Chapter 249

Xi'an Pacification Commissioner's Office.

"It's this Li Ya again! What on earth does this bastard want to do!"

"Does he think I, Hu Zongnan, am easy to bully?"

After hearing Zhou Li's report, Hu Zongnan slammed the table in anger.

"Zhou Li, you just said this Li Ya is a Red?" the staff officer Wang Pu standing to the side asked.

"I suspect he is."

"I suspect he deliberately caused the train to stop, and then orchestrated everything."

"Judging by the professionalism of the bandits in seizing the supplies, and Li Ya's past performance in sabotaging the relationship between the 11th and 12th Group Armies, this person is likely a Red."

Zhou Li said.

"Sir, this might be our opportunity," Wang Pu said.

"Opportunity?" Hu Zongnan raised his eyebrows and asked.

"The current war situation is unfavorable, and the Generalissimo will know the truth sooner or later."

"At that time, there will definitely be a summary of the military failures."

"The reason the Reds were able to escape the net is because their intelligence personnel infiltrated our internal ranks."

"Tens of thousands of dollars worth of medicine, gone just like that."

"The soldiers at the front are risking their lives, while the villains at the rear are tripping them up—how can this war be fought?"

"Do you still remember the last time in Beiping?"

"It was also this person who interfered, causing Ye Tianhua to lose his life in Beiping."

Wang Pu paused and took a sip of tea to moisten his throat.

"Of course."

"Because of this matter, Madam is still holding a grudge against me."

"It's just that this person has Jianfeng interceding for him..."

Hu Zongnan shook his head, his brow furrowing even tighter.

"Precisely because he is Jianfeng's man, it is our opportunity."

"Arresting Li Ya can implicate Jianfeng for dereliction of duty."

"Even if the Generalissimo wants to pursue the responsibility for the unfavorable war situation, he couldn't possibly involve his own son, right?"

"You must know that right now, in order to groom Jianfeng for succession, he is very protective of his son's reputation."

"If Jianfeng doesn't get dragged into the water,"

"you won't have any responsibility."

Wang Pu said in a deep voice.

"Correct."

"The loss of the medicine has nothing to do with us in Xi'an."

"Jinhai is a leaky sieve, and the Jinhai Station is practically a bandit's den."

"This Li Ya must be sent to a military tribunal!"

Zhou Li echoed from the side.

"Good!"

"Immediately, in the name of my Xi'an Pacification Commissioner's Office, send a telegram to Hou Wen, ordering him to rush to Jinhai immediately and arrest this Li Ya for me."

"A shortfall of over ten thousand dollars in medicine concerns the lives of my soldiers at the front."

"Jianfeng and Wu Jingzhong must give me an explanation."

Hu Zongnan said righteously.

"Yes, I will send the telegram to Hou Wen immediately," Zhou Li accepted the order happily.

"Phew!"

Hu Zongnan let out a slight sigh of relief.

He had been suffering setback after setback in Northern Shaanxi recently.

The so-called occupation of Yancheng was nothing more than capturing a few earthen kilns.

Conversely, because he was unfamiliar with the terrain of Northern Shaanxi, he was frequently ambushed by the Reds with superior force, and several elite divisions had already been cut off and wiped out, which annoyed him to no end.

Yet the Generalissimo had placed high hopes on him.

Helpless, he could only fabricate false military achievements every day.

Now, it was perfect—the excuse was ready-made.

No medicine, and with Reds causing trouble in the rear, it was no wonder they were losing battles at the front.

Jinhai Station.

Wu Jingzhong was working when the phone rang.

He picked it up:

"It's me."

"Mm, I know, thank you for the heads-up, brother."

"Good, I'll be waiting for you with wine in Jinhai."

After hanging up, he said to Hong Zhiyou:

"Hu Zongnan is going to play for real."

"He's sending Xi'an Station Chief Hou Wen to Jinhai in person to demand the person."

"Everything is as we wished."

"Go to the Donghai Teahouse at noon to arrange a banquet. Hou Wen likes lamb—sheep's head, lamb spine, roasted lamb chops, arrange it all."

"Understood!" Hong Zhiyou nodded.

"How are things with Ke and Ke Shufen?" Wu Jingzhong asked again.

"Ke Shufen went to the Naval Club last night and won over three thousand dollars. This woman is blinded by money; she asked me to help arrange a card game again early this morning."

"Ke has already sent a letter to the Ministry of National Defense."

"The Ministry of National Defense has an internal meeting this morning; I'll see if I can get the meeting content later."

"Anyway, if I were He Yingqin, I would send Zheng Jiemin."

"Zheng Jiemin has been in favor for so many years; opportunities to step on him like this are rare."

Hong Zhiyou said.

"Mm."

"Someone has already been whispering in Tang Zong's ear."

"I reckon his little note will soon appear on the Generalissimo's desk."

"Go call Li Ya over."

Wu Jingzhong was quite satisfied with the progress of the matter.

Hong Zhiyou accepted the order.

Arriving at Li Ya's office, this Captain Li was feeling depressed, his head in his hands, looking confused.

"Captain Li?" Hong Zhiyou knocked on the door.

"Brother, is something the matter?" Li Ya asked, trying to pull himself together.

"There is, bad news."

"After Zhou Li returned to Xi'an, he indeed went to Hu Zongnan to file a malicious complaint."

"The Station Chief just received a call."

"Hu Zongnan has ordered Xi'an Station Chief Hou Wen to go to Jinhai to personally escort you back to Xi'an."

"The Station Chief wants you to go to his office."

Hong Zhiyou said.

"Escort me to Xi'an!" Li Ya's eyes widened, and he pressed his lips together hard.

"Let's go."

Hong Zhiyou said.

"Sigh."

"My fate is the nation's fate!"

"Hu Zongnan is surrounded by cowardly villains like Zhou Li; how can the National Army win battles?"

Li Ya sighed heavily.

"Forget it."

"If the Generalissimo hears that, he'll have your tongue cut out first."

Hong Zhiyou laughed.

Li Ya gave a bitter smile, shrugged, and walked out shaking his head.

Arriving at the Station Chief's office.

Wu Jingzhong raised his hand and said: "Li Ya, Zhiyou should have told you."

"Yes," Li Ya nodded.

"Hu Zongnan is truly furious; I can't speak on this."

"However, I will instruct Station Chief Hou to try not to use heavy torture on you, though some physical suffering will be unavoidable."

"When you get to Xi'an, do you know what to say?"

Wu Jingzhong sighed helplessly and said.

"Teacher, please instruct me," Li Ya didn't dare to be arrogant, his eyes showing a hint of panic.

He was still afraid of death and afraid of being investigated.

"When you get to Xi'an, stick to one point: it was the work of bandits."

"If anyone says you are a Red,"

"deny it firmly!"

Wu Jingzhong instructed.

He didn't care about Li Ya's life or death.

He only knew that if a Red were found in the Jinhai Station, he, as the Station Chief, would be hard-pressed to escape blame.

One Ma Kui/Emei Peak had already put him in a very passive position.

If another Li Ya came along, Mao Renfeng would definitely seize the opportunity to make a big deal out of it.

"Li Ya, are you a Red?" Saying this, he looked at Li Ya coldly.

"Teacher."

"How could I possibly be a Red?"

"What kind of person I am, don't you know?"

Li Ya became anxious and leaned forward to say.

"Back then, Boss Dai poured a lot of resources into you and sent you to Yancheng to go undercover."

"At that time, you were the 'Buddha Shrine' of the Military Statistics Bureau."

"As soon as you came back, you became part of the Iron and Blood Youth Corps."

"You are a 'Thousand-Faced Buddha'!"

"If you really became a Red one day, I wouldn't be surprised at all."

Wu Jingzhong pointed at him and said.

"Teacher."

"That's a different matter; joining the Iron and Blood Youth Corps is also for the sake of the Party and the Nation."

"As for the Reds, I am sworn enemies with them."

Li Ya said gloomily.

"Listen well."

"As long as you are not a Red, Jianfeng will save you."

"Right now, he is the only one who can save you."

"Do you understand?"

Wu Jingzhong said.

"I understand, thank you for your guidance, Teacher," Li Ya nodded.

Jingling.

Jianfeng walked to the balcony with the newspaper, feeling angry:

"Father, Hu Zongnan is bragging again about defeating Peng's main force!"

"According to intelligence sent back from the front by my people,"

"the entire Yancheng encirclement operation didn't even destroy a thousand enemies; they only captured a few mud houses."

"Conversely, two of Hu Zongnan's elite divisions were wiped out by a counter-attack."

"Those idiots at the Central Daily News are still helping them brag and claim false merits."

"Father, if we continue to indulge Hu Zongnan in reporting false achievements, I'm afraid there will be big trouble."

"The Central Daily News was approved by me," the Generalissimo said lightly.

"Approved by you?" Jianfeng could hardly believe his ears.

"That's right."

"Without victory, how can we stabilize the hearts of the people?"

"Without victory, how can we obtain military aid from North America?"

"Never mind that Hu Zongnan occupied the Red bandit headquarters in Yancheng and killed hundreds or thousands of people."

"Even if he just occupied a latrine,"

"and killed two stray dogs,"

"we must help him blow it up to the heavens."

"Public opinion is something meant for the common people to see."

"If we don't write it like this, thousands upon thousands of starving people will flock to the Red base areas."

"If we don't write it like this, how will the Americans believe that they can smoothly obtain resources and benefits after the war?"

"Do you really think they are philanthropists?"

The Generalissimo explained earnestly.

Jianfeng lowered his head in silence, feeling an inexplicable grief and humiliation in his heart.

If the country is not strong and the Party is not prosperous, its voice will not be righteous.

He now only hoped that this war would end soon, so that a thorough "scraping of the bone to remove the poison" could take place.

"Hu Zongnan's failure is temporary."

"Heaven's timing, geographical advantages, and human harmony are still on my side; as long as we adjust, in the face of absolute strength, all strategies and tactics are just floating clouds."

"Right now, there is a more important matter: Ke wants to invite Zheng Jiemin to visit the 7th Fleet base in Qingdao; what do you think?"

The Generalissimo put down the newspaper and turned to look at Jianfeng.

"Normal military exchange; as Deputy Chief, it is Zheng Jiemin's duty," Jianfeng said.

"Duty?"

"This is the report submitted by Tang Zong."

The Generalissimo frowned and handed over a document.

As Jianfeng read it, his brow furrowed tightly:

"Zheng Jiemin is getting so close to the Americans, and even gave Ambassador Smith a house?"

"Indeed," the Generalissimo nodded.

"The Americans have always prided themselves on being angels, wanting to stick their hands in everywhere they go."

"The current war situation is unfavorable."

"And with constitutional elections about to be held, I'm afraid some people have ulterior motives."

"Ever since following Mr. Sun, all factions have never given up the desire to destroy me."

"Not to mention Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi."

"He Yingqin is close to the Japanese."

"Kong, Song, Dai Li, and Zheng Jiemin are pro-American; these people each have their own little schemes. The more chaotic the situation, the more vigilant we must be."

"Only by sitting firmly in this chair do we have the qualification to discuss other matters."

"Remember, to resist foreign aggression, we must first pacify the interior; pacifying the interior is always the top priority."

The Generalissimo poured him tea and signaled for him to sit down and talk.

"What is Father's intention?" Jianfeng asked.

"Zheng Jiemin's 'Old Cantonese Faction' needs to be shaken up."

"Let him go."

"In addition, investigate his subordinates, especially that greedy wife of his."

"He is a smart man; a little warning will suffice."

The Generalissimo said.

"Ke Shufen went to Jinhai a few days ago and even specifically entrusted someone to invite Master Mei to come out and perform; it's very unusual," Jianfeng tattled.

"That's because she didn't get enough from Ma Hansan."

"Now she's eyeing Jinhai."

"Jinhai is a material transit station, and Wu Jingzhong is a meritorious official; this fortress must not have any problems."

"You need to provide support for Wu Jingzhong in some matters."

The Generalissimo ordered.

"Yes, Father."

"It's just... it's just," Jianfeng hesitated.

"Just what?" the Generalissimo asked.

"Wu Jingzhong is too slippery, only willing to use thirty percent of his effort in everything. I want to promote someone who uses one hundred percent effort to build Jinhai into a true fortress," Jianfeng said.

"Foolish!"

"Acting too hastily!"

"You want to expand the influence of the Three People's Principles Youth League, but now is not the time."

"The situation in Jinhai is complex, especially dealing with the Americans; we need someone like Wu Jingzhong."

"Who do you want to promote?"

The Generalissimo frowned; he knew all too well his son's desire to control the intelligence lines.

"Li Ya, Captain of the Jinhai Station Action Team, the one who cracked the spy case; he is my man, very qualified. As long as we restore his Colonel rank, we can..."

Before Jianfeng could finish, the Generalissimo took out another document and threw it at him:

"Don't mention this person again; this is a telegram report just sent by Hu Zongnan, see for yourself."

Jianfeng picked it up and read it, and he was stunned.

Li Ya had actually lost the medicine shipment.

Nearly two hundred thousand dollars worth of penicillin had fallen into the hands of the Reds.

In the report, Hu Zongnan complained bitterly.

He attributed the failure of the war at the front to the lack of military material support in the rear, and even attached evidence of the batch numbers of the military medicine Li Ya had sold.

"Father."

"This person was secretly cultivated by me; he is absolutely loyal to the Party and the Nation. Hu Zongnan is clearly making a mountain out of a molehill, aiming at me," Jianfeng said angrily.

"If the medicine is lost, it's lost."

"You have always been one to use people you suspect, and suspect people you use."

"But stupid people and straightforward people are sometimes more dangerous than treacherous people and suspicious people."

"With a person like this, you still expect him to guard Jinhai?"

"He can lose medicine today."

"He can lose Jinhai City tomorrow."

The Generalissimo was very dissatisfied with this matter and rarely lost his temper at Jianfeng.

"Father, please calm your anger; it was my oversight," Jianfeng quickly bowed and admitted his mistake.

"Perfect."

"Isn't Zheng Jiemin jumping around?"

"He is the Deputy Minister of National Defense, in charge of military supplies; put this matter on his head."

"When he returns from Qingdao, make him find a way to raise two hundred thousand dollars worth of medicine and send it to Hu Zongnan immediately."

"If he can't raise it, make his wife pay out of her own pocket to buy medicine for Hu Zongnan."

The Generalissimo waved his hand and made the arrangement.

"Father."

"There are some things I still want to say."

"It has long been rumored that there are Red moles in the Jinhai Station. Li Ya isn't good at big-picture matters, but he has always hated the Reds."

"Now, our battle plans are placed on the Reds' desk right after they are formulated."

"They know exactly what time our troops eat, what time they arrive, what equipment they have, and what their organization is."

"In this way, they are always in the dark while we are in the light; how can we win this war?"

"My intention is that the war must be fought."

"We must also conduct internal rectification and purge traitors, cleaning out the Red moles."

"The Jinhai Station is of utmost importance and must not be lost."

"Li Ya has the skills. Just take this medicine loss: Hu Zongnan's report mentions train stoppages and Red bandit raids—it's too coincidental; Li Ya was clearly set up."

"Doesn't this prove that there are indeed Red moles in the Jinhai Station?"

Jianfeng began to plead for Li Ya.

"This Li Ya is not worth two hundred thousand dollars."

"Send a secret telegram to Hu Zongnan: if he wants to get the medicine, catching a small fry is useless; tell him to pick a bone with Zheng Jiemin."

The Generalissimo said shrewdly.

"Yes, Father," Jianfeng accepted the order, but felt a secret sigh of relief in his heart.

Li Ya was saved.

Xi'an.

Hu Zongnan walked into the military law detention room.

"Officer Hu," Li Ya stood up immediately upon seeing him.

He had been locked up for three days.

Although he hadn't been beaten, he hadn't had a drop of water, and he was now parched, dizzy, and lightheaded.

"Li Ya."

"I'll ask you one more time, the medicine..."

"Enough."

"You all go out first," Hu Zongnan raised his hand to stop the interrogating soldier.

Once there were no outsiders.

He raised his hand and poured a cup of warm tea for Li Ya.

Li Ya took it and drank it in one gulp, finally feeling like he could breathe again.

"Li Ya."

"You can go now," Hu Zongnan said.

"Yes..." Li Ya was overjoyed.

"That's right, Jianfeng and Wu Jingzhong both interceded for you; I still have to give them face."

"Do you know what to say when you go back?"

Hu Zongnan looked at him coldly and said.

"I don't know," Li Ya said.

"Just say this batch of medicine was hijacked by bandits; it has nothing to do with you, it was an accidental incident."

"The rest is Zheng Jiemin's business."

"Understand?"

Hu Zongnan adjusted his clothes and gave the instructions.

"Understood!" Li Ya nodded respectfully.

Hu Zongnan turned and walked out.

At the door, he shook his head with a contemptuous smile.

Jianfeng's protectiveness was truly something else.

Treating a Red as a treasure—if it weren't for the fact that he had to rely on Zheng Jiemin to make up for this two hundred thousand dollars worth of medicine, he would have shot the man surnamed Li.

"Sir, are we just letting him go like this?" Zhou Li followed him out, asking as he walked.

"If I don't let him go, are you going to pay for this two hundred thousand dollars worth of medicine?"

"He's fine."

"It's Zheng Jiemin's business."

"Whether this money comes from the Ministry of National Defense or Zheng Jiemin's own pocket, the medicine must be brought to me."

Hu Zongnan said coldly.

Jinhai.

Lu Qiaoshan's small garden courtyard.

This place was secluded and hidden, a perfect place for a meeting.

"Brother, do you think Li Ya can still come back?" Lu Qiaoshan asked with a smile.

"I obtained the list of the medicine he sold from the black market."

"I secretly sent it to Hu Zongnan long ago."

"If Hu Zongnan wants to deal with him, these things should have been submitted to the Generalissimo."

"Colluding with Reds to hijack medicine."

"Privately withholding medicine, selling penicillin."

"Whichever one hits him, it will be hard for Li Ya to escape."

Saying this, he leaned forward and smiled.

"That depends on whether Jianfeng protects him or not."

"If he wants to protect him, he can always find a reason," Hong Zhiyou said lightly.

Actually, he already had the answer in his heart.

Li Ya would be fine this time.

The problem was that the job this time was done too perfectly.

One link after another.

Extremes meet.

It was too perfect, so there were loopholes everywhere.

Last night, after a brief review, he realized he had made a big mistake.

The Generalissimo and Jianfeng were no ordinary people.

With so many coincidences piled together, especially the train stoppage, it was easy to suspect a setup.

Therefore, Jianfeng could clearly see: Li Ya was set up.

Whoever could set up Li Ya and let the Reds benefit must also be a Red.

At the very least, an enemy of the Party and the Nation.

This was a dangerous signal.

Once Jianfeng became suspicious, he would not only protect Li Ya at all costs, but might even secretly grant him special privileges to intensify the investigation of the Jinhai Station.

He and the Station Chief would be fine.

It was just that Yu Zecheng would have no shortage of trouble.

However, Hong Zhiyou couldn't be called discouraged.

To err is human.

As long as one is in the game, it is impossible to be foolproof forever.

Nothing should be pushed to the absolute limit.

In the future, setups should minimize deliberate traces.

Things like train stoppages due to landslides should be kept to a minimum.

"That shouldn't be, right?"

"Two hundred thousand dollars worth of penicillin, and Jianfeng can still protect him?"

Lu Qiaoshan found it quite unbelievable.

Just as he was speaking.

The phone rang.

Lu Qiaoshan got up to answer it:

"It's me."

"Good, I understand."

He hung up the phone and returned to the sofa with a gloomy face:

"Brother, you were right."

"Sheng Xiang just called; Li Ya... is back!"

(End of chapter)