Kingsman Agent in Film and Television

The riverbank north of Pukou Wharf.

On a small hill, in a dilapidated shack.

Old Lin coughed violently, gripping the blanket tightly with one hand and desperately pressing his lungs with the other. Even though his life was hanging by a thread, he had no choice but to exert all his strength to keep going.

When his nephew, who was in his twenties, saw Old Lin's condition, he gently patted his back and whispered:

"I'll go get you some...that."

After struggling to stop coughing, Old Lin said slowly but firmly:
"I can endure it."

"More than 100 years ago, because of this... this country began to be bullied by others..."

"Later..."

Old Lin's gaze was unfocused, as if he were seeing a golden age. He murmured softly:
"This thing must be eradicated from our land."

"must!"

The nephew nodded slowly, and then Old Lin couldn't help but cough again, but this time he seemed so weak. After coughing a few times with difficulty, Old Lin lay on the bed, panting heavily.

The nephew's eyes welled up with tears. His uncle, lying on the bed, had once been so passionate, and he himself had been inspired by him to dedicate himself to the revolution—he was following in his uncle's footsteps, pursuing the ideals his uncle had spoken of step by step.

Now, as his dream is nearing its realization, my uncle, like many of his comrades, is about to fall ill and die first...

After his nephew turned his head away, unable to bear it, he truly did not want to face the sight of his former mentor, now so weak and frail.

But the moment he turned his head away, every nerve in his body tensed up.

A figure stood upright at the doorway, his silhouette appearing incredibly ghostly in the flickering oil lamp light.

"who?"

The nephew became alert, his hand unconsciously reaching for his waist, only to realize after finding nothing that he wasn't carrying his sidearm at all.

Standing at the door was Zhang Anping, of course.

Seeing the reaction of Old Lin's nephew, and knowing that he had been specially invited by the organization, they realized the man's identity.

“One of our own—I’ve come to see Comrade Lao Lin.”

Zhang Anping said in a deep voice, "Comrade Lin, it's me."

Old Lin, lying on the bed, looked towards the door with difficulty, staring blankly at Zhang Anping, a look of doubt in his eyes.

He recognized the voice, but the face seemed unfamiliar.

“I came to the pharmacy with her that morning—she asked me to come and see you off.”

Old Lin suddenly realized that it was "him" behind Chai Ying.

Seeing his uncle's expression of realization, the nephew lowered his guard and then said:
"Didn't I say not to bother the other comrades?"

Zhang Anping didn't reply, but instead took out a white pill: "Give this painkiller to Comrade Lin."

He had actually been there for quite some time, but after overhearing the conversation between Old Lin and his nephew, he realized that this disease brought not only death but also tormenting pain, so he exchanged for a painkiller.

He hated the disease, but thanks to modern medical advancements, he ignored the accompanying pain.

The nephew, still somewhat hesitant, took the pills. Only after seeing Old Lin nod slightly did he dispel his doubts and feed the pills to him. Old Lin swallowed the pills with difficulty, mixed them with water, and then spoke with difficulty:
"You, you should go back. I appreciate your kindness. Now, fight well. We are all waiting for that day."

He didn't know Zhang Anping's identity, but he knew that Zhang Anping was the real person in charge of Chai Ying's intelligence group. For security reasons, he didn't want Zhang Anping to stay with him any longer.

Zhang Anping felt only boundless respect for this comrade-in-arms and martyr who remained vigilant in underground work until his death.

He stepped forward, dragged a small bamboo stool over with his foot, and sat down. "I'd like to talk to you for a bit—could this comrade step out for a while?"

The nephew looked at Old Lin, and after Old Lin nodded, he pointed to the water glass on the small cabinet by the window and then turned and left.

“There’s no need to come see a dying man like me.” The emaciated old Lin said with a smile, “You all, don’t look back, look forward. Victory is coming soon. We are all waiting for that day.”

Zhang Anping forced a smile:
"Comrade Lin, my name is... Zhang Anping."

The pain throughout Old Lin's body had subsided, and the sudden relief left him a little dazed. So much so that upon hearing the name, he smiled and said, "A good name, a good name indeed, bringing peace and tranquility to the world..."

Before he could utter the word "ping," astonishment already filled his gaunt face.

Zhang Anping!
Actually, this name is not nearly as well-known as the other one, but for Lao Lin, he knows both names.

And his other name is... Zhang Shih-hao!

Zhang Anping nodded slightly, responding to the immense astonishment in Lao Lin's eyes and expression.

"you……"

"you……"

"you……"

Old Lin said "you" several times, but didn't know how to continue.

The last time he saw Chai Ying, he reminded her to be careful of Zhang Shih-hao—don't underestimate him just because of his current achievements; he is someone the Japanese still fear.

But now, that person stands in front of him and calls him comrade.

This shock brought Old Lin to a standstill.

Zhang Anping gently grasped Lao Lin's hand.

His hands were withered and thin, as if only a thin layer of flesh covered his bones.

Chai Ying said that people at that time were confused, unsure if they had chosen the right path—but the owner of these withered hands smiled and said to them:

The difficulties are temporary; the path we have chosen is correct! It is because it is correct that we have attracted the enemy's fierce attack!

Later, the Japanese invaded China. The Northeast had already fallen, and after more than three months, Shanghai fell, followed by the capital Nanjing and vast swathes of land.

At that time, many people were filled with despair about the future.

But the owner of those withered hands said to them:

The difficulties we faced back then were far greater than they are now! It seemed like there was nowhere for us to go anywhere in the world—but now, we have the Anti-Japanese National United Front, we have a united people, what do we have to fear?
Later, the civil war broke out. Facing the American-equipped Nationalist army, and later the fall of Yan'an, it was still the owner of these withered hands who said to those around him:
No matter how tough it is, is it as tough as the Long March?

Even in despair, is there any despair as intense as when the War of Resistance against Japan broke out?

Our path has never been smooth—yet we have turned this bumpy road into a smooth highway. Now, we have vast base areas, workers and peasants who support and trust us, and even more comrades-in-arms. Are we still afraid of the rugged road ahead?

Chai Ying said:
“We thought he was a light—many people around us were guided by his light to move forward firmly in the darkness.”

“But we never thought that he was a candle, and the light he lit was burning himself.”

Recalling Chai Ying's words, Zhang Anping gently stroked Old Lin's withered hands:
"Comrade Lin, you should know that I'm somewhat capable when it comes to strategic vision, right?"

Old Lin, whose thoughts were slowly thawing, nodded involuntarily.

There's a rumor that the author of the famous fantasy novel "Blue Star Animal Kingdom," which is currently on hiatus, is this very person.

"Our momentum is about to take shape—when the momentum is in place, we will engage in a strategic decisive battle with the Kuomintang reactionaries."

"At that time, even though they were extremely unwilling, they had no choice but to fight us to the death!"

"Given the corruption of the Kuomintang reactionaries, they suffered repeated setbacks when launching strategic offensives. Once a strategic decisive battle was waged, their internal disunity and abandonment by the masses meant they had even less chance of winning."

"Let's fight to the death!"

"At that time, red flags will be flying everywhere across the land of China!"

Red flags were fluttering everywhere...

Old Lin stared blankly at Zhang Anping, but his gaze was not focused on him, but rather on... China, with its red flags fluttering all over the ground.

“So… beautiful…” he couldn’t help but murmur.

Faced with such a beautiful view, he lingered there for a long time, reluctant to leave.

"I...I will definitely tell them."

"They...are waiting too."

Over the years, Lao Lin has witnessed far too many regrets—those comrades-in-arms, all filled with determination and longing for the future, yet they never had a chance to see the land that nurtured them before merging into it.

Zhang Anping said softly, "Don't worry, it will be very soon, very soon. Perhaps, at the latest, it will be two years."

"A country that belongs to the people, a country that always keeps the people in its heart, will emerge on this land."

"On the fluttering red flag, there is your blood and their blood."

"Your hopes and protection will forever be engraved on that flag."

"By the way, you don't need to worry. In the future, the 'thing' you hate will be something that everyone is aware of and despises, all over the world..."

"Almost the only pure land."

Old Lin's gaze remained unfocused; he was immersed in the scenes Zhang Anping was describing, his spirit rapidly dissolving into them.

The hand that was gripping Zhang Anping tightly suddenly loosened its grip.

Zhang Anping closed his eyes and whispered:
"The efforts of generations have ultimately laid the foundation for the future."

"Later on, we really couldn't say it anymore."

That island nation that once bullied us is now trembling with fear because of a single arrogant murmur.

What we once regarded as an unattainable beacon has become a source of deep doubt for us – we cannot understand why they have a kill line, because our country has never abandoned its people.

Deep in the mountains, we can run power lines to serve just a few households.

In the old forest, cadres have been stationed in villages time and time again to help them escape poverty.

We don't understand their kill line because our country has never abandoned its people.

Zhang Anping murmured to himself, recounting many of his later experiences and observations.

Finally, he looked proudly at Old Lin, who had peacefully closed his eyes:

"And all of this is because your expectations have always been on the flag of the Republic."

……

Old Lin is gone.

He did not live to see the new China for which he had fought his entire life; he succumbed to illness and fell on the eve of victory.

This is his regret, but he is also lucky.

Because someone, before he left, murmured to him about the future world:
A world they fought for, a world for which they shed their blood, a world they never dreamed would be so beautiful!

That day, Zhang Anping slowly poured a bottle of wine in front of the shed where Lao Lin had left.

He murmured:
"Comrade Lin, please pass on my words to those comrades who have fallen on the path of pursuing their faith."

"The future is really bright."

"It's really...good."

……

Just as Zhang Anping was slowly pouring wine for Lao Lin to see him off, someone was cursing Zhang Anping in disappointment.

"audacious in the extreme!"

"Truly audacious!"

"Does he even care about me anymore? Is the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics my own secret service, or his and Zhang Anping's secret service?!"

In the chief attendant's words, Zhang Anping was always referred to as "that little guy," and at the very least, he was referred to as "him." He never used his full name!
Not to mention the malicious accusations they're making now.

The reason why the chief attendant was so angry must be that "the truth has come out".

Indeed, the corruption case involving the Kuomintang army in Northeast China and the smuggling case involving the Shanghai secret station, which had been quietly suppressed by Zhang Anping and Mao Renfeng, were exposed to the chief of staff.

It wasn't Zheng Yaoquan who made this little trick—Zheng Yaoquan wanted to do it, but the director stopped him. In order to compete with Zhang Anping for favor, he had to "give up" making this little trick.

However, there are no limits to vying for favor!

Although Zheng Yaoquan did not personally stab Ye Xiufeng in the back, he did manage to pass the message on to Ye Xiufeng through various means.

Logically speaking, Ye Xiufeng and Zhang Anping had a fairly pleasant working relationship. Although Ye Xiufeng was sometimes bullied by Zhang Anping, the relationship between the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics and the Bureau of Communications had entered an unprecedented period of easing. Ye Xiufeng should have protected Zhang Anping and even used this information to curry favor with him.

But this is politics!
In politics, even fathers and sons can turn against each other for the sake of interests, let alone the fragile friendship between Zhang and Ye.

As expected, after Ye Xiufeng secretly found the evidence, he reported the matter to the Attendant's Office.

Then, there was the scene of the head servant throwing a tantrum on the third day of the Lunar New Year.

What's the point of having ears and eyes if they start to go deaf and blind?

The moment the chief attendant flew into a rage, the director heard the news and immediately appeared before him.

Upon seeing the section chief, the chief aide grew even angrier and said in a harsh tone:
"You came for him?"

The section chief nodded and then shook his head.

The chief attendant disliked speaking in riddles and glared at the director with a displeased expression.

The section chief thought to himself: So what if the corruption case in the Kuomintang army in Northeast China is brought to your attention? With your personality, you'll just make a big deal out of it and let it go.

Why don't you give him more time?

The head attendant sneered, "If I give him more time, I'm afraid he'll sideline me!"

Of course, this is nonsense, but this is what those in power fear most—you can deceive me today, you can sideline me tomorrow, and you can take my place the day after tomorrow.

"He's not that kind of person," the section chief stated definitively.
"I suggest you give him more time and see what he does—some people are deliberately deceiving, while others are thinking about how to resolve the issue."

"Give him more time and see how he performs before making a decision."

The chief attendant stared at the section chief:

"You want to tip him off?"

The section chief shook his head and said confidently:
"If he needs me to tip him off, then I'm giving him too much credit."

The head servant laughed: "You've made progress; it's important that you can see this!"

He said this not only because of the section chief's confidence, but more so because of the meaning revealed in the section chief's words:
This is how those in power use people.

If the section chief is just assuring the chief of staff that he won't leak any information, the chief of staff will only be disappointed because the section chief hasn't distinguished between the important and the trivial—the main thing now is to figure out what kind of person Zhang Anping really is and whether he is a trustworthy person.

While tipping someone off might allow Zhang Anping to "atone" for his actions, it fails to reveal his true nature.

This is similar to the section chief deliberately sending Wang Tianfeng to destroy the Bureau of Secrecy's "internal publication".

They were all tests.

The chief attendant temporarily set aside his annoyance with Zhang Anping: "Let's see what he does next!"

The section chief was full of confidence:

"He will definitely not let us down!" (End of Chapter)