Chapter 121: A New Bitter Spring

The next step was, of course, to place Su Yu under surveillance. Rashly arresting a high-ranking official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was risky; if there were any slip-ups or insufficient evidence, Ning Zhiheng, a mere captain in the Military Intelligence Investigation Bureau, would be left to shoulder the blame—a troublesome prospect indeed.

Even with his background as a Whampoa graduate and a member of the Baoding clique, while his superiors might not officially hold him accountable, they would certainly make his life miserable. It seemed imperative to report this to his superiors. He needed to leverage the privileges of the Military Intelligence Investigation Bureau to ensure his own interests were protected while proceeding with the next phase of the operation, thereby guaranteeing he remained in an invincible position.

As for hogging the credit, Ning Zhiheng had never considered such a thing. At the very least, his senior fellow apprentice, Wei Liangbi, deserved a share. Although this credit might not be of much use to Wei at his current stage—having just been promoted to lieutenant colonel—it was only right. Much like the previous success in rooting out the "Shadow" spy cell, the primary credit would undoubtedly be his. How the remaining credit was distributed among other participating departments was not his concern.

With these matters settled, Ning Zhiheng left the Military Intelligence Investigation Bureau and headed home to rest.

Meanwhile, in a concealed basement in the southern part of the city, Professor Fang Boyi of Jinling University sat facing a middle-aged man. This man was none other than the individual who had been trapped at North Street with Zheng Dayou that afternoon. However, he was now cleaned up, had changed his clothes, and wore gold-rimmed spectacles, giving him an entirely different demeanor.

"Old Cheng, I assume the organization has made the nature of your mission in Nanjing clear to you?" Fang Boyi asked.

Cheng Xingye nodded. "Everything is clear. My mission is to succeed Comrade Kuquan and resume the leadership and organization of the underground medical supply line here in Nanjing. I feel the weight of this responsibility and fear failing the trust the organization has placed in me."

"Indeed, you have been called upon in a time of crisis. Because of a traitor's betrayal, Comrade Kuquan’s identity was exposed, and the enemy gained a firm grasp on his situation. After careful deliberation by the organization, it was decided he was no longer suitable for underground work in Nanjing and has since been safely evacuated. Your family has practiced medicine for generations; you are a master of the healing arts yourself and possess extensive underground experience. You have a deep understanding of the pharmaceutical industry, which is why the organization chose you to take over his duties," Fang explained.

Cheng thought for a moment before asking, "I know that the work here in Nanjing is far more difficult than in other regions, and I have prepared myself accordingly. Since I am taking over this front, I must ask: have any other comrades on this line been compromised?"

Fang breathed a sigh of relief, his tone tinged with fortune. "Fortunately, the traitor was someone close to Kuquan, not one of our own members. Therefore, the traitor was unaware of the other comrades on this line. We responded in time, contained the threat, and prevented any further losses."

"And the traitor?" Cheng asked.

"After the interrogation, they were eliminated. It was carried out by Comrade Kuquan himself, as per his own request," Fang sighed.

"In other words, the pharmaceutical supply line remains intact and can be put back into operation immediately?" Cheng asked, pleased. The situation was much better than he had anticipated. In his original estimation, the exposure of a high-security comrade like Kuquan surely meant the organization had suffered severe damage. He had not expected the breach to be isolated to those surrounding Kuquan, nor that the local underground comrades would react with such speed, cutting off the source of danger and surviving the crisis.

"Yes, the other comrades were preserved. Otherwise, this entire network, built with countless sacrifices of heart and life, would have suffered a devastating blow, potentially destroying the entire Nanjing underground organization. The consequences would have been unthinkable," Fang said, still feeling a lingering fear. It was the most dangerous situation he had faced since taking the lead in Nanjing, a brush between life and death. "We were truly lucky this time. Our comrades received the information just in time; had the rescue operation been twenty minutes later, we would not be sitting here meeting today."

"So, we have a source within the enemy's ranks? That will make our future operations much safer!" Cheng remarked, picking up on the implication in Fang's words.

Fang suddenly realized he had revealed a bit too much. However, Cheng was now a member of the Provincial Committee with high-level clearance, and some things were hard to hide from him.

"The information was indeed obtained and passed on by one of our comrades at great personal risk. It was he who turned the tide and saved Comrade Kuquan. You could say that our organization's escape this time was entirely due to his efforts," Fang said with emotion. "However, Old Cheng, the identity of this comrade is top secret. Even though you are on the Provincial Committee, given our organizational discipline, I cannot disclose his situation to you. Please understand."

Cheng regretted his question as soon as he spoke; he was a veteran underground operative and knew such inquiries were inappropriate. "My apologies, Old Fang. I spoke too quickly. I understand that organizational discipline must never be relaxed."

"What is it you wanted to ask?" Fang inquired.

"This afternoon, when Comrade Zheng Dayou was coordinating my entry into the city, we happened to run into the enemy's massive sweep. They had blocked the streets and were setting up checkpoints. We were trapped inside. More dangerously, the leader of the police unit was a veteran who spotted flaws in my cover and arrested both Zheng and me," Cheng explained.

"I heard about the situation from Dayou. It was very critical. I must remind you that as the capital of the Nationalist Government, the enemy's influence and control in this city are immense. If we wish to survive and grow here, we cannot afford even the slightest lapse in caution, or the consequences will be severe," Fang warned.

"Indeed. I was given a stern lesson the moment I entered the city. Even a minor police chief in Nanjing has a sharp eye," Cheng lamented. He then added with a wry smile, "But thanks to you, the young man leading them happened to be an acquaintance of yours. Out of respect for you, he let us go with a single word. You seem to carry quite a bit of weight with the enemy!"

Fang laughed upon hearing this. He had heard the full story from Zheng Dayou and felt a sense of secret relief. The young man with the military bearing he had encountered days ago just happened to be in charge of that search operation, and his casual remark had allowed them to pass safely. It was truly a case of "planting a willow and seeing it grow into shade."

"That young man has a military air. He likely isn't a policeman, but a soldier," Fang noted.

"Right, I noticed that too. The police on the scene were taking orders from men in Zhongshan-style casual dress. The young man you mentioned was their leader. This person’s identity must be significant. Those men in uniform were well-trained in their movements; they were clearly not ordinary plainclothes officers, but military personnel," Cheng observed, his own eyes sharp enough to distinguish between the operation team and the police.

"You have some thoughts on this, don't you?" Fang asked with a smile.

"Yes. I believe this young man must be an operative of the enemy's special departments. Could we try to develop him?" Cheng suggested.

"Absolutely not!" Fang said firmly. "Old Cheng, your mission is to oversee the pharmaceutical supply line; that is the top priority. As for recruiting members or turning the enemy, that is not your task. I cannot agree to it."

"Understood. I was too rash," Cheng replied. It had merely been a passing thought, and seeing Fang’s firm refusal, he did not press the matter.

"Old Cheng, let’s move on. I will now give you your specific assignments," Fang said, waving his hand. "Since you are a master of the healing arts, we plan to open a traditional Chinese medicine clinic in the south of the city. You will use the role of a resident physician as your cover."

"No problem. That is my old profession; I can play the part naturally without any flaws," Cheng said happily. The organization had been very thoughtful; this identity was tailor-made for him.

Fang continued, "The situation was dire, and Comrade Kuquan’s evacuation was hurried. We have a batch of medical supplies stockpiled that urgently needs to be transported to the front lines in the Northwest; the lives of thousands of soldiers depend on it. Because of Kuquan's exposure, his original transport line is no longer safe. Your current task is to establish a new, secure route and transport these supplies out immediately."

"Wasn't the previous route handled by our own comrades?" Cheng asked, sensing the difficulty of the task.

"One segment of the previous line required the influence of a police chief to clear the hurdles. But because of Kuquan's exposure, that chief, who was closely associated with him, is now under investigation by the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, so we can no longer use him," Fang explained.

"I understand. I will do everything in my power to ensure the mission is completed," Cheng agreed.

"Good. I look forward to your good news. If you encounter difficulties, inform me immediately, and we will provide full support. Oh, and as for your codename—for the sake of continuity in our work, I suggest you adopt Kuquan's. Do you have any objections?"

"I have no objections. Let it be Kuquan," Cheng nodded.

"Very well, Comrade Kuquan. Welcome aboard," Fang said with a hearty laugh, extending his hands to shake Cheng’s firmly.