Chapter 36: The Rising Wind

Page (1/3)

The first two-thirds of September passed as quietly as a still well. Zhang Anping’s daily routine consisted of classes, more classes, and still more classes. Whenever he occasionally returned home, his mother, Wang Chunlian, would urge him to marry.

That was right—at only twenty, Zhang Anping was already being hounded by his mother to settle down. Every time he went home, he had to use every excuse he could think of to silence her, terrified that she would never stop nagging him.

He told himself to hold out for another year or so. Once the Special Operations Division officially became the Military Statistics Bureau under his uncle’s new rules, life would become easier.

Unfortunately, before those rules could be issued, his uncle stabbed him in the back.

…

On September 22, Zhang Anping was summoned by a telephone call from his uncle to No. 53 Chicken-and-Geese Lane.

After the family banquet, his uncle called him into the study. The moment they met, he handed Zhang Anping a dossier.

Zhang Anping took it and immediately froze.

Zeng Moyi, female, nineteen years old. Graduated from the Telecommunications Program of Zhejiang Police Academy in June of 1936. Currently employed by Room One of the Telecommunications Section at headquarters.

Looking at the young woman’s photograph in the dossier, Zhang Anping could not help recalling a blood-chilling sentence:

“The one sending you to your death is your comrade. Please do not hate him…”

After only two seconds of stunned silence, Zhang Anping recovered and curled his lip.

“Uncle, the two of us are grasshoppers tied to the same string. You can’t betray me and side with my mother!”

His uncle flew into a rage. “You insolent brat! What nonsense are you talking about?”

“My mistake. You’re the dignified chief of the Special Operations Division and a colonel in the National Revolutionary Army! Surely you can’t do the kind of work reserved for matchmakers?” Zhang Anping pleaded pitifully. “That would be an abuse of public authority for private purposes!”

“Bullshit!” His uncle glared at him. “Stop grinning like a fool!”

“Yes, sir!” Zhang Anping stood at attention.

“Starting tomorrow, you and she will pretend to be husband and wife. In a few days, you’ll go to Shanghai.”

“Go to Shanghai? No! My lectures are at a critical stage!” Zhang Anping sat unwillingly in a chair. “Is this because of that suggestion I made last time, about following the trail to arrest the Communists? Let someone else handle it. I’ll focus on teaching my students. Once they graduate, I’ll have a force of my own, and then I’ll get back to work!”

Zhang Anping was probably the first—and would likely remain the only—person bold enough to tell the future king of espionage that he wanted to cultivate a personal faction.

Anyone else would probably have lost his life for saying such a thing.

But Zhang Anping was clearly an exception. His uncle’s expression hardened.

“Are you still a soldier or not? Do you think an order from your superior is something you can bargain over? And you want to cultivate your own faction? Are you trying to take my position?”

Zhang Anping lowered his head in dejection. “This subordinate would never dare.”

“Enough nonsense! Study the young woman’s file carefully, and meet her tomorrow. I’ll give you the details of the mission in a few days.”

“Chief, this is a long-term assignment. It won’t be solved so easily.” Zhang Anping put on a fawning smile. “I recommend Zheng Yaoxian. He’s more suitable than I am.”

His uncle stared at him without saying a word.

Left with no choice, Zhang Anping nodded in resignation and trudged out. But just as he reached the door, he heard his uncle call out:

“Come back!”

Zhang Anping brightened at once.

“Chief, you’ve changed your mind? Uncle, you truly are wise!”

“Take the dossier with you. Return it to the headquarters archive tomorrow—and meet the young woman while you’re there!”

Deflated, Zhang Anping picked up the dossier and left.

After departing Chicken-and-Geese Lane, Zhang Anping dropped his disguise and held the dossier tightly against his chest.

The dossier was remarkably light.

As he walked home, he carefully replayed his conversation with his uncle at No. 53 Chicken-and-Geese Lane.

Zeng Moyi could not possibly have been exposed. Having her partner with me should simply be a normal work arrangement.

Is sending Zeng Moyi and me to Shanghai as a married couple really only about the bullet-production line?

Along the way, Zhang Anping thought through countless possibilities.

…

Page (1/3)

Page (2/3)

The following day.

After finishing his classes as usual, Zhang Anping saw a “stranger” in the office.

Chen Moqun, chief of the Shanghai station of the Special Operations Division!

At that moment, Chen Moqun was reminiscing with Xu Baichuan and Zheng Yaoxian. When Zhang Anping entered, Chen Moqun immediately cast an inquisitive glance at Xu Baichuan.

Xu Baichuan nodded, indicating that this was the man in question.

He then spoke up. “Brother Shihao, come over and let me introduce you. This is Chen Moqun, chief of the Shanghai station. Brother Moqun, this is Zhang Shihao, the founder of our special training class, a brilliant student who returned from America, and the man who recently foiled a Japanese espionage case. He currently serves as chief of the Publicity Section.”

Zhang Anping smiled warmly. “Forget the title. I’m just a poor schoolteacher. Station Chief Chen, I’ve long admired you.”

“Brother Zhang, that should be my line. I’ve heard so much about you that your reputation rings like thunder in my ears!” Chen Moqun was witty and approachable.

Accustomed to taking advantage of any opening, Zhang Anping exchanged jokes with Chen Moqun. After they spent some time exchanging meaningless pleasantries, Xu Baichuan interrupted them.

“Brother Shihao, Station Chief Chen has come this time to recruit several trainees. You’re familiar with the students in our special training class. Do you have anyone you can recommend?”

“Already? Isn’t it a little early?” Zhang Anping hesitated. “The course only began a little over a month ago. The students haven’t finished their training yet.”

Chen Moqun smiled. “Brother Shihao, are your standards simply too high? I’ve seen their results. Several of them scored even better than the graduates of our Honggong Shrine training class.”

“Brother, don’t tease me.” To Chen Moqun, Zhang Anping’s modest response sounded like genuine arrogance. At a time like this, shouldn’t he have belittled the students and emphasized the prestige of the Honggong Shrine training class?

Chen Moqun did not reply. He merely watched Zhang Anping with a smile.

“All right, then. I’ll give you the files, and you can choose the personnel. But after some time, you’ll have to send them back for a period of supplementary training.”

“Excellent! Brother Shihao, you must look after me. Once the students graduate, remember to select a few more promising ones for your elder brother. Is that all right?”

“No problem.”

Zhang Anping and Chen Moqun exchanged a few more pleasantries. Then Zhang Anping personally went to the archive room to select student files for him.

Yu Zecheng, Chen Ming, Qi Siyuan, Gong Shu, Zhao Jianzhi, Song Xiao’an, Sun Dapu, Li Bohan, Lu Qiaoshan, Li Ya…

One dossier after another was selected. When he reached Ming Cheng’s file, Zhang Anping passed over it without hesitation.

Chen Moqun was destined to defect. If he came into contact with Ming Cheng, the future would become troublesome for the three Ming brothers.

When he reached the files of Lin Nansheng and Zuo Qiuming, Zhang Anping hesitated. He set Lin Nansheng’s file aside, but skipped over Zuo Qiuming’s.

As for Xu Zhongyi, the student he favored, it was better not to include him. With grades this dreadful, sending him out would only bring embarrassment.

There were twenty-one student dossiers in all. After reviewing them once more, Zhang Anping held back Li Bohan’s file.

That fellow should be left to deal with the Japanese. He must not be allowed to cause trouble for the underground Communist Party.

Carrying twenty dossiers, Zhang Anping returned to the office and handed them to Chen Moqun, who was still waiting patiently.

“Brother Chen, these are the very best students in this training class. My heart aches to part with them!” Zhang Anping said with deliberate exaggeration.

“Let me have a look.”

Xu Baichuan took the dossiers and leafed through them. When he finished, he smiled.

“Old Chen, Brother Shihao really has given you the cream of the crop this time!”

“Thank you, Brother Shihao! How about dinner at the Peace Hotel tonight?” Chen Moqun invited him sincerely.

“No, please. Just hearing the words ‘Peace Hotel’ gives me a headache…” Zhang Anping instinctively clutched his head, making Xu Baichuan and Zheng Yaoxian laugh.

Clearly, the two men had remembered Zhang Anping’s feat as a “lone hero”—challenging the entire Security Section to a drinking bout by himself. Even Zhao Zilong of Changban could hardly have surpassed him.

Chen Moqun devoted himself to examining the dossiers. After comparing and selecting them, he finally pulled out seven.

Zhang Anping took them and thought to himself: This fellow really knows how to choose people!

Lin Nansheng, Gong Shu, Yu Zecheng, Qi Siyuan, Lu Qiaoshan, Li Ya, and Jiang Si’an.

The first six were either protagonists or supporting characters. In any case, none of those with names were easy to handle. As for Jiang Si’an, Zhang Anping had personally trained him.

The student who had received the most private tutoring was Xu Zhongyi, followed by Jiang Si’an.

Unlike Xu Zhongyi’s all-around special instruction, Jiang Si’an received tutoring only in Japanese. Every two days or so, Zhang Anping would tutor him in Japanese for four hours.

Page (2/3)

Page (3/3)

Zhang Anping deliberately said, “I’m rather reluctant to part with Jiang Si’an. Station Chief Chen, why don’t you leave him out?”

“Brother Shihao, that’s not very brotherly of you.” Chen Moqun instead took Jiang Si’an’s dossier into his hands.

Zhang Anping could only smile bitterly. “Since you put it that way, Brother Chen, I suppose I’ll have to make the painful sacrifice.”

Chen Moqun invited him, “I need to assess these trainees. Would you like to come along, Brother Zhang?”

Zhang Anping refused. “You’ve taken away the students I trained with so much effort, Brother Chen. Do you really think I can bear to watch? Brother Baichuan, Brother Zheng, you two go ahead. I’ll prepare some lesson plans, then make a trip to headquarters.”

Chen Moqun did not stand on ceremony. He left the office accompanied by Xu Baichuan and Zheng Yaoxian.

Watching the three men depart, Zhang Anping’s eyes grew thoughtful.

Shanghai was becoming more and more interesting.

…

No. 1 Honggong Shrine.

Dressed in a Sun Yat-sen suit, Zhang Anping set foot there once again.

After returning Zeng Moyi’s dossier to the archives, he went straight to the Telecommunications Section.

The head of Room One was a woman surnamed Jiang, also a native of Jiangshan County. She greeted Zhang Anping warmly, and Zhang Anping, with his practiced charm, addressed her as “Sister Jiang” at every opportunity, making her laugh coquettishly.

“Shihao, stop teasing your Sister Jiang. Tell me, what brings you to my Telecommunications Section? You’re famous for never visiting unless you want something.”

“Sister Jiang, would you believe me if I said I came just to see you?”

“Do you think I’m going to believe that?”

“All right, I’ll be honest. First, I came to see you, Sister Jiang. Second, I’m here to find someone.”

“I knew you had an ulterior motive. Tell me who you’re looking for!” Section Chief Jiang said, her expression alight with gossip.

“Zeng Moyi.”

“Oh, you rascal. You’re going straight for the beauty of our Telecommunications Section!” Sister Jiang teased him with a grin.

Zhang Anping was just about to protest when he saw Zeng Moyi emerge. He abandoned Sister Jiang and hurried toward her.

Jiang Yiying watched the scene and curled her lip.

“That brat!”

Zeng Moyi, coming out of the Telecommunications Section, had also seen Zhang Anping.

Zhang Anping had always appeared in disguise. He looked to be in his late twenties, with an ordinary face—the sort that would vanish into a crowd without leaving the slightest impression.

Although she had prepared herself to work with him, seeing him in person still made Zeng Moyi feel nervous, frightened, and uneasy.

Zhang Anping noticed the anxiety of the young comrade before him. He approached with a smile, maintaining a safe distance of seventy centimeters.

“ Moyi, you’re finally off work. Come on, I’ve already reserved a table. Let’s get something to eat.”

Zeng Moyi did not know how to respond. After a pause, she finally said, “All right.”

Jiang Yiying tactfully walked away. Once there was no one nearby, Zeng Moyi was finally able to breathe more freely. Looking at Zhang Anping, she said softly, “Chief Zhang, how do you do?”

“Just call me Shihao. Come on, let’s go. We’ll have a meal and get to know each other.”

Zeng Moyi nodded in agreement, but the calm she had just regained was once again touched by a trace of fear.

The two of them maintained the minimum safe distance as they left the Telecommunications Section.

Upstairs, Chief Dai watched the entrance through the window. When he saw his nephew emerge with Zeng Moyi, a smile appeared on his face.

Though his nephew had resisted verbally, he had never compromised in carrying out an order.

Zhang Anping’s figure gradually disappeared from Chief Dai’s view, and the smile slowly faded from his face.

After a long while, he forced two words from his lips:

“Shanghai!”