Upon hearing Ning Zhiheng's words, the commander opened his eyes, sighed softly, frowned, and said, "Zhiheng, in just twenty days, the battle situation has become uncontrollable. The reinforcements brought in from all over the country have been almost completely wiped out. Even the usually elite Guangxi Army lost tens of thousands of soldiers in a single day, with corpses strewn across the battlefield. The scene was truly tragic!"
"The fighting has dragged on until now, and even our special operations unit has to stay on the front lines. This is our only military force in the intelligence department, and it's been decimated so quickly since it was just formed. It represents years of my hard work! I haven't been able to eat or sleep properly these past few days!"
Ning Zhiheng naturally knew that this was also the true feeling of the leader. He had painstakingly cultivated his power for many years, always wanting to seize military power. This time, he finally got the leader's approval and could legitimately build his own military force. He gritted his teeth and took out all his resources, but he suffered a big setback at the beginning. Not only did he lose soldiers and generals, but he also lost many of his trusted subordinates. His tragic mood can be imagined.
Seeing the section chief's dejected expression, Ning Zhiheng carefully considered his words before offering words of comfort: "What the section chief says is absolutely right. However, fortunately, the special operations team comes from a diverse background, with most members being ordinary soldiers and followers. Although we have suffered considerable losses, our best officers are still intact. As long as we have these core members, rebuilding our strength is not difficult. For example, our special operations brigade is composed of highly trained agents. They performed exceptionally well in the Pudong operation this time, and even Commander Zhang of the theater command praised them highly. It's a real pity to send these officers to the front lines. Keeping them as the backbone and building another team will allow us to quickly recover our strength!"
Ning Zhiheng's meaning was clear: he was advising the director not to send the special operations team to the front lines, but to leave it behind to preserve its strength for future use.
The chief nodded and said with deep emotion, "This is all the wealth I've accumulated over the years. Do you think I really don't know? Sending these excellent agents to the front lines is practically a crime. Not to mention, the Fourth Detachment was completely wiped out this time. Nearly two thousand men were lost on the battlefield. The personnel at the Shanghai Station lost more than half their strength in just one bombing. My heart is bleeding!"
Ning Zhiheng was shocked. He knew that the Fourth Detachment had been almost completely wiped out, but the Shanghai Station had lost more than half of its personnel. This matter had not been reported at the meeting. What causal relationship did this have with his transfer to Shanghai as deputy station chief?
The director continued, "But this major battle is a national effort, sparing no expense. Even the leaders of all sides are willing to contribute their own resources. Under such circumstances, how can I, a mere head of the military intelligence department, disobey? We must go all out."
Moreover, this time the leader specifically instructed our Military Intelligence Bureau to do its utmost to hinder and delay the Japanese advance. However, our Military Intelligence Bureau's strength is simply insignificant, and we cannot play a significant role on the battlefield. Therefore, I have decided to stick to our old expertise.
So that's how it is! Ning Zhiheng finally understood the true intention behind the Director's actions.
Their specialty at this time was assassination and demolition; intelligence gathering was their last line of work.
After all, the Military Intelligence Investigation Department currently has no intelligence sources within the Japanese intelligence agencies and is not capable of stealing classified information from the Japanese military. This is the real reason why the Director-General spent a huge amount of money to establish a military radio code-breaking team.
He attempted to crack the Japanese radio codes to obtain classified information, but before he could make any significant breakthroughs, the full-scale war between China and Japan broke out.
So now the main means of dealing with the Japanese is to carry out assassinations and sabotage, which is exactly what the Action Section is good at. Ning Zhiheng is recognized as the best action expert in the Action Section, so the Chief entrusted Ning Zhiheng with the task of leading the sabotage work behind enemy lines.
Thinking of this, Ning Zhiheng couldn't help but feel both happy and worried. He was happy that he could finally avoid being sent to the front line as cannon fodder. After all, on the front line, guns and cannons have no eyes, and even with his abilities, he could not guarantee his safety and could easily die on the spot. Now that the Chief of Staff had valued his ability to act, he could finally escape a disaster for the time being.
As for staying in Shanghai to carry out assassinations and sabotage behind enemy lines in Japan, that suited his wishes perfectly. All the previous arrangements were for this day. Befriending Uehara Junpei, the head of intelligence for the Japanese military, confirming Fujiwara Tomohito's identity, placing He Siming in the Japanese Special Higher Police, turning Yasuda Seiji back to the Japanese military's intelligence department, and stealing a large amount of supplies from the Pudong warehouse to obtain operating funds—wasn't it all preparation for this day?
What worries me is that all the effort I've put into building up these loyal followers will likely be lost if they're sent to the battlefield. If Sun Jiacheng, the Zuo brothers, and others are killed on the battlefield, it will be a terrible blow to me. I must fight for this, no matter the cost.
Ning Zhiheng earnestly said, "I understand your good intentions, Chief. I will do my best to harass the Japanese rear. However, as you know, hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops are currently stationed in Shanghai and are heavily guarded. I am afraid that I will not be able to threaten the Japanese in the short term. Moreover, I do not have any capable personnel under my command. I hope you can understand and leave me some more manpower. Otherwise, I am afraid that even a skilled cook cannot cook without rice."
The comrade-in-chief naturally knew that what Ning Zhiheng said was true. If a million soldiers could not do it, how could he expect a small-time special agent to do it? He smiled slightly and said, "I have already considered these things. Of course, I will not let you hit a rock with an egg and go to your death in vain."
This is just to let you prepare in advance, to lie low in Shanghai for now, and to wait for the right opportunity to make your move.
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