Chapter 167: Your Subordinate Cheng Wufang Requests Funds!

For every sentence Cheng Qianfan spoke, Zhou Ru wrote down a sentence.

After Cheng Qianfan finished speaking, Zhou Ru handed the freshly written telegram draft to him for review.

“Team Leader, does anything need to be revised?” Zhou Ru asked cautiously. “Should it really be sent just like this?”

“Mm.”

Cheng Qianfan took it, glanced through it, nodded, and handed it back to Zhou Ru.

“Send it.”

Zhou Ru looked at her team leader, wanting to remind him: Team Leader, this is your first telegram to your superiors, and it’s asking for money from beginning to end. Is that really appropriate?

Yes, in Zhou Ru’s opinion, although the telegram was filled with serious work reports and requests for instructions from higher authority, when one looked beneath the surface, it could be summarized in a single sentence:

Your subordinate Cheng Qianfan requests funds!

However, this was her first meeting with Cheng Qianfan.

She did not know the temperament of this young and handsome team leader.

Seeing that Cheng Qianfan insisted, she dared not say more and obediently took the telegram draft to transmit it.

Beep, beep-beep, beep-beep!

After Zhou Ru finished transmitting the telegram, Cheng Qianfan asked in surprise,

“You don’t need to consult the codebook?”

“For security reasons, I’ve memorized the entire codebook.”

The somewhat nervous Zhou Ru finally displayed a confident smile.

“Please rest assured, Team Leader. Not a single character will be wrong.”

Hangzhou, Xiongzhen Tower.

Inside the telegraph room, indicator lights flashed on the equipment, and the sounds of telegram transmissions rose and fell continuously.

Operators wore headphones and maintained serious expressions.

Whenever a telegram was received, a decoder immediately took the telegram sheet and rushed it to the translation room for urgent decryption.

Outside the telegraph room, double sentries stood guard.

Their weapons were loaded, and security was extremely tight.

Half a month earlier, the Second and Sixth Communist Army Corps had broken through the Jinsha River defensive line.

Recently, the Japanese North China Garrison Army had begun large-scale troop movements and was pressing against Tianjin.

The Communists had issued a public telegram calling for a cessation of civil war and united resistance against Japan, sparking intense public debate.

Intelligence from Xi’an indicated that Zhang and Yang had been influenced by this telegram, causing delays in the anti-bandit campaigns.

Intelligence from Inner Mongolia indicated that Prince De was becoming increasingly restless and appeared inclined toward collaboration with Japan.

In the Liangguang region, Li and Bai were maintaining close contact with Chen Guangzhou, seemingly plotting something.

During this recent period, both the political and military situations had been turbulent, giving rise to a sense that a storm was approaching.

The Telecommunications Section at Xiongzhen Tower had assumed responsibility for part of the Special Service Office’s telegram traffic and was operating under intense pressure.

“Section Chief, a telegram has just arrived.”

“Has it been decrypted?”

“No.”

The operator shook his head.

“This telegram is classified as Level Three Top Secret.”

The section chief accepted the telegram sheet in surprise.

“We’ve never received a transmission from this radio station before?”

“No.”

“I understand.”

The Telecommunications Section chief hurried away with the telegram sheet.

Several minutes later.

Little White Building.

Although it was already late at night, the Little White Building remained brightly lit.

Yu Ping’an was still working at his desk.

“Deputy Director Yu, a Level Three encrypted telegram.”

Wu Yuanfang gently placed the telegram sheet on Yu Ping’an’s desk.

“Sent over by Section Chief Sun.”

“Yuanfang, you may leave.”

Yu Ping’an waved his hand.

“Yes, sir.”

Without glancing at the telegram on the desk, Wu Yuanfang turned and left.

Yu Ping’an removed a blue-covered notebook from the safe.

This was a codebook he had personally compiled, used exclusively for communications with Cheng Qianfan’s sleeper cell.

Very quickly, the telegram was decrypted:

“To Director Yu in Hangzhou, and forwarded to Director Dai in Nanjing.”

“A batch of French-made Ruby pistols...”

“...However, sulfanilamide is expensive, and funding is insufficient. I respectfully request a decision from higher authority...”

“Submitted by Cheng Wufang.”

“Twenty-three fifteen hours, May 7th, Year Twenty-Five of the Republic.”

Yu Ping’an set down his fountain pen, picked up the decrypted telegram, and glanced over it.

He was both annoyed and amused.

This Cheng Qianfan.

Sending a telegram in the middle of the night, and from beginning to end it conveyed only two words:

Need money!

It was normal for subordinate units of the Special Service Office to try every possible means of obtaining funding from their superiors.

But when had this brat Cheng Qianfan picked up such a bad habit?

He had just been given four hundred French currency yuan, and it was already gone!

Or was the fellow embezzling public funds for personal use?

Yu Ping’an shook his head.

Based on his observations and understanding of Cheng Qianfan, the young man was energetic and idealistic.

He did not seem capable of such conduct.

Yu Ping’an picked up the telegram and read it carefully again.

In the end, his gaze stopped on the sentence:

“New Western medicine sulfanilamide... remarkable effects on gunshot wounds... medicine capable of saving lives.”

A new drug.

Sulfanilamide?

Miraculous effects on gunshot wounds?

Yu Ping’an’s first reaction was that Cheng Qianfan had fallen victim to a swindler.

But after another thought, the young man was exceptionally intelligent.

Surely he would not make such a foolish mistake.

Yu Ping’an pressed the call bell.

“Ask Doctor Dong from the medical office to come here.”

Soon, Wu Yuanfang arrived with a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed spectacles.

Seeing the situation, Wu Yuanfang tactfully withdrew.

Carrying a medical case and drenched in sweat, Doctor Dong entered and immediately asked,

“Deputy Director Yu, are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“My health is fine.”

Yu Ping’an invited Doctor Dong to sit and rest.

He personally poured the doctor a glass of water.

“Brother Yaoming, have you ever heard of a new Western medicine called sulfanilamide?”

“Sulfanilamide? A new Western medicine?”

Doctor Dong was initially stunned.

After thinking for a moment, he shook his head.

“Deputy Director Yu, I have never heard of such a medicine.”

“It is said that this medicine is highly effective in treating gunshot wounds.”

Yu Ping’an was already leaning toward the belief that Cheng Qianfan had encountered a fraudster, but out of caution he continued.

“Treating gunshot wounds? Remarkably effective? How could that be!”

Doctor Dong instinctively shook his head, then suddenly stood up and began pacing slowly in thought.

Yu Ping’an did not disturb him.

After quite some time, Doctor Dong’s eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands.

“I remember now. I once heard someone mention that Westerners were developing a new medicine effective against infections resulting from gunshot wounds.”

“Then such a medicine really exists?”

Unable to conceal his delight, Yu Ping’an asked.

If such a miraculous new medicine truly existed, it would be a blessing for countless Special Service Office agents and soldiers of the National Revolutionary Army.

“I’ve only heard that Westerners are conducting such research. As for whether there have been successful results, or whether this is indeed the new medicine called sulfanilamide, I do not know.”

Doctor Dong replied.

Yu Ping’an immediately felt reassured.

Although Doctor Dong had not confirmed the existence of sulfanilamide, his explanation at least convinced Yu Ping’an that Cheng Qianfan was not making baseless claims.

His confidence in this new medicine increased considerably.

“Thank you for making the trip, Brother Yaoming. You’ve worked hard.”

Yu Ping’an made a polite gesture of farewell.

“Director, you’re too courteous. As long as your health is fine, I am relieved.”

Doctor Dong hurriedly replied.

After taking a few steps, he finally could not resist asking,

“Has that miraculous medicine truly been developed? It’s called sulfanilamide?”

“Brother Yaoming, further verification is still required.”

Yu Ping’an spoke slowly.

“I hope Brother Yaoming will refrain from discussing this matter.”

“I understand, I understand.”

Doctor Dong repeatedly assured him.

Then he shook his head and sighed.

“If such a miraculous medicine truly exists, it could save countless soldiers resisting Japan.”

After Doctor Dong departed, Yu Ping’an quietly said to the returning Wu Yuanfang,

“Investigate Doctor Dong.”

Doctor Dong had said “save countless soldiers resisting Japan,” not “soldiers of the National Revolutionary Army.”

At present, there was no large-scale conflict between the National Revolutionary Army and the Japanese.

The largest military operations were taking place in northern Shaanxi.

“Understood.”

Wu Yuanfang accepted the order and departed.