My spy diary

Chapter 657 Killing Three Birds with One Stone (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Time flew by and it was already evening.

Zhang Yi glanced at his watch, intending to grab a quick bite at the office cafeteria, and was just about to leave when Dai Chunfeng called:
"Yunyi, what are you busy with?"

"Director, I was just about to go to the cafeteria for lunch."

"Forget it, don't go. Come to my house instead. There are only seven or eight section chiefs here. It'll be a small gathering."

"Okay, Director, I'll be right there."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Yi sat silently for a moment, suppressing his suspicions. He then dialed home, but the call didn't go through. He dialed again, but still no one answered, so he had to give up.

Upon arriving at the Dai Mansion in Yangjiashan, Zhang Yi saw Shen Xishan peering out from the gate. Zhang Yi joked:
"Brother Shuyi, you didn't come here specifically to welcome me, did you?"

"Yes and no," Shen Xishan said with a smile, inviting Zhang Yi inside and saying there were other people inside.

"I'm here so early, am I not late?"

Shen Xishan said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "It's getting late. It's one thing to be late for a meeting at the bureau, but when it comes to meals, we can't expect Boss Dai to wait for you."

Shen Xishan was telling the truth. Generally, official banquets scheduled for 7:00 PM will drag on until 7:30 PM before starting. If it's a casual gathering among colleagues, being a little early or late isn't a big deal; you can't just be punished with a drink. But if it's a banquet specifically requested by a superior, then being late is absolutely unacceptable. Those who understand the importance of the occasion, like Shen Xishan said, will arrive ten or thirty minutes early. It's better to wait for the superior than to fall behind, especially since tonight is a banquet specifically requested by Boss Dai.

The headquarters had a system of joint meals. Due to the serious bureaucratic style of the Military Intelligence Bureau, Dai Chunfeng reformed the bureau's reporting system, spending half a day every Monday to gather the heads of various departments and offices together for work. As a result, things were fine when he was there, but when he was not, these high-ranking spies gathered together spent more time smoking, drinking tea, chatting and boasting than doing practical work, which actually affected the work of each department and office.

So, they changed their approach and decided to have a lunch meeting to resolve the issue.

During lunch, the heads and deputy heads of each department are gathered in the cafeteria to eat together. While eating, they listen to reports and solve problems simultaneously. Discussions are brief, sometimes lengthy. In this way, by the end of a lunch, major issues requiring resolution that day are quickly decided and implemented, and the overall situation of the company is thoroughly understood, resulting in a significant improvement in work efficiency.

Dai Chunfeng was very satisfied with this, and the banquet system was thus established.

But this is the first time I've ever held such a formal gathering at someone's home for a meal.

Zhang Yi asked, "Who is it, coming so early?"

Shen Xishan said, "You'll know once you go in."

Seeing that he was keeping him in suspense, Zhang Yi smiled and shook his head, then gently pushed the door open and went in. There were four people sitting in the living room.

Three men and one woman.

When the woman saw Zhang Yi enter, she immediately stood up and saluted.
"Deputy Director Zhang, it's been a long time."

"Ah, it's Director Jiang!" Zhang Yi returned the greeting.

This woman is Jiang Yiying, the head of the Military Intelligence Bureau's confidential group, in charge of telegram translation and code work. She is rarely seen, and when she is seen, people keep their distance.

Not only Zhang Yi, but all the other section chiefs and directors did the same. When several section chiefs and directors gathered together, they would unanimously change the topic whenever she arrived, because she was, after all, Dai Chunfeng's former mistress, and they were afraid that she would find something to report on them.

The remaining three are Bishop Yu Bin, whom Zhang Yi met by chance on his way home today, and Mao Qiwu and Wang Xinheng.

Zhang Yi was even more surprised to see Yu Bin at the dinner party, but his eyes remained expressionless, as if he didn't recognize him.

Jiang and Yi Ying helped introduce them: "This is Zhang Yi, the secretary to the deputy director of the bureau. He used to be the director of the judicial department. And this is Deputy Director Zhang. Let me introduce you to Mr. Yu from Leshan. He is a friend of Mr. Dai."

"Hello!" Zhang Yi extended his hand, but Yu Bin only moved slightly and didn't extend his hand. This was truly the first time Zhang Yi had encountered such a situation; his hand paused slightly in the air before he lowered it.

The others nearby also saw it, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

Jiang and Yi Ying smiled awkwardly, while Wang Xinheng seemed slightly displeased.

Mao Qiwu, standing to the side, said with a forced smile, "Deputy Director Zhang, please don't mind him. Mr. Dai's friend is a religious person, not a member of the Military Intelligence Bureau, and he's not very familiar with the etiquette of our officialdom. Mr. Yu, don't you agree?"

Yu Bin nodded reservedly: "We are Catholics, and we usually greet each other with a kiss on the hand, rather than a handshake."

"Oh." Zhang Yi maintained a calm smile on his face, but inwardly he sneered.

According to his understanding, even among Catholics, laypeople greet each other with a smile and a handshake with their right hand. Only when greeting clergy do believers kiss their hands as a sign of respect. Therefore, it's safe to say that Yu Bin's claim of disliking handshakes is just an excuse. Judging from the way he and Mao Qiwu exchanged glances, he was clearly trying to embarrass himself.

However, since this was Dai Chunfeng's home, Zhang Yi didn't want the situation to become too awkward, so he turned away and sat down to talk to Wang Xinheng:

"Chief, what's Boss Dai up to today?"

Wang Xinheng's face, which had been displeased just moments before, was now completely serious:

"You don't know? Something happened in the border region."

"I really don't know. What happened?" Zhang Yi's face was full of surprise.

“That’s true, after all, He Shangyou and Cheng Muyi were in charge of this matter. One of our brothers who infiltrated the border region was a traitor, and we were almost wiped out. That’s the matter. Sigh, never mind, we’ll talk about it after we finish eating.” Wang Xinheng said helplessly, “Now the Director has asked me to take over this matter, and I’m really worried about it. Just then, Bishop Yu came, and Boss Dai introduced me to him. He’s very enthusiastic about our Military Intelligence Bureau work and is willing to lend us a hand. Because the matter is so important, Boss Dai called us all together to discuss it.”

"I see! That explains why I suddenly thought of having a get-together."

Wang Xinheng: "This matter will ultimately fall on your shoulders, brother. I'd like you to think about it for me and come up with some ideas. What do you think?"

"Me? Stop! I'm powerless to help! The secretariat is full of complicated matters, and I'm already having a headache. I don't have time to get involved in this. You'd better find someone else!" Zhang Yi waved his hand and quickly refused, shifting his position as if he wanted to avoid the matter at all costs. From surprise to sudden realization to polite refusal, his performance was flawless.

Wang Xinheng smacked his lips and sighed, "Alright!" After saying that, he picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his thoughts returned to an hour earlier.

It was at this very spot that Boss Dai introduced Yu Bin to him.

Yu Bin explained that their followers in many counties in the border region were very dissatisfied with the policies of the Red Party. They could use them to establish a working network for the Military Intelligence Bureau there, or use them to incite the local people to resist the Red Party's orders. If necessary, they could join forces with the lurking Military Intelligence Bureau agents to create several incidents.

Dai Chunfeng was very interested in Yu Bin's suggestion, praised him a few times, and asked his adjutant Jia to accompany him, leading Wang Xinheng into the study.

The study is a very private space, and business that is not convenient for others to know about is usually conducted here.

"Director, infiltration and surveillance are highly confidential matters; how can we entrust them to others?"

Upon entering the study, Wang Xinheng immediately objected, feeling that Yu Bin was all talk and no action.

"What? You think I'm bad at judging people?" Dai Chunfeng laughed sarcastically. "Your strengths lie in your strong sense of justice and efficiency, but your weakness is that you don't think things through before acting. Don't you ever think about it? Do you think I can't see that he's a fool? Don't I know that he's a sycophant who's obsessed with fame and power?"

"Since the Director knows him so well, why use him?"

"Good question." Dai Chunfeng smiled mysteriously and lowered his voice. "Lord Mengchang had three thousand retainers, including many petty thieves and scoundrels. But who dared to underestimate him? Similarly, you should never underestimate this Bishop Yu Bin. He has disciples everywhere, from high-ranking officials and people from all walks of life to peddlers and laborers."

During my time in the Secret Service, I intentionally had our people infiltrate them, which is how I got to know him. The reason I feigned friendship with him was simple: to exploit the ignorance and blind obedience of his followers to counter dissidents.

As he spoke, he handed a list to Wang Xinheng.

Wang Xinheng opened it and gasped. He saw hundreds of names written on it, densely packed together.
"so much?"

Dai Chunfeng smiled meaningfully: "These are just the best of the so-called priests and monks. If we don't consider the good and the bad, the number could be several times higher."

"They have so many followers?" Wang Xinheng asked incredulously, frowning. "As the saying goes, quality is more important than quantity in an army. They are just ordinary followers after all. Even if they are organized, how much of a role can they play?" He had no confidence in these so-called followers. So many well-trained agents had been captured. What could a bunch of rabble do?
"Look at you, spouting the same old platitudes again." Dai Chunfeng snorted and tapped the table, asking, "Why do you think they believe in religion?"

"Feeling lost? Seeking spiritual solace?" Wang Xinheng pondered, then felt something was amiss. "I just can't understand it. We have Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism ourselves, so why would they believe in foreign religions?"

“It’s true that outsiders are better at chanting scriptures,” Dai Chunfeng summed it up in one sentence. Then he said confidently, “Don’t underestimate these people. You just said they are confused and believe in religion in order to seek liberation. But here’s the problem: once a person joins a group, their original personality will be suppressed and disappear. They no longer think independently, but follow the crowd. Unconscious blind obedience takes over, and they will do whatever they are told to do.”

This is similar to gang members. Once they form a group, the sheer number of people creates an illusion of immense power and invincibility, as if nothing in the world is impossible. Furthermore, because of the principle of "the law doesn't punish the masses," they know they can do whatever they want without consequence, becoming even more reckless and unscrupulous. Alone, they might be timid and submissive, but once they join a group, they can become a ruthless and violent individual.

At this point, Dai Chunfeng smiled smugly, "Don't forget, when I was just starting out, I worked under Wang Yaqiao. Back then, the Axe Gang was unstoppable. So, don't underestimate these people; if used properly, they can be a powerful force. However—"

Wang Xinheng was listening intently when Dai Chunfeng suddenly stopped talking, leaving him puzzled:
"What does the Director mean?"

Dai Chunfeng glanced at him: "You're right. Infiltration is a matter of secrecy; we can't delegate it to others. So these people can only be used, not trusted. Let them help with the sidelines. As for the real missions, we'll have to do them with our own people." As he spoke, he suddenly leaned closer, his eyes fixed intently on Wang Xinheng, "What do you think of the Red Party spies infiltrating the headquarters?"

Wang Xinheng was taken aback. He sensed a hidden meaning in Dai Chunfeng's question. After a moment's hesitation, just as he was about to speak, Dai Chunfeng interrupted him:

Do you think Zhang Yi is a suspect?

"what?"

Wang Xinheng stared wide-eyed in astonishment: "Impossible, right? Didn't He Shangyou's case and several previous cases ultimately prove his innocence? Chief, you still doubt him?"

Why should I rule him out as a suspect?

Wang Xinheng was speechless for a moment.

Dai Chunfeng's face was somewhat gloomy. He said bluntly, "Mao Qiwu said that if someone always arouses suspicion for no reason, even without substantial evidence, they should not be given important responsibilities. It's not just him; I suspect everyone in the bureau. I won't have peace of mind until the undercover agent is eliminated."

Therefore, this time, we'll use Yu Bin's men to feign one thing while secretly doing another, taking advantage of the Catholics' disturbance to successfully send our undercover agent in and, at the same time, thoroughly expose that person!

At this moment, Wang Xinheng finally understood Dai Chunfeng's true intentions and couldn't help but admire his cunning and shrewd methods of killing three birds with one stone.

"Old ginger is spicier, no wonder he's Boss Dai!" Wang Xinheng thought to himself, but deliberately made a face of difficulty.

"What's wrong?" Dai Chunfeng stood up and glanced at him sideways.

Wang Xinheng asked nervously, "Am I suitable?"

"Of course!" Dai Chunfeng immediately understood his concerns, patted him on the shoulder, and said sincerely, "I completely trust you."

"Thank you for your trust, Director!" Wang Xinheng thought for a moment, then asked, "The bait has been laid, but what if the fish don't bite?"

“As long as this gets out, I don’t believe he’ll take the bait.” Seeing Wang Xinheng’s furrowed brows, Dai Chunfeng continued, “Of course, if we’re going to put on an act, we have to go all the way. Here’s what we’ll do: in a bit, we’ll call all the department heads and section chiefs in the bureau under the pretext of discussing this matter. You can’t catch a wolf without risking your cub. If he really is a Red Party mole, I don’t believe he won’t react.”

"understand!"

"That's settled then!" Dai Chunfeng waved his hand, his voice filled with murderous intent. "The plan will begin tonight, no, it will begin now. I will have the people in the Supervision Office cooperate with you. They will not only monitor everyone attending the meeting, but also their secretaries, adjutants, and drivers."

There's a saying that goes, "The secretary is the leader's ears, and the driver is the leader's mouth." Leaders often learn things they can't know on their own through their secretaries, and indirectly convey things they want to say but can't say aloud through their drivers. Therefore, secretaries and drivers are basically the leader's confidants and close associates, and naturally, they need to be kept under close surveillance.

"Yes!" Wang Xinheng replied sternly.

The sound of the door opening pulled Wang Xinheng back to reality. Shen Xishan entered, along with several other section chiefs. Watching Zhang Yi rise and greet them with a beaming smile, Wang Xinheng felt a mix of emotions. Did Zhang Yi really harbor a secret?
(End of this chapter)