Courtyard House: Home Alone

Chapter 380: Andrei

"good,"

Lin Yifan nodded, "You don't need to worry about resources. Just tell me what you need. Also, select some quick-witted and loyal brothers from the special training class and have them learn intelligence work from you."

We must train our own intelligence personnel as soon as possible.

"With just a few of us, we can't fight against so many opponents; we must establish our own intelligence network."

A glint of light flashed in Chen Gongshu's eyes: "Young Master, you have great foresight. Your subordinate understands. I will personally train them and strive to enable them to stand on their own as soon as possible."

However, with just the few of us here, I'm afraid...

Lin Yifan understood what he meant and said, "If there are suitable people, you can recruit them yourself, but you must be strict in your selection and the background check must be watertight."

I will ask Tang Baolin to keep an eye out and see if he can find any useful talents among the progressive students or disillusioned soldiers in Beiping.

In addition, you can contact Zhao Gang and Shi Tou and ask them to help find a group of orphans and raise them properly. There's still a long way to go, and we can't just focus on the present.

The manpower issue will be resolved gradually, but we'd rather have fewer but better-quality personnel. What we need are true brothers we can entrust our backs to, not ticking time bombs who could betray us at any moment.

After speaking, he looked at Liu Quande and Tang Juye, who had come to Tianjin together to carry out the mission and had performed exceptionally well.

"You two, after you return to Beiping, continue to go to the special training class, where you will receive training and assist Station Chief Chen in managing the brothers."

Remember, you are not only trainees, but also future backbone members. You must set a good example and set a positive example for the training program.

The two replied in unison, "Yes, young master!"

Lin Yifan looked around at everyone, a relieved smile on his face: "Alright, that's about all I wanted to say. Everyone, eat your fill. We still have a tough battle to fight tomorrow."

Although we gained the upper hand in Tianjin this time, the Japanese will never give up easily. We must not let our guard down on the way back.

Everyone nodded, picked up their chopsticks, and began to eat heartily. After a tense and busy night, this sumptuous meal was undoubtedly the best reward for them.

The atmosphere in the room became much more relaxed, with occasional hushed conversations filled with anticipation and confidence for the future.

Outside the window, the night in Tianjin was still deep, and the occasional footsteps and shouts of police officers could be heard on the streets under martial law, but none of this seemed to affect the determination of the people inside the room.

The next morning, Lin Yifan and the other three left Victoria Road and headed towards Tianjin Railway Station.

At this time, a Slavic man with a full beard came to the Beiping Municipal Committee. His name was Andrei Petrov, and he was a secret liaison officer sent by the Soviet Union to Beiping.

He wore a slightly worn black suit, and despite his unkempt beard, his eyes were exceptionally sharp, scanning every corner of the municipal committee office like a hawk. Speaking in heavily accented Chinese, he said to the guard at the door, "I have something very important to discuss and must see Vice Chairman Qin Zhirong immediately. Please inform him that an old classmate has arrived."

Upon hearing this, the guard's expression changed slightly. Not daring to be negligent, he quickly turned and ran inside.

Andrei stood still, his hands in his pockets, his eyes warily scanning his surroundings, as if ready to deal with any unexpected situation.

Qin Zhirong was processing documents in his office when he heard the guard's report, and his brows furrowed slightly. "An old classmate?" He quickly thought to himself. He had many classmates from his time studying in the Soviet Union, but he had lost contact with most of them long ago. And someone who came to his door directly under the guise of "old classmate" was probably not just a casual reunion.

He hesitated for a moment, then said to the guard, "Please let him in."

A moment later, Andrei followed the guard into Qin Zhirong's office. Their eyes met, and a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed in Qin Zhirong's eyes. He then stood up and extended his hand: "Andrei? It really is you! It's been so many years!"

Andrei grasped Qin Zhirong's hand and shook it vigorously, a complex smile appearing on his face: "Zhirong, my old buddy, didn't expect this, did you? I came to Beiping on a mission and took the opportunity to visit you." Although his Chinese had a heavy accent, he spoke clearly.

Qin Zhirong invited Andrei to sit down, gestured for the guards to pour tea, then closed the door and lowered his voice: "Andrei, your visit this time... is probably not just a 'casual' visit to see me, is it?" He knew the other party's identity well; a secret liaison officer of the Soviet Union would never appear here without a reason.

Andrei picked up his teacup but didn't drink. He just watched the rising steam and said slowly, "Zhirong, you're right. I did come here on important business."

You should be well aware of the recent situation in Northeast China and Europe. The ambitions of the Japanese and the "Little Mustache" are growing ever larger; they not only want to annex China, but they are also eyeing the European and Far Eastern regions of our Soviet Union.

Qin Zhirong picked up his teacup, took a sip, and frowned. "Of course I know. The Japanese are becoming more and more active in North China, and in Europe, Nazi Germany is also making moves."

"Neither of these two countries, one in the East and one in the West, are to be trifled with." He put down his teacup, looked at Andrei, and asked, "What are your plans?"

Andrei leaned forward slightly, his eyes sharpening: "War could break out at any moment. We need allies, we need all forces that can be united. At the same time, we need penicillin and sulfonamides from Beiping even more."

Because once war breaks out, casualties on the battlefield will increase exponentially, and these life-saving medicines are the soldiers' second life and the key to maintaining combat effectiveness.

Penicillin, in particular, is currently only produced in Beiping, and even then, the output is low. For us, it is almost a strategic resource.

We hope to establish a stable drug supply channel with you. Price is not an issue; we can exchange it for gold, intelligence, or any strategic materials you require.

Upon hearing this, Qin Zhirong's heart was stirred. He naturally knew the importance of penicillin and sulfonamides; they were not only life-saving drugs on the battlefield, but also strategic resources urgently needed by all parties at present.

But now all of these are in the hands of the "Ghost." Even the Red Party only got 500 kilograms of sulfanilamide powder, and they didn't get a single penicillin.

He remained silent for a moment, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table as he quickly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

The Soviet Union's proposal was undoubtedly very tempting. Gold and strategic materials were urgently needed for the development of Beiping at that time, and intelligence was the key to survival in this chaotic world.

But the attitude of the "Ghost" is the biggest variable. Would the mysterious "Ghost" be willing to share such an important resource with the Soviet Union?

Qin Zhirong looked up at Andrei and said cautiously, "Andrei, I can't make decisions about penicillin and sulfonamides. The production and distribution of these drugs are not under the control of the municipal council."