Ning Zhiheng didn't say a word. He walked through all the rooms and also checked on all the members of the decryption team before leaving the studio.
Yu Cheng, unaware of Ning Zhiheng's intentions, followed along without fully understanding what was going on.
Ning Zhiheng turned to Bian Deshou and asked, "Old Bian, all these experts are here. Is this how they usually work? They seem very busy."
Bian Deshou nodded and said, "It's usually like this. But don't let their bad temper and lack of manners fool you; their work ethic is impeccable. Sometimes they work day and night."
Yu Cheng said dismissively, "What's the use? Our Military Intelligence Bureau has invested so much over the years, but we haven't achieved anything."
Bian Deshou didn't like hearing this and retorted, "Codebreaking is a very unpredictable thing. Sometimes a flash of inspiration can be as valuable as years of accumulated knowledge. You wouldn't understand even if I told you this!"
Ning Zhiheng waved his hand to interrupt them, then asked, "How was Yi Dong's work performance when he was here?"
"No doubt about it, Yi Dong was a workaholic. Not only was he an excellent mathematician with a natural sensitivity to numbers, but he was also a Japanese exchange student and fluent in Japanese. You could say that most of the work achievements were done by him. He was extremely proactive in his work, always the first to arrive and the last to leave. Alas! What a pity..."
Bian Deshou shook his head and sighed. For the entire decryption team, Yi Dong's death was an irreparable loss. For more than a month, the team's work had almost come to a standstill.
Ning Zhiheng then asked, "I'd like to ask, what are Yi Dong's hobbies?"
Bian Deshou said, "He doesn't have any hobbies. He's a quiet person who only likes working, but he's very kind, a bit gentle, and a very introverted person!"
Ning Zhiheng nodded. These were roughly the same materials Yu Cheng had given him. He had also reviewed Yi Dong's materials carefully last night, organized his thoughts, and then asked, "Does he usually bring his work home?"
Bian Deshou was taken aback, then shook his head and said, "No, not a single page here can be taken back. Their decryption work can only be carried out in the decryption room. Even if they decrypt at home, even a single sheet of paper or a form must be destroyed and must not be circulated. This has happened before, and they were severely punished. Since then, they never work at home again. Even if they work overtime here, they will not take their work home."
Ning Zhiheng pondered for a moment, then said, "I looked at the case files from that time. On the day the air raid occurred, eight of these experts were still working in the decoding room, while the remaining eleven experts, including Yi Dong, were resting at home. Why was that?"
Bian Deshou explained, "That day was the 16th. The rule in the decryption room is to rest on the 6th of every month. The 6th, 16th and 26th of each month are rest days, so most of the experts are at home, and eight experts are working overtime in the decryption room."
Because they each have their own area of responsibility and specific tasks—some are responsible for calculations, some for organization, and some for analysis—and their work progresses at different times, their work is relatively flexible. They don't all need to be together, and we don't stop some people from working overtime.
"So, does Yi Dong usually work overtime?"
Bian Deshou was taken aback, thought for a moment and replied, "Yi Dong usually doesn't have any hobbies. He often works in the decryption room on his days off. Especially before he was killed, he hardly ever rested. Later, he finally succeeded in deciphering several Japanese codes. The Director rewarded him greatly and ordered him to strike while the iron was hot and speed up the decryption of Japanese military codes. So he was very motivated and rarely rested on his days off."
"Then why didn't you come to work overtime that day?"
Bian Deshou and Yu Cheng exchanged a glance. Yu Cheng hesitated for a moment and said, "The 16th is a rest day after all. It would be understandable if Yi Dong didn't come. After working for a long time, it's not unreasonable to take a day off occasionally. Aren't most experts resting at home too?"
Ning Zhiheng shook his head, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and then turned to order, "Let's go take a look at the place where Yi Dong was killed."
Yu Cheng agreed, and the two went out together. Bian Deshou thought for a moment and followed, asking with a smile, "Director Ning, I wonder if it would be convenient for me to go and take a look together?"
Yu Cheng seized the opportunity and said with a stern face, "Old Bian, you're in charge here in the decoding room, but once we leave, it's our business. Our investigation of this case is confidential, so you shouldn't get involved."
These past few days, Bian Deshou had become somewhat impatient with Yu Cheng's repeated visits to investigate, so he always used confidentiality as an excuse to provoke Yu Cheng, making Yu Cheng unhappy. Now, Yu Cheng seized the opportunity and with one sentence, he made Bian Deshou stumble.
Bian Deshou rolled his eyes in exasperation and turned to leave, but Ning Zhiheng quickly stopped him, teasingly saying, "Old Bian, Old Bian, Old Yu was just joking with you, why are you taking it to heart? Come and take a look, there are many things I need your advice on."
Ning Zhiheng's words made Bian Deshou feel very proud. He looked at Yu Cheng with disdain before getting into the car with Ning Zhiheng. The group quickly drove for a block and stopped in front of some ruins.
Ning Zhiheng and the others got out of the car and looked around. They saw that the nearby buildings were also collapsed, with bricks and tiles scattered all over the ground. The bombing was very thorough, and it was clear that the density of the bombing was very high. He asked, "Is this Yi Dong's original residence?"
“Yes, this is it!” Yu Cheng nodded and took a few steps forward, drawing a semicircle with his hand. “I haven’t let anyone touch anything here. It’s all kept as it was after the explosion. The city hall staff have been urging us to restore this residential area as soon as possible.
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