Canteen System Assistance Notes

very nervous.

In his cave dwelling in Fushe, he stared nervously at a thin white card, sweating profusely. This top student, educated at the Nanjing Central Military Academy, the Central Police College, and the Army Staff College, a prized protégé of Boss Dai, a senior intelligence operative, was sweating profusely at the card before him.

He'd always had a high opinion of himself, believing himself to be knowledgeable and experienced, yet he was also able to disguise himself well, enduring hardships and doing his utmost to obtain intelligence and complete his operational plans. Whether he succeeded or not was unknown, but at least he believed so. Look, the Communist Party's intelligence system was said to be so miraculous, but wasn't it simply through my gaining their trust and infiltrating them?

But at the moment, this awesome Military Control Commission expert only had one question in his mind:

What exactly is this weird card?

The story began a few months ago. As an important spy sent to Fushe by the Military Control Commission, Shen Zhiyue used the pseudonym Shen Hui and followed Professor Xiao and Professor Liu into the border area as a gentle personal assistant. During the inspection, he was quickly attracted by the revolutionary atmosphere of Fushe and took the initiative to propose "staying in Fushe to contribute to the revolutionary cause."

Then, this application was smoothly approved by the Eighth Route Army, and the organization even arranged for him to study at the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University, as if he were just another educated young man drawn to the border areas. Shen Zhiyue was smug about this. "I didn't expect the Communist Party to be so lax," he thought. "The political review and identity verification were all deceived by my carefully crafted background. The level of the Communist Party is truly terrible!"

Shen was naturally not inspired by the revolution. All his actions were to spy on our army's intelligence, and he even needed to kill our senior generals when the opportunity arose. However, Shen Zhiyue, who valued his life, did not dare to do so. In history, as a "assassin" with an important mission, he even approached the Chairman at one point, and had already contacted the spies lurking in the border areas before, but he did nothing.

Instead, they go back and brag about their hard work and achievements.

Now, he still didn't dare to do anything out of line, his mind was full of thoughts: "I must consider the long-term interests of the party and the country, and play the long game to catch the big fish. I must not be impatient and ruin the big plan due to small impatience." Shen Zhiyue did not respond to the secret signals, signs and temptations released by another spy code-named "Oil Tea" for several times in a row, and honestly played the role of a progressive student.

However, this time, the 'Oil Tea' vendor who was close to him in level was not going to let him go. One evening after class, Shen Zhiyue, who was feeling dizzy after studying Jimi Dovich all night, was blocked at the school gate by the vendor who was selling oil tea in a teapot with a broken spout. Under the bowl of oil tea that the other party had forced over, there was a folded note.

"My family is in trouble, and I long for your return; it has happened again and again, and the farm work is hard to manage; if it continues, I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to force things to happen." There is also a very faint "butterfly" mark on the side, with its wings pointing in different directions.

Translated, this codeword roughly means: Shen Zhiyue, why haven't you produced any results yet? The higher-ups are very unhappy. You've repeatedly ignored the connection and handover. This won't work. If you dare to play tricks again, I'm afraid you'll be fired!

The butterfly symbol indicates the time and place of the next handover. So, should we go or not?

---—-—-—-—----

After much deliberation, Shen Zhiyue decided to go and make the connection.

Not only was he afraid of the KMT's countermeasures and tactics, but his recent positive performance and the seemingly unconditional trust of the Eighth Route Army also gave the spy a certain degree of overconfidence. He soon received his next mission: to infiltrate the office of the Eighth Route Army's leaders and analyze their patterns of activity in preparation for further assassinations.

What should we do?

Shen Zhiyue pondered the situation. Several of the Eighth Route Army's leaders either ate at the canteen near Liujiatan or worked on Phoenix Mountain. Both areas were crucial, tightly guarded areas for the Eighth Route Army, and off-limits to ordinary people. After much deliberation, he decided to "continue concealing, gain their trust, and smoothly transition until we can enter the crucial areas."

In short, keep fishing and wait for opportunities that may appear at any time.

Well... honestly, this approach is quite sound. In theory, once a hidden pawn like Shen Zhiyue is exposed, he's essentially eliminated immediately. While his approach is slow and inefficient, it's also the most difficult to exploit. The Eighth Route Army's Border Security and Social Affairs Departments can't directly target a normal student—after all, the Eighth Route Army is reasonable, while the Military Control Commission is unreasonable.

But Youcha was very dissatisfied with Shen's mentality. The rapid development of the Eighth Route Army made him, who was in charge of external liaison, under great pressure from his superiors - No, if you keep waiting like this, how long will you have to wait? Do you have to wait until the Eighth Route Army can wipe out the Japanese and go south to defeat the preserved fruits? During the meeting, he asked Shen Zhiyue in a rather tough tone to act as soon as possible, and it would not matter if he even took slightly more drastic measures.

Now, Shen Zhiyue was finally at his wit's end. With wolves in front and tigers behind, he could only curse in his heart, blaming his boss for being stupid and not understanding spy warfare, while he began his own planning work.

As a professional military intelligence agent, Shen Zhiyue demonstrated good basic skills.

During the following period, he worked actively for the Eighth Route Army, learned advanced mathematics, statistical analysis and other knowledge, and contributed to the development of the Eighth Route Army and the border area. At the same time, he made friends and networked widely in school, especially focusing on teachers and classmates who would be sent to Liujiatan and Fenghuang Mountain.

Soon, he took advantage of an opportunity to help carry test papers and approached the outer perimeter of the Phoenix Mountain checkpoint. Shen Zhiyue, ever the more observant, immediately captured the entire process of letting people through the checkpoint: those who were allowed through the checkpoint all held a strange ID card. The guards at the gate would take the card, fiddle with it for a while, and then most of them would nod and wave, letting the students and teachers through, without any checks for passes or verbal commands.

嘁!

I thought there was tight security! Shen Zhiyue scoffed at the leaky security of the Eighth Route Army: no passwords that changed daily, no body searches, and no means of notifying visitors or receiving them. They were just identified by a pass!

In this way, I just need to find a way to see what the pass looks like, and then ask the Military Control Commission brothers to make a copy, and change the information on the pass to my own, isn't that enough? Shen Zhiyue thought happily, as for those soldiers, they can't read a single word, so they certainly can't make things difficult for me.

Bought the popular "Red Star" liquor from the supply and marketing cooperative, paired with the "Eight Treasure Rice Pudding," a popular dish among his classmates and teachers. Using the pretext of celebrating his birthday, Shen Zhiyue invited several close classmates and teachers to a banquet at a restaurant in Fushe. Under the pressure of the secret agents' alcohol tolerance, the students became so drunk that they had to be helped back to the dormitories. Even the hardiest teacher passed out drunk at the table.

A dazed Shen Zhiyue seized the opportunity and used tweezers to extract the pass from the teacher's pocket. In the fifteen minutes between the time it took for his classmates to return to the dormitory and call for help, he could examine the pass closely, memorize the format, and then describe it to the "oil tea" in charge of liaison and support, who would then have the brothers in Gaojing City make a copy. Now, wouldn't I have free access to those confidential locations of the Eighth Route Army?

He thought happily and placed the card on the table.

And...what the hell is this?

Shen Zhiyue sobered up immediately.

Someone will be back soon, and I must finish analyzing and memorizing the pass immediately, otherwise, I will be exposed!

The small card on the table, no thicker than a millimeter, was as white as jade and remarkably durable. On it, a portrait was drawn with colored pencils, along with a name, a work unit, and a string of numbers. Shen Zhiyue grasped the card in his hand, bewildered, weighing it, touching it, twisting it, and practically licking it before dunking it in milk.

Why is there a color photo on it? And what is this card made of?

Shen Zhiyue began to search his mind: This thing is not heavy, so it is definitely not metal; its surface is white and shiny, so it cannot be a thin slice of wood; when he touched it with his hand, he didn't feel cold to the core, so it was ruled out as jade...

Why the hell would the Eighth Route Army use jade as a pass?

After thinking about it, Shen Zhiyue did not connect it with the celluloid that was mainly used to make films, glasses or stamps. That stuff was either transparent or yellowed, and it did not match the pure white card in front of him at all.

Pure white, warm...

Oh!

Having drunk a bit too much, Shen Zhiyue slapped his forehead: Ivory! This must be made of ivory!

Chapter 131: Spy (⑵) Living Chaos

"Revolution, revolution, what a revolution!"

After a pretentious visit to the local farmers' association at the city gate, an old man, carrying his load and whistling a tune, walked along the road from Chunhua City to Fushi. There were two main routes from Haojing to Fushi: the Tongguan Avenue, a newly built highway with wide, flat roads suitable for cars; and the Chunhua Trail, a longer and more arduous route used primarily by horse and donkey carts. Since the completion of the highway, most merchants and travelers have increasingly preferred this route.

However, for the old man codenamed "Oil Tea," the option of taking the main road was nonexistent from the beginning: What a joke! There were Eighth Route Army patrols there. If they searched the area, all the dry batteries, replacement capacitors, bundled French currency funds, secret orders, and correspondence in his bag would expose him directly.

This time I received a mission to return from Fushe to Haojing, and then bring things back to Fushe from Haojing, but this was a mission from my superiors.

"You stupid red bandit! The revolution has brought a bunch of messy rules and regulations, controlling this and that. It's a wonder you can accomplish anything. If you want to let me marry three wives and four concubines, and return the fertile land accumulated by generations of hard work of my ancestors, the foundation of my life, I would consider it. But now, I won't consider it!"

Cursing these ungrateful Communist bandits in his head, "Youcha" clutched his shoulder pole in one hand and a stick between his shoulder and the pole with the other, trembling as he walked. Aside from the fact that his new, firewood-saving stove, crammed with a multitude of miscellaneous items, prevented this strange old tea seller from starting a fire and brewing tea, "Youcha" looked like an ordinary peasant.

However, some things cannot be changed.

"Damn it, it's all these communist bandits and those ignorant young masters of the Military Control Commission."

After walking just three or five miles, Youcha was already a little out of breath. He found a shady spot, unloaded the things on his shoulder pole, and fanned himself with the wide-brimmed straw hat he had bought from the Eighth Route Army Supply and Marketing Cooperative. "Thinking back to when I was in Renshou, damn, there were hundreds of acres of fertile land... Tsk, my concubine had two rooms... Huhuhuhu, why would I have to suffer this kind of hardship? Who would have thought that after going out for a trip to deliver goods...

My house was completely swept clean by those damned Communist bandits.

He doesn’t even let go of the silver…Fuck…”

As a landowner who had been put on the list, bankrupt, and no longer had any roots, Youcha had absolutely no good feelings towards the Communist Party. Even if he had lost his land, his shares in the trading companies and pawnshops outside could still make him a wealthy man. However, in recent years, those trading companies had been squeezed into bankruptcy by tycoons who came here with the scent of "northern goods". As an elderly man, he would seek refuge with his "brothers" from his merchant days, and then be brought into the circle of the Military Control Commission.

"Is it so difficult to fight against the Eighth Route Army's radio station? I can't even use the Eighth Route Army's electricity, and I have to carry so many batteries, they're so heavy!"

After cursing a few times, taking a few deep breaths, and gulping down a few mouthfuls of water from the teapot, Youcha finally felt much better. "No, no, I'm old and can't do it anymore. I'll just find a way out and run away..."

Seeing that there was no one around, "Youcha" began to open the hearth of his stove, took out a few large and heavy dry batteries from it, and without hesitation, threw them into the bushes behind him; then, not satisfied, he took out two bills from each roll of French currency and stuffed them into the inner pocket of his coat with familiarity; just after stuffing them, looking at the thin inner pocket, "Youcha" simply stuffed the entire roll of French currency into the bag.

I put it in my pocket, leaving only one roll.

You old immortal, this is all my fault! Next time I go back to Haojing, I'll bring more northern goods... Well, too many ready-made clothes are too conspicuous. I think those 'kerosene self-lighting' ones are great. Just pour in some kerosene and it works. They're no different from American goods. I'll just sell them as American goods. After a few more visits, I'll exchange them for Yuan Datou coins... Then, no one will be able to stop me from running away!

"Before I run away, I want to have some fun in the city of Haojing..."

A greasy, foolish expression appeared on his face. After completing the connection, arriving in Haojing City, and then collecting supplies to prepare to return to Fushe, Youchahao dawdled for several days before setting out on the return journey. During this extra time, he spent a lot of time in the glitz and glamour of the world.

"Damn! Those girls... Hehe, even though I'm old, I still have some skills, hehe..."

After resting his feet, Youcha finally stood up from the shade of the tree reluctantly, picked up his load, and headed forward. Before the sun went down, he had to find someone to stay with in the village ahead. Otherwise, walking in the dark mountains at night would be like holding a lantern in a pit toilet, seeking death.

However, just after crossing the small hill ahead, two crooked barricades appeared on the downward mountain road, and there were a few bored soldiers standing by. Huh? There was no roadblock here before?

Youcha spat. The 8th Division of the 76th Army stationed here had been contacted by the Military Control Commission, and he had already managed the relationships throughout the division. Several company commanders and regiment commanders knew this veteran field operative from the Military Control Commission, so the so-called inspections and roadblocks would not be difficult for him, and the tolls were paid monthly. Now, a group of unfamiliar soldiers had replaced them, and he was afraid he would have to find someone he knew to let him pass. It would be a hassle.

As he approached, the Nationalist soldiers who were playing the card game came over lazily and blocked his way forward.

"Old man! Your master wants you to stop!"

Damn it! I'll tell your company commander later that you guys are going to die! "Old man, what do you do? Where are you from? Where are you going?"

Even though he was thinking this, "Youcha" smiled and greeted everyone: "Junye, I am a tea merchant on the Sichuan-Shaanxi Highway. I came from Haojing and passed by Baodi.

I am going to Yijun in front to sell tea." As he said this, he took out his

He took his wrinkled cigarette box and said, "Come on, come on, sir, have a cigarette."

One soldier took a cigarette, and the other took the remaining half of the pack. They walked over to the fire by the roadside, lit the cigarettes, smoked a whole one in a row, and then staggered back.

"Where's the pass? Where's the permit? Take it out and let me see it!" "Hey! Hey!"

Even for field agents, preparing a pass was a must. "Youcha" quickly produced a pass bearing the seals of the Security Command and the 76th Division, along with a travel permit from Gaojing. He painstakingly attached two small-denomination French currency notes to the bottom of the permit as a tacit "accommodation"—damn it, this had never been accepted before!

Normally, if you do this, no matter how ignorant the other party is, they will let you go.

Shouldn't he just let it go?

This was indeed the case. Although the two men couldn't read the words, they looked at the "benefits" below the pass and their faces lit up with joy. One of them was about to turn around and move the blockage. But the other narrowed his eyes, turned around, and was about to say something, but at this moment, the other two people at the card game suddenly shouted:

"God damn it, you old man! Going north, huh?"

"Hurry up and open your bag! I want to see if you, old man, are a communist or not!"

Chapter 132: Spy (⑶) Died in a Cowardly Way

Checkpoints run by the Nationalist army, the salt and tax police, the security forces, and even the landlords' armed forces were the inevitable "current control" encountered by anyone traveling abroad during the Republic of China. Their legitimacy came not from any particular Republic of China law or regulation, but rather from the local armed forces' leaders; their enforcement and coercive power came from the armed forces themselves.

Compared to the Eighth Route Army's unimpeded passage with a pass from the enemy, "Youcha," as a lone spy, faced even greater difficulties in Nationalist territory. This was already within the Eighth Route Army's influence, and the name of the Military Control Commission couldn't be used casually. Even if "Youcha" were a legitimate Military Control Commission agent, this identity wouldn't work at these checkpoints. There were little devils along the way, and except for the garrison commander, there was no one else.

He didn't forget the rules. He took out the document signed by Tao Jichang, the commander of the 76th Army and the division commander, and handed it over along with the two passes he had already given. The subtext of this sentence was - kid, I have already informed your superiors. The names of the army commander and the division commander are here. Don't be ungrateful!

The result was like a blind man lighting a lamp, but it was a waste of wax: the two guys who were shouting didn't care at all and walked straight up. One of them had obviously lost money. He didn't even glance at the document and just walked towards the shoulder pole and basket with his gun on his back; the other one took the document, sneered, and tore up the paper with a rustle.

"Master, this is..."

Damn it, even if this guy can't read, he should at least recognize this seal!

Before "Youcha" could make any move, the soldier opposite him blurted out, "You old bastard, are you trying to fool me with the stuff that can be bought with just a few dollars?", splashing spit all over his face.

Isn't it just Tao Jichang's name? Three or five dollars would sell for a bundle, but even if it were real, it wouldn't be of any use today. The 8th Division's stuff has nothing to do with your 24th Division's grandfather. Commander Yang's note is more appropriate. "That soldier threw the paperwork like toilet paper. Damn it, check!" As he spoke, he didn't move, but instead blocked the way, rubbing his fingers together.

Damn it, apparently during my time in Fushe, the troops stationed in Chunhua were replaced! I'd previously been using the 8th Division of the 76th Army, something Tao Jichang could use without issue. But this 24th Division is under Yang Zhenmeng's command. Although they were all transferred to the 76th Army as a whole, Yang was a first-term Whampoa Military Academy student. In the Nationalist Army, rank is less important than closeness to the Chairman!

Now this road is in the middle of nowhere, and these four guys are playing cards with red eyes. Someone must have lost a lot of money gambling, so why not find some fat pigs to make up for it?

If these hungry wolves were to lift up the burden and reveal the red goods, would there be anything left for me? No, no, no, damn it, I'd lose my life here.

——--—-―—

"Boss! Let's talk it over! Let's talk it over!"

Although he'd been in Fushi City for so long, and had some difficulty acclimating to the Nationalist army's territory, he'd still dealt with them. Revealing his identity at this point would only irritate these ruffians. As long as the situation remained peaceful, a few casualties wouldn't be a big deal. As a true former landlord, Youcha bowed repeatedly, "I'm a new merchant here, unaware that the army has changed its defenses. May I ask how much more is required according to the customary rules?"

I’ll give it to you!”

"Oh! That's right! So refreshing?"

Hearing this, the soldiers didn't give up. Instead, they all smiled. Even the two who had been listless at first dropped their cigarettes and gathered around. "Guys, it looks like we've caught a big fish today!"

"I see this old man has shifty eyes. I'm afraid he's either a Communist spy or a Japanese spy!"

"It's probably some shady business. Hey! Search! I think there must be some shameful contraband!"

"Hey, what's prohibited? Isn't it up to us and the boss to decide?"

The four heroes laughed at this "spy". They put their guns behind their backs, and their courage was strong. They rolled over like rabbits and eagles, and the two of them grabbed the collars of the "spy".

The two men came around and grabbed the load, intending to give the old man a good beating.

Hua, the overlord takes off his armor, intercepts the goods and shouts.

Bastards! Are you planning to wipe out the entire family?

"Youcha" finally got angry. He knew very well that these people today were probably not "honest people" who knew how to "take it slow and steady" but were planning to wipe out the whole family! Are people so unruly these days? He lowered his head to avoid the attack, and reached into the inner pocket of his clothes with his free hand, fumbling among the rolls of French currency: there was a secret compartment there, which contained his Military Control Commission ID.

Wait till I get my ID, damn it!

The clamor finally attracted the sixth person present. A portly fellow, his oversized uniform barely fitting him, emerged from the sentry box. He held his leather belt with one hand, fanning himself with the brim of his hat with the other, and angrily shouted, "Damn it! What are you all arguing about, you idiots?"

"Sir! This old man is sneaky, probably..."

"Boss! We are all from the same group, we are all family!"

"Youcha" burst out with an agility that was disproportionate to his appearance. He didn't even care about the burden, shook off the four people's entanglement, and rushed to the fat officer in one step, spreading out his ID. "I am a member of the Military Control Commission's Gaojing Team, carrying out a secret mission. I hope the boss will do me a favor and let us talk for a moment..."

Before he could finish his words, the fat officer reached out and slammed the ID card away. "What the hell does this have to do with me, you good-for-nothing Military Control Commission idiot..." "Who the hell can understand this kind of thing? I can't read. No matter how big of a boss you are, if you come here, I have the final say!"

"Do you think I'm just wasting five hundred dollars? Who's your friend?"

Pah! Another slap landed on Youcha's face. He looked past Youcha and looked at the plague soldiers who were rummaging through boxes and cabinets. "Hey, you guys!"

"Is that old man your biological father? Anyone who is not my uncle who spends his days here today will have to pay even if he is the king of heaven! I spent 500 yuan to come here to collect filial piety.

I'm not here to watch you play tricks on me. Hurry up, come back after you finish your work.

Bet! You're dragging your feet, aren't you just looking for an excuse to avoid paying me the 30% commission?"