Ning Zhiheng followed behind Tsuda Naoki, walked through the central aisle of the square, and entered the building's corridor. He saw several Japanese military police dragging a prisoner covered in blood past them, then rounding a corner. From the end of the corridor, a shrill scream could be heard from time to time.
Ning Zhiheng frowned, took out a clean white handkerchief and covered his nose, as if he was very uncomfortable with the pungent smell of blood. Then he asked, "Tsuda-kun, is it like this every day here? Who are the people being arrested?"
Seeing Ning Zhiheng's expression, Tsuda Naoki knew he wasn't used to the atmosphere here, so he quickly replied, "Fujiwara-kun, the main task of the Military Police Headquarters is to maintain order. We often have lawless Chinese people being detained here. It's just routine work for us, there's nothing we can do about it. Please come with me!"
As they were talking, they arrived at Takeshi Ishikawa's office and knocked on the door to enter.
Ishikawa Takeshi had just returned from a mission when he saw Ning Zhiheng enter. He immediately stood up and took a few steps to greet him.
"Tomohito, what brings you here?" Takeshi Ishikawa said with a smile.
“I came to see you. I haven’t been to the Military Police Headquarters before, so I thought I’d take a look around!” Ning Zhiheng replied.
Tsuda Naoki, standing behind him, bowed and said, "Fujiwara-kun, Ishikawa-kun, please continue your conversation. I am on duty and will not keep you company."
Ning Zhiheng quickly turned around and bowed: "Tsuda-kun, thank you. Oh! We haven't gotten together in a long time. How about we go out for a drink together tomorrow?"
Upon hearing Ning Zhiheng's invitation, Tsuda Naoki nodded happily and said repeatedly, "That's great! How about we go to that Kanto tavern? Their drinks are pretty good!"
Takeshi Ishikawa laughed and cursed, "It's not that the wine is good, it's that the proprietress is good! Tsuda, you good-for-nothing!"
After saying that, the group burst into laughter. Tsuda Naoki waved his hand in acknowledgment, then closed the door and quickly left.
Ning Zhiheng watched Tsuda Naoki leave, then turned to Ishikawa Takeshi and said, "Tsuda is a very sensible guy, a very considerate fellow!"
Takeshi Ishikawa chuckled and said, "Of course he's sensible! Didn't you see that expensive watch on his wrist? It was a birthday present I just gave him, and he was so excited he almost drank all night."
During this period, Takeshi Ishikawa had been actively cultivating relationships with his colleagues. As a powerful figure in the Military Police Headquarters and a noble officer, he was a trusted subordinate of Colonel Katsuta, the Military Police Commander. His colleagues were naturally eager to befriend him, and Ishikawa was also very generous, always buying and giving substantial gifts at gatherings. His colleagues also knew that he was backed by a trading company run by members of the Fujiwara family, making him extremely wealthy, and they were all extremely envious. Soon, a group of like-minded officers gathered around Ishikawa, including Naoki Tsuda. Now, Ishikawa's status in the Military Police Headquarters was rising rapidly, and he was doing very well, feeling quite pleased with himself!
Ning Zhiheng couldn't help but chuckle. He turned and looked around at Ishikawa Takeshi's office. The office was spacious, but it had a strong military feel. Two swords of different lengths were lying horizontally on the sword rack behind the desk and chair. Above that hung a calligraphy scroll with the four large characters "武运昌隆" (meaning "May your military prowess flourish") written in a vigorous and powerful style, showing great skill.
Seeing Ning Zhiheng's eyes fixed on the calligraphy, Ishikawa Takeshi knew that Ning Zhiheng was a master calligrapher, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "This is my own work, please excuse my poor writing!"
Ning Zhiheng knew that Ishikawa Takeshi was also a literature enthusiast, and the two usually got along quite well and often exchanged ideas. However, this was the first time he had seen Ishikawa Takeshi's calligraphy in person.
He examined it carefully for a moment, then nodded and said, "Very good, the horizontal strokes are orderly, and the brushwork is vigorous. Wu Zhi, you have worked hard!"
Receiving Ning Zhiheng's praise clearly pleased Ishikawa Takeshi. Looking at the calligraphy, he sighed and said, "The past is gone with the wind. The hand that used to hold a pen now has to hold a gun to fight for its future. How pathetic!"
"No, no, Wu Zhi, we can live the life we want without guns in the future, don't you think?" Ning Zhiheng comforted him with a smile.
After saying this, the two looked at each other and smiled!
"Did you just come back from a mission outside?" Ning Zhiheng asked.
“Yes! My work is getting busier and busier. A while ago, a large-scale search in Shanghai uncovered a lot of problems. My military police have also arrested some people. Today, based on the clues they provided, we’re arresting a few suspicious individuals!” Takeshi Ishikawa nodded in response.
"Who are these suspicious individuals? Have they been apprehended?"
“They are Chinese agents, agents of the Chinese Party Affairs Investigation Department. According to the confessions of those arrested, they were carrying out some kind of anti-traitor mission. It’s a pity I arrived too late and didn’t catch them. But they can’t escape. I will catch them sooner or later!” Ishikawa Takeshi said nonchalantly.
Ning Zhiheng's heart skipped a beat. The Party Affairs Investigation Department? An operation to eliminate traitors? Could this be aimed at Wen Hao, the traitor in the Party Affairs Investigation Department, and his men? Since he reported this situation to the Wuhan Military Intelligence Headquarters, the headquarters had not issued any orders to carry out the operation. It seemed that the Party Affairs Investigation Department was going to take matters into its own hands.
Unfortunately, the plan was not kept secret. These people entered Shanghai only to be caught in the massive search, and were captured alive by the Japanese military police during the search. Fortunately, according to Takeshi Ishikawa, the others should have escaped!
"Shouldn't this kind of intelligence work be done by the Special Higher Police?" Ning Zhiheng asked, feigning surprise.
Takeshi Ishikawa laughed and said, "As you know, the authority of intelligence forces within our empire is somewhat chaotic. In the past, there were organizations like the Black Dragon Society, the Asia Development Institute, the South Manchuria Railway Bureau's Investigation Department, and now the Special Higher Police, the military's intelligence department, and our Military Police Command. All of them can interfere in intelligence work. But you're right, the Special Higher Police is indeed more professional in intelligence matters. Currently, whoever catches the suspect is responsible for handling the case."
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