[h1]China[/h1] [h2]Guangxi[/h2] [h3]Unmarked Location[/h3] A small packed room, smelling of cigarette smoke and fresh tea. Around a centrally placed table men in black coats were taking their seat. A meeting of field agents, the map of Vietnam hanging on the wall nearby spoke of the subject of the field officer's internal briefing. As the last man filed through the door, it was closed. The murmuring and wayward conversation hung for a moment longer as seats were taken, and a few chairs short several agents took position along the walls, propping files on clipboards against raised on the table in front of them. “Comrades, I hope you've all had a good lunch.” a figure said at the head of the room. He was a burly man with a hunched back that made him look like a turtle. Old scars around his face made him appear as if he was scowling, though he smiled politely. His eyes were faded and shallow set, but his voice sharp and strong, “We all know the agenda today. Do we have any new information we would like to discuss. Bao Arban, Huang Du: you went to see our mutual friend, what's his position? Let's start there.” “Nguyen Sinh Cung is apprehensive.” Bao Arban said, the Mongolian and agent who had identified himself as Two. “He holds the belief that any Chinese action in Vietnam would be perceived as being an imperialist project. He's pessimistic about intent and discussed if this would be another thousand years of Chinese rule.” “And what did you say?” the commanding agent inquired. “That rule in Vietnam would be Vietnamese. He served us lunch and we tried to convince him that we would be a stabilizing force. But that on the whole his people would be on the Vanguard. I don't think he bought it.” “But is he receptive?” “I assume so, but he's with holding his commitment.” “Huang Du,” the commander turned, “What is your impression on the man?” “He's a damn good cook and writes OK-poetry.” Huang Du remarked dispassionately, “I'm sure if we had the chance he could have served us a fine three-course meal. Puts the food here to shame.” there were rounds of laughter from the other agents. “But I have to concur with my partner. Nguyen Sinh Cung doesn't seem to be very willing to go through to Vietnam with the thought of Chinese backing. But if I were to make a suggestion as to how or if we can then I would recommend letting him meet with Congress itself or Politburo. The man has respect for Hou, that much we learned over lunch. If we get the two to speak he may be convinced or at the very least made less stubborn to agree to terms with organizing Vietnamese battalions with Chinese support to end the civil war.” “Understood.” the commander said, “As it turns out the Dragon wants a full report on this for the next Politburo session. I will include your suggestions for consideration.” Huang Du smiled and bowed his head, “Thank you.” “Before anything though I would like to make aware some important developments in Vietnam.” another agent said, “Pertaining to the possible identity of our supposed Trung.” The commander lifted his head and nodded, bidding him to continue. The agent, stepping forward from the wall began, “Just these past couple of days our new played to the Vietnamese struggle as announced informally his identity.” “His? Haven't we heard Trung referred to 'lady'?” another agent at the table asked. “That may be the case but I find it hard to believe given whose flags we seen rising over Hanoi and the cities under Trung's control.” the standing agent said, walking towards the map he began fingering through the papers he held in hand. Making it up to the map he reached for a thumb tack and tacked to the northern portion of Vietnam an orange slip of paper with crudely drawn red stars arranged in a hexagon roughly around the center. “This is the best I've been able to replicate from what I've heard. Does this look at all familiar.” “That's Phan Bội Châu's!” the commander exclaimed. “So it is. I didn't recognize it at first so I needed it researched. But I was able to confirm it's the flag he used when he lead an army into Vietnam with remnants of the Kuomintang as the French state was collapsing.” “His Vietnamese Restoration League was soundly beaten though, it couldn't be him.” one of the agents at the table pointed out, “I remember that. And he was killed in action too as the story goes. Are you going to suggest that was a story?” “I doubt it.” said the agent by the map, “He's still very likely dead. If he hadn't died he'd be close to a hundred years old by now, assuredly he would have passed away if he hadn't been slain. “No, what I think is going on is someone is trying to revive his legacy. All the symbolism points to a revival of his Republican legacy in northern Vietnam.” “He was hardly popular to begin with.” opined the commander. “If that's the case then shouldn't Trung's revivalist movement melt away?” Huang Du asked, cutting into the conversation. “It may as well, or find only significant support in the north.” the map-side agent said, “The south has largely only ever been a monarchist's territory. Looking back through his movement he's only ever found real sympathy in the north. In the course of the conflict then in Vietnam, I would to give a tactical assessment that French backed reactionaries will continue to have a strong showing in the south, or local-reactionary backed French will continue to do so. Whoever would sooner deliver Confucian authority.” “So we have a roughly ideology attached to the name?” an agent taking notes asked. “It would appear so.” “But what is Trung's relationship to the Vietnamese Restoration League?” Arban asked. “If anyone can answer that question, then I am more than willing to hear it.” the map-side agent announced. The room was silent, confirm suspicions. Nodding he continued, “The best I can do is run on assumptions and hypothesis. Right now we have the return of the League flag so we can only guess it's a revival of the movement. Whether it's someone close to Phan Boi Chau or simply a follower bringing it back more than a decade later we can't know for certain until we see this leader, hear what this leader has to say, or find and capture someone close by. We will also not know who is backing them until we capture goods and supplies moving into northern Vietnam that might give indication on who is encouraging operations.” “It sounds the next assessment you'll give is that we need to find and intercept supplies moving into the country.” the note-taking agent said. Map-side nodded, “That's right. That'll help at least find out where the material for war is coming from and at the least destabilize the military operations in the north by encouraging a brief material shortage.” “I hear there's a problem with pirates from out of northern Borneo or somewhere. Think we can get approval from the navy to use some ships?” The heads in the room turned to the commander. He hung his head low thinking and shrugged. “I'll see what I can get done, boys. I'll put a request up and see what comes down.” The shuffling and murmuring of the men confirmed their understanding and they moved on. “So what it sounds like is we have a conservative Republican movement in northern Vietnam then?” someone asked, “How does someone start a movement like this.” “Typically they're known and accredited as someone who passed their imperial examinations. But with two emperors and French control in the nation there could easily be confusion on who is certified as being an accredited Confucian scholar. But that's how Pho had his credentials, the old Kuomintang dossier says as much.” map-side said. “So assuming it's someone who was close to Pho, or who was in the original movement they are at the least adept Confucians?” “Asking that now, I believe so.” “I see, thank you.”