Chapter 52: On the Train

Chapter 52: On the Train

Yu Ping’an snatched the telegram and carefully read it.

Bang!

His right palm slammed heavily onto the table.

Yu Ping’an’s face was filled with grief and indignation.

“The British have gone too far!”

Dai Chunfeng was the director of the Special Service Office of the Lixingshe.

He was the head of one of the National Government’s two major intelligence organizations.

The Hong Kong Police Department’s actions were not merely a slap in the face to Dai Chunfeng and the Special Service Office, they were also a slap in the face to the National Government.

“Send a telegram to the Chairman immediately.”

Holding the telegram in his left hand, Yu Ping’an nearly flung it away in his agitation.

“Take this down.”

A young adjutant immediately picked up official stationery and began writing.

“To the Chairman:

We are shocked to learn that Mr. Dai has been detained by the Hong Kong police.

The situation is grave, and he is being treated entirely as a criminal.

All of us are outraged and deeply angered.

We respectfully request that the Chairman dispatch personnel to negotiate with the British ambassador by telegram and urge his release.

The British are truly detestable. This incident demonstrates their lack of friendly intentions toward us.

All ranks are anxious and await instructions.

Your subordinate,

Yu Ping’an.”

The adjutant stopped writing and looked at Yu Ping’an.

Yu Ping’an waved his hand.

“Send it immediately to the Nanjing Attendants’ Office for the Chairman’s personal review.”

Two agents of the Special Service Office followed the communications-room adjutant to dispatch the telegram.

The others exchanged glances and all breathed a sigh of relief.

Director Dai Chunfeng’s detention by the Hong Kong authorities could be either a major or a minor matter.

The British certainly would not dare truly harm Dai Chunfeng.

He would undoubtedly be released within a few days.

Nevertheless, upon hearing the news, everyone could not help but speculate whether some upheaval might arise within the Special Service Office during Dai Chunfeng’s detention.

Yu Ping’an had neither sought excuses nor attempted delays.

Nor had he first contacted Zheng Jiemin, Tang Song, and the others at the Nanjing headquarters of the Special Service Office.

Instead, he directly ordered that the matter be reported to Chairman Chiang Kai-shek.

This immediately prevented any internal dangers or confusion that might have emerged within the Special Service Office.

“Where is Wang Yajiu?”

“According to our investigation, he has already left Hong Kong. His whereabouts are unknown.”

“We’ve fallen into that man’s trap.”

Yu Ping’an shook his head.

Dai Chunfeng had personally led men to Hong Kong for the purpose of hunting down Wang Yajiu.

Late in the autumn of last year, the Sixth Plenary Session of the Fourth Central Executive Committee of the Nationalist Party opened at the Central Party Headquarters Auditorium on Hunan Road in Nanjing.

After the session, all committee members gathered in front of the conference hall for a group photograph.

Unexpectedly, just as the photograph had ended and everyone was preparing to leave, a man suddenly rushed out from among the journalists, drew a pistol, and fired three shots at Wang Tianhai, who was standing in the front row.

Every shot hit its target...

What astonished everyone was that Wang Tianhai did not die.

The Chairman urgently summoned Dai Chunfeng.

Furious beyond measure, he harshly reprimanded him and ordered that the matter be solved within three days!

The truth was quickly uncovered.

The mastermind behind the assassination attempt on Wang Tianhai was none other than the “King of Assassins,” Wang Yajiu.

Nearly half a year had passed, and Wang Yajiu remained at large.

Only a few days earlier, Wang Tianhai and the Chairman had argued during a meeting of the Central Standing Committee.

Wang Tianhai stormed out in anger.

Chen Bijun then charged to the Chairman’s residence like a shrew and cursed loudly outside the gates, accusing Chiang Kai-shek of sheltering the murderer and harboring sinister intentions.

The Chairman was so enraged that he repeatedly cursed, “Damn it all!”

Dai Chunfeng was immediately summoned and scolded once more.

Humiliated and furious, Dai Chunfeng personally led twenty agents from Nanjing by air to Fuzhou, then boarded a ship bound for Kowloon.

Before he had even disembarked in Kowloon, he was arrested by the Hong Kong Police Department.

Intelligence reports indicated that when Dai Chunfeng was arrested, Wang Yajiu was drinking tea with Governor Geoffrey Northcote of Hong Kong.

Clearly, it had been a trap.

Wang Yajiu had learned that Dai Chunfeng was coming to Hong Kong to capture him.

Cheng Qianfan’s mission was to protect the French businessman Campbell.

However, after boarding the train, Campbell remained with his bodyguards.

Cheng Qianfan occupied a berth of his own.

The two groups occupied back-to-back berths.

Although they were physically close, they would scarcely meet unless one deliberately walked over.

Cheng Qianfan understood the situation.

Rather than being protected, Campbell was effectively under house arrest by these bodyguards.

Song Fuguo had previously explained the plan to him.

Though the French businessman appeared prosperous, he had long since gone bankrupt and was drowning in debt.

Only outsiders were unaware of it.

The Special Service Office had asked him to play a role.

In exchange, they offered him a sum of money and a ticket to return directly to France one month after returning to Shanghai.

Campbell had gladly agreed.

“Sir, what would you like to eat?”

A waiter approached carrying a menu card.

Cheng Qianfan accepted it and found the selection extremely extensive.

Not only were there various drinks such as whisky, brandy, beer, soda water, and lemonade.

There were also sardines, salmon, premium steak, Western pork chops, lamb ribs, roast chicken, ham, bacon and eggs, and various rice dishes with meat.

All were imported Western foods.

Even the knives and forks bore foreign lettering.

Cheng Qianfan glanced at the prices and could not help clicking his tongue.

Prices ranged from 1.3 French francs to four or five French francs.

Ordering a few dishes casually would cost at least ten French francs.

One had to know that in a medium-grade restaurant in the French Concession, 1.6 francs could buy a full meal consisting of an entire braised pork knuckle or a whole boiled chicken with meat soup.

“Too expensive.”

Cheng Qianfan shook his head.

Just as the waiter’s expression changed slightly and he prepared to take back the menu and leave, he saw the exceptionally handsome passenger point at the menu.

“A glass of whisky, premium steak, and abalone soup with minced chicken. That’ll be all.”

“Certainly, sir. Please wait a moment.”

The waiter smiled happily, bowed slightly, collected the menu, and left.

Cheng Qianfan smiled.

He had always been willing to spend money on food and drink.

Now he was traveling on official business.

When it was time to enjoy himself and spend freely, he ought to do so even more.

Qin Detai had been equally generous, approving an advance of two hundred French francs.

Any excess would be returned, any shortfall reimbursed.

Cheng Qianfan stood in the corridor preparing to smoke.

He had already taken out a cigarette but did not light it.

Almost imperceptibly, Cheng Qianfan sniffed the air.

He put the cigarette away.

Then he examined the surrounding passengers.

Two berths away, meals had just been delivered to two middle-aged men.

One of them, dressed in a suit and wearing small round spectacles, looked at the table full of delicacies and laughed while clapping his hands.

“Excellent. At last, today I won’t have to pay my respects to Mr. Yutang.”

Cheng Qianfan smiled.

This man was rather interesting.

He had heard the anecdote about Mr. Yutang before.

Most first-class passengers were wealthy people.

Mr. Yutang referred to Lin Yutang.

Once, while traveling to Hangzhou, he boarded at Fanyan Ferry and sat opposite “a local tycoon.”

Later, Lin Yutang wrote a short essay describing the incident.

Ten minutes after departure, the tycoon began ordering food.

“For some reason, he ordered twice as much as ordinary people.”

At 10:06, he first ordered a cup of medicinal liquor, apparently wujiapi wine.

Five minutes later, he ordered a large mixed-meat dish, followed by beef stewed with cabbage.

Lin Yutang was probably hungry, since he even counted exactly “twelve slices” of beef in the dish.

Ten minutes later came “five slices of toast and a dish of butter.”

In the essay, Lin Yutang, consumed by envy, concluded that “this man would certainly die of liver cancer at fifty.”

Seeing Cheng Qianfan smile knowingly, the gentleman with the round spectacles cupped his hands in greeting.

“Sir, you should order some wujiapi liquor. That would suit the occasion perfectly.”

Cheng Qianfan said with a smile.

“Indeed, indeed.”

The gentleman with the round spectacles nodded.

At that moment, the other middle-aged man, who had remained silent and was sipping wine in small mouthfuls, raised his head and cast a cold glance at his companion.

The gentleman with the round spectacles laughed awkwardly and fell silent.

The waiter arrived carrying a tray and delivered Cheng Qianfan’s meal.

Cheng Qianfan accepted the tray and handed over some banknotes.

“Keep the change.”

The waiter bowed happily and departed.

“Sir, if you don’t mind, shall we dine together?”

Carrying his tray, Cheng Qianfan walked over.

Before the gentleman with the round spectacles could reply, his companion said coldly:

“Please do not disturb us.”

“The Daiginjo from Fukushima, I can smell the taste of home.”

Cheng Qianfan bent slightly and spoke softly.

He spoke in Japanese.