Ning Zhiheng watched as Tsuda Naoki stepped forward and said with a smile, "Tsuda-kun, thank you for waiting. Colonel, you're too kind!"
The two were old acquaintances with a good relationship, so Katsuta Takashi specially asked Tsuda Naoki to greet Ning Zhiheng at the door.
Ning Zhiheng exchanged a few jokes with Tsuda Naoki, then turned around and introduced, "This is my capable assistant, Hirao Daichi, the manager of Fujiwara Company. I hope you will take good care of me in the future, Mr. Tsuda!"
Ning Zhiheng is gradually expanding Hirao Daichi's network of contacts to facilitate his future work.
"Hirao-kun!"
"Tsuda-kun!"
Naoki Tsuda and Daichi Hirao quickly greeted each other and exchanged a few pleasantries.
At this moment, Takashi Katsuta, who had already received the report, nodded to the guests around him, said "excuse me," and called to Takeshi Ishikawa, who was standing by, and the two of them quickly went to the front door of the villa to welcome Ning Zhiheng's arrival.
Although there were not many guests at the banquet, they were all prominent figures from all walks of life in Shanghai. When they saw Colonel Takashi Katsuta personally greeting the guests, they were immediately invigorated and focused their attention on him. Such a grand reception for the guests must mean that he was a distinguished guest.
Before long, a tall and handsome young man in a sharp suit walked in. Colonel Takashi Katsuta personally led the way, and the two chatted amicably as they walked.
Since the guests were unfamiliar with the young man, they immediately became curious and began whispering among themselves, trying to find out about his background.
Ning Zhiheng knew that this was too attention-grabbing and went against his original intention, but he couldn't refuse the hospitality, so he had no choice but to go with the flow and follow Katsuta Ryuji into the hall.
Just as Ning Zhiheng entered the hall, Taro Sagawa, the head of the Special Higher Police Section, and his assistant Yuji Imai, who had been observing from a distance, also turned their attention to Ning Zhiheng.
These highly trained agents possessed an unparalleled memory for human appearances. Upon seeing Ning Zhiheng's face clearly, they quickly exchanged glances and recognized the young man.
More than a year ago, Ning Zhiheng entered Shanghai for the first time and was taken by Kuroki Yueyi to the garrison headquarters office building to visit General Uehara Junpei, the head of the military intelligence department. At that time, Sagawa Taro and Imai Yuji were also there to pay their respects, and the three of them met at the door of the office.
At the time, all three of them deliberately memorized each other's appearances. Ning Zhiheng did so because he knew that the other party was the head of the Special Higher Police. It was also because of this meeting that Ning Zhiheng drew their portraits, which ultimately led to Imai Yuji being ambushed during the operation, seriously injured, and returning to Japan. He recuperated for more than half a year before returning to his post.
Sagawa Taro and Imai Yuji knew that Ning Zhiheng was a distinguished guest of General Uehara Junpei because General Uehara Junpei had personally escorted Ning Zhiheng out of the room. Therefore, they paid special attention to him and had a deep impression of Ning Zhiheng's appearance.
They never saw the young man again until they met him here today. Sagawa Taro was surprised and said in a low voice, "Do you recognize him? This young man seems to have some connection with General Uehara."
Yuji Imai nodded and said, "I recognized him. I didn't expect this person to be a distinguished guest of Colonel Katsuta. The two seem to have a close relationship. Section Chief, you should get to know him if you have the chance!"
Sagawa Taro nodded slightly and said solemnly, "Of course, to be valued by General Uehara, this person's background must be extraordinary. Just look at Katsuta-kun's performance!"
The banquet soon began. A dozen or so important guests remained in the main hall, while all the attendants were invited to a side hall, where they were accompanied by several high-ranking military police officers, including Takeshi Ishikawa.
Takashi Katsuta gave the opening remarks. He stood up, smiled broadly, and looked around at the guests. He said sincerely, "Ladies and gentlemen, today is the day I move into my new home. My wife and children have traveled all the way from the ocean to Shanghai to be with me. I never imagined that I would have a home in faraway China. All of you here are my comrades and friends of many years, so please come and have a get-together. Please don't be shy!"
At this point, he turned to Ning Zhiheng, who was sitting next to him, and introduced, "I would like to introduce a young friend to everyone here, Fujiwara Tomohito, a member of the Fujiwara family of Kyoto, the president of the Fujiwara Company, and also my best friend!"
Katsuta Takashi solemnly introduced Ning Zhiheng to his friends, intending to bring Ning Zhiheng into his social circle and further strengthen their relationship. He knew that Ning Zhiheng was worth it, both for his background and for future benefits.
His words immediately drew everyone's attention. The Fujiwara family's influence in Japan was immense; they were one of the top families, second only to the Imperial Family. Historically, they had served as regents for many years, produced several empresses, and had several emperors who were grandsons of the Fujiwara family. They were extremely illustrious.
Even if the Fujiwara Chairman in front of us is not a direct descendant of the Fujiwara family, he is still a cut above everyone else in terms of social standing.
However, in modern times, the power of the aristocratic class has declined, and many nobles from commoner backgrounds have begun to wield some power, which has made the social hierarchy less rigid than before.
Ning Zhiheng had no choice but to stand up, bow slightly, and say, "Fujiwara Tomohito, please take good care of me!"
No one dared to be negligent, and they all stood up to greet him. Katsuta Takashi then introduced his friends to Ning Zhiheng one by one.
"This is Yoshioka Masakazu, the commander of the 18th Brigade of the garrison. He is also from Kyoto, and is my comrade-in-arms and fellow townsman for many years!"
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