Chapter 1006
: Unveiling the Layout – The Next Step: Steel on the Surface, Soft on the Inside
As usual, let's rewind the timeline.
After the North China Suppression Headquarters military affairs meeting, Zhang Anping secretly met with Sister Qian again.
The main point is to explain why he himself exposed strategic deception.
Sister Qian had nothing to say about this, but she warned Zhang Anping not to overdo it—this strategic deception was aimed at the hundreds of thousands of troops of the North China Suppression Headquarters, so he must not alert them!
"Don't worry! I'll change my tune immediately—and it will be perfectly reasonable. Even after our Dongye enters the pass in a while, no one will be able to find fault with it!"
Faced with Zhang Anping's confident assertion, Sister Qian couldn't help but ask him about his methods. Zhang Anping smiled and explained:
"The Chief of Staff will not easily give up the plan to transfer troops from North China—and I have more confidence in our comrades in Huaihai, so I guess it won't be long before the Chief of Staff orders North China to continue to aid Xu."
"At that time, as a loyal subject of the Party and the State, I must guarantee that there was no strategic deception involved, don't you think?"
Sister Qian was speechless. Such a change of address... it really was amazing!
"But if that's the case, wouldn't the aid to Xu still come?"
Zhang Anping laughed and said, "Yes, there is, but these few days are enough for us to do a lot of things—for example, take Lianyungang, or cut off the passage from Qingdao to Xuzhou, forcing aid to Xuzhou to take the long detour through Shanghai!"
Sister Qian's eyes widened. "Going around Shanghai?"
The detour around Shanghai was inseparable from the assistance of Shanghai Station. With the assistance of Shanghai Station, if the reinforcements to Xu could arrive before Huang Yi's army was annihilated, then Zhang Anping would not have needed to stay in the Nationalist government!
"Absolutely no problem!" Sister Qian exclaimed with delight.
Zhang Anping was all smiles, but Sister Qian felt a chill run down her spine—this guy must have a big plan!
As expected, Zhang Anping first gave a heads-up:
"Sister Qian, there are a few things I need to discuss with you—please don't dismiss them after you've heard them, okay?"
Sister Qian looked at Zhang Anping helplessly and said, "You tell me, I... I should be considered somewhat resilient to pressure."
"Three plans—the first plan is that I want the Kuomintang to see one thing: withdrawing troops by sea is impossible!"
Huh?
Sister Qian was taken aback: "What do you want to do?"
"Supporting Xuzhou should be a foregone conclusion. I am absolutely certain that the army supporting Xuzhou will not be able to reach Xuzhou, but I can no longer stop it. So I want to take this opportunity to make the Kuomintang give up the idea of retreating south by sea."
"The Kuomintang army in North China is currently using a long, single-file formation—when we block their westward retreat to Suiyuan, they will realize they are trapped like turtles in a jar!"
"If we negotiate then, we'll have more leverage, don't you think?"
Sister Qian pondered for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. She concluded that this wouldn't affect the established strategy, and then nodded.
"I think that's fine, but I need to communicate with my superiors first—you make the arrangements first, and if they object, I'll stop it!"
A chill ran through her. The first plan already required her to contact her superiors again. What about the next two?
“My second plan—” Zhang Anping’s gaze suddenly turned cold: “I want to go fishing!”
Sister Qian naturally knew it couldn't be a real fishing trip, so she gestured for Zhang Anping to tell her the plan.
Zhang Anping said slowly:
"The Beijing-Tianjin area was ravaged by the Japanese and traitors for eight years, and a large amount of wealth of the people was in the hands of traitors and Japanese devils. After the war, although the property of the Japanese and puppet regime was confiscated, and I even came here in person, the influence was ultimately limited."
"The powerful and wealthy in the Beijing-Tianjin area have used various means to seize the people's hard-earned money that should have flowed to them. When the Northeast Field Army enters the pass, they will inevitably flee with their assets—we cannot let them get away!"
"Therefore, I plan to use the aid to Xuzhou shipping project to allow powerful and wealthy people who hold a large amount of public funds to transfer their wealth through the aid fleet—I will then investigate and seize all of it to intercept this huge amount of wealth!"
Sister Qian had only one thought:
This...is very peaceful!
She asked worriedly, "You're under a lot of pressure doing this. Will you be able to handle it?"
It's obvious that Sister Qian supports Zhang Anping.
But taking someone's money is like killing their parents. Zhang Anping may not be afraid of those powerful and wealthy individuals on their own, but what if it becomes a wave?
Moreover, among the hundreds of thousands of Central Army and Sui Army generals, many of those who hold real power will likely fall victim to this – and these people are not to be trifled with!
"Don't worry, there won't be too much pressure then—because the third plan will just start then, and I'll need these people to push me to become the butcher!"
Faced with Zhang Anping's extremely confident answer, Sister Qian's heart trembled even more.
To be a butcher?
The third plan... Do you want to cause a major upheaval?
"Tell me about the third plan!"
Her face was solemn, and she was ready to mend the sky.
"Completely purge the Beiping spy network!"
thorough?
Sister Qian looked at Zhang Anping hesitantly. She felt that the current Beiping spy system was no longer a big threat. The underground party was hiding under the tiger skin of Beiping Station, and no one dared to investigate. The core strategic deception and the key link in its execution was Director Yan, who had now been entrusted with important responsibilities by Zhang Anping. In addition, Director Yan was also in charge of internal military surveillance. Did the Beiping spy system need to be completely dismantled?
Zhang Anping said, "Comrade Chongwen, never underestimate the intelligence agencies—incomplete purges will always be destabilizing factors. Only by firmly controlling them can we feel at ease."
Sister Qian agreed with Zhang Anping's words and said, "Tell me your plans."
"I plan to start with Zhao Li—first, by stirring things up, I'll get the spies Zhao Li has caught to implicate other agencies, and then, in the style of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, I'll assassinate Zhao Li directly, narrowing down the suspects to the spy system! This way, I can put them in a prisoner's dilemma."
Sister Qian's eyes lit up. This arrangement was excellent. Once the spy system fell into a prisoner's dilemma of mutual suspicion, it would be even less threatening.
If we calculate it this way, assassinating Zhao Li is feasible!
But Zhang Anping had only said half of what he wanted to say!
"I will push them further—"
"As long as we put enough pressure on them, we can reveal the confession we got from Zhao Li at the crucial moment. At that time, the intelligence agency will be overjoyed and may even secretly push things along, making it clear to me that it was the underground party that killed Zhao Li, not them."
Sister Qian was a little puzzled. Was this step... necessary?
She listened quietly. Since she felt it was unnecessary, it must be because of Zhang Anping's chess game, and it was more than that!
"But what if... what if I think this is about shifting blame?"
Ok?
Sister Qian was suddenly startled; she vaguely understood Zhang Anping's plan.
Zhang Anping slowly said, "I was the one who killed Zhao Li;
But everyone would assume it's a secret service agency!
In order to escape punishment, they eventually handed over what they had to the underground Communist Party, who then secretly fueled the fire, spreading the evidence in the form of leaflets...
"At that time, all the people in Beijing and Tianjin will see the darkness and corruption of the secret service, the darkness and corruption of the Nationalist government, and the heavy troops in the Beijing-Tianjin area will see what kind of bastard the party-state they are working for really is!"
"Tell me, as the last loyal subject of the Party and the State, under these circumstances, having repeatedly suppressed my murderous intent and drawn my sword only to sheathe it again, should I have taken the plunge and killed him?"
Sister Qian felt a chill run down her spine.
According to Zhang Anping's arrangement, he would still be the sharp-eyed Zhang Shihao, the decisive and ruthless Zhang Shihao, but the intelligence system in Beiping would be completely under his control because of this matter.
Because Zhang Anping had every reason to wipe out all these leaders in one fell swoop!
But at this very moment, Zhang Anping casually said:
"I am ultimately a person who prioritizes the greater good. Even so, I would never consider using a butcher's knife to solve a problem..."
Sister Qian was full of questions. What did she mean? Things had progressed to this point, and she had other ideas?
"But what if you force me to do that?"
Click!
It was as if a thunderbolt had struck Sister Qian's mind.
force!
Who would pressure Zhang Anping?
Have!
A group of people who have amassed wealth over the years have lost it all! They will definitely pressure Zhang Anping—not to force him to kill, but to force him to return their wealth.
Their reason must be the dirty deeds of the Beiping secret service system—your secret service system is corrupt, so what right do you have to confiscate my wealth!
Sister Qian couldn't help but gasp. Zhang Anping, who had been forced to endure this, was about to raise his butcher's knife and decisively integrate the Beiping secret service system. Who could say no?
When Zhang Anping started wielding his butcher's knife and indiscriminately killing people, would those people still dare to harass him so recklessly?
She looked at Zhang Anping with a strange expression—this whole affair was a backlash from the Beiping secret service system, and it was the powerful figures in Beiping who were constantly pressuring Zhang Anping from behind.
He was forced to wield the butcher's knife because of the corrupt environment within the Kuomintang.
It's not because they want to seize power.
The most important point:
Hidden Edge Plan!
Only with complete control of the Beiping intelligence system could Zhang Anping more calmly implement the Hidden Edge Plan.
Sister Qian took a deep breath and declared decisively, "Okay! I agree!"
……
Back to the present—when Zheng Yi handed the leaflet to Zhang Anping, it meant that both Plan Two and Plan Three had come to a complete close.
Don't forget that at this moment, Zhang Anping was furiously counting his valuables!
His angry roar also emphasized the truth he "saw":
The Beiping intelligence agencies are ruthless. First, they assassinated Zhao Li of the Special Higher Police Group in the style of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. Now, under immense pressure, they have revealed this scandal to the underground party, deliberately guiding them to expose it—exposing the dirty secrets of the party and the state to the public for all to see!
As a loyal subject of the Party and the State, and as a staunch loyal subject who values the face of the Party and the State above all else, how could Zhang Anping tolerate this!
"Return to Beiping immediately!"
Zhang Anping angrily gave the order, and as he boarded the vehicle, he gritted his teeth and gave the order to the Pacification Corps:
"Keep a close watch on the finances here!"
"Without my order, anyone who tries to take away valuables, no matter who they are, will be killed without mercy!"
……
The propaganda offensive launched by the underground party comrades was very effective.
Everyone in Beiping saw the corruption within the secret service system immediately.
Those powerful figures who colluded with the intelligence system for personal gain, upon seeing their names mentioned on the leaflet, immediately tried to escape and transfer their assets—since their valuables had already been sent to the southbound evacuation ship, running away was the only sensible thing to do to avoid being held accountable.
Although reason tells them that, given the current state of the Party-state, who would hold them accountable?
But securing the profits is the right thing to do!
But some things just happen by chance.
For example... a phone call.
"What?! Zhang Anping has seized the ship carrying money in Tanggu Port?!"
"No way—who does he think he is, daring to withhold my money! What right does he have?!"
"Huh? You mean that many of the ships were requisitioned by Zhang Anping, so he has the right to inspect them?"
"His mother %……&*￥#@……"
Almost simultaneously, the moment Zhang Anping left Tanggu Port, many powerful figures in Beiping received a phone call that enraged them.
Specifically, regarding one thing:
They're still here, but the money's gone!
After years of hard work, what's the point of cheating, deceiving, losing all reputation, abandoning morality, and lowering the bar again and again?
Isn't it all about money?
Now, the money has been withheld—no, not withheld. Zhang Anping made it very clear that this money was military funds, allocated by the Nanjing government along with the transport ships.
This is outright confiscation!
How can a person be so evil?!
One by one, the powerful and wealthy, like mad dogs, frantically began to pull strings, trying to get their share as soon as possible—and so, this demand inevitably led them to the most influential people in the North China Suppression Headquarters system.
"His intelligence agency can make money however they want, but what right does Zhang Anping have to confiscate our legitimate business?"
A large number of powerful and influential people in Beiping waved their leaflets and hysterically told the officials about their anger and grievances.
Look at the greed of the Beiping secret service system. They are supposed to be responsible for dealing with the Communists, but their various businesses are related to the Communists, and they have amassed so much wealth. We spent more than two years working hard and resorting to trickery and plunder to accumulate this little bit of wealth, and Zhang Anping actually wants to devour it.
By what right?!
The expressions of the "adults" behind them were not very good. On the one hand, these powerful and wealthy people were cowardly before the battle even started—the Communist army had not yet arrived, and North China was still under the control of the Kuomintang. They were already thinking of running away.
Let them run, but how precious, valuable, and expensive is the shipping capacity of the aid fleet for Xu? And how urgent is time?
But these scoundrels actually used their influence to ensure that the heavy equipment wouldn't be loaded onto the ship, so they could get their personal wealth loaded and sent away first—how could people be so shameless?!
Yes, the reason Zhang Anping discovered the gold and silver loaded on these transport ships was because, as the supervisor of Tanggu Port, he found that a large amount of equipment could not be loaded onto the ships, and only after a thorough investigation did he discover it—this is a well-known truth.
But when faced with complaints from the powerful and wealthy, the "adults" can't easily retaliate. Why?
Their relatives were affected to varying degrees.
Among these "adults," the most wronged was Commander Yuan—he was a traditional soldier who didn't care much about external matters, but his relatives abused his power and acted arrogantly.
Among the enormous wealth confiscated by Zhang Anping this time, two of his relatives were involved, and the amounts were not small.
Right now, a group of bigwigs from the Central Army are gathered together. Commander Yuan has been hanging his head the whole time and hasn't said a word—he can attend the meeting, but he will absolutely not participate in the pressure tactics!
Now, a problem is facing them:
How to do!
Judging from Zhang Anping's actions, he was determined—he claimed the massive amount of valuables on the transport ship was military funds allocated from above, which was far more ruthless than simply seizing the goods, indicating that he had no intention of compromising!
Forcing a cow to drink water?
A ruthless person who beats up his superior, would have his head forcibly pressed down?
"We can't use force—let's try some gentler approaches!"
A big shot threw a flyer on the table:
"The intelligence agencies in Beiping are so corrupt, how can Zhang Anping have the nerve to manage this and that?"
The bigwigs from the Central Military Commission who attended the meeting slowly nodded, approving of the plan.
There's no need to be forceful; a more lenient approach is better.
Of course, this "softness" is definitely a steely exterior with a soft interior—not true appeasement.
Meanwhile, similar discussions were taking place within the Sui Army.
The Suiyuan Army's internal view of the situation was actually pessimistic. Although Fu Huabei still believed that withdrawing to Suiyuan was the way out, it was clear that after the prosperous world, who would want to go to Suiyuan, which could only support tens of thousands of soldiers?
It would be better to give away all his possessions early on, and if all else fails, simply resign from his post and run away to become a wealthy old man.
It was because of this idea that many Sui Army generals boarded the ship when someone offered "slots" for the southward retreat.
I thought everything was foolproof, but who the hell would have thought something like this would happen!
Now that we've lost everything and have no way out, what else can we do but get together and discuss things?
After discussion, they tacitly chose the same approach as the Central Army—appeasement!
The same steel exterior with a soft interior. (End of Chapter)