Kingsman Agent in Film and Television

After dinner, the two little ones sidled up to Zhang Anping, hugged him, and kept praising him. The two little ones had watched a lot of operas with their grandmother, and their standard for distinguishing good officials from bad officials was whether they were honest or not. Therefore, the two little ones regarded their father as Bao Zheng and Hai Rui.

Faced with the two little ones praising him so enthusiastically, Zhang Anping had a beaming smile on his face. Zhang Guanfu, standing to the side, was extremely jealous. "These two little brats, I've spoiled you for nothing—aren't you grandpas honest officials?"
Zhang Anping, who had been playing the role of a loving father, was enjoying the two little ones' entanglement, but Zeng Moyi, standing to the side, had to maintain her strict motherly role. Feeling that the two little ones had been entangled for long enough, she reached out and lifted their clothes:
"You didn't go to school today, so Grandpa will make up for your homework—let go!"

The younger Xixi enjoyed snuggling in his father's arms and wouldn't let go. Even when Zeng Moyi raised her hand to slap him, the little guy wasn't afraid and signaled to his father to protect him. Zhang Anping cooperated by holding Xixi and turning his bottom towards his wife.

pop
Zeng Moyi only slapped him twice before seeing Wangwang protect her younger brother, so she had to stop. Xixi, on the other hand, glared angrily at her father, never expecting to be sold off like this.

While chuckling to himself, Zhang Anping picked up Wangwang as well, then assured the furious Xixi:

"Don't be afraid, Dad will protect you."

As he spoke, he hugged Xixi tightly, leaving his wife with Xixi's biggest weakness.

Then, Xixi's little bottom received two more solid slaps. This time, Xixi finally saw through her kind father. She clung to her brother, dejectedly standing in front of her mother, resigned to her fate.

Watching his son trick his grandson, Zhang Guanfu smiled. This brat treated his son much better than he treated his own.

With a smile, he took his two grandsons' hands and led them to the study. After teasing the dejected Xixi for a few moments, the indomitable Xixi, who was always getting a beating, immediately regained his "fighting spirit" and began to try to complain to his grandfather, hoping that his grandfather could give his unrighteous father a good beating.

Zhang Anping suppressed a laugh. Was the little guy trying to trick him?

Zeng Moyi rolled her eyes at Zhang Anping, saying, "How can you be a father like this?"

Zhang Anping disagreed, and said with some regret, "Wangwang is smart, it's not easy to trick him. Xixi is a bit dim-witted, but at least she can take a beating."

Zeng Moyi was speechless. It's ridiculous that Xixi and Wangwang, those two little ones, miss you so much that they think about you every day. Can't you, as their father, be serious for once?
The couple entered Zhang Anping's study. After closing the door, Zeng Moyi lowered her voice and said:
"This time it's a little different from what you expected—what's next?"

Before setting up this scheme, Zhang Anping naturally consulted with his wife, Zeng Moyi, who was also prepared—according to Zhang Anping's pre-set script, he should be detained for a period of time before being released.

This period was the stage where public opinion was brewing, using Zhang Anping's tragic fate to reflect the greed and distortion of the truth by the four major families.

But the director's quick admission of his mistake and his swift abandonment of the situation exceeded Zhang Anping's expectations and disrupted the public opinion strategy he had devised.

To be honest, Zeng Moyi had never encountered a situation that developed so drastically differently from Zhang Anping's plan, which left her feeling particularly bewildered.

Zhang Anping chuckled and said, "I initially thought the outcome this time would be a bit tricky, but after talking with the old man, I think we can be more optimistic."

Zeng Moyi was taken aback. Was it related to her father?
"If I'm not mistaken, tomorrow's news won't actually be explosive."

???

Zeng Moyi was taken aback. With such a surging public opinion right now, how could exposing your incorruptible reputation before this breaking point not have an explosive effect?

How can this be?

"Because..."

Zhang Anping smiled and said, "Some people don't want a spy to steal the spotlight, and they don't want a spy to highlight their corruption."

"Director, you're still a bit naive."

Zhang Anping then analyzed the reasons for Zeng Moyi. Listening to Zhang Anping's analysis, Zeng Moyi gradually understood why Zhang Anping was so certain. She secretly clicked her tongue and thought to herself, "According to your analysis, not only is the director a bit naive, but even Sister Chai and I are a bit naive!"

"Then what do we do?"

"Of course we should add fuel to the fire—the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics has withdrawn its attention from the newspaper office, so what are we waiting for if we don't ignite the flames now?"

……

Nighttime, the Central Daily News office.

After examining the samples sent by the printing factory, a reporter, filled with anger, went to the editor-in-chief's office and knocked on the door.

"Editor-in-chief, why wasn't my article published? And... what's the deal with this news article? Why did you gloss over the matter of Zhang Anping, the deputy director of the Bureau of Secrecy?"

The reporter's anger was justified—his article was actually a political assignment, a political task given by the director's office. Moreover, this time the article wasn't written against his conscience, but based on true events. With the director's office vouching for it, it was a major breaking news story.

But now, they've actually withdrawn!

Not only was it removed from the final version of the template, but the news about Zhang Anping, the deputy director of the Bureau of Secrecy, was also changed to:

An investigation has revealed that Zhang Anping, deputy director of the Bureau of Secrecy, was not guilty of any corruption and has been released.

Don't you, as the editor-in-chief, know what kind of people our Nationalist government is?

There were already solid news reports and various supporting materials, but they changed it to this?

When others see this, wouldn't they suspect there's something fishy going on?
Faced with his subordinates' questioning, the editor-in-chief said helplessly:
"This is what the higher-ups mean."

The reporter retorted bluntly, "Above? Which above? Does having a section chief's office mean anything?"

"What do you think?" The editor-in-chief shrugged. "Do you think I'm stupid, or is the entire management and review team of our newspaper stupid?"

The reporter was speechless; it was clear that the "meaning" received by the Central Daily News was significantly higher than the "meaning" from the director's office.

“But if other newspapers report the truth, then what will happen to the reputation of our Central Daily News…” The reporter softened his tone and expressed his concerns from a broader perspective.

"Other newspapers?" The editor chuckled, but it was clearly the kind of chuckle born of extreme anger.
“Even our Central Daily News has to follow the orders from above. Can other newspapers be an exception?”

Faced with the editor-in-chief's furious snicker, the reporter chose to silently leave the office.

Authentic, accurate, comprehensive, and objective!
He believes that the editor-in-chief, like most journalists, is willing to take these eight words as the standard for journalists and put them into practice.

But... most of the time, people have to bow to reality.

The editor-in-chief had no choice but to bow his head.

The reporter sighed silently, realizing that he too had bowed his head long ago, but this time he believed that with the will of the director's office, he could be truthful, accurate, comprehensive, and objective.

But in the end, I was just overthinking it.

This scene was playing out simultaneously in many newspaper offices.

……

night.

Zhang family.

Zhang Anping and Zeng Moyi were lying in bed when Zeng Moyi suddenly asked:

“Anping, don’t you think they’re afraid of the truth being revealed?” Clearly, Zeng Moyi was still immersed in Zhang Anping’s analysis of media intervention—even the ancients knew that it’s better to guide than to suppress. Now those people are trying to suppress this news, don’t they know that if they don’t handle it properly, it will eventually backfire on them?

Faced with his wife's "lingering resentment," Zhang Anping responded with a rhetorical question:

"During the War of Resistance, didn't they know that for every drop of blood they sucked from the Nationalist government, the soldiers on the front lines would bleed ten more drops of blood?"

"Don't they realize that the more benefits they extract from the Nationalist government, the more the scales of victory will tip in our favor?"

Zhang Anping's question left Zeng Moyi speechless.

They must all know.

Being short-sighted is not because they can't see things, but because their interests blind them to everything they see!
……

The next day, the newsboy's clear voice, selling newspapers, rang out in the streets and alleys as usual.

Many pedestrians, upon hearing the newsboy's clear voice selling newspapers, instinctively felt puzzled:

Yesterday's newspaper reported that Zhang Anping (Zhang Shih-hao) was arrested the day before yesterday and his home was searched. Why is there no mention of this in today's newsboys' hawking?
Pedestrians stopped to buy newspapers, and then used the gaps in their time to search for the contents of the newspapers. Soon they found what they were looking for in an inconspicuous place in the newspapers—but the contents were so infuriating!

An investigation has revealed that Zhang Anping, deputy director of the Bureau of Secrecy, has not engaged in any corrupt activities and has been released.

It was only twenty-two words, but it was like a mocking emoji, relentlessly ridiculing them in the newspaper.

Of course, some tabloids made this a headline story and praised Zhang Anping as a contemporary Bao Zheng or Hai Rui.

Admittedly, these tabloids are reporting the truth.

Compared to more serious newspapers, the content of these tabloids would undoubtedly be regarded as nonsense—with such exaggerated claims, it's highly likely that these tabloids themselves were controlled by spies.

Faced with this outcome, most people can only vent their frustration with a numb, pouting expression.

But in this era, there are still many passionate young people.

"Such a big matter, and in the end they just gave such a vague and evasive answer?!"

A group of students gathered together, and the fire of their anger grew ever stronger:
"They just arrested someone who claimed they wanted to fight corruption, but then they released him without charge? They weren't even willing to wait a little bit of time!"

"The Nationalist government is treating us like fools!"

"Everyone, let's protest! Why can these bad guys get away with it?!"

"Yes, let's protest! Zhang Anping is corrupt and embezzling, why is he getting away with it?! Is there no justice left? Is there no law at all?!"

……

Office of the Director.

The section chief flipped through today's newspaper, his expression shrouded in gloom.

The mainstream newspapers collectively glossed over this matter!
He himself held a press conference specifically for this, but the matter was "tacitly" glossed over!
Are you trying to fool me?
The section chief's chest heaved violently, and a raging fire of anger burned within him.

He wanted to use this opportunity to manipulate public opinion and subtly push the tide of public opinion against corruption even higher. He never expected that those old foxes and gluttons would break his offensive so easily and make him a laughing stock.

"Prepare the carriage; we're heading to the entourage!"

……

Zhang family.

Zhang Anping and his son looked at each other in silence as they stared at the newspaper.

During their conversation in the study yesterday, Zhang Guanfu told his son that some people would definitely take action and wouldn't let a spy have all the credit—he was right, but Zhang Guanfu didn't expect them to play like this, directly responding with such a short news item.

Coping with it—this isn't coping with it, it's asking for trouble!
"This is bad!" Zhang Guanfu muttered. "If someone with ulterior motives stirs things up, our family might be besieged!"

These mainstream newspapers are trying to "whitewash" Zhang Anping with such concise words—this is clearly making things worse!

If someone with ulterior motives sets up a scheme, many enthusiastic students, unaware of the truth, may be swept up in the fray.

The thought of that scene sent chills down Zhang Guanfu's spine.

Zhang Anping lowered his head by one degree. I... am the one with the intention.

"Let's go! Let's go right now!" Zhang Guanfu stood up and said resolutely, "Anping, find a place for us to stay temporarily, and while you're at it, go to Lu Xiao's place and pick up Wangwang and Xixi!"

He was also worried that Zhang Anping might think he was making a mountain out of a molehill, so he specifically emphasized:

“It’s better to be prepared!”

Zhang Anping thought to himself: Dad, those are all my words!

He was the one who had been secretly stirring things up, but he didn't expect those people to be so ruthless. Didn't they know that speaking so vaguely was the easiest way to ignite public anger?
That's true. If they cared about the public, how could they be so greedy?

"Fine!" Zhang Anping stood up with a gloomy expression.

We have to run—if we don't, we might get eaten by the protesters.

He only added some firewood, but he never expected that someone would pile up countless gasoline!
Fortunately, he only added fuel to the fire.

You see, according to the idea that came to him after meeting the section chief yesterday, it wasn't about adding fuel to the fire, but about preparing a bunch of explosives to counter the section chief's sincere and deadly move.

Fortunately, after talking with his father last night, he realized that he had underestimated the Taotie's keen sense of self-preservation.

Strangely enough, when it comes to their own safety, the Taotie's sensitivity is incredibly absurd. The director had only slightly drawn his knife, not even revealing the blade, yet they already sensed danger.

Yet their reaction to something that could trigger a crisis of trust in the Nationalist government was so indifferent and sluggish.

No wonder Mo Yi had such doubts.

Zhang Anping quickly went to the phone:
"Old Shen, have you taken over the Chen mansion?"

"Yes, I was coming yesterday."

"Arrange a car to come to my house immediately and take my parents and wife to the Chen mansion first—send a few people to Lu Xiao, I'll be there right away."

Shen Zui, on the other end of the phone, seemed to have some understanding of why Zhang Anping had acted this way. (End of Chapter)