Shadows of Espionage in the Republic of China Era

On a late autumn night in 1936, within the office of the Central Army Officer Academy in Nanjing—known in later years as the Whampoa Military Academy—two men were engaged in a low, earnest conversation.

"Zhiheng, I have thought long and hard about this. I am recommending you for the Military Intelligence Bureau, but the final decision must be yours. You should weigh this choice carefully," the middle-aged man seated behind the desk said, his expression stern but his voice gentle.

Standing across from him, the young man, Ning Zhiheng, replied respectfully yet warmly, "Sir, I've heard that this round of graduation assignments has already been decided."

"You get your news fast, don’t you! Indeed, it’s set. This year’s students are to graduate ahead of schedule and will all be dispatched to the front lines to suppress the Red Party. That’s one reason I’m giving you this recommendation,” He Feng nodded, confirming Ning Zhiheng’s suspicion. After all, it wasn’t a military secret; in a few days, everyone would be informed.

Did he even need to think about it? To be thrown onto the front lines, fighting the Red Party, risking his life amidst a hail of bullets—did bullets pick their targets? If unlucky, he’d lose his life in an instant! And besides, in his previous life, he had been a true member of the Red Party. No matter what, he could not turn his gun on his own comrades. That was a line he absolutely could not cross.

"I will follow whatever arrangement you see fit, sir," Ning Zhiheng replied, standing at at