Chapter 40: Finding the Organization

Chapter 40: Finding the Organization

The house by the street, along with the neighboring one, had been rented through several layers of intermediaries by Cheng Qianfan himself.

This was a backup safe house he had prepared according to the Organization’s requirements.

The reason Cheng Qianfan had specifically come here to buy pastries was to check on the condition of the safe house.

He had chosen this location not only because the house faced streets both in front and behind, making escape convenient, but also because this pastry shop was famous far and wide, so his presence here would not arouse suspicion.

Someone was living in the house now.

A surge of joy rose in Cheng Qianfan’s heart.

His first thought was that comrades had moved in.

For Cheng Qianfan, who had been desperately searching for the Organization, this was an unexpected delight.

However, he did not act rashly.

It was also possible that someone had noticed the house had stood empty for a long time and had simply occupied it.

Such things were not uncommon.

With the times in turmoil, some families left Shanghai temporarily, and their vacant houses would be “borrowed” by drifters or people whose identities could not bear scrutiny.

Someone was approaching.

Without slowing his pace, Cheng Qianfan continued walking.

After moving more than ten meters away, he stopped and pretended to light a cigarette.

Kang Erniu, carrying half a sack of rice on his shoulder, knocked on the courtyard gate.

The gate opened halfway.

Inside stood a middle-aged man who took the sack of rice from Kang Erniu.

After exchanging a few quiet words, the two quickly shut the gate.

Him?

Cheng Qianfan immediately recognized Kang Erniu from his appearance at Shuanglong Lane Residence.

What delighted him even more was that he recognized the middle-aged man who had opened the door.

The middle-aged man was a comrade from the Shanghai Municipal Committee.

The reason Cheng Qianfan recognized him was simple.

The man had probably arrived in Shanghai last autumn, and Cheng Qianfan had personally handled the concession identity documents he carried.

Photographs had been required for the documents.

Of course, the middle-aged man certainly did not recognize Cheng Qianfan.

This was also one reason Comrade Zhulin had instructed Old Liao to protect Cheng Qianfan at all costs.

Before and after that time, Cheng Qianfan had handled concession identity papers for more than a dozen comrades arriving in Shanghai from other regions.

He had obtained these documents through legitimate means.

When he had first entered the police station, Cheng Qianfan had spent a period working odd jobs in the document office.

You paid money for papers, and he handled the paperwork.

As long as the money was sufficient, everything was negotiable.

That had always been the standard practice.

The concession’s document system itself existed largely to generate revenue.

Even if problems arose, no one would blame a mere clerk.

It could be said that since last autumn, Cheng Qianfan’s mind had stored information on nearly half of the newly arrived comrades from the Shanghai Municipal Committee and the Provincial Committee.

What was heartbreaking was that, as far as Cheng Qianfan knew, more than half of those comrades had already perished during last year’s massive crackdown.

In that case, Kang Erniu, who had appeared at Shuanglong Lane Residence, must also be a Party comrade.

After a brief moment of thought, Cheng Qianfan understood why Kang Erniu had moved from Shuanglong Lane Residence to the safe house.

The police had arrested the “Communist” Zhu Yuan at Shuanglong Lane Residence.

Naturally, Kang Erniu and the others had been alarmed and had immediately evacuated for safety.

Cheng Qianfan was overjoyed.

Although, according to strict organizational procedures, he could only wait for the Special Branch to reactivate contact with him and could not rejoin the Organization through these comrades, simply finding his comrades filled him with warmth and renewed his spirits.

On the way home, Cheng Qianfan’s mood was exceptionally cheerful.

He had to force himself to suppress his excitement.

Such emotions did not fit someone who had only recently survived an assassination attempt.

As soon as he arrived home, he saw He Guan waiting outside the door.

A casual glance revealed a ring of cigarette butts at He Guan’s feet.

The fellow had clearly been waiting for quite some time.

“Where did you go?”

He Guan asked urgently.

“Old Zhenxing’s qingtuan.”

Cheng Qianfan lifted the food box.

“Tomorrow I’m going to visit Xiao Bao at the orphanage.”

He Guan nodded without suspicion.

He knew Cheng Qianfan had spent part of his childhood at the orphanage and still visited the children regularly.

He had even accepted a little girl there as his younger sister.

Cheng Qianfan took out his key and unlocked the door.

“Why aren’t you on duty at the station? What are you doing here again?”

“Something happened.”

He Guan closed the door behind him and lowered his voice.

“Old Mo is dead!”

“Old Mo? He’s dead?”

Cheng Qianfan froze.

Placing the food box on the table, he asked in surprise.

A flash of delight flickered through his eyes.

Throughout his report, He Guan had been carefully watching Cheng Qianfan’s reactions.

Now he finally relaxed.

“Go ahead and gloat.”

“I’m not. Don’t make things up. That’s nonsense.”

Cheng Qianfan denied it vigorously.

Seeing He Guan’s skeptical expression, he pretended to be angry.

“Old Mo was our colleague. How could I possibly be happy that he’s dead?”

As he spoke, however, he finally could not hold back anymore.

“Fine, fine. I’m a little happy that Old Mo is dead, all right? I don’t believe you’re unhappy either. You two had plenty of grudges between you... Anyway, how did he die?”

“Hanging.”

“Impossible.”

Cheng Qianfan immediately shook his head.

“A man like Old Mo, who has committed every evil deed imaginable and fears death more than anything, would never be willing to hang himself.”

“I knew I couldn’t fool you.”

He Guan stopped building suspense.

Excitement actually appeared on his face.

“Did you know? Old Mo turned out to be a traitor. Everyone suspects this was done by the Special Service Office’s anti-traitor squad.”

The fire of gossip.

Cheng Qianfan understood.

Clearly, He Guan felt not the slightest sadness over Old Mo’s death.

Instead, he was intensely interested in Old Mo’s identity as a traitor and the circumstances of his death.

“A traitor? Old Mo?”

Cheng Qianfan sneered.

“The Japanese would want someone like him?”

“That’s where you’re wrong.”

He Guan said.

“For the Japanese, people like Old Mo are exactly the easiest to recruit. Anyone with even a shred of conscience wouldn’t become a traitor.”

Cheng Qianfan nodded.

“That’s true. I didn’t realize you were capable of that kind of analysis.”

Although the Japanese had already occupied Manchuria and parts of North China had fallen as well, the Chinese people’s determination to resist remained strong.

The occupied territories were one matter, but within Nationalist-controlled regions, those genuinely willing to become traitors were still a minority.

Such people would be condemned by everyone around them.

Even after death, they would not be accepted into their ancestral graves.

“How did you determine that Old Mo was a traitor?”

Cheng Qianfan asked.

“Blood writing was left on the wall of Old Mo’s house.”

He Guan’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

“It said, ‘The fate of a traitor.’ I really want to know who was so capable. They got rid of Old Mo without making a sound.”

“Only say that sort of thing here. Keep your mouth shut outside.”

Cheng Qianfan warned him.

“Old Mo was still one of the police station’s own people.”

“I know. I’m not stupid.”

He Guan nodded.

“Actually, most people feel the same way. A man like Old Mo deserved to die. Nobody expected him to be a traitor. You should have seen Liu Bo. He was furious, cursing Old Mo as a disgrace who had forgotten his ancestors. Chief Qin gave him a severe scolding.”

A thought stirred in Cheng Qianfan’s mind.

His instinct told him Liu Bo was acting.

Old Mo was hated by everyone.

No one liked him.

But regardless, he had still been a colleague.

The dead deserved a measure of respect.

Because Cheng Qianfan already regarded Liu Bo with suspicion, his first reaction to Liu Bo’s behavior was that it had gone too far.

He had overacted.

“What did Chief Qin say?”

Cheng Qianfan asked.

This was what concerned him most.

Qin Detai’s attitude was the key issue.

“Chief Qin gave an explanation.”

A strange expression appeared on He Guan’s face.

“He said that with Qingming approaching, Old Mo was all alone and overwhelmed by longing for his family. In a moment of despair, he hanged himself.”

Cheng Qianfan’s mouth hung open.

His eyes were filled with disbelief.

“Old Mo? Overwhelmed by longing?! Longing for whom?”

“Old Miao, his uncle.”

He Guan’s expression became even stranger.