Chapter 1030
Winning First Isn't Really Winning!
The head servant stared blankly at the brightly lit outside, feeling an indescribable unease.
Three years ago, how full of vigor and ambition he was!
He led China to defeat the Japanese invaders, and American military aid poured in. His powerful army spread throughout China from north to south, as if he could rebuild the world with a flick of his wrist.
On New Year's Day that year, he envisioned a prosperous future that he would create.
But what about just three years later?
The situation has changed dramatically, even though it's still New Year's Day!
The all-out offensive turned into a focused offensive;
The offensive was turned into a strategic defense.
In the end, the strategic defense strategy failed, resulting in the loss of Northeast China and the loss of hundreds of thousands of troops.
Xuzhou and Bengbu lost the Shuanghuang Corps, and Du, the commander of more than 200,000 troops in Xuzhou, was trapped in Chenguanzhuang.
Hundreds of thousands of troops in North China were isolated in the Pingjintang area;
The worst off was Hu Xijin's army of over 200,000 men. Their elite troops suffered repeated losses. From the high spirits of conquering Yan'an to their current garrison in Weibei, they did not participate in a single major battle!
Looking across the country, the Nationalist army north of the Yangtze River would soon have nowhere to stand!
And what about inside?
The Guangxi clique is sharpening its knives, and has reached the point where its true colors are revealed.
The release of the list of war criminals caused widespread panic, with everyone from top to bottom experiencing extreme pessimism!
What about foreign players?
Completely lost confidence!
No! Power! To! Return! to! Heaven!
These four characters were practically branded onto his bald forehead!
Tired, powerless, disheartened, and desperate.
At this moment, the chief attendant did not wish for the New Year's bells to ring, nor did he wish for the arrival of the new year, 38.
After a long while, the chief attendant sighed sadly.
Hopefully, no bad news will come before the New Year's bells ring!
Unfortunately, he was overthinking it.
A servant rushed in:
"Chief Attendant, a joint telegram from Commanders Li and Shi of Beiping!"
The chief attendant sighed inwardly, wondering if there was some bad news from Beiping again.
After receiving the telegram, he took a deep breath before he had the courage to unfold it.
The moment he opened the book, he saw the name Zheng Yaoquan and couldn't help but feel angry—what's wrong with the Central Army in Beiping?
I had only sent Zheng Yaoquan to Beiping a few days ago, and you have already sent two telegrams complaining about me!
Can't I touch it?
Suppressing his anger and patience, he carefully read the extremely long telegram, but as he continued reading, his anger grew stronger.
Before he could finish reading the telegram, he angrily slammed it on the table.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
"Damn it!"
After cursing three times, he got up angrily, paced back and forth for a while, then picked up the telegram again and read the rest of the contents while suppressing his anger.
Previously, Li and Shi had jointly sent a telegram, the content of which was to "accuse" Zheng Yaoquan, but it did not explain all of Zheng Yaoquan's actions, but only emphasized one point:
Zheng Yaoquan's arrival had an impact on Beiping.
The reason for this is that Zheng Yaoquan is both the director and the deputy director of the Second Department, so there are some things they are unwilling to make public.
This time, however, Li and Shi explained Zheng Yaoquan's actions in detail, especially Zhang Anping's grievances.
Luo Qiyong was clearly an inside agent of the Sui Army that Zhang Anping had developed, but he was killed by Zheng Yaoquan's scheme—and Zhang Anping had to swallow his pride and admit that he was the one who did it;
The final result was that the Sui Army used this opportunity to launch a counterattack, infiltrating the intelligence system and rendering Zhang Anping's painstaking efforts futile!
Regarding Gu Shenyan's matter, it's true that Zhang Anping was kind-hearted, but his initial intention was to avoid major operations on the Beiping station when war clouds were gathering in North China. However, Zheng Yaoquan used this as a breakthrough point to bring down Zhang Anping. Zhang Anping didn't care about personal gains or losses, but given the situation of Beiping being trapped, he didn't want to affect the situation with various dirty deeds, so he ruthlessly killed him.
Both joint telegrams state the same fact:
Although Zhang Anping made some mistakes, especially in failing to recognize Gu Shenyan and allowing this underground party member to infiltrate his side for ten years, Zhang Anping's public-spiritedness outweighed his personal interests from beginning to end!
Zheng Yaoquan, from the moment he arrived in Beiping, prioritized his own interests and repeatedly disrupted the fragile balance of power in Beiping.
This person harbors malicious intentions!
"Holding malicious intentions?"
The chief sergeant slammed the telegram on the table, his gaze gradually becoming playful.
Was Zheng Yaoquan truly harboring malicious intentions?
Zhang Anping, whom he himself considered a nobody, was the deputy director of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, the number two figure in a secret service agency, yet he was repeatedly promoted by the central army generals in Beiping.
What is his intention?!
Even Dai Chunfeng wouldn't dare to do that!
"Holding malicious intentions?"
"What a wicked heart!"
The head servant couldn't help but curse again.
Reason told him that given the current situation in Beiping, he had no need to worry about these troublesome things.
But his instincts told him that some things shouldn't happen, especially not to a spy chief like Zhang Anping.
"I'd like to see what Zheng Yaoquan has to say!"
The chief attendant looked out the window again. The New Year's bells were getting closer and closer, but the last few hours of the 37th year of the Republic of China still did not make him feel at ease.
……
The Nationalist government valued the New Year more than the Lunar New Year. Although it was suffering repeated defeats on the battlefield, the Central Daily News reported that it had annihilated nearly ten million enemy troops. Therefore, on New Year's Day, Nanjing was filled with jubilation.
This jubilation, however, came at the cost of countless merchants' blood and tears—faced with the Nationalist government's forced allocation of funds, these merchants, already struggling to survive, had no choice but to burn money on this vanity project as required by the Nationalist government.
Many vendors even took out loans to celebrate the New Year.
A convoy of four cars sped down the road. Mao Renfeng fiddled with the cassette tape she had just acquired, and looking at the celebratory atmosphere all around her, her smile grew even wider.
Perhaps unable to contain himself, he cheerfully said to his secretary, "What a wonderful day!"
The secretary, sitting in the passenger seat, nodded earnestly:
"Yes, today is a good day."
But after the secretary finished answering and his gaze swept over the worried faces of the vendors, he couldn't help but ask himself:
Is today really a good day?
Since it's a good day, why is it that apart from children, most people don't have smiles on their faces?
The motorcade arrived at the gate of the Attendant's Residence. After tidying up her clothes in the car, Mao Renfeng slowly walked towards the gate of the Attendant's Residence with the cassette tape in her hand.
Upon entering the Attendant's residence, Mao Renfeng waited for less than twenty minutes before being led by an attendant into the Attendant Chief's office.
Upon seeing Mao Renfeng, the chief attendant asked wearily, "What is it?"
"Chief Attendant, there is a matter that the Ministry is truly unable to decide, so I have come here specifically to report it."
After the head attendant said "Oh," he gestured for Mao Renfeng to speak directly.
"Chief Attendant, there is a matter that I find difficult to decide on my own, so I have come to report it in person."
Gu Shenyan, the head of the Beiping station of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, has now been confirmed to be a Communist Party agent. He had previously plotted to assassinate Deputy Director Zhang Anping, but fortunately, Deputy Director Zhang discovered the plot in time.
Deputy Director Zhang was concerned that making the matter public might cause unrest within the Bureau of Secrecy, so he temporarily suppressed the case and kept it quiet.
Unaware of the situation in Beiping, Vice Minister Zheng interrogated Gu Shenyan and obtained his confession. To stabilize the situation in Beiping, Deputy Director Zhang had Gu Shenyan dealt with on the spot.
Deputy Director Zhang originally intended to settle this matter privately and not make it public. However, I am concerned that Gu Shenyan has been lying low for many years, and it is difficult to guarantee that there are no accomplices or remnants lurking within the bureau. Therefore, I dare not make a decision on my own and have come to consult with the Chief of Staff for instructions.
When Mao Renfeng spoke, he deliberately showed off the cassette tape in his hand.
As expected, after listening to his story, the chief attendant asked:
"Is this a recording of Zheng Yaoquan's sudden interrogation of Gu Shenyan?"
"Exactly."
The head servant summoned a servant: "Bring a record player over, I want to listen to something."
A record player was quickly brought over, and as the attendant inserted the tape, the conversation between the two began to play. The head attendant was initially only somewhat curious, but when he heard Gu Shenyan admit that he had been a communist from the beginning, his expression turned gloomy.
The head of the Beiping station of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics was actually a Communist from the very beginning. He wasn't a traitor who was turned, but a Communist from the very beginning!
What does this mean?
Dai Chunfeng is incompetent!
Zhang Anping is incompetent!
A Communist Party member actually became the stationmaster of Beiping Station—it's utterly ridiculous!
Before the chief attendant could finish listening, he coldly ordered his attendant to turn off the speaker. Once the speaker was off, he immediately gave instructions:
"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly!"
"There must never be another Gu Shenyan within the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics!"
"Absolutely not! Do you understand?"
Mao Renfeng immediately and solemnly replied, "Yes!"
He was overjoyed. This was the chief attendant's word of "strict investigation"—which would give him a legitimate reason to carry out a purge and deal with Zhang Anping's loyal followers severely.
What pleased Mao Renfeng the most was the attitude of the chief attendant.
He had been worried about one thing: Zhang Anping had done too well in Beiping, and no matter what the future held for Beiping, Zhang Anping would replace him.
Judging from the chief attendant's attitude, he was clearly angered by the fact that Gu Shenyan was a Communist—he had even begun to question Zhang Anping's abilities. Therefore, he would naturally not replace himself with Zhang Anping.
Now that he had obtained the imperial sword, he could purge Zhang's cronies within the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. As the saying goes, a gentleman takes revenge even after ten years. It had only been a few days since the brutal attack in Xuzhou. He would not only win back his losses with interest, but he would also make Zhang Anping bleed profusely.
happy!
……
No sooner had Mao Renfeng filed a complaint than GFB filed another one with the chief of staff.
Zheng Yaoquan did not show up; instead, two high-ranking officials from the GFB appeared. They accused Zhang Anping of being arrogant and domineering, and that in addition to killing a GFB colonel without authorization, he had even sent people to intercept Zheng Yaoquan's convoy!
The intelligence agency was indeed represented by the chief of staff's sword, but the high-ranking officials were all instinctively and tacitly controlling one thing:
To keep the power of intelligence agencies within a certain range.
While intelligence agencies can indeed disregard the law when dealing with subordinates, this "disregard for the law" can only be directed at subordinates, and absolutely not at superiors!
But what about Zhang Anping?
They actually dared to send people to intercept Zheng Yaoquan's convoy.
This is truly intolerable for the high-ranking officials of the GFB.
If it were just the killing of a colonel, they could tolerate it, but now they dare to intercept Zheng Yaoquan's convoy. If they are not dealt with, they will inevitably become more and more lawless in the future!
So these two high-ranking officials came to complain on behalf of the GFB.
After understanding the situation, the chief attendant did not make a statement on the spot, but only said that he would investigate it thoroughly.
He couldn't help but slam his fist on the table until after the two high-ranking officials had left.
Arrogant and domineering!
Although Zheng Yaoquan is not your direct superior, he is still the deputy minister of the GFB and the director of the Second Bureau. Zhang Anping, where did you get the audacity to kill Zheng Yaoquan's entourage?
Where did you get the audacity to intercept Zheng Yaoquan's convoy?
Are you relying on your extreme importance in Beiping?
Are you taking advantage of your superior's special favor in Beiping?
"You keep saying you want to integrate, but after Zheng Yaoquan went there, you didn't provide any information. After causing misunderstandings, you went and complained to others!"
The chief attendant decided to give Zhang Anping a warning.
Before giving Zhang Anping a warning, he first met with Zheng Yaoquan and offered him some encouragement, his words conveying the same message:
You, Zheng Yaoquan, are the Deputy Minister of the GFB and the Director of the Second Bureau. The intelligence system in Beiping should be decided by your word!
……
Beiping.
Yandu Hotel.
"Chief Qu, a telegram from Nanjing." Zheng Yi respectfully handed a telegram to Zhang Anping. After Zhang Anping took the telegram, she glanced at him with an extremely complicated expression.
From the moment Zheng Yaoquan arrived in Beiping, Zheng Yi thought that this guy was definitely going to be utterly screwed over by Zhang Anping.
In her mind, Zheng Yaoquan would inevitably be burdened with one false accusation after another, and eventually slink away in disgrace.
But things took an unexpected turn—Zheng Yaoquan not only didn't slink away, but his personal staff also sent a telegram reprimanding him and demanding a decentralization of power.
The telegram she had just handed to Zhang Anping came from the adjutant's office, and its general meaning was:
The matter concerning Gu Shenyan was truly due to your incompetence, Zhang Anping. Such a thing must never happen again.
The current situation in Beiping is extremely critical. The intelligence system must cooperate with the garrison to stabilize morale. Zheng Yaoquan is the deputy minister of the GFB, and the Beiping intelligence system must respect Zheng Yaoquan.
To put it bluntly, this telegram was both a warning to Zhang Anping and a change of power in the Beiping intelligence agency—Zheng Yaoquan, who should have only been in charge of the Second Division's military intelligence, had become the person in charge of the Beiping intelligence system!
What puzzled Zheng Yi was that Zheng Yaoquan was clearly a natural scapegoat, yet he ended up taking the lead!
After reading the telegram, Zhang Anping smiled and tossed it into the drawer, then asked Zheng Yi:
"Don't you understand?"
Zheng Yi nodded honestly: "I thought Zheng Yaoquan would leave in a sorry state no matter what."
"What good would it do him to leave?" Zhang Anping asked with a smile. "His departure only proves that I, the head of the secret service, have a powerful presence in Beiping and have received strong support from others."
Do you think this is a good idea?
Zheng Yi said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "But he's turned the tables on me now!"
"Isn't this a good thing?"
good thing?
Zheng Yi was stunned. How could this be a good thing?
Zhang Anping said leisurely:
“Beijing right now is a powder keg, it could explode at the slightest spark—and now some people are crying and begging to sit on this powder keg, what’s wrong with that?”
Zhang Anping never intended to force Zheng Yaoquan out from the beginning.
Zheng Yaoquan was the scapegoat he had chosen, and he forced away the one who could take the blame for so many things.
Why did he demonstrate his absolute control over the Beiping intelligence system to Zheng Yaoquan from the very beginning? He even went so far as to disgustingly have Zheng Yaoquan brought back from the airport by truck…
The goal was to make Zheng Yaoquan settle scores with him after he came to power!
The transfer of power is often accompanied by chaos, and the change of leadership in the intelligence system is no exception.
This was Zhang Anping's true purpose.
……
"What?! Zheng Yaoquan is going to replace An Ping and take charge of the Beiping intelligence system?!"
Li and Shi looked at each other, scratching their heads, unable to understand why things had turned out this way.
They had already jointly filed a complaint against Zheng Yaoquan with the Executive Office, but what was the result?
Surprisingly, Zhang Anping was replaced!
What...what's the logic behind this?
Commander Li placed the telegram on the table with a worried expression: "This guy has been causing trouble ever since he arrived in Beiping. If he takes control of the intelligence agency from Anping now, things might not be good for him!"
Commander Shi sighed, "I know where the problem lies!"
"You and I shouldn't have jointly sent telegrams to the adjutant's office. It backfired, it made things worse!"
Commander Li also realized what was happening, and he looked blankly out the window:
"Changing generals at the last minute! Changing generals at the last minute!"
(I haven't been feeling well these past couple of days, and I thought it was just a cold. But today, on a whim, I took my temperature, and holy crap, 38.6 degrees Celsius! No wonder I felt so awful! Turns out you can't tell if you have a fever just by touching it...) (End of Chapter)