He Siming and Akita Akihito chatted for a few more minutes before turning around and leaving.
During this time, he dared not bring up any topic related to the mission again. He could only report the current situation to Ning Zhiheng as quickly as possible, and leave the rest to Ning Zhiheng to decide.
As ordered by Taro Sagawa, He Siming was to leave Shanghai the next day to carry out an escort mission to Japan, and he needed to urgently meet with Ning Zhiheng today.
He quickly left the Special Higher Police Department, crossed several streets, and arrived at a public phone booth, where he made the call.
An hour later, the two met in the dimly lit tavern.
"Why are you in such a hurry? Is something urgent?" Ning Zhiheng asked.
He Siming nodded heavily and said in a low voice, "I have a few things to report."
"Speak!"
He Siming organized his thoughts and reported earnestly: "First, and most importantly, Sagawa Taro ordered me to take ten team members to Japan to welcome and escort three experts back to Shanghai. We're leaving tomorrow!"
Ning Zhiheng narrowed his eyes and asked in a deep voice, "Return to Japan? Welcome the experts? Explain yourself!"
He Siming then recounted the details of the mission to Ning Zhiheng in detail.
Ning Zhiheng was shocked after hearing this account. He never expected that the real reason Kanda Yushan came to Shanghai was for the plan to print legal tender, and that he had brought with him the nearly completed legal tender engraving plates. In other words, he was the key figure in this printing of legal tender.
It's important to know that most banknote printing plates are currently made of copper. After the design is finalized, they are handed over to engravers for hand-carving. Because the lines on banknotes are very fine, they all need to be hand-carved under a magnifying glass. The engravers' skills must be extremely high. A single oversight can lead to irreversible damage to the entire plate. Therefore, it often takes a year or even longer to complete the engraving of a single banknote copper plate.
It's astonishing that Taro Sagawa would entrust such an important task to He Siming, a nobody. These three experts are key figures in printing counterfeit money, and any mistake would severely impact the entire plan.
“Why would Taro Sagawa want you to carry out this mission? Given your performance, there’s no way he would choose you!” Ning Zhiheng asked in a deep voice.
He Siming chuckled and explained, “These three experts are indeed very important, especially the engraving plate for the legal tender that is almost finished. So this escort mission is not just the Special Higher Police, but also the agents of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Navy. So although the mission is very important, the security is very high. Sagawa Taro plans to use this mission to promote me to the rank of at least lieutenant.”
Ning Zhiheng knew that He Siming had the support of the Otani family, and that Sagawa Taro had always taken good care of him, which was believable.
"There's another point, which is the second thing I want to report. Sagawa Taro chose me to escort the experts because the Special Higher Police (TAT) is currently facing a severe shortage of manpower. Most of my colleagues are no longer showing up in the office, and I rarely even see my mentor, Akita Akihito. According to him, the TAT is currently carrying out an important mission that requires a lot of manpower, but I haven't found out the specifics of the mission yet."
"Is the Special Higher Police (STPC) planning a major operation?" Ning Zhiheng asked urgently.
This is extremely important intelligence. What is the Special Higher Police (TAT) planning to do? Why would they need to mobilize so many people?
Ning Zhiheng pondered repeatedly but still couldn't figure it out. Who could the Japanese be targeting? Was it the underground Communist Party? The Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (Zhongtong Bureau)? Wang Hanmin's intelligence station? Or even his own intelligence section?
All of this is possible. Ning Zhiheng felt that he lacked some basic information as a basis, and he needed to inquire about information from all parties to make a comprehensive consideration.
He Siming then replied, "There must be an important operation, but unfortunately I have to rush to Japan tomorrow and won't have time to inquire about the details. Everything will have to be decided by you, Chief."
Ning Zhiheng nodded, then asked, "Anything else?"
“Wen Hao asked me to do something,” He Siming said, and then told Ning Zhiheng about Wen Hao’s request for him to ask Ishikawa Takeshi for two arrested Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) agents.
"These two men have already surrendered to the Japanese, so they are traitors and collaborators. How could we possibly help them? Besides, their leader escaped by chance and was not arrested. If these arrested men become accomplices of the Japanese, they may pose a threat to the leader. We cannot stop this, but we cannot allow them to become accomplices. Let them stay in prison. I suspect the military police have other plans. Don't get involved."
Ning Zhiheng has always been ruthless towards his enemies, so why would he rescue a traitor who betrayed his country?
He Siming nodded in agreement, saying, "Wen Hao has a lot on his mind these days. Today, he even wanted me to ask you for a share of the smuggled goods. I scolded him on the spot and told him to give up that idea."
"What exactly did he say?" Ning Zhiheng, being a meticulous person, pressed for details.
He Siming then relayed Wen Hao's exact words to Ning Zhiheng.
“This Wen Hao does have some ability; he investigated very thoroughly,” Ning Zhiheng said coldly. “He wants a share of the smuggling quota? Does he even deserve it? All these things I managed to seize were meant to be sent back to Chongqing as war supplies.”
At this point, Ning Zhiheng sighed softly and said with some regret, "But what he said is right. Currently, I'm receiving too many goods and distributing too few, which has aroused suspicion from some people. It's easy for others to suspect that we have other transportation channels. This is something I overlooked. It seems that I need to find a balance."
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