At the Huiying Hotel, Ning Zhiheng left early in the morning with Matsudaira Hidemi and several guards. He came to Qingdao under the guise of sightseeing. If he only stayed in the hotel, it would inevitably arouse suspicion.
His movement immediately caused quite a stir, and the local guards who had been arranged to protect him quickly followed. Ning Zhiheng did not ask any questions, as it was nothing more than an arrangement by the Special Higher Police and the local garrison.
Today was a sunny day, perfect for a trip to see the sea. They drove west along the beach road of Qingdao Bay. The scenery was indeed beautiful, with a group of buildings in typical European style on one side and an endless blue bay on the other.
The biting sea breeze became gentle after entering the bay, brushing against their faces and bringing a slight chill, but it did not dampen Ning Zhiheng and the others' good mood in the slightest.
Looking into the distance, the sky is like a piece of blue jade, and the sea is like a piece of emerald. The water and sky merge into one, which is magnificent. Every now and then, a few seagulls come to join in the fun, adding a few interesting colors to the blue sky and earth.
Under the sunlight, the golden sand glittered and dazzled the eyes. Ning Zhiheng was in high spirits. He went down the main road and came to the beach. Stepping on the soft sand, he watched the waves gently lap at his feet, surging onto the beach and splashing up silvery waves. He felt refreshed and relaxed.
Ning Zhiheng turned to look at Matsudaira Hidemi behind him and said with a smile, "Matsudaira-kun, how do you feel? Green tiles and trees, blue sea and sky, it is indeed a rare and beautiful view in northern China!"
Matsudaira Hidemi was also extremely excited about the scenery before him. He kept taking pictures of the beautiful scenery around him with his camera, and said loudly with a smile, "Yes, what a beautiful place! I'm going to write a good article about it when I get back. This trip was really worthwhile!"
Even Kimura Maki, who was standing nearby, exclaimed repeatedly, "This is much more beautiful than the beach in my hometown. There are so many wonderful places in China!"
The group was engrossed in the sights, walking and looking around, and before they knew it, they had walked quite a distance. At this time, many Japanese expatriates passed by, and when they saw the group, they knew that important people were traveling, so they all bowed and stepped aside. Ning Zhiheng did not take it to heart, and Kimura Maki and the others were not too worried either. This was a Japanese expatriate community with sufficient security, so the safety was quite high.
Time flew by during their outing. Ning Zhiheng looked at the bright sunshine, glanced at his watch, and Kimura Maki walked up and said, "President, it's about time. Let's go back!"
Ning Zhiheng nodded and was about to speak when he saw a long convoy of cars driving by on the highway not far away.
At the front were several military vehicles leading the way, loaded with armed soldiers, followed by a convoy of all-black luxury cars, creating an impressive sight.
Ning Zhiheng frowned. He knew that the puppet government delegation would be coming to Qingdao today, and now it seemed that it must be them.
"Let's go, the guests have all arrived, let's go back and see what's going on!"
Ning Zhiheng waved, and the group got onto the highway. The escort vehicles that had been following behind drove up, and everyone got into the cars and followed the convoy in the direction they had come from.
Under heavy guard, the puppet government entourage arrived at the Huiying Hotel. Wang Tianhai and his group of high-ranking officials got out of the car and, accompanied by Tsuchihara Keiji and Kagesa Hiroki, entered the hotel. As previously arranged, they were placed on the third floor of the hotel, in the room below Ning Zhiheng.
Ning Zhiheng's car followed. He stepped out of the car, looked around, and noticed that the Huiying Hotel was quite different from when he left.
The entire block was under martial law, with checkpoints set up at both ends of the street. The street was deserted, and the hotel was surrounded by armed guards, with guards every three steps and sentries every five steps, forming a dense and long line of Japanese soldiers.
Just a few hours after I left, the guesthouse had changed completely, with heavy security and a sense of impending doom, adding a touch of grimness to the atmosphere.
Ning Zhiheng got out of the car, and someone came to greet him. This person was someone Ning Zhiheng had met yesterday. He was Major Kasahara, Tsuchihara Keiji's liaison officer. He led the group into the hotel. When the other guards saw this, they knew that the people were special and did not dare to stop them.
Ning Zhiheng's lips curled up, his gaze turned cold, and he uttered softly, "What a grand display!"
The displeasure in his tone made Major Kasahara tremble. He quickly explained, "Please forgive me, this meeting is of great importance, so all departments have sent security personnel, of course, to protect your safety."
Ning Zhiheng naturally wouldn't hold a grudge against a mere liaison officer like him, so he waved his hand and stepped forward into the courtyard.
But a casual glance caused his eyes to tighten, and he turned away, quickening his pace as he entered the courtyard of the Huiying Hotel.
To his surprise, he discovered that several men in plainclothes were talking quietly by the roadside near the hotel entrance. One of them looked familiar – it was Xu Yongchang.
Ning Zhiheng was quite surprised that Xu Yongchang would appear in Qingdao, but he quickly figured out the reason. This must be one of the group of people who came to Qingdao with Li Zhiqun and Wang Hanmin, and Xu Yongchang had been selected as well.
Ning Zhiheng and his group entered the courtyard and then discovered that it was also heavily guarded. However, they were clearly intelligence personnel from the Xingya Institute. They were dressed in military uniforms and wore armbands with the character "Xing" on them, which was a special symbol of the Xingya Institute.
The group walked through the courtyard and entered the hotel. They soon noticed that the hotel staff seemed different; they were robust and their mannerisms were quite different.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
