Chapter 2017
Chapter 2017
Chapter 2017
Both Ran Tianlu and Fang Peng were quite troubled by the difficult task assigned by Sanya.Although the higher authorities have given relatively large control authority in terms of operational funds and measures that can be taken, they have not sent any support to Manila in terms of personnel.
Of course, this is also a helpless move. In fact, no one is more professional than the two of them in terms of intelligence work in Spain. After all, they have been lurking in Manila for a period of time and are more familiar with the social conditions in the Spanish ruled area.And if someone is temporarily transferred from other places, they definitely don't have such experience.
But both of them belong to the regional leaders now, and their identities have been exposed in the Manila battle, and they can no longer be easily involved in danger, so it is also not feasible to go out in person.The two thought about it for a while, and it seemed that the only way left was to use Hispanic intelligence personnel.
But before that, the two decided to find another person to discuss the feasibility of this plan.When it comes to who knows the Spaniards' thoughts best, it is of course the Spaniards themselves.Just in Manila, there is a former Spanish military attache who can provide them with reference in this regard.
When Francis received the notice, he was not in the exclusive office of the Western Administration Bureau, but in his own home.Generally, when there is no official business to deal with, he can decide to go home early to rest.In fact, most of the time, he is in this leisurely state.Although he is the head of the bureau in name, but because of his Hispanic identity, in fact most of the official duties are handled by the deputy Ge Yong.Francis is also helpless in this situation. He understands that the Haihan people just need him to come forward as a puppet so as to manage the local Hispanic people, and the real authority can only be in the hands of Haihan officials.
But in this way, he will be happy to be the boss, show up at the Western Management Bureau every day, drink tea and read newspapers, learn to write Chinese characters and speak Haihan dialect, and he can go home and rest around noon .Compared with when he was the city defense commander, although he was a little less prestigious, the work pressure was indeed much less.Moreover, the treatment Haihan gave him was not bad, at least equal to the income of the leader's salary in the past, and it was basically enough to maintain his life.
Of course, Francis also understands that if he is only a puppet to the Haihan people, then being ruthlessly kicked out by the Haihan people will only be the result sooner or later.After two or three years, when the local society settles down, Ge Yong or some official from Sanya will take over his position, and then such good times will probably come to an end.So although he seems to be leisurely on weekdays, he is still trying to make Haihan notice that he actually has more potential to be tapped.
Providing information to Haihan's intelligence department is one of the directions that Francis is now playing a role in.As the city defense commander of Manila before, he had access to a lot of military secrets, but now that he has taken refuge in Haihan, this information has become the means for him to settle down.So when he received a notice from the security department to let him go to the meeting, he was not surprised.
Francis asked his servants to prepare the carriages and horses, and then rushed to the Security Bureau immediately.When he arrived at the place, he found that besides the interpreter, Fang Peng in military uniform was also there, and he couldn't help muttering to himself.He knows Fang Peng's identity, but Fang Peng usually does not show up at the office of the Ministry of Security. It seems that today's situation is a bit special.
"Mr. Francis, I invite you to come here today because we have something we would like to hear from you." Ran Tianlu cut to the chase and explained his intentions to Francis.
"Send someone to Cebu to collect information?" Francis couldn't help frowning after hearing Ran Tianlu's plan, and didn't respond immediately.
Although he has taken refuge in Haihan now, it is actually a helpless move to protect himself and his family. If he had a choice, he would of course be more willing to stand with his compatriots than for these shrewd and vicious Orientals potency.He also understands that the grievances between Haihan and Spain will probably be difficult to resolve in the foreseeable period of time in the future, and there will inevitably be confrontations on the battlefield, but he did not expect that it has not been a year since the end of the Battle of Manila. Preparations are about to begin for the next military operation against Spain.
Fang Peng saw that he hadn't spoken for a long time, and he could roughly guess what he was thinking, so he persuaded: "Mr. Several cases related to Spain. Simply put, we need to know who Spain is providing weapons and military training services to, and that is our goal.”
But Francis is not a mediocre person. He is very clear about the source of the conflict between the two countries. As long as the two parties have plans to continue to expand their territory in the future, the struggle between them will never stop.It is impossible for the Kingdom of Spain to bow to a small eastern country anyway, so even if the Spaniards in the East Indies cannot beat Haihan, the conflict between the two countries will continue for a long time.
Regarding this point, the Haihan people who are very familiar with Western affairs must also be very clear, and with their behavior style, how could they be kind enough to leave Spain with a chance to heal and make a comeback.It is said that it is investigating other targets, but when it is actually implemented, it is probably another plan.
However, with Francis's current status, he can't rashly raise objections to prevent Haihan from conducting intelligence collection work. After all, the purpose of these two Haihan intelligence officers looking for him is not to ask whether this matter can be done, but to How to do it safely and efficiently.
Francis wanted to understand the stakes, and then he responded: "You two don't have to worry, I am an official of Haihan Kingdom, of course I am working for Haihan Kingdom, and I will not consider other issues. But I have to send someone Going to Cebu, I have a question, do you two have a suitable candidate?"
Ran Tianlu didn't answer his question directly, but asked first: "What kind of person do you think is suitable for carrying out this kind of task?"
Francis knew that this was Ran Tianlu trying to trick him, but he knew that the other party was very shrewd, so he didn't dare to answer perfunctorily, and replied honestly: "Most Han people or Haihan people are not allowed. For surveillance, it is better to focus on Hispanics or indigenous people in this area. They can claim that they are refugees who escaped from Luzon Island, so it may be easier to fool them after they go to Cebu.”
Francis's idea actually coincides with Ran Tianlu and Fang Peng's idea, and that's exactly what they plan to do.Since Haihan occupied Manila, the Hispanic immigrants on Luzon Island have also continued to flee, especially those places far from Manila. After hearing the news of the fall of Manila, the first reaction was to flee Luzon as soon as possible. Otherwise, Song Dao would be wiped out by the enemy slowly, and his family would be ruined.
But most of the Spaniards who were able to escape from Luzon actually lived in the Manila Bay area, and those who could run almost ran away during the war.Therefore, it often takes a long time for the Hispanic immigrants who fled later to find the opportunity to go to sea by boat, and even need to turn to the local aborigines to do so.Until almost a year has passed since the war, there will still be sporadic Hispanic immigrants fleeing Luzon from the sea, and most of these immigrants will choose to go to Cebu in the south, after all, it is Spain in this area The second largest colony, as long as it goes there, it means safety.
Going to Cebu as a refugee is probably the cheapest and least revealing means of cover.However, the unanimity of opinions did not make Ran Tianlu let Francis go, but continued to ask: "Then if we adopt this method, what negative effect will it have on our goal?"
Ran Tianlu's continuous questioning meant that he was about to test Francis.Francis did not dare to neglect, and continued to respond cautiously: "If you go to Cebu as a refugee, then the biggest problem is probably that it is difficult to get in touch with the upper class, and the channels for obtaining information will be limited."
The problem Francis mentioned is indeed an objective existence. According to the usual practice, most of the refugees who go to the local area will be resettled by the authorities to the outskirts of the city, allowing the refugees to open up wasteland and farmland in the local area, and provide relief with work.People with skills may still have the opportunity to stay in the city to work, but most of them can only engage in relatively low-level occupations—after all, most people with real skills have already escaped from Manila, and they only fled to the city at this time. Most of the people in Cebu are farmers scattered all over Luzon.
Going to Cebu with such an identity, it is naturally difficult to have the opportunity to contact the upper class, and it will be even more difficult to inquire about the secret military situation, at least in the short term, it is unlikely to achieve the goal.
Francis continued: "I suggest that the two people who are looking for have a better family background, so that they can create a better false identity for them. After they go to Cebu, they can find opportunities to mix into the upper class. Only those who come into contact with Only high-level officials can have the opportunity to obtain the intelligence you want."
So this goes back to the question that Francis raised at the beginning, whether there is a suitable candidate who can take on a more senior status, in order to get a good start in Cebu.
But this is precisely one of the shortcomings exposed by the intelligence department at present. Fang Peng and Ran Tianlu exchanged glances with each other, and both of them saw helpless emotions from each other's faces.
The Hispanics and aborigines they are currently recruiting from the local area are all of civilian origin. If they want to forcefully pretend to be upper-class figures, they will soon be exposed in front of insiders.And having said that, most of the upper class on Luzon Island originally lived in Manila, and these upper class people have inextricably linked social relationships. If they just fabricate a false identity, even if they successfully mix into the upper class after they go there , will also be exposed for lack of understanding of these social relationships.
Therefore, although Francis's proposal is good, it is quite difficult to realize, even more difficult than the task itself of sending people to Cebu to collect intelligence.If they have such a person under their hands, maybe they don't need to call Francis over.
"I'm afraid it can't be done. To be honest, no one under our command can meet the conditions you mentioned." Ran Tianlu finally told the situation frankly.
After hearing this, Francis felt relieved.In his heart, he certainly didn't hope that Haihan could be obtained so easily, after all, thousands of Spaniards in Cebu were his compatriots.And if Haihan quickly defeated Spain in the East Indies, or even completely expelled Spanish forces from this area, his role in Manila would be even more negligible.At that time, his official position and his current living conditions may also be affected by this.Therefore, no matter whether it is public or private, it is beneficial and harmless for Hai Han to deal with this matter a little slower.
As for sending some people to pretend to be refugees to go to Cebu, Francis really doesn't think this method can play a big role.Similar to this kind of spies, the Manila authorities sent a lot to Hainan Island at the beginning, but in the end these Han Chinese spies had very limited effects, and they failed to play a role in the two key battles with Haihan.These people's identities are too low, and they can only collect some insignificant social and economic intelligence in Haihan Country, but they have hardly collected much valuable intelligence in the most critical military field.
Francis also knew that the two men in front of him had recruited newcomers locally. It would be good if these people could lurk safely in Cebu, and higher expectations were a bit unrealistic.However, he would definitely not say such untimely words, and let the people of Haihan slowly realize it on their own.
Of course, what needs to be done still has to be done. Francis still enthusiastically gave many suggestions on how to lurk in the local area.This is not just a matter of earning performance and trust in front of Haihan officials. He knows that the more detailed opinions he gives, the more likely Haihan officials will adopt this approach. This is already a negative impact on the Spanish ruled area. Minimal practice.
"This is the only thing I can do, and I will leave the rest to God!" Francis secretly excused his behavior in his heart.He knows that his behavior is actually a betrayal to his compatriots, but he has to find a way to make himself feel better.
The three of them closed the door and discussed for a long time, and finally came to the conclusion that they can only send people to Cebu to lurk first. As for the task of scouting intelligence, it depends on the local situation of the lurkers.After all, this kind of thing can't be rushed, not to mention that there is no suitable person to perform the task in Manila.Try to perfect the action plan, and then seize the time to give the candidates a short training before the trip, that is all they can do so far.
(End of this chapter)
Both Ran Tianlu and Fang Peng were quite troubled by the difficult task assigned by Sanya.Although the higher authorities have given relatively large control authority in terms of operational funds and measures that can be taken, they have not sent any support to Manila in terms of personnel.
Of course, this is also a helpless move. In fact, no one is more professional than the two of them in terms of intelligence work in Spain. After all, they have been lurking in Manila for a period of time and are more familiar with the social conditions in the Spanish ruled area.And if someone is temporarily transferred from other places, they definitely don't have such experience.
But both of them belong to the regional leaders now, and their identities have been exposed in the Manila battle, and they can no longer be easily involved in danger, so it is also not feasible to go out in person.The two thought about it for a while, and it seemed that the only way left was to use Hispanic intelligence personnel.
But before that, the two decided to find another person to discuss the feasibility of this plan.When it comes to who knows the Spaniards' thoughts best, it is of course the Spaniards themselves.Just in Manila, there is a former Spanish military attache who can provide them with reference in this regard.
When Francis received the notice, he was not in the exclusive office of the Western Administration Bureau, but in his own home.Generally, when there is no official business to deal with, he can decide to go home early to rest.In fact, most of the time, he is in this leisurely state.Although he is the head of the bureau in name, but because of his Hispanic identity, in fact most of the official duties are handled by the deputy Ge Yong.Francis is also helpless in this situation. He understands that the Haihan people just need him to come forward as a puppet so as to manage the local Hispanic people, and the real authority can only be in the hands of Haihan officials.
But in this way, he will be happy to be the boss, show up at the Western Management Bureau every day, drink tea and read newspapers, learn to write Chinese characters and speak Haihan dialect, and he can go home and rest around noon .Compared with when he was the city defense commander, although he was a little less prestigious, the work pressure was indeed much less.Moreover, the treatment Haihan gave him was not bad, at least equal to the income of the leader's salary in the past, and it was basically enough to maintain his life.
Of course, Francis also understands that if he is only a puppet to the Haihan people, then being ruthlessly kicked out by the Haihan people will only be the result sooner or later.After two or three years, when the local society settles down, Ge Yong or some official from Sanya will take over his position, and then such good times will probably come to an end.So although he seems to be leisurely on weekdays, he is still trying to make Haihan notice that he actually has more potential to be tapped.
Providing information to Haihan's intelligence department is one of the directions that Francis is now playing a role in.As the city defense commander of Manila before, he had access to a lot of military secrets, but now that he has taken refuge in Haihan, this information has become the means for him to settle down.So when he received a notice from the security department to let him go to the meeting, he was not surprised.
Francis asked his servants to prepare the carriages and horses, and then rushed to the Security Bureau immediately.When he arrived at the place, he found that besides the interpreter, Fang Peng in military uniform was also there, and he couldn't help muttering to himself.He knows Fang Peng's identity, but Fang Peng usually does not show up at the office of the Ministry of Security. It seems that today's situation is a bit special.
"Mr. Francis, I invite you to come here today because we have something we would like to hear from you." Ran Tianlu cut to the chase and explained his intentions to Francis.
"Send someone to Cebu to collect information?" Francis couldn't help frowning after hearing Ran Tianlu's plan, and didn't respond immediately.
Although he has taken refuge in Haihan now, it is actually a helpless move to protect himself and his family. If he had a choice, he would of course be more willing to stand with his compatriots than for these shrewd and vicious Orientals potency.He also understands that the grievances between Haihan and Spain will probably be difficult to resolve in the foreseeable period of time in the future, and there will inevitably be confrontations on the battlefield, but he did not expect that it has not been a year since the end of the Battle of Manila. Preparations are about to begin for the next military operation against Spain.
Fang Peng saw that he hadn't spoken for a long time, and he could roughly guess what he was thinking, so he persuaded: "Mr. Several cases related to Spain. Simply put, we need to know who Spain is providing weapons and military training services to, and that is our goal.”
But Francis is not a mediocre person. He is very clear about the source of the conflict between the two countries. As long as the two parties have plans to continue to expand their territory in the future, the struggle between them will never stop.It is impossible for the Kingdom of Spain to bow to a small eastern country anyway, so even if the Spaniards in the East Indies cannot beat Haihan, the conflict between the two countries will continue for a long time.
Regarding this point, the Haihan people who are very familiar with Western affairs must also be very clear, and with their behavior style, how could they be kind enough to leave Spain with a chance to heal and make a comeback.It is said that it is investigating other targets, but when it is actually implemented, it is probably another plan.
However, with Francis's current status, he can't rashly raise objections to prevent Haihan from conducting intelligence collection work. After all, the purpose of these two Haihan intelligence officers looking for him is not to ask whether this matter can be done, but to How to do it safely and efficiently.
Francis wanted to understand the stakes, and then he responded: "You two don't have to worry, I am an official of Haihan Kingdom, of course I am working for Haihan Kingdom, and I will not consider other issues. But I have to send someone Going to Cebu, I have a question, do you two have a suitable candidate?"
Ran Tianlu didn't answer his question directly, but asked first: "What kind of person do you think is suitable for carrying out this kind of task?"
Francis knew that this was Ran Tianlu trying to trick him, but he knew that the other party was very shrewd, so he didn't dare to answer perfunctorily, and replied honestly: "Most Han people or Haihan people are not allowed. For surveillance, it is better to focus on Hispanics or indigenous people in this area. They can claim that they are refugees who escaped from Luzon Island, so it may be easier to fool them after they go to Cebu.”
Francis's idea actually coincides with Ran Tianlu and Fang Peng's idea, and that's exactly what they plan to do.Since Haihan occupied Manila, the Hispanic immigrants on Luzon Island have also continued to flee, especially those places far from Manila. After hearing the news of the fall of Manila, the first reaction was to flee Luzon as soon as possible. Otherwise, Song Dao would be wiped out by the enemy slowly, and his family would be ruined.
But most of the Spaniards who were able to escape from Luzon actually lived in the Manila Bay area, and those who could run almost ran away during the war.Therefore, it often takes a long time for the Hispanic immigrants who fled later to find the opportunity to go to sea by boat, and even need to turn to the local aborigines to do so.Until almost a year has passed since the war, there will still be sporadic Hispanic immigrants fleeing Luzon from the sea, and most of these immigrants will choose to go to Cebu in the south, after all, it is Spain in this area The second largest colony, as long as it goes there, it means safety.
Going to Cebu as a refugee is probably the cheapest and least revealing means of cover.However, the unanimity of opinions did not make Ran Tianlu let Francis go, but continued to ask: "Then if we adopt this method, what negative effect will it have on our goal?"
Ran Tianlu's continuous questioning meant that he was about to test Francis.Francis did not dare to neglect, and continued to respond cautiously: "If you go to Cebu as a refugee, then the biggest problem is probably that it is difficult to get in touch with the upper class, and the channels for obtaining information will be limited."
The problem Francis mentioned is indeed an objective existence. According to the usual practice, most of the refugees who go to the local area will be resettled by the authorities to the outskirts of the city, allowing the refugees to open up wasteland and farmland in the local area, and provide relief with work.People with skills may still have the opportunity to stay in the city to work, but most of them can only engage in relatively low-level occupations—after all, most people with real skills have already escaped from Manila, and they only fled to the city at this time. Most of the people in Cebu are farmers scattered all over Luzon.
Going to Cebu with such an identity, it is naturally difficult to have the opportunity to contact the upper class, and it will be even more difficult to inquire about the secret military situation, at least in the short term, it is unlikely to achieve the goal.
Francis continued: "I suggest that the two people who are looking for have a better family background, so that they can create a better false identity for them. After they go to Cebu, they can find opportunities to mix into the upper class. Only those who come into contact with Only high-level officials can have the opportunity to obtain the intelligence you want."
So this goes back to the question that Francis raised at the beginning, whether there is a suitable candidate who can take on a more senior status, in order to get a good start in Cebu.
But this is precisely one of the shortcomings exposed by the intelligence department at present. Fang Peng and Ran Tianlu exchanged glances with each other, and both of them saw helpless emotions from each other's faces.
The Hispanics and aborigines they are currently recruiting from the local area are all of civilian origin. If they want to forcefully pretend to be upper-class figures, they will soon be exposed in front of insiders.And having said that, most of the upper class on Luzon Island originally lived in Manila, and these upper class people have inextricably linked social relationships. If they just fabricate a false identity, even if they successfully mix into the upper class after they go there , will also be exposed for lack of understanding of these social relationships.
Therefore, although Francis's proposal is good, it is quite difficult to realize, even more difficult than the task itself of sending people to Cebu to collect intelligence.If they have such a person under their hands, maybe they don't need to call Francis over.
"I'm afraid it can't be done. To be honest, no one under our command can meet the conditions you mentioned." Ran Tianlu finally told the situation frankly.
After hearing this, Francis felt relieved.In his heart, he certainly didn't hope that Haihan could be obtained so easily, after all, thousands of Spaniards in Cebu were his compatriots.And if Haihan quickly defeated Spain in the East Indies, or even completely expelled Spanish forces from this area, his role in Manila would be even more negligible.At that time, his official position and his current living conditions may also be affected by this.Therefore, no matter whether it is public or private, it is beneficial and harmless for Hai Han to deal with this matter a little slower.
As for sending some people to pretend to be refugees to go to Cebu, Francis really doesn't think this method can play a big role.Similar to this kind of spies, the Manila authorities sent a lot to Hainan Island at the beginning, but in the end these Han Chinese spies had very limited effects, and they failed to play a role in the two key battles with Haihan.These people's identities are too low, and they can only collect some insignificant social and economic intelligence in Haihan Country, but they have hardly collected much valuable intelligence in the most critical military field.
Francis also knew that the two men in front of him had recruited newcomers locally. It would be good if these people could lurk safely in Cebu, and higher expectations were a bit unrealistic.However, he would definitely not say such untimely words, and let the people of Haihan slowly realize it on their own.
Of course, what needs to be done still has to be done. Francis still enthusiastically gave many suggestions on how to lurk in the local area.This is not just a matter of earning performance and trust in front of Haihan officials. He knows that the more detailed opinions he gives, the more likely Haihan officials will adopt this approach. This is already a negative impact on the Spanish ruled area. Minimal practice.
"This is the only thing I can do, and I will leave the rest to God!" Francis secretly excused his behavior in his heart.He knows that his behavior is actually a betrayal to his compatriots, but he has to find a way to make himself feel better.
The three of them closed the door and discussed for a long time, and finally came to the conclusion that they can only send people to Cebu to lurk first. As for the task of scouting intelligence, it depends on the local situation of the lurkers.After all, this kind of thing can't be rushed, not to mention that there is no suitable person to perform the task in Manila.Try to perfect the action plan, and then seize the time to give the candidates a short training before the trip, that is all they can do so far.
(End of this chapter)