Chapter 83: Homeroom Teacher

Huangniwo was a place name, located near the riverbank.

A rickshaw stopped beside a luxuriant willow tree by the roadside.

Cheng Qianfan stepped down from the rickshaw and paid the fare.

A gust of wind blew by, swaying the willow branches and carrying a trace of chill.

He raised the long collar of his trench coat and hid his face within it.

A pair of round sunglasses rested on the bridge of his nose.

His alert eyes scanned the surrounding environment through the lenses.

He was waiting for someone, waiting for the person who would come to pick him up.

He pulled a cigarette case from his pocket, flicked out a cigarette, and held it between his lips. It took several matches before he finally lit it.

He took a deep drag and exhaled a long stream of smoke.

A hanging willow branch dipped down and swept through the smoke. Another gust of wind followed, dispersing it.

Cheng Qianfan was still in a state of shock.

It had actually been Dai Chunfeng.

The moment he heard the person on the other end of the telephone identify himself as Dai Chunfeng, his scalp instantly went numb.

Dai Chunfeng and Xue Yingzeng were the two Nationalist intelligence chiefs most familiar to the Communists.

On this end of the telephone was a Communist agent.

On the other end was Dai Chunfeng.

Cheng Qianfan could not describe how he felt at that moment.

Struggling to keep both his tone and breathing steady, he immediately said that he had urgent intelligence to report.

“Go to Huangniwo. There’s a large willow tree there. Everyone nearby knows it.”

“I’ll send a car to pick you up.”

With that, Dai Chunfeng hung up.

That was why he had come here, beneath this willow tree, waiting for the car sent to collect him.

A Communist agent embedded inside the Special Service Office was about to receive a personal audience with Dai Chunfeng, the director of the Special Service Office.

Faced with this sudden meeting, Cheng Qianfan felt more tension than anticipation.

One could even say he was extremely apprehensive.

Deep down, he had already prepared himself mentally for the possibility of being exposed and sacrificing his life here.

There was no other reason. Dai Chunfeng’s reputation was simply too formidable. Within Communist circles, countless stories circulated about Dai Chunfeng and Xue Yingzeng: cunning, sinister, ruthless, bloodthirsty, fanatically hostile to the Red cause, and so on.

A black sedan approached and slowly stopped by the roadside.

“Cheng Wufang, get in.”

The driver was Zhao Yansheng.

After getting into the car, Cheng Qianfan remained silent.

Zhao Yansheng also kept his eyes on the road and drove attentively, showing not the slightest intention of making conversation.

Before Cheng Qianfan met Dai Chunfeng, it was best for the two of them not to exchange a single unnecessary word.

Both men understood the rules.

However, midway through the journey, Zhao Yansheng lightly tapped the brakes, turned around, and handed Cheng Qianfan a fedora and a face mask. There was no time for makeup, so this would have to suffice as a disguise.

“Thank you.”

Cheng Qianfan immediately put on the hat and mask.

Number Thirty, Xiongzhen Tower.

A black Ford sedan slowly approached.

“Identification!” A guard immediately stepped forward.

The driver’s side window rolled down a third of the way, and the driver handed over identification papers.

“Greetings, sir!” The guard immediately saluted. The driver was actually Zhao Yansheng, trusted aide-de-camp to Deputy Director Yu Ping’an.

The sedan started up again and slowly entered through the gate.

Instead of heading toward the parking area in the courtyard, it wound through several turns, passed the small white building, continued left, and proceeded another few dozen metres before stopping in front of a small red building.

Cheng Qianfan was about to push open the door and get out when Zhao Yansheng suddenly spoke.

“Whatever the Director asks, answer it. Do not conceal anything.”

“Thank you.” Cheng Qianfan nodded.

What Zhao Yansheng meant was exactly what he said.

Yet the statement revealed a detail: Dai Chunfeng hated lies and valued details.

Thus Cheng Qianfan had his own interpretation.

When answering questions, avoid excessive hesitation. Hesitation often indicates that you are thinking about how to answer.

There was another extremely important point:

Concealment might be permissible, but whatever left your mouth had to be true.

Which things could be said?

Which things absolutely could not be mentioned?

Even if something could be said, should it actually be said?

A sentence might be entirely correct overall, yet a single word or phrase could be inappropriate. An inappropriate choice could arouse suspicion.

This had been the difficult problem Cheng Qianfan had been wrestling with throughout the journey.

In his mind, he repeatedly reviewed the intelligence he intended to report, the questions the other party might ask, and how he should answer.

Every word had to be weighed carefully.

Every expression accompanying every sentence had to be appropriate.

The slightest mistake or suspicious detail might mean that on this date next year, people would be commemorating his death anniversary.

There was another extremely important issue as well.

What mentality and identity should Cheng Qianfan adopt for today’s meeting?

A subordinate?

A younger fellow townsman?

Or both?

He had attended the Central Army Officer Academy, while Director Dai was a Huangpu graduate. By that reckoning, he could be considered a junior meeting a senior.

Different identities and attitudes called for different responses and different management of facial expressions.

Everything had to be reasonable.

After getting out of the car, Cheng Qianfan surveyed the surroundings.

This small red building resembled Yu Ping’an’s small white building. They were probably villas built during the same period.

Only the exterior paint differed in color.

The villa was surrounded by green grass and flowering plants, full of springtime vitality.

Nearby stood a small artificial rockery. A guard carrying a rifle stood beside it, staring straight ahead.

“You’re here.”

A man in military uniform came out to greet him. It was Wu Yuanfang.

Cheng Qianfan revealed a look of surprise. He had never expected to encounter Wu Yuanfang at Dai Chunfeng’s “residence.” Judging by appearances, Wu Yuanfang had even been assigned by Dai Chunfeng to receive him.

There was only one explanation:

Wu Yuanfang was Dai Chunfeng’s man.

One of Yu Ping’an’s close subordinates was actually Dai Chunfeng’s man.

Had Dai Chunfeng placed him beside Yu Ping’an for surveillance?

Cheng Qianfan immediately dismissed the possibility.

Yu Ping’an certainly knew Wu Yuanfang’s identity.

Dai Chunfeng likewise had no intention of concealing it.

Under such circumstances, Yu Ping’an’s choice to trust and make use of Wu Yuanfang was the only course of action that could satisfy Dai Chunfeng.

Cheng Qianfan had assumed the small red building would be quiet inside.

Yet as Wu Yuanfang led him indoors, he saw people constantly coming and going, all hurrying about their business.

However, nobody spoke loudly, and everyone’s footsteps were light.

When colleagues needed to speak, they covered their mouths and conversed in hushed voices.

The building had three storeys.

Wu Yuanfang led Cheng Qianfan up the stairs to the second floor and along the corridor. They stopped in front of a room roughly halfway down the hallway.

Cheng Qianfan glanced at it.

Several words were written on the wooden plaque attached to the door:

Homeroom Teacher.

“Reporting.”

Wu Yuanfang lightly knocked on the door.

A young man wearing a Zhongshan suit opened the door. He looked at the two men and spoke calmly.

“Are you Cheng Wufang?”

“Yes, sir. I am Cheng Wufang.”

Cheng Qianfan saluted and replied.

“Come in. The Director is waiting for you.”

The young man nodded, stepped aside, and gestured invitingly.

“Thank you, Secretary Mao.”

Wu Yuanfang smiled and spoke politely.

This Secretary Mao was one of Dai Chunfeng’s most trusted confidants, rarely leaving the Director’s side. A single sentence from him could determine the life or death of many people.

Cheng Qianfan did not immediately enter.

Standing outside the door, he lowered the collar of his trench coat, removed his sunglasses and put them into his pocket, then straightened his clothing.

Wu Yuanfang was just about to enter when he noticed Cheng Qianfan had not moved. Turning his head to look at him, the expression in his eyes immediately changed.

His seniority exceeded Cheng Wufang’s.

His rank was currently higher as well.

He enjoyed greater trust from the Director.

But...

This kid seemed even more...