Chapter 26 Chapter VI Establishment of Lixingshe

During his short-term exile, Chiang Kai-shek reached a compromise with Wang Jingwei and was ready to return to his original post. On January 17, 1932, Chiang Kai-shek announced that he would return to power, and he returned to Nanking four days later. On February 29, the Military Council was reconstituted.A week later, on March 6, Chiang was appointed chairman of the government.During these critical two months, the Lixingshe changed from a mere armchair strategist to a top-secret organization composed of 300 elements loyal to Chiang Kai-shek.Its members later became the core of a new national political force numbering more than 500,000 people, and were widely regarded as members of front groups such as the Revival Society.

The process of turning the original Lixingshe into an important political force started with a meeting notice.That notice was sent to the three leaders of what was now known as the "Preparatory Office for Protecting the Party and Saving the Nation" and asked them to attend a meeting in Chiang Kai-shek's office on January 22, 1932, the day after he returned to Nanking.These three people are Kang Ze, Teng Jie and He Zhonghan.Before meeting the principal, they met with secretary Deng Wenyi in the lobby.Together, the four decided that, for the first time when they met Chiang, they would not address him as "Principal" but would honor him with a new title, "Leader," which was used for the first time in front of him.According to the plan, they were ushered in, and as soon as the door closed, they addressed Chiang Kai-shek as "the leader."Then, they reported in detail the plans of the Lixing Society.Deng Wenyi made a record.

Chiang Kai-shek initially made no comment on the new title.Instead, he listened carefully to the debriefing.But after listening, he said: "Why don't you keep calling me 'principal'? You know what to do in the current situation. This plan is very suitable. However, you are too young and too inexperienced, and I am afraid that you will fail. .Let me lead you.” He later suggested that all the staff of the Preparatory Office be called to hold a “conversation meeting” at his cemetery villa outside the city.They naturally obeyed.The meeting was scheduled for one evening in the last week of February.As for the title of "leader," Chiang had been called that by his closest entourage ever since.

Fourteen years later, Dai Li once recalled what happened at that time and boasted a lot.If his recollections are to be believed, Chiang Kai-shek began to take cover measures for the establishment of the "secret affairs department" in the Lixingshe headquarters before the first meeting with the cadres in the preparatory period at the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum Villa.According to Dai Li himself, the secret meeting between him and the commander-in-chief regarding the establishment of the Secret Service was held at Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum Park at 8:00 pm on February 26, 1932.In Dai Li's own words, at that time "I received and accepted the leader's order to establish the Secret Service".Dai Li went on to write: The next day, a person (whom he refused to name) came to him and told him that he, not Dai Li, would be in charge of the personnel and finances of this new department by order of Chiang Kai-shek.But when Dai Li protested this to the commander-in-chief and demanded his resignation, Chiang assured him that he would be fully in charge of the department.When the Secret Service was formally established within the Fuxingshe in late March, Dai Li was appointed as its head and Zheng Jiemin was designated as his deputy.