In the eighth year of Xian-Feng reign (1858), the former dynasty signed the "Tinmen Treaty" with the United Kingdom and opened 11 additional trading ports, including Jiangcheng Hankou.
After the official opening of the port, the imperialist powers swarmed in to open foreign banks, set up banks, and build churches in Hankou and even the entire Jiangcheng...
Among them, the colonists focused most on establishing shipping and building docks to transport plundered resources back to the homeland and promote commercial development.
For a time, there were many docks in Jiangcheng. There were more than 200 "earth docks" controlled by the Chinese and "foreign docks" controlled by the foreigners. The name of the thoroughfare of the nine provinces spread like wildfire.
As the National Government retreated to Jiangcheng, the development of the transportation industry was further stimulated, especially the civilian docks, which were extremely busy with people coming and going every day.
On this day, outside the Lienudu Wharf leading from Wuchang to Hanyang Industrial Zone, multiple military trucks came rushing towards the gate and suddenly stopped at the gate.
"Squeak~"
The screeching sound of brakes sounded. Before the car could stop, armed military and police personnel jumped out of the car and quickly occupied the nearby commanding heights and entrances and exits, surrounding the people inside.
This frightened the people present. They didn't know what the army wanted to do. They wanted to flee one after another, but they were forced back by the black holes of gunfire.
Just as the atmosphere between the two parties was becoming increasingly tense, an order came from the pier's loudspeaker, requiring everyone to line up and provide documents that could prove their identity for inspection and registration.
If you do not carry documents, you must state your address, destination, and contact person. If you are not a local, you must name at least three local certifiers to prove your identity.
When they heard that it was just an inspection, the ordinary people in the crowd breathed a sigh of relief, but those with ulterior motives changed their expressions and tried to sneak out of the encirclement.
But they soon discovered that unlike usual raids, Guo Jun's arrangement this time was very professional and left no loopholes.
All places where people can leave are guarded by military police, and there are even several motorboats patrolling the river to prevent people from jumping into the river.
Not only that, there was a group of engineers setting up field telephones in the distance, apparently to verify people who could not provide identity documents.
This is by no means an ordinary security inspection, but an intelligence screening!
This makes some people tremble with fear. They suppress their fear and start to think about countermeasures, recalling whether they have exposed any flaws that could lead to their identity being exposed.
Soon, the queue waiting for inspection got longer and longer. Several people in black were sitting or standing behind several wooden tables, registering people and taking photos.
In the team, a middle-aged man wearing a long robe and carrying a briefcase walked up to the man in black, raised his hand and took off his hat, bowed slightly and said hello.
"Thank you, boss."
"Stop talking nonsense, what's your name?"
"..."
"Where did you come from?"
"Wuchang."
"Local? Where's your address?"
"No. 3 Shujia Street, this is your ID."
"Go to the side and take pictures, then wait and let you go before you leave."
"Okay, okay, good work."
Such conversations continued. The men in black quickly screened the crowd. From time to time, people with doubtful identities were pulled aside and searched and then squatted on the ground.
Of course, there are also officials who feel that they are superior to others and refuse to accept inspection. For these people, the man in black is not so polite. He immediately draws a gun and puts it to the head of the other person and directly takes them into custody.
Seeing this scene, the people who were originally full of resentment stopped talking and secretly speculated whether something big had happened, otherwise the inspection would not be so strict.
They did not know that at the same time Lienudu was surrounded, all bus stations, train stations, important intersections, military and civilian docks in Wuchang, Hankou, and Hanyang were also controlled.
The Secret Service, Jiangcheng City Defense Headquarters, Gendarmerie Headquarters, and the police deployed in a unified manner, cutting off the channels in and out of Jiangcheng with lightning speed, and conducting interrogations of pedestrians and vehicles.
To this end, the Supreme Command approved the dispatch of a division-level unit to cooperate with the operation and assist the Secret Service in completing the task of cleaning up Japanese spies. After all, this was a task assigned by the bald head himself.
Such a large-scale war has made many people dissatisfied, especially the big guys in the smuggling business. They don't care about spies, they only care about their own business.
And is this kind of search like looking for a needle in a haystack useful? The Japanese are not fools, so they all wait to see the joke between the Secret Service and Dai Chunfeng.
On the top floor of a building a few hundred meters away from Lienudu, Zuo Zhong put down the telescope in his hand and turned to look at Gu Qi and Shen Dongxin.
"Lao Gu, the first fire has been set off. Now it's up to you. We will immediately send people to search several concentrated residential areas in Wuchang.
There were Song Minghao and Wu Jingzhong in Hanyang, and Wu Chunyang had just returned from the port city. He and Gui Youguang were in charge of Hankou, and the three towns acted simultaneously. "
"yes."
Gu Qi glanced at the messy pier and said with confusion: "But deputy director, didn't you say that searching like this is too..."
"What a waste of time, isn't it?"
Zuo Zhong smiled lightly and did not answer directly. He held the handrail on the roof with one hand and pointed at the vague outline of the city with one hand and said leisurely.
"With such a large scope and such a large population, it is indeed difficult to find specific targets, but what if there is no targeting.
Japanese spies will disguise themselves when performing tasks, but they will not always be vigilant in daily life. People are lazy and their energy is limited.
You can hold on for a day or two, but what about a year or two? Now that the war is intensifying, and Japanese spies are busy stealing information everywhere, they will naturally relax in other aspects.
This is our opportunity. Today, we screen people at stations and docks, and even conduct searches in residential areas, all to find and discover flaws in daily life scenes.
As long as we can find a Japanese spy, follow the clues and knock out several intelligence teams, and give an explanation to all parties. "
Looking at the misty river surface, he expressed meaningfully to the two of them.
"Lao Gu, Dong Xin, we must pay attention to strategies and methods in doing things. You must know that the most important task at the moment is not to eliminate the spies, but to satisfy the chairman of the committee.
Intelligence warfare is not just a game. It requires a lot of time and resources. After so many years of turning a blind eye to the Japanese infiltration, can Yu Yu be clarified in just a few days? What a joke!
Since you can't find that special blade in a forest, let's not look for it. The ultimate goal is to eliminate it anyway, so why not set it on fire to show Shangfeng as a gesture.
Only then did Gu Qi and Shen Dongxin understand that the so-called arson was not to deter the spies, but to let the leaders know that they had tried their best.
Yes, we usually don’t pay attention to counter-espionage. At this time, there is no use in trying our best. We can only do our best and listen to fate.
"Go on your mission. I'll go to Hankou to have a look. There is a concession there. I'm not too worried."
Zuo Zhong finished speaking expressionlessly, walked down the stairs, got into a car, and drove towards the customs terminal. When he arrived, he transferred to a transport boat and went straight to Hankou on the other side.
Hankou.
An ancient town located on the alluvial plain of the Han River. It was named because it is located at the mouth of the Han River into the Yangtze River.
Named Hangao, Xiakou and Miangou in ancient times, it is one of the four famous towns and is known as the most prosperous place in central Chu. It is the commercial center of the three towns in Jiangcheng.
In the twelfth year of the Republic of China, it became the first municipality directly under the central government. The economy was highly prosperous. The population of Jiangcheng accounted for half of the million, and it was known as the Chicago of the East.
Britain, Russia, France, Germany, Japan and Belgium successively established concessions on this land. After the establishment of the national government, they took back most of the land, leaving only France and Japan who refused to let go.
Before the war between China and Japan, Japanese overseas Chinese retreated under Japanese official orders. The Eguchi government took the opportunity to take over the concession, leaving only a French concession.
Zuo Zhong stood on the bow of the ship and looked out, only to see dense buildings on the shore. Although there were not as many high-rise buildings as in Shanghai, the density of buildings was very high, and the various architectural styles were different.
Eastern and Western cultures coexist with each other without being obtrusive at all, and appear to be extremely harmonious. Compared with Shanghai, which is completely Westernized, he prefers this kind of inclusive and national architectural style.
"Tu tu tu tu~"
The traffic boat slowly docked at the Minsheng Road Investment Pier, not far from the former British Concession. Wu Chunyang, who had been waiting for a long time, hurriedly stepped forward, helped Zuo Chong ashore, and reported.
"Deputy Director, Gui Youguang is leading a search on Hualou Street. Nothing has been found so far. Everything is normal at the train station and bus station."
"kindness."
Stepping from the boat to the shore, Zuo Zhong said as he walked: "Go to Hualou Street and introduce the situation by the way. This operation will be left to you and Gui Youguang. I will only be responsible for watching the show.
You can discuss and decide where to search specifically and how to search. You have completed your mission in Hong Kong City very well and you have done your job carefully. I will be of great use to you after you are upgraded. "
"Thank you, Deputy Director, for your cultivation."
Wu Chunyang perked up and introduced: "Hualou Street is very prosperous, with many shops selling salt, tea, medicine, groceries, oil, grain, cotton, and fruit. It is known as the Eight Major Shops.
There are a large number of permanent residents and floating people with complex origins, so we have designated it as a key investigation area. People from the Jiangcheng Police Station are with us, and the military is responsible for peripheral security. "
As he said that, he led Zuo Zhong across the riverside road and walked for a few minutes to an intersection. A group of military police wearing helmets not only stopped the two of them to check their documents, but also asked Secret Service personnel to pick them up in person.
Zuo Zhong nodded with satisfaction. The personnel in the multi-party operation were unfamiliar with each other. If there was no strict discipline, or if the discipline was not implemented in place, it would be easy for the enemy to fish in troubled waters.
"Deputy Director, Section Chief Wu, and Chief Gui are in front. There is something not right about a shop."
The little spy who came to pick them up whispered to Zuo Zhong and Wu Chunyang, and then walked in front to lead the way, taking them to the entrance of a milk cake shop.
This is a two-story Chinese-style house with a brick and wood structure. The eaves and beams are covered with colorful floral decorations, and the doors and windows are also engraved with patterns. No wonder this place is called Hualou Street.
"Hello, Deputy Director."
"Deputy Director."
When the concessionaires saw Zuo Zhong, they all raised their heads and said hello.
"Well, continue on duty."
Zuo Zhong replied casually, walked slowly to Gui Youguang, glanced at the panicked clerk and boss, and then glanced at the file in the bald man's hand, and started shopping in the store with his hands behind his back.
