Ning Zhiheng's words made Zuo Rou overjoyed. She was straightforward and didn't hide her feelings. She chuckled and said, "This is nothing. I haven't even shown you my real skills yet. I'll show you my makeup skills someday. You can transform into whatever kind of person you want!"
Hearing this, Ning Zhiheng burst into laughter. He had taken in these three subordinates on a whim, but he never expected to gain so much. The Zuo brothers were reliable and skilled, and even Zuo Rou, who was slightly weaker, had such amazing abilities. This would be of great help to his future career as a special agent.
Ning Zhiheng happily left the Zuo siblings' residence and returned to the action team's compound. He spent the entire night excitedly verifying the tips Zuo Rou had taught him, feeling that he had gained a great deal.
The next morning, he got ready, changed into a suit, picked up his briefcase, and called Sun Jiacheng over.
"Check if I have any problems?" Ning Zhiheng asked.
"What's wrong?" Sun Jiacheng asked, somewhat puzzled. After observing carefully, he suddenly realized that his very familiar superior had become somewhat unfamiliar.
"W-wh, something's not right! You seem much younger, your whole person has changed..."
Sun Jiacheng found it hard to describe, and after a long pause, he hesitated before saying, "You seem to have become much more easygoing. How should I put it? It's like the feeling I had when I was training Tan Jinhui. Your current temperament is somewhat similar to his."
Sun Jiacheng was also a veteran who had been in the underworld and later worked in the military in the field of reconnaissance. He had a keen eye for observation, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to find the headquarters of the Nanjing underground party based on just a few details.
He noticed that Ning Zhiheng gave off a very different vibe today, though it was hard to describe, and then he thought of Ning Zhiheng's stunt double, Tan Jinhui.
Ning Zhiheng laughed heartily, then softened his voice and said calmly, "Take another look now!"
At this moment, Sun Jiacheng immediately sensed something was wrong. His sharp, knife-like gaze shot over, and Ning Zhiheng's ruthlessness returned. That's right, that's the real team leader!
Ning Zhiheng was very satisfied with his performance. He turned and went out the door, heading towards the Suzhou Bridge. Soon he saw Ji Hongyi waiting there. The two glanced at each other and then looked away.
Ning Zhiheng adjusted his mindset and slowly walked towards the checkpoint set up by the Japanese army at the bridgehead.
The Suzhou Creek was an important dividing line separating the International Settlement from the Japanese-occupied area. The Japanese set up checkpoints at every bridgehead, with not only armed Japanese soldiers but also Japanese police patrolling the area.
They would check all Chinese people coming and going, but they would only ask Japanese people a few simple questions, or not ask them at all, and then let them pass.
Seeing this, Ning Zhiheng couldn't help but feel secretly glad for his choice. Without the slightest hesitation, he walked over naturally.
A Japanese policeman saw Ning Zhiheng walking straight ahead and glanced at him. Ning Zhiheng showed no fear and walked straight through the checkpoint without stopping.
Four Japanese soldiers were guarding the checkpoint. Looking at Ning Zhiheng in his suit, one of them asked, "Chinese?"
Ning Zhiheng did not answer, but simply handed a resident certificate to the sergeant, which was one of the entire set of immigration and household registration certificates.
The sergeant glanced down at it and then looked away, signaling Ning Zhiheng to proceed. Ning Zhiheng put away his identification and entered the north bank of the Suzhou Creek, officially stepping into the Japanese-occupied territory.
The scenery on the north bank is more old-fashioned and outdated compared to the French Concession, but the streets are bustling with people, mostly Japanese, but also quite a few Chinese.
The area was bustling with vehicles and people, and the noise was lively. Ning Zhiheng walked along the bustling Songhu Avenue, surrounded by different voices, a mix of Japanese and Chinese.
Hongkou was a major gathering area for Japanese people, with many Japanese shops established there, such as Japanese-style fish shops, vegetable shops, confectionery shops, and clothing stores. A "Japanized" neighborhood formed within the district, and the bustling area of Hongkou was once known as "Little Tokyo".
Ning Zhiheng didn't linger and walked straight to the entrance of a grain store. It was a Chinese-style shop with a sign in Chinese that read "Huimin Grain Store".
He glanced around the store and saw a man with graying hair sitting inside, while two or three customers were chatting. Just then, a figure flashed into the grain store beside him; it was Ji Hongyi, who had been following Ning Zhiheng.
Upon seeing Ji Hongyi enter, the gray-haired man quickly stood up, exchanged a few words with Ji Hongyi, and then turned his gaze to Ning Zhiheng outside the shop. Everyone's eyes lingered for a moment before Ning Zhiheng turned and left.
That gray-haired man must be Rong Xingchang, the owner of the grain store. He's an old member of the Northern Jiangsu gang. This Huimin Grain Store will be the contact point for Ning Zhiheng and Ji Hongyi from now on.
Ning Zhiheng decided to find a place to stay first. The entire settlement area was large and had a large population, so finding a place to stay was not difficult.
Ning Zhiheng turned a corner and walked along the street towards Hongkou. He circled around and quickly chose a secluded courtyard with a "For Rent" sign at the entrance.
He stood in front of the sign for a while, looking around, and then someone finally noticed him.
"Are you looking to rent a house?" the slightly aged Japanese man asked.
Ning Zhiheng turned around and saw a head peeking out from a two-story building next to him. It was an elderly man.
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