The bureau chief looked at Ning Zhiheng with a half-smile and asked, "Zhiheng, if you want to place your person in the operations department as an operations staff officer, how can you ensure that he has connections with Japanese spies? Or is he himself a Japanese spy?"
The bureau chief was insightful and quick-witted. He immediately sensed the problem as soon as Ning Zhiheng opened his mouth, realizing that Liang Shi'an's identity was definitely not simple.
Ning Zhiheng immediately showed admiration and quickly said, "Nothing can escape your eyes. This Liang Shi'an's identity is indeed questionable. Do you remember the Blackwater Group case during the Nanjing period? That Japanese spy Gu Wenshi, we even put Nanjing under martial law for six whole days in order to catch him. You were furious about it and scolded us!"
"Yes, that's right!" The bureau chief quickly recalled.
"It was Liang Shi'an who reported Gu Wenshi!"
Ning Zhiheng then began to carefully explain the specific situation to the Director.
"You mean, Liang Shi'an was originally a spy recruited by the Japanese, but you didn't pursue the matter and let him go?"
Ning Zhiheng nodded and said, "Director, Liang Shi'an was gradually dragged into this mess by Gu Wenshi. Director Gu used important military intelligence as bait, but Liang Shi'an did not steal it, which shows that he was still loyal and patriotic. Later, he even tried to kill Gu Wenshi and reported him to us, which allowed us to capture Gu Wenshi and crack down on the Blackwater Group, the Snow Mountain Group, and the Valley Group. Liang Shi'an made great contributions. I think he was genuinely repentant and had made significant contributions, so we released him in the end."
The bureau chief asked hesitantly, "Since all the people around him were exposed and arrested, will the Japanese still trust him?"
“I think it’s very likely. The reason the Japanese abandoned him is probably for two reasons. First, they suspect that Liang Shi’an has defected and is no longer working for them. But if they are really sure of this, why don’t they use the evidence Liang Shi’an left behind to report him to us and get rid of him? They haven’t made a move yet. I’ve investigated and found that Liang Shi’an has been in the Ministry of Military Service for the past two years and is still safe and sound. This shows that the Japanese are not sure about Liang Shi’an’s defection.”
Secondly, it was because Liang Shi'an's position was too low. The Ministry of Military Service was a marginal and insignificant department, making it difficult for them to access classified information. The Japanese believed that it was not worth risking exposure to bring back someone with little intelligence value.
However, if we promote Liang Shi'an to an important position, let the Japanese see his value, and make them believe that Liang Shi'an is worth the risk, then they might contact Liang Shi'an and reintegrate him into their intelligence organization. That would be our opportunity.
Ning Zhiheng's words made the Director nod repeatedly. This method was good. Using Liang Shi'an as bait and waiting for the Japanese to take the bait would be ideal. If it succeeded, it would not only provide the Japanese with false military intelligence, but even if it failed, it would still be good to have a spy in the operations department. All things considered, there was no harm in it.
The more the director thought about it, the more sense it made. He said, "This suggestion is excellent, but the position of operations staff is crucial. Every single spot is being watched, so it seems we'll have to pull some strings!"
"This matter still needs your intervention. For example, you could persuade a powerful figure to take Liang Shi'an as a disciple, even if it's just in name. With a good excuse, the Japanese, unaware of the inside story, won't be able to spot the flaws!"
Ning Zhiheng certainly didn't have the power to place a combat staff officer in the Military Commission, which was full of bigwigs. Such a task should be left to a high-ranking official like the Director.
In fact, Ning Zhiheng had previously considered resolving the matter through Huang Xianzheng's connections, but later felt that this matter could not be bypassed by the Director. After all, fabricating false intelligence required close cooperation with the Operations Department, and the internal counter-espionage work was also handled by the Director's Second Intelligence Division. He was only temporarily taking over.
It can be said that Liang Shi'an's role can only be entrusted to the Director, so Ning Zhiheng simply handed over all matters to the Director to take charge, which can be considered as taking the overall situation into consideration.
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