Chapter Five: An Unexpected Turn of Events

The two of them talked for over half an hour before their conversation finally came to an end. When Ning Zhiheng returned to the office, Liang Deyou asked, "Did you know Chief Wei before?"

Ning Zhiheng immediately realized that Liang Deyou had noticed something; after all, with his years of experience, he was bound to pick up on subtle cues.

"Not really. Chief Wei was my senior at school—just some reminiscing, that's all," Ning Zhiheng replied, not intending to hide his connection with Wei Liangbi. There was nothing to fear in letting others know he had a background, and, in fact, it was necessary. This way, people would know where he stood and how to treat him, which was better for everyone.

Keeping things hidden only led to trouble. As for the so-called “playing the fool to catch the wise,” in real life, that was a foolish thing to do. If you usually presented yourself as weak and easy to bully, someone was bound to take advantage. If you then revealed your connections and backing after conflict arose, it was already too late—the enmity was there. Those who couldn't stand against you would harbor grudges, lying in wait for a chance to take revenge, whether immediately or in the future.

Others with influential backgrounds would find themselves in a difficult situation, possibly escalating the conflict to mutual harm. If you ran into someone with even deeper connections, your only option was to accept your misfortune.

It was better for everyone to be clear from the start. Those without backing would know to give way, while those with influence would exercise caution; everyone could get along harmoniously. This was the way to maintain good relations.

In his past life, Ning Zhiheng had been a seasoned operator in the workplace for years, so he understood these principles well.

Wang Shucheng, simple-minded as he was, hadn’t thought much of it. Shi Hong wasn’t surprised either—he was Wei Liangbi’s trusted confidant, and Wei had already briefed him about Ning Zhiheng and Wang Shucheng. Otherwise, why would he be so accommodating?

It was obvious that Ning Zhiheng had an even closer relationship with Chief Wei; otherwise, Wei wouldn’t have spoken with him alone.

Although Liang Deyou was usually taciturn, he was adept at navigating social situations. He smiled and said, “Since you’re Chief Wei’s little brother, you’re not an outsider. From now on, let’s work together with sincerity and get along well—no need for formality!”

Ning Zhiheng showed no sign of arrogance, replying with sincere respect, “Captain Liang and Brother Hong, you’re both my seniors. If there’s anything I can’t manage, I hope you’ll guide me.”

Their satisfaction was evident. Ning Zhiheng’s reasonable and respectful attitude made a good impression and promised easy cooperation in the future.

The atmosphere warmed considerably. They chatted now and then, feeling their relationships had grown much closer.

That evening, after work, Ning Zhiheng and Wang Shucheng rented two small rooms nearby to settle in temporarily. Later, Liang Deyou and Shi Hong hosted a welcome dinner for them at a tavern, joined by Wei Liangbi. The group exchanged toasts and laughter, the mood harmonious and lively.

The following day, Liang Deyou assembled the entire First Action Squad to introduce Ning Zhiheng and Wang Shucheng to everyone.

Ning Zhiheng observed the squad closely. He could see these were all tough, able-bodied young soldiers—agile, well-trained, and in no way inferior to graduates of formal military academies like himself. He nodded inwardly; compared to the current state of the Nationalist Army, these men were truly elite.

The work of the Bureau of Military Intelligence alternated between periods of tension and calm. Most daily missions were assigned by the Intelligence Division, then executed by the Action Division, whose officers led teams on field operations.

After just two days of relative ease, Ning Zhiheng received his first field assignment.

That day, Wei Liangbi entered briskly, his face grave. “Urgent notice from Intelligence Division: the entire First Action Squad is to go undercover in civilian clothes—assemble immediately and prepare to depart!”

The four officers of the First Action Squad sprang into action, notifying the waiting team to gather in the training yard below.

A young Intelligence Division captain named Huang Taoguang arrived at the same time, introduced by Liang Deyou.

The action team boarded a military truck, while the officers rode in a military jeep. Huang Taoguang gave a quick briefing.

A month prior, a rickshaw puller had an accident—he fell, and his passenger was thrown to the ground as well. The passenger, furious, cursed the driver and left without paying. It was an ordinary incident, except in the heat of the moment, the passenger uttered a brief phrase in Japanese—barely noticeable. The rickshaw driver, left unpaid, could only accept his bad luck.

Nearby, a patrolman witnessed the scene. Coincidentally, he knew a little Japanese. Back at the station, he reported the incident to his superior, who, sensing something suspicious—especially given the tense Sino-Japanese relations—escalated the report. Eventually, the matter reached the Bureau of Military Intelligence.

The Intelligence Division immediately dispatched investigators. With the patrolman’s help, they quickly found the rickshaw driver, who identified the passenger as having boarded at North China Street. After a two-day stakeout, they located the man, who the driver identified as Fu Cheng, a middle-aged clerk at a trading company, single, living alone on North China Street. His social ties showed no connection to Japan, and there was no record of him knowing Japanese—making his sudden use of the language all the more suspicious, especially in such a natural context. It was suspected he might be a Japanese spy operating undercover.

In response, the Intelligence Division placed him under surveillance. The Communications Division monitored radio transmissions in the area.

Nanjing, as the capital and a political and economic center, was full of government agencies and influential companies. There were countless military and commercial radio stations—far too many to control effectively. However, by targeting a specific area, they could focus their monitoring.

Soon, the Communications Division discovered three frequently used radios on North China Street—two registered commercial radios, and a third unregistered one.

The Intelligence Division suspected a link between this unregistered radio and the suspicious Fu Cheng. After many days of surveillance, they found his movements highly routine—he only traveled between his workplace and home, never visited other locations, and showed nothing unusual in his contacts.

With no progress after so many days, the Intelligence Division lost patience and decided to make an arrest and conduct a forced interrogation—leading to today’s operation.

Huang Taoguang took a photo from his folder—a distant shot showing a man in profile, medium build, wearing a slightly worn suit. “This was taken during surveillance—not very clear,” he explained.

Ning Zhiheng and the others glanced at it, noting the general features. Liang Deyou said, “Make sure all team members see this—no mistakes!”

With the situation explained, the vehicles soon approached North China Street. Liang Deyou ordered everyone to disembark early, so as not to alert the target, and enter the area in small groups on foot.

Fu Cheng lived in an alley off the main street, a rather secluded spot with few passersby. A plainclothes Intelligence Division officer monitoring the area came over.

Huang Taoguang asked, “Any movement from the target?”

“None—same as usual. Once he went inside, he didn’t come out again.”

Huang nodded to Liang Deyou, who then ordered, “Shi Hong and Shucheng, each take ten men and seal off both ends of the alley—no one is to enter. Remember, we need him alive! Avoid using firearms if possible, and if you must, don’t aim for vital areas. Understood?”

Liang Deyou led Ning Zhiheng and the remaining action team members quietly to the gate of Fu Cheng’s residence. With a wave of his hand, a swift and agile team member vaulted over the wall and quickly unlocked the gate.

They crept in quietly, lining up outside the door. At Liang Deyou’s signal, several men rushed forward and kicked the door open, storming inside.

Ning Zhiheng wanted to follow, but Liang Deyou stopped him with an outstretched hand. Ning looked at him in confusion, and Liang Deyou shook his head slightly.

With the team present, Liang Deyou couldn’t say it outright, but in dangerous operations, it was always the expendables who rushed in first—the officers had no need to risk themselves. Especially since Ning Zhiheng was clearly someone with connections; if anything happened to him, Wei Liangbi would never allow it.

Wei Liangbi had made it clear in his conversations with Liang Deyou that this junior of his must be protected at all costs—he didn’t want Liang to be reckless and let Ning come to harm, which would be impossible to explain to their teacher.

For this reason, Liang Deyou had resolved to keep Ning Zhiheng close during operations, personally ensuring his safety.

The operation proceeded smoothly at first. The team burst in and quickly subdued the occupants before they could react.

Suddenly, several gunshots rang out, followed by muffled cries of pain—clearly, some action team members had been shot. Everyone in the courtyard was startled.

“There’s someone else inside!” came a shout from within, as the team returned fire and a fierce exchange erupted.

What was going on? The intelligence said Fu Cheng lived alone—how could there be an accomplice?

Liang Deyou called out, “What’s happening in there?”

A team member shouted back, “Captain, there’s an accomplice in the bedroom—several of our men are wounded, but we’ve shot him too; he can’t move!”

Liang Deyou relaxed slightly. Though unexpected, with some men wounded, at least the situation seemed under control—he could account for this outcome.

But as he pondered, two violent explosions sounded from inside. All the men, being well-trained soldiers, instinctively dove for cover.

The powerful shockwave shattered the windows, sending glass shards flying and cutting many in the courtyard. The blast split the door in two, which crashed to the ground.

Ning Zhiheng, hearing the explosion, hit the ground at once. He recognized the sound of American grenades—small but terrifyingly lethal, as he’d learned during live-fire drills at the academy.

This was bad. Such a large explosion meant the action team inside must have suffered heavy casualties. The situation had spiraled out of control.

After a few moments, everyone recovered from the shock. Liang Deyou, usually so composed, looked distraught. The mission had failed, and failed badly. Even if Fu Cheng hadn’t escaped, the chances of him surviving were slim.

Not to mention the loss of his own men—no matter how steely he was, he felt a pang of grief for his brothers-in-arms. Losing several at once had shaken his composure.