Zheng Hongbo explained, "In this rescue operation, fortunately, Luo Xingchao from the intelligence department performed outstandingly. He is usually very alert and has strong action capabilities. He discovered the Japanese ambush in time and reported it to the action team leader, Cui Guangqi. At this time, the rear was blocked. Luo Xingchao suggested breaking through towards the Suzhou River. After reaching the Suzhou River, they used the wooden boats moored by fishermen on the riverbank to cross the Suzhou River and enter the International Settlement on the south bank. In this process, half of their manpower was lost."

Ning Zhiheng smiled faintly and said, "Given the enemy's superior numbers and the deliberate ambush, even if we hadn't entered the encirclement, there were Japanese troops stationed along the Suzhou Creek. Didn't the Japanese spies notify the military to be on alert? Even if they didn't notify them, they should have reacted upon hearing gunfire. Yet, in reality, the operatives easily seized the wooden boat. Despite the intense fighting, they managed to enter the International Settlement unscathed across the 60-meter-wide river. Is that normal?"

Ning Zhiheng's words immediately silenced everyone in the room. After a long while, Bian Ze asked, "Zhiheng, do you suspect that the Japanese deliberately let us win?"

"It's not a doubt, it's a certainty!" Ning Zhiheng said decisively. He stood up, paced back and forth in the office a few times, and said again, "I questioned three survivors in total, and their situations were generally consistent. The personnel who were shot earlier were the ones who stayed behind to cover the rear, while Luo Xingchao, who led the breakout, was always at the front of the group, and no one around him was shot."

Furthermore, Luo Xingchao remembered every detail clearly in his earlier account, but after boarding the boat, he said he couldn't remember clearly. However, the other two survivors said that while crossing the Suzhou River, despite the heavy gunfire, everyone was lucky and no one was hit. In other words, all the enemy bullets missed. Why is that?

At this point, he repeated, word by word, "This is because the river surface is pitch black and the distance is far, so the enemy dared not fire indiscriminately. They were afraid of killing one of their own accomplices. Anyway, the plan was to let people escape, so they fired blanks or deliberately hit the water."

At this point, everyone understood. Ning Zhiheng's meaning was crystal clear: Luo Xingchao, who had discovered the Japanese ambush in advance during the rescue operation, proposed and led the team to break through towards the Suzhou River, and finally successfully brought everyone back to safety, was actually a Japanese spy.

However, the questions raised by Ning Zhiheng were indeed difficult to explain, and many of the suspicions pointed to Luo Xingchao.

Bian Ze slammed his hand on the table and said in a deep voice, "Immediately put Luo Xingchao under surveillance. We need to confirm his identity."

Ning Zhiheng, however, held his forehead and analyzed again: "This Luo Xingchao has a big problem. We can't just monitor him. We have to investigate him proactively. We don't have time to wear him down. If I'm not mistaken, his situation is similar to Yu Li's. He was probably lured and captured by the Japanese."

Check if he has gone missing or lost contact in the past few months, or has been away from the intelligence station for an extended period of time.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Hongbo immediately stood up, went to his desk, and dialed the number without saying a word.

"Wei Zhao, come to the section chief's office right now, I have something to ask you," Zheng Hongbo ordered urgently.

"Station Chief Zheng, although this may sound a bit impolite, I'd like to ask one more question," Ning Zhiheng hesitated for a moment before asking again, "Is Hou Weizhao reliable?"

Given his suspicious nature, he was skeptical of everyone, especially since Hou Weizhao was Luo Xingchao's superior and spoke of Luo Xingchao with great trust.

However, Ning Zhiheng was very certain in his heart because he knew that Luo Xingchao was definitely an inside traitor. As long as Hou Weizhao covered for him, then Hou Weizhao was the problem. If he could take the initiative to expose Luo Xingchao, then he would be reliable.

Zheng Hongbo was taken aback, then immediately said, "Absolutely reliable, I guarantee it with my life."