According to his position, Ning Zhiheng should carry out the director's order to immediately eliminate the traitors. However, as a key member of the Baoding faction, his primary concern should be the interests of his own faction, and he must prioritize Huang Xianzheng's orders.
Huang Xianzheng's meaning was clear: he wanted Ning Zhiheng to create some difficulties for the newly arrived Shanghai station chief, Wang Hanmin, so that Wang would be unable to establish himself in Shanghai, thus allowing the Baoding faction to completely control this stronghold. Ning Zhiheng was caught in a dilemma.
Zuo Rou translated both telegrams, so she was well aware of their contents. Seeing Ning Zhiheng's somber expression, she stepped forward from behind him, gently massaging his shoulders, and whispered, "Are you in a bit of a predicament? Deputy Director Huang is your backer, so you should listen to him. Just stall for time and hand it over to the new station chief. Besides, this mission to eliminate traitors is so difficult; the Japanese are probably laying a trap. If you force yourself to take action, it will be too dangerous!"
Zuo Rou naturally didn't want Ning Zhiheng to take the risk, so she would postpone the mission to avoid worrying him.
Ning Zhiheng sighed and said, "I don't know Wang Hanmin very well, but he must be one of the Chief's close associates. However, he has just arrived in Shanghai and is unfamiliar with the place. To send him to carry out such a difficult mission of eliminating traitors is, frankly speaking, likely a complete waste of effort, and he might even lose his own life. Although they are from different factions, they are all anti-Japanese soldiers. We can't just watch them go to their deaths!"
“The Japanese aren’t that stupid. Given Yu Li’s experience, they will definitely be more cautious this time. It would be just as dangerous for us to take action. This isn’t the concession area. If we’re not careful, we could be trapped in downtown Shanghai by the Japanese and have a hard time escaping! Besides, I think Deputy Director Huang wants you to use this matter to make Wang Hanmin lose his footing. If you disobey his orders, don’t forget, you’re from the Baoding faction!”
Zuo Rou was clear-headed and quick-witted, and her shrewdness was no less than Ning Zhiheng's. After a little thought, she had already figured out the meaning behind it and couldn't help but whisper a reminder.
Ning Zhiheng looked up at Zuo Rou with some surprise and said with a smile, "You see things quite clearly!"
Zuo Rou smiled smugly and said, "Don't underestimate me. When my brother and I were out in the world, we mostly listened to me. In terms of brains, my two brothers are far inferior!"
Ning Zhiheng patted Zuo Rou's hand on his shoulder and said with a smile, "So you're actually a female strategist! My apologies! But I still need to do some preparatory work. I reckon I'll have to do this sooner or later anyway, so let's observe for a while first!"
Ning Zhiheng, however, had other plans in mind. He had already devised a solution that would allow him to explain himself to both of the division chiefs.
The very next day, Ning Zhiheng and Zheng Hongbo met again. However, this time Ning Zhiheng changed the meeting place at the last minute and arranged for two action teams to set up surveillance around the area. Although he believed that Zheng Hongbo would not defect to the enemy, he still had to be wary. Besides, the chief's order was to monitor whether Zheng Hongbo had any tendency to defect to the enemy, and he was just following orders.
Inside the room, Zheng Hongbo handed a document to Ning Zhiheng.
"This is some information we've gathered about all the team members; it's as detailed as possible!" Zheng Hongbo said.
Ning Zhiheng took the document and then asked in a low voice, "Station Master, I heard that the new station master is Wang Hanmin, the deputy station master of Wuhan Station. I wonder if you know anything about him?"
Zheng Hongbo, being a veteran of the Military Intelligence Investigation Department, should know something about Wang Hanmin. Ning Zhiheng also wanted to inquire about this person to facilitate future contact.
Zheng Hongbo had also received the telegram from headquarters and knew the news. After a moment's thought, he said, "Wang Hanmin is a former subordinate of the section chief. He has the seniority and always executes the section chief's orders without question. However, his abilities are average, and he doesn't have any outstanding qualities. To be honest, he's fine as a branch station chief, but in Shanghai..."
Zheng Hongbo shook his head, clearly disagreeing with the director's decision. The situation in Shanghai was extremely complex, and Wang Hanmin was unlikely to be up to the task of dealing with it.
Ning Zhiheng nodded. It seemed he should keep his distance from this new station chief, just like he did with Zheng Hongbo, and try to minimize contact to avoid implicating himself.
"Stationmaster, when do you plan to leave?" Ning Zhiheng asked.
"There's no time to lose. The sooner we leave, the safer we'll be. Actually, I've been prepared for this for a while. The first batch of people were evacuated last night, and the rest will be evacuated in the next couple of days. I'll be the last one to leave!" Zheng Hongbo said.
Zheng Hongbo acted swiftly. Upon learning of Cui Guangqi's arrest, he immediately abandoned all contact points and safe houses known to Cui Guangqi, gathered personnel, and prepared to evacuate. As soon as he received orders from headquarters, he began making arrangements.
After hesitating for a moment, Ning Zhiheng decided to give Zheng Hongbo a reminder. He said, "Station Chief, the Chief is definitely not satisfied with this defeat. We still need to be prepared. You know the Chief. We can still try our luck with money. Those are just material things, don't you think?"
Ning Zhiheng's meaning was quite clear: he wanted Zheng Hongbo to sacrifice his money to save his life. The director was power-hungry and greedy. Zheng Hongbo had served as the station chief in Shanghai for many years and must have a considerable amount of money. As long as he was willing to invest heavily, and with his old connections in the Military Intelligence Investigation Department, he should still have a chance to survive this ordeal.
"Thank you for your advice, Zhiheng. I understand. Don't worry, even if they arrest me and execute me on the spot, I, Zheng Hongbo, will not be a lackey of the Japanese!" Zheng Hongbo said solemnly.
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