Chapter 53: Meeting the Master of Micro-Control

“Sixth Brother.”
“Sixth Brother.”
“Sixth Brother.”

Within the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, Zheng Yaoxian's reputation was second to none. Everyone he passed greeted him with respectful cries of “Sixth Brother.”

Amid these salutations, Zheng Yaoxian led Li Wensheng and his group through the bureau, ascending to the top floor of the central building. As they reached this level, they saw the security captain escorting a young woman down the corridor toward them.

When they drew near, Zheng Yaoxian tapped the captain on the head and chided, “You rascal, open your eyes next time. These people are pillars in the chief’s eyes, the backbone of our bureau’s future.”

“Yes, yes, Sixth Brother, I’ll be more careful from now on,” stammered the captain. He turned to Li Wensheng and apologized, “Sorry, brother.”

The captain had been startled. He had gone to the secretary of Deputy Director Dai, reporting that someone named Li Wensheng had come seeking the director but had no credentials, so he had stopped him at the entrance. The secretary scolded him immediately and called the chief. Hearing the chief say he would come personally, the captain nearly broke out in a cold sweat. For the chief to come in person, these visitors had to be extremely important—yet he had blocked them at the door.

“It’s nothing. We were at fault for not bringing our credentials,” Li Wensheng replied with an amiable smile.

The captain apologized again, and Zheng Yaoxian gave him an out, “Go guard the main gate. If anyone really barges in, even ten heads wouldn’t be enough for you.” With that, the captain hurried off.

Once the captain had left, the secretary addressed Zheng Yaoxian, “Sixth Brother, please bring them in. I’ll take it from here; you can get back to your work.”

“Xuèfeng, you’re always so quick to use people and then rush them off. Fine, I’ll go,” Zheng Yaoxian joked before taking his leave.

The secretary led Li Wensheng’s group into a conference room, served them tea, and asked them to wait. If it had been anyone else waiting for the chief, she would have left them standing in the corridor—serving tea would be out of the question. But with Li Wensheng, she dared not make him wait outside.

They had barely sipped their tea when the secretary returned and announced, “The chief is here. Please come with me.”

At the chief’s office, the secretary knocked on the door. “Chief, they’re here.”

“Come in,” came the chief’s voice from inside.

The secretary opened the door, stepped aside, and indicated for Li Wensheng’s group to enter.

As soon as they entered, before they could speak, the chief rose from behind his desk with a broad smile. He strode forward, clapped Li Wensheng on the shoulder, and laughed heartily.

“Well done, well done! Blowing up the enemy’s supply depot has brought great honor to the bureau. Even the higher-ups spoke highly of you, calling you pillars of the organization.”

The chief was immensely satisfied with his earlier decision to retain Li Wensheng at the insistence of the micro-operation master. Li Wensheng had not let him down. With just a few dozen men, he had destroyed a heavily guarded supply depot, bringing prestige to the bureau.

“All of this is thanks to your wise guidance, Director. I dare not take the credit myself,” Li Wensheng managed to say, suppressing his discomfort.

“Haha, the merit is yours and yours alone—no one can take it from you. Tomorrow, I’ll hold a special commendation ceremony for you at headquarters,” the chief declared.

Li Wensheng was taken aback. Commendation ceremonies weren’t usually held for a single person, as in the dramas. They were scheduled at set times to honor everyone who had distinguished themselves during that period, regardless of whether they were present at headquarters. Even if their contribution in blowing up the enemy depot was significant, it hardly warranted a ceremony just for them.

“Thank you, Director,” Li Wensheng replied, keeping his doubts to himself and saluting.

“You earned all this yourselves.”

As the chief finished speaking, his expression grew serious. “The reason I called you back this time is that I plan for you to take up posts here in Chongqing. After tomorrow’s ceremony, you’ll all be assigned to the Second Division. Li Wensheng, you’ll be chief of the Counterintelligence Section. Shi Xiaozhen will be your deputy. The rest—place them as you see fit.”

“Yes, Director. I accept your orders.”

The chief turned to his desk, picked up a file, and handed it to Li Wensheng. “Your assignment to the Counterintelligence Section is just a cover. In truth, you have only one task: uncover the Japanese spy lurking in the Second Division and find the whereabouts of the missing files.”

“Yes, Director. I will complete the mission,” Li Wensheng answered, taking the file.

“For this mission, you answer only to me. In the Second Division, regardless of who it is, as long as you find someone suspicious, you have full authority to act,” the chief said.

Li Wensheng frowned slightly. “Director, in that case, just the few of us won’t be enough.”

The chief gave him a long look. “Who do you need? Whoever you want, I’ll assign them to you.”

“Director, I don’t know many people at headquarters. I’ll leave it to you to select the team.”

A trace of approval flashed in the director’s eyes. “Very well, I’ll choose for you. It’s not easy to pick the right people immediately. Give me two days; when I’ve decided, I’ll have them report to you directly.”

“Thank you, Director.”

“All right. Rest for a day, and write a detailed report about the depot operation. Hand it to me at tomorrow’s ceremony.”

“Yes, Director. Then, with your permission, I’ll take my leave,” Li Wensheng said, preparing to exit.

“Wait. Let Shi Xiaozhen and the others go on ahead—you stay,” the chief ordered.

Li Wensheng furrowed his brow and, after the others had left, asked in a low voice, “Director, is there something else?”

“It’s good news. The higher-up was very impressed by you. A few days ago, he told me that when you returned, I was to bring you to meet him,” the chief replied with a smile.

Li Wensheng was surprised. Was he to meet the supreme leader just for blowing up a depot? No, it must be because they had discovered his true identity.

Very well, he thought, meeting the micro-operation master might not be a bad thing.

Afterward, Li Wensheng left with the director, boarded a car, and headed to the mansion.

At the entrance, they got out and went to the porter’s lodge. The director told the man inside, “Please inform them I’ve brought Li Wensheng for an audience.”

“Wait here,” the man replied, picking up the phone to make the call. After a short while, the phone rang again. He answered, hung up, and walked out to say, “You may see him now.”

After a thorough security check, Li Wensheng and the director were allowed into the mansion.

The place was as grand as a twenty-first-century villa—lawns, gardens, a swimming pool, all the amenities.

As they entered the main hall, a soldier blocked their path, saying, “Wait here.”

The two men were puzzled; they had just been told to go in, and now they were being asked to wait. But they dared not question it and stepped back into the courtyard.

After a considerable wait, a military officer in his fifties emerged and called out, “Come.”

The director hurried forward with a smile. “Brother Tiaomei, sorry to trouble you.”

The officer said nothing, simply turning to lead the way. The director dared not take offense and quickly followed.

Entering the hall, where antiquity and modernity blended, Li Wensheng and the director immediately understood why they had been admitted and then made to wait at the door.