Ji Hongyi also knew that the intelligence department had its own intelligence network in the city, so it was naturally more convenient for them to do these things than he could. He said, "Then we need to hurry. The original agreed time was tonight to pay the ransom, but because the Wei family couldn't raise that many US dollars in time, the kidnappers gave us a one-day extension. We agreed to meet at 10 pm tomorrow night. If it's any later, they will take action against Wei Hongde. If they really send back a hand, I won't be able to explain it to my master when I get back."
Ning Zhiheng glanced at his watch, nodded, and said, "I'll figure something out. You go back and wait for my news. If we find Wei Hongde's whereabouts before tomorrow night, then we'll take action, rescue him, and collect the money. If we don't find him, then we'll pay the ransom as the kidnappers demanded. We'll rescue Wei Hongde first and ensure his safety, then we can search for him slowly. I refuse to believe that this money will just disappear!"
Ning Zhiheng didn't take the matter too seriously. For the intelligence department, seizing this huge sum of money was not difficult. He also didn't want to really hurt Wei Hongde for it. After all, Wei Hongde was not a traitorous businessman. They had no past grudges. It would be too much to take his money and then risk his life.
Ji Hongyi understood the situation and quickly nodded in acceptance.
Ning Zhiheng waved for him to go and collect the necessary US dollars from Zuo Rou. Ji Hongyi stood up, bowed to Ning Zhiheng, and hurried to Zuo Rou's office.
Before long, Ji Hongyi left the Tan mansion carrying a suitcase. Zuo Rou followed him out of the gate and sat down in front of Ning Zhiheng. She said softly, "A total of $150,000. Luckily, I always keep some foreign currency on hand, otherwise it would have been a real tight spot."
Ning Zhiheng smiled slightly and said jokingly, "You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub. This money will be paid back quickly. Besides, do you think this little bit of money is worth your attention, Steward Zuo?"
Zuo Rou smiled upon hearing this. Since she took charge of the intelligence department's finances, the amount of money she managed had become countless. Gradually, her perspective broadened, and in her eyes, this money was nothing more than a bunch of numbers.
However, Zuo Rou still reminded us: "In the past six months, we have been investing more and more in materials. The money we spend is like water flowing out. In previous years, we always had some surplus, but this year we probably won't have much left. Do you think we should control it?"
Ning Zhiheng understood Zuo Rou's meaning; she had already explained the situation clearly when she reported to him before.
Although the Shanghai smuggling channels were extremely profitable, the intelligence department also had many expenses, including the costs of facilitating and maintaining the channels, bribes to high-ranking Japanese officials, and huge investments in the intelligence market.
The biggest investment was in supplies. Half of the supplies transported back to the Kuomintang-controlled areas were sent to the front lines in Changsha. These supplies were basically given away for free. Sometimes, even if some money was returned, it was only enough to cover the costs. This was a condition agreed upon between Huang Xianzheng and the high-ranking officials of the Baoding clique. These supplies were to be prioritized for replenishing the troops of these high-ranking officials.
Of course, some of it must have been embezzled by these high-ranking officials. However, the practice of taking advantage of every opportunity to seek personal gain was prevalent throughout the Kuomintang government, and Ning Zhiheng was powerless to reverse the situation. He only hoped that half of these supplies, even just a small portion, could be used on the front lines of the War of Resistance against Japan, so that his efforts would not have been in vain.
As a result, while she earned a lot, she also spent a lot. In reality, Zuo Rou didn't have as much money as she thought. Moreover, in the past six months, Ning Zhiheng had ordered an increase in the supply of materials to the front lines. Medicines, steel, cars, gasoline, and other scarce resources were continuously being sent to Changsha. Several times, the trucks and goods were even left behind, resulting in losses even at the cost of capital. Therefore, the shortage in this area was too great. Even with the intelligence department's substantial resources, it was starting to feel the strain. So, Zuo Rou had to remind Ning Zhiheng to make arrangements as soon as possible.
Upon hearing this, Ning Zhiheng immediately shook his head and said, "Absolutely not! Not only can we not reduce the supply, but we must also increase it. There is top-secret information indicating that the transportation channels from Myanmar will soon be cut off, and our Shanghai supply line will be the last one. As a result, we must increase the amount of transportation. Moreover, we are not only responsible for transporting supplies to Changsha, but also for Commander Zhang's Fourth War Zone. They are also required to prioritize our supplies. Our burden has become even heavier!"
Upon hearing Ning Zhiheng's words, Zuo Rou's face immediately fell. This would make the financial situation even more strained. She couldn't help but say again, "You know our current situation. We still have a surplus from this year's income, but if it weren't for the one million you brought back from Chongqing last year, we really wouldn't have much left. If we want to increase investment further, we'll have to use our reserves. We should always act within our means."
Seeing the worry on Zuo Rou's face, Ning Zhiheng sighed. He was well aware of the situation. If it weren't for that, why would he have set his sights on the $300,000? It was simply because he was a little short on cash.
But the current situation did not allow him to back down. After a moment of thought, he insisted, "We have no choice. The international situation is deteriorating. The Americans are standing by and doing nothing, and the British are struggling to survive. With the Burmese supply lines in dire straits, we must support the front lines at all costs. Wasn't the original intention of establishing this supply channel for this day?"
At this point, he smiled slightly at Zuo Rou and said in a softer tone, "There's always a way out. If all else fails, I'll swallow my pride and, like the Seventy-Sixth, go through all of Shanghai, from top to bottom, and easily collect a million or so. After all, the Japanese are used to robbing!"
This was obviously a joke, but Zuo Rou was still amused by him and smiled, saying, "It hasn't come to the point you mentioned. Would we really ask you to become a kidnapper? The jewelry and gold in our warehouse can last for a while, but to be honest, we really need to think of some other ways."
"Don't worry, I'll figure out the funding. I won't make things difficult for you, my head steward!"
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