"By the way, how did it go with the people we sent to check on them?" Uncle Quan then asked.
Cui Anping nodded and replied, "We bribed an old prison guard. I accompanied Madam Pei inside and delivered some clothes. So far, there seems to be no problem. Mr. Pei and the other newspaper staff members were not tortured. It seems that the other party had no other intentions. It was indeed an innocent disaster!"
Uncle Quan asked, "Has anything unusual happened? Has anything aroused suspicion?"
Cui Anping shook his head and said definitively, "No, when we went there, a family member of a newspaper employee also went to find a way to visit him. The police station did not deliberately cut off contact with the outside world."
Cui Anping's words finally put Uncle Quan's mind at ease. If the enemy really thought there was something wrong with the arrested people, they would not let them contact the outside world before obtaining their confessions, in order to prevent the other party from tipping them off and letting the duck that was about to be caught fly away.
The fact that the arrested person is not being tortured and can still contact his family outside is enough to show that Pei Wenrui's identity has not been exposed.
This way, many people don't need to be evacuated, and losses can be avoided. It's important to know that arranging a long-term cover identity is not easy, let alone an entire work line.
The remaining question is how to carry out the rescue? The operation needs to be carefully designed.
First and foremost, we need a valuable antique that can attract this young Japanese man. Since he is an expert, it would be impossible to find a fake to deceive him. If he discovers the flaw, there would be no way to salvage the situation.
However, the organization's activity funds are insufficient, so how could it possibly have such a precious antique? It can only spend money to buy it, and it seems that the huge sum of money that was just prepared will have to be put to use.
Uncle Quan decisively ordered, "Go and find out where there are valuable antiques and paintings right away. Don't worry about the price. As long as you can impress the Japanese, the faster you do it, the better."
Cui Anping nodded immediately, but then looked at Uncle Quan with some surprise and said with difficulty, "Uncle Quan, such antiques require a considerable amount of money. Our funds are limited, I'm afraid..."
Uncle Quan interrupted Cui Anping and said in a deep voice, "I'll figure out the funding. You've been in Wuhan for a long time, so use your connections to find it as soon as possible. Time is of the essence. We'll regret it if the Japanese turn on us!"
"So how exactly should this be done? Mr. Pei's only family member is Mrs. Pei in Wuhan. We can't let Mrs. Pei show up, can we? She's not one of our comrades, and she doesn't have the ability."
Uncle Quan thought about it carefully, then slammed his hand on the table and said, "This operation cannot afford to make any mistakes. I'd better go and meet this Japanese man myself."
In the past few days, Ning Zhiheng has visited almost all the antique markets in Wuhan and made a lot of purchases.
He rarely has such a leisurely time in a long time, and he is enjoying this rare moment of relaxation.
Yamada Nobuyuki also knew Ning Zhiheng's preferences, and he was extremely attentive to Ning Zhiheng every day, never daring to neglect him.
Two days later, Ning Zhiheng and Yamada Nobuyuki returned to the antique market near Zhongshan Park for a stroll.
As they walked, Ning Zhiheng chatted with Yamada Nobuyuki: "Yamada-kun, thank you for your hospitality during my trip to Wuhan. If you have the chance to go to Shanghai in the future, please let me know so we can get together!"
Yamada Nobuyuki and Ning Zhiheng had been getting along very well during this time, and their conversations were much more casual. Hearing Ning Zhiheng's words, he smiled and said, "Sir, you are too kind. This is what I should do. To be honest, I rarely have time to relax. This time, I am really grateful to you for your help."
Ning Zhiheng nodded, casually picked up a jade artifact from a stall, examined it for a moment, and then put it back. He continued, "Yamada-kun, you can contact me directly if you need anything in the future. Although I am far away in Shanghai, I can still say a few words to you. Please don't be shy."
Ning Zhiheng's words overjoyed Yamada Nobuyuki. All these days, he had gone to great lengths to curry favor with him, just to hear these words. Now that he had finally gained Fujiwara-sensei's approval, it was like having an extra talisman. Putting aside everything else, the Uehara General would look at him with more respect, which would greatly benefit his future career.
He quickly bowed and said, "Thank you for your high regard, sir. I will serve you faithfully from now on!"
Ning Zhiheng laughed and waved his hand, saying, "You flatter me! Yamada-kun, we're friends, no need to be so polite!"
The two walked and talked, and soon they had toured all the nearby stalls. Ning Zhiheng said with some disappointment, "It's hard to find good quality items. It seems that we won't be able to find anything here anytime soon."
Just then, Ning Zhiheng noticed a thin old man who had been squatting by the roadside. The old man was wearing a long robe, gold-rimmed glasses, and carrying a floral cloth bundle in his arms.
Ning Zhiheng noticed him because the old man's gaze had turned towards him several times. His gaze was not malicious, but rather showed a hint of anxiety and fear.
Ning Zhiheng couldn't help but feel curious. The old man was thin and had a refined demeanor, not at all like an antique dealer.
For some reason, he felt that the old man looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before. Ning Zhiheng's eyesight and memory were amazing. He could hardly forget anyone he had met or come into contact with, as long as he had even a slight impression of them.
However, the old man gave him a strange feeling, which immediately piqued Ning Zhiheng's interest. He looked at the old man thoughtfully.
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