Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 532, Chapter 518: Working as a cleaner at HSBC, meeting Director Dai at the Military Intelligence Station.

As soon as the two left the private room, Gong Xiuneng whispered, "Commander, I'll go with them and take a look."

Fang Wen nodded. One should always be wary of others. If, by some chance, the security manager reported the matter to the British, it could alert them and affect the operation.

But it wouldn't be good if Gong Xiu went out like that and got discovered.

Therefore, he took out his disguise tools, pasted two moles on Gong Xiuneng's face, and then used powder to darken his complexion.

After this, Gong Xiuneng's appearance changed completely.

Immediately afterwards, Gong Xiuneng walked straight out of the private room and went downstairs.

After leaving the restaurant, he looked at the two figures in the distance and quietly followed them.

The two walked and talked, not very fast, but the HSBC building wasn't far, and they arrived there in 20 minutes.

They didn't go inside, but instead asked the Sikh security guard at the entrance to inform them, while they went to a nearby cafe to wait.

Gong Xiuneng then entered the coffee shop, sat down in the seat next to the two of them, and ordered a coffee in a different voice.

After a while, the security manager came out and entered the coffee shop.

He sat down in his seat.

"Dad, what do you want to see me about?"

"Didn't you say last time that your bank was hiring cleaning staff? Are you still hiring?"

"We're still hiring. A lot of people from our hometown fled here, so I'm holding onto these positions so they can have them. It's really hard to find a job these days. Dad, which relative are you?"

Upon hearing this, Gong Xiuneng, who was next door, couldn't help but feel nervous.

“A distant relative, someone you don’t know, but that’s settled then. I’ll have them come directly to you tomorrow.”

"Okay, have them wait in the parking lot outside at 8 a.m., I'll take them in. I thought it was something serious. I'm off."

The matter of getting into the HSBC building actually came about just like that.

Even the father didn't tell his son the truth.

The two got up and left. Gong Xiuneng then left the coffee shop, crossed the street, and hurried back.

They returned to the restaurant before the two others.

"Commander, they're alright."

A few minutes later, the two men returned.

The man on the right, all smiles, clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute: "I have accomplished my mission, Mr. Fang. Please wait at HSBC Bank at 7:30 tomorrow morning. My son will take you in for your onboarding. I didn't say anything, but I know you are doing something important. I hope you succeed."

Fang Wen returned the greeting: "Thank you."

Some things are better left unsaid; they are best left unsaid.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Fang Wen saw the two off.

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Gong Xiuneng asked, "What do we do next?"

Fang Wen replied, "While we have some time, let's find a place to put our things, and then go check out the Military Intelligence Bureau's Hong Kong station."

For a safe and reliable place to live, they still had to rely on the underground party.

Fang Wen and Gong Xiuneng carried their bags downstairs and pretended to pay at the counter.

A banknote was placed on the counter, and Fang Wen said in a low voice, "I'd like to find a safe place to stay near the HSBC building."

The innkeeper pocketed the money, a smile on his face, and replied in a low voice, "There's a place over there. Wait outside the restaurant, and someone will take you there in a bit."

After saying that, he gave Fang Wen change and said loudly, "Goodbye, sir, come again next time."

The two men carried their bags out of the restaurant and waited outside for a while. Then a man came out of the restaurant and whispered, "I was sent by the manager. Come with me."

Fang Wen remained silent, picked up his luggage, and followed him.

After walking for 30 minutes, passing the HSBC building, I turned into a nearby alley.

It was a bar, and it wasn't open yet; the front door was closed.

The man led Fang Wen and the other man to the back door, pulled out a rope from under a few bricks by the door, and tugged at it a few times.

After a while, the door opened, and without saying a word, the man gestured for Fang Wen and Gong Xiu to go in.

After entering, the door closed, and the man explained, "This bar is our backup contact point. It's not in use yet, and very few people know about it. You can stay here without worry."

Then the man introduced the bartender: "This is Xiao Liu, the bartender at the bar. He usually lives at the bar. He will take care of your accommodation. If you have any problems, you can tell him, and he will pass it on to us."

As he spoke, he solemnly instructed Xiao Liu: "These two are from Yan'an and have a very important mission. You must ensure their safety here and not leak any information."

Xiao Liu, who looked to be in his early twenties, nodded: "I guarantee I'll complete the task."

The man then shook hands with Fang Wen and Gong Xiuneng, said goodbye, and left.

After the man left, only Fang Wen, Gong Xiuneng, and bartender Xiao Liu remained in the bar.

Xiao Liu's face lit up with excitement: "You guys are from Yan'an? I have a classmate who went there, but I haven't heard from him since. Do you know a college student named Shi Gaocen? He's the same age as me, and about the same height."

"I'm sorry, there are many patriotic students from all over the country in Yan'an, and I don't know the names of many of them," Fang Wen said tactfully.

"What is Yan'an like?"

"The towns on the Loess Plateau are short of water and life is very hard, but everyone faces life positively and works hard to build production and training," Fang Wen said, describing what he saw in Yan'an.

Xiao Liu looked longingly at him: "I'll go to Yan'an someday. Come with me, there's an empty cellar in the bar, not much alcohol in there, you can sleep in it."

Following him, Fang Wen walked behind the bar, down a downward escalator, down to a door that led to the wine cellar.

The carbide lamp was turned on, revealing the dark cellar.

The cellar was filled with empty wine barrels and two beds.

One bed had a mattress, but the other didn't; it's likely that Xiao Liu slept here before.

Xiao Liu brought over bedding and blankets, made up another bed, and then said, "There's one more thing. If anything happens, you can push aside the wine barrel over there. There's a secret passage behind it that leads to the empty room next door."

He not only talked about it, but also demonstrated how to open the secret passage.

Fang Wen nodded: "Thank you, then we'll stay here. By the way, we're going out for a bit later. How should we let you know when we get back?"

“There’s a bell at the back door, so I can hear it when I’m resting. But if it’s at night, when the bar is open, you can just walk right in.”

After a conversation, Fang Wen put the two bags he had brought in the wine cellar and went out with Gong Xiuneng.

Outside, Gong Xiuneng couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Commander, is the Communist Party also a kind of faith? Why are all the Communists I've met so different, like devout Buddhists, unwavering in their beliefs? Did the Kuomintang have anything like that?"

This was a very philosophical question, and Fang Wen didn't know how to answer it for a moment.

His mind drifted to the communists he had met over the years.

Indeed, just as Gong Xiuneng said, they are people with firm beliefs, even more so than religious believers.

The Kuomintang, on the other hand, consists of vested interests, for whom ideals are a scarce commodity.

He replied, "It can't be said that the Kuomintang were all a bunch of good-for-nothings, but there were just too many dregs. Let's go and take a look at the Military Intelligence Bureau station."

After saying that, he waved to a rickshaw parked by the roadside and headed to the location of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Hong Kong station.

In the hillside. Because of the continuous rain, the stone pavement was shiny from being soaked. When the two rickshaws came to a stop on the slippery slope, the brass bells on the handlebars made a soft, tinkling sound.

Fang Wen looked at the villa not far away. The villa gate was closed and there was no one on guard. At first glance, no one would think that this was the Kuomintang's station in Hong Kong.

"Sir, we've arrived. Shall we wait for you?" the driver asked.

Fang Wen didn't respond and got out of the car. Gong Xiuneng took out his wallet and paid the fare.

The two rickshaw drivers pulled the rickshaw away, while Fang Wen walked to the gate in front of the villa and looked inside.

In the seemingly quiet and deserted villa, there were vaguely visible figures moving about. They were simply hiding in the shadows, observing Fang Wen outside the door.

Fang Wen did not knock on the door, but instead left the front door to wander around the neighborhood.

He hadn't gone far when a black Ford sedan sped up from the bend, its tires splashing water up to waist height as it ran over the puddles.

Fang Wen instinctively stepped aside to avoid the car, only to find it parked outside the villa.

His eyesight is excellent; even at this distance, he could still see what was happening inside the car through the window.

Fang Wen's pupils suddenly contracted. The man in the back seat was picking his teeth with a silver toothpick, and the gold watch chain peeking out from the pocket of his Zhongshan suit was engraved with the words "Yu Nong".

It's him!

Fang Wen met this person a few years ago when Taishan Airlines distributed dividends to Fuxing Society. At that time, he was the head of Fuxing Society's action group.

Now, he has become the head of the Military Intelligence Bureau and a close confidant of Chiang Kai-shek.

Director Dai.

Fang Wen walked over and knocked on the car window.

This sudden action startled the Kuomintang agents in the car.

The car door was suddenly pushed open, and four armed agents surrounded Fang Wen in a fan shape, their pistols pointed at him, their emotions running high.

Fang Wen raised his hand, while assessing whether he could handle the situation.

He felt that as long as he did his best, these four armed agents might not be able to threaten him.

With speed and reaction time three times that of a human, one could definitely dodge the gun before they could react and subdue them.

But there was no need to do that. As Fang Wen raised his hands, he smiled and said, "Director Dai, don't you remember me?"

"Who are you?" Dai Li's voice drifted out of the car window, hoarse from smoking too much.

"It seems you really do have a bad memory. Why don't you take a closer look?"

After the agents outside the car window searched Fang Wen and confirmed that he was not carrying any weapons, the car door opened.

Director Dai stretched out his foot, his leather shoes landing on the water stains with slight displeasure, but he managed not to show it. Then, he looked at Fang Wen with the air of someone in a superior position.

When he recognized Fang Wen, his expression softened considerably.

While he was looking at Fang Wen, Fang Wen was also observing him.

Fang Wen noticed that he had a Browning pistol tucked inside his left lapel, with the angle at which the grip was exposed for easy draw. This alertness was a stark contrast to the suave and talkative manager of the Fuxing Society at the banquet three years ago.

Excellent emotional management, heightened vigilance, and the demeanor of someone in a superior position.

It seems that Team Leader Dai has finally become Boss Dai.

During the examination, Director Dai looked surprised: "It's you? What brings you to Hong Kong?"

“I’m here for someone,” Fang Wen replied.

Director Dai frowned slightly.

He waved for the secret agents to follow ten paces away, and Fang Wen also instructed Gong Xiu to follow behind.

The two walked slowly on the sidewalk.

“I had my reasons for what happened last time.” Dai Li suddenly placed his hand on Fang Wen’s shoulder. “I had taken your shares for five years, so I have a good relationship with you. I should have let you off the hook, but I wasn’t in this position back then, and there were many things I couldn’t decide on…”

Fang Wen stepped aside, "Director Dai has misunderstood. I came to Hong Kong not to dredge up old grievances."

Dai Li's eyelids twitched, and he suddenly lowered his voice, his Adam's apple bobbing inside his collar: "Woof?"

Fang Wen nodded.

Director Dai feigned indignation: "This traitor, who has usurped a high position in the Party and the State, has even colluded with the Japanese, trying to serve them and establish a puppet regime. We must not let him succeed. Since he has come to Hong Kong this time, let him stay here forever."

Are you sure it's him?

Fang Wen voiced his doubts, saying that the portrait did not resemble the likeness.

"Our people are also investigating, but unfortunately the defenses there are too tight, and it's impossible to get close."

After a pause, Director Dai stared at Fang Wen: "You'd better not get involved in this matter; let our Military Intelligence Bureau handle it."

Fang Wen nodded. He came here to ensure success. If the Military Intelligence Bureau could take the initiative and kill the major traitor, he would not stop them for the sake of empty fame.

Seeing that Fang Wen had expressed his opinion, Director Dai breathed a sigh of relief. This man was too peculiar; he was very good at everything he did. He was really afraid that this great credit would be stolen from him.

Next, he attempted to act as an intermediary to restore relations between the Nationalist government and him.

"Fang Wen, you're acting too impulsively. You've even stopped the lucrative seaplane transport business. If you were just willing to back down, this would all be over. It's just a matter of earning a little less. You've done the same thing before, so why can't you do it this time?"

As he spoke, he shook a cigarette out of the pack and lit it.

It's actually the Taishan brand. I wonder what he would think if he knew that this brand of cigarettes was produced in his hometown.

Shaking off his thoughts, Fang Wen replied, "I have my own bottom line and principles. If it's civil aviation, it's just business, so why shouldn't I give in? But what they want is my military industry. I absolutely cannot let them get those military technologies."

Director Dai put down his cigarette and asked in surprise, "Why? Wouldn't it be better to hand over your technology to the Party and the State to expand production? With more superior weapons, how can we not defeat the Japanese?"

He found it difficult to understand Fang Wen's words.

Therefore, Fang Wen didn't mind explaining it to him.

"It's different. With it in my hands, at least it won't be leaked to the Japanese. If they get it, believe it or not, it won't be long before the Japanese army is equipped with my Taishan technology. At that time, wouldn't I, Fang Wen, also become a traitor to the nation?"

These words caused Director Dai's expression to change drastically; he was unable to refute them.

Perhaps those things would have happened if Taishan Military Industry had actually fallen into the hands of the Nationalist government.

Faced with his silence, Fang Wen knew that there was no need to continue the conversation.

He clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Director Dai, farewell."

He then turned and beckoned Gong Xiu to leave.

Seeing Fang Wen about to leave, a Kuomintang agent rushed over: "Chief, are you really letting him go?"

“Capturing him will cause me a lot of trouble. Let him go. I don’t want to mess with him.”

And so, Fang Wen and his companion left under the watchful eyes of the Kuomintang secret agents.

After walking two miles, they were far from the Kuomintang intelligence station. Gong Xiuneng breathed a sigh of relief: "Commander, that was dangerous. If you had given the order, I could have taken down two of them, but the other two would have been a different story."

"Have you forgotten my skills again?" Fang Wen smiled, waving for a rickshaw. Today's business was done; tomorrow would be the official start.

(End of this chapter)