There were many Taoist priests in Shandong. Generally speaking, they primarily engaged in funeral rites, drawing talismans to exorcise ghosts, and acting to some extent as itinerant healers. As a port city, Qingdao felt a relatively high level of influence from new technologies. When the wealthy fell ill, they sought Western medicine, and for funerals, they wouldn't hire a wandering priest of unknown origin. Despite having visited Qingdao multiple times over the past few years, Daoquanzi's "business" had never officially opened.

Fortunately, Daoquanzi had never expected to make a living this way; he was only there to blend in and become a familiar face. For a Taoist intelligence agent like him, if he didn't establish a familiar presence, the strangely dressed priest would certainly be suspected the moment the situation grew tense.

Seeing that the sun was about to set, Daoquanzi found a small inn to stay in. Business was clearly poor, but at least Daoquanzi could afford a private room. After the waiter delivered his meal and withdrew, Daoquanzi carefully locked the door and pulled a cloth bundle from the very bottom of his bamboo basket. Inside were several pencils and a small stack of paper. Working from memory, he recorded the positions of every German battery in the Qingdao Fortress that he had seen.

Within the People's Party intelligence system, wandering Taoists were a vital component. They weren't expected to perform any extraordinary tasks—only to faithfully record what they observed. Once the intelligence was written, Daoquanzi finished his meal. After a while, the waiter returned to clear the dishes and, in passing, took the materials Daoquanzi had prepared. No words were exchanged, no discussions held. the People's Party always employed such a model for intelligence, and Daoquanzi was very satisfied with it.

However, in Beijing at this same time, the former intelligence broker Zheng Wenjie felt quite differently. Now that Beiyang sat upon the throne of the realm, Zheng felt a renewed sense of pride. As an old Beiyang hand, although his rise within the Ministry of the Army couldn't be called meteoric, it was certainly steady; he was now a Deputy Director in the Operations Department. Since Beiyang was in power, Zheng no longer provided intelligence to the People's Party. Fortunately, the People's Party never blackmailed anyone, and Zheng was someone who could "pick it up and put it down," so his mind remained unburdened.

On July 8, a sudden commotion broke out within the Ministry of the Army. Zheng Wenjie was wondering about the flurry of footsteps outside when his office door was pushed open. "The People's Party has sent a female representative to our Ministry," a man outside said in a tone filled with intense curiosity.

"A woman?" Even as a middle-to-high-ranking official, Zheng Wenjie felt a surge of interest.

"And a pretty one, too," the informant added excitedly. In this era, there were indeed women of high status, but they relied either on their maternal families or their husbands' families. An independent woman representing an organization was unheard of. Furthermore, there were almost no women in the military, and since the People's Party representatives always wore uniforms, they were naturally viewed as female soldiers.

Those who frequented the Ministry of the Army were not men who had never seen a woman. However, such a female representative truly piqued Zheng Wenjie's curiosity. "Come on, let's go take a peek."

The People's Party representative was there to see Wang Shizhen, the Minister of the Army. Wang was in the building, but he had no desire whatsoever to receive a People's Party representative. These past few days, the People's Party representatives had been visiting everyone, throwing the capital into a state of confusion. Refusing to see them would be a sign of weakness, while seeing them would spark rumors. With the situation so chaotic, Wang Shizhen naturally wanted to wait and see, but "the tree seeks stillness yet the wind will not subside." It seemed the People's Party would not let Wang have his peace so easily.

The one visiting was Huang Yuyue. She was not blind to the crowd of men loitering around and glancing at her, but she stood at the main gate of the Ministry of the Army looking straight ahead at the shadow wall. She completely ignored the idle men who stared at her like she was a monkey in a show. She had long been accustomed to such attention. Chairman Chen Ke had specifically explained to the delegation, including Huang Yuyue, the difference between "industrial socialized mass production" and the "scattered sand of a small-peasant economy."

As a member of the delegation, Huang Yuyue was a part of the People's Party's socialized mass production organization. The entire organization stood behind her as support, and every member had to provide support for the organization's overall operation through their own labor. It could be described as "everyone for me, me for everyone."

Although Chen Ke was a resolute proletarian revolutionary and an especially firm materialist, he had once told Huang Yuyue and the others that some people were naturally suited to integrate into this "socialized mass production" system, and the People's Party welcomed such comrades.

Huang Yuyue didn't have much confidence in whether she was naturally suited for the system, but she felt she had adapted very well to the People's Party's existing structure. Thus, whether being stared at or performing her work, she could accept it quite naturally.

The gatekeepers had apparently received orders; Huang Yuyue waited for a long time without anyone attending to her. But she was not discouraged in the slightest. Aside from inquiring every twenty minutes, she and her two guards simply stood there, effectively blocking the gate of the Ministry. A woman leading men to block the gate of the Ministry of the Army was quite a spectacle. Many passersby had already stopped to watch, and the gatekeepers seemed unable to hold out much longer. Huang Yuyue saw a gatekeeper go inside. When he returned, he politely invited Huang and her group into the gatehouse to wait.

"No need. If you think we are tired, please bring out a few stools. We will wait right here," Huang Yuyue said with a smile. To see Wang Shizhen this time, the delegation had decided after discussion to have Huang personally take the lead. Wang Shizhen could brush off men, but he couldn't stand being pressured at his own front gate by a woman.

"Perhaps you would prefer to wait inside the Ministry?" the gatekeeper asked awkwardly.

"No need. I am a mere woman and have not seen much of the world. I fear that even if I enter, I still won't be able to see Mr. Wang Shizhen. Therefore, please go in and report that I request Mr. Wang to come out and welcome us personally. Otherwise, I shall come to the gates of the Ministry every day to seek an audience," Huang Yuyue said in a gentle tone. The standard Mandarin of a southern woman was soft and melodious, quite different from that of a northern woman. The gatekeeper was stunned for a moment before he realized the immense arrogance contained in those words.

Another hour passed. After Huang Yuyue had blocked the gates for a full five hours, Wang Shizhen finally sent his personal guards to welcome her.

In truth, Wang Shizhen felt a certain degree of admiration for the People's Party's female representative. Using the People's Party's prestige to pressure others was easy enough. But for a woman not to resort to a scene or sharp-tongued bickering, but instead to employ such a resolute "gate-blocking" method of seeking an audience, was indeed commendable.

"I have come to ask for Beiyang's assistance in providing whatever intelligence you possess regarding the Qingdao Fortress—the topographical maps and battery positions," Huang Yuyue said directly as soon as she saw Wang Shizhen.

"Why?" Faced with such frankness, Wang Shizhen did not prevaricate.

Huang Yuyue replied candidly, "We are at war with the Germans and indeed need this intelligence. Preparing it ourselves now would take too much time. We believe the Beiyang government and you, Minister Wang, are patriots. While our People's Party is fighting the Germans, we hope to receive the support of Chinese patriots."

These upright words left Wang Shizhen somewhat at a loss. Threats or bribes certainly couldn't move him, but that didn't mean he lacked a stance of his own. Even from a Beiyang perspective, it didn't mean Wang lacked any sense of duty toward China. To be asked for support by a woman from the perspective of a patriot left Wang momentarily unable to answer.

After a long pause, Wang replied, "Allow me to inquire with my subordinates first. If we have them, I will certainly provide them to your side."

Huang Yuyue smiled. "Minister Wang, you are a veteran of the military. Since we intend to take Qingdao, we must naturally attack the fortress. How could veterans like you not have studied the maps of the Qingdao Fortress? We truly need those maps, so please give us a definite word. How long will it take for you to consult with President Yuan and the other Beiyang ministers? How long until you can give us a final answer?"

Hearing this, Wang Shizhen truly looked at her in a new light. He had assumed the People's Party used women merely for show—and women in the military outside the People's Party were essentially camp followers. But Huang Yuyue's logical and clear words confirmed to Wang that the person before him was indeed a negotiating opponent, not a mere ornament. This realization was quite jarring.

After another pause, Wang Shizhen replied, "Miss Huang, the People's Party claims to be striking foreigners by attacking Qingdao, but is it not also for your own benefit? The dispute with the Germans was a frontier conflict initiated by the People's Party itself. If you win, the People's Party's fame will shake the world, potentially overshadowing the Central Government. What benefit is there for our Beiyang in providing you with fortress maps and intelligence?"

"Minister Wang, it is said that the 'Grand Vessel' (power) has no permanent master; it resides with the virtuous and the strong. Our People's Party believes Beiyang possesses both virtue and strength, which is why we supported President Yuan's ascension. If we truly win, our fame will indeed shake the world. But that fame will be won by our own efforts. What kind of person is it who sees others prospering and feels only envy, thinking that others shouldn't have such success? I am sure President Yuan, the Beiyang gentlemen, and you—the pillar of Beiyang—are absolutely not such people." Huang Yuyue's voice was soft and beautiful, her delivery steady and unhurried.

Faced with such a subtle mockery, Wang Shizhen felt no rage. The People's Party relied entirely on itself; thus, when Beiyang discussed methods to deal with them, they found that aside from direct military action, there were essentially no better ways. Every cooperation the People's Party proposed to Beiyang was of genuine benefit to Beiyang. If they were to refuse all cooperation merely out of envy and fear, it would only prove Beiyang's own cowardice and incompetence.

Huang Yuyue's words did not provoke Wang Shizhen; instead, they stirred his fighting spirit. He answered, "Within fifteen days, I will certainly give Miss Huang a definitive answer."

At this, Huang Yuyue couldn't help but smile slightly. "Minister Wang, have you calculated that it's impossible for us to begin the attack on Qingdao within fifteen days?"

"Oh? Can the People's Party launch an attack within fifteen days?" Wang Shizhen asked.

"Mobilizing a hundred thousand troops to reach Qingdao probably isn't possible within fifteen days. But a vanguard of ten thousand can certainly arrive," Huang Yuyue replied.

"Then I shall certainly give Miss Huang an answer within fifteen days," Wang Shizhen said. Based on what Huang said and his own judgment, a formal attack by the People's Party would require a month. Without an assault by a hundred thousand troops, Wang Shizhen truly couldn't imagine what other options the People's Party had.

"Then I shall await your news, Minister Wang," Huang Yuyue replied. "Minister, is there anything else you wish to ask me?"

This was a clear indication that she was taking her leave, though it differed greatly from the usual etiquette of officialdom. Wang Shizhen blinked before replying, "No."

"Then I shall depart." Huang Yuyue rose.

Watching her figure retreat, Wang Shizhen shook his head slightly. If even a young girl could act with such caliber, the People's Party could only be described as brimming with talent. Thinking that while Beiyang was also numerous and powerful, its people were all too old compared to Huang Yuyue, Wang felt a surge of melancholy.