Chapter 45: There Are Indeed Too Many Suspected Points

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Chapter 45: The Suspicions Are Indeed Quite Numerous
(I)
"Hahaha!" The Brigade Commander burst into loud laughter and said, "Alright, alright, I won't waste words with you anymore! Let me tell you! Comrade Guan Shan submitted some rationalization proposals to the Logistics Department, and Director Yang of the General Logistics Department heard Old Zhang's report over the phone. He has already organized experts to evaluate them, and the reviews were extremely high! They called the Division Commander and specifically requested to submit a citation for a merit for little Guan Shan!"
"A citation for merit? Just those few... blueprints? Heh! This old miser Zhang, I still couldn't outcalculate him in the end! He still managed to take huge advantage of me!" Li Yunlong scratched his big head and quickly chimed in, "Right, Brigade Commander, there's just a matter concerning Guan Shan. I might as well take this opportunity to report it to you together!"
"Hey! You brat, you're trying to negotiate terms with me again, aren't you?"
"No way! Brigade Commander, it's serious business, serious business! Just this morning, Old Luo from the Headquarters Direct Special Services Regiment, right, right..."
"About this matter, well, I can make that phone call, but I can't give you any absolute guarantees!"
"Look at what you're saying, Brigade Commander, we are completely in the right on this, right? Think about it yourself, is it easier to relocate a person, or is it easier to relocate an arsenal and a research institute? Right? Surely you wouldn't cause our Independent Regiment and the Special Services Regiment to swap defense zones over such a minor issue, right? They protect the direct headquarters leadership, and that mission is even more important than our protection of the military industry and logistics system, right?"
"Hmm, your reasoning is quite reasonable indeed! But let me warn you in advance, Li Yunlong, you guys were probably discussing the next strategic direction at the headquarters this morning, weren't you? After the summer harvest, the troops and various institutional units are very likely to undergo a major strategic transfer. You must keep yourself ready at all times and absolutely must not drop the ball!"
"Yes, Brigade Commander, just leave it to me! Whether it's clearing the path as the vanguard, or acting as the rear guard to fight a delaying action, our Independent Regiment can both attack and defend! We firmly request to execute the most arduous missions!"

(II)
"Comrade Shen Xingbei, my conversation with you today is a formal talk conducted on behalf of the organization. Now, I will first announce several disciplinary rules to you..." Security Officer Zhu Ziming said very solemnly.
"Ah, oh, okay, alright!" Shen Xingbei was completely baffled, his heart pounding with fear and suspense due to Zhu Ziming's deadpan and serious expression.
"Did you understand everything I just said?" Zhu Ziming asked.
Shen Xingbei nodded and said, "I understood what you said, but Officer Zhu, who exactly are you trying to find out about? Teacher Bai and I haven't been here long, I don't know many people. Could you possibly suspect..."
Zhu Ziming looked at Shen Xingbei and asked, "Comrade Shen Xingbei, not long ago, you and Teacher Bai went on a field survey mission together. At that time, Guan Shan and two local militia comrades accompanied you. Do you remember this matter?"
"Guan Shan? Hey! I thought you were suspecting Wanlan, and I was about to say... What? Guan Shan?" Shen Xingbei looked at Zhu Ziming in confusion.
Zhu Ziming nodded solemnly.
Shen Xingbei nodded in response and said, "Yes, I remember this matter. At first, it was originally arranged for Guan Shan to go alone..."
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Zhu Ziming said coldly, "You don't need to go into such detail. You just need to answer my questions."
"Oh, fine, then go ahead and ask."
"Comrade Shen Xingbei, haven't you felt that there is anything unusual about Guan Shan?"
"Unusual? What kind of unusual?"
"For instance, do you think it is possible that he actually knew how to speak Japanese beforehand?"
"Beforehand? Heh, how could that be? He's just someone from the mountains... Well, I don't know about this, so it's hard for me to say. But now that you mention it, his Japanese proficiency has improved a bit... this, this, this... But Officer Zhu, I don't really know much about this matter. Right, you should ask Officer Ge; you guys seem pretty familiar with each other..."
"Ahem! Comrade Shen Xingbei, I will also look into other aspects."
"Oh, right."
"Comrade Shen Xingbei, let me change the question. I heard that he can read contour-line military maps?"
"Does what he does even count as being able to read them? Well, I suppose so, he probably just knows the bare basics. I asked him about this issue, and he said that Regiment Commander Li Yunlong taught him."
"You asked him? In other words, when you actually learned that he could read this kind of map, you did have some suspicions?"
"I wouldn't call it suspicion per se, it was more like, oh, I suppose it was suspicion—it's just that he had never spent a single day in a private school, and I heard he only learned to read and write in the Eighth Route Army's literacy class. From a common-sense perspective, he really shouldn't have been able to understand those maps."
"Good, good! Your analysis is extremely important! And then, following what you just said, Comrade Shen Xingbei, in your opinion, how many Chinese characters can an illiterate person who has attended a literacy class for three months learn, according to common sense?"
"Oh, yes, yes, this is indeed true! At the time, I even suspected that his helping the medical team copy books was all an act. Actually, I feel like he is a bit, you know!"
"Which way? Comrade Shen Xingbei, please elaborate!"
"How should I put this? Let me phrase it carefully... Um... Oh, Officer Zhu, I feel that Guan Shan, his ideological character has some problems. He likes to, you know, curry favor for no reason. For example, he put on a studious look and even tricked County Magistrate Wang out of her dictionary!"
"Good, good, please go on!" Zhu Ziming took notes rapidly.
"And what about Officer Ge whom I just mentioned? Do you know what his purpose was in approaching Officer Ge to learn Japanese?"
"What was it?" Zhu Ziming's fingers trembled slightly; he felt a piercing pain in his heart, as if it had been pricked by a needle.
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"He actually used Officer Ge to get close to Director Zhang! Let me tell you, I happened to run into it once..."
Zhu Ziming breathed a slight sigh of relief and continued taking notes rapidly.
"You mean to say that he used improper means such as gift-giving and bribery to irregularly requisition strategic supplies from the Logistics Department?"
"Oh, oh, oh, I didn't say that!" Shen Xingbei hurriedly denied it. "I just heard some militia soldiers boasting about it. As for whether it was actually against the regulations or not, I really wouldn't know. You'll have to ask them about it..."
"We will." Zhu Ziming closed his notebook, reached out to shake hands with Shen Xingbei, and said, "Comrade Shen Xingbei, this conversation is strictly limited to the two of us..."
"Understood, understood, understood. I still know the principle of confidentiality."

(III)
Just as he stepped out of the regimental headquarters courtyard, Guan Shan was called back by Wang Wanlan. She placed the large basket she was holding in her arms on the ground, rummaged through it, and handed a pair of cloth shoes to Guan Shan.
"Thick-soled cloth shoes! Ah, wonderful! Thank you so much, County Magistrate Wang!"
Guan Shan looked at the pair of thick-soled cloth shoes and liked them immensely.
"If you want to thank someone, thank the comrades of the Women's National Salvation Association. And don't just say it—you have to show it with practical actions!"
"Women's Salvation Association? Practical actions? County Magistrate Wang, you mean there's a mission? Just give the order if there's a mission!"
"Then let me thank you on behalf of the comrades of the Women's Salvation Association first!"
"No, no, no, County Magistrate Wang, you haven't even said what it is yet, and besides, I still have to ask the Regiment Commander and Political Commissar for instructions!"
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(End of this chapter)
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