Chapter 999
Zhang Anping's Long-Planned Scheme!
For Zhang Anping, meeting Gu Shenyan was actually very important.
Old Gu wasn't the type to take risks. His real reason for assassinating him was to protect his comrades at the Beiping station. Zhang Anping had to reveal his identity to Old Gu to avoid any other contingencies Old Gu might have made that would put him in a passive position.
He had originally planned to activate the emergency contact between himself and Sister Qian via radio while in Xuzhou, so that Sister Qian could resolve any potential problems after arriving in Beiping. However, he was faster to arrive and even faster to leave, so he naturally had to handle the matter himself.
In addition, for the notorious spy Zhang Shih-hao, it was equally important to see this close confidant as soon as he returned to Beiping.
Gu Shenyan was rescued by Zhang Anping when he was sidelined, and subsequently rose from the head of the special intelligence group to become a powerful figure in the Military Intelligence Bureau/Secret Service. All of this was thanks to Zhang Anping's promotion. With such a trusted subordinate turning against him, Zhang Anping had no choice but to meet him.
If they don't see each other, their public image will collapse.
Gongxian Hutong.
Although Gu Shenyan was imprisoned here, it was not at the Beiping Station headquarters, but in a courtyard house not far from Beiping Station. It was a place personally chosen by Zheng Yi—a move with a strong sense of "temptation," treating Gu Shenyan as an underground party member!
The reason for this is that, given the high-ranking and most of the middle-level staff at Beiping Station had been detained, effectively rendering the station useless, this location was sending a signal to the underground Communist Party:
See that? The defense is weak! Want to save them? What are you waiting for! Act now!
Treating Gu Shenyan directly as an underground party member and even digging a pit for him was Zheng Yi's consideration from her own perspective—as Zhang Anping's secretary, she often represented Zhang Anping's will, so she had to be especially careful in this regard.
Upon arriving at the detention center, Zhang Anping immediately realized the reason behind Zheng Yi's consideration and gave her a barely perceptible nod of approval.
That's genuine praise.
After Zheng Yi confessed to him, Zhang Anping's biggest worry was that Zheng Yi would no longer be able to perfectly perform the role of a qualified secretary. However, the fact that she could think of and do this even without him having a chance to instruct her made Zhang Anping very satisfied, and the idea of replacing his secretary disappeared without a trace.
The guards watching Gu Shenyan were from the special operations team. When they saw Zhang Anping enter, the team members stood at attention and greeted him. A squad of submachine gun soldiers, who were secretly hiding here, immediately realized who it was and quickly came out. However, they did not dare to greet him loudly, so they expressed their respect to Zhang Anping with a gun salute.
Zhang Anping nodded, then gestured for Zheng Yi to reward the guards, mainly the submachine gun squad. He then went to the room where Gu Shenyan was being held and gave instructions:
"Don't let anyone bother me!"
"Instructor, what if he's cornered and does something rash..."
Zhang Anping sneered: "He wouldn't dare!"
Seeing this, the guards did not dare to stop them. After opening the door and checking inside, they immediately withdrew, leaving the room to Gu Shenyan and Zhang Anping.
Gu Shenyan was filled with surprise. Zhang Anping had probably left Beiping around 12 a.m., so why had he returned before midnight?
Has something happened?
Despite these thoughts, he still bowed respectfully to Zhang Anping, maintaining his usual demeanor.
"District Chief."
"This title should never come out of your mouth again—" Zhang Anping said coldly, closing the door behind him. He then sat down calmly and stared blankly at Gu Shenyan.
At this time, Zhang Anping had not met Sister Qian and was unaware that Gu Shenyan had already figured out his identity. Since the agreed time had not yet arrived, he thought Sister Qian was still on her way!
As for Gu Shenyan, although he knew Zhang Anping's identity, Zhang Anping's true identity was too important. Even though this was not a detention cell built by Beiping Station, what if there were eavesdroppers?
Therefore, he could only continue to play his role.
To his surprise, shortly after Zhang Anping calmly sat down, he suddenly made a move:
Slightly raise your right hand, gently tap the second joint of your middle finger with your thumb, and straighten the other three fingers.
At the same time, he whispered:
"It's windy today, did you bring an umbrella?"
Gestures combined with coded language were Gu Shenyan's method of identification when his emergency contact met him. Although no one had ever used it before, it was etched in Gu Shenyan's mind. Seeing Zhang Anping suddenly use this method, he realized it was safe to speak and responded without hesitation:
"I brought an umbrella, but it's not raining."
Gestures were also used in response:
With palm down, gently grasp with your five fingers in a specific order, making a loose grasping motion.
This left Zhang Anping completely bewildered.
His preconceived scenario was quite different—he imagined that Old Gu wouldn't easily acknowledge him, even if the code words and gestures matched.
This is, after all, the kind of storyline I'm used to.
But why did Lao Gu respond so easily?
This is not scientific...
He instantly realized something: "You've met Comrade Chongwen?"
It must have been after Lao Gu saw me off from the restaurant that Lao Gu met Sister Qian; otherwise, there wouldn't have been the assassination attempt!
Gu Shenyan gave a soft "hmm," then said with a look of shame, "I almost made a huge mess of things."
Even now, Gu Shenyan still feels lingering fear when he thinks about it. If Zhang Anping hadn't discovered it, he would have been a sinner!
Zhang Anping chuckled:
"What are you thinking? From the moment you had everyone at Beiping Station come out to greet me, I guessed you harbored murderous intentions towards me—now you know why I hid and didn't come out the past two days!"
Gu Shenyan was stunned, but then he thought about it again. This person in front of him still had the "reputation" of being the last loyal minister of the party and the country. He was still able to manipulate things in the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics and make Mao Renfeng look like a monkey. In addition, he "blatantly" used the Special Weapons and Traffic Police Corps as a transport team. If he didn't have this much vigilance, he would probably have been discovered long ago!
Especially the Traffic Police Corps!
When Zhang Anping rebuilt the Loyal Salvation Army, Gu Shenyan was in Shanghai. Even though the Loyal Salvation Army had such a big flaw in its military discipline, he didn't even think that Zhang Anping's identity was problematic. It would be unreasonable if someone with such ability couldn't discover his own abnormality!
Gu Shenyan wasn't sure if Xu Baichuan was his comrade, but if the Special Forces could "revolt," how could the Loyal Salvation Army, to which Zhang Anping had devoted so much effort, and the current Traffic Police Corps, truly be loyal to the Kuomintang?
“Now that Sister Qian is here, my worries are unnecessary—I was worried that you had other tricks up your sleeve, which could lead to unnecessary losses.”
Zhang Anping used this sentence to explain his purpose for coming, and then said with a smile:
"Old Gu, you'll have to bear with it for a while and be a good prisoner—once Beiping is liberated, you can breathe freely again."
Gu Shenyan ignored Zhang Anping's words of comfort and instead said gravely:
"Did my actions cause you unnecessary trouble?"
Zhang Anping waved his hand:
"I was just looking for an excuse to kill someone, and you've provided one just in time—"
At this point, Zhang Anping couldn't help but chuckle and said:
"Do you know what? During the day, a rumor was spreading like wildfire in the secret service in Beiping: your assassination attempt on me was a play I orchestrated myself."
Gu Shenyan was stunned for a long time before he understood why such a rumor was spreading like wildfire. It turned out that those spies knew that Zhang Anping was definitely going to go on a killing spree, so they released the news in advance to make Zhang Anping hesitate to act.
He couldn't help but laugh along. A person's reputation is truly reflected in their actions!
"The more they act like this, the more afraid they are."
Zhang Anping chuckled and said, "But I bet they'll behave themselves soon."
Gu Shenyan was puzzled.
"I did something in Xuzhou."
Gu Shenyan looked at Zhang Anping like a curious child.
“At the gate of the Xuzhou Suppression Headquarters, I gave Mao Renfeng a good beating—Old Mao is a man who cares a lot about his reputation, and I estimate that… he won’t be able to face anyone for at least a month.”
???
Gu Shenyan stared at Zhang Anping in astonishment and disbelief. "Am I hearing things?"
Seeing the smug smile on Zhang Anping's face, Gu Shenyan slowly came to his senses—Zhang Anping wasn't boasting about beating up Mao Renfeng, but rather subtly telling him:
The situation is under control. You should just stay in jail and not cause me any trouble!
Clearly, Zhang Anping was worried that he might do something unwise, but also worried that speaking directly would be too harsh, so he used this method to convey his meaning.
After understanding Zhang Anping's meaning, Gu Shenyan immediately said solemnly:
"Qu, rest assured, I will not act on my own. The assassination attempt was a desperate act I made after sensing your intention to reassign me."
Seeing that Gu Shenyan understood his meaning, Zhang Anping nodded slightly—in the original timeline, Gu Shenyan's death had always been a source of resentment for Zhang Anping.
In his opinion, this was a damn plot-driven death!
Zhang Anping was also afraid that Gu Shenyan in this timeline would not escape the fate of being killed off by the plot. If he wanted to use his own death to highlight that Gu Shenyan was indeed a true spy, Zhang Anping would be so angry that he would die.
That's why he deliberately used a frivolous approach to subtly convey his attitude. Fortunately, Gu Shenyan was very clever and immediately realized his intention.
"Since we have some free time, let's chat a bit longer—"
Seeing this, Zhang Anping lowered his guard and chatted with Gu Shenyan like an old friend.
For years, Gu Shenyan had always addressed Zhang Anping as "District Chief." But when the two suddenly became frank with each other, he subconsciously used "District Chief" several times before finally forcing himself to use "you" instead. This shows that even after they were completely open with each other, the "symbol" of Zhang Anping still held immense power in Gu Shenyan's mind.
Zhang Anping didn't make Gu Shenyan change his address; he simply enjoyed the pleasant time chatting with his comrade. Over the years, he had only been able to be so casual with Lao Zheng, Minglou, Sister Qian, and the Cen couple. Now that Lao Zheng and Minglou had returned, the number of people he could openly face around him was dwindling.
One day...
Zhang Anping shook his head, banishing the thought. Seeing that it was almost time, the two briefly compared the contents of the "interrogation," and then Zhang Anping stood up.
"Comrade Gu, the sun is about to rise—many, many people will not live to see that day. You must take their place and see it all carefully."
"Yes!" Gu Shenyan nodded solemnly.
Zhang Anping stepped forward to shake hands, and Gu Shenyan gripped his hand tightly, reluctant to let go for a long time. Finally, he whispered:
"These years have been tough."
Zhang Anping smiled and said, "We're all the same, aren't we?"
Gu Shenyan also laughed.
"Okay, I'm leaving!"
Watching Zhang Anping turn and leave, Gu Shenyan remained silent for a long time.
At that very moment, the image of Zhang Shihao in his mind completely collapsed, leaving only a gentle and warm smiling face.
This person reserved all his tenderness for his comrades!
Two years ago, the Bureau of Secrecy, which had only been established for a few days, exposed the "fake death drug" incident. At that time, Gu Shenyan, who was in Shanghai, did not realize the things and people involved behind the "fake death drug".
But after being locked up, he finally realized the tenderness behind the "fake death drug" during his reflections.
This is a comrade living in darkness, giving his all... tenderness!
……
Zhang Anping emerged from the house with a somber expression, and then made a surprising decision:
"Transfer the person to the 'Special Criminal Court Detention Center' of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics."
“Tell the people at the Special Criminal Court Detention Center that this is my prisoner, and that no outsiders should bother me!”
Zheng Yi was taken aback, then asked in confusion, "Chief Qu, isn't he a member of the underground Communist Party?"
"No," Zhang Anping shook his head. "The underground party's reach doesn't extend to even a low-ranking official like a station chief in my Bureau of Investigation and Statistics!"
"He's nothing but a scoundrel blinded by greed!" "If all underground party members were like this, that would be wonderful."
Zhang Anping appeared listless.
His complexion is not important; what matters is his final judgment upon his death.
Gu Shenyan is not a member of the underground Communist Party!
This is very important.
From Zhang Anping's perspective as deputy director of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, regardless of whether Gu Shenyan was an underground party member or not, he could not be considered an underground party member in public.
This concerns the reputation of the Security Bureau.
The Special Criminal Court Detention Center, also known as Caolanzi Prison, was a prison jointly managed by the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics and the Beiping judicial system. The fact that Gu Shenyan was imprisoned there, on the other hand, also demonstrated his importance.
Simply put, although the nature of the crime has been determined, Zhang Anping still intends to use Gu Shenyan as an excuse to prepare to cut down the forty-meter-long cleaver at any time.
After leaving Gongxian Hutong, Zhang Anping was taken by Zheng Yi to rest.
Previously, Zhang Anping would stay in hotels, but this time Zheng Yi made a change:
During the day, she booked an entire upscale restaurant and had it guarded by soldiers from the submachine gun company. This was Zhang Anping's office in Beiping, and theoretically, it was also where Zhang Anping rested. However, Zheng Yi had arranged for the special operations team to set up three secret resting points.
This behavior has a feeling of being bitten by a snake once and being afraid of a rope for ten years:
There are four rest areas; Zhang Anping can rest at any of them, or he can choose not to rest at any of them.
It was entirely for Zhang Anping's convenience!
Zhang Anping could only silently give a thumbs up to Zheng Yi's considerate actions.
Tonight, he nominally checked into the hotel, but actually drove out the back door, dropped Zheng Yi off at a secret resting place, and then drove to Sister Qian's residence in Beiping—Gu Shenyan had told him about it.
……
A knock came at the door, and hearing the very familiar rhythm, Sister Qian's eyes lit up. She quickly ran to open the door, and when the door opened, a rare look of astonishment appeared on her face.
It is Zhang Anping, but it is not Zhang Anping...
cough cough.
Normally, when Zhang Anping secretly meets with Sister Qian, he usually dresses as a woman, and Sister Qian is already used to it.
But what she saw before her was a male version of Zhang Anping in his normal state—which made Sister Qian momentarily lost in thought.
I'm not used to it~
Seeing the discomfort in Sister Qian's eyes, Zhang Anping awkwardly touched his nose. After Sister Qian closed the door, he accompanied her back, explaining as they walked:
“My secretary is very capable. Taking advantage of Lao Gu’s assassination attempt, she arranged four resting places for me, which made it convenient for me to carry out my mission.”
I have to explain, lest Sister Qian really think I have a bad habit!
This is very important!!
Sister Qian couldn't help but chuckle: "Are you feeling guilty?"
Zhang Anping rolled his eyes: "Fine, you can assume I'm guilty!"
"Haha, you!" Sister Qian laughed heartily.
She knew about Zheng Yi's situation, but like Chai Ying, she left it to Zhang Anping to handle—since Zhang Anping had praised Zheng Yi in front of her, Sister Qian asked after the lighthearted conversation ended:
"Why don't you be her sponsor for joining the Party?"
"Not for now."
Zhang Anping shook his head. Zheng Yi did not meet his expectations of a comrade. Although she was his indispensable right-hand woman, Zheng Yi was far from being a true party member.
"You have your own opinions, so you can decide for yourself when the time comes."
Sister Qian gave Zhang Anping sufficient authority in this regard. After pouring tea for Zhang Anping, she sat down and asked with concern, "Why are you back so soon after going to Xuzhou? Is something wrong?"
Zhang Anping had no choice but to bring Mao Renfeng up again.
Sister Qian stared at Zhang Anping in astonishment, and after a long while, she said speechlessly:
"Only you could do something like this!"
Zhang Anping laughed loudly, then retorted, "Didn't you say it wasn't enough?"
"You!" Sister Qian wanted to criticize him, but before she could finish, she glared at Zhang Anping and said, "Are you deliberately trying to get me to criticize you?"
They both laughed, and the atmosphere became very comfortable.
This is the atmosphere that Zhang Anping enjoys the most.
After the lighthearted conversation, Zhang Anping began by discussing the Huaihai region, offering his assessment based on his "strategic vision":
"I think Huang Dabing's army is a sure thing!"
"Next up are Huang Erbing and Lao Du—"
Sister Qian was stunned for a moment before she realized who Huang Da, Huang Er, and Lao Du were. She couldn't help but glare at Zhang Anping with annoyance, but in her heart she thought:
That makes a lot of sense...
"Given the personality of that guy in Nanjing, I reckon even if Huang Dabing is gone, he'll still want a final battle—I bet Huang Erbing will have to come and deliver the spoils again."
"Once Huang Er's army corps is sent to Nanjing, that guy will be furious. He'll definitely order Lao Du to send someone to his death. Tsk tsk, once Huang Er and Lao Du's two major army corps are gone, Huaihai will be completely settled! The Nationalist government should start preparing for its own demise!"
For the Nationalist government, which was good at conscripting men, raising a million-strong army was not a problem, and raising several more was not difficult either.
But an army is not just about having people; officers, veterans, equipment, and logistics are all essential!
After the end of the War of Resistance against Japan, the Nationalist government had five main armies, but after the Huaihai Campaign, the five main armies became "no major armies".
Such a main force cannot be formed simply by having a name and equipment; it also requires a commander, a complete structure, and battle-hardened veterans!
Similarly, most of the Nationalist troops that were annihilated were veterans of the War of Resistance against Japan—although the Nationalist government's frontal resistance against Japan had been ineffective since the Spring Offensive, the veterans who fought in the War of Resistance were true veterans.
Without veterans, without a large number of experienced officers, and without generals who are good at commanding, what good is the sheer number of troops!
Ms. Qian was captivated by the scene described by Zhang Anping, but she quickly realized:
"There are 60 troops in North China!"
Zhang Anping's true colors were revealed:
"Therefore, our goal is to replicate the Northeast and Huaihai regions!"
Sister Qian was both amused and exasperated. This brat, what a roundabout way he'd come up with!
But she quickly realized that the reason she received the order from her superior halfway was because of this.
She looked at Zhang Anping in surprise, thinking to herself that she knew Anping had a very high strategic vision, but she never expected him to be this good!
She specifically explained:
"That's what the higher-ups think too."
Because fighting had already broken out in the Huaihai region, the higher-ups were eager to know Fu Huabei's thoughts—which is why I came to Beiping ahead of schedule.
After a moment's thought, Zhang Anping said:
"Leave this to me. Tomorrow I will officially report to the North China Suppression Headquarters. I will keep track of any moves they make as soon as possible."
For Zhang Anping, who was hanging on the wall, there was nothing to talk about in terms of strategy. The reason he came to see Sister Qian was because there was something he needed her support for.
"Sister Qian, I'm not worried about the final battle in North China. Once the Kuomintang's Huaihai and North China armies are completely annihilated, our army will sweep them away. They'll be like grasshoppers in autumn—"
"Therefore, I have an idea that I'd like to discuss with you!"
Sister Qian gestured for Zhang Anping to speak, but inwardly she couldn't help but be wary—could Anping's previous roundabout approach have been for this very reason?
"I have a plan in mind—I call it the 'Hidden Edge Plan'!"
"The core of this plan is infiltration—the infiltration of Kuomintang agents."
Sister Qian gestured for Zhang Anping to continue.
"With the Huaihai Campaign and the North China Campaign coming to an end, the Kuomintang's intelligence agencies, such as the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, will prioritize infiltration as their primary task."
Sister Qian agrees with this point.
The Kuomintang intelligence agencies at that time did not actually regard infiltration as a top priority. The chief of staff in the Northeast and Huaihai had wanted to fight a decisive battle several times. With him thinking this way, how could his subordinates dare to lose heart and list infiltration as the primary task?
But once the wars in Huaihai and North China come to an end, the Kuomintang will no longer be able to deceive itself!
By then, infiltration will inevitably become a key focus of intelligence agencies.
"Previously, whether it was the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics or the Bureau of Party Affairs, all their undercover operations had basically failed, and were complete failures."
Sister Qian glanced at Zhang Anping and asked, "With you here, do you think they can succeed?"
"Therefore, from Zhang Shih-hao's perspective, we must learn from these lessons—hence, the 'Hidden Edge Plan' came about."
Sister Qian gestured for Zhang Anping to speak quickly and stop keeping her in suspense.
"To put it simply, the core of this plan is betrayal!"
"The core spies betrayed a large number of Kuomintang agents by defecting to the People's Government!"
Sister Qian's pupils constricted sharply; this wasn't taking advantage of the People's Government...
No, that's not right—this plan was Anping's idea. Oh, never mind then.
Although Zhang Anping hadn't explained in detail, Sister Qian already understood the general idea:
Zhang Anping's close associates gained the trust of the People's Government through betrayal, and then took root and infiltrated the new China.
And Zhang Anping's inner circle were basically all... his own comrades.
So this is a blatant attempt to uproot the spy system!
Sister Qian thought this plan sounded incredibly simple... but it was absolutely brilliant!
But when she thought about the actual operation, she couldn't help but frown. It was too difficult, too difficult.
Your people betray their teammates time and time again. How can you remain unscathed?
"Will the Nationalist government agree to this?"
"So, North China is my pilot project, which I acted on first and reported later—" Zhang Anping said quietly, "By comparing the spies infiltrated in North China with the bare achievements in other regions, how could they possibly disagree?"
(Sorry, I overslept yesterday, sleeping from 5 PM to 2 AM... When I woke up, the sky had fallen...) (End of Chapter)