Chapter Sixty-Seven: Intervening in the Case

After listening to Gu Zhengqi’s words, Zhao Ziliang grew even more frustrated. He understood what the Chief meant: he was inclined to hand the case over to the Intelligence Division. To be honest, solving cases was indeed the Intelligence Division’s specialty, and they had plenty of talent for such work.

But this approach was rather excessive! The Operations Division found the clues and apprehended the suspect, yet in the end, everything was handed to the Intelligence Division. If things always played out this way, who would bother to put in the effort to hunt for clues and build cases, only to have their achievements snatched away by the Intelligence Division? How could anyone accept such injustice?

Yet, this case was simply too important. The Chief didn’t trust the Operations Division, fearing their rough methods might botch a good thing. So he settled for a compromise: both divisions would handle the case together. In truth, it meant the Intelligence Division would keep a watchful eye on Operations, ensuring nothing was ruined.

Zhao Ziliang looked at the bloodied Shimazu Hiroshi, then glanced at Ning Zhiheng nearby, feeling a headache coming on. This young man never knew when to restrain himself. Such an important suspect, beaten so badly right after being brought in—if the prisoner died in the hands of the Operations Division, the loss would far outweigh any gain!

Now that the Chief had given instructions, Zhao Ziliang could not monopolize the case. The Intelligence Division had to participate and share in the credit, otherwise he couldn’t explain himself to the Chief.

“Alright, since the Chief has spoken, let’s divide the work. You want to interrogate the suspect? Fine! But my Operations Division men will be present throughout. Once we have the confession, any subsequent actions are to be carried out by us. Every step must be led by the Operations Division. Without our consent, you cannot act on your own. If anyone tries to steal credit by acting without permission, we’ll overturn the table and no one will benefit!” Zhao Ziliang deliberated, then made his decision. He had already secured the greatest merit, so sharing some credit was no loss.

Gu Zhengqi nodded after a brief consideration. Truth be told, he had intended to bypass the Operations Division after extracting the confession and act independently. The Intelligence Division was the Chief’s favorite, with the greatest share of resources, the most professionals, and the best equipment. They always regarded themselves as the top dogs of the Military Intelligence Office.

But now, after being exposed by Zhao Ziliang, he abandoned the idea. As long as he was involved, he could act according to circumstances later.

“Wei Liangbi, your Operations Team One will handle this case. Stay alert and don’t let others trick you. Report to me immediately if anything happens!” Zhao Ziliang instructed Wei Liangbi.

Though he addressed Wei Liangbi, it was meant for Gu Zhengqi, who, crafty as ever, pretended not to hear.

Turning to his deputy, Xiang Yan, Zhao Ziliang said, “Old Xiang, pay special attention. Keep a close watch on this case. If Wei Liangbi’s team needs manpower or supplies, allocate them directly!”

Xiang Yan nodded. Zhao Ziliang had his vice-chief act as logistics director for the team, showing how seriously he regarded the case.

Seeing Zhao Ziliang busy with arrangements, Gu Zhengqi didn’t idle either. He beckoned at the door, summoning a major and said, “Yu Cheng from the Intelligence Division, my most capable team leader. I believe you all know him well. He’s an expert in interrogation and will handle the questioning of Xie Ziming. You must cooperate fully—I await good news from you!”

The matter was settled swiftly among the chiefs. Ning Zhiheng, standing aside, could only fret. The interrogation had been handed over, and he was truly unwilling, but as a minor figure, he had no voice.

Soon, Yu Cheng began organizing his team to take over the interrogation.

Ning Zhiheng said to Wei Liangbi, “Senior Brother, I’ll stay and accompany the process.”

He couldn’t lead the interrogation, but he could at least observe. This way, he’d get firsthand information immediately. And if Xie Ziming couldn’t withstand torture, he could use his ability to peer into the man’s memories, ensuring he didn’t walk away empty-handed.

But Wei Liangbi looked at Ning Zhiheng, patted him gently on the shoulder, and advised, “Zhiheng, don’t push yourself too hard! We’ve already secured the main credit for this case. Letting others handle the rest is fine. Look at you—you were injured today and haven’t rested. Your body won’t last like this.

I’ve arranged for Shi Hong to keep watch here tonight. You should go home and rest!”

Without room for argument, Wei Liangbi pulled Ning Zhiheng out of the interrogation room. Ning Zhiheng had no choice but to follow him out of the Forensics Division.

Back at his office, he remembered to call Liu Datong. Now that the case had reached this stage, the external personnel could no longer help. He asked Liu Datong to have the outside men and the rickshaw drivers disperse temporarily and await his orders.

Under Wei Liangbi’s urging, he finally left the Military Intelligence Office and returned home.

After more than twenty days of tireless effort, Ning Zhiheng’s nerves had been taut. Now, he could finally relax. Only then did he feel the discomfort in his chest. He pressed gently with his hand, groaning softly at the pain—he really had suffered an internal injury this time.

It was late, and Ning Zhiheng was too tired to eat dinner. He simply washed up and lay down to rest.

As usual, his consciousness quickly entered the spiritual space beneath the Bodhi tree. He looked up at the seven green leaves remaining. He’d been so busy lately he had no time to search for Buddhist treasures, so the number of leaves remained unchanged.

The relic finger bone he wore on his chest had turned a milky white, its luster soft and smooth. It no longer provided any energy to the Bodhi tree.

Once the case was over, seeking new sources of energy had to become a priority. The magical Bodhi tree in his mind was his foundation.

Sacred chants rang out, the Bodhi tree swayed without wind. As always, Ning Zhiheng sat cross-legged, reciting softly with the chants, his spirit entering a state of clarity and emptiness.

Back at the military academy, Ning Zhiheng had suffered minor injuries during training. Yet no matter how exhausted he was, after resting a night in the spiritual space, he would wake up refreshed, and all bruises would heal.

In other words, the Bodhi tree had a powerful restorative effect on him.

At dawn, as his consciousness withdrew from the spiritual space, Ning Zhiheng checked his condition and found his body fully recovered, his spirit invigorated, and the chest pain vanished.

He stretched and moved about, feeling completely comfortable and satisfied.

He moved the desk in his bedroom aside, revealing a wall-embedded safe. He’d spent a hefty sum recently to purchase this latest model with multiple password locks, heavy and extremely sturdy.

If the circular lock was turned incorrectly more than three times, the internal crossbar would automatically lock. After that, only brute force could open it, otherwise it would be impossible to unlock—very secure. Here he kept his most important belongings.

He rotated the lock according to his preset code and opened the safe.

Inside were three portraits drawn by his own hand, each marked with a date and a note of origin. He expected to store many more in the future, so he made sure not to mix them up.

There were also neat stacks of US dollars and British pounds, along with twenty gold bars, each weighing ten taels.

Counting the embezzled money from Huang Xiansheng, the hush money from Qian Zhong, Cui Guohao’s gift, his father’s funds, and most notably, the enormous sum Wang Shucheng had sent from extorting Wang the Skinner.

Wang Shucheng had quickly sold off two properties, and houses in Nanjing sold fast—and at a high price.

Altogether, excluding the gold bars, Ning Zhiheng now had one thousand pounds, eighteen thousand dollars, and three thousand francs in cash!

This was a huge fortune—within just two months, Ning Zhiheng had amassed wealth that ordinary people could never accumulate in several lifetimes.

He took out the three thousand francs, pocketed them, locked the safe, restored the desk, checked carefully for any sign of tampering, then headed out.

He made his way to the Military Intelligence Office, called Liu Datong and asked him to meet at the Red Melody Teahouse nearby.

Arriving at the teahouse, he ordered some food and waited. Soon, Liu Datong hurried in.

Ning Zhiheng gestured for Liu Datong to sit opposite him, and after consuming the last piece of rice cake in a few bites, he looked at the messy table and laughed at himself, “You know, this is the most satisfying meal I’ve had in days!”

Seeing Ning Zhiheng’s cheerful expression, Liu Datong joked, “To eat is a blessing! Chief Ning, you look radiant—has something good happened?”

Ning Zhiheng smiled and nodded, poured himself fragrant tea, blew on it, sipped leisurely, and said, “All these days of hard work haven’t been wasted. This case went beautifully, and the gains are huge! My men all contributed, and I won’t let them go unrewarded.”

With that, he tossed two thick stacks of bills onto the table, “Three thousand francs—divide them among the brothers. Chen Yanqing and Xiong Hongda’s group of five, three hundred each. The rickshaw drivers’ promised bonuses will be paid double. The rest, invest more into the rickshaw company.”

Though Liu Datong had seen much in his time and handled plenty of money, Ning Zhiheng’s generosity still stunned him. Chief Ning’s rewards grew more lavish with each case, and all his men now knew the boss was generous.

Liu Datong, worldly and shrewd, would never refuse money meant for the brothers. “I understand. It’s nearly year’s end, and everyone needs money. Heaven bless us, we’ve followed the right man—life keeps getting better!”

Liu Datong put the money away, grinning.

“Haha, Big Head, you have a silver tongue!” Ning Zhiheng laughed, tapping Liu Datong, “You’ve been promoted to lieutenant, with more men under you now. Take extra care on the streets. Spread the word: any clue, however small, anyone who reports to us will be rewarded. This is important—make an effort!”

Liu Datong nodded earnestly. He knew how much Ning Zhiheng valued intelligence gathering—acquiring the rickshaw company was for this purpose.

Ning Zhiheng gave further instructions, and the two parted ways.

Ning Zhiheng hurried back to the Military Intelligence Office—he needed to find out if there had been any progress overnight in the Forensics Division.