Ning Zhiheng's words greatly encouraged Miao Yongyi. He nodded heavily and said nothing more.
The two stopped hailing rickshaws and instead strolled around Wuhan, chatting as they went. Wuhan was a major city in Central China, a bustling commercial hub, and the streets and alleys presented a unique scene. Ning Zhiheng had been working behind enemy lines for over a year, his mind constantly on edge, and now this was a good opportunity to relax, which gradually lifted his spirits.
Before he knew it, it was noon. Miao Yongyi felt a little hungry and turned to Ning Zhiheng, asking, "Let's find something to eat for lunch!"
Ning Zhiheng looked around, then beckoned two rickshaws, got in, and said to the drivers, "Hubu Street, Lianfeng Hotel!"
The two quickly arrived at the Lianfeng Hotel, a high-end Western-style hotel that is rare in Wuhan. After entering the lobby, Ning Zhiheng found a seat by the window and sat down.
Miao Yongyi looked around. There weren't many people in the hall; only a few tables had diners. Both men and women were dressed fashionably in fine clothes, indicating that they were all citizens of a higher social class.
"How do you know about this hotel? You've never been to Wuhan before?" Miao Yongyi asked curiously. "Is this hotel very famous?"
He sat down opposite Ning Zhiheng and looked out the window at the street. From there, he could clearly see the flow of people coming and going.
Ning Zhiheng smiled slightly, snapped his fingers, and a waiter quickly walked over.
"What would you gentlemen like?"
"Foie gras, vegetable soup, grilled steak, two portions! A vegetable salad, and a bottle of white wine!" Ning Zhiheng said briefly.
"Okay, please wait!"
After ordering the food, Ning Zhiheng said, "You'll be coming here often in the future, so I'm showing you around today."
"I'll come here often?" Miao Yongyi was completely confused, but he knew that Ning Zhiheng would never say such things without a reason, so he waited quietly for what was to come.
Ning Zhiheng had his reasons for choosing this place to dine.
Six months ago, He Siming reported to him that his teacher, Akita Akihito, along with him and several Japanese agents fluent in Chinese, had gone to Nanjing to receive six Chinese people. These people were prisoners of war selected by the Japanese military based on their special status.
One of them is Wen Hao, the current director of the Special Investigation Department of the Shanghai Special Higher Police. He was brought back to Shanghai by Akita Akihito because the news of his arrest was not kept secret and was discovered by other Chinese agents, making it impossible for him to complete his undercover mission.
The other five individuals were taken to Wuhan by Akita Akihito and reintegrated into Chinese government departments under their original identities. They were given separate liaisons and radios, and relatively independent intelligence channels were established.
However, because Akita Akihito was cautious, he handled the process of planting an informant very carefully, and even his most trusted student, He Siming, did not know the specifics.
However, He Siming still remembered the seven Japanese agents who were fluent in Chinese and who were on the same mission. Ning Zhiheng drew their appearances based on these descriptions.
He Siming told Ning Zhiheng a detail: near the end of the operation, He Siming said that he was instructed by his teacher to deliver 50,000 yuan in legal tender to one of the Japanese agents as operating funds, and the meeting place was the lobby of the Lianfeng Hotel where they were now.
The Japanese agent was named Ryohei Miyahara, 29 years old. Based on the circumstances of their meeting, Ning Zhiheng roughly judged that the man's cover identity was likely that of an employee of a nearby business or company.
Ning Zhiheng came to Wuhan this time with the intention of using this important clue to find the Japanese agent and, following the trail, find his subordinate intelligence agent, that is, the insider planted in an important government department.
Ning Zhiheng did not explain much to Miao Yongyi at this time. Soon the dishes were served, and Ning Zhiheng gestured for Miao Yongyi to eat.
Holding a knife and fork, Miao Yongyi watched Ning Zhiheng use them skillfully and said helplessly, "You used to not eat these Western dishes, but now you've been spoiled by Director Zuo. Can you even fill your stomach with this?"
For a period of time, Zuo Rou made rapid progress in learning to cook Western food, and her skills became better and better. Ning Zhiheng praised her a few times, which had a direct consequence: for a period of time, she ate Western food every day until even Ning Zhiheng's patience couldn't take it anymore, and he finally stopped. Miao Yongyi even teased Ning Zhiheng about this.
Ning Zhiheng laughed and pointed to the dishes on the table, saying, "Yongyi, you're a major special agent in the Military Intelligence Bureau now, so there are some things you need to learn. In our line of work, you have to listen more, observe more, and learn more. You have to understand everything. You've been in Shanghai for a year, and you still haven't learned how to eat Western food. I have to say, you're not a very qualified special agent!"
Shanghai is the most Westernized city in China, where Eastern and Western cultures collide and blend, especially in the former International Settlement and the former French Concession, where Western restaurants were everywhere and many Shanghai residents ate Western food.
Miao Yongyi used his knife and fork somewhat clumsily, muttering with a hint of resentment, "It's not that I can't eat Western food, it's just that I don't like it. These foreigners have too many rules and too many customs, so I rarely eat at Western restaurants. Besides, you usually have me guarding the Tan Mansion, so I rarely have the chance to go out!"
Ning Zhiheng was speechless. Miao Yongyi's duty was to protect the intelligence station, so he rarely went out on missions. This was Ning Zhiheng's intention. Miao Yongyi disliked this kind of work and had asked Ning Zhiheng to do fieldwork many times before, but Ning Zhiheng had refused with various excuses, mainly because he was afraid that Miao Yongyi would learn too much about the intelligence station.
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