Chapter 53

From the telegram, it is not hard to see that two divisions were stationed around Jiamusi, including Huachuan and Tangyuan. For the Japanese army, whose strategic focus in 1935 was in the Guan area, this deployment of troops was clearly not for the purpose of enjoying the river views in Jiamusi, which was not a major city at the time. However, to discern the implications from these telegrams, it would take time to gather and analyze intelligence, and one would need to stay here for a while. This was clearly not what Dong Ku needed to do now; he had more important matters to attend to. Moreover, with the current large-scale military operations, he had no power to participate or influence the overall battlefield situation. What he did not know was that this operation would lead the Japanese army, which had originally abandoned its strategic goals in Russia, to redeploy a large number of troops to Heilongjiang, significantly changing the entire Kwantung Army's deployment.

After reading the telegram, Dong Ku instructed Liu Zhong to guard the front door. He then began to work with Shunzi and Sun Tao.

Opening the secret door in Wang Zhiyan's study, they moved all the antiques and treasures that could not be taken away into the secret room. Here, explosives would be left. If Wang Zhiyan was not killed, this place would be destroyed. Although it was a pity, Dong Ku would not let the gold and silver become funds for the Japanese invasion of China. As for the antiques, Dong Ku could not think of a way to keep them for the time being.

Dong Ku and his team worked quickly, soon moving everything from the mansion into the secret room. Although Shui Linglong could hear the commotion outside, she was very cooperative and remained quietly in bed when Shunzi checked on her.

Although Shunzi and Sun Tao did not understand why Dong Ku was also storing the porcelain bowls and wine cups in the secret room, no one asked, and they just worked diligently.

While they were busy, Dong Ku heard the sound of a car engine from the front door. He waved his hand and rushed to the living room with Shunzi and Sun Tao. By the time he reached the living room, the battle was already over.

The two drivers and ten guards were all eliminated, leaving only Dong Ku's target, Wang Zhiyan.

Dong Ku looked at the unremarkable, slightly overweight man and asked in a deep voice, "Are you Wang Zhiyan?"

"Yes... Sir..."

Although Wang Zhiyan was frightened, he had experienced some battles before. His hesitation was only due to uncertainty about the identity and intentions of the Japanese lieutenant in front of him.

Dong Ku did not waste words. He stepped forward, grabbed his chin, and checked to see if there were any poisons, but found none. He then dragged him into the living room, where the bodies had already been moved to a side room.

"Tell me, you are the governor of Binjiang Province, why did you come to Sanjiang Province?"

Wang Zhiyan did not answer immediately. He quickly glanced around the living room and noticed that the vases, porcelain, and some antiques on the table were gone. He realized something and turned back to say, "I don't know who the hero is, and I am not the governor of Binjiang Province. I am just the president of the Sino-Japanese Friendship Association in Sanjiang Province, responsible for preparing supplies, under the Ministry of Economy. If the hero is here for money, I..."

"Are you not the governor of Binjiang Province?"

Dong Ku interrupted him and asked directly.

"No."

Wang Zhiyan forced himself to calm down and answered straightforwardly.

Wang Zhiyan's answer surprised Dong Ku. He paused and asked, "Have you never served in Xinjing?"

"I have never been in Xinjing, just recently appointed to the preparatory committee."

Wang Zhiyan's expression was uncertain. He did not know what this person wanted, but he knew that as long as it was not a vendetta, he had a chance to survive.

"Oh..."

Dong Ku then realized that the governor of a province would not have only guards and no soldiers. It seemed that this Wang Zhiyan was not the governor of the puppet state of Manchukuo's Binjiang Province, but just a coincidence of the same name. This conclusion also clarified the lack of detailed records about the governor of Binjiang Province in later times, as they were not the same person.

As Dong Ku was still analyzing, Wang Zhiyan spoke up, "Hero, I know I have few enemies in the world. I work for the Japanese to ensure the safety of my family. I wonder why the hero has come to the mansion?"

Dong Ku's mind raced. After Wang Zhiyan finished speaking, he said calmly, "I am here to take your life. You should understand..."

Although Wang Zhiyan tried to remain calm, his eyes betrayed his fear. He did not know who this person was, and although he knew he might not escape, he still held onto the hope of survival. "Hero, I can give you money. If you let me and my family go, I can give you a lot of money..."

"Money?"

Dong Ku smiled and said, "It's not hard to redeem your life. Your two sons and concubine are tied up in your study. If the price is right, you can reunite with them and enjoy freedom."

"Ah!!"

When Wang Zhiyan heard that his sons were also tied up in the study, his face turned ashen, and he lost his composure.

"Hero, take whatever you like from the things in the house. I have a deposit in the Citibank in the Tianjin concession. If the hero spares me and my family, I will give you the Citibank account."

Oh? A deposit in Citibank?

This was unexpected information for Dong Ku. He had thought that all the gold and silver were stored in the secret room, and that this person only had some cash. He did not expect that Wang Zhiyan had some means and had deposited money in an American bank.

"Tell me, how much money is in the American bank?" Dong Ku leaned forward, interested.

"Hero, I have deposited gold worth a million in Citibank. It's a numeric password, and the stone seal in the study drawer is the key. I beg the hero to spare me."

"Million?" Dong Ku's face turned cold. He leaned back and said coldly, "The gold and silver in the house are worth more than a million. A mere million is not enough to redeem you and your family, let alone gain freedom."

"Hero, I really have nothing left. All my wealth has been seized by the Japanese..."

Wang Zhiyan looked miserable, almost crying.

Hmph!

Dong Ku inwardly sneered. If he had not found the secret room, he might have been deceived by this person. A million was not a small amount.

Without acknowledging Wang Zhiyan, Dong Ku waved his hand and said, "Go get the second son's gourd."

"Yes, boss!"

Liu Zhong responded, pulled out a sharp knife, and walked into the inner hall.

Wang Zhiyan panicked and pleaded, "Hero, wait, wait. I have another account. This is my last wealth. I beg the hero to spare me and my family."

"You only have one chance. Don't play games with me. Tell me everything, and I will let you reunite with your family." Dong Ku leaned forward and said coldly.

"Yes, yes, I won't think of anything. The Citibank account is..."

Wang Zhiyan seemed cooperative and quickly gave the Citibank account. The withdrawal voucher was still the stone seal. The amount, as Dong Ku expected, was worth ten million in gold.

After Shunzi found the stone seal and confirmed it, Dong Ku smiled and said, "I am curious. You are not a bandit, not a provincial governor, and not a Qing official. How did you have the power to collect so much gold and silver in the study?"

"You..."

Wang Zhiyan's face turned ashen, full of fear. He never expected that Dong Ku had found the secret room, leaving him with no secrets and even adding to his wealth.

"Surprised?" Dong Ku looked at this man who had devoured human flesh and said mockingly, "You have three minutes to tell me all your secrets. I will keep my promise and let you reunite with your family."

Wang Zhiyan collapsed on the ground, thinking he had no chance of survival. When he heard Dong Ku say he could still reunite with his family, he struggled to sit up and spilled everything he knew.

Through Wang Zhiyan's account, Dong Ku learned the origin of the gold and treasures.

It turned out that these gold and treasures were plundered by the Jurchens when they entered the pass and were transported back and hidden in batches. The wealth in Huining had long been excavated, but this place had remained unknown for some reason. The house had been maintained and preserved by the people guarding the wealth. Wang Zhiyan's grandfather was a servant in this household. He had once saved a mysterious person from the world, and in addition to learning a method to make poison, he also learned how to make various mechanisms. After the mysterious person died of illness, his grandfather discovered the secret of the household. Upon discovering the secret, he killed the entire family of over a hundred people, took over the mansion, and set up a secret room under the study with various mechanisms.

His father, Wang Yaizu, colluded with bandits and became the mastermind behind the Heilongshan bandit group, intending to use his wealth to establish a kingdom. However, due to his lack of strategic vision, he never succeeded. Later, with the fall of the Qing dynasty and the division of warlords, he did not become a warlord and was wiped out by Ma Zhanshan in the bandit group. As for this place, no one knew about it, and Wang Zhiyan survived until now. The paintings and silver dollars in the secret room were all plundered and secretly hidden by his father.

In addition to this, Wang Zhiyan also revealed another secret. There was another secret room under the kang in the guard Hu Ye's room, where his father had stored guns and ammunition. Even Hu Ye did not know about this, only he and his two sons knew.

After finishing his story, Wang Zhiyan collapsed like a deflated balloon, waiting for Dong Ku to keep his promise and let him reunite with his family and gain freedom. At this moment, he woke up from the dream of gold and longed for freedom.

Dong Ku listened and analyzed. He believed that this man, who had lived a luxurious life for nearly forty years, would not lie, as he had once possessed vast wealth and had a strong desire to live.

There are actually guns and ammunition here, which is good. Dong Ku muttered to himself, but he did not know what kind of guns and ammunition they were.

Without learning about the Japanese troops in Jiamusi, Dong Ku felt a bit disappointed and waved his hand, saying, "Let the governor reunite with his family."

Liu Zhong and Mazi, who had been waiting impatiently, grabbed Wang Zhiyan from the ground and walked towards the side hall.

"You can't break your promise!!"

Wang Zhiyan struggled, realizing that reuniting with his family was not a good thing.

When he saw the bodies scattered on the floor of the side hall, he gave up struggling, his eyes vacant, and did not move until he heard the crack of his neck breaking.