Kingsman Agent in Film and Television

At Mao Renfeng's behest, Xiang Yingxin happily took out her family's investment in Jiang Si'an, ready to sit back and collect protection money with peace of mind.

Mao Renfeng thought that with so much money invested, Zhang Anping would soon close the net and use the gold to sue her.

But, no!
On the contrary, a thunderclap suddenly resounded in Henan.

Zhao Qiyuan, the commander of the reorganized 66th Division, was "targeted" by Zhang Anping.

Under the watchful eyes of many, Zhang Anping, who should have been in Wuhan, suddenly appeared at the Nanjing government building and personally delivered a thick stack of documents inside. (He had taken over in 1946, but it wasn't renamed the General Staff Headquarters until May 1948.)
News immediately spread from the government building:
Zhao Qiyuan, the commander of the 66th Reorganized Division, was "targeted" by Zhang Anping of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.

Zhang Anping provided a great deal of material, but the core charges were only three:

Smuggling arms, selling opium, and reselling military rations.

After examining the details of these three core charges, only one real buyer was identified:
Underground Party!
In other words, the 66th Reorganized Division, one of the main forces in the previous Central Plains encirclement and suppression campaign, was actually very likely to have colluded with the underground party in secret.

In addition, Zhang Anping also pointed out in the report he submitted:

Zhao Qiyuan's case was by no means an isolated incident. There were many Kuomintang generals who, for their own benefit, disregarded the fact that the underground Communist Party was a major enemy of the Kuomintang army and colluded to resell weapons and military supplies.

He also pointed out in the report:

Within the reorganized 66th Division, there was very likely an underground network led by the Communist Party. It was this network that lured Zhao Qiyuan into it, ultimately leading to a large amount of weapons and supplies flowing to the underground party.

Because of this passage, Zhang Anping did not directly label Zhao Qiyuan as a communist sympathizer in his report, but instead said that he disregarded the Party-state's suppression of communism in order to pursue personal gain.

Regardless, the leak of this report still caused a huge stir.

He really dares to do it!
Not only did they dare to do it, but they also pointed out that there were many similar situations within the Nationalist army, and even openly pointed out the four major gluttons...

The masterminds who had been watching the Wuhan investigation team were dumbfounded.

Wasn't the Wuhan investigation team stalled because of Mao Renfeng's meddling?
Why did Zhang Anping suddenly expose Zhao Qiyuan's past?

This is what they call no progress?!

Mao Renfeng was stunned when Zhang Anping pointed his sword at him. Wasn't this guy going to deal with him?
I've already poured all my gold into this, and there's still no sign of it happening?!

Instead, they "targeted" Zhao Qiyuan!
Is this special number reasonable?

Seeing that Zhang Anping had already caused a huge uproar, everyone could only wait and see what decision the chief attendant would make.

Only Zhang Anping smiled mysteriously.

……

The chief attendant was in a difficult position.

In fact, he knew that corruption was rampant in the Party and the country.

He was even well aware of one thing: the corruption of the Party-state was nearing its end.

In his view, dealing with Zhao Qiyuan was not a problem, but the problem was that there was more than just one Zhao Qiyuan!
He couldn't help but recall the words his subordinate had spoken:

The Party-state is not just about one Zhang Anping!

Yes, the Party-state certainly has more than one Zhang Anping, but it also has more than one Zhao Qiyuan!
Faced with these shocking materials, he hesitated.

He was furious, really furious, because it ruined his important campaign against the Communists.

But how do we deal with it?

At that moment, the section chief appeared.

In fact, the section chief had been watching Zhang Anping's actions closely, wanting to see if Zhang Anping was genuinely fighting corruption or just stirring up internal strife.

When Zhang Anping shouted, "The Party and the country have more than just me, Zhang Anping," the section chief was moved and inspired by the fact that the Party and the country had such a patriot.

Therefore, when Xu Baichuan of the Traffic Police Corps learned that Zhang Anping intended to cause a major upheaval, he was able to easily bring his most elite subordinates to Wuhan.

Do you really think that the commander-in-chief of the traffic police brigade can easily mobilize elite forces to Wuhan without anyone holding him accountable?
The Taotie and their allies are all sharpening their knives!
It was precisely because of the department head's intervention that there was no further follow-up.

At this moment, seeing that Zhang Anping had truly caused a major incident, the section chief finally took action.

He personally went to the government building and made suggestions to the chief of staff:
Zhao Qiyuan must be dealt with!

However, this was the time to suppress the Communists, and it would be inappropriate to launch a large-scale attack. But this trend had to be nipped in the bud. He volunteered to take charge of the matter and promised to make an example of them to deter others and stop this trend. He would then slowly administer the medicine after the Communist army was wiped out.

The chief attendant was delighted by the director's mature and insightful views on national affairs and immediately agreed to his request, but he set a red line:
Zhao Qiyuan can be dealt with, but he cannot be killed!

"Now is the time to suppress the Communists. Killing Zhao Qiyuan would discourage the generals at the front. He can be dealt with, but he must not be killed!"

The section chief was dumbfounded. "I've already given you such a suggestion, and you still can't bring yourself to kill Zhao Qiyuan."

Being a graduate of the Whampoa Military Academy is truly a get-out-of-jail-free card!
Although the restrictions imposed on him were in place, the section chief was still quite satisfied with having obtained this anti-corruption power. Upon leaving the government building, he immediately issued two orders:

"Tell Zheng Yaoquan to fully support Zhang Anping's work!"

"Contact Zhang Anping; I want to see him in person!"

The section chief excitedly gave the order.

……

In the small conference room of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, Zheng, Zheng, and Mao stood silently, the atmosphere extremely heavy.

Mao Renfeng broke the tense atmosphere first, pointing her finger at Zheng Yaoxian:
"Zheng Laoqi, you're with Zhang Anping. Henan is still your territory. After this incident, are you in cahoots with Zhang Anping?"

Zheng Yaoxian became even angrier, slamming his fist on the table before storming to his feet:

"Mao Renfeng, are you blind?! If I were to team up with Zhang Anping, would I be staying here?"

"He dragged out 19 people from my Henan station this time. The entire top management of the Henan station was wiped out, and the middle-level loyalists were all arrested. You're saying I'm in cahoots?"

"Would I cut my own carotid artery with a machete? Am I out of my mind?"

Could the smuggling of arms and resale of military rations by the 66th Reorganized Division have been so successful without the involvement of the Henan Station?
It can be said that Zhang Anping has dealt with a significant portion of Zheng Yaoxian's trusted men in this one move!
Zheng Yaoxian was being criticized in this way, so of course he had to be aggressive.

Of course, he wouldn't admit it:

The reason why Henan Station colluded with the 66th Reorganized Division was indeed due to an invisible hand behind the scenes. After the 66th Division's shady dealings were exposed, the underground party members were revealed. This invisible hand was the real mastermind behind the scenes!

And Zheng Yaoxian is the mastermind behind it all.

Yes, this time there was an insider in the Henan station cooperating with Zhang Anping's secret investigation team. This insider was the one that these black hands "misjudged" and heavily relied on. Moreover, this "insider" secretly guided the shady dealings of the Henan station and the 66th Reorganized Division.

As for the "traitor," he's currently in charge of the investigation, so he can't get any dirty laundry thrown at him...

"enough!"

bang

This time it was Zheng Yaoquan's turn to slam his fist on the table.

He glared angrily at the two of them: "What kind of time is this? Are you still going to fight amongst yourselves?"

Mao Renfeng sat down, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

Oh, so before, you two Zhengs were teaming up, just watching me get dealt with by Zhang Anping, and even taking advantage of the situation!
Now, it's turned into internal strife?

Mao Renfeng laughed inwardly. Zheng Yaoxian, who had been trying to get a bargain, was almost driven mad by Zhang Anping's stabbing. Zheng Yaoquan, who had been sitting and laughing at the situation, was now as anxious as an ant on a hot pan!

You’re dumbfounded!

After Zheng Yaoxian and Mao Renfeng sat down, Zheng Yaoquan said in a deep voice:

"You two, we have no choice but to fight!"

Whom to fight?

Of course, it's to fight Zhang Anping!

Zheng Yaoquan's transformation was all due to a phone call.

"Tell Zheng Yaoquan to fully support Zhang Anping's work!"

These few words are easy to say, but to do them is like killing someone!
The one killed was naturally Zheng Yaoquan.

Zheng Yaoquan was the director of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, and Zhang Anping was someone he kept a close watch on.

Now, Zheng Yaoquan is to fully support Zhang Anping?

Is the next step to have Zheng Yaoquan hand over his position to Zhang Anping?
What's the next step? Should Zhang Anping replace Zheng Yaoquan?
The section chief thought Zheng Yaoquan was his comrade, but Zheng Yaoquan dared not give Zhang Anping even the slightest chance—because he knew the section chief too well, and he also knew Zhang Anping too well.

Once the two of them develop a mutual respect, Zheng Yaoquan will become an eyesore!

Therefore, we must absolutely prevent the two of them from getting together.

To do this, the director must be prevented from getting involved in the intelligence system—only in this way can the two not completely collude.

This is also why Zheng Yaoquan decided to join forces with Zheng Mao after receiving the director's instructions. Only by cutting off the director's involvement in the intelligence system could he maintain his relationship with the director.

The director used him to control the intelligence system, rather than personally controlling it. The difference between that and that is enormous!

Therefore, he had no choice but to ignore the section chief's instructions.

Admittedly, this will inevitably break his relationship with the director, but as long as he controls the intelligence system, even if the relationship between the director and him is broken, it will be mended!
All of this is contingent on first dealing with Zhang Anping!
This brings us back to the point where we must join forces.

Therefore, he went straight to the point from the very beginning: the fight was unavoidable.

“Zhang Anping talks about fighting corruption, but what he does isn’t all for factional struggle? I was blinded by him because I couldn’t judge people well. Director Mao, I apologize for this. I will definitely make compensation after this!” Zheng Yaoquan bowed very low and even admitted his mistake.

Mao Renfeng hurriedly got up and said he dared not, but in his heart he almost laughed himself to death. Zheng Yaoquan, didn't you let the tiger hurt people?

Ha ha!

"Old Mao, brother, I was a bit harsh just now. I apologize!" Zheng Yaoxian apologized as well.

"I will give you an explanation after this is over!"

Compensation? Explanation?
Don't you two know that I, Mao, can also make empty promises?

Are you just making empty promises to me?
Pooh!
Mao Renfeng inwardly spat, but outwardly appeared very...cooperative. He said to the two Zhengs:

"Let bygones be bygones!"

"I, Mao, am by no means a petty person—now, let us join hands and work together to crush Zhang Anping! To completely crush him!"

Zheng Yaoxian spoke first:

“I still have some old subordinates in the Shanghai area. I don’t believe that all of Zhang Anping’s men are like Hai Rui! I will find a way to investigate from Shanghai. As long as corruption is found, we will strike first! This time, I, Zheng Yaoxian, am willing to be the vanguard!”

Mao Renfeng cursed Zheng Yaoxian's ancestors for eighteen generations in her mind, and also cursed Zheng Yaoquan as well, before saying:
"Actually, I already have a solution!"

Why was Mao Renfeng internally cursing?

When working together, naturally whoever contributes the most gets the most credit—of course, this is on the premise that they are evenly matched.

Zheng Yaoxian, who is quite bold, always wants to be the first to speak. People who don't know him might think he's going to clear a landmine!
Mao Renfeng has already established a presence in Northeast China; how could he possibly tolerate Zheng Yaoxian stealing his thunder?

"The Northeast! The waters in the Northeast run deep. I think we should start from the Northeast—that way, we'll pull out the radish and bring out the mud along with it. What will Zhang Anping do then?"

Both Zhengs' eyes lit up. Zheng Yaoxian said, "Old Mao is indeed cunning and shrewd! The Northeast is indeed a good place to make a move! But Shanghai is also Zhang Anping's stronghold, so we should make a move there too!"

Zheng Yaoquan was furious. "Well, so everyone wants to steal our food?"

He also offered his own approach:

"Since that's the case, I'll take overall control—Zhang Anping likes to feign an attack while secretly advancing, so I'll make sure he has no troops to use!"

The three began a secret meeting and decided on a strategy:

Zheng Yaoxian made his move in Shanghai, Mao Renfeng made his move in Northeast China, and Zheng Yaoquan was responsible for hindering him.

Didn't the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics recruit a lot of new people?

Bring over Zhang Anping's cronies to train the new recruits!
What? These newcomers might have the surname Zhang in the future?
Ha, you're joking. With the three bigwigs of the Security Bureau joining forces this time, how could there possibly be any Zhang-named forces in the Security Bureau in the future? Even if these newcomers have the Zhang surname now, they'll all have to change it later!

……

While the three leaders of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics were having their secret meeting, Zhang Anping began to meticulously pack up.

He needs to see the section chief. (Please stop naming names, a section chief is a section chief!!!)

The section chief had actually extended an olive branch to Zhang Anping many times, but Zhang Anping refused them all without exception.

Many people thought that Zhang Anping would hand over the evidence he had collected to the section chief this time, and they had prepared a lot of "memorials" for this purpose. As long as Zhang Anping dared to do so, they would dare to put a huge accusation on him.

But the result was unexpected. Zhang Anping did not go directly to the section chief, but went to the chief attendant!
Instead, the section chief took the initiative and volunteered to take on the current task.

It was precisely because the section chief took the initiative to take on this task that Zhang Anping accepted the section chief's invitation for the first time and went to the meeting.

Those who want to label him can't!
Since the section chief carried the will of the chief attendant, Zhang Anping's initiative to attend the appointment was perfectly reasonable and there was nothing wrong with it.

The balance was truly grasped perfectly.

Escorted by a rather large security detail, Zhang Anping arrived at the agreed-upon location. He had arrived twenty minutes early, naturally to show respect to the section chief, but unexpectedly, the section chief was already waiting. Upon seeing Zhang Anping alight from the car, the section chief actually came to greet him.
"Director Zhang, I've admired you for so long! I never thought it would take so long for my wish to finally come true. It wasn't easy!"

There was a hint of resentment in the director's tone.

"Director, you are joking—it is your humility and respect that makes me feel uneasy."

Zhang Anping didn't seem flustered at all. After saying that, he went straight to the point: "Director, is it because of this corruption case? Shall we go inside and talk?"

They got straight to the point, without any small talk or trying to get on each other's good side.

Zhang Anping's attitude was very clear: I will not have any direct dealings with you!
Absolutely not!

His undisguised attitude actually earned him the appreciation of the department head.

It's not that the section chief had any bad habits, but rather that he understood what Zhang Anping meant:
As the deputy director of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, I am loyal only to the leader!
Besides, I will not defect to anyone, not even to political opportunism!
The section chief was indeed cultivating his own team, but that didn't stop him from appreciating people who were dedicated to their duties, especially Zhang Anping, who was in a special organization.

Knowing how to behave appropriately is very important!
While he appreciated it, given Zhang Anping's stance, he naturally wouldn't fawn over him. After nodding slightly, he gestured for Zhang Anping to come with him.

Zhang Anping maintained his persona throughout, and after entering the private room, he took the initiative to talk about the situation he had investigated.

All the materials he submitted were supported by evidence, without any hint of speculation. However, in his conversation with the section chief, Zhang Anping made no attempt to conceal his true intentions and spoke very frankly:
"This case of corruption began with an anti-corruption campaign within the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (BIS) – the BIS had very serious problems, and I bear a heavy responsibility for that. The corruption within the National Revolutionary Army is also extremely serious, and if we want to curb it, we must take drastic measures!"

The section chief felt helpless. He wanted to take drastic measures, but the chief aide had already drawn a line, leaving him only able to go around in circles within that line.

He could only ask, "Do you have any ideas?"

Zhang Anping uttered a simple sentence:

"Investigate step by step, whoever is involved, investigate them!"

The words were simple, but they were filled with murderous intent!
The section chief took a deep breath; he genuinely wanted to do this.

Unfortunately, it's not possible.

He looked at Zhang Anping and said, word by word:

"However, the most important thing for the Party-state right now is to suppress the Communists!"

Zhang Anping firmly stated, "The more this is the case, the more we must investigate!"

The section chief gave Zhang Anping a deep look and repeated, "The most important thing for the Party and the country right now is to suppress the Communists!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Anping closed his eyes and took a deep breath, seemingly resigned to reality. He then said:

"Then let's focus on the minor issues and let the major ones go."

"In this way, the morale of the army will not be disrupted, and it can also serve as a warning to others—but a warning to others will not deter a hungry glutton."

How could the section chief not understand this principle?
But ultimately, he was acting within the established framework!

"It's better to make an example of them than to do nothing! After we wipe out the Communists, we can start hunting down the tigers! We'll not only take down the tigers, but also the flies and mosquitoes!"

After the section chief finished speaking, he looked intently at Zhang Anping.

This is to show off one's ambition!

A fleeting fervor crossed Zhang Anping's eyes, followed by a solemn nod without uttering a word.

"Director, under the current circumstances, I plan to proceed on two fronts simultaneously—first, continue the anti-corruption efforts within the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics; second, conduct a thorough investigation of the 66th Division."

"The situation in the 66th Division is very serious. In addition, based on the information I have, I suspect that the Communists are involved—the 66th Division's ace sniper was involved in the assassination attempt against me, and after being tortured, he provided a clue that shocked me greatly."

Zhang Anping used the word "shocked," so how could the section chief not be curious?
This is none other than the famous Zhang Shih-hao!

He was shocked; this must be serious!
"What clue?"

"The sniper training brigade was very likely infiltrated by the underground party in the early stages—I suspect that many of the snipers who graduated from the training brigade were underground party agents."

Zhang Anping said solemnly:
"I want to conduct a large-scale investigation of all snipers within the Nationalist Army!"

The section chief was speechless; he thought it was something serious!

He knew about the sniper training brigade and had even inspected it.

Although these snipers achieved remarkable results in the War of Resistance against Japan, from the time of its establishment until now, the number of snipers trained is at most three to five thousand – mainly because the cost was too high and the Nationalist government was unwilling to invest in them.

After the War of Resistance against Japan, the number of snipers remaining is estimated to be less than two thousand.

Even a large-scale review was not a big deal in the director's eyes.

Ultimately, snipers are just a type of soldier who causes casualties, and in the eyes of someone like the section chief, they are not actually that important.

Only the forces that determine the victory of a battle deserve his special attention.

The section chief didn't think much of it and said magnanimously:
"Go ahead and do it!"

Zhang Anping's anxiety was finally relieved!

In fact, by the later stages of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the sniper training brigade no longer even had scopes mounted on their weapons.

However, the trained snipers (who are actually more like precision marksmen) possess excellent military skills, and most importantly, they have all been battle-tested!
After the war ended, American aid poured in like a tide. Some generals who had witnessed the power of snipers requested more rifles specifically for snipers. The Americans generously provided support, which led to these people upgrading their weapons.

With fewer than two thousand—or more accurately, over fourteen hundred—snipers equipped with scopes and possessing considerable military skills, they had little impact on the overall course of the Liberation War.

But it will definitely increase the casualties of our army by a large margin.

Zhang Anping dug this pit, so how could he possibly allow any casualties caused by him to occur?
Therefore, he had already planted spies in the sniper training brigade.

Now, he needs to actively dig out this nail, and then...

It completely destroyed the sniper system in the National Revolutionary Army!
And now, he obtained the authorization with ease. (End of Chapter)