invite
The cramped attic was deathly silent. Qingcheng stood before him, her clear black and white eyes fixed on him. Perhaps seeing his silence, Qingcheng tapped his cheek from above: "What, you dare to do it but not admit it?"
"I'm sorry, I was drunk that day, and I only found out he was dead the next day from the newspaper. Besides, Hu Yukun was one of your people. If you didn't know, then I knew even less." Gao Junxiao's dark eyes flickered, and his tone carried a hint of grievance.
"So you were drunk, yet you drove several kilometers out of your way to my hotel just to harass me?" Qingcheng suddenly grabbed his ear and yelled. His head was buzzing; she looked so cute in her exasperation, I really wanted to pinch her cheeks.
But Gao Junxiao thought about it again and laughed at his own foolishness. He pulled Qingcheng's hand away and said, "I admit I can hold my liquor, but I still get dizzy when I drink too much. I didn't get lost on the way only because my longing for you guided me. Otherwise, I would have made you feed water and candy like a child. I'm a grown man, and I still have my pride."
Qingcheng rolled her eyes at him: "So I'm that important. I'm so touched. I still remember that you skipped your post on the first day of school to buy me the Book of Jin. After buying the book, you went to buy apples and traveled across half of Xuzhou City."
"It's what I should do. If you're happy, you can give me a tip." Gao Junxiao tapped his cheek, indicating that she should kiss him.
Qingcheng smiled slightly, then suddenly cupped Gao Junxiao's face and slammed it against him. His head went blank for a moment, and he felt a sharp pain. He hadn't expected her to use this tactic. It hurt her a lot, but she was hurting herself too. Didn't she feel any pain?
"He Si! If you won't kiss me, fine, but why did you bump into me?" Gao Junxiao shouted, clutching his injured forehead.
"Oh my, you call me 'darling' when you're happy, but you call me 'He Si' when you're angry. How can you be so hard to please!" Qingcheng smoothed her bangs and couldn't help but laugh. "Like a dog biting Lü Dongbin, not recognizing a kind heart."
"What the hell? You bumped into me, and it's my fault?" Gao Junxiao rubbed his forehead, unable to understand where He Qingcheng learned this domineering logic.
"Yeah, because you forgot to tell me a crucial piece of information, I kindly helped you recover your memory, and you even yelled at me." Qingcheng said, feeling wronged. "Did you take something important for someone else and then deliver it to them?"
"Who is this other person? I'm swamped with work in Xuzhou, and I still have time to deliver things for others. How much does he pay me for running errands?" Gao Junxiao frowned and pointed to himself.
"Is one life enough?" Qingcheng asked back, her small face tense and looking somewhat serious.
His breath hitched, and Gao Junxiao propped himself up on his arms, saying seriously, "If someone entrusts me with their life, I will help them deliver it, regardless of whether I know them before or not... I'm quite curious, what is it that they want to deliver that's more important than their own life?"
"The spark of the Chinese revolution! The hope of 400 million compatriots!" Qingcheng's answer was firm and powerful.
"I hope this thing is too vague. What a pity." Gao Junxiao drawled out the last syllable, paused for a moment, and then looked up to reply, "Commander Du knows where I went, and Senior Brother Qin knows as well. If you think someone is helping you behind the scenes, why don't you write a letter to ask your big leaders if they have any undercover agents who haven't told you, a mere courier?"
"Never mind. I won't force you if you don't want to talk about it. After all, even Team Leader Dai couldn't find any flaws." Qingcheng's words were impeccable, but she continued to move closer to Gao Junxiao. "However, there is a private matter I would like to discuss with you."
"What private matter? Do you want to call off the engagement?" Gao Junxiao shifted uncomfortably, feeling that she had obtained some important information but hadn't revealed it.
"On the contrary, let's plan our future life together." Qingcheng put her arm around his shoulder. "For example, if I go out two or three nights a week, will you come with me or not? I once heard someone say that only incompetent men would stalk their wives in the middle of the night."
Hey, talking about this makes him wide awake! Gao Junxiao grabbed Qingcheng's lower back and pulled her onto his lap before speaking: "Other men aren't as lucky as me, to have such a capable wife. They're all green with envy, but I'm glowing red, so I have to stay with you, lest you cause trouble and I can't clean up the mess."
Without struggling, Qingcheng glanced at his hand and casually pinched his chin: "Then let's rely on our own abilities."
"Alright, let me see what you've got." Gao Junxiao's gaze lingered on her face, but he didn't see her embarrassed or angry expression, which was a bit of a pity. "Don't blame me for not reminding you, you're surrounded by enemies right now, it's not wise to make any more enemies. Having another ally won't hurt."
"I'm so scared~" Qingcheng deliberately exclaimed in an extremely affected voice. The next second, she smoothly concealed her dazed state and revealed a fox-like smile. "You don't need to probe indirectly. If you want to know what I'm doing, you can cooperate with me, just like when you were in Xuzhou."
Gao Junxiao pulled Qingcheng into his arms and chuckled, "Wow, quite the boast. You're just a lowly courier. What good would it do to work with you?"
“There are advantages to being a small character.” Qingcheng blinked. “If you cooperate with me, you can avoid ten years of detours, earn a general’s rank within a year, become a regional commander within three years, and enter the Nanjing Political Bureau within six years. Once you’re in the central system, you’ll have to rely on yourself.”
A chill ran down Gao Junxiao's spine, and he couldn't help but look Qingcheng up and down. How could her influence extend to the Nanjing Political Bureau? He still maintained a tough front: "I thought these were all perks of being a husband, but it turns out we have to cooperate."
“One shouldn’t be too greedy. You want both, and your motives for marrying me are impure. I will be heartbroken.” Qingcheng looked at him with a distressed expression, as if he were a heartless man who coveted wealth and status.
Gao Junxiao was so choked he almost bit his tongue. He genuinely wanted to marry her, but He Qingcheng couldn't use him secretly, so he made it public as a bargaining chip.
"Why are you angry again? You were the one who extended the olive branch first. If you're not satisfied with the terms, we can talk again. Do you expect us to throw tantrums at our representatives in Xuzhou?" Qingcheng asked, somewhat bewildered.
How can they be the same?! Gao Junxiao forced himself to remain calm, but a surge of anger rushed to his head. He suddenly reached out and pinched her face like he was pinching a child's cheek, rubbing it hard.
"You're crazy!" Kiyosumi said, her face flushed red, and angrily punched him several times.
Haha, does it hurt now, you little madwoman? No matter how hard your head is, your face is still soft. Her defeated appearance finally allowed Gao Junxiao to regain some face: "I understand your conditions. Tell me your requirements."
Qingcheng pouted and glanced at him, her eyes filled with a sharp, icy aura. For some reason, Gao Junxiao was in a good mood and even wanted to laugh. He reached out and pinched her: "Miss He, be more professional. You are negotiating with me on behalf of your organization. You can't be like a pufferfish, not saying a word."
In a flash, Gao Junxiao instinctively covered his head, afraid that He Qingcheng would have another outburst. Qingcheng simply stood up, patted the wrinkles on her clothes, and said, "I apologize for making you laugh, Mr. Gao. We've finished discussing personal matters; let's now begin business."
"No, you're so tactless. You're being too formal. Quickly change how you address me."
"It's better to be more formal, so you won't think I'm unprofessional and damage our organization's image. Let me pour you some tea." Kiyosumi was as polite as if it were their first meeting.
As she turned her back, Gao Junxiao gently patted his mouth. Why couldn't he control himself? She's angry, and he has to coax her himself. What's the point?
Qingcheng handed him the water glass: "Please wait until I finish speaking before you drink, I'm afraid you'll spit it out."
Gao Junxiao pointed to the weapons on the ground and joked, "I'm not a watering can. If I break your treasures, you'll make me go bankrupt. Tell me, tell me."
"I'd like to invite you to be my informant. You should prefer being a revolutionary comrade to being a lackey of the Chiang family," Kiyosumi said confidently.
As expected, Gao Junxiao had anticipated this: "My disagreement with Chairman Chiang's 'lackey' theory does not mean that I agree with your 'comrade' theory."
"The word 'comrade' was proposed by Mr. Sun. From the beginning of the Tongmenghui, they addressed each other as comrades, meaning people who share the same ideals. That's why he proposed the alliance with Russia and the Communist Party, because everyone was a revolutionary comrade." Qingcheng sat back on the bed.
“I know Mr. Sun’s ideas, but the Chiang family is in charge right now. His strategy is to secure internal stability before resisting external aggression. Anyone who dares to oppose him will be dealt with. I don’t want to suffer another prison sentence,” Gao Junxiao said firmly.
“I understand your concerns. You don’t have any party affiliation, so it’s reasonable to be more moderate. But the more you try not to offend either side, the more likely you are to offend both sides.” Qingcheng threw out a hook.
Sensing her intentions, Gao Junxiao felt quite smug: "What, you want to recruit me?"
"I don't have that idea for now. If you wanted to join us, the evaluation period alone would be no less than two years, which is longer than the time it takes for us to date. Not to mention the time for political review and the time for the introducer to write a report. It might even require special approval from a high-ranking leader. It's too troublesome," Qingcheng said with a grin.
A bucket of cold water was poured over his head. Gao Junxiao glanced at Qingcheng suspiciously: "Then what do you mean?"
“Let’s cooperate first, just like your senior brother. Do you dislike our Comrade Xiangyu?” Qingcheng suddenly changed the subject.
“How could that be? I think anyone who has met him would be impressed by his courage and demeanor. He is the man that Chairman Chiang could not have,” Gao Junxiao said slowly.
"There are plenty of men that Chairman Chiang couldn't have, but 99% of them are on our side. You know why?" Qingcheng's eyes shone with pride.
"There are many reasons. Corruption is rampant in local government offices. You can't get anything done without money. It's this group of arrogant officials who act like mice before a cat when they see foreigners, leading to the rampant spread of opium and the loss of territory. Compared to that, your attitude towards foreign enemies is correct. At least you haven't wasted taxpayers' money." Gao Junxiao cited an example that he was most dissatisfied with.
“We also have the problem of corruption. We are all Chinese, and the bureaucratic mentality left over from thousands of years is not so easy to eradicate.” Qingcheng’s tone was extremely sincere, leaving no room for doubt.
Gao Junxiao raised one eyebrow: "Huh? You should praise your organization more, how noble and incorruptible you are."
“If we only talk about the good side, it doesn’t conform to our dialectical principle of dividing one into two. We must recognize our mistakes, correct them, criticize their root causes, and seek truth from facts to fundamentally resolve the contradictions.” Qingcheng smiled and said, “The problems that the Nationalist government has are also our problems. We can only solve the primary contradictions first, and then the secondary contradictions. In our Soviet area, corruption is the primary contradiction. If you embezzle more than 500 silver dollars, you’ll be shot.”
“The Nationalist government also has similar regulations, but unfortunately, those who enforce the law are themselves corrupt. No matter how perfect the law is written, if no one implements it, it’s just a piece of waste paper,” Gao Junxiao argued. “Even if your Soviet area has an agency to control officials, who will supervise that agency?”
Kiyosumi smiled and took out a newspaper from the drawer next to him, handing it to him. When he took it, the headline read: "Court Dismantles Huge Cigarette Growing and Smuggling Ring." The names, positions, crimes, and amounts of embezzled funds of the people involved were all listed, with the higher the official rank, the heavier the sentence.
A photograph of a trial and an execution of a prisoner stirred the blood. A light shone in Gao Junxiao's eyes; words could not express his ecstatic joy. He wished this could be promoted nationwide. He excitedly inquired how the Soviet area had managed such a detailed investigation.
“Our greatest reliance in catching corrupt officials is not some powerful government agency, but the supervision of the general public. Who knows the details of a case better than the victims?” Qingcheng gestured for him to turn to the next page.
A photo of a wooden box immediately catches the eye, with the three powerful characters "Complaint Box" written on it. Qingcheng explained that grassroots Party members in the Soviet area carried the complaint box to visit rural areas every day to write complaints on behalf of the people, from minor neighborhood disputes to major reports against Soviet cadres.
A petition to the lower levels? Gao Junxiao felt that he had wasted the last thirty years of his life. In the operas he had heard since childhood, commoners would carry blood-stained petitions, intercept the official sedan chairs of imperial envoys or relatives of the emperor, roll on nails, be beaten in court, and only by risking their lives could they sue the officials.
Armed forces also actively reached out to ordinary civilians, helping them to sue officials. The Soviet areas were even more fantastical than what mainstream newspapers portrayed, but in a different light.
Gao Junxiao remarked with emotion, "You're not afraid of their false accusations at all. It seems the people in your Soviet area are different from those in other places; they have a higher level of awareness."
"There's no difference. The fact that you can say that implies you subconsciously think the masses are a bunch of uncultured troublemakers who are unreasonable and make trouble out of nothing. Whenever something big happens, they always prioritize their own interests, seriously hindering decision-makers." Qingcheng's eyes narrowed, revealing a hint of coldness.
"What does this little girl know?" Gao Junxiao argued. "Isn't that right? I encountered them when I was suppressing bandits. Some people were indeed more conscious and offered us help, but most of them chose to remain silent."
Qingcheng pursed his lips, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Putting aside the reputation of the Nationalist soldiers, suppressing bandits was indeed a good thing, but you shouldn't act like a savior. You think that by standing on the moral high ground and raising your voice, they will follow you? That's typical arrogance of the elite class. You underestimate the masses and overestimate yourself.
Her words were rather harsh, and Gao Junxiao gulped down a mouthful of water: "May I ask how your Communist Party suppresses bandits?"
Qingcheng explained with a smile that if the Soviet area's anti-bandit cadres wanted to utilize the power of the masses, they would give them enough respect and repeatedly educate them through loudspeakers at the village entrance, telling them that peaceful days were what they were entitled to, and that no one was born to be cattle or horses.
Then we should strive to help the masses organize armed forces, point out the direction of their struggle, and let them take action to strive for and create their own happy life.
When the anti-bandit cadres went to mobilize again, the silent majority disappeared. In their place came a group of people who dared to resist, were full of martial spirit, and whose eyes were filled with resentment and anger. They were no longer the pitiful and ignorant people who were saved in the eyes of the elites, but an important part of our Soviet armed struggle.
Isn't that just the local militia? Gao Junxiao was quite puzzled: "You mean to let the masses organize militia to fight bandits? But no matter how powerful the militia is, they can't compare to the regular army. Your bandit suppression cadres only do verbal mobilization, what about actual action?"
Without giving a direct answer, Kiyosumi believed that bandit suppression was an extremely broad concept, encompassing pre-war mobilization, intelligence gathering, weapons supply, logistical support, tactics and strategies, as well as post-war reconstruction and post-war defense.
Qingcheng frankly admitted that apart from pre-war mobilization, tactics and strategy, and post-war reconstruction, their anti-bandit cadres could entrust everything else to the masses.
In the Soviet areas, from six-year-old babies to eighty-year-old elders, the masses would spontaneously form village-level intelligence organizations. Once an outsider showed his face, even if he stayed in the village for less than ten minutes, our anti-bandit cadres would know his exact location. If it was confirmed that the stranger was a mouthpiece for the bandits, then he could forget about leaving the village.
There's no need to worry about logistics and supplies. Wherever there are people, our soldiers will not starve. Some enthusiastic people will even hand over their winter rations.
Of course, we don't take things for free. We have a rule that we can't take even a needle or thread from the masses. If we have money, we'll give it to them; if we don't, we'll write an IOU first. When our finances are better, we'll immediately send cadres to redeem the IOU. Our good reputation of always repaying debts was built up little by little by countless cadres in the Soviet areas. The masses trust us, and we trust the masses in return.
Weapon resupply was a little difficult, but our people would do everything they could to help us break through the blockade. In places unseen by the bandits, countless men and women were pushing wheelbarrows, transporting weapons to the front lines free of charge.
Another major difference between our anti-bandit cadres and others is that after the battle, we don't just leave. Instead, we clean up the battlefield, help the villagers rebuild their houses and fields, and continue to train the young men and women in the village, distributing some weapons so that they can resist the counterattack of the remaining bandits.
The masses are well-fed and clothed, and they have learned how to resist. When our bandit suppression team goes to fight other bandits next time, they will automatically become our additional force and strengthen our team.
"Oh~ So the bandits aren't just fighting your bandit suppression teams, but they're fighting all the people within a radius of dozens of miles." Gao Junxiao suddenly realized.
“That’s right. The masses are our armed forces, and our armed forces originate from the masses,” Qingcheng replied, word by word.
Hearing your words is worth more than reading ten years of books; Gao Junxiao was completely convinced.
No wonder the Nationalist government suffered repeated defeats in its encirclement and suppression of the Soviet areas. The secret lay with the masses. The Soviet areas were a nation of soldiers, capable of infiltration and guerrilla warfare. Gao Junxiao felt that the Nanjing government's defeat was not unjust. What if one day the Soviets organized all 400 million people in China... tsk tsk, he dared not think of the consequences.
Looking at Qingcheng, Gao Junxiao secretly admired her theoretical level. "Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me." The old saying is indeed true.
Just as he was about to compliment his wife, Gao Junxiao suddenly pictured the fat face of the Master in his mind, and his newly ignited enthusiasm died down: "Since you're banning opium, why are you still in contact with the Master? Don't you know he's the biggest opium dealer in Shanghai?"
"You're already trying to gather information before we've even started cooperating," Kiyosumi teased. "I can't say too much right now, but I can tell you that our anti-smoking laws will eventually spread throughout China. The Soviet area is just the beginning."
That's enough. Gao Junxiao respectfully closed the newspaper: "At least let me know what kind of information you want before I consider whether to give it to you or not."
"I won't make things too difficult for you. I just want to know the list of some arrested comrades and their specific locations of detention, so that we can rescue them."
Gao Junxiao shook his head: "Those who have entered my military law department are basically all worth digging into. They either betray us or die. There is no third option. If you come to rescue them, you are just walking into a trap."
"How to save them is our business, don't worry about it. You should consider it as carrying on Mr. Sun's last wish to leave a spark for the Chinese revolution."
“What I mean is, you should get the extradition list. The best time for a rescue should be before entering the Longhua Command,” Gao Junxiao suggested.
"Thank you." Qingcheng extended her hand, and Gao Junxiao eagerly shook it.
"Um... Could you subscribe to this newspaper for me sometime?" Gao Junxiao stammered, and after a long while, he awkwardly explained his idea.
“No need to waste money, our newspaper is free. Whenever you want to read it, I’ll bring you here. It’s safer than keeping it at home,” Kiyosumi said generously.
"Okay." Gao Junxiao nodded repeatedly, as happy as a child who had just eaten candy. "There's one more thing. I didn't do anything to that kid. He left as soon as he heard the assembly order. I pretended to dismantle weapons and deliberately left on the rooftop to wait for you."
"I know." Qingcheng smiled knowingly. A blush instantly appeared on Gao Junxiao's face, glad that he had taken another step closer to her.
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