The Bravest

June 1940

On the morning of New Year's Eve, Ye Wulian took Lin Jie back to her mother's house. As soon as Ye Wulian, who had been married for only two days, entered the house, she was pulled into the side room by her mother. Her mother looked her daughter up and down and asked worriedly in a low voice, "Xiaolian, didn't you sleep with Xiaojie? Or is Xiaojie not in good health?"

"Oh, Mom, why are you asking this?" Her mother saw through her and asked her in person. Ye Wulian blushed and had to lie, "It's not convenient for me!"

"Oh, is he good to you? No need to ask. Look at you. Other people become mature after getting married, but you become younger, just like when you were in school. In the past two years, you seemed to be worried all day long, but you didn't say anything, and mom didn't dare to ask. Now I feel relieved. A woman must find someone to love you. You used to blame mom for being nagging, but now I don't worry about you anymore." The mother's eyes were moist as she spoke, and she stroked her daughter's hair with one hand. Her daughter got married, and now she has someone to talk to about her worries. She is happy too. That's good.

"Mom, I'm sorry. I will be fine in the future, don't worry." Ye Wulian felt her mother's worry.

"Well, live well with Xiaojie and change your temper. Not everyone is as accommodating to you as your father and I are. Fortunately, Xiaojie is an honest child. Your father and I saw that he has a good temper and will not bully you, so we agreed to let you marry him, a child without a home. But you can't bully him either. You have to manage your little family well. If you have any difficulties, you have to discuss it with each other, understand?"

"Um"

The mother and daughter spoke caring words.

In the study, Ye Zhantang was discussing work with Lin Jie, "Xiao Jie, can't you quit your job at No. 76?" Ye Zhantang was actually very worried. He really couldn't stand what No. 76 did. The Japanese occupied Shanghai, and many people had no choice but to work for the Japanese to make a living. It was unavoidable to be scolded as a traitor occasionally. It was just to make a living, and to get by. But you can't help the Japanese kill the Chinese, or you won't be able to enter the ancestral tomb after you die.

"Dad, I can't quit. This is an intelligence agency. You can get in but you can't get out." Lin Jie explained with a wry smile. There are some things you can only pretend to be stupid about.

"Hmph, don't lie to me. I have a vague feeling about what Xiaolian did. You should know it, otherwise she wouldn't marry you. Don't refute me. I'm not as old and confused as you think. When the Prime Minister started the revolution, I also contributed money and effort. Although it wasn't much, I saw hope. Now it's like this. Well, I won't say anything more. You guys take care of yourselves and don't worry about us. I've made preparations. All the family property has been deposited in Citibank. If anything happens, we will go abroad to hide."

"Dad, it's not that serious?"

"Listen to me. I'm telling you this today just to let you know the bottom line. If anything happens, you and Xiaolian don't care about us, okay? Li Shiqun won't last long. He's a hawk and a dog, and he doesn't know how to restrain himself. He will either die at the hands of his opponents or be abandoned by his enemies. Xiaojie, I've investigated your situation. Don't blame me. It's all for Xiaolian. You're a professional in your line of work. Dad won't say much. I'll just give you a few words based on my decades of experience. Don't be impatient. Slow things down and they'll be perfect. Don't be greedy. Greed will blind you. Know when to stop. Don't just focus on the present. Leave a way out. Remember that."

"Remember, Dad." Lin Jie had to admire the vision of a businessman who had been in Shanghai for decades. Li Shiqun was poisoned by the Japanese in 1943.

"Okay, I won't ask about your affairs. The situation will always change one day. For thousands of years, we Chinese have been the masters here. The Mongols and Manchus have become Chinese. The Japanese should either go back or be assimilated by us. China will not perish. Dad wants you to know that Dad supports you, so if you have any difficulties that cannot be solved, you can discuss it with Dad. Let's go out. It's New Year's Day today. Have a drink with Dad."

After finishing the New Year's Eve dinner early, before dark, Lin Jie deliberately swayed on his bicycle, causing Ye Wulian, who was holding her tightly with both hands on the back seat, to twist the soft flesh on his waist hard.

"Ride steadily, don't fall down later."

"I can't help it. Your dad got me drunk. Hold on tight."

"Nonsense! You've never been drunk before, but you only had one drink today. Why are you pretending?"

Fortunately, it was not far away. It only took me 20 minutes to get back to my home, and then I would go back to my parents' home on the second day of the New Year.

No one expected that as night fell, a murderous intention was approaching.

Wang Tianmu, the head of the Military Control Commission's Shanghai district, failed in his attempt to assassinate Zhang Xiaolin and was severely criticized by Boss Dai. In order to save face, he wanted to plan a big plan. At this time, his trusted subordinate Liu Geqing got information that Chen Lu, the foreign minister of the puppet government who had been in Nanjing, returned to his home at No. 668, Lane 25, Yuyuan Road, Shanghai.

Liu Geqing told Wang Tianmu the information, and the two began to study the plan to assassinate Chen Lu, the big traitor.

Liu Geqing found a bodyguard of Chen Lu named Liu Haishan, who used to be a guard for Dr. Sun Yat-sen. He was from Northeast China and had national hatred and family feuds with the Japanese and the puppet government. Liu Geqing found him and persuaded him to join the Military Control Commission and assassinate Chen Lu.

Liu Haishan readily agreed and quickly obtained the residential plan of Chen Lu's family.

On New Year's Eve, Liu Geqing personally led a team of military agents and Liu Haishan to successfully assassinate Chen Lu and left a slogan "Anti-Zhang will win" at the scene to deter traitors and running dogs.

At six o'clock in the morning on New Year's Day, the ringing of the phone woke up Lin Jie and Ye Wulian. Lin Jie picked up the phone and asked, "Excuse me, who is this?"

In the ear: "Chief Lin, this is Sanpu, Director Li notified you to come back immediately for the meeting"

"Miura-kun, why are you in such a hurry? What happened?" Lin Jie asked with a frown.

"Chen Lu was assassinated last night. Come back first. I still need to notify other people." The phone was hung up.

"What happened?" Ye Wulian, who was standing next to him, looked at Lin Jie and asked with a frown.

"The foreign minister of the puppet government was assassinated last night. Today will be very chaotic. Don't go out today, keep your gun on you, and don't contact your people. I'm going back to No. 76 now. We'll talk about everything after I come back. I'm leaving. By the way, call Dad right away and tell him to tell the family not to go out today. I'm leaving." Lin Jie changed his clothes, put on his coat and was about to leave.

"Wait a minute," Ye Wulian called Lin Jie, stood up and hugged him, and kissed Lin Jie on the face, "Be careful."

"Well, I'm leaving. Close the door."

The atmosphere on the 76th of the first day of the new year was tense. After seeing Sanpu, Lin Jie greeted him and asked in a low voice, "Sanpu, I'm in charge of logistics. Why did you call me here?"

"Don't ask me. Director Li gave the instructions himself. Go in."

After Lin Jie handed over his gun, he was taken into the conference room. Li Shiqun was sitting at the head seat at the conference table. Others had not arrived yet, so he must have been called in advance.

"Xiaojie, come and sit behind me."

"Yes, Director." Lin Jie sat down on a smaller chair behind Li Shiqun, thinking about why Li Shiqun had called him here.

"Xiao Jie, now you know what happened in today's meeting."

"Director, is this about Chen Lu?"

"Well, I sent you here to let you understand the situation. Don't speak in the meeting, just listen. Also, strengthen the security around me. You don't know that Chen Lu has more than 20 bodyguards who can't protect one person. They are all useless. After the meeting, you will go to the Guard Corps to select people and set up a team. I will say hello. Okay, the people are almost here, we'll talk later."

Lin Jie finally understood why he was called here. Li Shiqun was frightened. His quick response to save him last time left an impression on Li Shiqun, so he wanted him to be a bodyguard. Damn it, that means he has no freedom. He has to find an excuse to shirk his responsibility.

After a while, the Director of Intelligence Department, Tang Keming,

Lin Zhijiang, the chief of operations

Wu Sibao, Chief of Guards

Director of the Supervision Office Qiu Junmu

These four people are the most important and powerful people in No. 76 and are also Li Shiqun's close confidants. Seeing these four people come in, Lin Jie quickly stood up.

Li Shiqun gestured to the four people to sit down. He looked back at Lin Jie who was still standing and said, "Why are you standing? Sit down. Don't record it."

"Yes, Director," Lin Jie answered loudly, then sat steadily on the small chair with his back straight.

The originally solemn atmosphere was diluted a lot by Lin Jie's serious look.

"Director, is this your wife's brother-in-law? He's not as bad as the rumors say!" Wu Sibao, who came from a gangster family, even made a joke.

"It's him. I'll ask him to pick a few people from your place later. You guys should also strengthen your defense. Chen Lu is an example."

"Kid, come find me after you get off work," Wu Sibao said casually.

"Okay, without further ado, I'll give the order directly. The Inspectorate will re-install and secretly identify those who have surrendered from the Military Control Commission. The Action Team will form a special team to be on call 24 hours a day. They need to be elite and strengthen the firepower. I will notify the General Affairs Office. Also, the Guard Corps will select elite personnel for professional training and reshuffle the original organization. In addition, the Intelligence Department must increase its reconnaissance efforts and find several hideouts of anti-Japanese elements within three days. After they are wiped out, we will give an explanation to the Japanese. Do you have anything else to add?" Li Shiqun assigned the tasks to the following four people in one breath.

"Well, if there's nothing else, then let's adjourn the meeting and start moving. Xiaojie, you and Captain Wu go pick the people. The meeting is adjourned." After saying that, he left first.

After Li Shiqun left, the four people began to tease Lin Jie, especially Wu Sibao, who looked rough but was actually very cunning. They knew that Lin Jie would definitely be valued if he appeared here. The others were also smart people, so how could they not know what was going on here? However, with their status, it was impossible for them to lower their heads and get close to him, so teasing him was just to narrow the distance.

"Lin Jie, right? Was it someone who spread rumors about you wetting your pants that time? You were very brave when you rescued the director during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Tell me who spread the rumors and I will help you kill him." Wu Sibao exuded a rough and unruly air.

"Yes, my subordinate Zhao Yilong is very capable. You went in with a group of them, but you came out alone. How did you do it? Tell me."

"Yes, tell me."

Lin Jie didn't dare to brag in front of these people. He just smiled foolishly and said, "Nothing. It's just luck. Good luck."

"Tsk! Let's go, you little brat!" The four people walked out, and Lin Jie gritted his teeth and followed Wu Sibao.

"Captain, what about that person?"

"Okay, do you have any requests?"

"There are no requirements. You don't need to be good at martial arts. Just be careful and cautious." Lin Jie's requirements are quite simple.

"Hey, you are not honest. There are many people who are good at fighting, but not many who are careful and cautious." Wu Sibao, an old man, is not easy to deceive. "However, the director has spoken. I recommend 10 people to you, but you can only take 5. If you need to do anything else, please tell me quickly."

"It would be best if it was someone who was good at surveillance, someone who was tracking, a stranger."

"Hey, kid, you're quite interesting. You're not defending but want to attack. Who the hell said you were a coward? You're so bold that you actually used the director as bait to fish. Hahaha, are you interested in coming and helping me?"

"Captain, you're joking. Everything was arranged by the director."

"Slippery"

An hour later, Lin Jie arranged for the five selected people to wait in his office while he went to report to Li Shiqun.

"Director, I'm not familiar with your security plan, so I chose people based on my own ideas. They are mainly offensive. I think your security force is sufficient. These five people can be arranged as secret sentries outside. They are unfamiliar faces and will not come into contact with the bodyguard team. They will just move around the outermost perimeter. If someone is harmful to the director, they will definitely step on the plate first. If they find a suspicious person, they will just follow him first. As for the internal security, we still need our own people. What do you think, Director?"

"You're right. I was too nervous. I'm not afraid of you laughing at me. There are more than twenty people around Chen Lu, but the Military Control Commission dared to take action. Haha. You keep these five people for yourself. I want to transfer you to the Intelligence Department in a few days to give full play to your strengths. Hand over half of the black market business you are in charge of outside, and you can arrange trustworthy people to watch over the remaining half. It depends on your ability how you can make these five people your own. Go back. You don't need to go to work today. When something happened, I forgot that you just got married. Don't scare Xiaolian. Or is it okay?" Li Shiqun reacted after half a day. For the security matters, he can only rely on his confidants. Temporary transfers can sometimes backfire. He simply made a mistake and left the personnel to Lin Jie. Lin Jie was going to be transferred anyway. He can't just hide behind and reap the benefits without doing any work. Besides, the Intelligence Department has been a little short of staff recently, which is a pity for Zhao Yilong.

"Director, I have an idea to report to you," Lin Jie pretended to be hesitant about whether to say it.

"Director, let's talk in the study," Lin Jie said, looking back at the door of the office. Li Shiqun knew from Lin Jie's expression that it was related to the Japanese. He knew that the secretary Sanpu at the door was sent by the Japanese to monitor him, but he could not refuse.

"it is good"

The inner study was actually a temporary lounge for Li Shiqun when he was on duty. After Lin Jie followed him in, he turned around and closed the door before speaking in a low voice:

"Do you remember the day I got married, Gangcun suddenly mentioned that he was going to be transferred back to the gendarmerie headquarters, and that someone else would take over the gendarmerie here. He has been trying to win me over in the past six months, and I didn't dare to refuse openly, right?" Li Shiqun got angry as soon as Lin Jie's words came out. Gangcun had been recruiting people into No. 76 to reduce Li Shiqun's influence.

"Well, tell me what you think."

"Director, the Japanese have always wanted to divide the 76th unit. I want them to recruit people, so we can take the opportunity to plant people there as well."

"Well, after we go in, if you listen to him, you will become his people. If you don't listen to him, they won't let us interfere in their affairs, so it would be a waste of time. Besides, isn't this blatantly making trouble for the Japanese? It will not end well if we anger the Japanese, and we will get people involved, and it will be difficult for me to get them out then. Let me think about it. Go on." Li Shiqun, this old fox, is not so easy to convince.

"Director, when people have to choose between two options, there will always be people who can't stand the pressure. I think so, let's open up a third way."

"How do you say that?" Li Shiqun became a little interested.

"Director, let him recruit people from our side and we can find trustworthy people to go over there and listen to him, but any news should be passed back secretly. But our people should not get together, and it is best if they don't know each other. Only the director can control it. If we split up and recruit people from that group to set up factions, it will cause internal confrontation, and it will have nothing to do with the director."

"Well, I'll consider it. Don't say you'll go there by yourself." Li Shiqun glanced at Lin Jie.

"I can't escape the director's eyes." Lin Jie admitted honestly. "Director, didn't you just say that you would transfer me to the Intelligence Department? When he comes to me again, I will complain that the director has taken my benefits, pretend to be unconvinced and resentful, and take the opportunity to get close to him. I should be able to gain his trust. Of course, there will be a process. If the director agrees, I will start. If he thinks it's not right, I will pretend to be submissive and play Tai Chi with him." After Lin Jie finished speaking, he looked at Li Shiqun and waited for his reply.

Li Shiqun tapped his fingers on the desk, closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair to think. Suddenly he opened his eyes and stared at Lin Jie, who did not dodge.

After staring at each other for a few seconds, Li Shiqun said, "Okay, you can start now, just don't be too deliberate. I'll think about the others. Go back."

Li Shiqun said to himself, "What the Japanese can give you, I can give you, but the Japanese can't give you pillow talk, Gangcun is wishful thinking. Xiaolian doesn't even mention coming to accompany her sister more often, playing cards or something, let the wife organize a party, women should communicate more."