Black Flag Army

Chapter 38 Di Xiong is arrested

On the afternoon of September 7, 1912, major newspapers in Beijing reported the bloody incidents in Nankou Town and Yanshan Town. Lin Yishui of Minfeng Newspaper and Shao Fengping of Jingbao naturally stood on the side of Weili Company and severely criticized the shamelessness of the Japanese and the brutality of the gang.

The Shuntian Daily in Tianjin, controlled by the Japanese, completely turned black into white, accusing Di Xiong of killing Japanese businessmen. The newspaper said: "The notorious gangster Di Xiong, unable to compete with the East Asia Company in business, sent assassins to brutally kill honest businessmen such as Yokota Ichiro". The president of the Beijing Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Kawashima Naniwa, and the Japanese ambassador to China, Hioki Masu, lodged a strong protest to the Presidential Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, demanding that the murderer be handed over to the Japanese for disposal. Hioki Masu also threatened to dispatch the Japanese North China Garrison Army to Beijing to protect the safety of Japanese residents.

Japanese advisers to the Presidential Office, Jiro Ito and Shunzo Harada, also resigned in protest. This was the first time that Di Xiong's name appeared on the president's desk.

Yuan Shikai was greatly alarmed and urgently convened a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of the Interior, the Chief of the Capital Police Department, and the Director of the Military and Political Law Enforcement Department. They decided to seal up Weili Company and arrest Di Xiong to give the Japanese an explanation. Lu Jianzhang, who was also the part-time director of the Military and Political Law Enforcement Department, had just returned from another place and attended the meeting. However, at the end of the meeting, he was dismissed from his post as the Director of the Military and Political Law Enforcement Department by Yuan Shikai because the Minister of the Interior, Zhao Bingjun, complained to Yuan Shikai that Lu Jianzhang had colluded with Weili Company and that his concubine held shares in Weili Company. This was the news the Japanese told him. As the two major spy chiefs under Yuan Shikai, there had always been conflicts. Zhao Bingjun certainly would not miss the opportunity to suppress Lu Jianzhang, and Lu Jianzhang was reprimanded by Yuan Shikai.

The Beiyang government, which had always been slow in doing things, acted quickly this time. The next morning after the meeting, Yuan Chenggui, the chief of the Capital Police Department, led a patrol brigade of more than 500 patrolmen to Nankou Town. The patrol team marched to the headquarters of Weili Company, which made the people of Nankou Town panic. Many people were talking about it and felt that Weili Company was finished this time.

The intelligence personnel of Weili Company had noticed this patrol brigade a long time ago, and hurried to inform the intelligence chief Wu Chunfeng, who then hurried to the office to discuss with Di Xiong. Last night, Li Fei and Di Chun and all the members of their action team had left Nankou Town and went to Baotou. This was done at the strong request of Di Xiong. At this time, the company's senior executives had not left the headquarters. They had just paid out pensions to more than 30 dead and more than 70 seriously injured people, totaling more than 10,000 silver dollars. In addition, Li Jinfa, Ma Hong, and Wang Hanchao withdrew their shares, and all the silver dollars in the finance department were spent, leaving only some banknotes and copper coins. , and the bonuses for those who have made meritorious services have not yet been paid. Everyone is holding a meeting to think of a solution. Hong Tianlie, Leng Hanbing, Wu Zhong and others are still here. They all have injuries, but they were basically treated in Yuanji Medical Clinic. No one dared to go to Beijing Municipal Hospital at this time. Now the news came that the patrol brigade was coming to arrest people, and everyone was even more worried. Di Xiong, Hong Tianlie and others began to regret the decision of the Japanese before the attack, but deep in their hearts, everyone was extremely disappointed with the Beiyang government. They felt that the Beiyang government was no different from the Qing Dynasty. It was still a puppet in the hands of Western countries and Japan, without any opinions of their own.

After everyone was silent for a long time, Hong Tianlie took the lead in breaking the deadlock and said: "Brother, let's fight our way out. We can't stay in this company anymore. At worst, we can become bandits and find a place to rule the mountains. The one-eyed dragon bandit gang has been rampant in the mountains near Beijing for several years, and the Beiyang government didn't do anything to them."

Leng Hanbing immediately retorted, "If Big Brother was willing to be a bandit, he wouldn't have opened this low-profit company. Besides, with just a few of us, and everyone is injured, how many people in the company's security team and patrol battalion dare to listen to us when confronting the Beiyang government police? Even Director Ma of the police station is scared. They are not bandits or gangsters, they represent the government. Besides, even if we defeat the police, we will have to face the Beiyang regular army with heavy artillery next, and it will be even more impossible for us to survive."

Wu Chunfeng said at this time: "Even if we can't beat those policemen, are we just going to sit there and wait to die? Can't we run away? They haven't arrived yet, so there must be a place to hide."

Di Xiong had been silent for a long time before, and now he said: "With our current strength, we have no chance of winning whether we fight or run. Moreover, we cannot give up so many assets and personnel of the company. The big mistake has been made and it can't be reversed. Now we can only surrender, but we can't give up hope of life. I will find a way to save most of the company's property. Please believe me, Di, this time. They should only want to capture me and Li Fei and the people in our action team. There is no need to worry."

After hearing what Di Xiong said, everyone was a little dejected. Hong Tianlie and Leng Hanbing wanted to say something, but gave up. So, the Justice Party hid guns, grenades and other weapons and valuables such as gold bars and jewelry in a hidden basement, leaving only a few thousand yuan in Bank of Communications bills in the Finance Department, preparing to bribe the upper and lower levels, and then went to various departments and factories to persuade their subordinates. Only Di Xiong stood at the door, waiting for the arrival of the patrol brigade.

While waiting for the patrol, Di Xiong remembered something and said to Wu Zhong beside him: "Manager Wu, I'm probably in danger now that I'm arrested this time. If I can't get out, the responsibility of recovering the lost territory in the north will be handed over to you. You will be the acting chairman of the Justice Party and be responsible for leading everyone..."

Before Di Xiong could finish his words, Wu Zhong interrupted him and said, "Boss Di, we are all gathered together because of you. If you can't lead us, we can't deal with those Tsarist Russians in the north on our own. Moreover, your prestige in everyone's mind is something that I and others can't replace. If you go to jail, we must find a way to save you, no matter what the cost."

Di Xiong wanted to say something, but he heard a voice from afar: "Where is the suspect Di Xiong?"

A group of fully armed policemen surrounded a fat man with a face full of flesh and walked over. Di Xiong had seen the fat man's photo in the newspaper and knew that he was Yuan Chenggui, the chief of the Capital Police Department, a distant cousin of Yuan Shikai and the uncle of Yuan Baimao.

Di Xiong immediately responded: "I am Di Xiong."

Yuan Chenggui walked up to Di Xiong and said, "Di Shazi, you are so bold. You dare to kill all the Japanese, and you killed more than a dozen of them. Don't you want to live anymore?"

Then he took a document with a big red seal and said to Di Xiong: "You have to come with us. This is an arrest warrant. You are suspected of killing Japanese businessman Ichiro Yokota and 15 others. Your company will also be closed down."

Di Xiong said he would obey the government's order. Two patrolmen came to Di Xiong with handcuffs and suddenly hit him with a stick to show him a warning. Hong Tianlie was very angry and was stopped by Leng Hanbing when he wanted to do it. Di Xiong said nothing and let the patrolmen handcuff him. Then he followed the patrolmen into the prison van. At this time, Yuan Chenggui said again: "Men, go and search inside to see if there are any stolen goods. Take away any suspicious items. Don't forget to seal them after the search."

When the patrolmen heard that the company was going to be searched, they suddenly became excited and swarmed into the company's finance department and warehouse. Wu Zhong heard crackling sounds coming from inside, accompanied by quarrels. After a while, the patrolmen came out with banknotes and valuable "suspicious items". At Di Xiong's request, some jade and antiques were placed in the warehouse in advance. These were things that were seized from Zhang Ade's house and could not be sold. Di Xiong knew that they would not give up until these policemen were fed. The inside of the company was also sealed. Yuan Chenggui actually brought two arrest warrants this time, and the other was for Li Fei. Several rickshaw drivers who informed on the matter were escorted by the police and searched Nankou Town carefully, but Li Fei was not found. Afterwards, Yuan Chenggui withdrew his team and left, and Di Xiong was also escorted away by them.

Upon learning that Di Xiong had been arrested, many female workers in the textile factory cried in despair. Hundreds of young workers formed a human wall to block the police escorting Di Xiong. Even when the police fired warning shots, they still did not disperse. This was because they knew that once Di Xiong was arrested, the jobs they had worked so hard to find would most likely be gone.

Yuan Chenggui shouted, "This is the President's order. Are you resisting the law? Are you rebelling?"

He ordered the police to line up, aim their guns at the crowd, and prepare to shoot. The workers who blocked the road finally dispersed after being persuaded by Wu Zhong and others. Wu Zhong told everyone that the company would not go bankrupt and would move to Baotou. As long as they were not afraid of traveling far, there would still be jobs.

In just one morning, the three factories and the restaurant of Weili Company were robbed and sealed off by the police. The workers and waiters lost their jobs one after another. Some newspapers also began to report the arrest of Di Xiong. Lin Yishui wrote a fierce criticism in the "Minfeng Daily". He wrote, "... this Nankou bloody incident instigated by the Japanese killed and injured hundreds of Chinese, but the Beiyang government turned a blind eye. Only a dozen Japanese died, but the Beiyang government immediately arrested people. Is this still a Chinese government? If you are bullied by the Japanese but dare not fight back, are you still a Chinese with blood?"

On the evening of the day the article was published, the Minfeng Newspaper was closed down by the News Management Office of the Police Department. The owner of the Minfeng Newspaper immediately apologized and gave gifts to the News Office, and announced that Lin Yishui was fired. As for Shao Fengping, the commentary he wrote was not published in the Jingbao at all.

Di Xiong himself did not have an easy time in the prison van. He was beaten by patrolmen under various pretexts. Before he even arrived at the interrogation site, he was beaten black and blue. But Di Xiong knew that he could not resist and had to endure it silently. Soon, Di Xiong was hit on the head several times, and he finally couldn't hold on and fainted.

After being unconscious for an unknown amount of time, Di Xiong was suddenly awakened by a bucket of water poured on his face. He was still handcuffed at this time. After looking around, he found that he was in a dim interrogation room with four or five patrolmen standing beside him. At this time, there was a man sitting on the table in front of Di Xiong. He was about fifty years old, with a mustache, sharp eyes, and a thin figure. When the man saw Di Xiong wake up, he slowly said to him: "Hello, Mr. Di, my name is Zhao Bingjun, and I am the person in charge of interrogating you. Don't be afraid. I have a few questions for you about the murder of Japanese businessmen. If you answer honestly, you will be out soon."

Di Xiong said calmly, "It is my honor to be interrogated by the Minister of the Interior in person. I will tell you everything I know."

Zhao Bingjun asked, "Did you send a man named Li Fei to lead a group to attack the East Asia Company in Yanshan Town last night? Besides Li Fei, who else participated in the attack? Tell me all their names."

The clerk beside Zhao Bingjun picked up a pen and prepared to take notes.

Di Xiong shook his head and said, "Last night our Weili Company was attacked by gangsters, and more than 200 people were killed or injured. This was reported in the newspaper. Li Fei is an employee of our company. He disappeared in the attack last night. We don't know if he died or escaped. We are also investigating, so it is impossible to send him to attack Dongya Company. So Director Zhao must have been deceived."

Zhao Bingjun's face darkened and he said coldly, "Mr. Di! You are refusing to accept my offer! Several drivers recognized Li Fei in Yanshan Town."

Di Xiong laughed and said, "Maybe they just wanted to get some reward money to buy some wine, but the police took it seriously."

Zhao Bingjun shook his head and glanced at a police officer nearby. The police officer immediately shouted, "Hang him up and beat him hard with a whip!"

Several fierce policemen pounced on Di Xiong...

It was already late when Zhao Bingjun walked out of the interrogation room filled with the smell of blood. He sighed deeply. Yuan Chenggui, who was waiting outside, asked, "General! He refuses to confess?"

Zhao Bingjun nodded and said, "It's a tough nut to crack!"

Yuan Chenggui said: "To deal with this kind of smelly and hard guy, we should use the old method and leave it to the old prisoners like Tie Haozi. They are the most experienced in dealing with this kind of guy, and this way we don't have to dirty our hands."

Zhao Bingjun said: "Then let's give it a try!"

After Zhao Bingjun left, Yuan Chenggui ordered that Di Xiong, Tie Haozi and five other old prisoners be locked up together in cell number six.

The next morning, the warden reported to Yuan Chenggui: "Director! Last night, there was a fight between the old and new prisoners in cell number six. Four old prisoners were seriously injured. Tie Haozi was seriously injured and has died."

Yuan Chenggui asked, "Where is the new prisoner Di Xiong?"

The warden said, "This is the strange thing. Di Xiong is actually fine."

When the Beiyang government's Ministry of Foreign Affairs negotiated with the Japanese Embassy, ​​the Japanese side put forward three conditions: first, the murderers Di Xiong and Li Fei should be handed over to the Japanese for execution; second, 300,000 silver dollars should be compensated to the Japanese victims; and third, no factories that maliciously competed with the Japanese would be allowed to appear in Beijing and its surrounding counties, towns, and villages.

For the sake of so-called government face, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs argued with the Japanese side. Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Lu Zhengxiang personally stepped in to bargain. Finally, both sides took a step back and reached an agreement: first, the murderers Di Xiong and Li Fei would be sentenced to death by the Beiyang government court, and the Japanese could watch the execution; second, 150,000 silver dollars would be compensated to the Japanese victims; and third, factories that maliciously competed with the Japanese would not be allowed to appear in Beijing and its surrounding counties, towns, and villages.

The Japanese originally asked for a high price and paid on the spot, so they were naturally satisfied with this result.