Ning Zhiheng jumped down first. The secret room was not large. The ground was paved with cement, and the walls were made of rough blue bricks covered with cement. From the rough cement surface, it was clear that the secret room was built in a hurry.
However, the construction quality was good, the sealing was excellent, and it appeared very dry. Inside the sealed room were ten large boxes, all wrapped in thick oilcloth for waterproofing. The person who buried the wooden boxes was very meticulous and thoughtful.
Ning Zhiheng drew the dagger from his calf, and the sharp blade cut a slit in the oilcloth, revealing the wooden box inside.
He gently opened the box and shone a flashlight on it. A golden light flashed, instantly startling Ning Zhiheng. The box was full of gold bars.
The value of this box of gold alone is enormous. The two urns of gold ingots that I dug up in Nanjing were not as heavy as this box of gold bars.
He looked at the remaining nine boxes, stepped forward and pushed each one hard. It was clear that four of the boxes were relatively light and probably did not contain gold bars. The remaining six boxes were of similar weight and should all be full of gold bars.
Looking at the scene before him, even Ning Zhiheng, with his broad perspective, was quite impressed. This was definitely a huge fortune. No wonder the Shanghai intelligence station went to such great lengths to buy this house. Compared to this fortune, what was a mere 30,000 US dollars?
Thinking of this, Ning Zhiheng's heart skipped a beat. How did the Shanghai intelligence station know that this valuable item was buried in the Lian family's old house? Could this valuable item have an owner? What exactly was the identity of the house's former owner, Lian Liangchou?
According to what we know, Lian Liangchou was backed by a minister surnamed Gan from the military government. Ning Zhiheng, as a high-ranking official in the Military Intelligence Bureau, was in charge of intelligence work with the military and naturally had a clear understanding of the high-ranking officials in the military government.
Moreover, there are very few people with the surname Gan. According to Ning Zhiheng's understanding, the Minister of Military Affairs of the Executive Yuan has the surname Gan and his name is Gan Kangnian. He is one of the high-ranking members of the Kuomintang. Could this sum of money be related to him?
Ning Zhiheng's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly felt that this money might be a bit tricky, but now that it was in his hands, how could he possibly give it up?
These funds, if they fall into the hands of high-ranking officials, will bring them no benefit whatsoever; they will merely become tools for their extravagant spending and luxurious lifestyles. However, if they fall into one's own hands, they will immediately be transformed into operating funds, which will be used to transport large quantities of precious materials to the interior of the country to support the anti-Japanese war efforts in the Nationalist-controlled areas and solve the urgent needs of the people. There is absolutely no comparison between the two.
However, the finishing work cannot be done too hastily. We must not let others know that this money ended up in our hands. If it really has something to do with that Minister Gan, it may cause a lot of trouble.
Ning Zhiheng did not open any more boxes, but immediately jumped out and instructed Zuo Gang: "Strengthen security tonight. Tomorrow, dispatch more trucks and use the move as a cover to mix these boxes with the furniture and transport them out. I will personally transport them to the Tan Mansion."
"Yes!" Zuo Gang nodded in agreement.
The matter was completed smoothly. Ning Zhiheng had already stayed at the Lian family's old residence for a whole day and could not afford to waste any more time, so he left under the cover of night and returned to his own residence.
His bodyguards had been waiting for him at home. When they saw their chairman finally return, they all breathed a sigh of relief. The chairman was of noble status and prominent position. If anything had happened to him, they would have been held responsible and might have had to commit seppuku to atone for their sins.
However, Ning Zhiheng was always strict with his subordinates, especially with these Japanese. No one around him dared to say anything against his orders. Ning Zhiheng didn't need to explain to them; they just needed to obey his orders.
Early the next morning, Ning Zhiheng went to work at Fujiwara Company as usual to handle company affairs. At this time, Ishikawa Takeshi came to visit.
This was one of the few times that Ishikawa Takeshi had made public appearances since Ning Zhiheng returned to Shanghai. He had been busy with his case, and Ning Zhiheng had tried calling him several times without success. This time, he finally came to visit him in person.
As Ning Zhiheng watched Ishikawa Takeshi stride into the office, he didn't say much, only looking at him calmly.
This expression clearly made Takeshi Ishikawa feel a sense of pressure, so he quickly put on a smile and said, "Tomohito, I'm so sorry, I've been so busy lately, dealing with this case has taken up so much of my energy, I haven't been able to find the time to come see you. I'm so glad I finally have the chance to come see you today."
A hint of displeasure flashed in Ning Zhiheng's eyes. He was unwilling for Ishikawa Takeshi to be too out of his control. The fact that he hadn't reported on his work for so long made him very dissatisfied.
Through Takeshi Ishikawa, he could learn about the situation at the Military Police Headquarters. Ishikawa was completely unguarded with him, and he could find out the inside story even about the most confidential matters without worrying that Ishikawa would betray him, since their interests were closely intertwined.
Ning Zhiheng frowned, put down the documents in his hand, stood up, and gestured for Ishikawa Takeshi to sit down on the sofa next to him. The two sat facing each other.
Ning Zhiheng's expression was serious as he carefully chose his words before speaking: "Wu Zhi, I personally visited Colonel Katsuta's home the night before last. During this period, Colonel Katsuta has given us his full support without reservation in the matter of our Fujiwara Company's integration of Japanese trading companies. For this, I brought a generous gift to his home to express my gratitude. However, this kind of thing used to be your job. This was a good opportunity for you to build a relationship with Colonel Katsuta. What have you been doing these days? You have no sense of priorities!"
Given Ning Zhiheng's current status, his relationship with Takeshi Ishikawa is no longer as simple as that of friends and business partners.
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