Looking at his two beloved disciples, He Feng said earnestly, "Liangbi and Zhiheng, you are my most outstanding students. I have high expectations for you. Soldiers do not necessarily have to go to the front line to kill the enemy, but as long as they make contributions to the country and the nation, they are worthy of the title of soldier."
Ning Zhiheng and Wei Liangbi nodded in agreement.
He Feng continued, “Over the years, the two of you have become increasingly powerful within the Military Intelligence Bureau. To be honest, your achievements today have far exceeded my expectations. Even the bigwigs in the military are quite wary of you two, not to mention my comrades and friends. I have no other requests for you, I only hope that you will be wholeheartedly devoted to the country and not become bloodthirsty executioners, especially you, Zhiheng! You have too much ruthlessness, you need to restrain yourself in the future!”
Ning Zhiheng quickly nodded and said, "I understand, teacher. I will definitely keep your teachings in mind, keep a low profile, and conceal my talents!"
He Feng was in high spirits and talked loudly with his two disciples in the study until Li Lan came in and interrupted their conversation. Only then did the whole family have lunch together, enjoying each other's company, chatting and laughing happily.
In the evening, Ning Zhiheng returned to his home in plain clothes and had dinner with his family.
Afterwards, he talked with his father and elder brother for a long time, explaining the family matters clearly. His younger brother, Ning Zhiming, was no longer seriously injured and had returned home to recuperate a couple of days ago. Ning Zhiheng was also very gentle and encouraging to him, a stark contrast to his previous cold and stern demeanor. This left his younger brother somewhat confused, thinking that his second brother had just changed his personality. Little did he know that his brother was about to leave his family again and head to Shanghai to begin his life as an undercover agent.
At eight o'clock in the evening, Wei Liangbi arrived on time to pick up Ning Zhiheng. Ning Zhiheng glanced at the time helplessly. Time spent with family is always too short, especially since he had always deliberately kept his distance from his family and rarely went home. This made him feel very guilty. He sighed to himself, pretended to be fine, said goodbye to his family, gently hugged his mother, ruffled his sister's hair, waved to his family, then turned around and quickly walked out the door, got into the car, and sped away.
Sitting in the back of the car, looking at his family through the window, Ning Zhiheng couldn't help but feel sad. He said softly to Wei Liangbi, "Loyalty and filial piety cannot be reconciled. Over the years, my mother has only seen me a few times. Every time, she forced a smile, held my hand, and didn't want to leave me for a moment. But I can't be by her side to fulfill my filial duties. I feel so guilty. After I leave, I will entrust all the household affairs to my senior brother!"
Wei Liangbi nodded heavily and said, "Don't worry, with me here to take care of your filial duties, there will be absolutely no mishap."
The convoy headed to a secret military airfield, where a special military plane was already waiting. The Air Force had selected its best pilots and the highest-performing military aircraft to ensure the safety of the night flight.
Ning Zhiheng stepped onto the stairs, turned back to wave to Wei Liangbi, Yu Guangyou and others before entering the cabin.
The indicator lights on the runway lit up at the same time, illuminating the dark starry sky. The plane took off smoothly and disappeared into the pitch-black night. Ning Zhiheng looked down through the plane window at the sparse lights of Chongqing.
This trip to Chongqing lasted only a month and a half before he had to leave again. He didn't know when he would be able to return next time, and he couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.
Time passed slowly, and in the early hours of the morning, the plane finally arrived over Hong Kong. Shen Xiang, the head of the Hong Kong intelligence team, had already arranged everything and was waiting with his men at the Hong Kong airport. As soon as the plane landed, he quickly came to greet them.
After a few brief greetings, Ning Zhiheng got into his car, and the group headed to his villa in Hong Kong.
Shen Xiang asked in a low voice, "Chief, why are you back so soon this time? Weren't you supposed to be back in three or four months?"
Ning Zhiheng smiled and said, "Everything went very smoothly this time when I returned to Chongqing, so I came back ahead of schedule. Besides, the situation in Shanghai and Nanjing is deteriorating, so I have to come back as soon as possible to take charge of the work."
Shen Xiang was far away in Hong Kong and was out of touch with news from Shanghai and Nanjing. He was unaware of the situation Ning Zhiheng was referring to. So Ning Zhiheng gave him a brief briefing and instructed him: "Although you are far away in Hong Kong, you cannot let your guard down. The Japanese will gradually turn their attention south, and their intelligence forces will follow. You must not slacken your vigilance."
Shen Xiang quickly nodded in agreement. Fortunately, his intelligence team was hiding in the Fujiwara Company and only engaged in commercial activities, never participating in intelligence activities, so their safety could be guaranteed.
Ning Zhiheng then asked, "How have Jiacheng and the others been performing lately? Have they made any mistakes?"
Shen Xiang quickly replied, "Everything is fine. They usually keep to themselves and only show up a few times during company meetings. They never have any contact with the outside world."
Ning Zhiheng was relieved and then asked, "Have you booked the ferry tickets back to Shanghai?"
"Booked the ferry tickets for 9 AM, now..."
Shen Ling raised his hand to look at his watch, and then said, "There are still five hours left. You can go back and rest for a while."
Ning Zhiheng nodded without saying a word, then leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest. The streets were deserted and quiet in the dead of night, and the world outside the car was utterly still.
They drove in silence into the villa gate. Ning Zhiheng got out of the car and saw Sun Jiacheng quickly approaching.
The two reached out and clasped hands tightly. Sun Jiacheng then led Ning Zhiheng into the room. Upon hearing this, Tan Jinhui, who was inside the room, also stepped forward and stood at attention.
"Chief!"
Ning Zhiheng nodded and carefully examined Tan Jinhui. Compared to a little over a month ago, Tan Jinhui had hardly changed; his short, neatly trimmed hair was clearly freshly cut.
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