Out of political considerations, Lansdale and Richardson did not want to give the outside world the impression that the US Government was interfering in Vietnam's internal affairs, so the just-concluded "counter-espionage operation" was nominally a joint operation of the Vietnamese Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of National Defense.

Only North Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Public Security Nguyen Van Cai and other big fish are eligible to be imprisoned in the CIA "black cell".

Pham Xuan An also belongs to the "big fish", and he was temporarily detained on Phu Quoc Island, which is far away from the political whirlpool, but was not escorted to Saigon in time, mainly for two reasons and one consideration.

The first reason is related to Lansdale, the reason why he was able to gain Chen Jinxuan's trust and successfully infiltrate the secret police system was entirely thanks to Lansdale's help, and even helped him win the "Asia Fund" scholarship and send him to study in the United States. If it is dealt with in Saigon, if these things are boiled, it will inevitably affect the image of Lansdale, and even become a big laughing stock.

Second, when he worked as a news censor at the Central Post Office, worked in the Psychological War Bureau of the General Staff, studied in the United States, and collected intelligence as a reporter at the Vietnam News Agency, he met many foreign media reporters and made many friends of the "uncrowned king." Those people would have a sympathetic attitude toward him, and would even be conducive to putting pressure on public opinion and providing him with help.

And then there is the "exchange" consideration.

U.S. President John F. Kennedy, despite his constant caution about military involvement, proposed the concept of "special warfare" in view of the deteriorating situation in South Vietnam, sent "green berets" into Vietnam, and repeatedly went shirtless to take military action against the Yugonomian guerrillas. Two combatants and one military adviser were taken prisoners of war during the operation.

The exchange of Nguyen Van Cai is obviously a bit more than worth the loss. Saigon's side will not necessarily agree. And exchanging with Fan Chunan and his wife is undoubtedly a very good choice.

The Phu Quoc SAR Police Department and the Public Prosecutor's Office, at the behest of Chairman of the Management Committee, Vu An Dong, intervened forcefully, claiming to have indisputable jurisdiction over the North Vietnamese elements caught in the SAR, and disrupted the plans of Lansdale and Richardson, who had to fly to Phu Quoc Island to seek the cooperation of the "industrial investment department."

Boss Li is packing his luggage and preparing to lead a delegation to visit tomorrow.

Three large suitcases were placed in the living room, and five or six suits were prepared. The chairman's wife was very busy, and several secretaries discussed their daily life with several other assistants in the garden, and at a glance they knew that he was going to go far away.

Lansdale was too familiar with the Li family, so he didn't treat himself as an outsider at all, took the coffee from Chen's mother, cocked Erlang's legs and smiled: "Li, if you leave a little later, maybe we can be on the same plane." ”

Li Weimin motioned to his wife to take Tiantian out to play, and said with a smile: "Colonel, you have only been here for a few days. Leaving so soon, President Yan will definitely be disappointed. ”

Lansdale shrugged. He said with a regretful face: "After talking for more than two hours in Jialong Palace yesterday, he was more stubborn than before, and he was unwilling to make even a little compromise on any issue. As a mutual friend, I believe you feel the same way. ”

As one of the leading U.S. officials in Vietnam, Richardson was unfamiliar with the young Vietnamese political and business leader in front of him, and had little interaction with each other.

In fact, not only Richardson, the CIA's Saigon chief, but also the ambassador and the head of the military aid command found it difficult to see him. In the minds of almost all officials in Vietnam, he is a figure of equal political status with Diem, and his dealings are all with senior officials in Washington, not with their "little minions."

The needle can't enter, the water can't be splashed, and when something happens, the MSU will be pushed out as a shield.

Because of this, the embassy and the Military Aid Command do not have a good impression of the "industrial investment department", believing that the "industrial investment department" is too arrogant and does not show due respect to these officials.

However, the official level crushed people to death.

People can have direct dialogue with the White House, the State Council, the Pentagon, and Capitol Hill, and whether former Vice President Richard Nixon or current Vice President Lyndon Johnson visit Vietnam, they all regard the headquarters of the Industrial Investment Corporation in Vung Tau or Phu Quoc as their second stop, and they must meet with the chairman or Tran Shiguo in front of them.

Richardson directly believed that Vu Andong was dissatisfied with the CIA's refusal to hand over the "Ping Group" to them, and said bluntly: "Mr. Chairman, in order to smash the North Vietnamese underground organization in the South in one fell swoop, we must be cautious on some issues, and the previous secrecy measures have proved to be very necessary. ”

Gui Thanh Son "borrowed a knife to kill people," dealt a heavy blow to the Southern Bureau of the North Vietnamese Workers' Party, and, like cutting leeks, by the way, cleaned up the embankment "Hua-Yun" that had been relieved in the past two years.

One can imagine what kind of retaliatory actions the North Vietnamese would next carry out against the U.S. agencies in Vietnam and the South Vietnamese departments involved in the operation.

Despite the joy in his heart, Li Weimin still reminded with an unhappy face: "Mr. Stationmaster, we have reason to believe that in the counter-espionage operation that you have just concluded, the 'Ping Group' has played an important role. It is also an indisputable fact that the 'Binh Group' was established with our support and penetrated into the underground organization of North Vietnam at our behest. In other words, they are our people and should serve us. ”

It must be admitted that the CIA's Saigon did play a disgraceful role in stealing credit on this issue.

Lansdale hurriedly said: "Li, I have already made it very clear to Jiang about the belonging of the 'Ping Group'. Although we did not inform you in advance and did not share information with the 4th Tactical Region Command, we fulfilled all the obligations we were supposed to fulfill, such as the simultaneous eradication of the Viet Nam G and the 'Hua-Yun' underground organizations in the Chinese area on the embankment and the special zone on Phu Quoc Island. ”

It's not that they don't want to share, it's that they can't.

Yesterday evening, Gui Thanh Son finally confirmed that the ambush of Chian Hoa Governor Nguyen Ngoc Cao was purely a unilateral action taken by the CIA. Blaming the Yugoslav Liberation guerrillas, Ngo Dinh Yen was kept in the dark from beginning to end, how could this kind of thing leak out. If it weren't for the great use of the "Ping Group", I am afraid that they would have been able to kill people and kill people.

Li Weimin didn't want to go around in circles with them, so he put down his cup and said: "Two, regarding Fan Chunan and other spies, the judicial department of the SAR has a clear attitude. The SAR Police Department has officially opened a case against these illegal activities in the SAR. A comprehensive investigation has been launched into the suspects who endangered the security of the State and the SAR.

If everything is true. If the evidence is conclusive. The Special District Prosecutor's Office will prosecute in accordance with the law, and the Dongyang District Criminal Court will also have full authority to accept the case. If the suspect is not satisfied with the verdict, he may also appoint a lawyer to appeal the case to the SAR Court. I have consulted with legal experts and under the existing law, the judgment handed down by the Chief Justice of the HKSAR will be final.

Although Vietnam is far from being a country governed by the rule of law, the law is supreme in the industrial villages, especially in the Phu Quoc Special Zone. I can guarantee that they will receive a fair trial, that they will be treated fairly during their investigation and detention. ”

From Ngo Dinh Diem as prime minister to the present. Tens of thousands of North Vietnamese Workers' Party members who were executed without trial were joking with North Vietnamese spies talking about the law?

Lansdale was ridiculed, but the actions of his old friends were very much in line with "mainstream values". Among other things, the political reforms pioneered by Phu Quoc alone have won praise from Washington.

The establishment of the SAR Council, the election of members of the HKSAR, the establishment of two levels of courts independent of the SAR Administrative Committee and the SAR Council, the nomination of judges by the Chairman of the SAR Administrative Committee elected by the SAR Council, and the approval of the nominated judges, and the establishment of a grand jury in the criminal courts when hearing criminal cases. A copy of the entire American judicial system.

You reason with him, and he talks to you about the law. I can't talk about it at all!

Lansdale had a headache, and simply said bluntly: "Li, others can be handed over to the judicial department, but Fan Chunan can't, because I need to exchange him for prisoners of war." ”

"Swap prisoners of war?"

"A sergeant, a private, an army lieutenant, their loved ones are waiting for them to come home."

Richardson wasted no time in adding: "The State Council and the Pentagon have given us sufficient authority, and the embassy and the military aid command will work closely together." Mr. Chairman, when it comes to the safety of three American citizens, you don't want to stun Washington with this little thing, do you? ”

Li Weimin stared at him and asked coldly: "Mr. Stationmaster, from the implementation of the strategic village plan to the present, at least 500 officers and soldiers of the national army have been captured. In the 5th Infantry Division alone, more than 30 young men fell into the hands of the Yugoslav Liberation guerrillas, and their safety is not important, and their relatives are not worried about their safety? ”

He doesn't care how many people were captured in the national army, but the 5th Infantry Division was different, and those were all his most loyal supporters.

Lansdale weighed it and proposed, "Li, you Fan Chun'an hand it over to me, and I can bring the more than 30 prisoners of war of the 5th Infantry Division into the scope of negotiations. Of course, this matter needs to be kept secret and cannot be known to the Saigon side. ”

This is undoubtedly a solution that has the best of both worlds.

Li Weimin pondered for a moment, and asked suspiciously: "Colonel, how sure are you about the exchange?" ”

As soon as Nguyen Van Chai was arrested, North Vietnam contacted the Cambodian embassy through an underground organization in Phnom Penh and offered an exchange. You know, Nguyen Van was the top North Vietnamese official we captured, and he knew so much about their underground networks and activities in the south that it was impossible to trade him, so I offered to replace him with Pham Xuan An or someone else. ”

"Okay, I will coordinate with the SAR Administrative Committee as soon as possible, but in my opinion, the investigation, prosecution and trial are not contradictory to the exchange, and the initiation of the judicial process may be able to exert some pressure on the other party, if they are not sincere enough or act quickly enough, because once the judge imposes a death sentence, they will not be able to save it, forcing them to complete the exchange within the specified time."

Huang Yuchang, former president of the Industrial Village Circuit Court and now chief judge of the Phu Quoc Island Special Administrative Region Court, did not even give face to the brothers of Ngo Dinh Diem, and was known as the "iron-faced judge."

The North Vietnamese knew this very well and should not joke with the lives of their comrades.

Lansdale realized that this might be a good idea, and he looked at Richardson and agreed, "Okay, I'll have the evidence materials handed over to the SAR Police Department as soon as possible, and his wife as soon as possible." ”

Wu Andong insisted on asking the judicial department of the SAR to accept the case, not just to save face.

Li Weimin nodded slightly, and then said: "Colonel, Mr. Stationmaster, as you know, the political and economic reforms are being carried out in the six lower provinces, and local governments, especially local judicial institutions, need credibility. I sincerely hope that while we respect our allies, our allies will respect us.

In fact, not only local governments, local councils and local jurisdictions. Even the 4th Tactical Region Command took the same attitude. So it doesn't matter if it's the CIA or the Military Aid Command. Whatever nature of action will be taken in the Lower Six Provinces in the future. It is necessary to communicate with us in advance, obtain our consent in advance, and conduct it mainly with us. ”

Lansdale didn't think there was anything wrong with this, and smiled happily: "Li, the six provinces have enough executive power, which is exactly what we are expecting, you are different from those bureaucrats in Saigon, you are all people who do the right thing." Howe is not exaggerating. You have earned the respect of the world through your efforts and actions. ”

"Thank you."

If South Vietnam had been as safe as the Lower Six Provinces, the pressure on the CIA would certainly not be as great as it is now.

Richardson did not want to offend the person who could talk directly to President Kennedy, and said with a serious face: "Mr. Chairman, the government needs credibility, and the nation needs pride, and I very much agree with your view." In order for you and us to work more closely together in the future, I think we should establish a mechanism for cooperation, such as the stationing of a liaison officer at the Fourth Tactical Region Command. ”

"General Nguyen Chi Nhence will definitely look forward to it."

"Alright, that's it," Lansdale said, standing up. Picked up the hat and said with a wry smile: "Before returning to Saigon, I plan to go to see Fan Chun'an." Are you interested in going along? ”

"Absolutely."

Rushed to Phu Quoc Island Prison, Fan Xuan An had just finished his interrogation and was eating in his cell.

However, his appetite was not very good, and he only ate a few bites, and sat on the wooden bed in a daze with a tin plate, his emaciated face looked a little haggard, and he could imagine that he was worried about the fate of himself and his wife.

The cell was not a place to speak, and the guards took him to the interrogation room again, and when he faced Lansdale and Li Weimin, he looked a little surprised, and showed an unbelievable expression.

He was a big smoker, Li Weimin handed him a cigarette and said like a homely person: "Mr. An, we seem to have met twice, once in the mental battle situation and once at the colonel's. In fact, the Mental War Bureau also accompanied the colonel that time, as if he was going to get some documents. ”

A person who was once very optimistic has become an enemy and a prisoner.

Lansdale was very sorry, lit a cigarette and said: "The first meeting mentioned by Mr. Chairman, I only found out afterwards that it had caused you big trouble, and your boss at the time thought that you should not hand over confidential documents to me easily, and I also developed a certain trust and affection for you because of this. ”

Seeing the two big men who could change their fate, Fan Chunan spontaneously begged for hope, and said eagerly: "Colonel, Mr. Min, I ...... I don't want to deny what I've done, but I'm not who you think I am, I'm being taken advantage of, and it's all about my wife. ”

"Being taken advantage of?" Li Weimin asked in a low voice.

"Yes, Mr. Min, please trust me."

After all this and quibble, Lansdale glared at him fiercely and said coldly: "Fan, I know more than you think, for example, you became a member of the Workers' Party under the recommendation of Le Duc Shou, the then leader of the North Vietnamese Bureau, first through your cousin Fan Chunjia to break into the psychological warfare situation of the General Staff, and then inadvertently met me, used his relationship with me to gain Chen Jinxuan's trust, and engaged in espionage activities.

Under the pseudonym 'Tran Van Chong', codenamed X6, you type out the information you have gathered by taking advantage of your position on a typewriter provided by North Vietnam, then shoot it with a camera, disguise the film as a pork roll or hide it in the belly of a dead fish, disguise it as a sacrifice to worship Buddha or go to the grave, and take your dog to take it out in the morning in the name of walking.

If there's not much film, you put it in the empty nest of that tree. If it's too much, you hide it under a tombstone not far from the tree. When passing on information, your wife follows from a distance so that you can warn the person who went to collect the information in case you are arrested.

The information you provide will be sent by the so-called traffic officers to the Viet Nam G headquarters in Cu Chi as soon as possible, and then to the C Theater by courier, from the C Theater to Guangzhou, China via Cambodia, and finally to the ****** in Hanoi. We can basically confirm that you are the most important source of strategic intelligence for North Vietnam in the South......"

Word for word, and even knew something he didn't know, such as the route of intelligence transmission.

Fan Chun'an was completely stunned, and was silent for a while, and suddenly realized that there was a traitor in the organization, and it was a big traitor, otherwise Lansdale would not have mastered so much.

I thought that he would be furious, or shout a few slogans impassionedly, but I didn't expect him to be scared, looking at him trembling, looking like a mourner, Li Weimin was really a little disappointed, secretly thinking about the legendary spy, but that's it.

The deputy chief of the SAR Police who accompanied them said with a blank face: "Pham Chun'an, what you have done seriously endangers national security, and the SAR Prosecutor's Office will take you to court for espionage and treason." The evidence is conclusive, the jury will find you guilty, the judge will sentence you to death according to the law, and your wife will do the same! ”

Obviously, he wanted Fan Chunan to explain something.

It's a pity that they are a one-line contact, Gui Qingshan has been watching him for so many years, it is almost certain that he doesn't even know the traffic officer who took the information, what valuable information can he provide?

There is nothing more unfortunate about a spy than losing his usefulness, and he is undoubtedly that kind of thing.

If the North Vietnamese thought the same, the chances of agreeing to exchange him for American prisoners of war would be slim to none, and the fate of him and his wife would be a dead end.

No wonder people always say that there is no good end to engaging in underground work, Li Weimin sighed secretly, got up and said: "Have a better attitude when accepting the investigation and trial, don't have any luck mentality, if you have a good attitude of admitting guilt and can actively cooperate with the investigation, you may be able to win a life sentence." ”

"I ...... What about my wife? ”

"If you knew today, why bother at the beginning, it's the same." (To be continued.) )