Espionage: You're tasked with spying, but you'll blow up the Special Higher Police?

160. Card Game

"Have you heard? Minister Liu of the Ministry of Construction has been exposed for having close ties with the Communist Party. Such a high-ranking official was imprisoned without any regard for his reputation. Thirty thousand."

"Hey, I'll take the 30,000! Who told Minister Liu to be so two-faced? He managed to get all the benefits by himself. Has he forgotten how he built his fortune? Nine of Bamboo."

"If you ask me, Minister Liu is right to do it this way. Haven't you heard? These days, all the high-ranking officials in Shanghai are living in fear. I've heard that a large number of Kuomintang and Communist Party agents have poured in after the Lunar New Year, and there are signs of a resurgence in local gangs. Don't you think so, Zhongliang? Yaoji?"

“You’re right, my wife. Our workload at the police station has increased a lot since the New Year. Fortunately, everyone below is very capable, which is why I’ve been able to steal a few moments to help out my colleagues. Um… five.”

"Hey, hey, don't move! Don't move! I won! Hahaha~~~"

"Oh dear, Master's wife, you won again? Look at my luck."

"Hey Director Zhou, are you here today to be a money-giving benefactor? You're really going all out to set off firecrackers for us. You can't give money away like this."

"Oh dear, Mrs. Liang, Sister Liang~~~ You're wronging me. How could I dare to do that in front of you all? My card skills are really limited, and my teacher's wife is probably blessed with good fortune today. Oh well, it's okay to lose a little. As long as you sisters have fun, come on, let's play again."

"Splash splash~ Splash splash~"

Inside a Western-style building in Jing'an District, Zhou Hongyi sat around a square table with three glamorous ladies, playing mahjong.

These three women were all wives of high-ranking officials in Shanghai. Qingxia had previously been tasked with contacting these people, but now that Qingxia was no longer around, he had to take on the role himself. After all, the information that could be gleaned from the circle of wealthy wives was something that could never be found on the street.

Today, Zhou Hongyi used his former boss Feng Jinxiong's wife to successfully enter this small circle.

This Director Zhou was bad at cards, but had a sweet tongue, was rich, and good-looking, so he quickly became the new darling of the wives' circle. Whenever any of the wives were short one player for mahjong or felt the urge to play, he was the first person they would think of.

Zhou Hongyi possesses the skills of [Insightful Eye] and [Master of Deception], so when playing mahjong, he can make whoever he wants win or lose at will. Of course, he's not there to win money from these women, but to please them and, incidentally, extract some useful information from them.

“Hua La Hua La~~~”

After rearranging the mahjong tiles, the four began playing "Great Wall." One of the women, a beautiful woman in a blue cheongsam, leisurely lit a cigarette and said with a smile, "Director Zhou, you're quite the big shot in Shanghai now, running the thriving New Paramount Ballroom. You've captivated almost every man in the city. My husband is a regular there. How are you going to compensate me?"

As the woman spoke, she gave Zhou Hongyi a meaningful look and even kicked his leg under the table.

Zhou Hongyi felt a chill in his heart, but outwardly he gave her a disapproving look and said, "Sister, it's all my fault. I wonder if you're free tomorrow night? I'll invite you to the opera as a way of making amends."

The woman's eyes lit up, and she smiled smugly, "You do have some conscience, but just watching an opera isn't enough. You also have to treat me to Western food and foreign liquor, or I'll cause a scene at your Paramount and see if you're scared then."

Zhou Hongyi clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture and said, "Oh dear, sister, please don't, please forgive me! I have dozens of people under me who are waiting for me to make a living, and they are all forced by circumstances. You sisters are all benefactors, you don't know the hardships of us poor folks at the bottom of society, who have to struggle for a living every day. It's so hard for us."

"Oh dear, you're having a hard time now? In Shanghai, nobody's having a hard time, not Director Zhou. You're Director Feng's prized student, his favorite!"

Zhou Hongyi waved his hand modestly and said, "You flatter me, you flatter me. All of this is thanks to Director Feng's help. Madam, are you satisfied with the new car at home?"

When Feng Jinxiong's wife heard Zhou Hongyi mention the new car, she couldn't stop smiling and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Satisfied, satisfied, of course satisfied. You don't know, Zhongliang imported a limited edition sedan from America. I heard it's the same black one that foreign presidents ride in. Ever since then, my husband Feng has always ridden in that car whenever he goes out. No matter where he goes, he always makes a good impression. Every time he talks about it, he praises you, Zhongliang, endlessly!"

"Hehehe, as long as the old leader likes it, that's good."

Upon hearing that they were riding in the same car as the foreign president, the other women also became interested.

"Director Zhou, when are you going to get one for us too? Let us see what the difference is between the car a foreign president drives and the car we usually drive."

"Oh dear, ladies, this is putting me in a difficult position. These cars are limited editions; even if you have the money, you might not be able to buy one. I was just lucky last time. However, I do have a batch of perfumes imported from Paris. If you ladies don't mind, I can bring some over next time. The fragrance will definitely complement your status and elegance."

“Great, great! Parisian perfumes are world-famous. I’ve heard my husband, Lao Liang, say that Western ladies all use them.”

"Really? Then I'll have some too. Director Zhou, you're not lying to us, are you?"

"How could I dare? Besides, when have I, Zhou Hongyi, ever made any boastful promises? I will definitely keep my word for the older sisters."

Zhou Hongyi managed to make these old women smile, but he himself was often taken advantage of under the table. However, in order to extract some useful information from these women, he could only grit his teeth and swallow his anger.

Zhou Hongyi had a fruitful day: the Minister of Construction was imprisoned by the Special Higher Police for alleged ties to the Communist Party. The high-ranking officials of the Wang Jingwei regime had also keenly sensed the changing war situation and were starting to look for their own escape routes. Could he take advantage of this momentum to win over a few more people and make them work for him, providing indirect assistance to the anti-Japanese movement?

As Zhou Hongyi pondered in his mind, he drew and played cards. This time, he discarded a card that would allow the noblewoman who was going to invite him to the opera the next night to win.

"Hahaha, I won! I won! Director Zhou, you're really generous today! I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."

Zhou Hongyi smiled wryly as he counted the money and handed it to the women. Little did these women know that every move they made was part of Director Zhou's scheme.

"Alright, ladies, it's getting late. Let's finish this last game and then go back to rest."

"Alright, it's really getting late. I'm so happy to play cards with my brother today, but don't forget our promise for tomorrow."

"Don't worry, I won't forget. Oh? It's finally my turn to win. I'm sorry, ladies and my teacher's wife, I won by self-draw, a pure suit straight."

"what?"