Two days later, Fujiwara Tomohito, the president of the Shanghai Fujiwara Association, along with his personal secretary Akagi Yukihito and a group of bodyguards including Kimura Maki, boarded a train bound for Nanjing.
Ning Zhiheng's purpose in going to Nanjing was to set up his intelligence network there. Although Nanjing was not as prosperous as Shanghai, its political and military status would gradually increase. Ning Zhiheng was also making plans in advance.
The journey was uneventful, and the train arrived in Nanjing smoothly. On the train platform, Yoshitomo Kamo, the president of the Nanjing Fujiwara Company, and his senior staff were waiting to greet Ning Zhiheng and his party. They got into a car and drove to the residence prepared for Ning Zhiheng.
Sitting in the back seat of the car, looking at the scenery outside the window and the flow of people on the street, Ning Zhiheng's feelings were extremely complicated. He had studied and lived in Nanjing for four years, and it could be considered his second hometown. However, since the outbreak of the Battle of Shanghai and his departure for the Shanghai front, he had never returned here.
Today, Nanjing has suffered from the ravages of war, with all industries in decline and the population drastically reduced, as can be seen from the scene on these streets.
Before long, the convoy arrived at the gate of a luxury villa. Servants had already opened the gate, and the vehicles drove into the yard and stopped.
Kimura Maki opened the car door for Ning Zhiheng and stepped out. Kamo Yoshitomo, who was standing next to him, quickly introduced the residence to Ning Zhiheng: "This is a residence that we specially selected for you. It is located in the central area of Nanjing and is surrounded by high-end residences, mostly inhabited by high-ranking military and government officials. It has the best environment and security."
Ning Zhiheng looked up and saw that the residence was a high-end villa that blended Chinese and Western styles. Although it was only a two-story building, it occupied a large area. It was simple and symmetrical, highlighting its stability. The tower-shaped sloping roof and column decorations made it look extremely solemn and grand.
He turned around and looked at the lawn and courtyard behind him, nodded slightly, and said to Kamo Yoshitomo, "I am very satisfied with this place. Kamo-kun, thank you for your hard work!"
Upon hearing this, Kamo Yoshitomo quickly bowed and replied, "As long as you are satisfied, Chairman, that's all that matters. We just finished renovations, and the interior design and furniture are all newly customized. Please come in!"
Kamo Yoshitomo was one of the first Japanese employees recruited by Fujiwara Corporation. He was always steady, meticulous, shrewd and capable, and was highly regarded by Hirao Daichi. Later, after the opening of the Beijing-Shanghai Railway, the headquarters decided to open a branch in Nanjing, and Hirao Daichi recommended Kamo Yoshitomo to Ning Zhiheng. In the past year or so, his work performance has been excellent, and he has never made a mistake.
Under his guidance, Ning Zhiheng entered the villa gate and was greeted by a bright and spacious view. Like the villa's exterior, the entire building exuded a grand and imposing atmosphere. The porch and living room stretched out to the north and south, while the dining room and side rooms connected to the east and west. Floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides offered panoramic views, making the hall extremely bright and airy. Every furnishing and piece of furniture was simple yet elegant, and the room was newly decorated.
Yi Hua'an and Kimura Maki immediately began to sort out personnel, arrange security, assign tasks, and handle miscellaneous matters in an orderly manner.
Ning Zhiheng went up the stairs and went straight to the second floor, where his bedroom and study were located. As usual, he began a thorough search, a habit he had to have every new residence cleaned up completely.
Yi Hua'an and Kimura Maki also led people to clean the other rooms, and soon all the rooms in the house were inspected.
It was already late when Araki Tetsuya, Uehara Junpei's liaison officer, came to see him.
"Mr. Fujiwara, the general has heard that you have arrived in Nanjing and invites you to his residence for a chat."
Ning Zhiheng looked at Araki Tetsuya with some surprise and said with a smile, "I didn't inform my uncle before I came. How did he know I was arriving today?"
Araki Tetsu smiled slightly, pointed to the east, and explained, "The general's residence is not far from yours. I saw someone at this villa when I passed by earlier, so I came to check it out. If it's you, please come over!"
Ning Zhiheng suddenly realized that Kamo Yoshitomo had mentioned that the area was inhabited by high-ranking military officials and politicians from the puppet government. It seemed that Uehara Junpei also lived here, which made it convenient for them to visit each other.
Since Uehara Junpei had summoned him, Ning Zhiheng did not delay any longer. He quickly tidied himself up, changed into a kimono, and, carrying gifts, headed to Uehara Junpei's residence.
Upon hearing the news, Uehara Junpei hurriedly came out to greet him. The uncle and nephew had not seen each other for a long time, so they were naturally very cordial. He led Ning Zhiheng into the mansion, and the two knelt and sat on the tatami in the elegant room.
Ning Zhiheng took a wooden box from the side and gently pushed it in front of Uehara Junpei.
Uehara Junpei knew that Ning Zhiheng was always very polite and would always give him valuable gifts whenever they met, and this time was no exception.
He smiled and said, "Last time in Wuhan, you gave me my completed manuscript. What good things have you prepared this time?"
He and Ning Zhiheng were close, their interests were intertwined, and they were also uncle and nephew, so there was no need for formalities between them.
Ning Zhiheng looked slightly smug and said, "You'll see when you open it; this is a rare find."
Uehara Junpei became interested upon hearing this. He reached out and took the wooden box, gently opened it, and saw five scrolls neatly arranged inside. His eyes lit up immediately.
His greatest love in life was literature, and his proudest achievement was calligraphy. However, his literary skills were only average, but his calligraphy skills were truly outstanding, which was highly recognized even by scholars such as Kuroki Gakuichi.
Therefore, Ning Zhiheng accurately grasped these two preferences of his and specially selected suitable gifts for him, not afraid that he would not be satisfied.
Uehara Junpei took out a book scroll from the scroll, slowly unfolded it, and after only a brief examination, he was overjoyed and couldn't help but exclaim, "Is this Dong Qichang's Five Classics?"
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