Chapter 214: The Official Contact

“After all the persuading and pleading, Aguan finally listened.”

Jin Kemu accepted the cigarette Cheng Qianfan handed him, lit it, took a drag, and sighed.

“Aguan isn’t making a fuss about enlisting anymore?” Cheng Qianfan asked in surprise. For him to give in so quickly did not fit He Guan’s stubborn personality.

“Damn it.”

Jin Kemu cursed.

“That stubborn mule kept insisting on going to Beiping to enlist. I talked until my mouth went dry, and your Aunt He cried and begged him. The little brat finally agreed to go to Jiangyin.”

“Jiangyin?”

Cheng Qianfan was momentarily stunned.

“Chu Tianfang’s Jiangsu Provincial Security Regiment.”

Jin Kemu shook his head.

“I go way back with Old Chu. Sending him there will at least put my mind at ease.”

So it was Chu Tianfang’s Jiangsu Provincial Security Regiment.

Cheng Qianfan nodded.

He knew a little about Chu Tianfang.

The man was a first-term Huangpu graduate and a fierce general during the Northern Expedition.

The commander of the 77th Regiment of the 26th Division of the National Revolutionary Army was the Communist Jiang Wushan, and Chu Tianfang was his deputy commander.

In the fifteenth year of the Republic, Jiang Wushan, commander of the 77th Regiment of the 26th Division and the regiment’s Red political representative, found his troops trapped at Xinzhuang by heavy artillery fire and in danger of collapse.

Faced with the crisis, Commander Jiang showed no fear.

He proposed a direct assault on the enemy artillery positions and volunteered himself as leader of a suicide squad.

Taking the lead, he charged into the enemy positions at the head of the regiment under intense artillery bombardment.

Unfortunately, he was struck by a bullet and fell, dying on the battlefield.

Deputy Commander Chu Tianfang led the grief-stricken soldiers in a continued fierce assault and successfully broke through Xinzhuang.

The 77th Regiment was the first to enter Linying City.

At the same time, the National Revolutionary Army’s 12th Division on the main front also broke through the defenders, securing a major victory in one of the fiercest battles of the Northern Expedition.

Chu Tianfang had once been a Communist but later left the Party.

Because of that past affiliation, he had always been viewed with suspicion.

Despite being a first-term Huangpu graduate, he was now merely a colonel commanding a Jiangsu Provincial Security Regiment.

“That’s not bad either. It’s still defending the nation, and it’s close to home.”

Cheng Qianfan nodded.

“Damn it.”

Jin Kemu cursed again.

Then he sighed and said nothing more.

The hottest topic in the Shanghai press that day was the assassination that had occurred in Hongkou the previous day.

News that “Yingzuo Eiichi, Japanese agent and nephew of Japanese leader Yingzuo Teiaki, assassinated by unknown attacker” spread everywhere.

Chinese readers applauded enthusiastically upon reading it.

After work, the “deeply frightened” Cheng Qianfan secretly headed to one of the Shanghai Special Higher Police Section’s safe houses.

Only he, Yingzuo Eiichi, and Kouji knew of this location.

Cheng Qianfan left behind a secret letter.

As a “secret agent” belonging to the Shanghai Special Higher Police Section, his identity was unknown to the organization’s other members.

Therefore, he could not appear at the Shanghai Special Higher Police Section headquarters.

Even though it was impossible for other Japanese agents to be monitoring this safe house, Cheng Qianfan still acted his role to the fullest.

With a face full of grief and a few deliberately shed tears, Cheng Qianfan concealed the secret letter and quickly departed.

Only if the new head of the Shanghai Special Higher Police Section, or even Yingzuo Teiaki himself, discovered his file and learned of this safe house would the secret letter have a chance of being found.

“The Director has sent a telegram.”

Song Fuguo spoke excitedly.

“The Director is extremely pleased with the success of Operation Heartbreak and said he will apply for commendations for both of us.”

“Everything here depended upon Section Chief Song’s command on the scene and the Director’s strategic planning. I merely helped out from the sidelines.”

Cheng Qianfan smiled.

“You brat, your share of the credit isn’t going anywhere. There’s no need to be modest in front of me.”

Song Fuguo burst into laughter.

Successfully eliminating Yingzuo Eiichi while punishing the traitor Xiao Zhenzhong had completely swept away his previous gloom, leaving him refreshed and invigorated.

The two men raised teacups in place of wine and toasted each other.

After leaving Song Fuguo’s residence, Cheng Qianfan lowered the brim of his hat and hailed a rickshaw.

Half an hour later, he appeared on Route Tardy.

After walking for approximately another half hour from Route Tardy, he arrived at Avenue Massenet.

This was the time he had arranged to meet Peng Yu’ou.

Cheng Qianfan circled Peng Yu’ou’s residence once and, finding no suspicious individuals, approached the door and knocked lightly.

“Who’s there?”

Peng Yu’ou had already been waiting.

Suppressing his excitement, he asked softly.

“Professor Peng, I’m Huo Miao. You told me to come tonight to collect the lecture notes.”

“What lecture notes?”

“The third edition of Mr. Wuyun’s Essays on Classical Chinese Studies lecture notes.”

With a creak, the door opened.

Cheng Qianfan slipped inside.

The two comrades, who had already made contact numerous times yet had never met face-to-face, looked at one another.

Peng Yu’ou wore black-rimmed glasses and appeared to be in his forties.

His eyes were sharp and spirited.

Cheng Qianfan was dressed in a suit and leather shoes, wearing a fedora.

His refined face carried a smile.

“Secretary Peng, hello. We finally meet.”

“Yes, we finally meet.”

The two men clasped hands tightly.

“Comrade Flame!”

“Secretary Peng!”

Peng Yu’ou was astonished beyond measure.

Previously, he had assumed Comrade Xinghuo was an experienced underground operative in his thirties.

He had never imagined such a refined and handsome young man.

Most importantly, he knew this person.

Cheng Qianfan, Deputy Inspector of the Third Patrol Division of the Central Police Station.

A police officer.

Even more, a notorious police officer rumored to hold extremely hostile attitudes toward the Communists and to have personally participated in multiple anti-Communist arrest operations.

Yet this man was actually the Party’s deeply hidden ace agent, Comrade Xinghuo.

No, to be precise, Comrade Flame.

Had Cheng Qianfan not been standing before him in person, he would never have believed it.

“I truly never would have imagined that Officer Cheng was Comrade Flame.”

Peng Yu’ou sighed with emotion.

Cheng Qianfan smiled shyly.

“I must thank you, Comrade Flame.”

Peng Yu’ou said happily.

“You’ve helped us repeatedly. In a certain sense, you’ve preserved the Communist movement in Shanghai.”

“It’s only what I should do.”

Cheng Qianfan smiled.

“On the contrary, I should thank Secretary Peng for supporting my business. As long as you don’t call me a profiteer, I’m happy.”

Peng Yu’ou knew he was referring to the Communists spending large sums to purchase sulfanilamide.

He burst into laughter.

“Secretary Peng, let me first report on my work.”

Cheng Qianfan’s expression became serious.

“Please do.”

Peng Yu’ou’s expression also became solemn.

He was extremely curious about Comrade Flame.

However, due to secrecy and security concerns, the organization had never informed him of any additional details regarding Flame.

Even though Peng Yu’ou was a seasoned senior Party cadre who had weathered countless trials, he was still shocked by Cheng Qianfan’s account of his work.

Deputy Inspector of the police station.

Leader of the Bluebird independent infiltration group under the Special Service Office.

Posing as the Japanese Miyazaki Kentaro, then using Miyazaki Kentaro’s identity to impersonate himself.

Ace agent Flame of the Central Special Branch.

Any one of those identities alone was astonishing.

Gathered together in a single individual, they inspired in Peng Yu’ou not only amazement at this young comrade’s legendary experiences but also profound admiration.

Being an undercover operative was already extraordinarily difficult.

How much more difficult must it be for Cheng Qianfan to maintain multiple undercover identities simultaneously?

These identities, and the experiences behind them, represented a brutal and complex environment of struggle.

Heart-stopping.

That was the phrase that came to his mind.

“Comrade Flame, you’ve worked hard.”

Peng Yu’ou sighed.

“These past days have not been easy for you.”

“The hardest part was losing contact with the organization.”

Cheng Qianfan said.

“The period when I was cut off from the organization was incredibly lonely.”

Then he smiled.

“But now it’s different. With the organization behind me, I have much more confidence in my future work.”

Peng Yu’ou shook his hand again.

He could feel the excitement of this young yet highly accomplished comrade returning to the embrace of the organization.

Indeed, no matter how harsh the working environment, Communists never feared hardship.

As long as the organization existed, no difficulty was insurmountable.

“Secretary Peng, there is something I’ve wanted to ask you for a long time.”

Cheng Qianfan asked with a serious and earnest expression.

“What is it?”

“Previously, the Party Affairs Investigation Department arranged for the traitor Zhu Yuan to infiltrate our Party.”

Cheng Qianfan said.

“I want to know the details about this man.”

“You’re asking about Old Liao’s sacrifice, aren’t you?”

Peng Yu’ou sighed.

“Yes.”

Cheng Qianfan nodded.

His expression was grave, and his eyes were filled with sorrow.