Chapter 126: A Two-Pronged Approach

In the basement of the Chunming Photo Studio, Ichiro Hirakawa lay fully clothed on a simple cot. Ever since they had wiretapped a woman’s phone call from the Moderne Hotel to the Soviet Consulate, the operation had been a bust. Their tapped line had been discovered by the Soviets, nearly sparking a diplomatic incident. They were forced to relocate the tap and start over; such was the nature of the game—when caught, they would simply lie low for a while before trying again.

Such surveillance rarely yielded genuine secrets; at best, it provided insights into the habits and vocal characteristics of consulate staff. Of course, that was intelligence too. But now that the target was on guard, opportunities were scarce. The last few days had been fruitless, and Hirakawa found his focus waning. The work was tedious, and spending all day in such a cramped space felt like being in prison. He couldn't sustain this indefinitely, so he would periodically slip out to relax—moments of indulgence that were precious to him. Delicious sushi, sashimi, and, above all, the jade-white skin of young women—every time he left, he dreaded having to return.

"Hirakawa-kun, Hirakawa-kun..." In his daze, Hirakawa heard an urgent voice. It sounded like his assistant, Mitani.

Hirakawa jumped to his feet. "What is it? What happened?"

"The... the phone..." Mitani was so nervous that he began to stutter.

"Baka! What phone? Speak clearly, Mitani!" Hirakawa glared and barked at him.

"We just intercepted a call. It was made from the Yamato Hotel to the Soviet Consulate. A woman was speaking, and the one who answered was Arman..."

"Why didn't you say so sooner!" Hirakawa shoved Mitani aside and rushed out.

"Is it the same voice as before?"

"Not quite. The previous voice was slightly higher-pitched; this one is deeper, and the speaking pace is much slower."

"Perform a voice comparison analysis immediately. See if it’s the same person!" Hirakawa commanded upon hearing this.

The last call had been from the Moderne Hotel, and this one was from the Yamato. It was a classic feint. Major Kawai had come up empty-handed last time and had been furious, and Hirakawa had been caught in the crossfire—not only did he fail to earn merit, but he was also severely reprimanded. If they fell for another ruse and came up empty again, it wouldn't just be a tongue-lashing next time.

"Chief Hirakawa, Arman's car just pulled out from the back door of the consulate..." Just as Hirakawa hesitated, a subordinate reported to him.

"Get me Chief Shibuya on the phone," Hirakawa decided, issuing an immediate order.

"Hai!"

...

After dinner, Zhou Sen did not go back to rest immediately. Although he needed to lie down for the next three days for his recovery, he did not need to be bedridden every single second. Standing up briefly or sitting was fine, as long as he didn't overdo it. He would gradually increase his activity. Within a week, he would likely be off the bed entirely, though strenuous exercise remained out of the question.

"We must prepare for two outcomes. Even though our target is the New Stage Theater, we shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket."

"We don't have enough capital to afford any major setbacks," Bai Yulan said.

"While acquiring the New Stage is the priority, if we don't have a backup, we’ll be at a disadvantage," Zhou Sen replied. "There are so many theaters in Ice City; are there any struggling ones we could take over?"

"The Tongle Theater on Zhengyang First Street is in poor financial shape. They had thoughts of selling before the new year, but a theater like that—including the land, the building, and the intangible assets—wouldn't go for less than five or six hundred thousand."

"If we were to buy it now, what’s the lowest price?"

"At least four hundred thousand; otherwise, the owner won't sell," Bai Yulan thought for a moment before answering.

"Then let's buy it!" Zhou Sen said.

"Buy it? Do we have enough money?"

"Money sitting in a safe or a bank depreciates every day. It’s better to spend it. If we buy the Tongle Theater, even if we fail to secure the New Stage, we’ll still have a venue. As long as we sign Xiaorou and her troupe, we’ll be fine. If we do manage to get the New Stage, we’ll have two theaters. We can differentiate our operations: the Tongle can focus on crosstalk, farces, magic, and acrobatics, while the New Stage can focus on traditional operas—Peking opera, Ping opera, Huangmei opera, or even plays..."

"That sounds feasible. Once our teahouse opens, we can also introduce crosstalk and Pingtan. This way, we can support several troupes ourselves and sign deep-binding agreements," Bai Yulan noted.

"I’ll handle the negotiations for the Tongle Theater. We’ll buy it under the name of the 'Sen' Company," Zhou Sen said. "Keep everything quiet."

"I’m afraid it’ll be hard to keep it a secret, won't it?"

"Where there's a will, there's a way," Zhou Sen replied. "However, I don't know the owner of the Tongle Theater. I need an introduction. It can't be you. Do you know someone suitable?"

"Owner Yang of the Tongle Theater has a daughter whose husband is a section chief at the Municipal Education Bureau. He used to be a regular at the Ningxiang House. I know him. He’s a bit of a womanizer. Through him, we could meet Owner Yang," Bai Yulan suggested.

"What are Owner Yang's preferences, and who is in his family?" Zhou Sen asked. These details were necessary to tailor his approach.

"Besides the theater, he owns a restaurant and a distillery; he has a modest amount of assets in Ice City. He has been married twice. His first wife passed away early, leaving him a son and a daughter. His second wife was a famous actress in Ice City, but she stopped performing after they married. She gave him a son who just turned ten. He’s not a local—he came to Ice City over a decade ago to invest. He has no deep roots here. He bought the Tongle Theater for his second wife, but unfortunately, it lacks a unique draw and can't compete with other theaters; it’s barely staying afloat."

"Does the Tongle Theater still employ the old troupe members who followed his wife?" Zhou Sen asked.

"How did you know?"

"If it weren't for those old members, he would have sold the place long ago," Bai Yulan said.

"If I can keep those old members on and provide them with security, I shouldn't have any trouble acquiring the theater, right?" Zhou Sen chuckled.

"Exactly. Others have tried to buy the theater to expand, but Owner Yang insisted that if they bought it, they had to take on those people and sign an indefinite employment agreement. Naturally, no one was willing."

"Usually, when someone buys a theater, they don't want to keep the old staff. They'd rather pay them off than sign such an agreement."

"That's right."

"What kind of troupe does Mrs. Yang have?"

"It seems to be primarily Ping opera, though they perform other styles. Mrs. Yang was quite popular in Ice City back in the day," Bai Yulan said.

"This is a match made in heaven," Zhou Sen chuckled.

"You aren't thinking of having Xiaorou go solo, are you? That’s a huge taboo in the theater world!"

"Of course not. If Sun Qingkui is sensible and steps down, we merge the two theaters. If he refuses, he can't blame me for being ruthless. Whether I take him down or Xiaorou leads her people out, the result for us is the same."

"You really hold a grudge. It's been so many years," Bai Yulan said helplessly.

"If Xiaorou stays under Sun Qingkui, he will destroy her sooner or later. I can't just watch that tragedy unfold," Zhou Sen said.

"You encouraged me to acquire the New Stage—was it for Xiaorou's sake?"

"It kills many birds with one stone. It finds an investment for our idle funds, helps our own, and ties into our teahouse business. You understand this industry, and it helps you solidify your status in the underworld. What do you think?" Zhou Sen grinned.

Bai Yulan nodded. Zhou Sen was right. It was a brilliant move—it solved her problems, provided Xiaorou with a powerful backer, and incidentally, settled a childhood grudge from when he was nearly starved to death. He had also managed to leverage Su Wenqing and drag Qin Lang into the mix. Who could have foreseen such a layout? Even Bai Yulan had only understood his intentions step by step by following his lead. This lazy guy—though he spoke carelessly—had a meticulous mind and endless schemes. Had she really stumbled upon such a treasure?

"We can't drag this out. I'll go see Owner Yang tomorrow and settle it," Zhou Sen said.

"You shouldn't be going out with your injuries..."

"It's fine. I'm just going for a meeting. I can lie in the carriage," Zhou Sen said. "It won't take long."

"You can go, but you must take A-Xiang with you," Bai Yulan insisted.

"Fine," Zhou Sen nodded. "But she can't follow me into the meeting. If she's recognized, it might cause unnecessary trouble."

"Alright. It's getting late. Let me take you back to rest," Bai Yulan said, standing up.

"It’s still early. Isn't it a bit soon to go back to sleep?"

"I'm going to sleep..."

"Fine."

...

"I protest! I am the Deputy Consul of the Soviet Union in Ice City! I am a diplomat protected by international law! I come out at night to have a meal with a friend and discuss private matters, and you break in like this? This is a violation of my privacy! I will lodge a formal protest with your superiors!" Arman was furious, practically roaring.

He played his part perfectly; his acting was top-tier. He was a veteran "Chekist."

Major Kawai looked embarrassed. He had led his men in, hoping to catch them in the act, but when they entered, Arman was indeed with a young Russian woman, yet they were fully clothed, and none of the illicit activities they had imagined were taking place. Furthermore, they had searched every nook and cranny of the room and found no evidence of "intelligence" work.

Under these circumstances, Kawai couldn't even take the Russian girl, as Arman would never agree, and the girl was also a consulate employee with diplomatic immunity. Major Kawai Sadakichi was now in an awkward spot. Given the sensitivity of current Japanese-Soviet relations, he was certainly going to face the consequences.

"I will hold a press conference and denounce your unreasonable behavior to the entire world!"

Kawai Sadakichi felt his knees go weak. He knew he was the one who would have to take the fall for this.