cicada

Chapter 1392 [Loyalty and Filial Piety]

At a dock somewhere on the Jialing River, an old woman in thin clothes was sitting on the steps scrubbing clothes vigorously. The cold wind blew up her messy gray hair from time to time, covering most of her old face.

After a long time, the old woman carried the heavy bamboo basket on her back, climbed up the stairs using her hands and feet, and slowly moved towards the village using a bamboo pole to guide the way.

It took her a full half hour to walk a distance of just a few hundred meters. Her body, bent by the bamboo basket, looked extremely thin under the setting winter sun.

The old woman groped her way into the village, and a group of children came running towards her, throwing mud and bricks in their hands at her, shouting.

"Traitor dog! Traitor dog!"

"Beat the traitor's mother to death!"

Not only the children, but also the women and men in the village pointed and cursed the old woman.

"Sir, this is Fang Zicheng's mother."

Behind a window, the local headman introduced Fang's mother to Zuo Zhong, spitting on the ground as he spoke.

Previously, the Military Control Commission came to verify the whereabouts of Fang Zicheng's mother, and a spy accidentally let the cat out of the bag, and the news that Fang Zicheng had become a traitor spread.

The Japanese bombing of the mountain city lasted for several years, and the people of the mountain city suffered greatly. When the villagers learned that Fang Zi had traitored to the enemy, they naturally hated Fang's mother and the whole family.

Fang's mother seemed unaware of the turmoil in the outside world. She came to the garment shop with a numb expression. The owner took the bamboo basket and gave her a reward, and told her not to come again tomorrow.

The anger of the people is uncontrollable, and the boss is also worried that the angry villagers will smash his shop.

Upon hearing this, Fang's mother did not argue. She nodded woodenly, turned around and walked towards the Guandi Temple where she lived, but her back looked even more desolate.

Her silence not only did not stop the villagers from insulting her, but instead stimulated them. More and more debris were thrown at them with greater force.

In the crowd, the refugees from Hunan Province lowered their heads in shame, wishing they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

Bang! A stone with a sharp edge hit Fang's mother. Blood instantly gushed out from her forehead. Fang's mother staggered and almost fell.

Zuo Zhong sighed imperceptibly. If Fang Zicheng saw this scene, he would regret it.
"Let's go and take a look." After thinking for a while, Zuo Zhong said to Gu Qi and others who were accompanying him.

The group walked to the outside of the Guandi Temple. The mother of the house was hunched over, lighting a fire to cook. She put a few pieces of wild vegetables and a small piece of sweet potato in a broken iron pot. This was her food for the day.

After striking the flint several times, Fang's mother finally lit the fire. She sat down on a bunch of straw, muttering to the outside of the door, tears flowing from her cloudy eyes.

Zuo Zhong and others took a few steps closer and finally heard what the other party was saying. The content was very sad.

"Cheng, my Cheng, mother knows you are not a traitor..."

Even at this time, the mother still couldn't let go of her son. Gucci shook his head and couldn't help feeling a little sympathetic.

Perhaps thinking of his deceased parents, Gu Qi came to Zuo Zhong and asked quietly, "Vice-chairman, why don't we just forget about it? It would be a waste of food to capture a blind old lady."

Zuo Zhong looked at him with interest, and said with a smile: "Old Gu, in our line of work, being soft-hearted is a taboo. Rules are rules, and no one can be an exception."

After saying the last word, Zuo Zhong nodded to Gui Youguang. The bald man walked into the Guandi Temple with a stern face and left with Fang's mother.

During this process, Fang's mother said nothing and did not resist, allowing the little spy to carry her into the woods.

The head of the village felt a little bit reluctant when listening to Zuo Zhong's cold words, and his expression became more submissive. These big shots from the mountain city were indeed cruel and ruthless.

A few kilometers away, a group of armed men were walking through the mountains and forests. Suddenly, several gunshots were heard in the distance, startling a flock of birds.

The sturdy man in the lead looked in the direction where the gunshots came from. A trace of urgency flashed across his face. He ordered the team to speed up, and the team quickly approached the village.
-
A few days later, in Nanjing, the Japanese advisory office to the puppet government.

Fang Zicheng, Qiu Fang and a middle-aged man stood with their hands behind their backs in front of Shibayama Kenshiro, and the three of them showed different states.

The former was confused, Qiu Fang was relieved after having escaped by chance, and the middle-aged man was excited.

When Shibayama Kenshiro saw the reactions of the three people, he first chuckled, and then gave the middle-aged man a thumbs up.

"Yoshi, Shi Sang, your Seventh Division fought bravely and successfully defeated the Fourth Army. Now, on behalf of Mr. Ji, I award you the rank of Lieutenant General."

As the promotion order was read out, a Japanese officer handed over his new military rank. The middle-aged man surnamed Shi accepted the rank from Shibayama Kenshiro with his chest puffed out, and then raised his right hand to salute.

"Thank you, my Lord. I am willing to serve the Locust Army at my utmost."

The middle-aged man surnamed Shi's words were very flattering. Shibayama Kenshiro laughed out loud and patted the other person's shoulder heavily.

He was a staunch supporter of "using Chinese to control Chinese", and using a little bit of benefit in exchange for order in the occupied areas was really a very profitable business.

For example, the commander of the 7th Division of the Peace Army was originally a typical anti-Japanese element, but was later recruited by the Nanjing government and made great contributions this time.

This shows that anyone can be bribed as long as there are enough chips.

The complacent Shibayama Kenshiro turned around and praised Qiu Fang perfunctorily, saying that he was just a tool and there was no need to take him too seriously.

But when it came time to find a house that was worth using, he immediately changed his face and started to paint a big picture skillfully.

"Mr. Fang, the Empire will never treat meritorious officials unfairly. After a few days of rest, you will be assigned to work in the Telecommunications Department of the Advisory Department. Your mission is to monitor the underground party radio station and find these rats."

Fang Zheng bowed deeply and expressed his gratitude to Shibayama Kenshiro loudly. If a traitor is not valued by the new master, his end will be miserable.

Shibayama Kenshiro was very happy to have another loyal dog, but in order to completely control Fang Cheng, he still pretended to be hesitant.

"Mr. Fang, I have some bad news for you. You must stay calm. My people went to look for your mother, but it's too late."

Fang Zicheng's face suddenly turned pale, and his hands and feet could not stop shaking. He looked at Shibayama Kenshiro with pleading eyes, hoping that the other party had just said something wrong, but the result was not as he wished.

"I have received reliable intelligence that the Military Control Commission executed your mother." Shibayama Kenshiro's tone was full of regret.

Execution!

Fang Zicheng's mind was in a mess. He didn't even know how he left the consulting department. He returned to his residence like a zombie, his legs went limp and he sat on the floor.

After an unknown amount of time, the Japanese spy in charge of surveillance heard suppressed crying coming from the room. The crying became louder and louder until it turned into a roar.

When Shibayama Kenshiro received the news, he hummed a little tune with satisfaction. Fang Zheng had betrayed the underground party and forged a blood feud with the Kuomintang government, so he no longer had to worry about the other party's loyalty.
-
In the Shancheng Teahouse, Zuo Zhong poured a cup of hot tea. White steam swirled up to the roof, scaring a spider into crawling into a crack.

Xue Zheng walked quickly from the door to the table and sat down, and said straight to the point: "Mr. Zuo, our cooperation has ended. I wonder why you asked me to come here?"

"Haha, Mr. Xue, don't be impatient, take a look at this first." Zuo Zhong didn't keep him in suspense, and took out a piece of paper and pushed it over. Xue Zheng took a look at it, and there was an address on the paper, located in Jiangbei County. He looked at Zuo Zhong in confusion, not understanding what this meant.

Zuo Zhong crossed his legs and said slowly, "The mother of Fang Zhucheng is in my hands."

Xue Zheng looked confused: "Hasn't she been executed by your bureau? Could it be that Mr. Zuo can be brought back to life?"

"Since Mr. Xue said so, I will take my leave, but the Central Daily News will announce this matter tomorrow."

Seeing that Xue Zheng was still pretending to be confused, Zuo Chong was too lazy to beat around the bush and simply stood up and walked out, counting three, two, one silently in his mind.

"and many more."

Seeing that he did not seem to be pretending, Xue Zheng finally could not sit still anymore. His expression changed for the first time and he reached out to stop Zuo Chong.

Zuo Chong curled up the corner of his mouth, thinking that he had guessed right, then slowly turned around and walked back to his seat.

Xue Zheng stared at him intently, and uttered a few words through his teeth: "How did you guess that?"

"Is this difficult?" Zuo Zhong asked back, then took out a document and pointed to the remittance records on it and explained.

"Fang Fangcheng would send money to his mother every month. The amount had always been small, but it suddenly increased since the beginning of the year, but it was still within a reasonable range."

"Based on what I know about your army, this amount of money is almost all of Fang Zicheng's income. As for why he did this, I think there is only one possibility, that is, to make arrangements for his funeral."

"At the beginning of the year, Qiu Fang had just approached Fang Zicheng and was preparing to turn him against her. At the same time, Fang Zicheng left all his money to his mother. This is definitely not a coincidence."

"If I'm not mistaken, Fang Zicheng must have seen through Qiu Fang's true identity, and is even planning to use her to infiltrate the enemy."

"The armed men who appeared outside the village on the day we pretended to execute Fang's mother should be the ones you came to rescue Fang's mother, am I right?"

Zuo Chong's expression is complex. They are also covered with colored glaze. It is hard to tell how it was done by Zi Gucheng and how it was done by Ma Bocang.

MD, it’s really frustrating to compare yourself with others. How can we get good intelligence if we are with this bunch of insects?

"Pah~pah~pah~"

Xue Zheng clapped his hands and said with admiration: "No wonder everyone says that there are two people in the Military Control Commission who are the most difficult to deal with. One is Director Dai, and the other is you, Mr. Zuo."

That being said, Xue Zheng once again raised Zuo Zhong's danger level. Fang Zi's fake surrender to the enemy was the Ministry of Social Affairs' top secret, and he had only received the notification not long ago.

The Social Department originally planned to use the intelligence from the Fourth Army's high-level meetings to help Fang Zicheng gain the trust of the Japanese. However, they did not expect that the Nanjing underground organization would warn the Fourth Army in advance, causing the plan to fail.

Northwest never expected that the Japanese would blame the leak on the Military Control Commission and launch a large-scale search in Nanjing.

After the Military Control Commission proposed cooperation, the headquarters decided to change its strategy and deliberately let Fang Zicheng be captured and then defect, making him a thorn in the enemy's advisory department.

After all, Zuo Chong is well-known, and the Japanese would not suspect that the counterintelligence case he is responsible for, even if it is an indirect counterintelligence case, is a trap.

After some twists and turns, thanks to the efforts of the Japanese, the puppet government and Yamashiro, things are about to get back on track.

The plan was indeed good. The only surprise was that Zuo Zhong saw through the flaw so quickly. It really was a case of living up to one's reputation.

"Thank you for the compliment, bro. It's all thanks to the brothers for their support."

Zuo Zhong waved his hands repeatedly, wondering how he could be as famous as Old Dai. After all, it would still be several years before his cheap teacher hit the mountain, and it would not be too late to say this after that.

After a few humble words, Zuo Zhong regained his serious tone and reported more than a dozen names in one breath. These were the Military Intelligence Bureau agents who were sent to the Ministry of Social Affairs by him, and they were also the bargaining chips for this transaction.

There is no other way. The Military Intelligence Bureau’s field staff in the northwest are almost being exploited by Deputy Director Zuo. Exchanging prisoners can not only help the Military Intelligence Bureau recover some money, but also increase its reputation.

"Old Xue, I never make things difficult for my friends. They don't have your blood on their hands, and you've taken all the secrets out of them. It's better to let them live and let me take them home."

Zuo Zhong spoke sincerely, and extended his hand to Xue Zheng: "This is what I promised my brothers. I hope your party will understand."

He did not make any excessive demands, nor did he mention the commander of the 7th Division, Shi, who appeared at the right time and place.

Xue Zheng hesitated for a moment, then firmly extended his hand to Zuo Zhong. It might seem not worth it to exchange a dying old mother for a dozen spies, but this was not a business deal.

Fang Zicheng gave up his bright future and sneaked into the enemy camp. In the eyes of others, this was also a "losing business", so did he care?
Becoming an underground party member is bound to lose a lot, and only those with the most determined will can make it to the end.

But the organization is also warm-hearted. For those comrades who are willing to go deep into the tiger's den, the organization has the obligation to solve their worries.

The two hands were tightly clasped together, and the first prisoner exchange between Shancheng and Northwest China soon began outside the Northwest Representative Office.

Fang's mother walked into the representative office wearing a headscarf, and the captured Military Intelligence Bureau agent passed by her with his head down. The moment the two sides met, countless flash lights lit up.

People from all walks of life praised the exchange of prisoners between the two parties, believing that it was proof of the need to defend against external insults during a quarrel between brothers. Someone's reputation actually improved a lot? ?
The pseudo-government's [Jinling New News] reprinted this incident for some unknown purpose and also published photos of the scene. Fang Zicheng, who was completely desperate but had to force himself to work, saw the report.

The back figure in the photo gradually overlapped with the back figure of the mother in his memory. Fang Zicheng cried with joy, his eyes gradually became moist, and his memory went back to a night a few months ago.

"Comrade Zicheng, you need to think carefully. This mission requires you to bear the infamy and even act as a traitor for a long time."

"Report to the chief, I have thought it through very clearly. As a party member, I have long been prepared to give everything for the party."

"Okay, if you have any requests in your personal life, the organization will try its best to meet them."

"I only have my elderly mother left at home. If I die, I hope the organization can take care of her on my behalf."

"Would you like to think about it again?"

"No need. Those soldiers who died on the front lines also had mothers. In the face of national crisis, there is no room for us to retreat."

"Yes, we have no room to retreat. Don't worry, I will take care of this matter. Take care, Comrade Zicheng, see you in victory."

"See you in victory."

If possible, who wouldn't want to be in the arms of a loving mother? But the invaders' iron hooves are still trampling on our country, and no one with a conscience can stay out of it.

Whether it is the Kuomintang or the underground party, there is always a group of people who choose to live in darkness. They are worthy of the country but not their families.

There is an old saying that it is difficult to be both loyal and filial, and this is true.

At the end of this article, I remembered the poem "Farewell" written by the martyr Deng Enming to his mother: [Thirty-one years have passed in a flash, and my ambitions remain unfulfilled. I don't mind dying first, so that my successors can comfort you in the afterlife.]