Espionage: You're tasked with spying, but you'll blow up the Special Higher Police?

Zhou Hongyi temporarily assigned Ah Gui to do some preliminary preparations and then returned to the police station in a rickshaw.

He arrived just as the police station was opening for lunch. As soon as he entered the canteen, he saw Fu Sheng, a big, simple-minded man with his hat askew and uniform buttons haphazardly fastened.

He ate a lunch meant for two by himself, wolfing it down, while Captain Xu and the others around him pointed and whispered, their laughter echoing.

"So this is the first member of the special operations team? Our young master Zhou is very capable, but his judgment in people is really terrible. How did he end up with such an idiot?" a policeman said with a sneer.

"Yeah, he's useless at everything, he can't even speak properly, but he's better at eating than anyone else," another policeman chimed in, his face full of disdain.

"Hahaha, look at him, his buttons are all crooked, his belly is showing, how can he be so sloppy? Could this guy be related to Young Master Zhou?" another policeman chimed in.

"There's a chance it really is true, so you all better keep your mouths shut. If Young Master Zhou hears this, be careful he doesn't make things difficult for you. Don't forget, his current position is equivalent to a deputy director."

Captain Xu reminded the police officers who were egging him on, and just as he finished speaking, he saw Zhou Hongyi walking over from a distance.

"Oh dear, Young Master Zhou is here. Haven't eaten yet? Come on, sit down here. Is there anyone who can see this and get Young Master Zhou some lunch, with plenty of meat and vegetables?"

Zhou Hongyi didn't stand on ceremony, thanked him, and sat down directly opposite Fusheng.

"Fusheng, are you used to the food here?" Zhou Hongyi asked with a smile.

Fusheng's mouth was covered in oil, and his face was still covered in rice grains. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and replied with a simple smile, "I can eat it, brother. It's much better than the food at the police station where I used to live!"

Fusheng, who was a bit slow on the uptake, was very obedient. Zhou Hongyi told him to call him "brother," so he did. His greeting also confirmed what the other policemen had just thought. At this moment, they were all secretly sticking out their tongues, reminding themselves that they would never dare to make fun of this big, silly guy again.

Zhou Hongyi didn't explain much, but smiled and said, "Eat more. After you're full, come with me on patrol this afternoon. I'll show you our daily work tasks and patrol area."

After Zhou Hongyi finished speaking, he turned to Xu Guodong, who was standing to the side: "Captain Xu, is there any group activity this afternoon? I'll take Fusheng out to familiarize himself with the environment."

Xu Guodong waved his hand and said, "No, no, those tasks from above aren't urgent. They're just searching for underground members of the Red Party and the Kuomintang. We do these things during our regular patrols. You just go ahead and do your work. Also, Director Feng has already had the innermost office cleaned up. Young Master Zhou, your special operations team can be officially established tomorrow. I'll supervise the furniture and other arrangements so you can rest assured."

"Thank you very much, Captain Xu. By the way, I chatted with my brother-in-law for a long time last night, and he gave me a pack of cigarettes. I can't finish them all. Here, take them and help me out of this predicament."

As Zhou Hongyi spoke, he took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and stuffed it into Xu Guodong's hand. The latter pretended to refuse, but actually held on very tightly.

After having dinner at the police station, Zhou Hongyi rested briefly before taking Fusheng for a stroll around the area under their Second Precinct's jurisdiction.

The Second Branch's jurisdiction covers a large part of Jing'an District and a small part of Huangpu District, which is the famous Bund area of ​​Shanghai.

The place exudes an atmosphere of extravagance and decadence, with bustling crowds thronging the streets. Neon lights flash with vibrant colors, illuminating the night sky as if it were daytime. Shops line both sides of the street, displaying a dazzling array of signs: upscale Western restaurants with signs in foreign languages, traditional Chinese teahouses, and nightclubs playing trendy music.

Men and women dressed in splendid attire strolled among the crowd, some arm in arm, smiling sweetly, others hurrying to their next entertainment venue. The sounds of car horns, street performers, and people's laughter mingled together, creating a vibrant and bustling scene.

"See this? This is the Bund, a paradise and den of iniquity for the rich."

As Zhou Hongyi explained, the simple-minded Fusheng stared in disbelief, his eyes wide like saucers, forgetting even to blink. The dazzling lights and lively scene seemed to possess a magical power, drawing all his attention, and saliva uncontrollably dripped from the corners of his mouth.

"Don't stare blankly. These are all areas where we patrol and carry out our duties. Our Second Division has plenty of opportunities for personal gain and power. Work hard for me, and you'll have plenty of opportunities in the future."

Zhou Hongyi smiled and patted Fusheng on the shoulder.

Fusheng then came to his senses. He wiped the drool from his mouth and nodded vigorously, saying, "I will definitely listen to whatever you say, brother. You are the best person to me in this world besides my mother!"

Zhou Hongyi chuckled and casually asked, "By the way, Fusheng, where do you live? What do your parents do? Why do you work at the police station?"

Fusheng felt his eyes still weren't enough to take it all in, his gaze lingering among the neon-lit advertising signs that were already lit up. He absentmindedly replied:

“My parents are both dead. I live with my maternal grandmother in the second or third alley. My grandmother used the money my parents left me to buy me a job, saying that being a policeman would at least keep me from starving and that no one would bully me.”

"Both parents are dead, so you live with your maternal grandmother?"

Zhou Hongyi looked at the large, simple-minded man walking ahead of him and couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gan3kai3, mixed feelings). People like Fusheng were like blank sheets of paper, untouched by the world's corruption, pure and simple. If he were to follow Captain Xu and his gang in the corrupting influence of the police station, he might unknowingly be corrupted and become utterly wicked. But if he stayed with him, Zhou Hongyi was confident he could develop Fusheng into a staunch Bolshevik fighter, guiding him onto the path of justice.

"Shanghai at night~~ Shanghai at night~~ You're a city that never sleeps~~~"

Just then, the sound of a gramophone drifted from a quaint shop on the street. The melodious tune of "Night Shanghai" floated in the air, its gentle melody seemingly possessing a magical quality, telling the story of the city's prosperity and allure.

As Fusheng listened to the music, his expression became one of rapture, and his steps unconsciously slowed down.

Before they knew it, the two had arrived at the Bund. The streets here were very wide, with cars passing by every now and then. Billboards lined both sides of the road, their colorful lights flashing. Some displayed the latest perfumes; others were advertisements for fashionable clothing, with models in glamorous outfits striking alluring poses; still others were promotions for high-end hotels, showcasing their luxurious interiors. The lively and bustling atmosphere reached its peak here, with people coming and going, their faces beaming with satisfaction.

Zhou Hongyi felt they had walked around enough, so he took Fusheng to a wonton stall and ordered two bowls of wontons.

As the two ate their wontons, they glanced at a large dance hall in the distance. The patrons there were all wealthy and influential; the men wore sharp suits and top hats, carrying walking sticks; the women wore elegant cheongsams or evening gowns, with exquisite makeup and charming smiles.

Fusheng had never seen anything like this before; his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"What? Interested? This is the famous Paramount Ballroom. If you're interested, I, as your older brother, can invite you in for a visit and let my brother see what it's like."

Zhou Hongyi looked at Fusheng's expression and teased him with a smile.

Although Fusheng really wanted to go, he quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, my grandma said I shouldn't go to places with lots of women. I can't handle it, and I'll get scammed."

"Oh? Your grandmother said something like that? What else did she say?" Zhou Hongyi asked curiously.

Fusheng rolled his eyes, trying hard to remember, and said while counting on his fingers, "Grandma also said, don't go to places with a lot of smoke, don't go to places where dice are played, don't go to places with a lot of foreigners, and definitely don't go to places where the Rising Sun flag is displayed."

Zhou Hongyi was quite interested and nodded in agreement, saying, "Your grandma is right, these places are indeed not good places. Okay, then you should continue to listen to your grandma and stay away from these places as much as possible. Let's eat wontons instead."

In fact, Zhou Hongyi was showing Fusheng around the area on the surface to introduce the environment, but in reality, he was looking for two more safe houses.

His ideal safe house should have two characteristics: first, convenient transportation with easy access to all directions, so that it can be quickly evacuated or transferred in an emergency; second, it should be located in a bustling area with a large number of people, so that it is easier to hide his tracks.

After this round of visits, Zhou Hongyi had initially identified two properties in Huangpu District and Jing'an District. While the properties appeared ordinary, they possessed unique geographical advantages. However, he still needed to find someone else to purchase them, using them as their "rabbit's den."

However, just as the two were eating wontons and chatting, Zhou Hongyi glanced around and suddenly spotted a familiar face.