Ning Zhiheng had never given money or gifts to the Chief in person before, naturally because his status was too low. At that time, he was just a small lieutenant-level officer and a squad leader of the action team, and he couldn't even talk to the Chief.
Now his status is naturally different. He is now a leading figure among the younger generation of the Military Intelligence Investigation Department, holding real power. His position is only below that of veterans like Zhao Ziliang and Gu Zhengqi. He is a core member who can directly discuss confidential matters with the department head.
Moreover, it was common practice in the officialdom of the Republic of China to give gifts to superiors, so it was not unusual for Ning Zhiheng to directly bargain with the section chief.
The section chief was taken aback when he saw the two boxes in front of him. He looked up at Ning Zhiheng and said, "You were prepared all along. Open them and let me see!"
"Yes, sir!" Ning Zhiheng was overjoyed to hear no displeasure in his superior's tone. He quickly opened the two boxes. "This is $100,000, this is a whole box of Swiss luxury watches, three hundred in total, and these are sixty vials of sulfanilamide."
"What? Sulfonamide!" Before Ning Zhiheng could finish speaking, the section chief asked anxiously. He stepped forward to the table, took out a box of medicine from the box, and examined it carefully.
"Good, good, Zhiheng, well done! Do you have any more sulfonamides? I'll take them all!" The section chief turned around and stared at Ning Zhiheng with a piercing gaze, making Ning Zhiheng feel immense pressure.
He really didn't expect the director's reaction to be so strong. Doxorubicin is indeed the best Western medicine, but in Nanjing, with the director's ability, obtaining such a drug would not be a problem. The only difference is the amount.
But seeing the urgency on the Chief's face, he probably really needs these sulfonamides. Come to think of it, this is not Nanjing. Shanghai's resources are completely depleted at this time. The National Army's logistics and supplies have always been very poor. At this time, the wound medicines are probably already exhausted, let alone sulfonamides, which are usually more valuable than gold, or even more valuable than gold. The Chief must have an extremely important use for them, which is why he is so eager.
To be honest, the amount of money Ning Zhiheng gave away this time was absolutely astronomical: $100,000 and 300 Swiss watches. In the Republic of China at that time, this was an astronomical figure. This was Ning Zhiheng's gamble, a desperate attempt to buy himself a way out. The last sixty vials of sulfonamide made his heart bleed even more. He believed that this would be enough to get the comrade to make some concessions.
But now it seems that what truly impressed the director was these sixty doses of sulfadiazine, so it seems the gamble paid off.
However, his facial expression at this moment revealed a hint of embarrassment and difficulty. His lips twitched slightly, and finally, he gritted his teeth, turned around, and took out four more boxes of medicine from the office cabinet. He handed them to the sergeant, saying with forced reluctance, "These are forty vials of sulfamethoxazole. It's not that I'm reluctant, but as you know, at this time, one vial of sulfamethoxazole is a life. These are to keep our brothers alive. I'm entrusting them all to you!"
The comrade's eyes were wide open. To be honest, if this were in Nanjing, these hundred vials of sulfonamide, though extremely precious, would not have caused him to lose his composure like this. But this was on the front lines in Shanghai, where a three-month-long battle had taken place with unprecedented casualties. Many high-ranking officers had been wounded or even died in the line of duty, and the supply of medical supplies had long been cut off.
In an effort to save these high-ranking officers, the General Staff was extremely anxious and ordered the Chief of Staff to use all available resources to collect medicines, especially sulfamethoxazole, which has long been known as a miracle drug.
But where could the director find it all at once? Just when he was at his wit's end, he unexpectedly received such a large amount of sulfamethoxazole from Ning Zhiheng, which was a pleasant surprise!
Of course, the amount of money Ning Zhiheng gave was indeed generous, and even someone with the Director's perspective would be quite shocked.
At this moment, the magistrate could no longer hide his smile. He held the medicine box in his hand, gently placed it into the box, and then said with a smile, "Zhiheng, I'll have to accept these! You don't know how much effort I put into finding these sulfonamides, but in Shanghai, or even the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, it's impossible to find even one sulfonamide. In these chaotic times, they're like treasures, hidden at home to save their lives! I have no choice but to ask you to make do with these. I must take them all."
At this point, he glanced at the whole box of US dollars and luxury watches, slammed his hand on the table, and continued, "How about this! I'll relax the conditions a bit. You can select 160 special agents to form your team. After all, it can't exceed Zheng Hongbo's forces; I also need to save him some face."
There are indeed many problems at the Shanghai station. Since you don't trust the personnel there and have concerns, I understand. I won't force you. You can leave behind a radio; I'll provide you with a specific frequency and a codebook. You can make decisions based on the situation. In emergencies, you can contact Military Intelligence Headquarters via a dedicated line. Report directly to me if anything happens. Also…”
The section chief hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "We need to tone down the Pudong warehouse matter and not be too ostentatious, otherwise I won't be able to cover it up anymore. Do you understand?"
Money really can move mountains! Ning Zhiheng's generous gesture still made the director make concessions, and he subtly pointed out that he could turn a blind eye to the Pudong incident and cover for him.
To be honest, the Chief of Staff did not believe Ning Zhiheng's initial claim about the old Japanese warehouses at all. At the beginning of the war, the Japanese warehouses in Pudong had already been emptied by both sides. There was no old warehouse left. The Chief of Staff naturally knew this, but he just did not point it out.
Ning Zhiheng knew that this was the biggest concession the director could make. This arrangement implicitly acknowledged that Ning Zhiheng could handle matters independently and make decisions on the spot, giving him sufficient authority. It could be said that the director was fully supporting him in this matter.
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