225: Chapter 23: I Have a Plan to Drive the Tiger to Swallow the Wolf 225: Chapter 23: I Have a Plan to Drive the Tiger to Swallow the Wolf “The Red Lantern Society…
it’s not that we can’t investigate, but it’s not appropriate for him to do so, as they only accept female disciples.”
Old Master He looked at the document in his hand, and after a few seconds of silence, he looked up at Qin Xiangdong and said.
“I heard the Red Lantern Society is quite radical?”
“Who told you they were radical?”
Old Master He rolled his eyes and said, “Back when the Holy Mother of Red Lotus was still around, the Red Lantern Society indeed was very radical, burning Western churches, killing foreigners, they dared to do anything.
But that was all thirty years ago.
In recent years, I haven’t heard of them causing any significant trouble.”
“I heard they had internal conflicts and split into two factions, one is more conservative, and the other is more radical.”
“Huh?”
Old Master He’s face showed shock: “When did this happen?
Who told you?”
“They mentioned it during the city bureau meeting, specifically bringing up the Red Lantern Society’s issue, considering their past record of vandalism and arson…
The higher-ups’ intention is to find out what exactly is going wrong inside their group and try to control the situation, to prevent any major disturbances.”
Qin Xiangdong also felt quite helpless, as he didn’t know where to start with a secret society organization comprised solely of women.
There are no policewomen in the Nantong District police department!
There certainly weren’t any before, and all the ones he had brought over were bachelors.
“Alright, let’s set this aside for now, and I’ll think of a way to transfer a female comrade here later,” he said.
Qin Xiangdong didn’t dwell on the issue of the Red Lantern Society; after all, there were too many other problems, and this one wasn’t the only concern.
“Then there’s this Extensive Knowledge Society…”
“Never heard of it!”
Old Master He shook his head.
“What’s it about?
Dealing in antiques and curios?”
“You could say that.”
Qin Xiangdong spread his hands and said, “On the surface, they trade in antiques and curios, but behind the scenes, they’re an extremely large smuggling syndicate.
It is said that sixty percent of Tianmen City’s underground black market is under their control…”
“If you put it that way, I know who you’re talking about.”
Old Master He threw the document onto the desk: “No need to investigate further; raiding their places is easy, but you can’t touch the person behind them.”
“Can’t touch?”
As soon as he heard ‘can’t touch,’ Qin Xiangdong’s interest was immediately piqued: “I really want to know who exactly is untouchable.”
Old Master He looked at Qin Xiangdong and, after a lengthy silence, finally spoke: “The Yang Family.”
Qin Xiangdong’s pupils shrank in shock!
Wang Yunxiao, clueless, what are you talking about?
Looking at the document Old Master He had tossed back, Qin Xiangdong hesitated only briefly before his expression turned resolute.
“Investigate!”
Old Master He snorted, asking in a meaningful tone, “Do you know the consequences of doing this?”
“I am a soldier under the President.”
Qin Xiangdong did not answer Old Master He’s question directly but instead took a different approach, speaking as if to himself: “What you guys don’t dare to investigate, I’ll investigate myself!”
He collected the document emotionlessly back into the drawer.
“Alright then,”
Old Master He shook his head helplessly.
The President’s soldiers…
Once Qin Xiangdong had said those words, he knew that there was no room for easing the situation any further.
“This Plato Society…
foreign stuff, never heard of it, why does Qianjin Church also need to be investigated?”
“The combat abilities of those nuns are a bit over the top.”
Qin Xiangdong glanced at Wang Yunxiao and lowered his voice, “In the encirclement operation organized by the Special Service Bureau a few days ago, Qianjin Church also sent a tactical team to participate in the battle, and they performed a bit…
too excellently.
And now, the number of factories and believers under the Church’s name is increasing.
Although they don’t seem very noticeable usually, their scale and volume cannot be ignored anymore.”
“Although a direct public investigation would mean that Qianjin Church would have to cooperate, the leaders above want us to take the opportunity to feel them out and see just how deep the water is.”
Upon hearing this, Old Master He shook his head incessantly, “No, something’s off, definitely off.”
Qin Xiangdong didn’t understand, “What’s wrong, we are just trying to understand from the side, to gather some more information, we’re not suspecting them of anything, isn’t this okay?”
“It’s not about whether it’s okay or not, there are some things that only our generation has experienced and hence understands better.
It’s normal for you young people not to know or understand,”
Old Master He scratched his head, unsure of how to explain to Qin Xiangdong.
“Regardless, the church isn’t in Nantong District, and it’s essentially a nest of women, you can’t infiltrate it with your people.
If you ask me, you might as well give up.”
In this stack of files and records, the majority had been negated by Old Master He.
Of course, his judgement was from his personal perspective, and Qin Xiangdong was merely consulting his opinion without any intention of easily giving up.
“I have a question!”
Wang Yunxiao suddenly raised his hand and asked, “What exactly is the relationship between Qianjin Church and us?”
He was all too clear about the operation Qin Xiangdong mentioned, but why could the church’s nuns also participate in the battle?
The key point was that he hadn’t seen any nuns being transferred from the battlefield at the Special Service Bureau.
Could it be that they went home unhurt to sleep?
“Qianjin Church’s predecessor was the Carmelite Holy Clothes Society of the Frank Empire, which can trace its origins back to the era of the Crusaders’ expeditions to Jerusalem.
About fifty years ago, the Holy Clothes Society spread to coastal areas in our country.
Later, after internal religious reforms, it was reorganized into Qianjin Church.
Due to their brave fight and great sacrifice in the island chain wars, when the new government was established, they were the first and only foreign religious organization permitted by the President himself to legally spread within the country,”
Qin Xiangdong recited the text from the file.
“Simply put, they’re trustworthy comrades and partners, but those women are adept at bewitching people, which is troublesome,”
Wang Yunxiao was still confused.
How formidable could nuns be?
Did he think I have never seen one?
The landlady mother and daughter who took up…
spit!
The landlady mother and daughter in my yard belong to Qianjin Church, and I didn’t find them particularly secretive.
But since they are comrades…
“Director Qin, I have an idea,”
Wang Yunxiao raised his hand and said, “Look, the Red Lantern Society only recruits female disciples, and Qianjin Church also has only nuns.
Additionally, both organizations pose low threats.
So, can we go to the church and borrow a nun to investigate the Red Lantern Society on our behalf?”
Qin Xiangdong instinctively wanted to object, but as the words reached his lips, he hesitated.
Although it sounded far-fetched, upon further thought, it seemed there was some feasibility to it.
After all, the police department only wanted to gather intelligence.
Having a nun from Qianjin Church investigate the Red Lantern Society could lead to both parties willingly or unwillingly revealing some information.
In any case, it’s better than being completely in the dark as we are now.
Should we give it a try?