Kingsman Agent in Film and Television

Zhang Anping jokingly calls Zheng Yaoquan a "master of balance" because since taking office, Zheng has basically never been determined to fight him.

Perhaps because he was the director, Zheng Yaoquan usually "mediated" from the perspective of a "neutral person" when he was not entirely sure of the situation.

For example, when Mao Renfeng was about to lose, help Mao Renfeng out;
For example, when Mao Renfeng is about to lose again, help Mao Renfeng out;
For example, when Mao Renfeng is about to lose again, they will help him out—and occasionally when Mao Renfeng is in the limelight, they will suppress him.

This is actually something most top leaders often do—two deputies are at odds, and the top leader stands in the position of referee, helping whoever is losing to maintain internal balance while gradually spreading their influence outwards, eventually creating a sweeping trend.

If the two deputies are still standing there ungrateful, then we'll take on both of them one by one and crush them fair and square.

There's nothing wrong with this way of being an official, but this just happens to be the Bureau of Secrecy!

Very few people know that the seemingly evenly matched, barely alive, and easily won scenarios presented by the Security Bureau are all fantasies that Zhang Anping is desperately trying to create. To achieve this, he constantly racks his brains to put himself at a disadvantage.

Every time, you have to create the illusion that you're going all out and "may or may not win" against me.

The same applies in the current situation.

Zheng Yaoquan still held the same illusion that Zhang Anping had created in his mind at this time:

If we go all out, we might be able to defeat him, but we might not be able to.

He wasn't in a hurry at first. Since joining the Bureau of Secrecy, his influence has been steadily expanding, from the small circle of the Bureau headquarters at the beginning to the entire Bureau system now. Zhang Anping did indeed help a lot in this process.

Therefore, after much deliberation, Zheng Yaoquan decided to take a conciliatory approach to address the flaws Zhang Anping had revealed.

If successful, he could eliminate the Intelligence Department, Zhang Anping's largest tentacle, while maintaining the standoff between Zhang and Mao within the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.

Time is on his side. The longer it drags on, the greater his power will become, and then he will crush his opponents with an honorable and fair victory!

He thought Zhang Anping would back down, but he didn't expect Zhang Anping to protect Wang Tianfeng to the death!

As the saying goes, even a clay figure has a temper. Zheng Yaoquan has already humbled himself so much, so Zhang Anping doesn't know what's good for him?
Then...fight!

This is why he recruited Zheng Yaoxian and Mao Renfeng.

……

"Zheng Yaoquan is going all out this time!"

Inside the secret room, Zheng Yaoxian said with a solemn expression:

“This time, he’s going to take the lead—he’ll tell the Constable’s office directly about you sending someone to infiltrate Mao Renfeng.”

"In order to strike first, he planned to make a big deal out of Jiang Si'an's case and pin all the leaks that the Military Intelligence Bureau had failed to investigate over the years on him."

"This matter was handled by Mao Renfeng and me."

After explaining the core content of the three-person meeting, Zheng Yaoxian asked, slightly puzzled:

"Anping, didn't you want to take down Wang Tianfeng? This was a good opportunity, why did you have to confront him head-on?"

Zheng Yaoxian was very clear about Zhang Anping's strategic intentions—Wang Tianfeng had an intelligence force that even Zhang Anping was unaware of, which was no small matter. Zhang Anping had clearly decided to take down Wang Tianfeng and expose this intelligence force to the light of day, so why did he go back on his word at the crucial moment?
This was Zheng Yaoquan's initiative to extend "goodwill"!

Admittedly, this goodwill is essentially a slow poison, but since it can achieve the goal, why not take advantage of the situation?

Zhang Anping said with a hint of frustration, "Wang Tianfeng's men have captured He Shaohui, the then-head of the Third Battalion—he's being escorted to Nanjing. I only found out today."

For Zhang Anping, the Military Intelligence Bureau after Dai Chunfeng's death, now the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, was just a lump of dough; he could mold it into whatever shape he wanted.

To put it bluntly, it's because his control over the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics is extraordinary!
But now Wang Tianfeng is like a bag of steel needles hidden inside this dough. With this bag of needles, it's too... difficult for him to knead the dough!
Zheng Yaoxian suddenly realized, "No wonder!"
"What exactly is Wang Tianfeng trying to do?" Zheng Yaoxian also felt that things were getting tricky.

It's not a big deal that Wang Tianfeng's men caught He Shaohui, but the key issue is that Zhang Anping shouldn't have only found out today!

That's the big problem.

Zheng Yaoxian hesitated for a moment before raising the question that worried him the most:
"Does he suspect you?"

"It's hard to be sure, but at the very least he suspects there might be a problem around me—maybe he suspects Zheng Yi, but I can't guess what he's thinking right now."

Zhang Anping did not hide his current thoughts.

Zheng Yaoxian was taken aback: "You suspect Zheng Yi?"

Zhang Anping briefly explained the reason.

In fact, it was a "trap" dug by Zhang Anping during the Chongqing hostage crisis, and Zheng Yi entered into it on his own initiative.

(Zheng Yi hints to Wu Liwei that the Security Bureau intends to kill him.)
Even if this matter is brought up again, it will have absolutely nothing to do with Zhang Anping.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yaoxian looked at Zhang Anping speechlessly. You always manage to use scheming!

He agreed with Zhang Anping's line of thinking: "If that's the case... then it makes sense."

Zhang Anping, however, was not so optimistic, even though he was the one who provided the idea.

"Wang Tianfeng's thoughts are hard to fathom, and I'm worried he might have other ideas," Zhang Anping said frankly.
"Therefore I must do everything in my power to protect him."

Of course, there is another way:
Kill Wang Tianfeng to eliminate future troubles!

But actions are different from plans. Plans are often about calculating people's hearts.

Actions often leave behind many traces!

These traces could be fatal oversights—although they can solve the problem quickly and efficiently, what if you make a mistake?

Wang Tianfeng is a master, and because he is a bachelor, his whereabouts are very fixed. Fixed whereabouts mean that the difficulty of assassination is reduced. But what if this "fixedness" is Wang Tianfeng's weakness?
You should know that Wang Tianfeng has a special operations team built from death row inmates!

Zheng Yaoxian understood Zhang Anping's concerns, but he couldn't help him. He could only say, "Then what do we do next? He Shaohui is a pawn in your game. If handled properly, there's a high chance he can take down Mao Renfeng."

But in your plan, Mao Renfeng is the best shield. Do you really want to abandon him and replace him with Zheng Yaoquan?

Zhang Anping shook his head: "No, we can't expel Mao Renfeng from the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics!"

In terms of sheer skill, Zheng Yaoquan is actually several levels below Mao Renfeng.

Zheng Yaoquan was a founding member of the Military Intelligence Bureau and the head of the Second Bureau, but in the original timeline, he was forced out of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics by Mao Renfeng.

Although his seniority allowed him to remain the superior of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (BIS) after his defeat, the BIS was ultimately a secret service agency, directly responsible to the Chief of Staff, so his position as superior was utterly useless.

Therefore, in terms of skill, he was completely defeated by Mao Renfeng!

However, as a spy, Zheng Yaoquan was several levels above Mao Renfeng—Mao Renfeng was very capable, but ultimately he was a clerical worker in the spy business, and his professional skills were far inferior.

Zhang Anping could not keep Zheng Yaoquan in the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics indefinitely.

"This time, let's make getting rid of Zheng Yaoquan our main objective—Mao Renfeng is likely to reap a huge benefit!"

Zhang Anping was somewhat regretful. His original plan was to "get rid of" Zheng Yaoquan when the time was right. The so-called "right time" referred to when he was at a serious disadvantage in the internal power struggle within the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.

In this way, Mao Renfeng could naturally succeed to the throne—and if Ming Lou's identity were revealed at this time, Mao Renfeng would have to be replaced before he even got comfortable in his seat.

After a few rounds of back and forth, the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics will be in complete chaos.

But now that the Balance Master has rolled up his sleeves and personally taken to the field, Zhang Anping has no choice but to eliminate the Balance Master first!
Upon hearing this, Zheng Yaoxian pressed further, "What can I do?"

"You... just wait and see! We'll take over the intelligence department then!"

Zheng Yaoxian looked at Zhang Anping with a deep gaze, then couldn't help but laugh, "It has to be you!"
After laughing, Zheng Yaoxian remembered something else and asked, "By the way, I heard something from home—Mingtai, shouldn't we bring him back?"

After the three Ming brothers returned from Shanghai, Ming Lou was sidelined, while Ming Tai, being one of Zhang Anping's men, managed to secure a decent position.

However, Zhang Anping had already made arrangements for him. He mysteriously disappeared after staying in Chongqing for a short time—he was ordered to infiltrate the Soviet area.

However, Jiang Si'an was arranged by Zhang Anping to be evacuated to the liberated area where Mingtai was located, which was naturally aimed at Mingtai.

"Has he met with Jiang Si'an?" Zheng Yaoxian replied, "Sister Qian arranged it herself, he has."

In fact, Mingtai's life in the liberated area was very comfortable - for an underground party member who was living in anonymity, being able to go to the Soviet area was a dream come true.

Unfortunately, he was still receiving a salary from the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, and after Jiang Si'an appeared, he had no choice but to withdraw.

Zheng Yaoxian's expression turned strange:
“That kid secretly consulted Jiang Si’an for several days, asking about all your quirks and habits. It seems his goal is to infiltrate your inner circle.”

In this respect, Zheng Yaoxian was genuinely envious of Zhang Anping.

Look at Zhang Anping's amazing move—he made Lin Nansheng, his own comrade, his adjutant;
It's Mingtai again!

Both of them were exceptionally outstanding.

Unlike him, whose only trustworthy person is his wife—he wouldn't dare to be as promiscuous as Zhang Anping!

Zhang Anping smiled but did not respond to Zheng Yaoxian's envy.

After the two talked for a while, Zheng Yaoxian left. After Old Zheng left, Zhang Anping turned off the dim light in the secret room and stood in the darkness, his eyes glazed and blank.

Why did he insist on keeping one of his comrades by his side?

When he was in Shanghai, his opponents were Japanese, and he focused most of his attention on the Japanese. No matter what he planned, he always had a clear conscience!

But things are different now, especially in the later stages of the War of Resistance against Japan.

Everyone around him trusted him implicitly!

Zheng Yi, Li Bohan, Xu Baichuan, and so on...

These people trust him without reservation.

To put it bluntly, if he asked these people to take a bullet for him now, not one of them would hesitate.

But he himself has always been wearing a false mask.

The conscience of the Party-state;
Loyal servants of the Party and the State...

He tried his best to play his role, but after scheming and performing false acts time and time again, was he really unmoved?
How can it be!

In the past, with Lin Nansheng by my side, even a simple question could help me release my pent-up frustrations instead of letting them fester and condense.

But there hasn't been a suitable candidate around me during this period.

Fortunately, Mingtai arrived soon afterward.

After spending a long, long time alone, sorting out the turmoil in his heart and setting it aside, Zhang Anping took a deep breath and turned on the light. The king who was in charge of the Secret Service appeared once again.

He raised his wrist to check the time.

It's almost time to see the section chief!

For Zhang Anping, "taking out" Zheng Yaoquan was really, really not difficult.

This guy is trying to achieve everything in one battle, and he's bound to make a fatal mistake!

……

"Nonsense!"

"Nonsense!"

After listening to Zheng Yaoquan's report, the chief attendant said "Nonsense" twice.

He even stood up angrily and paced back and forth—clearly angered by what Zheng Yaoquan had reported.

But Zheng Yaoquan was very disappointed.

He realized that he had seriously underestimated Zhang Anping's standing in the eyes of the chief of staff.

In his report just now, Zheng Yaoquan used rhetoric to inform the chief attendant of Zhang Anping's actions—what he said was true, but after his embellishment, it gave the impression that:

In his quest for power, Zhang Anping had his students defect to Mao Renfeng's side. Taking advantage of Mao Renfeng's wife, Xiang Yingxin, who suffered from mental illness, he deliberately induced her to claim that she was a "Communist." Zhang Anping did this because he was misled by Jiang Si'an.

This Jiang Si'an has been confirmed by Zheng Yaoquan to be a Communist hidden in the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. If someone hadn't tipped him off, Jiang Si'an would definitely have been arrested!
Is what Zheng Yaoquan said true?
These words, once written down and recorded, will remain unquestionable even if the "truth" is later uncovered!
But is this true?

Certainly not!

But that's just rhetoric—like how the Chinese national football team has never lost a penalty shootout in the World Cup.

The chief attendant's thinking was indeed swayed, and he even became annoyed.

To Zheng Yaoquan's disappointment, the chief attendant commented that it was "nonsense".

Holy crap, did that bastard Zhang Anping save the chief attendant before?!
Otherwise, why would the chief aide be so biased towards this grandson who isn't from the Whampoa Military Academy?
I, Zheng Yaoquan, am a genuine Whampoa Military Academy graduate, okay?
Suppressing his dissatisfaction, Zheng Yaoquan asked for instructions:

“Chief Attendant, the Ministry believes this trend should not be allowed to continue! Therefore, I intend to give him a serious warning.”

"A warning?" The chief attendant thought for a moment. "The young man is still a young man after all. Young people act impulsively and without considering the consequences. It is inevitable that they will be biased and inconsiderate. A warning is necessary. This is an internal matter of the Security Bureau. You can handle it as you see fit."

And... the little guy!

Zheng Yaoquan is almost becoming withdrawn!
Even in this condition, how come it's still a little one?
Are young people impulsive and reckless in their actions? Are they biased and lacking in consideration?
This is fucking exonerating Zhang Anping!

That bastard, did I save you twice?!
Zheng Yaoquan was dejected. With those words in mind, he realized that his dream of taking advantage of the situation to get rid of Zhang Anping was just that—a dream.

However, at least the "warning" was approved, which means we can take this opportunity to crack down hard—although it won't be the final blow.

Fortunately, he was prepared—he had at least fought the first battle, and now he would let Zheng Yaoxian and Mao Renfeng fight hand-to-hand. In short, from now on, it would be a three-on-one fight to the death!

After receiving approval, Zheng Yaoquan took his leave. The chief aide did not stop him, but gave him a few simple instructions before telling him to get lost. The so-called instructions were actually an expression of dissatisfaction with the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.

Compared to the Military Intelligence Bureau under Dai Chunfeng's command, the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics under Zheng Yaoquan's leadership at this time could not provide the National Army with timely and effective intelligence. How could the Chief of Staff be satisfied?

Zheng Yaoquan broke out in a cold sweat after being told this, and hurriedly promised to strengthen supervision, etc.

After escaping, Zheng Yaoquan quietly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, thinking to himself that he would immediately gather some intelligence to deal with the situation.

Just as he was about to leave the official residence, he unexpectedly saw someone he never expected.

Section Chief!

Upon seeing the other party, Zheng Yaoquan hurriedly went to greet him, but to his surprise, the director only gave him a half-smile.

This made Zheng Yaoquan feel uneasy.

He asked tentatively, "Director, what's going on?"

The section chief asked meaningfully:

"Jeff, do you know why General Yu Nong enjoys the Chief of Staff's trust so much?"

Zheng Yaoquan's heart skipped a beat, and his unease intensified.

He forced a smile and said, "Brother Yu Nong is a born intelligence king."

"No, General Yu Nong..." the section chief said quietly.
"The intelligence provided by General Yu Nong is exactly as it is!"

After saying that, he patted Zheng Yaoquan on the shoulder and dismissed him with a "you'd better watch yourself" expression.

Looking at Zheng Yaoquan's somewhat "down-on-his-luck" figure, the section chief couldn't help but recall his previous meeting with Zhang Anping, then shook his head and muttered to himself:

"This guy, even when asking for favors, he's so... self-righteous!" (End of Chapter)