The Bourne Counterattack

Chapter 51 Office Infighting

Patrol work is very tedious. After patrolling for several consecutive days, he, who has been on the battlefield, feels a little overwhelmed.

The grassroots patrols are like this almost every day. The workload is really heavy, especially the Chinese patrols. They almost do the hardest work, get the lowest salary, and even the food is lower than others.

Watching people being arrested, they either stand guard or direct traffic on the street with a baton. Those who wave the big stick can perform an impromptu dance on the street.

In this way, they still receive two or three times the salary of the Chinese prisoners. This is to create a sense of colonial superiority for the British and the Chinese.

This concession will be taken back sooner or later.

Fortunately, Cheng Mo was an agent as soon as he came in, which saved him a lot of trouble.

The Political Section of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau has a lot to do. In addition to intelligence and diplomatic matters, there are also censorships of publications and newspapers, as well as movies and radio stations.

The political unit also has an inspection brigade, which specializes in investigating publishing houses, film companies and radio stations. Any publication in the public concession and newspapers and periodicals need to be submitted to the patrol room for reporting. Publications need to be made in advance, and newspapers also need to have backups, which is equivalent to cultural inspection. Brigade.

There are many newspapers in the concession, and the daily review workload is very heavy. Fortunately, this work is directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. But as a political agent, he can also review the newspapers. If he has different opinions, he can also stop publication. Or reorganized.

Otherwise, where do they get their extra money?
  "Detective Cheng, we found an underground printing spot for anti-Japanese propaganda slogans on Changsha Road. Go check it out." Pride is not here, and Lin Huarong is in charge of the political unit of Laozha Capture House.

"Am I alone?" Cheng Mo asked.

"Our Lao Zha Fang political unit doesn't have many people to begin with, so you should work hard." Lin Weirong chuckled, "They are just a few radical students who don't read good books and are talking about politics. Go check it out. If it’s not serious, just criticize and educate it.”

"Don't you need to bring it back for investigation?"

"It depends on the situation. This clue was obtained by asking one of my subordinates. I have many cases on hand and I am overwhelmed. You have just arrived. Practice your skills with such small cases first. You will gradually gain experience." Lin Huarong After saying that, he turned around and left.

"Detective Lin, what's the number on Changsha Road?"

"The road to Changsha is not long. You will know if you go and get to know it."

Cheng Mo didn't know what the other party was planning. Since Lin Huarong told him, he had to go. Changsha Road was just a 300-meter small road, adjacent to the Suzhou River. It was very inconspicuous.

After leaving Laozha Capture House, I got on the bicycle I just bought and headed straight to Changsha Road.

This place is located in the bustling commercial area of ​​the concession, so there is naturally no shortage of people. The streets are crowded with cars and people.

Cheng Mo pushed the car forward.

While observing the shops and various people on the roadside, analyze and judge what kind of people live here.

Zhengxianfang.

Cheng Mo couldn't help but feel something in his heart when he saw this name. This name seemed to have some impression in his memory.

Walking inside, he saw a plaque with the name "Zhengdong Library" on it, and a piece of history immediately flashed in his mind.

Isn't the "Zhengdong" that uses Western-style punctuation marks in Chinese classical novels originally from this privately run publishing house?

The "Zhengdong" version of classical novels published by this publishing house was very popular in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and it was also a treasure talked about by later generations of bibliophiles. For some reason, it is very rare in the world.

This private publishing house is not simple. Cheng Mo knows its origin. Lin Huarong is holding back his bad intentions.

If he was a stupid young man who really didn't understand and touched the "Zhengdong Library", he would definitely make a big fuss. So many outstanding people in the Republic of China had a close relationship with this publishing house, including the one who "believed that the war of resistance would inevitably lead to the destruction of the country." Mr. Hu.

These people are very influential and even have a certain influence abroad.

Even though the "Zhengdong Library" is now in difficulty and the influence of the books it publishes is much less than before, it is not something that he, a small Ministry of Industry Bureau agent, can touch casually.

He looked around and saw no anti-Japanese propaganda slogans.

But since the case has been handed over, Lin Huarong will definitely ask, how to hand it over?

If you say you didn't find it, it means you are incompetent. If you are a young man and you are incompetent, you must have come in through the back door if you become an agent as soon as you arrive.

You said you made discoveries, but what about your results? Did you confiscate printing tools and slogans, or did you arrest the people who spread the slogans?
  Nothing, what can I say?
  This kind of internal fighting in the office and setting traps for each other is something that is inevitable everywhere. Am I in the way of him?
  He sent out all the detectives and plainclothes people at home, and asked him to come alone, making it clear that he was just laughing at him.

Of course, it may just be because of his own displeasure. After all, he understands Japanese. In the future, the patrol room of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau will have to deal with Japanese people, so Cheng Mo will definitely be used more often than him.

Once this person loses power, it is a terrible thing.

Unknowingly, he walked into the Zhengdong Library. This is an exhibition hall with an area of ​​about seventy or eighty square meters. It is full of books. Some of them are books published or translated by the Zhengdong Library. There is a dazzling array of books. “Sir, are you here to buy a book?”

"Oh, let me take a look." Cheng Mo nodded slightly. Many of these books have become orphans for decades. If he had money, he would really like to buy some and keep them. However, he is also short of money now. .

In addition, there are also books in foreign languages, many of which are in the original language, and many works in Russian, but Cheng Mo does not know Russian.

In English, he saw the novel "Gone with the Wind", which had just won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature, written by Margaret Mitchell.

This novel became quite famous in later generations, especially the movie "Gone with the Wind" adapted from it, which became a sensation.

The original English version in China is rare. When Cheng Mo saw it, he thought about the English he had not used for many years and wondered whether he should pick it up again. After all, he was now working in the patrol room of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau, so he would definitely be able to use English.

So I pulled this book out from the bookshelf.

"Do you like this book, sir?"

"Well, I like this novel very much. I bought it for how much it cost." Cheng Mo nodded. He really liked this novel, and it could help him pick up the lost English.

"This is the only novel we have in our store. Please give me eight yuan." The clerk said enthusiastically.

"Okay." Eight yuan is one-third of an ordinary worker's monthly salary. Ordinary people cannot afford to spend this money to buy books.

Cheng Mo saw that there was a stationery counter in the store. The items were quite complete and the prices were quite reasonable, so he bought some manuscript paper for a total of ten yuan.

Suddenly I saw a billboard in the store that said it was undertaking the printing of advertising flyers, so I asked, "Do you still print advertising flyers for others?"

"Yes sir, we can also provide one-stop services of layout design, printing and distribution!" the clerk introduced enthusiastically.

“If I wanted to print a novel, could I?”

“You want to self-publish your novel, right?”

"Yes." Cheng Mo nodded. If there was no response from Novel Monthly, he would have to find another way.

Self-publishing is not something that cannot be done. The problem is that you have to pay for it yourself first. Whether you can sell the book or not, you have to bear all the risks.

"Yes, but if you publish it at your own expense, you have to bear the cost and all legal responsibilities. If you need our help in publishing it, you must obtain approval from the Ministry of Industry and Industry Bureau, otherwise it will not be sold to the outside world." The clerk explained.

The meaning is very clear. If you print it yourself and enjoy it at home, no one will care about it as long as it is not circulated. But if you want to sell it on the market, you need approval and permission.

"Okay, I'm just asking for a consultation." Cheng Mo nodded. He had already studied the various management regulations of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Bureau, and he knew the rules.

Cheng Mo came out of the "Zhengdong Library" with his books under his arm and walked two more times on Changsha Road. He didn't find anything else worth paying attention to, so he went straight back to Laozha's house.

"Tan Cheng, why are you back so early?"

"Oh, I did some research according to what you said, Detective Lin, and I found that a few young people didn't learn how to do well and posted some tempting advertisements. There were no anti-Japanese propaganda slogans. I guess your boss is trying to trick you in order to take credit. !" Cheng Mo chuckled.

"Then how did you deal with it?" Lin Huarong's expression changed and he asked.

"How else to deal with it? According to your instructions, Detective Lin, I will educate him and then release him. Is it possible that he will be brought back and locked up? There is no need. They are all poor boys who cannot squeeze out a few ounces of oil."

You are an agent, and I am also an agent. We are all on the same level, but you are just more qualified.

"Did I say that?" Lin Huarong was surprised.

"Yes, Detective Lin, you won't forget what you said yourself, right?"

"Haha, what Agent Cheng said makes sense, and the handling is not bad, not bad." Lin Huarong knew that his test failed this time. This kid is not low-ranking, and he just fooled the matter. .

To be honest, he probably wouldn't be able to do well in front of Pride.

"Detective Lin, if you are free tonight, why don't we have a drink?"

"I'm not free tonight, maybe next time." Lin Huarong waved his hand and said.

Cheng Mo understood that he was not the same person as him, so he had to be careful in the future.

　Continue to beg for collection!
  　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)