Cicada Moving

Chapter 685 The Spy Capital of the Far East

 Two days later,

 Harbin Railway Station.

The bustling crowd poured out of the ticket gate. It was evening. The St. Nicholas Church not far away was brightly lit and full of exotic atmosphere, attracting tourists to stop.

Zuo Zhong and He Yijun were also among them. The two of them stood arm-in-arm admiring it for a while until the evening wind became stronger and stronger. Then they got into a taxi and headed to the hotel they had booked.

Harbin is the spy capital of the Far East, where forces from all over the world gather. It seems calm but is actually undercurrents. There are Japanese spies everywhere, and wandering around can easily cause unnecessary trouble.

 The most feared thing when lurking is trouble.

 For this purpose, they chose a hotel owned by the Japanese. Under normal circumstances, traitors and the military would not go to such a place for investigation. In short, they used all means to reduce the risk of exposure.

As for the famous Madiel, members of the Foreign Affairs Section of the Puppet Manchukuo Police Department often haunt that place, looking for suspicious foreigners. It is better to go there again if there is a chance in the future.

The car is driving on a wide asphalt road. There are a large number of European Renaissance, Baroque, Jewish, neoclassical and other styles of houses on both sides of the road.

Zuo Zhong opened the car window and looked outside curiously. This is a normal reaction for a foreigner who has just arrived. It would be suspicious to be indifferent to these exquisite buildings.

The Belarusian driver in the front row glanced at the rearview mirror and said enthusiastically in proficient Chinese: "Mr. and Mrs. are Japanese, are you coming to Harbin for the first time? Welcome.

The weather is neither hot nor cold now. After the days of flying catkins and before the rainy season, it is a good time to travel and enjoy this beautiful city. "

 “Thank you, this city is really charming.”

Zuo Zhong smiled and nodded, then looked confused: "How does Mr. Driver know that we are Japanese? The clothes we wear are all purchased in China, not imperial goods."

“Haha, it’s very simple. The hotel you two are going to does not accept Chinese people, so I guessed that you are Japanese. Don’t you know this, sir?” the driver asked.

“Yoshi, that’s it. We booked the room through a cruise ship and didn’t know about it. Thank you for reminding us. It’s great that there are no Chinese people in the hotel.”

Zuo Zhong pretended to suddenly realize it, and gently touched He Yijun with his right hand, signaling her to be more vigilant. There was something wrong with the driver, and he was probably a Japanese or an informant of the Puppet Manchuria.

The words and questions this person asked seemed to be a deliberate attempt to test whether they knew that the hotel did not accept Chinese guests. There is no reason for a driver to do this.

Besides, ordinary people will not deliberately understand the rules of a hotel unless they have done some research before coming. For example, intelligence officers will thoroughly understand the situation when looking for a place to stay.

Combining these two points, the identity of this person is no secret. It seems that the Japanese people are really energetic. The taxis they found at random turned out to be the other party's losers.

 He ​​Yijun on the side stroked his hair, indicating that he had received the hint, and then asked the Belarusian driver about the names and histories of the buildings on both sides, interrupting the driver's conversation.

 “Where are you two from?”

 “Mr. Driver, where is that place?”

 “Well, there’s the Tsar”

Zuo Zhong watched the conversation between the two with a smile, slowly closed his eyes, and began to recall intelligence in his mind. The Japanese intelligence power in Harbin consisted of five parts.

The first is the Harbin agency of the Kwantung Army Intelligence Department. The Japanese army established a spy agency in Harbin in 1918 to serve its armed intervention in Red Russia and "prevent redization."

This agency was officially transferred to the Kwantung Army a year later. Its main tasks were to carry out anti-Red Russian propaganda, collect Red Russian military and political intelligence, and monitor the exchanges between the underground parties of the Republic of China and the Red Russians.

 The second one is the private spies of Japanese ronin. They were active in the former dynasty, represented by the Black Dragon Society. During the Russo-Japanese War, they instigated horse thieves and bandits and fought guerrillas in the rear of White Russia.

He also acted as a Chinese to spy on the Belarusian military situation in the Harbin area. After the demise of the previous dynasty, he colluded with traitors and lackeys to plan two independence movements. The source of personnel is very complicated.

 The third one is the consulate dispatched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, which is affiliated with the special higher class and the special work class. Both of these are headed by consuls and have the responsibility of collecting intelligence. Most of them are civilian personnel.

 During the Second Zhili-Fengtian War, the Guo Songling Incident, and the negotiations between the Fengcheng and Red Russia over the railway in the 1920s, the Consulate in Harbin sent back a large amount of intelligence to Japan.

 Fourth is the Manchuria Railway Investigation Department. The purpose of this department was to serve the invasion. Initially, it focused on investigating the customs and habits in the Northeast, supplemented by military investigations.

 However, as the business scope of Manchuria Railway continues to expand, its business scope has expanded to include economic, political, cultural and even military intelligence, which can be said to be all-pervasive.

 The fifth one is the Special Service Section and the Foreign Affairs Section of the Harbin Police Department of the Puppet Manchukuo. Their work content is the same, which is to assist the Japanese army in arresting anti-Manchurian and anti-Japanese elements. The difference is the target group.

 The Special Service Section mainly targets Chinese people, while the Foreign Affairs Section targets foreigners. It is worth noting that because they are key departments, the chiefs of these two sections are all Japanese.

These are only relatively large-scale intelligence agencies, and do not include the Puppet Manchukuo Cabinet Intelligence Office, which closely monitors the news media in the Northeast and instills enslaving ideas into the general public.

As well as the Kwantung Army Military Police, the information collection departments of major Japanese newspapers, the third department of the Japanese Naval Command Department, the Naval Intelligence Department, and other messy intelligence agencies.

In short, in this city known as the Paris of the East, it is an exaggeration to say that nine out of ten people are spies, but at least two dozen people are inseparable from intelligence activities.

 The situation is very serious. Anyone they meet here may be a Japanese and puppet intelligence agent. If they say a wrong word or make a wrong action, the operation will fail or even lose their lives.

“Sir, madam, we’ve arrived at the Yamato Hotel. The total fare is 6 yen. If you don’t have any yen, you can give us 4 yen.” The driver’s voice suddenly sounded.

Zuo Zhong opened his eyes and looked at the hotel sign a few meters away, and said in a deep voice: "Mr. Driver, we want to visit Harbin tomorrow, so we don't need to rent you and your taxi."

The Belarusian driver, who was dizzy by He Yijun's question, was overjoyed when he heard this and hurriedly agreed: "Of course, you don't have to be polite, just call me Torretta, dear sir.

I don’t know where you want to go. I need to prepare enough gasoline in advance. In addition, I have to remind you that some places are Kwantung Army warning areas and must not be approached. "

 “Don’t worry, it’s within the city limits.”

Zuo Zhong smiled and comforted, and then handed the other person a ten-yen note: "I am a businessman and want to open a small pharmacy in Harbin. Can you give me some suggestions?

If the business is stable, I think we will meet often. After all, in such a big city, it is too inconvenient to travel by horse-drawn carriages, rickshaws and motorcycles (trams). "

“Pharmacy? Let me think about it.”

The Belarusian driver who called himself Toleta took the money, thought carefully and replied: "Zhengyang Street is naturally the best place to do business in Harbin. There are many time-honored brands there and there are many pedestrians.

Such as Tongji Shopping Mall, Daluoxin Store, Hengdeli, Laodingfeng, and Shiyitang. The disadvantage is that the rent is very expensive, depending on your capital, sir, and there are few vacant shops.

There is also Central Street. The Madier Hotel and Huamei Restaurant are full of big shots. The government's National Defense Club is also here, so there is no need to worry about gangs causing trouble. "

This person doesn’t know what Ande is thinking. The two places he introduced are the most prosperous areas in Harbin and are not suitable for opening a small pharmacy. This may be another test.

Zuo Zhong's thoughts changed rapidly, his face turned red suddenly, and he coughed slightly to indicate that he wanted to think about it. Even if a businessman has an empty pocket, he still has to make a fool of himself.

Torletta secretly glanced at his expression, a trace of disdain flashed in her eyes, but she warmly made an appointment to meet tomorrow morning, got out of the car and sent her luggage to the front desk of the hotel.

　　After doing this, the person opened the rear door and held the edge of the car with one hand. He was able to receive such attentive service, and the ten yen in fares and consultation fees were finally worth it.

 “Thank you, see you tomorrow.”

Zuo Zhong and He Yijun said some kind words after getting off the car, then turned and entered the hotel, took out their IDs and prepared to check in, but what the waiter said surprised them.

“Mr. Okamoto, Mrs. Okamoto, I’m really sorry. I need to call the police station. According to the requirements of the police station, anyone including imperial citizens must check their documents.”

 While explaining the situation, the waiter picked up the phone and started talking. The tone of the conversation seemed very familiar, indicating that he had been in contact with them frequently before and was not specifically targeting them.

What a strict public security management. That **** Bai Wenzhi should really show it. Jinling’s accommodation management regulations are in vain. As long as the money is paid, the hotel will not care about such things.

 Fortunately, otherwise the situation of the underground party would have been even more difficult. Zuo Zhong sat on the sofa, lit a cigarette and waited for the police to arrive, just to test the reaction time of the other party.

 The speed at which police respond to police in a region can explain many issues, such as the level of alertness and training level. This information is useful for their next actions.

The wall clock on the wall of the hotel was ticking continuously. When the minute hand skipped two large spaces, the sound of a car was heard outside, and then several men in Concorde uniforms walked into the store.

 Ten minutes, which seems fast enough.

 Can I wear plain clothes?

  Could it be someone from the Special Service Division?

Zuo Zhong thought thoughtfully. These people had a bulge on their backs, which should be pistols. There were not many people in Harbin who dared to openly carry guns, except for the military and the Puppet Manchukuo police.

Different from later film and television works, the special agents of the Puppet Manchukuo police did not wear suits or black trench coats. The civilian clothes of public officials were mostly uniforms with a stand-up collar and three pockets or a Union Jacket.

 The so-called Concorde Uniform① is a costume for puppet Manchukuo officials designed by the Japanese colonists with ulterior motives. It looks very similar to Japanese military uniforms. People can tell that they are Japanese dogs at a glance.

The problem was an ordinary identity verification. Why did the Special Service Department need to be dispatched? Could it be that they were being targeted? Zuo Zhong turned his head calmly, pretending not to know the identity of the person coming.

  The waiter seemed to have never seen these uninvited guests, and his expression was a little confused. However, when he saw the IDs presented by the other party, he immediately took out the IDs of Zuo Zhong and He Yijun and said.

"Mr. Police Officer, these two guests are going to check in. By the way, isn't Ono-kun on duty today? How could someone from the Special Service Department be here? Did something happen?"

"It's nothing. Xiaoye and the others have other official duties. We just came over to take a look." The leader took the certificate and turned it over, looking at the smiling Zuo Zhong from the corner of his eye.

①1 ocean in 1935≈1.4375 yen

②There are photos of the easter eggs. If not, we will review them.

 (End of this chapter)