That evening, Ning Zhiheng drafted a telegram and sent it to Chongqing, giving a brief report on everything that had happened at the consulate that day. He was almost certain that the poisoning incident was the work of the Military Intelligence Bureau.
Even before arriving in Nanjing, Ning Zhiheng knew from the incident of the railway tracks being damaged that such assassination attempts would continue after the delegation entered Nanjing. However, he did not expect that the Nanjing station would act so quickly and cause such a commotion.
To be honest, I really underestimated the Nanjing Station. Their previous performance was really poor, and they were chased by the Japanese and puppet intelligence departments until they had nowhere to hide. But they actually had a pawn like Zhan Yuanliang, who was so deeply infiltrated into the Japanese. It seems that the Military Intelligence Bureau still has some resources. It's just a pity that after this operation, such an important pawn will be worthless.
The next day, news of the poisoning incident at the Japanese consulate spread throughout Nanjing. With so many guests at the banquet, the news was impossible to keep quiet. The Japanese authorities and the Nanjing government ordered their propaganda agencies and major newspapers to refrain from publishing related news in an attempt to minimize the impact, but the effect was not good.
The Japanese and puppet regime's intelligence agencies also began a thorough search of Nanjing. The military fully cooperated, and the streets and alleys were filled with military police and secret agents. The atmosphere in Nanjing was tense once again.
In the office of the Military Intelligence Bureau in Chongqing, the director finished reading the two telegrams in his hand, couldn't help but sigh, feeling a deep sense of regret. He handed the telegrams to Bian Ze beside him and lamented, "Look at this! Such a golden opportunity, what a pity!"
Bian Ze took the telegrams and examined them carefully. The two telegrams were from the Nanjing station of the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Shanghai intelligence section, respectively, and they were reporting the same thing: the poisoning incident at the Japanese consulate in Nanjing last night.
As usual, the intelligence from the Shanghai intelligence section was clearly more detailed than that reported by the Nanjing station.
The account in Nanjing only states that Shang Zhenyun's attempt to intercept the delegation in Zhenjiang failed, and he subsequently used the intelligence of the "hunter" who had been lying in wait for many years to poison the welcoming banquet. As for what happened afterward, that remains unknown.
The Shanghai intelligence section reported on the aftermath of the operation. During the banquet, 34 Japanese and puppet personnel were poisoned. Unfortunately, the three main members of the delegation and high-ranking Japanese and puppet officials escaped the poisoning. Most of the poisoned were mid-level personnel, and because the poison dosage was insufficient, their symptoms were mild. On the way to the hospital, the Japanese consulate's vice consul, Uchida Meizan, and secretary, Miyashita Yusuke, died. The others were receiving treatment at the hospital, and the follow-up situation was still under investigation. The intelligence section emphasized at the end that the Japanese had identified the poisoner as Zhan Yuanliang, a staff member of the Japanese consulate, and determined that he was a Kuomintang agent whose identity had been exposed. The Japanese and puppet intelligence departments would conduct a thorough search operation in Nanjing, and headquarters was asked to remind the Nanjing station to prepare for contingencies.
It was obvious that the intelligence section worked faster and more accurately, providing very detailed supplements to the Nanjing station's report.
After reading this, Bian Ze shook his head and said, "It's such a pity. If they had wiped them out in one fell swoop, Nanjing would have been paralyzed immediately, which would have shocked everyone and been a great achievement."
The director smiled bitterly: "Yes, things don't always go as planned. This time, the delegation entered Nanjing and the consulate was in charge of receiving them. Such an opportunity was too rare, which is why Shang Zhenyun decided to use the 'hunters' who were lurking in the consulate. But as you can see, the final result was still far from ideal. These were the moles I planted myself many years ago. They were finally going to be put to good use, but they were wasted. It's such a pity!"
Bian Ze felt a pang of regret. He knew that the Japanese were very wary of the Chinese. The value of having a spy planted in such a crucial department as the Japanese consulate was immense. No wonder the Director was so distressed.
He comforted him, saying, "Director, things can always go wrong. You don't need to worry about it. Besides, even though we didn't catch any big fish this time, we still gained something. At the very least, we taught the Japanese a lesson and dealt a blow to their arrogance. We let them know that even in Nanjing, the power of our Military Intelligence Bureau is not to be underestimated, and our deterrent effect is still considerable!"
Upon hearing this, the bureau chief gave a bitter smile, still quite disappointed. The Nanjing station was ordered to assassinate the delegation, and in the end, they used the intelligence agent "Hunter" who had been lying low for many years, taking a desperate gamble. This was originally an excellent opportunity, but unfortunately, they only caught a few small fish. In this respect, they still suffered a loss.
He shook his head and continued, "After this operation, the Japanese will definitely be more careful, and we will hardly have another chance. Moreover, Shang Zhenyun reported that the hunters escaped safely, and the Nanjing station has also withdrawn to Jiangbei. They cannot operate in Nanjing for the time being, so the assassination operation has come to a temporary halt. We will see how things go later."
"What's the response from the intelligence department?"
"Have them closely monitor the situation and ascertain the losses suffered by the Japanese and the Nanjing government, especially the biochemical expert, Keisuke Ueno. The intelligence section reported that he was also among the poisoned. If we can kill him, this operation will not be a loss!"
Bian Ze said with emotion, "I understand now. Their intelligence capabilities are truly impressive. Even in Nanjing, they were able to gather such information so quickly."
"That's not all. These are minor matters. The intelligence department recently received another major intelligence report. There is definite news that the Japanese are preparing for another major offensive against Changsha!"
"What? Is this true?" Bian Ze couldn't help but ask in disbelief.
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