Chapter 35: The Art of Manipulation

The next day.

Wu Jingzhong took Hong Zhiyou to the Garrison Headquarters to meet Commander Chen Zhangjie.

The Garrison Headquarters had the duty of coordinating all departments.

Especially now that the civil war was imminent, Chen Zhangjie had unified command and dispatch authority over the Military Police Headquarters, the Jinhai Station, the 94th Army, and others.

Inside the residence.

This was Hong Zhiyou's first time seeing this victorious general from the anti-Japanese period.

Chen Zhangjie's face was relatively kind, but his whole body exuded the biting aura of a soldier, which was not something a treacherous person like Yang Wenquan could compare to.

No wonder Wu Jingzhong was unwilling to deal with him.

When Hong Zhiyou entered to pay his respects, he was standing in front of a map discussing the defense line with several trusted staff officers.

"Commander, Station Chief Wu is here." The adjutant reminded him.

"Staff Officer Qian, you go to the operations room first, I will chat with Station Chief Wu for a while." Chen Zhangjie ordered.

"Old Wu, what wind blew you here?" After everyone and the guards retreated, he gestured for them to sit down.

"Commander Chen, I..."

Wu Jingzhong reported in detail the Cao Gang's theft of American military supplies and Yang Wenquan of the 94th Army's smuggling of military supplies.

Hong Zhiyou, standing to the side, took out the tape and put it into the recorder, pressing the play button.

"What incredible audacity, rebelling against heaven!"

"The 94th Army, an elite ace unit, actually doing such filthy deeds; the world of the party and state will sooner or later perish at their hands."

"Investigate, it must be strictly investigated; notify the Military Police Headquarters to arrest them for me right now."

After listening to the recording, Chen Zhangjie was furious.

"Commander Chen, please calm your anger; arresting people now is not appropriate."

"The 94th Army is an elite ace unit; the Generalissimo just praised the 94th Army at the National Defense Reception not long ago as the backbone of the National Army and the fortress guarding Yanshan."

"The Jinhai Military Mediation is imminent, and the foreigners and newspapers are all watching."

"Moving against the 94th Army at this time is not conducive to unity and is undoubtedly slapping the Generalissimo in the face."

Wu Jingzhong tapped the table lightly, frowning and persuading with a smile.

Chen Zhangjie gritted his teeth, his fists clenched tightly.

When he arrived, he had made a military pledge before the Generalissimo and Commander Fu.

Once the war started, Jinhai would be the burial ground for the Red Ticket.

Now it was fine, the war hadn't even started, and this bunch of grandsons had started doing filthy deeds.

As a soldier, he found it truly unbearable to see such ugly things.

"Commander Chen, there is something I don't know if I should say." Wu Jingzhong pondered slightly.

"Speak." Chen Zhangjie said coldly.

"I am in intelligence, you are good at fighting, but when it comes to gossip, I know more than you."

"Yang Wenquan once saved Mou Tingfang's life."

"They are not only superior and subordinate, but also brothers of life and death."

"Although in the North China region, the Headquarters' words carry more weight than the Generalissimo's."

"But you should understand, the Headquarters and you are of the Jin-Sui clique, while the 94th Army is the apple of the Generalissimo's eye."

"When Shanghai was liberated, the first unit to enter the city was the 94th Army, which gave them enough benefits."

"Now transferred to Jinhai, it is not your sharp blade, but a nail driven into the vital part of the Headquarters; if you pull it out casually, something big will happen."

"Without Army Commander Mou's stance, let alone the Military Police, even if the Headquarters came in person, I'm afraid they wouldn't be able to enter their camp."

Wu Jingzhong analyzed in detail with great worldly wisdom.

Chen Zhangjie fell into silence.

Wu Jingzhong's words were certainly exaggerated, but the 94th Army had always been arrogant and listened to orders only when it suited them.

Wanting to arrest Yang Wenquan was indeed very tricky.

Unless high-ranking favorites of the Generalissimo like Zheng Jiemin or Dai Li, or a special commissioner from the Office of the Aide-de-Camp came in person.

Otherwise, with the few people in the Military Police Headquarters, they really couldn't do anything to them.

"Then what do you say we should do?"

"You, old brother, ran here, it's not just to add to my troubles, is it?"

Chen Zhangjie said with a livid face, snorting coldly in displeasure.

"Leave it to the Americans."

"Don't the Americans like to call themselves angels? Let them wipe out the Cao Gang and cut off Yang Wenquan's path."

"You don't have to take responsibility, and it won't affect unity."

"Those newspapers won't dare to make things up either!"

Wu Jingzhong leaned in and offered a plan in a low voice.

"Can Yang Wenquan agree? Didn't your few broken guns raid the naval warehouse last month?"

"Yang Wenquan rolled out of a pile of dead bodies on the battlefield, his courage is a hundred times greater than yours, there is nothing he wouldn't dare to do."

"If there is a firefight with the Americans and American soldiers are killed, things will be troublesome."

Chen Zhangjie felt it was very inappropriate and waved his hands repeatedly.

"That is why I found you, Commander."

"My people found out that this batch of goods in Yang Wenquan's hands is going to be shipped south to Hainan soon."

"You can organize a city defense exercise, and the Americans will send a fleet to blockade the estuary."

"As long as we stabilize Mou Tingfang and the others for half an hour, the Americans can wipe out the Cao Gang."

"As for Yang Wenquan, with this, no matter how crazy he is, he can only bow his head and swallow the bitter fruit."

"Smuggling military supplies, colluding with thieves, assassinating Military Statistics generals."

"With these three major crimes suppressing him, Commander Chen, are you still afraid the 94th Army won't listen to orders in the future?"

Wu Jingzhong held up the tape and smiled with the victory in his grasp.

"Old Wu, I have to say, you guys are really good at setting people up."

"Let's do it this way."

"I will arrange the city defense, you had better pray that nothing goes wrong on the American side, otherwise, I will be the first to take your head!"

Chen Zhangjie pondered for a moment and formally agreed to the request.

"Commander Chen, rest assured." Wu Jingzhong smiled.

"Station Chief, you are truly amazing."

"Everyone says Commander Chen is a man of steel, but you took him down easily as soon as you stepped out."

In the car, Hong Zhiyou offered some flattery.

Wu Jingzhong hugged his arms and smiled triumphantly:

"Human relationships are politics; as long as you see through the matter of human relationships, you can grasp their weak points."

"To deal with stubborn soldiers like Fu Zuoyi and Chen Zhangjie, money is useless."

"You have to start from the big picture and righteousness."

"Use the old man to suppress them."

"That is what they eat."

"The Station Chief is wise, the student has been taught." Hong Zhiyou said with sincere admiration.

Under the coordination of the Garrison Headquarters, the city defense exercise began quickly.

The US Marine Corps used humanitarian aid as an excuse to cooperate in deploying and observing in the coastal area.

The entire Jinhai key points were guarded by soldiers.

The Tanggu area was surrounded like a pocket.

The plan was being implemented as scheduled.

The only thing that made Wu Jingzhong unhappy was that the one sealing off the Tanggu area was Xu Zhiwu.

Regiment Commander Xu was Yang Wenquan's staunch confidant.

No need to think, with military supplies about to be shipped, Yang Wenquan was afraid of something going wrong and made this move.

Wu Jingzhong was extremely annoyed by this arrangement.

But Chen Zhangjie had no choice.

Mou Tingfang agreeing to the exercise was already giving enough face.

The specific deployment of a street or a piece of land was the responsibility of the 94th Army itself.

Chen Zhangjie was not in a position to interfere.

Moreover, doing so would startle the snake and arouse Yang Wenquan's suspicion.

The night grew deeper.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, the moonlight was pleasantly white.

Zhang Mansion.

Fourth Master Zhang set up a large table in the courtyard and invited an opera troupe.

Fine wine, meat, fruits, and vegetables.

Fried dough twists and pastries from the Eighteenth Street.

With the sound of a gong from the stage, the days were as happy as an immortal's.

"Fourth Master, Commander Yang is dissatisfied with your recent performance."

Xu Zhiwu, holding a beautiful woman in his arms, pointed out to Fourth Master Zhang while feeding her wine and playing around.

"Regiment Commander Xu, it's strange to say."

"My goods were loaded onto the ship, the buyer paid the deposit, and just as they were about to go to sea, this nonsense military exercise happened, blocking everything at the Haihe dock."

"Commander Mou doesn't know what kind of madness he's having, isn't this cutting off Fourth Master Zhang's path to wealth?"

Fourth Master Zhang pushed away the fruit handed over by the maid and said irritably.

His eyelids had been twitching for the past two days.

Early this morning, a jade pendant he had worn for many years cracked for no reason.

All kinds of ominous signs gave Fourth Master Zhang an ominous premonition in his heart.

"You're overthinking it."

"Now that the civil war is imminent, the city defense exercise is just a routine matter."

"Moreover, the Tanggu area is guarded by my regiment's men; even if the King of Heaven came, he would have to kneel before me, what are you afraid of?"

Xu Zhiwu smiled disdainfully and kissed the woman's mouth again.

"Steward Liu, where did Shaobai go?"

"He promised to introduce me to some foreign girls last time, damn it, there's not even a shadow of them yet."

As he spoke, he ate some peanuts and cursed carelessly.

"Second Young Master went to the British Club." Steward Liu replied.

"Boring."

"This kid is hiding from me, alright, I should go back."

"Chen Zhangjie set up an inspection team, Commander Mou said, the face that needs to be given must be given."

"Tell the Second Young Master to keep this in mind."

The burly Xu Zhiwu pinched the woman's butt hard, grabbed a handful of peanuts, and limped out.

The injury on his leg was from the Battle of Zaoyang-Yichang.

It was also his proudest medal!

Fourth Master Zhang personally sent him to the door.

After Regiment Commander Xu drove away, Fourth Master Zhang hurriedly ordered:

"Go, tell Shaobai to contact Lu Qiaoshan immediately, probe the situation, and see if the Jinhai Station has any news."

"I'm feeling restless."

"Yes, Master." Steward Liu immediately went to the phone.

Jinhai Station, Intelligence Division Chief's Office.

Hong Zhiyou set up a chessboard.

Lu Qiaoshan was restless on the opposite side, having moved his horse's leg into a 'field' shape several times.

Last time, Hong Zhiyou had given him a hint.

As long as the errand was handled well, there would be room for maneuver in the Zhang family's matter.

But Hong Zhiyou hadn't said what the matter was.

For three consecutive days, he had been detained in the office.

Apart from playing chess and sleeping, he was driven to the point of a mental breakdown.

"You go down."

Hong Zhiyou dismissed the guard on the side.

The guard retreated.

Hong Zhiyou locked the door securely.

"Brother, when will this end? I'm almost going crazy."

"You might as well give me a bullet and make it quick."

Lu Qiaoshan pointed to his temple, looking dejected.

"Ring-a-ding!"

The phone rang.

"Division Chief Lu, isn't the opportunity here now?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 36 =====