Chapter Twenty-Three: Infighting

  Actions to pursue and eliminate the remaining enemies gradually stopped. The reinforcements that came were a unit of the Linli garrison, who arrived one after another with the guard troops to report that all Japanese agents who had infiltrated the training camp had been completely eliminated, totaling sixty-seven people.

  The casualties of the training class far exceeded this number, with more than 80 trainees killed or wounded, and five instructors and officers also died in battle, with more than a dozen injured.

  Yu Le woke up with a pale face, listening to the reports from various departments. He deeply understood the expectations of his superior, Old Master Dai, for this training class, but it had not been put into use yet. The personnel losses were so great, and those instructors who were like precious treasures, each one being a seasoned veteran, unexpectedly died in the sneak attack by the Japanese.

  Yu Le Xing almost certainly knew that Boss Dai's thunderous wrath would be poured down on him and other high-ranking members of the training class, especially himself.

  His subordinates came to report, and found that Pei Zhongwei had died in the guest room. Judging from the situation, he should have committed suicide out of fear of punishment. Yu Le Xing listened to this and only hummed a sound, turning his head to glance at Fu Shenglan not far away. Fu Shenglan obviously also heard this news, but his expression seemed to be unaffected, and there was even more complexity in his eyes.

  Yu Le Xing's mind quickly made a decision. Fu Shenglan and Pei Zhongwei were both Zheng Jiemin's people, this time Pei Zhongwei found a woman without regard for the occasion or time, and as a result, he caused a delay in the preparations to counter the Japanese sneak attack, resulting in loss of life, there was no doubt that he was the most suitable scapegoat, his death came at just the right time.

  If Pei Zhongwei were still alive, he might have shown some mercy on account of his elder brother who works in the Ministry of National Defense. But now that he's dead and there's no one to testify against him, it doesn't matter what responsibility or not. Once it gets to Old Master Dai, even if Pei Zhongwei was guilty, he would naturally be let off, thus saving face for the big shot at the Ministry of National Defense. As for the people in the training class, now that they have a scapegoat, they probably won't say much either. This whole thing is like killing two birds with one stone - it not only saves Zheng Jiemin's right-hand man Fu Shenglan but also provides an excuse to strike at the Guangdong faction, which Old Master Dai would be delighted to see happen.

  As for the anger of that big shot in the Ministry of National Defense, it can be completely transferred to Lin Xiaotang. As for Pei Zhongwei's cause of death, Yu Le Xing would not believe he was a suicide even if he was beaten to death, and as for who did it, Yu Le Xing couldn't help but glance at Lin Xiaotang in the distance.

  This young man is indeed a good material for this line, not only is he skilled, but his mind is also quick-witted. On the surface, it seems that he is seeking help from the upper echelons of the Military Unity to avenge his sister, but in reality? He quietly and stealthily took down Pei Zhongwei, and even set up a scene to make it look like a suicide out of fear of punishment.

  Thinking of this, Yu Le couldn't help but curve up the corners of his mouth: "This kid, he's got some guts!"

  Yu Le Xing thought it was clear that the Ministry of National Defense, surnamed Pei, would definitely take revenge. Anyway, Pei Zhongwei's nephew, Pei Gang, is still alive, so let him speak to those with the surname Pei. Those with the surname Pei have not become fools after all these years. In this way, the spearhead directly pointed at Lin Xiao Tang, and had nothing to do with himself or the training class.

  Besides, Lin Xiaotang's background is not simple either. He was appointed by Yu Gongqin and although Yu Gong has left the Military Intelligence now, he has been getting close to the leader's wife's faction in recent years. It's said that his relationship with Mr. Chiang Jr. is also good. At that time, let this old guy and Pei's people fight each other, and we can enjoy watching the excitement from the side. I believe Boss Dai will also be very interested in such a situation.

  Yu Le's face showed an even more eerie and intense smile.

  Shen Zui, who was with Lin Xiaotang, was a bit worried. Since hearing the news of Pei Zhongwei's death, he had determined that this was Lin Xiaotang's doing. Although he knew that Lin Xiaotang would not admit it, he still couldn't help but make a few subtle hints, recounting the background behind Pei Zhongwei's back. Lian and Xiao were both looking at him with puzzled expressions, completely unable to understand what Shen Zui was getting at this time.

  Lin Xiaotang, who had bandaged her wound, thanked him without hesitation, and the two exchanged a knowing smile. Indeed, some things are better left unspoken, no need to elaborate.

  The bodies of the Japanese were all cleared out separately, neatly arranged on the parade ground of the camp, including their weapons. Unfortunately, except for knowing that they were Japanese, the military uniform knew nothing about these people, and there was not even a personal item on them to identify themselves, let alone know which department they belonged to.

  Suddenly, Lin Xiaotang stopped beside the corpse of a Japanese man. The shroud covering the body had not been pulled up high enough to cover the head. Shen Zui also walked over and took a closer look, but there was nothing out of the ordinary about it - just a middle-aged man in his forties with a somewhat pale complexion, said to be the manager of that large warehouse controlled by the Japanese, probably one of the leaders among the Japanese secret agents.

  Thinking of this, Shen Zui also felt a little scared. Although Manager Dai was very strict in governing his subordinates, the bad habits and style within the National Government were still unavoidable. Take this large warehouse for example, it had only been replaced two months ago. Shen Zui didn't even need to think about it, he knew that some high-ranking official from the General Affairs Department must have taken a bribe to replace the supplier. Fortunately, he was cautious and required every batch of ingredients and raw materials to be thoroughly inspected for poison before being sent to the cafeteria for use. Otherwise, the Japanese wouldn't even need to go through the trouble of launching a surprise attack, they could just poison them, and the training class would fall apart.

  The corpse's appearance was also ordinary, nothing special, except for a large black mole on the tip of his nose.

  Lin Xiaotang stood up and turned around to face Shen Zui, saying: "I've seen this person before!"

  Shen was taken aback. Lin Xiaotang only then told him about rescuing Chu Yuyan in Nanjing and sending her to the Changsha warehouse.

  It's clear that Chu Yuyan is also likely a Japanese spy, only this time she didn't show up. It seems that she might be a high-ranking agent of the Japanese in Hunan.

  Shen Zui listened carefully and thought for a while before whispering to Lin Xiaotang, telling him not to spread the word, especially not to mention it to Yu Le Xing. Shen Zui vaguely mentioned the internal struggle within the Military Bureau, and if this matter were to be leaked out, someone might use it to make a big deal out of it. After seeing Lin Xiaotang's skills and intelligence, Shen Zui was even more determined to win him over, for his own protection. Shen Zui decided to report directly to Dai Li, as before coming, Dai Li had arranged for him to monitor the training class's every move and given him the power to report directly. This matter concerns whether or not they can dig out the Japanese spy network in Hunan, the fewer people who know, the better.

  The next day, Fu Shenglan hastily left the training class and went to Shanghai to take office. Of course, before leaving, he discussed all matters with Yu Le Xing and made sure to eliminate the disaster caused by Pei Zhongwei. To this, Yu Le Xing seemed to have no objection.

  Pei Gang also took Pei Zhongwei's body on the journey back to Chongqing. Before leaving, he found Lin Xiaotang and threatened that he would avenge his uncle's death. Lin Xiaotang didn't bother to respond, but instead, Da Tou and Xiao Pi had a big argument with Pei Gang, almost leading to a fight.

  The following week, the training class was in a daze. Yu Le Xing made a self-criticism at the general assembly, stating that as the person in charge, he should take responsibility for this incident. Then, he locked himself in his dormitory and refused to come out, telling outsiders that he was waiting for further instructions from above. However, everyone knew that Yu Le Xing did this just to show off to Boss Dai.

  During this time, Lin Xiaotang buried Fang Rou in a simple grave at the foot of a mountain outside Linting County. Looking at the simple tomb, Lin Xiaotang's feeling of loneliness became more intense. Er Gou was still nowhere to be found, but Fang Rou had already returned to heaven. The world seemed even more desolate for him now.

  For a whole week, Lin Xiaotang didn't say more than a few words. The training class had already been suspended, and even the garrison around them had doubled in number. Lin Xiaotang hid in his dormitory every day, drinking with Da Tou, Xiao Pi, and some classmates he got along with. After a week, not only did he lose weight, but he also didn't shave, becoming a completely different person. Da Tou and Xiao Pi wanted to persuade him, but they didn't know how to start.

  A week later, a man from Chongqing arrived. He was Mao Renfeng, the deputy chief secretary of Dai Li, also known as "Mao's throne".

  Mao Renfeng was a leading figure in the Zhejiang faction within the Military Bureau. He had always been by Dai Li's side and was considered his top confidant and assistant. Although he represented the interests of the Zhejiang faction, Mao was well-versed in the ways of being an official and had kept a low profile over the years: "Not seeking to show off, only focusing on working hard." Additionally, he handled matters fairly and impartially, which earned him Dai Li's trust. It is said that no matter how big or small the task, Mao would personally take charge and be meticulous in his work, often not leaving the office until midnight. As a result, he was nicknamed "Mao Zuò". Everyone within the Military Bureau had an impression of him as being humble and diligent, which led to his smooth career advancement, quickly rising to become the acting director of the secretariat, with a trend of replacing Zheng Jumin.

  This time, sending him over is also a signal, at least indicating that Dai Li wants to use this incident to attack Zheng Jiaomin's Guangdong faction, otherwise he would not have sent Mao Renfeng, the leader of the faction that has always been opposed to the Guangdong faction.

  Mao Renfeng indeed lived up to his reputation as "Mao Zuo", and as soon as he arrived at the training class, he sat in the office and began to investigate the ins and outs of the whole incident. During this time, he also found dozens of people from top to bottom in the training class to talk one by one, including Lin Xiaotang.

  Contrary to Lin Xiaotang's expectations, Mao Renfeng did not have the airs of a high-ranking official, but instead chatted with Lin Xiaotang in a very amiable manner.

  Maoren Feng asked Lin Xiaotang in detail about everything he knew, including his relationship with Fang Rou and the grudges between him and Pei Zhongwei. On this point, Lin Xiaotang did not hold back either. He even specifically mentioned the name of He Chong, indicating that He Chong was very familiar with the matters between himself and Pei Zhongwei. If necessary, the superior could find He Chong to understand the situation.

  As expected, Mao Renfeng was surprised, but he didn't say anything. Apparently, he also knew the name He Chong.

  Mao Renfeng also hinted at Lin Xiaotang, when he was rescued by Yu Gong in Nanjing, he was very appreciative of him, otherwise he would not have gone to great lengths to bring Lin Xiaotang over from the 57th Division. At the same time, Mao Renfeng highly praised Lin Xiaotang's abilities and achievements, which made Lin Xiaotang suddenly feel like he was in a state of confusion, just like when he was at Yijiang Gate. In short, the feeling was not very good.

  The reason Lin Xiaotang couldn't say clearly, but a minor character who got involved in the struggle between the upper echelons would ultimately not be a good thing.