It's safe to say that a high-ranking official like Pei Wenrui must have encountered similar situations, and if he were to die at the hands of the Japanese, the losses would be enormous.
Uncle Quan asked in a deep voice, "Didn't Ren Laosi say before that as long as there was money, there would be no problem and all the others could be released? How come he has gone back on his word now? Where exactly did the problem lie?"
Cui Anping, the underground party member responsible for contacting Ren Laosi and also Quan Shu's most capable assistant, said with a helpless expression: "Ren Laosi explained that Yamada Nobuyuki, the head of the Japanese Special Higher Police, insisted on executing all those involved in the case as an example to warn others, showing no leniency. Ma Yaowu is such a greedy guy that he won't even make money when he sees it, so it's obviously not feasible! Quan Shu, let's just carry out an armed rescue. We can't just stand by and watch our comrades be killed by the Japanese."
Upon hearing his words, Uncle Quan remained silent for a long time, for this was not an easy decision to make.
Under the oppressive rule of the Japanese, the underground party's strength in Wuhan was already weak. In particular, Hankou, a major town, was a key location for the Japanese to occupy. The Japanese garrison there was extremely strong, and there were also a large number of puppet troops and police units that they had incorporated. As a result, almost every time the underground party carried out an operation, it was difficult to escape the enemy's pursuit, and it suffered heavy losses.
Now, with heavy troops surrounding them, the difficulty of forcibly rescuing people is unimaginable. It can be said that once the gunfire starts, it will be impossible to rescue Pei Wenrui without making a heavy sacrifice. Even if a heavy sacrifice is made, the chances of the rescue operation succeeding are very small. He cannot make this decision until the very last moment.
No, we absolutely cannot fight head-on! Uncle Quan felt we should approach the problem from other angles and find a proper solution.
He then asked, "The Special Higher Police Section Chief, Nobuyuki Yamada, is a cunning and ruthless man who has always been our organization's biggest adversary. It seems we must start with him. You must closely monitor Nobuyuki Yamada's movements. Also, keep an eye on Yaowu Ma's activities. If things are truly beyond repair, we'll have no choice but to take action against these two and force them to release the hostage!"
"Yes, I'll arrange it right away!" Cui Anping nodded in acceptance and left.
Meanwhile, at Ning Zhiheng's villa, his bodyguard, Kurihara Masatake, was reporting to Ning Zhiheng on the situation of following the diners that day.
"President, I followed those people from a distance until we reached the riverbank near Hankou. They didn't stay there for long. They had lunch at a Chinese restaurant and returned to a compound near the military garrison area in Hankou at 2 p.m. They didn't come out again, not even when it got dark. I guess they stayed in that compound."
Kurihara Masatake was meticulous in his work and completed the tasks assigned by Ning Zhiheng in a thorough manner. He only rushed back to report to Ning Zhiheng after confirming that the work objectives would not change.
Ning Zhiheng asked curiously, "A large mansion? Not a military facility?"
Kurihara Masatake looked at Ning Zhiheng with surprise, nodded and said, "You are right, that is indeed a military department. I was guarding it, and I saw that most of the people coming in and out were soldiers in uniform, and only a small number of people were in civilian clothes."
Ning Zhiheng then asked, "Do you know which military department it is?"
Kurihara Masatake replied, "I didn't ask about that in detail, but I inquired with the Chinese merchants nearby. That mansion used to be called Dongyuan. Before the Battle of Wuhan, it was the residence of a high-ranking Chinese official. Later, the whole family fled, and the residence was requisitioned by the garrison. Now it's full of military personnel."
That makes perfect sense! Ning Zhiheng felt a sense of relief and nodded to himself. After confirming the exact location of the East Garden, he stepped forward, patted Kurihara Masatake on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Kurihara, you did a great job. I'm very satisfied with your performance. Don't mention this to anyone, understand?"
"Yes, I understand!" Kurihara Masatake quickly bowed and replied.
After watching Kurihara Masatake leave, Ning Zhiheng went to the window, looked at the night outside, and pondered to himself.
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