Chapter Four: Senior Brother from the Same Sect

The group chatted along the way, and after more than an hour, the military truck came to a stop. The officer directed ten cadets to disembark.

After stepping down, Ning Zhiheng saw that the vehicle had halted in front of a large compound. The cadets lined up neatly; two years of military academy had instilled them with a soldierly bearing in every movement.

The compound was vast, containing a large drill field and several office buildings.

The officer led everyone into one of the office buildings on the left, brought them into a meeting room, and told them to wait, before turning to notify the superiors.

Ning Zhiheng and the others dared not speak much. Before long, two officers entered—a lieutenant colonel and a major.

"Attention!" Everyone snapped to attention and saluted, welcoming the officers.

The lieutenant colonel waved his hand and, smiling, addressed the group: "First of all, welcome to our new colleagues. You may not be familiar with our institution. Within the Party, we're known as the Society for Action; our public title is the Second Division of the National Military Commission's Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, also referred to as the Military Intelligence Division.

This year, the expansion of the Military Intelligence Division is significant. Many of your colleagues have already arrived; you are likely the last batch. I trust you have some understanding of the nature of your work, so I’ll keep this brief. Your assignments have all been arranged before your arrival."

The lieutenant colonel spoke crisply and efficiently, the hallmark of a soldier—there was not a trace of superfluity.

After his remarks, he announced the assignment list. The Military Intelligence Division was divided into eight departments. The Operations Division had the largest number of personnel, managing three operations teams and nine field squads. This division handled fieldwork—it was dangerous, and turnover was high, so most newcomers were assigned there to bolster the ranks.

Of the ten, including Ning Zhiheng and Wang Shucheng, six were sent to the Operations Division. Lin Yifan, clearly someone with connections, was assigned to the Intelligence Department—it was obvious someone had intervened; a privileged scion would never be sent to the most dangerous operations unit!

These six cadets were selected for their outstanding performance in combat and marksmanship, essential for field missions.

Another cadet with an excellent memory, Ruan Ming, was assigned to the Communications Division. In short, everyone was placed according to their strengths.

After the assignments, someone escorted the cadets to their respective units.

The major stepped forward to address Ning Zhiheng and the other five: "I am Wei Liangbi, leader of Operations Team One. I’m here specifically to receive you six. Come with me!"

The Operations Division had the largest intake, so the team leader himself was sent to collect the new arrivals—a sign of their importance.

Back at the Operations Division, Wei Liangbi assigned Ning Zhiheng and Wang Shucheng to his own team, while the other four were distributed among the other two teams.

"Go collect your uniforms and equipment first," Wei Liangbi instructed, "I’ll introduce you to your colleagues when you return."

The two proceeded to logistics, where each received two brand-new second lieutenant uniforms and matching civilian tunics. In other words, they were now officially second lieutenants in the Nationalist Army.

Additionally, each received a well-maintained Browning pistol. Ning Zhiheng gripped the weapon and found its weight and balance pleasing; he took an instant liking to it.

At the academy, they had practiced with pistols before, though their training focused more on rifles and machine guns—on the battlefield, handguns were of little use.

Both men, tall and upright, cut a striking figure in uniform, their sidearms completing the image of spirited young officers.

Wang Shucheng, especially fond of his new outfit, paced excitedly. "Zhiheng, it looks like we’ve come out ahead after all. Judging by the style of the Intelligence Division, the rank here must be pretty high. I thought not going to the front lines might mean no commission, but we’re still second lieutenants!"

"Of course," Ning Zhiheng replied, amused by his friend’s display. "We’re graduates of the Military Academy; we’d be second lieutenants anywhere. Stop showing off like you’ve never worn a uniform before!"

"That’s different! At the academy, we wore soldier’s uniforms—now these are proper officer’s uniforms. See? Don’t I look impressive?" Wang Shucheng grinned.

Ning Zhiheng, unwilling to humor his friend’s vanity, dragged him back to the office, where Wei Liangbi awaited them. Seeing their excitement, Wei smiled. "Come with me. I’ll introduce you to the team."

Their office was spacious, situated right next to Wei's. He explained, "Our team is the largest, with three field squads under its command, but not many officers. Including you, there are just over a dozen.

Each squad has a captain and three deputy captains. You two will serve as deputy captains of the third squad.

Most of the field operatives are soldiers selected from the army, men with solid skills. Their ranks are low, so they don’t have offices. You’ll all work here together."

The office was large enough to hold four desks. The other two officers were also present, and Wei made introductions.

First was Captain Liang Deyou, in his early thirties, slightly thin, with deep-set eyes—the captain of the third squad.

Next was Lieutenant Shi Hong, tall and burly, with rugged features—a deputy captain of the third squad.

Ning Zhiheng and Wang Shucheng quickly saluted. Shi Hong waved a massive hand. "We’re all brothers eating from the same pot now—no need for formalities. Just call me Old Shi or Brother Hong."

"Yes, Brother Hong!" they replied at once. Shi Hong laughed heartily, while Liang Deyou merely nodded and smiled, saying nothing. It was clear he was a man of few words, much like Ning Zhiheng himself.

Wei Liangbi, seeing the introductions complete, continued, "Old Liang, they’ll be assigned to your squad. Both are good men; keep an eye on them and fill them in on our operations." Turning to Ning Zhiheng, he said, "Come to my office later." Ning Zhiheng immediately agreed.

Liang Deyou took note but betrayed no emotion, simply nodding to Shi Hong.

Shi Hong then explained the situation in detail to Ning Zhiheng and Wang Shucheng.

The Operations Division followed the same structure as the army, employing the three-three system. It had three teams, each with three squads, each squad numbering about forty men.

Ning Zhiheng calculated that the division had nearly four hundred front-line operatives—a considerable force.

There were originally four officers leading their squad, but two had recently been lost in action—one killed, one severely wounded. With the early graduation from the academy, Ning Zhiheng and Wang Shucheng were brought in as replacements.

"You just graduated from the academy, so you may not know much about the Intelligence Division," Shi Hong explained. "Our job is to root out enemy spies hidden within the military, especially those working for the Reds or the Japanese, and to gather enemy intelligence. Specifically, our division handles field missions—in simple terms, we arrest people. The Intelligence Department provides information, and we make the arrests."

Liang Deyou added, "The most important thing is secrecy. Everything we do is a military secret. We are professional soldiers; the gravity of this should be clear—never forget it! Otherwise, military law will show no mercy!"

After the explanation, Ning Zhiheng remembered Wei Liangbi’s earlier summons and hurried to the adjacent office.

He knocked and entered. Wei gestured for him to close the door, waved him to a seat, and smiled. "Do you know why I called you here?"

"I’m afraid I don’t, sir. Please enlighten me," Ning Zhiheng replied. From their first meeting, Wei had been kind and cordial—a clear sign of goodwill.

"I graduated from the Seventh Class at Whampoa, and I was also a student of Professor He Feng. You’ve been assigned to my team specifically at his request," Wei replied with a smile.

Ning Zhiheng was overjoyed; to discover his direct superior was an alumnus and a senior fellow student was a stroke of luck. Having connections made all the difference—those with backing always fared better.

"So you’re my senior! I never would have guessed. The Professor never mentioned you," Ning Zhiheng said, still excited.

Wei waved it off, laughing. "I was stationed outside the province for a few years, only just transferred back. It’s been a long time since I called on the Professor. We should go see him together soon."

The Military Intelligence Division had branches all over the country. After graduation, Wei was sent to the division and dispatched for fieldwork, where he distinguished himself. Coupled with his ties to Huang Xiansheng, he was promoted and transferred back to headquarters this year.

Ning Zhiheng knew the Professor had a few close students, but he’d never heard Wei’s name—understandable, given the secretive nature of the Intelligence Division and the Professor's discretion.

Ning Zhiheng was secretly delighted. Having worked in government offices in his previous life, he understood all too well the misery of being without connections—always stuck with the dirty, thankless jobs, never reaping any benefits. He had tasted both the sweet and the bitter, and the lesson was ingrained deep.

Bowing his head slightly, Ning said, "Of course, Senior. Now that I’m in the Intelligence Division, I’ll be relying on your guidance." He bowed respectfully.

Wei laughed. "Rest assured, Zhiheng. Whether in the army or the Intelligence Division, us Whampoa and Baoding men have a golden reputation. Wherever we go, we’re held in high regard. In a few days, I’ll introduce you to some other seniors—they’re all influential figures here."

The implication was clear: the Baoding faction wielded real power in the Intelligence Division, which put Ning Zhiheng at ease.

"And what about Captain Liang and Deputy Shi?" Ning Zhiheng wanted to know more about his colleagues—it was crucial for his future conduct.

"Liang Deyou transferred from the 27th Division a few years ago. He’s actually been in the Intelligence Division longer than I have and is quite competent. But he lacks connections—otherwise, I’d be in his position now," Wei explained.

In other words, Liang had no backers, so his current post was likely the highest he’d attain; from here, it was just a matter of seniority.

"Shi Hong is different. He’s from the ninth class at Whampoa, though he graduated from the Wuhan campus. He doesn’t have strong ties in Nanjing, but he’s sensible and easy to get along with," Wei continued.

That was to say, while Shi Hong had no powerful patrons, his Whampoa background meant he was not to be slighted. In the Nationalist Army, Whampoa graduates were rarely troubled, barring major mistakes.

To say he was easy to get along with implied he had a good relationship with Wei, perhaps even allegiance—he was one of their own, someone you didn’t need to be wary of.

"I understand. I’ll be sure to consult Deputy Shi often," Ning Zhiheng replied. With his past experience, he caught all the nuances in Wei’s words.

This made Wei see him in a new light; the Professor had described this younger student as reserved and taciturn, worried he might not manage well in the Intelligence Division and so had arranged for him to be looked after. But to Wei, this junior was clever indeed—quick on the uptake.

"It seems your team is full of capable hands. What about the rest of the squad?" Ning asked, wanting to be thorough—after all, these were his future colleagues.

"Don’t worry about them. Most are transfers from the army, many old hands but barely literate. Just assign them to the front lines—if any are lost, we’ll get replacements. The army has no shortage of such men," Wei replied, clearly unconcerned.

In fact, this was common in the Nationalist system—most were illiterate, and those who could read were rare. Officers like themselves, graduates of Whampoa, were the elite, set far above the rank and file, and had little reason to care much for the lower echelons.