Chapter 8: The Prisoner's Dilemma

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Time was running out for Song Yingge. Less than two hours remained until dawn. They had to pry open the mouths of the four members of the Strange Artifacts Society before the Japanese noticed anything unusual, obtain their confessions, and carry out arrests. Accomplishing all this in such a short span seemed nearly impossible.

Zhou Weiqiang wore a worried expression, feeling utterly at a loss. Without confessions, they risked letting the traitor escape. Given Dai Li’s resolute nature, failure was not an option—he would surely hold them accountable.

Song Yingge sensed Zhou Weiqiang’s concerns and volunteered, “Team leader, let me try.”

After weighing the situation internally, Zhou Weiqiang asked, “Are you sure about this?”

“Don’t worry, team leader. I’m seventy percent confident,” Song Yingge replied.

Zhou Weiqiang’s eyes brightened; seventy percent was no small chance and worth a try.

“Go ahead boldly. If anything goes wrong, I’ll take responsibility,” Zhou Weiqiang said.

Hearing this, Song Yingge glanced sideways, noting a rare spark of loyalty.

With Zhou Weiqiang’s support, Song Yingge immediately sprang into action.

The four were tightly bound and confined to the same interrogation room.

Song Yingge entered and asked, “Do you know why you’ve been arrested?”

Before they could respond, he continued, “Ma San from the Spring Welcome Pavilion—he’s also a Japanese spy. I promised him that if he confessed, I’d spare his life and send his family in Japan to America.”

Lighting a cigarette, Song Yingge took a couple of drags, showing no urgency.

“I’m offering you the same deal. But there’s only one slot. Whoever confesses first within half an hour lives. The other three die.”

After speaking, he ordered the four to be separated and placed clocks before each of them.

Time ticked slowly away.

Though no physical torture was inflicted, all four were drenched in sweat and restless.

This was the famous “prisoner’s dilemma.”

With time pressing, conventional interrogation methods would hardly suffice.

So Song Yingge gambled on human nature’s darker side.

“Does this really work?” Zhou Weiqiang asked.

Song Yingge smiled, “Don’t rush, team leader. Let the bullets fly a little.”

Seeing Song Yingge’s composed demeanor, Zhou Weiqiang’s estimation of him rose several notches.

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Judging the time, Song Yingge said to Zhou Weiqiang, “It’s about time.”

He then entered the interrogation room where the Strange Artifacts Society’s leader was held.

“Waiting for death isn’t pleasant, is it?” Song Yingge asked.

The leader’s gaze shifted from the clock to fix on Song Yingge but said nothing.

Each second was unbearable torture for him. He felt he was about to break and believed the others felt the same.

“What if they confess first?” his mind obsessively forced him to consider this question repeatedly.

At that moment, Sun Xi entered and whispered something into Song Yingge’s ear.

Song Yingge stood, adjusted his clothes, and smiled, “Looks like you missed your chance.”

Already on the verge of collapse, the leader’s defenses shattered instantly at Song Yingge’s words.

“I’ll confess. I’m the boss—I know the most.”

“Really?” Song Yingge feigned doubt.

“Really. Trust me,” the leader said, his emotions stirred.

“Record it,” Song Yingge instructed Sun Xi.

The same scene unfolded in the other three interrogation rooms.

Half an hour later, four confessions lay before Song Yingge.

Reading them, his face darkened with a terrifying intensity; he truly felt murderous.

On the surface, Strange Artifacts Society was an antique shop, but secretly it was controlled by the Japanese.

Sumo Miyajiro was the Consul General at the Japanese Consulate in Jinling. Familiar with China, fascinated by Chinese culture, and obsessed with collecting artifacts, he often used art appreciation as a pretext to invite high-ranking officials to meet secretly at the shop, then bribed them with money and women.

Among them, the most frequent visitor was Huang Jun and his son.

Huang Jun had studied at Waseda University in Japan, where he was classmates with Sumo.

Returning home, he was recommended by Liang Qichao to serve as secretary when Liang was the finance minister of the Beiyang government.

After the establishment of the Jinling National Government, he gained Wang Jingwei’s trust and served as a senior confidential secretary at the Executive Yuan, a position second only to the secretary-general and involved in the highest military and political meetings.

This gave him access to a wealth of classified information.

Huang Jun lived extravagantly, often frequenting the Qinhuai River area and spending lavishly.

Sumo, knowing his nature, first approached him under the guise of discussing classical poetry, then lured him with money and women.

Unable to resist temptation, Huang Jun became a Japanese informant, frequently providing information to Sumo.

Moreover, Huang Jun brokered deals for Sumo, bribing military and political personnel in the General Staff, Navy, and Military and Political Affairs departments, leaking vast intelligence.

Such a man deserved a thousand deaths and still would not suffice to quell the hatred.

Song Yingge reported this to Dai Li.

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After reviewing the confessions, Dai Li immediately ordered the task force to drop everything and proceed with deployments.

He himself took the confessions to meet Chairman Chiang Kai-shek.

At dawn, Dai Li received the leader’s latest orders: immediate arrests, and shoot to kill any resistance.

...

Since Huang Jun had many accomplices, the special agents split into several teams.

Dai Li personally led a small team to capture Huang Jun.

Huang Jun’s residence was a three-story villa on Zhongshan Road near Fu Hougang, directly opposite the French Embassy.

Taking advantage of Dai Li’s distraction, Song Yingge followed the team into Huang Jun’s mansion.

The villa had many rooms, and due to the urgency, no prior reconnaissance had been done, so they did not know exactly which room Huang Jun was in.

Song Yingge thought briefly, then led three men straight to the third floor.

There were only four rooms on the third floor.

He chose the innermost room and signaled the team to kick the door open.

After a running start, a member smashed the door down.

Three men entered in single file, with Song Yingge close behind.

Inside, Huang Jun and his wife were awakened by the door’s crash; before they could react, three agents subdued them.

Song Yingge turned on the light, took out photos, and confirmed identities—no mistake.

Huang Jun tried to assert his official authority, but Song Yingge gave him no chance to speak, slapping him hard.

Blood mixed with teeth sprayed from Huang Jun’s mouth, staining the bedding red.

“Such a good man, yet you chose to be a dog,” Song Yingge said.

Still unsatisfied, he raised his hand to strike again but was stopped by the agents.

“Sir, calm down. The arrest isn’t over. You can deal with him properly back at the interrogation room.”

Song Yingge finally relented.

Huang Jun, lying on the bed, looked ashen. He knew his espionage for the Japanese had been exposed.

This time, there was no escape.

Ten minutes later, the operation ended.

Everyone inside Huang Jun’s villa, including Huang and his son, was arrested.

The other teams’ arrests went equally smoothly.

This time, Dai Li greatly enhanced his reputation before Chairman Chiang.

Song Yingge’s achievements in this case were evident to all.

Ahead of him lay a meteoric rise.