Chapter 1003
Zhang Anping: I object!
(This chapter cost 158 yuan...)
(Internet fee at the internet cafe.)
Zhang Anping was going to attend a meeting at the North China Suppression Headquarters—he thought it was because of the Xuzhou-Bengbu battlefield that the North China Suppression Headquarters was holding meetings so frequently these past few days.
The headquarters of the North China Suppression Headquarters was located in the new urban area on the western outskirts of Beiping. Zhang Anping arrived early, and most of the officers had not yet arrived. The staff officer in charge of receiving him at the headquarters was quite surprised that Zhang Anping had arrived an hour early, but he still received Zhang Anping with high protocol.
That's all.
Because Fu Huabei did not request a meeting with Zhang Anping after the reception office reported to the commander's office, the reception office had no choice but to send a guide to delay the meeting under the pretext of showing him around the headquarters.
Some people at the reception desk suggested that since the commander didn't like Zhang, they should just leave him hanging. The North China Suppression Headquarters was their territory, and even the strongest out-of-towners had to be kept at bay, let alone a mere intelligence chief.
But the head of the reception office wouldn't dare do that.
He knew all too well what the consequences would be for neglecting Zhang Anping—what would happen if a son-in-law of the Kong family neglected Zhang Anping?
That's the son-in-law of the Kong family!
It turned out they were found to be involved in corruption!
Isn't that reason ridiculous?
Not to mention how he managed to get away unscathed after beating up his boss in Xuzhou yesterday.
So in the end, this compromise was devised—a tour guide was sent to show Zhang Anping the headquarters of the Suppression Headquarters.
Zhang Anping doesn't work at the General Headquarters, so why would he need to be familiar with him?
Therefore, upon hearing that the reception office was going to do this, Zheng Yi immediately realized the core reason. She intended to protest, but before she could even call out to the reception advisor, Zhang Anping stopped her on the spot.
"Take me to the Second Division. I'd like to take a look at the intelligence there."
The staff officer breathed a sigh of relief and quickly took Zhang Anping to the Second Division.
The Second Division, also known as the Military Intelligence Division under the General Headquarters for Suppression of Bandits, was essentially the Second Bureau's agency within the General Headquarters for Suppression of Bandits in North China. The actual person in charge was Director Yan.
At this moment, Director Yan had just returned from the Yandu Hotel and was holding a meeting with key personnel in the Second Division to discuss the next work priorities of the Second Division. He had received the internal counter-espionage and anti-infiltration work tasks from Zhang Anping, and the 19th Military Police Regiment was also fully cooperating with him. Naturally, he had to seize this golden opportunity.
While the arrangements were being made, the secretary came in and whispered in Director Yan's ear:
"Director, Staff Officer Mi from the Reception Department is here—he's with that person."
Director Yan frowned: "That one? Which one!"
"Commander Zhang." The secretary wanted to say his name, but in the end he didn't dare to call Zhang Anping by his real name. He had never personally experienced the immense pressure that the name Zhang Anping brought, but after witnessing the cowardly behavior of the leaders of the Beiping secret service, he realized the deterrent power that the name represented.
Director Yan stood up involuntarily, his heart filled with turbulent emotions.
Why did he come to the Second Division?
What is he doing at the Second Division?
Could it be... that they're after me?
Suppressing his fear, Director Yan signaled for a temporary recess and hurriedly followed his secretary out to greet them.
Staff Officer Mi thought things would drag on for quite a while with the Second Division—the Second Division was the Second Bureau's dispatched agency to the General Headquarters for the Suppression of Enemy Bandits, and Director Yan was Director Zheng's favorite. Rumors circulated that the Second Bureau of the GFB and the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics were mortal enemies, and he felt that Director Yan would definitely give Zhang Anping the cold shoulder, just like Commander Fu had done.
Even if they don't dare to directly refuse to meet with him like Commander Fu did, they will definitely find various reasons to keep him waiting.
Unexpectedly, shortly after the announcement, Director Yan of the Second Division came out to greet him in a great hurry, with an extremely respectful attitude, even more humble than when meeting his immediate superior—he remembered that Director Yan was always eloquent and talkative in front of a group of big shots!
"Commander Zhang, our department was unaware of your arrival and apologizes for any shortcomings in our hospitality."
Faced with Director Yan's respectful apology, Zhang Anping simply waved his hand dismissively: "I came to the Second Division to look at intelligence about the Communist army in Northeast China—you go ahead with your work, just arrange for someone to take me there."
Although Zhang Anping said that, Director Yan did not dare to really leave Zhang Anping behind. He could only personally take Zhang Anping to the intelligence room to check the relevant intelligence, but he was inwardly panicking.
Only they know what's going on. The intelligence from the two intelligence offices both indicate that the Northeast Army will not be able to leave the pass in a short time, but is that really the truth?
He wasn't sure if Zhang Anping would glean any clues from this.
But Zhang Anping insisted on going to check it out himself, so he had no choice but to reluctantly take Zhang Anping to the intelligence room.
Intelligence Room.
After Director Yan brought Zhang Anping in, he instructed his subordinates to bring over all the intelligence related to Northeast China. As Zhang Anping reviewed the information, Director Yan respectfully reported from the side:
"Commander Zhang, according to all intelligence, the Northeast Communist Army was exhausted during the Liaoxi Campaign (Liaoshen Campaign), and all units suffered serious battle losses and extremely large material losses."
Based on all intelligence, the Second Bureau concluded that the Northeast Communist Army would be unable to launch a large-scale offensive beyond the Great Wall for at least four months—or, optimistically, six months.
"However, once the Communist army in the Northeast has completed its rest and reorganization, there may be 500,000 to 700,000 troops crossing the border."
This conclusion had already been reported to the top leadership of the Nationalist government—who, based on a comprehensive analysis of various intelligence reports, also reached the same conclusion.
Zhang Anping remained silent, only continuously perusing various intelligence reports—since the intelligence think tank of the Nationalist government could reach the same conclusion as the Second Bureau of the Suppression Headquarters, then the intelligence information in his hands, literally speaking, was naturally flawless.
[Director Yan...this comrade is very meticulous in his work!]
Zhang Anping was satisfied, but a hint of doubt still appeared on his face. He said solemnly:
"Director Yan, let me ask you a question: Is it possible for the Northeast Communist Army to evade our intelligence personnel and secretly leave the border in the near future?"
Director Yan was shocked. He didn't know if he was capable, but his mission was to make the Nationalist government certain that the Northeast Army would not be able to leave the pass in the short term. Did Zhang Shih-hao, this big spy, have sensed something?
"Commander Zhang, what you said may not be impossible, but... the Northeast Communist Army has after all gone through intense fighting and absorbed a large number of our prisoners of war. The army will need to be reorganized and trained before it will be combat-ready. And this... will take at least several months to fully digest and absorb. I think that even if the Northeast Communist Army sends troops into the pass, it will only be a small force bluffing."
"A bluff?"
Zhang Anping glanced at Director Yan, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, an attitude that only made Director Yan more conflicted.
Did he notice something?
In fact, Zhang Anping was just filling in the gaps—Director Yan did a great job. He couldn't find any fault with the intelligence information on the books, which meant that this intelligence deception was quite successful!
Absolutely fantastic!
……
People always say that life is unpredictable. Zhang Anping, who roamed the treacherous intelligence battlefield, thought he had a deep understanding of this saying. But now, he realized that his understanding was, damn it, not deep enough!
Half an hour later, the North China Suppression Headquarters held a military conference.
Zhang Anping attended the meeting as a relatively unknown figure. At the very beginning of the military conference, Fu Huabei directly presented an order from the Nationalist government:
Our army is in a disadvantageous position on the Xuzhou-Bengbu battlefield. We should send troops to support our forces in North China!
After this order was issued, the attendees immediately split into two factions:
The generals of Fu Huabei's faction were unhesitating opponents of the opposition.
Their reasoning is simple:
With the Northeast Field Army about to cross the pass and the war clouds already so thick in North China, how could we easily divert troops?
However, the generals of the Central Army unanimously agreed to send troops to support Xuzhou.
The reason is also very simple:
The Northeast Field Army is unlikely to be able to cross the border for at least four months. Our army is currently at a disadvantage on the Xuzhou-Bengbu battlefield. How can North China sit idly by? We must send troops to support them!
Moreover, the generals of the Central Army not only agreed to send troops to provide support, but their attitude was extremely firm, even carrying a subtle threat:
If you, Fu Huabei, sit idly by and do nothing, then you really are going to become a mountain king!
If you dare to seize the mountain and become king...
Zhang Anping easily discerned Fu Huabei's attitude from the starkly contrasting stances of the two factions:
Fu Huabei was unwilling to send troops.
This is understandable, because towards the end of the Northeast campaign, the Nationalist government realized that North China could no longer be defended, and its attitude at the time was very clear:
Abandoning North China, the entire North China army withdrew south by sea to reinforce the Huaihai region and consolidate the Yangtze River defense line.
But Fu Huabei was unwilling—he worried that after he withdrew, his troops would be completely absorbed by the Central Army.
In North China, he was the King of North China, but after the retreat, he lost his foundation and became a fat sheep to be slaughtered. Where is the Northeast Army now that it has lost its territory and its young marshal?
There wasn't a soul in sight!
Therefore, he consistently refused to evacuate, finding various excuses to deny the evacuation decision. Among these excuses was the reason that sea transport might not be able to ensure the safe evacuation of hundreds of thousands of troops.
In the end, the Nationalist government had no choice but to change its order to retreat south to: temporarily defend Beijing and Tianjin and secure the seaport.
Here, "Haikou" refers to the port where a river flows into the sea.
Thus, the unwise move of having hundreds of thousands of troops "play" a long, single-line formation came about.
Ultimately, the reason for such an unwise move is the result of the struggle and compromise between the two factions.
If troops are sent to support Xuzhou now, and if successful, the Nationalist government will inevitably place great trust in maritime transport, and will then force the North China Army to evacuate by sea. The core reason why Fu Huabei has not withdrawn is that he is worried that if he withdraws, his troops will follow in the footsteps of the vanished Northeast Army!
Despite Fu Huabei's reluctance, his Central Army subordinates were now forcing him to take a stand in a manner that bordered on coercion.
If you continue to make excuses to refuse, then don't blame us for completely losing trust in you!
Faced with the firm stance of the Central Army, Fu Huabei seemed to have no choice but to compromise. If he did not compromise, the Central Army under his command would completely disobey his orders as the King of North China, and the North China Suppression Headquarters would collapse completely. At that time, the Northeast Field Army would not even need to leave the pass; the People's Liberation Army in North China alone would be able to suppress them and cause friction!
Faced with the heated argument between the two factions, Fu Huabei weighed the pros and cons and then stated his opinion: "Support is a given!"
"But it is still uncertain whether sea transport is safe. If we rashly send a large army by sea, the consequences would be too severe if something goes wrong."
"How about this..."
Fu Huabei carefully considered his wording:
"The Independent 95th Division, the 62nd Army, and part of the 92nd Army stationed in the Tianjin area are now ready to board ships at Tanggu, Tianjin, and travel via Lianyungang and Qingdao to Xuzhou."
"The remaining troops happened to be in Tianjin during this period, awaiting orders."
Once the sea route is confirmed to be feasible, our reinforcements can be sent to Xuzhou in batches by sea—what do you all think?
Fu Huabei's strategy clearly had a delaying motive.
No matter how obvious the delay was, troops were eventually dispatched—the Independent 95th Division, the 62nd Army, and a part of the 92nd Army, totaling more than 50,000 men. This force was invaluable to Xuzhou, which was severely lacking in mobile forces at that time.
Moreover, once this mobile corps successfully arrives in Xuzhou, Fu Huabei will certainly no longer be able to stop the other Central Army troops from retreating south—at worst, Fu Huabei can go to Suiyuan, but the Central Army will be able to retreat south openly and legitimately.
Fu's faction of generals were the first to voice their support: "I think Commander Fu's idea is a wise and prudent move for the country—what do you all think?"
After a brief moment of deliberation, the generals on the Central Army side also agreed:
"Commander Fu's consideration is the most thorough—shall we report to the GFB now?"
"Alright—then draft the telegram."
Like Zhang Anping, Director Yan, who was also a "nobody" at the meeting, felt a surge of emotions as he faced the draft resolution.
What was his mission?
Strategic deception!
This will convince the Nationalist government that our Northeast Field Army will not leave the pass in the short term. This will also make Fu Huabei hesitate and not easily retreat south or go to Suiyuan. Once the Northeast Field Army enters the pass, it will join forces with the North China Army to wipe out the hundreds of thousands of enemy troops in North China!
The strategic deception was very successful.
Both the North China Suppression Headquarters and the Nationalist Government now firmly believe one thing:
It will be impossible for the Dongye army to leave the pass within three to six months!
It was precisely because of this extremely successful strategic deception that the North China Suppression Headquarters made the decision to rush to the aid of Xuzhou.
As the head of the Military Intelligence Department, Director Yan was very familiar with the situation of the 62nd Army, the 92nd Army, and the Independent 95th Division—these units were all direct subordinate units of the Central Army, with well-established structures and extensive experience in defending cities.
Once these troops appear in Xuzhou, their rich experience in defending the city will be an even greater loss for our army.
Furthermore, the arrival of this army will give the enemy in Xuzhou an additional mobile force, which will add an extremely dangerous variable to the battle of Nianzhuangwei.
It must be stopped no matter what!
Director Yan's mind was in turmoil. To stop the support for Xuzhou, the only reason he could do was use the possibility of the Northeast Field Army entering the pass as a pretext.
But if that's the reason...
Just an hour earlier, he had solemnly assured Zhang Anping, the head of the secret service, that:
The Dongye army might have small detachments entering the pass, but there is absolutely no possibility of a large detachment leaving the pass—if we change our tune now, wouldn't that be a direct slap in the face?
Given Zhang Anping's vigilance, how could he... remain indifferent?
After weighing the pros and cons, Director Yan ultimately chose the possibility that the Northeast Army might be able to cross the border...
He cleared his throat, about to speak, when Zhang Anping, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke with a serious expression:
"Commander Fu, officers, what if... the Communist army from the Northeast enters the pass at this time?"
Upon hearing this, Director Yan was taken aback. He had actually... objected?
Fu Huabei was stunned. The person least likely to oppose supporting Xuzhou, a nobody at the military conference, someone he was too lazy to bother with, was actually on his side and opposed sending troops to support Xuzhou?
The Central Army generals were even more bewildered—the deputy director of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, the deputy wielder of the sword in the hands of the chief aide-de-camp, had betrayed them when they, the Central Army generals, had finally managed to force Fu Huabei to agree to come to the aid of Xuzhou through threats.
The generals of Fu’s faction watched the generals of the Central Army with amusement.
You guys are fighting amongst yourselves!
A variety of gazes, some filled with doubt, some with anger, and some with strangeness, were directed at Zhang Anping.
Commander Yuan of the 16th Army glared angrily:
"Zhang Anping, do you know what you're saying?"
Zhang Anping stood up:
"Gentlemen, I'm just stating the facts—"
"Currently, all intelligence is pointing to one thing:"
The Communist army in Northeast China is unlikely to be able to cross the border in the short term.
He paused for a moment: "I went to the Second Division before and specifically looked up the relevant intelligence—I am sure there is no problem with this conclusion."
"but……"
The crucial turning point has arrived:
"However, this conclusion is based on the intelligence gathered by the two departments."
"But what if this intelligence information is what the Communist army wants to use to arrive at the above conclusion?"
Those present were all veterans of the military; how could Zhang Anping possibly change their minds with just a few words?
Commander Yuan stood up angrily and said coldly:
"The Communist army is incredibly powerful, and our army's intelligence system is full of incompetent fools—Deputy Director Zhang, is that what you mean?"
Commander Yuan's anger was understandable—he treated Zhang Anping very well, and upon hearing that Zhang Anping had almost been killed in a bombing and nearly followed in Dai Chunfeng's footsteps, he immediately assigned a submachine gun company to Zhang Anping to ensure his safety.
Unexpectedly, at the crucial moment, this junior colleague contradicted him.
"Commander Yuan, please calm down," Zhang Anping said apologetically.
"I am only analyzing from the perspective of an intelligence officer—my suggestions are only for reference."
"But I know this saying well: strike when the enemy is unprepared!"
"I think you seniors understand this better than I do. And the Communist army... has used it with unparalleled skill."
These words plunged the meeting room into silence.
To catch someone off guard...
The bigwigs all fell into deep thought, seriously considering this possibility. (End of Chapter)