pay attention to it,” or “We’ll investigate further.”

“You know, I run a small restaurant and I’m also an informant for the police station,” Gou Buli said. “There’s a prostitute, named Xin Nachun, who often comes to my shop…”

At this point, he became a little hesitant, because every time Xin Nachun came, it was to illegally exchange gold and silver.

Private exchange of gold and silver, if caught, would result in at least a month in a labor camp. If the amount was large enough, one would be exiled to Tiandu or Taiwan to “labor until death.”

He had hesitated for most of the previous night before reporting it, precisely because he was worried about this.

But now, it seemed the matter was urgent. If he could achieve a great merit, the chiefs wouldn’t care about these things.

Fortunately, Yang Cao didn’t ask why she frequently went to his shop. He felt a little relieved and continued:

“A few days ago, Xin Nachun asked me about the school and about my cousins’ recent situation. I thought she was just curious, so I told her what my cousins usually see and hear. They studied at Fāngcǎodì for two years, but they were older and their grades were average, so they were assigned to work after finishing primary school.”

He took a drag on his cigarette. “She… she then asked me if their school uniforms were still there.”

“School uniforms?!”

“Yes, school uniforms.” Gou Buli realized this information was very useful and quickly said, “I said the school uniforms were still there. Then she suddenly asked me if I could sell the school uniforms to her.”

“Interesting,” Yang Cao said thoughtfully. “And what did you say?”

“At first, I just thought she was joking. What’s the use of old school uniforms? I didn’t pay any attention to it. But then she kept pestering me about it, saying that many wealthy mainland immigrants wanted to try the taste of these Australian students, and even offered a price of three hundred circulation coupons.”

So rich! Yang Cao thought. Selling a set of old clothes for three hundred circulation coupons! This woman’s ulterior motives are as clear as day!

“So you agreed?”

“How could I? What she was doing was simply an insult to decency. I never thought, I never thought…”

At this point, he suddenly couldn’t continue.

It turned out that Xin Nachun had threatened to report him to the police for “privately exchanging gold and silver.” In the past few months, Xin Nachun had exchanged over a hundred taels of silver and more than ten taels of gold with him—an amount large enough to send him to a labor camp for the rest of his life.

“Speak. What does she have on you? The sooner you tell me, the more lenient your treatment will be.”

“Yes, yes.” Gou Buli was sweating profusely. He roughly recounted how Xin Nachun had been constantly exchanging gold and silver with him in recent days, and then said, “I was forced, so I had to help her get three sets of school uniforms and sell them to her.”

Yang Cao nodded. “How much did you sell them for?”

“Five… five hundred… a set…” Gou Buli’s words were slurred.

“You made a good deal.”

“No, no, I wouldn’t dare… I, I just felt it was too… too suspicious…” Gou Buli was terrified.

This is indeed very suspicious, Yang Cao thought. Why does this prostitute want to buy school uniforms? What is she trying to do? Is it really to let her clients try the so-called “Australian flavor”? In that case, one set would be enough—this clearly doesn’t make sense.

“What do the school uniforms look like?”

“They’re just… just the uniforms of the Fāngcǎodì female students… nothing special…”

“Where is she now?”

“I don’t know. Probably in the inn where she lives, or else she’s working.”

“Your information is very important,” Yang Cao said. “You go back first and conduct your business as usual. Understand? Just like usual. Report any developments immediately. I will arrange for a contact person outside your shop.”

“I understand.”

“Today’s matter…”

“You can rest assured, I know how to keep a secret,” Gou Buli said, his mood much improved, knowing he must have provided crucial intelligence. “I’m also an informant for the police station.”

“It’s good that you know.”

She shook the bell and said to the assistant who entered, “Take him out.”

Yang Cao then sent for Liu Fuqing and told him the information she had just obtained.

“Although I don’t know if it’s related to the Umbrella Case, for someone to be trying to get school uniforms at this juncture…”

Liu Fuqing interrupted her. “This is indeed very suspicious. I’ll arrange for someone to investigate Xin Nachun’s situation immediately! And find out where the school uniforms went.”

“Let’s act separately and as quickly as possible!” Yang Cao said. “Don’t forget today is the first day of the cultural festival! Many Fāngcǎodì students are going to the stadium for observation!”

Liu Fuqing went to the archives. Since Xin Nachun was a “non-national,” she must have a special file in the Political Security Bureau. Whether it was the Customs Management Office of the Civil Affairs People’s Committee, which managed the yellow-ticket prostitutes, or the Public Security Department of the National Police, which was responsible for the daily supervision and management of prostitutes, a copy of any material generated on her would be sent to the Political Security Bureau.

He retrieved Xin Nachun’s file and quickly skimmed through it. Soon, he was startled. More than a month ago, Xin Nachun had been sentenced to caning for “illegal solicitation.” This was not unusual, but on the relevant legal documents for this minor case, Li Yongxun’s signature appeared!