Spy Wars: I can get rewards by being a bully!

Chapter 1123 Eating Beef Ribs at Huifanglou

Lin Ze didn't say much more to Bei Yuan and hung up the phone, letting him figure it out himself.

If Kitahara ultimately backs down and doesn't choose to kill Uchida, then Kitahara will also be abandoned by Hayashi.

Sometimes, once you reach a certain point, you can't just quit or stop whenever you want. Lin Ze put in so much effort to help Beiyuan get to where he is today. If Beiyuan shrinks back and quits at the slightest risk, then what's the point of having him?

He picked up his teacup, took a sip to moisten his throat, and was just about to light a cigarette to rest when Niu San'er knocked on the door and came in again.

"Sir, Duan Wenxuan has come from eastern Hebei."

Lin Ze nodded. "Just let him in."

Half a minute later, Xiao Duan entered the office and saw Lin Ze holding a cigarette. He quickly took two steps, pulled out a box of matches, struck one, and, protecting the flame with one hand, moved closer to Lin Ze.

Lin Ze lit his cigarette by his own light and then pushed the cigarette tray toward him.

"Why are you here?"

Xiao Duan chuckled awkwardly, "Uncle Lin, it's been quite a while since I've reported to you. I'm here to give you an update on the recent bandit suppression efforts in eastern Hebei."

Lin Ze leaned back in his chair and just looked at Xiao Duan.

Xiao Duan could no longer laugh.

"Uncle Lin, I..."

"You got promoted?"

Xiao Duan's eyes widened. "Holy crap, Uncle Lin planted a bug in my place!"

“I…you…”

"Alright, sit down first. I won't say much about you or me, Wenxuan. I just need to remind you that the higher your position, the greater your responsibility. You not only have to face external dangers, but also internal dangers. Your father died to save you, and now your family is counting on you. I often say, don't put yourself in that situation. You need to think about this carefully."

Xiao Duan lowered his head, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Stop wasting your breath there. If you need anything, go find Niu San'er. He knows how to help you within his capabilities. But let me make this clear: he won't put himself in that situation, and I certainly won't. He's helping you out of kindness. If he can't help you one day, that's your fate."

Xiao Duan nodded emphatically, then knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times. Lin Ze didn't stop him and waved him away.

Half an hour later, Niu San'er came back into the room, and Lin Ze asked, "Is everything arranged?"

“Sir, Duan Wenxuan wanted to go to Shimen, but I persuaded him against it. Shimen is indeed a well-connected area, but once they find a new route, they don’t necessarily have to focus on Shimen. They can go north from Tianjin to eastern Hebei, then to Rehe, and finally to the border region. They can still connect with the west. I didn’t let him risk his life, but I asked him to send some men out, and he agreed. Sir, should we…”

Lin Ze raised his chin, gesturing for Niu San'er to sit down first. "Do you want to do anything, like stirring up trouble? Don't get involved in this. Give Xiao Duan whatever he wants, as long as you can. Don't let him go to places like Shimen or Kouwai easily. It's good for him to stay in Jidong. If their superiors can understand this signal, they will definitely agree to move the center of the underground transportation line to Jidong. If they really don't trust us, then forcing them won't work."

"Sir, their foundation in North China is too weak. Their original transportation lines are... to be honest, they're barely scraping by. Otherwise, this wouldn't have happened. If you want to help Duan Wenxuan, the investment and risks are considerable. I wonder if they have any resources over there..."

Lin Ze waved his hand, "Let's build a good relationship. Back in Zhongtiao Mountain, if they hadn't sent troops, my plans wouldn't have gone so smoothly. It's all about fighting the Japanese. Let's put other factors aside for now and not think about them so early!"

Niu San'er understood and immediately ended the topic, "Sir, you've had a long day. Would you like to eat at the mansion tonight, or find somewhere new?"

These days, Director Niu has reached the pinnacle of being a housekeeper. He is not only a great help in official duties, but also an expert in entertainment and relaxation. Seeing that Lin Ze has been staying in the office these past two days, he suggested that they find a restaurant to change things up and get some fresh air.

Are there any good places?

"How about we go to Huifanglou?"

"Huifanglou, a brothel?"

It's no wonder Lin Ze misunderstood; these days, there are very few restaurants with names like Fang. Most restaurants with names like Fang are brothels.

"It really is a proper restaurant, located in the former French Concession. They say their beef dishes are exceptional, such as braised beef tongue, braised oxtail, and braised beef shank. The weather is neither too cold nor too hot right now. If you go there and get four hot stir-fries and two cold dishes, you can have both a meal and drinks. The taste may not be as good as the mansion, but isn't this a good opportunity to try something new?"

This demonstrates Niu San'er's kindness and tact in speaking.

Whether it's the Lin family mansion in Beiping or the Lin family residence in Tianjin, they both have their own master chefs. What if Niu San'er praises the food outside to the skies, and Lin Ze becomes dissatisfied with the master chef in his own residence?

So Niu San'er had to add, "The taste isn't necessarily better than the one at the mansion."

Lin Ze was somewhat tempted by this and got up to instruct, "Prepare the car, let's go. Oh, and give Zheng Xiaji a call, we'll have a couple of drinks with him tonight."

Niu San'er then arranged for a car and called Zheng Xiaji at the same time.

Old Zheng was overjoyed to hear that Master Lin had summoned him. The line of people wanting to drink with Master Lin could stretch all the way to Beiping. Why did Master Lin choose me over someone else? It seems I really am... well, what a disappointment!

He eagerly obtained a bottle of aged sorghum liquor, first instructing his subordinates to increase security around Huifanglou, and then hurriedly took a car to the banquet.

About half an hour after Lao Zheng arrived, Lin Ze also arrived. Everything was ready, and all the ingredients in the kitchen had been checked. The chefs, with serious expressions, began cooking meticulously, as if preparing for an exam.

When the cold dishes were served, Lao Zheng first poured wine for Lin Ze, then filled his own glass, and then waited obediently for Lin Ze to speak.

"Captain Zheng, it's been a long time since we sat down together. Today we're just having a casual drink, so don't be so formal. Come on, let's drink."

Lin Ze was just looking for a casual drink, but for Zheng Xiaji, such a private opportunity to speak with Master Lin was extremely rare. After a few rounds of drinks, Old Zheng, looking quite tipsy, said, "Master Lin, thanks to your care, I've been able to hold onto this position. I know my own limitations. You have plenty of talented people under you, and you could easily replace me with anyone, but you still keep me. I'm truly grateful. No matter what difficulties I encounter, they won't seem so difficult anymore!"

Lin Ze smiled, took a bite of oxtail, and found it to be tender, fresh, and flavorful with a rich sauce – a perfect dish to enjoy with drinks.

"Old Zheng, stop with the nonsense, what trouble have you run into this time?"

Zheng Xiaji chuckled, "Master Lin, I can't hide anything from you. Ever since you ordered the major reorganization of the police force and the subdivision of regional management, the security management in Tianjin has been quite smooth. There's only one place, and that's the Japanese Concession. The former Municipal Council still has a group of so-called security personnel left over. They're not in the same system, so it's difficult to command them..."