Knowing that the people and the place were unfamiliar and that the person lacked the ability, yet still clung to the Shanghai station and refused to let go of power, Huang Xianzheng secretly despised him. However, he could not compromise like this, after all, this mission was too dangerous.
“The Japanese have influence all over Shanghai now, and there will definitely be a lot of people who have defected to the enemy this time. Even if Zhiheng had three heads and six arms, he couldn’t possibly clean them all up. Moreover, the Japanese will definitely be watching very closely. It’s too dangerous to do this. We can’t let Zhiheng get involved too, or we’ll regret it!” Huang Xianzheng was adamant and determined not to take on this hot potato.
"Zhiheng is a master of action. Back then, he eliminated traitors like Yu Li in the Japanese-occupied area and killed more than ten Japanese agents. He also escaped unscathed. Zhongxin, you're overthinking it!" The chief had full confidence in Ning Zhiheng. He had no doubt about Ning Zhiheng's ability to take action. No matter how difficult the task was, this subordinate could complete it perfectly and had never disappointed him.
However, Huang Xianzheng had no intention of backing down this time. Ning Zhiheng's safety was his bottom line. This mission would put Ning Zhiheng in danger, and he absolutely could not agree to it.
"Chief, times have changed. Back then, we still occupied most of Shanghai, but now Shanghai has been completely occupied by the Japanese, surrounded by heavy troops. It's a dangerous place, a den of dragons and tigers. One wrong move and we'll lose everything. Zheng Hongbo is a prime example. Forgive my bluntness, but what you're doing is a bit unfair to Zhiheng!" Huang Xianzheng's tone was already somewhat unfriendly. Ning Zhiheng was a leading figure in the Baoding faction within the Military Intelligence Investigation Department, and also his most capable subordinate. He even thought that the Chief might have ulterior motives in doing this.
Seeing that Huang Xianzheng was not giving an inch on this issue, the Chief knew that this was the other party's bottom line. He did not want to cause another storm over this issue. The previous confrontation had already caused him great loss of face. In the end, it was only by the leader's intervention that the matter was eased. If a conflict broke out again now, it would probably result in both sides suffering losses.
“Zhongxin, you’re overthinking it. Alright! What you said makes sense. I can compromise. As for Cui Guangqi, he must be eliminated. There’s no room for compromise on that. However, Zhiheng can decide the timing himself. As for the other defectors, he can decide based on the situation and eliminate them as much as possible while ensuring his own safety!” After the section chief finished speaking, he looked at Huang Xianzheng.
Huang Xianzheng knew that this was the biggest concession the director could make, so he had no choice but to nod in agreement.
The very next day, Ning Zhiheng received two secret telegrams from the Wuhan headquarters, one from the section chief and the other from Huang Xianzheng.
Looking at the contents of the two telegrams, Ning Zhiheng couldn't help but feel a headache. The chief's order was for him to monitor Zheng Hongbo's actions and eliminate Cui Guangqi, the traitor, as soon as possible, and, depending on the situation, eliminate his subordinates who had defected to the enemy.
Huang Xianzheng's telegram was quite different. He told Ning Zhiheng not to take risks lightly and to delay as much as possible, and finally handed over the task of eliminating traitors to the new Shanghai station chief, Wang Hanmin.
Both sides' meanings were clear, and Ning Zhiheng understood the situation after a moment's thought. He was somewhat troubled. From his heart, he wanted to get rid of Cui Guangqi. After all, he had betrayed the country and the nation, sold out his compatriots and comrades, and caused such great losses. He had to be brought to justice as a warning to others. However, Huang Xianzheng's intentions were very subtle, probably involving the interests of the higher-ups. According to Ning Zhiheng's judgment, Huang Xianzheng was thinking of giving the newly arrived station chief, Wang Hanmin, a difficult problem, or even better, making him unable to establish himself in Shanghai, so that Ning Zhiheng, the deputy station chief, could be promoted to the position and secure his position, thus completely controlling the power of the Shanghai Naval Affairs Security Station.
Ning Zhiheng's judgment was extremely accurate, which was exactly what Huang Xianzheng was looking for. Although the Shanghai station was behind enemy lines, it was the most important stronghold of the Military Intelligence Investigation Department. Controlling it was more important than controlling ten branch stations. This time, Zheng Hongbo made a mistake, which was a great opportunity. How could Huang Xianzheng let it go so easily!
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