Ning Zhiheng's sincere tone and earnest words moved Uehara Junpei and Kuroki Gakuichi, who both raised their glasses in response.
Uehara Junpei also said sincerely, "Fujiwara-kun, I know that you have suffered hardship since childhood and that it is not easy for you to be where you are today. Kuroki-kun and I have been friends for many years. Since you call Kuroki-kun 'sir,' I will call you 'senior.' From now on, we will address each other as uncle and nephew to show our closeness. We must not be too formal!"
When Uehara Junpei said this, he intended to take their relationship to the next level. From then on, the two would no longer be just friends, but also family members, one an elder and the other a junior. This was also the result of Uehara Junpei valuing Ning Zhiheng so much.
It must be said that Ning Zhiheng's choice of Japanese identity was extremely advantageous. As a scion of a top aristocratic family, he first and foremost had an advantage in terms of bloodline in the rigidly hierarchical Japanese society.
Next up is a down-on-his-luck member of a collateral branch of the family, which evokes pity and sympathy.
In addition, his outstanding talent caught Uehara Junpei's eye, and the fact that he had saved Uehara Junpei's life made Uehara Junpei cherish him greatly.
All these factors combined led Uehara Junpei, a seasoned intelligence chief who had seen it all, to decide to bind their interests together and take their relationship to the next level.
Upon hearing Uehara Junpei's words, Ning Zhiheng had no intention of refusing. His face lit up with joy, and he hurriedly said, "Thank you, General! No, thank you, Uncle, for your kindness. I, Zhiren, am willing to serve you from now on and will certainly live up to your expectations!"
Kuroki Yueyi also said happily, "It is a great joy for you uncle and nephew to recognize each other today. Come, let's drink tea instead of wine, cheers!"
The three men raised their glasses in celebration, and the atmosphere became extremely harmonious. They talked until late at night before finally saying their goodbyes.
Ning Zhiheng escorted Kuroki Yueyi back to his residence before returning to his own home, where he sat down, still brimming with excitement.
He hadn't expected to reap such a great harvest today; all his previous preparations had perfectly achieved the expected results, even far exceeding his expectations.
Junpei Uehara was a high-ranking general in the central government of the Japanese military, especially as the top officer in charge of the intelligence department; one can imagine the extent of his power.
The fact that I can take my relationship with him to the next level will be of great significance to my future intelligence work. With Uehara Junpei's endorsement, my work in Shanghai will be easier to carry out, and it will also provide me with a very solid layer of protection. At the very least, ordinary intelligence agencies will no longer have any doubts about me.
Of course, Uehara Junpei himself was also an extremely experienced intelligence chief. When dealing with him, one had to be on high alert and could not reveal the slightest flaw, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.
Early the next morning, Ning Zhiheng visited Uehara Junpei again and presented him with several ancient books of regular script calligraphy that he had collected.
Uehara Junpei was extremely satisfied with the gift. He had always been fond of refined things, especially calligraphy. During his spare time from military campaigns, his only pastime was writing, and his calligraphy was quite famous in the army.
“Uncle, there is a place in Shanghai called Mulan Academy, which is a gathering place for scholars and artists. It is not far in the east of the city. Mr. Hei Mu and I often meet there. There are many great calligraphers there, and we are all good pen pals. If you have time sometime, I will accompany you for a visit. We can discuss and exchange ideas. With your calligraphy skills, you will surely amaze everyone!”
"There's such a place? That's wonderful!" Uehara Junpei was very interested. He loved literature and calligraphy, but few people in the army were interested in them, which made him feel quite lonely. Now that he knew there was such a good place, he was very excited.
"This was founded by several artists from the overseas Chinese community after the Battle of Shanghai. Now it has gathered dozens of artists and scholars, including Mr. Kuroki and me!" Ning Zhiheng said with a hint of pride, displaying an interest in refined tastes.
"That's great! But I have a lot of work to do when I go back to Shanghai this time, and it'll probably take some time to process. I'll call you when I have some free time, and you can come with me to take a look!" Uehara Junpei nodded in agreement, then looked at Ning Zhiheng, "Speaking of which, my work this time is actually related to you!"
"What does this have to do with me?" Ning Zhiheng's heart tightened, but his face showed curiosity.
Uehara Junpei nodded at Ning Zhiheng and said with a smile, "Haha, a big shot from your Fujiwara family is coming to Shanghai. I came to Shanghai this time to welcome him!"
Upon hearing this, Ning Zhiheng was shocked. Although he had been mentally prepared for this day, he was still caught off guard when it came to it!
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"The City Wizard": Think modern wizards still kill with curses? They've actually mastered nuclear technology. A plot-driven story mistakenly placed in a female-oriented genre; recommended.
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