"No problem." Qi Shanyu nodded earnestly. "Where there's a will, there's a way."
He knew this task was exceedingly difficult, yet he offered no excuses or complaints. At a moment like this, what Boss Dai demanded was a resolute, proactive attitude.
Results were not even paramount; attitude came first.
"In addition," Dai Peilin said in a deep voice, "arrange for Dongfang Xu to make a trip to Lücheng. The man was caught in Lücheng, which proves our assessment was correct—the Japanese target is Lücheng."
"Uncovering the Japanese intentions and catching their spies is certainly important, but we must see past the surface to the essence. Figuring out their objective and crushing their schemes is our ultimate purpose," he told Qi Shanyu.
"Understood." Qi Shanyu's eyes were filled with admiration, mingled with a flicker of shame. "Brother Yunong truly sees things with greater clarity. I have been stewing in vexation and self-reproach over the police department stealing our thunder."
"This Chen Xiuqi—to be able to apprehend Japanese spies and seize their radio, he is no ordinary man," Dai Peilin said to Qi Shanyu. "Look into him. Find out how he cracked this case."
"Yes." Qi Shanyu nodded.
This assignment from Dai Peilin might appear to be the same as finding a way to obtain the report that the Capital Police Department's Special Operations Branch had submitted to Wu Panshi's desk, but it was not.
The truth lay in the small town of Lücheng, not on Commissioner Wu Panshi's desk.
"Have Dongfang Xu tell Zhang Minquan," Dai Peilin said coldly, "that I am watching him from Xufuxiang."
"Zhang Minquan will likely be sleeping with one eye open for quite a long time, obsessed with redeeming himself through meritorious service," Qi Shanyu remarked with a sigh.
"He brought it upon himself!" Dai Peilin let out an angry harrumph. "With the nation facing calamity, the Party-State needs capable pillars who can get things done, not gluttonous parasites who only know how to eat and drink!"
He instructed Qi Shanyu, "Have Dongfang Xu leave for Lücheng at once."
"Understood."
***
Right at that moment, a knock sounded on Dai Peilin's office door.
"Sir, Team Leader Chen Cang is here."
"Enter," Dai Peilin said gravely.
The door opened, and a tall, slender man with a lean face entered, dressed in a Nationalist Army uniform.
He snapped to attention and saluted Dai Peilin. "Boss, I have returned!"
"Was your journey smooth?" Dai Peilin smiled, looking Chen Cang up and down as he asked.
"Ran into a few petty bandits and disposed of them along the way," Chen Cang replied, a hint of pride in his tone.
Only then did he turn toward Qi Shanyu. Qi Shanyu smiled and nodded at him, and Chen Cang gave a slight nod in return.
"How is the situation in Shanghai?" Dai Peilin asked.
"The fighting is fierce," Chen Cang answered with a solemn expression. "Our Nationalist officers and men are fearless in the face of death, but unfortunately the Japanese possess formidable warships and superior firepower, and their equipment is first-rate. Our forces are pitting sheer flesh and blood against the enemy's crushing firepower."
"They are all brave men," Dai Peilin remarked with a sigh, casting a glance at Qi Shanyu.
"Boss," Qi Shanyu smiled, "if there is nothing else, I will go make the arrangements."
Whenever others were present, Qi Shanyu addressed Dai Peilin as "Boss." No one really knew who had started using this form of address, but Chen Cang had once greeted him directly with "Greetings, Boss Dai." Instead of taking offense, Dai Peilin had laughed and bantered back, "If I am the boss, then you, Chen Shuyu, are the one eating from my bowl." From then on, everyone within the Secret Service had adopted the moniker.
"Go ahead," Dai Peilin nodded.
After Qi Shanyu departed, Chen Cang continued briefing him on the Shanghai situation.
"Shuyu," Dai Peilin said, "I summoned you back for the fighting in Shanghai, and also to prepare for future matters."
Chen Cang nodded. He served concurrently as the intelligence section chief of the Secret Service's Shanghai Station in the French Concession and as the action team leader of the reconnaissance battalion under the Songhu Garrison Command. Being recalled during such intense fighting in Shanghai inevitably meant it had everything to do with the affairs there.
*Ring, ring, ring.*
Just then, the telephone on Dai Peilin's desk rang.
Dai Peilin picked up the receiver. "Dai Yunong speaking."
"I understand." Dai Peilin frowned slightly, then hung up directly.
"We will discuss the other matters later." Looking at Chen Cang, he said, "There is something I need you to handle."
"Yes, sir."
"Take a few men to No. 66 Fuhougang," Dai Peilin told Chen Cang.
"Are we moving against the Red Party?" Chen Cang asked immediately.
No. 66 Fuhougang was currently the site of the Red Party's office in Nanjing. It was also the first public office the Red Party had maintained on Party-State territory since the sixteenth year of the Republic.
"We have a deep-cover mole planted inside Jinling Bearing Factory. Yang Shutong's men secretly seized this person and took them to No. 66 Fuhougang," Dai Peilin said.
"What does the Party Affairs Investigation Department think they are doing?" Chen Cang's face darkened upon hearing this. "Are they looking for a fight?"
He naturally knew that Yang Shutong was the district chief of the Party Affairs Investigation Department's Nanjing Special District.
"This mole was planted very deep. It is unlikely Yang Shutong's men know his identity; it was probably a mistaken arrest." Dai Peilin shook his head and said to Chen Cang, "Extract him secretly."
"Understood."
"Tell the people at No. 66 Fuhougang that if our operative's identity is leaked, I, Dai, will settle that score solely on Yang Shutong's head," Dai Peilin said heavily.
"Rest assured, Boss. Shuyu will handle it properly," Chen Cang replied.
"Only..." He paused, a contemplative look crossing his features. "Since you said this mole is planted so deep, Boss, he must be cautious in word and deed and wouldn't stir up trouble. How did the people at No. 66 Fuhougang manage to target him?"
"Indeed, how did they lock onto him?" Dai Peilin's brow furrowed slightly as well. "Look into that, too."
***
Fang Jibai was boiling sugar syrup, making candied haws for Xiao Mi and several other half-grown children.
"Who ever heard of making candied haws in the dead of summer?" Mother Fang grumbled, though she still carried over a winnowing basket filled with hawthorns and trimmed bamboo skewers.
"I was the one craving them," Fang Jibai replied with a grin.
"You little greedy cat. Is there enough sugar?" Mother Fang asked, her eyes crinkling with warmth.
"Plenty, plenty." Fang Jibai's eyes narrowed with laughter.
Turning to Xiao Mi, he said, "Xiao Mi, you take over. I'll take a breather."
"Right away, Fourth Brother!" Xiao Mi was already itching to try.
Fang Jibai sat down on a camp stool. Lighting a cigarette, he took a gentle drag and exhaled smoke through his nostrils, squinting as he sank into thought.
If Comrade 'Wildcat' truly was compromised, then after meeting with 'Wildcat,' the enemy would inevitably launch an investigation following the clues he had left behind.
If the enemy possessed only ordinary ability, they were probably still running around in circles conducting site checks right now.
However, 'Wildcat' held an extraordinary status; he didn't believe the enemy would assign a mediocre operative to handle and follow up on this matter.
Which meant this was likely quite a formidable adversary.
Fang Jibai flicked away the cigarette ash. If this person was clever and competent enough, they should have already traced the trail to Jinling Bearing Factory—or perhaps they had even made a move against 'Great Sage' by now...
Chapter 30