While Mao Ren Feng and Chen Han Wen were drinking, Xu Bai Chuan was reporting his success to Dai Li within the Military Unified Bureau. Through the radio monitoring of the Telecommunications Department, Xu Bai Chuan detected a telecommunications signal and successfully captured a Communist Party member who had just joined the underground party. The man couldn't withstand the torture of the Military Unified Bureau and spilled all the information he knew.
“Director, according to the man's confession, some pro-Communist academics in Chongqing will be discussing radical ideas at Lin Huai Fu's home. Some Communist Party members are involved.”
Xu Bai Chuan handed the interrogation record to Dai Li, and then continued: “The one we caught is a small fry, he doesn't know much. He said there's a Mr. Meng, a Communist Party leader who is undercover in Chongqing. We don't know his real name. He should have just been transferred to Chongqing, otherwise he wouldn't be missing from our list.”
Dai Li glanced at the interrogation record, snorted coldly: “What academic elites, they are just traitors and rebels! The Japanese are about to collapse, and the Communist Party is starting to play tricks! This is the time for the Kuomintang and the Communist Party to cooperate. Our soldiers are fighting bravely on the front lines, but they are sabotaging us from behind! Humph!”
With a single sentence, he defined the nature of the gathering as a Communist Party attempt to disrupt peace.
Dai Li ordered Xu Bai Chuan: “You take charge of this, be sure to bring Mr. Meng to justice. Then I want to see what the Communist Party has to say!”
Xu Bai Chuan hesitated after hearing Dai Li's order: “Director, Lin Huai Fu is a friend of Mr. Chen Bu Lei, if we act at his house, wouldn't that be…”
“Don’t worry, I'll take responsibility for any problems.”
Dai Li was very imposing as he told Xu Bai Chuan: “As long as we have the evidence, even if he is Chen Bu Lei, I will arrest him!”
“Yes, Director!”
“Tell Shen Zui from the Action Department to dispatch people to assist you.”
“Yes!”
After receiving the order, Xu Bai Chuan immediately arranged for people to monitor Lin Huai Fu's home in real time, and at the same time, he called for personnel from the Action Department to officially put Lin Huai Fu's house under surveillance.
…
The next day, Lin Tao drove Chen Han Wen to the Military Unified Bureau, and then went to work. As for being late… Lin Tao had never been on time for work since she started following Chen Han Wen.
Chen Han Wen had no official business today and planned to spend three days in solitary confinement. He bought soy milk and fried dough sticks on his way to have breakfast.
He was about to enter the office building when he saw Lu Zong Fang, the head of the third action section, leading a team out on a mission. Yu Ze Cheng, who looked bewildered, was with them.
“Old Lu.”
Chen Han Wen stopped Lu Zong Fang and greeted him with a smile: “Going out on a mission? Oh, isn't this Ze Cheng?”
He glanced at Lu Zong Fang and pointed at him, saying: “Old Lu, you're quite something. Taking advantage of going on a mission to take your student out for field experience. Not bad, you're starting to act like a teacher.”
Lu Zong Fang was a tactics instructor at the Qingpu Training Center. He was also a veteran secret agent himself, skilled in behind-the-lines assassination. He could be considered Yu Ze Cheng's teacher.
The Qingpu Training Center was established in 1937. Dai Li asked Chen Han Wen to help buy some telecommunications equipment, which is how Chen Han Wen got to know Lu Zong Fang. It was also at that time that Chen Han Wen met Lu Zong Fang and Yu Ze Cheng.
Of course, there were also Wu Jing Zhong, Li Wei Gong, and others.
To put it simply, Chen Han Wen knew people in all the training centers, whether it was the Qingpu Training Center, the Linli Training Center, the Xi Training Center, the Qian Training Center, the Lan Training Center, the Jian Training Center, or the Sino-American Institute. Of course, he was most familiar with the Qingpu Training Center.
When the full-scale war of resistance broke out, Chen Han Wen went to Shanghai to carry out a mission. He led Zhao Li Jun, Lin Zhi Jiang, and students from the Qingpu Training Center.
Lu Zong Fang saw Chen Han Wen and walked over to greet him: “It wasn't me who brought Ze Cheng along, it was Xu Bai Chuan who thought this guy was under-utilized. There's a joint mission, so I'll take him out to see the world.”
“Oh, then I won't ask what you're doing. There are confidentiality rules.”
Chen Han Sheng held his soy milk and fried dough sticks, waved at Lu Zong Fang: “Alright, you go about your business. I'm going to have breakfast in solitary confinement. Ze Cheng, this is an opportunity for you, work hard. After all these years you're still a junior clerk, you're not a very successful student from Qingpu Training Center.”
Yu Ze Cheng is now a slacker, only concerned with getting his salary, he doesn't think about rising in the ranks or serving his country. Now, he's only focused on marrying Zuo Lan.
Hearing Chen Han Sheng's reprimand, Yu Ze Cheng nodded awkwardly: “Please rest assured, I will work hard.”
After finishing, Yu Ze Cheng wanted to follow Lu Zong Fang, but Chen Han Wen stopped him: “Wait.”
Yu Ze Cheng and Lu Zong Fang didn't expect Chen Han Wen to suddenly stop them, so they immediately stopped. Chen Han Wen continued: “Stand at attention!”
They immediately assumed a military posture. Chen Han Wen stood in front of Yu Ze Cheng, looking him up and down: “Two eyebrows, slightly curved but not quite, as if shrouded in smoke. Your complexion is like the flowers in springtime, your hair is neatly cut, your brows are like ink paintings, your face is like a peach petal, your eyes are like autumn waves… Boy, are you in love?”
“Huh?”
Yu Ze Cheng was taken aback and quickly said: “No, Commander, I'm not in love… I'm already married.”
“Really? Heh!”
Chen Han Wen glanced at Lu Zong Fang, chuckled and said nothing further. He took his soy milk and fried dough sticks and went to solitary confinement.
Chen Han Wen knew that Yu Ze Cheng's journey of growth had begun. He wouldn't help him or hinder him, he stood in the sky like a god, looking down at Yu Ze Cheng's performance.
Yu Ze Cheng was left standing uneasily. After Chen Han Wen walked away, far enough that he could no longer see him, he turned to Lu Zong Fang: “Teacher, this… my, my file says I'm married, how come Commander Chen…”
In order to get into the Qingpu Training Center, Yu Ze Cheng had stated in his file that he was married. This was Lu Zong Fang's advice. Yu Ze Cheng thought that only he and Lu Zong Fang knew about this secret. Moreover, in all these years in the Military Unified Bureau, no one had ever questioned his file.
But how did Chen Han Wen know? How did he know he was in love? Even Lu Zong Fang hadn't mentioned it.
Lu Zong Fang waved his hand, signaling Yu Ze Cheng not to discuss the matter of his falsified file here. When they reached the street far from the Military Unified Bureau, Lu Zong Fang said: “I forgot that your file said you were married. Chen Han Wen figured it out… it shouldn't be a problem, he doesn't talk much. Even if he knows, it doesn't matter. But you should be careful. Are you really in love?”
First, he told Yu Ze Cheng that it was fine that Chen Han Wen knew a little secret. Then, he asked Yu Ze Cheng if he was really in love.
Lu Zong Fang didn't want the developing object of his affection to fall because of extramarital affairs.
During the War of Resistance Against Japan, to respond to Chiang Kai-shek's call, Dai Li issued a decree: all personnel of the Military Unified Bureau were prohibited from marriage during the war. Violators would be immediately imprisoned for four years, with no pardon.
If both parties were Military Unified Bureau personnel, they would be imprisoned together. Anyway, Dai Li dealt with quite a few people because of this.
Yu Ze Cheng was different. When he entered the Qingpu Training Center, Lu Zong Fang filled out his resume as married, so there wouldn't be any problems. But now, if Yu Ze Cheng were in love, that would be a different story.
Not only would he be violating Dai Li's order, he would also be having an extramarital affair. Isn't this just asking to be dealt with?