Spring of 1946, outside Nanjing.
The earth slept soundly, the bright moon hung in the sky, and the bright moonlight shone on the earth, like a silver blanket. Apart from the gentle breeze blowing, the surrounding wilderness was as quiet as a pool of water, as if all living things had fallen asleep, and everything seemed so peaceful.
But this tranquility was soon shattered. The sound of a car engine could be heard, and a line of bright headlights drew closer. Under the moonlight, a convoy of cars sped along the highway.
In front were three black sedans, and behind them were two military trucks with their backs open and full of fully armed guards.
The vehicle was initially moving very fast, but soon entered a hilly area. For some reason, it suddenly slowed down and stopped by the roadside.
At this moment, a Nationalist Army officer stepped out of the first car that led the way, quickly walked to the second car behind, and stood at attention to salute.
The car window rolled down, and in the back seat of the second car sat a stern-faced major general, none other than Ning Zhiheng, the director of the Second Operations Division of the Military Intelligence Bureau.
Zhao Jiang asked respectfully, "Chief, what are your orders?"
Ning Zhiheng looked out the car window at the surrounding silence. Although the moonlight was bright, the visibility was probably still very low. He glanced at his watch, pondered for a moment, and then ordered, "I suspect there's an ambush here. Take the guards and search the high points on both sides of the road ahead. I'm in a hurry. Head back and turn off at Hukou to Nanjing. Remember, try to capture them alive. This time, I must dig out this group of people."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jiang was immediately startled and stood at attention, accepting the order: "Yes, I will definitely capture them alive."
He didn't even ask his superior why he had deduced there were assassins lying in ambush ahead, because he knew that his superior had amazing judgment and had never made a mistake. If his superior said there was an ambush ahead, then there must be. He just needed to resolutely carry out the order. Over the years, that's what he had done. His absolute obedience to Ning Zhiheng's orders was ingrained in his bones.
Ning Zhiheng didn't need to explain anything further to his subordinates; all they needed to know was to obey.
The car windows rolled up, and the three cars turned around and drove away in the direction they had come from.
The guards on the remaining two trucks disembarked and lined up. Zhao Jiang explained the mission and prepared to search the surrounding area.
Sitting next to Ning Zhiheng was a young military officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel, who was none other than his good brother, Miao Yongyi.
Looking at all this through the rear window, Miao Yongyi asked with some doubt, "This is the outskirts of Nanjing. How did you know there was an ambush here from Shanghai?"
Although he had no doubt about Ning Zhiheng's judgment, he couldn't help but ask, since he hadn't worked by Ning Zhiheng's side for a long time and wasn't used to absolute obedience.
Ning Zhiheng treated him differently from others, and with a slight smile, explained, "One can never be too careful. In just twenty days in Shanghai, I've already been targeted by two assassination attempts. I have to be extra cautious!"
Miao Yongyi, upon hearing this, simply did not believe it. His superior and brother was clearly just giving him the runaround. Shanghai to Nanjing was hundreds of kilometers away, and they had come all this way, but now they suddenly turned around and changed course. How could he be so sure that there would be assassins lying in ambush here? Why would he do this without any definite information?
During his trip to Shanghai, Ning Zhiheng personally oversaw the crackdown on corruption. He used harsh methods and took drastic measures, killing many people. As a result, he encountered a backlash, and these people planned several assassination attempts, but Ning Zhiheng thwarted them all. This led to another bloody massacre, in which more than 30 corrupt officials were executed in just one day, shocking all parties into silence.
However, it is somewhat strange that in both assassination attempts, Miao Yongyi followed Ning Zhiheng the entire time. For some reason, Ning Zhiheng was always able to foresee everything and take countermeasures before the assassination attempt, and this time was no exception.
"Hasn't the previous assassination attempt been investigated? It was all the work of those corrupt officials. You killed them all, so why are you still causing trouble in Nanjing?"
"Yes! I find it strange too. There have been many people who have tried to kill me over the years, but this situation is not normal! Moreover, I made arrangements in advance for this trip back to Nanjing. Everyone thought I was going back to Nanjing by train. Not many people know that I was going back to Beijing by car. The people who know are my trusted confidants who have followed me for many years, but I was still ambushed. Tell me, why is that?"
Ning Zhiheng's words startled Miao Yongyi, who blurted out, "Is there a mole?"
"Yes! There's a mole!"
Ning Zhiheng nodded heavily. He had become wary after being assassinated several times, so he arranged for his double, Tan Jinhui and Sun Jiacheng, to board the train in a grand manner, while he chose to return by car late at night. However, he did not expect that such a secret itinerary would still be discovered by the assassins. So who exactly leaked his whereabouts?
At this moment, one face and figure after another appeared in his mind. He couldn't believe that these people would betray him. They were all brothers who had followed him through thick and thin, had gone through trials of blood and fire, and had survived those difficult years. Now that the war of resistance had been won, how could anyone have any ulterior motives? How could that be possible?
After a long while, he racked his brains but still had no clue, so he simply put it aside for the time being. He would investigate these matters after the assassin was caught and he returned to Nanjing. Now was the perfect time to talk to Miao Yongyi about future arrangements.
Miao Yongyi had been working at the Wuhan Station, under the jurisdiction of the First Intelligence Division. However, because he was recommended by Ning Zhiheng and was considered part of the Baoding faction, despite his outstanding performance during the War of Resistance, he was not promoted in the following years and remained an action team leader, holding only the rank of lieutenant colonel.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
