Chapter 72: The Fifth Ambush

  "Captain!" Tang Zhendong and the other two exclaimed in unison before Shen Lang could even open his mouth. Lin Aofeng looked back at Tang Zhendong and the others with a puzzled expression, then turned to look at Shen Lang and said: "I thought you had died on the battlefield of the Northern Expedition! I didn't expect you were still alive."

  "You're a dead lunatic! Always unable to spit out ivory from a dog's mouth. I'll die later than you." Shen Lang's words suddenly turned, and he asked: "Lunatic, as a top student of the German Berlin Military Academy, why did you come to the Central Military School after graduation?! With your ability, can't you choose any unit in the country at will?!"

  Lin Ao Feng smiled and said: "Alright, let's not mention this anymore. Have you eaten? If not, let's eat together!"

  Shen Lang looked at Tang Zhendong and the other two people and said: "Let's forget it for today! I'll invite you tomorrow at noon."

  "Alright! It's settled then!" Lin Ao Feng chatted with Shen Lang for a few more sentences before pulling Tang Zheng Dong and the others towards the cafeteria.

  Meals at the Central Military Academy are free, but that only applies to the first floor. As soon as you step onto the second floor, all meals are sold to students at market prices.

  Four people found an empty private room, and just as they sat down, the waiter pushed the door open and walked in. The foodie among them, Qian Bing, very skillfully ordered six dishes and one soup. After sending the waiter away, Tang Zhengdong couldn't help but ask: "A Feng, are you very familiar with Instructor Shen?!"

  Lin Ao Feng nodded and said: "Yes! We were university classmates. And both our families have known each other for generations."

  The conversation skills, the waiter brought in the dishes. After the waiter put the dishes on the table and walked out of the private room, the four people livened up again.

  The life in military school is dull, but for Lin Ao Feng, it's actually enjoyable. Half a year has passed unknowingly.

  "Madman, where are you going to spend the New Year?!?" Just after finishing his exam, Lin Aofeng was stopped by Shen Lang, who was in charge of patrolling the examination room.

  Lin Aofeng replied: "Can still be there. Of course in Nanjing. How, you want to go back to Shanghai?!"

  Shen Lang let out a sigh and said, "I'm not as lucky as you. Chairman Chiang has already begun preparing for the fifth encirclement campaign against the so-called Soviet Zone of the Communist Party. The Central Military Academy has dispatched six instructors to join the army, and I'm one of them."

  "Then congratulations are in order!" Lin Ao Feng said with a smile.

  "Congratulations?!" Shen Lang let out a bitter laugh, looked around and said: "I heard from classmates who participated in the siege before that the Communist Party's troops are desperate and their leaders are cunning. On the surface, we're going to get promoted and rich, but in fact it's better to say we're going to be cannon fodder."

  Lin Ao Feng smiled and whispered into Shen Lang's ear, "I'll give you twelve words: 'Gun too high, walk behind, shout more, charge less.' Remember these twelve words, and I guarantee you'll get promoted and rich."

  "Thanks!" Shen Lang patted Lin Ao Feng's shoulder and turned to leave. Watching Shen Lang's back as he walked away, a hint of worry flashed across Lin Ao Feng's face.

  Three days later, the exams were all over. The students also packed up their things and returned home for the New Year. Lin Ao Feng left the military school without going straight home, instead he hailed a tricycle and rode around the streets for two rounds, making sure no one was following him before getting off at a certain place and walking to the entrance of Yonghong General Store on Xinjie Street. This was a secret contact point set up by Pan Han Nian specifically for him.

  Standing in front of the door, Lin Ao Feng lit a cigarette and took two puffs, looking around left and right before walking in. The shop assistant saw Lin Ao Feng walk in from outside and asked: "Sir, what can I get for you?"

  Lin Ao Feng glanced at the shelves and asked back: "Is your boss around? I want him to help me stock up on some cigarettes."

  "The shop assistant smiled and replied: 'Sir, you've come at just the right time. Our boss arrived yesterday. Please wait a moment, I'll go ask him to come out.'"

  Before long, the boss and his assistant came down from upstairs. The assistant introduced: "Boss, it's this gentleman who is looking for you. He wants us to help him stock up on some cigarettes."

  Pan Hanian smiled and nodded: "Sir, how much tobacco do you want? What brand?"

  Lin Aofeng said: "Hadmén, as for the quantity, it depends on the price you offer."

  "The price is fine. Mr., let's discuss it in detail upstairs, what do you think?" asked Pan Han Nian.

  "Alright!" Lin Ao Feng smiled and replied.

  Upon hearing Lin Ao Feng's words, Pan Han Nian said to his partner: "You keep an eye on things down there!"

  "Yes!" The fellow responded and walked into the counter. Then Pan Han Nian made a please gesture towards Lin Ao Feng, leading him upstairs.

  After going upstairs, Pan Han closed the door and asked: "A Feng, what's so urgent that you're looking for me?!"

  Lin Aofeng asked: "What is the current situation in the Soviet Union?!"

  "Cough!" Pan Hanian sighed and said, "Don't mention it. Since the arrival of a foreign military adviser, the Soviet area has been messed up by those who returned from the Soviet Union, even the Chairman had to step down."

  "Damn it!" Lin Ao Feng gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath, saying: "Let's get back to the point, do you have a map here?!"

  "Here!" Pan Hannian hastily took out a map, pen and ruler from the wall interlayer and handed them to Lin Ao Feng. Lin Ao Feng slapped the map onto the table and with great concentration drew out in detail the battle plan for Chiang Kai-shek's fifth encirclement campaign.

  After drawing the map, Lin Ao-feng wrote two letters and handed them over to Pan Han-nian, saying: "Old Pan, I have drawn all of Old Chiang's fifth encirclement campaign plan against the Soviet area on the map. In addition, these two letters, one please help me deliver to Vice Chairman Zhou, and the other please find a way to deliver it to the Chairman."

  Pan Hanian put away the letter and map, saying: "Don't worry! I will personally deliver the things back."

  "Ah, right! I almost forgot." Lin Ao Feng continued: "Tell the Chairman and Vice-Chairman Zhou that Shaanxi also has a Red Army."

  Pan Hanian looked at Lin Ao-feng with a puzzled expression and asked: "There is also the Red Army in Shaanxi, what does this mean?!"

  Lin Aofeng smiled mysteriously and said, "You just treat the chairman like that, he knows what I mean. When you return to Suzhou District, don't forget to bring a few packs of cigarettes for the chairman."

  Time continued to run on its normal track, and history did not change with the appearance of Lin Ao Feng, this anomaly. The New Year had just passed, and the Japanese Kwantung Army, which had been dormant for over a year, could no longer bear the silence. Under the command of General Kotobuki Toshiyuki, two divisions, three brigades, plus more than 80,000 naval and air forces, as well as more than 30,000 puppet troops, launched an attack on the Great Wall line east of Rehe and Gubeikou. They attempted to occupy Rehe and wait for an opportunity to capture Ji Dong.

  Although the Chinese military and civilians resisted the Japanese invasion for more than two months, Chiang Kai-shek ignored the national crisis and continued to implement the reactionary policy of "internal pacification before external resistance", determined to eliminate the Communist Party and its led Red Army. In May 1933, Chiang Kai-shek established the Military Affairs Committee in Nanchang, which had full authority to handle military and political affairs in Jiangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Hunan, and Hubei provinces, personally organizing and commanding a force of one million soldiers to launch the fifth encirclement campaign against various Soviet areas, with 500,000 troops directly attacking the Central Soviet Area.

  In early May, just before the Nationalist Party launched its offensive, Pan Hannian brought letters and maps through the Nationalist blockade lines to reach the Central Soviet Area.

  "Vice Premier Zhou, Comrade Pan Hanian has returned. He wants to see you." Upon hearing his secretary's words, Zhou Enlai, who was busy, lit up and said, "Please let him in."

  "Yes!" The secretary responded and walked out of Zhou Enlai's office. After about two or three minutes, Pan Hannian walked in from outside. Zhou Enlai warmly shook hands with Pan Hannian and said: "Finally waited for you to come back?!"

  "Vice Chairman Zhou, the road is not easy to walk! I almost didn't complete my task!" Pan Hannian said as he tore open his clothes and took out a map from the lining of his garment, handing it over to Zhou Enlai: "This is the Kuomintang's fifth encirclement campaign plan against the Soviet Area."

  Zhou Enlai took over the map, opened it and looked at it, asking: "Is Comrade Lin Ao Feng doing well?"

  "He's fine!" Pan Han Nian took out two more letters and said, "Comrade Lin Ao Feng also asked me to bring back two letters and a sentence. One is for you, the other is for the Chairman."

  Zhou Enlai hesitated for a moment, took over the letter and asked: "What message does he bring?!"

  Pan Hanian scratched his head and said: "He said that Shaanxi also has a Red Army. I asked him what he meant by this. He said you tell the Chairman, the Chairman will understand."

  "Shaanxi also has a Red Army!" Zhou Enlai muttered to himself twice, then opened the letter from Lin Ao-feng in front of Pan Han-nian and began to read. At first, there was nothing out of the ordinary, but before long, Zhou Enlai's face turned very unsightly. Pan Han-nian, sitting beside him, couldn't help but ask: "Vice-Chairman Zhou, is anything wrong?"

  "Ah?!" Zhou Enlai, who had come back to his senses, shook his head and said: "I'm fine! Comrade Pan Hanian, the situation is urgent, you must return to Nanjing immediately and assist Lin Ao in obtaining more valuable intelligence. Also, be prepared for long-term undercover work."

  "Yes!" Pan Hanian bowed and said: "Please rest assured, Vice Chairman Zhou. I guarantee to complete the task."

  After seeing off Pan Hannian, Zhou Enlai could no longer remain calm. Holding the letter Lin Ao Feng had given to Mao Zedong and the cigarettes Pan Hannian had brought, he left his office.

  "Old Mao!" Just leaning on the bed reading a book, Mao Zedong heard Zhou Enlai's shout, put down the book, walked to the door and asked: "Enlai! How did you come?!"

  Zhou Enlai pulled Mao Zedong into the house and said: "Comrade Pan Hannian is back. He brought a letter from Lin Ao to you."

  "Oh?" Mao Zedong's eyes lit up, took the letter, gestured to Zhou Enlai to sit down first, and then opened it to read. After seven or eight minutes, Mao Zedong, who had finished reading the letter, casually threw it on the table, lit a cigarette, looked out the window, and said with some moisture in his eyes: "Enlai! People who have eaten foreign bread and drunk foreign milk abroad, how can they be so different?!"

  Zhou Enlai, knowing Mao Zedong's mood at the time, advised: "Old Mao, everything will be fine. Oh, right! Lin Biao also asked Comrade Pan Hannian to pass on a message saying that Shaanxi also has Red Army."

  "It's still what he thought!" Mao Zedong turned around and said to Zhou Enlai, who was full of doubts: "Li De's ability, Enlai, I don't need to tell you, you also know. The Central Soviet Area can't be kept for long. Lin Biao let Pan Hanian bring this message, it's to tell us that the five provinces of Jiangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Hunan and Hubei are not safe to stay in, we can go to Shaanxi."