Courtyard House: Home Alone

"excellent."

The bald man repeated himself, then suddenly slammed his teacup on the table, splashing a few drops of tea that left dark dots on the rice paper. "Top students can't even catch a glimpse of the 'ghost,' getting played like fools by a mere mouthpiece? Yu Nong, tell me, is this Xu Zheng's problem, or your Military Intelligence Bureau's problem?"

Dai Yunong knew that no matter how he answered this question, it would be wrong. He chose to remain silent and bent his waist even lower.

The study was filled with the finest sandalwood incense, a habit the bald man had brought from Chongqing. Amidst the swirling smoke, the bald man's voice suddenly softened, almost as if he were talking to himself: "Before the New Year, the 'Ghost' first appeared in Beiping."

By now, they have killed five commanders of the North China Expeditionary Army, and their organized Japanese troops number about five divisions.

"A whole year has passed, and with such a huge commotion, what have you people at Beiping Station been doing? And what have you, the bureau chief, been doing? I don't believe there wasn't a single clue. The key issue is your incompetence, utter incompetence!"

The bald man turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife. Dai Yunong looked up and met the bald man's deep-set eyes.

"The scariest thing is, up until now..."

The bald man spoke slowly and deliberately, "We don't know who he is. He's not Japanese, not a member of the Communist Party, not a member of the Wang Jingwei regime, not even one of ours."

A shadow moved freely in Beiping, Shanghai, and all the important places, yet we couldn't even tell if he was male or female, old or young.

He walked back to the table, pulled a file from the drawer, and slammed it in front of Dai Yunong. "This is your report from a while ago, saying that a suspected 'ghost' has built a pharmaceutical factory in Beiping."

Yu Nong, tell me, what does a pharmaceutical factory represent during wartime? Don't you know how important pharmaceutical factories are? Tell me, what plans did your Military Intelligence Bureau formulate, and what measures did you take?

"The students were negligent."

"dereliction of duty?"

The bald man suddenly laughed, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Yu Nong, I don't want your apology. I want a solution. Since Xu Zheng can't see the 'ghost,' let's find someone else who can."

The matter in Beiping cannot be delayed any longer. The Red Party has already sent people—his students, directly from Yan'an—to specifically oversee urban affairs.

He leaned down, placed his hands on the table, and looked Dai Yunong in the eye: "I want you to find the 'Ghost' for me at all costs before the Red Party gains a foothold."

"It would be best if they submitted to the Party and the State; if not... then eliminate them. Under no circumstances should they be allowed to join forces with the Red Party. As for the Red Party..."

The bald man lowered his voice even further, as if afraid of alerting something: "Let them know that Beiping is not Yan'an. In that city, there can only be one person in charge, and that's me!"

"headmaster!"

He spoke cautiously, "If 'Ghosts' insist on not cooperating with the government, their fighting power... is beyond our ability to contend with."

"Then let them see that the Party-state's resolve is sometimes more effective than guns and cannons."

"The student understands."

He slowly straightened up, the folds of his dark blue Zhongshan suit expanding and contracting with the movement. "The manpower at Beiping Station is insufficient. The students request that another batch of people be transferred from the Linli class. Also... regarding Shanghai, could we ask Zhou Fohai for assistance?"

"Zhou Fohai?"

The bald man snorted. "That fence-sitter? He's busy haggling with the Japanese right now; he has no time to worry about things in Beiping. But you can find someone else."

"Please clarify, Principal."

"Chen Gongshu."

Dai Yunong's pupils contracted slightly. This name was almost taboo within the Military Intelligence Bureau—the former station chief of the "Beiping Station," the founder of the "Tianjin Station," the district chief of the "Shanghai District," and one of the "Four Great Kings" of the Military Intelligence Bureau, yet he had been under house arrest for two years due to the failed assassination attempt on Wang Jingwei.

"He...is still a criminal."

"crime?"

The bald man turned around, and sunlight shone in from behind him, giving his outline a rough edge. "Yu Nong, why do you think I've kept him around until now?"

Chen Gongshu had been operating in Beiping for seven years, and he was familiar with every line of the trade, from the 29th Army to the Hebei-Chahar Political Affairs Commission, from Japanese intelligence agencies to Green Gang thugs.

No matter how elusive a 'ghost' may be, it still needs to eat, take medicine, and deliver messages—all of which require human intervention.

He walked back to the table, took out a bronze seal from deep inside the drawer, and weighed it in his palm: "This is the seal of 'Beiping District,' I'm keeping it for him."

"Tell him that if things go well, return the seal to him; if not…" The bald man gently placed the seal on the file, "then let him go and keep the King of Hell company."

Dai Yunong took the seal, the coldness of the bronze penetrating his palm and reaching his very bones. He recalled that rainy night in 1939, when Chen Gongshu returned defeated from Hanoi, standing soaking wet at the entrance of the local government office, still clutching the bullet he had failed to fire.

After that, the "Four Great Kings" became the "Three Great Kings," and Chen Gongshu's name remained silent under the seal of the archives.

"The student should take care of it immediately."

"Not immediately, but right away. The Red Party members are already on their way, and according to reliable sources, they will arrive in Beiping by the end of the month at the latest. I want you to dig out the details of 'The Ghost' before they settle in."

He took a sip of his iced tea, his brow furrowing slightly. "Also, tell Chen Gongshu that I don't want a living 'ghost,' nor a dead 'ghost.' What I want is..."

He tapped the table with his knuckles. "A 'ghost' that can be used by me. His pharmaceutical factories, his strongholds, his elusive methods—all should be the assets of the Party-state."

When Dai Yunong left the study, the fog in Chongqing was thick. He stood on the steps, gazing at the distant, indistinct mountain shadows, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the bronze seal tightly.

Chen Gongshu, once a powerful figure in Beiping, is now under house arrest in a villa in Gele Mountain, where he spends his days whiling away the time with calligraphy.

Two years ago, during the assassination attempt on Wang Jingwei, the gunman he personally trained mistakenly identified Wang Jingwei's secretary, Zeng Zhongming, as the target and killed him with a single shot, allowing Wang Jingwei to escape.

After that, Dai Yunong personally ordered his arrest, both to give the principal an explanation and to serve as a warning to the Military Intelligence Bureau—failure comes at a price.

But now, the consequences are about to change.

He summoned his adjutant and whispered, "Prepare the carriage; we're going to Gele Mountain. Also, send a telegram to Beiping Station first thing tomorrow morning, instructing Xu Zheng to hold his troops put on hold and await my message."

"Yes, boss." The adjutant replied and turned to run outside.

An hour later, the Ford sedan stopped in front of a villa at the foot of Gele Mountain. The gate was painted vermilion, but the paint had peeled off, revealing the old wood grain underneath.

A brass lock hung on the door knocker, but the keyhole was so clean it gleamed, clearly someone had been wiping it daily. Dai Yunong didn't let his adjutant come forward; he got out of the car himself, knocked three times on the door, paused, and then knocked twice more.