Struggle in Soviet Russia

A light rain at night brought a slight chill to the entire Chongqing.

On Battery Street in the Water District, the harsh air defense sirens had just ceased, and a shrunken-looking figure appeared in front of the gray-brick flat-roofed building.

In the small square in front of the building, the red flag was heavily hung on the flagpole because it was wet by rain. Two Soviet soldiers were lowering it.

The shrinking figure wore a gray windbreaker and a lenient top hat on his head. A dim street lamp shone on his somewhat pale face. Coupled with his upright nose, he looked a bit shameful.

After wandering for a long time at the entrance of the courtyard where the guards were standing, this person seemed to have made up his mind. He bit his pale lip and walked towards the entrance of the courtyard.

Unsurprisingly, at the gate of the courtyard, he was stopped by two Soviet guards armed with guns. This is the Soviet embassy in the Republic of China. Of course, not everyone can enter it casually.

"I'm Hahn, Hahn Nestor," the man in the windbreaker was stopped by the guards. He raised his hands and said to one of the guards. "I am a translator from the Communications Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Great Britain. Military attache, Mr. Polecki, I have an important piece of information to sell to him."

The two guards obviously did not understand English. They blocked the man named Hahn and did not allow him to break in. When Hahn tried to forcibly enter the courtyard, one of the guards pushed **** his shoulder. Push him directly to the ground.

Hahn squatted and fell to the ground, and his trench coat was suddenly covered with mud.

He sat on the ground for a while, and finally stood up helplessly, took another look at the illuminated building in the courtyard, and then turned and left unwillingly.

Before leaving the door of the Soviet embassy, ​​Hahn walked down the street a little desperately. He felt that he was too reckless. The previous plan was full of loopholes. Now it’s all right, let alone making a deal, getting money, even the door Failed to get in.

But what Hahn didn't notice was that when he turned and left, the guard who knocked him down turned and ran into the yard. He rushed into the guard room inside the yard door and picked up the phone.

………………………

Moscow, People's Committee of National Security.

Victor put the coat hanger in his arms and pushed the door into his office. Behind him, he followed Sophia who was holding the documents.

"Let's talk, what's the matter?" When he walked into the office, Victor hung his coat on the hanger at the door, then turned around, looked at Sophia behind him, and asked.

"Information from Chongqing," Sophia said, shaking the document in his hand, "Comrade Terekov said that he contacted an Englishman named Harn Nestor and spent two thousand dollars. I bought a secret code from the other party. According to the Hahn himself, this is the secret code for radio communications currently used by the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

"Two thousand dollars?" Victor frowned, took the file from Sophia's hand, and looked at it.

He had doubts about the authenticity of this secret code, and nothing else, because it was sold too cheaply. Although the current dollar is very strong, the price still sounds so illusory.

The document detailed the process of establishing contact between Terekov and Hahn Nestor, so Victor learned a more mysterious story.

The establishment of contact with Hahn was not the result of Terekov's efforts, but the other party's initiative to come to the door.

Hahn was indeed a translator for the Communications Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Great Britain. When he was traveling with a delegation to Chongqing, he took the opportunity to find the Soviet embassy in Chongqing, and ceremoniously proposed that he should go with the pseudonym "Poletski". Terekov makes an intelligence transaction.

It is of course impossible to go directly to the embassy to sell intelligence. So Hahn didn't even get the chance to enter the embassy, ​​and was driven away by the guards directly at the embassy gate.

However, after the guards drove Hahn away, they immediately called Terekov, who then secretly contacted Hahn.

During this contact, Hahn’s request was to sell a copy of the British Foreign Ministry’s communication secret code in his hand to Terekov at a price of 6,000 US dollars, but Terekov did not accept the other party’s asking price. After a round of bargaining between the two parties, the deal was finally sold at a price of two thousand dollars.

In the report submitted by Terekov, it is mentioned that Hahn betrayed this information. According to him, it was because he owed a loan shark in London. If the money is not repaid, the gangs who borrowed him Will kill him.

He has sold everything that can be sold at home, and now, besides this secret code, he can't think of anything else that can be sold at a good price.

Close the document and return it to Sophia. Victor frowned for a while and asked, "Has the secret code been verified?"

"It has been verified," Sophia nodded. "The people in the Intelligence Analysis Department compared the 13 radio communication records we intercepted in the past. The contents of the British foreign affairs department have now been deciphered."

"Very good," Victor nodded, and then said, "Let the secretariat draft a report and submit it to Comrade Fitin."

Sophia walked quickly to the table, put the papers in her hand on the table, tore a note, took out the pen, and got ready to take notes.

"It is recommended that Comrade Terekov be transferred back from Chongqing and assigned to a certain position in the security department," Victor said casually. "As for the candidate to succeed him, I think we should choose from experienced people."

"Why, are you dissatisfied with Terekov's job this time?" Sophia asked in surprise.

"I'm not dissatisfied with his work this time, I'm dissatisfied with his work style, dissatisfied with his angle of thinking about problems," Victor walked to the back of the desk and sat down on a chair.

"Obviously, this man named Hahn is a very valuable spy," he touched his pocket, took out a pack of cigarettes, and threw it directly on the table, Victor continued, "He can provide us with it, not just There should be more of this secret code. But our comrade Terekov obviously can’t see this. In his eyes, there is only the **** four thousand dollars, so I think he is better than doing audit work. It’s more appropriate to do intelligence work."

Sophia understood what he meant. As Victor said, judging from his job position, Hahn’s value is indeed very high. It’s just that this guy himself didn’t realize this and only thought that the secret codebook in his hand was the one. The most valuable.

But in fact, a secret code used in a department is indeed valuable, but its value is very limited. This is because the secret code is not used for intelligence information that requires a high degree of confidentiality. Under normal circumstances, it is used in the transmission of basic information. In addition, the secret code is not always the same. Under normal circumstances, this thing will be replaced every certain period of time. Therefore, its validity has a shelf life. This is why Terekov thinks this thing is not worth six thousand dollars.

But the problem is that if an experienced intelligence officer is faced with this kind of thing, he will often not bargain the price. Why? Because the six thousand dollars was not used to buy this codebook at all, but to buy Hahn, his own value is much more precious than a codebook.

Although Terekov’s approach left four thousand dollars in funding for the country, he lost something more precious to the country.

If he paid six thousand dollars, this Hahn might become an important spy buried in the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the intelligence agency of the alliance, but if only paid two thousand dollars, this important spy might be lost.

Four thousand dollars, a spy, which is more valuable? The answer speaks for itself.

"Well, do you want to contact Terekov and try to see if you can get it back..." Sophia asked tentatively.

"No," Victor thought for a while and shook his head. "The danger is too high. From this Hahn to Terekov, in a few days, who knows who he has contacted again?"

Sophia thought for a while, and soon understood what Victor meant.

It is impossible for Hahn not to know that his behavior was treason, but he still chose to do so, which shows that he was really driven by the six thousand dollars and had nowhere to go. The reason why he directly offered the price in front of Terekov Six thousand dollars, because he really needs that money.

But Terekov did not agree to his request, but only paid two thousand dollars. Then, what would Hahn do if he didn't collect enough money?

Just like what he said, he felt that apart from the secret code, he had nothing to sell for a good price. Therefore, according to the thinking of any normal person, he would find a way to change the secret code. It has been sold several times, and at least the six thousand dollars must be collected.

Hahn had no experience in spying, so he went directly to the Soviet embassy to sell intelligence. The first time he was able to make this business without being discovered, it was entirely because he was lucky.

But when he continued to sell for the second, third, or even fourth time, he would always be found out. Therefore, according to Victor, this originally valuable spy was never caught by Terrie. From the moment Cove spent two thousand dollars to pass it away, it was completely scrapped.

Of course, it is not only this potentially valuable spy that was scrapped, but also the secret code valued at two thousand dollars he provided. In other words, the seemingly savvy Comrade Terekov not only caused the Alliance to lose a lot of money. A valuable spy also used two thousand dollars to buy a codebook that was basically worthless.

The significance of this secret codebook may be to help the intelligence analysis department analyze a few pieces of previously intercepted intelligence.