Chapter 783: So pluck away

Zhang Yong sat down next to the Japanese spy.

This was a table for four. Zhang Yong sat opposite the Japanese spy.

Safety first.

Although the Japanese spy didn't have a gun. But what if he had a knife?

If he sat next to him, he would be vulnerable to a stab from the Japanese spy's knife. But if he sat across from him, there would be no such danger.

If the other person drew a knife, he would draw his gun.

Within seven steps, the gun is fast and accurate.

'You...'

The Japanese spy was puzzled.

He paused with the knife and fork in his hands.

A flash of light flashed in the depths of his eyes. It was fleeting.

Zhang Yong nodded with a smile.

Very good.

The other person knows him.

Although, the other person is covering it up very well.

But Zhang Yong is no longer a novice. He can also judge things.

The Japanese spy in front of him definitely knows Zhang Yong. But he pretends not to.

To be honest, this disguise is not very clever.

He should understand that since he is sitting next to him, he has already been exposed.

'You know me.'

'Who are you?'

'I am Zhang Yong. I am from the Special Branch of the Restoration Society. I specialize in catching Japanese spies.'

'Why have you come to see me?'

'I'm very surprised. Why were you called in to participate? Logically, you shouldn't have been involved in the kidnapping. Why did you go along with the kidnapping when you're concealing your identity? Is it because you speak English? Do they need an English interpreter?'

Zhang Yong spoke with confidence.

The other person was one of the Japanese spies involved in the kidnapping.

The system could never be wrong.

He was just a little confused. He wanted an answer.

Of course, if the other person didn't want to answer, that was fine. It was okay not to have an answer.

His goal was to get money.

And to get money, he didn't need answers. He could either catch the person or kill him.

'I don't know what you're talking about.'

'I'm Zhang Yong. My specialty is catching Japanese spies. I'm sitting right next to you. Why are you denying it?'

'You might be mistaken.'

'I won't be mistaken. I'm giving you a choice. Do you want to continue with this job, or do you want to go back to being tortured?'

'You're slandering people.'

'The one who works in the bakery has already been caught by me. He will talk even if you don't.'

'I don't know what you're talking about.'

'Let me put it this way: I was watching you when you came out of that bunker-like building. You and the other person got into a rickshaw and left. You should have gone northwest. It's Baohua Road. Yes. It's Baohua Road.'

'...'

The Japanese spy finally fell silent.

When everything had been revealed, there was no point in resisting.

And yet, he remained silent.

Silence is defiance.

'There were seven of you,' Zhang Yong said slowly. "During the hostage rescue, I killed two. Then I killed two more. I captured one alive. Now, you are the sixth. There is still a seventh, whom I have not found.'

'I won't say anything." The Japanese spy put down his knife and fork. A cold response.

'I don't need you to say anything either.' Zhang Yong waved at the waitress. Perfect. It was dinner time. He was hungry too. Let's just eat.

He waved at the others again. Signaling them to come in. Eat together.

He had just received a check. 500 silver dollars. Enough to pay for everyone's meal. Haha.

It's great to be rich. You can eat whenever you want.

In the past, he thought the food at the headquarters of the Chicken and Goose Alley was okay. Now that his taste buds have become more discerning, he finds the food outside tastier.

I just don't know if there's any gutter oil...

The waitress came over.

The Japanese spy didn't move.

Zhang Yong smiled, 'I thought you were going to take hostages.'

The Japanese spy shook his head and said coldly, "You, Zhang Shaolong, are not a compassionate person.'

'That's right," Zhang Yong nodded in agreement.

Indeed, he would shoot.

Shoot at the waitress. And then capture the Japanese spy.

The waitress was injured and taken to the hospital. He was responsible for the medical expenses. And the shock fee.

So, you have to work hard to make money. Otherwise, you won't even have the money for medical fees after injuring someone.

The waitress didn't sense any danger at all.

'Sir.'

'We're a big group, so you just take care of it. One set meal each. How much is that roughly?'

'Sir, how many people are there in your group?'

'Thirty-five, I think. If that's not enough, we'll add more.'

'If it's one set meal each, ten silver dollars is about right.'

'Okay. I'll give you 15 taels. Add a little extra to each set meal. We're all rough and tumble. We eat a lot.'

'I understand. Thank you.'

'You're welcome.'

Zhang Yong handed the other person 15 taels.

Then he arranged the chairs properly. He sat formally in front of the Japanese spy. He made a gesture of invitation.

'We're in the same business. You don't mind revealing your name, do you?'

'Yosuke Yamaguchi.'

'Oh, I know that surname. Momoe Yamaguchi, I like it.'

'What?'

'You have a beautiful woman in Japan called Momoe Yamaguchi. She is very pretty. She sings beautifully. She is also a good actress. My parents like her very much.'

'Momoe Yamaguchi? Your parents?'

'Yes. She starred in a TV drama called 'Bloody Suspicion', which was the first Japanese drama my parents watched.'

'What are you talking about?'

Yosuke Yamaguchi was confused. He didn't understand a word Zhang Yong was saying!

It didn't sound like nonsense. Nonsense like this is completely meaningless. Could it be that the other person is mentally ill? Deranged?

Damn it...

He'd actually been seen through by a lunatic.

Failed...

But then again, apart from lunatics, who else would be able to see through him?

He had been lurking at the Bank of Communications for three years. Never had there been any problems.

Until Zhang Yong appeared...

This guy is definitely not normal. Because no normal person would talk such nonsense.

'Don't understand what I'm saying?'

'No.'

'I'm telling you, you can have a bright future.'

'You think I'll believe that?'

'Why not? What if it's true?'

'I don't believe it,'

the Japanese spy said coldly.

Zhang Yong nodded. He understood. Then he bowed his head and ate.

He didn't speak again.

He concentrated on his meal.

Sure enough, I'm no negotiation expert.

The protagonists in spy dramas are all all-rounders. They can persuade the other party with just a few words.

It seems that people like Yan Shuangying are full of famous quotes.

Unfortunately, it seems that I don't know anything. My words are completely uninspiring. No one cares.

Alas, what a failure!

Fortunately, I can still make a little money. Otherwise, I really feel ashamed of travelling back in time.

The Japanese spy watched Zhang Yong eat with concentration. Instead, he became a little restless. Perhaps Zhang Yong was too quiet. It made him realise that his life was counting down.

No one likes to fail.

Especially not those who are full of confidence. They will never admit defeat easily.

Yosuke Yamaguchi was one of them.

'Did you really rescue the hostages?' The Japanese spy suddenly asked a very stupid question.

It was a stupid question. But it was indeed the key.

If the hostages were rescued, he would be worthless.

Because the hostage had seen his face and knew who he was. He was completely exposed.

'He was rescued. But he's badly injured.'

'Did you hit him?'

'Of course not. You did.'

'We?'

'Yes. You kidnapped an American hostage and severely abused him, causing him to be covered in bruises and wounds. Now, reporters from various countries have taken photos. We also have the hostage's own accusations. Extra editions should be hitting the streets right now.'

'We didn't hit him!'

The Japanese spies were flustered. They instinctively defended themselves.

They really hadn't hit him. They also knew that the hostage had connections.

Their plan was not to use torture until the last resort. They also knew that the consequences would be severe if they did.

'Just look for yourself!'

Zhang Yong casually pulled out a stack of photos and gave them to the other party.

The photos were of course taken from foreign reporters. They had been urgently developed at a photo lab.

The Japanese spies hurriedly took the photos. Then the whole person froze.

My God! The hostage's back was covered in bruises. All of them were whip marks.

But they really didn't beat him, he swears!

How could this be?

"Impossible...'

'It's impossible.'

'What?'

'I did it.'

'You?'

'To be precise, MacFarland asked me to do it.'

'Why?'

'Why do you think?'

'You're trying to frame us?'

'Shh! Don't say that. There's no such thing.'

'You're obviously framing us! We definitely didn't abuse the hostage! Definitely not!'

'I believe...'

Zhang Yong said slowly.

Put down the knife and fork. Burp. Mmm. Almost full.

This café's Western food is pretty good. And the portions are generous. Might as well rename it a Western restaurant.

'But no one believes us!'

'What do you want anyway? Why frame us?'

'Don't think about it too much. We just want to get some money. Your boss definitely doesn't want an international incident, and will pay to settle this. They will find me. And then they will make an offer. They want me to settle this. Don't make it international. I get the money, and this is over.'

'What a money-grubber. Zhang Yong! Zhang Shaolong! You really haven't changed!'

'It seems that you know me very well. Could it be that you are the mastermind behind the kidnapping?'

Zhang Yong suddenly realised.

This guy in front of him didn't seem to have been pulled in at the last minute.

His hidden identity was still valuable, so he couldn't have been a helper. Unless he planned it all himself. Everyone else was a helper.

Right. Everyone else was a helper. He was the main person.

He looked up at the other person.

A proud smile appeared at the corner of the Japanese spy's mouth.

Yes. He was the mastermind!

He planned the kidnapping. The others were just his lackeys.

Unfortunately, he didn't expect Zhang Yong to find him so quickly.

He had to admit, this guy was a tough enemy.

'Yes. It was me,'

Ri Die answered proudly. He felt like he was about to go down in history.

Even if the other party killed him, he would be satisfied.

Although in the end he failed.

'It really was you,' Zhang Yong was very happy, 'then let me ask you, did you get paid a lot to work for MacArthur?'

'What?' The Japanese spy was momentarily at a loss for words. He was stunned.

What did he mean by working for MacArthur?

Money? How much?

'It's like this,' Zhang Yong asked seriously, "MacFarland asked me to work for MacArthur. He promised me 500 US dollars a month. I think that's a bit low. So I want to ask you what the going rate is. What do you think of that price?'

'So you're prepared to work for the Americans?" The Japanese spy looked strangely at him.

'It's kind of a part-time job. After all, I'm in dire need of money.' Zhang Yong nodded, 'If you can make some extra money, who would say no?'

'Are you that short of money?'

'Yes. I'm very short of money. The team I lead is self-financed. No one allocates any funds. If there's no money, we'll starve. You see, just to catch you and come in here, it cost 15 silver dollars for a meal! 15 silver dollars for a meal! Do you think I'm not short of money?'

'You...'

The Japanese spy's face became even more strange.

He wanted to say something, but it was hard to say. He felt like a failure.

The other party didn't even have funding!

He actually had to raise the funds himself.

No wonder they were so crazy about arresting Japanese spies and extorting money from them everywhere.

The government in Nanjing was really stingy. They wouldn't give a single penny. Damn it. In the end, it's the Japanese who suffer!

Baka!

I'm so angry. But I can't let it out.

Although Zhang Yong is the enemy, there doesn't seem to be any reason to blame him. He also needs to eat...

'Can you answer that?'

'What?'

'Just now, I asked MacArthur what the price was for working for him, and he said 500 dollars a month. What do you think the price is?'

'Do you think I'll answer you?'

'You're going to die anyway. It's not a bad idea to dig a pit for MacFarland before you die. He and I will team up to dig a pit for you. You can also team up with me to dig a pit for him. Right?'

'Zhang Yong, Zhang Shaolong, you really want to take advantage of every situation!'

'Is that okay?'

Zhang Yong asked seriously.

Spy: ...

You! Damn it! I can't stand it anymore!

This son of a bitch, after eating himself, he wants to turn around and eat McFarland.

But if he can get McFarland, he definitely won't let go. Even before he dies, he wants to take someone down with him.

'How are you going to do it?'

'Simple. You are seven people, four are dead, two are alive. And one more, I think, can be captured. Or killed. In this way, your superiors will never know how many people are in my hands. They will worry that you will come out and identify the matter. That would be troublesome. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will definitely not accept it. So, someone will definitely come to me. I hope I can cover this up.'

'How much do you want?'

'Not much. Fifty thousand dollars. I'm very low-maintenance.'

'Fifty thousand dollars! How dare you!'

'You think that's too little? How about I up the ante? How about 100,000 dollars?'

'Go to hell!'

'No. I don't have to go to hell. You're the ones who have to go to hell. Your side will definitely demand that I silence you. To prevent you from being put on the stand as a witness.'

'Don't you dare try to drive a wedge between us.'

'I'm just telling you the facts. I have to kill you. It's what your side will demand. Only the dead can keep a secret forever.'

'I'm not afraid of death.'

'I understand. So before I die, can you tell me what the price on MacArthur's side is really like?'

'You...'

The Japanese spy suddenly gritted his teeth.

Hagah!

Very angry. But facing Zhang Yong, he just couldn't get angry.

This son of a bitch. It's all about the money.

As an excellent spy, Yosuke Yamaguchi felt very hurt.

Can you stop talking about money all the time?

For 500 US dollars, you feel like you're selling yourself.

Hagah!

Shame!

To be caught by such a person!

His dignity, his honour! Aaaa, all defiled by the other party's money!

But...

Before he died, he did want to take revenge on McFarland. Borrowing Zhang Yong's knife.

'The Americans are very concerned about the Big Thunder project.'

'The Americans don't really care about the Big Thunder project...'

'MacArthur is still very forward-looking when it comes to the Army Air Corps.'

'Him?'

'You know about the Mitchell case, don't you?'

'No.'

'I'd like to hear about it.'

'I'd like a cup of coffee.'

'Okay.'

Zhang Yong turns his head. He waves.

He asks the waiter for the best coffee.

Although he is the enemy, it is still useful to be able to obtain some information.

He had never heard of the Mitchell case.

'That was in 1925...' The Japanese spy began to explain slowly, "Mitchell was originally the deputy commander of the US Army Air Corps. He advocated the establishment of an independent air force. He advocated the independence of the air force from the army. His views were very radical. So much so that he offended many high-ranking people.'

'What does this have to do with MacArthur?" Zhang Yong was puzzled.

It was strange to say the least. At this time in the United States and Japan, the air forces were not independent.

Aircraft belonged to the army and navy respectively. There was no independent air force.

In contrast, Germany had an independent air force. So did the Soviet Union. So did the UK. It was unclear whether France had one. A very complicated worldview.

The Nationalist government, on the other hand, had an independent air force. A very independent one.

Even the Commander-in-Chief could not interfere.

'MacArthur was the presiding judge. He found Mitchell guilty and suspended him from military service for five years.'

'Then what?'

'Although he found Mitchell guilty, he recognised the importance of the air force in Mitchell's radical theory. So he advocated the active development of the air force, giving priority to tanks, armour and heavy artillery.'

'Then what?'

'So of course he would care about the Big Thunder project. That was the most advanced fighter. He wanted it too.'

'Oh...'

Zhang Yong nodded thoughtfully.

So that's what happened. It's really rare to see such a secret.

I have to say, this old McArthur really does have some insight. He recognised the advantages of air power in future warfare very early on.

Although he rejected the idea of forming an independent air force, he was a staunch supporter of the air force himself. No wonder the Americans' air force developed so quickly. All kinds of extremely good fighter jets and bombers emerged in an endless stream. Much of this was driven by MacArthur.

Objectively speaking, McArthur was indeed on the right track.

In World War II, the air force that fought the best was the American air force.

Both in the air and at sea, they were very capable.

If they hadn't encountered an unprecedented opponent on the Korean Peninsula, they would probably have ended their lives in glory.

'So, the funding issue...'

'Half a million dollars.'

'What?'

'MacArthur asked for half a million dollars in exchange for the complete blueprints for the Bf 109.'

'No way? He has that kind of money?'

'Of course it wasn't him who approached them. It was someone else. It was the arms dealers behind him. Curtis, Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Lockheed were all involved.'

'Oh...'

Zhang Yong's eyes gradually brightened.

I forgot. MacArthur is still a very motivating guy.

He has very good relationships with the domestic media, as well as arms dealers and the like. He often stands up for arms dealers.

If he can get the complete drawings of the Bf 109, half a million dollars is nothing.

If it is shared out among a few aircraft manufacturing companies, it is nothing at all!

It is not even a drop in the bucket. The research and development budgets of any aircraft company are calculated in millions of dollars.

A technological breakthrough cannot be measured in just half a million dollars. It is hundreds or thousands of times more.

Especially as the time for the full-scale outbreak of World War II is getting shorter and shorter, if a technological breakthrough can be achieved, an order can be for thousands or tens of thousands of aircraft.

Therefore...

MacArthur was the real big catch!

Hold on tight, you can at least eat until 1950...

It's a deal.

He's the one.

Scratch him!