At this moment, his colleague Staff Officer Hu walked in and, seeing Liang Shi'an staring blankly into space, couldn't help but say, "Old Liang, how can you always hide in the office all day? When you have nothing to do, go visit someone, chat with them, and keep in touch. Having more friends means having more options!"
Liang Shi'an gently rubbed his temples, his gaze still fixed on the ceiling, and said leisurely, "I'd better stay put. This is the Military Commission. Everyone who gets ahead has connections and backgrounds. What good is talk?
After expressing his feelings, he continued, "Last time, Lao Liu invited Secretary Chen to dinner, and he spent two months' salary, but in the end, he didn't even get a taste of it. He still had to work hard and live a simple life. With my salary, I can't even afford to feed my family, let alone entertain them."
Staff Officer Hu was also helpless upon hearing this. He knew that Liang Shi'an had a heavy burden and usually dared not attend social events with his colleagues, for fear that he could not afford to reciprocate.
"That's true. These big shots all have their eyes on the sky. They have a very high standard and have seen a lot of things. Old Liu spent a lot on that meal, but they still thought it was too meager. He didn't get the job done and instead offended people. This time, he can forget about being transferred. Sigh, these days, you still need a background and a powerful backer. That's the only way to get ahead."
Liang Shi'an stopped daydreaming, got up, poured himself a glass of water, and refilled Hu's glass as well. He placed it on Hu's desk, hesitated for a moment, and finally asked, "Old Hu, it's the end of the month. Do you have any money left?"
Upon hearing this, Staff Officer Hu didn't say much. He simply took out all the money in his pocket, which was just a few banknotes and two silver dollars, and spread them out on the table. He said, "This is all the salary I have left this month. You take half and I'll keep the other half."
Liang Shi'an looked at Staff Officer Hu gratefully, sighed and said, "Thank you very much. I could have made it through this month, but my father's asthma flared up again. The cost of medicine alone is a huge expense, and we really can't get through it."
"Alright, we're all brothers. Luckily, I'm all alone and have no burdens, so I can manage." Staff Officer Hu grabbed the legal tender on the table, keeping only one for himself, and stuffed the rest, along with two silver dollars, into Liang Shi'an's pocket.
Liang Shi'an patted Staff Officer Hu on the shoulder without saying anything. At that moment, the telephone on the table rang.
Staff Officer Hu stepped forward and picked up the phone. A deep voice came from the other end of the line.
"Liang Shi'an?"
Staff Officer Hu quickly handed the phone to Liang Shi'an, indicating that it was for him.
Liang Shi'an answered the phone and asked, "This is Liang Shi'an. May I ask...?"
"I am Ning Zhiheng!"
Liang Shi'an was immediately startled. He glanced at Staff Officer Hu beside him and asked in a low voice, "What are your orders?"
"Now go to Shenghua Western Restaurant on the east side of the main entrance. I'll be waiting for you here!"
"Yes, I'll be right there!"
After hanging up the phone, Liang Shi'an took a deep breath, forcing himself to suppress his anxiety.
Seeing the strange look on Liang Shi'an's face, Staff Officer Hu couldn't help but ask, "Who's looking for you?"
Liang Shi'an forced a smile and said to Staff Officer Hu, "An old friend. I'm going out for a bit, I'll be right back!"
After saying that, he didn't dare to delay for a moment, walked out of the office, and hurried towards the gate.
Ning Zhiheng's phone call left Liang Shi'an deeply unsettled. More than two years had passed, but Liang Shi'an still felt uneasy whenever he thought about it. At the slightest sign of trouble, he suspected that someone was following and monitoring him.
Fortunately, the past two years have been peaceful. He thought life would continue like this, but he didn't expect to receive a call from Ning Zhiheng today.
Who was Ning Zhiheng? He knew him well. His status as a high-ranking official in the Military Intelligence Bureau was public knowledge, especially since Liang Shi'an was in the Military Commission. This information was not a secret to him.
In just two short years, former team leader Ning had risen rapidly through the ranks, becoming a high-ranking official in the Military Intelligence Bureau, wielding immense power and influence.
Why would such an important person call me? Could it be that there's more to the story from back then? Hopefully, it's not bad news.
Liang Shi'an soon arrived at Shenghua Western Restaurant. As he pushed open the door to the lobby, a young man in a Zhongshan suit greeted him and gestured for him to enter. He then led Liang Shi'an to a private room, opened the door, and gestured for him to enter.
Liang Shi'an nodded in acknowledgment and stepped into the room, where he saw a handsome young man sitting in the center, smiling at him.
Liang Shi'an quickly bowed and said respectfully, "This humble servant greets Director Ning!"
Ning Zhiheng glanced at Liang Shi'an. Although he had sent people to investigate Liang Shi'an before, he had never had time to meet him in person. This was the first time he had seen him in two years.
His gaze swept over Liang Shi'an, and he nodded slightly, saying, "Officer Liang, it's been a long time, you've lost quite a bit of weight!"
Liang Shi'an's current situation is indeed not good. He said with a wry smile, "I'm fine, but you, Director, haven't changed at all. You still have that extraordinary air about you."
Ning Zhiheng's appearance hasn't changed much in the past two years, but because he has been in a high position for a long time, his aura has become increasingly oppressive, and Liang Shi'an can clearly feel this.
Ning Zhiheng waved for Liang Shi'an to sit down, then pointed to the dishes on the table and said, "I didn't know what you liked to eat, so I just ordered some random dishes. Please help yourself!"
Although there was a table full of dishes in front of him, Liang Shi'an was uneasy and had no appetite. He glanced at Ning Zhiheng carefully and asked, "Director Ning, what can I do for you?"
Ning Zhiheng nodded and said, "Indeed, we have something very important to discuss with you. I'd like to ask you, have the Japanese side contacted you in the past two years?"
“No!” Liang Shi’an quickly shook his head and answered affirmatively, “No one has contacted me in the past two years, and I don’t think the Japanese will believe me anymore.”
"No, they just suspect you. Otherwise, they would have already reported you or taken action against you. They're keeping you around because they can't be sure if you're reliable, so we still have a chance!"
"Opportunity? What do you mean?"
"I called you here today because I have a task for you."
Ning Zhiheng didn't beat around the bush, but went straight to the point and explained the contents of the Hanjiang Plan to Liang Shi'an. He concluded by saying, "This plan is very important. We want to plant you as a mole to lure the other side into contacting you. If they take the bait, you need to gradually gain their trust and, at the most critical moment, deliver messages to them according to our needs. That's what you need to do."
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