Chapter 24: A Bunch of Geniuses

Under such circumstances, it was almost impossible to expect the soldiers to resist the temptation of wealth.

Lieutenant Yamamoto Kenroku, his face etched with helplessness, spoke in a low voice: "Koizumi-kun, you are a top-tier graduate of the Imperial Police Academy. Faced with this situation, have you truly found absolutely nothing?"

Second Lieutenant Koizumi Ichiro raised his head slightly and let out a long sigh. "It is not that there is nothing to go on. Judging from the footprints left behind when the perpetrators kicked in the door and the shell casings discovered at the scene, there were at least two assailants. The weapons they used were copies of the German MP28 submachine gun, commonly known as the 'flower gun.' The patrolling soldiers and the surrounding neighbors can all confirm this; they all claimed to have heard the sound of automatic, rapid-fire weapons."

Lieutenant Yamamoto could not help but exclaim: "Two 'flower guns'—that is a significant investment!"

Second Lieutenant Koizumi nodded with a grave expression. "Indeed! The price of these submachine guns on the black market is currently inflated to an extreme degree. It seems the Military Statistics Bureau has truly spent a fortune this time."

A flicker of doubt crossed Lieutenant Yamamoto’s eyes. "Koizumi-kun, are you so certain this was the work of the Military Statistics Bureau?"

Second Lieutenant Koizumi replied with ironclad conviction: "Yes! The deceased, Huang San, was one of the first Green Gang thugs to defect to the Empire. He had long been on the hit list of anti-Japanese elements within the Green Gang and the Military Statistics Bureau. Moreover, judging from the perpetrators' professional tactical execution and their luxurious weapon configuration, it could be no one else but them."

"You mentioned there were footprints on the door. Can you track the individuals through them?"

"Impossible. These are the most common cloth shoe prints imaginable; there are hundreds of thousands of pairs across Shanghai. Trying to find these specific shoes in such a vast sea of people would be like looking for a needle in a haystack!"

After a moment of contemplation, Lieutenant Yamamoto said: "If that is the case, then let us close the case here. Transfer the files to the Special Higher Police Division."

"Hai..."

...

Having slept through the morning, Li Haibo was preparing to return to the bureau's cafeteria for a meal. Before he even arrived, he ran into that trio of scoundrels: Hou Yong, Xiong Kui, and their group.

Upon seeing Li Haibo, Xiong Kui sprinted over in excitement. "Brother Bo! Have you heard? Huang San was killed last night! He was riddled with bullets, and his head was chopped into a rotten watermelon!"

"Ah! Master San treated me well! Which bastard did this? I want to avenge Master Huang San!"

"Brother Bo, have you lost your mind? It’s a good thing Huang San is dead!"

"What do you mean?"

"With Huang San dead, we don't have to hand over half our salaries anymore! Isn't that great?"

"That makes sense! Huang San deserved to die! Which hero did it? I want to thank him properly!"

"Alright, enough. I heard it was a Military Statistics Bureau assassin. The Japs are searching everywhere, so let's not go looking for trouble!"

"The Military Statistics Bureau! Can't mess with them! Can't mess with them! Let's go eat!"

The group headed toward the cafeteria in high spirits.

...

Huang San was dead, but no one felt sorrow. He was just a Green Gang thug who spent his days oppressing neighbors and committing every evil deed imaginable; everyone only clapped and cheered.

The Japs were certainly not saddened either; he was just a dog, and finding another dog was easy enough. That very afternoon, Jin Liang, a sworn brother of Huang San and another Green Gang thug, rapidly ascended to power under the sponsorship of the Japanese, taking over all of Huang San's assets.

...

After getting off work that afternoon, before he even stepped through his front door, Li Haibo heard his younger sister, Xiaohua, crying her heart out.

His heart tightened, his expression shifted, and he rushed into the house. The scene inside left him stunned. Xiaohua was being held down firmly on a floor cushion by their mother, her little bottom beaten bright red. The other little ones were standing against the wall in a row like frightened quail, eyes wide, not daring to let out a breath.

*What on earth is going on here? Killing the chicken to scare the monkey? Isn't this a bit too harsh?* Li Haibo thought to himself, hurriedly rushing forward to intervene.

"Mom! Stop hitting her! Xiaohua is so well-behaved; why are you hitting her?"

His mother was trembling with rage. "Well-behaved, my foot! This brat, I don't know who she learned it from, but she said she wanted to eat chicken today and actually twisted the chicken's neck off! Tell me, who did she learn that from?"

Xiaohua, while sobbing, pointed at Li Haibo and said, "I learned it from Big Brother!"

"What!" Li Haibo felt his head buzz, and a surge of anger flared up in his heart. "Beat her! Beat her hard! At such a young age, she's already learned to lie—this is unacceptable! She needs the discipline!"

...

The next day, during their patrol, the group reached the small park and couldn't bring themselves to move any further.

Li Haibo passed around cigarettes, and the men slumped onto a bench, slacking off. No one spoke; in truth, people who are too familiar with each other don't have much to talk about. Their lives were highly overlapping—most of what I know, you know, and the small parts you don't know are secrets we don't want the other to find out.

Between those who are too familiar, there is no need for excessive verbal communication. A glance, a gesture—they roughly know what the other is about to do. That is called tacit understanding. So, many say that lovers or married couples run out of things to say over time, but it's not that there's nothing to say; it's that there’s no need. Over time, there is a rapport. As the saying goes, the moment you lift your tail, I know what you’re about to drop! And sure enough, Hou Yong started lifting his tail.

He leaned toward Xiong Kui with a mischievous grin, a glimmer of cunning in his eyes. "Blindie! The food in the cafeteria at noon didn't have a drop of grease in it. Why don't you break the bank and buy us a roast chicken to satisfy our cravings?"

Xiong Kui immediately pulled a bitter face. "Where would I get the money to treat everyone? My pockets are cleaner than my face; I'm so poor I’m rattling!"

Hou Yong didn't say a word. He swiftly pulled a wallet from his pocket and flipped it open with nimble fingers. Inside, a few banknotes lay quietly. "Aren't there funds here? Though it's not much, it's more than enough to buy a roast chicken!"

Xiong Kui's expression turned ugly in an instant. He jumped up, frantically patted his pockets, and shouted in a rage: "Are you insane? Why are you picking my wallet? Give it back!"

Hou Yong raised the corners of his mouth in a teasing manner. "I can give it back! But you have to promise to buy the roast chicken!"

Xiong Kui stomped his feet in frustration. "What chicken?! This is all the family fortune I have left; you’re trying to bankrupt me!"

The two struggled back and forth. After a Herculean effort, Xiong Kui finally snatched his wallet back. He hurriedly opened it and counted the money carefully. Finding nothing missing, he let out a sigh of relief and tucked it away securely.

But just then, Hou Yong was idly tossing a watch in his hand, clicking his tongue in wonder: "Yo! This is a nice watch. When did you buy this? I’ve never seen you wear it before."