My spy diary

Chapter 655 Zheng Mingyuan (Seeking monthly votes)
Zhang Yi skimmed through Zheng Mingyuan's book "Espionage Service," pieced together some ideas, and immediately began writing an article as a stepping stone to his visit to Zheng Mingyuan.

Anyone with even a basic understanding of writing knows that the most important aspects of an article are its theme and central idea.

After a moment's thought, he drafted a title on the manuscript: "A Brief Discussion on the Role and Core Value of Intelligence Service in Espionage Work."

After deciding on the title and drafting a few serious-sounding subheadings as the basic framework, I racked my brains to write and revise several hundred words of content. Once it was done, I dialed Zheng Mingyuan's phone number.

The phone rang once and was answered immediately, as if the person on the other end had been waiting for it.
"Hello, who is it?"

"Sister Ke, it's me, Zhang Yi."

"Oh, Xiao Zhang, what's the matter?" Ke Shufen's tone was indifferent.

"Here's the thing, Sister Ke. Our Military Intelligence Bureau just cracked a corruption case in the Southeast. To reward us, the Chairman specially distributed the confiscated Western goods to our Bureau as a subsidy. Everyone in the bureau got a share, but of course, Commander Zheng got the lion's share. I specially reserved the best portion for him, and now I'm going to have someone from the General Affairs Department deliver it. I wonder if it's convenient for you?"

"Convenient, of course it's convenient!" Ke Shufen was overjoyed at the mention of Western goods, and her tone immediately became enthusiastic as she eagerly asked, "When will it be delivered?"

"Right now, I'll be right there!" Zhang Yi chuckled and then asked, "Is Commander Zheng home right now? I'd like to pay him a visit."

"You mean Yaoquan? He just got back. But you'd better hurry, or he'll have to get back to work."

"Understood, coming right away." Hanging up the phone, Zhang Yi shook his head speechlessly. He had never seen anyone so greedy. He called over Monkey and instructed him, "Same as always, bring two boxes of tea." After thinking for a moment, he found a stack of US dollars and put them into an envelope.

"Yes."

Soon, Zhang Yi and the monkey arrived at Zheng Mingyuan's house with gifts.

As soon as he knocked on the door, Ke Shufen came to greet him. Looking at the gifts in Zhang Yi's hands, she smiled broadly.
"Oh, Zhang, you're too kind. You've come all this way, why did you bring anything?"

As she spoke, she peeked out and glanced behind Zhang Yi's car, as if she were waiting for someone.

Zhang Yi pretended to be clueless and smiled as he presented the tea leaves to her.

"It would be unacceptable to come empty-handed. This is just a small token of my appreciation, please don't be shy."

Seeing that they were just two boxes of ordinary tea, Ke Shufen stopped pretending and disdainfully shoved them into the hands of the sharp-faced maid behind her, asking with a sullen face:

"Xiao Zhang, you're not being honest! Didn't you say the whole general affairs department would come together? Where are they?"

Zhang Yi looked completely innocent: "Sister Ke, please let me explain. I had already made an appointment with Director Shen, but before I left, Director Shen suddenly received a call from Director Mao and was held up. I was afraid you would be waiting anxiously, so I came over on my own first."

"Mao Qiwu? Was he the one who interfered?"

"Probably not. He wouldn't dare to openly oppose Commander Zheng even if he had the guts."

"Hmph, he wouldn't dare openly, but what about secretly? I knew this kid was a scoundrel. He usually smiles like a Buddha, all timid and subservient, but he's actually incredibly treacherous. He's in cahoots with that Dai guy, working together to oust my Yaoquan from the Military Intelligence Bureau and take his place."

Seeing Ke Shufen nagging on and on, Zhang Yi smiled awkwardly and forced himself to interrupt her:
"Sister Ke, please calm down. I don't know Mao Qiwu very well, but Director Shen is a very honest person. He will definitely deliver the things to you personally."

"Team Leader Shen is indeed quite good." Ke Shufen's anxiety finally subsided. She glanced at Zhang Yi, her tone indifferent:

"That's settled then. Let's wait for Team Leader Shen to arrive before discussing it further."

Seeing that the woman was adopting a dismissive attitude, and knowing she wouldn't act without a clear benefit, Zhang Yi quickly moved closer and lowered his voice mysteriously:

"Sister Ke, why don't you take a look at this tea? This kind of tea is very popular among professors and other high-level intellectuals these days. It's in high demand and short supply, and it's worth a fortune."

"Worth a fortune? Really?" Ke Shufen's eyes lit up, and she unabashedly picked up the tea leaves. "What kind of tea is so expensive?" she asked, then smiled dismissively. "Tea leaves, how could they be more valuable than gold?"

Zhang Yi laughed and said, "How could I dare to lie to you, Sister Ke? Why don't you take it apart and see for yourself?"

"Just tea leaves." Ke Shufen said, unpacking the tea leaves while scrutinizing Zhang Yi, seemingly trying to expose his lie. Suddenly, she paused, her face crinkling with laughter, and hugged the tea leaves to her chest.
"Secretary Zhang really knows how to handle people, she knows to think of my husband, Lao Zheng. Lao Zheng rarely goes to work at the Military Intelligence Bureau, he didn't know Secretary Zhang was such a good person. By the way, I heard you were transferred to the Secretariat, Mao Qiwu didn't make things difficult for you, did he?"

"Thank you for your concern, Sister Ke. Everyone knows that Commander Zheng is the real chief secretary, and Mao Qiwu is just filling in. How could he dare to make things difficult for me?"

"That's good. Have you eaten? Why don't you stay for lunch?" Having received the gold bars, Ke Shufen's enthusiasm increased even more.

"I've eaten. Thank you for your concern, Sister Ke."

As they spoke, the two had already entered the living room. Just then, Zheng Mingyuan came out of the study, pretending not to know that Zhang Yi had arrived:

"Secretary Zhang, it is an honor to have you grace my humble abode with your presence. I am so sorry for not greeting you sooner." Upon seeing Zhang Yi, the surprise was fleeting. Although there was some politeness in his eyes, his expression clearly carried a condescending tone.

After some time apart, Zheng Mingyuan had gained some weight, his complexion was rosy, his hair was neatly combed, and he looked even more imposing.

Ke Shufen took the money and actually did the job; upon hearing this, she rolled her eyes.
“You men are such a hassle, always going through all this red tape. Secretary Zhang is no stranger to us, why pretend to be so polite?”

Zheng Mingyuan smiled awkwardly. Being husband and wife, he immediately understood the meaning behind his wife's words. He politely invited Zhang Yi to sit down, then had a servant bring tea, and they began exchanging pleasantries. After a few casual words, Zheng Mingyuan crossed his legs and leaned back on the sofa.
"You want to see me if you have something to do?"

"Nothing much, I'm just here to visit Commander Zheng. I'm new to the Secretariat and completely lost, so I thought I'd ask for some advice on my work. Also, I've written a short article and would like to ask Commander Zheng for his guidance."

"An article? What article did you write?" Zheng Mingyuan looked surprised, his eyes filled with undisguised mockery. Although he didn't know Zhang Yi very well, he had seen his resume and knew that he graduated from the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Police Academy. One could imagine how much knowledge a spy had. You, who can write articles?
Zhang Yi remained expressionless and said in a serious tone:
"I recently read Commander Zheng's book 'Espionage Duties' and was deeply impressed by your writing and insight. I was inspired to write something, but alas, I am penniless and my thoughts are exhausted. Even with a thousand thoughts in my mind, I can hardly put them into words. I have only drafted a few titles, which is really embarrassing. I would like to ask Commander Zheng for some guidance."

As he spoke, Zhang Yi respectfully handed over the manuscript he had brought.

Zheng Mingyuan was skeptical, but upon hearing that Zhang Yi was reading his book, he immediately perked up, his eyes shining brightly, and his attitude made a complete 180-degree turn. He sat up straight and moved forward slightly.

"Let me see, what is your brief discussion on the role and core value of intelligence services in espionage work?"

Taking advantage of Zheng Mingyuan's good mood, Zhang Yi immediately gave a report on the work of the secretariat and truthfully explained the purpose and theme of the article he had written.

He and Zheng Mingyuan rarely interacted. Back then, Dai Chunfeng ousted Zheng Mingyuan from the Military Intelligence Bureau, and Mao Qiwu replaced him as the chief secretary. Although Zheng Mingyuan claimed that he did not want to deal with spies and was happy to be idle in the Second Department of the Military Command, did he really think so?

He must harbor some resentment towards Dai Chunfeng, Mao Qiwu, and others. Logically, his hatred for Dai Chunfeng would likely extend to Zhang Yi, a so-called confidant of Dai Chunfeng, especially now that Zhang Yi has also joined the Secretariat.

Therefore, even if Zhang Yi's visit could not completely resolve his hatred for Dai Chunfeng, it should at least alleviate his resentment towards him.

Once he got into the zone, Zheng Mingyuan stared intently at the article, making marks and revisions on the manuscript with his Parker pen, occasionally muttering to himself, his eyes revealing a scholar's rigor and focus.

Ke Shufen returned at this moment, looking at Zheng Mingyuan with extremely devout eyes, and whispered to Zhang Yi:

"My husband Zheng is usually very busy with official duties and doesn't write things down easily. He only writes so carefully about things he considers very important. It seems he really appreciates you."

Zhang Yi nodded repeatedly in agreement, while trying his best to appear grateful. In reality, he knew perfectly well that without those few small yellow croakers, the effect wouldn't have been so good.
"Overall, it's good." Zheng Mingyuan's words can be considered an affirmation of Zhang Yi's article.

“But—” Zheng Mingyuan used a technique of praising before criticizing, or rather, affirming before negating. Zhang Yi knew that the evaluation following the “but” was the most important.

Zhang Yi immediately took out his notebook and pen, ready to listen attentively and take careful notes.

In a good mood, Zheng Mingyuan stood up abruptly, his voice booming, his eyes piercing, and accompanied by a rich array of body language, he began to speak eloquently:
"For those of us engaged in espionage, we must pay attention to both action and theory; otherwise, we cannot view issues from a high perspective. 'Espionage Duties' was written in my spare time, and it complements my work perfectly. The fact that you seem to have some insights from reading it shows you're teachable, but your understanding of my book is still not deep. Of course, this is also related to the fact that you haven't actually done any undercover work."

"Back then, I followed the Chairman. Just then, the Chairman went to war with the Guangxi Clique. In order to relieve the Chairman's worries, I infiltrated the Guangxi Clique's headquarters alone and successfully persuaded Li Mingrui to defect with my silver tongue, so that the Chairman could win a great victory without firing a single shot."

Zheng Mingyuan first boasted about himself, and then he offered suggestions for modification, supplementation and improvement for everything from the title to the viewpoints to the examples cited.

"Intelligence work emphasizes vertical control and regional collaboration, advocating that the intelligence network should be centered on a 'core contact person,' radiating out to branches such as infiltration, subversion, and reconnaissance, highlighting the principles of clear hierarchy and single-line contact for confidentiality. The core revolves around the stages of acquisition, verification, transmission, and application. Intelligence should be cross-verified from multiple sources, secret writing and delivery should be standardized, and emergency plans for destroying evidence should be prepared at all times."
Our intelligence agents must possess the qualities of "intelligence, courage, patience, and deception." They need to master skills such as secret codebreaking, disguise and infiltration, and psychological warfare. Furthermore, they must be instilled with "loyalty to the Party and the State" beforehand, emphasizing the dual goals of instrumental and faith-based training.
Tactically, the focus should be on a combination of offense and defense. Offensive tactics include turning local personnel against their own, infiltrating core departments, and creating false intelligence.

Zhang Yi had worked in intelligence for many years, and although he dared not boast, he considered himself, though not a master, to be among the best. He was one of the most experienced in the Military Intelligence Bureau. Everyone says that practice makes perfect, and he prided himself on having a good grasp of theory. But after listening to Zheng Mingyuan's words, he finally realized what it meant to be a novice compared to a master, and what it meant to be inferior in front of a superior person. No wonder Zheng Mingyuan was so arrogant; his theoretical level was indeed beyond the reach of others.

"How about I take the article back and revise it according to Commander Zheng's suggestions?"

Zhang Yi humbly sought Zheng Mingyuan's opinion while secretly slipping an envelope under the manuscript. Actually, this envelope was just a backup plan, meant for unforeseen circumstances. The article he had "crafted" was originally intended as a stepping stone to curry favor with Zheng Mingyuan, but since the other party had taken it so seriously and put so much effort into it, he had no choice but to respond in another way.

Zheng Mingyuan quickly pulled out the envelope, subconsciously cushioned it, and immediately returned it to Zhang Yi:
"That won't be necessary. A little tea is just something to quench your thirst every day. It's a daily necessity, so there's no question of whether it's a bribe or not. But cash is different. It's not presentable and it's vulgar."

Zhang Yi's eyes flashed as he began to speculate, wondering if the envelope was too thin and felt too little, or if he was simply being cautious and genuinely didn't want to accept it.

After a moment of silence, he immediately smiled and said, "It's nothing much, just a mere three thousand US dollars. Consider it my tuition fee for buying you some small things when you go abroad in the future."

As he spoke, he directly shoved the envelope into Zheng Mingyuan's hand.

Zheng Mingyuan's eyes lit up. He paused for a moment, then decisively took the envelope and smiled:

"It's better to accept than to be overly respectful. Since it's a gift from a student to a teacher, it would be unreasonable to refuse. Haha, my brother is so sensible, always thinking things through carefully."

Upon hearing "US dollars," Ke Shufen, who had come running again, had her eyes crinkled into slits with laughter, and patted Zhang Yi's shoulder repeatedly with her chubby hands.

"Of course, among all the people in the bureau, Brother Zhang is the most sensible. You should come often in the future."

As they spoke, the envelope was already in her hand.

Zheng Mingyuan glanced at the envelope in his wife's hand, then gave Zhang Yi a meaningful look.

Zhang Yi immediately said, "Commander Zheng, although I have never worked directly under you, I have always greatly admired your character, knowledge, and ability. I have just entered the Secretariat and am completely clueless about how to start my work. I hope to receive your approval and guidance."

He spoke in a humble tone and with a sincere attitude, deliberately only putting half of his buttocks on the sofa, and immediately picked up his notebook again, assuming a posture of listening to instruction.

"Haha, you're too kind, brother. I can't really offer any criticism or guidance. I don't know much about secretarial work either. My biggest shortcoming and regret in life is not being able to be a secretary like you. Don't be fooled by the fact that I have secretaries around me; using a secretary and being a secretary are two different things. You joined the Military Intelligence Bureau back in the Special Service Department, first in the Action Department, and later in the Judicial Department, where you did a lot of things, and did them all very well. With such a rich resume, wouldn't you be more than qualified to be a deputy director's secretary?"
Don't worry, I fully support your work. If Mao Qiwu dares to make things difficult for you, you can tell me anytime.

"Thank you, Commander Zheng." Zhang Yi felt a thud, as if a weight had been lifted from his heart.

(End of this chapter)