Chapter 159: Making Full Use of Everything

Before Cheng Qianfan went to Hangzhou, Song Fuguo’s position was Group Leader of the French Concession Intelligence Unit under the Shanghai District of the Special Service Office.

Song Fuguo’s current position was Chief of the Intelligence Section of the Shanghai District of the Special Service Office.

The independent undercover unit led by Cheng Qianfan had no contact whatsoever with any other units of the Shanghai Special Service Office.

Even Song Fuguo did not know that Cheng Qianfan had created and led an independent undercover unit.

He had thought very highly of Cheng Qianfan and had secured a training slot in Hangzhou for him.

What he had not expected was that after Cheng Qianfan returned from Hangzhou, while the Nanjing headquarters of the Special Service Office was issuing Song Fuguo’s promotion order, there was also a secret notice sent directly to him. Cheng Qianfan’s “organizational affiliation” had been detached from the Shanghai District Intelligence Section. Song Fuguo still retained authority over Cheng Qianfan, but that authority was restricted.

Whenever Song Fuguo’s Shanghai Intelligence Section had a mission or operation, he could request Cheng Qianfan’s assistance.

It was only assistance. Cheng Qianfan could even decide for himself whether to assist according to his own circumstances. Even if he did assist, he was not permitted to have any contact with other Intelligence Section personnel.

It could even be understood directly as Song Fuguo personally inviting Cheng Qianfan to assist, with no relation to the Intelligence Section itself.

To say that Song Fuguo felt no resentment about this would be impossible. The talented subordinate he had sent away had returned no longer belonging to his command.

However, Song Fuguo could only accept it.

He concluded that Cheng Qianfan had likely caught the attention of some senior figure within the Special Service Office and had been transferred to a unit unknown to him.

He knew that with Cheng Qianfan’s abilities and background, he was destined to achieve great things sooner or later.

Yet he had not expected the Special Service Office headquarters to value him so highly so quickly.

No matter what, Cheng Qianfan was talent he had discovered himself. He had treated Cheng Qianfan well. There was always some personal bond between them.

After hanging up the phone, Song Fuguo’s brows knitted tightly as he contemplated the mission assigned by Nanjing headquarters.

At the intersection of Avenue Joffre and Avenue Albert in the French Concession stood Fenda Bookstore.

The bookstore clerk held a feather duster, pretending to clean away dust while his vigilant eyes remained fixed on the street outside.

In the back room.

“Comrade Zhou Hongsu, we must find a way to determine as quickly as possible why Comrade Ah Hai was exposed,” Peng Yu’ou said in a low voice with a grave expression.

“One of the printers at the Shen Bao office is our comrade.” Zhou Hongsu’s expression was equally serious. “I’ll arrange for this comrade to gather information.”

“Make sure to remind him to pay close attention to his safety. The situation is unclear. We cannot determine whether there are secret agents inside the Shen Bao office.”

“I understand.”

“There is another urgent matter. Comrade Ah Hai’s gunshot wound has become infected, and his condition is very bad,” Peng Yu’ou said. “We urgently need a Western medicine called sulfanilamide. Find a way to inquire around and see whether it can be obtained.”

“Sulfanilamide?” Zhou Hongsu thought for a moment. “What kind of medicine is that? I’ve never heard of it.”

“It’s a new medicine that has only recently been developed in Europe.”

“I’ll do my best, but...” Zhou Hongsu frowned deeply. A medicine only recently developed in Europe was almost impossible to obtain in Shanghai.

“I understand. We can only do our best and leave the rest to fate.” Peng Yu’ou sighed. He knew the chances of obtaining sulfanilamide were exceedingly slim, but they had to try. He could not simply watch a comrade lose his precious life.

“There’s one more matter. Old Zhou, arrange for a clever and reliable comrade to go to Pingjiang Village by Suzhou Creek...”

Rumble.

Thunder exploded across the sky.

The rain grew even heavier.

Holding a black umbrella, Aunt Shao was still soaked from head to toe. She practically staggered into the bookstore.

“Aunt Shao, why are you here?” the bookstore clerk exclaimed in alarm. He cautiously stepped to the doorway and peered outside. The rain was pouring down in sheets, making it impossible to see far.

“Is Professor Peng here?” Aunt Shao asked anxiously. Peng Yu’ou had taken sick leave that day and would not be going to school. Aunt Shao was frantic with worry. The only contact point she knew was Fenda Bookstore, so she could only try her luck there.

“He’s here.” The young clerk nodded and hurried to the back room door, where he knocked.

“Who is it?” Zhou Hongsu asked as he approached the door.

“Shopkeeper, Aunt Shao is here.”

Zhou Hongsu was greatly surprised and looked toward Peng Yu’ou. Although Aunt Shao knew this contact point, organizational rules dictated that she should not come here unless it was an emergency.

Peng Yu’ou’s expression changed.

Something had happened.

He knew Aunt Shao well. She was a loyal, reliable, and extremely cautious veteran comrade. Without a matter of utmost urgency, she would never risk coming here.

“What happened?” Peng Yu’ou asked as he looked at the rain-soaked Aunt Shao and handed her a towel with concern.

Aunt Shao wiped her hair haphazardly, set the towel aside, then pulled out an object wrapped in oil paper and handed it to Peng Yu’ou.

“Mr. Peng, when I came back from the market today, I found this.”

Peng Yu’ou accepted the oil-paper package and carefully opened it. Inside was a matchbox.

The matchbox was slightly damp. He slid it open and saw a note inside.

“There are secret agents laying a trap and conducting surveillance at Yang Ximei’s residence in Pingjiang Village. Be careful, be extremely careful. Qian Baili.”

Peng Yu’ou was shocked. He had only just been arranging for Zhou Hongsu to send a comrade to Pingjiang Village, and now intelligence had arrived warning that secret agents were monitoring the place.

“Do you know who gave this to you?” Peng Yu’ou asked urgently.

“I don’t know. I only discovered the matchbox after returning home from the market,” Aunt Shao said. During the journey here she had been thinking about it constantly. She was normally very alert, yet she had not noticed anyone slipping the matchbox into her vegetable basket.

The market had been crowded and chaotic. Someone selling chickens had one escape. Someone else’s fish had gotten loose. An elderly woman had fallen. Each incident caused a brief disturbance. The person delivering the message could easily have taken advantage of one of those moments to place the intelligence in the basket, making it impossible to trace.

She did not even know whether the matchbox had been placed there at the market.

“If you don’t know, then let it be.” Peng Yu’ou nodded. “Aunt Shao, keep this matter confidential. Do not mention it to anyone.”

As he spoke, Peng Yu’ou glanced at Zhou Hongsu.

Zhou Hongsu nodded, indicating that he too would maintain secrecy.

Peng Yu’ou had asked Aunt Shao instinctively, but he immediately realized who had sent this urgent intelligence.

Qian Baili.

Baili, the Bai from Bai Juyi, the Li from “grass spreads across the ancient plain”... Bai Juyi.

Wildfires cannot burn it all away.

When spring winds blow, it grows again!

A single spark can start a prairie fire!

Qian Baili was none other than Qian Xinghuo.

This was the temporary alias Comrade Xinghuo had chosen to conceal his identity.

Comrade Xinghuo was very cautious. Even if Aunt Shao saw the signature, she would not know who had sent the message. Only Peng Yu’ou could guess the meaning behind the name.

Peng Yu’ou had no reason to doubt the accuracy of Comrade Xinghuo’s intelligence. Comrade Xinghuo was an undercover operative hidden within the Party Affairs Investigation Department. He must have suddenly learned that the enemy had laid a trap in Pingjiang Village and rushed the intelligence out.

Since Comrade Xinghuo could not contact him during the daytime, he had turned his attention to Aunt Shao as the means of delivery.

Very clever.

This intelligence had arrived at precisely the right moment. It had saved a comrade who was about to walk into an enemy trap. It could even be said that it had saved the Shanghai Communists.

This was no exaggeration.

The comrade Zhou Hongsu intended to send naturally knew of Zhou Hongsu’s existence.

Comrade Zhou Hongsu was a temporary member of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communists.

If that comrade were arrested, Comrade Zhou Hongsu would also be placed in danger.

“Old Zhou, we can’t send anyone to Pingjiang Village. There are secret agents there,” Peng Yu’ou said.

Zhou Hongsu nodded, then frowned.

“What about Yang Ximei...”

He had just heard Peng Yu’ou recount the tragedy that had befallen Yang Ximei’s family. He was outraged by the crimes of the capitalists and deeply sympathetic to the miserable poor family.

If the organization did not step in to help, Yang Damei’s gravely ill mother and her young sister would find it difficult to survive.

“Yes.” Peng Yu’ou let out a long sigh. The people were living in misery and suffering. That was precisely why they were willing to sacrifice their lives and shed their blood in revolution.

The Communists could not ignore Yang Ximei’s family situation.

Yet under the current circumstances, anyone who approached the family would be placing themselves in extreme danger.

What should they do?

Peng Yu’ou fell into deep thought.

Cheng Qianfan was also thinking.

There were secret agents in the shantytown district. Anyone approaching Yang Ximei’s family now would be walking straight into the tiger’s jaws.

Yet her elder sister had died tragically, and her gravely ill mother had hanged herself.

Only a little girl of four or five years old remained.

Without help, she had no chance of surviving.

“Idiot!” Cheng Qianfan cursed Fang Muheng once more in his heart.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.

Even an “idiot” seemed to have some use.

If there were one person who could help Yang Ximei without being arrested by the secret agents, that person could only be Fang Muheng!