Two days later,
Harbin Railway Station.
Bustling crowds poured out from 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.
As the spy capital of the Far East, Harbin is a place where forces from all over the world gather. It seems peaceful but is actually undercurrents. There are Japanese spies everywhere, and wandering around can easily cause unnecessary trouble.
Hiding, what you fear most is trouble.
For this reason, they chose a hotel owned by Japanese people. Under normal circumstances, traitors and the military would not go to such a place for interrogation. 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 was a normal reaction for a foreigner who had 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 now neither hot nor cold. 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, but there was confusion behind him: "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.
"Yo Xi, that's it. We booked the room through the cruise ship and didn't know about it. Thank you for reminding us. It would be great if there are no Chinese 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 Manchukuo.
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.
Moreover, ordinary people will not deliberately understand the rules of a hotel, unless they have conducted an investigation before coming. For example, intelligence personnel will thoroughly understand the situation when looking for a place to stay.
Combining these two points, this person's identity is no secret. It seems that the Japanese are really very energetic. The taxi they found at random turned out to be the other party's loser.
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 set up 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 is the private spies of the 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 White Russian rear.
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 is the consulate dispatched by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has a special high school class and a 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 in the 1920s, the Guo Songling incident, and negotiations between the Fengtian clique and Red Russia over the railway, the Consulate in Harbin sent back a large amount of intelligence to Japan.
The fourth is the Manchurian Railway Investigation Department. The purpose of this department was to serve the invasion. Initially, it focused on investigating the customs and habits of the Northeast region, 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 is the Special Agent 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-Manchu anti-Japanese elements. The difference is the target group.
The Secret Service Section mainly targets Chinese people, and 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 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 Navy Military Command, 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 yen, you can give it to Dayang. 4 yen is enough." 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 city limits."
Zuo Zhong smiled and comforted, and then handed the other party 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 Torretta 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 there.
For example, there are Tongji Shopping Mall, Da Luo Xin 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, where big names come and go at the Madiel Hotel and Huamei Restaurant. The government's National Defense Club is also here, so there is no need to worry about gangsters coming to cause trouble. "
This person didn't know what An De was thinking. The two places he introduced were the most prosperous areas in Harbin and were not suitable for opening a small pharmacy. This might be another test.
Zuo Zhong's mind was racing, 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.
Torrieta secretly glanced at his expression, a trace of disdain flashed in her eyes, but she enthusiastically made an appointment to meet him 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 back 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 not wasted.
"Thanks, see you tomorrow."
Zuo Zhong and He Yijun said some kind words after getting off the car, then turned around 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 bastard Bai Wenzhi should really take a look at 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 other party's reaction time.
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 hotel wall kept ticking. When the minute hand skipped two large spaces, the sound of a car came from outside, and then several men in Concorde uniforms walked into the store.
Ten minutes seems fast enough.
Can you be in plainclothes?
Could it be someone from the Secret Service Division?
Zuo Zhong thought thoughtfully, and realized that 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.
Unlike 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 stand-up collars and three pockets or Union Jackets.
The so-called Concorde Uniform 1 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 question was an ordinary identity check. Why did the Secret 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? Why is it that someone from the Secret Service Department is 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.
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－
1 ocean in 11935≈1.4375 yen
2. There are photos of the easter eggs. If not, we will review them.
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