Shadow of Spies

Propelled headlong into the relentless currents of history, Ji Yu finds himself transplanted to the tumultuous prelude to WWII.

Once an ordinary civil servant in his modern existence, Ji Yu i...

Chapter 872 Enemy's Footprints Reappear

Ning Zhiheng had previously obtained a description of the appearance of Matsui Kensuke, the head of the Japanese armed group, from Tanikawa Chiemi.

Based on his judgment, if the Japanese wanted to target him at Juxianlou, they would definitely conduct reconnaissance beforehand. Therefore, Matsui Kensuke might be near Juxianlou. So he sent people with a portrait of Matsui Kensuke to guard the vicinity of Juxianlou. Once spotted, they would arrest him immediately. Once the leader was captured, everything would be much easier, and they could directly interrogate and arrest him.

Ning Zhiheng was very satisfied with Shao Wenguang's arrangement. After all, Shao was an experienced veteran agent, and he trusted him to do things. He wouldn't let Zhao Jiang do the same thing.

He went to the window, looked at the scenery outside, and said in a deep voice, "There are still two days left. The Japanese must be making tense preparations at this time. No matter what methods they use, as long as they start moving, they will not escape my grasp. I think that after this operation, the Japanese forces in Chongqing will be almost wiped out by me."

Upon hearing Ning Zhiheng's words, Shao Wenguang felt a surge of excitement and pride. In just twenty days, the director had turned Chongqing upside down, launching a series of swift and decisive attacks to wipe out numerous Japanese spy organizations, arresting a large number of members and sweeping away their strongholds with unstoppable force. This scene was so reminiscent of the Nanjing Massacre. Looking at Ning Zhiheng's confident gaze and resolute face, Shao Wenguang, as a member of the operation, felt immensely honored!

"Your vision and foresight far surpass those of those Japanese pirates. I believe the extermination operation will be completed soon, and we who follow you will all be honored!"

Ning Zhiheng smiled broadly upon hearing this. This operation was far more successful than he had anticipated. What Shao Wenguang didn't know was that Ning Zhiheng now had four infiltrated groups and a list of twenty-six Japanese spies.

If Chiemi Tanikawa's investigation into Keio Moriki goes smoothly, and after arresting Moriki, it's safe to say that at least a large number of Japanese spies will be apprehended.

If you do the math, Japan's spy network in Chongqing really has very few small fry left, and this cleanup operation can be successfully completed.

Just as Ning Zhiheng was lost in his daydreams, the phone on his desk rang. Ning Zhiheng turned around, took a few steps, and picked up the phone. Leng Qing's voice came from the other end of the line; her tone was somewhat hurried and she seemed a little excited.

"Chief, we've found Moriki Keio!"

Ning Zhiheng's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and he couldn't help but feel overjoyed. He had just been thinking about this matter when Leng Qing brought him the good news.

Ning Zhiheng forced himself to remain calm and asked in a deep voice, "Where is it?"

"Yuxi Pujue Temple! Miss Gu recognized him, Chief, what should we do now?"

Ning Zhiheng asked, "How many people do you have under your command?"

Leng Qing said, "I have five team members with me, and six more are positioned around the perimeter. Commander, I am confident in carrying out the arrest mission."

Leng Qing knew that Moriki Kei was a special person, an important leader of Japanese spies. If he could personally capture a Japanese spy of such a high level, it would be an extremely rare opportunity for him, so he tried his best to win it.

Ning Zhiheng, however, did not agree. If Senmu Huisheng chose Pujue Temple as his hiding place, there must be a reason. Besides, a spy chief of this level must have a security force around him. With everything unclear, Ning Zhiheng would not allow Leng Qing to take such a risk.

Ning Zhiheng ordered, "Don't make any rash moves. Keep a close eye on him. I'm on my way!"

Upon hearing Ning Zhiheng's order, Leng Qing was somewhat disappointed but had no choice but to accept it.

Ning Zhiheng put down the phone, turned to Shao Wenguang and said, "Go and make the arrangements. Be meticulous and don't let the Japanese notice anything amiss."

"Yes!" Shao Wenguang nodded in agreement.

But after hearing Ning Zhiheng's words on the phone, he couldn't help but ask again, "Chief, is there another big fish in the sea?"

Shao Wenguang and Ning Zhiheng met when they were both struggling, and Shao Wenguang had Wei Liangbi's influence, so he could speak to Ning Zhiheng quite casually. If it were Nie Tianming, he wouldn't dare to ask such questions so easily.

Ning Zhiheng smiled slightly, not hiding anything from Shao Wenguang, and said with a smile, "Your mind works fast. Not bad, this is another line I set up, and it's working now."

After saying that, ignoring Shao Wenguang's surprised look, he instructed Zhao Jiang to gather the guards and prepare to depart.

As everyone descended the stairs, Ning Zhiheng was about to get into the car when he suddenly stopped, turned around, and ordered, "Change to another batch of vehicles immediately."

Zhao Jiang was taken aback at first, but he quickly realized that these were critical times, and the whereabouts of the section chief could not be easily revealed. Who knew if someone was watching the gate of the Second Section?

They quickly changed to another batch of vehicles, got on, drove out of the gate, and sped towards western Chongqing.

Meanwhile, the two men squatting on the street corner looked at the convoy of cars speeding away and exchanged puzzled glances. They both had their heads wrapped in cloth, wore coarse cloth clothes, and had their hands tucked into their sleeves, looking like locals.

"Do you have Ning Zhiheng's car?"

"No, this person's whereabouts are always unpredictable and there is no pattern to it. We simply have no way to track him. The operation would be too difficult."

"Yes, this person is very vigilant. If he hadn't reacted quickly the other day, he would have almost gotten into trouble."

“What can we do? He’s hiding every day now. The Second Operations Division is a major division of the Military Intelligence Bureau. So many vehicles come and go every day. How are we supposed to keep an eye on him? We can’t find a single opportunity.”

"It's alright, I heard the team leader has already got word, he can't hide for long!"

Ning Zhiheng and the others arrived at the section of road near Pujue Temple. They got out of the car in advance and split into groups to surround Pujue Temple.

Pujue Temple is one of the few Buddhist temples in Chongqing. It is not large in area and is located on the edge of the central urban area. It used to have little incense offerings. Now that Chongqing has become the wartime capital, the population has suddenly reached one million. High-ranking officials and wealthy businessmen have gathered here, and more and more people have come to believe in Buddhism. Only then has the incense offerings of Pujue Temple started to improve.

As Ning Zhiheng approached, he saw Leng Qing coming to greet him. Leng Qing was dressed in the attire of a Sichuanese, not only in tattered clothes but also in straw sandals, and her exposed skin was covered in bruises. Ning Zhiheng almost didn't recognize her at first glance.

"Chief!"

Ning Zhiheng looked Leng Qing over carefully and couldn't help but say, "Your disguise skills are really good. Did you learn them in the training department?"

Upon hearing Ning Zhiheng's words, Leng Qing chuckled and gestured to the right with the corner of her mouth: "It was Miss Gu's doing. She thought my skills weren't good enough, so she personally did my makeup!"

Ning Zhiheng turned his head and saw a plump woman from Sichuan looking at him. Her face was wrinkled, her skin was dry and yellow, and she was wrapped tightly in coarse cloth clothes. If it weren't for her shifty eyes, Ning Zhiheng wouldn't have been able to see anything unusual about her.