si-mexico Chapter 1108 This in itself is quite interesting, isn't it?
Chapter 1108 This in itself is quite interesting, isn't it?
Zhou Zhengqing withdrew his gaze and fixed it squarely on Nanzo Yunzi's face: "Make sure that Wang Fugui doesn't die inexplicably in the interrogation room."
Don't interfere in other matters; just stay informed as needed.
A glimmer of understanding flashed in Nanzo Yunzi's eyes, but it was immediately overshadowed by a deeper doubt.
She bowed and replied in a clear voice, "Yes, Your Majesty!"
She straightened up, her red lips slightly parted, and this time, her probing was both more direct and more subtle.
His voice was so low it was almost carried away by the wind, yet it was just enough for Zhou Zhengqing to hear clearly: "General, this person has been able to infiltrate the consulate for over a year, and although he has access to non-core military intelligence..."
However, it has high analytical value for us to understand the intelligence gathering patterns, target preferences, and transmission networks of the Military Intelligence Bureau in the concession areas.
Should we...?
Her words carried just the right amount of hesitation and confusion, as if she were simply considering the Empire's work and the integrity of the intelligence.
Then, in an even lower, softer voice, almost inaudible only with lip-reading, she added the remaining half of the sentence.
It sounded like a soliloquy, yet also like some kind of dangerous probing: "...Or, should we take other measures to 'prevent' further damage to the intelligence network over there?"
For example, certain... "unexpected" interference, or... notifications to relevant parties, should we pay attention to "cleaning up" these issues?
Her eyes were lowered, and her long eyelashes cast faint shadows on her pale cheeks, concealing any emotions that might be revealed.
But the words "notify the relevant parties" were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating silent ripples between her and Zhou Zhengqing.
She knew that Zhou Zhengqing could understand.
This question asks whether to rescue this person, whether to notify the Tianjin Military Intelligence Bureau to sever any possible ties with Wang Fugui, eliminate any potentially exposed contact points and personnel, and even... plan a rescue operation.
Zhou Zhengqing remained silent for a moment.
The silence was longer and heavier than before.
The only sounds in the courtyard were the soft noises of Huizi playing. She was trying to stick a longer, withered branch into the snowman, muttering, "This is the gray sword." The whistling of the wind as it swept through the withered branch sounded like a suppressed sob from afar.
“We don’t need to get involved ourselves.” Zhou Zhengqing finally spoke, his voice calm and even, yet carrying a resolute force, like a boulder thrown into a deep pool, breaking the dangerous silence: “He’s lurking in the consulate, and he looks like just an insignificant, low-level informant.”
I don't advocate that we get involved ourselves, nor should we do anything unnecessary.
His gaze drifted into the distance, beyond the courtyard wall, as if piercing through time and space, to the distant Japanese Consulate General in Tianjin.
I saw diplomats, secretaries, and counselors dressed in kimonos or suits, smiling but each with their own thoughts.
They saw the sinister-looking spies at Maochuan Mansion, and they also saw "Wang Fugui" lying in the interrogation room, his fate unknown.
“The consulate…” Zhou Zhengqing said slowly, each word seemingly weighed in his mind: “That’s the territory directly under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not our military police’s.”
The Maochuan Mansion overstepped its bounds by arresting a consulate worker, even though he was just a kitchen helper. Right now, some people at the consulate are probably already furious, feeling they've lost face or worried about getting into trouble.
He withdrew his gaze and looked at Nanzo Yunzi again, his eyes even more profound than before.
“Let the Maochuan Mansion take the fall, attracting attention and potential pressure from all sides, while we quietly observe from behind. That’s the safest approach.” He paused, lowering his voice even further, so that only the two of them could hear him. Each word was like an ice bead hitting the ground, clear and cold: “Besides…”
What follows this "moreover" is his true intention.
“When we were investigating the consulate, so many suspects came up.”
Now another "low-level" informant has surfaced, managing to infiltrate the consulate for over six years simply by eavesdropping...
Of course, Wang Fugui certainly has intelligence value.
But in my opinion, the reason he was able to successfully infiltrate for so long—the possible "trace" that allowed him to do so without arousing suspicion—might be more valuable than he himself.
Nanzo Yunko's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
Zhou Zhengqing continued, his voice as calm as if he were analyzing a chess game: "The eyes of the Maochuan Mansion are only focused on this 'rat' and the rat hole he might know about."
We should broaden our horizons.
When he said "our gaze," his eyes met those of Nanzo Yunzi. There was no warmth, no ambiguity, only extreme calmness in his weighing and calculation.
That wasn't the look of a lover or ally, but the look of a commander explaining his strategic intentions to his subordinates.
Nanzo Yunzi was an extremely astute person. Upon hearing this, her heart was instantly filled with a deeper sense of astonishment.
She fully understood Zhou Zhengqing's intention.
It's not that we shouldn't rescue them, but we can't afford to lose sight of the bigger picture. We can't act rashly just because of a low-level intelligence agent who may have already been exposed and whose value is limited, thus revealing a deeper plan or intention.
What the general cared about was the "shadow" that might be hiding inside the consulate, providing Wang Fugui with protection or convenience, and the "line" that arranged for Wang Fugui to enter the consulate and ensured his safe infiltration for more than six years.
That might be a more valuable, but also more dangerous, line...
"General, you suspect..." Nanzo Yunzi spoke softly. This time, her voice lacked the previous probing, only the professionalism and calmness of an intelligence officer remained: "Is this Wang Fugui just a shield?"
Is there another mole in the consulate?
Whom do you suspect?
She didn't say any names, but her eyes showed that her mind was racing through the names of the important figures in the consulate: Consul General Kenjiro, the Vice-Consul, the section chiefs, the confidential secretaries...
“I don’t suspect any specific person.” Zhou Zhengqing calmly cut off her possible associations, his tone even and unwavering, as if stating an objective fact: “I’m just reminding you that you can broaden your perspective when looking at this case.”
The Maochuan Mansion likes to catch the mice in front of them, so let them catch them.
Your Special Higher Police Department should have a broader and more detailed perspective.
After pausing for a moment, Zhou Zhengqing seemed to be carefully considering his words, or perhaps making a final confirmation.
"We should pay more attention to the Tianjin Consul General, Jue Neigancheng, and his capable secretaries and counselors."
Zhou Zhengqing's voice was even lower, as low as a whisper, yet it carried immense weight: "I always felt that there was a subtle difference between this Consul General of Jue Nei and the image he usually presented as smooth, cautious, and only concerned with business and overseas Chinese affairs."
He's been in North China for quite some time, and has been involved with various local forces, both overtly and covertly, yet he's always managed to remain unscathed, offending no one.
That in itself is quite interesting, isn't it?