However, Li Zhiqun was not satisfied with this explanation. Before Hu Yunhe was turned by Shen Le, he had already successfully gained his trust and become one of his confidants. If it was just to advance further, he would betray his superiors and the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. This reason was possible, but it was still somewhat far-fetched.

Just then, the phone on his desk rang. Li Zhiqun quickly got up and picked it up. After receiving the report from the other end, he said in a deep voice, "Keep a close watch on them and await my orders. Be ready to make the arrest at any time. If the target shows any signs of escaping, act immediately without hesitation!"

Luo Xingchao now understood that the target Li Zhiqun was referring to must be Hu Yunhe's superior, the pastor Luo Jiana of Jingyuan Church. It seemed that Luo Jiana had been under Li Zhiqun's surveillance all along.

Li Zhiqun put down the phone and said to Luo Xingchao, "Did you hear that? The monitoring personnel have confirmed that Luo Jiana did not evacuate. In other words, when Hu Yunhe fled, he only notified the Military Intelligence Bureau, but not Luo Jiana. He didn't even make a warning call. This means that he completely abandoned the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (Zhongtong) intelligence line and doesn't care about his life or death."

Upon hearing this, Luo Xingchao urged, "Director, let's make the arrest right away! This is an important gain. We can't let Luo Jiana escape again; that would be a real shame!"

However, Li Zhiqun still had doubts and could not make up his mind. He had been keeping an eye on the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (Zhongtong) intelligence line for a long time, and he was still somewhat unwilling to give it up.

"Let's wait a little longer. I don't know why, but I always feel like I'm being too hasty. My intuition tells me that I must have overlooked something!"

Just as Li Zhiqun was harboring doubts and seemed to have a premonition, he also received a report from Yi Hua'an in Ning Zhiheng's study at the villa.

"That's utter nonsense! Hu Yunhe was among the first batch of Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) agents to defect to the enemy, having joined Li Zhiqun long ago, while Shen Le was only appointed as the head of the CBIS's Suzhou-Shanghai district last September."

In other words, when Hu Yunhe defected to the enemy, Shen Le was still far away in Chongqing as a director and commissioner, sitting on the sidelines! Where would he have the time to come to Shanghai to arrange for undercover intelligence agents? That's utter nonsense!

Ning Zhiheng was far more well-informed than others, and he had some understanding of veteran Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBI) spies like Shen Le.

Shen Le had a successful career in his early years. Because of his outstanding abilities and remarkable achievements in dealing with the Red Party, he was always on the front line of intelligence and could be considered a powerful figure in the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS).

However, when the Sino-Japanese War broke out, these front-line agents suffered severe blows and their strength was greatly diminished. Shen Le was transferred back to headquarters and removed from front-line work. In the end, he was implicated because of his confidant Wen Hao's defection to the enemy. He was sent to the commissioner's office and given the title of director commissioner, and was completely marginalized.

Therefore, Hu Yunhe's claim that Shen Le arranged for him to infiltrate the Special Agent Headquarters is completely unfounded.

However, Ning Zhiheng continued, "At most, after Shen Le took office, he turned Hu Yunhe back to the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) and made him continue to serve the CBIS. Hu Yunhe is the kind of person who will follow whoever feeds him. Only those CBIS guys with no bottom line would put their mouths on him and stuff all kinds of garbage into his mouth!"

Haven't they suffered enough losses in this regard over the years? The highest intelligence agency of the Kuomintang, the Japanese, defected en masse the moment they arrived. In less than six months, the entire Eastern Theater Command was in ruins, with entire units of intelligence personnel behind enemy lines wiped out—they were even worse off than those ragtag troops!

Ning Zhiheng was indeed extremely dissatisfied with the performance of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) agents after the war. These people were extremely skilled at fighting civil wars, always charging ahead in attacking the Red Party and other parties, killing countless people. However, when they came into contact with the Japanese, they were completely routed and even became their accomplices.

Not to mention the distant past, even the nearby No. 76 and No. 21 in Nanjing were all formed by Kuomintang secret agents who betrayed the country and surrendered to the enemy. After these people joined the Japanese, they became even more vicious and cruel in persecuting Chinese people, no less so than the Japanese themselves. Therefore, Ning Zhiheng completely despised these kinds of people and could not possibly trust them.

Upon hearing Ning Zhiheng's words, Yi Huaan had no choice but to ask for instructions: "Otherwise, we can send a telegram directly to headquarters and ask them to verify Hu Yunhe's identity with the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics."

Ning Zhiheng snorted and waved his hand, saying, "It's completely unnecessary. If we were to verify his identity with the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS), wouldn't that be telling them that Hu Yunhe is in our hands? Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?"

With just this one sentence, Yi Hua'an clearly understood Ning Zhiheng's meaning. Needless to say, his superior had no intention of sparing Hu Yunhe's life and was determined to kill him to silence him!

Ning Zhiheng would certainly not leave this hidden danger behind. The reason is simple: this frame-up operation was a large-scale operation with close cooperation between internal and external forces. In particular, the Muyu Group played an extremely important role in it.

In order to confirm Hu Yunhe's identity as the mole, Muyu would personally step in to prove that the claim that Hu Yunhe saw the surveillance photos in Muyu's office was completely fabricated. This left them with no way out. In other words, if this operation failed, or if the inside story was leaked afterward, it would pose an extremely fatal threat to Muyu!

If what Hu Yunhe said is true, the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) will definitely ask him for the people after they find out. Once Hu Yunhe returns to the CBIS, given the way those people work, this operation will be leaked very soon.

Muyu is his ace spy, playing an extremely important role in the current intelligence situation in Shanghai. Ning Zhiheng will never allow anyone or anything to threaten his safety.

However, Ning Zhiheng was not as cold-blooded as Yi Huaan thought. Even if Hu Yunhe was really working for the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, he would not kill him to silence him. However, it was impossible to just let him go like that. At most, he would send him back to the Nationalist-controlled area, find a secluded corner to lock him up for a few years, and release him after the war ended.

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