Chapter 69: Pan Han Nian

  "Afeng, why are you back so late?! Did something happen?!" Qin Keqing asked worriedly as she saw a drop of blood on Lin Aofeng's chest after he got out of the car.

  Lin Ao Feng followed Qin Ke Qing's line of sight and said, "Nothing! Don't worry. It's all dog blood on me."

  "Dog blood?!" Qin Keqin muttered, looking at Lin Aofeng with some skepticism. Lin Aofeng smiled and walked to Qin Keqin's side, putting his arm around her slender waist, saying as they walked: "Yes! I was leaving the law firm when two stray dogs targeted me. I was afraid they would harm others, so I took care of them on a whim. I just happened to get some of their blood on me." Lin Aofeng then changed the subject, saying: "Guess who I saw at the law firm today?!"

  "Who?!" Qin Keqing asked.

  Lin Ao Feng smiled slightly and said: "It's Young Master who has come to Shanghai himself."

  "What?! Your little uncle has come to Shanghai?!" Qin Keqing's face immediately showed a bashful expression, and she asked: "About our matter, did your little uncle say anything?"

  "How could that be?!" Lin Ao Feng smiled and pulled Qin Ke Qing into his arms, saying: "The matter between the two of us was already arranged by my parents when they were alive. Moreover, my grandparents also acknowledged it."

  "But..." Before Qin Keqing could finish speaking, Lin Aofeng interrupted: "Where did all these 'buts' come from? You can't escape being the mistress of the Lin family."

  At the same time, three Japanese agents walked into the gate of the Shanghai agency of the Japanese intelligence agency in Shanghai, located at the intersection of Daxi Road and Defeng Road (now Yan'an West Road and Urumqi North Road). After passing through layers of checks, the three agents entered the office of Lieutenant Colonel Takashi Mōgo, head of the Shanghai Intelligence Agency.

  "Report to Sergeant, Lin Zhong and his son were killed an hour ago at their residence."

  "What?! Upon hearing the report from his subordinate, Takamori Kōjirō's originally relaxed eyebrows furrowed instantly, and after a moment of contemplation, he asked: "Is there any lead on the perpetrator?!"

  "Commander Zhong, judging from the traces left at the scene, they were killed in a vendetta. In Shanghai, only the Lin family has a grudge against this father and son. Lin Guodong's son, Lin Aofeng, is back from Germany. I suspect he was the one who did it."

  "Rin Aofeng?!" Takakura Mosaku suddenly remembered the telegram from the Japanese Consulate in Germany not long ago. So, Takakura Mosaku rang the bell on his desk. The busy secretary in the next office heard the bell and pushed open the door to enter Takakura's office, calling out: "Chūsa!"

  Takamura said calmly, "Bring me the telegram that came from the Imperial Consulate in Germany yesterday."

  "Ah!" The secretary responded with a single word and exited the office of Takamori Kogura. After about two or three minutes, the secretary knocked on the door and came in with a file folder, respectfully handing it over to Takamori Kogura. Takamori Kogura took the telegram, dismissed the secretary, and opened the folder to read its contents.

  "I never thought that Lin Ao Feng was such a dangerous character. I don't know what the German intelligence agency is doing, they actually let someone like this come back. It's infuriating!" Takakura Moritaro only now came to his senses, realizing that his German colleagues had handed him a very tricky problem. Seeing Takakura Moritaro looking troubled, the subordinate with the Taishō-era mustache standing beside him spoke up: "Commander, although Lin Guodong's son is formidable, he can't do anything on his own. Moreover, according to reliable information, Lin Ao Feng has already begun to take action against all of the Lin family's assets."

  Takamatsu Gorō's eyes lit up and he suddenly looked up at his subordinate and asked: "Is your information reliable?!"

  "Your Excellency, please be at ease! My intelligence is extremely reliable."

  Takaokami Shigorō nodded slightly and hesitated: "Send someone to keep an eye on him. Report back immediately if anything happens!"

  "Hey!" they chimed in unison.

  As he watched his subordinate leave, Takao Goro muttered to himself: "Rin Aofeng, I'd like to see just how much of a stir this brilliant student from the Prussian Military Academy can kick up."

  The story is divided into two parts, at this time in a small village in Hunan. The headquarters of the 13th Army Corps of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army.

  "Vice Premier Zhou, you wanted to see me?" Pan Hannian walked into Zhou Enlai's office.

  Zhou Enlai smiled and said: "Comrade Han Nian, you just came back and should have been allowed to rest for a few more days. But now it's not possible. You must return to Shanghai immediately."

  Pan Hanian was stunned and asked: "Vice Chairman Zhou, what tasks do you have? Just give the instructions!"

  Zhou Enlai said: "Lin Guodong, you know him?!"

  Pan Hanian replied: "I know! However, except for Lin Guodong's son and younger brother-in-law, everyone in their family died during the 128 incident."

  Zhou Enlai said, "Your mission this time back to Shanghai is to contact Lin Ao-feng. Let him assist you in unfolding your work in Shanghai." Seeing Pan Han-nian's puzzled expression, Zhou Enlai explained, "Lin Ao-feng joined our party as early as 1926. Comrade Ze Dong and I were his sponsors for joining the party."

  Pan Han Nian nodded and said: "Vice Chairman Zhou, I understand!"

  Zhou Enlai then reminded: "In addition, his identity is special. You and he are in single-line contact."

  A few days later, Pan Hannian returned to Shanghai and learned about the current situation of the Lin family through his connections.

  "Master, there's a man named Pan Hanian looking for you!" Lin Ao Feng, who was reading the newspaper in the living room, heard Lin Quan Nan's report and slightly furrowed his brow, then showed a delighted expression, saying: "Please let him in."

  "Yes!" Lin Quannan walked out of the living room, and soon Lin Quannan brought Pan Hannian in. Lin Aofeng hurriedly went forward to greet him, shook hands with Pan Hannian, and said: "Mr. Pan, I have long admired your great name. Originally wanted to visit you in a few days, didn't expect you came first."

  Pan Hanian, who understood the situation, immediately reacted and said: "I went to Hunan for business a while ago and just returned two days ago. I heard you were back from Germany, so I came to see you."

  "There! There! Mr. Pan, you're too kind!" Lin Aofeng turned his head to Lin Quannan and said: "Uncle Nan, inform the kitchen to prepare a table of wine, I'll have a good drink with Mr. Pan in a while."

  "Yes!" After Lin Quannan left, Lin Aofeng pulled Pan Hanyan into his study.

  Lin Aofeng closed the door of the study and walked to Pan Han's side, saying: "I've finally waited for you. How is the situation in the Soviet area?"

  Pan Hannian replied, "The current situation in the Soviet area is not bad." Then Pan Hannian gave Lin Ao a detailed introduction to the current situation in the Soviet area. After listening to Pan Hannian's introduction, Lin Ao said, "I have received reliable intelligence that Chiang Kai-shek plans to launch the fourth encirclement campaign against the Soviet area this winter."

  "What?!" Pan Han Nian was slightly startled, but quickly regained his composure and asked: "Is this intelligence reliable?"

  Lin Aofeng made an excuse and pushed the door open, saying: "It was my teacher Jiang Baili who told me! Wait a minute." Lin Aofeng took out a map that had been drawn in advance from his drawer and handed it to Pan Hannian, saying: "This is the battle deployment of the Kuomintang's fourth encirclement campaign against the Soviet area."

  Pan Hannian took the map and asked while looking at it, "This deployment..." Before Pan Hannian could finish his question, Lin Aofeng directly continued, "This deployment was formulated by German military advisor von Falkenhausen. After Chiang Kai-shek received the plan, he inquired about my teacher Jiang Baili's opinion. Then this deployment fell into my hands."

  Pan Hanian thought for a moment and put away the map, then asked: "What's your next plan?"

  Lin Aofeng said: "Probably it was Old Chiang trying to make up for the losses of my family, or perhaps it was a compromise with my teacher Jiang Baili. Old Chiang specially approved me to go to Central Military Academy to study." Then Lin Aofeng took out his admission documents.

  Pan Hannian flipped through it and handed it back to Lin Ao-feng, saying: "It's really true that no cleverness can be achieved without a book. As soon as we fell asleep, someone brought us a pillow. Originally, we wanted to send someone to infiltrate the Central Military Academy, but now it seems unnecessary." Pan Hannian thought of Chen Gong, who was being treated in Shanghai for his injuries, and said: "We have a comrade who was injured during the encirclement campaign in the Hubei-Henan-Anhui-Sichuan region. He is currently receiving medical treatment in Shanghai. I'd like to arrange for him to come here, would that be convenient?"

  "Of course it's convenient!" Lin Ao Feng's mind turned, and he guessed who the injured person was. He solemnly guaranteed: "To say something unpleasant, in Shanghai, apart from those consulates, there is no safer place than my home. Hand the person over to me, and you can rest assured!"

  More than two hours passed in the blink of an eye. As the day drew to a close, Lin Ao Feng and Pan Han Nian walked out of the study room. Qin Ke Qing, who had returned from outside earlier, saw Pan Han Nian beside Lin Ao Feng and curiously asked: "Ao Feng, who is this?!"

  "My humble name is Pan Han Nian! My father and Ah Feng's grandfather were sworn brothers." Pan Han Nian introduced himself very politely. Lin Ao Feng introduced, "Pan Big Brother, she is my wife Qin Ke Qing."

  Pan Hanian pushed his glasses and looked surprised, asking: "Is your father Professor Qin Guozhong of the State of Qin?"

  Qin Keqing asked: "Do you know my father?!"

  Pan Hanian smiled and said: "Professor Qin's students are all over the world, he must have forgotten that I was one of his students."

  "Alright! Let's stop standing here and chat while we eat!" Lin Ao Feng said, leading Qin Ke Qing and Pan Han Nian towards the dining hall.

  The next afternoon, Lin Ao-feng received a call from Pan Han-yan and said hello to Qin Ke-qin before driving away from the mansion. Just as Lin Ao-feng was driving to the Red House Western Restaurant to pick up Chen Gong, the Shanghai station of the Military Bureau received a secret report.

  "Captain, Chen Gongbo, the leader of the Communist Party, has been injured and is now being treated in Shanghai."

  "Is the news reliable?!" asked Shen Zui, the captain of the Shanghai station action team of the Military Commission, unable to suppress the joy in his heart.

  "The information is 100% reliable! And this person is now in the Red House Western Restaurant. In contact with the Communist Party's underground connections in Shanghai."

  "That's great!" Shen Zuiqing, who was dreaming of promotion and wealth, couldn't help but clap his hands together and stood up suddenly, saying: "Gather the men, we're going to the Red House Western Restaurant right now."

  "Yes!" Shen Zui's subordinates responded in unison and dispersed to attend to their duties.

  When Shen Zui was taking people to the Red House Western Restaurant, Lin Aofeng drove to the outside of the Red House Western Restaurant. Sitting in the car, Lin Aofeng raised his wrist to look at his watch, which was more than half an hour earlier than the agreed time. After lighting a cigarette and taking two puffs, Lin Aofeng threw away the cigarette butt, got out of the car, walked into the restaurant, and sat down by the window.

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