Chapter 1050
Difficult! Difficult! Difficult!
As the servant angrily cursed the two idiots, a newsboy waving a newspaper on the street shouted in a clear voice:
"Students defect, confidants collude with the Communists—Zhang Anping of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics has a knack for educating people!"
"Fu Huabei was in Beijing for several dozen days, yet Zhang Anping, who was in Beijing, was 'unaware' of it?"
"Losing Tianjin, losing Beiping, student rebellion, betrayal by trusted confidants—Zhang Anping, what crime should you be charged with?!"
"A shocking upheaval in Beiping: Zhang Anping, deputy director of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, is the first to 'fly south'!"
At this moment, Attendant Zhuang was practically grinding his teeth to powder.
Zhuang Shizhong felt something was off about the telegram Mao Renfeng sent yesterday—given the irreconcilable differences between Zhang and Mao, and Mao Renfeng's purges while Zhang Anping was away from Nanjing, he didn't take the opportunity to kick him while he was down!
Although the chief attendant was furious when he saw Mao Renfeng's telegram, Mao Renfeng did not actually fabricate any charges against Zhang Anping in the telegram, and even requested that people from Xikou be sent to investigate.
So upright it's unbelievable!
how can that be!
He simply did not believe that Mao Renfeng would let Zhang Anping off the hook because of this.
Sure enough, after arriving in Nanjing, those two damned idiots gave him a pleasant surprise.
What a wonderful surprise!
As for the situation in Beiping, the Nationalist government still hasn't given a definite answer, but public opinion has already turned its attention to Zhang Anping.
This is absolutely the work of those two idiots!
How could Attendant Zhuang not be angry?
With a dark expression, he told the driver to stop the car, called a newsboy to buy him several newspapers, and after a cursory glance, his face grew even more gloomy.
As a cunning old fox who spent most of his time in the inner quarters, he immediately saw through the two men's purpose in creating momentum through public opinion.
ruthless!
How cruel!
These two idiots are clearly using someone else to do their dirty work—they want to use Li Dai, the chief attendant, to kill Zhang Anping.
"Fools! Even at a time like this, they're still fighting amongst themselves!"
Attendant Zhuang didn't know how to judge the two men's foolish actions, but he was worried about Zhang Anping.
These two fools have actually figured it out this time—if Li Dai, the Grand Chamberlain, wants to seize power, eliminating his confidants is imperative. Zhang Anping is a staunch confidant of the Grand Chamberlain, and now that they've seized this opportunity, Li Dai, the Grand Chamberlain, is likely…
……
The Attendant's Residence.
The chief attendant of the royal court looked at today's newspaper with a playful expression on his face.
Although he was a soldier, how could he not understand politics after reaching this point?
Right now, the sudden surge of public opinion is pointing directly at Zhang Anping, the one who was taken down by Mao Renfeng as soon as he got off the plane yesterday. How could he not understand what Mao Renfeng was trying to do?
My heart is fluttering!
At this moment, Li Dai's chief attendant was indeed tempted.
Yesterday, he seized power from the chief aide, only to find a mess everywhere. Secret service agencies like the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (BIS) weren't originally within his initial scope of handling affairs, but now that the BIS had delivered itself to his doorstep, if he didn't go along with it…
That's really unreasonable!
[Then let's deal with the Security Bureau first—use this opportunity to infiltrate it!]
Just as he was pondering how to deal with the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, Zhuge Bai strode in. Upon seeing Li Dai, the acting chief attendant, Zhuge Bai immediately spoke:
"Zhang Anping, we can't kill him!"
Li Dai's chief attendant looked at his old friend strangely. "You can't kill him?"
Zhuge Bai emphasized: "I think not only should he not be killed, but his name should be cleared!"
"why?"
Zhuge Bai countered, "Zheng Yaoquan of the Second Bureau, Ye Xiufeng of the Party Communications Bureau, Mao Renfeng and Zhang Anping of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, which one do you think is least like a spy?"
Li Dai, the chief attendant, shook his head: "I haven't had much contact with him, but I know Zhang Anping doesn't have a good reputation."
Zhuge Bai was both amused and exasperated: "You, I think you've been believing all the nonsense in the newspapers!"
"Of these four spy chiefs, Zhang Anping was actually the one with the best character and the least like a spy."
After a brief pause, Zhuge Bai continued:
“I had spoken with Fu Huabei before and inadvertently mentioned this young man—Fu Huabei highly praised him, saying that he understood the big picture and deserved the title of a loyal subject of the Party and the country!”
"I guess he valued talent, which is why he didn't keep him in Beiping."
Li Dai, the chief attendant, was astonished. Although Beiping had undergone a dramatic change, from an objective point of view, Fu Huabei's choice at this time was not excessive. Tianjin only lasted for more than twenty hours. What difference would it make if Fu Huabei shed all his blood in Beiping?
Ultimately, the tide had turned against them!
Therefore, no matter what happens in Beiping, he doesn't have much ill will towards Fu Huabei—and can therefore rationally view Fu Huabei's evaluation of Zhang Anping as told by his friend.
He asked his friend curiously, "So you also value talent?"
"That's not it—this man is Dai Chunfeng's nephew. Looking at everything he has done since taking power, he has always prioritized the interests of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. Moreover, he has an excellent relationship with the section chief. There's no way to win over someone like that."
Zhuge Bai said with a smile, "You must really want to reorganize the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics!"
Although the Security Bureau was not among the first batch of official duties that Chief Executive Lee had to handle, dealing with the Security Bureau was of paramount importance. This intelligence agency affiliated with the GFB was, to put it bluntly, the Chief Executive's personal tool. In order to consolidate his power, it was inevitable that he would cut off this personal tool.
Li Dai's chief attendant did not hide anything: "Of course!"
"That person in charge of finances is holding on tight, no matter how much you try to reform, it's useless! But what if the infighting within the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics continues?"
Now Li Dai's chief attendant was confused: "Didn't you say that this boy was impossible to win over?"
There are many within the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, so he naturally has opportunities to use internal strife to win over a faction!
However, Zhuge Bai had previously emphasized that Zhang Anping was impossible to win over!
“Zhang Anping is unwinnable, but what about Mao Renfeng?” Zhuge Bai smiled leisurely:
"What you need to do right now is support Zhang Anping! With your support behind him, Mao Renfeng will probably have a hard time!"
Li Dai, the chief attendant, was confused. They were talking about winning over Mao Renfeng, so why was it about supporting Zhang Anping?
"As far as I know, Mao Renfeng has never been favored by that person. That person has always valued Zhang Anping, but Zhang Anping is not at a disadvantage in terms of age. That person has always commented that young people are too hot-blooded—once you support Zhang Anping behind the scenes, Mao Renfeng will be like a mouse trapped in a bellows!"
"What will he choose then? What can he possibly choose!"
Li Dai, the chief attendant, finally understood his friend's scheme!
By supporting Zhang Anping and suppressing Mao Renfeng, Mao Renfeng, who was already disliked by the chief attendant, would inevitably be at a disadvantage. In order to maintain his power, he would only have the option of siding with him.
Supporting Zhang Anping also has another advantage:
The chief attendant will inevitably be suspicious!
A classic example of sowing discord!
Li, the attendant, laughed and said, "Alright, we'll do as you say—first, send a warrant to the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics to lift the investigation on Zhang Anping and reinstate him immediately!"
……
Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.
Attendant Zhuang concealed the gloom on his face.
He understood that the current public opinion was a joint effort by Mao Renfeng and Zheng Yaoquan, but at the same time, he also understood one thing:
This is just my "guess," and there is absolutely no evidence to support it!
If the investigation continues, at most a few scapegoats for suicide will be found, but the investigation will definitely not find Mao Renfeng and Zheng Yaoquan, so he cannot go to see Mao Renfeng with a long face.
Moreover, Mao Renfeng had already "proved" himself with yesterday's telegram, representing the chief of staff. If he were to put on a long face at this time, it would only reveal his stance.
Attendants, especially those representing the chief attendant, are absolutely forbidden from having their own stance.
Mao Renfeng jogged down from his office. Although his heart skipped a beat when he saw that the visitor was Attendant Zhuang, he still managed a forced smile. As he approached Attendant Zhuang, he quickly adopted a humble tone and said:
"I am deeply sorry for not being able to greet you properly, Attendant Zhuang."
"Director Mao, you're too kind."
Mao Renfeng bowed slightly and gestured for him to enter: "This is not the place to talk, Attendant Zhuang, please."
After nodding slightly, Attendant Zhuang followed Mao Renfeng to the small reception room at the bureau headquarters. Once they were seated and tea was served, Attendant Zhuang slowly began to speak:
"Director Mao, could you please describe the current situation?"
Mao Renfeng gave a wry smile:
“You know there are too many misunderstandings between me and Anping. After hearing that he had returned from Beiping, I hesitated, but after thinking it over, I decided to temporarily detain Anping, even at the risk of public condemnation.” “Although it was under the guise of investigation, I felt that this matter should be decided by the chief attendant, so I did not dare to make a decision.”
Attendant Zhuang said reproachfully, "Director Mao is being overly cautious—given the current situation, we should first understand the situation in Beiping through Deputy Director Zhang!"
“It was my fault, Attendant Zhuang. Why don’t we go together…”
Before Mao Renfeng could finish speaking, her secretary rushed in. Mao Renfeng immediately frowned, and the secretary quickly said:
"Sir, the Attendant's Office has sent a warrant!"
Mao Renfeng was taken aback, and the attendant Zhuang beside her immediately focused his gaze.
Is Li Dai's chief attendant so eager to draw his sword?
"What warrant?"
The secretary handed the warrant to Mao Renfeng:
"This is it."
Mao Renfeng took it and glanced at it. After seeing the contents, she froze.
Release Zhang Anping?
Ordered to be reinstated immediately?
He's prepared a grand scheme, hoping to use someone else to do his dirty work!
Before the main drama could even officially begin, the Attendant's Office sent a warrant ordering the release of Zhang Anping?!
What a joke!
When Attendant Zhuang saw Mao Renfeng frozen on the spot, he couldn't help but wonder—if it was an order to execute Zhang Anping, Mao Renfeng shouldn't be reacting like this!
He tentatively asked, "Director Mao?"
Mao Renfeng was startled, but then realized this was a tremendous opportunity, and immediately asked with a puzzled look:
"strangeness!"
"Why is the Attendant's Office so eager to have me end the investigation immediately and reinstate Anping?"
"This... is against the rules!"
Although his scheme failed, his political instincts made him immediately try to discredit Zhang Anping.
At this moment, Attendant Zhuang was a little confused. Why would Attendant Li protect Zhang Anping, the Attendant's trusted confidant?
He took the warrant from Mao Renfeng and, taking the opportunity to examine it carefully, pondered the other party's intentions.
[He's trying to instigate internal strife within the Secret Service so he can reap the benefits!]
[A brilliant plan! A brilliant tactic!]
After realizing the scheme, Attendant Zhuang was filled with emotion. He then handed the warrant to Mao Renfeng and said, feigning nonchalance:
"Since Li Dai's chief attendant has a written order..."
Mao Renfeng interrupted Zhuang Shizhong directly:
"The investigation of Anping is a common practice of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics! I cannot conduct a direct investigation because of my personal grudge against Anping, but the rules cannot be broken—Attendant Zhuang, let's go see Anping together. We will have to trouble Attendant Zhuang with the investigation."
Attendant Zhuang gave Mao Renfeng a deep look. Very well, you can still distinguish between the two kings!
"Then please lead the way, Director Mao."
Mao Renfeng immediately instructed his secretary to prepare a motorcade, but at that moment, the director of telecommunications rushed in in a panic.
"Chief, Attendant Zhuang—something's happened!"
"Just now, Fu Huabei sent a telegram to the whole country, announcing that Beiping has surrendered!"
Upon hearing this, Mao Renfeng showed a look of shock, while Attendant Zhuang's breathing became heavier.
In fact, the Nationalist government had known since yesterday that Fu Huabei was going to surrender, and now it was just a matter of confirming the fact.
Therefore, Mao Renfeng was clearly faking it.
And he did this to show that:
The Bureau of Investigation and Statistics lost its ability to gather intelligence on Beiping.
After a moment of silence, Attendant Zhuang said with a grim expression:
“We’ll go see Zhang Anping immediately.”
……
Outpost No. 3
Generally speaking, those who are detained for investigation are not allowed to access outside information—that is, they cannot see newspapers.
But Zhang Anping's identity was too special. Feeling bored, he said, "Bring me today's newspaper." The guards then happily went outside to buy the newspaper.
Clearly, for lower- and mid-level spies, your battles of wits are none of our business, but we dare not offend the gods either...
At this moment, Zhang Anping was reading the newspaper—his expression was gloomy, cold, and terrifying.
Given the hurtful headlines in the newspapers, it's understandable that he reacted this way.
But is this his true thought?
Do not!
At this moment, he was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
What a pig-headed opponent!
What a pig-headed opponent!
What a pig-headed opponent!
Zhang Anping cursed inwardly in anger.
He clearly left a way out for the two of them—Zheng Yaoquan and Mao Renfeng. As long as they insisted on the two things—that their confidants were communists and that the students had surrendered—it would be enough to make him appear as guilty as they were.
In this way, everyone is on the same level, and they can continue to fight amongst themselves.
But these two are like the Crouching Dragon and the Young Phoenix!
actually……
They were foolish enough to try and use public opinion to hand a knife to Li Dai's chief attendant!
Two idiots!
Zhang Anping felt a sense of despair as his Daoist heart crumbled—hadn't you all heard of the name "Little Zhuge"?
With Zhuge Liang's strategic acumen, how could they not see through your act of handing over the knife?
You big idiot! You second idiot!
Zhang Anping felt extremely warm-hearted.
He carefully prepared Yu Zecheng as the card for these two, and also prepared Jiang Si'an and Xu Zhongyi as the cards. And what was the result?
These two idiots chose to "expose themselves"!
Hopeless!
Zhang Anping was so angry he wanted to hit someone.
Jiang Si'an and Xu Zhongyi are both his apprentices, legitimate apprentices. With just a little investigation, it would be easy to find out that these two were "stirring up trouble" in Beiping. What a perfect excuse to attack them!
They could even use this as grounds to accuse themselves of being suspected of being communist sympathizers.
But these two fools chose to use someone else as a scapegoat.
Borrowing a knife? Is it really that easy to borrow a knife?!
As the Chief of Staff's political rival, Li Dai, the Chief of Staff, wanted to eliminate the Chief of Staff's power. The Security Bureau was an unavoidable obstacle. How could he not understand that swinging the knife would actually unite the Security Bureau?
bang
Zhang Anping angrily slammed the newspaper on the table, pondering what to do next.
The balance he had painstakingly maintained had been shattered by those two idiots. What should he do to make himself lose points?
If I don't lose any points, then Zheng Yaoquan and Mao Renfeng will both be eliminated!
This is fucking...
Zhang Anping was heartbroken. Everyone else was thinking about how to deal with their opponents, while he had been "protecting" them. This was already difficult enough, but his opponents were incredibly stupid, forcing him to lower his intelligence.
difficult!
That's tough! (End of Chapter)