Cicada Moving

Chapter 1218 Breakthrough

Gucci waited for Joanna to finish coughing, then asked a question with a serious expression that had nothing to do with the case.

 “Ms. Qiao, what is your monthly salary?”

As soon as this question came out, several sharp eyes looked at Joanna, and the atmosphere in the reception room suddenly became tense.

Everyone present was an experienced intelligence officer, and they discovered the flaws in the files almost at the same time.

—The salary of the staff at the official residence is not low, and Joanna should not live in a place full of refugees and beggars.

Zuo Zhong's heart tightened, and he glanced at Gu Qi out of the corner of his eye, ready to interrupt the question at any time. A poor answer to this question could easily expose him.

He judged that Joanna lived in the slums, probably for social connections or for safety reasons.

 The environment in slums is complex and more suitable for intelligence work, but the disadvantage is also obvious, that is, it will arouse enemy suspicion.

Joanna heard what Gu Qi said and replied with some confusion: "It's almost 50 yuan when converted into an ocean. Sir, why do you ask this question?"

 Gu Qi did not answer. He leaned forward slightly and pressed further: "What about your husband Pan Mingzhi's salary?"

 “Not much different from me.” Joanna answered truthfully, there was no need to lie about this kind of thing.

After getting the answer he wanted, Gu Qi leaned back in his chair, with a half-smile expression on his face, and tapped his fingers on the table to speak one word at a time.

"The salary of you and your wife should be enough for your daily life, or even more than enough. Why don't you rent a house in a street that meets your status, and instead hang out in the slums?"

The room became quiet, everyone was waiting for Joanna's answer. Zuo Zhong lit a cigarette and looked at each other through the drifting smoke.

 Under everyone's gaze, Joanna coughed violently several times, finally regained her breath, and answered Gucci's question with a heavy breath.

“Sir, our family is suffering from a serious lung disease. Just buying medicine every month costs a lot of salary. If you have money, rent a house. If you don’t believe me, you can ask a doctor to check it.”

 Lung disease?

Song Minghao quickly covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief. Due to weather and hygiene reasons, epidemics often broke out in the mountain city and many people died. He did not want to die in the hospital bed.

Zuo Zhong also quickly put out his cigarette butts. Fortunately, it was the Republic of China. This will be left to future generations, and the little fairy's fist came up.

But Gucci didn't believe Joanna's answer, and immediately called a doctor to examine Joanna on the spot.

 The examination results proved that Joanna was not lying. She did have a serious lung disease. If she did not take strong anti-inflammatory drugs, she would probably develop tuberculosis (pulmonary tuberculosis).

Even so, Gucci still did not let Joanna go easily. He turned to ask another question-why there was no record of her illness in Joanna's file.

Joanna's answer was straightforward. If it was known that she had lung disease, she would lose her job. The superiors would not allow a sick person to serve in the official residence.

Finally, she also asked Gu Qi not to tell the matter, and promised that she would heal her body as soon as possible and would not infect other people.

As Zuo Zhong listened, his memory went back to the day of the meeting. If he remembered correctly, the other party was sitting in the corner of the meeting place but he never coughed once.

So the so-called fear of losing her job was just an excuse. The real reason was that Joanna didn't want to lose the opportunity to obtain information, so she relied entirely on willpower to overcome her physiological reaction and forcefully held back from coughing.

In addition, Joanna's family living in the slums may not only be needed for underground work. The other party may have turned over most of their salary to the organization, leaving them without money for medical treatment and renting a house.

  Latent, there are only two words, but how much underground workers have paid for this, no one knows except themselves.

 Also seriously ill, the traitor Lao Pu wanted to benefit his illegitimate son whose authenticity was uncertain, and even betrayed his comrades.

Joanna and Pan Mingzhi are just the opposite. They are willing to live in slums with difficult conditions even if they are sick for the sake of their mission. The comparison between the two makes a difference.

He had to do something for the other party. Thinking of this, Zuo Zhong turned to look at Gu Qi: "Lao Gu, let someone bring Ms. Qiao's husband and children. The truth and falsehood will be clear at a glance."

 “Okay, deputy seat.”

 Gu Qi responded and called the little agent, asking him to go to Joanna's residence to find someone. They just happened to have a rest.

　　When Joanna heard that Pan Mingzhi and the child were coming, her expression changed significantly. She was worried and angry, but not uneasy. This made the three Gucci people who were secretly observing slightly disappointed.

 After that, neither of the two parties spoke anymore, until the cry of a child came from outside the door, which broke the silence in the house.

As the door opened, Pan Mingzhi appeared in the sight of Zuo Zhong and others with his child in his arms. Joanna stood up and wanted to walk over, but the little agent on the side saw this and quickly stopped.

Zuo Zhong waved his hand and motioned for the little agent to let her go: "It doesn't matter, let her pass. If people know that we are blocking the mother and son from seeing each other, they will definitely say weird things again, right, Lao Gu?"

"That's what the deputy said." Gu Qi smiled back and said to the doctor standing next to him: "Let Mr. Pan and the child take another look, and look carefully."

After hearing the order, the doctor put on a stethoscope and examined Pan Mingzhi and the child. He came to the same conclusion as Joanna, that they both had lung disease.

 At this point, there is a perfect explanation for the problem that Joanna's income does not match her place of residence.

 Gu Qi put aside his suspicion and ordered Joanna's family to be taken out for resettlement, not wanting Zuo Zhong to speak at this time.

“Chunyang, I remember there is some spare penicillin at Renxin Hospital, right?”

“Yes, deputy chairperson, in order to ensure the safety of you and the chairperson, several bottles of penicillin are always kept in the hospital icebox for emergency use.”

“Well, let me use my share to give injections to Ms. Qiao’s family. If they are sick, they must be treated.”

Wu Chunyang hesitated for a moment when he heard Zuo Zhong's words, but finally nodded and went out to call the hospital to deliver medicine. Anyway, the military commander's family had a great cause and had no shortage of money.

After finishing speaking, Zuo Zhong took the child from Pan Mingzhi and held it in his arms, shaking it gently twice. Looking at the thin little face, he raised his head and blamed Joanna and Pan Mingzhi.

“Ms. Qiao, Mr. Pan, it’s not Zuo who is too meddlesome. You two are not qualified parents. Children are the future of the party and the country. How can we delay them when they are sick? It will be too late to regret if something happens.”

As he spoke, he stretched out his finger and poked the child's little face, and said with a smile: "Is your uncle right?"

Joanna and Pan Mingzhi's hearts were in their throats, and their eyes were fixed on Zuo Zhong, fearing that this dog spy would do something bad to the child in the next second. Ordinary people may not know about Zuo Zhong, but they know very well that this smiling tiger is the trump card of the Kuomintang intelligence agency. He is ruthless, insidious and cunning, and a dangerous person.

Seeing that the two people did not answer his words, the smile on Zuo Zhong's face gradually faded. He returned the child to Joanna, and then said something that sounded like persuasion and warning.

“You should cherish such a good child, Ms. Qiao, Mr. Pan, you must think twice before doing anything, and you must not let Zuo’s kindness down.”

As the head of the family, Pan Mingzhi stepped forward to block his wife and children with his body, thanked Zuo Zhong, and finally respectfully expressed that he would act according to Zuo Zhong's instructions.

“Hahaha, that’s good. Don’t worry, Mr. Pan. Penicillin is very effective for your illness. You can live here with peace of mind.”

Zuo Zhong laughed with satisfaction and ordered the little agent to send the two of them away. Watching the other party's family of three walk out of the room, he tilted his head and ordered Gu Qi.

"Lao Gu, remember to check the whereabouts of Joanna and Pan Mingzhi. If there are no problems, forget it. Madam values ​​Qiao very much, so you and I should form a good relationship."

Gucci didn’t expect Joanna to be so hesitant, and repeatedly agreed with Zuo Zhong’s arrangement. Since ancient times, the most dangerous thing was the wind in the head, and he completely let go of his doubts about Joanna.

Seeing the reaction of his old partner, Zuo Zhong felt relieved. Joanna and his wife were very professional and would not cause any problems with their whereabouts, so he immediately called the next person in.

Suspects entered and exited the reception room one by one. The list of suspects quickly narrowed down to only a dozen people. After soliciting everyone's opinions, Zuo Zhong decided to go all out and end the questioning at once.

"Enter."

 Gu Qi shouted outside, and a young man wearing a lieutenant's uniform strode in. After walking to the center of the room, he raised his hand and saluted Zuo Zhong.

 “I have seen the superior in my humble position.”

 “Well, sit down and talk.”

Zuo Zhong's response was very cold. He glanced at the file and then at the person's face, and asked lightly about the person's name and position.

The young man suddenly stood up and replied loudly: "I have a humble position, Bian Jichao, a guard at the official residence, responsible for personal protection of the leader."

Knowing that he was another close minister of the emperor, and one with the toughest background, Zuo Zhong and Gu Qi looked at each other, revealing a wry smile.

A person's security guard is divided into two layers: the inner and outer layers. The outer layer is composed of members of the garrison. It adopts a rotation system. The personnel situation is more complicated, but they cannot access confidential information.

The inner layer is divided into two groups, A and B. Group B is responsible for the security of the public areas of the official residence. Some of the personnel are recommended by the military, some are secretly selected, and they are all elite members of the military.

As for the group A closest to someone, the members are not as proficient in various military skills as many people think. They can run horses on their arms, stand on people on their fists, and knock over assassins with a breath.

In fact, some people in Group A can't even shoot a gun accurately, but these people have an advantage that others cannot match - loyalty.

Guards who can enter Group A must meet three conditions.

 1. Must be from Zhejiang Province or Ningbo, and be a member of the Fruit Party.

Second, there must be relatives who died in the encirclement and suppression operations or on the battlefield against Japan.

 Three, it must be recommended by two or more senior members of the Fruit Party.

 Under the screening of these three conditions, the reliability of Group A guards is very high. They will not hesitate to block someone's gun at a critical moment. Will such a person be considered a traitor?

 Gu Qi didn't want to offend Bian Jichao, nor did he want to waste time. He was going to go through a process and let the other person leave after just asking a few questions.

Even though he is a lieutenant now, he might be on the same rank as him next time we meet. Sometimes what you have worked hard to pursue your whole life is not worth mentioning in the eyes of some people.

Listening to the conversation between the two, Zuo Zhong flipped through the files and found that Bian Jichao had the merit and discipline to fight against the underground party. He had more than one blood debt on his hands, which basically ruled out the possibility that the other party was one of his own.

 Close the file, Zuo Zhong raised his eyes slightly and glanced at Bian Jichao. He looked up and down and then landed on the button of Bian Jichao's cuffs. He frowned and asked aloud.

“You protect the leader personally, you must know the encirclement and suppression plan?”

 “Report to Sir Zuo, yes.”

“When did you first know the details of the plan? I’m talking about the details.”

“Yes, it was the day before the meeting started, but I heard about this plan last summer.”

Bian Jichao's expression was tense when he spoke, his eyes were erratic, and he swallowed his saliva subconsciously.

Zuo Zhong remembered the words "last summer" in his heart. Very good. There were testimonies and witnesses that someone deliberately initiated friction and undermined the anti-Japanese resistance.

These evidences may not be needed by the underground party now, but they can play a huge role in the future and are no less powerful than bombshells.

 After gathering the information, Zuo Zhong was like a hungry wolf that had spotted its prey. He slowly moved his head towards the opponent and asked again in an oppressive tone.

“Last question, Lieutenant Bian, the file says that you are single, your family is average, and your family is not around, right?”

"yes."

 Bian Jichao looked confused and answered subconsciously.

A smile appeared on Zuo Zhong's face. He had not seen such a simple person being questioned for many years. He pointed at Bian Jichao's sleeves with a playful look on his face.

“Then can you explain who bought the cufflinks for you? Zuo advises you to think carefully before answering. Never say that you bought it yourself.

I happen to have this kind of handmade silver cufflinks. The price is higher than your monthly military pay. There is only one place selling them in the mountain city, so they are easy to find. "

Bian Jichao suddenly started sweating profusely. He opened his mouth and hesitated for a long time. Finally, he lowered his head dejectedly and honestly confessed that he had met a girlfriend outside and that the two often met in private.

According to the security rules of the official residence, similar behavior is never allowed. Everyone sat upright. This may be the breakthrough they were looking for.

Zuo Zhong was also completely relieved. The underground party strictly prohibited the use of seduction methods to obtain information. If there was a problem with that woman, she could only come from other forces, such as the Japanese!