Seeing Lin Zhen's remorseful expression, Ning Zhiheng decided to deliver another heavy blow.
"Not only that, Shi Liqun also confessed that it was he who provided the meteorological information for the South Bank District in the previous bombing of the Huangshan official residence that enabled the Japanese to accurately bomb the residence of the Chairman."
As you know, someone had previously leaked the exact location of Huangshan's official residence and the specific time of the military conference to the Japanese. This person was Xue Jianmu, General Deng Chengyi's adjutant.
If people were to find out now that the spy who provided the Japanese with weather information for bombing the Huangshan official residence was your family tutor, it would be a great shame.
You must understand, General Deng and you are both important figures in the Baoding clique, so this issue is now difficult to explain.
Ning Zhiheng's words immediately made Lin Zhen shudder. He suddenly realized that something was wrong; he had greatly underestimated the harm caused by the Shi Liqun incident.
The bombing of the Huangshan official residence and the near assassination of the Chairman was a major case that caused a huge uproar among the Kuomintang leadership and had an extremely negative impact. If it is now found that the two Japanese spies who provided intelligence to the Japanese were both people close to the Baoding clique generals, what would the Chairman think?
It is well known that the Baoding clique's position in the military has always been a source of fear for Chiang Kai-shek. Otherwise, he would not have repeatedly suppressed and strictly controlled it, and would not have actively developed the power of the Whampoa clique in an attempt to counterbalance the Baoding clique's influence in the military. However, the Whampoa clique's foundation is still shallow and it is not yet strong enough to contend with the many bigwigs in the Baoding clique.
Against this backdrop, many high-ranking members of the Baoding faction were well aware that there were many who harbored resentment, but they simply dared not openly defy them.
The Chairman was well aware of this situation, and he always took precautions against such matters, never letting them go unpunished.
If this matter is exposed, it will likely cause a major upheaval and severely damage the interests of the Baoding faction. In this sense, it is far more serious than the previous situation of letting a Japanese division escape.
Although letting a Japanese division escape was a heavy responsibility, given his position and the protection of the Baoding clique, he would at most receive a punishment and a reprimand from Chiang Kai-shek.
However, if this arouses the Chairman's suspicion and reignites the conflict between the two sides, the Baoding faction will inevitably suffer another heavy blow, with unimaginable consequences.
If that happens, wouldn't I become a sinner in history? Even if my faction is deeply rooted in the Kuomintang, I'm afraid my future days won't be easy.
Lin Zhen's mind raced, and he inwardly groaned. He never expected that a mere Shi Liqun could push him into such an awkward situation.
At this moment, he looked up at the young man in front of him again, and the feeling of looking down on him from his superior position was gone. He knew that he had to ask this junior to cover for him today.
Upon realizing this, Lin Zhen could no longer maintain his cold demeanor. He laughed heartily and waved his hand, saying, "Zhiheng, you've considered things very thoroughly. It was my oversight. Shi Liqun's problem is indeed very serious, even posing a serious threat to the interests of our Baoding faction. This matter is of great importance, and now is the time for you, a young man, to step in. You should know that we argued with the Chairman and paid a huge price to place your force in the Military Intelligence Bureau, precisely to guard against a situation like today. Our Baoding faction has always been a pillar of the military, and with great power comes great responsibility. It's inevitable that we'll be targeted by those with ulterior motives. If Shi Liqun's affairs are exploited, it could cause a huge uproar. Therefore, we must nip it in the bud before it escalates."
At this point, Lin Zhen's way of addressing Ning Zhiheng also changed immediately. He no longer felt distant and instead affectionately called him "Zhiheng".
The implication was clear: this was a demand from a senior member of the faction to Ning Zhiheng to contribute to the interests of the Baoding clique, emphasizing the role of Ning Zhiheng and others in the Military Intelligence Bureau—to protect the Baoding clique, leaving Ning Zhiheng no room to refuse!
Seeing Lin Zhen's drastic change in attitude, Ning Zhiheng was secretly delighted. This whole thing was a far-fetched, unsolved case that he had dragged into. In fact, no one could say for sure whether Shi Liqun was involved in the bombing of the Huangshan official residence. The difference lay with Ning Zhiheng, the investigator. If he said it was related, then it was. All that was needed was a statement. Besides, Shi Liqun's weather report might really be related to the bombing of the Huangshan official residence!
Ning Zhiheng was merely using someone else's name to create a pretext, linking Shi Liqun to the bombing of the Huangshan official residence. The matter could be big or small, entirely up to Ning Zhiheng's discretion; it all depended on how he handled it.
This also shows the importance of being in the intelligence department. Don't be fooled by the low rank and position of the agents of the Military Intelligence Bureau. By using their power of life and death, they can easily bring down those high-ranking officials and put them to death, ensuring they can never rise again, simply by doing some dirty work and stirring things up. This is one of the reasons why even though the military leaders are all high-ranking and powerful, they still feel fear and disgust towards the agents of the Military Intelligence Bureau.
Ning Zhiheng's attitude remained respectful and polite. He immediately stood up, stood at attention, and assured Lin Zhen, "Please rest assured, Lord You, I was prepared long ago. Otherwise, I wouldn't have personally arrested this person in the middle of the night. Moreover, I have ordered that all Japanese spies arrested this time be detained in solitary confinement, not allowed to contact others, and a gag order be issued to block all news. I will soon bring these people to justice and will not let outsiders know any inside information."
"good!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhen stood up excitedly. He walked over to Ning Zhiheng, patted Ning Zhiheng's shoulder forcefully, and smiled broadly.
"Zhiheng, well done. You are meticulous and decisive, and you have thought ahead of the work. You are truly a leading figure of the new generation in our Baoding faction. No wonder the officers praised you so highly. Our Baoding faction needs people like you to clear obstacles for us and deter the villains."
Although Lin Zhen is a conservative and old-fashioned military officer, he is also a seasoned politician who has weathered many storms and is well-versed in the ways of self-interest. Otherwise, he would not have achieved what he has today. He speaks to different people in a natural and unforced manner, which immediately brought him and Ning Zhiheng into a close and natural relationship.
"That old fox!"
Ning Zhiheng secretly gloated, but on his face he looked flattered and repeatedly said he didn't dare.
"You flatter me, Master You. My teacher often said that we disciples are dedicated to military intelligence so that our Baoding faction can be prepared for any eventuality and prevent problems before they arise. Isn't this exactly what we should be doing? Actually, this time it was just bad timing. If we hadn't just discovered Xue Jianmu as an internal traitor and made such a big fuss, Shi Liqun's little matter wouldn't have been a big deal!"
Lin Zhen nodded in agreement. This bombing of the Huangshan official residence involved the Baoding faction, and it was hard to guarantee that the Chairman wouldn't overthink it. He had heard before that Xue Jianmu had committed suicide out of fear of punishment, and he knew that Huang Xianzheng had informed him in advance to silence him. Now, he didn't expect that it would be his turn this time. Speaking of which, he had put a lot of effort into placing Huang Xianzheng and others in the Military Intelligence Bureau, and that decision was absolutely correct.
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