Ning Zhiheng was overjoyed. He raised his glass again and said to Ishikawa Takeshi, "Great! Takeshi, let's drink to our cooperation! May our business go smoothly!"
"Good, smooth sailing! Let's do it!"
The two raised their glasses in a toast and drank it all in one gulp.
Ning Zhiheng was overjoyed. His most important task in coming to Shanghai was to establish this trading company, and now the first step had been successfully completed.
In his understanding, the work of the intelligence front is multifaceted. The intelligence station work he envisioned should not be limited to bombing and assassination, nor simply to obtaining various political and military intelligence.
His vision was far from short-sighted. What he valued more was the geographical and commercial advantages of Shanghai, this Far Eastern metropolis. He wanted to establish a safe smuggling channel there, break through the Japanese blockade, and safely deliver various goods to the Chinese government.
It is important to know that during the subsequent years of the War of Resistance against Japan, because major coastal cities were occupied by the Japanese, the Chinese government was subjected to a complete blockade of various urgently needed supplies, and various military supplies in the country became increasingly scarce. As a result, two years later, the Chinese government had to abandon Shanghai as the most important transportation route and finally re-established a supply channel in the French Concession in Guangzhou Bay, which alleviated the situation.
However, this period of prosperity was short-lived. In order to cut off this transportation line, the Japanese quickly occupied Hong Kong and then seized Guangzhou Bay, once again forcing the Chinese government to open up a new transportation line from the southwest to sustain the enormous expenditure of the War of Resistance against Japan. The later famous Hump transportation line was established under this background.
Ning Zhiheng had this in mind; he wanted to lay out a hidden transport line in advance to establish a lifeline for future needs in the War of Resistance against Japan. In this sense, the importance of this mission could not be compared to blowing up a few military warehouses or killing a few military targets.
Takeshi Ishikawa then spoke up, saying, "If you want the customs checkpoint at Wusongkou to let you through, the certificate I issued won't be enough. You need the certificate and official seal of my superior, Colonel Takashi Katsuta. However, he's also from Kyoto, and we're from the same hometown. We can use his connections to get a few certificates without any problem."
Ning Zhiheng nodded and said, "That's good. You can arrange these things as you see fit. No one dislikes money. It's best to smooth things over so that we can have long-term cooperation and make our business last."
The two slowly discussed the details, and finally Ning Zhiheng asked, "When I came back this time, I was short-handed in Shanghai. I was planning to arrange for one of my old colleagues to work in this trading company, but he has run into some trouble."
"What's the trouble?" Takeshi Ishikawa asked.
Ning Zhiheng then gave a detailed account of Hirao Daichi's situation, and finally asked, "It is said that this Kono Company has connections with your Military Police Headquarters. Are you aware of this?"
Upon hearing Ning Zhiheng's account, Ishikawa Takeshi chuckled and replied dismissively, "So it's the Kono Company. This is too simple!"
It turns out that Kono Company was a newly established trading company, and the owner was Japanese businessman Kono Ryosuke, who was from Yokohama.
After arriving in Shanghai, he immediately found his fellow townsman, Major Sakata Haruki, at the Military Police Headquarters. With Sakata Haruki's help, he quickly gained a foothold. When Major Sakata Haruki was invited to a banquet, Ishikawa Takeshi was also invited, so he knew about the Kono Company.
"Sakata Haruki, what's his background?" Ning Zhiheng frowned. It seemed that he was Kono Ryosuke's backer. No wonder the police station was so obedient. After all, the Military Police Headquarters was their superior.
"Background?" Ishikawa Takeshi asked with disdain, pouring Ning Zhiheng a full glass of sake before refilling his own. "What background does he have! He's almost forty and only managed to become a major. He's just a fisherman's son from Yokohama, a commoner!"
Unlike young officers like Takeshi Ishikawa, many officers from commoner backgrounds struggled in the military. They had no connections or backing, nor did they possess the aristocratic status of someone like Takeshi Ishikawa. They had only managed to get to where they were by sheer hard work over the years, which was quite an achievement. Haruki Sakata was one of them!
As for aristocratic sons like Takeshi Ishikawa, the military would take extra care of them as long as they showed any merit. After all, Japan is a society with a very strict hierarchy, even in the military. Takeshi Ishikawa was only in his twenties when he became a mid-level officer in the military and held an important position in the Military Police Headquarters, wielding considerable power. His status was incomparable to that of a commoner officer like Haruki Sakata.
"Chihito, leave this matter to me. Sakata is a very sensible man who knows what's important. He won't offend me or you, a member of the Fujiwara family, for the sake of a fellow villager. He's not qualified yet, so you can rest assured!" Ishikawa Takeshi didn't take his colleague Sakata Haruki seriously at all. He raised his glass to invite him, and the two of them drank it all in one gulp.
The two chatted freely and drank to their hearts' content. When Ning Zhiheng returned to the villa, Hirao Daichi, who had already tidied up the place, was waiting at the door to welcome him back.
"Sir, you're back!" Hirao Daichi bowed respectfully and greeted him.
This time, he directly addressed Ning Zhiheng as "Mr.", which showed that he had already positioned himself correctly and considered himself Ning Zhiheng's subordinate.
Ning Zhiheng nodded, entered the living room, sat on the sofa, and then said to Hirao Daichi, "Your matter has been resolved. The police station will drop your case soon. As for the Kono Company, we will also hear from them soon!"
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