Ning Zhiheng was called out by the bureau chief again, and could only sigh at his bad luck. Then the two bureau chiefs watched as the interrogators tortured the other survivors before finally leaving the interrogation department building.
The group walked towards the main office building. The bureau chief looked up and saw that all the rooms were lit up. He turned and asked, "Have all the personnel been assigned?"
Ning Zhiheng nodded and said, "Since yesterday, none of the personnel in the Second Division have been sent back. They are being disciplined and not allowed to take leave. They are supervising each other. Now, except for those who are on missions, everyone is gathered in this compound, waiting for orders to be given at any time."
With a large number of personnel in the Second Operations Division, Ning Zhiheng couldn't guarantee that there wouldn't be any problems among his many subordinates. Therefore, starting yesterday, he had already ordered a state of alert and cut off all internal and external communication.
"Well done!" The director nodded in satisfaction. Ning Zhiheng's ability in action was widely recognized, and he was also meticulous in the details.
Back in Ning Zhiheng's office, he took out the names of the five intelligence teams from his safe and handed them to the director for review.
"Chief, there are a total of five intelligence groups with thirty-one members. However, it is important to note that the Mountain Magpie Group is composed of moles within our Military Intelligence Bureau, though their positions are not high. I would appreciate your decision, Chief."
Ning Zhiheng's words once again surprised the two bureau chiefs. Ning Zhiheng had given them too many surprises today, and they did not expect him to have a trick up his sleeve at the end.
Huang Xianzheng couldn't help but give a wry smile and said, "Zhiheng, what else are you hiding from us? Such a big thing as a mole within the Military Intelligence Bureau, and you didn't even tell us beforehand?"
When the bureau chief heard Huang Xianzheng's words, he was quite helpless. This young man was overly cautious and kept the news a secret, without even informing Huang Xianzheng.
Ning Zhiheng quickly explained, "It was all my oversight. I arrested Moriki Kei yesterday at noon. This guy was too stubborn. We tortured him until late at night before he finally spoke. Today, in order to plan the operation, I didn't dare to reveal my whereabouts until now that the operation is over. Only now do I dare to report to you."
"Sophistry! If we don't attend the banquet today, you'll have to take matters into your own hands, won't you?"
The Director ignored all of this and directly exposed Ning Zhiheng's plan. He grabbed the list and examined it carefully. He quickly came across the list of the Mountain Magpie Group. Looking at the names in front of him, he tried to recall them carefully, but he really didn't remember them. The Military Intelligence Bureau had grown many times over, with a huge organization and a large number of people. Unless they were important leaders, it was really hard for the Director to remember them. The positions didn't seem high either; they were all middle and lower-ranking officers. He breathed a sigh of relief and handed the list to Huang Xianzheng.
Ning Zhiheng then carefully explained, "According to their confessions, two of these four people are genuine Japanese spies. They were recruited from various places last year and infiltrated the Military Intelligence Bureau. The other two were turned. The person in charge of turning them was a former official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who has now fled to Shanghai and is working in a department of the puppet government."
The director sighed softly. This situation had been troubling him for a long time. The Military Intelligence Bureau needed to strengthen its capabilities and expand its personnel, which inevitably meant recruiting new blood.
Over the past year, the number of personnel has expanded rapidly, including military personnel, young students, and even gang leaders. The mix of good and bad makes it difficult to distinguish the genuine from the fake, making it very difficult to prevent the infiltration of various forces. The Director is not unaware of this, but he simply does not have effective means to prevent it. However, for now, things are not too bad. At least in a few high-ranking positions and some important posts, it can still be guaranteed that there will be no problems.
"Now that our Military Intelligence Bureau is in its initial stage of establishment, various forces are reaching in, making it truly impossible to guard against them. This time it was the Japanese, but who knows how many more are hiding in the shadows? The Red Party, the Wang Jingwei regime, the Guangxi clique, and even the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. Zhiheng, you also need to consider the internal screening work in the future. Cleaning up the team is also of paramount importance. I plan that after the cleanup work is completed, you will also take charge of the internal rectification."
As soon as the director said this, Huang Xianzheng and Ning Zhiheng felt a tightness in their hearts. Huang Xianzheng quickly said, "Director, we should reconsider this matter. Zhiheng still has very important work to do in Shanghai. This time, we had no choice but to transfer him back. He cannot stay in Chongqing for an extended period of time."
The bureau chief waved his hand and said, "Our previous estimate was that the operation would take at least three to four months, but Zhiheng has already cleared out most of the Japanese intelligence network in just twenty days. I estimate that it will take at most two months to complete the operation. Taking advantage of Zhiheng's return this time, let's get this job done. Otherwise, it won't be as convenient next time he comes back. I believe that with Zhiheng's ability, he can definitely thoroughly purge the Military Intelligence Bureau, so that we won't be suspicious of each other in the future!"
The Director had actually planned this for a long time. The Military Intelligence Bureau was riddled with both good and bad people, and it was prone to internal spies. Therefore, he had always intended to take action against the internal situation. However, this task required a very strong executor who not only had outstanding counter-espionage and investigation capabilities, but also had sufficient experience and prestige to suppress various forces and use iron-fisted methods to eliminate interference and complete this purge.
However, looking at his subordinates, only Bian Ze and Ning Zhiheng were capable of the job. But in terms of ability, Bian Ze was clearly inferior to Ning Zhiheng. Moreover, Ning Zhiheng was ruthless and infamous, feared by all sides. It was most suitable for him to do this job.
However, Huang Xianzheng and Ning Zhiheng were unwilling from the bottom of their hearts. Huang Xianzheng did not want to get involved in the internal affairs of the Military Intelligence Bureau. Apart from the Japanese, he did not want to offend anyone. The relationships involved were extremely complicated.
As the saying goes, "If you're not in a position, you shouldn't concern yourself with its affairs." The affairs of the Military Intelligence Bureau headquarters are naturally decided by the Director himself. As long as his own Baoding faction is not affected, he is too lazy to get involved in other matters.
As for Ning Zhiheng, he was even less willing to take on this difficult task. There were too many problematic people in the Military Intelligence Bureau. If the investigation turned to the Communist Party, wouldn't that be shooting himself in the foot? Moreover, he was pressed for time. After dealing with the Chongqing intelligence network, he needed to return to Shanghai as soon as possible to take charge. His loyal followers and all his assets were there. That was where his foundation lay.
Ning Zhiheng looked at Huang Xianzheng, who gave him a wink. Ning Zhiheng said no more and left everything to Huang Xianzheng to handle.
The director didn't want to discuss the matter further. Pointing to the list, he asked, "Let each department handle these people themselves. It wouldn't look good if you did it. It'll also serve as a warning to them not to assume that everyone around them is reliable and trustworthy. They've gotten used to being comfortable in the rear and have long since lost their vigilance!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
