"Yes, sir!" Hasebe obeyed and left!
At noon, Ning Zhiheng took his entourage to the restaurant on the second floor for lunch. He didn't have a good appetite, so he ate a few bites, rested for a while, and then prepared to go back to his room upstairs to rest.
But when he reached the stairwell, he ran right into Hasebe and Li Zhiqun, who were coming from the side.
Hasebe quickly stopped and gestured for Li Zhiqun to stop. The two of them waited at the bottom of the stairs for Ning Zhiheng and his group to go first.
Given their status, they wouldn't dare walk ahead of someone of Fujiwara Tomohito's staircase, especially when going up the stairs.
Ning Zhiheng's pupils contracted sharply after his eyes swept over Li Zhiqun, startling even Yi Hua'an beside him.
Ning Zhiheng's mind raced, but he stopped in his tracks, glanced at Li Zhiqun who was standing bowing, and said slowly, "Mr. Li, it's been a long time. You've come to Qingdao too?"
Li Zhiqun was flattered to hear Ning Zhiheng greet him, and he quickly replied respectfully, "Yes, Mr. Fujiwara, I have been in Qingdao for some time, but I have not dared to be so abrupt in my visit. I am truly sorry!"
Ning Zhiheng smiled slightly and then asked, "You're too kind. The scenery in Qingdao is quite beautiful. You can explore it more when you have time."
At this point, Ning Zhiheng stopped lingering. When he was in Shanghai, he mainly dealt with Japanese expatriates and high-ranking Japanese officials. He never associated with the puppet government, which was in line with the image of a Japanese aristocrat. It was normal for him to greet Li Zhiqun, but continuing the conversation would have seemed unusual to others.
Ning Zhiheng and his group went upstairs first, while Li Zhiqun and Hasebe waited for a moment before stepping upstairs.
Ning Zhiheng walked quickly back to his room, but Yi Hua'an lingered at the door for a moment before pushing it open and reporting to Ning Zhiheng, "Two people went into Yingzuo Yushu's room!"
Ning Zhiheng's expression was solemn. He was surprised to suddenly encounter Li Zhiqun. According to the plan, Li Zhiqun should not be in Qingdao at this time. The operation had indeed gone wrong!
But what exactly is the situation now? Has Li Zhiqun and the others' return to Shanghai been delayed? Where is Xu Yongchang now? Did something go wrong during the operation, and was he discovered, leading to the operation's failure?
Ning Zhiheng had high hopes for Xu Yongchang. If he failed in this operation, the losses from this trip to Qingdao would be enormous.
Yi Hua'an asked with doubt, "Li Zhiqun shouldn't be here. What will he say to Yingzuo Yushu at this time? Could it be that Xu Yongchang has really run into trouble?"
Ning Zhiheng did not answer. He paced back and forth in the room, his mind racing. If Xu Yongchang failed and fell into the hands of Li Zhiqun and the Japanese, although he knew Xu Yongchang's character and believed in his loyalty, anything could happen when it came to the final step. He could not afford to take any chances.
With the situation unclear, he had to prepare the most comprehensive countermeasures. Thinking of this, Ning Zhiheng turned to Yi Huaan and said, "Send a telegram to the Tan Mansion immediately, and have Huo Yueze quickly notify Hong Shijie to evacuate the city and temporarily cut off contact with Xu Yongchang until I have investigated the situation before making a decision!"
"yes!"
"Also, you need to rush back to Shanghai this afternoon and urgently contact Muyu. Tell him to find out the situation at the Special Agent Headquarters, especially to confirm Xu Yongchang's situation, as well as the situation of Wang Hanmin and Fu Shengyuan. I need to know what exactly happened in this operation!"
Ning Zhiheng wanted to find out the specifics, but it was too difficult in Qingdao. He only had He Siming as his source of information in Qingdao, but He Siming was busy with other matters. He might be able to get information about the tripartite talks, but he was too far away to know about the situation at the Special Agent Headquarters.
I dare not make any further moves. Going out to gather information myself would add many risks, especially during this special period. I must not act rashly.
Therefore, Ning Zhiheng decided to start from Shanghai. The best people to find out about the intelligence headquarters in Shanghai were the Muyu Group, especially since Muyu had temporarily taken over the work of the intelligence headquarters. Finding out these things would be a piece of cake for him.
However, Mu Yu's identity is kept secret, and only Ning Zhiheng and Yi Hua'an know it. But now that they are both in Qingdao, they have lost contact with Mu Yu. Mu Yu also doesn't have a radio, so Ning Zhiheng can't give him any orders. Therefore, Ning Zhiheng decided to have Yi Hua'an rush back to Shanghai to find out the reason as quickly as possible.
"Back to Shanghai? So urgently?" Yi Hua'an asked, somewhat surprised. "You need manpower here, and it won't be convenient if I leave!"
Ning Zhiheng waved his hand and said decisively, "I will not be taking any further action here. You should leave today. There is a passenger ship returning to Shanghai this afternoon, and you can get back to Shanghai tomorrow morning. You need to act quickly. I will not be able to eat or sleep until I have a clear understanding of the situation. You should set off as soon as possible!"
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