Ning Zhiheng remained noncommittal. During his interactions with Matsudaira Hidemi, although he appeared very enthusiastic, Ning Zhiheng could discern from subtle details that Matsudaira Hidemi was quite wary and often said one thing but meant another. He feared that it would be quite difficult for Ning Zhiheng to further win him over.

However, Ning Zhiheng was extremely patient and didn't pay too much attention. He gently placed a piece and said in a nonchalant manner, "Is that so? This doesn't match Matsudaira-kun's style! You like to attack in a straight line, with constant surprise moves and never giving an inch. It's a typical offensive style. You and I have similar styles. As the saying goes, we're evenly matched. That's why I like playing against you."

Matsudaira Hidemi was taken aback. He hadn't expected Ning Zhiheng to have such amazing observation skills, able to see through his insincerity from his own playing style. He couldn't help but say somewhat embarrassedly, "Fujiwara-kun has a sharp eye, but when playing against you, I really can't back down in the slightest. Your calculation ability is too strong, especially your skill in protracted battles. If I retreat one step, I will retreat one step at a time. I have no choice but to bite the bullet and face you!"

Upon hearing this, the two exchanged a glance and burst into laughter.

Ning Zhiheng continued, "You seem to have had a lot of free time lately? How's the newspaper going?"

Matsudaira Hidemi made another move, shook his head and said, "The progress is not going well, mainly because there are too many concerns. The Kagesa Agency is currently controlling the propaganda work in Shanghai very strictly and has ordered a reduction in the number of newspapers in Shanghai. The two Minbao newspapers that I was originally in charge of have already ceased publication. Consul Iwai asked me to suspend the progress of this Xinhui Times, so I have been a bit more free these days."

Ning Zhiheng nodded. He understood the meaning behind Matsudaira Hidemi's words. It was simply that Iwai Kenichi was expressing his dissatisfaction through Matsudaira Hidemi, stating that the local forces in Shanghai were putting too much pressure on the Kagesa Agency.

"It's good that everyone is keeping a low profile during this period. The Kagesa Agency is currently receiving high attention from headquarters and is riding high. With the three-way talks imminent, they are building momentum for the new National Government and eliminating negative news. It's normal for them to be strict in their management of propaganda. Go back and explain to Consul Iwai that we should be patient for a while longer. It won't be more than two months. Once these people are sent to Nanjing, everyone will be at peace."

Matsudaira Hidemi's eyes flashed, and he asked casually, "A three-way meeting? Will it be held in Shanghai?"

Ning Zhiheng looked at him with some surprise. The tripartite talks were top secret to the outside world, but the Iwai Mansion, as the intelligence agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Shanghai, should not have been so slow to react. They should have received the news long ago, but Matsudaira Hidemi pretended to be completely unaware.

Was he truly unaware? Or did Iwai Kenji not trust Matsudaira Hidemi as much as he thought, and thus not inform Matsudaira Hidemi of this matter?

However, Ning Zhiheng didn't care about these things. Anyway, there was still a week before the talks, and Ning Zhiheng didn't intend to keep it a secret for the Japanese. He smiled and nodded, saying, "It's in Qingdao. It's mainly because the North China side insisted on not making any concessions that this place was finally chosen. There's still a week left."

At this point, he decided to make things clear and laughed, "I'll also be going to Qingdao then, and I'll take the opportunity to explore its blue sea and sky. I've heard that the scenery of Qingdao Bay is world-famous, and I've been longing to visit it for a long time, haha!"

Upon hearing this, Matsudaira Hidemi was overjoyed. He had already noticed a hint of the tripartite talks between the puppet governments from the telegrams exchanged between the Iwai residence and the government. However, the Japanese intelligence agencies were meticulous in their work, using code names and abbreviations even in the telegrams. For example, the names of the three governments, the place names of Shanghai and Qingdao, etc., were all using new code names. Even though Matsudaira Hidemi had access to some classified telegrams, he was still not clear about the specifics of the whole matter.

He couldn't directly ask Takei Iwai, because this level of secrecy was not something someone of his rank should know. If Takei Iwai wouldn't tell him, he absolutely couldn't ask. Otherwise, even if Takei Iwai was a half-baked agent, he would have noticed that Hideki Matsudaira was suspicious.

However, his understanding of Fujiwara Tomohito, the chairman of the Fujiwara Association, was much simpler. He was a nobleman's son who was of high status but did not know anything about intelligence work. It was easier to get some high-level secrets from him without arousing suspicion from others. This was one of the reasons why Matsudaira Hidemi had been frequently in contact with Ning Zhiheng recently.