Chapter 65: One Sees the Newcomer's Smile, But Not the Old Lover's Tears

Early the next morning, Li Wensheng and the Scholar, along with one other, had breakfast at a street stall before heading to the Second Branch.

Upon arriving at the Counter-Espionage Division, Li Wensheng summoned Shi Xiaozhen and a few others to the office.

"Deputy Chief Shi, you and Bai Yan will take some men to canvass the area I marked out yesterday."

"Yes, Chief."

"Scholar, you and Gun Nut go find Sixth Brother. Work with him to investigate who in the Mountain City keeps a dog with long black-and-white fur—a clever one."

"Yes, Chief."

"Old Niu, you'll be with me today."

"Yes, Chief."

"Alright, let's move."

Once Shi Xiaozhen and the others had left, Li Wensheng took Old Niu and headed once more to the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.

He had visited Central Bureau headquarters more often than even Military Bureau headquarters. At the Central Bureau, he was already a familiar face—and they received him with great enthusiasm.

Sure enough, as soon as he stepped onto the grounds, Gao Zhanlong was already waiting for him by the front terrace.

"Captain Gao, you really needn't be so courteous. You’re my senior; it’s not right for you to wait for me here. I should be the one coming to find you," Li Wensheng said, his expression earnest, giving the impression of a naive young man. But Gao Zhanlong knew better—this was a little fox who spoke with a sly edge.

Yet there was nothing to be done about his slyness; Li Wensheng’s background was too mysterious, and Gao couldn't afford to offend him. Swallowing his annoyance, he asked, "Chief Li, are you here to interrogate prisoners again today?"

"Indeed, Captain Gao. Sorry to trouble you."

Gao Zhanlong, not wanting to look at Li Wensheng’s infuriating face any longer, beckoned a passing staff member and instructed him to escort Li Wensheng to the interrogation cells.

Inside, Li Wensheng didn’t call for the prisoners at once. Instead, he took a pencil from his pocket and began to sketch in the interrogation logbook on the desk. After less than a minute, he paused, crumpled the page, and tossed it into the glowing charcoal brazier.

Black and white, long fur—most likely a Border Collie. He had tried to draw one, but his skills failed him.

"Bring in those three women," Li Wensheng instructed.

Soon, the three women were brought in. Li Wensheng tucked the logbook under his arm, carried a stool over, and sat down in front of them.

"Tell me everything you did and saw after entering the Sheng Residence. Be thorough—leave nothing out, big or small."

Jiang Xuefei, the famed courtesan from the Phoenix Spring House, was eager to cooperate. "Sir, a little after six in the evening, Chief Liu escorted us to the Sheng Residence. The Englishman seemed very satisfied with us. I didn’t understand his words, but he kept smiling while talking to Chief Liu.

After chatting for more than ten minutes, Chief Liu left. The Englishman then took us to the third floor. We bathed and then got down to business. After the first time, he invited us all downstairs for a meal. He was quite the lecher—after dinner, he took us upstairs for a second round. After that, he was spent and had the servant bring up two bottles of red wine and some snacks.

We couldn’t understand him, so things were awkward. But since he was out of commission, all we could do was drink in silence. Afterward, everyone felt drowsy. He had a go with Mrs. Liu, and then we all went to sleep.

Next morning, when I woke, the others were still sleeping. I tidied up a bit and asked the servant for coffee. I was drinking on the balcony when I suddenly heard the Englishman shout, and saw him rush out. The next thing I knew, people came in and arrested me."

As soon as she finished, another woman spoke up, "It was the same for me. When I woke, the Englishman was groggy but stirring. I felt sticky and went to bathe. Halfway through, I heard him shout anxiously, and not long after, someone came in and arrested me."

Li Wensheng turned to the third woman, who had remained silent through two rounds of questioning. "And you?"

She raised her head, and he saw that her eyes were empty—utterly desolate. "I was still asleep when they arrested me." She lowered her head again.

"Are you Liu Zuokang's mistress, or Colonel Huang's?" Li Wensheng asked, curious.

Before she could answer, the other woman replied, "I'm Liu Zuokang's mistress; she belongs to Colonel Huang."

Li Wensheng’s gaze shifted. "Liu Zuokang sent you to entertain the Englishman—and you agreed?"

The woman gave a faint, dazed smile. "Sir, women like us—what right have we to refuse when our men give orders? When Liu Zuokang told me to go, I cursed him, asked if he wasn't ashamed to send his own woman to another man. He slapped me hard and said, 'If the boss can let his mistress sleep with other men for his career, why can’t I? Once I make it, who would dare laugh?'"

"So you dare speak of Old Dai like that, Liu Zuokang. Your days are numbered," Li Wensheng thought to himself, then turned to Colonel Huang’s mistress.

"Colonel Huang is away—he couldn’t have forced you to entertain the Englishman. Why did you go?"

She looked up and smiled, but the smile was bitter. "You see the new one laughing, but not the old one weeping. When I first married him, he ignored his wife, and I even mocked her. Who’d have thought I’d become the cast-off so soon? After he took a new mistress last year, he stopped caring about me—didn’t give me a penny. I have no skills; to survive, I had to sell myself. Since last July, I’ve been a socialite, sleeping with men for money. He knows, but doesn’t care. My title as Colonel’s mistress is just empty words now. Chief Liu offered two hundred legal tender to accompany the Englishman—I had no reason not to go."

Li Wensheng sighed inwardly and asked, "Did any of you notice anything strange as you slept?"

Colonel Huang’s mistress hung her head and said nothing. The other two shook their heads slightly.

Li Wensheng frowned a little. "Do you know where the Englishman kept his documents?"

"Yes, he put them in the nightstand drawer. While we were drinking, he even opened it to check," Jiang Xuefei replied promptly.

"No wonder they were stolen—such poor vigilance," Li Wensheng cursed inwardly. "Who suggested the drinking?"

"Sir, it wasn’t us—it was the Englishman’s idea," Jiang Xuefei said hurriedly.

"That’s right. He wanted to drink—we just wanted to sleep early," Liu Zuokang's mistress chimed in.

Colonel Huang’s mistress nodded faintly in agreement.

Li Wensheng surveyed the three women, then stood and addressed the Central Bureau officers, "Take them back. Bring in Liu Zuokang. And from today on, treat them better. If I come back and find them still in this state, the whole Central Bureau will have to answer to me."

The three women stared in astonishment, then thanked him in unison, "Thank you, sir."