Chapter 42: The Choice

I see.

Now Zhao Xuan finally understood why Watanabe Kyoko had chosen to lurk inside Ding Moqun's residence.

With a roster of that magnitude, even the Japanese could not simply wrest it from Ding Moqun's hands.

Just as Watanabe Kyoko had deduced, those documents served as the very capital for Ding Moqun's future advancement.

Such a prize was naturally something to be clutched tightly within one's own grasp.

If the Japanese possessed any cleverness, they would never demand that Ding Moqun hand it over openly. When taking something by outright force, how could one ever distinguish between what was genuine and what was false?

Should they resort to such tactics, Ding Moqun might easily manipulate the situation behind the scenes, and a single misstep could inflict catastrophic losses upon the Empire.

Since overt plunder was out of the question, covert theft remained the only viable path.

Although Ding Moqun currently worked in the service of the Empire, he was, after all, a citizen of the Republic. A classified roster of spies as vital as the Strategy Codex could only inspire true peace of mind if it was held directly by the Empire itself.

Initially, Watanabe Kyoko's sights had been set on Dao Yan, but Dao Yan's relationship with Ding Moqun was altogether too close.

That entanglement had caused Watanabe Kyoko to hesitate and delay her decision.

Yet with the arrival of Zhao Xuan—and the striking resemblance he bore to her own son—Watanabe Kyoko had immediately altered her target.

Provided Zhao Xuan successfully passed her screening process, the next logical step would be to turn him to their cause.

In comparison to Dao Yan, swaying Zhao Xuan was undeniably the easier prospect.

After all, given Zhao Xuan's current predicament within the Ding household, Watanabe Kyoko refused to believe that resentment was entirely absent from his heart.

Moreover, since Watanabe Kyoko could offer Zhao Xuan greater authority and a loftier position, she was ninety percent confident she could persuade him to work on her behalf.

Every single unspoken thought of Watanabe Kyoko had been overheard by Zhao Xuan, word for word.

Yet Zhao Xuan could only conclude that this woman was overthinking things immensely.

Whether it was the former Zhao Xuan or his present self, neither of them could ever truly be subverted by Watanabe Kyoko.

Naturally, as for pretending to have been turned, the original Zhao Xuan would have had a fifty percent chance of agreement, whereas the current Zhao Xuan would undoubtedly agree one hundred percent.

Between relying on the Wang regime and relying on the Japanese Yamaguchi-gumi, the choice should be remarkably straightforward.

Even for the sake of maintaining his deep cover and acquiring far more vital secrets, Watanabe Kyoko remained the absolute superior choice.

After all, under Ding Moqun's command, Zhao Xuan could at best hope to rise to the rank of a section chief, but beneath Watanabe Kyoko, the day might soon arrive when Zhao Xuan himself became the director of Headquarters 76.

Having concluded his conversation with Aunt Liu, Zhao Xuan felt his spirits lift considerably.

The previously perplexing movements of Aunt Liu had now been laid bare, and everything seemed to be developing in a favorable direction.

Naturally, regardless of the path chosen, Zhao Xuan never forgot that he was still treading on thin ice. He had to remain cautious, avoid drawing undue attention, and play the long game with the utmost stealth!

...

The following day, just as Zhao Xuan arrived at his desk and prepared to take a seat, Ding Moqun's secretary, Jiang Li, sought him out.

Truth be told, Zhao Xuan had not yet had the opportunity to meet this Jiang Li.

Prior to Zhao Xuan joining the staff, Jiang Li had been dispatched by Ding Moqun to Nanjing to report on official duties, and incidentally, to act the humble subordinate in order to secure a fresh batch of funding.

"Director, did you summon me?"

Upon entering Ding Moqun's office and seeing Zhou Mei already waiting inside, Zhao Xuan instinctively knew what was about to transpire.

Only after secretary Jiang Li closed the door behind them did Ding Moqun smile, gesturing for Zhao Xuan to take a seat. He then looked toward both Zhao Xuan and Zhou Mei, speaking in a gentle tone:

"Ah-Xuan, although the Cattail and the Young Tiger have yet to be rooted out, the position of Intelligence Section Chief cannot remain vacant indefinitely."

"In truth, from the very beginning, my intention was for you to assume the role of section chief. However, as you are well aware, having just entered Headquarters 76, your seniority is still lacking. Even if you were to become chief, it would be difficult to command absolute obedience."

Hearing these words, a sense of unease crept over Zhou Mei. What exactly was Ding Moqun implying?

She had brought forth crucial intelligence, yet judging by Ding Moqun's current tone, he seemed intent on forcefully thrusting Zhao Xuan into the position of Intelligence Section Chief, while she, Zhou Mei, appeared destined to be relegated to the role of Zhao Xuan's subordinate!

However, a woman's intuition is not always infallible.

Watching Zhao Xuan nod in acknowledgment, Ding Moqun immediately fixed a radiant smile upon Zhou Mei:

"Zhou Mei, I am genuinely gladdened by your decision to abandon the dark and turn toward the light. Not only have you successively aided us in dismantling several underground stations of the military intelligence, but you also successfully wiped out the 'Falcated Thrush' latent cell that was dispatched to rebuild the Shanghai Station."

"Though the ultimate outcome cannot be deemed entirely flawless, I have committed every contribution of yours to memory."

"I have called the two of you here today because I hope you will join forces in close cooperation. Once this upcoming mission is successfully completed, Zhou Mei, you shall be the Intelligence Section Chief. Ah-Xuan, you shall continue to assist Zhou Mei in the capacity of deputy chief, steadily accumulating achievements and prestige until the proper moment arrives, at which point I shall make alternative arrangements."

"How do the two of you feel about this arrangement?"

(This Zhou Mei is indeed an exceptional piece on the board, consecutively delivering crucial intelligence. Originally, the position of Intelligence Section Chief should have rightfully belonged to you, but regrettably, the Special Service Section has already decided to parachute someone in from above.)

(When that happens, there certainly won't be a place for Zhou Mei. As for Ah-Xuan, he will simply remain as deputy chief. After all, my promise to Zhou Mei was the chief's post, and to Ah-Xuan, the deputy's post. Since the parachute appointment demands the chief's chair, I can hardly strip Ah-Xuan of his deputy status.)

Observing Zhou Mei stand stunned for a few seconds before breaking into an ecstatic, rapid-fire stream of acceptance, her lips pouring forth expressions of profound gratitude, Zhao Xuan found himself thoroughly amused.

This Ding Moqun was truly a well of hidden malice!

(Spare me your gratitude. Once your mission is completed, the one left weeping tears of regret will be you, Zhou Mei.)

(Fortunately, the Special Service Section wasn't entirely overbearing and left the allocation of the deputy chief position in my hands. Otherwise, this Headquarters 76 of mine would sooner or later have been hollowed out by those Japanese. As expected, critical positions must still be guarded by one's own people.)

Listening up to this point, Zhao Xuan could no longer manage a smile.

Based on the intelligence gathered from Watanabe Kyoko the previous night, it was under her orchestration that Ding Moqun had chosen to include Zhao Xuan in this vital mission.

Initially, Zhao Xuan had assumed that Watanabe Kyoko had pulled strings to directly designate him for the role.

Now, however, he realized he was merely on the first level, while Watanabe Kyoko was already soaring in the stratosphere.

This elaborate maneuvering and mastery of psychological manipulation filled Zhao Xuan with a growing sense of dread the more he pondered it.

By merely utilizing the lateral leverage of parachuting a section chief in from the Special Service Section, she had effortlessly sparked Ding Moqun's suspicion that the Japanese intended to seize total authority. Consequently, Ding Moqun had quite naturally bestowed the position of Intelligence Deputy Chief upon Zhao Xuan.

Maintaining a placid expression, Zhao Xuan glanced at the inscrutable Ding Moqun, and then turned his gaze toward Zhou Mei, whose face radiated unrestrained delight.

Very well, Zhao Xuan reminded himself once again: arrogance was strictly forbidden; he had to exercise extreme, meticulous caution, especially given that his adversary was Watanabe Kyoko.

Only last night, Zhao Xuan had believed that once the screening method involving Su Bai was uncovered, the situation would become straightforward.

Yet now, he did not dare to relax his vigilance by even the slightest fraction.

In the third-floor corridor of the Headquarters 76 office building, Zhou Mei turned her head to look at Zhao Xuan walking beside her, her smile dazzling as she spoke:

"Mr. Zhao, please forgive any past offenses between us. However, since the two of us are now embarking on a joint mission for the sake of our respective futures, I sincerely hope Mr. Zhao will let bygones be bygones."