Upon hearing that he had been requisitioned by the Special Higher Police, Ning Zhiheng was clearly disappointed. He waved his hand and said, "Forget it, let's go to East Street to check out the antique market. Maybe we'll have a good find today."
Seeing that Ning Zhiheng had no interest in visiting, Yamada Nobuyuki stopped talking. Ning Zhiheng secretly memorized the surrounding environment. After everyone had rested, he got up and headed to the antique market on East Street.
The next few days were the same. Ning Zhiheng and Yamada Nobuyuki visited several antique stalls in the vicinity. There were quite a few good items in Wuhan, and Ning Zhiheng made a great haul.
Ma Yaowu also collected a batch of antiques from various places, and after having them appraised by the best local experts, he sent them to Yamada Nobuyuki's home. Yamada Nobuyuki then passed them on to Ning Zhiheng. These antiques were of great value and could all be considered fine pieces, which made Ning Zhiheng very happy. This also quickly brought the two of them closer and they became very intimate.
Inside a safe house, Uncle Quan was listening to Cui Anping's report.
“In the past few days, we have investigated the whereabouts of Ma Yaowu and Yamada Nobuyuki, the head of the Special Higher Police Section. Their actions are somewhat abnormal. First, Ma Yaowu, a few days ago, he searched everywhere for antiques and paintings, forcibly buying a lot of fine pieces from several antique shops at low prices. He also brought Liu, the manager of Ziyunxuan, home. We had a private conversation with him. Manager Liu said that Ma Yaowu has a lot of antiques at home and asked him to appraise and select the most valuable and best-condition antiques and paintings, but the specific purpose is unknown.”
"What's Yamada Nobuyuki up to?"
"Yamada Nobuyuki has not been to work for the past few days. He has been traveling around various towns in Wuhan with some Japanese agents in plain clothes."
Uncle Quan frowned and asked in surprise, "Sightseeing everywhere? This Japanese devil has been in Wuhan for so long and is very familiar with the city. Now that a major battle is about to break out, how can he be in the mood to do these things?"
Cui Anping continued, "He wasn't touring alone; he was accompanying a young man who was also accompanied by some entourage, all in plain clothes. It's worth noting that Yamada Nobuyuki treated this young man with extreme respect, and everything revolved around him, as if he were acting as a guide for the young man, accompanying him on a tour of Wuhan."
This situation immediately caught Uncle Quan's attention. This young man must be someone important, as even the head of the Japanese Special Higher Police, Nobuyuki Yamada, was treating him with great care. Who could he be?
"Are there any patterns in their movements? Where exactly do they visit and linger?"
"They spend most of their time in Hankou Town, visiting various scenic spots. However, their most frequent destination is the antique market, which they visit almost every day. They have been to several antique markets in Jiangkou Town. The young man made several purchases, acquiring several antiques. It seems he has a great fondness for antiques and calligraphy. Combined with our previous surveillance and investigation of Ma Yaowu, it is very likely that Ma Yaowu collects antiques and calligraphy to give to this important figure."
Cui Anping's investigation stirred something within Quan Shu. A powerful figure whom Yamada Nobuyuki bowed down to? And also had a great fondness for Chinese antiques and calligraphy? Was there something they could use to gain insight into this?
After thinking for a long time, Uncle Quan asked, "How was this young man's performance? Did he try to force his way into the sale?"
Cui Anping shook his head and replied, "I asked several merchants, and this young man was very polite and very generous. He would buy whatever he liked at a high price, not caring about money at all. However, he had a very good eye and only picked out the best items. He was clearly an expert!"
Uncle Quan rested his chin on his hand, thinking carefully. Perhaps this was a good breakthrough. Since this young man loved antiques so much, if he could cater to his interests and impress him with rare antiques, he might be able to get him to say a word, and then everything could be resolved safely.
This solution not only safely rescues Pei Wenrui but also preserves his cover identity and many of his social connections, thus eliminating numerous security risks.
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