Wu Huarong checked the time; it was already 4 PM, past the first agreed-upon time. At 6 PM, Wu Huarong sent the results of this self-inspection back to the Military Intelligence Bureau headquarters.
When the translated telegram was handed to the bureau chief, he couldn't help but feel a chill. It turned out that the person in charge of the work in Shanghai was not Wang Hanmin, but Wu Huarong.
He immediately summoned Zhao Ziliang, told him the whole story, and ordered, "The Shanghai Intelligence Section and the Shanghai Station have both conducted self-checks. All personnel are present, except for the Shanghai Station Chief Wang Hanmin and his two guards, whose whereabouts are currently unknown. Wu Huarong said that Wang Hanmin left Shanghai the day before yesterday afternoon to go to the troops in southern Jiangsu. You immediately contact the National Salvation Army Command and have them investigate the situation and report back to me as quickly as possible."
Zhao Ziliang was also startled by the situation. He knew the seriousness of the matter. If Wang Hanmin was arrested, the entire Shanghai station would be in danger. He dared not delay and turned around to rush to the telegraph office to send an inquiry telegram to the Southern Jiangsu National Salvation Army Command.
The Loyal and Patriotic Army under the Military Intelligence Bureau is developing rapidly. With Military Intelligence Bureau officers as the backbone, it has gathered people in the southern Jiangsu region and has grown into a regular army of tens of thousands of people in just two years, with dozens of battalions under its command. Therefore, the communications department of their headquarters is large in scale, with complete equipment and personnel. More than ten radios are working at the same time and can receive telegrams from headquarters at any time. Zhao Ziliang quickly contacted the Patriotic Army headquarters and received a reply from them half an hour later. He was so surprised that he almost ran back to the director's office to report the latest situation to the director.
"What? These two battalions were annihilated by the Japanese in Jingze?" The director slammed the telegram on the table and couldn't help but curse, "Who told them to place their camps so close together? They were practically under the Japanese's noses!"
According to a telegram from the National Salvation Army Command, at around 2 p.m. today, two National Salvation Army battalions stationed in Jingze, totaling more than 1,000 men, were suddenly attacked by a large force of Japanese troops. Caught off guard, they collapsed almost immediately. Except for a small group that fought their way out of the encirclement and jumped into Yangcheng Lake to survive, the majority of the rest were wiped out, with countless casualties. The exact number of casualties is still being tallied.
Zhao Ziliang replied, "The National Salvation Army Command explained that these two battalions belonged to the Shanghai Station Command. They did not know the specific reasons for the relocation, but they had been moved for more than a month. According to the remnants who escaped back, the Japanese obviously knew their location. Once the battle started, they were surrounded by artillery fire. If it weren't for the Yangcheng Lake behind them, none of them would have been able to escape."
"So, Wang Hanmin's whereabouts are still uncertain?" The director paced anxiously around the room. To be honest, although he was heartbroken by the loss of a thousand men in the National Salvation Army, he could accept it. As long as they recruited more soldiers, they could quickly replenish their ranks. This wouldn't be a major blow to the National Salvation Army.
But if something happens to Wang Hanmin, my intelligence station in Shanghai will be in danger. This is the front line of the intelligence war that I have always been most concerned about. Will we repeat the same mistake and suffer the same fate as Zheng Hongbo?
Suddenly, he thought of something and turned to order, "Go quickly and check on Wang Hanmin's family. See if they are still there. If they are, immediately set up surveillance cameras around the area and keep a close watch on their movements!"
Wang Hanmin was an old subordinate of the Director, and the Director knew him quite well. Wang Hanmin was not particularly outstanding in his life, but he was cautious, followed the rules, and especially cherished his family. He had a very deep relationship with his wife.
If the person arrested is indeed Wang Hanmin, and as the intelligence reports, he has already defected to the enemy, then he must have made arrangements for his family. I must prepare in advance, and perhaps I can determine Wang Hanmin's true whereabouts through his family.
Upon hearing the order, Zhao Ziliang immediately turned and left, leading a group of his men to rush to Wang Hanmin's house.
Wang Hanmin was considered a high-ranking cadre in the Military Intelligence Bureau. His home was in a residential area near the bureau, which was mostly occupied by bureau personnel.
It was already dark when Zhao Ziliang arrived at Wang Hanmin's house. He found the house completely dark, without a single light, and he felt uneasy.
He ordered in a deep voice, "Go in and take a look."
His men knocked on the door, but no one answered. Zhao Ziliang was anxious and didn't care about anything else. With a wave of his hand, his team members climbed over the wall, opened the courtyard gate, and rushed into the Wang family's house.
When the lights were turned on, the room was naturally empty.
"search!"
Soon, a team member reported to Zhao Ziliang: "Section Chief, there are two corpses in the kitchen!"
Zhao Ziliang was shocked upon hearing this. He quickly followed his team to the kitchen, where he saw two corpses lying on the floor, a man and a woman, both around fifty years old. Judging from their clothes, they seemed to be servants in the house. At this point, he was certain that he was too late!
An hour later, Zhao Ziliang reported the details to the bureau chief.
"The two bodies were found dead with broken necks. According to the neighbors, they were a couple employed by Wang Hanmin's family as their servants. Wang Hanmin's wife and son were already gone. There was no loss of any valuables in the house. The jewelry in the dressing table and the cash in the drawer were not taken. It is clear that they did not leave on their own, but were forcibly taken away under sudden circumstances."
Upon hearing this, the bureau chief asked urgently, "What time? When were they taken away?"
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com