Chapter 31: Discovery
A table of fine dishes, accompanied by three bottles of vintage Shanghai wine.
The officers at the nearby table regretted not intervening when those three hooligans caused trouble. If they had, they would now be sitting at that table instead.
Zhou Lin opened a bottle of wine and poured a glass for each person.
The wine glasses were large, a bottle of old Shanghai wine, almost a pound in volume, poured only four glasses. What remained in the bottle was not enough for another glass.
Zhou Lin raised his glass, "Come! Let's drink."
Xiang Zijun said, "I can't handle it! If I drink, I'm done for."
Wang Xi said, "I'll have just one with you. Any more, and I'll be under the table."
Zhou Lin looked at Wang Hong.
Wang Hong shook his head, "Go back ten years, and I'd dare to drink."
Zhou Lin emptied his glass in one gulp and said, "As you wish."
After drinking, Zhou Lin picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in his mouth.
As soon as the meat entered his mouth, it melted.
Pointing at the braised pork, Zhou Lin said, "This meat is delicious! Have some. If it's not enough, ask the boss for another serving."
The other three immediately rushed to grab some.
A bowl of braised pork, costing less than ten yuan, was quickly devoured.
Zhou Lin called the boss for another serving.
While they were eating and drinking, the other three tables in the restaurant had left.
In the restaurant, only the four of them were eating and drinking.
The boss and his only assistant were hiding in the kitchen, eating pickled vegetable rice.
Wang Hong looked around, and Jiang Xi immediately turned and faced the door.
Xiang Zijun looked towards the kitchen.
Wang Hong spoke, "We've gathered information. In the past month, three soldiers entered that clothing shop. One person entered once, and two entered twice."
Zhou Lin asked, "Did they go in alone?"
"No! When they entered the shop, they had women with them. After entering, the women went to the back to measure sizes, while the men stayed outside."
Zhou Lin nodded. If this aspect wasn't considered, death would be imminent.
Wang Hong continued, "The one who entered once is Captain Yin Junbing, the platoon leader of the third company. The woman with him is his wife."
In Zhou Lin's mind, Yin Junbing was excluded.
Taking his wife into the shop? Also, he is a company leader.
Zhou Lin, with preconceptions, couldn't believe that someone from a company could be a spy.
According to future information, everyone in a company sacrifices themselves; none survive.
Wang Hong said, "The two who entered twice are Deputy Battalion Commander Gao Guodong from the second battalion and Staff Officer Sha Baoliang from the third battalion."
Zhou Lin remembered something. Sha Baoliang? Wasn't he the staff officer who was hospitalized for appendicitis?
At that time, Sha Baoliang was in the third battalion, and shortly after, he was transferred to the division staff office.
Zhou Lin didn't mention Sha Baoliang's situation, "Did they bring the same woman both times they entered the shop?"
"Why do you ask?"
"If it's the same woman both times within a month, it suggests that the clothes made last time haven't been worn, and new ones are being made. Does this person have a lot of money?"
"A captain and a major don't have much money."
"Yes! I know; that fabric is expensive."
Zhou Lin's words reminded the other three.
Xiang Zijun said, "The person from the second battalion brought a new woman. The one from the third battalion brought the same woman both times."
Wang Hong said, "The staff officer from the third battalion must be suspicious."
Zhou Lin was skeptical. According to historical data, there was no outcome for that staff officer.
"These two must be closely monitored. See if they go to the cloth shop again."
Xiang Zijun promised, "Yes!"
Zhou Lin asked, "What about the investigation of those ten people?"
Wang Hong said, "Six have been ruled out, leaving four. One from the third battalion, one deputy director from logistics, and two deputy division commanders. One deputy division commander is living in the hospital. I had the 21st squad keep an eye on him, and there hasn't been anything unusual. Only other officers visit him, and no one else has visited their hospital room."
Zhou Lin gave each person a cigarette and said, "Check the situation of their officers."
"The other deputy division commander might take a leave soon."
"Why?"
"It's said that his father is critically ill, and he needs to return to Nanjing to see him off."
Zhou Lin frowned. According to future information, he only received the telegram after his father's death. How does he already know here that his father is not well?
Zhou Lin thought for a moment and said, "Report to the division commander, investigate the situation of the father of that deputy division commander. Is he in critical condition?"
"Okay! These four people currently show no abnormalities. The only odd one is the staff officer. The others seem normal."
Zhou Lin took a sip of wine and said, "Let's focus on the deputy battalion commander from the second battalion and the staff officer from the third battalion. See if they have any connections with the other three."
Zhou Lin's idea was that the problematic person among the three wouldn't personally go to the clothing shop to pass on messages. Instead, they would send someone. This person would be the intermediary between him and the clothing shop.
Since this person is the intermediary, they cannot avoid contact.
For example, regarding the logistics deputy director, it was reasonable for the deputy battalion commander to have contact with him when receiving equipment. However, the staff officer having contact with the deputy director seemed a bit unrelated to his duties. This raised suspicions.
Also, the deputy battalion commander having contact with the deputy division commander was unusual. He belonged to the second battalion, and the second battalion was under Deputy Division Commander He. If Deputy Division Commander He and Deputy Division Commander Kuang were at odds, his contacting Deputy Division Commander Kuang would be considered a betrayal.
Similarly, the staff officer contacting the Deputy Division Commander would also be considered betrayal.
Of course, maybe they were secretly collaborating.
If that were the case, their problems would be even greater.
In the evening, when he returned home, Zhou Lin wrote another book, "Military Topography."
This book wouldn't be given to Xie Tingting for now. Consuming too much information at once isn't good. After she learns tactical mapping well, I'll give her military topography.
On this afternoon, Xie Tingting delivered a bowl of Dongpo pork, fulfilling her promise.
After finishing the Dongpo pork, Wang Hong came again.
He already lived in the officer's dormitory on the same floor as Zhou Lin. The communication was very convenient.
"I have two pieces of news."
After taking the cigarette from Zhou Lin, Wang Hong said, "The first one is that the deputy battalion commander went to the cloth shop again. This time, the woman he brought was different, the third woman."
Zhou Lin asked, "Did you interrogate the woman?"
"I did. She said she works at Chang's. After the deputy battalion commander finished, he took her to the cloth shop to buy fabric for a cheongsam. After leaving the shop, they parted ways."
Zhou Lin sneered. "They just met, did it once, and he takes her to buy fabric. What a good deal. This deputy battalion commander from the second battalion is problematic."
"I think so too."
"And what about the woman?"
"She's still in custody."
Zhou Lin said, "Keep her detained for now. Once the case is solved in a while, then release her."
"And what about the deputy battalion commander?"
"The second battalion is very cohesive. If anyone sees him, they'll inform him immediately. We can only give up surveillance. Let him move freely. If he doesn't move, how will we dig into his background? Perimeter monitoring must be tight."
Hooligans: Troublemakers or unruly individuals.
Vintage: Referring to wine, it means the year the grapes were harvested; in a broader sense, it can also mean classic or of high quality.
Platoon Leader: A military officer in charge of a platoon, a small unit typically consisting of 20-30 soldiers.
Appendicitis: Inflammation of the appendix, a small pouch attached to the large intestine.
Cheongsam: A traditional Chinese form-fitting dress for women, often worn on formal occasions.
Perimeter Monitoring: Keeping a close watch on the surroundings or boundaries.
Feel free to ask if you have any more words you'd like explained!