Two days later, Keiji Tsuchihara finished dealing with all matters in Shanghai and left the city dejectedly.
He didn't meet with Ning Zhiheng, probably because he didn't know what to say if they met. He weighed the pros and cons and finally decided to let go of Kitaoka Ryoko's matter, but that doesn't mean he didn't harbor resentment. He probably didn't know how to face Ning Zhiheng, so he simply turned a blind eye.
Ning Zhiheng was also relieved. Tsuchihara Keiji's departure put him at ease. From now on, the two would be worlds apart and would probably never cross paths again in this life.
The Tsuchihara Agency was officially renamed the Kagesa Agency. The Kagesa Agency had become the highest-ranking intelligence agency in Shanghai and the core of the Japanese military's intelligence organization and branch in China. Within the Japanese intelligence agencies, it was known as the "Plum Agency".
The situation in Shanghai continues to deteriorate. Almost every two days, explosions are heard in the city. The Shanghai station and the assassination squad have begun to carry out assassinations at any cost, and the situation is escalating.
This escalated the conflict between Agent 76 and Chinese agents. Walking on the streets, they often encountered blockades and searches. At night, gunfights were frequently heard. For a time, the entire city of Shanghai was on edge, and the situation was extremely tense.
The situation changed so quickly that even Ning Zhiheng was caught off guard. How could the once peaceful Shanghai have become a bloody battlefield filled with the clash of swords and the shadows of blood?
This time, Muyu brought news that there had been a major change at the No. 76 Special Agent Headquarters. Wen Hao, the deputy director of the Special Agent Department, had been transferred to Nanjing to establish the Nanjing branch of the Special Agent Headquarters.
Since being transferred to the Special Agent Headquarters, Wen Hao has been marginalized due to the exclusion by Ding Mo and Li Zhiqun, holding no real power and merely a nominal position as deputy director. This time, Nanjing needed to open a special agent branch, and Wen Hao volunteered to go to Nanjing, which suited Ding Mo and Li Zhiqun's wishes to get rid of this troublesome guy from Shanghai. So Wen Hao selected his old subordinates and went to Nanjing to take up his post a few days ago.
In the Fujiwara Company office, Ning Zhiheng was having a quiet conversation with Ishikawa Takeshi.
Ishikawa Takeshi sat on the sofa, downed the drink in his glass in one gulp, and said with a hint of helplessness, "These Military Intelligence Bureau agents have gone mad. They're just recklessly going to great lengths. In just the past month alone, they've carried out more than ten assassination attempts, keeping everyone on edge. We're under martial law every day. I've been so busy these days, arresting people everywhere!"
Ning Zhiheng was looking out the window when he heard Ishikawa Takeshi's complaint and asked, "This is our rear area. With so many of our personnel, can't we handle these Chinese agents?"
"It's not that we can't deal with them, it's that they're bloodthirsty. According to the confessions of the Kuomintang agents we captured, the Kuomintang headquarters issued an assassination order that would stop at nothing. For every agent we capture, they send in the same number of replacements. I have to say, these Kuomintang agents are much more difficult to deal with than their counterparts."
The "colleagues" that Takeshi Ishikawa mentioned refer to the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (Zhongtong), which stands in stark contrast to the Military Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (Juntong). Since the complete annihilation of the Zhongtong's forces in the Shanghai-Suzhou region, many Zhongtong agents hidden in the occupied territories of the three provinces have been unearthed. Some even voluntarily defected to the puppet government under the lure of high-ranking positions and generous salaries. They betrayed their comrades and organizations to the Japanese as a means of advancement, bargaining with the puppet government and displaying their ugly behavior in a way that even the Japanese found shameful.
Ning Zhiheng frowned. In the past month, the Military Intelligence Bureau's major operations had served to deter traitors and villains, but the price paid was staggering. At least dozens of agents had been lost at the hands of Japanese intelligence agencies and the headquarters of Agent 76.
Besides the agents who sacrificed their lives, a large number of agents were also arrested. Among them were those who could not withstand torture and surrendered to the enemy. But overall, the performance of the agents of the Military Intelligence Bureau was indeed remarkable.
However, Ning Zhiheng was quite dissatisfied with this. These well-trained agents should not be used in this way. Their work should be more covert and efficient. Now, under the strong orders of headquarters, they are being forced to emerge from the darkness like moths to a flame, exposing themselves to the enemy's sight and making huge sacrifices to complete the so-called mission. This is by no means a rational behavior.
However, the headquarters' order also had its political purpose, which Ning Zhiheng was powerless to stop. But his intelligence department would never participate in this brutal battle.
Takeshi Ishikawa continued, "Tomohito, you need to be careful during this time. Although the Kuomintang agents are currently targeting Chinese politicians, you should still be vigilant and not suffer any losses. Don't forget, there's still Hirayama Jiro who hasn't been captured. You must not be careless."
Ning Zhiheng nodded. Hirayama Jiro's body had already sunk to the bottom of the river, but this matter could not be told to Ishikawa Takeshiaki.
Ning Zhiheng sighed and waved his hand, saying, "I'll be careful, Wuzhi. The security situation in Shanghai is too chaotic right now. I plan to go to Wuhan to visit my uncle and also to lay low for a while. You need to keep a close eye on things at the company. If anything happens, tell Akagi and Hirao."
"You're going to Wuhan?" Takeshi Ishikawa asked in surprise.
Ning Zhiheng nodded and said, "The novel I commissioned my uncle to print has been completed. It should have been sent to Wuhan long ago, but I haven't had the chance until now. It seems like the time is right."
Takeshi Ishikawa nodded. He knew that Tomohito Fujiwara's identity was too conspicuous, and that Chinese agents might turn their attention to this powerful figure one day. Just in case, it was a good idea to leave for a while.
"Don't worry, Akagi and Hirao are capable of managing the company. I'll let you know if anything happens!" Takeshi Ishikawa nodded in agreement.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
