sjar Chapter 1152 Villains
Chapter 1152 Villains
Li Shaoyi didn't want to associate with these spies, since they were all villains and had done a lot of bad things.
But coming here so late, there must be something going on.
Li Shaoyi had met Director Xu of the Party Affairs Investigation Section before, and the two had met not far apart during meetings. His coming to Li Shaoyi so late at night must mean he has something to ask of him.
"Commander Li."
The last time they met, their ranks were similar, so they could chat like friends. But this time, their ranks were worlds apart. Although this guy didn't hold a military rank, if converted to civilian terms, he'd be at most a colonel or something similar.
Li Shaoyi is now a general, far superior to this guy. Although Li Shaoyi's army hasn't arrived in Hankou, his rank still speaks for itself.
The Nationalist government prevented Li Shaoyi from joining the Military Commission and the various war zones in order to limit his power. However, his military rank could not be restricted.
"Director Xu is a rising star in the Party and the State now, how could he possibly condescend to come to my place? Everyone knows that my place is a cold and unpopular department, and I'm not well-liked within the Party and the State either. I've even gone to places like the Air Defense Command. Director Xu..."
Before Director Xu could even speak, Li Shaoyi launched into a tirade. He knew that the man in front of him could see the old man often, and he was asking Director Xu to relay his words: "I was a hero of the Pujiang battlefield, and now you're almost making me retire to the second line."
"Commander Li, you must be joking. The newspapers and radio have been praising you to the skies today. Don't you know how important public opinion is? I'm here today because I have an important matter I need your help with..."
Director Xu of the Party Affairs Investigation Section was a sharp knife within the Party. Although he was somewhat different from the Military Intelligence Bureau, focusing mainly on Party affairs, many people within the organization were still afraid when his name was mentioned. After all, being targeted by them was like being targeted by a venomous snake.
Li Shaoyi asked his men to pour him two cups of tea, wondering how he could possibly help Director Xu. He knew that besides his two air defense regiments, he probably had no other troops.
There are two more artillery regiments in the south of the city, but Minister He has repeatedly emphasized this point. Artillery regiments are important combat branches, and without approval from the Ministry of Military Affairs, they cannot leave their garrison areas.
It took five minutes for this guy to finally make Li Shaoyi understand what was going on. Apparently, their Party Affairs Investigation Section had uncovered a Japanese hideout during their investigation, where at least dozens of Japanese spies were believed to be present. If they could capture them all, they could use them as a base to spread their influence, effectively purging Hankou.
"Then hurry up and arrest them. Why are you telling me this? I'm not your direct superior. If I were on the Military Commission, I could at least offer some advice. But now I'm with the Air Defense Command; you can't expect me to handle this, can you?"
Li Shaoyi said with some surprise, "What this person is saying is a bit puzzling. We only manage the Manchu planes; we don't manage Manchu spies."
"Commander Li, a new appointment will be announced tomorrow morning. I received the news in advance. You see, who else should I come to if not you?"
As Director Xu spoke, he pulled a draft order from his pocket. Li Shaoyi had seen such things before; they usually became official documents the next day. It clearly stated that the Hankou Special Service Committee would be established, with Li Shaoyi serving as its vice-chairman. The chairman of the committee would naturally be the Hankou city defense commander. However, that was merely a nominal position; Li Shaoyi was the primary person in charge.
Upon seeing the order before him, Li Shaoyi was momentarily stunned. However, Li Sibei understood immediately; Li Shaoyi was a man of action, a fact well-known among the party and state leadership.
Therefore, when faced with a difficult situation that cannot be resolved, it is necessary to immediately hand it over to Li Shaoyi. Only in this way can the matter be resolved quickly. If it were handed over to someone else, the matter would likely be dragged on indefinitely, thus affecting more important matters.
No wonder Director Xu came here in the middle of the night; it turns out he had this appointment letter. However, Li Shaoyi couldn't believe it just because of this piece of paper, so he still planned to make a phone call to inquire.
Director Xu naturally wouldn't stop him. It's not like he forged this thing himself, and besides, how many of us would dare to forge something like this?
Li Shaoyi finally got a definite answer from Vice Minister Wu. In fact, the official document had already been printed, and if Li Shaoyi needed it, the Ministry of Military Affairs could send someone to deliver it to him immediately. However, according to procedure, it would not be announced until 9 a.m. tomorrow.
"The Japanese spies in Hankou are really too rampant. This afternoon, the commander and chief of staff of the 93rd Army were traveling to their unit by car when they were attacked by Japanese spies on the way. Both of them and six or seven staff officers were killed. Although the Japanese have lost more than 20 people, if they continue to attack our senior officers in this way, we may not be able to deal with them when they come."
Vice Minister Wu informed Li Shaoyi of today's tragedy over the phone. Many people are focused on the air victory today, but some may know first that we lost a corps commander and a chief of staff on the ground—extremely high-ranking officers.
After such a victory, the Japanese spies in Hankou certainly wouldn't be idle. For a long time to come, these guys were likely to do even more outrageous things. Therefore, after discussion, the higher-ups ultimately decided to consolidate the intelligence forces and hand them all over to Li Shaoyi, entrusting him with the task of uncovering all the Japanese spies in Hankou.
“I know you were a bit emotional a while ago, but now is not the time to be emotional. Whether it’s the Party Affairs Investigation Section, the Military Intelligence Bureau, or the Ministry of National Defense Intelligence Department, you can mobilize them directly now. Make sure to dig out all these Japanese spies and give everyone peace of mind.”
From Vice Minister Wu's words, it's clear that Li Shaoyi, as the deputy director of the Special Committee, wields considerable power.