The classmate they were visiting this time, An Yuanqing, was one of their closest classmates during their time studying at the Whampoa Military Academy.
Among their classmates at that time, five were the closest to each other: Ning Zhiheng, Miao Yongyi, Ke Chengyun, Xia Yuanming, and An Yuanqing.
An Yuanqing was accidentally hit by a stray bullet during a training exercise and was hospitalized. Because his family did not agree with his application to military academy and joining the army, he was quickly taken away by his family after the incident, and three years have passed since they parted ways.
His hometown is Wuhan, Hubei. He had been separated from his classmates for a long time, so Ning Zhiheng and Miao Yongyi naturally wanted to visit them when they came to Wuhan. Fortunately, An Yuanqing had left his home address, which Ning Zhiheng remembered and found his way there.
After walking for a short while, they arrived at a secluded mansion. The mansion was very grand, with tall, light blue walls, a gate made entirely of metal, and a small gate on each side. Glass lamps were installed on the two pillars.
Miao Yongyi stepped forward and looked at the house number, then said with some surprise, "This should be it, but judging from the grandeur, it's no ordinary family's home!"
Ning Zhiheng knew that An Yuanqing came from a good family. When his mother came to the Whampoa Military Academy to pick up An Yuanqing, Ning Zhiheng had met him once. Judging from his clothes and demeanor, he knew that he was not from an ordinary family.
"Knock on the door and take a look!"
Miao Yongyi stepped forward and knocked on the door knocker. After a short while, a middle-aged man dressed as a servant opened the courtyard gate and asked Ning Zhiheng and his companion, "Who are you looking for?"
Miao Yongyi asked, "Does An Yuanqing live here?"
The maid was taken aback, then nodded and said, "Are you looking for the second young master?"
"Yes, is he here now?" Miao Yongyi asked happily upon hearing that he hadn't made a mistake.
Ning Zhiheng stepped forward and looked at the maid, but to their disappointment, the middle-aged maid shook her head and replied, "The An family has already moved away, and no one is here. I'm just staying to look after the yard."
"They've all moved away? When did they move? Where did they move to?" Ning Zhiheng asked.
The middle-aged maid looked at the two men with a scrutinizing gaze. Ning Zhiheng and Miao Yongyi were both dressed in ordinary Zhongshan suits, with nothing unusual about them. Their faces were upright and clear, and they did not seem like bad people.
Ning Zhiheng explained, "We were An Yuanqing's classmates in school. We came to Wuhan specifically to visit him!"
The middle-aged maid nodded and replied, "Director An and his family moved to Chongqing half a month ago. They said that there was going to be a war in Wuhan soon, and all government officials except soldiers had to evacuate."
These words immediately disappointed the two men. They had come with great enthusiasm to find their classmate for a reunion, but they were disappointed to find that the place was empty. The two men then asked the middle-aged servant for the address of An Yuanqing's family in Chongqing.
However, the maid shook her head and said she didn't know. Ning Zhiheng could tell that she was quite wary of the two of them, and knowing that there would be no result from asking any further, he had no choice but to give up.
The two men turned and left. Miao Yongyi said somewhat angrily, "I think this guy knows something but just doesn't want to tell us. His eyes are darting around, and he's treating us like thieves!"
Ning Zhiheng chuckled and joked, "Who told you to look like a thief? But in times of war and chaos, it's good for people to be wary. This person must be an old servant of the An family, otherwise they wouldn't have let him guard the house."
Miao Yongyi was also helpless, and turned to ask, "What kind of department head is Yuan Qing's father? Are all these government departments going to be moved to Chongqing?"
Ning Zhiheng nodded and said, "Most government departments have started to relocate now. It seems that the higher-ups know that the prospects of this major battle are unpredictable. I heard that our military intelligence department is also making preparations in Chongqing. We won't be able to stay in Wuhan for long!"
"Leaving again? We've been traveling around for the past two years. Where will this end? Shanghai is lost, Nanjing is lost, Hubei is lost, and next is Hunan. After Wuhan is over, it will definitely be Changsha. If the Japanese keep fighting, there won't be many important cities left in Central China. Zhiheng, do you think we can stop the Japanese?" Miao Yongyi asked Ning Zhiheng, his eyes full of hope, as if he wanted to get some answer from Ning Zhiheng.
Now, less than two years into the Sino-Japanese War, large swathes of territory have fallen, including some of the most prosperous eastern regions of the Republic of China. The Republic of China government's repeated retreats have indeed caused many people to lose confidence and become pessimistic.
Ning Zhiheng knew that this was only the early stage of the War of Resistance Against Japan. In another year, when the war entered its middle stage, this pessimism would spread and grow even more. He looked into Miao Yongyi's eyes and asked seriously, "Yongyi, this is not a question of whether we can stop them or not. We have to stop them even if we can't. Don't worry, as long as the Chinese people are not all dead, we will continue to fight until we drive the Japanese out of China. Otherwise, this war will never end!"
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