Chapter 161: The Traitors’ Conference

“The Nanjing headquarters of the Special Service Office has ordered us to eliminate Zhou Huaigu at all costs,” Song Fuguo said in a deep voice. “At the same time, we are to sabotage this ‘traitors’ conference’ organized by the Japanese.”

It truly was a traitors’ conference.

From the telegram, Cheng Qianfan learned the reason for Zhou Huaigu’s visit to Shanghai.

The Japanese had organized a Sino-Japanese Friendship Symposium:

They had broadly invited supposedly “highly respected” or “highly learned” famous Chinese writers, scholars, politicians, and talented young intellectuals to Shanghai to communicate and exchange ideas with Japan’s own talented youth, professors, scholars, and cultural celebrities, discussing the bright prospects of Sino-Japanese friendship.

The aggressive Japanese invaders and the fawning traitors were gathering together. Cheng Qianfan could easily imagine just how foul and disgusting this so-called Sino-Japanese Friendship Symposium would be.

The traitors would glorify and whitewash Japan’s invasion of China while enthusiastically discussing Sino-Japanese friendship.

The Japanese side would heap praise upon these traitors, advocate Sino-Japanese friendship, and proclaim them friends of Japan.

Zhou Huaigu was also on the Chinese participant list for this so-called Sino-Japanese Friendship Symposium and was regarded by the Japanese as “a respected famous scholar and a wise statesman.”

“When did Zhou Huaigu become a scholar?” Cheng Qianfan said mockingly.

“That old fellow spent several years living as a retired gentleman in Beiping. Supposedly he cultivated his character, improved his calligraphy considerably, and even had several articles published in Japanese newspapers,” Song Fuguo said with a smile full of sarcasm.

“These are truly difficult times for the nation, with monsters emerging everywhere,” Cheng Qianfan snorted coldly.

“Demons and freaks, all displaying their ugliness,” Song Fuguo said through gritted teeth. “People who forget their roots all deserve to die.”

“What is my assignment?” Cheng Qianfan immediately asked.

Hearing Cheng Qianfan take the initiative, Song Fuguo secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

His seniority, position, and military rank were all above Cheng Qianfan’s. As Cheng Qianfan’s former superior, he had played an important role in advancing his career.

Moreover, he still nominally retained authority over Cheng Qianfan.

However, this young man was now enjoying tremendous success. It was said that Yu Ping’an thought very highly of him. Furthermore, as a fellow native of Jiangshan, Cheng Qianfan had certainly entered Director Dai’s field of vision.

The Special Service Office headquarters had previously issued orders allowing Cheng Qianfan to decide for himself whether to obey instructions from the Shanghai Intelligence Section of the Special Service Office.

Therefore, Song Fuguo was uncertain what attitude this young man would take toward him and toward this operation.

Cheng Qianfan’s proactive attitude left Song Fuguo quite satisfied.

“The venue for the Sino-Japanese Friendship Symposium will most likely be located in the Central District of the French Concession. You’re a police officer in the Central District. We will try to arrange for you to participate in the symposium’s security work. Your task is to determine Zhou Huaigu’s security arrangements, travel plans, movements, and related matters, providing intelligence support for the action team’s operation to eliminate the traitor.”

“I personally have no problem with that,” Cheng Qianfan said after a moment’s thought. “I’m about to become Deputy Inspector of the Third Patrol Division of the Central Police Station. If I participate in the security work, my access to information will be even greater. It won’t be difficult to determine those details.”

Upon hearing that Cheng Qianfan was about to become Deputy Inspector of the Third Patrol Division of the Central Police Station, Song Fuguo was overjoyed.

“What about Ma Yishou?”

“Ma Yishou is being promoted to Inspector of the Third Patrol Division,” Cheng Qianfan replied. “His seniority is sufficient, and he’s quite popular within the police force. Previously, he lost to Lu Dazhang in the competition for Inspector of the Fourth Patrol Division in the Avenue Joffre District. This time it should be his turn.”

“Excellent!” Song Fuguo clapped his hands. “The Third Patrol Division must be firmly controlled. That will be extremely beneficial to our work.”

Song Fuguo was even more pleased. Ma Yishou lacked ability. Sooner or later, the Third Patrol Division would fall completely into Cheng Qianfan’s hands.

Cheng Qianfan felt that his mentor Ma Yishou had been insulted. It seemed everyone believed Ma Yishou would inevitably be reduced to a figurehead by him.

“There is another possibility,” Song Fuguo said. “The symposium venue may be located in the International Settlement. If that happens, you won’t need to participate in this operation. I’ll contact our comrades in the International Settlement.”

“With the two great powers of Britain and France involved, does this mean the League of Nations is going to intervene in the Sino-Japanese conflict?” Cheng Qianfan asked, putting on an expression of pleasant surprise.

“Don’t place too much hope in the French and the British,” Song Fuguo said, shaking his head. “When a nation is weak, it cannot rely on others.”

Cheng Qianfan nodded thoughtfully.

The puzzled expression he had just displayed was not merely to make himself appear less politically sensitive. Many people at present still placed their hopes in Britain, France, America, and the League of Nations. He needed to blend in.

“A short bandit who is strong and well-fed is robbing a tall but starving and weakened neighbor. The neighbor can only resist desperately. If he expects the old veteran bandits standing by and watching to save him, all he’ll receive are bayonets and even more bloodshed.”

Cheng Qianfan once discussed the widespread expectation that League of Nations intervention would force the Japanese army out of China with Comrade Zhulin. Zhulin had expressed it this way.

“Section Chief, do you have a list of the Japanese participants?” Cheng Qianfan suddenly asked.

“What do you want the Japanese list for?” Song Fuguo asked in surprise.

Although the Japanese were the Special Service Office’s primary enemy, and the intelligence war between the two countries was soaked in blood, this conference had open support from the British and French authorities.

The Special Service Office could not touch the Japanese participants. Doing so would provoke Japanese fury and might even provide the Japanese military with a pretext to expand the war.

“I’d like to study it,” Cheng Qianfan replied without changing expression. “Zhou Huaigu is pro-Japanese. His movements and activities will certainly be closely connected to the Japanese. Understanding the identities of the Japanese participants would help the anti-traitor operation.”

“Hmm, that makes some sense.” Song Fuguo pondered for a moment. “I’ll find a way to obtain the list of Japanese participants.”

“Thank you, Section Chief.”

Cheng Qianfan was overjoyed.

He had suddenly realized that Miyazaki Kentaro’s arrival in Shanghai seemed to coincide with the timing of this Sino-Japanese Friendship Symposium.

A vague suspicion had formed in his mind.

The headlights of the black automobile pierced through the rain and mist, revealing the fury of the storm.

Cheng Min sat with her arms folded, a package of mung bean cakes resting on her knees. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the seat.

The road was uneven.

As the car swayed, she slightly opened her tired eyes.

Rosa Salna glanced at her Chinese colleague.

Even the weariness on Cheng Min’s face carried a charm that was difficult to describe in words.

“Comrade Cheng Min, you’re the most beautiful partner I’ve ever had. If I were a man, I would definitely pursue you,” Salna said with a smile.

Cheng Min frowned slightly.

She still was not accustomed to this new partner’s way of speaking.

“Luna, don’t say things like that in China,” Cheng Min said. “People here won’t consider it humorous. They won’t like it.”

“Oh, a backward country.”

“Comrade Salna, please apologize to me. That is disrespectful to my homeland and my people.”

A flash of lightning tore across the night sky.

Salna suddenly felt that there was an indescribable light in the eyes of her beautiful Chinese comrade.

It was the light of danger and stubborn determination.

“I’m sorry, Cheng Min. I had no intention of disrespecting China or the Chinese people,” Salna apologized immediately. “What I mean is that I admire you and your people. Despite such difficult conditions, you continue your struggle without yielding.”

“I accept your apology.”

Cheng Min nodded.

She understood her partner’s temperament fairly well:

A kind, enthusiastic, and courageous Bolshevik woman fighter who had once risked her life under artillery fire to save an Anti-Japanese United Army soldier. She was straightforward and outspoken, without any malice.

“The water ahead is too deep. We can’t get through,” the driver, who had remained silent all this time, said. “Is there another route we can take? We have to get back before ten tonight. We’ve arranged to make radio contact with Comrade Sorge at ten.”