The annual meeting of the company finally came to an end, and the delegates, like the invited guests in previous years, returned with souvenirs carefully prepared by the organizers.

Attending the annual meeting were not only senior executives of the Industrial Investment Company, former minister of economy, senior officers of the Fourth Tactical District, commander of the 5th Infantry Division, and deputy mayor of Saigon Military Management City, but also prominent figures from the industrial and commercial circles, educational circles, legal circles, and cultural circles, covering all social strata.

At this sensitive moment, they all ran to Can Tho, and they couldn't afford to pay attention to Diem Dinh Diem.

However, the annual meeting was held in the heavily guarded industrial village, the security measures were not leaky, and the secret organization of the People's Workers' Party in the industrial village had long since been banned, leaving him in the dark about what was happening inside.

Just when his younger brother Ngo Dinh Yao was planning to ask Chen Jinxuan to send someone to "invite" a few delegates to the annual meeting to come back and talk, Chen Shiguo, vice chairman of the board of directors of the Industrial Investment Company, submitted a document signed by more than 200 people, which looked like a meeting summary and a "book of 10,000 words" through the deputy manager of Pingdong Industrial Village.

Analyze the situation objectively and fairly, earnestly implore the government to release political prisoners, and take a tolerant attitude towards anti-government elements other than the "Southern Liberation Movement"; rectify the rule of officials and punish corrupt bureaucrats; abolishing censorship and achieving freedom of expression; Face up to religious contradictions, and legally affirm the legal religious status of Buddhism, Cao Dai and Hoa Hao Religion......

The whole "nation-building" strategy is a reproduction of the rhetoric and a clear attitude, which can be summed up as recommending that the government implement political and economic reforms as soon as possible.

In the midst of an eventful time, his former friend and supporter drifted apart, and Ngo was extremely disappointed in Lee.

In Ngo Dinh Yao's view. This was undoubtedly an ultimatum from the "industrial investment department" urging their brothers to step down. Chen Lichun was even more angry. yelling that he was going to Can Tho to question Li Weimin in person.

It's troublesome enough to exacerbate the contradictions.

Chen Jinxuan, the head of the secret police, the No. 3 person in Saigon, and the director of the News and Cultural Investigation Bureau, cautiously reminded: "President, Mr. Yao, in any case, Mr. Min's attitude is still relatively mild, he just hopes that the government can carry out reforms, and he does not explicitly oppose it." It is not like the United States cuts aid at every turn, and it is not blackmailed with government budgets. ”

With the rapid development of various industrial villages, the previous delivery of materials has even changed to 50% of the materials and 50% of the cash payment. Even the People's Workers' Party (WPK) property, which is managed by the Bank of East Asia, has been able to reap significant returns, greatly easing the financial pressure on the government and the secret police system.

It's too naïve, doesn't he know that the so-called reform will only lead to a dead end?

Ngo Dinh Diem believed that Lee Weimin had been "poisoned" by the Americans, had been too influenced by the United States, and had suffered from a serious "democratic infantile disease."

Chen Jinxuan didn't know what he was thinking, and continued: "Mr. Min is not aggressive. At least give the government a little leeway. Unlike Pan Kechou, Pan Guangdan, and Chen Yuzhu, it doesn't matter if the proposition is correct or not, whether it is feasible or not. What to make a statement first made everyone known, forcing the government to come forward and respond. ”

In terms of influence and appeal, the "industrial investment system" is much stronger than those oppositionists.

If this "10,000-word book" were to be made public, the government would be in an extremely passive position. If it is clearly supported by the United States, it will inevitably trigger a series of chain reactions, and even become the last straw that crushes the government.

From this point of view, Li Weimin still saved some face.

Wu Tingyan let out a long sigh, took off his glasses and said: "He is wrong, the one he believes in will not solve the problem, it will only make the country more chaotic." Someday, he'll regret it. ”

Others only see the "industrial investment department", and they can't see the Chinese hidden behind the "industrial investment department".

Wu Dinh Yao regretted it, believing that the industrial village plan at that time, using Chinese capital, and promoting the naturalization of Chinese was tantamount to drinking water to quench thirst. Now the Chinese have taken advantage of a series of government policies, backed by the big tree of the industrial investment company, to develop into a political, economic and military force that can influence the situation.

Thinking of this, Wu Tingjiao said coldly: "Maybe they want the country to be chaotic, because only when the political situation is turbulent, they can fish in troubled waters." ”

In recent years, the number of Chinese has increased dramatically, and more than 20 Chinese organizations, such as the Xidi Chinese Charity Foundation, the Nong Development Foundation, and the "Southeast Asian Teochew Friendship Association", "Canton Chen Clan Association", and "Vietnam Chinese Entrepreneurs Mutual Aid Association", have adopted various methods to encourage Chinese families in their respective small circles to have more children.

The subsidy projects they engage in are eye-popping, such as mobilizing pregnant women to go to the hospital for regular check-ups and give birth in the hospital, and only half of the medical expenses for the first child are borne by the corresponding foundation, so as to ensure the safety of the mother and child; Only one-third of the second child is paid, the third child is free of charge, and a cash grant ranging from 500 to 2,000 piastes is provided.

Education is more exaggerated than medical care.

So far, there are more than 700 Chinese schools in Causeway, Hoi An, industrial villages, Phu Quoc Special Zone, Parrot Kok area, and Zhensha area, with not only traditional primary and secondary schools, but also kindergartens or preschools. Children in the school district pay very little tuition, and families with difficulties are enrolled free of charge.

With a good school environment, high quality of teaching, low tuition fees, and the implementation of Vietnamese, Chinese, English, or Vietnamese, Chinese, and French "trilingual education", children will grow up to be more promising, so that many Vietnamese in industrial villages are trying their best to send their children to Chinese schools and can speak standard Chinese.

Now that Mandarin and Cantonese vernacular have become the unofficial official languages of the industrial villages, those Vietnamese who work in the factories of the Chinese capitalists will sooner or later be assimilated by them.

Thinking of "Oriental Hollywood", one after another launched Chinese films and Chinese TV series, and one after another launched popular pop songs that swept Southeast Asia, it had a huge impact on Vietnamese traditional culture.

Ngo Dinh Diem suddenly realized that the rising proportion of Chinese, coupled with the efforts to assimilate the natives, would sooner or later turn his country into a veritable "Little China".

The key national issue is a double-edged sword, the Chinese have become a climate, and the naturalization of the Chinese is what he strongly demands, in this sensitive period of external and internal troubles and storms. You can't shoot yourself in the foot. The Chinese interest group headed by Li Weimin was thoroughly pushed to the opposite side of the government.

He was silent for a few moments. Put on his glasses again, picked up a pen and paper and said, "Don't say any more, I'll write a letter to the people and invite him to come here, and I'll have a good talk with him." ”

As soon as I finished writing, I looked up, and the secretary knocked on the door and walked in: "Mr. President, the U.S. Embassy has announced that Colonel Lansdale will come to Saigon as a special adviser to the White House. ”

Old friends are back. This is definitely good news.

Ngo Dinh Yen asked excitedly: "Has the colonel left for the colonel, and has the embassy said when he will arrive?" ”

"I was on the plane and arrived at Tan Son Nhat Airport around 4 pm."

"Great, Tingjiao, you will pick you up at the airport in person."

Lansdale is not only a good friend of his brother, but also a good friend of Lee Weimin, and this trip to Saigon, on behalf of the White House, will definitely play a positive role.

Wu Tingjiao was also excited, and hurriedly got up and said, "Okay, I'll go in person." ”

The back waves of the Yangtze River push the front waves. Since President Kennedy was keen to use young "smart people", Lansdale, a CIA old-timer. Pushed onto the beach by a bunch of Ivy League juniors.

He is familiar with the situation in Southeast Asia, has rich work experience, and has close personal relations with Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem and Philippine President Magsaysay, and was expected to serve as ambassador to Vietnam.

However, the ambassador needed a certain political background, and before joining the Strategic Intelligence Agency, the predecessor of the CIA, he was only a business executive at an advertising agency, and he could not compete with former congressmen or even presidential candidates.

The reason why a person who has been thrown into the "cold palace" is able to turn around and serve as a special adviser to the White House is largely related to the "flat group".

The trip to Saigon was ostensibly commissioned by the White House to use his personal ties with Diem to urge the Yan government to carry out political and economic reforms. In fact, he was entrusted by the State Department, the Pentagon, and the CIA to assist Richardson in digging up the "gold mine" sent by the "Ping Group", dealing with internal ghosts such as Nguyen Ngoc Cao and Pham Xuan An, and arresting the top leaders of the North Vietnamese Workers' Party who had infiltrated South Vietnam.

The ambassador is the highest U.S. official in Vietnam, and the embassy is the heart of all U.S. government agencies in Vietnam.

As is customary, he must first go to the ambassador. I could only refuse Wu Tingyao's kindness and agreed to visit Wu Tingyan in Jialong Palace tomorrow morning, so that Wu Tingyao, who came to greet him in Xingchong, returned in vain and returned in defeat.

Almost everyone didn't notice that Lansdale didn't get into Richardson's car, but got into another black Ford sedan, until the convoy drove out of the airport, and an Asian in the car greeted him warmly: "Colonel, welcome back to Saigon, the chairman really can't come, entrust me to express my most sincere apologies to you." ”

Sang Binh Siang, former secretary to the chairman of the board of directors of the Industrial Investment Company, is currently the deputy manager and vice chairman of the management committee of Da Nang Industrial Village. During his tenure as Li Weimin's secretary, he dealt with Lansdale a lot. It appeared here entirely because of a telegram.

Lansdale shrugged his shoulders and said with a wry smile: "Young man, I know he is very busy, and I know that he has a delicate relationship with Mr. President, but I would like to know more about the situation of the 'flat group', all. ”

To his surprise, Sang Pingxiang also explained with a wry smile: "Colonel, frankly speaking, Mr. Chairman doesn't know much about the group. As you know, he was on his honeymoon with Mr. President at that time, and in order to help Mr. President build the foundation of his government, he provided several grants to the Chinese Youth Association and the Vietnamese Youth Association.

As soon as I received your telegram, Mr. Chairman entrusted me to go back to Saigon to conduct a secret investigation, and found that the Levy Branch of the Chinese Youth Association and the Viet et Ching Association had indeed formed an intelligence unit, and the 'Ping Group' should have been established at that time. Soon after they were ordered to break into the Viet Minh underground, Mr. Ngo Dinh Ngai merged the Chinese Youth Association and the Vietnamese Youth Association into the current Republican Youth League.

With the passage of time and the constant adjustment of personnel, as well as the peculiarity and secrecy of intelligence work, the intelligence unit entrusted with them to break into the Viet Minh became a thing of the past and became a non-existent unit. ”

Ngo Dinh Die's formation of the People's Workers' Party, turning the Republican Youth League into a peripheral organization of the People's Workers' Party, and later frantically developing secret police and establishing so-called special forces, was extremely disgusted by the once enthusiastic youth, causing many to leave the organization.

Lansdale was not ignorant of this, and after thinking for a moment, he asked, "Who was their direct supervisor at the time?" ”

"It was found that the former officer of the Fifth County Police Department, Xia Wen'an, unfortunately died heroically in an operation to arrest the 'Hua-Yun' elements four years ago. Mr. Chairman believes that if the 'Ping Group' has not been rebelled by Yue G, and if it has indeed persevered until now in such a dangerous environment, then they can definitely be called heroes. ”

"You can't be sure if they're loyal?"

"Colonel, we're not good at intelligence, and if it weren't for your telegram, we would know almost nothing about it."

Lansdale could imagine why the "Ping Group" didn't go to the 5th District Police Department, not to Can Tho to find the 4th Tactical District Intelligence Department, and not to Phu Quoc to find Lee Weimin.

First, they had a one-line connection with their superiors, the police officer surnamed Xia died, and the Fifth County Police Department and the "Industrial Investment Department" could not confirm his identity; The second is that the identities of the people involved in the intelligence are sensitive, and neither the Fifth District Police Department nor the Fourth Tactical District can take action.

He took a deep breath and confirmed with a serious face: "San, you can tell your boss that the loyalty of the 'Ping Group' is undoubted, and they are well-deserved heroes. Given that they have a file with the CIA and contact Saigon Station as soon as they collect important information, they are local employees of the CIA. ”

In order to make the play more realistic, Sang Pingxiang was kept in the dark.

His first reaction was to fight for the interests of the "Department of Industry and Investment", and blurted out: "Mr. Colonel, although the Chinese Youth Association and the Vietnam Youth Association have become history, it is an indisputable fact that the 'Ping Group' belongs to these two youth organizations, and these two youth organizations were established with our support.

In other words, they are our people who have just lost touch for a variety of reasons. After so many years of lurking in the Viet G, I believe they have a lot of things that we are interested in, and for the safety of the Chinese area on the embankment, the Chinese district in Hoi An and the industrial villages, I implore you to help me hand them over. In return, we will share information with Mr. Richardson. ”

Lansdale was about to use the "flat group" to show a big face, and how could he give the credit to others, and said with a smile: "San, I admit that your boss has played an active role in the issue of the 'flat group', but as a gentleman, we should respect their personal wishes. The situation now is that they have a CIA file and are willing to work for the CIA. ”

"I think I should have a good talk with them."

"I'm sorry, everything about the 'Ping Group' is top secret, even if your boss comes over in person, you won't be able to see it."

"No, Colonel, you can't do that, they are our people, very important to us."

Lansdale had never been happier than he was today, and he smirked, "Not anymore, man, besides, they're more important to us." ”

In the hands of the CIA, Sang Pingxiang felt helpless, so he could only retreat to the next best: "Then you have to reveal something to us, such as some things they may know about the 'Hua-Yun' on the embankment, as well as the situation of the underground organization of Vietnam G in various industrial villages, especially in the Phu Quoc Special Administrative Region." ”

In addition to the high-ranking ghosts, the "Binh Group" also has control of a North Vietnamese bigwig who infiltrated the South last year, as well as the underground organizations of the South Bureau of the North Vietnam Workers' Party and the Southern National Liberation Front around Saigon. In order to ensure that he would not be startled, Richardson did not take action.

Either they don't do anything, or they can deal an unprecedented heavy blow to the North Vietnamese underground organization in the south.

Secrecy is more important than anything else, so Lansdale will not be stupid to reveal even a little bit of information, shook his head and said: "I have nothing to say for the time being, but if it really involves the above-mentioned areas, Mr. Richardson will communicate and even cooperate with you in time." ”

The cunning old fox, Sang Pingxiang scolded secretly and muttered: "My boss will definitely be very disappointed, you must know that he has always regarded you as his best friend." ”

Lansdale patted him on the arm and smiled meaningfully, "Man, he won't be disappointed. When I'm done with everything, he'll pop champagne to celebrate me. Because what I'm about to do is what he wants to do but can't necessarily do. (To be continued.) )