My spy diary

Chapter 532 Yuzhou Station

The night was hazy, and a light drizzle fell from the gray sky.

When Zhang Yi returned home, Zheng Huhe was already there.

Without bothering with pleasantries, he immediately got to the task at hand.

"I'm going to Yuzhou right away."

"What mission?"

"Eliminate the insects!"

"Yoshikawa Teisuke or Sonobe Kazuichiro?"

"Yoshikawa Teisuke." Seeing Zhang Yi's slight surprise, Zheng Huhe explained with a smile:

"In the entire land of Yuzhou, are there any pests more dangerous than these two beasts?"

Yoshikawa Teisuke, the nephew of the Japanese Emperor, had been frantically hunting down and murdering anti-Japanese activists since assuming the position of head of the intelligence agency in the five provinces of North China. His methods were ruthless, and everyone wanted him dead; needless to say. As for Sonobe Kazuichiro, he was the commander of the Japanese 11th Army. The Battle of Southern Henan had just ended half a month prior.

The Japanese army assembled seven infantry divisions, one cavalry brigade, and three armored tank regiments, launching an attack on southern Henan in three groups: left, center, and right. The National Revolutionary Army adopted a strategy of avoiding the enemy's strength and attacking their weaknesses, proactively shifting its focus to the flanks. After the Japanese broke through the defenders' positions, the National Revolutionary Army attacked from both flanks and rear, successfully repelling the Japanese and killing or wounding over 9000 Japanese soldiers in the battle.

Currently, the Japanese army has occupied the areas along the Longhai Railway, including northern Henan (Xinxiang, Anyang, Jiaozuo, etc.) and eastern Henan (Shangqiu, etc.).

Meanwhile, the Nationalist army was stationed in Luoyang, Nanyang, Xinyang (partial areas), and other places.

Zhang Yi nodded, and Zheng Huhe continued, "The arrival of Yoshikawa Teisuke seriously threatens the survival of the anti-Japanese organization in North China. In order to protect the underground organization from being destroyed by the Japanese and puppet regimes, and to avenge the martyrs and compatriots who died, the Yuzhou local organization, after discussion, decided to join forces with the local military intelligence to eliminate this demon. The higher authorities have approved this plan."

He paused, then asked with some doubt, "Why would the Military Intelligence Bureau send you at this time?"

“The extermination is real, but so is the testing or screening.” Zhang Yi’s expression became more serious. “Now we are on the anti-Japanese national united front, and the National Red Army is our ally. It is only right that we join hands to fight the Japanese. But how can we allow others to snore on our own turf? Limiting and preventing the Red Army is also real. They will seize any opportunity to eliminate and suppress our growth. This time, I went to Yuzhou ostensibly to eliminate Yoshikawa Teisuke, but in reality, I was there to target the undercover agent in Yuzhou Station.”

"Undercover?"

“Niu Zidao, captain of the Yuzhou Station action team.”

“Niu Zidao?” Zheng Huhe pondered for a moment. “I’ll report to my superiors immediately and verify this person’s identity. If he’s one of our own, then everything is fine. What I’m worried about is, what if this is a trap set by Dai Chunfeng?”

There are still many people who haven't fallen asleep late at night.

In a dimly lit conference room at Yuzhou Station, a thousand miles away, six mysterious people are holding a meeting.

The six individuals are: Cui Fangping, head of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Yuzhou Station; Li Mulin, deputy head of the station; Hui Kaidong, head of the intelligence department; Cao Lei, head of the communications department; Niu Zidao, head of the action team; and Fu Xiaodong, head of the general affairs section.

The meeting began in a somewhat awkward and mysterious atmosphere.

"I have summoned you all here tonight because of a very urgent matter. Headquarters has sent a secret telegram that Director Zhang of the Judicial Department will be coming to this station to guide us in carrying out the assassination of Yoshikawa Teisuke."

Boss Dai instructed all agents, both inside and outside the station, to temporarily set aside other tasks and concentrate all their efforts on assisting Director Zhang. The station will also be facing a headquarters inspection. Now, please share your insights; let's brainstorm together.”

The speaker was in his forties, with narrowed eyes, a long, hooked nose, and a hoarse voice. He was the newly appointed stationmaster, Cui Fangping. His expression was surprisingly relaxed, and his opening remarks were very concise.

The former station chief, Yue Zhuyuan, was originally a traitor to the Red Party. After joining the Special Service Department, he served as the secretary of the Shaanxi Station. Because of his merits in the Chang'an Incident, he was promoted to the station chief of Yuzhou Station and director of the Provincial Government's Survey and Statistics Office. However, this time he was transferred back to the headquarters because he was accused of "having made merits in the War of Resistance but being ineffective in opposing the Red Party".

Cui Fangping was the successor, but he was neither Dai's confidant nor a veteran of the Military Intelligence Bureau. Instead, he was an old friend of Chen Xiuzhi from the Civil Engineering Department and only got the position through Chen Xiuzhi's influence.

Before taking up his post, he had already done his intelligence work. The leaders in the station were all entangled in a complex web of relationships, except for the deputy station chief, Li Mulin.

This man is in his early forties. As a low-ranking officer with no background, it is no easy feat for him to become a deputy station chief at this age. It is said that he recently made connections with Mao Qiwu, the chief secretary of headquarters, and has become ambitious. There are rumors that the previous station chief's dismissal was inextricably linked to this man.

Therefore, Cui Fangping and Chen Tumu's strategy was to observe patiently after taking office and adopt a strategy of dividing and winning over subordinates. They must not directly confront the deputy station chief Li Mulin and his subordinates. If they were to oppose everyone in the unit, their future work would be difficult.

Following instructions, Cui Fangping took office. Although Li Mulin was not very enthusiastic, he did not cause any trouble. He seemed to be a law-abiding person who did everything according to the rules.

Cui Fangping silently observed everyone's expressions. Seeing that they were all sitting upright and unwilling to speak first, he called on Li Mulin to speak:

"Old Li, you're the deputy stationmaster, you speak first."

Deputy stationmaster Li Mulin's reply was equally concise: "I'll listen to the stationmaster."

He adopted a humble and submissive posture, appearing very modest. In fact, this was a helpless move. He had thought that by bringing down Yue Zhuyuan, he could take the position of station chief. Who would have thought that the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, and Cui Fangping, who was also Chen Tumu's man, would suddenly appear. At this moment, he had no choice but to avoid his sharp edge, secretly accumulate strength, and wait for and create a suitable opportunity to bring him down.

Seeing his words, Cui Fangping smiled and then looked at the others. To be honest, the personnel allocation at Yuzhou Station was currently quite complicated.

Hui Kaidong, the head of the intelligence department, is from the headquarters' intelligence department. Since taking office, he has always maintained caution, a low profile, and neutrality, and rarely gets involved in the struggle.

Cao Lei, the director of the telecommunications department, came from the headquarters telecommunications department. He has served as a group leader, deputy section chief, section chief, and director. Among the people present, he has the most seniority in this station, but his ability is not very high. He is selfish and loves to take advantage of others. He also likes to observe the wind direction. As long as it does not involve the interests of the telecommunications department, he likes to play the good guy. He is a rather mediocre and smooth person.

Action Team Leader Niu Zidao was a capable man in his early thirties who had risen through the ranks from an outer organization of the Military Intelligence Bureau to the position, earning numerous merits. He was exceptionally capable, highly enthusiastic, and ambitious, showing considerable respect to all superiors with more seniority and higher positions. After a short month of interaction, he had become almost completely obedient to Cui Fangping, but Cui Fangping didn't trust him—after all, he was a member of the Communist Party.

Fu Xiaodong, the youngest of the general affairs section chiefs, was a graduate of the Linli training program. He was seconded from the general affairs department of the bureau headquarters last year for a short-term training program. His defining characteristic was that he listened to whoever held the highest rank or position. Although he rarely expressed his opinions or stance, he was generally obedient and compliant. Whenever he had to give his opinion at a meeting, he would solemnly declare, "Okay, soldiers are duty-bound to obey orders. I'll listen to the station chief on this matter."

As mentioned earlier, the former station chief was Yue Zhuyuan, who also served as the director of the provincial government's survey and statistics office. He was eager to work for the provincial government and turned a blind eye to many things at the station, letting things slide as much as possible and making do with what he could, which almost turned the Yuzhou station into a disorganized mess.

The heads of various departments bargained with each other for their own interests, almost dividing up the spoils on the spot. They all deceived each other, secretly carried out their own schemes, and acted independently.

When Cui Fangping became the station chief, he realized that the situation was really bad. He was used to being the top leader and had the final say. The mess left by Yue Zhuyuan, with everyone talking at once and saying one thing to his face and another behind his back, made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

To be a station manager, absolute centralization is required. However, upon his arrival, the previously independent and disorganized staff had united, making him the focus of conflict and placing him on the opposite side of everyone.

Since taking office as station chief a month ago, aside from his two natural enemies, deputy station chief Li Mulin and action team leader Niu Zidao, Cui Fangping has also tried to win over most people to his side and form a working team that works together in harmony.

However, the efforts to win him over were not very effective. To put it bluntly, besides the fact that he was not a true member of the Military Intelligence Bureau, there was also a lack of some kind of sudden external stimulus.

Just like many countries, where internal conflicts had already intensified, the sudden invasion of a foreign enemy immediately brought the fragmented situation under control and quickly transformed it into a cohesive force and centripetal force united against external threats and overcoming difficulties together.

When Zhang Yi came, Cui Fangping immediately realized that this was an opportunity to "turn a bad thing into a good thing".

The assassination of Yoshikawa Teisuke was originally the Yuzhou Station's own business, so what's with the Bureau Headquarters interfering so blatantly?
How will the credit be calculated then?
Why not use Zhang Yi's case to win these people over?

In other words, how to make full use of Zhang Yi, exacerbate the conflict between the headquarters and the local authorities, and try to win over the various section chiefs is actually a very effective way to integrate the leadership team.

If we could also take advantage of the opportunity to eliminate Deputy Station Chief Li Mulin and Action Team Leader Niu Zidao, or even follow the clues and use Niu Zidao's influence to wipe out the Red Party organization hidden behind him, that would be even better.

After a moment of silence, seeing that no one was willing to speak, Cui Fangping began to call on others:
"Captain Niu, you're in charge of the operation, so you can tell us what's going on."

Being called on second to speak, Niu Zidao seemed somewhat surprised. He paused for a moment, then habitually glanced at Deputy Station Chief Li Mulin, and said:

"I don't quite understand. When did headquarters start caring about this kind of thing? Logically speaking, once headquarters makes a decision, our station should implement it without question, without any room for negotiation. But this is ultimately our station's own business, and the plan has already started. Are the people from headquarters here to provide guidance or supervision? What if they come and overturn our plan?"

"Hmm, Captain Niu is right, that's exactly what's making things difficult for me."

Cui Fangping sighed, his face grave. "I've heard that this Director Zhang is always assertive and not easy to deal with. Moreover, it's said that he came here with another mission that I don't even know about."
If he approves of our strategy, that's fine. But what if he doesn't? If the mission is successfully completed, everything is fine; even if we don't get credit, we'll accept it. The problem is, what if we fail? He could easily use the excuse that we weren't cooperating with him. How are we supposed to explain that to the bureau then? Let's all imagine: in that situation, will Boss Dai believe him or us?

Cui Fangping spoke with conviction, delivering his carefully prepared speech, intending to stimulate everyone's thinking, gain as much understanding and support as possible, and isolate Zhang Yi, who was about to arrive, to the greatest extent possible.

Sure enough, his words instantly transformed the previously languid meeting atmosphere into one of seriousness and tension. The phrase "also carrying other missions" particularly sparked much speculation: was it to eliminate traitors or to eradicate corruption? Which of those present had a clean record?
"The decisions of headquarters must be carried out, that's a principle and a discipline. However, the initiative in the operation must be in the hands of our own people," said Hui Kaidong, the head of the intelligence department, as the first to speak.

"Yes, I completely agree with Director Hui's opinion. We must maintain control of the operation." Cui Fangping was pleased that his words had elicited Hui Kaidong's statement regarding the case's leadership. This indicated that Hui Kaidong had a relatively clear stance on the matter.

“I also agree with Director Hui’s opinion. Subordinates should obey superiors, but generals in the field may not always obey orders from the emperor. The situation in Yuzhou is complicated, and of course, we should take the lead in everything,” said Fu Xiaodong, the head of the General Affairs Section, who spoke first.

Then, Cao Lei, the director of the telecommunications department, also made a clear statement, welcoming Director Zhang's arrival, but stating that the initiative for the operation must be decided by this station.

The only one left who didn't speak was Deputy Station Chief Li Mulin.

“Deputy Station Chief Li, besides me, you have the highest rank and the most seniority. I'd like to hear your opinion.” Cui Fangping outwardly showed great respect for Li Mulin, but his words carried a hidden meaning. This man surnamed Li was a master of all trades, yet outwardly he was polite and indifferent, as if it were none of Cui Fangping's business. In Cui Fangping's view, this kind of person was the most dangerous.

“Everyone has given some very good opinions, and I agree with them all. However, there is a problem that you may not have noticed—” Deputy Station Chief Li Mulin said with a smile, exaggeratedly raising his wrist to show everyone his newly bought Longines watch, “It’s already one o’clock in the morning. Director Zhang will be arriving this afternoon, so we need to hurry up and get the work done. Talking on paper won’t solve the problem.”

His statement skillfully avoided making a substantive statement, but it did serve as a reminder to everyone. People immediately raised their wrists or pulled out their pocket watches to check the time.

Cui Fangping also raised his hand to check the time: "If Deputy Station Chief Li hadn't reminded me, I would have really forgotten the time. I think we should do this: since everyone has no disagreement on this topic, after the meeting, the head of the General Affairs Department can do some work to have someone prepare Director Zhang's residence in advance, get a car ready to pick him up, and, um, prepare a few gifts as well."

In addition, Captain Niu, please ensure proper security at the train station in advance. As for everyone else, please also fulfill your duties. Of course, as the person in charge of this station, I have no choice but to oversee, inspect, and take full responsibility for this matter.

"Yes."

The meeting ended, and everyone quickly filed out. Action team leader Niu Zidao also rushed out, but Deputy Station Chief Li Mulin secretly gave him a wink. Niu Zidao understood and left first. After everyone else had gone, he quietly entered Li Mulin's office.

At the same time, a mysterious phone call was made to the Japanese intelligence agency:
"At four o'clock in the afternoon, Zhang Yi from the Military Intelligence Bureau headquarters will arrive at Luoyang Station by train."

(End of this chapter)