Chapter 203: The People of the Guangzhou Station

Guo Yi stood in front of the mirror, carefully examining himself. He had grown his hair out again. During the intense preparations for the second anti-encirclement campaign, he, like the other returning male members of the Guangzhou station, had shaved his head to a clean and refreshing buzz cut. At the time, it just felt light, almost a little floaty.

He was the first to shave off his long hair, a gesture to show the organization his “willingness to follow arrangements.” Not long after he returned, rumors began to spread that some in the Executive Committee and the Senate were dissatisfied with the Guangzhou station. Some even suspected the station had ulterior motives. News of a major personnel reshuffle at the Guangzhou station also reached the ears of its staff. Subsequently, Zhang Yuchen was the first to be formally transferred from the Guangzhou station’s roster, becoming a “freelance elder”—a new term coined by a group of humanities and history elders who were dissatisfied with the term “basic labor elder.”

Soon after, Zhang Xin and Lin Baiguang were sent back to Guangzhou to hand over the intelligence system, which meant Zhang Xin’s departure from the Guangzhou station was also a done deal. According to information leaked from Si Kaide, the director of the Colonial and Trade Department’s office, Zhang Xin was likely to be sent to a new trading post.

Yan Maoda was also summoned for a talk by the Organization Department and was said to be transferred to Leizhou. Comrade Chang Shide’s transfer order was also expected to be issued soon.

This series of transfers made Guo Yi estimate that his chances of returning to Guangzhou were slim. Just as the full-scale war preparations began, he took the opportunity to get a haircut along with the other elders, to show that he was “breathing the same air and sharing the same fate” with the Senate and Lingao.

After the victory in the second anti-encirclement campaign, Ming Lang had a talk with him, telling him to prepare to return to Guangzhou.

“You should grow your hair out again. Everyone thinks your work in Guangzhou is very important.”

Guo Yi didn’t ask whose idea this was, but since it came from the head of the Organization Department, it meant the order was from “the organization,” and an order from the organization could not be disobeyed. He just nodded silently, indicating his willingness to accept the mission.

The new Guangzhou station was still headed by Guo Yi. Zheng Shangjie was promoted to head of commerce for the Guangzhou station. Pei Xiuli, after several months of specialized intelligence training, was ready to make her mark on the intelligence front.

As for the Delong Bank in Guangzhou and the intelligence system taken over by Lin Baiguang, they were still under the organizational management of the Guangzhou station, but these two parts were independently responsible to their respective administrative departments. The Delong Guangzhou branch reported to the head office in Lingao, and the intelligence system reported to the Foreign Intelligence Bureau. The Delong Bank head office officially activated the bank’s codebook, stipulating that from that day on, all financial institutions in the Delong system would use this codebook for all telegrams. As for the intelligence bureau system, they had long had their own codes.

But so far, Guo Yi had had nothing to do and had been idle in his dormitory. The two maids he had brought back with whom he had had physical relations were temporarily placed in the quarantine camp because they could not enter Bairen City. He heard that they had undergone a full interrogation and investigation by the General Political Security Bureau.

“Heaven knows what they’ll write in my file,” Guo Yi thought. He touched his chin. This time, returning to Guangzhou, his situation was very different from before. As Si Kaide and the others had told him when they discussed his work arrangements yesterday, his return would be in a semi-public capacity. He would be the transmigrator group’s consul in Guangzhou, and he would have to focus more on dealing with the local officials and gentry.

“The opinion of the Great Library and the propaganda department is that you should vigorously promote Australian culture and lifestyle in Guangzhou, to subtly change the thinking patterns and lifestyles of the Guangzhou citizens,” Si Kaide read the passage with some hesitation. “Anyway, that’s the gist of it…”

Guo Yi was very familiar with this meaning: “It’s peaceful evolution.”

“Right, right, that’s the meaning.” Si Kaide took out a wooden cigar box. “Have one? A gift from Wu Nanhai.”

“Thank you.” The cigars in the box had a rich aroma—in fact, it was not just the smell of tobacco, but a mixed fragrance formed after a small amount of rum was sprayed on the tobacco leaves. Guo Yi used to smoke a water pipe in Guangzhou, but his luxurious water pipe had been left behind in Guangzhou, and he didn’t know whose hands it had fallen into now.

He still remembered how much he liked this silver water pipe, including all its accessories. They all represented the highest achievement of ancient Chinese handicrafts. Whether it was the fine carving, inlay, or weaving, they were all exquisitely crafted, a beautiful work of art. It was clean and didn’t have a harsh taste. But on second thought, this could be considered a sign of “being corrupted by the Ming lifestyle.” Si Kaide offering him a cigar might be a reminder of this issue.

He took a cigar, cut a small opening with the cigar cutter Si Kaide handed him, and then lit it himself.

“Not bad, right? I heard it was rolled on Chu Qing’s thigh,” Si Kaide said.

“Hehe,” Guo Yi laughed dryly.

Si Kaide puffed out a cloud of smoke. “You go back and prepare. After the New Year and the annual meeting, you’ll be going back to Guangzhou. The Executive Committee and the Senate want you to be a bit more high-profile, no need to be too low-key. Anyway, everyone knows you’re a big Australian merchant, and you have the prestige of a great victory.”

“Should we hold a special celebration for the reopening of the Zi-brand businesses?”

“Of course,” Si Kaide nodded. “Celebrations are also a good way to showcase the Australian lifestyle.” He waved his cigar mysteriously. “There’s a little rumor—someone has proposed building a luxury yacht specially for you, Master Guo, to be moored at Bai’e Tan. You can take it out on the river from time to time, to make all the local tycoons in Guangzhou die of envy…”

“Isn’t that a bit too flashy?”

“We just bombarded Guangzhou. Isn’t that even more flashy?” Si Kaide said nonchalantly. “The government has cowered. We need to seize the time to show our strength. The Ming won’t be able to hold on in Guangdong for many more years. Let the local rich people fully recognize our strength and ability first, so they will obediently follow us in the future.”

Guo Yi got a new radio operator—one of the first generation of native radio operators trained by Lingao Telecom. These operators were already proficient in using radio transceivers. As for the work of decoding, it would be handled by a confidential clerk trained by the Political Security Bureau. The native staff system of the Guangzhou station had been thoroughly cleaned up this time, and the core part was now composed entirely of native personnel who had undergone screening and retraining.

Guo Yi took one last look at his image in the mirror. His hair was a bit long, and without a stylist’s touch, it hung messily at the back of his head, looking somewhat impolite. In another timeline, he could have used a rubber band to tie it up, but there were no rubber bands to be found here. He had to ask Zheng Shangjie for a black iron hairband to hold his hair back.

After getting everything in order, he checked his watch. It was time for the Colonial and Trade Department’s “Plan, Do, Check, Act” session again. This had become a daily, fixed routine for all departments, much like studying the “Three Old Articles” during the Cultural Revolution. Guo Yi was inwardly very annoyed by this, but he always maintained a non-committal attitude towards such matters to avoid trouble.

As he went out, he secretly reminded himself to go and see Yi Liu and Zhi Tao after the meeting. Both were his concubines in Guangzhou—or life secretaries, as they were called in Lingao. After returning to Lingao, he had made up for the “excess maid occupancy compensation fee” and the “above-grade maid occupancy compensation fee.” This was a path created specifically for expatriate personnel who had taken on extra women in the past. After paying the fee, it was considered legal.

Yi Liu and Zhi Tao were by no means devastatingly beautiful, but according to the Maid Policy Committee’s evaluation standards, both girls were at an A-level. To avoid envy, jealousy, and hatred from others, he had kept a low profile after returning to Lingao, placing them in the quarantine camp for quarantine and screening, and minimizing contact with them.

According to the training plan for native personnel at expatriate stations, Yi Liu and Zhi Tao received training in accounting and secretarial work, respectively. Of course, they also inevitably underwent brainwashing education and screening. Any native personnel deemed “unreliable” would, at best, be kept to work in Lingao, and at worst, would simply disappear—most likely sent to a “study class” for “re-education.”

Guo Yi’s possession of these two women was initially driven more by physical needs than spiritual love. But as the saying goes, familiarity breeds fondness. He had gradually developed feelings for them, so he was relieved to hear that both had been deemed “qualified” after the screening. According to the General Political Security Bureau’s files, their actual political assessment was Grade IIB. This at least meant they wouldn’t be separated.

After the meeting, Zheng Shangjie invited Guo Yi to a small party on the Feiyun in a few days.

“Bring your two maids along.”

“Isn’t that a bit too conspicuous?”

“It’s fine. I was thinking of asking them to help out at the annual meeting. I want to borrow a dozen or so good-looking, tall maids from everyone to be waitresses at the annual meeting,” Zheng Shangjie said. “Don’t be so secretive. It’s all been cleared with the Executive Committee. What are you afraid of? Besides, you’re an elder now too.”

“That’s not what I mean—”

“Then what do you mean? You have to come! And bring your two maids!”

“Alright,” Guo Yi nodded helplessly.

“I’ll go invite Little Pei.”

Pei Xiuli had no one to consult after returning to Lingao. Apart from participating in one “Plan, Do, Check, Act” session and a few military training sessions during the full mobilization for the second anti-encirclement campaign, she had been idle. In her boredom, she had accepted Dong Weiwei’s invitation to teach part-time in the maid class, lecturing on “essential courses for women” like fashion coordination, makeup, nail art, skin care, and fitness, and she was enjoying it. The news that Zheng Shangjie was organizing an annual meeting excited her greatly. She was naturally lively and loved the spotlight. She certainly didn’t want to miss such an event.