Chapter 77: A Respectable Uncle

Huang Lei!

Fang Jinghua immediately realized that the only possible way Wen Changjian could have learned the codename Butterfly Flower and the matter of the codebook was through Huang Lei.

Wen Changjian had been Huang Lei’s courier.

The matter of the codebook had been a task assigned by the Provincial Committee.

For security reasons, Fang Jinghua had not participated in the specific operation.

He had handed it directly to Huang Lei to handle.

Huang Lei was a member of the Municipal Committee.

Butterfly Flower was Huang Lei’s old comrade-in-arms.

Only Huang Lei knew Butterfly Flower’s true identity.

Even Fang Jinghua knew only the codename Butterfly Flower and had never met the person.

“That old Huang!” Fang Jinghua’s face darkened as he complained inwardly.

He was furious.

Huang Lei could not possibly be a spy.

He believed Huang Lei was a veteran comrade who had been thoroughly tested and was worthy of trust.

Most importantly, if Huang Lei had been compromised, the entire Communist Party Municipal Committee of Hangzhou, and perhaps half of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee, would already have been wiped out by the secret police.

The most likely explanation was that Huang Lei had failed to maintain proper secrecy, allowing Wen Changjian, who had still been working in Hangzhou at the time, to learn the information through some channel or even by accident.

Then the traitor Wen Changjian had used this classified intelligence as bargaining capital to beg the Japanese for mercy and to seek rewards.

This was precisely why underground work demanded constant caution and vigilance:

Sometimes a document, or even a slip of paper, was not destroyed in time.

Or perhaps a sentence was spoken casually without careful thought.

Any of these could expose secrets.

And bring enormous security risks to both individuals and the organization.

A veteran comrade had made such a serious mistake.

Fang Jinghua was both shocked and angry.

Fortunately, he had received this intelligence in time and learned of the enemy’s plot.

Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Who exactly had sent the letter and warning to Comrade Huai Tree?

Fang Jinghua picked up the envelope.

It was an ordinary kraft-paper envelope, the sort that could be purchased anywhere.

Printed on the back was Hangzhou Dasanyuan Printing Factory.

This was a well-known printing company in Hangzhou.

The envelope provided no useful clues.

The note containing the intelligence had been cut from the most ordinary kind of white paper and offered no identifying characteristics.

The writing had been done in pencil.

The handwriting was ugly.

That might serve as a clue.

The sender could have had a low level of education.

Of course, the most likely possibility was that the person had deliberately written in such chicken-scratch handwriting.

That would make the matter very difficult to investigate.

“Secretary Fang, are you thinking about how to trace the sender?” Luo Six asked.

“Yes. Do you have any suggestions?” Fang Jinghua said.

“The sender was able to obtain such highly classified intelligence,” Luo Six said. “This person must be deeply hidden and occupy an extremely important position.”

“Furthermore, this person knew my identity. He should either be someone I know well or someone familiar with me.”

“You mean you’ve worked together for a long time?” Fang Jinghua immediately asked.

“Very likely.” Luo Six nodded and continued, “The matters mentioned in the intelligence are extremely important. An ordinary intelligence operative would not have the ability to handle them promptly. Since he chose to warn me, he must know that I can contact the Municipal Committee.”

“So your conclusion is that this is one of our own comrades, a comrade who knows you very well.”

“Yes.” Luo Six nodded. “Most likely a comrade placed by the Provincial Committee in a critical position within the enemy ranks.”

Fang Jinghua pondered.

Comrade Huai Tree’s analysis was highly plausible.

Within the Communist Party Municipal Committee of Hangzhou, only he knew Comrade Huai Tree’s identity.

However, there was also a leading comrade in the Zhejiang Provincial Committee who knew of Huai Tree’s existence.

This leading comrade was a veteran of the secret front.

If he had planted one of the Party’s ace agents in a key position within the enemy organization, it would make perfect sense.

“Secretary Fang, and I personally suggest that we stop investigating this matter,” Luo Six said. “This comrade is not part of our intelligence line. Warning us was an action that likely put him in danger.”

“If we investigate this matter, we may threaten his safety.” Luo Six’s tone was grave. “Secretary Fang, because I myself am hidden inside the enemy ranks, I am the one most qualified to speak on this.”

“Every moment of every day, I feel as though I’m walking on thin ice. This comrade is hidden even deeper and occupies an even more important position. His situation must be even more difficult.” Luo Six continued. “We must protect this comrade.”

“You’re right. Comrade Huai Tree, you, and the other comrades hidden within the enemy ranks, have it far too hard.” Fang Jinghua nodded.

He fed the note directly into the flame above the lampshade.

The note caught fire.

He threw it into the brazier, where it quickly burned into ashes.

“This matter remains strictly confidential.” Fang Jinghua picked up a broken chopstick and scattered the ashes. “Let’s act as though this never happened.”

“Understood.”

Fang Jinghua nodded.

In truth, he already had a suspicion regarding this comrade’s identity.

Judging from both the content and tone of the intelligence.

This should be a comrade who had infiltrated a Japanese intelligence organization many years ago.

That veteran Provincial Committee leader truly deserved his reputation as an old master of espionage.

To have arranged for a Party agent to infiltrate a Japanese intelligence agency so far in advance was simply extraordinary!

“Atsuto, eat more slowly. Don’t choke.” Cheng Qianfan looked at the wolfing-down Kawada Atsuto and said.

The leftover food he had packed up the previous night had finally found a use.

It disappeared into Kawada Atsuto’s stomach with great enthusiasm and would soon undergo a marvelous transformation, becoming the product of the cycle of grains and returning to the earth.

“I’m going to talk, and you’re going to listen,” Cheng Qianfan said.

Having eaten his fill, Kawada Atsuto rubbed his belly and nodded.

“I’m going to the Japanese Concession now to find Major Okada Toshihiko. You’ll stay here and don’t move around.”

“I’ll sleep for a while.” Kawada Atsuto sighed and glanced at the bed, his eyes filled with longing.

Cheng Qianfan did not know how to describe it.

He had never seen a Japanese agent like this before.

The man had absolutely none of the vigilance or self-awareness expected of an intelligence operative.

Among Kawada Eikichi’s group, this fellow could be considered the weakest one.

Yet somehow he alone had escaped.

It truly was...

Heaven favoring Cheng Qianfan.

“There’s one more thing.” Cheng Qianfan’s expression became serious.

“Please speak, Miyazaki-kun.” Kawada Atsuto immediately became nervous.

“Atsuto, remember this.” Cheng Qianfan spoke slowly. “It was Kawada-kun who ordered you to escape from the Yang residence. You are the genius of the Kawada family, the pride of the Kawada clan. Kawada-kun could not allow you to perish. He arranged for your escape. This was the heartfelt concern of an elder toward a younger member of the family.”

Kawada Atsuto froze for a moment.

Though he was a rookie agent, he was not stupid.

He quickly understood Cheng Qianfan’s meaning and why he wanted him to tell this story.

This was shifting responsibility away from him.

It was also saving him.

Saving the reputation of the Kawada family.

The Kawada family should not, and could not, produce a cowardly deserter afraid of death!

“You’re right, Miyazaki-kun.” Kawada Atsuto immediately stood up and said with utmost seriousness, “At the most dangerous moment, Uncle’s final thought was to protect me. My most beloved uncle.”

Cheng Qianfan glanced at Kawada Atsuto.

His feelings at that moment were extremely complicated.

He had originally thought Kawada Atsuto would refuse.

After all, young members of great families usually possessed pride and self-respect.

He had even been considering how to persuade him.

Yet this fellow turned out to be so shameless...

Then again, for someone afraid of death, after experiencing such an ordeal, what were pride and self-respect worth?

“Yes. That was Kawada-kun. He devoted himself entirely to the Empire of Japan. At the most critical moment, he could not help having a tiny bit of selfishness. But...” Cheng Qianfan said solemnly, “It was a respectable selfishness. It was the responsibility of a family elder.”

“To have a confidant like Miyazaki-kun, Uncle could die without regrets.” Tears streamed down Kawada Atsuto’s face as he nodded repeatedly.

Cheng Qianfan thought: [Your uncle isn’t dead yet...]

Meanwhile, at the Okada residence in the Japanese Concession, the lights blazed brightly.

“Still no news of Kawada-kun?” Okada Toshihiko’s face was gloomy.

A man who ordinarily paid great attention to military appearance and bearing now had his collar undone and his uniform hanging open.

Fragments of shattered porcelain littered the floor everywhere.