Whether a person has depth or not, one of the biggest manifestations is whether they will panic when suddenly asked some questions they are very worried about. Pu Guanshui was young after all; after Shen Zengzhi asked about his relationship with Chen Ke, although he didn't panic, his expression immediately became stiff.

Originally, the people in the Assistant Prefect's Yamen thought that the relationship between Pu Guanshui and Chen Ke was very unusual. Seeing the young New Army Vice Commander looking like this, everyone laughed secretly in their hearts. regarding this fledgling who had some experience in officialdom, everyone from top to bottom felt relieved, feeling that Pu Guanshui was quite easy to deal with.

Shen Zengzhi watched Pu Guanshui's expression turn stiff first, then somewhat helpless, and subsequently become relieved. He had seen this set of changes many times; it was very much like a child caught slacking off in studies. As a famous Confucian scholar, Shen Zengzhi had seen this expression a lot. based on his experience, generally at this time, most of what the other party said was credible; at least even if they told lies, they were very serious.

Pu Guanshui's attitude was very serious at this time. He had received "professional" training on how to deal with this question. Fengtai County was so close to Shouzhou; heaven knew what news would enter Shouzhou. The People's Party had limited strength; rather than spending effort to manipulate public opinion, it was better to save such strength to dig a section of ditch. Because sending Pu Guanshui to Shouzhou this time, the purpose was to invite the officials of Shouzhou to a gathering, and then catch them all in one net. In the situation where the enemy's situation was unclear, how to complete this task smoothly? Pu Guanshui was a soldier, not a professional diplomat. Letting Pu Guanshui lead troops to fight, he could still do it. Letting Pu Guanshui open his eyes and tell lies that could fool officials at all levels, Pu Guanshui definitely couldn't do it.

Time was tight and the task was heavy. In order to achieve this goal, the People's Party temporarily established a simulation department. This was a temporary institution established imitating the job transition training organization of the US Imperialists. By today when Pu Guanshui set out, this temporary department had been established for two days.

In line with the good tradition of "soldiers teaching officers, officers teaching soldiers," first Pu Guanshui and Shang Yuan taught everyone general rules of officialdom, and then the students formed the appearance of temporary official meetings, simulating various talks Pu Guanshui would conduct. The goal was simple: to shape Pu Guanshui unambiguously into a "senior officer coming here to deal with an assignment." To achieve this goal, Pu Guanshui had to express the same request acceptable to the other party in various different dialogues. That is to say, "Please, officials, raise your hands high and give Pu Guanshui some face, so he can return to Anqing to report on his mission."

Pu Guanshui's nature was actually quite serious. In his view, such simulation looked as ridiculous as children playing house no matter how you looked at it. Not only Pu Guanshui, but the students participating in the training also felt it was just fun and a waste of time at the beginning. Those who could come to imitate were all comrades of not low origin; these people had their own work within the Party. Suddenly being brought to "play house," everyone really had quite some criticism in their hearts.

With this mentality, everyone's seriousness could be imagined, so Chen Ke and Shang Yuan got angry. Chen Ke had carefully studied Grandpa Mao's "On Contradiction." Grandpa Mao pointed out with great foresight that "contradictions within the Communist Party are resolved by the method of criticism and self-criticism." So targeting this childish style of the comrades, there was immediately a round of criticism and self-criticism. If asked to work, these people didn't care, but such a round of serious criticism and self-criticism was more uncomfortable than torture.

Now Pu Guanshui was no longer uncomfortable. Chen Ke solemnly warned everyone at the criticism and self-criticism meeting: "In the world, what is feared most in all things is the word 'seriousness,' and we People's Party members are the most serious." After the criticism and self-criticism meeting, everyone corrected their attitude and unified their understanding. The simulation meeting was held vividly and dramatically. Targeting many possible situations, everyone simulated comprehensively and carefully analyzed the mentality of officials at all levels. Actually, at the beginning, everyone just became serious in a retaliatory way after being reprimanded, either helplessly or unhappily. But once they really had a serious mentality, everyone entered the role instead, and then discovered that the etiquette and flattery and deception in this officialdom were really a branch of learning. Fortunately, Chen Ke and Shang Yuan discovered things were wrong and adjusted and guided in time, finally not letting everyone get addicted to playing officials.

"Lord Shen," Pu Guanshui began to speak according to the content of the training, "This subordinate met Chen Ke in the capital..." Pu Guanshui didn't fabricate anything, but started to state his relationship with Chen Ke completely according to the facts of that year.

The brilliance of intelligence warfare, or telling lies, lies in making the overall matter logical. For example, "This person hasn't eaten for three days" and "This person can't walk." Actually, in the view of some "strange people," these two things have no connection at all. But after ordinary people hear these two sentences, they naturally feel that the logic before and after these two sentences is smooth. Everyone thinks according to their own logical habits: "This person hasn't eaten for three days, so he is too hungry to walk."

Admittedly, this logic has no problem. The only problem is that, in fact, these two sentences have no relationship at all; the speaker is merely implying such a logical relationship.

By selectively introducing specific things that have happened, plus operational hints to common sense, one can effectively achieve a very persuasive "fact introduction." And this "fact" and "truth" might be completely upside down.

The training had an effect. Pu Guanshui operated and cut the content of his acquaintance with Chen Ke, from asking for special medicine to treat venereal diseases, to He Ruming taking the opportunity to make a fortune. Chen Ke could play the piano and helped the Beiyang New Army write a march. regarding the statement of these contents, Pu Guanshui exerted his true colors; things were said simply and briskly, without any long-windedness. regarding the two talking about revolution and ideals, Pu Guanshui didn't shy away either, but this part of the content had undergone detailed processing. Talking about revolution and ideals became "talking about ambition, talking about ideals."

Chen Ke was Yan Fu's disciple. When Chen Ke got married, it was Yuan Shikai who helped Chen Ke propose. Chen Ke met Yuan Shikai only through Yan Fu's recommendation. The *Beiyang New Army March* written by Pu Guanshui and Chen Ke received high praise from Yuan Shikai. Chen Ke and Shang Yuan were both from Henan. Chen Ke didn't get a diploma overseas. Chen Ke hoped to get Pu Guanshui's help. Chen Ke helped Pu Guanshui a lot in disaster relief.

Pu Guanshui also stated the above key points one by one very concisely.

Hinting cannot be done by brainwashing-style forced inculcation; shouting slogans and giving big lectures are not hinting. Hinting is built on the basis of a powerful grasp of the other party's thinking. For Manchu Qing officials, "officialdom relationships" were the golden rules they considered higher than the sky and deeper than the sea. Without regional, teacher-friend, and other inextricably linked relationships, this officialdom could not be called officialdom.

Targeting those officials who were shrewder than ghosts, the People's Party's training institution believed that the key point of Pu Guanshui's hinting was to explain several key points about Chen Ke clearly and carefully prepare the order of stating these facts. To achieve the maximum effect, the speaker Pu Guanshui had to elaborate an explanation that was not so in line with officialdom logic. If the other party was that kind of idiot who believed Pu Guanshui's point of view, that would be best. Because Pu Guanshui's logic was high-sounding: according to Pu Guanshui, Chen Ke was bent on serving the country, Yuan Shikai was upright as an official and unwilling to let relatives and friends rely on his relationship to "advance by luck," Fengtai County Magistrate Shang Yuan was Chen Ke's fellow villager and asked Chen Ke to come help, so Chen Ke got his teacher Yan Fu's consent and started working in Fengtai County like this.

And after those officials in the Fengyang Prefecture Assistant Prefect's Yamen heard this, although there was no expression on their faces, the logical result deduced in their hearts was very different. In their view, Chen Ke wanted to take Yuan Shikai's path, but because he got a diploma from a European or American school [Note: text says he didn't get a diploma? Check text: "Chen Ke didn't get a diploma overseas." Okay, consistent.], he couldn't be reused. A yamen son like Chen Ke must have high self-esteem, so he wanted to win a reputation. So he went to Fengtai County, wanting to do something big with his fellow villager Shang Yuan. Unexpectedly, he encountered a flood, so Chen Ke did a lot of "out of bounds" things. But it finally had an effect. In order to get the government's recognition for his actions, Chen Ke hooked up with Pu Guanshui who came out to inspect the situation of disaster victims, hoping to mix out a situation in Anhui through Pu Guanshui's recommendation.

With such a "reasonable" judgment, officials lacking actual investigation could immediately "understand" many things. Everyone could also understand Pu Guanshui's "incomplete and inexhaustive" statement. regarding Pu Guanshui's praise of Chen Ke, the officials also immediately thought that this was Pu Guanshui hoping to borrow Chen Ke's credit of "effective disaster relief" to add some political achievements to himself. In the final analysis, what happened in Fengtai County was just a traditional trick of several young officials with official connections hoping to take advantage of natural disasters to fish for political achievements.

Not only the officials of the Anhui Assistant Prefect's Yamen, including Shen Zengzhi, but they all viewed this matter in this way. The only difference lay in that Shen Zengzhi had absolutely no interest in fishing for any political benefits from such a "farce." While other officials had already started to think that since Chen Ke was so enthusiastic about officialdom, they might be able to fish for quite a few benefits.

Since Shen Zengzhi was already clear about Chen Ke's background, he was relieved. Shen Zengzhi didn't care too much about Pu Guanshui hoping to get an official document from the Assistant Prefect's Yamen to prove that Pu Guanshui performed very well locally. Pu Guanshui was stationed in Fengtai County and simply didn't harass Shouzhou. Since Fengtai County and Pu Guanshui colluded so closely, presumably it would be fine. As for Shouzhou, Shen Zengzhi felt that stating the facts in the official document to prove that Pu Guanshui "did not disturb the people at all" and "committed no crimes against the people" was enough.

The conversation reached this point; everything that should be said had been said. The rest was just a few polite remarks. Shen Zengzhi roughly expressed his attitude, and then Pu Guanshui expressed straightforward gratitude with "overjoyed expectation." Then it was serving tea to see off the guest.

Walking out of the Fengyang Prefecture Assistant Prefect's Yamen, Pu Guanshui let out a deep breath. He felt his current mood was much more tired than fighting a battle. Pu Guanshui didn't have a bad memory; he could clearly recall every battle of breaking seven or eight forts these days. But the conversation in the yamen just now wasn't long, yet as soon as he walked out of the main gate, Pu Guanshui felt he had already forgotten quite a lot of the content of the conversation just now. The only thing he could be sure of was that he had said all the key points written on those few sheets of paper summarized in the two days of training. The final result also conformed to the final judgment of the People's Party comrades.

Too late to summarize and reflect, the next step was to visit the Brigade General of Shouchun. Pu Guanshui's schedule for today was full. Just as he was preparing to take a step, he saw a soldier wearing a New Army uniform walking over quickly. This was an Insurance Corps soldier sent by Chen Ke, only he wore a New Army uniform to impersonate Pu Guanshui's subordinate.

The Insurance Corps soldier leaned close to Pu Guanshui and whispered with a grim face, "Vice Commander Pu, we caught a person here who came to sue us for rebellion. We need to take him back for interrogation. We have to use the boxes in our team."

When Pu Guanshui came this time, he carried several boxes. These boxes contained genuine gifts. The original purpose was really not to stuff people in after arresting them. So there were no extra empty boxes.

"Have you found a box yourselves?" Pu Guanshui asked.

"There is a box, but it's very worn out. Carrying that broken box out would be a bit too conspicuous," the Insurance Corps soldier said with difficulty.

Pu Guanshui laughed, "It doesn't matter. What can happen in just a day or two? By the way, did you let anyone see when you arrested the person?"

"Absolutely not. That guy actually ran to our territory; there were our own people all around. Everyone acted very cleanly and didn't let him make a sound at all," the Insurance Corps soldier continued to whisper.

Although the Insurance Corps couldn't penetrate the upper echelons of Shouzhou, it didn't mean the Insurance Corps would be stupid enough not to establish its own secret strongholds in Shouzhou. Moreover, the Insurance Corps had strict discipline; Pu Guanshui believed this soldier didn't tell a lie. "Then you lead the way; we just need to pass by there once."

Soldiers who could be selected as secret agent liaisons were all clever ghosts; he already understood Pu Guanshui's meaning. Under his guidance, Pu Guanshui and his party passed by a pawnshop. Then, unnoticed, a relatively old box was mixed into the team, and then carried by several "New Army soldiers" following the main group. Then these few New Army soldiers took Pu Guanshui's warrant and left the main group, heading towards the Shouzhou City gate.

The official troops guarding the city naturally dared not intercept and check the officers and soldiers of the New Army. Everyone greeted each other amicably, and the official troops guarding the city gate let them pass. Arriving at the riverside, the "Anhui New Army soldiers" went directly to the large ship that brought Pu Guanshui to Shouzhou. Three ships came this time; the New Army soldier went in and explained a few sentences, and two sailors came down from the smallest ship among them to help carry the box onto the ship. Then the boatman poled the boat away; the boat sailed briskly downstream along the current of the Huai River and soon disappeared from the sight of the official troops on the Shouzhou city wall.

It wasn't that absolutely no one noticed this matter. In fact, the official troops on the Shouzhou city wall and guarding the city gate were still wondering why this high-ranking New Army official, who obviously came to give gifts, suddenly hurriedly got an old box back. Moreover, what was strange was that not long after this group of people left the city gate, they actually stopped slightly and opened a crack in the box; they didn't know what mystery this group was playing. But this wasn't a big deal either. The official troops had long known that according to the court's plan, their old troops would sooner or later be reorganized into the New Army. There were many things of giving gifts back and forth in officialdom; it wasn't strange for a high-ranking New Army official to get a box. It was better not to wag one's tongue. So no one noticed that Hu Congjian, who entered Shouzhou City this morning, actually disappeared from Shouzhou City unknowingly like this.

The official troops could not care about Hu Congjian, but the People's Party absolutely would not not care about Hu Congjian. Although they knew they were still within the sight of the soldiers guarding Shouzhou City, in order not to let Hu Congjian in the box be suffocated to death, risking suspicion, the soldiers still opened a crack in the box. As soon as the box was carried into the cabin, everyone immediately dragged Hu Congjian out of it. Although his breathing was weak, Hu Congjian was still alive. The intelligence agents of the Insurance Corps had undergone comprehensive training, and their tying skills were quite high-level. Hu Congjian was gagged, his four limbs were tied behind his back, firmly tied into a reverse bow shape. A big stone was also tied to the ropes at his hands and feet, making him unable to move a fraction in the box.

When catching Hu Congjian, he was knocked out from behind. After this guy fled from the yamen gate in fear, he didn't notice that a shop near the yamen gate and the beggars nearby had all made moves. The news was transmitted through carefully trained means. The soldiers carrying out the arrest followed Hu Congjian for two streets before making their move in a safe place. Hu Congjian was out of his wits at the time and didn't notice at all that he had been followed for so long. After one stick went down, Hu Congjian fell in response to the sound.

"Just this bastard, daring to report our Insurance Corps?" The soldier disguised as an Anhui New Army officer checked that Hu Congjian was still alive and finally relaxed. If Hu Congjian had been suffocated to death, this matter would be hard to handle. After the worry was eliminated, the anger that had been suppressed immediately erupted. The soldier took off his hat to wipe the sweat from his forehead, then put the hat back on his head, then rolled up his sleeves and prepared to go up and kick Hu Congjian.

The person next to him immediately stopped him. "What if you beat him to death? We still have to make him confess who sent him."

"Keep your voice down, don't let this guy hear. Didn't the instructor say that complete isolation from news causes fear? That way it's easy for him to confess when we ask him to." Another soldier said while observing the water surface from the porthole.

"Only you remembered this. Those guys in the city blocked this guy's ears long ago," the soldier preparing to strike said huffily. "When the time comes, we must make this bastard thing speak honestly. If he's not honest..."

"That's not necessarily true; he might not be willing to speak," the soldier observing outside the porthole turned his head and laughed.

"If he doesn't speak, we'll beat this guy to death!" The soldier's anger was real. Everyone knew what they were doing, and they couldn't grasp the overall situation clearly like Chen Ke. Someone running to the yamen gate to accuse the Insurance Corps of rebellion really scared the soldiers.

The soldier looking out the porthole closed the window, sat steadily on the stool, looked down at Hu Congjian on the cabin floor from above, with a cold smile on his face. "We won't beat him. If this guy doesn't speak, we'll make him sing. He has to sing as long as we make him sing."

These words, possessing both a sense of humor and associations of actual cruelty, effectively relieved the soldiers' emotions. Hearing this, a burst of explosive laughter suddenly rang out, spreading very far away on the empty river surface.