Chapter 990
Farewell, District Chief!
After Ma Hansan was transferred away under the guise of a promotion but in reality a demotion, Xu Tian took over the Beiping and Tianjin stations. Later, Xu Tian and Gu Shenyan were transferred to each other, and Gu Shenyan took charge of this first station in North China.
During the War of Resistance Against Japan, the No. 2 Intelligence Group had no connection with the underground party organizations in various places. Simply put, they were two parallel lines that did not want to intersect, each going its own way. Because the No. 2 Intelligence Group had deep roots within the Japanese invaders and the Wang Jingwei regime, it would secretly help the underground party within its capabilities, but the fact that the two lines did not want to intersect remained unchanged.
All of this changed after the end of the War of Resistance against Japan.
The members of Intelligence Group No. 2 went from operating covertly to operating overtly, and began to hold important positions in the Military Intelligence Bureau and later the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. At this time, the network of Intelligence Group No. 2 had expanded to the point that it could easily influence the actions and even policies of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. Therefore, under these circumstances, it was necessary to have contact with underground party members in various places.
Otherwise, it will only lead to futile internal friction, and due to poor communication, it may even cause various kinds of accidental damage.
However, the intelligence front must operate covertly, and the high-level nature of the No. 2 intelligence group meant it could not be integrated with the underground party in various places. Therefore, under these circumstances, Zhang Anping proposed a coordination mechanism.
In Nanjing, for example, Chai Ying connected with a comrade of the Nanjing underground party and established a communication channel with Sister Cheng, the leader of the Nanjing underground party, through whom. However, after that comrade passed away and the two sides got to know each other better, Chai Ying eventually connected directly with Sister Cheng.
The core areas of the No. 2 intelligence group, such as Beijing-Tianjin, Shanghai, and Northeast China, also adopted this coordination mechanism. However, in order to ensure the safety of comrades on both sides, the coordination mechanism was rather cumbersome—usually, two liaisons directly under the heads of both sides would conduct the intelligence coordination.
But as the collaboration goes on for a long time, some things become clear to everyone, and some secrets can no longer be kept hidden.
Just like Gu Shenyan, after working with his comrades in Beiping for a long time, especially after risking his life to kill the traitor in the "Li Wang Case", the comrades in Beiping must have realized Gu Shenyan's identity. Finally, after weighing the options of the higher authorities, they approved the secret meeting between the leaders of the two committees, which also marked the start of the full cooperation between the Beiping group of the No. 2 intelligence team and the Beiping underground party.
Then came the current situation of Beiping Station, which is "white exterior and red interior".
This also dictates that the core of the No. 2 intelligence group must delegate the greatest possible authority to the Beiping group. Delegating authority is not an option, as the intelligence battlefield is unpredictable. After the Beiping group and the Beiping underground party have fully cooperated in operations, if the core group clings to power, the Beiping group will only increase its workload and affect efficiency by constantly seeking instructions.
Therefore, as the core of the No. 2 intelligence group, Zhang Anping only had a general idea of the current situation of the Beiping group—it was Sister Qian who truly understood the situation of the Beiping group.
During this trip to Beiping, Zhang Anping's request for cooperation from the organization was to have Sister Qian go to Beiping in person, so that Sister Qian could serve as a communication bridge between the Beiping group, the entire No. 2 intelligence group, and the Beiping underground party.
At this time, Zhang Anping had not yet met Sister Qian and had limited understanding of intelligence work in Beiping. However, based on his intuition as an intelligence officer, he instinctively felt that something was wrong with the act performed by Gu Shenyan.
Gu Shenyan wouldn't commit such a taboo—unless he did it on purpose.
If it was intentional, what was the purpose?
After much deliberation, Zhang Anping chose to "remain inactive."
After hastily "dispersing" the station headquarters personnel, Gu Shenyan nervously entered the office. He made a gesture of apology, but Zhang Anping seized the opportunity to make trouble:
"Gu Shenyan, you have disappointed me greatly."
"I always felt at ease leaving Beiping Station in your care, but I never expected you to pull this stunt—there's no point in me staying here to read your script anymore!"
After saying that, Zhang Anping stood up without hesitation and left the station headquarters in a huff, his anger barely contained.
This reaction is consistent with his public persona—he hates nothing more than deception and comes directly to Beiping Station because he wants to see the real Beiping Station and understand it in depth before making any decisions.
Logically, since Gu Shenyan could get the entire headquarters to come out and greet him, it must be a formality. Given Zhang Anping's character, he naturally wouldn't bother to look at it and would just leave to give Gu Shenyan a warning.
Gu Shenyan followed Zhang Anping out, his face pale. He was then scolded by Zhang Anping at the entrance of his department. Finally, he watched helplessly as Zhang Anping left under the protection of the guards. He returned to his office, looking dejected and as if he was worried about the storm that was about to break.
Back in his office, he naturally dropped the feigned fear and panic on his face.
He did it on purpose because he needed time!
The poor performance of Beiping Station angered Zhang Anping, and given Zhang Anping's personality, he would inevitably launch a secret investigation into Beiping Station.
Investigations take time;
The investigation could also make Gu Shenyan, the stationmaster of Beiping Station, feel threatened, and thus he would act desperately!
This was Gu Shenyan's true intention.
And he, Gu Shenyan, a member of the underground Communist Party, is about to...
He's jumped right into it!
As Gu Shenyan closed his eyes in deep thought, the telephone on the table rang shrilly. He composed himself and answered the call.
"Old Gu, are you busy tonight? Dingfeng Restaurant is waiting for you!"
Old Gu's expression changed. This sounded like a call inviting him to a card game, but in reality, it was Old Zhao from the underground party urgently trying to arrange a meeting with him!
Regarding the assassination of Zhang Anping, this matter needs to be discussed with Lao Zhao. We'll take this opportunity to meet with Lao Zhao and discuss it.
……
Dingfenglou Restaurant.
When Old Zhao, the head of the underground Communist Party in Beiping, met Gu Shenyan in the private room, he said with a solemn expression:
"Old Gu, I just found out that Zhang Shih-hao didn't come to Beiping on inspection! He's here to oversee things!"
Old Zhao was once one of the core members of the Shanghai underground party, and he even cooperated with Zhang Anping during the first anniversary of the July 7th uprising.
However, Zhang Anping was full of "calculations" about the underground party at the time. Fortunately, the underground party was one step ahead. Not only did they not let Zhang Anping outsmart them during the cooperation, but they also took advantage of the uprising to transfer a large number of weapons to the base area at that time.
As someone who had worked under Zhang Anping's shadow, Lao Zhao's fear of Zhang Anping was no less than that of Gu Shenyan—after receiving intelligence from Nanjing, Lao Zhao didn't dare to delay and immediately contacted Gu Shenyan.
"This time, the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics has gone all out. Director Mao Renfeng is in charge of Xuzhou, while the big spy Zhang Shihao is in charge of Beiping. Old Gu, our situation is not optimistic!"
Old Zhao's expression was extremely solemn. For intelligence personnel who had worked in Shanghai, the name Zhang Shihou was a truly heavy shadow.
The Gu Shenyan before us, under Zhang Anping's influence, became the director of the Shanghai Security Bureau of the Wang Jingwei regime.
Jiang Si'an, who used the alias Okamoto Heiji, was also able to impersonate a Japanese person and become an important figure influencing the military, political, police, constitutional and business circles in Shanghai under Zhang Anping's operation.
These two examples alone are enough to make their peers kneel in admiration.
But now, this person is stationed in Beiping!
What impact will this have on the intelligence front in Beiping?
I wouldn't even dare to dream of it!
Seeing Old Zhao's solemn expression, Gu Shenyan took a deep breath and whispered:
"Old Zhao, I want to... get rid of him!"
The implications of those words were like a thunderclap, but Old Zhao seemed oblivious to it—because he shared the same thought.
In the underground party's code of conduct, assassination was the last option.
However, this does not mean that the underground party had no fighting power on the brutal intelligence front. For a period of time, the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics and the Party's intelligence bureau carried out extremely bloody operations against the underground party, resulting in the arrest of a large number of party members and the suffering of many innocent people.
In response to this situation, the underground party launched a counterattack. Our intelligence personnel obtained information on the strongholds of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics and the Party's Communications Bureau, which were then secretly eliminated by our side (usually small strongholds with only a few people).
This is also a ruthless counterattack against the enemy's indiscriminate arrest of innocent people.
In short, the intelligence front is not just about intelligence.
Just like Beiping today—the nominal Beiping Station, how many underground party organizations did it actually shelter? The term "Red Lane" is not an exaggeration.
Now that Zhang Anping is to be stationed in Beiping, if he is discovered, the underground Communist Party network in Beiping will suffer a fatal blow!
Gu Shenyan was probably worried that Lao Zhao would disagree, so he explained:
“Our Northeast Field Army is definitely going to fight in North China, but the Northeast Field Army has just finished a battle and needs at least three months of rest before it can come out of the pass. If he stays in Beiping, three months is enough time for him to see through our entire plan. If we don’t get rid of him, how many of our comrades will be implicated?”
"Moreover, the so-called achievements of Beiping Station cannot withstand on-site verification."
Old Zhao nodded and said, "I agree to get rid of him, but is he really that easy to get rid of? The intelligence I have is that he brought a special operations team of more than 30 people with him when he came to Beiping this time!"
Old Zhao, a member of the underground Communist Party in Shanghai, knew all too well the fighting capabilities of Zhang Anping's special operations team.
The special operations team's first battle, destroying a counterfeit money den, took place right under the noses of the guerrillas!
It was truly swift as the wind and aggressive as fire!
Seeing that Lao Zhao did not object, Gu Shenyan breathed a sigh of relief and then explained his thoughts:
“Back in Shanghai, because it was behind enemy lines, his caution was inevitable.”
"But this is Beiping, and there are a large number of Kuomintang troops here. His caution will inevitably fade. Secondly, I should be able to keep track of his whereabouts. As long as I find the right opportunity, I have a high chance of eliminating him!"
At this point, Gu Shenyan hesitated and said, "The only problem is manpower. I have manpower on my side, but I... I dare not use them."
Are you afraid to use it?
Old Zhao instantly understood Gu Shenyan's concerns.
Many comrades at Beiping Station saw through the corruption of the Nationalist government and ultimately chose the light. Old Zhao had no doubt about their party loyalty.
But almost all of these people were "soldiers" trained by Zhang Anping!
Zhang Anping was indeed a major spy, but the "soldiers" he trained also genuinely admired him. As the War of Resistance against Japan ended and some underground intelligence was declassified, Zhang Anping's behavior of never leaving the front lines and fighting almost every day before the uprising was truly admirable!
To ask these comrades who have changed their stance to assassinate those who once believed in them is to make a difficult request of them.
And if it fails due to personal reasons, the consequences... are unbearable.
“I understand your concerns—I have a comrade here, let him take charge! He used to be the captain of the Shanghai guerrillas, and because he worked behind enemy lines for a long time, I specially transferred him to Beiping.”
Old Zhao briefly explained the other party's information.
Zhang Hao, a former worker, was once the captain of the Shanghai guerrilla force. He is now working undercover in the Beiping Security Police Corps.
This person actually had quite a connection with Xu Zhongyi, and could be considered Xu Zhongyi's guide on the revolutionary path.
After hearing Zhang Hao's introduction, Gu Shenyan accepted him as the person in charge of the operation.
He then talked about his plans.
Old Zhao slowly came to his senses, looking at Gu Shenyan in shock, unable to believe that this comrade would make such a choice.
After Gu Shenyan finished explaining his plan, Old Zhao hesitated and said:
"Old Gu, I don't think it's necessary to do this."
The light was just around the corner. Gu Shenyan had been lying low for years, and it seemed he could finally live openly in the sunlight. He…
Gu Shenyan smiled, then calmly said:
“Old Zhao, only my desperate actions can hide the truth from my comrades—and the outcome may not necessarily be that I die with them. After all, the infighting within the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics has never stopped. Once he dies, Mao Renfeng will definitely launch a full-scale attack on the Zhang faction. At that time, I will immediately defect to Mao Renfeng, and this matter may be hastily resolved under the pretext of an accident, just like Dai Chunfeng’s death.”
Old Zhao shook his head: "Mao Renfeng will probably just throw the blame on you without a second thought, so that it will be easier for him to take over Beiping Station."
“That’s even better. New recruits might not be able to figure out the situation at Beiping Station within six months. In six months, the Northeast Field Army will definitely have entered the pass.” Gu Shenyan was carefree, unconcerned about his own safety, but Old Zhao closed his eyes in anguish:
Is this the only way?
Gu Shenyan remained silent. If he had a choice, wouldn't he want to see with his own eyes the new China for which he had fought his whole life?
Old Zhao found it difficult to make a decision:
"I would like to consult my superiors about this matter."
“Old Zhao, time waits for no one!” Gu Shenyan shook his head: “Besides, I’ve already lit this fire. If I don’t keep it burning, I’ll be swallowed up by the flames.”
Do you want me to be swallowed by the flames for nothing?
Old Zhao remained silent, then finally gripped Gu Shenyan's hands tightly, his eyes...filled with tears.
……
Zhang Anping, who was plotted to be assassinated by Gu Shenyan, did not have time to carefully consider Gu Shenyan's intentions after leaving the Beiping Station headquarters.
He had to report to the "Suppression Headquarters" and meet Fu Huabei—after coming to Beiping to integrate the intelligence system, he was ultimately going to serve the Suppression Headquarters, so how could he not go and meet Fu Huabei?
But what goes around comes around, and no one escapes the wrath of Heaven!
Zhang Anping never expected that he would be hit right in the forehead by an arrow shot from many years ago!
He... was left standing outside the gates of the General Headquarters for the Suppression of Enemy Personnel!
Surprisingly, they were not received.
Zhang Anping then had someone inquire about it and found out why he had been left out in the cold.
The obvious reason is that arrow shot many years ago:
When the special intelligence team first arrived in Shanghai, they tricked the Jin-Sui Army by embezzling its supplies. But secrets don't stay hidden forever, and no one knows how the Jin-Sui Army eventually found out, but the matter eventually came to light.
As luck would have it, the person in charge behind the scenes was Fu Huabei (who came from the Jin-Sui Army).
But the real reason is that people simply don't trust Zhang Anping.
Zhang Anping's arrival in Beiping gave the impression of him being there as a military supervisor—and military supervisors have always been unpopular throughout history.
Fortunately, Zhang Anping had decent connections. Although he suffered a setback at the General Headquarters of the Suppression Headquarters, because his whereabouts were "exposed," some bigwigs in the Central Army gave him a way out by inviting him to dinner. This was considered as fulfilling his duty as a host and also as a way of indirectly expressing his stance to Fu Huabei.
This is the "little guy" the chief attendant was talking about, so you still have to give him face!
Although Zhang Anping was not received by Fu Huabei that day, he did make an appearance in the North China Suppression Headquarters, announcing to all levels of the headquarters:
I, Zhang Shih-hao, have arrived!
……
Night, at the hotel where Zhang Anping was staying.
Having washed away the smell of alcohol, Zhang Anping finally had time to consider Gu Shenyan's strange behavior.
He didn't know the details of the Beiping group's work, but he at least had a general idea. After much thought, based on his understanding of Gu Shenyan, Zhang Anping came to a conclusion that made him feel nothing but a toothache:
Comrade Gu, are you planning to get rid of me?
[If I were really eliminated by Lao Gu, I'd probably be able to support a lot more self-media outlets in later generations—The Military Intelligence Bureau's Fatalism: Dai Chunfeng Died in Daishan, Zhang Anping Died "Forced" to be annihilated?]
Zhang Anping shook his head helplessly. Having too much fame is not good either; he himself is a typical victim of having too much fame.
Back in Shanghai, his reputation was so great that he had to fake his death to fool the Japanese. Now, it's still because of his reputation that even the seasoned veteran Gu is considering killing him.
However, he didn't care. According to the journey, Sister Qian should arrive in Beiping in about three more days. At that time, Sister Qian would naturally stop Gu Shenyan's plan.
However, it seems we can't hide it from Lao Gu any longer. It's a good opportunity to be honest with him. I wonder what his expression will be...
Zhang Anping smiled, wondering if Old Gu would regret racking his brains these past few days.
Although he seemed indifferent, he still notified Zheng Yi to strengthen security. Zheng Yi understood the implication and immediately looked at the tired-looking Zhang Anping with a speechless gaze.
Gu Shenyan's behavior today was already suspicious, and now Zhang Anping wants him to strengthen security himself. Why is that?
Zhang Anping smiled helplessly, leaving Zheng Yi speechless while also sighing for Zhang Anping. Being an undercover agent is really tough.
……
Having seen through Gu Shenyan's scheme, Zhang Anping put it out of his mind, as he spent the next two days in the monotonous routine of receiving and receiving guests repeatedly.
The intelligence system in Beiping now has a large number of personnel and complex relationships.
Since he is here to integrate these complex systems, he must first communicate with the heads of each system and give them a heads-up to prepare for the integration process.
Over the course of two days, he spoke until his throat was dry and acted as if he were physically and mentally exhausted. Facing the heads of various intelligence agencies in Beiping, Zhang Anping was both "literary" and "military," and every meeting was like a battle, which was truly exhausting.
Moreover, he couldn't quickly integrate the intelligence system; he always had to leave some troublemakers to buy him time.
Looking back over the past two days, oh, all I did was meet with various intelligence chiefs and engage in backstabbing and infighting!
procrastination +1+1
Perhaps the two days of dawdling were too mentally taxing, because Zhang Anping slept very soundly that night, dreaming of red flags fluttering in the wind.
But sweet dreams are ultimately the easiest to be disturbed.
He was awakened from his deep sleep by Zheng Yi's urgent knocking on the door.
Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he opened the door, and standing there were Zheng Yi and... Gu Shenyan.
The two men looked serious, their expressions filled with shock and fear.
Zhang Anping, his sleepiness fading, frowned and asked:
"What happened?"
Zheng Yi handed a telegram to Zhang Anping.
Zhang Anping took a look, and while he was overjoyed, he couldn't help but show disbelief on his face.
East China Field Army Command Post...
Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds...
Zhang Anping suddenly leaned back, about to fall straight to the ground. Gu Shenyan and Zheng Yi rushed forward to support him, preventing him from falling flat on his face.
Actually, Zhang Anping's initial thought at that moment was that he would spit out a mouthful of blood, but then he thought:
One is Zheng Yi, and the other is Lao Gu, with whom we will soon have to be frank. Why waste our energy?
Then he fell straight to the ground—and was helped up by the two people.
Helped to sit on the sofa, Zhang Anping remained in a daze for a long time—actually, he was extremely happy for Lao Zheng. Lao Zheng's glory and subsequent darkness in his previous life were unforgettable wounds in Zhang Anping's heart. Now, Lao Zheng at least had the identity of a rebel general.
that's nice!
After celebrating for a while, Zhang Anping finally began acting, and he roared in anguish:
"Zheng Yaoxian has ruined the country!"
"Mao Renfeng... ruined the country!"
"My... special weapon!"
Heartbreaking, extremely painful...
After finishing his performance, Zhang Anping gritted his teeth and said:
"To the airport! To the airport right now!"
"I want to go to Xuzhou!"
Gu Shenyan hurriedly said, "Chief Qu, the weather is..."
Zhang Anping glared furiously at Gu Shenyan, enunciating each word clearly:
"To the airport!"
Gu Shenyan didn't dare to say anything more and immediately rushed out of the spare car.
As soon as he left, Zheng Yi's tense expression relaxed. She looked at Zhang Anping, her lips moved but she didn't say anything—she felt that Zheng Yaoxian was probably forced into rebellion.
So, was Zheng Yaoxian a comrade of the district chief from beginning to end?
Zhang Anping rubbed his nose, trying to hide his embarrassment.
Zheng Yi finally understood the answer. While finding it somewhat amusing, he was also excited by Zhang Anping's plan—what you see is the surface of the iceberg, but this iceberg is only the tip of the iceberg.
As expected of the District Chief!
After the hurried preparations were completed, Zhang Anping led his guards downstairs. Gu Shenyan had already arranged a motorcade. After the group got into the cars, Gu Shenyan clearly intended to see them off, but Zhang Anping stopped him, saying in a hoarse voice:
"Old Gu, Beiping cannot be allowed to descend into chaos. After I leave, we must stabilize the people's hearts and minds and prevent any unrest."
"Don't worry, Chief Qu!" Gu Shenyan quickly reassured him.
Zhang Anping nodded and then got into the car.
Under Gu Shenyan's watchful gaze, the convoy sped towards the airport.
After the convoy's taillights disappeared, Gu Shenyan's expression remained unchanged, only a hint of coldness appeared in his eyes.
His lips moved, but no sound came out.
Only he himself knows what he just said:
Farewell... "District Chief"!
Yes, goodbye forever!
After receiving the telegram, Gu Shenyan realized that this was a golden opportunity.
The Special Forces were another elite force painstakingly built by Zhang Anping, but now they have revolted under the leadership of Zheng Yaoxian.
Given Zhang Anping's personality, he would definitely head straight for Xuzhou without hesitation.
opportunity!
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
(Pretend there are three words here: The End.)
(Just kidding!) (End of Chapter)