Chapter 1033
The ongoing stripping work continues, "indulging" Zheng Yaoquan
Back home, Wu Jingzhong locked himself in his study and began to hurl insults at Zhang Anping from afar.
That damned Zhang Anping not only makes himself take the blame, but he also always seems to dig his own grave, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
This directly subordinate division, cobbled together from various units of the Central Army, was actually placed under my "temporary management."
Is this considered temporary custody?
This is clearly an attempt to trap themselves in Tianjin and fill the hole!
"You want me to fill this black hole? No way!"
Wu Jingzhong, in a fit of rage, immediately began writing a report—but despite his fierce demeanor, the words he wrote were still quite "gentle." This report was to be delivered to Zhang Anping, so how could he dare to reveal any ruthlessness between the lines?
The entire report conveys one message:
We should give young people more opportunities. Your student Yu Zecheng is a very capable person. As an old general, I can't shamelessly take over the stage from young people. I will take care of helping young people get started and giving them a boost.
After finishing writing it, he carefully studied it and revised many of the wordings. Feeling the sincerity in the report, he was quite satisfied.
Didn't you ask me to help the young people?
If I'm giving young people more responsibilities, tell me if I've helped them thoroughly or not?
……
Compared to Wu Jingzhong, Yu Zecheng and Zuo Lan looked very serious.
Their previous predicament was the city defense map—Commander Chen locked the new city defense map and wouldn't let anyone see it. Even though Yu Zecheng tried his best, he could only find out some of the changes in the defense. Just when it seemed like there was no way out, Zhang Anping's "help" at the crucial moment allowed the two of them to complete their work smoothly.
However, compared to the establishment of direct subordinate divisions, this can no longer be considered a major breakthrough.
After pondering for a long time, Zuo Lan said in a deep voice, "Zecheng, after thinking it over, I think we must take over the supervisory power over the direct subordinates!"
The Tianjin garrison totaled over 130,000 troops. Previously, each unit essentially fought independently, and Commander Chen held only the nominal title of Commander-in-Chief, with only 30% of defense orders being implemented. Now, with the addition of directly subordinate divisions, his control has greatly increased, and 70-80% of military orders can be implemented, significantly boosting his influence over the city's defenses.
Therefore, Zuo Lan believed that it was necessary to take over the supervision of the directly subordinate divisions. With this supervision, they could secretly manipulate things and, at critical moments, widen the rift between Commander Chen and the Central Army by acting in ways such as "ineffective command" or failing to provide assistance, thereby causing the various units of the Central Army to dismantle and transfer the directly subordinate divisions at critical times.
Yu Zecheng slowly analyzed:
“Wu Jingzhong had long intended to leave. Given his personality, he would definitely run away before the final assault on Tianjin. We can start from this point and see if we can take over the supervisory power in advance.”
“This approach is feasible—” Zuo Lan agreed with Yu Zecheng’s assessment, then frowned and said:
But I'm more worried about him now!
Zuo Lan did not explicitly say who "he" was, but Yu Zecheng knew who his wife was referring to.
"You were worried before that having you escort the deployment map was a test. Now, if you rush to take over the supervision of the directly subordinate divisions from Wu Jingzhong, won't that make him suspicious?"
Yu Zecheng did not answer, but simply pondered silently.
The pressure Zhang Anping exerted on them was beyond what most people could imagine. Now, he had suddenly arrived in Tianjin. Although it seemed like he was trying to avoid Zheng Yaoquan's sharp edge, the two men who knew Zhang Anping's personality didn't believe that he needed to avoid Zheng Yaoquan's so-called sharp edge.
"Or, we..."
Seeing that Yu Zecheng remained silent for a long time, Zuo Lan said slowly but firmly, "Find a way to deal with him?"
A lot happened during this period. For this couple who were hiding in the heart of the enemy, the biggest shock was the encirclement of Pingjintang by our army. The second biggest shock was Gu Shenyan's identity. They never dreamed that this usually shrewd and sophisticated stationmaster of Beiping Station was actually their comrade.
Now, Zuo Lan has surprisingly made the same decision as Gu Shenyan.
After pondering for a long time, Yu Zecheng finally shook his head:
"no!"
"Given the lesson learned from Old Gu's assassination attempt last time, he will definitely be more vigilant."
Zuo Lan sighed. Her husband was right, but he was currently in Tianjin, and she was genuinely worried that something might happen if he stayed for a few more days.
Husband and wife are of one mind. Seeing Zuo Lan sigh, Yu Zecheng guessed his wife's worries and comforted her:
"I'll meet with the shopkeeper tomorrow to discuss it before making a decision."
"Well, that's the only way."
……
restaurant.
Lying in bed, Zhang Anping pondered the current situation.
He came to Tianjin not to avoid Zheng Yaoquan's wrath—even if Zheng Yaoquan had now usurped his position, he wouldn't need to avoid him.
In fact, Zheng Yaoquan, who considers himself clear-headed, is nothing more than a clown in Zhang Anping's eyes now. The more he acts up now, the more he will regret it later.
Of course, Zheng Yaoquan is currently indulging in the pleasure of crushing himself and has not yet realized what a hot potato he has taken on!
Zhang Anping was pondering the situation in Tianjin.
The purpose of my trip to Tianjin was because Sister Qian mentioned it:
Since our army cleared out the outlying strongholds of Tianjin and besieged Tianjin, Commander Chen has suspected that the city defense map has been leaked. He has readjusted the defense deployment in Tianjin, and the comrades in Tianjin are trying to find a way to investigate the adjusted deployment.
Zhang Anping's first reaction upon hearing this was, "This won't do!"
If the 29-hour conquest of Tianjin were to turn into 32 hours because of my own butterfly-like actions, wouldn't I be laughed to death by my fellow time travelers?
So he came to Tianjin "excitedly".
The wholesale conferment of ranks, seemingly his main purpose, was actually a cover-up—although this cover-up would surely make someone feel incredibly frustrated.
[Given Yu Zecheng's shrewdness, he must have obtained the city defense map. However, he'll most likely question my motives and investigate the new defense map later.]
The move by the directly subordinate division seems like a stroke of genius, but when this bomb explodes...
[Yes, Zheng Yaoquan's fault adds to the list.]
Wu Jingzhong's determination to flee is resolute. Tomorrow, he will definitely hand over the supervisory power over the directly subordinate divisions to Yu Zecheng—he needs to get through Sister Qian to prevent Yu Zecheng from tampering with the directly subordinate divisions again, lest the destructive power of this bomb be diminished.
[Yu Zecheng and Zuo Lan, this married couple...]
Thinking of this, Anping suddenly became alert.
Yu Zecheng is definitely still bothered by the defense map, and Zuo Lan is even more aggressive. If the two of them feel that this is a series of tests from him, then...
"Am I, as a teacher, perhaps too hated?"
Zhang Anping awkwardly touched his nose. One minute Old Gu had almost given him a break, and the next his student might be plotting against him. What a terrible teacher he was…
"Then let's get out of here quickly, lest these two comrades actually attack me."
Thinking of this, Zhang Anping immediately got up, went to his study, picked up the phone, and called Zheng Yi next door.
"It's me! I'll talk to the airport and fly to Beiping at 4 a.m. tomorrow—keep the itinerary confidential and avoid Tianjin Station."
"Call Wu Jingzhong and Yu Zecheng at 2:30 and ask them to come to the hotel to see me."
Zheng Yi, on the other end of the phone, was filled with questions upon receiving this sudden call.
Qu Zuo, who are you guarding against?
Wu Jingzhong?
Wu Jingzhong is now in no condition to change his allegiance!
Will I succeed?
He was the district magistrate's student, the district magistrate's student...
Reflecting on Zhang Anping's actions today, Zheng Yi couldn't help but come up with a conjecture:
Is Yu Zecheng one of our own?
She roughly figured out why Zhang Anping did this, and upon realizing the reason, Zheng Yi couldn't help but show a strange expression.
What a terrible teacher...
But then she revealed a faint smile, realizing that even students like Yu Zecheng didn't know the identity of District Chief.
And I know!
……
Three o'clock in the morning.
After seeing Wu Jingzhong in the hall, Yu Zecheng, who was feeling uneasy, felt much relieved.
Since even Wu Jingzhong has come, it's unlikely to be a setup targeting them.
The two were completely bewildered. Instead of being led upstairs by Zheng Yi, who was waiting, they waited for a while before Zhang Anping, dressed in military uniform, came down with his guards. After seeing the luggage the guards were carrying, the two realized that Zhang Anping was leaving Tianjin.
Yu Zecheng quickly stepped forward and asked, "Teacher, are you leaving?"
"I was planning to leave the day after tomorrow, but something happened in Beiping, so I have to go back first—Old Wu, Zecheng, let's get in the car."
Zheng Yi was in charge of driving, Yu Zecheng was in the passenger seat, and Zhang Anping and Wu Jingzhong were in the back. After the vehicle started under the escort of guards, Zhang Anping was about to speak when Wu Jingzhong preemptively spoke:
"Director, this is the report I wrote after I got back. Please take a look."
"Report?"
Zhang Anping took the document with some surprise, quickly read it under the car headlights, and then frowned, saying, "Old Wu, Zecheng is still young. Letting him be in charge of supervising the directly subordinate divisions might not be easy for him to win over the people!"
Despite Zhang Anping's displeasure, he had actually anticipated that Wu Jingzhong would pull this stunt.
The only thing I didn't expect was that Wu Jingzhong would produce such a written document.
But this is actually a good thing.
"Director, didn't you say I'm a veteran? Although Zecheng is young, with an old general like me watching over him, no one will have any objections."
Yu Zecheng, in the passenger seat, looked puzzled, but his heart was racing. He guessed the contents of Wu Jingzhong's report.
"Alright, since you put it that way, then let Zecheng be in charge of supervising the direct subordinates—"
Seeing this, Zhang Anping agreed, then changed the subject and began to instruct the two on the focus of their work going forward:
To act as a lubricant, one must ensure obedience to Commander Chen within the Central Army—don't care what others say, unity and joint defense of Tianjin are the key.
To put it bluntly, it's just repeating old arguments, but the repeated repetitions are actually demonstrating Zhang Anping's attitude.
The two naturally agreed, but their thoughts were completely different.
Wu Jingzhong: What do I care? The Hidden Edge Plan is complete, I'm leaving right away!
Yu Zecheng: Just do it the other way around!
Throughout the journey, Zhang Anping repeatedly gave instructions and exhortations, his worried expression conveying a constant message to Wu Jingzhong:
I have serious doubts about whether Tianjin can hold out!
This performance was, of course, staged for Wu Jingzhong's benefit—Zhang Anping was afraid Wu Jingzhong wouldn't leave.
Wu Jingzhong didn't understand Zhang Anping's "good intentions," but he could sense Zhang Anping's pessimism about the situation, which changed his thinking.
He had previously planned to wait until the People's Liberation Army launched its general offensive against Tianjin before fleeing by plane at night, but now he has changed his mind—why wait until the People's Liberation Army launches its general offensive against Tianjin before running away?
Zhang Anping has only been in Tianjin for less than ten hours, and he has twice expressed his intention to lock me up in Tianjin. I had to use so much persuasion to dissuade him from doing so.
So, we need to get going early!
Wu Jingzhong glanced at Yu Zecheng and thought to himself, "This young man seems to have a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. Right now, the most important thing is to protect himself so that he can continue to enjoy wealth and honor. If he gets stuck in Tianjin, he will probably end up like those people in the Northeast, either being arrested or surrendering!"
When they arrived at the airport, the plane had already warmed up. Zhang Anping gave the two a long-winded reminder before turning around and boarding the plane.
Looking through the porthole at Wu Jingzhong, who was whispering to Yu Zecheng, Zhang Anping's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.
It seems that Old Wu has made a decision.
That's good!
Next, Yu Zecheng and his wife will have to go "undercover".
In the original timeline, when Tianjin was liberated, Wu Jingzhong fled with Yu Zecheng. In this timeline, Zhang Anping, as the deputy director of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, was actually the most powerful person in the Bureau. Zhang Anping naturally had enough authority and ability to allow Yu Zecheng and his wife to evacuate.
But Zhang Anping had already set a task for Yu Zecheng and his wife in his mind:
"Infiltrate"!
It was called an infiltration, but in reality, it was to bring the two of them back.
Just like in Northeast China, Zhang Anping was able to get all his students to evacuate at the last minute.
But he didn't!
Ultimately, what Zhang Anping did was actually:
Peel it off!
As a hidden figure, he was well aware of the future situation. In his view, there was no need for these comrades and students who were fighting in the heart of the enemy to waste their lives on Taiwan.
In the future, under the name of the Hidden Edge Plan, he will leave the vast majority of the comrades in the No. 2 intelligence group in the newly established China—a new China they fought for and built, and they should stay here to build it.
Instead of being trapped on a deserted island and wasting one's life.
……
Beiping Airport.
After the plane landed, Zheng Yi first communicated with her contact at the airport, and soon returned with a grim expression. She reported to Zhang Anping, who was waiting in the car:
“Chief Qu, Zheng Yaoquan is currently staying at the Yandu Hotel, and he has even chosen an office next to yours.”
Deceiving too much!
This was Zheng Yi's first reaction upon hearing the news.
Not only did they usurp Zhang Anping's place, but they also deliberately set up their office next to Zhang's—this is truly outrageous!
Zhang Anping, however, did not react much:
"Back to Yandu Hotel."
Zheng Yi was stunned for a moment, but did not question Zhang Anping's order. He then got into the car and drove off with the convoy.
The convoy left the airport and soon arrived at the Yandu Hotel, but as soon as Zhang Anping got out of the car, a secret agent rushed over:
"Commander Zhang, Deputy Minister Zheng lives here."
Then he stammered, "..."
"Also, his office is right next to yours."
Zhang Anping's face suddenly darkened. After giving the Yandu Hotel a deep look, he suppressed his anger and gave the order:
"To Outpost Three!"
Upon witnessing this scene, Zheng Yi, who was acting as the driver, couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.
She thought the district chief was "generous," but it turns out he was just "indulging" Zheng Yaoquan.
She glanced discreetly at the Yandu Hotel building, where only a few lights were on, and silently felt sympathy for Zheng Yaoquan.
Zheng Yaoquan, Zheng Yaoquan, what do you have to fight against District Chief Qu?
……
Zheng Yaoquan was awakened from his deep sleep by his trusted confidant.
Having woken up more than an hour earlier, Zheng Yaoquan was inevitably a bit grumpy. He stared at his confidant with a gloomy face and cold eyes, as if to say, "If you don't give me a reasonable explanation, I won't let you get away with this."
"Zhang Anping has just returned."
He's back?
Zheng Yaoquan was taken aback. Hadn't he gone to Tianjin?
You're back so early?
"What about others?"
"The convoy just arrived downstairs, made a quick turn, and then left."
"gone?"
After a moment of stunned silence, Zheng Yaoquan burst into hearty laughter.
He knew perfectly well why Zhang Anping left—he was disgusted!
But he laughed, not because he disgusted Zhang Anping.
The confidant understood perfectly well why Zheng Yaoquan was laughing, but as a proper confidant, he should offer his support at this moment, so he asked:
"Why are you laughing, Your Excellency?"
"I laugh at Zhang Anping for finally getting what he deserves!"
Zheng Yaoquan wore a reserved smile:
"He actually left after arriving at the Yandu Hotel—do you know what that means?"
"I didn't know!"
"This means... he didn't receive any prior information about this after landing at the airport!"
"As the head of intelligence, he didn't even receive the news of my taking over the Yandu Hotel immediately!"
"Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!"
The confidant suddenly realized:
"The hearts of the people have turned against them! This is clearly a case of the hearts of the people turning against them!"
The hearts and minds of the people!
These four words made Zheng Yaoquan even happier—that evening, he received a message from Zhang Anping in Tianjin, saying that Zhang was trying to embarrass him from afar by buying up military ranks and winning people's hearts. But when he turned around, he saw Zhang Anping getting the short end of the stick.
That was satisfying! (End of Chapter)