Chapter 705 - Handover
As news of the great victory at Chengmai spread through Guangzhou, the atmosphere of crop-head terror that had gripped the city gradually transformed. The "Australian stock"—which had seemed on the verge of delisting—not only resumed trading but was quietly rising. As reports became increasingly reliable, this stock had recovered to its original level. On both official and commercial fronts, people who had previously dealt with the Australians were no longer "silent as winter cicadas" at the mere mention of the word. They were now semi-openly discussing when the Australians would return to Guangzhou.
Sun Kecheng's Qiwei Escort Bureau headquarters suddenly became a hub of activity, with visitors wanting to know when the Australians would return, whether Australian goods were still available, and whether large-scale purchasing operations could resume.
Though Sun Kecheng repeatedly insisted he knew no Australians—only had business dealings with Director Guo's Purple Firm—the stream of visitors seeking news never ceased. Most even brought substantial gifts. This pleased Sun Kecheng immensely. Privately, he had always told his disciples and branch managers that his judgment back then hadn't been wrong.
Sun Kecheng was pleased for multiple reasons. First, he had previously received much from the Australians while giving back little. This time, weathering official pressure to shelter personnel and goods for the Australians—plus secretly transporting and protecting personnel, though it cost considerable silver—felt worthwhile in his view. Qiwei had solidly repaid the Australians this once.
Second, the Australians' victory proved his judgment sound. The way things looked, the Australians would return to Guangzhou sooner or later. The day when Qiwei could once again strut about Guangdong wasn't far off. The single great victory at Chengmai had already noticeably changed the officials' demeanor. Some had even sent secretaries to deliver small tokens of respect—obviously trying to establish Australian connections and leave themselves an escape route.
Delighted, Sun Kecheng instructed his subordinates to accept everything without exception—any gift, any visiting card. But he himself never showed his face, only sending a few disciples to receive guests. He donned a disguise and slipped out through the gate with the headquarters' rice-purchasing handcart. He had a secret meeting scheduled with Zhang Xin's envoy at a safe house.
Sun Kecheng's contact with the Australians had never been broken. Not long after Operation Turbid concluded, Zhang Xin had secretly returned to Guangzhou. This was extremely risky—though he wasn't among the most visible figures at the Guangzhou Station, quite a few people in the city knew him. Once exposed, the likelihood of being reported was high. The Governor-General's yamen had posted bounty prices for them: Guo Yi at five hundred taels, Pei Lixiu at three hundred, and the lesser-known Zhang Xin and Yan Maoda at two hundred each.
But Zhang Xin had to take this risk. The Guangzhou Station had left behind many relationships, inside sources, and observers in Guangzhou. If abandoned, this intelligence network would quickly dissolve of its own accord—an enormous loss for both the Guangzhou Station and the Executive Committee.
After the Guangzhou Station withdrew, the inside sources cultivated within various yamens briefly lost contact for over half a month. Many assumed the Australians had departed and saw no need to continue serving them. Zhang Xin's appearance stopped this trend in time. He dispatched Guangzhou Station Security Department personnel secretly embedded in the Qiwei Escort Bureau to issue appropriate warnings to some insiders who had been regularly receiving stipends. Thus the flow of information from the various yamens resumed normally.
As for the observers stationed at various locations, he also dispatched people to contact them one by one—stabilizing emotions and reminding them the Australians hadn't left, that they were still being watched at every moment.
The safe house was in the back courtyard of a shop. Sun Kecheng stealthily knocked the coded signal at the back door, which opened immediately. Two young men guarding the door led him to an inner side room.
Sun Kecheng was startled to find himself face-to-face with Zhang Xin himself.
Though Zhang Xin had returned to Guangzhou, he rarely met anyone in person. Sun Kecheng usually only saw his secret envoys. His sudden appearance meant something important needed arranging.
Beside Zhang Xin sat a man in his thirties who, despite being indoors, wore an eyepatch and sat in shadow—clearly not wanting his face to be seen clearly.
Zhang Xin dispensed with pleasantries and made a brief introduction. "This is Manager Lin. From now on, he'll handle liaison with you on many matters."
"Pleased to meet you," said the man in the shadows, cupping his hands and producing a pair of seals.
Seeing the seals was as good as seeing the person—the token for communication. Zhang Xin and Sun Kecheng often contacted each other this way.
Sun Kecheng accepted the seals, also cupping his hands. "Pleased to meet you." Already accustomed to the Australians' secretive ways, he didn't pry into the visitor's affairs. He only asked Zhang Xin:
"Are you returning to Lingao?"
"Not at the moment. There's still much to settle. Besides, the Purple Firm hasn't reopened yet—how could I leave?"
"Ever since your victory at Chengmai, the winds have shifted in Guangzhou!" Sun Kecheng laughed. "Just watch—within a month or two, the Purple Firm will definitely reopen!"
"Things probably won't go that smoothly," Zhang Xin sighed. "Officials' minds are like whores in a pleasure house—they want you to bed them while still appearing virtuous and modest. Very hard to deal with."
"Just slap them a few times, or hit them with silver," Sun Kecheng said with a grin. "Problem solved."
"Ha ha, well said." Zhang Xin laughed. The man in the shadows seemed to chuckle too.
Sun Kecheng then relayed news the escort bodyguards had picked up from officials' households. The intelligence was miscellaneous but contained many useful details. Zhang Xin listened closely, jotting down summaries in his notebook.
From this intelligence, it appeared Li Fengjie truly intended to negotiate peace and was actively implementing this. He simply hadn't yet found a suitable channel.
"His information sources are quite extensive," Lin Baoguang remarked after Sun Kecheng departed, emerging from the shadows.
"Escort bodyguards know many things. Without asking—just watching and listening—they make excellent intelligence sources," Zhang Xin said. "He's a crucial intelligence channel for us."
Today's meeting was actually one step in Zhang Xin's handover of Guangzhou's intelligence system to Lin Baoguang. Per the Executive Committee's arrangements, the Guangzhou Station's personnel would undergo major restructuring.
In a working conversation with Jiang Shan, Lin Baoguang had already learned that the Guangzhou Station would be rebuilt around year's end. Though the specific personnel adjustment plan hadn't been announced, Lin Baoguang didn't think Guo Yi would lose his seat. The personal connections and prestige Guo Yi had accumulated in Guangzhou were irreplaceable. The man himself held great symbolic significance; the Executive Committee wouldn't casually replace him. Moreover, as a commercial and trade window, the Colonization Trade Ministry's attitude mattered—and Si Kaide was clearly backing Guo Yi.
Additionally, the Guangzhou Station had come through the Cheka's account audits without serious discrepancies, which also counted in his favor.
Pei Lixiu and Zheng Shangjie would also likely remain in Guangzhou—the former, like Guo Yi, was a public figure who couldn't be easily replaced; the latter had been crucial to Ziming Tower's operations, and as the most profitable enterprise, Ziming Tower's reconstruction and development couldn't do without her. But whether Zhang Xin, Yan Maoda, and others would remain in Guangzhou was doubtful.
The "Guangzhou clique" would be broken up. Lin Baoguang had no doubt of this. Zhang Xin would probably be transferred; the intelligence relationships and specific work under his control were already being turned over. As for radio operator Zhang Yuchen, he too wouldn't remain in Guangdong—too much of a waste of talent. Indigenous radio operators would replace his work.
"Other intelligence relationships exist, but none compare in importance to Sun Kecheng." Zhang Xin already knew he would soon be leaving his post, probably for a newly developed region—likely Jiangnan. So he wasn't resistant to departing Guangzhou. Compared to Guangzhou, Jiangnan held greater appeal.
However, right now he had one urgent task: handling some follow-up commercial issues while conducting assessments and analyses for the Guangzhou Station's future reconstruction.
Additionally, he had to estimate the material and commercial losses caused by the war—many people in the Executive Committee were still planning to demand reparations based on these.
When executing Operation Turbid, most commercial relationships had been properly wound down, but not a few issues remained unresolved. Many account books and documents hadn't been processed in time. Particularly, a large amount of accounts receivable hadn't been collected—the biggest portion owed by the Gao family. Zhang Xin didn't think Gao Ju would default; after the Guangzhou Station withdrew, Gao Ju had maintained secret contact with him. He was also the most active in campaigning for the Australians' return.
As for other owing merchants, they currently couldn't pay either. Zhang Xin had no doubt that the moment the Purple Firm reopened, they would all come to settle their debts.
Their partnership with the Liang family also had to continue. Their investment in charitable halls, in particular, couldn't be wasted. Zhang Xin had secretly sent people to contact Liang Cunhou, providing funds. The Liang family guaranteed they would maintain Cihuitang well while protecting the substantial properties registered under the charitable hall's name—including the enormous purification camp.
This war had disrupted their commercial sales network and raw materials supply in Guangdong, which would need rebuilding afterward. The widespread closure and suspension of smelting works meant future supplies of pig iron and nonferrous metals would be very tight. Even if trade resumed immediately, mill owners probably couldn't quickly raise enough capital and recruit enough craftsmen to restart. Should they consider acquiring these enterprises or providing recovery loans?
On this question, Wu De wanted to hear the Guangzhou Station personnel's opinions. Those opinions, of course, had to be backed by solid figures and theoretical basis.
(End of Chapter)