The whistle blew, and an empty train slowly pulled into the station at Lüshun Port, coming to a gentle stop at the platform. The passengers waiting to board, having already queued up under the arrangement of the conductors, began to embark.

Soon, the carriages were full. The passengers were mostly young people. Even though Lüshun was still in a wartime state, it could not dampen their joyous mood. The laughter and chatter filling the carriages were proof enough that the victory in the war had made these young people even more excited.

After a journey of more than a day, these young people finally arrived at their destination: Shenyang, the seat of the Northeast Government.

There were not many people there to welcome them, indicating that these youths were not locals of the Northeast. However, among the welcoming party was Wu Youping, the Chief Executive of the Northeast Government. Under a banner reading "Welcome Students from All Over the Nation to Build the Northeast Together," Wu Youping watched as student representatives from various schools walked toward him, led by staff from the Northeast Government's various offices and local stations of the *Northeast Daily*.

When the student representatives learned that the person welcoming them was actually the Chief Executive of the Northeast, they were even more excited. Although they tried their best to maintain discipline, they couldn't help but step forward a few paces, wanting to see what this high official of the Northeast actually looked like.

Wu Youping, dressed in a civil service uniform, calmly stepped forward to shake hands with the student representatives. Especially when he saw the representative from his alma mater, the Tangshan Railway School, Wu Youping exchanged a few pleasantries, asking about the other's major and professors. He then said with nostalgia, "So Teacher Wu has become the Department Head. My civil engineering classes were taught by Teacher Wu."

Seeing his senior so amiable, the junior student quickly replied, "When Teacher Wu learned we were coming to the Northeast, he entrusted us with a letter for Chief Executive Wu. And there's more!"

The junior student's face was flushed with excitement. "Senior Wu, we boarded the train in China's Lüshun and arrived in China's Shenyang! This is all thanks to the Northeast Government led by Senior Wu, wiping away national humiliation and reclaiming the concessions! I thank you on everyone's behalf!" After speaking, he bowed deeply.

Wu Youping helped his junior up. "This is the work of the people of the Northeast. If it were just me alone, I could never have defeated one hundred thousand Japanese troops."

As they spoke, the secretary beside him took the letter and placed it in a briefcase. Seeing this, other student representatives also took out letters they had been entrusted to deliver and handed them to Wu Youping. some were from the principals of various schools in Beijing and Tianjin, and others were from the principals and teachers of Wu Youping's middle school in Tianjin. Wu Youping accepted them one by one.

He walked among the students again and greeted them. "Students, welcome to the Northeast. The next train will be arriving soon, and it is not convenient to talk here. Please follow our staff to the dormitories prepared for you. Here, on behalf of the Northeast Government, I welcome everyone to the Northeast once again!"

The students applauded and cheered one after another. Someone shouted, "Down with the Japanese! The Northeast Army will win!"

This made the students even more emotional, and more people began to shout, "China will win!" "Long live China!"

The already bustling station became even livelier.

After the staff led the students away, Wu Youping did not leave with them but boarded another train. It was a freight train, with two carriages converted into passenger cars.

As soon as Wu Youping sat down, his secretary placed several documents that required immediate review on the table in front of him. They were all personnel transfer lists for the Northeast Government. However, Wu Youping couldn't quite focus on them. Thinking back to those vigorous young people, Wu Youping simply asked his secretary to bring the letters from the various schools. The secretary opened and checked them before placing them one by one in front of Wu Youping.

The first ones he read were naturally the letters from his alma mater. There were quite a few. The principal's letter was the most reserved and polite, with little praise but more requests for Northeast Chief Executive Wu Youping to take good care of the students. He earnestly exhorted that the students' academic progress charts had been given to the student representatives, and asked Wu Youping to arrange for the students to complete their studies as much as possible.

The letters from the department head and the teachers Wu Youping knew contained more reminiscences of Wu Youping's time at school. Reading the descriptions of those past events, many of Wu Youping's dusty memories were awakened. Joining He Rui's team had been the most exciting journey of Wu Youping's life so far. However, those leisurely campus days were undoubtedly Wu Youping's most beautiful era. Those school buildings, those classmates and teachers, even the angry quarrels, now seemed warm and nostalgic.

Until Wu Youping saw a letter that made his face instantly darken. It was an anonymous letter, with only "To Chief Executive Wu (space) Youping" written on the envelope.

The letter paper contained only honorifics and no name of the informer. The handwriting was quite good, not looking like that of a soldier.

"...I have learned from a reliable comrade that since the Northeast Army crushed the Japanese invaders, the Japanese have been in frequent contact with Wang Yitang. Wang Yitang is a subordinate of Premier Duan and has always been heavily relied upon by Director-General Duan. This person, as the Speaker of the House of Representatives and a General in the Army, is actually colluding with the Japanese invaders at this time. His conduct is suspicious, and his heart is punishable..."

The secretary didn't know why Wu Youping's expression had changed so quickly. It wasn't until Wu Youping finished reading the letter and asked if the secretary remembered who had submitted it that he handed the letter to the secretary. After reading it, the secretary frowned. "Chief Executive Wu, it seems these students are still unreliable. I will go send a telegram immediately and have the Personnel Department investigate further."

"Just letting the Personnel Department know about this is enough. Now that the Northeast has finally gained the recognition of the people across the country, there are quite a few people with ulterior motives, not only targeting Beiyang but also targeting us. Also, get me the file on Wang Yitang. Have Secretary Sun and Secretary Zhang read the letters together and pick out any letters of this kind."

Soon, with the secretaries busy at work, three letters containing information related to informing were presented. One was a dedicated anonymous letter, while the writers of the other two letters were quite straightforward. In the letters where they stated their names, they directly mentioned the traitors in Beiyang who were 'colluding with the Japanese'.

At this time, Wu Youping had also looked at the names of the people mentioned. What Wu Youping did not know was that the three people mentioned were all major traitors in history.

Wang Yitang, born in 1877, a native of Hefei, Anhui. A politician during the Republic of China period, a key member of the Anfu Club, and a traitor during the Japanese puppet regime period. Wang Yitang served as the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Beiyang Government and a General in the Army. In terms of rank, he was also a high-ranking leader. Wang Yitang was a confidant general of Duan Qirui of the Anhui clique. After Duan Qirui lost power, he wandered around in the provinces for a while.

In 1937, the Japanese army established the Provisional Government of the Republic of China in the occupied territories of North China, and Wang Yitang served as the Chairman of the puppet government. He was the number one traitor in China at that time.

Liang Hongzhi, born in 1882, a native of Changle, Fujian. A modern bureaucrat. He recited classics and history from a young age, was arrogant by nature, and compared himself to Su Dongpo. He served as the Secretary-General of the Beiyang Government.

After the full-scale outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan in 1937, the Japanese invaders, in order to further annex and control North China, began planning to establish a puppet regime in the occupied areas of North China. Liang Hongzhi, greedy for life and afraid of death, hit it off with the Japanese army and surrendered to become a traitor. In 1940, when the Wang Jingwei puppet National Government was established in Nanjing, he served as the President of the Control Yuan and the President of the Legislative Yuan. On November 9, 1946, he was sentenced to death for treason.

Wu Youping did not know what the future of these two people would be like in another timeline. But Wang Yitang and Liang Hongzhi indeed held considerable status in the current Beiyang government.

Before Wu Youping went to attend the meeting presided over by Zhang Xiluan, someone had passed on the news of these two people communicating with Japan. What was the purpose?

Wu Youping began to consider: should he make use of this? And if he were to use it, how should he go about it?