Hearing Zhang Xiluan assign Siping as his jurisdiction, He Rui stood up and bowed. "As you command."

"When does Commander He plan to set off?"

"My men can move at any time," He Rui replied. "But first, I need to make a trip to the Kwantung Government-General. Director-General Duan informed me of the Japanese army's recent activities in Changchun. I would like to ask you, Lord Zhang, to dispatch a subordinate fluent in Japanese to accompany me to the Kwantung Government-General so we may negotiate with the Japanese command together."

As soon as these words left his mouth, several people in the room gasped. To Zhang Xiluan's subordinates, the name "Kwantung Government-General" was synonymous with danger—a dragon’s lair or a tiger’s den. They looked at He Rui, then at Zhang Xiluan, their eyes wide with shock.

Zhang Xiluan seemed deep in thought. After a moment, he chuckled lightly. "Hehe, why doesn't Commander He go directly to the Japanese consulate in Changchun instead?"

He Rui didn't avoid Zhang Xiluan's gaze. He responded decisively, "The Japanese consulate in Changchun has no authority over the Japanese garrison. The Kwantung Government-General is the true seat of power. Unless the Government-General issues a direct order, these incidents will only continue to crop up without end."

"And you believe you can persuade them?"

"I am not going there to pick a fight with the Kwantung Governor," He Rui said calmly. "Persuading them with reason is the better course of action."

The expressions of Zhang Xiluan's subordinates grew strange. To them, He Rui’s words sounded utterly absurd, almost like a joke, yet they found themselves unable to laugh. Zhang Xiluan’s expression, however, had become solemn. "When do you plan to leave?"

"First, I ask that you send a telegram informing Hamaomote Matasuke, the Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Government-General, that I will be coming to negotiate as a representative of the Office of the Zhen’an General of Fengtian. Once they reply, I will depart immediately."

Zhang Xiluan was surprised. "Why meet the Chief of Staff instead of the Governor-General himself?"

"The current Governor-General of the Kwantung Government-General is Nakamura Satoru," He Rui explained. "I heard of him during my time in Japan. He is a veteran general, sixty-one years old. He was just promoted to the rank of General on January 25th and is nearing retirement. According to Japanese custom, Nakamura’s current post is a purely honorary one before he steps down; daily affairs are handled by the Chief of Staff. Therefore, it is more effective to deal with the Chief of Staff directly."

Hearing this, Zhang Xiluan was certain He Rui had come prepared. He even felt a flicker of hope that this matter might actually be resolved. But having endured so many disappointments over the years, he didn't dare indulge in fantasies. He simply summoned the quartermaster and approved a batch of weapons and ammunition for He Rui’s unit.

Returning to the unit's quarters, He Rui gathered his core officers to explain the next steps. Upon hearing that He Rui intended to go to the Kwantung Government-General, Xu Chengfeng immediately volunteered to go as his guard.

He Rui smiled and shook his head. "It’s not as if I’m walking into a lion's den. There's no need for a guard. I would be more at ease if you and the others led the team to Siping. Once you arrive, you must begin gathering information immediately."

He Rui pulled a document from his satchel and laid it on the table. He had long ago prepared a plan for intelligence collection once they reached their destination; he had only been waiting to see where Zhang Xiluan would send them.

Just as he was about to explain the details to the young officers, Zhong Yifu spoke up. "Commander, Siping isn't exactly a lion's den either. If you go to the Kwantung Government-General alone, *we* won't be at ease."

"Silang handles external affairs. Let him accompany the Commander," Cheng Ruofan suggested.

He Rui was slightly surprised. Cheng Ruofan had been a notorious troublemaker back at school, yet here he was making a perfectly sensible suggestion. On the train from Tianjin to Fengtian, He Rui had already finalized the temporary division of labor: Zhong Yifu would handle logistics and finance, Xu Jia would manage the archives, Zheng Silang would oversee external affairs, and Hu Xiushan would handle internal affairs and security. As for military matters, Xu Chengfeng and Cheng Ruofan would serve as the primary and secondary commanders.

The young officers immediately split into two factions over the guard issue, leaving Zhong Yifu, who sided with Xu Chengfeng, looking rather isolated.

He Rui tapped the table to end the debate. "Using you as bodyguards is a waste of talent. We need to move in separate directions. Your work in Siping is far more important than my trip to the Government-General."

Without giving them another chance to argue, He Rui distributed the documents. "Once you’ve collected the equipment, head straight to Siping and begin your investigations according to this plan."

Zhong Yifu looked over his copy. The investigation was divided into three main categories: the local garrison, local officials, and local influential figures.

The plan was remarkably thorough, listing not just the targets but the specific details to be uncovered. While Zhong Yifu felt confident he could handle some of it, other parts left him unsure of how to proceed. Before he could ask, He Rui began assigning specific roles.

The investigation wasn't meant for the six of them alone; it involved the entire unit. For external purposes, Xu Chengfeng would be identified as the Regiment Staff Officer, Cheng Ruofan as the Vice Regiment Commander, and the other four as Battalion Commanders. These were titles for dealing with outsiders, not their actual internal ranks.

"Xu Chengfeng and Cheng Ruofan will wear their uniforms. You will act as the Vice Commander and Staff Officer to establish contact with the local government and military in Siping. Your goal is to gather official information."

"Zhong Yifu, Zheng Silang, and Hu Xiushan will change into civilian clothes. You’ll take a select group of men and head into Siping ahead of the main body to gather intelligence from the streets. Xu Jia, you will stay at the camp to oversee the troops and organize marksmanship drills—even if they’re just dry-fire exercises, they need to look professional. You will also be responsible for compiling and analyzing all incoming intelligence."

"Commander, I’m not very good at small talk," Zhong Yifu admitted. "Maybe it’s better if I stay at the camp."

He Rui turned to Zheng Silang. "If someone asked for your name under the pretext of asking for directions, would you tell them?"

"Of course not," Zheng Silang replied instantly.

"And if an instructor asked you to introduce yourself to the class on the first day of school, would you refuse?"

"No, naturally not," Zheng Silang said.

He Rui looked back at Zhong Yifu. "As the saying goes, 'you sing the song of the mountain you are on'—you must adapt to your surroundings. Social surveys and intelligence gathering are all about methodology. With the right approach, you can get people to reveal things they consider trivial through simple conversation. We use uniforms or civilian clothes depending on who we need to talk to. Do you intend to only ever deal with one kind of person for the rest of your life?"

"I’m really not cut out for this," Zhong Yifu muttered, still trying to back out.

He Rui ignored him and addressed the group. "You were all classmates, so communication between you should be easy. Learn from one another. When you hit a snag, analyze it and find a solution together. While I am away from Siping, you will hold study sessions. Everyone—including the cultural instructors—will be divided into groups to report on their daily experiences. These reports must be written down. We will compile and analyze this data to build a base of experience that everyone can use."

"Wait... isn't this the kind of thing only *we* should know?" Xu Jia, the acting archivist, asked tentatively.

He Rui nodded approvingly. "That’s exactly the right attitude toward security. You must never relax. You need to know exactly what can be shared and what must be kept secret."

Xu Jia followed up quickly, "In that case, which parts of this plan are we allowed to share with the cultural instructors?"