frightfiction Chapter 1121 The Decision in the West
Chapter 1121 The Decision in the West
Hearing the commotion in the photo studio, Zhang Lu rushed into the darkroom in one swift motion!
He had considered evacuating because of the delay in routine intelligence gathering from Shimen.
However, he was in charge of a large amount of underground transportation for the Northern Bureau, and he had encountered delays in intelligence, personnel, or supplies before. After all, there were Japanese and puppet troops blocking various places, and some places might be completely cut off from Manchuria due to accidents. If Zhang Luyi had to leave in such a situation, the Northern Bureau's underground transportation system would not have needed to be maintained.
In other words, every time he encounters something like this, he's gambling with his life; he has no choice but to gamble, but this time, he's just not so lucky.
After rushing into the darkroom, he quickly inserted the pin, pushed up the top bar, then went to the table, opened the drawer, and took out a large stack of documents.
This contains publicly available intelligence, as well as some coded messages mixed in. It was originally intended to be sent to Rehe.
If the Japanese get their hands on it, there is a risk that it will be deciphered.
Zhang Lu threw the paper into an iron bucket in the corner, then took a glass bottle from the table containing the prepared gasoline, poured the gasoline into the bucket, and then lit a match and threw it in!
The flames shot up suddenly, but the flickering flames only made Zhang Lu calmer.
The Japanese had stormed into the shop, and another young shop assistant was also taken into custody by the military police. He had probably been hit by a weapon, as he let out two screams and then fell silent.
Zhang Lu pulled out his gun and pointed it at his temple.
But less than half a second later, he gritted his teeth, put the gun down, and pulled out a small, exquisite radio from a corner cabinet!
"boom!"
The Japanese outside are already banging on the door.
Uchida Eisuke arrived at the door, sniffed, and said with a grim expression, "He's burning something! Everyone be careful, break down the door as soon as possible, and make sure he's alive!!"
"Hayi!"
Several military police officers went out and took breaching tools from the vehicles that had come to provide support.
At this moment, Zhang Lu had already put on his headphones and was ready to send a message.
He needs to turn on the power as a warning!
In the intelligence community, this is an extremely reckless practice.
The general frequency signal is noisy. It's hard to say whether the signal will be noticed by our own people. Even if it is noticed, because we need to transmit information urgently, we cannot use code words. Therefore, the enemy may also be able to follow the clues based on the content of the signal.
"-......-...--.-./-.--..-..-.-.--/-.---.-----..-./-...-...-.-.-.--/--...--.-.-.--/--...--.-.-.-"
.................
Just then, the door to the darkroom was violently kicked open!
Uchida Eisuke was behind the crowd, and with his sharp eyes, he immediately spotted the flames burning in the iron bucket, Zhang Lu wearing headphones, and a pistol on the table.
"Break his hand!"
Eager to make a name for themselves, the military police rushed over and first smashed Zhang Lu's head with the butt of their rifles, then pinned his hands to the table and slammed them down with the butt of their pistols!
Zhang Lu's teeth were practically grinding to powder, his face was deathly pale, and he glanced at the telegraph machine in front of him, his eyes filled with despair.
Eisuke Uchida strolled in, picked up the pistol on the table, glanced at the embers in the iron bucket, and smiled disdainfully.
"Take him back to headquarters!"
The young shop assistant who loudly reminded Zhang Lu on the street was dead. The shop assistant had been sent back to headquarters for interrogation. Uchida Eisuke specially arranged for him to confess who frequently went to the photo studio, and all of them had to be arrested.
.....................
Qinbei.
After several years of construction, the area has taken shape, with hospitals, schools and other facilities being built, and various institutions in the red zone beginning to operate in a standardized and systematic manner.
Inside a cave dwelling, several middle-aged men were smoking and intently reading the telegrams that kept arriving.
Next door is a mailroom, and to ensure its operation, a large amount of hard-won fuel has been specially allocated for power generation.
Whether it's day or night, the constant clicking sound of an electromagnet attracting a piece of iron can be heard here. Through this clicking sound, a hidden but vast network is quietly operating.
"This telegram is highlighted in red. Report it immediately. Hu Zongbei's troops are assembling in Luochuan. What are they planning? Do they really dare to defy the world and attack the border region?"
"Ha, what is there for them not to dare to do!"
A bespectacled man frowned. "Ever since the International was dissolved, the South has been eyeing us covetously. They've been saying that we should also be dissolved along with the International, and that the border region should be brought under their unified management. This kind of rhetoric is rampant now, and many people have been misled by them. The Japanese are already at their last gasp, and the mountain city is about to free up its resources to start an internal power struggle!"
The important telegram was taken away by the confidential clerk, and an hour or so later, the instructions arrived.
"The higher-ups said it's appropriate to release some information about the enemy's military movements so that everyone can see their true intentions..."
"But this message came from Hui Quan. If we let it out, the other side will definitely know they have people among their ranks..."
The bespectacled man shook his head. "The news definitely needs to be released, but we need to be careful about how we do it. Hui Quan's position is too important, so we must do our best to protect him. Hui Quan alone is as useful as an entire Kuomintang military intelligence station!"
Another person laughed and said, "Speaking of this, that rising star in Jidong is also a young hero! The messages he sent back played a great role in helping us understand the situation in North China and consolidate our various base areas. Previously, the intelligence system in North China was not very efficient. Sometimes it would take ten days or eight months for the intelligence to be sent back. But this young hero could send messages at any time. That's real skill!"
The bespectacled man agreed, saying, "In the past, intelligence from the Beijing-Tianjin area was my biggest headache. I didn't know how many good comrades had perished there. Now I'm much more at ease."
Before he could finish speaking, the telegraph operator burst in, "A telegram from Jidong! Something's happened to the Northern Bureau's transportation system, and the person in charge has most likely been arrested!"
Upon hearing this, the men's expressions turned serious. The bespectacled man took the telegram, glanced at it, and quickly instructed, "Immediately report this matter to the Northern Bureau, and also inform the important lines operating in North China to cease all intelligence and material exchanges with the Northern Bureau. All personnel should avoid using existing transportation routes!"
Another person stepped forward and whispered, "The international organization has disbanded, and aid from the west and north has decreased. North China is now a crucial transit point for all our supplies. If the Northern Bureau's underground transportation network is paralyzed..."
The bespectacled man walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), sat down, tore off a strip of newspaper, and began rolling a cigarette.
"I've been considering giving Comrade Duan a more important position. Based on our observations, his rapid rise to prominence is largely due to the help of one person—a man with immense influence in North China. If he is truly a friend, then we can rely on him to rebuild the underground transportation network..."
Another person worriedly asked, "Isn't this too risky?"
The bespectacled man said, "Now that the Northern Bureau's transportation lines have been destroyed, we have no choice but to take risks. Of course, this can be done step by step, and we can't rush it."