Chapter 203: It Seems An Old Acquaintance Has Come
In the early morning, Chen Yang woke up from the sofa, while Aisha beside him was still sleeping deeply..
Suddenly, rapid footsteps and Taylor’s deliberately amplified, anxious calling voice came from outside the office door: “Aisha! Chen! Are you in there? God, what’s wrong with this door?”
Immediately after, the damaged door was forcefully pushed open from outside, Taylor appeared at the doorway with an exaggerated worried expression on his face, followed by several bleary-eyed night shift guards.
“Oh! Thank God! You are indeed here!” Taylor quickly walked in.
His gaze quickly swept over the two figures who had hurriedly separated but were still standing very close, and the traces on their faces that hadn’t been fully tidied up, the corner of his mouth couldn’t help but curl up, “I waited left and right for you not to return and was worried sick! This door… looks like it was due to long-term disrepair? You weren’t injured, right?”
He was saying he was worried on his lips, but his eyes were full of the smugness of “the plan has greatly succeeded.”
Aisha’s cheeks flushed red, she gave Taylor a slightly reproachful glare, but more so it was the shyness and sweetness of being caught. Chen Yang coughed and said: “Mr. Taylor, your documents, next time don’t make this kind of low-level mistake.”
Taylor hurriedly said: “Of course, of course, if there’s nothing else, I’ll leave first.”
“I have an appointment to meet Mr. Lawrence at nine o’clock, I don’t want to be late.”
“Aisha, if you’re tired, go back and rest first.”
Not sure if it was intentional, when Taylor said the words “tired,” he clearly emphasized the tone, making Aisha even more shy.
“Alright, Taylor, go tend to your business, I’ll first send Aisha back, we’ll talk about anything else later.” Chen Yang quickly pulled Aisha and walked out of the office.
Watching the two flee in panic, a smug look immediately appeared on Taylor’s face!
Shanghai, this was an old-established Chinese pharmacy located in the northwest corner of the French Concession.
The signboard at the door had the three big characters “Jishitang Pharmacy.”
In the evening, the sunset with specks of red clouds shone on the mottled walls.
The pharmacy was filled with a thick and bitter medicinal fragrance.
Behind the tall wooden counter, the old shopkeeper wearing reading glasses was slowly fiddling with the abacus.
Several shop assistants were busy grabbing medicine and grinding medicine.
There weren’t many people coming to see the doctor and get medicine, just a few scattered ones sitting on the long benches waiting, the atmosphere quiet and somewhat oppressive.
Lin Xueli was wearing a half-worn dark blue long gown, carrying a briefcase, looking like a teacher or minor clerk from a modest family.
He was slightly hunched over, coughing softly from time to time, his brows tightly furrowed, as if troubled by a stubborn illness.
Walking into the pharmacy, Lin Xueli cautiously observed the surroundings, especially the situation at the pharmacy door and outside the windows.
Ever since the last time he had nearly been arrested, every one of his actions was like walking on thin ice.
Walking to the counter, he took out a prescription from the briefcase, then handed the prescription over, his voice hoarse: “Shopkeeper, fill three portions according to the prescription.”
The old shopkeeper took the prescription, pushed up his glasses, and looked at it carefully.
The handwriting on the prescription was neat, but the preparation methods and dosages of several medicines were somewhat unusual, mixed with some seemingly meaningless symbols, which were clearly a designed code.
The old shopkeeper’s cloudy eyes lifted, glancing at Lin Xueli, and nodded imperceptibly: “Sir, this prescription… there are a few medicines, our shop doesn’t have much stock, I need to check the back storeroom. Please sit for a moment.”
Lin Xueli nodded, walked to a long bench further inside and sat down, placed the briefcase at his feet, hands inserted in his sleeves, continuing to vigilantly observe.
This old shopkeeper was a reliable “insider,” at this moment he had gone to the back to confirm the situation.
After a while, the old shopkeeper returned, holding only a few packets of medicine in his hand: “Sir, sorry, we only have some inferior goods left of poria and angelica, afraid it would affect the efficacy.”
“If you need it urgently, the goods at ‘Chunhui Hall’ on the next street might be better, they have a Western doctor Mr. Zhang who arrived earlier, he’s a real expert, versed in both Chinese and Western medicine, very skilled at treating your kind of deficiency syndrome, you can go find him for a look, get a new prescription.”
Lin Xueli felt a stir in his heart, “Chunhui Hall,” “Mr. Zhang” these were the predetermined backup rendezvous location and code. This meant the original in-shop direct handover was canceled, changed to a transferred rendezvous.
This method was probably for safety.
A suitably disappointed and anxious expression appeared on his face: “Is that so… Thank you shopkeeper for the reminder. I’ll go to Chunhui Hall right away.”
Saying that, Lin Xueli picked up those few unimportant packets of medicine, paid the money, and carrying the briefcase walked out of Jishitang Pharmacy.
He didn’t go directly to the next street, but first turned into a noisy lane, using the complex terrain and crowds to repeatedly confirm there was no “tail” following, before cautiously heading toward the direction of “Chunhui Hall.”
“Chunhui Hall” was slightly smaller than “Jishitang Pharmacy,” with few patients at this time.
Lin Xueli explained his purpose to the shop assistant, specifically asking for “Doctor Zhang.” The shop assistant led him to a simple consultation room separated by a cloth curtain.
In the consultation room, a man wearing a white physician’s robe, mask, and glasses was facing away from the door organizing medicinal materials.
Hearing the footsteps, he turned around, his gaze calmly looking toward Lin Xueli.
“Sir, where do you feel unwell?”
“Doctor, something seems wrong with my body,” Lin Xueli responded according to the code.
The doctor slowly said: “Don’t rush, tell me the specific situation.”
The code matched, Lin Xueli hesitated for a moment and said: “Chest depression, shortness of breath and lack of strength, night sweats, afraid it’s the old illness recurring.”
These symptom descriptions corresponded to the situation of the organization suffering sabotage, Old Zhong arrested.
The doctor pointed to the stool in front of the consultation table: “Sit. Extend your hand, I’ll first take your pulse.”
Lin Xueli sat down, extended his right hand and placed it on the pulse pillow.
The doctor’s fingers rested on his pulse, seemingly taking the pulse, but actually the two quickly and softly conversed.
“Comrade Qing Hu?”
Lin Xueli confirmed: “It’s me.”
“Hello, I am Zhang Jianliang.” As Doctor Zhang just said these words, Lin Xueli’s expression changed abruptly. “You are Mr. Hua? I never imagined it would be you taking over Old Zhong’s work.”
A hint of surprise appeared in Zhang Jianliang’s eyes.
“Mr. Hua, don’t misunderstand, I am friends with Mr. Liao Chengzhi.”
“Last time sending Cai Feng to Hong Kong Island was arranged by Mr. Liao, even Special Commissioner Ye Xiao’s action transferring from Hong Kong Island to Guangdong was under Mr. Liao’s arrangement.”
No wonder Lin Xueli was so agitated, this Doctor Zhang Jianliang in front of him was a figure he had admired for a long time.
This person’s original name was Hua Kezhi, from Baoying, Jiangsu Province, his father was a scholar in the late Qing dynasty, he had admired justice since childhood, thoroughly read Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s works, and was determined to save the nation.
He was the youngest minister at National Central University, once highly favored by the Kuomintang.
When the April 12 Incident erupted, he took the lead in opposing Kuomintang tyranny and was arrested and imprisoned.
Later, someone sent by the Old Man came to persuade him to surrender, but he expressed his resolve with a poem: “Willing to sever six kinship ties for democracy, not serving the tyrant for five pecks of rice.”
This poem enraged the Old Man, who originally wanted to execute him on the spot, fortunately at that time the principal of National University and Deputy Minister of Education Mr. Duan pleaded for him, and later colleagues came forward to rescue, finally saving him from Nanjing Tiger Bridge Prison and sending him to the rear.
In 1933, after the Fujian Incident failed, Mr. Hua determined that only assassinating the Old Man could push forward the revolution.
Thus they gathered like-minded patriots in the “Weilou” in Shanghai French Concession, conspiring on major plans to save the nation.
Afterwards they decided to establish “Chengguang News Agency” in Nanjing, approaching the enemy under the identity of reporters.
Hua Kezhi used the alias Hu Yunqing as president, while Sun Fengming disguised as a reporter, responsible for the assassination.
On November 1, 1935, during the opening of the Kuomintang 6th Plenary Session of the 4th Central Committee, while the committee members were taking a group photo, Sun Fengming’s original target did not appear, so he turned and fired three shots at Vice President Mr. Wang.
Mr. Wang was immediately seriously injured and fell to the ground, while Sun Fengming sacrificed himself on the spot.
The incident shocked the nation, Boss Dai was ordered to thoroughly investigate. Most members of Chengguang Agency were arrested and killed, Sun Fengming’s wife Cui Zhengyao was also brutally murdered.
Hua Kezhi was forced to flee to Hong Kong Island, the next year publishing《A Proclamation to Compatriots Nationwide》, publicly stating the target was originally the Old Man, only changed to Wang because he didn’t appear.
The National Government high-level was extremely shocked, subsequently offering a reward of 100,000 silver dollars for Hua Kezhi.
From then on, he used the alias Zhang Jianliang, responsible for intelligence work in the Hong Kong Island area.
Until recently Old Zhong was caught, the organization needed someone relatively familiar with Shanghai conditions to lead the rescue and handle Shanghai intelligence work.
Because he was quite familiar with Nanjing and Shanghai areas, after repeated discussions, the organization decided to have him replace Old Zhong’s position.
Because even if Old Zhong could be successfully rescued, his identity was exposed, no longer suitable for the deputy team leader position.
Hearing Lin Xueli’s words, Doctor Zhang suddenly understood.
However, he didn’t dwell on this issue.
“Comrade Qing Hu, the organization has received the information you provided about ‘Xue Lian’s’ arrest and the follow-up situation.”
“The organization hopes you won’t participate in any actions recently, leave the remaining matters to me.”
“By the way, how is ‘Xue Lian’? Any news?”
Lin Xueli said: “Temporarily no life-threatening danger, but strictly detained.”
“After the last incident, Special Higher Police Affairs transferred the detention location, we are fully tracking it down.”
Doctor Zhang shook his head, “Stop tracking, you must immediately cut off all non-essential lateral connections.”
“Yes.” Lin Xueli without hesitation.
Doctor Zhang’s fingers still rested on his pulse, as if carefully feeling it, but his voice was low like a whisper, “You are more familiar with the Shanghai situation, I have a mission I want to entrust to you.”
“Tell me, I will definitely accomplish it.” Lin Xueli said solemnly.
Doctor Zhang said in a low voice: “I’ve seen the report, your exposure was very strange, your current mission is to investigate the traitor clues who betrayed ‘Xue Lian’ and Comrade Old Zhong, this person’s level is not low, the harm is extremely great, must be eliminated as soon as possible.”
“Understood!” Lin Xueli felt enormous pressure on his shoulders.
“This is the new contact method and safe house address, look only once, memorize it.” Doctor Zhang quickly recited a string of information and codes.
Lin Xueli concentrated on memorizing, instantly imprinting it in his mind.
“Remember, Qing Hu,” his tone carried unprecedented gravity, “you are the key hope for finding the traitor.”
“Xue Lian’s matter must never happen a second time.”
