My spy diary

Chapter 641 Gold Bars VS Faith (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

It wasn't until the third knock on the door that Mao Qiwu, the acting chief secretary, finally looked up and snorted through his nose.

"Come in!"

The door creaked open.

"Director!" It was Mao Zhongxin, the secretary of Room A, who entered. His pale and slightly swollen face was tinged with an unpredictable bluish tinge, a sign of prolonged illness. He closed the door, walked up to Mao Qiwu, gave him a straight military salute, and then slowly sat down in the chair opposite Mao Qiwu.

Mao Qiwu did not look up; his gaze remained fixed on the large pile of documents on the table.

Mao Zhongxin: "Director, Boss Dai has sent a coded message: his private plane has taken off."

Dai Chunfeng always took strict precautions to keep his whereabouts secret. He never announced his itinerary in advance, but only contacted Mao Qiwu once in code before and after takeoff and landing to exchange information. To prevent being eavesdropped on, he even changed the radio code in an unconventional way.

"Oh, so you mean they'll arrive in a few hours? Notify all departments to prepare for their arrival, and have the general affairs department prepare a car." Mao Qiwu said, looking up and noticing his nephew's strange expression, he frowned. "What else did you say?"

"About the tunnel." Mao Zhongxin handed over the telegram. "More than twenty trainees have died. The boss is furious and has ordered us to immediately arrest Zhang Ye, Liu Pan, and the captain and squad leader of the foreign affairs training class."

Zhang Ye was the head of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Special Operations Corps, and Liu Pan was the director of the Special Inspection Department of the Military Commission.

The Special Operations Brigade is responsible for the security of the Bureau headquarters and the special training class, and bears direct responsibility for this accident.

In order to save his own life, Liu Pan disregarded the lives of others and prevented the students in the training class from entering the air-raid shelter, resulting in the deaths of five students from stray bullets.

Mao Qiwu's expression changed slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.

The Military Intelligence Bureau's Foreign Affairs Special Training Class was established in the summer of 38 with the approval of a certain person, under the guise of training diplomatic talents for the Military Commission. At that time, there was a constant stream of applicants, many of whom were graduates of the foreign language departments of Peking University, Tsinghua University, and church universities. Their level of education was second to none among the various training classes of the Military Intelligence Bureau.

Dai Chunfeng cared for these people dearly, treating them like precious treasures, intending for them to be sent to various countries as international intelligence agents after graduation. Now that more than twenty of them have died at once, it's no wonder he's furious.

He looked at Mao Zhongxin with a calm expression:
"Since it's Boss Dai's order, let the action department arrest them."

Zhang Ye, a graduate of the sixth class of the Whampoa Military Academy and a native of Guangdong, had a good relationship with He Zhiyuan, the head of the action department, and was also a member of Zheng Mingyuan's "Guangdong Gang." Liu Pan, on the other hand, was a high-ranking spy from Hunan who graduated from the first class of the Whampoa Military Academy. He was a member of Tang Heng's "Hunan Gang," and had no connection whatsoever with Mao Qiwu's "Jiangshan Gang," nor did they have any personal relationship. It wasn't worth risking offending Boss Dai to plead for them.

"Yes, I'll inform them immediately." Mao Zhongxin finished speaking and stood up, but after taking a step or two, he stepped back and said to Mao Qiwu, who had lowered his head again, "Uncle."

Mao Qiwu raised his eyelids and asked impatiently:

"Do you have anything else?"

Mao Zhongxin glanced at him, looking hesitant, then paused before finally speaking:

"Director, that matter can't proceed. Threats and bribes are useless; the only way is to arrest him and torture him."

Mao Qiwu raised his face and looked at him. Mao Zhongxin felt guilty and shut his mouth after being looked at like that.

"Arrest him? Should I arrest him, or should you? Use your brain when you speak and act!" Mao Qiwu snorted coldly, leaned back in his chair, and sighed, "Failing every time, why is it so hard to accomplish anything? Tell me, what exactly happened?"

The so-called task the two men mentioned, upon closer examination, was also related to Zhang Yi. After receiving the notification from Dai Chunfeng appointing Zhang Yi as the acting deputy director's secretary at the bureau headquarters, Mao Qiwu understood that this was a disciplinary warning from his boss for his poor performance, and therefore felt uneasy.

Although the deputy director's secretary is not higher in rank or position than the section chiefs, their actual authority is greater. This is because reports and requests from various sections to Director Dai all have to go through the deputy director's secretary and the director's secretary. Not to mention that Zhang Yi also holds the position of director of the judicial department, so the value of his position is naturally different.

Since assuming the role of acting chief secretary at the bureau headquarters, Dai Chunfeng had been in charge of external affairs while he managed internal affairs, firmly controlling the internal operations and also using his influence to interfere in external work, effectively concentrating power in his own hands. Furthermore, the boss trusted him and relied on him extensively, allowing him to act freely, which provided him with an excellent opportunity to showcase his talents.

For the past two years, he has worked diligently day and night, showing great care and kindness to junior agents while also cultivating relationships with various department heads.

The direct result was that he won over a group of spies and became closer to various departments, which indirectly raised Mao Qiwu's status. Everyone inside and outside the Military Intelligence Bureau treated him with utmost respect. He was practically the embodiment of Boss Dai, the second-in-command of the Military Intelligence Bureau.

As the saying goes, the time of triumph is also the time when hidden worries are brewing.

Zhang Yi's appointment as deputy director's secretary really caught him off guard.

The position of deputy director's secretary may not be particularly prominent, especially with the word "acting" preceding it. However, China is a country that values ​​language, particularly in officialdom, where the use of words is infinitely subtle.

Take this acting role, for example; it's quite nuanced. When a department or organization temporarily lacks a principal leader, or hasn't yet found a suitable one, someone needs to take charge. This is where short-term positions like temporary leader or presiding over work arise. There's a 50% chance, to some extent, that the person temporarily in charge will later become a genuine support staff member.

In other words, Zhang Yi has the potential to replace him.

As the saying goes, how can one allow others to sleep soundly on one's own bed?

Mao Qiwu was seething with hatred, but he was helpless because he understood that as long as Boss Dai was around, he had to be subservient at all times.

He styled himself as the embodiment of Boss Dai and the second-in-command of the Military Intelligence Bureau. On the surface, he respected Zheng Mingyuan and Tang Heng, even treating them with the courtesy due to superiors. In reality, he secretly regarded them as the two and a half most threatening rivals on his path to promotion.

The other half, naturally, is Shen Xishan.

Although this man was handpicked by Boss Dai and always considered himself his confidant, he was too young, a native of Hunan, and a member of Tang Heng's "Hunan clique." After becoming the head of the general affairs department, he exploited Zheng Mingyuan's wife, Ke Lijuan's, greed, pandering to her and flirting with her. Furthermore, he was always cunning and adept at navigating social situations, maintaining good relationships with various parties. He also had close ties with students who had graduated from the Military Intelligence Bureau's training program and were now high-ranking members within the Bureau. His influence should not be underestimated.

Originally, he was only wary of these three people, but now Zhang Yi has suddenly appeared and surpassed him, like a blow to the head, disrupting many of his plans.

To be fair, Mao Qiwu felt that Zhang Yi's talent in internal affairs was not as good as his own. After all, he had not worked as a secretary in Chongde for years for nothing. He had mastered the whole set of skills of "internal strife" and applied them with ease.

However, Zhang Yi's abilities and influence in fieldwork are far beyond what I can compare to.

Realizing this, Mao Qiwu felt even more threatened by the tiger.

He made a decision in his heart: he must get rid of Zhang Yi from the secretariat, and the sooner the better. But in his haste, he couldn't find a suitable method, so he could only try to win people over first, thinking that it would be good to have more obstacles in Zhang Yi's work. As for other things, he would find fault with Zhang Yi after he took office and secretly collect dirt on him.

Just as Mao Qiwu was filled with worry, his nephew Mao Zhongxin offered a plan.

This scheme was not a repeat of the old tricks targeting Zhang Yi, but rather an attempt to atone for one's crimes and redeem oneself through meritorious service—to turn the Red Party's driver at the Zengjia X50 office in the mountain city against the Communists.

This place was an office of the Eighth Route Army to the outside world, and the Southern Bureau of the Red Party to the inside. The secretary of the Southern Bureau was Director Zhou, so this place was also known as Zhou's Mansion.

Their target was Zhu Hua, Director Zhou's driver.

During a conversation with an agent from the surveillance office, Mao Zhongxin learned that Zhu Hua often borrowed money from his cousin Zhu Yinsong, who ran a small business, because of his low living allowance and lack of money for dating.

The speaker is unintentional and the listener is interested.

Upon receiving this intelligence, Mao Zhongxin was overjoyed and immediately reported it to Mao Qiwu, proposing to win over Zhu Hua by bribing Zhu Yinsong, gradually turning him against the Communists, and cultivating him into a "special agent" to secretly learn about Director Zhou's activities and seize opportunities to steal confidential documents of the Communist Party.

Mao Qiwu initially thought his nephew was just there to borrow money again, so he was indifferent. However, upon hearing about his plan, he was overjoyed. The two hit it off immediately and instructed Mao Zhongxin to take action and drag Zhu Hua into the mess at all costs.

He immediately gave his nephew ten small yellow croakers.

In Mao Qiwu's view, as long as he could capture this person, even the Chairman would have to look at him with more respect.

Mao Zhongxin's defection plan initially went very smoothly.

When local thugs repeatedly harassed Zhu Yinsong's stall, Mao Zhongxin appeared at the right time, stepped forward, and resolved the trouble with a few punches and kicks. Then he got straight to the point and proposed to take over Zhu Hua.

Zhu Yinsong then realized that the visitor had ill intentions. Under Mao Zhongxin's coercion and enticement, he finally agreed to invite his cousin out. As for how the two sides talked or what they talked about, he would not participate.

And so, Mao Zhongxin met Zhu Hua as he had hoped.

Upon meeting, Mao Zhongxin immediately placed five small yellow croakers in front of Zhu Hua.

In his view, this amount of money was more than an average person could earn in a lifetime, enough to break down anyone's psychological defenses, let alone Zhu Hua, who was struggling to make ends meet with only three yuan and fifty cents a month. Even if he didn't consider himself, what about his girlfriend? What about his parents?
Before coming, he did his homework. This Zhu Hua was from Hubei. He was the eldest of four siblings. The other three were farming in their hometown in Hubei with their bedridden parents, living in poverty.

As for Zhu Hua's so-called faith, it is utterly vulnerable in the face of gold bars.

Mao Zhongxin was full of confidence.

However--
Reality dealt Mao Zhongxin a heavy blow. Zhu Hua hadn't even glanced at the gold bars from beginning to end, giving him a cold look before smiling seriously:
"Are you a Kuomintang agent, here to recruit us?"

Mao Zhongxin didn't laugh: "We're all smart people, so let's skip the formalities. As long as you agree to work for us, you can take this money immediately. If it's not enough, just ask. Also, we can bring your parents from your hometown to Chongqing and get them the best doctors. We can also help you with your younger siblings' job search. What do you say?"

"It sounds tempting, but—" Zhu Hua stared at him coldly for a moment, then said:

"Can I know why they chose me?"

Mao Zhongxin was taken aback, then laughed and said, "It's no harm in telling you. There's a saying that if a female dog doesn't wag her tail, a male dog won't get on her. If you hadn't gotten a girlfriend and were short of money, we wouldn't have come to you, hehe." He smiled and said meaningfully, "I should say that Brother Zhu has good taste. His girlfriend is very beautiful."

"Thank you for informing me." Zhu Hua's face remained expressionless, but inwardly he was in turmoil. The Kuomintang secret agents were omnipresent, and he was like an egg with a crack exposed, being watched.

He felt ashamed and angry, but even more so, he felt guilty.

"How is it?" Mao Zhongxin noticed his cheek twitching and assumed he was struggling with his decision. Empathetically, he said, "I know this is difficult. Don't worry, I'll give you plenty of time to consider. The gold bars are with your cousin; you can withdraw them anytime." He continued, "By the way, your girlfriend doesn't have a job yet, right? Just let me know."

"No need!" Zhu Hua suddenly stood up and said coldly, "Secretary Mao, I can only say you've come to the wrong person. Although I am just a driver, from the day I joined the organization, I swore to dedicate myself to the country, to the nation, and to my beliefs, even at the cost of my life. Do you think a few gold bars can buy me off? To make me betray my comrades and my beliefs? Let me tell you the truth, you're dreaming!"

Mao Zhongxin sensed something was wrong and retorted unwillingly, "Don't you want to reconsider? Anyone can talk big, but people ultimately have to live in reality."

Zhu Hua sneered: "I have beliefs, of course, you wouldn't understand even if I told you."

After saying this, he turned and left.

"Stop!" Mao Zhongxin slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and launched into a tirade:
"Stop spouting your faith nonsense. When gold bars speak up, even the truth falls silent, let alone your little bit of faith." With that, he pushed the five small gold bars forward. "You don't need to look at me like that. Look at these five gold bars! Tell me, which one is noble and which one is filthy?"

Zhu Hua didn't say anything more, gave him a cold look, and walked away without looking back.
In the office, Mao Qiwu's face was grim: "He didn't even glance at the gold bars? That shouldn't be the case. Didn't you say he was short of money?"

“Yes, I also find it unbelievable. Could it be that they think it’s not enough? That shouldn’t be the case! As far as I know, their office mainly serves simple meals, mostly coarse grains, radishes, and green vegetables, without any oil or meat. It’s said that they only get to eat some meat and wheat flour when entertaining important guests. Uncle, how about we find another place to eat?” Mao Zhongxin frowned. His words were less an answer to Mao Qiwu’s question and more an excuse and a way out for his failure.

"Stop making excuses!" Mao Qiwu glared at him angrily. "You're more trouble than you're worth. You finally found a target to turn against us, but because of your eagerness for quick success, you ruined it all. Don't you understand the principle of boiling a frog slowly? Now you've alerted the Red Party and made them wary. Where are we going to find a target now? Alright, stop standing here and return the gold bars immediately."

"Yes, the gold bars are with Zhu Yinsong. I'll take them and give them to my aunt." Mao Zhongxin indulged in all sorts of vices, including drinking, gambling, and whoring. He had already squandered one of the other five gold bars. Hearing Mao Qiwu mention the gold bars, he had no choice but to lie.

Mao Qiwu was preoccupied and didn't notice, waving his hand impatiently.

Mao Zhongxin felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly took his leave. Unexpectedly, he was stopped by Mao Qiwu as soon as he turned around, and immediately felt uneasy. He heard Mao Qiwu say:
"By the way, prepare Zhang's office in advance. Also, you shouldn't stay in Room A."

"Ah, Uncle, what do you mean?"

"Go be Zhang Yi's secretary, understand? Alright, it's settled then, get out!"

A sense of unease swept through Mao Zhongxin. He realized that Mao Qiwu had sent him to monitor Zhang Yi, but was Zhang Yi really that easy to deal with? He was tempted to back down and wanted to object, but looking at Mao Qiwu's gloomy face, he didn't dare to speak and had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.

After Mao Zhongxin left, Mao Qiwu sat down abruptly, his expression gloomy.

(End of this chapter)