Chapter 30: Joining the Party

Since Cen Anyan was perfectly fine, his cousin was naturally fine as well. As Cen Anyan’s student and current "handler," it was only natural for Zhang Anping to see him home. It was also perfectly acceptable for Zhang Anping to visit Cen Anyan openly in the future.

…

At the Cen residence.

Upon arriving home, Cen Anyan gripped Zhang Anping’s hand: "Comrade Anping, we owe you everything this time!"

Zhang Anping did not answer immediately. Instead, displaying the vigilance expected of an underground operative, he pointed toward Sister Qian and asked, "Old Cen, who is this?"

He certainly recognized Sister Qian from her younger years, but as he kept reminding himself, he could not let that show.

Cen Anyan introduced her: "This is Sister Qian, a department head for the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Party."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sister Qian!" Zhang Anping greeted her sincerely. She was truly a good person; if not for her, Old Zheng would have been lost long ago.

Sister Qian, who had been observing Zhang Anping closely, took his hands and said warmly, "Comrade Zhang Anping, on behalf of the organization, I thank you for the continuous financial support you have provided over the past few years!"

"It is my duty. Compared to what you all do, what I have done is nothing," Zhang Anping replied from the heart.

In the history of the Party, there were countless predecessors who had donated their entire fortunes in pursuit of the revolution. As a time traveler who had benefited from the prosperity brought about by their sacrifices, he felt his own contributions paled in comparison.

Sister Qian, however, took this as mere modesty. She tried to explain the significance of those funds to the organization, but Zhang Anping gently stopped her.

"Teacher Cen, Sister Qian, there is one matter I handled on my own initiative. I hope you can understand," Zhang Anping said.

Cen Anyan was already accustomed to Zhang Anping’s independent decisions. He simply asked, "What is it?"

"Yin Liming, the courier from Jixing Photo Studio, has been saved through a ruse. I have him hidden in a courtyard in the west of the city."

"How reckless!" Cen Anyan burst into anger. He was happy his comrade had been saved, of course, but as a mole planted within the Special Service Office, Zhang Anping’s safety was paramount. To put it cruelly, for the sake of Zhang Anping, Cen Anyan would die, and Sister Qian would die, but Zhang Anping could not afford any mishaps.

Sister Qian stopped Cen Anyan’s outburst and instead asked Zhang Anping why he had taken such a risk.

"When he was sent over by the Party Affairs Office, he had already endured at least five days of torture."

"I feared he might have confessed and was a plant sent by the Party Affairs Office to test me. So, I staged a test under the guise of teaching. Even when I broke his fingers, he remained stubborn and said nothing. That is how I became certain he had not turned."

Cen Anyan fumed, "But you still shouldn't have risked it! Comrade Zhang Anping, your safety is not just about you alone!"

Zhang Anping could only offer a sheepish smile.

Sister Qian was curious about how Zhang Anping had managed to deceive everyone to save Yin Liming. Zhang Anping claimed it was a failed product from an American pharmaceutical laboratory; he had only managed to obtain one bottle, and the lab itself did not understand how it had been created and could not replicate it.

He gave three pills to Sister Qian on the spot, explaining, "About an hour after ingestion, the user will enter a state of suspended animation. After two hours, lividity will appear, but it will not spread. They will wake up after 24 hours."

Sister Qian looked at the small blue pills, lost in thought.

Cen Anyan felt compelled to warn him again: "In the future, you must consult with me before taking such dangerous risks!"

Zhang Anping agreed with a pitiful expression, vowing that he would remember—though he likely would not change his ways.

Sister Qian then said, "Anping, I must find a way to take Comrade Yin Liming away. If he stays here and is discovered by the agents of the Party Affairs Office, you will be in trouble."

Zhang Anping requested, "Sister Qian, could you leave him with me?"

"That is too dangerous!" Sister Qian objected.

"It’s like this," Zhang Anping explained. "You know I still have business interests in the United States. I trust my agent there, but he isn't one of our own. I can send Comrade Yin Liming to the U.S. to help manage these assets. If we have another situation like the bullet production line in the future, Yin Liming can take charge, and we won't have to be fleeced twice by 'Global Trade'."

Sister Qian pondered this and eventually agreed. "Very well. I will find a way to create a new identity for Comrade Yin Liming, but he must change his name."

"Please discuss it with him and talk him through it," Zhang Anping said, worried that Yin Liming might be unwilling to go to America.

Sister Qian replied, "Leave that to me. Comrade Anping, you may still need to intervene regarding the bullet production line. 'Global Trade' is still holding firm on the high price, and the comrades responsible for the purchase haven't been able to negotiate it down. Besides, the Jin-Sui Army has caught wind of it as well."

"In the next two days, the U.S. side will withdraw the liquid capital from Global Trade's accounts. To recover funds, York and Bianchi will be desperate to sell—I will find a way to facilitate this deal," Zhang Anping said, adding, "Sister Qian, this Global Trade route can serve as our public transport line for now. I will try to establish another route later, and I will need your help with personnel then."

With less than a year until the full-scale war of resistance broke out—after which Shanghai would fall following the Battle of Songhu—transporting supplies to the Soviet areas would become exponentially more difficult. Zhang Anping was naturally preparing early.

Sister Qian, unaware of his long-term foresight, assumed it was for safety and readily agreed.

"By the way, Teacher Cen will effectively be an unofficial member of the Special Service Office from now on. If all goes well, he will enter the office formally and likely reach mid-level management. You should prepare for that, Teacher Cen." Zhang Anping looked at Cen Anyan with a smile.

The relationship between him and Cen Anyan was truly intricate. It could be summarized by a few book titles:
"I Became My Handler’s Handler"
"Infiltrating the Enemy Camp with My Handler"
"My Handler and I Are Both Mid-Level Enemy Agents"
"I Tricked My Handler into Becoming a 'Traitor'"

Sister Qian laughed, but was filled with astonishment. The Party had several moles in the Special Service Office, but which of them wasn't incredibly cautious? None dared to recruit their own people within the enemy camp, let alone introduce them—because if one were exposed, the entire chain would be uprooted.

But Zhang Anping? Not only had he brought his own handler into the enemy camp, but he had also managed to keep their fates perfectly decoupled. Whether Zhang Anping or Cen Anyan were exposed, the other would remain untouched.

Cen Anyan asked gravely, "What do you want me to do?"

"Just keep praising the Special Service Office. If you run out of ideas, I’ll provide them. In a couple of days, I’ll see that person, and I’ll arrange for you to have access to the files. Find the 'bright spots' of the office and write stories about them in the newspapers in an exaggerated, suspenseful way."

"If you write them well, the office will realize the value of controlling public opinion. You will catch that person’s eye, and you’ll be a mid-level manager in no time."

Although Cen Anyan despised glorifying the Special Service Office, he understood his mission and accepted the arrangement without hesitation. Protecting Zhang Anping was his primary duty; he would give his life for that, let alone his reputation.

Zhang Anping, sensing Cen Anyan’s discomfort, explained: "If all goes well, you will eventually control a newspaper used to whitewash the Special Service Office. Once that paper becomes well-known as the mouthpiece for the office, it will become a sharp sword pointed directly at them!"

"What do you mean?" Cen Anyan asked.

"When the time is ripe, we can use that same paper to expose all their dirty secrets. Revelations from others might not cause a stir, but scandals exposed by their own mouthpiece will be deeply convincing!" Zhang Anping revealed a Zhuge Liang-like smile.

Once the paper turned on them, no matter how much reputation the Military Statistics Bureau had built, their image would collapse. This was a classic tactic; those who built their image on deception would find themselves in the most miserable state when that image shattered. The higher they were lifted, the harder they would fall.

Sister Qian couldn't help but admire Zhang Anping’s calculations. His vision was truly long-term.

Cen Anyan realized the importance of this "side job" and nodded solemnly, indicating he understood.

Of course, these were long-term plans. For now, the Special Service Office could not afford too good a reputation. To the "Commander-in-Chief of Transportation," the office was meant to do the dirty work. If they were too well-regarded, he would begin to suspect them of having ulterior motives. But after the full-scale war broke out, the expanded Military Statistics Bureau could praise itself without restraint—everything would be for the sake of the resistance!

After talking a while longer, Cen Anyan cast a questioning look at Sister Qian. After she gave a slight nod of agreement, Cen Anyan spoke solemnly to Zhang Anping:

"Comrade Zhang Anping, you mentioned before that you wished to become a Party member. After my observations during this period, I am willing to act as your sponsor to introduce you to the Party. Now, on behalf of the organization, I ask you solemnly: Are you willing to join the Communist Party of China?"

Zhang Anping replied with gravity: "I am willing!"

Cen Anyan said, "We had intended to hold the initiation ceremony at the Jixing Photo Studio, but because of the traitor, we will hold it here." He took out a publication—an internal journal of the *Xinmin Daily*—and turned to a page printed with the Party flag, placing it solemnly before them.

"Sister Qian, representing the superiors, will act as the witness to your oath. Comrade Zhang Anping, please recite the oath with me!" Cen Anyan raised his fist, and Zhang Anping immediately followed suit.

"Strictly keep secrets, obey discipline, sacrifice the self, carry out class struggle, strive for the revolution, and never betray the Party!"

The oath was different from the one Zhang Anping remembered from his previous life. It was more concise, and far more stirring.

Zhang Anping took a deep breath and repeated in a low, resolute voice:

"Strictly keep secrets, obey discipline, sacrifice the self, carry out class struggle, strive for the revolution, and never betray the Party!"

After the oath was finished, Cen Anyan gripped Zhang Anping’s hand firmly: "Comrade Zhang Anping, welcome to the Communist Party of China!"

Zhang Anping pulled his hand back, stepped back, and gave a solemn salute. At that moment, Sister Qian felt as if Zhang Anping had become a completely different person.

[Former Corporal Zhang Xiao of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, requesting to return to the ranks!]

…

(Apologies, the morning chapter will be delayed until tonight. It will be posted along with the 12:00 update. Being back in my hometown, I simply lack the conditions to maintain a 7,000-word daily output.)