Ning Zhiheng lightly clinked glasses with Ishikawa Takeshi, his eyes full of praise, and said with a smile, "Takeshi, you've done a great job in opening up this transport route so quickly. I've decided to give you 50% of the profits from this shipment as a reward. You can relax to your heart's content. You've really worked hard these past few days!"
Hearing Ning Zhiheng's words, Ishikawa Takeshi's eyes crinkled with laughter. He downed his glass of champagne in one gulp and said with a smile, "Great, Tomohito, I won't stand on ceremony! It's time to relax. I heard that a nice brothel has opened on South Street. Let's go check it out sometime!"
Ning Zhiheng smiled and shook his head, saying, "You should ask your friends about this kind of thing. I don't have time!"
Ishikawa Takeshi couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. He said with difficulty, "Tomohito, my friends are all eager to have the opportunity to meet you. Although they are all civilian officers, they are all powerful figures and it is still possible to make their acquaintances with them!"
Ning Zhiheng said helplessly, "Wu Zhi, your friends are certainly important, and I will definitely get to know them when I have the chance. However, I really don't have time right now. There are some problems at the Hong Kong branch, and I have to deal with them immediately. I'll be leaving tomorrow!"
"You're going to Hong Kong again? So soon!" Takeshi Ishikawa said in surprise.
“Yes, Wu Zhi, Hong Kong is an important source of goods for us, but it is all managed by Chinese employees. Now there are some problems, and I have to deal with them as soon as possible. We can’t delay our business operations. You know, every minute and every second is a lot of money. If we miss a shipment, we will lose at least 30,000 US dollars. We can’t afford to lose that much!”
When business was mentioned, Takeshi Ishikawa immediately dared not say more. He now understood the power of money, which allowed him, a military police major, to wield great influence and prestige in Shanghai, attracting respectful and envious glances wherever he went. This feeling greatly satisfied this collateral descendant of the Ishikawa family!
Therefore, he was even more anxious about the company's business than Ning Zhiheng. He hurriedly asked, "Is the problem serious? How long will you need to go?"
Ning Zhiheng patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, "It's not a big problem, but it will take some time. I need to thoroughly reorganize the Hong Kong branch, which will probably take two to three months. During this time, you should focus on making friends and getting to know more like-minded people. If our business wants to develop, we can't rely on our own strength alone!"
"I understand, I'm quite good at this kind of thing, haha!" Hearing Ning Zhiheng's words, Ishikawa Takeshi finally felt relieved.
"While I'm gone, you need to keep in touch with Colonel Katsuta. Make sure every payment is sent there on time. I'll instruct Akagi to collect it himself. If anything happens, I'll send a telegram to Akagi, and he'll notify you. The transport line work will be handled by Hirao Daichi. He's very capable. You two should communicate more. In short, this transport line needs to be opened as soon as possible!" Ning Zhiheng carefully instructed.
"Don't worry! Leave this to me. I'll get this done while you're gone!" Takeshi Ishikawa nodded in agreement.
The two chatted happily for a while longer. Ning Zhiheng had Yi Huaan prepare $20,000 and handed it to Ishikawa Takeshi as a reward. Ishikawa was overjoyed and left in high spirits.
Ning Zhiheng then assigned specific tasks to Yi Huaan and Hirao Hirao Daichi. Yi Huaan was mainly responsible for finance and radio, and served as Ning Zhiheng's eyes and ears and mouthpiece, remotely controlling the work of the Fujiwara Company. Of course, he was also secretly responsible for intelligence work in Shanghai.
Hirao Daichi was in charge of all business operations of the Fujiwara Company, including normal business operations and the operation of smuggling channels.
That evening, Ning Zhiheng and Takeshita Shinya met again at that small bar.
Ning Zhiheng asked, "What progress has the Special Higher Police and the Investigation Department made in the investigation of Cui Guangqi's disappearance during this period?"
Shinya Takeshita shook his head and said with a smile, "The investigation was all handed over to Wen Hao, but I don't think he's really taking it seriously. However, they still found that public phone. Luckily, they had disguised it beforehand, otherwise it would have been quite dangerous!"
"Wen Hao is quite capable. Don't let your guard down. Pay close attention to the developments in the case. This time it was out of necessity, but you cannot participate in any operations afterward!"
"clear!"
"I'm going back to the Wuhan headquarters for a briefing this time, and I estimate it will take about two to three months."
"I understand. So, what are my work arrangements during your absence?"
"Your existence is a top secret, known only to me. So while I'm gone, you must lie dormant. Don't say or do anything until I come to activate you myself!"
Upon hearing this, Takeshita Shinya frowned and asked, "What if there is particularly important information?"
“I told you, lie low! You must do nothing. Even if the sky falls, you can only wait for me to wake you up!” Ning Zhiheng said decisively.
"The information from the Special Higher Police may not be true. You lack experience in combat. Even veteran agents have difficulty distinguishing between true and false information. Be careful not to fall into a trap. Safety should be the top priority."
"Yes!" Takeshita Shinya nodded in acceptance.
The next day, Ning Zhiheng rushed back to the International Settlement and returned to the Tan Mansion. He immediately summoned several key members, informed them of his return to headquarters for a report on his duties, and decided to have Sun Jiacheng and Miao Yongyi lead an action team to accompany and protect him.
With everything arranged, everyone went back to prepare, while Ning Zhiheng kept Huo Yueze behind for a private talk.
"Yueze, I asked you to secretly search for Wang Hanmin's whereabouts. How is the situation now?" Ning Zhiheng asked softly.
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