Chapter 60 Sources of Income
Old Li is a lonely man, so his social relationships are easy to investigate.
Loach found out this information without much effort. If he hadn't put in some effort while looking unfamiliar, he could have gotten these results earlier.
"Continue investigating Li Zheng and find out everything about him. Also, keep a close eye on Old Li."
Chu Lingyun gave orders again. Loach had sixteen people under his command, which was more than the three teams he had at the beginning. It was enough to just conduct an investigation in the post office.
"Don't worry, Team Leader. I'll keep a close eye on both Old Li and Li Zheng. I'll be able to give you the results of Li Zheng's investigation this afternoon."
Loach said confidently. Chu Lingyun smiled. He had no doubt about Loach. When it came to fighting a tough battle, Loach was definitely not good enough, but when it came to doing these things, no one in the entire action team could compare to him.
Old Li, Li Zheng, was what he found from the post office.
Although there was still thick fog ahead and it was difficult to see clearly, Chu Lingyun believed that as long as he carefully unraveled the mystery, this cuckoo would be exposed to him sooner or later.
Before four o'clock in the afternoon, Loach returned to the station.
"Li Zheng is thirty-six years old, twelve years younger than Old Li. He got a job at the post office through connections over a decade ago. However, I understand that their relationship wasn't always good from the start. Three years ago, after Old Li's mother passed away, Li Zheng took the initiative to care for Old Li and even helped with his funeral. Their relationship quickly warmed up."
Loach sat next to Chu Lingyun and continued, "Li Zheng has a family, and they are quite a few. His parents, wife, and three children are all here. He also has a silly younger brother who has not yet started a family.
"Both his parents are in poor health. His father was disabled in an accident early in life. He and his eldest son are the only ones in the family who can earn money. Life is not easy, but I haven't seen them go hungry in recent years."
"I specifically checked his eldest son's job. He's an apprentice in a restaurant. He's just finished his apprenticeship and his monthly salary isn't high. His salary is just over six yuan a month. It's simply unrealistic to support such a large family with that little money."
"You mean, he has extra income?" Chu Lingyun raised his head.
"Of course he does. I'm checking how he makes his money. I'll find out soon."
Loach said with certainty that if six yuan were in the countryside, with their own land, they would have no problem with food and drink and could even be wealthy. But this was in the city, and with their family of seven, two with poor health, one with a mental disability, and a school-age child, that amount of money was simply not enough.
There is definitely something wrong when it is not enough but there is never a shortage of money.
"Well done. Keep an eye on them. Perhaps through them we can find a bigger fish."
Chu Lingyun smiled. Li Zheng had worked in the post office for more than ten years and had family here. He couldn't be Japanese, but it was definitely possible that he was bribed by the Japanese.
People like him who have a hard life and no way to get extra income are the easiest to bribe.
"I've already arranged for them to be watched 24 hours a day."
Loach grinned. It would be great if he could catch a big fish. The bigger the fish, the greater his contribution. If his contribution far exceeded that of Shen Hanwen and Zhong Hui, it would be difficult for Chu Lingyun not to promote him in the future.
Although they are all Chu Lingyun's direct subordinates, they are not without competition. Many people are eyeing the position of squadron leader after Chu Lingyun is promoted in the future.
Even the position of deputy team leader is not impossible to compete for.
Chu Lingyun instructed again, "Go check again to see how much Li Zheng's normal monthly expenses are. Don't just guess that his salary isn't enough to support his family. If it's really not enough, investigate where his extra income comes from. Find out everything you can."
"Yes, Team Leader, I'll do it right away. Please wait for my good news."
The loach stood up immediately. The loach was smooth, but not lazy. When he was passionate, he was more hardworking than anyone else.
When Chu Lingyun first arrived at the Military Intelligence Department and others were still dissatisfied with him, only Niu Qiu served him tea and ran errands every day and never complained about being tired.
This time, Niu Qiu didn't come back until the evening and went directly to Chu Lingyun's residence to make a report.
When he went, he brought a suitcase with him.
"Team Leader, I've made inquiries. Li Zheng's mother has lung disease, and her medicine costs at least three dollars a month. His father has a crippled leg and can't move, so he needs his mother to take care of him. The couple relied entirely on Li Zheng's salary."
"And his three children and his wife, even if they only eat a minimum of food, with the price of food these days, five yuan a month is simply not enough. Plus, although they don't have a lot of clothes, they buy new ones every year. Add to that some other needs, and I estimate they need at least ten yuan a month just to live on."
"His eldest son has only been earning money for a short time. He graduated as a master three months ago. Before that, he could only take care of himself, so his contribution can be ignored. I specifically asked people around Li Zheng, and I've never heard of him borrowing money from anyone."
Loach finished speaking in one breath and looked at the box he brought.
Chu Lingyun didn't care and was frowning and thinking.
The minimum monthly expenditure is ten dollars, and the salary is only more than six dollars, so there is a gap of more than three dollars every month. Without other sources of income, it is impossible for their family to support themselves. Even if they borrow money, they will not borrow only a small amount. After accumulating over the years, his living conditions have long been known to others.
It is now completely certain that Li Zheng does have other sources of income, or they are secret channels that others are unaware of.
"Have you found out where he filled the hole?"
Loach smiled and said, "No, I checked with many people, and no one said he had other ways to make money. Some people even wondered how he could make ends meet with so many people at home, with such a low income, and still smile every day and occasionally have a drink."
"Li Zheng is a suspect. Continue investigating his source of income and expand the investigation to include everyone he frequently interacts with."
Chu Lingyun has always been meticulous and would not let go of any suspicious points, let alone the fact that Li Zheng had such an obvious problem.
"Don't worry, I'll find out everything tomorrow."
Loach patted his chest and assured that he was the best at investigating these trivial matters.
After saying that, Loach opened the box and said, "Team Leader, this is what we found in Gu Zhengyan and Ye Quan's homes. They made a lot of money. A total of 32,000 yuan. I exchanged it for 60 gold bars, and the rest is cash."
Gu Zhengyan and Ye Quan are both corrupt officials, and they are definitely in cahoots with Japan. Once they enter the Military Intelligence Department, there is no way they can get out.
Loach was not polite at all when it came to the things he found in their house. He found ways to seize them all. He was very familiar with doing these things.
"Have all the people involved in the operation received their share?" Chu Lingyun asked after looking at the gold bars in the box.
"We divided it. We got two thousand dollars together. The rest is all here."
Loach replied hurriedly, and Chu Lingyun nodded and said, "Take another 5,000 and keep some for yourself, and share the rest with the brothers."
In the new week, Xiaoyu wishes all friends happiness and joy.