Wang Shucheng looked at Ning Zhiheng and felt a little unfamiliar. His classmate and superior had always impressed him as calm, resolute, and determined. He was unfazed by any crisis and always had a plan for everything. Nothing could stump him. But today, he seemed hesitant and indecisive, which made Wang Shucheng feel a little uncomfortable.
Seeing Ning Zhiheng's overly somber expression, Wang Shucheng laughed and said softly, "Team leader, why be so sad? We are both soldiers, and it is our duty to fight on the battlefield. Even if we sacrifice ourselves, we will have no regrets. I am not an only child. I have sent all the money and supplies you gave me back home. It is enough for my family to live on. I have no worries, so what is there to be afraid of? Besides, this trip to Shanghai is also an opportunity for me. We will get together again after the war is over!"
Ning Zhiheng simply nodded and said nothing more.
As the assembly whistle sounded in the square downstairs, Wang Shucheng smiled slightly, stood at attention, gave Ning Zhiheng a solemn military salute, and then turned and quickly left Ning Zhiheng's office.
Ning Zhiheng went to the window, opened it, and watched as the two hundred officers sent to the front lines quickly assembled and boarded the vehicles at the sound of the whistle, setting off in a grand procession towards the Shanghai battlefield.
Watching their departing figures, Ning Zhiheng remained silent for a long time!
In the period that followed, the atmosphere of war in the air grew stronger and stronger, and the fighting on the front lines became increasingly fierce as reinforcements from the Japanese army arrived.
Everyone in the Military Intelligence Investigation Department was anxiously monitoring the situation on the front lines. The reports from the Shanghai Military Intelligence Station were becoming increasingly delayed, and sometimes the battle situation could only be described in general terms or as possible. In the end, there were even several days when communication was cut off.
It is conceivable how intense the battle was at this time. The intelligence capabilities of the Military Intelligence Investigation Department were so limited that it was unable to reach the front line of the battlefield, and it had almost lost its intelligence reconnaissance capabilities.
As for the special operations team formed by the Military Intelligence Investigation Department, they had no time for training at all. They were put into combat almost immediately after their formation, harassing enemy troops on the battlefield, rescuing refugees and wounded soldiers, raiding warehouses to seize supplies, and even fighting directly against the regular Japanese army. The severity of the battlefield situation far exceeded everyone's expectations, resulting in heavy casualties.
As for Nanjing, a tense atmosphere prevailed, with air raid sirens sounding frequently. Japanese bombing raids were becoming increasingly frequent, resulting in numerous casualties and collapsed buildings in the city. Some citizens had already begun to leave Nanjing, moving their families to cities in the rear.
Then one day at the end of September, Zhao Ziliang called.
"Zhiheng, lead the team and come with me to the East Gate to meet the convoy." Zhao Ziliang's voice sounded extremely heavy.
Ning Zhiheng's heart tightened when he received the call. Zhao Ziliang's voice clearly carried a sense of sorrow, which meant it must be bad news.
He quickly ordered the first action team to assemble and set off. At this time, Zhao Jiang had already taken over as the captain of the first action team.
Ning Zhiheng got into Zhao Ziliang's car and drove out of the gate of the military intelligence investigation area first.
"Section Chief, what are you going to do?" Ning Zhiheng asked in a deep voice.
Zhao Ziliang looked at Ning Zhiheng and said, "Among the last letters and belongings of the fallen soldiers brought back from the front lines this time, some are from our Military Intelligence Department. We have been notified to go and collect them."
Upon hearing this, Ning Zhiheng paused, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes. He remained silent for a long time, unsure if Wang Shucheng was on the list of the dead, but hoping for good fortune.
The Chinese army suffered extremely heavy casualties in the Battle of Shanghai. Every day, tens of thousands of soldiers sacrificed their lives. At the most tragic time, an entire division was wiped out in a single day. Complete units were wiped out and disappeared from the order of battle, making it impossible to keep track of the losses.
Because the command of the special operations team had been handed over to the United Front Work Department not long after it entered the war, the Military Intelligence Investigation Department headquarters did not have a specific grasp of the current situation of the special operations team, so Ning Zhiheng couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Upon arriving at the square at the East Gate, many military vehicles had already unloaded their belongings, and the receiving personnel from various units began sorting through the relics.
Zhao Jiang also led his men forward to clean up the area. They quickly finished cleaning up and handed a list of the dead to Ning Zhiheng.
Ning Zhiheng slowly took the list, held his breath, and carefully checked the names on it. The entire sheet of paper was filled with the names of young officers who had gone to the front lines more than a month ago.
In the end, the name "Wang Shucheng" still came into his view!
Ning Zhiheng's head buzzed, his mind went blank for a moment, and his body swayed involuntarily. He felt that the saliva in his mouth was like bitter bile, bitter to the core, and he felt as if his body had suddenly become empty.
Wang Shucheng's kind smile and sincere eyes kept flashing before his eyes like a phantom. Ning Zhiheng was heartbroken and could not control himself!
In the end, we couldn't escape this hurdle!
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