After the guests and hosts were seated, the servants served hot tea. Ning Liangcai was just about to exchange a few pleasantries when he saw Lu Jingyi and Quan Yulong suddenly stand up, stand at attention, and look directly behind him.

He turned around and saw that Sun Jiacheng had gone to report to Ning Zhiheng and had rushed over after hearing that his father had invited the guest into the living room.

"Your humble servants greet Team Leader Ning!" Lu Jingyi and Quan Yulong quickly reported in unison.

"It's Director Lu and Captain Quan!" Ning Zhiheng recognized the two officers he had just met yesterday and gestured for them to sit down. "Please, have a seat!"

At this point, Ning Zhiheng also sat down next to his father, Ning Liangcai.

From the respectful attitude of the two majors towards his son, it was clear that his son's status was above those two officers.

And then there was that "Your subordinate!" He was a little confused. Wasn't Zhiheng a newly graduated second lieutenant? What was going on?

Ning Zhiheng had been in civilian clothes since his return, and he hadn't deliberately told his father during their conversation last night that he had been promoted to major, so Ning Liangcai was still unaware of the reason behind it.

Despite both being majors, Ning Zhiheng's position was far above Lu Jingyi and Quan Yulong, so his address of "this humble officer" was not an exaggeration.

With his position as the head of the action team at the Nanjing headquarters, he was at least on par with Liu Tongfang, and even superior in some aspects. Because he was in the central position, his connections and resources were far beyond what Liu Tongfang could match. To put it bluntly, he had many ways to make things difficult for Liu Tongfang, but Liu Tongfang had no way to threaten Ning Zhiheng's position.

In fact, this is true for every department. Local officials can be powerful and influential in their own jurisdictions, but once they reach the central headquarters, even a small section chief can make them lose all their power and have to bow their heads.

Therefore, as Liu Tongfang's subordinates, Lu Jingyi and Quan Yulong naturally had to be extremely respectful to Ning Zhiheng.

After Lu Jingyi and his companion respectfully took their seats, Ning Zhiheng asked with a smile, "Is there something you need to see me about? I made it clear yesterday that my trip back home was only for some private family matters and I would not interfere in any affairs of the Hangzhou station!"

Lu Jingyi, who was appointed as the head of the general affairs department by Liu Tongfang, was naturally a very shrewd and capable person. He respectfully said to Ning Zhiheng, "Of course, of course! This time, as the host, our Hangzhou station would not dare to neglect you when you return to your hometown, team leader. This is some travel gift that Station Master Liu specially prepared for you and specially ordered the two of us to deliver it to your residence. We hope that you will accept it with a smile!"

Ning Zhiheng laughed heartily. In fact, he had seen the five boxes on the guest table as soon as he entered the living room and already knew their purpose. He pointed at Lu Jingyi and his companion and said with a smile, "Brother Tongfang and I are from the same sect, yet he's being so polite! What's with all this? It's too formal!"

The conversation immediately became more intimate, clearly showing that Ning Zhiheng was very satisfied with the goodwill and attitude shown by Liu Tongfang. He personally picked Liu up from the station yesterday afternoon, hosted a welcome banquet, and immediately presented him with travel gifts the next day. Even someone as shrewd as Ning Zhiheng could not help but nod in approval!

Hearing Ning Zhiheng's friendly tone, Lu Jingyi and Quan Yulong felt relieved. It was clear that Team Leader Ning was very satisfied with this gift-giving operation. Everyone at the Hangzhou Military Intelligence Station had the same idea: to satisfy this commissioner who held the imperial sword, and to send him out of Hangzhou safely. That way, everyone could be thankful and get a good night's sleep!

Lu Jingyi quickly added, "It's all the best we can do! It's precisely because of your close relationship with the station chief that he specifically instructed us to take care of all your needs in Hangzhou. To put it bluntly, in this city, from high-ranking city officials to ordinary businessmen, there's no place our Military Intelligence Investigation Department can't reach. We will accompany you throughout your journey back to your hometown, and we will absolutely make sure you, team leader, are satisfied!"

Lu Jingyi's tone greatly surprised Ning Liangcai and the family members hiding in the side hall. In the past, their lives were not at the level of the upper echelons of Hangzhou, and they did not know much about departments such as the Military Intelligence Investigation Bureau. However, high-ranking officials like Chen Guangran, the director of the Public Works Bureau, were well aware of the significance of such departments.

"Is this officer so important? What does the Military Intelligence Investigation Department do?" Ning Yunying asked her husband in a low voice.

Indeed, only Jiang Junmao in the family knew some of the details. He lowered his voice and replied, "That's the highest-level privileged department in the country. They have a lot of power. They control all the police and military police in the country. They can arrest whoever they want, just like the Embroidered Uniform Guard in the Ming Dynasty. But didn't Zhiheng say he was working in the logistics department when he came back last time? How come he's in the Military Intelligence Investigation Department now? He sounds like he's holding a pretty high position!"

Hearing Jiang Junmao's words, everyone around him was surprised and uncertain. Ning Liangpin let out a long sigh and said in a low voice, "No wonder. I felt something was wrong when I saw Zhiheng today. He was completely different from half a year ago. I didn't dare to say anything because of that feeling. It seems that our Ning family is about to produce a great figure."

"Indeed, I felt something was off when I saw Zhiheng today. I was going to tease him a bit, but I couldn't even open my mouth. It's clear he has an air of officialdom about him!" Ning Yunying said suddenly. She had always liked the younger generation of children and often teased them before she got married. She still liked to joke with them now, but she unconsciously restrained herself when she saw Ning Zhiheng today. Only now did she realize that something was wrong.

"Liangcai is truly blessed. His business is thriving, and his sons are also successful. The eldest son is sensible and good at business, and the second son is even more remarkable. He has become a high-ranking official at a young age. This is truly a blessing from the ancestors of the Ning family!" Auntie said in a low voice with envy.

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