Chapter 14: The Land And Rivers Are At Peace, Long Live The People
Shanghai, Fukaisen Road Lin Mansion.
“Young Master, didn’t you sleep well last night?” Butler Aunt Gui saw Chen Yang sitting in the garden in a daze and went up to ask with concern: “Were you scared by those little Japanese devils yesterday?”
“Those damn little Japanese devils, you’re just a fair-skinned scholar, where have you ever seen such a ferocious scene?”
“The world now, alas…”
Chen Yang rubbed his brow and said: “It’s nothing, Aunt Gui, get me some breakfast, still milk sandwich.”
“Okay, I’ll have the kitchen prepare it right away, Young Master, you read the newspaper first.” Aunt Gui instructed the servants to bring the newspaper, then hurried off to order the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Chen Yang opened the latest issue of《 Declaration》, and a stock analysis comment in the second edition finance section quickly caught his attention.
This was the organization’s reply to him. After returning to the country, according to the previous agreement, Chen Yang had placed a missing person notice in the newspaper, requesting to restore contact with the organization.
Undercover personnel in Shanghai would see the message and report back to headquarters, then the organization’s contact person would place the same contact information in the newspaper’s finance section.
Chen Yang decoded the useful information inside according to the special linking method in the cipher book.
“Beidaihe Road, Xiangyun Noodle House second floor, time, exactly noon twelve o’clock.”
“Contact code, Mr., do you have fire on you?”
“Sorry, I’ve quit smoking recently, no fire on me.”
“Quitting smoking is good, looks like I should quit smoking too.”
After sorting through all the useful information, Chen Yang stood up and shouted to gardener Uncle Cai who was tending the garden in the distance: “Uncle Cai, tell Aunt Gui, I have something to do and I’m going out, skipping breakfast.”
Xiangyun Noodle House is a noodle shop on Beidaihe Road in the French Concession.
Beidaihe Road was named after French Marshal Philippe Petain to commemorate him from World War I.
Xiangyun Noodle House second floor, Chen Yang appeared on time on the second floor of Xiangyun Noodle House according to the information left by the organization.
After ordering some dishes, Chen Yang sat by the window, eating while silently observing the surroundings.
The contact time was getting closer, but the diners on the second floor were still the same people.
“Alas, Teacher Lu, you’re here, there’s space upstairs, please go upstairs.” Accompanied by the shop assistant’s shout, a middle-aged man wearing a long robe and round glasses on his nose appeared before Chen Yang.
This was a very traditional Shanghai man, dressed somewhat shabbily but very neatly, his round face revealing a gentle smile.
His features were not very distinctive, the kind of ordinary person you wouldn’t look at twice after glancing once in a crowd…
The middle-aged man was carrying some pastries in his left hand and two bottles of Stone Library Gate old wine in his right, and naturally sat down at the seat in front of Chen Yang.
“Teacher Lu, what do you want to eat today?”
“Oh, small wontons for me, and two bowls of noodles.” Saying this, Teacher Lu took out six mao from his inner pocket: “Remember to add a pork rib, send it to Master Li’s house.”
“Teacher Lu, you’re really a great man,” the shop assistant was clearly very familiar with Teacher Lu, took the money and said: “Master Li broke his leg, lay in bed for months, if not for you helping them, their whole family would have had a hard time this year.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely have the kitchen pick the biggest one for them.” With that, the shop assistant turned and went downstairs to pass the order.
Soon, a bowl of wontons was served, Teacher Lu was clearly hungry, and finished the bowl in three bites.
He took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, Teacher Lu pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, fumbled around left and right for a moment, then stood up and walked to Chen Yang: “Mr., do you have fire on you?”
Chen Yang shook his head: “Sorry, I’ve quit smoking recently, no fire.”
“Quitting smoking is good, looks like I should start quitting too,” Teacher Lu said this, turned around, picked up the items on the table, and went downstairs.
The code matched, seeing the other leave, Chen Yang tossed a silver dollar on the table and followed downstairs.
Two figures walked one after the other on Beidaihe Road, at a crossroads, Teacher Lu seemed to deliberately stop, then turned and entered an alley.
Chen Yang followed the other into the alley, walked forward less than fifty meters, the figure of Teacher Lu ahead was already gone, Chen Yang was startled, before he could react, suddenly a hand stretched out from behind a civilian house door, pulling Chen Yang inside.
“Don’t be nervous, Comrade Cangfeng, hello, I’m Lu Yunqing, code name Jianbing. Affiliated with Second Section, seven months ago dispatched by Comrade Number Five to go undercover in Shanghai, serving as your contact person.”
Lu Yunqing’s words made Chen Yang slowly lower the hand reaching for his lower back.
Before Chen Yang could ask, Lu Yunqing said gravely: “Comrade Cangfeng, Japanese spies are active everywhere in the French Concession now, our meeting place is not safe, time is tight, you listen first.”
“The main purpose of this meeting is to confirm each other’s identities, and to convey the mission assigned by the organization to you. The organization has received reliable intelligence that the Japanese are already plotting to establish the Nanjing Restoration Government to split Chinese territory.”
“The superior’s order is for you to utilize your experience studying in Japan, obtain the Japanese’s trust at any cost, deeply infiltrate the puppet agencies, and await the activation instruction.”
“I’m your only contact person, I must solemnly remind you, even if in the future our comrades contact you, or our comrades have some accident, you cannot expose yourself.”
“Your identity is special, we should use dead letter box for contact between us, unless absolutely necessary, never meet.”
“I’ll find a way to notify you of the specific contact methods and dead letter box location once confirmed.”
“By the way, the Jade Guanyin on you is the only token to prove your identity in the future, never lose it.”
“I’ve said my piece, do you have any questions?”
Chen Yang was silent for a moment and shook his head: “No questions.”
“Good.” Lu Yunqing changed tone, very seriously: “Comrade Cangfeng, the following words are relayed to you by Comrade Number Five through me. In the future, you may be misunderstood by the people, targeted by your own people, even spurned by everyone.”
“But please remember, everything you do is for this country, until the organization tells you to expose yourself, no matter how great the grievance, you must swallow it in your belly.”
Pausing, Lu Yunqing continued: “If one day something happens to me, and you can no longer contact me, you must firmly remember your activation instruction.”
“Password, mountains and rivers at peace.”
“Response, long live the people.”
Chen Yang’s nose suddenly soured for no reason, he nodded forcefully, “Comrade Jianbing, I remember…”
Lu Yunqing nodded: “Good, in a bit you go out first, turn right after exiting, I’ll leave in ten minutes.”
“Remember my words, no need to meet unless necessary.”
