2. Interrogating the Japanese Spy

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Yoshida was completely dumbfounded upon hearing that title. What was wrong with this cop?

"Nonsense! I don't understand a word you're saying!"

Zhou Hongyi snorted coldly. "Nonsense? We all just heard it clearly—the accent gave you away, and yet you still deny it? Captain Xu, people like this deserve to be tortured, and thoroughly at that!"

After speaking, Zhou Hongyi picked up the whip from the ground and personally began lashing the Japanese spy relentlessly.

"Whack! Whack! Whack!"

At that moment, a surge of ethnic hatred and patriotic fury burst forth from Zhou Hongyi’s core. Each strike was delivered with all his might, leaving the three other veteran officers nearby utterly stunned.

Captain Xu was even more perplexed. Didn't you just say torture was forbidden? How come you’re whipping him harder than anyone now?

"Young Master Zhou, wait a moment. Is this the advanced interrogation technique you learned abroad? And what about this ‘Major’ thing?"

Captain Xu stopped Zhou Hongyi. If this man really belonged to the Special Higher Police, they couldn’t just use torture at will.

Zhou Hongyi paused, panting heavily. "Captain Xu, you don’t know the full story. Though this man appears outwardly normal, precisely that is suspicious."

"Wait... you’ve lost me. Normal outwardly means suspicious? What do you mean?"

Captain Xu and the other two officers all wore the same expression, as if they had just learned some earth-shattering family secret.

"Captain Xu, don’t rush. Let me finish the analysis and you’ll see what’s wrong."

Wiping sweat from his brow with his sleeve, Zhou Hongyi looked at the Japanese spy and began his explanation.

"Captain Xu, for starters, if he truly had nothing to hide, then why, after being beaten like this, is he still afraid to reveal his Special Higher Police identity? He insists I expose it—that alone is strange, isn’t it?"

Before Xu Guodong and the others could react, Zhou Hongyi continued, "Furthermore, this man—Major Yoshida—according to our investigation, has an elder brother back in Sakura Homeland. His brother... apparently joined the Bolsheviks. Although he committed suicide, we have reason to suspect his death was to cover up someone’s identity. And that someone is you, Comrade Yoshida!"

"You...!"

A flash of shock crossed the spy’s eyes, but he quickly masked it and denied the accusation.

"Nonsense! My name is Liu Qing, an ordinary company employee. I speak Japanese because I have relatives over there!"

"Relatives? What are their names?"

"Ichiro Hashimoto, my uncle by marriage."

"I asked for your parents’ names!"

"My father is Liu Bangyan, my mother Qiao Cuili."

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"And your aunt’s name?"

"Liu Linlin!"

"And the name of your uncle and aunt’s child?"

"Akihiro Hashimoto!"

"......"

Zhou Hongyi’s rapid-fire questions showed no hesitation, yet the spy answered every one flawlessly.

Zhou Hongyi smiled faintly. "You’ve memorized well, but that’s your biggest flaw! Tell me, would an ordinary person be able to recall their aunt’s, uncle’s, and their child’s names so precisely under these circumstances? Captain Xu, do you remember your aunt’s child’s name?"

Zhou Hongyi suddenly asked, causing Xu Guodong to pause and reflexively search his memory.

"My aunt’s child is called... hmm? Wait, I don’t have an aunt at all!"

"Exactly. People without problems hesitate even a little, but he answers fluently. What does that tell us? It means all this information was pre-set, memorized! And yet he claims to have no problem? Comrade Yoshida, have you abandoned even your own family? I wonder if your elder brother, Yoshida Taro, would visit you in dreams from beyond the grave?"

"What?! How do you know his name?!"

How did Zhou Hongyi know? Of course, it was the spy’s own identity tag betraying him.

Currently in the state of “Eye of Insight,” Zhou Hongyi could see through any disguise. If he wished, he could pierce straight into the deepest, most hidden secrets of a person’s heart.

And Yoshida’s secret, his inner thorn, was his elder brother—the most painful memory of all.

"What’s the matter? Admit it? Back then, your brother committed suicide to protect you, but he must not have imagined you wouldn’t even have the courage to admit it today!"

Zhou Hongyi’s words struck like a hammer, shattering Yoshida’s mental defenses instantly.

"My brother... my brother didn’t commit suicide. I personally dealt with him! What do you know... what do you know?! Nonsense, it’s all nonsense! Damn it! Let go of me! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you~~~~!"

Seeing the spy break down so completely, Zhou Hongyi stepped back half a pace and pointed at him.

"See it? See it? That’s practically a confession. Captain Xu, that’s a major breakthrough. Whether we can extract more valuable intelligence now depends on you."

Captain Xu removed his hat, ruffling his hair in shock, speechless for a long moment before finally giving Zhou Hongyi a thumbs-up.

"Wang Shun, Ye Kaicheng, bring this cunning Red Party element over here. I want him to get a taste of the tiger bench!"

"You can’t touch me! Let me go! I’m a Special Higher Police major! I infiltrated the prison disguised to get close to a Red Party contact! You can ask Colonel Kondo!"

Xu Guodong was now full of zeal. No matter what the spy claimed, he wouldn’t believe him.

"Oh, keep spinning your tales! Now that we’ve exposed your identity, you admit you disguised yourself? What took you so long? Tell me! What mission are you transmitting this time? Who is your contact? Speak!"

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"Ah~~~~~ You... you bunch of idiots~~~~!"

Unable to defend himself, the Japanese spy collapsed in a desperate scream.

"Damn, he’s fainted already?"

Captain Xu spat on the ground, then turned to Zhou Hongyi. "Young Master Zhou, what about these two? Any issues with them?"

Zhou Hongyi exhaled silently, then looked at the two stunned prisoners, suddenly breaking into a smile.

"This one’s fine. I know him. What a coincidence to meet here, Brother Feng Lie. My apologies."

Zhou Hongyi looked at the burly man labeled as “Captain of the Military Intelligence Special Operations Team” and greeted him with clasped hands.

"You..."

The military intelligence agent licked his lips, unsure of Zhou Hongyi’s intentions, hesitant to speak.

"Brother Feng Lie, don’t you remember? I’m Zhou Hongyi. Ding Mucun is my brother-in-law. We’ve played mahjong and had drinks together."

The big-bearded prisoner’s eyes flickered. Though unsure why Zhou Hongyi was vouching for him, he decided to play along.

"Oh! I remember now. So it’s you, Brother Hongyi. Didn’t expect to meet again under such circumstances... I’m ashamed."

"Brother Feng Lie, you’ve suffered. Bringing you in was a failure on our part. Captain Xu, this is an old acquaintance of ours from Number 76, who has provided us with much intelligence... a secret informant."

Zhou Hongyi lowered the last two words so only he and Xu Guodong could hear.

"Oh? Young Master Zhou knows him? That makes things easier. Quickly, release him!"

Without hesitation, Xu Guodong ordered Wang Shun to untie the big man and help him out.

When Zhou Hongyi’s gaze fell on the last prisoner, he did not rush to say what he most wanted to, but instead scrutinized him carefully.

"Captain Xu, based on current intelligence, there’s nothing suspicious about this person. However, we must remain cautious. Let him stay one more night so I can interrogate him thoroughly. If he truly has no issues, we can release him tomorrow."

"Very well, Young Master Zhou. We’ll leave it to you."

Xu Guodong was now deeply impressed by Zhou Hongyi, thinking that someone who had studied abroad was indeed different. In just a few words, he had exposed the deeply hidden Red Party element, all credit going to him. It was only right to curry favor—perhaps even more achievements awaited him in the future.