Kingsman Agent in Film and Television

15:55 PM.

In the bureau's conference room, everyone who was supposed to be there was present, except for the two main characters.

At this moment, there was a constant murmur in the conference room. Most of the attendees were whispering to each other, while only a very small number of people were "isolated" from the meeting room, seemingly out of place – these few people were the die-hard Zhang faction.

The Zhang faction, which once commanded widespread support, underwent a major shake-up, just like the Mao faction before it, after Zhang Anping revealed his intention to purge the power structure and various factions. In fact, many of the veterans who had no choice but to side with Mao Renfeng looked down on him from the bottom of their hearts and did not think highly of him.

Between Zhang Anping and Mao Renfeng, the age difference alone is enough to make one choose the right one, not to mention Zhang Anping's illustrious achievements.

Leaving aside the War of Resistance against Japan, from the moment he was reorganized into the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, Zhang Anping had always been at a disadvantage against an advantage, and a minority against a majority. Although every step he took was incredibly difficult, he ultimately became the big winner. If it weren't for the Executive Office taking a balancing act at a crucial moment and giving Zhang Anping a head-on blow, they would probably be retired now.

They really, really wanted to choose Zhang Anping!

But Zhang Anping simply couldn't tolerate them.

"It's truly a cruel twist of fate," one of the elders suddenly murmured to his companion.

"When the reorganization was underway, I supported him without hesitation, but the suffocating number of openings forced us to stand on the opposite side of him."

We barely survived their life-or-death struggle, and halfway through our journey, we boarded his ship. Just when we thought things had stabilized, he decided to launch a purge, and we were once again forced to stand against him.

His companions nodded in deep agreement. Yes, it was truly a cruel twist of fate—they had witnessed Zhang Anping take over this mess after Dai Chunfeng's death, defeating one opponent after another amidst the encirclement of powerful enemies. Yet, in the end, they found themselves on the opposite side of him.

After thinking for a moment, his companion asked anxiously, "This time... nothing will go wrong, will it?"

"Theoretically, it shouldn't be."

"theory?"

"Yes, in theory—when the reorganization was first launched, Mao Renfeng had a good chance of winning, but what happened?"
Back then, Zheng Yaoquan didn't seem to have a chance of winning at all, but what happened?

His companion was speechless, and couldn't help but mutter, "This time, please don't make it too weird..."

15:59 pm.

Suddenly, the sound of the guards outside making synchronized movements rang out, and the conference room instantly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop—undoubtedly, only when Zhang Anping appeared would the guards instinctively salute with the most standard movements.

After the guard pushed open the door, Zhang Anping, with a sullen face, strode in. He seemed to have something on his mind, and did not glance at the many attendees in the conference room. He walked to his seat and sat down, looking at the mysterious document in his hand with a heavy heart.

The attendees exchanged glances, making the already somber atmosphere even more tense!

They had guessed what Zhang Anping's expression would be like when he entered the meeting room—anger or disdain were both within their expectations, but why did he look so preoccupied?

What on earth is that document he's holding?

Even the high-ranking officials in Zhang's faction were extremely puzzled at this moment. Judging from Zhang Anping's appearance, he didn't seem to be facing a "major battle"!

16: 00.

"Commander Mao—present!"

As the guards pushed open the conference room door again, everyone in the room stood up, including Zhang Anping.

When Mao Renfeng served as acting director for the second time, Zhang Anping would initially stand up for important occasions such as bureau meetings. However, after Mao Renfeng repeatedly expressed his willingness to act as a "dog," Zhang Anping began to be the last to enter.

Now that Mao Renfeng has been officially appointed as the official wife, even if he doesn't get along with Mao Renfeng, he still has to give her the respect she deserves on important occasions.

Mao Renfeng strode in, and before taking his seat, he glanced at all the attendees who had stood up, nodded slightly, and then sat down. Only then did the others sit down.

"Gentlemen, this expanded meeting of the Bureau was held somewhat abruptly, but there was no other way—some comrades have doubts about the training course jointly organized by Deputy Director Zhang and the Party and Communications Bureau."

Since we are all comrades, we should solve problems when they arise, so I convened this expanded meeting—a good opportunity for everyone to speak freely.

(The term "comrade" is perfectly acceptable. The General Charter of the Kuomintang stipulates that Kuomintang members should address each other as "comrade." The book typically avoids using this term among Kuomintang members to distinguish between friend and foe.)
Mao Renfeng set the tone from the very first word—Brothers, attack them to the death!

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone stood up and began criticizing Zhang Anping:
"Deputy Director Zhang, why didn't you go through a bureau meeting before organizing such a big event as a joint training course with the Party and Communications Bureau?"

With one person taking the lead, the others were even less likely to fall behind, and one after another they began their "bombardment":
“Deputy Director Zhang, we are in fierce competition with the Party Communications Bureau, and fresh blood represents the future of our Confidentiality Bureau. Isn’t it a bit ill-considered to rashly join hands with the Party Communications Bureau to conduct this joint training course?”

This first shot was relatively mild, but the other "shells" were anything but:
"Zhang Anping, are you the deputy director of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics or the Bureau of Party Intelligence? Using the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics's valuable training methods to train agents for the Bureau of Party Intelligence? Are you being generous with your own resources to please your rivals?"

“Deputy Director Zhang, our Bureau of Secrecy’s training system has been refined and perfected over many years by countless people; it’s our Bureau of Secrecy’s greatest weapon. When the Party Intelligence Bureau was still the Party Affairs Investigation Section, it only recruited thugs and Communist traitors. It was even more rotten when it came to the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. Our training system is what gives us an advantage in the competition with the Party Intelligence Bureau. You’re cooperating with the Party Intelligence Bureau without the approval of the Bureau’s meeting. To put it bluntly, that’s betraying the interests of the Bureau of Secrecy!”

"Deputy Director Zhang..."

Faced with shell after shell, Zhang Anping showed no reaction whatsoever, not even a furrow of his brow, as if it were none of his business, as if he were not the one being bombarded.

Zhang Anping could hold back, but some people couldn't.

Jiang Yiying slammed her hand on the table in anger:

"enough!"

"Have you all no shame?"

Jiang Yiying was always a nobody at bureau meetings. She was a non-direct descendant of the Zhang faction, but she usually didn't get involved in internal power struggles. However, this time she couldn't stand it anymore.

“How many times has Deputy Director Zhang said that the training system needs to be rebuilt? You all use insufficient funding as an excuse to reject it time and time again.”

"Now, Deputy Director Zhang is using borrowed funds to generate profits without spending any of the bureau's money, yet in your mouths, he's become a criminal who betrayed the Bureau of Secrecy's interests?"

"Where is your face? Where is your face?!"

Jiang Yiying's sudden appearance was unexpected, but her retort was already prepared.

"Director Jiang, that's not how it works—we're also considering the interests of the Bureau of Secrecy."

"Director Jiang, this is a bureau meeting! It's a place to discuss matters, not a place for you to make trouble."

One rebuttal after another followed. Jiang Yiying could think of rebuttals for each one, but the key was that the other party was too coherent. As soon as she thought of a rebuttal, someone would start criticizing her, not even giving her a chance to continue speaking. Under the barrage of criticism, Jiang Yiying could only tremble from the attack—actually, she was angry.

Even if cadres from Zhang's faction stood up to support him, it was to no avail, because there were just too many mouths on the other side!

In one sentence after another, the joint training course organized by Zhang Anping and the Party's Communications Bureau became:
A prime example of something lacking any legitimacy, betraying the interests of the Security Service, disregarding the overall situation, and acting arbitrarily.

To put it simply:

The Bureau of Secrecy fundamentally rejected the legitimacy of the joint training program, meaning that the Bureau of Secrecy would not accept graduates of the joint training program!
As the dust was about to settle, Zhang Anping remained silent, which made the artillerymen uneasy.

Zhang Anping's reaction was wrong, very wrong!
Not only did they realize something was wrong, but Zhang's faction also realized it—Zhang Anping, who was so protective of his own people, actually ignored the criticism of his own people and remained indifferent.
It's normal for him to ignore criticism, but it's highly unusual that Zhang Anping still doesn't react when people like Jiang Yiying are criticized!

Mao Renfeng knew Zhang Anping too well. Seeing Zhang Anping sitting calmly in the "central command tent," his unease grew even stronger. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he made a gesture, and the "rumbling" "cannon fire" suddenly stopped.

"If you're going to talk business, just get to the point. Can you stop labeling people randomly? I doubt anyone here wants the Security Bureau to be any better than Anping—what kind of labels are you putting on them?"

After feigning anger and issuing a rebuke, Mao Renfeng looked at Zhang Anping:
“Anping, don’t take these words to heart. Everyone is just trying to do what’s best for the Bureau of Secrecy. Your decision was indeed a bit ill-considered. Why don’t you withdraw from this training program before they start hiring?”

From a political perspective, Mao Renfeng's actions were extremely "political".

With Mao Renfeng's words, if Zhang Anping dares to cause trouble, it would be too lenient to just label him as someone who doesn't understand the big picture!
No matter where the lawsuit goes, Zhang Anping is always in the wrong!
At this moment, Mao Renfeng thought:

Even in this situation, if you can still turn things around...

At this moment, everyone else also felt the same way:
In this situation, Zhang Anping, you can't keep causing trouble, can you?
The cadres of Zhang's faction looked grim at this moment. "You, Mao Renfeng, you really know how to talk!"
"Thank you for your kind offer, Director."

Zhang Anping's calm voice suddenly rang out, and the entire conference room fell silent.

Everyone held their breath and watched Zhang Anping.

So peaceful!

And at this point, should he make a scene or... admit defeat?
Everyone was waiting for what was to come. After thanking Mao Renfeng, Zhang Anping looked at the "artillerymen," especially the ones with the largest caliber guns. His calm and composed demeanor sent shivers down the spines of these top-ranking "artillerymen."

The death stare from Zhang Shih-hao is something most people simply can't handle!

"Are you finished talking?"

no answer.

Zhang Anping then continued:
"Then... I'll talk!"

"The day before yesterday, on May 16, 1947, our 74th Reorganized Division, one of our five elite armies, was completely wiped out."

Bang!
Zhang Anping slammed his hand on the table in anger and roared:

"completely annihilated!"

His eyes were spitting fire:
"More than fifty hours have passed since the 74th Reorganized Division was completely annihilated, and our Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, the most important military intelligence agency of the Party and the State, has yet to issue a detailed report—"

"And what are you doing?"

"What are you doing!"

Zhang Anping, like a wild beast ready to devour its prey, stared with fierce, crazed eyes at one "large-caliber" "artillery" after another.

Someone whispered:
"Several stations in Shandong, together with the military's inspection office, are already conducting an investigation..."

The sound was very soft, but it was clearly audible in the quiet conference room where you could hear a pin drop.

"Investigation bullshit!"

Zhang Anping angrily rebuked:

"One of the Party-state's elite troops is gone. The so-called investigation team was barely assembled in 36 hours, and the first thing they did was accept bribes!"

Zhang Anping angrily threw a stack of files onto the table, then slammed a file folder down on the table as well:
"The 74th Division had an elite force of over 7,000 men, hidden in the valley between Menglianggu and Diaowo. This was a desperate tactic—but in the end, they were discovered by the Communist army, which was about to sound the retreat!"

Do you know?

"Do you even know?!"

Upon hearing this, almost everyone in the room was stunned, except for Mao Renfeng and a few others who did not show any surprise—clearly, they knew about it.

Mao Renfeng's pupils contracted slightly. Zhang Anping hadn't attended the meeting in the Attendant's Office. How did he know about this?

"Do you know why the Communist army suddenly started searching again after their great victory, and eventually uncovered Commander Zhang's hidden plan?"

Zhang Anping clenched his fists like steel, gritting his teeth as he asked and answered himself:
"Because the Communist Party has control over the organization of the 74th Division! They have complete control! The Communist army knows better than you do how many combat personnel, how many logistics personnel, and how much firepower the 74th Division has!"

"The Bureau of Secrecy, the Bureau of Secrecy, what secrets are you protecting? Huh? Tell me, what secrets are you protecting?!"

Everyone was so intimidated by Zhang Anping's powerful aura that they dared not utter a sound. How did Zhang Anping suddenly take control of the meeting when it was supposed to be an expanded meeting to denounce him?
Mao Renfeng's heart skipped a beat at that moment.

He realized something:

Zhang Anping's statement was by no means unfounded—if, if this statement were to become a formal report and be submitted to the Attendant's Office...

He felt a sudden darkness engulf his vision.

The 74th Reorganized Division was one of the chief of staff's favorites. Even now, after the 74th Division was wiped out, the chief of staff is still cursing Zhang Lingfu. If the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics were to self-destruct at this time, it would be... it would be like walking into the line of fire!

Mao Renfeng was the director of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.

[To hell with the bureau chief, you're just a scapegoat!]

Mao Renfeng finally realized what Zhang Anping was up to!
Suppressing the tremor in her heart, Mao Renfeng said:

“Deputy Director Zhang is right. We must investigate thoroughly—investigate why the Communist army had detailed information about the 74th Division's organization, and find out who exactly betrayed the interests of the Party and the country!”

"We are the Bureau of Secrecy, a bureau dedicated to protecting the secrets of the Party and the State—such a leak is truly infuriating!"

"All units and departments, immediately launch a thorough investigation!"

"The meeting is dismissed!"

The meeting is adjourned?!
Everyone was stunned.

Ah, no, the 74th Division is finished, so what? That happened the day before yesterday, what does it have to do with today's events?

Weren't we supposed to bombard Zhang Anping?
I've already fired so many shells, and this... the meeting's adjourned without any explanation?
The attendees, their expressions strange, all stood up. Some of Zhang's associates tried to surround Zhang Anping, but at that moment, Mao Renfeng shouted:
“Anping, come with me, let’s talk.”

The attendees were shocked, and some finally realized why Mao Renfeng had inexplicably become cowardly.

Their expressions immediately became incredibly complex.

It's always like this, always so weird, always this weird!

A sense of powerlessness grew in their hearts. Playing against such an opponent was too despairing—this time, they clearly had a 100% chance of winning, they were united in their determination to veto the legitimacy of the joint training program, they were clearly on the verge of achieving their goal…

How did things suddenly reverse again?

Judging from Mao Renfeng's behavior, this time, he's probably going to back down again—no, he's almost certainly going to!

In fact, Mao Renfeng really admitted defeat.

After leading Zhang Anping to his office, he said with a solemn expression:

"Anping, are you sure the Communist army discovered the 74th Division's hidden ambush because they knew its organizational structure?"

Zhang Anping replied with a gloomy expression:

"I am sure."

"Is the source of this information reliable?"

“An inside man I personally have contact with.”

Mao Renfeng glared at Zhang Anping: "How come I didn't know?!"

He's the director of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. The inside man Zhang Anping knows is clearly of a high rank. How come he didn't know?!
Zhang Anping's answer was unexpected:

"You know."

"What do you mean?"

"His code name is Shadow."

Mao Renfeng was startled, and a name suddenly popped into her mind—

Huo Cunzhi!
Huo Cunzhi, also known as the Shadow Huo, was an inside agent developed by Zhang Anping in the prisoner-of-war camp after the Southern Anhui Incident. However, he was eventually sent by the underground party to "contact" Zeng Moyi.

This led Mao Renfeng to mistakenly believe that Zeng Moyi was a Communist, and in the end, she acted rashly, only to be slapped by Zhang Anping and sent to the cold palace.

Mao Renfeng was stunned. A dead man, a shadow who had died long ago, were your mole?

wrong!

He suddenly realized what was happening and looked at Zhang Anping in shock:
"It's you!" (End of Chapter)