Chapter 1256
Li Aiguo's Treatment, the Missing Du Juan, Let's Set Off, "Yangtze River
Pei Yihuai was taken into the interrogation room.
The silence outside was eerily profound.
Section Chief Liu stood there blankly, recalling what had just happened, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
"Pei Yihuai is actually Dieter... This... This..."
The thought of the information he had given Pei Yihuai a few days ago made his legs tremble instantly.
"Ahem... I'm not feeling well, I'll go back to my office and rest. Let me know if anything comes up." Section Chief Liu said, turning to leave.
A meteorologist suddenly stepped in front of him.
"Section Chief Liu, you cannot leave here until the matter is thoroughly investigated."
"What are you doing! I'm the head of the security department, would I be colluding with Dieter?" Section Chief Liu was a little guilty, but he knew he couldn't be guilty, so he could only stick his neck out.
Facing the furious Section Chief Liu, Li Aiguo smiled calmly and asked, "Section Chief Liu, how did Pei Yihuai find out he was being watched?"
"Hiccup!" Section Chief Liu was about to get angry when he was interrupted by these words, and the rest of his voice choked in his throat.
He stared wide-eyed at Li Aiguo, frozen in place, unable to recover for a long time.
A gentle breeze blew by, swirling a fallen leaf around his feet.
The scene was completely silent.
"Take them away!" Li Aiguo's brows furrowed, and he decisively raised his hand to give the order.
Two meteorologists stepped forward, one hand on their hips, and the other gesturing for Section Chief Liu to proceed.
The meaning is obvious.
If you don't want dignity, then we'll just have to deny you dignity.
Section Chief Liu sighed heavily, withdrew his gaze, and followed the meteorologist away with his head hanging low.
The security officers from Xiaguan Station nearby were completely dumbfounded.
Now that the section chief has been arrested, what should they do?
Li Aiguo turned to the crowd and shouted, "Where is the deputy head of the security department?!"
"Chen Ming, deputy head of the security section of Xiaguan Station, reporting for duty!"
A burly man rushed out from the crowd, stood at attention, and gave Li Aiguo a standard military salute.
"Comrade Chen Ming, effective immediately, the investigation team will officially take over all security work at Xiaguan Station."
"In accordance with the authority granted to me by my superiors, I appoint you as the acting head of the Security Section, to be in full charge of the section's work." Li Aiguo's voice was loud and clear.
"Yes! Please give the order, leader!" Chen Ming stood with his feet together.
"Immediately seal off the entire Xiaguan Station area, strictly prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving until the order to lift the lockdown is received!"
All personnel coming to the station for business will be temporarily detained. Anyone who dares to cause trouble or resist will be treated as a Tundit and may be subject to the use of weapons according to law!
"Yes, sir! Mission accomplished!"
Chen Ming was clearly a veteran; he turned around and immediately gathered the security officers, issuing orders.
"Zhang Quan, take a team to seal off the main gate."
"Chen Tao, take the second group to block the east gate."
Although the security officers were still confused, they were a disciplined team after all, and they immediately took action after receiving the order.
The main gate and the east gate were both blocked, and employees who wanted to enter or leave were turned away.
Li Aiguo knew that even if the station was shut down, the news could still leak at any time.
Previously, my colleagues at the weather station had done statistics showing that whenever a workplace or factory was blocked, the news could only be kept secret for a maximum of six hours.
After this time, either employees' family members will inquire, or outsiders will notice, and it will inevitably leak out.
A breakthrough was achieved within six hours.
Dieter was caught within twelve hours.
This is the time lock for the weather station.
We must obtain Pei Yihuai's confession as soon as possible.
Li Aiguo was about to enter the interrogation room.
A timid voice suddenly came from behind, weak yet clear: "I... I also made a mistake... Should I be arrested too?"
Zhou Xiaoqiao stood there holding a cotton quilt, her eyes filled with timidity, but she still raised her head and looked steadily at Li Aiguo.
“Comrade Xiaoqiao, you were used by Pei Yihuai. This matter has little to do with you. You should go to the office with the security officer first, and then cooperate with him to make a statement.” Li Aiguo said, calling over a security officer to take Zhou Xiaoqiao away.
Zhou Xiaoqiao's situation is completely different from that of Section Chief Liu. Section Chief Liu deliberately obstructed the investigation and leaked investigation details for his own personal gain, which constitutes a serious violation of discipline.
Zhou Xiaoqiao was merely deceived and manipulated; it was not intentional on her part.
After Zhou Xiaoqiao left, Li Aiguo looked up at the fiery red sun in the sky and walked towards the interrogation room.
Inside the interrogation room.
When Lao Gui saw Li Aiguo walk in, he casually raised his wrist to check the time: 11:30 a.m.
Li Aiguo sat in the main seat and looked at Pei Yihuai.
Pei Yihuai was forty-two years old, but he looked older than his peers.
After being handcuffed by the meteorologist, he first bowed to Li Aiguo and Lao Mao, then curled up in the chair, head down, back hunched, without saying a word.
Li Aiguo and the other two remained silent, simply sitting at the table watching him.
Just like an experienced hunter looking for the best time to strike when encountering prey.
The prey, too, saw the old hunter and began to think about how to escape unscathed.
More than ten minutes passed like this.
Zhou Ke couldn't hold back any longer, but he knew he had to endure it.
The interrogation room was completely silent.
Sudden.
Pei Yihuai's body suddenly trembled violently, and he cried out as his entire body slammed heavily off the chair onto the concrete floor, making a painful sound.
His neck and body first bent and then stretched back, his upper limbs first rose up and then turned inward, while his lower limbs straightened strongly, and all the muscles in his body contracted suddenly.
Its face was even more grotesque, with its eyelids rolled back, its eyeballs bulging outwards, its throat spasming, and it uttered a pitiful cry.
The scream sent chills down the spines of everyone in the interrogation room.
Zhou Ke was so shocked that he got up and rushed over. He saw Pei Yihuai clenching his teeth, and white foam was gushing from the corner of his mouth, pooling on the ground.
He subconsciously raised his foot and lightly touched the other person. Pei Yihuai was already unconscious, lying on the ground convulsing, limp like a pile of rotten meat.
The meteorologist standing at the door saw this and quickly ran over, pried open Pei Yihuai's eyelids with his hands, and then probed his nose with his finger.
"It's probably an epileptic seizure. According to the standard procedure, we should pry open his mouth to prevent him from biting off his tongue before taking him to the hospital."
This meteorologist was the team's medical officer and had experience in various emergency drills. He hesitated to act because Pei Yihuai's identity as a Dieter was too special, and he dared not make decisions on his own.
After saying that, he looked up at Li Aiguo, waiting for instructions.
Li Aiguo remained motionless, staring coldly at Pei Yihuai.
"Epilepsy? I happen to know a remedy for epilepsy, so I'll do a good deed today."
"Go get some human placenta extract and force-feed it to him."
The meteorologist was startled and instinctively tried to stop him, but Old Cat glared at him and said, "Go right now!"
The meteorologist looked at the old cat, then at Li Aiguo, and saw the same cold face. He then looked at Pei Yihuai on the ground and felt a pang of pity.
However, as a meteorologist, carrying out orders from superiors was an ironclad rule. He turned around and left the interrogation room, closing the door behind him.
Pei Yihuai was still convulsing on the ground, occasionally letting out chaotic and shrill screams.
Li Aiguo slowly took out a cigarette, gave one to Lao Mao and one to Zhou Ke, and lit one for himself.
"Gentlemen, have you ever seen someone being forced to drink human vomit? The scene is simply unbearable to watch. Let me tell you about it."
Despite having seen a lot in the world, Old Cat has never witnessed the bizarre things that happen in a courtyard house, let alone seen someone being forced to drink human urine.
Needless to say, Zhou Ke's most common method was kicking someone's buttocks; he had never seen such a heretical cultivator's move before.
As Li Aiguo explained in detail, the two men were stunned, their stomachs churning, and they felt like vomiting.
Halfway through his speech, Li Aiguo stubbed out his cigarette on the table, casually tossed it on the floor, and then gently patted the table.
"Pei Yihuai, stop pretending and get up. The medicine will be here soon, and we can't let it go to waste."
Pei Yihuai remained motionless, like a corpse.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside.
Li Aiguo glanced at Zhou Ke, who immediately got up and opened the door. The meteorologist from earlier came in carrying an iron shovel.
The shovel was filled with human urine extract.
To be honest, this meteorologist was quite honest; that shovel was huge, and if you really poured it down, it could probably fill a person up.
At that very moment, Pei Yihuai moved.
He had clearly taken a pretty hard fall. He struggled to his feet, wiped the foam from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, and shook his head with a wry smile.
"Back then, I used this trick to avoid a lot of gambling debts. I never expected that young people today would have no respect for the elderly at all."
Old Cat kept a straight face, only taking deep drags on his cigarette.
The smell of that yellow substance in his urine really bothered him.
Li Aiguo tapped the table and said, "Alright, now that the illness has been cured, tell us everything that needs to be said, and don't waste any more time."
Pei Yihuai looked at the meteorologist holding a shovel and felt like he had fallen into a pit again.
After two consecutive defeats, his mental defenses had completely collapsed.
Especially this young train driver, who doesn't play by the rules at all, who knows what other unorthodox tricks he might have up his sleeve.
"Can I have a cigarette?" Pei Yihuai sighed deeply, his voice weak.
Li Aiguo stood up, took a cigarette, put it in Zhou Ke's mouth, lit it with a match, and then gave Zhou Ke a wink.
Zhou Ke immediately opened his notebook, ready to take notes.
Pei Yihuai took a deep drag and squinted his eyes: "Where should I begin with this? Uh, right, it should start with the Japanese occupation of Xiaguan Station."
At that time, I entered the station and met the Japanese engineers. Because I was very charming, I gained their favor and within just a few years, I was promoted to second-level salary.
Pei Yihuai's explanation was disorganized, but Li Aiguo still understood it.
At that time, Xiaguan Station was the gateway to Nanjing by land and water, a transportation hub, and a very prosperous place with gambling dens and brothels all over the streets.
When Pei Yihuai was young and impetuous, and had some money, he developed a gambling habit and became a regular at gambling dens.
He lost every time he gambled, and within a few years, Pei Yihuai had lost all his savings and had to borrow money from the gambling den's firecrackers.
Those who set off firecrackers also had other names, such as "accountant" or "money mule," and in later generations, they were called "deckers."
"The one who set off the firecrackers was a woman, exceptionally beautiful, and she was very kind to me. Of course, that's what I thought at the time," Pei Yihuai said with a wry smile, shaking his head.
"Who knew that I was actually stepping into a trap step by step."
Zhou Ke was getting impatient: "Let's talk about this woman!"
“Young man, what’s the rush? I’m going to get shot anyway, so no rush, no rush.” Pei Yihuai said to Zhou Ke, but his eyes were on Li Aiguo.
Of these people, the one he feared most was Li Aiguo.
Li Aiguo smiled and said, "People leave their names behind, geese leave their shadows. Pei Yihuai, please continue, we will record it."
Li Aiguo glanced at Zhou Ke, who quickly continued taking notes, while Pei Yihuai continued his narration.
In fact, Pei Yihuai's past experiences were quite common in that era; he owed a lot of money to the woman who set off firecrackers.
The woman didn't ask for much; she just wanted him to keep an eye on the situation at the Xiaguan Station.
If anyone planned to cause trouble against the Japanese or target the transported weapons, they could simply notify the woman immediately. Thanks to the woman's protection, Pei Yihuai enjoyed several years of good life.
Unexpectedly, the Japanese were defeated and, in order to prevent their past actions from being exposed, Pei Yihuai took advantage of the chaos to burn down the archives.
After the restoration, the gambling den still existed, only the management had changed, and Pei Yihuai was still able to frequently go to the gambling den to buy on credit.
After liberation, the gambling den disappeared.
Seeing that things were not going well, Pei Yihuai also decided to give up and become a proper repairman.
result.
At this moment, the woman came and asked Pei Yihuai to do something important for her.
If things go smoothly, we can take Pei Yihuai away.
Following Du Juan's instructions, Pei Yihuai first conducted an experiment on the Pukou ship. However, he misjudged the dosage of the medicine and caused the rollers of the Pukou ship to burst, which brought the incident to light.
"What exactly is your purpose?" Li Aiguo asked.
"I don't know either, I was just following orders." Pei Yihuai was already crying his eyes out.
"You don't know, I'm stuck here watching the higher-ups keep investigating past events, living in constant fear. I have no choice."
Li Aiguo tapped the table: "Alright, you've finished telling your story. Now can you tell us who that woman is?"
Pei Yihuai was silent for a moment, then raised his head: "Her name is Du Juan. After liberation, she worked as a saleswoman at the Erbanqiao Supply and Marketing Cooperative."
Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo immediately looked up at the old cat.
Old Cat shook the phone, not knowing where he was connected, and after a few quiet conversations, he looked at Li Aiguo and said, "There is indeed such a person in the Erbanqiao Supply and Marketing Cooperative. He is thirty-five years old this year."
"Arrest them!" Li Aiguo suddenly stood up.
Old Cat raised his hand and glanced at the watch on his wrist; the hour hand was pointing to exactly one o'clock in the afternoon.
Now that they had a target, the task force didn't even have time to eat. Lao Mao sent a meteorologist to the Erbanqiao Supply and Marketing Cooperative to investigate, while Li Aiguo gathered the security officers and meteorologists from the Xiaguan Station Security Section.
The security officers were in charge of sealing off the perimeter, and the meteorologists were in charge of arresting people. In any case, all the forces of the dictatorship were readily available, so they were all put to use.
The team members gathered at the entrance of the security office and were given weapons. Several jeeps from Xiaguan Station were also brought in.
It was truly a scene of rumbling carriages, neighing horses, and pistols tucked into waistbands!
Amid this tense atmosphere of preparation.
Old Cat received another message from the meteorologist: they had just sent someone to investigate the supply and marketing cooperative, and Du Juan was not there.
According to information provided by the supply and marketing cooperative, Du Juan took leave yesterday at noon, supposedly to visit relatives in another city, and took two days off.
In an instant, the battle aura that had just filled the body suddenly froze, and there was a strange feeling in the air.
The prey that had been carefully targeted had vanished without a trace.
"Could the news have leaked?" Zhou Ke wondered.
"Impossible. The people I sent were all veterans. There was no way they could have revealed any flaws. At the same time, the train driver blocked the news very promptly."
Outsiders couldn't possibly know that Pei had been arrested. Besides, when Dujuan asked for leave, we hadn't even started making arrests yet.
Old Cat frowned instantly, unable to figure out what went wrong.
Li Aiguo did not participate in the discussion. He turned around and went into the interrogation room, pushed aside the meteorologist who was about to take Pei Yihuai away, and grabbed Pei Yihuai by the collar.
"Does Du Juan have any relatives or friends in Xiaguan?"
Pei Yihuai felt a little scared whenever he saw Li Aiguo, and quickly replied:
"I don't know about that. She keeps a lot of things from me. Hey, if you hadn't mentioned it, I really wouldn't have remembered. The last time I met her by the river, she told me that the supplies were about to arrive and that she wouldn't let me contact her at the supply and marketing cooperative these past few days."
Could the supplies be special medicine or explosives?
Li Aiguo's eyes lit up, and he asked again, "What did Du Juan do before she worked as a firecracker at the gambling den? Where is she from?"
“I really don’t know. But she seems to know the Yangtze River very well. We used to talk about the situation on both sides of the river, and she knew all about those remote river branches and mudflats.”
Also, she's an excellent swimmer. Once, when we were swimming, a big wave crashed over us, and she disappeared instantly. I thought she'd been swept away, but a short while later, she swam back to shore on her own.
"The Yangtze River...is familiar with the waters and possesses exceptional swimming skills..."
Li Aiguo muttered to himself, as if he had found a key clue. He immediately released Pei Yihuai, rushed out of the interrogation room, and told Lao Mao and the others the key information.
"I believe that Du Juan's sudden leave of absence was not to visit relatives, but to retrieve supplies needed for the operation!"
“That’s highly likely. But where did she go? And how did she leave Xiaguan?” Old Cat asked in a deep voice.
After a moment's thought, Li Aiguo added, "With the visit date drawing closer, inspections are extremely strict in various places. Trains and highways are subject to multiple layers of checks, so Du Juan may not dare to travel by land. She will most likely choose the waterway."
"The situation on both sides of the Yangtze River is already complex, so this is indeed the safest option. But we can't let our guard down on the land route either. We must immediately contact the local authorities to mobilize the militia for a blockade!"
Old Cat immediately dialed the Jinling Meteorological Station.
The efficiency of the Jinling Meteorological Station has improved dramatically.
Once the order was issued, local police stations and militias responded quickly, and a large-scale land search was immediately launched.
There is no hesitation in capturing Dieter; once a move is made, it is done with lightning speed.
But what about the water surface?
If Du Juan really went to retrieve the supplies, she would probably be on the river on her way back by now. Once she reaches Xiaguan and senses that something is wrong, she will definitely flee immediately.
Therefore, the best solution would be to intercept her on the Yangtze River.
However, in those days, the regular patrol teams along the Yangtze River were not yet well-established, and the only patrol team was guarding the Yangtze River Bridge under construction, which could not be easily mobilized.
Old Cat was planning to contact the various communes along the Yangtze River, asking them to keep an eye on the river and report any suspicious vessels immediately.
A sudden, urgent phone call disrupted the planned search operation.
The call came from the Xiaguan Huiminhe Public-Private Joint Shipyard.
The head of security on the other end of the phone sounded flustered, saying that a semi-finished American-style small gasoline-powered speedboat stored in the factory had gone missing.
Previously, they thought it was just someone in the factory being dishonest, dismantling parts and selling them as scrap metal. It was only after receiving a request for assistance from the weather station today that they realized the seriousness of the matter.
"It's been missing for two months? You're only thinking of reporting it now? Well done!" Old Cat was angry now.
"Reporting to the leader, this matter really can't be entirely blamed on us!" the other party said, sounding aggrieved.
"As you know, our factory is an old workshop that was just put into public-private partnership. It's very chaotic inside, and the account books are still the old ones."
They combined two sets into one and used it as a makeshift solution, resulting in a chaotic and unclear accounting.
The speedboat, which was only half-finished, was recorded in the books as "hull to be modified," without any detailed information.
Two months ago, the warehouse reported something missing, and we investigated for three days.
The experienced workers in the factory all insisted that the apprentice had dismantled the parts to sell for money; who would have thought it was Dieter who was behind it!
The old cat is about to get angry.
Li Aiguo stopped him, took the phone, and asked, "Comrade, how fast is this speedboat?"
"It is equipped with two 8-cylinder marine gasoline engines, and the speed can reach 14 knots."
The speedboats had also been modified by those people before liberation, with detachable light machine gun mounts added next to the cockpit.
The head of the security department on the other side was also startled and quickly replied.
These words were spoken.
The faces of everyone in the interrogation room darkened simultaneously.
This is no civilian boat; it's clearly an armed speedboat!
Even if the militia's patrol boats encountered them, they couldn't stop them at all.
Li Aiguo put down the phone and looked at Lao Mao: "Team Leader Mao, report to your superiors immediately."
When you encounter a problem, the best way is to report it to your superiors.
Old Cat picked up the phone and connected to the farmer's office.
When the farmer learned that the cuckoo was likely to launch a campaign targeting visitors, he immediately perked up.
After listening to Lao Mao's report, he nodded and said, "The train driver's analysis makes a lot of sense. It is very likely that Du Juan is transporting supplies by waterway."
As such, a naval fleet has now arrived in Nanjing and is preparing to participate in the review.
I'll contact them and ask them to send a ship to support you.
Upon hearing this, the old cat clenched his fist excitedly.
Li Aiguo was also very excited.
Having come to this era, he has driven trains and airplanes, but has never been on a warship.
After discussion, it was decided that Lao Mao would stay in charge of the security department at Xiaguan Station, while Li Aiguo would take Zhou Ke to the Yangtze River to conduct a search.
Two o'clock in the afternoon.
The investigation team received a phone call from inside Nanjing.
2:20 PM.
Li Aiguo and Lao Mao arrived at Xiaguan Ferry Terminal in a jeep.
A clear whistle sounded on the river, and a gunboat sailed in.
The gray hull cut through the water, black cannons were mounted on the bow, gray-black smokestacks emitted white smoke, white waves rolled along the side of the ship, and gun shields stood beside the cannons.
The distance is getting closer and closer.
Li Aiguo could clearly see the number 53-219 on it.
"It's the 'Yangtze River' gunboat! They actually sent the 'Yangtze River' gunboat!" Old Cat was also shocked, his eyes widening.
Information about the "Yangtze River" gunboat flashed through Li Aiguo's mind, and he couldn't help but admire the thoroughness of the higher-ups' considerations.
As the main inland river gunboat stationed along the Yangtze River, the "Changjiang" has a shallow draft, allowing it to navigate the main channel of the Yangtze River and shallow waters near the shore, thus avoiding Dieter's tactic of using shallows to evade.
With a speed of 17 knots, it far surpasses the Dieter ship and is equipped with 37mm twin-barreled anti-aircraft guns and 57mm rapid-fire guns, enabling it to accurately suppress armed Dieter ships.
Meanwhile, the ship has bulletproof armor that can withstand Dite small arms fire, ensuring the safety of the interception personnel.
Most importantly, the foremast of the "Yangtze River" gunboat was equipped with a search radar, which was rare at the time.
In this way...
Neither nighttime nor foggy weather will affect the search efforts.
The gunboat slowly approached the ferry crossing, startling the staff nearby. They only understood what was happening when they saw Lao Mao and the others.
Under the guidance of the staff, the bow was anchored and the side fenders were lowered in sequence to protect the fenders at the crossing.
The ship's soldiers carried the cable ashore, quickly secured the steel cable to the mooring bollard, lowered the mid-side gangway, and set up the ferry platform.
Captain Xiong Meng strode off the ship, walked straight up to Li Aiguo, and saluted: "The Yangtze River is here to provide support. I am Captain Xiong Meng. Please give instructions."
Li Aiguo returned the greeting and, as is customary, presented his identification before speaking: "We need to search for a small boat along the Yangtze River. This boat has likely been modified."
"I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" Xiong Meng was also a little excited.
The gunboat "Changjiang" is now under the command of the Donghai ship. It is mainly responsible for the Yangtze River estuary and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, undertaking the dual tasks of river defense and sea defense.
However, ever since the battle to wipe out the pirates on Sheshan Island at the mouth of the Yangtze River, the gunboat "Changjiang" has not encountered any real combat missions.
When those small boats of Dietrich encountered the Yangtze, they all fled at the mere sight of it.
Unexpectedly, while attending the parade in Nanjing, I was able to find a combat mission.
After Li Aiguo and Zhou Ke boarded the ship, they briefly explained the situation of Du Juan and the armed speedboat to Xiong Meng and the officers and soldiers on board, and then waved their hands.
"set off!"
time.
2:50 p.m.
(End of this chapter)