A Prophet - Chapter 4 (Part 3)

Chapter 3 - The Superstitious Military Statistics Bureau Agents

That "Grand Master" who came to seek out Grandfather was actually named Zhang Enrui. When all is said and done, this Zhang Enrui was a patriot who had joined the "Workers' Inspection Corps" in his early years. Following the April 12th Incident, he swore allegiance unto death to Shanghai's premier assassin, Wang Yazhi, and stood at irreconcilable odds with the Kuomintang. His faction wasn't large, but it specialized in targeting wicked and evil people. A large portion of the wealth they extorted was handed over to Wang Yazhi to serve as operational funds for the assassins. When Grandfather previously visited Wang Yazhi, Zhang Enrui had received him on several occasions in his capacity as a fellow member of the "River and Lake Sect," and his relationship with Grandfather had always been excellent. After Wang Yazhi's death, he spent a period "lying low" to avoid the spotlight, and once the winds blew over, he hurried over to consult with Grandfather.

Wang Yazhi was a renowned patriot of modern times who had successively planned sensational domestic and international assassination operations such as targeting Chiang Kai-shek, Song Tze-ven, and Wang Jingwei. After blowing up the commander of the Japanese expeditionary army, General Yoshinori Shirakawa, he achieved even greater renown. Every time Chiang Kai-shek mentioned him, his dentures would ache with frustration. Yet such a formidable figure ultimately met his end at the hands of a woman named Wan Jun. Dai Li meticulously orchestrated a beauty trap that sent a generation of towering heroes to their early graves.

Grandfather knew that Dai Li himself was an extremely superstitious man who frequently sought out fortunetellers. To remedy the lack of water element in his personal destiny chart, he had successively adopted over a dozen water-bearing aliases such as "Wang Tao," "Tu Qingbo," "Shen Peilin," and "Hong Miao." He was even absurd enough to compile Zeng Guofan's Ice Mirror and Daoist Master Mai's Mai's Physiognomy—books on fortune-telling and face-reading—into instructional materials as mandatory coursework for secret agents. Under Dai Li's influence, his subordinate agents were superstitious to the extreme, visiting high-ranking masters at every turn to discuss the principles of destiny.

Zhang Enrui was well aware of the hidden mechanics behind this, which made this scam both easy and difficult to execute. It was easy because the Military Statistics Bureau agents were all deeply superstitious, making it simple to find a breakthrough point. It was difficult because these agents, influenced by Dai Li, understood a thing or two about destiny principles, whereas the "River and Lake Sect" were not genuine fortunetellers; they merely used fortune-telling as a front to swindle people. Therefore, once any theoretical error occurred during the execution of the scam, the targets would easily grow suspicious. The most crucial issue was the extent to which this scam should be pushed—specifically, whether they intended to get the targets killed. To kill Dai Li was pure fantasy and entirely unrealistic, while killing his subordinates would easily stir up trouble. If they ended up targeted by the Military Statistics Bureau and provoked a counterattack from the bureau, it would likely spell complete annihilation for the "River and Lake Sect."

After pondering for a long time, Zhang Enrui said, "Let's fleece them for money! Once we fleece them and buy guns and cannons, I can build up my forces and truly go head-to-head with this gang!"

Grandfather nodded. The two discussed and agreed that this scam should be laid out from within a brothel.

Grandfather had previously orchestrated quite a few beauty traps: sometimes he would have female con artists pose as prostitutes to seduce high-ranking officials and wealthy tycoons, and other times he would have male con artists pose as wealthy men to flirt with prostitutes who frequently associated with those high officials and tycoons. Both methods had the exact same objective—to extract information and seize the right moment to fleece them.

In that kind of society, brothels served as the information window of the entire society, with countless state secrets flowing right out of the mouths of prostitutes. Because regardless of whether they were men or women, once they climbed into bed and stirred their emotions, they would spill their innermost thoughts, daring to whisper to their partners on the bed things they would never dare utter in broad daylight.

Before long, a female con artist planted by Zhang Enrui in a brothel sent word that several military officers had recently been patronizing the establishment. Every time they came, they booked numerous girls, threw their money around extravagantly, and frequently teased the girls by reading their palms and faces, boasting, "The moment I look at your palm lines, I can tell the exact year you lost your virginity."

Grandfather guessed that these individuals were very likely agents of the Military Statistics Bureau; only people from the bureau were so obsessed with fortune-telling and face-reading. Moreover, since the bureau's expenditures received strong financial backing from the Shanghai underworld, its agents spent money with reckless abandon—making them prime targets for a financial fleecing!

Because of his association with Wang Yazhi, Zhang Enrui feared leaving a criminal record with the Military Statistics Bureau and could not personally step forward. Therefore, Grandfather had to take the field himself for this scam.

Zhang Enrui planned to first send a female con artist named Hua Yuerong to "Fengming House" to pose as a courtesan. At this point, Zhang Enrui felt a pang of sorrow. This Hua Yuerong was in her early twenties and was Zhang Enrui's trump card. Born with the beauty of a flower, she had suffered from an impoverished family background in her early years, and her family had sold her off to an opera troupe. When Zhang Enrui went to watch an opera, he caught sight of her, bought her out of indenture, and quickly cultivated her into a female con artist. From then on, Hua Yuerong became Zhang Enrui's capable assistant. Originally, Zhang Enrui had intended to take Hua Yuerong as his concubine, but constrained by his status as a "Grand Master" and the pride of his sworn brothers, he had never formally married her. In truth, the brothers under his command were all well aware of the situation; whenever he and Hua Yuerong were alone, the brothers would voluntarily withdraw.

Hua Yuerong would occasionally ask Zhang Enrui, "When will you marry me? Can we leave all these rights and wrongs behind and live a peaceful, secure life?"

Whenever this happened, Zhang Enrui would pull her into his embrace and softly say, "We will. There will come a day for that."

It had taken a tremendous internal struggle for Zhang Enrui to let Hua Yuerong step onto the stage, considering she was the woman he loved. It wasn't that the guild lacked other female con artists, but their overall caliber fell short—including those bound-foot girls scattered across the pleasure quarters. While some possessed attractive physical frames, their minds lacked sharpness; others possessed situational awareness, but their looks were crooked and unfortunate. Only Hua Yuerong was blessed with striking beauty, had studied theatrical scripts, mastered romantic literary phrases, could sing Kunqu opera, possessed keen observation down to the finest detail, and could accurately gauge micro-expressions. To deal with these Military Statistics Bureau agents, only she was fit to be dispatched.

This was similar to the people under Grandfather's command: when it came to ruthlessness, the First Boss took the crown, killing without blinking an eye; when it came to "burying coffins and pilfering graves," the Second Boss stood supreme, able to crawl into a coffin and sleep beside a corpse without a flicker of fear; when it came to scholarship, the Third Boss stood utterly unrivaled, mastering astronomy, geography, and the Yin-Yang Eight Diagrams with nothing he didn't know. Then there were the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Bosses, each possessing their own unique specialty. Yet when evaluating comprehensive capabilities, no one could compare to Grandfather. Thus, for this scam, Grandfather had to take the field personally!

After Hua Yuerong infiltrated "Fengming House," several Military Statistics Bureau agents arrived on the second night. The procuress led the courtesans out to line them up in a row. The agents picked a few but remained somewhat unsatisfied, then asked, "Are there any others?"

The procuress smiled obsequiously and said, "Officers, I happen to have a young lady who just arrived. She originally came from a prestigious, cultured family, but after her household fortunes declined, she drifted down into this pleasure quarter..."

Before the procuress could finish, several of the agents clamored aggressively, "Why aren't you calling her out immediately!"

The procuress smiled again and said, "Don't be impatient, officers. This young lady made a prior condition: she has pasted the first half of a couplelet outside her room door, and whoever can successfully compose the matching second half is the only one she is willing to receive. Otherwise..."

One of the agents grew exasperated. "Damn it! A mere whore puts on so many airs! I'm going to drag her out myself!" With that, he drew his pistol and started walking up the stairs.

At this moment, an agent in his forties spoke up: "Stop right there! Have some class! Back then, General Cai E and Xiaofengxian exchanged poetry and couplets in a pleasure house, becoming a celebrated romance. Don't resort to brute force at every turn. Class! Understand? Madam, take me up for a look—I'll match it."

This man was none other than the target Grandfather would later strike down: Xu Huaijin, the Deputy Director of Military Intelligence.

Led by the procuress, Xu Huaijin ascended to the second floor and arrived before Hua Yuerong's door. Sure enough, on either side of the doorway hung a couplet. The first half read: "Yin-yin, yang-yang, yin and yang unstable in matters of wind and moon." The second half remained a blank sheet of paper, as no one had yet matched it.

Xu Huaijin pondered for a moment and said to the procuress, "Fetch a brush."

The procuress brought him a brush, and Xu Huaijin rolled up his sleeves, neatly and meticulously writing in the regular script style of Wang Xizhi upon the blank paper: "Good and evil, good and evil, retribution visits those in the rivers and lakes."

Seeing this, the procuress hurriedly called out toward the room, "Flower Girl, a guest has come to match the couplet on your behalf, sent by the officer."

Before long, the door opened. Hua Yuerong walked out, shielding her face with a handkerchief, looking utterly poignant and touching. When Xu Huaijin laid eyes on her, his heart raced uncontrollably. This girl was breathtakingly beautiful—her skin was delicate and tender, her posture slender and graceful, her eyebrows and eyes brimming with romantic affection, glancing this way and that. Any normal man would feel his heart stir at the sight.

Hua Yuerong glanced at the matched second half, nodded, smiled demurely, and said, "Please enter, Officer."

Xu Huaijin smiled and made a courteous gesture of invitation. "After you, Miss."

Hua Yuerong walked inside, while Xu Huaijin tossed the procuress a stack of banknotes, saying, "Fetch some wine and food." He then waved his hand to dismiss the other agents before stepping into the room himself.

Shortly afterward, a waiter carried in a serving tray holding a pot of Daughter's Fragrance wine and four side dishes. Hua Yuerong poured a cup of wine and handed it to Xu Huaijin. Accepting it, Xu Huaijin said, "You've troubled yourself, Miss. May I ask your honored name?"

Hua Yuerong replied, "This humble girl's surname is Hua, and my given name is Yuerong."

Xu Huaijin smiled and said, "The appearance of wild geese falling and fish sinking, the beauty of the moon hiding and flowers blushing—that makes a face like a flower. Miss truly lives up to her name."

Hua Yuerong blushed slightly. "The officer flatters me. When I was little, my family called me Yue'er. May I ask your honored surname, Officer?"

Xu Huaijin was momentarily startled, then said, "My surname is Xu; you may call me Section Chief Xu. Miss Yue'er, your bearing is extraordinary—why did you drift down into this..." Sensing a slip of the tongue, Xu Huaijin abruptly swallowed the second half of his sentence.

Hua Yuerong offered a faint smile and said, "Section Chief Xu need not stand on ceremony. This humble girl was originally from Lin'an. Because my family suddenly suffered a major upheaval, I was forced into taking this desperate path... Even an empty stomach retains its dignity, and though a tree is hollowed out it keeps its bark. If not for my mother's critical illness and our lack of money for medical treatment..." As she spoke, two lines of hot tears rolled down her cheeks.

Xu Huaijin hurriedly pulled out his handkerchief and gently wiped away Hua Yuerong's tears. Seizing the moment, Hua Yuerong settled directly into his embrace.

Xu Huaijin murmured softly, "Don't worry, tell me all about it."

Leaning against Xu Huaijin's chest, Hua Yuerong sobbed, "My family was once a prominent household in Lin'an, and my father was a tea merchant. Later, my father was murdered by enemies, and our family fortunes began to decline. Both of my older brothers enlisted as soldiers and died on the battlefield. Early this year, my mother caught a chill, and her condition worsened into consumption, causing her to cough up blood every day. Seeing my mother like this breaks my heart into pieces. As long as I can earn money to treat my mother's illness and let her eat something decent, I am willing to endure any hardship." With that, she wept again.

Xu Huaijin pulled Hua Yuerong tightly into his arms and said, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. We met by chance, but it is also destiny. I will help you."

Hua Yuerong stood up, filled another cup of wine for Xu Huaijin, filled one for herself as well, raised her wine cup, and said, "A thousand cups of wine are too few when meeting a bosom friend, but half a sentence is too many when words fail to connect. This humble girl is not someone of loose morals by nature; even upon entering this pleasure quarter, I am not a casual woman. That is why I wrote that first half of the couplelet on the door—only when someone with true learning and refinement arrived would this humble girl accept them. The previous few men matched it in complete gibberish, and it wasn't until you arrived, Section Chief, that I felt a deep sense of relief. Section Chief Xu is a man of both literary and martial prowess, and this humble girl holds you in high respect. Let me toast you."

Xu Huaijin smiled happily, pulled Hua Yuerong back into his arms, and drained the wine in one gulp. Afterward, Hua Yuerong refilled their cups, and both drained them down.

With several cups of wine in their bellies, the two of them rested quietly against each other. The moonlight lingered on the willow tips, a gentle breeze drifted through the window, and the fragrance of the magnolia flowers in the courtyard rushed in to greet them. Stripped of all conspiracies and sins, the scene resembled a painting, frozen in the warmth of romance.

Around the third watch of the night, Xu Huaijin unfastened Hua Yuerong's outer garment. Hua Yuerong bashfully covered her red bellyband and said, "Section Chief Xu, could you grant this humble girl two more days?"

Perplexed, Xu Huaijin asked, "Why?"

With a melancholic expression, Hua Yuerong said, "I have been sickly since childhood. My mother once had a fortuneteller calculate my birth characters, and he said I must pass my twentieth birthday before I can consummate a marriage, otherwise I am bound to not live past twenty-two. My birthday is in two days, so I must ask the Section Chief..."

Xu Huaijin paused in surprise. "Oh, is that so? In other words, Miss Yue'er is still a virgin?"

Hua Yuerong blushed and gently nodded.

Xu Huaijin smiled tenderly. "Heh, ancients often spoke of being as nimble as a startled rabbit yet as quiet as a maiden; no wonder Miss Yue'er exudes composure and subtlety in every gesture. Heh, no rush, no rush."

Hua Yuerong hurriedly performed a formal blessing bow and said, "Thank you, Section Chief. Truly, one never worries about lacking a confidant on the road ahead! My life is bitter, like duckweed drifting across the sea, yet I never imagined that in this place of smoke and flowers I would encounter someone as affectionate and righteous as you, Section Chief!"

Xu Huaijin smiled happily, then suddenly seemed to recall something. "You mentioned just now that there was a fortuneteller..."

Hua Yuerong said, "Yes, that man is extraordinary and was once an old acquaintance of my late father. He once predicted that my father would face a life-threatening crisis in his middle age, though my father paid it no heed—he was a stubborn man who frequently said that life and death are decreed by fate and wealth is determined by heaven. On the day the incident occurred, that fortuneteller even made a special trip to our house to inform us of the method to resolve the disaster, but my father was busy with business and did not accept the advice. As a result, that very winter, my father was murdered by enemies, and our family fortunes collapsed from then on. He also calculated that my brothers would face disasters... One by one, these events later came true, which is why this humble girl cares so much about the timing of my bridal night. It isn't that I cherish my life, but because my mother is ailing and I cannot bear to leave her behind. No matter what, I must see her through to the end of her days... Yet recently my mother's condition has grown increasingly severe, and I no longer care about these superstitions. I think to myself: let death come if it must; if I can let my mother eat a proper meal before I die, dying will have been worth it."

Before Hua Yuerong could finish, Xu Huaijin interrupted her. "Don't talk foolishly, there is a solution to everything..." Pondering for a moment, he continued, "What is the name of this fortuneteller you mentioned, and where is he from?"

Hua Yuerong said, "This fortuneteller is known as Master Tieban. It is said he is a direct descendant of the legendary Taoist Tiebuzi..."

Xu Huaijin chimed in eagerly, "Could it be that Master Tieban mentioned in the newspapers?"

Hua Yuerong smiled and said, "This humble girl is neither an official nor a scholar; how would I know how to read newspapers? I have no idea which one the Section Chief is referring to."

Xu Huaijin said, "It must be him, it surely is. Can you still find him?"

Hua Yuerong replied, "He wanders the four seas with uncertain whereabouts, so it's hard to say. But every year on the anniversary of my late father's death, he always arrives to pay his respects."

Xu Huaijin asked, "When is your late father's death anniversary?"

Hua Yuerong said, "The seventh day of this month."

Xu Huaijin nodded, as if speaking to himself, "Heaven assists me."

Hua Yuerong asked, "What did the Section Chief say?"

Xu Huaijin said, "Nothing, nothing at all. Next time, take me to see your mother."

Hua Yuerong said, "I wouldn't want to trouble the Section Chief..."

Xu Huaijin insisted, "No trouble at all, I must go pay my respects." Then he suddenly asked, "Where are you two living right now?"

Hua Yuerong replied, "Number 28, Big Awl Alley. We just moved there at the beginning of the month."

Xu Huaijin said, "Good, take me there next time."

Hua Yuerong said, "Thank you for your concern, Section Chief. Since I cannot accompany the Section Chief to sleep tonight, let me sing a passage of Kunqu opera for you." With that, she poured him another cup of wine.

Xu Huaijin smiled and said, "Alright."

Placing her hands across the three-stringed sanxian lute, Hua Yuerong sang a passage of Dianjiang Chun. The rising and falling tones flowed gracefully, the lingering echoes weaving through the beams, prompting Xu Huaijin to continuously clap his hands in applause and encouragement. When the singing reached an emotionally stirring passage, Xu Huaijin involuntarily drew close to Hua Yuerong and pulled her into his embrace.

At that moment, a junior agent knocked on the door and entered, apparently to remind Xu Huaijin that his time was up. Xu Huaijin walked over to the young agent, whispered a few instructions, and the agent saluted and retreated.

Hua Yuerong said, "If the Section Chief has matters to attend to, please go ahead. Once this humble girl met the Section Chief... my heart... has found its home. Go handle your public affairs, Section Chief; Yue'er will wait right here. If the Section Chief does not come for a day, Yue'er will wait a day; if the Section Chief does not come for a year, Yue'er will wait a year; if the Section Chief does not come in this lifetime, Yue'er will wait until the next incarnation."

Xu Huaijin stared blankly at Hua Yuerong, while Hua Yuerong gazed infatuatedly back at him. Gently pulling Hua Yuerong into his arms, Xu Huaijin wanted to say something, but swallowed the words back down.

As the roosters crowed thrice, the eastern sky flushed with red, and soon the sun leaped over the horizon. Xu Huaijin tidied his attire and said to Hua Yuerong, "Miss Yue'er, Xu will come back to see you in two days."