Ning Zhiheng did this not to repay any life-saving grace. Even if Uehara Junpei hadn't told him the secret that a great war was about to break out, he wouldn't have stayed in Shanghai to wait for death; he would have definitely escaped before the war.
However, the information revealed by Uehara Junpei gave him a convenient excuse to escape Shanghai.
His real purpose in doing this was naturally to curry favor with Uehara Junpei. Ever since he entered Shanghai and established the Fujiwara Company, he had been using Uehara Junpei's name. This banner had shielded him from countless storms!
Ishikawa Takeshi deliberately befriended Uehara Junpei and became one of his capable assistants because he knew that Uehara Junpei was a close friend despite their age difference.
It was for this reason that the military police commander, Takashi Katsuta, never gave in to his requests and always complied with them. With Katsuta's strong support, the Fujiwara Company was able to bring major Japanese chambers of commerce under its wing, thus achieving its current status.
Therefore, Lieutenant General Uehara Junpei was Ning Zhiheng's true backer, enabling him to make great strides and thrive in Shanghai.
Ning Zhiheng had been trying every means to win over this powerful patron, spending money and resources to restore the Minamiya Library for Kuroki Gakuichi. The main reason for this was that Kuroki Gakuichi was a longtime friend of Uehara Junpei and also a bridge for communication between himself and Uehara Junpei.
Ning Zhiheng also put a lot of effort into investigating Uehara Junpei himself. Long ago, he sent people into Japan to conduct investigations. First, to investigate the real Fujiwara Tomohito's background and specific circumstances. Second, to investigate the situation of Uehara Junpei's family.
When he learned that Uehara Junpei's family was not doing well, he immediately came up with his own idea.
Ning Zhiheng knew that for these married men, giving money was not enough to make them grateful; they would only think it was due to his own ability. However, if it could benefit their families, the nature of the matter would be completely different, and the effect would be worlds apart.
Therefore, Ning Zhiheng always liked to use real estate to persuade others, making them have no choice but to accept it, and even then, they had to feel indebted to him.
That's how it was with Takashi Katsuta back then. A top-tier villa made Takashi Katsuta shine in front of his family, and the two of them immediately became best friends.
The gift of the Nanya Library to Kuroki Takeichi further enhanced Ning Zhiheng's reputation in Shanghai's literary and academic circles, as everyone knew that Chairman Fujiwara was a man of great loyalty and affection.
The multiple properties gifted to Ning Zhiheng by his superior Huang Xianzheng and his mentor He Feng further elevated his status in their eyes.
The same thing happened with Uehara Junpei. Ning Zhiheng ordered people to buy a large amount of real estate as a gift, and even made sure that the people left only one sentence and did not reveal their names before leaving in a hurry.
Because he knew that Uehara Junpei's abilities would soon be applied to him, and everything would proceed so naturally.
Although Uehara Junpei held a high position and great power in the invading Japanese army, he had little care for his family back in Japan and had always felt quite guilty. Now that Ning Zhiheng had suddenly gifted so many properties to his family, Uehara Junpei, who was far away in China, felt much more at ease and had no worries. His attitude towards Ning Zhiheng changed drastically.
This is one of the reasons why Uehara Junpei maintained a warm attitude towards Ning Zhiheng at the welcoming banquet today.
“Fujiwara-kun, I only reminded you of this because I admired your talent and wanted to repay you for your hard work in organizing my manuscript. But for such a small matter, you made a special trip back to Japan to buy property for my family. This gift is far too generous!” Uehara Junpei said with emotion.
Now that his family has already taken possession of the property, it's impossible to return it. Besides, Uehara Junpei had no intention of returning it anyway; he wasn't some incorruptible official who would push away a large sum of wealth that he had already acquired.
He was well aware that Fujiwara Tomohito was doing very well in Shanghai thanks to his influence, and all he needed to do was continue to endorse Fujiwara Tomohito, which would be enough to repay the favor.
Ning Zhiheng also spoke up, saying, "General, Fujiwara owes his success today entirely to you. Please accept this small token of our appreciation. Besides, friends can share money, so please don't take it to heart!"
Kuroki Takeichi chimed in, "Uehara-kun, please don't refuse. Look at me, I was in the same boat. After returning to Shanghai, I saw that the Minami Library had been restored, so I had no choice but to accept it. Would you really refuse it and let down your friend's good intentions?"
Kuroki Gakuichi's words softened Uehara Junpei's expression, and a smile bloomed on his face. He nodded and said, "Alright then, Fujiwara-kun, I'll take your kindness this time. In the future, you can just tell me whatever you need. I'm not an unreasonable old fogey!"
Upon hearing this, Ning Zhiheng was overjoyed. He knew that by accepting this generous gift, he could go all out and expand his smuggling empire under the banner of Uehara Junpei, and even extend his reach into Nanjing, the future capital city.
Because he knew that next year, Nanjing would become the capital of the puppet government, a major base for the Japanese invasion forces stationed in China, and the place where all the important measures and initiatives of the Japanese puppet government were formulated and implemented.
Therefore, Nanjing inevitably became a key battleground for the competition between Chinese and Japanese spies. He hoped to gain the upper hand once again in this intelligence battle and made all preparations in advance.
Ning Zhiheng then raised his teacup, turned to look at Kuroki Yueyi, and said sincerely, "Back then, I was struggling to make a living in my hometown and had no choice but to come overseas to seek a living. I was penniless and could barely make ends meet. It was you, sir, who gave me a job and introduced me to the general. The general did not abandon me and entrusted me with organizing his manuscripts. He also showed me a way to survive. You, sir, also gave me a generous gift. I, Fujiwara Tomohito, am grateful for this, and it is because of this that I have achieved what I have today. I will never forget the great kindness and virtue of my two mentors. Today, I will offer you another cup of tea instead of wine!"
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