Zuo Gang immediately recounted the specific details of today's assassination operation. Although he had reported it to Sun Jiacheng once before, he had reservations and had not reported Hong Shijie's matter to Sun Jiacheng.
After he returned, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that he could not let go of this suspicious point, so he reported it to Ning Zhiheng again.
When he finished describing Hong Shijie's suspicious behavior, Ning Zhiheng, Huo Yueze, and the other two all had grim expressions. If Zuo Gang's observation was correct, based on this situation, Hong Shijie should have had contact with that driver before, and finally let the target go at the critical moment.
Ning Zhiheng asked in a deep voice, "Where is Hong Shijie now? Have you asked him about it?"
Zuo Gang quickly said, "He is still waiting in the safe house. I have some suspicions, but the situation is unclear, so I don't dare to alert him. I sent someone to keep an eye on him secretly, and that's why I came here to report to you."
Intelligence work is complex. Zuo Gang found Hong Shijie's behavior suspicious, but he did not dare to make an arrest on his own. He was a steady person and decided to consult with the station chief first before taking any action.
Ning Zhiheng nodded, but without hesitation, he immediately ordered, "Go back and control him right away. I want to question him personally. It's best to ask him face to face about this. If he can explain it clearly, he'll pass. If he can't explain it clearly, interrogate him thoroughly and find out the reason. If there really is a problem! Hmph, I will enforce the family rules and clean house!"
By the end, his tone had become fierce and menacing, barely concealing his murderous intent!
"Yes!" Zuo Gang quickly accepted the order and turned to leave.
Ning Zhiheng soon received a report from Zuo Gang that he had taken control of Hong Shijie.
Hong Shijie was detained in a safe house. The intelligence station had set up many safe houses in the International Settlement and the French Concession for use in emergencies.
As the command center of the intelligence station, only cadres of Huo Yueze and Sun Jiacheng knew about Tan Mansion. Agents like Hong Shijie, who were leaders of action groups, were unaware of it, so Zuo Gang did not bring him to Tan Mansion.
Ning Zhiheng and the others arrived at the safe house and found Hong Shijie, who was already tied to a seat. Sun Jiacheng waved for the guards to leave.
Ning Zhiheng approached Hong Shijie and, without wasting any words, asked directly, "Shijie, you're a veteran agent of the Military Intelligence Bureau. You should know why we arrested you. Don't you have anything to say to me?"
Hong Shijie couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Station Chief, I know why you arrested me. I was just about to report to you, but I hesitated at first, and then Captain Zuo took action!"
Upon hearing this, Ning Zhiheng and the others' eyes narrowed. It seemed that Zuo Gang's observation was correct; Hong Shijie had indeed been condoning the enemy's actions. They just needed to hear his reasons.
Ning Zhiheng looked into Hong Shijie's eyes and said calmly, "Then tell me, why did you let the target go?"
Hong Shijie's face turned anxious, and he quickly explained, "Stationmaster, I didn't mean to let the target go. It's just that I recognized the driver's identity and hesitated for a moment, which allowed him to seize the opportunity and rescue the target."
"The driver's identity? Who is he?" Sun Jiacheng asked urgently. This time, Hong Shijie made a mistake, and Sun Jiacheng was to take the blame. He was eager to know the truth.
Hong Shijie said, "He's one of us, and a member of our Jiangsu-Zhejiang Special Operations Team!"
These words immediately shocked everyone in the room. If the members of the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Special Operations Team were truly one of their own, how did they become Fu Yaozu's driver?
Hong Shijie then explained the situation. It turned out that the driver's name was Xu Yongchang, and he was originally a member of the Shanghai Green Gang. Because of his good skills and marksmanship, when the big boss Yue Sheng formed the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Special Operations Team, he sent the most capable and aggressive members of the Green Gang to the team, and Xu Yongchang was one of them.
He was later assigned to the Fifth Detachment of the Jiangsu-Zhejiang Special Operations Team. Because of his outstanding skills, he was appointed as a squad leader. In the early stages of the Battle of Shanghai, the Special Operations Brigade and the Fifth Detachment fought side by side in the Jiangbei area. As a result, many of them got to know each other and became close comrades-in-arms. Xu Yongchang and Hong Shijie met at that time.
Later, in the fiercest battle in Jiangbei, the two of them stayed in the same trench for three days and three nights, showing a deep bond of camaraderie. In this battle, both the Fifth Detachment and the Special Service Brigade suffered heavy losses, and Wang Shucheng also sacrificed his life in this battle.
Later, both units suffered heavy losses and were unable to continue fighting, so they withdrew to Nanshi to rest and await orders until Ning Zhiheng came to take over as the captain of the special operations brigade.
Ning Zhiheng stayed in Nanshi for two days before receiving orders to rush to the Pudong battlefield. The time was too short, and neither he nor his agents had any contact with Xu Yongchang, so they had no impression of him.
However, when the Fifth Detachment went to the front line again, it suffered even more severe losses and had to retreat to Nanshi for rest and reorganization. Until the defeat in the Battle of Shanghai and the subsequent retreat of various units, the remnants of the Fifth Detachment were ordered by the General Headquarters to hold off the Japanese army in Nanshi to buy time for the main force to retreat.
The battle was extremely fierce. The Fifth Detachment and the remaining troops fought a brutal street battle against the Japanese, taking advantage of the high-rise buildings in the southern part of the city.
The Japanese bombarded the city relentlessly with planes and artillery, taking three days to capture Nanshi. Nanshi was reduced to ruins, and the Fifth Detachment was almost completely wiped out. Detachment Commander Zhu Weihua died for his country, leaving only a few dozen men who, with their wounded bodies, retreated into the French Concession to hide.
Hong Shijie had always believed that Xu Yongchang had sacrificed himself in the fierce battle of Nanshi. He never expected that he would see his former comrade-in-arms today during the assassination of Fu Yaozu. The two men faced each other with guns pointed at each other, and they were at a loss. It was only in a moment of hesitation that Xu Yongchang was able to escape.
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