Chapter 1001
A Frankenstein's Monster Fusion Under High Pressure
Are these the spies I'm trying to integrate?
As Zhang Anping turned around, the smile on his lips vanished, replaced by a cold expression. He then said to Zheng Yi:
"Let them all come in for the meeting."
"Yes!"
"Wait a minute—I think Zhao Li from the Special Higher Police will cause some trouble. You can throw him in the lobby then." Zhang Anping said calmly, "If he wants to leave, don't stop him."
Zheng Yi thought to himself, "Is the Special Higher Police Group the 'chicken' that the district chief has chosen?"
After responding, she quickly left the office and went to the hotel lobby herself, ordering the special operations team guarding the main gate to open it.
The group of agents waiting outside calmed down when they saw the hotel doors open like ancient city gates, and then formed teams to enter the hotel.
They didn't see Zhang Anping, only his beautiful female secretary waiting for them.
They were initially turned away and only allowed to enter after everyone had gathered – this attitude was far too harsh, to put it bluntly, it was like giving them a good beating!
According to the rules of officialdom, once a big stick has been given, a sweet treat should follow.
So they thought Zhang Anping would personally greet them, but unexpectedly, only his secretary was there.
Some people... look down on others!
But the attendees were all seasoned veterans. Even though Zhang Anping displayed an attitude of "I look down on you all," most people remained silent, like clay idols, without any reaction.
Among these people were quite a few with fiery tempers, such as Captain Chen of the Pacification Corps—who had once led his troops to storm the Beiping Party Headquarters of the Communist Party Bureau.
But when faced with Zhang Anping's display of force that was practically an open declaration of disdain, Captain Chen remained calm and composed, showing no sign of anger.
The group of old foxes remained silent, but Chief Zhao of the Special Higher Police Unit couldn't stand it anymore and said in a sarcastic tone:
"Wasn't this supposed to be a meeting? Why does it feel like a stern warning?"
Despite the sarcastic remarks from Team Leader Zhao of the Special Higher Police Group, Zheng Yi showed no reaction whatsoever, not even lifting an eyelid, let alone going to see him.
Zheng Yi glanced at the others, and seeing no one echoing his sentiments, he then said:
"Everyone, I'll take you to the conference room."
As she spoke, she walked to the elevator and gestured for people to enter.
The group of old foxes entered the elevator without revealing a trace of emotion. Team Leader Zhao had no choice but to follow, but was stopped by Zheng Yi as he stepped into the elevator.
"Team Leader Zhao, please wait in the lobby."
Team Leader Zhao was stunned, pointing at himself in astonishment: "Me? Waiting?"
Zheng Yi said calmly, "Yes."
"Absurd!" Team Leader Zhao roared. "I've been offered a warm welcome but received a cold shoulder—fine! I'll be waiting! I'll be waiting in the Special Higher Police Team!"
After saying that, he turned and left. The others watched quietly, expecting Zheng Yi to be stopped, but they found that Zheng Yi didn't even lift his eyelids and walked straight into the elevator.
No! Yes! That's right!
This behavior, however, raised alarm bells in the minds of the others. If Zheng Yi ordered someone to arrest Zhao Li, who had stormed off in anger, it meant that Zhang Anping intended to use him as a scapegoat to show them what was wrong.
You can let the other party leave...
This is so weird!
The group of old foxes suppressed their fear, thinking to themselves that Zhang Anping would make them chase dogs instead of catching chickens, and make them go in circles instead of going in a straight line.
At this moment, Zhao Li stormed out of the restaurant. He thought he would be stopped, so he could back down gracefully and wait in the lobby. But to his surprise, no one stopped him even after he walked out the door!
Zhao Li wasn't stupid; this unusual situation set off alarm bells in his mind.
Who the hell am I?
The reason he dared to act so boldly and deliberately was because he believed that Zhang Anping was very likely to use him as a weapon—integrating the Beiping secret service system definitely required a weapon, and the Special Higher Police, being a military police force, was a perfect candidate to be that weapon.
But he didn't want to be the knife—the knife was meant to cut down spies, and those spies were all ruthless. If he provoked them too much, he would definitely be in trouble if they shot him in the back or did something underhanded.
Therefore, he acted uncooperatively, hoping that Zhang Anping would replace Dao with the 19th Military Police Regiment.
But look at the situation now, I've been treated like a prostitute!
If they go back, they'll never be able to shake off their identity as chickens.
Thinking of this, he no longer considered the issue of saving face and chose to turn back without hesitation—wasn't he supposed to wait for me in the lobby?
I, a dignified colonel of the Special Higher Police, am waiting!
Unfortunately, the group of old foxes didn't see Team Leader Zhao decisively back down. By this time, they had arrived at the rearranged meeting room. Faced with no one guiding them to their seats, these old foxes didn't fight or scramble, but simply found chairs to sit down at random. They were completely unrecognizable from their tense demeanor at the restaurant entrance earlier.
I thought I'd be left waiting for a while after entering the meeting room, but to my surprise, Zhang Anping strode into the meeting room as soon as I sat down.
This is a complete change from their previous attitude of deliberately ignoring them!
Everyone stood up: "Commander Zhang!"
Director Zhang of the Party's Intelligence Bureau, who always loved to oppose the Beiping Station and claimed that the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics and the Military Bureau of Investigation and Statistics were sworn enemies, was actually the one with the loudest voice.
Seeing this, the others thought to themselves:
Although it was rumored that Zhang Anping had molded the Party Affairs Bureau into whatever shape he wanted, no one expected it to be this thorough!
Zhang Anping walked to the head seat, glanced at everyone, and sat down first. He then gestured for everyone else to sit down, and they all sat down, each one sitting up straight.
"Gentlemen, I think you all know the situation in Beiping and the whole of North China."
Zhang Anping continued his straightforward style:
“I know there are many rumors—such as many people saying with certainty that Commander Fu intends to retreat, which has made everyone feel complacent.”
At this point, Zhang Anping paused, then his expression grew even colder:
"But from this moment on, put away all complacency! Whether to withdraw or not is Commander Fu's decision, GFB's decision! This is not our concern! If we withdraw, we will prepare for infiltration! If we don't withdraw, we will fulfill our duties and responsibilities! In the future, if I find anyone shirking their duties..."
He didn't say what would happen, but his cold gaze swept over us, revealing the unspoken words in his eyes.
Set the tone!
This set the basic tone for this meeting.
Naturally, no one was so foolish as to stand up and refute this.
Zhang Anping softened his tone:
"Gentlemen, the Party and the country are currently in turmoil and the situation is extremely precarious. You should all be able to see this!"
The Northeast was lost, and hundreds of thousands of troops were wiped out;
On the Xuzhou-Bengbu battlefield, Commander Huang's hundreds of thousands of elite troops were trapped in Nianzhuangwei.
Not only is the Communist army eyeing North China covetously, but hundreds of thousands of troops from the Northeast could also cross the border at any time—given this situation, will you still prioritize personal gain over public duty?
"Do we really have to wait until all of the Kuomintang's territory is occupied by the Communist army before we'll stop?"
Although he softened his tone, his voice involuntarily turned sharp and angry towards the end.
Some people looked ashamed upon hearing this—they knew in their hearts whether they felt ashamed or not, but at this moment, if they acted as if nothing had happened, who knew if they would be killed like chickens?
They knew very well that Zhang Anping's so-called "abolishing the public" referred to their money-making scheme.
Although Gu Shenyan was the one who started it, no one wanted to risk getting into trouble at this point.
"You all should be more aware than I, an outsider, of the chaos within the Beiping secret service system—"
"The Bureau of Investigation and Statistics arrests people, but the Special Higher Police intercepts them halfway; the Special Higher Police arrests people, but the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics refuses to release them!"
With Team Leader Zhao of the Special Higher Police Group absent, Zhang Anping merely raised his knife slightly, but the next strike caused Director Zhang of the Party Affairs Bureau to immediately stand up and bow his head.
"The Bureau of Investigation and Statistics is investigating the student movement, and the Bureau of Communications says it's their job—"
The Party's intelligence bureau wanted to control the workers' movement, but the secret service even dared to shut down the intelligence bureau's informants!
They planted spies in the newspaper, but the two sides ended up exposing each other, resulting in both sides losing everything.
This is absolutely... utterly ridiculous!
Faced with Zhang Anping's explanation, all Director Zhang could do was stand up and bow his head, indicating his willingness to take responsibility—as long as he wasn't executed directly, he would have no objections; but if they wanted to execute him…
He seemed to have no choice but to endure it. Fortunately, Zhang Anping didn't say anything about taking them out and executing them, so the conversation stopped there, and then the focus shifted to the two people in the second hall.
"Second Hall..."
The Second Department and the Bureau of Secrecy are absurd!
Two groups of people investigated the case, spending huge sums of money, but in the end, they were still investigating the same case—the most absurd thing was that in the end, the Communists got away!
In the end, everyone bites back and forth, and it's always the other side's fault—but what about the losses suffered by the Party and the State?
Who will bear the responsibility for the losses suffered by the Party-state?!
Zhang Anping finally slammed his fist on the table in anger at their lack of ambition.
Although the Pacification Corps was not mentioned, Captain Chen still got up with Director Yan, the person in charge of the Second Bureau in the Second Division of the Suppression Headquarters, to enjoy the storm of Zhang Anping's words together.
"Inspection Department, Intelligence Section—you have armed forces, and the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics has intelligence. Why can't you cooperate closely? To deal with the guerrillas outside the city, the Inspection Department should be the easiest to mobilize. However, after the letter of assistance was sent, the armed forces under the Inspection Department only slowly arrived after the guerrillas had disappeared!"
If all you do is guard the door, then go back to being your watchdogs!
Zhang Anping said in a chilling tone:
"But what if I find that the inspection department is merely fulfilling its gatekeeping duties..."
"Let's see if my bullets are harder, or your bones are harder!"
Both the Inspection Department and the Intelligence Section are legitimate members of the Fu Clique. It is precisely because of this relationship that the Inspection Department and the Intelligence Section jointly obtained the investigation authority at the entrances and exits and various checkpoints. What can guarding checkpoints do? Zhang Anping's summary of "monetization" is truly insightful!
It's understandable that Zhang Anping was furious at these two organizations that weren't doing their jobs properly.
Section Chief Zhou and Director Liu, trembling like quails, kept saying:
The department acknowledges its mistake...
After everyone at the table had finished their critiques, only Police Chief Yang and the detectives from the police station remained. These two were prepared to be humiliated and were just waiting for Zhang Anping to call their names so they would jump up immediately. But then…
Zhang Anping completely ignored them.
Ignoring them...
The two exchanged a quick glance, unsure whether to be relieved that they hadn't been called out or annoyed by Zhang Anping's disregard; their thoughts were incredibly complicated.
Zhang Anping's criticism ended there—in fact, it was only a general outline, because he only used the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics as the target of the "conflict." In other words, the essence of Zhang Anping's criticism was the filth between these institutions and the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.
It's important to understand that their conflicts with the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (BIS) are no less than those with the BIS.
If he were to reveal everything, Zhang Anping could at least keep bluffing until tomorrow!
Zhang Anping picked up his water glass, took a sip to moisten his throat, and then spoke again:
"I'll say it again: I won't pursue the matter from before, but if you do it again... you'll be severely punished!"
"Yes!"
The old foxes, who had finally confirmed they had passed this hurdle, loudly pledged their support—the truth doesn't lie in the volume of one's voice. Don't be fooled by their loud responses; only they know what they're really thinking and how they'll act when their own interests are at stake.
Now that the criticism has been approved and the threats have been made, it's time to get down to business.
"Gentlemen, the entire intelligence system in Beiping needs to prepare for two things—first, to prepare for war with all our might!"
"As the saying goes, 'an army marches on its stomach,' intelligence work must precede military operations. However, the North China Suppression Headquarters is not very clear about the enemy situation at present. Therefore, the Beiping Party Headquarters, the Beiping Station, and the Second Division of the Suppression Headquarters must each gather their elite personnel to conduct a detailed investigation and reconnaissance of the enemy situation in North China and Northeast China."
"Director Zhang, how about I entrust this matter to you?"
The director of the Beiping Party Headquarters was taken aback. "They trust me that much?"
Snapped!
He stood up and put his legs together: "Please rest assured, Commander Zhang, the department will immediately begin preparations for the relevant matters after the meeting!"
"Director Yan!"
Director Yan of the Second Division of the Suppression Headquarters stood up and stood ready to be ordered.
"Commander Zhang!"
The commander of the 19th Military Police Regiment stood up and stood ready.
"Director Yan will be in charge, with Regiment Commander Zhang assisting him. They will be responsible for counter-espionage and counter-infiltration within the General Headquarters. I don't care how you do it—but I have one request: the matters of Changchun and Jiawang..."
He paused for a moment:
"And the matter of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics' special weapons must absolutely not happen in North China! Can you two do that?"
Director Yan was almost knocked unconscious by this windfall.
"Please rest assured, Commander Zhang, the department guarantees that such a thing will never happen again in North China!"
He thought to himself: This wave... is simply... unbeatable!
"Captain Chen!"
Captain Chen of the Pacification Corps immediately stood up.
"All special forces in Beijing and Tianjin, whether for investigation, inspection, or pacification, are under your command. I only have one request: if there is any operation that requires cooperation, you must be mobilized immediately. Can you do that?"
Captain Chen never expected that he would become the big winner. As the commander of the Pacification Corps, he never imagined that attending a meeting would lead to the annexation of all the armed forces within the intelligence system.
This is like a gold nugget falling from the sky!
How could he possibly refuse?
"Please rest assured, Commander Zhang, the department will certainly live up to your expectations!"
Zhang Anping's gaze shifted and landed on Director Qiao of the North China Supervision Office of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, who had been fidgeting.
This man is a close associate of Mao Renfeng. He came to North China to serve as the director of the inspection office, naturally hoping to replicate the "feat" of Minglou entering Northeast China and swallow up the Zhang faction in North China.
Unfortunately, the two largest secret service stations in North China, the Pingjin Station and the Beiping Station, were both managed by seasoned veterans. Wu Jingzhong was less capable than Gu Shenyan, Zhang Anping's protégé, but he was too senior and had knelt before the Zhang faction early on. With the strong support of the Zhang faction, Director Qiao, the head of the inspection office, was merely a figurehead.
Zhao Li, who was left in the lobby, thought he was the chicken, but Director Qiao was even more afraid of being a chicken than he was.
He was Mao Renfeng's man—Mao Renfeng has been beaten so badly by Zhang Anping that he can't even show his face in public!
Hitting in the physical sense.
Zhang Anping said calmly, “Director Qiao, you are a veteran agent, and your experience is no less than that of Wu Jingzhong from Tianjin—I would like to entrust the second-line preparations entirely to you.”
The first step in preparation is intelligence gathering, internal counter-espionage and counter-infiltration, and the unification of armed forces; this is clearly preparation for "war".
The second preparation is then quite obvious: to prepare for infiltration!
Logically, this should be a sign of importance, but Director Qiao was in a panic—the Northeast, Shandong… so many places that had fallen, and all the hidden forces had been wiped out!
Now, he's being put in charge of the preparations for infiltration, or rather, the much larger-scale intelligence infiltration force across the entire Beiping system.
慌!
He was clearly being given an important position, but he was panicking like crazy—Wouldn't I be left behind and infiltrated?
If I'm left behind...
Isn't this like throwing lambs to the slaughter?
No matter how scared he was, at this moment he dared not say a word like, "The department is probably not up to the task."
Ultimately, he gave this answer:
"The department... will do everything in its power!"
Zhang Anping glanced at Director Qiao indifferently:
"This isn't just the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics; it's an infiltration of the entire Beiping intelligence network—Director Qiao, it's not just doing everything we can, it's... a necessity!"
Director Qiao suddenly realized:
"Yes!"
The meeting thus came to a complete close. (End of Chapter)