Chapter Six: The Interrogation

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Hiroshi Sugiyama’s lover was a woman named Yanagizuki Tei. According to Ma San, Yanagizuki was the top courtesan at the Spring Welcome Pavilion. Originally from a wealthy family in the northeast, she had suffered misfortune, eventually drifting into this life and becoming a courtesan. She was not only skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting but had also studied abroad and spoke fluent English.

Interestingly, Yanagizuki had no relatives or connections—she was utterly alone. In the bustling Qinhuai district, her reputation was well known; she was attended by the rich and powerful alike. Although there was no concrete evidence, Song Yingge instinctively suspected Yanagizuki of being a Japanese spy.

Beyond that, Ma San revealed a crucial piece of intelligence: the Japanese had repeatedly purchased young girls like Xu Ling from the Spring Welcome Pavilion. Typically, the pavilion would acquire beautiful young women from various places, train them, and then either have them entertain clients or sell them to others. Xu Ling was just one among many.

A few days prior, the Japanese had again purchased a girl from the pavilion, with the agreed handover scheduled for the next day. Upon learning this, Song Yingge immediately sprang into action. First, he contacted Zhou Weiqiang, instructing him to send an operative team to take Ma San’s only family member—a seven or eight-year-old adopted son named Ma Le—hostage to leverage Ma San. Then, he arranged for tight surveillance of the Japanese consulate in Jinling.

Once Ma San delivered the girl to the consulate the next day, they would monitor the Japanese to see to whom they handed the girl; that person would be the compromised insider. To avoid Ma San’s disappearance arousing suspicion in Yanagizuki, Zhou Weiqiang ordered Ma San to continue working as usual, with Sun Xi and four members of the operations unit keeping him under watch.

As soon as Song Yingge returned to Caodu Alley, Zhou Weiqiang pulled him into Wei Si’s office. “Well done. I’ve heard everything from Team Leader Zhou. When this operation succeeds, I’ll personally commend you,” Wei Si praised.

“The intelligence and the operation came from the team leader’s approval; I dare not take credit,” Song Yingge replied. Whether sincere or not, the words were well-phrased, pleasing Zhou Weiqiang’s ears.

Wei Si nodded slightly, viewing Song Yingge with greater respect. The three then held a brief meeting to discuss the details of the next day’s operation. As they dispersed, Wei Si casually remarked, “Ma San is a key figure; make sure to keep a close eye on him.”

Song Yingge froze at this comment; a sudden inspiration flashed through his mind. “This is bad!”

“What’s wrong?” Wei Si asked.

Zhou Weiqiang was also puzzled.

“Ma San is a Japanese spy,” Song Yingge said urgently.

“How could Ma San be a spy?” Zhou Weiqiang questioned.

“Team Leader, Section Chief, there’s no time to explain. Issue the order at once—have Sun Xi arrest Ma San immediately,” Song Yingge urged.

Though confused, Wei Si picked up the phone to notify Sun Xi. Usually, an operation like this would leave a team member stationed at a hotel or teahouse with a landline for immediate communication in emergencies.

Upon receiving the call, the team promptly informed Sun Xi, who then led the team to arrest Ma San. Song Yingge and Zhou Weiqiang hurriedly got into a car, racing toward the Qinhuai River.

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Sun Xi and the four members of the operations unit had no trouble monitoring an ordinary person. But if they underestimated him—and especially if he was a meticulous, deeply scheming Japanese spy—the outcome could be unpredictable.

When the two arrived at the Spring Welcome Pavilion, they found Ma San already in custody. “Did Ma San resist?” Zhou Weiqiang asked Sun Xi.

“No, he cooperated fully,” Sun Xi replied, equally baffled by the sudden arrest order.

“Did anyone else notice the arrest?” Zhou inquired.

“No, no one saw Ma San being taken,” Sun Xi assured.

Zhou Weiqiang nodded but then looked questioningly at Song Yingge. “If Ma San really is a spy, why didn’t he flee?”

Song Yingge furrowed his brow, pondering the same question. “Team Leader, I haven’t figured that out yet. The priority now is to bring Ma San back to Caodu Alley for interrogation overnight,” he said.

After some thought, Zhou Weiqiang instructed, “Sun Xi, stay here and continue to monitor Yanagizuki. If there’s any unusual activity, arrest her immediately.”

Back at Caodu Alley, Ma San was locked in the interrogation room. Song Yingge volunteered to conduct the interrogation, which Zhou Weiqiang agreed to; Wei Si and Zhou Weiqiang observed from the adjacent room.

Ma San appeared intimidated by the room’s gloomy atmosphere, visibly anxious. On the way back, Song Yingge finally understood why Ma San hadn’t fled.

“You are clever and confident,” Song Yingge said, refraining from any harsh methods and instead speaking to Ma San as if to an old friend.

“Sir, you flatter me. What cleverness do I possess?” Ma San stammered.

“Enough with the act. Since we caught you, your identity as a spy is no secret,” Song Yingge replied.

“Sir, you’re mistaken!” Ma San burst into tears.

Hearing this, Wei Si and Zhou Weiqiang, who were eavesdropping, felt their resolve waver slightly. But Song Yingge remained steadfast.

“You may seem inconspicuous hiding in the Spring Welcome Pavilion, but your role is crucial. If I were Japanese, I wouldn’t entrust such an important task to an unrelated person. Why would the Japanese believe a Chinese person could keep silent?” Song Yingge challenged.

Wei Si and Zhou Weiqiang suddenly realized they had been deceived by Ma San’s timid act, neglecting this vital point.

“Sir, if I were truly a spy, why wouldn’t I run?” Ma San continued to feign innocence.

“Because you’re greedy,” Song Yingge said with a contemptuous smile.

“You pretended to cooperate to lower our guard, then threw Yanagizuki under the bus to mislead us. Finally, you used the planned handover to the consulate tomorrow as bait to buy time. You know we wouldn’t alert the enemy but would instead set a trap. That gives you one more night to maneuver. Am I right?” Song Yingge pressed.

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Ma San fell silent, his thoughts completely laid bare by the young man before him.

“You’re formidable,” Ma San admitted.

“Alive or dead—choose one,” Song Yingge said casually.

Ma San’s gaze flickered as he looked at the young man. “I want to spare you some dignity,” Song Yingge continued.

Ma San remained silent. Losing patience, Song Yingge clapped his hands. The interrogation room door opened, and someone entered with a small boy—Ma Le.

Ma San claimed Ma Le was his adopted son, but the truth was otherwise. Ma San hadn’t fled because he wanted a chance to take Ma Le with him; his greed was his downfall.

“Ma Le is your biological son, isn’t he?” Song Yingge asked.

At this point, it no longer mattered whether Ma San admitted it.

“He’s half Chinese. Would you really harm an eight-year-old child?” Ma San pleaded.

“But he’s also half Japanese,” Song Yingge replied.

“In times of peace, people pursue procedural and substantive justice. But in this era, I only seek substantive justice. The process can be dirty—I accept that. And compared to your Japanese methods, it’s perhaps not so filthy, don’t you agree?”

Song Yingge disliked torture and coercion, especially brutal methods—though he wouldn’t refuse if effective. The ultimate psychological pressure was what he pursued.

“Ma Le is innocent. He’s only eight and can’t comprehend what’s happening. His life has just begun. If he dies, the one who kills him won’t be me—it will be you. You love him, don’t you? Otherwise, you would have abandoned him and fled. And before I kill him, I will make him endure every cruel method you know—all before your eyes. So, do you really want this to happen?”