Chapter 29: Discovery of Issues
In the evening, the door of Zhou Lin's chamber was gently struck. The knock was faint, the sound hushed. Inside the room, it was barely audible, even less so to those nearby.
Zhou Lin opened the door and found Wang Hong standing there. Upon seeing Zhou Lin, Wang Hong entered his room. Zhou Lin then peered outside, casting glances to the left and right, ensuring no one lurked.
After closing the door, Zhou Lin returned to his chamber, seating himself on the bed. Wang Hong took a seat on a chair and said, "Today, some matters have come to light."
Zhou Lin gazed at Wang Hong, asking, "Are they good or bad tidings?"
"Good news!" Wang Hong replied.
Zhou Lin poured a glass of water for Wang Hong. Below the dormitory, there was a boiler for boiling water. Dormitory residents only needed to bring their bottles to fetch water.
"Good news is always welcome." Wang Hong took the cup, saying, "Xiang Zijun, at the market, identified a suspicious target."
"Hmm!" Zhou Lin leaned forward, attentive. "That place deals in fabric. Our people investigated; there are four individuals, three from Zhejiang. However, the owner is not from Zhejiang."
Zhou Lin handed a cigarette to Wang Hong, saying, "It's normal for the owner of a fabric business not to be from Zhejiang. If he's not dealing in Zhejiang specialties, we can't conclude he's a problem."
"You're right. We didn't alert him. Xiang Zijun had an urgent need and borrowed their restroom."
"Any issues with the restroom?"
"Not with the restroom! It's when he came out, he saw a wire running from the house to the roof. Xiang Zijun suspects it's an antenna."
Zhou Lin grew excited, "An antenna for a transmitter?"
"Possibly! Xiang Zijun didn't linger; he was afraid of being discovered."
"I'll go check with you." Zhou Lin quickly changed into casual clothes, grabbing a handgun. The two descended separately. Upon reaching the ground floor, Wang Hong gestured, and Zhou Lin followed. They took a different route.
This wasn't the path leading out of the military camp gate but rather toward the foot of the mountain. "There's an exit here. It's the path the Seventh Division people take when leaving the camp at night. We stationed people here after we arrived."
Listening to Wang Hong, Zhou Lin could imagine the young officers and soldiers leaving from here to drink and gamble. There were guards at the exit, members of the Twenty Squads. Seeing Zhou Lin, they greeted, "Captain."
Zhou Lin smiled, saying, "Call me Staff Zhou, don't let it slip."
"Yes!"
Soon, Xiang Zijun arrived. Wang Hong, Xiang Zijun, and Zhou Lin—three of them left the enclosure, crossed the mountain, and quickly reached the marketplace.
During the evening, the market was devoid of business activity. Only a few establishments were still open—gambling houses, Chang Lou, and a couple of small restaurants. Xiang Zijun led Zhou Lin to the target location.
It was a large courtyard with three rows of brick houses in front, functioning as shops. Behind them was a yard, where people lived and had their meals. However, at this hour, they were all asleep, and there was no light in the rear yard.
Xiang Zijun introduced each place one by one. Where does the owner live? Where do the clerks stay? Zhou Lin quietly entered the courtyard, reaching the spot Xiang Zijun pointed out.
It was a wall, its surface gleaming. However, a wire was attached to the wall, affecting the overall appearance. Zhou Lin lightly touched the wire. Concluding that it wasn't an electrical wire. This type of wire was slightly thicker than an electrical wire, but not by much. Only someone observant could discern the difference.
Looking up, Zhou Lin saw the wire end at the roof. At the wire's end, there was a section without insulation, exposed, and in a circular shape. This indicated that it was indeed a connection point. It was connected to another segment of wire, currently unseen.
After examining the wire, Zhou Lin looked at the eaves and found a loop on one of the beams. It seemed to have held something. Now, that something was gone, leaving only the loop.
After inspecting, Zhou Lin stepped back. Wang Hong asked, "How is it?"
Zhou Lin nodded, "It should be this place. The wire connects to an antenna. There are traces on the eaves where the wire was secured. When not transmitting, they retract the wire head. It's only installed when needed."
Xiang Zijun said, "I'll lead people to arrest them."
Zhou Lin advised, "Don't alert them. Assign people to watch this shop 24/7. Monitor who comes, especially if anyone from the Seventh Division visits."
Xiang Zijun said, "This place is a business; people will come. Even Seventh Division personnel will buy things."
Wang Hong tapped Xiang Zijun, saying, "Use your brains a bit more. Seventh Division officers are mostly macho men. They already have equipment for daily use; why would they buy so much fabric? Their money goes into revelry. Who buys fabric for clothes, even if they have a lover, it's a one-time purchase, not a frequent buy."
Xiang Zijun suddenly understood, "Right! They spend their money on entertainment. Who would buy fabric to make clothes? Even if they have a lover, it would be a one-time purchase, not a regular one."
Zhou Lin praised, "Correct! Now it's up to you guys."
Wang Hong ordered, "You lead a team, first investigate who has visited this fabric shop the most in the past month. No limitations, not just Seventh Division personnel."
"Understood!"
"As for the second aspect, station people to monitor this fabric shop 24/7. Arrange plainclothes clerks."
"Clear!"
Back in the room, Zhou Lin felt elated. In less than two days at the Seventh Division, there was already a harvest. If this fabric shop was the contact point for the Japanese, then they had caught a crucial lead.
Normally, a small area would only have one Japanese contact point. It wouldn't make sense to arrange two; that would be a waste. As long as they kept a close watch on this point, they could trace back and identify the person at the forefront.
The next day, after Zhou Lin went to work, he discovered a new desk opposite his own. Soon, he learned who the occupant was. Xie Tingting! She had indeed been transferred.
Seeing Zhou Lin, Xie Tingting smiled and said, "From now on, please take care of me."
Zhou Lin chuckled, "Of course, I'll be relying on you. I'm someone who struggles to handle daily life."
Xie Tingting nodded earnestly, "Then I'll supervise you!"
Later, the Chief of Staff arrived, bringing along several books. Zhou Lin checked them: Staff Basic Theory, Military Topography, Tactical Maps, and Combat Command.
"Chief, why are all these books in Japanese?" Xie Tingting asked.
The Chief explained, "Our country's textbooks are not comprehensive. Japanese military academy materials are more applicable. These are the textbooks I used when studying in Japan. When we returned, the Japanese authorities didn't allow us to bring back textbooks, so we found a way to sneak them in."
Zhou Lin could imagine how difficult it was for them to bring in those textbooks. The Chief asked, "Do you understand Japanese?"
Zhou Lin replied, "I do!" Xie Tingting also raised her hand, saying, "I do too!"
"Good! During this time, study these materials. Once you've mastered them, I'll let you practice. Study well! Staff work is crucial to the success or failure of the army. A good staff member is worth a thousand soldiers."
"Yes! We won't let the Chief down!"