Chapter 44: The Objective of the Military Statistics Bureau

October 22, 1938. Gu Yufei's residence, Qifeng County.

"You mean our people were completely weeded out right in Jiangcheng?" Gu Yufei's expression was icy. The Military Statistics Bureau had already sent reinforcements for the third time, yet out of more than a hundred agents dispatched, the Independent 2nd Division still consisted of only the two of them. It had reduced her—a lieutenant colonel and head of the Political Training Section—to pulling double duty as a code clerk every single day.

The only difference was that both Gu Yufei and Xu Zhongyi had received promotions in military rank, but promotions without subordinates meant nothing could actually be accomplished.

"Not just us; the Central Statistics Bureau got the exact same treatment. When our people were dismissed, they at least received one silver dollar each, but the Central Statistics Bureau guys were each issued a single steamed black-flour bun." Xu Zhongyi shook his head. Though he felt largely indifferent inside, his face still wore a bitterly aggrieved expression. With or without subordinates, he was merely an odd-job man; if Qi Siyuan hadn't been dismissed, the position of deputy head of the Political Training Section would never have fallen to him.

"Do they have a roster?" Gu Yufei felt a jolt of alarm upon hearing this. Weeding out every single agent from the Military Statistics Bureau was not something that could be accomplished easily.

"Doesn't look like it. Japanese agents and traitors were all weeded out as well. When the recruits practice bayonet drills, those are the exact Japanese and traitors they use as targets." Thinking of the scene in the basement of the Jiangcheng Bureau office, Xu Zhongyi felt a creeping numbness across his scalp. Compared to that, even Xing Fang of the Military Statistics Bureau seemed remarkably pleasant.

"How dare they? Aren't they afraid of killing the wrong people?" Hearing this, Gu Yufei felt a similar chill run down her spine. The Japanese might relish such methods, but the National Revolutionary Army rarely dared to act this way; traditional cultural values dictated that such wholesale slaughter brought bad karma.

"Not a single mistake. Every single one of them was guilty, including those arrested during the purge of Jiangcheng—not one was innocent. As for the few who were eventually released, they weren't wronged either," Xu Zhongyi said with absolute certainty.

"Could it be their family's ancestral expertise? Or is there actually a capable talent left in the Independent 2nd Division? No, that can't be right—wasn't it said that the Northeast Army's intelligence network collapsed long ago?" Gu Yufei was thoroughly baffled. Information leaks from the Military Statistics Bureau and the Central Statistics Bureau were hardly surprising, but for the various miscellaneous intelligence agencies of the Japanese to suffer leaks as well defied all reason.

"It must be ancestral expertise. After all, our divisional commander is the son of the Northeast Army's intelligence chief. By the way, Yufei, they all say Elder Wang was assassinated by the Japanese—is that true?" Xu Zhongyi mused thoughtfully. He suspected that Wang Yue possessed the mystical arts of physiognomy and reading spiritual aura; it was said that masters of the ancient Six Fans Gate possessed such abilities. Viewed in that light, the Northeast Army's intelligence system had a far deeper heritage than the Military Statistics Bureau.

"Who are you calling Yufei? As for that matter, it's true nine times out of ten. On the surface, Elder Wang had resigned and returned home, but in private, he was holding secret talks with the Japanese high command, scheming to undermine the Kwantung Army. It's only natural the Japanese assassinated him." Gu Yufei shot Xu Zhongyi a withering glare. Why was this fellow so infuriatingly obnoxious, yet completely impossible to shake off?

"Is it possible that a portion of the intelligence organization left behind by Elder Wang was never handed over to him?" Xu Zhongyi blithely ignored Gu Yufei's annoyance. The woman possessed a genuinely foul temper, but she truly harbored no malicious intentions.

"That's not for us to consider. For us, the most important tasks remain strictly guarding against the Eighth Route Army's infiltration into the Independent 2nd Division, and preventing the division from being bought out by the Japanese. Commander Wang still commands considerable influence within the Northeast Army; the moment he defects, it could very well trigger a chain reaction among the young officers." Gu Yufei gently shook her head. The Military Commission certainly cared little for the meager forces currently in Wang Yue's hands, but Wang Yue himself was a troublesome wildcard. Left unnoticed, he seemed unremarkable; the moment he stepped into the spotlight, something felt deeply amiss. Take Wang Yue's recruitment drive in Jiangcheng, for instance—it was impossible that other Northeast Army units held no grievances about it. The real issue was that no one dared to utter a peep, and some units had even dutifully reissued military pay to their soldiers.

That was truly terrifying. They had assumed the scattered sand of the Northeast Army could be easily manipulated—and indeed, the Military Commission had achieved just that. But what would happen if a new charismatic leader emerged from the Northeast Army? It was true that Elder Wang was gone, but a fallen tiger still retained its majesty; Wang Yue's influence might well surpass that of many veteran generals of the Northeast Army.

"That's impossible. Back then, our divisional commander slaughtered their people—that's an absolute blood feud. The only reason they aren't at each other's throats right now is that this is a national war. As for the Japanese, that's even less likely; up to this point, the commander has personally chopped off the heads of several hundred Japanese soldiers. Even if the Japanese were truly willing to let bygones be bygones, the commander would never trust them." Xu Zhongyi believed the Military Statistics Bureau was simply borrowing trouble by worrying over nothing. Everything was laid out plainly before them, so where would all these drastic variables come from? Just like Li Yunlong's New Regiment stationed around Qifeng County, weren't they fundamentally guarding against the Independent 2nd Division? The only reason was that the division's current strength was not yet formidable; perhaps more "allied forces" would be sent to "assist in defense" later on.

At this thought, Xu Zhongyi couldn't help but admire the brilliant maneuvering of the higher-ups. At minimal cost, they kept both sides in check, leaving the Military Commission to reap the profits while letting the two factions fight the Japanese to the death. Regardless of the final outcome, the Military Commission would be more than happy to see it.

"The higher-ups don't dare to gamble. Hundreds of thousands of troops in the Northeast Army—that bargaining chip is enough to make anyone abandon their principles. After the battle of Jiangcheng, the strength of the Central Army has declined once again. If the Northeast Army truly demands the release of that person, the Military Commission might well make concessions. The moment that person is released, the very first to face disaster will be our Military Statistics Bureau." Gu Yufei smiled faintly. These insights were things she had slowly figured out bit by bit; who could say time doesn't make one grow?

"Surely not? Haven't many units of the Northeast Army been completely overhauled with fresh personnel over the years? Can they still even be considered the Northeast Army?" Xu Zhongyi didn't think the situation was that severe. Ever since the outbreak of the War of Resistance, the Northeast Army had consistently served as front-line cannon fodder, suffering devastating losses in equipment and personnel. Many units had their designations outright canceled, and with those forces scattered across various war zones, they were utterly incapable of forming a cohesive force. Where would they even find the capital to pressure the government?

"The higher-ups believe Commander Wang still holds a portion of the Northeast Army's financial and material reserves, and perhaps even the intelligence network left behind by Elder Wang. Otherwise, there is simply no way to explain the current source of the Independent 2nd Division's equipment and supplies. Furthermore, there is a massive population of displaced Northeast refugees in the rear areas—they are never short of recruits, exactly like your recruitment drive in Jiangcheng. Moreover, Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong, Chahar, and Suiyuan can all be considered traditional recruitment grounds for the Northeast Army. Even though that Great Marshal is dead, his lingering prestige remains. It's only natural for the Military Commission to feel afraid," Gu Yufei continued to explain.

"The Old Wang family is definitely wealthy. After all, they were the financial gods and intelligence chiefs of the entire Northeast Army. If he hadn't died so early, none of these messy complications would have arisen later on." Xu Zhongyi did not dispute Gu Yufei's words this time; all signs indicated that describing his divisional commander's financial resources as unfathomable was no exaggeration at all.