In the courtyard of the Shanghai Mulan Academy, Ning Zhiheng was admiring several antique calligraphy and paintings on a table.
He held up a calligraphy copybook to examine it closely. The brushstrokes were clear and delicate, the structure elegant and rigorous, the form free and unrestrained, and the spirit vigorous and ancient. He nodded repeatedly, and after a long while, he turned to Luo Xingchao and said with a smile, "Zhao Mengfu's 'Drunken Dream' calligraphy copybook, this is definitely an authentic work. When I was in Nanjing, I heard about the whereabouts of this treasure and even sent people to look for it, but they couldn't find it. In the end, they gave up because of time constraints. I didn't expect it to fall into Li Zhiqun's hands. He really put in the effort. It's truly a fine piece!"
Ning Zhiheng loves ancient calligraphy and paintings the most, so seeing such a treasure naturally filled him with joy.
Seeing how much Ning Zhiheng liked him, Luo Xingchao said with a smile, "Li Zhiqun has gone to great lengths to please you, and I'll have to rely on you for support in the future!"
Immediately, both of them laughed heartily. Ning Zhiheng gently put down the calligraphy scroll and looked at the other treasures. These were all carefully selected items by Li Zhiqun. Although they were not Ning Zhiheng's favorite calligraphy and paintings, their value was no less than that of the Drunken Dream Scroll.
Ning Zhiheng nodded in satisfaction and said, "This time he learned his lesson and remembered it. If it weren't for you, I would have made him suffer even more."
Luo Xingchao smiled upon hearing this and said, "Now Li Zhiqun is afraid that you will come after him, so he is hoping that I will curry favor with you. I will send you such good things often in the future."
"I'm open to anyone!" Ning Zhiheng laughed, turned around and returned to his seat, leaning back comfortably. "By the way, now that he's arrested so many employees of the Central Bank, what are his next plans?"
"Of course, we're going to fight to the death. Yesterday, the Shanghai Banking Association and the Money Industry Association sent several well-known bankers to plead with Li Zhiqun, but he refused to see them all. I had to persuade him to let them in. But he really doesn't have any social skills. He got angry after just a few words and kicked them out. I think this guy is determined to make things worse."
Ning Zhiheng was not surprised. Li Zhiqun's appetite this time was huge, and it was impossible for a few bankers to persuade him. He nodded and said, "This is not surprising. His goal is to shut down the four major banks. What will he do next?"
Luo Xingchao reported: "There has been action. Yesterday he instructed Wu Shicai to prepare to take action against the Central Bank's office on Xinzha Road. Should we notify headquarters?"
Ning Zhiheng pondered for a moment and asked, "Were you present when he gave Wu Shicai these instructions?"
"They're here!"
"Then forget it. Don't report any information that involves you. This loss isn't worth the risk."
Ning Zhiheng would naturally not allow Luo Xingchao to be exposed in any way. Besides, the two sides had been fighting for three months, with countless casualties on both sides. What good would it do to save a few lives now?
Luo Xingchao had also considered this, and seeing Ning Zhiheng's attitude, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He then reported, "There's another matter. Li Zhiqun asked me to investigate the Second Action Brigade. They learned from the Shanghai Station agents they arrested that there was a mole within the Second Action Brigade. Since it's under my jurisdiction, I've been assigned to handle this matter."
Next, he reported the details. Ning Zhiheng listened carefully and immediately instructed, "Investigate. According to what you said, this informant must be in the Second Action Brigade. Li Zhiqun is certain of this, so it's hard to fake. To be honest, this matter is not difficult to investigate. To be able to cooperate with the Shanghai Station to eliminate several targets and guards and commit such a big crime is not the work of ordinary Green Gang members. I estimate that the Shanghai Station has once again turned the National Salvation Army officer who defected to the Shanghai Station and rejoined it. Therefore, the scope of the investigation is not large."
Besides, by simply checking the movements of these suspicious individuals at the time of the incident, it wouldn't be difficult to find this informant. If you try to tamper with things, Li Zhiqun will easily see through it.
After listening to Ning Zhiheng's analysis, Luo Xingchao nodded and said, "Chief, you are right. That's what I was thinking too. Finding this informant isn't difficult. As long as we put in the effort, it won't take long. But if we do find him, what should I do? After all, it's not easy for the Shanghai Station to plant an informant in the Second Action Team. Should I dig him out myself?"
Ning Zhiheng glanced at him and said coldly, "If you don't dig him out, will he be safe? Right now, Li Zhiqun is only reluctant to get involved because of you. Otherwise, if he investigated on his own, he could find this informant very quickly. In other words, the informant's value is already minimal, and he could even be considered a huge hidden danger. If Li Zhiqun follows this lead and digs out his contact, it could very well threaten the Shanghai station. Don't you understand this?"
Luo Xingchao suddenly realized, and his heart skipped a beat. After all, he was the section chief, and his considerations were far more thorough and meticulous than his own.
“It was all my carelessness. I only thought about protecting this informant. You're right. Since we can't hide it anymore, he's no longer of any use. We should cut off this lead as soon as possible. What do you think we should do next? Should we notify the Shanghai station and have them order the informant to evacuate immediately?”
"no!"
Ning Zhiheng waved his hand and decisively rejected the suggestion. After thinking for a moment, he analyzed, "You just took over the investigation, and the informant has already withdrawn. Is that normal? Even if your position is special and Li Zhiqun doesn't dare to suspect you, it's still a major flaw."
Furthermore, is the Shanghai station necessarily reliable? The reason I've insisted on not establishing any horizontal connections with the Shanghai station over the years is precisely because they are ignorant of the risks, act rashly and impulsively, and repeatedly make mistakes. Wang Hanmin is a prime example. If they make a mistake in the future and fall into the hands of the Japanese and Li Zhiqun, and reveal what happened today, you, as the officer in charge of the investigation, will be unable to escape suspicion.”
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