Lin Zhen no longer had the same feeling about Ning Zhiheng. He now thought that this young man was experienced and thorough in his work, which explained why he had achieved so much at such a young age.
Now, he was increasingly satisfied with what he saw, and nodded with a smile, saying, "Your teacher was right. Our Baoding Department not only needs brave soldiers who can charge into battle and serve on the battlefield, but also talents like you who are willing to make sacrifices to eliminate hidden dangers and avoid attacks. He Yongnian was quite good at leading troops in battle back then, and he is also a good teacher. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to teach such a good student as you, haha!"
Lin Zhen gestured for Ning Zhiheng to sit down again, and continued, "I already knew that you had done an outstanding job in the Military Intelligence Bureau all these years, and your talent is exceptional. Meeting you today, I can confirm that your reputation is well-deserved. Zhiheng, you can come to me directly if you need anything in the future, there's no need to be formal. Actually, I'm not unfamiliar with you either. Before Commander Zhang went to Guangzhou, he mentioned you to me many times and even showed me your calligraphy of 'Man Jiang Hong,' which is truly a masterpiece! I didn't expect you to be so talented in both literature and military affairs, it's truly rare!"
He also told me to keep an eye on you, saying you're destined for greatness. But I think you don't need a future; your current achievements are enough to be proud of. Ah! A young phoenix's cry is clearer than its old counterpart; a new generation replaces the old. From now on, we old folks will need your help, haha.
Lin Zhen wasn't lying. The "Commander Zhang" he mentioned was naturally Zhang Zhengkui, the big boss of the Baoding Clique. In terms of status within the Baoding Clique, Zhang Zhengkui was even above Lin Zhen, since Zhang Zhengkui still held military power and was in charge of the front-line battles.
After the Battle of Wuhan, Zhang Zhengkui did not return to Chongqing but was transferred to the Guangdong and Guangxi regions to take charge of military affairs. He had a good relationship with Lin Zhen and had expressed his admiration for Ning Zhiheng to Lin Zhen more than once, which was one of the reasons why Lin Zhen had treated Ning Zhiheng differently.
When Ning Zhiheng heard Lin Zhen mention the calligraphy scroll "Man Jiang Hong," he knew that Lin Zhen's words were true, and that the two must have a deep friendship. For Zhang Zhengkui's sake, he really couldn't push too hard today. Thinking of this, he quickly smiled and said, "It's all thanks to the superiors' kindness. I, Zhiheng, am unworthy of such praise. In fact, my talent is really limited. When I first joined the Military Intelligence Bureau, I didn't know anything. It was all thanks to my senior brother's care that I am where I am today. In terms of ability, I am far inferior to my senior brother. If you don't mind, I will come to visit you with my senior brother another day to ask for your advice in person. We are young and impetuous, and there are many things we need the seniors to guide us on."
Ning Zhiheng abruptly changed the subject, turning the conversation to Wei Liangbi. He believed that if Wei Liangbi could gain entry into the Lin family, things would be much easier in the future.
But as soon as he said that, Lin Zhen's face darkened, and the atmosphere in the room changed.
Lin Zhen, with a displeased expression, said, "What? Zhiheng, you really came here for your senior brother?"
Lin Zhen was secretly annoyed. It turned out that his previous guess was correct. He was still after his daughter. However, this young man was far more troublesome and difficult to deal with than his senior brother. His methods were also much more ingenious.
Ning Zhiheng's heart tightened. He hadn't expected Lin Zhen to be so resolute when Wei Liangbi was mentioned. He had already agreed to cover up Shi Liqun's affair for him, so why didn't the other party show any leniency?
He leaned forward and said sincerely, "Master You, my senior brother and your daughter are both in love. They are a perfect match, and we are both your juniors. Why not make our relationship even stronger? I hope you can reconsider!"
Although Lin Zhen was reluctant to bring up the matter again, he now had a very good impression of Ning Zhiheng, and because Ning Zhiheng was willing to take on such a huge responsibility for him, he had no choice but to put his mind at ease and say, "Zhiheng, if you are so inclined, you are welcome to come and see me, but your senior brother doesn't need to."
Ning Zhiheng was taken aback. He had previously thought that Lin Zhen disliked Wei Liangbi's identity as a Kuomintang agent, which was why he resolutely disagreed with the marriage. Now it seemed that this was not the reason. He was also the head of the Kuomintang agent, with a higher status than Wei Liangbi, and even a worse reputation. However, Lin Zhen was able to accept him, but he just looked down on Wei Liangbi. Could the problem lie with Wei Liangbi himself?
Ning Zhiheng's mind raced. Could there be some reason he didn't know about? Before him, his teacher He Feng and Huang Xianzheng had gone around asking people to plead for Lin Zhen's hand in marriage. Among them were many high-ranking officials and dignitaries, but no matter who they were, they couldn't persuade Lin Zhen. Now it seemed that the reason was not so simple.
Thinking of this, Ning Zhiheng asked hesitantly, "Master You, is there anything my senior brother has done to offend me? Please enlighten me."
Seeing Ning Zhiheng's sincere question, Lin Zhen knew that if he didn't give a reasonable explanation, Ning Zhiheng would probably keep pestering him. After all, he owed Ning Zhiheng a huge favor today, so he couldn't refuse forcefully anymore. Fortunately, Ning Zhiheng wasn't an outsider, and some things could be explained clearly face to face.
Lin Zhen sighed softly and said in a deep voice, "Zhiheng, you're not an outsider now, so I'll tell you the whole story. When I found out about your senior brother and Shulan's relationship, although I didn't agree, I didn't object either. Wei Liangbi is quite capable and is a key member of our Baoding faction. As long as Shulan is willing, I won't interfere."
But Shulan is my only daughter, how could I not care? That's why I deliberately investigated Wei Liangbi. But what I found out was that Wei Liangbi's past was so disgraceful.
Ning Zhiheng was startled. Lin Zhen's words were obviously pointed. Wei Liangbi's personal integrity was impeccable. Like Ning Zhiheng, he was upright, never went to entertainment venues, was not interested in women, and did not ask for much money. Apart from the usual practices in officialdom, he almost never deliberately tried to make money. In today's officialdom, he can be considered an honest official.
However, if Lin Zhen were to speak of Wei Liangbi's disgraceful past, it must be referring to his work-related conduct.
Sure enough, Lin Zhen continued, "According to my investigation, Wei Liangbi has assassinated so many military generals. Is he insane? Doesn't he know how dangerous this is? As his junior brother and superior, you must know these things, right?"
Ning Zhiheng finally realized that the problem lay here, and the aftereffects of these events were finally showing!
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