Kingsman Agent in Film and Television

Zhang Anping actually wanted to have a drink with Zheng Yaoxian.

Just having a drink—I don't have many more chances to see Lao Zheng. After the New Year, the special forces will be deployed to the battlefield, and then we'll wait to launch a counterattack against the Kuomintang.

Once he turns against his own side, Lao Zheng will go home, and I'm afraid I won't be able to see him easily anymore.

But time doesn't allow it.

He knew someone would be coming to his house today.

He had to meet this person—he wasn't sure who it was, but the person's level was definitely not low, since the person was acting as a persuader.

Zhang Anping hadn't expected the other party to arrive so quickly—before he even got home, the persuader invited by Mao Renfeng was already waiting for him at his house.

Dai Chunbang!
Dai Chunfeng's younger brother, a major general and special commissioner of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics.

Major General Specialist – this title sounds impressive, but without any real position, it's more of a status and rank.

Clearly, Dai Chunbang was the latter. He was a major general commissioner in the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, just like Dai Shanwu. He could use his title to make money and do bad things, but he could never have real power. Without a doubt, this uncle and nephew belonged to the type who lived off Old Dai's "legacy".

Zhang Anping looked down on Dai Shanwu, but compared to his uncle Dai Chunbang, Dai Shanwu was actually much better. Take their final fates as an example: although both ate peanuts, Dai Shanwu was given a chance at the beginning, but he foolishly ran away and was caught a second time before eating peanuts. Dai Chunbang, on the other hand, ate peanuts as soon as he was caught.

From another perspective, it becomes clearer what kind of people the two are—as Dai Chunfeng's son and his own brother, neither of them managed to escape to the island immediately.

How many secret agents from the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics went to the island?

As Dai Chunfeng's son and younger brother, neither of them managed to get a spot on the island immediately, which shows how despicable they were.

Getting back to the point, Zhang Anping was quite polite and respectful to Dai Chunbang when he visited—even though he had personally ordered Dai Chunbang to be "hung up," and ultimately received the lowly treatment of a major general commissioner.

"Second cousin, you've arrived."

Compared to Dai Shanwu, who still had to put on an act in front of Zhang Anping, Dai Chunbang, who had already been beaten down by reality time and time again, could only be described as obsequious.

Upon seeing Zhang Anping enter the living room, he stood up on his own initiative. After Zhang Anping greeted him, he hurriedly said, "Anping, as the deputy director of the Bureau of Secrecy, you are truly a role model for us all when it comes to the use of official vehicles. I have learned a great deal from you..."

Zhang Guanfu, who was accompanying a guest, frowned. Although he disliked Dai Chunbang's obsequious manner, he still pulled him back:

"Chunbang, please have a seat."

Dai Chunbang dared not sit down, but instead first respectfully said to Zhang Anping, "Anping, please sit down."

If he weren't at home, he probably wouldn't even dare to utter the name Anping—although in private he had cursed Zhang Anping quite a bit, and his words had even reached Zhang Anping's ears on several occasions.

You're a spy, yet your private insults keep getting back to the person in question. If it weren't for Dai Chunfeng's legacy and protection, you'd probably be scattered all over the place by now.

Zhang Anping didn't stand on ceremony and sat on the sofa, adopting a dignified posture, clearly not wanting to get entangled with Dai Chunbang. After giving Zhang Guanfu a few perfunctory replies, Dai Chunbang began to deliberately talk to Zhang Anping.

When he said something, at least half of it was a compliment to Zhang Anping.

Seeing this, Zhang Anping asked decisively, "Second cousin, you've come to see me for something, haven't you?"

Dai Chunbang chuckled twice: "I was just doing this for someone else..."

Seeing this, Zhang Guanfu stood up and said:
"I'll go get you a pot of tea."

Knowing Zhang Guanfu's character, Dai Chunbang rose to see him off. After Zhang's father left, he carefully sat down and whispered:
"Anping, it was Director Mao who asked me to do this..."

Zhang Anping frowned slightly, but resisted the urge to speak. Dai Chunbang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and after catching his breath, continued:
"Director Mao and Mao Renfeng asked me to talk to you about making peace."

"Make peace?" A cold glint appeared on Zhang Anping's lips.

“Anping, we’re all family. There’s no need to fight to the death and make a fool of ourselves,” Dai Chunbang quickly said.
"Right now, with our Security Bureau making such a fuss, everyone else is just laughing at us."

“I think it would be better if you and Director Mao each took a step back and worked together peacefully for the Party and the country. That would be the best way. Fighting back and forth will only hurt ourselves in the end.”

"What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Anping closed his eyes and began to think, while Dai Chunbang became so nervous that even his breathing became much lighter.

After a long while, Zhang Anping suddenly opened his eyes:
"What does Mao Renfeng mean?"

Dai Chunbang hurriedly said, "Director Mao said the matter in Northeast China was a misunderstanding, and he will have Director Ming release the people. What do you think?"

"Misunderstand?"

A cold smile appeared on Zhang Anping's lips: "What a misunderstanding."

"Then, what does the file I have say?"

"This is a frame-up!" Dai Chunbang said with absolute certainty this time: "Director Mao believes that someone in Shanghai also framed him!"

"He felt that someone wanted to see our Bureau of Investigation and Statistics make a fool of itself, and did it on purpose."

It was obvious that Mao Renfeng was actually afraid.

Although he repeatedly called Zhang Anping a hypocrite, he knew very well how fierce Zhang Anping's character was.

Despite the fact that he brought up the Shanghai secret station smuggling case, which involved Zhang Anping's old lair, Zhang Anping should have been hesitant to act rashly.

But he was even more afraid that Zhang Anping might lose his temper and ignore the smuggling case at the Shanghai Secret Service.

He might even personally oversee the case.

If that happens, how could Zhang Anping possibly let the three stations under the Northeast Inspectorate go?
Although the situation in Northeast China was somewhat dire, Mao Renfeng did not believe that the People's Liberation Army could swallow up the hundreds of thousands of troops in the Northeast. Once Zhang Anping thoroughly investigated the situation in the Northeast, the situation that Minglou had worked so hard to build in the Northeast would be completely wiped out, and even Minglou himself might be imprisoned.

Ming Lou was his most trusted and loyal subordinate. When he was at his lowest point, only Ming Lou stayed by his side. If he couldn't protect Ming Lou, what would his subordinates think of him?
Indeed, Minglou had a group of Zhang Anping's trusted confidants in his hands, such as Xu Zhongyi and others.

But he really didn't dare gamble on whether Zhang Anping would be willing to betray his own family for the greater good...

This led to his decision to "stop at the appropriate time" at the bureau meeting, and it also led to Dai Chunbang's visit.

Mao Renfeng's attitude was also very clear: release Minglou, and the two cases in Shanghai and Northeast China will cancel each other out.

This can be described as full of "sincerity," since the most common thing in political struggles is actually exchange, one for one, two for two, and Mao Renfeng's move is clearly two for one.

Zhang Anping deliberately paused to think.

In fact, his real purpose in this exchange with Mao Renfeng was to sabotage himself.

As mentioned before, Mao Renfeng may not have realized her political crisis, but Zhang Anping saw it very clearly. The key to protecting Mao Renfeng was to make Zhang Anping lose face in front of the chief of staff.

But how did we lose this point?
Zhang Anping thought of a word:

Selfish!

The Bureau of Investigation and Statistics is the eyes and ears of the Chief Constable. If these eyes and ears selectively see and hear what they see and hear, it will naturally violate the Chief Constable's greatest taboo.

Therefore, Zhang Anping chose this approach—once he reached a "compromise" with Mao Renfeng, he would have to conceal the corruption of the Kuomintang generals in Northeast China, which would allow him to lose points.

However, this measure is not enough for the chief attendant to completely banish him to the cold palace; the chief attendant will only use it as a way to give him a warning.

This led to this intense clash between factions.

Ultimately, it was all to protect Mao Renfeng, who was completely unaware of the situation.

Feeling he had pondered for a while, Zhang Anping slowly said:
"Tell Mao Renfeng that I want to transfer Gu Shenyan to Beiping Station, and transfer Xu Tian from Beiping to Shanghai Station as the stationmaster."

Dai Chunbang was a little slow to react; he didn't understand the implied meaning of Zhang Anping's words. After Zhang Anping finished speaking, he asked, dumbfounded:

"Anping, do you agree to Director Mao's conditions?"

Zhang Anping glanced at Dai Chunbang, and a slightly further-term idea came to his mind. He waved his hand and said, "Just reply to Mao Renfeng like this."

"We've cooked at home, shall we eat first and then go?"

Dai Chunbang quickly stood up:
"No, no, Director Mao is still waiting for me in the car."

Zhang Anping almost lost his composure, thinking to himself that Lao Dai was really something else, actually appointing such a person as a county magistrate. What did the people of Gansu do to deserve having such a lousy official as their parent official?
"Go."

Zhang Anping waved his hand speechlessly. No wonder Lao Dai said that Dai Lao Er was a hopeless case!

No sooner had Dai Chunbang left than Zhang Guanfu came out. Watching Dai Chunbang's figure disappear, Zhang Guanfu asked Zhang Anping thoughtfully:

"Business?"

"Hmm. I didn't agree." Zhang Anping chose "good faith," which is commonly known as lying.

Zhang Guanfu nodded slightly: "As long as you know what I mean."

Zhang Anping didn't dare to utter a sound, pretending to know everything.

Known for his ability to kill multiple birds with one stone, he can't possibly be foolish enough to maintain the image of a model of integrity in the Party and the country, can he?
But now he's a "comrade" with the section chief, a like-minded colleague, and he can't actually go out and make money. So, how can he destroy this persona?

Selfish!

He chose to use this opportunity to destroy his public image by protecting his subordinates out of personal motives.

But how could he dare to say this to his own father, who was just as cunning!

……

Inside the car, Mao Renfeng seemed to be dozing, but his constantly fidgeting hands betrayed his unease.

He offered Zhang Anping a ladder, but if Zhang Anping didn't accept it, he could only lament his helplessness.

The key issue is that if Zhang Anping refuses to take the order, the entire Bureau of Investigation and Statistics will likely be in serious trouble.

As for who will win in the end...

Mao Renfeng had absolutely no confidence whatsoever; to be precise, he didn't believe that the Mao faction could ultimately prevail by continuing the fight to the bitter end.

In the past, Zhang Anping would not fight recklessly for the sake of the greater good, but this time, because Wang Tianfeng left in disgrace after taking the blame, Zhang Anping has clearly lost his mind. What if this guy becomes stubborn to the end?
My position was already precarious; if things continue like this, I'm afraid I'll really have to make a quiet exit...

Mao Renfeng, who seemed to have the upper hand in this internal struggle, was actually extremely nervous, which is why he chose to seek peace by exchanging two for one.

Whether it succeeds or not now depends on Dai Chunbang.

This is why he didn't wait for Dai Chunbang at home—he was genuinely worried!
"Director, he's here."

The secretary's reminder made Mao Renfeng open her eyes immediately. Looking at Dai Chunbang's uneasy expression through the car window, Mao Renfeng's heart sank.

It's over.

With her eyes closed, Mao Renfeng began to consider her "retirement life".

Dai Chunbang opened the car door. Because he had walked so fast, he was panting heavily and it took him a while to catch his breath.

"Director Mao, he, he, he didn't, he didn't, he didn't say he agreed."

Mao Renfeng remained silent; he already knew the answer from Dai Chunbang's expression just now.

"However, he said he would transfer Gu Shenyan to Beiping Station and Xu Tian to Shanghai Station."

Upon hearing this, Mao Renfeng, who was contemplating retirement, opened her eyes in astonishment. Only after seeing the sense of frustration on Dai Chunbang's face, realizing that this guy wasn't deliberately teasing her, but was simply being stupid.

It seems that all the wisdom of the Dai family has been bestowed upon spring by God!

"Chunbang, thank you for your hard work. I'll give you a note later. Well, that's all for now—you can go home now."

Dai Chunbang was taken aback. The matter had not been accomplished, but Mao Renfeng's promised conditions were to be fulfilled.

This guy is so damn particular!

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but think of Zhang Anping again—he originally thought that after the eldest brother died, with Zhang Anping protecting him, he could still act arrogantly and domineeringly. Who would have thought that this bastard would turn his back on him? The eldest brother was gone, and he called him his second cousin, but in the end, he didn't give him any benefits at all!

In a daze, he got out of the car, and only after watching the car speed away did he realize, "How am I going to get back?"

Why didn't you take me home?

In the car, Mao Renfeng shook her head:
"No wonder he ignored those two idiots; they're just too stupid."

After a moment of reflection, Mao Renfeng couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. Zhang Anping had actually agreed!
"Send a telegram to Minglou and tell him to release the people. Tell him he must come to my house when he comes back for the New Year. This time... we owe him a great debt to Minglou!"

The secretary also held Minglou in high esteem.

This time, Zhang Anping's sudden attack, although the Mao faction managed to block Zhang Anping's advance, actually came at a great cost to get the elders' help. Even so, Zhang Anping's offensive continued unabated, and many of Mao's key figures were sleepless, fearing that they would be taken away the moment they opened their eyes.

Even the secretary himself felt guilty. Not everyone is as upright and incorruptible as Zhang Anping; most people haven't cleaned up their messes.

Fortunately, Director Ming proved his worth, taking down several key figures of the Zhang faction in Northeast China. He also used his family connections to expose the secrets of the Shanghai Security Station. Otherwise, if this fight had continued, the Mao faction would have inevitably fallen apart.

Hmm, how many times has the Maoist faction fallen apart?

Thinking of this, the secretary couldn't help but look at Mao Renfeng with admiration.

When the Japanese occupied Shanghai, they were an invading army. How many officials were defeated and killed in Shanghai?
Even now, many Japanese devils tremble at the mere mention of Zhang Shih-hao's name!
The man in front of me, despite being repeatedly defeated by Zhang Anping, has managed to hold on until now. Although he has suffered many losses, he has always been able to get back up and fight back. It is truly admirable!

Mao Renfeng was unaware of his secretary's thoughts; at that moment, he was still feeling sentimental about Zhang Anping.

Although we criticize him as a hypocrite, there are certain things about him that are truly admirable.

If it were me, the first thing I would do after the storm had passed would be to catch my breath, but Zhang Anping actually attacked me without hesitation!
Gu Shenyan, a general highly regarded by Zhang Anping, was actually transferred away from the Shanghai station by Zhang Anping.

It seems the Zhang faction in Shanghai will need a major purge soon...

Mao Renfeng had no intention of joining in the fun. After all, that was Zhang Anping's stronghold, and any of his subordinates, except for Minglou, would probably die if they went there.

It's a pity that Minglou can't leave the Northeast; otherwise, we could consider sending him to Shanghai—with his abilities, he would definitely be able to hold his position there firmly.

……

The following day was the last bureau meeting of the year.

Everyone thought this meeting would be a storm, but surprisingly, it turned out to be quite ordinary, consisting entirely of work arrangements for the Chinese New Year period.

Completely calm!

At the end of the meeting, Mao Renfeng simply gave a brief report:
A telegram from the Northeast Inspectorate stated that a section chief in the logistics department of the headquarters had been executed for being a communist sympathizer and suspected of framing key party and state officials.

And then, that was it.

Only then did everyone realize that Zhang Anping had actually accepted the ladder offered by Mao Renfeng, and the two of them had "made up"!

After Mao Renfeng announced the adjournment of the meeting, everyone looked at Zhang Anping with strange expressions. Although no one spoke, the complexity in their eyes was obvious.

They cut off a major artery, so... they compromised?

Zhang Anping, you, a model of integrity for the Party and the nation, are actually this kind of person! (End of Chapter)