Chapter 1278 Handling Opinion
Xiao Zhanfeng caught the meaning behind the Chief's words and snapped to attention. "Serve the Senate and the people!"
"Good. Now that you've arrived in Leizhou, you'll be one of the principal figures here going forward. As it happens, I have a delicate matter that I intend to place in your hands." Yan Maoda's tone carried the weight of expectation.
The first test has already come, Xiao Zhanfeng thought. He maintained his composure. "Please give your instructions, Chief."
"Follow me."
Yan Maoda rose and led him through a door, then wound through corridors—left turn, right turn, seven twists and eight bends—passing through several doors manned by sentries, until they arrived at a small room guarded by armed men.
The chamber contained only simple furniture: tables, chairs, and filing cabinets. Xiao Zhanfeng recognized the Australians' setup immediately. This layout was reserved for interrogating important criminals.
Yan Maoda opened an inner door. Beyond stood another guard keeping watch over a long corridor. Iron-clad locked doors lined both sides—seven or eight in total. This, clearly, was a private prison the Australians had established locally.
During his earlier time in Leizhou, Xiao Zhanfeng had known the Australians seized all of Third Master Zhu's former properties, taking control of the original Haiyi Hall and conducting extensive construction on Hai'an Street. He had not imagined such a complete facility hidden beneath.
So the Leizhou Sugar Industry Guild on Hai'an Street is the seat of the Senate's government in Leizhou.
Yan Maoda nodded to the guard, led Xiao Zhanfeng to one of the doors, and gestured for him to peer through the observation port.
The peephole was covered with thick glass—the opening itself kept small. They could not yet manufacture the thin one-way glass with coating, so reducing the size was the only option. For safety's sake, the thickness had been made substantial as well.
The cell beyond was not spacious, yet neither was it the dark, damp dungeon one might expect. Bright light streamed down from a skylight above, illuminating the scene clearly. A woman sat within, head bowed over an embroidery hoop, needle flashing as she worked.
Though her face was obscured, he could tell she was not old—twenty-seven or twenty-eight at most—with fair skin and a plump figure. At minimum, she came from a respectable middle-class family.
"This is—"
Yan Maoda said nothing. He led Xiao Zhanfeng back to the interrogation room.
"Her name is Qiu Han." Yan Maoda retrieved a thin file from the cabinet and placed it on the table. "The situation is straightforward. Qiu Han was—formerly—Senator Wen's life secretary..."
Xiao Zhanfeng nodded. He knew Wen Tong, though not as intimately as he knew Chen Tianxiong. And he understood perfectly well what a "life secretary" entailed.
"Before becoming Senator Wen's life secretary, Qiu Han served as the concubine of Zhu An—also known as Third Master Zhu. This was disclosed in the materials she submitted when taking the position."
"However," Yan Maoda continued, "during last year's political background investigation, we discovered that Qiu Han was not merely Zhu An's former concubine. She was also the sister of the pirate Gu Dachun—whom we killed."
Xiao Zhanfeng's brow furrowed in confusion. This matter fell outside the purview of both the Civil Affairs Committee and the External Intelligence Bureau. It belonged to the Political Security General Bureau. Why had they singled him out to hear it?
"After the exposure, Qiu Han confessed that she had concealed the truth out of fear. She admitted that when she first attached herself to Senator Wen, she harbored intentions of avenging Zhu An and her brother. But as time passed, she came to feel that Senator Wen treated her with deep kindness—so much so that she could no longer bring herself to act. She wished only to serve him faithfully. Beyond this, she claimed to have no ulterior feelings, nor had she colluded with outsiders." Yan Maoda paused. "We conducted physical analysis and lie detection on her confession and carried out field investigations over several months. Our conclusion: she spoke the truth."
After finishing, Yan Maoda fixed Xiao Zhanfeng with a meaningful look. "Since the investigation is complete, we must issue a formal conclusion and handling opinion. Senator Wen has proposed that we release Qiu Han and allow her to return to work at his side."
He drew a formatted official document from the file—a "Political Review Conclusion and Handling Opinion Form," instantly recognizable to Xiao Zhanfeng.
The conclusion column had already been filled in: After investigation: concealing part of personal family relationships is confirmed true; no deeds or speech harmful to the Senate and the people found.
The handling opinion column below remained blank.
"I now authorize you to fill in the handling opinion."
Xiao Zhanfeng started. "Chief, this violates organizational procedures. I don't have such authority..."
"This is a special authorization I grant you as a Senator and Deputy Station Chief of Leizhou Station." Yan Maoda's voice hardened. "You know I possess this power."
Every Senator Station Chief stationed abroad effectively served as the local head of political security.
"You have thirty minutes to study these materials." Yan Maoda glanced at his watch. "I will return then. Whatever handling opinion you write will become my decision."
Alone in the interrogation room, Xiao Zhanfeng found himself confronting an unexpectedly subtle test—one that even implicated a Senator. He examined the sparse materials carefully. No matter how he studied them, aside from her concealment of being Gu Dachun's sister, Qiu Han bore no other stain.
From a prudent standpoint, someone with such an ambiguous history—someone who had once hidden her kin relations—was not ideal to place back at a Senator's side. And yet, looked at from another angle, Qiu Han had served as Senator Wen's life secretary for over a year. Had she wished to act, countless opportunities would have presented themselves long ago.
He reached for the dip pen and wrote in the handling opinion column: Transfer back to original unit for controlled use.
Below, he signed his name and the date.
He dried the ink with blotting paper, then handed the form to Yan Maoda when the Chief returned. Yan Maoda studied it in silence before slipping it back into the file. Without comment, he pulled the bell rope to summon the guard outside.
"Fill out Release from Investigation Decision Form No. 11 and send it over for my signature."
Xu Ke was the first member of the Overlord Operation Special Task Force to return to Lingao. Originally, he should have sailed back to Kaohsiung to continue providing intelligence and internal security support for Operation Engine. But an urgent telegram had arrived from the "Center," ordering his immediate return to report on his work.
It's probably the munitions factory on Gulangyu that caught their attention, Jiang Shan surmised. He had already submitted the first batch of reports to the Intelligence Bureau in Xiamen—photographs, surveying materials, and captive confessions.
The moment Xu Ke's transport ship entered port, Jiang Shan himself was waiting in an office within the Customs Building. Urgency lined his features.
"You've worked hard on the journey. Under normal circumstances, you'd be allowed to rest first after running back and forth like this, but this discovery is simply too important." Jiang Shan dispensed with pleasantries. "Several Senators in the mechanical sector have analyzed the photos and surveying materials you sent ahead. The situation appears more urgent than we anticipated."
He took a file bag sealed with wax from his briefcase and handed it over. "Study this and compile a report immediately. The Executive Committee will convene a special secret meeting tomorrow morning, with select department heads in attendance."
"Understood. The materials will be ready tonight." Jiang Shan paused. "I also made some new discoveries on Gulangyu and Xiamen Island afterward."
"Good. Include them all. This matter requires absolute secrecy. Even the professional Senators you consult must be limited to those named on our list."
"Yes, I understand." Xu Ke nodded.
"Then head home and tidy up first. In two hours, I'll send someone to collect you. Tonight you'll stay at the General Office's No. 1 Guesthouse to prepare the materials."
Early the next morning, the meeting convened in the conference room of the Executive Committee compound. Attendance was limited—this was an enlarged meeting of the Executive Committee. Beyond the Committee members themselves, only the Chief of General Staff, the Minister of Navy Military Orders, the Director of the External Intelligence Bureau, the First Deputy Director of the Political Security General Bureau, and a handful of other figures attended. Essentially, these were the heads of decision-making and enforcement institutions.
Xu Ke had worked through the night preparing report materials, not finishing the PowerPoint until past two in the morning. For security, he had handled every aspect himself.
Ten minutes early, he followed Jiang Shan into the meeting room—his first time entering the Executive Committee compound's conference chamber. Xu Ke wore a neat navy uniform: the Type 87 naval officer spring and autumn service dress from his PLAN days in the old world, with insignia modified. Made of wool, he reserved this uniform for significant occasions—the Senate Navy's standard uniforms were simply too shabby for such settings.
He carried a confidential briefcase, its security rope bound to his wrist.
The attendees arrived one by one, and the meeting commenced on schedule.
Wen Desi, presiding, delivered a brief opening address before signaling Jiang Shan to take over.
Jiang Shan rose. He wore an impeccable safari jacket—its material and workmanship marking it unmistakably as a product of another time-space. It stood out conspicuously amid the cotton military fatigue-style jackets worn by most others.
"Comrades. During the recent Operation Overlord, our bureau dispatched Navy Lieutenant Xu Ke to move with the troops, providing intelligence support and collecting on-the-ground information. He made several important discoveries in Xiamen while executing his mission. Based on current materials and intelligence analysis, the implications of this matter may be severe. Moreover, we believe it may connect to the Ship 'A' Incident. For these reasons, we must report to the Executive Committee and the Senate and request specific instructions for our next steps." He paused. "I will now ask him to present his findings."
Xu Ke rose, strode to the podium, and saluted the assembly. He withdrew documents from his bag—though he did not need to consult them; he knew the contents by heart. Then he activated the laptop and projector.
The first image to appear was a set of digital photographs showing Zhongzuosuo City in the aftermath of battle. Xu Ke began his briefing.
(End of this chapter)