Chapter Seventy-Two: The Capture of Ma Hong

The officers were all brimming with excitement; the results of this interrogation far exceeded their expectations. To uncover an entire Japanese spy cell, fully organized, was a rare achievement even in the storied history of the Military Intelligence Investigation Bureau.

Yu Cheng, his assistant, and Wei Liangbi were all overwhelmed with happiness. For a counterintelligence agent, to personally participate and accomplish such a feat brought a sense of fulfillment beyond words.

Yet, as Ning Zhiheng looked at the list of names before him, though his face radiated joy, his heart was filled with astonishment. The list clearly omitted one person.

That person was Lin Mucheng. Others might not know, but Ning Zhiheng was fully aware that Lin Mucheng was an undisputed member of the Shadow Group. Why, then, had the "Black Sparrow," known as Shimazu Hiroshi, failed to divulge this name?

There was certainly something being concealed. If he could hide the identity of one member, he could easily hide a second or third.

However, Ning Zhiheng had no intention of exposing Shimazu Hiroshi. From the start, he never meant to root out Lin Mucheng. Otherwise, he would not have gone out of his way to shield him, whether in front of Wei Liangbi or even in the office of the chief, before so many senior officers.

First, it was because the reasons for suspecting Lin Mucheng could not be explained away. Second, Lin Mucheng's background: his father, Lin Zhen, was a major figure in the Baoding military clique, just as Ning Zhiheng himself was. In the army, betraying your own for personal gain was the most despised behavior—a grave taboo. Dragging Lin Mucheng into this would do him no good whatsoever.

Third, Ning Zhiheng intended to keep Lin Mucheng as a chess piece. There was no need to arrest him; all that was necessary was to keep a close watch. Should anyone contact him, Ning Zhiheng could follow the trail like a wolf in the snow, reaping rewards time and again. At this moment, Lin Mucheng was the bait on his hook, and he would quietly wait for the big fish to bite.

Just as this time, the gains were far beyond his expectations: the codebook, the entire Shadow intelligence group—one could say that Lin Mucheng was instrumental to these successes.

As for what else the Black Sparrow might be hiding, Ning Zhiheng wasn't concerned. He had already calculated the outcome: in the end, Shimazu Hiroshi would become just another Huang Xiansheng, nothing but a puppet.

Once the case was closed and the Black Sparrow's value exhausted, Ning Zhiheng would seize the opportunity to eliminate him and extract his final secrets, perhaps discovering even more to pave the way for his own advancement and career.

In truth, Ning Zhiheng was somewhat unjust in his suspicions toward Shimazu Hiroshi. Apart from Lin Mucheng, he had indeed revealed all the other members of the Shadow Group.

The reason for concealing Lin Mucheng was due to a lingering hope. Lin's identity was highly sensitive, and Kawakami Kenta had given special instructions regarding his importance.

"As long as there is no conclusive evidence that 'Swallow' has betrayed us, you must never give him up. He is an agent personally emphasized by the Director. Remember, as the only one in Nanjing who knows his true identity, you must never, under any circumstances, reveal it. Do you understand, Shimazu?"

Kawakami Kenta's words echoed once more in his mind. After much deliberation, Shimazu Hiroshi chose to take the risk, preserving this crucial piece for the Empire.

Both Ning Zhiheng and Shimazu Hiroshi were striving to shield Lin Mucheng, each with their own reasons. One must admit, Lin Mucheng's luck was nothing short of extraordinary.

Yu Cheng was in excellent spirits, having obtained exactly what he wanted. Looking at the battered Shimazu Hiroshi, he finally found the sight pleasing and nodded. "Very good, Shimazu Hiroshi. You have made a wise choice. Rest assured, we will arrange the best treatment for you immediately. In the coming days, you can focus on your recovery, and if you remember anything else, you must inform us right away."

Shimazu Hiroshi felt as if a great weight had been lifted; the grueling ordeal was finally over. He no longer wished to think about anything at all. Oaths? Betrayal? None of it mattered anymore. All he wanted was to sleep peacefully, forever if possible. Perhaps all of this was nothing but a nightmare.

Yu Cheng and his deputy hurried to the main bureau building with the interrogation records to report in person to the chief. Wei Liangbi and Ning Zhiheng rushed back to the Operations Division, urgently summoning all members. Orders for arrests would be issued at any moment, and the First Action Group had to be on standby at all times.

Wei Liangbi assembled all three of his action teams; this case was of utmost importance, and he had to give it his all.

The First Team was led by Lei Yichun, the Second by Lv Yang, and the Third by Ning Zhiheng.

Wei Liangbi called the three into his office to assign tasks face-to-face, mainly giving Lei Yichun and Lv Yang a brief overview, as they knew nothing of the details.

"The First Team's target is Xuan Kangnian, owner of De'an Trading Company. Old Lei, I remind you, you must thoroughly investigate his surroundings. Wealthy men like him always have bodyguards. Assess their strength, whether they're armed—gather all this in advance. If the bodyguards resist, eliminate them on the spot without hesitation. But Xuan Kangnian must be taken alive—he turned Ma Hong, the deputy leader of the Nanjing Party Affairs Investigation Unit's action team, so he's a key witness against Ma Hong. Without his testimony, those Party Affairs investigators might very well try to turn the tables on us. He's crucial! Understood?"

"Yes, Leader, rest assured—I will bring him back alive!" Lei Yichun knew how critical this case was and dared not slack off.

"Lao Lv, your target is Dai Hongguang, head of the Government Office's Transport Division. As a government official, his routine should be predictable: office, home, and his commute. Do not act at his office—too many people, too unpredictable. Avoid acting at his home if possible, since we don't know the layout or whether there are hidden weapons or escape routes. Consider ambushing him on his way to or from work—pick a good spot and make a swift capture!"

Lv Yang nodded in assent.

Finally, Wei Liangbi fixed his gaze on Ning Zhiheng and said solemnly, "Zhiheng, the most important target, Ma Hong, is yours. He's one of our own—his operational skills will be strong, and he'll be hard to track. You must act swiftly and decisively. Are you confident?"

"Rest assured, Leader, I will bring Ma Hong back in one piece!" Ning Zhiheng replied loudly.

At such a crucial moment, how could he say otherwise? He would spare no effort to accomplish the mission.

"Good. Start preparing at once—gather information on your targets and draw up your plans, but be careful not to alert them. The orders will come soon, and we don't have much time. Get to it!"

All three team leaders accepted their orders. Lei Yichun and Lv Yang immediately went off to arrange their operations—both were seasoned hands, well-versed in their respective methods.

Ning Zhiheng was about to leave when Wei Liangbi called him back.

"What's the matter, Senior Brother? Is there something else?" Ning Zhiheng asked.

"Zhiheng, Ma Hong is no ordinary man. To be safe, I just asked the Section Chief, and he's coordinating with Intelligence to see if they have a file on Ma Hong. It should arrive soon. Also, I've assigned Shao Wenguang to assist you—he's experienced and should be helpful."

Here, Wei Liangbi spoke with particular emphasis. "Zhiheng, you must be careful. We have plenty of manpower—don't take risks yourself like last time. Nothing is more important than your own life. Do you understand?"

Ning Zhiheng could feel his senior's genuine concern and replied gratefully, "Don't worry, Senior Brother, I will be careful."

Soon, an officer from Intelligence delivered a dossier. "This is what we have on Ma Hong. Since he's with the Party Affairs Investigation Bureau, we have no right to access his full file. This is all we've got."

Ning Zhiheng opened it to find only a close-up photo of Ma Hong and a single page noting his residence—nothing more.

Just then, the telephone in Wei Liangbi's office rang. He answered, listened, then snapped to attention and replied loudly, "Yes, Chief!"

He hung up and ordered, "The Chief says forget about the Party Affairs Investigation Bureau—arrest Ma Hong immediately! Move!"

Ning Zhiheng led the entire Third Team into action. Since Ma Hong was stationed at the Nanjing Party Affairs Investigation Office, even Ning Zhiheng wouldn't dare attempt an arrest at their front gate—that would only get himself caught.

He sent Wang Shucheng and several men to monitor the office entrance, ready to report if Ma Hong appeared. Then, with the rest of the team, he hurried to Ma Hong's residence, quickly setting up surveillance. It was already four in the afternoon. He also chose an ambush site on Ma Hong's route home, where Sun Jiacheng and four agile members lay in wait, others hidden nearby for reinforcement as needed.

Ning Zhiheng inspected the surroundings thoroughly. Finding no flaws, he settled in, waiting for Ma Hong's return. He was confident that even if Ma Hong had extraordinary abilities, once he stepped into the trap, escape would be impossible.

But things did not go as smoothly as he had hoped. By six in the evening, there was still no sign of Ma Hong, nor had Wang Shucheng reported any sightings.

"Captain, Ma Hong is an action team leader, just like us—he works in the field. Do you think he might be out on an assignment? Sometimes, during missions, it's normal not to return home or to the office for days. Then we'd just be waiting here in vain," Shi Hong said worriedly.

Indeed, if Shi Hong was right, it would be troublesome. After all, both bureaus dealt in intelligence, and Party Affairs missions were just as secretive—Military Intelligence would have no way of knowing their movements.

But tonight, Ma Hong had to be apprehended. Ning Zhiheng couldn’t help but grow anxious, though his patience was excellent and his face betrayed nothing.

Finally, a team member rushed back to report, "Captain, there’s a situation!"