60. An Unexpectedly Discovered Spy

The three of them chatted and laughed on the surface, discussing harmless matters, and Zhou Hongyi successfully secured his position as a judge. The preliminary rounds for the election of Miss Rose were scheduled to take place in two days, with the preliminary venue set right at the Great World.

"Boss Gu, your teahouse is called the Great World, and that dance hall is also called the Great World. You don't happen to have a stake in that place as well, do you?"

Zhou Hongyi had previously learned from books and television that the Great World in Shanghai was an enterprise controlled by the Green Gang. Could it be that Gu Tianbo also had entanglements with the Green Gang?

Gu Tianbo chuckled and said, "Naturally I do. Otherwise, why do you think my teahouse is also called the Great World? Heh, heh, heh. Not only that, but Boss Qiao also holds a significant share in the Great World Dance Hall. Of course, neither of us is the major shareholder; the largest stake belongs to Mr. Huang of the Green Gang. I presume Young Master Zhou must have heard of his esteemed name."

Zhou Hongyi chuckled inwardly, thinking to himself that it was none other than Huang Jinrong. Of course he knew such a famous figure.

"Naturally. Who in Shanghai does not know and has not heard of Boss Huang's prestigious name? Since the preliminary auditions will be held at the Great World, Boss Gu and Boss Qiao, I must entrust my dear sister Elizabeth to the two of you."

The three of them joked and laughed for a while longer. From the floating text tags above their heads, Zhou Hongyi could see that these two fellows had other matters on their minds and were trying to fish for information from him. Yet, they managed to hold back, beating around the bush with impressive patience.

Finally, Gu Tianbo could no longer restrain himself. He picked up the teapot, poured a cup for Zhou Hongyi, and asked casually as if nothing were the matter: "By the way, I heard that Director Ding of No. 76 is Young Master Zhou's brother-in-law. With such a connection, why did Young Master Zhou choose to become a police officer at the precinct? It's dangerous and pays very little. I believe your brother-in-law could easily have found you a much more suitable position."

Zhou Hongyi took a small sip, smiled, and said, "Yes, my brother-in-law initially wanted me to work in a bank, but I refused. To be honest with you, Boss Gu, I am a graduate of West Point. If you made me sit in an office at a bank, wouldn't that suffocate me? Only at the police station can I put what I've learned to good use. A real man born between heaven and earth ought to carve out a great career for himself."

"Right, right, right. Young Master Zhou's words are extremely correct. A man, especially one as young as Young Master Zhou, should naturally forge his own path in the underworld. What's so good about staying in a bank?"

That Boss Qiao seemed to heartily agree, chiming in to speak on Zhou Hongyi's behalf.

Gu Tianbo smiled faintly, his mind seemingly spinning fast as he figured out what to ask next. All his reactions were exposed right in front of Zhou Hongyi, making the latter find the situation rather amusing.

Boss Gu certainly lived up to his surname of being full of scruples; why worry so much instead of getting straight to the point? Never mind, I might as well throw myself directly into your crosshairs.

Zhou Hongyi cleared his throat at this thought, organized his words, and said, "Since it was quite late that day, there were some things I wanted to ask Boss Gu but didn't get the chance to say. Today, taking advantage of this opportunity, I would like to consult Boss Gu—and of course, Boss Qiao—on the ways of business.

To be frank with the two of you, my teacher, Colonel Shimazu of the Special Service Section, has invited me to join the preparatory committee of the Sakura Chamber of Commerce as a director. I've never managed such a large-scale business before and am terrified of failing my teacher's trust. I was hoping to learn the ropes from Boss Gu and exchange some experiences."

As soon as Zhou Hongyi voluntarily threw out this topic, he saw the tags [Surprised] and [Delighted] appear above the heads of both Gu Tianbo and Boss Qiao. Furthermore, a tag popped up above Gu Tianbo reading: [This fool is actually cooperating so well; he spilled it all before I even asked.]

Zhou Hongyi rolled his eyes inwardly. He was merely being kind enough to cooperate, so how did he become a fool in the other's eyes? Oh well, a fool he would be, as long as it saved time—after all, everyone was quite busy.

"I see. Young Master Zhou, I wonder what kind of chamber of commerce this Sakura Chamber of Commerce is, and what sort of business they conduct?"

Gu Tianbo pretended to offer advice and impart experience to Zhou Hongyi, but in reality, he was still trying to pry more intelligence out of him.

Zhou Hongyi played along with his act, thinking to himself, "I might as well humor this fool."

"I'm not entirely clear on the specifics either. I still have to pay a visit to my teacher this afternoon because my official appointment has already been issued. I believe I will know my exact duties by then. But it should mostly revolve around artworks, luxury goods, pharmaceuticals, and the like."

Zhou Hongyi noticed that every time he mentioned an item, the eyes of Gu Tianbo and Boss Qiao lit up. He thought to himself: You two are supposed to be big shots, can't you keep your composure? Must you be so obvious about it?

When Gu Tianbo hypocritically shared a few of his business mantras with Zhou Hongyi—which basically amounted to clichés like marked prices, genuine goods at fair prices, and treating young and old without deception—it made Zhou Hongyi almost fall asleep.

Just at that moment, the door of the teahouse private room was knocked from the outside. Gu Tianbo and Boss Qiao simultaneously closed their mouths, and the former, looking rather displeased, said in a deep voice, "Come in."

The waiter who had received Zhou Hongyi downstairs earlier poked his head in apologetically and whispered, "Boss, Boss Qiao's subordinate says he has an urgent matter to report."

"Oh, let him in."

Gu Tianbo gave the order, and a tall, thin man slipped in from outside the door. His peripheral vision intentionally or unintentionally swept over Zhou Hongyi, after which he quickly walked over to Qiao Si, lowered his head, and began whispering something into his ear.

Initially, Zhou Hongyi paid no heed to this man, assuming he was merely one of Qiao Si's thugs or bodyguards. However, upon reading one of the man's floating tags, he spotted something unusual.

"This fellow... his identity is deeply hidden! He's actually a spy for the Mei Organization? When did he infiltrate Qiao Si's inner circle?"

Outwardly, Zhou Hongyi remained calm and composed. With a smile on his face, he took a sip of tea and even chatted quietly with Gu Tianbo about business insights.

Upon hearing his confidant's whispers, Qiao Si's expression shifted. He immediately apologized with embarrassment to Gu Tianbo and Zhou Hongyi, saying, "I am truly sorry. A batch of cargo at my docks has run into some trouble, gentlemen. I can only accompany you until here today. Another day, I, Qiao, will surely book a table at the Central Hotel to formally apologize to both bosses."

Seeing that he genuinely had an urgent matter, Gu Tianbo stood up and said, "Boss Qiao is too polite. We are all our own people. I'll keep Young Master Zhou company here, so do go attend to your business."

Boss Qiao offered another parting bow and hurried away with his confidant. Zhou Hongyi's gaze trailed the back of the tall, thin man, firmly engraving his real name into his memory.

"A spy of the Mei Organization, Umeo Rokuro... Hidden so deeply that even the Special Service Section has no inkling of his existence. This fellow's true objective is actually to integrate all the criminal underworld forces within Shanghai. The little Japanese harbor quite the ambition."

Zhou Hongyi sneered inwardly, deciding to find a way to exploit this spy's identity or seize an opportunity to stab him in the back. Eliminating him directly would be best; if not, he had to figure out a way to have someone else do it—just like Major Yoshida, whom he had dug up during his very first interrogation in the dungeon.