Chapter 30: The New Station Chief, The Battle of Xuzhou

“Boss, take a look at these embroidery pieces—the craftsmanship is truly remarkable!”
On Weaving Road in Jiangning, inside an embroidery shop, it was a little past ten in the morning. Li Wensheng sat in the back room, drinking tea and reading a book when his shop assistant walked in, holding several embroidered handkerchiefs, his face alight with excitement.
Li Wensheng put down his book, took the handkerchiefs, and started to look through them.
On the corner of the second handkerchief, he noticed a small red chrysanthemum.
He pulled out that particular handkerchief and looked up. “Yes, it’s very good. How much did you pay for them?”
“Boss, these eighteen handkerchiefs cost a total of ten military notes. It was a bit expensive, but the workmanship is worth it.
And the woman said she lives at Number 38, Alley 3, Fulong Road. If we can’t sell them, we can bring the handkerchiefs back for a refund,” the assistant whispered, glancing toward the door.
Li Wensheng raised his brows, smiling. “Ten notes? Worth it. Put them out front where they’ll be seen.”
“Alright.”
After the assistant left with the handkerchiefs, Li Wensheng tossed the one with the red chrysanthemum into the stove.
Gazing at the flames, he murmured to himself, “At last, someone has come!”
It had been nearly a week since Li Wensheng had re-established contact with Yu Jiarong.
Now, Li Wensheng’s identity was that of Li Han, the embroidery shop owner, living in the shop’s back room.
He’d told Yu Jiarong they’d need a new means of contact: a red chrysanthemum embroidered on a handkerchief as their signal.
Now that someone had brought a handkerchief with a red chrysanthemum, it could only mean that someone from headquarters had arrived; otherwise, given the current situation with the Jinling station, no one would have risked trying to contact him.

The next day, though the sky was overcast, it didn’t rain.
A little after eight in the morning, having finished breakfast, Li Wensheng said to the assistant—actually Mao Yi, the bodyguard Yu Jiarong had assigned him—“Xiao Mao, watch the shop. I’m going out to buy some groceries. Let’s have a good lunch today.”
“Alright,” Mao Yi replied promptly.
After leaving the shop, Li Wensheng first went to the nearby market and bought a fish and some vegetables, then carried his purchases toward Fulong Road.
Fulong Road wasn’t far from Weaving Road; after a walk of about ten minutes, he arrived.
At precisely ten o’clock, Li Wensheng reached Number 38, Alley 3, and knocked on the door.
“Who is it?” came a clear voice from inside.
“I’m from Jingfu Embroidery Shop. The handkerchiefs you delivered yesterday were very nice. I’d like to place an order,” Li Wensheng called.
Moments later, the door opened.
A girl in her early twenties looked at him, grinning with excitement. “Boss, you want to order more handkerchiefs? Come in!”
Once inside, she closed the door and spoke in a low voice, “Go out the back. Someone’s waiting for you.”
Li Wensheng nodded and hurried to the back door.
Opening it, he found himself at a street corner where a rickshaw driver immediately approached with his vehicle.
“Need a ride?”
“Yes.”
Without a word from Li Wensheng, the rickshaw driver started pulling him along.
But before long, Li Wensheng realized they were circling the neighborhood.
If they were making loops, it was clear that every high vantage point was being watched.
“This new station chief is certainly cautious,” Li Wensheng thought, but he said nothing. Caution was a good thing—it meant fewer chances for Jinling station to fall into trouble.

After half an hour of winding through the streets, the rickshaw finally stopped on Guantang Road, next to Fulong Road.
In front of a three-story detached residence, the rickshaw stopped.
“We’re here!” the driver announced.
“No need to make change,” Li Wensheng said as he got off, handing the man a one-note bill from his pocket.
“Thank you, thank you!” The driver feigned delight, bowing his head in gratitude.
Once the driver had left, Li Wensheng knocked on the door.
It was quickly opened by a stern-looking man who ushered him in without delay.
Inside, the man closed the door and led Li Wensheng upstairs.
On the second floor, in a room, Li Wensheng saw two men—one in his forties, the other in his thirties.
The older man studied Li Wensheng and smiled. “Captain Li, I’m Rao Rongze, the new chief of Jinling Station.”
Li Wensheng immediately saluted. “Chief!”
“Captain Li, there’s no need to be so formal in enemy-occupied territory. Take it easy,” Rao Rongze chuckled, as genial as a laughing Buddha.
“Yes, Chief.”
“Captain Li, I’m Yan Kexue from the Intelligence Division,” the younger man said, rising and extending his hand.
“Director Yan, nice to meet you.” Li Wensheng shook his hand.
“Please, let’s all sit.”
Once they were seated, Rao Rongze continued, “Jinling Station has suffered tremendous losses.
After Guo Liang was captured, he turned traitor, leading to the entire Logistics Division being arrested.
The Action Team lost three squads. The Intelligence Division managed to relocate quickly and took little damage, but even before that, it had been hard hit and was understaffed.
At this point, Jinling Station is in total disarray.
This time, Chief Dai sent me with strict orders—we must rebuild Jinling Station.
I gave Chief Dai my word that I would quickly restore the station.”
“Chief, with you here, I have no doubt Jinling Station will rise again,” Yan Kexue replied, flattering him without delay.
Rao Rongze smiled. “I’m no Monkey King; rebuilding the station isn’t something I can do alone. It will take everyone’s effort.”
“Just give the orders, Chief, and we’ll fight to the death. Under your leadership, Jinling Station will not only be rebuilt but reach new heights.”
The flattery was so blatant that Li Wensheng found it somewhat nauseating.
Still, he said nothing. He wasn’t one for flattery, but he also knew that in any era, currying favor was the way of dealing with leaders.
One could maintain integrity and refuse to flatter, but one shouldn’t look down on those who did—it was the environment that drove them, not personal inclination.
Rao Rongze laughed and said, “Let’s not go to extremes. Our men’s lives matter too.
For the station’s rebuilding, Chief Dai has transferred a group of experienced operatives from headquarters to support us. They’ll be arriving over the next couple of days.”
“That’s excellent, Chief! With more people, Intelligence can finally get to work,” Yan Kexue said, feigning excitement.
“Director Yan, don’t get too happy yet.
Chief Dai isn’t just sending us talent and resources to rebuild the station—he’s also preparing us for a crucial mission ahead.

The enemy is preparing to converge on Xuzhou from both the north and south, aiming to connect their occupied territories in Central and North China.
The central command can’t allow this and has decided to make a stand at Xuzhou.
The enemy’s southern offensive will launch from Jinling—their 9th Division has already moved to the front.
All southern logistical supplies will be sent via the Jinpu Line to support the Xuzhou front.
Jinling is the central hub for these supplies. Chief Dai has ordered us to fully cooperate with the front lines and destroy the enemy’s supply stores.
Director Yan, once your team arrives, Intelligence must promptly identify the locations of supply warehouses and compile inventory lists.”
Yan Kexue stiffened.
Finding the warehouses was one thing, but how were they supposed to get the inventory lists?
Intelligence pertaining to war was always top secret, and no amount of bribes could uncover such details.
He didn’t have a single agent inside the enemy’s ranks; how was he supposed to gather this kind of intelligence?
“Chief, about those inventory lists…” Yan Kexue replied, clearly troubled.
But Rao Rongze didn’t care about the difficulty. He immediately put on a stern face. “Director Yan, this is a direct order from Chief Dai. Do you intend to disobey?”
“No, of course not. I will do everything in my power to complete the mission!”
The mere mention of Dai Yunong was enough to frighten Yan Kexue into submission; he dared not complain any further.
Rao Rongze took a long look at Yan Kexue, then turned to Li Wensheng.
“Captain Li, Intelligence will handle information gathering; your Action Team’s task is to blow up the enemy’s supply stores.”
Li Wensheng frowned. “Chief, the enemy will surely guard their supply depots tightly. Wouldn’t it be safer to wait until the supplies are on the trains and then blow up the trains or the tracks?”
Rao Rongze shook his head. “Captain Li, Chief Dai’s order is to destroy the supplies, not the railways or trains. The stations ahead will handle those.
But don’t think your mission is less important just because others will sabotage the rails.
Destroying the rails is only a safeguard—the main objective is still to blow up the supplies.”
“Yes, Chief, I understand,” Li Wensheng replied, though inwardly he shook his head.
Blowing up tracks was far less dangerous than infiltrating a depot to destroy supplies.
Calling the less dangerous option a backup was nonsense.
“Such an order means the Party is betting on victory at Xuzhou, hoping to use the railways for a counter-offensive, so they don’t want to destroy them.
Alas, in the original history, the Battle of Xuzhou only gave hope for victory—though casualties among Japanese and Nationalist troops were reduced, the Nationalists still lost Xuzhou and the enemy still linked Central and Northern China. Their objectives were met.
I only hope that the death of Hirohito will dampen the enemy’s morale and allow the Nationalists to kill a few more of them,” Li Wensheng sighed to himself.
As for the idea that his killing of Hirohito would change the outcome of the Battle of Xuzhou?
Li Wensheng harbored no such illusions. Hirohito was only a symbol; his death wouldn’t cause the enemy to collapse.
“Director Yan, Captain Li, today I called you here to meet, deliver Chief Dai’s orders, and have you both make preparations. Once your men arrive, we’ll move into action.”
“Yes, Chief!” the two replied in unison.
Rao Rongze said little more, giving them his contact details, discussing a few work matters, and then dismissing them.