Upon hearing Ning Zhiheng's words, Bian Ze's heart stirred. He knew Ning Zhiheng very well, knowing that this young man had exceptional reasoning abilities, was always very opinionated, and was very confident in himself. He judged that there was no need to ask for advice at all.
Now it seemed that he must have discovered some problem and wanted to report it himself. He immediately straightened his posture and asked solemnly, "What problem have you discovered? Tell me about it!"
Zheng Hongbo also understood the meaning behind Ning Zhiheng's words. Could it be that this young man discovered some problems at the Shanghai station so quickly? His observation skills are too amazing. Is it really as Bian Ze said, that this young man's ability is really that outstanding?
Ning Zhiheng took out a document in his hand and said, "This is the document of Deputy Station Chief Yu Li. The file inside is very detailed. It can be seen that Yu Li is one of the earliest veterans of our Military Intelligence Investigation Department. He was a key member during the Lixingshe period. He is capable and has outstanding action ability. His career has been very smooth. But how could such a person suddenly betray us and defect to the enemy?"
He had no shortage of power or money; what could the Japanese offer him? He must have been forced to defect, meaning he must have been arrested. So, I'd like to ask Station Chief Zheng, in your recollection, has Yu Li ever disappeared or lost contact with anyone?
Upon hearing Ning Zhiheng's words, Bian Ze and Zheng Hongbo immediately perked up, especially Zheng Hongbo, who was startled by Ning Zhiheng's words. He hadn't had time to think about this issue yet. After thinking carefully for a moment, he finally hesitated and said, "Just a month ago, Yu Li did not show up for a few days. When I asked him about it later, he only said that he was tracking and investigating a suspected Japanese spy, but then he said that there was insufficient evidence and gave up."
Ning Zhiheng asked in confusion, "Does investigating a suspect require Yu Li, the deputy station chief, to personally conduct the investigation?"
Zheng Hongbo said, "Yu Li is a very capable and energetic person. He doesn't like sitting in the office, so I handed over the operational work to him. He is always willing to take action on the front line, and his team members trust him very much."
Ning Zhiheng nodded and then asked, "So what are Yu Li's hobbies? He's already forty-two years old this year, but the information shows that he's single. Has he never married?"
Upon hearing Ning Zhiheng's question, Bian Ze, who was standing to the side, replied, "Yu Li has many other good qualities, but he has only one flaw: he is a womanizer. He keeps changing women around him and can never settle down, so he has never gotten married."
"He likes to find women?" Ning Zhiheng asked with some doubt. Being lustful is not a flaw for men in this era, but for a special agent, it can easily become a weakness that his enemies can exploit.
"What type of woman do you like? A prostitute? A famous actress? Or a respectable woman?" Ning Zhiheng continued to press, always believing that details determine success or failure, and he would never let go of even the slightest question.
Zheng Hongbo clearly hadn't expected Ning Zhiheng to ask such detailed questions. Finally, he said, "Yu Li's preferences are a bit peculiar. He never goes to brothels or doesn't like respectable women. He only has a fondness for female opera singers. No matter which theater has a beautiful actress, he will go and support her. This has been the case for many years. It's purely a personal preference and doesn't affect his work, so I never interfere."
"Would he often go to the Japanese-occupied territories to watch operas?" Ning Zhiheng asked. This was a crucial question; he needed to know the real reason for Yu Li's arrest.
In Chinese-occupied territory, it would have been very difficult for the Japanese to capture this deputy head of the intelligence station alive. It is highly likely that he was lured into the Japanese-occupied territory. Therefore, we need to know whether he entered the Japanese-occupied territory voluntarily or was tricked into it.
Zheng Hongbo thought for a moment and said, "There are several large theaters in the Hongkou and Songhu Road area. Yu Li had been there a few times before, but after I found out, I scolded him once, and he never went there again. He spends most of his time in our occupied areas and the French Concession, and he rarely goes to the International Settlement."
Although Hongkou and Songhu Road were part of the northern part of the International Settlement, they have now become a gathering place for Japanese immigrants, and the actual control is in the hands of the Japanese.
Ning Zhiheng thought about it and felt that he had some ideas, but he was not sure about them yet.
He then asked, "Was this rescue operation personally communicated to Station Chief Zheng by Yu Li?"
"Yes, he was notified through a base. The message said he had obtained a top-secret intelligence report from the Japanese, but he was trapped by a Japanese spy on a street in Hongkou District. The Japanese were preparing to conduct a thorough search, so he urgently requested help and told us the location. I immediately organized forty rescuers to infiltrate the Japanese-occupied area overnight for an armed rescue, but I never expected this..."
At this point, Zheng Hongbo slapped his thigh, filled with regret, as only half of the rescue team members returned alive.
“I’ve heard about the details of the operation, and I have some questions about it.” Ning Zhiheng prepared to shift the topic to Luo Xingchao.
"Since this was a trap set up in advance, given the capabilities of the Japanese intelligence organization and the strength of the Japanese garrison, it is quite puzzling that half of the mere forty operatives were able to return alive."
Ning Zhiheng's suspicions were indeed reasonable. To put it bluntly, if he had been the commander of the Japanese this time, with sufficient troops and the advantage of home ground, and if the deployment had been proper, none of the forty personnel would have returned.
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