cicada

Chapter 1389 Surfaced
At the Fourth Army's garrison in northern Jiangsu, the security officer handed over several documents marked top secret: "Commander, these are the personnel files of the Telecommunications Department."

"Tell me the general situation." The commander took the file and said as he looked at it.

The security officer stood up slightly when he heard this: "The telecommunications department currently has 14 staff members. In addition to Fang Zicheng, there are six radio operators, two translators, one confidential clerk and one communications staff officer, and three technicians."

"Among them, the translators, confidential clerks, and communications staff were veterans from the southern garrison troops, while the technicians and radio operators were students assigned by the Central China Branch of the Anti-Japanese University."

When the commander heard the words "Anti-Japanese Military and Political University, Central China Branch", he paused in his browsing of the documents, and a hint of worry appeared in his eyes.

Based on the intelligence provided by the Yamashiro Representative Office, the Ministry of Social Affairs believed that the Japanese spy who instigated Fang Zicheng to defect was likely hiding in the Telecommunications Department.

If the Japanese spy really came from the Anti-Japanese University's Central China Branch, the consequences would be more dangerous than the infiltration of the telecommunications department.

There were 1500 students in the Central China Branch of the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University. After graduation, some of the students became commanders of grassroots troops, some became instructors, and some engaged in technical work. The students were spread across the Fourth Army and several surrounding bases.

If anything goes wrong with these students, the entire anti-Japanese organization in central China will be threatened. The mole in the telecommunications department must be found as soon as possible, and then the Japanese spies lurking in our team must be wiped out in one fell swoop.

Thinking of this, the commander didn't even look at the file and asked the security officer directly: "Based on your experience, do the Japanese spies have a chance to attack the branch school?"

The security officer thought for a moment and gave an answer. The Central China Branch of the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University had four battalions, namely the first military battalion, the second political battalion, the third educated youth battalion, and the fourth female battalion.

Among them, the students of the military brigade and the political brigade are all top students recommended and selected by various troops. After many political reviews, the possibility of them being infiltrated by the Japanese is low.

As for the educated youth brigade and the female brigade, the personnel backgrounds were more complicated, including young students recruited from overseas, Shanghai, northern Jiangsu and eastern Anhui, patriotic overseas Chinese, as well as underground party members and progressive youth whose identities had been exposed.

The radio operators and technicians of the Fourth Army's Telecommunications Department happened to be students from the Third and Fourth Battalions, so there was indeed a risk of infiltration.

The commander's expression became even more serious. He found the files of the radio operator and technician and checked them carefully. He discovered that the security department had conducted a detailed investigation on these people.

[Radio operator Tang Ruomin, female, 28 years old, from Shanghai, a reporter for a leftist newspaper, her family members died in the Battle of Songhu, and she was later recommended by the local underground party organization for admission]

[Radio operator Qiu Fang, female, 25 years old, a Chinese from Temasek, a student at a church school, her family runs a rubber plantation in Malaya, her family’s whereabouts are unknown, she was recommended by overseas Chinese for admission]

[Radio operator Fan Hong, male, 26 years old, graduated from the Fourth High School of Anhui Province, born in a merchant family, his whole family was killed by the Japanese, and he went to Jiangbei alone to join the Fourth Army]

[Technician Wu Jiuan, male, 20 years old, a Filipino Chinese, university dropout, his father is an assistant manager of an American business, he was separated from his family after the Japanese army attacked the Philippines, and accepted funding from overseas Chinese organizations to come to China to join the Fourth Army]

[Technician Lei Yong, male, 17 years old, a clerk in an electrical material store in Shanghai, an orphan, joined the army out of anger after witnessing the Japanese killing the store owner]

There are five people in total, with different family backgrounds, birthplaces, and reasons for joining the army.

The commander was a little overwhelmed for a moment. The Fourth Army alone was not capable of further screening these people. For example, people like Qiu Fang and Wu Jiuan who came from overseas were beyond the reach of the Fourth Army.

After thinking it over, he decided to proceed in two steps. On the one hand, based on the existing information, the security department would investigate the experience and recent activities of all members of the Telecommunications Section, and on the other hand, he would request support from his superiors.

Of course, the message for help could not be sent from the Telecommunications Department, or even from the radio station in the Central China base. The commander issued an order to the security officer.

"I remember there is a captured KMT radio station in the warehouse. Please ask the comrades of the Jiangnan underground party to send a radio operator to the base area to activate the backup code book and establish secret contact with the northwest."
-
A few days later, Xue Zheng in the mountain city made an appointment to meet Zuo Chong, and the two met at the old place.

As soon as they met, Xue Zheng made a request: "Mr. Zuo, I heard that FIRC has many connections overseas. Can your bureau conduct an investigation to find out about the family situation of these two people?"

After saying that, he pushed the information of Qiu Fang and Wu Jiuan over. It only contained the basic information of the two people and no sensitive content.

Zuo Zhong flipped open the information with one finger, glanced at it for a few times, and nodded to Xue Zheng: "No problem, I'll give you a reply in three days. Don't think it's slow, this is already the fastest speed. I guess we'll have to ask the British for help."

Zuo Zhong was not surprised at all that Xue Zheng knew about FIRC. The Guo Party had no secrets at all, especially non-military secrets. It wouldn't take the underground party long to get wind of it.

On the other side, Xue Zheng smiled and said, "Mr. Zuo, that's not the case. Three days is already very fast. Thank you."

"Excuse me, please." Zuo Zhong raised his teacup and said politely to the other party with a smile.

A few minutes later, Xue Zheng hurried out of the teahouse, while Zuo Chong was still sitting on the chair without getting up, staring out the window, wondering what he was thinking. After a while, Song Minghao came over and reported in a low voice.

"Deputy Commander, the headquarters has sorted out the files of new recruits from the past year. Do you think we should arrest them?"

"Catch him, damn it. Keep a close watch on him. If anything goes wrong again, Old Song, you'll have to prepare to go to the Northeast or the Japanese mainland." Song Minghao took out a handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. He nodded his head rapidly, cursing the Japanese spy in his heart.

Zuo Zhong was too lazy to watch this guy act, and tapped the information on the table with his fingers: "Contact the British and ask them to check this Qiu Fang. The other person will be handled by the FIRC Philippines Station."

"Yes, Vice Commander." Song Minghao replied, and then asked curiously, "To what extent have you investigated?"

"To what extent?" Zuo Zhong turned around and looked at him in surprise: "Old Song, you may have fallen into a trance after sleeping. Of course, I have to get to the bottom of everything. I want to know everything the target has done and said. I'll give you two days."

Song Minghao secretly groaned, it was not so easy to get to the bottom of it, especially since time was so tight, but on the surface he still held his head high and replied yes.

In the public sector, whether you can do something is not important, what matters is your attitude.
-
Temasek.

Margaret was walking alone on the street and passed by a team of patrolling Japanese soldiers. The Japanese soldiers did not intend to do anything to her because any woman who dared to move freely in Temasek at that time was not a simple person, especially a beautiful woman.

After walking around the streets for a few times and making sure she was safe, Margaret arrived near a residential area. Most of the residents here were Chinese, so the area had suffered the most damage from the war.

Walking into a Chinese restaurant, she sat down at a seat near the window, called the waiter, ordered a few dishes at random, and then poured herself a cup of tea.

Looking at the busy street outside the window, Margaret felt mixed emotions. It had been almost two months since she was transferred to Temasek, and she was still a little uncomfortable.

The jungle is full of dangers, but you can fight side by side with trusted comrades, while secret intelligence work is more lonely.

Sipping the slightly bitter tea alone, Margaret turned her head to look at a small building across the street. Her movements were quite natural, as if she was in a daze.

On both sides of the small building are several northern goods stores, grocery stores, and herbal tea shops. The herbal tea shop, in particular, has a booming business with customers coming in and out.

While observing the store, Margaret silently pondered the origin of this mission.

After the 9400 Unit incident, the cooperation between London and Shancheng became more frequent. A few days ago, London received a request for help from the Military Control Commission/FIRC, hoping that SOE would help find a woman's family, so they immediately conducted relevant investigations.

Through informants, we learned that the woman named Qiu Fang and her family lived in this small building.

Do you want to find a chance to go in and take a look?
Margaret hesitated when she thought of this, but when she mentioned the Military Control Commission, the image of a bald man suddenly popped up in her mind, and a smile unconsciously appeared on the corners of her mouth.

Just as she was thinking, a young man walked out of the herbal tea shop. Because the weather was hot, he lifted up his sleeves to wipe the sweat, and something under his hem was exposed to the sun.

When Margaret saw that thing, her eyes narrowed. It was a gun, and it was a Japanese Nambu pistol.

The [Dajun] guerrillas had captured this unstable weapon, so she was very familiar with it.

What does it mean when a plainclothes officer carrying a Japanese pistol shows up near the target's family's residence? The answer is obvious.

After discovering the enemy, Margaret did not turn her head back immediately, but continued to be in a daze for a while, then lowered her head and concentrated on eating.

That night, she set up a surveillance point on the rooftop near the target's family's residence and used a pocket telescope to observe the situation inside the herbal tea shop.

Behind the dusty ventilation window, several people of East Asian appearance were sitting at a table drinking. Margaret stared at the sake bottle on the table, thought for a moment, then turned around and left quickly.

As for the Filipino Chinese named Wu Jiuan, the FIRC Philippines Station also found his family. After surveillance, everything was normal and Wu Jiuan was cleared of suspicion as a Japanese spy.

As a telegram was sent from Temasek to Shancheng, and then from Shancheng to the northwest, the Japanese spies hidden within the Fourth Army had surfaced.

After receiving the reply from his superiors, the commander of the Fourth Army immediately issued an arrest order and secretly arrested Qiu Fang and Fang Zicheng!
The security department strictly carried out the commander's order, using excuses to lead the two suspects out of the headquarters separately, and after a not-so-intense fight, they successfully controlled the two.

Inside a mud house, Fang Zicheng was sitting on a chair, his hands and feet bound with handcuffs and shackles, his head lowered.

"The house is done! Lift your head!"

At the interrogation seat opposite the chair, the security officer shouted in a deep voice, looking at the other party with eyes full of anger.

Countless comrades did not die in the battle with the enemy, but fell at the gunpoint of traitors. The security officer would certainly not have a good face towards Fang Zicheng.

Fang Zicheng looked up woodenly and saw a line of large characters on the wall: Make meritorious deeds to atone for your sins and bygones will be forgiven.