Chapter 1255
Li Aiguo sets a trap, Pei Yihuai is executed.
Li Aiguo's code name is train driver, and he is a core member of the weather station.
Li Aiguo's trip to Nanjing was originally thought to be solely for investigating Dieter's sabotage of the ferry.
This was already commonplace for Li Aiguo.
Li Aiguo was still focused on finishing the case quickly, so he left time to visit the construction site of the Jinling Yangtze River Bridge.
The Jinling Yangtze River Bridge is still a bit too short; it would be better if it could be made taller.
It's still in its early stages, so there should be enough time.
Who knew the case would develop so far beyond expectations, and now it's even being linked to an upcoming inspection.
The atmosphere of the investigation team instantly changed from "business trip at public expense" to "race against time".
Li Aiguo had no choice but to temporarily abandon his plan to visit the site.
Section Chief Liu left quickly and returned quickly.
He quickly returned to his office carrying a large stack of files and documents.
It's piled up on the table, a huge pile.
Browsing through files is a tedious and laborious task, especially now that the security department is no longer trustworthy.
Old Cat then divided the files into several parts and handed them over to Li Aiguo, Zhou Ke, and the meteorologists.
Li Aiguo, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying himself.
In his eyes, flipping through files is not a tedious task, but a "strategic RPG" that transcends time and space.
Each yellowed page represents the life story of an NPC.
It's as if you can stand in God's viewpoint and examine the development trajectory of these people.
The office was filled with smoke, making it look like a fairyland.
Li Aiguo, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, suddenly frowned: "Section Chief Liu, why is this file an incomplete copy?"
The grease in his hand belonged to Xu Hao, the custodian; that unlucky guy Tang Zhiyong got his lubricant from here.
However, the archives only contain information from after the liberation; the information from before the liberation is completely blank.
It should be noted that Nanjing was peacefully liberated, and the archives of various units have been preserved, so the Xiaguan Station should be no exception.
Besides Xu Hao's file, several other files are incomplete or missing.
Section Chief Liu was staring blankly out the window when he heard this, and he was taken aback: "Oh, that one. The archives room was destroyed in a fire before liberation, and a lot of it was burned."
Later, Xiaguan Station came under the jurisdiction of the Shanghai Railway Bureau, and its records were re-established.
Li Aiguo narrowed his eyes slightly: "What year was it burned?"
"Well, I really don't know. I only took over as head of the security section after liberation. I'll have to ask the older comrades in the section." Section Chief Liu seemed very cooperative at this moment and turned to leave.
Zhou Ke pulled his head out of the pile of files, looking completely bewildered: "Patriotism, so what if it's burned? What does that have to do with us catching spies? Do you think spies can travel back in time and set fires?"
Before Li Aiguo could speak, Lao Mao sternly reprimanded his apprentice: "Is your brain just for showing off?"
The Xiaguan Station changed hands several times, and the timing of the fire is key to breaking the deadlock. If it was arson, what was the arsonist trying to cover up?
Old Cat's deduction is spot on.
Xiaguan Station fell to the Japanese in 1937, was liberated in 1945, and was officially liberated in 1949.
The composition of a suspect can vary drastically depending on the time frame.
*****
Section Chief Xu returned at this time, bringing with him an old security officer surnamed Cao, who had worked at Xiaguan Station during the Japanese occupation.
"I remember it was September 12, 1945. By then, the Japanese had already surrendered. After taking over Nanjing, the Nanjing garrison waited for more than ten days before being notified to take over Xiaguan Station. The Japanese leaders and engineers at Xiaguan Station fled upon receiving the news, and the station was in chaos. The ferries had all stopped operating."
That day, I had made plans with Lao Pei to go out for drinks to celebrate. Before I even left the office, I heard someone shout that there was a fire.
I rushed over, and by then the archives were already on fire. The fire was huge, and Old Pei's hair had been burned off. I pulled him out of the flames.
Old Cao explained in great detail, afraid of getting himself involved.
Li Aiguo keenly caught a name: "Old Pei? Pei Yihuai?"
"Yes, that's him. He's the station's top technician; he learned his skills from Japanese engineers back in the day, so his technical expertise is unquestionable. He's also..."
Old Cao hesitated, then secretly glanced at Li Aiguo, "He is Tang Zhi's master."
Li Aiguo, already aware of the situation, pretended not to know and continued to ask:
Why was Pei Yihuai at the fire scene?
"This... how would I know? It was chaotic back then, and no one investigated."
Old Cao shrank back. "Boss, that's all I know."
Section Chief Liu said sternly, "Old Cao, straighten your attitude! The leader is asking you a question!"
Old Cao shuddered in fright.
Li Aiguo waved to Section Chief Liu and offered him a cigarette: "Comrade Cao, the fact that you were allowed to stay in the Security Section already shows the higher-ups' trust in you. Don't feel pressured. Once we've investigated the situation thoroughly, Xiaguan Station can return to normal, right?"
"Yes, yes, sir. Please feel free to ask me anything."
Li Aiguo then asked, "Why isn't Pei Yihuai married? He's over forty, isn't he? He's still a repairman, and his salary isn't low."
"He's a gambler." Old Cao took the cigarette and started talking.
“Back before Liberation, Old Pei would go to the gambling den as soon as he got his salary, and he would lose everything, not even his underwear. Later, the gambling den was shut down, and he got too old, so he stopped going.”
After saying that, Old Cao cautiously added, "After liberation, the Jinling Maru No. 2 was reactivated. It wasn't Jinling Maru No. 2, it was Pukou. Look at my mouth, I'm talking nonsense again."
This was originally a Japanese ferry, and it was about to be abandoned. It was Pei Yihuai and his repairmen who maintained and modified it, making it usable again.
"Is something wrong with Lao Pei?"
"Old Cao!" Section Chief Liu stopped him, "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask!"
After seeing Lao Cao off, I closed the office door.
Old Cat's eyes were piercing: "Patriotism, what do you think?"
“He knows Pukouhao best, is Tang Zhi’s mentor, and is also an old gambler,” Li Aiguo sneered.
"With all the necessary elements present, who else should we suspect if not him?"
"Then what are we waiting for! Arrest them!" Zhou Ke slammed his fist on the table and stood up, looking like he was about to rush out and start a fight.
Old Cat waved his hand at him and scolded, "Bring him back. What if he doesn't confess?"
Our goal is not only to find the culprits who vandalized the Pukou ship, but also to use this opportunity to uncover the group attempting to disrupt the visit!
Unless Pei Yihuai does something foolish, he will never admit it, because the consequences would be far too severe.
Once Pei Yihuai was alerted, it was impossible to suppress him completely in one fell swoop.
Then it will be very difficult to find out who is behind this.
Furthermore,
With Pei Yihuai gone, will the mastermind change their plan of action?
At that time, it will be even more difficult to guarantee the safety of ferries.
Zhou Ke understood this as well, and scratched his head: "What do we do now? Are we going to go to the Pukou ship to look for evidence?"
If Pei Yihuai is truly as cunning as he appears, it will be difficult to find evidence.
The old cat also frowned.
Li Aiguo laughed and slammed his hand on the table: "Old Cat, let me ask you, what is Pei Yihuai most worried about?"
Old Cat spoke up: "Of course he's worried about not being able to get close to the ferry, otherwise he won't be able to complete his mission. He's hoping we can close the case quickly."
Halfway through his sentence, Old Cat's eyes lit up instantly: "You're going to dig a hole!"
“That’s right, dig a hole and bury people!” Li Aiguo suddenly stood up.
Zhou Ke had a vague feeling that the lights in the office suddenly became brighter.
This was not an illusion, but something seen on the faces of those meteorologists.
Although it was unclear what Li Aiguo's plan to "dig a pit and bury people" was, these meteorologists trusted Li Aiguo.
He looked at Li Aiguo, then at himself, and sighed inwardly: How can there be such a big difference between people? Is it because Aiguo drank more milk than I did when he was a child?
Old Cat made a decisive decision: "Bring all the repairmen here and talk to them one by one!"
****
In the evening, the atmosphere in the maintenance workshop of Xiaguan Station was as oppressive as the calm before a storm.
The repairmen squatted on the steps smoking, each with a worried expression.
Just now, the security department spoke with these maintenance workers. Although it was just a routine conversation, they seemed to treat them as suspects.
"Old Pei, you've been through a lot, tell me what happened?"
"Yeah, isn't the suspect Tang Zhi? Why are they suspecting us?"
"If this dirty water gets splashed on you, you can't wash it off."
"How would I know? The higher-ups probably have their own considerations. Everyone, don't worry, just cooperate." Pei Yihuai was actually panicking inside.
The investigation team acted too quickly, catching him off guard.
It wasn't that he lacked confidence in his actions, but rather...
At this moment, the workshop director walked in with a dark face: "I'm announcing a decision. Starting today, the entire second group is suspended from duty to cooperate with the investigation until the case is solved."
The crowd erupted in chaos.
"Director, this has nothing to do with us. We are innocent."
"Yes, how can they suspend him from his post?"
"If word gets out, people will think we're Dieter."
Only Pei Yihuai remained calm, not flustered at all.
He stood up and looked at the workshop director: "Director, the Pukou ferry is a ferry left behind by the Japanese. Only we are the ones who can maintain it. If we are suspended from our duties, the ferry will definitely have an accident."
What does it mean to be fearless because you have something to rely on?
That's it.
Unfortunately, Li Aiguo is the kind of person who's good at flipping tables.
"The investigation team has brought in Zhao Qingyang, an expert from Jiangnan Shipyard, to temporarily take over your work." The workshop director ruthlessly played his trump card.
These words were spoken.
The scene was completely silent.
Zhao Qingyang is an expert in ferry research; how could he be inferior to them? Pei Yihuai is now even more panicked, extremely panicked.
Once he was suspended, he would no longer have any contact with the "Jinling".
He was very familiar with the organization's methods; if he couldn't complete the mission, they would definitely chop him into pieces and throw him into the Yangtze River to feed the fish.
"Why don't you go talk to a woman about it? No, no, Pei Yihuai, how could you be so foolish? It's obvious the investigation team already suspects you, and they might even have someone watching you right now. No, you have to handle this yourself."
After getting off work, Pei Yihuai walked back to his dormitory with a worried expression.
Besides these, there was still something he couldn't understand.
He had met Zhao Qingyang, who was a haughty and arrogant old expert. How could he possibly listen to the investigation team's orders?
Section Chief Liu couldn't understand this either.
Therefore, when Li Aiguo proposed suspending all maintenance workers in the second group, he strongly opposed it.
As a result, Li Aiguo quickly brought Zhao Qingyang and his group of experts over, and these experts were even willing to help repair the Pukou ship.
Watching Zhao Qingyang excitedly follow Li Aiguo toward the ferry terminal, Section Chief Liu couldn't understand it at all.
"Aiguo, we had a deal. I'll cover for you for a while, and you have to tell me why the roller burst," Zhao Qingyang said excitedly.
"Don't worry, Lao Zhao, we train workers keep our word."
Li Aiguo looked up at the ferry crossing in the distance and said, "As for you, you can give me a proper introduction to the Pukou ship later."
"That's easy. I led the team when the Pukou was being renovated back then. To be fair, the Pukou does have its merits. The boiler is a standard model from the Showa era of the Japanese army. It's inefficient at burning coal, but its simple structure makes it easy to repair during wartime."
While chatting with Zhao Qingyang, Li Aiguo walked towards Xiaguan Ferry.
Just then, the Suzhou ferry docked, and staff were directing the loading of trucks onto the ferry.
This was the first time Li Aiguo had ever seen a train carriage crossing a river, and he couldn't help but stop and take a look.
These workers were very skilled. Three steel trestle bridges were erected between the barge and the ferry. The dockworkers used a gauge ruler to calibrate the gaps and tightened the screws to adjust the rail heads for connection.
The shunting locomotive pushed the car onto the trestle bridge, the steel wheels scraping against the rails with a loud noise.
Ferry technicians stand on both sides of the track with crowbars to fine-tune the wheel flanges of the carriages. After the carriages are in place, they lock the manual rail clamps.
As the ship sank under the weight, workers cranked a Japanese-style hand pump to fill a square water tank with water to balance the ship.
The three tracks lead into the carriage in sequence, the couplers engage, and the carriage is particularly stable on the ferry.
With all the carriages parked, the shunting operator waved a flag, and the passengers who had been blocked outside hurriedly ran towards the ferry.
A few people who arrived late saw the ferry about to start and was moving very fast, so the shunting operator quickly signaled the ferry to wait.
That's how it is when you're rushing to catch a ferry. If you're taking your time and not in a hurry at all, the ferry won't wait for you.
A moment later, the Suzhou-class ferry sounded its whistle and slowly sailed out of the ferry terminal.
Li Aiguo withdrew his gaze and led Zhao Qingyang toward the Pukou ship parked not far away.
As soon as I got close, a woman wearing a railway ticket seller uniform and with braids hurried over.
"Comrade, you're a member of the investigation team, right?" The woman's face was pale, and her eyes were slightly red.
Behind her, a middle-aged ticket seller quickly came over and grabbed the woman's arm: "Xiaoqiao, this has nothing to do with you. You're not married to Tang Zhi yet, so there's no need for you to get involved in this."
"Sister Zhang, I am Tang Zhi's fiancée, I believe her."
Zhou Xiaoqiao stubbornly stood in front of Li Aiguo, tears streaming down her face.
"Comrade, I'm Zhou Xiaoqiao, the ticket seller at Xiaguan Station. Tang Zhi is innocent; I can vouch for him! Please, you must save him!"
As Zhou Xiaoqiao spoke, tears streamed down her face.
Li Aiguo said, "Comrade Zhou Xiaoqiao, please trust the organization. It will not let a bad person go unpunished, nor will it wrong an innocent person."
After saying that, Li Aiguo turned around and boarded the ferry.
Zhou Xiaoqiao stood there, looking at that figure—not just a figure, but hope.
****
The Pukou, also known as the Jinling Maru No. 2, was a ferry specially built by the Japanese for transporting supplies after the Yangtze River ferry was scuttled and moved westward. It could carry 23 carriages.
It was designed entirely according to Showa-era standards, with the boiler, rails, rail clamps, and other components all being of Japanese style.
Li Aiguo looked around and was then pulled by Zhao Qingyang to the entrance of the engine room on the main deck, in the middle of the ship.
After descending the steel ladder into the engine room, you walk along the maintenance access road on the engine room floor to the rear of the engine room, and finally arrive at a large steel door.
There used to be Japanese writing on the door, but it has been painted over now.
"This doorway leads to the stern shaft compartment, or as the Japanese would say, the stern shaft room. Emergency repairs to the propeller rollers can be carried out here, but it's usually done in dry dock, where they're lifted directly," Zhao Qingyang explained the procedure to Li Aiguo.
Li Aiguo nodded. Whether it came from the outside or the inside, no outsider could damage the rollers except for professionals who knew the Pukou Ship very well.
“Actually, ferries like the Pukou should have been phased out long ago,” Zhao Qingyang sighed.
"Decades ago, I returned from abroad and joined the Jiangnan Shipyard, hoping to build large ships for us. But then the Japanese came, and all our plans fell through. We lost all our talent and equipment. After liberation, the shipyard was able to develop again and built the Jiangsu and Jinling ships. It's just a pity that our marine engineering technology is still far behind that of foreign countries."
At this point, Zhao Qingyang realized he had misspoke.
Li Aiguo, however, didn't seem to care and laughed, "Old Zhao, wouldn't you like to build a large ocean liner?"
"Of course I want to, but unfortunately, given the current level of technology, it will take at least several decades to build it," Zhao Qingyang sighed.
Many years later, Zhao Qingyang, who had become a leading figure in shipbuilding, still found this scene unbelievable.
Did the train driver already have a complete plan in place?!
Far away.
Li Aiguo stepped off the ferry, where Zhou Ke was already waiting.
"how is the situation?"
“We’ve been monitoring those repairmen 24/7, and so far we haven’t found anything unusual, especially Pei Yihuai, who has already gone home after leaving the repair shop,” Zhou Ke said, sounding somewhat incredulous.
He originally thought that Pei Yihuai would take action after feeling suspected, but he didn't expect Pei Yihuai to act as if nothing had happened.
He was also a little scared. If things had really gone as he had planned and they had arrested the person directly, it would have been very difficult to get him to talk.
"The show is about to begin!" Li Aiguo smiled.
*****
The security section of Xiaguan Station was quiet in the early morning.
Section Chief Liu and the security officers have been excluded from the investigation team.
Section Chief Liu stood somewhat dejectedly by the big tree, smoking and chatting idly with the security officers.
Suddenly, two figures walked in from outside.
Upon seeing the person who arrived, Section Chief Liu's face darkened.
"Pei Yihuai, didn't I tell you that no one can see Tang Zhi right now? Why didn't you listen?!"
"Oh, Section Chief Liu, you are the pillar of our Xiaguan Station, how could I not listen to you?"
Pei Yihuai's words made Section Chief Liu feel quite flattered. Then, he pointed to a girl next to him and introduced her: "This is Comrade Zhou Xiaoqiao, Tang Zhi's fiancée. This girl is worried about Tang Zhi's health, so she specially stewed turtle soup and brought it to Tang Zhi. Please be lenient."
Section Chief Liu then noticed Zhou Xiaoqiao, and looked somewhat troubled.
Shimonoseki Station is a small station that only handles ferries, and the staff all know each other.
Zhou Xiaoqiao's parents are both long-time employees of the station and live right across from Section Chief Liu's house. They see each other all the time, so if he refuses, how will they ever see each other again?
But he couldn't make that decision himself.
At this moment, Pei Yihuai quickly nudged Zhou Xiaoqiao's arm. Remembering Pei Yihuai's previous instructions, Zhou Xiaoqiao hurriedly called him Uncle Liu.
Section Chief Liu was at a loss.
"You guys are always causing me trouble. I'll take you to try it out, but if it doesn't work, don't blame me!"
Section Chief Liu led the two men to the door of the detention room.
The meteorologist in charge of security became alert when he saw the group approaching and put his hands on his hips.
Section Chief Liu quickly explained the situation, saying with difficulty, "Killing someone is just a matter of a head falling to the ground, but Tang Zhi might lose his head. Now that his fiancée is here, let's let them meet."
The meteorologists exchanged glances and said, "How about this, you wait a moment, we'll go report to Comrade Zhou."
Comrade Zhou is Zhou Ke. Section Chief Liu knows this guy; he's simple-minded and easily gets anxious and angry.
"Okay, okay, we'll wait."
A meteorologist rushed over and quickly returned with Zhou Ke.
"What did you bring?" Zhou Ke asked, his eyes fixed on Zhou Xiaoqiao.
Zhou Xiaoqiao quickly opened the blanket in her arms, inside which was a lunchbox. Inside the lunchbox was turtle soup.
Pei Yihuai quickly reached out to cover it: "Oh dear, it won't taste good if it gets cold."
"Is that so?" A voice came from afar, and Pei Yihuai's expression changed slightly upon seeing the figure.
Because he had already seen this person during the interrogation, and he was very capable.
Li Aiguo walked over with his hands behind his back, looking at him with a half-smile: "Oh, turtle soup? Very nourishing."
“Yes, it really is turtle soup. Why don’t you take another look?” Pei Yihuai could only open the aluminum lunchbox again.
"I won't watch anymore. Here, you drink a few sips." Li Aiguo picked up the aluminum lunchbox and brought it to Pei Yihuai's lips.
"You try it for Tang Zhi first, is this soup too hot?"
Pei Yihuai looked at the bowl of soup, his face turning grim: "This is for Tang Zhi, a token of Zhou Xiaoqiao's goodwill. What would it mean if I drank it? I can't drink it, I can't drink it."
"Now I command you to drink it immediately!" Li Aiguo's eyes suddenly turned cold, like two sharp scalpels piercing Pei Yihuai's heart.
Section Chief Liu found it strange and was about to step forward to ask when he saw that Zhou Ke and the others had already drawn their pistols, so he stopped in his tracks.
Pei Yihuai stared at the lunchbox in front of him, remained silent for a full two minutes, and then suddenly let out a long sigh.
"That's right, there's definitely something wrong with this turtle soup, but can you tell me how you knew I would make a move?"
Even Pei Yihuai himself hadn't planned to poison Tang Zhi beforehand, so how did this burly young man know?
"You have no right to ask questions," Li Aiguo said coldly, waving his hand.
Several meteorologists rushed forward and pinned Pei Yihuai to the ground.
Pei Yihuai's face was pressed against the ground, with only one thought in his mind.
How did he guess that?
(End of this chapter)