activa-t Chapter 1174 Remember, act cautiously and don't give yourself away.
Chapter 1174 Remember, act cautiously and don't give yourself away.
Chen Gongshu sat down by the window, clutching his suitcase tightly to his chest. He closed his eyes and pretended to doze off, but in reality, he was vigilantly observing everyone in the carriage out of the corner of his eye.
Xiao Li and Xiao Wang sat on either side of him, seemingly casually looking around, but in reality forming an invisible protective wall, alert to any suspicious movements.
The train started moving slowly, its wheels rolling over the rails, making a monotonous "clanging" sound, as if accompanying this arduous journey.
Not long after, an elderly gentleman sitting opposite Chen Gongshu looked him up and down a few times and slowly asked, "Sir, are you in the business of medicinal herbs?"
The old gentleman was wearing a faded long gown, his hair was gray, his face was covered with wrinkles, and his eyes held a gentle look. He was tightly clutching an old cloth bag in his hand, which was probably a valuable item he carried with him.
Chen Gongshu opened his eyes, forced a slightly bitter smile, and nodded: "Yes, it's a small business, selling some Coptis chinensis and Angelica sinensis to the north to make a living."
He deliberately slowed his speech, his tone carrying a hint of shrewdness and helplessness typical of a businessman, perfectly befitting his identity as a medicinal herb merchant.
"Going north at this time of year?" The old man looked surprised and subconsciously lowered his voice: "The north is not a safe place."
The Japanese occupied Beiping and Tianjin, committing arson, murder, and looting everywhere. It's said they arrested people on the streets daily, indiscriminately arresting anyone suspected of being an anti-Japanese element. Medicinal herbs were strictly controlled by the Japanese army, making it difficult to smuggle them in, let alone make a profit.
"I have no choice. My family is waiting to be fed. I have elderly parents to care for and young children to raise. The livelihood of my whole family rests on my shoulders. No matter how peaceful things are, I have to go."
Chen Gongshu gave a wry smile, his tone full of helplessness, then changed the subject and asked, "Old sir...where are you planning to go?"
“I went to Xinyang to stay with my son.” The old man sighed deeply, his eyes filled with sorrow, and his voice trembled slightly. “I used to teach Chinese at Shanghai High School. When the Japanese invaded Shanghai, the school was closed, so I returned to my hometown in Nanjing.”
But... the old house was also flattened by artillery fire...
Now my spouse is gone too... My son teaches in Xinyang and specially sent someone to pick me up; I just want to live a peaceful life there.
When talking about the atrocities committed by the Japanese, the old man's voice trembled uncontrollably, and his eyes were filled with grief, indignation and despair.
Chen Gongshu listened silently without speaking, his fingers tapping lightly on the leather suitcase in a slow and heavy rhythm.
Such stories unfold every day in this chaotic world.
The Japanese army's iron hooves trampled across the land of China, leaving devastation and suffering wherever they went.
It is these bloody hardships that sustain countless agents like him, who bravely forge ahead in the darkness, never retreating even if it means being shattered to pieces.
The two chatted casually, from the situation in Shanghai to the suffering in North China, from the market prices of medicinal herbs to the livelihoods of ordinary people.
The old gentleman was very learned and eloquent. He was full of energy when talking about poetry and songs, but his expression darkened instantly when he mentioned the atrocities committed by the Japanese army.
Chen Gongshu mostly listened, occasionally interjecting a few words, always remaining cautious in his speech, neither revealing his identity nor deliberately pandering, striking the perfect balance.
Around midnight, the train made an unscheduled stop at Xuchang Station.
The station was dimly lit, with only a few kerosene lamps flickering in the cold wind, illuminating the sparse figures on the platform.
Chen Gongshu stood up and winked at Xiao Li and Xiao Wang, signaling them to keep an eye on the suitcase, while he got out of the car to get some fresh air.
He was to meet with the advance party arranged by Dai Li here to obtain the latest information. There would be several such meetings along the way to ensure that he knew the latest situation.
Standing on the platform, the icy wind howled past, stirring up dust and fallen leaves that stung my face slightly.
He took a cigarette out of his pocket, lit it, and the smoke rose into the night, blurring his silhouette.
Looking up at the night sky, the thick clouds obscured the stars, with only a few scattered lights in the distant villages, like fireflies in the darkness, faint yet persistent.
Just then, a vendor selling sesame cakes pushed a dilapidated wooden cart by, with a steaming tin bucket on it, emitting a faint aroma of sesame.
The vendor, wearing a thin cotton-padded jacket, his face red from the cold, saw Chen Gongshu and asked in a low voice, "Sir, would you like some sesame seed cakes? They're fresh out of the oven and still warm."
It's not a code!
Chen Gongshu shook his head slightly, his eyes warily scanning the vendor.
The vendor looked to be in his forties, thin, but with sharp eyes, unlike an ordinary vendor.
Just as he was about to turn back to the carriage, the vendor didn't leave. Instead, he quickly stepped forward, pressed his body closer, and whispered in a low voice that only the two of them could hear: "Station Chief Chen?"
Chen Gongshu's body tensed instantly, his hand instinctively reaching for the Colt pistol in his pocket, his eyes coldly fixed on the vendor, ready to strike at any moment.
"What's today's date?"
The vendor was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant. He then scratched his head somewhat awkwardly and whispered, "It's my uncle's birthday on the 2nd of next month."
As he spoke, he quickly pulled a small cloth bag, about the size of a palm, from his pocket and, under the cover of night, swiftly stuffed it into Chen Gongshu's hand: "Station Chief Chen, I was so excited about meeting with such an important person as you that I forgot to exchange passwords. This was specially instructed by the Chief to be given to you."
Then, pushing the wooden cart, he turned and left quickly, disappearing into the dim night, leaving only a series of crisp footsteps.
Seeing the other person's flustered expression, as if afraid of losing his temper, Chen Gongshu shook his head.
Chen Gongshu held the small cloth bag in his hand. It felt rough to the touch and seemed to contain paper and hard objects.
He quickly returned to the carriage, where Xiao Li and Xiao Wang were guarding their seats vigilantly. When they saw him return, they nodded slightly in greeting.
Chen Gongshu sat back down and waited for the train to start moving before placing the cloth bag on his lap and carefully opening it by the occasional flashes of light from outside the window.
The cloth bag contained a note, a photograph, and a small brass badge.
The note was written with steganography, so the writing was completely invisible.
Chen Gongshu calmly picked up a teacup from the table, poured out a little tea, and dipped the note into the tea.
A moment later, light blue handwriting slowly appeared, the strokes neat and neat, in the secret script used by the Military Intelligence Bureau: "Liu Geqing's location has been confirmed: the Special Service Department's interrogation and detention center in Meizha Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beiping. There are about fifteen guards, working in three shifts of five, equipped with Type 38 rifles and pistols. The guards are most lax when the shift changes at 3 a.m.
The ceremony for the establishment of the puppet North China Provisional Government is scheduled for 9:00 AM on January 15th at Huai Ren Hall. All the important figures of the enemy and puppet regime will be present, making it the best time for the operation.
The contact person at Beiping Station, Zhao Guangyuan, the owner of the Rongbaozhai painting shop in Qianmen, asked in code, "Do you have Emperor Huizong's eagle and Zhao Mengfu's horse?" The answer was, "The good thing is that they are all fake."
Remember, act cautiously and don't give yourself away.