After the simple awarding ceremony, the Chief of Staff gestured for Ning Zhiheng to sit down, and he and Bian Ze also returned to their seats.
The sergeant had been in a good mood lately. He leaned back comfortably in his chair and said with a smile to Ning Zhiheng, "Zhiheng, I heard you've been working hard to learn Japanese lately?"
Ning Zhiheng hurriedly nodded in agreement, "Yes, my biggest regret in Hangzhou this time is that I don't speak Japanese. Otherwise, I would have gained much more than this. I spent a lot of effort infiltrating, but I only brought back a list. Even now, I still regret it very much."
What a great opportunity this was! We did miss out on a lot of top-secret intelligence, and both the Chief and Bian Ze were extremely disappointed.
The director also said regretfully, "It is indeed a great pity, but having this list is already very worthwhile."
As for strengthening Japanese language learning, it is indeed very necessary. In fact, our military intelligence department has also begun to organize intelligence personnel to learn Japanese. The more we know about our opponents, the more confident we are in winning. In this respect, you are ahead of the curve again.
By the way, recently, the Special Higher Police Headquarters dispatched a new leader to replace Kawamoto Kuraji; his name is Murakami Keita. He's also a veteran agent, highly experienced, and very difficult to deal with.
Bian Ze continued, "From the current perspective, the Japanese have no doubts about the cause of Kawamoto Kuraji's death. They held a simple memorial service for Kawamoto Kuraji at the consulate and then made no further moves. Therefore, the Chief believes that the time is ripe for the operation to clear out the Hangzhou area and is preparing to launch the operation soon. So Zhiheng, you must be prepared to go to Hangzhou at any time to preside over the arrest operation."
The director also said with a smile, "Yes, we can't delay any longer. If we procrastinate, there will inevitably be more unforeseen circumstances. Zhiheng still has to make another trip to completely eliminate the Japanese spy organization in the Hangzhou area."
Ning Zhiheng hesitated for a moment, rubbing his hands together and saying with difficulty, "Chief, the Hangzhou area is where the Japanese intelligence forces are most concentrated. There are not only Japanese concessions and consulates, but also a lot of troops stationed there. The situation is complicated and intertwined. I have little experience and no experience in handling multiple matters. I would not be able to grasp the proper measure when operating. After thinking it over, I still feel that it is more reliable to have a more experienced senior to lead this important operation."
Ning Zhiheng's words immediately surprised the section chief and Bian Ze. They had already discussed it when Ning Zhiheng returned to Nanjing to report, and agreed that Ning Zhiheng would lead the arrest operation. After all, this list was brought back by Ning Zhiheng at the risk of his life from the Japanese consulate.
The unwritten rule in the Military Intelligence Investigation Department is that you can't take credit for someone else's work. Even the department head can't be too obvious about it, especially a capable person like Ning Zhiheng. If he really loses face, it won't look good for the department head either.
But now Ning Zhiheng has suddenly refused the mission. You see, this arrest operation is of utmost importance, but it is not difficult. After all, we have the list, so we can just take action based on the number of people. However, the benefits are enormous. It will destroy all the underground forces of the Japanese spy organization in the Hangzhou area in one fell swoop. Such an achievement is enough for any agent to refuse. But Ning Zhiheng refused such a great opportunity.
The shrewd and experienced official immediately understood that this was Ning Zhiheng's strategy of concealing his abilities and biding his time, and he couldn't help but feel secretly pleased.
The director had always felt conflicted about Ning Zhiheng. Ning Zhiheng was exceptionally talented, unmatched in the Military Intelligence Investigation Department. Thanks to his outstanding performance, the department had turned the tide in the past six months, sweeping away Japanese spies in Nanjing. Now, he had made a significant contribution to the elimination of Japanese spy organizations in the Hangzhou area.
Such achievements would be highly desirable to the Chief, especially if they were attributed to one of his close associates. However, Ning Zhiheng is a key member of the Baoding faction represented by Huang Xianzheng. Therefore, the Chief is worried that Ning Zhiheng's rise to prominence and increasing influence within the Military Intelligence Investigation Department could threaten the position of his own close associates.
For example, even an old man like Gu Zhengqi, the head of the intelligence section, is quite wary of Ning Zhiheng. When they cooperate on cases, he has to give way a little. This shows the extent of the situation. If this continues, he may become too powerful to control.
If Ning Zhiheng leads another major operation in Hangzhou and makes outstanding contributions, even the section chief won't know how to reward him. Could he be promoted again? But at this rate, it won't be long before even the section chief can't control him.
Now that Ning Zhiheng has voluntarily given up this great achievement, the Chief is naturally extremely satisfied. He secretly admires Ning Zhiheng for knowing when to advance and when to retreat, which shows that Ning Zhiheng still has enough respect and trust for him. This makes everyone feel relieved.
The magistrate smiled broadly and spoke again, "Zhiheng, we all know your talent. How could such a question stump you? Please don't refuse. We still believe in you."
Ning Zhiheng quickly waved his hands and said, "Your Excellency is wise. This is by no means an excuse. I have just graduated from school and am only twenty-one years old this year. I still have too little experience and need to learn more from my seniors. I hope Your Excellency will understand my difficulties."
"Alright," the section chief slammed his hand on the table and said with a sigh, "In that case, Zhiheng, who do you think would be suitable to carry out this task?"
Once everyone has done their part, there's no need to say anything more. The meaning of the magistrate's words is quite clear: since Ning Zhiheng has given up this great achievement, who will reap this enormous benefit depends on Ning Zhiheng's wishes. We need to see who he is willing to give the credit to, since he was the one who orchestrated the whole thing.
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