Chapter 38: The Organizational System

In a few months, Lin Biguang had intensified his infiltration activities into the various yamen of Qiongzhou Prefecture through Ma Benyuan’s local connections and by using the Gou family’s account books for blackmail. He quickly penetrated most of the yamen. He not only established a network of contacts with mid-to-low-level figures like masters, clerks, and yamen runners, but also successfully bribed the servants of several major local officials. Now, if needed, he could find out which book the Qiongzhou prefect had read yesterday by the next day.

“The reason I say we should increase our manpower investment in this place is not to increase the number of permanent intelligence personnel. We already have a strong presence here, with enough power to ensure the safety of inexperienced new recruits. We can use Qiongshan County as a training ground for intelligence personnel.”

This idea was quite novel. “Internship in a relatively safe ‘enemy-occupied area’?” Jiang Shan thought.

“That’s right,” Lin Biguang nodded. “Qiongshan County is a microcosm of Ming society. Although it’s slightly less prosperous, the operation of the government and the social structure are still very representative. The experience our intelligence personnel, whether council members or natives, gain from operating here will be much more useful than interning in a place like Dongmen Market. At the very least, they will have a sense of tension from operating in enemy territory.”

“Can you guarantee their safety?”

“Absolutely,” Lin Biguang assured him. “If anyone gets caught, I have ways to get them out—of course, it will cost some money.”

“Okay, I’ve noted this down.”

He continued, “I am currently training two native intelligence agents, and I originally hoped to select one of them to take over my work in Qiongshan. However, I recently discovered that it might be difficult—they are too young, and it will be another five or six years before they turn twenty. It’s not that they are not capable, but in the Great Ming, a person’s age is a key issue in carrying out social activities.” He coughed. “People who are too young have a hard time gaining enough respect and trust. They are easily looked down upon. Of course, if they are placed in the lower echelons of society, it doesn’t matter. But if they are to assume the identity of a merchant or other profession that has contact with the government and gentry, it’s best to be over twenty-five or twenty-six. I hope the bureau will pay attention to this when selecting a new batch of native intelligence trainees.”

“I see.” Jiang Shan nodded thoughtfully. He remembered the files of the graduated native intelligence personnel training class he had seen—all of them were under twenty.

Chen Tianxiong, who had been silent, interjected, “We’ve held several training classes, all for teenagers. What’s the use of that? We keep demanding loyalty, but loyalty alone can’t get things done.”

Most teenage boys and girls could only handle office work. When sent out, they could only perform simple errands and inquiries. This was very detrimental to large-scale operations.

“Also, intelligence training should have a focus and must include certain skills,” Chen Tianxiong added. “I’ve looked at their training materials. They are actually similar to the training content of the Political Security General Bureau—a lot of illegal activity techniques—which is completely unnecessary. What kind of intelligence personnel do we need? Nothing more than people who can accurately report the enemy’s movements, numbers, local social conditions, and economic situation. 90% of this is open-source intelligence. We just need to spend a little more effort to collect and organize it. There’s no need to go to great lengths to learn things like tracking, kidnapping, and arson—that’s not intelligence gathering, that’s intelligence warfare.”

“My requirement for native intelligence personnel is this: they only need to master the basic skills of intelligence gathering. They should be able to count, recognize a few characters, and preferably be able to write reports. If not, being able to accurately describe what they have seen and heard is enough. Then teach them some simple clandestine work skills, and nothing else. And there’s no need for them to be extremely loyal and tested. With suitable confidentiality and organizational systems, even if they are captured or betray us, it won’t affect the overall situation—low-level intelligence personnel can be trained as consumables.”

“We should also teach them some cover and survival skills,” Lin Biguang added. “Knowing a trade or two, or being able to chant scriptures and tell fortunes, will allow intelligence personnel to use their profession as a cover for movement.”

“Of course, we can also selectively cultivate some high-level talents. But I am against directly cultivating high-level intelligence personnel—this so-called system of directly cultivating intelligence elites is not feasible. We should select outstanding individuals from ordinary intelligence personnel who have worked for a certain period of time for further education,” Chen Tianxiong continued to expound on his theory of intelligence personnel education.

Such suggestions were constructive. Listening to the ideas of the front-line personnel was indeed very useful. Jiang Shan nodded secretly. He had thought of some of these points, but they had not formed a system. Now, what these two said was much more comprehensive and systematic than his own thoughts.

“Alright, from now on, we will train intelligence personnel according to this plan,” Jiang Shan immediately affirmed their suggestions. “After listening to you, my thinking has become much more flexible. The comrades on the front line really consider things more comprehensively.”

“Not at all, not at all,” Lin Biguang said politely.

Seeing that the meeting atmosphere had become more harmonious, Jiang Shan then said, “Regarding the development of intelligence work, my thinking is as follows:

“We divide intelligence work into two major categories. The first category is the collection and compilation of stable information from various regions, which can be done purposefully, systematically, and easily filed for future reference. For example, map surveying, transportation investigation, logistics and economic analysis, products, manpower, political composition and diplomatic tendencies, historical evolution, copies of gazettes and excerpts from important publications, long-term garrison situations, overviews of public and large-scale military facilities… and so on.”

“To be archived in the general intelligence database?” Wang Ding drew a few lines in his notebook.

“Yes. The sources of this intelligence can rely on various departments, including institutions like overseas stations. We can also send special personnel to these places to conduct field investigations under the guise of business, study tours, or wandering. Given the slow pace of development in ancient society, the data obtained from one investigation may not need to be revised for more than ten years.”

“That’s an exaggeration—” Lin Biguang shook his head. “It should be verified once every one or two years, especially for transportation conditions and public sentiment. These are not peaceful times. The seventeen years of the Chongzhen era were basically a period of gradual turmoil, and social changes were very rapid.”

“That’s roughly the idea.” Jiang Shan decided not to get bogged down in details with him and continued, “This data is not only useful for the military, but also very useful for the economic and industrial departments. Access can be granted according to security levels, and even native cadres within the system can query it. This type of intelligence can be obtained and transmitted through open and semi-open methods, which is different from other intelligence work methods. We don’t need to invest too many professional personnel either; we can adopt a system of government supervision and private operation.”

Jiang Shan’s so-called “government supervision and private operation” was similar to the model of the Guangzhou Station supporting the Qiwei Escort Agency. They would set up various enterprises along major transportation routes and in important towns. Most of the staff could be recruited locally instead of being sent from Lingao, with only a few intelligence personnel dispatched to carry out the work.

“This kind of enterprise can also provide logistical support, logistics, and transportation lines for intelligence personnel. It’s killing multiple birds with one stone,” Jiang Shan said. “At the same time, the enterprise’s own operation can ensure that we don’t need to invest too much in funding. We only need to pay the start-up costs, and then it can be sustained by the enterprise’s own profits.”

“This is a memo I found in the files transferred from the former Intelligence and Materials Committee,” Wang Ding said. “The date of dispatch is August 1629. It coincides with your thinking.”

“Really? How come I didn’t see it?” Jiang Shan said, surprised.

“A few more boxes of materials were transferred over yesterday,” Wang Ding explained. “Let’s take a look.”

To: Intelligence and Materials Committee

From: The Great Library - Historical Materials Research Group, First-Class Historical Materials Researcher: Yu E’shui

Subject: Yu E’shui’s views on the intelligence system and evaluation of memorandum K/BW/290322.77.

Confidential! One copy only, for authorized personnel only!

…

The intelligence agency needs supplementary intelligence materials. We can refer to the actions of the Japanese continental ronin. Lingao can organize and actively dispatch groups of hot-blooded and loyal ronin to infiltrate the north and south, collecting intelligence by setting up schools, opening shops, and doing business.

This is a very specific and huge spontaneous work, which requires well-educated native elites who spontaneously feel that they cannot realize their dreams by following the rules within the existing system of Lingao, and that only by taking the lead in action on the vast continent can they achieve great success…

…The military, the Political Security General Bureau, and other relevant departments can participate in it and provide key leadership and professional guidance. But they should not interfere in its specific business activities. This is a semi-public intelligence agency that can cooperate with other powerful departments and is also a consulting agency for the in-depth organization of a large number of physical books and materials on the Ming world…

…

I personally think it is inappropriate for foreign intelligence work to enter into powerful long-range reconnaissance operations too quickly… The scale of the Special Reconnaissance Team is not yet sufficient to support such extensive operations… Collection can be handled by the public agencies of the intelligence system. This kind of staff-travel-style field investigation is entirely feasible.

…

The Military Intelligence Bureau can establish two organizations… One is the inland river and coastal boat assassination team, which can take advantage of silent close-combat weapons in the chaos of pirate waterways and the Grand Canal, causing some enemy leaders to die without a trace, with Dutch ghost ships running rampant; coastal cities with the support of intelligence personnel and ronin groups can carry out light decapitation strikes to deter the enemy. The other is to adopt ultra-long-range reconnaissance and search training, with the goal of enabling light infantry squads to survive in the wilderness of the South China mountains to the level of Bear Grylls on Discovery… that is, the hard scouts and night scouts of the infantry in the mountains, targeting mountain bandits, water bandits, and other local armed forces. The regular army does not need them for plain warfare. The future of these special forces is mainly to be used to suppress guerrillas and local bandits…

…

Lin Biguang nodded. He had an impression of this material, though not a deep one. However, at that time, the Intelligence and Materials Committee had no physical organization, and the Political Security General Bureau was not very enthusiastic in responding, so the matter was shelved.

“What’s this about a Military Intelligence Bureau?” Jiang Shan became wary of this term. He had only been in charge for a few days, but he already realized the chaos in the transmigrator group’s intelligence system. No wonder Lin Biguang was not interested in this and kept wanting to go out on field assignments.

“At that time, both the army and the navy proposed to establish a special military intelligence bureau. Later, someone specially submitted a memorandum on the organizational structure of the military intelligence bureau,” Lin Biguang said. “But this plan consumed too many resources, and the Executive Committee was not very interested. So the matter was shelved. The latter half of Yu E’shui’s memo should be about this memorandum.”

“What happened later?”

“There was no later,” Lin Biguang said. “This memorandum should still be in the archives of the Intelligence and Resources Committee. You can find it and have a look.”

Jiang Shan found that both Lin Biguang and Chen Tianxiong were reluctant to discuss this matter in depth. He decided to put it aside for the time being and continue to talk about his “government-supervised, private-operation” intelligence system.

“…Yu E’shui’s thinking is broader than mine,” Jiang Shan said. “According to his thinking, we can expand our channels even wider. We don’t necessarily have to run enterprises and do business. We can also set up religious facilities or schools.”

“We can cooperate deeply with the Religious Affairs Office on this,” Wang Ding said. “Hasn’t Daozhang Zhang already expressed his stance?”

“Hmph, if you want to cooperate with him, you have to help him apply for personnel—that’s his biggest headache,” Lin Biguang smiled. “Do you really think Daozhang Zhang is sincerely cooperating and providing us with a free lunch?”

Wang Ding said, “If we ask people to contribute, it’s only natural to give them some benefits.”

“If his New Daoism is really as powerful as he claims, I think it’s right to help him apply for some personnel. Everyone benefits,” Chen Tianxiong said. “Monks and Daoists can wander around openly, and the government doesn’t pay much attention. Spreading rumors is also their strong suit.”

“As for this kind of overseas intelligence agency, I personally think it’s best not to form a public chain or branch model, to avoid being wiped out in one fell swoop after one agency is exposed,” Jiang Shan said. He had his own views on the large chain system of the Qiwei Escort Agency, but it was better not to say them. At this stage, they still needed Qiwei’s help. In the future, he planned to gradually build his own system—or, as Yu E’shui said, something like the “Black Dragon Society.”

“As for personnel management, we can learn from the investigation network system established by Zhao Manxiong,” Jiang Shan said. After the formal establishment of the Foreign Intelligence Bureau, Zhao Manxiong had sent a memorandum informing and explaining the matter of the enemy investigation network established by the Political Security General Bureau in the counties surrounding Lingao, and stated that this resource “can be shared in some way.”

Although Jiang Shan was somewhat dissatisfied with this action, he was currently weak in forces and had no achievements, so he had to swallow his pride. Furthermore, the instructions given to him by the Executive Committee clearly stated that he did not need to invest too much energy in intelligence work on Hainan Island itself. And the Political Security General Bureau had only deployed the investigation network to a few counties near Lingao, not on a large scale. It was meaningless to argue with the Political Security General Bureau on this. Moreover, he still relied on the Political Security General Bureau for professional guidance and business cooperation in many aspects. The organizational structure of this investigation network was obtained from Wu Mu, the director of the Political Security General Bureau’s office, who had also very enthusiastically offered to provide teaching staff for intelligence personnel training.

The investigation network set up one investigation instructor in each area, with two to four investigation teams under him, each with three people, one of whom was the team leader. When the number of people in a team reached five, it would be split into two teams. There was no horizontal contact between instructors, and no horizontal contact between team leaders. A vertical system of reporting and guidance by level was implemented. The investigation instructor commanded the investigation work of the entire area, collected reports from the team leaders, and sent the intelligence back through the communication station.

Jiang Shan then talked about the “second type of work” in intelligence work, which was to use clandestine operations, targeting classified information and uncertain events, such as infiltrating spies into the core of the enemy regime. Their value was relatively high. These clandestine personnel would be contacted directly through a single-line courier model and would not have any contact with the local investigation network.

“I personally think that deep-cover personnel are of little value,” Chen Tianxiong directly opposed without any courtesy. “It will only take us a dozen years at most to overthrow the Great Ming. Why bother with deep cover? It’s not very meaningful for us to know what Chongzhen is thinking or what he writes on his memorials.”

“At least we can grasp the opponent’s strategic movements.”

“I don’t deny that, but the cost of achieving this level is too disproportionate to the benefits,” Chen Tianxiong reminded Jiang Shan. “We know almost nothing about the Ming’s system, and the transmigrators are not at all similar to the ancients. To infiltrate the enemy’s interior and rise to a high-level, core position is simply a fantasy. Even if some council member goes crazy and wants to go undercover, I will oppose it—it’s suicide.”

Lin Biguang coughed. “It’s not necessarily suicide. It’s still valuable to infiltrate the enemy’s interior. Of course, it’s probably not possible to reach a high level. I personally think that we don’t need to deliberately seek opportunities to infiltrate the enemy’s interior, but if a suitable opportunity arises, we shouldn’t give it up. Having a few sleeper agents or contacts who have infiltrated the enemy’s system is still useful.” He reminded, “For example, our ‘Tang Monk Project.’ The preliminary preparations for this plan have been completed.”

“The difficulty of the ‘Tang Monk Project’ is that it’s too difficult for a modern person to impersonate a Ming official. It’s equivalent to re-educating and reshaping this person,” Chen Tianxiong said. “If it fails, the losses will be heavy.”

“Is the ‘Tang Monk Project’ still ongoing?” Jiang Shan had seen this action plan in the pile of files. The materials collected in it were very rich. There was a special report on a staff tour written by Bei Wei, and various social and emotional research from the Leizhou Station, but there was no follow-up.

“Theoretically, the ‘Tang Monk Project’ has never been canceled,” Chen Tianxiong said. “The question is, who will go and be the impostor bandit?”

“Yes, and according to the plan, after the first five-year plan ends, Leizhou will be in our hands. It’s a bit redundant to go and impersonate this prefect then.”