Spy Wars: Return of the Red Luan

Chapter 84: An analogy with Lao Zhao
However, Chen Jiehua hadn't yet come up with an effective way to restrict the pharmacy's intelligence network, so he was struggling. One person's plan was short, but everyone's plan was long. He needed to consult with Comrade Lao Zhao again. On the evening of November 11th, Qing Muqiao spent a long time in the store discussing this with Zhao Shiyu.

"I've reported your pharmacy expansion to the organization. Their initial opinion is that both good and bad things are interdependent, and the key lies in how we utilize them. Knowing this in advance is very beneficial."

"I understand what you mean, and what the organization leaders mean. As for the advantages, I considered this when I was in the Northeast. If it weren't for Hu Zi and Tu Feiyuan's involvement in the entire Northeast pharmacy network at that time, I might not have closed this business so quickly."

"Except for the shopkeepers you used at the time, those errand runners were the ones you ran fast. I often heard them talk about it in the Northeast. It was still very beneficial to the common people. As long as the lower-class people were willing to run, at least their survival problems would be solved."

"Old Zhao, you haven't considered the difference between the environments in Shanghai and Northeast China. Back then, the Northeast Army was less likely to oppress the people. Plus, I already had the military police system on board, so the Kwantung Army was well-fed!"

"But Shanghai is different, and so is the entire East China! Shanghai alone is too complicated! The Kuomintang, the International Settlement, the French Concession, the Japanese settlements, the Green Gang and other gangs, it's a mixed bag, and you can't feed all the wolves! It's not that easy to establish a pharmacy system."

"Hehe, Aoki, have you ever thought about this? This is the ideal situation! The Japanese shopkeepers you mentioned are all undergoing training and will be coming over after the New Year. Isn't that perfect? ​​Shanghai is left for them to develop. I don't think they'd want to go to other remote areas, right?"

"You mean, let our people infiltrate the area and take the initiative to develop the surrounding areas? Establish a transportation line?"

"See, you're so quick to see things. That's what the organization says about you. You're just blinded by a single leaf and can't see the big picture."

"I understand, forget about that! Using my Japanese identity to transport medicines is more important than opening a shop!"

"Yes, the shopkeeper will give it to them. We just need to be careful, apply for the job as a clerk, and take on the task of delivering goods to each store. The Japanese are afraid of hard work and fatigue, especially the children of the nobility, but we like it!"

"For example, let's say we want to send a batch of supplies to Huizhou and ask the comrades there to buy more medicine from Huizhou. If the inventory is insufficient, even if the owner of Huizhou is Japanese, he would still have to transfer supplies from the main store, right? Delivering goods over mountain roads is arduous!"

"That makes sense! If Gangcun wants the Shanghai intelligence network, will he give it to him? Aren't you afraid of getting into trouble?"

"Don't worry. We'll plant our own people, real or fake, and play with them slowly. The important thing now isn't the Japanese, it's the Kuomintang spies and the Concession Police Station. This is a good opportunity for us to set up a fast-paced system in the pharmacy so that our comrades can adapt as quickly as possible. The organization has already started to encourage comrades to walk as much as possible when they go out!"

"My first step will be to urge headquarters to send someone here as soon as possible. Your position may also need to be replaced by then. There's no way headquarters will let a Chinese person take control of the main store, even if you graduated from the Imperial Army Academy!"

"I understand that, but I can recommend someone to you. He also graduated from the Lu Shi Academy and is in the same class as you!"

"Zhao Yiyue?!"

"It's not Zhao Yiyue. We are looking for him too!"

"Isn't that Zhao Yiyue? In the 17th class of the Army Academy, there are only four students from the Republic of China! Lao Zhou and Lao Liu are both in America!"

"You forgot about Taiwan! Taiwanese students are counted as Japanese nationals at the Army Academy!"

"I remember now, that Chen. Chen..."

"Chen Lanfeng!"

"Yes! Chen Lanfeng!"

"I've been in contact with him before. He's currently serving as a battalion commander at the Central Military Academy in Nanjing."

"Is he from the organization?"

"Not yet. But he thinks like you and speaks like you! So I think you two should be able to get along."

"I'm not familiar with him. In fact, I only know his name and have never met him! He was asked questions by the teacher a few times in class, and his answers were standard, so I didn't pay much attention to him. In fact, he only attended a few classes at the Army Academy." "I know you have connections. From the principal to the head of the Academic Affairs Office to the head of the Military Law Department, they are all your uncles!"

"Get lost! Stop teasing me!"

"But you mentioned this Chief of the Military Law Department, Nagatomo Jiro. He almost ruined my reputation last time. I feel like he's a ticking time bomb, ready to be silenced someday."

"Chen Lanfeng is not suitable for me to contact at the moment. Let's wait until the organization has finished its investigation before we discuss it."

"You are really cautious!"

"Of course we're all doing things that could put our lives at risk. We live on the edge of a knife. Look at you, Old Zhao, you're so careless. It was me last time. If it was that fat guy, your grave would be overgrown."

"Ah," Zhao Shiyu sighed. "Being with you, I've definitely learned a lot of stuff I didn't know before. You said you've only been in school for a few days, so where did you learn all that?! You're left-handed, and you have calluses on your hands, and yet Number 14 praised you for two days straight!"

"Hey, run outside and gain experience and figure things out on your own!"

"In honor of Number 14's compliment, I'll teach you another lesson. Children under eight are naturally innocent, but this isn't good for comrades working underground. It's not conducive to concealing their identities. However, I know many female comrades raise children alone, and some use their children as cover. There's really no other way."

"However, this is a double-edged sword and sometimes it can hurt one's own people, so we must remind our comrades to be careful."

"What does this mean?"

"Don't understand? Let me give you an example. Now imagine this pharmacy is the organization's secret base, and the clerk, Xiao Ding, is the organization's liaison, responsible for maintaining this base. But she has a three-year-old child with her. The child is very cute and innocent."

"You like this child very much. Every time you come to a meeting, you bring food for the child and take him out to play in your free time. That's normal, right?"

"Yes! It's normal! We have several strongholds like this in the concession. They are all orphans of martyrs!"

Damn it! Chen Jiehua covered his head and hid his face. It really happened! He didn’t dare to say anything more!
"Okay, one time, the organization notified us of a meeting here, or at a regular meeting time, but the pharmacy was accidentally exposed. The secret agents captured Xiao Ding and the child and ambushed them inside the store. You didn't receive the notification, or the comrades didn't have time to notify you. That's normal, right?"

"As soon as you walked in and spotted the secret agent, you immediately used an alias and said you were there to buy medicine. The secret agent asked Xiao Ding, 'Do you know this person?'

"Xiao Ding won't betray you. The cooperation is perfect. You and Xiao Ding both acted seamlessly and with superb acting skills. You are about to quit the pharmacy."

"But at this time, the child was unconscious. He saw Uncle Zhao, who always brought delicious food, coming! He rushed over and shouted, 'Uncle Zhao, did you bring any food today?'"

"!!!"

"understood?"

"Ah!! Lao Chen, you beast!"

　Although Lao Zhao called the protagonist a beast and shouldn't have made such an analogy, in fact, this was a bloody lesson. On November 1929, 11, Mr. Ren was arrested in Shanghai because of the spontaneous closeness of a three-year-old child.

There is also the movie "The Cliff", the one in Harbin. I still remember the plot of the dog raised by the protagonist's family. Dogs are friends of human beings. They don't have a clear distinction between good and bad people. If you are familiar with them, they will pounce on you, wag their tails, and show goodwill. In the end, the protagonist can only bear the pain and strangle the dog to death.

Of course, the author is not a beast, he will not write nonsense, don't worry. It's just hard for Mr. Ren.

　
(End of this chapter)