Chapter Seventy-Seven: Seeking the Farmer

Ning Zhiheng left the building and headed straight for the Interrogation Division. He’d already wasted some time, and by now the interrogation of Ma Hong should have begun. He wanted to observe and gather as much information as possible, for every bit of intelligence was a clue he couldn’t afford to miss.

He was almost at the Interrogation Division’s office building when he saw Wei Liangbi, accompanied by Shi Hong and Shao Wenguang, leaving the division.

“Leader, why are you all coming out now? Weren’t you about to interrogate the suspect?” Ning Zhiheng asked, puzzled.

Wei Liangbi waved his hand and then patted Ning’s shoulder, signaling him not to say more. The group said nothing and returned to the Operations Division.

It was deep into the night by now, after a day of exhausting work, and the others went home to rest.

Ning Zhiheng followed Wei Liangbi to his office. Once the door was closed, Wei Liangbi finally spoke, “This matter has blown up far bigger than expected.”

“What happened?” Ning pressed, confused by the abrupt comment.

Wei Liangbi then explained everything in detail. It turned out all three arrests today had succeeded.

The first to act was the First Action Team, tasked with apprehending Xuan Kangnian, the owner of De'an Trading Company. Lei Yichun had prepared thoroughly beforehand. During a business meeting, they launched a surprise attack. Xuan Kangnian’s bodyguards were caught off guard and subdued quickly.

They’d expected a smooth operation, but to their surprise Xuan Kangnian proved to be a skilled tactician. He suddenly struck, knocking down an agent nearby, then drew his pistol and fired back. Two agents were wounded on the spot, yet despite his resistance, he was eventually shot and captured. It was a dangerous encounter, but ultimately a successful arrest.

Meanwhile, Ning Zhiheng was still anxiously waiting outside Ma Hong’s home.

Once Xuan Kangnian was brought in, he was interrogated immediately. Yu Cheng and Wei Liangbi didn’t hold back, and Xuan Kangnian lasted less than two hours before he confessed everything.

But what he revealed was shocking. Over years of intelligence gathering, he had bribed several government officials with large sums of money. Among them was someone connected to a high-ranking figure in the military government.

Of course, these officials were motivated purely by greed. Faced with enormous wealth, they had no qualms; they had no idea Xuan Kangnian was a Japanese spy. Even if they did, it was likely they wouldn’t care—their eyes saw only money. Truly, men die for wealth as birds die for food.

When Xuan Kangnian unveiled the identity of this high-ranking official, Yu Cheng and Wei Liangbi were stunned. They immediately halted the interrogation and rushed to report to the Director.

This matter was now far beyond what two Major-ranked officers could handle. The involvement of a military government leader—even the Director would have to tread carefully.

Their shoulders were far too small to bear such a weight. This was no ordinary case; the more one knew, the greater the risk.

As expected, after hearing their report, the Director ordered strict secrecy. He would personally interrogate the members of the Shadow Group. The Director arrived at the Interrogation Division himself, and the entire place was thrown into turmoil. The staff were on high alert, not daring to be negligent.

“So, are you saying we’re no longer involved in this case?” Ning Zhiheng was startled by the gravity of the situation.

“Of course. But we needn’t worry. In fact, the bigger the case, the more serious the situation, the greater the credit for us. It means our contributions are all the more significant,” Wei Liangbi replied with a light mood.

He poured hot tea for himself and Ning Zhiheng, then continued, relaxed, “Actually, we’ve already completed the essential work. The suspects are all in custody; as for their fate, that’s not for us to decide.”

Ning Zhiheng took the tea, deep in thought. He didn’t press Wei Liangbi further about the interrogation details—such as Xuan Kangnian’s true identity or the name of the military government official. Surely the Director had imposed a gag order on Wei Liangbi and Yu Cheng; even if he asked, they wouldn’t tell.

He thought for a moment, then asked, “If Xuan Kangnian alone revealed such a major case, I wonder what the other two suspects will yield? By the way, how did the Second Action Team’s arrest go?”

“An hour ago, they succeeded as well. Old Lü handled it with precision,” Wei Liangbi said with a smile.

The smoothest operation was the Second Action Team’s capture of Dai Hongguang, the head of the Transportation Division of the military government. Captain Lü Yang set an ambush along Dai Hongguang’s route home after work; they caught him off guard and seized him without resistance. He was now being interrogated.

“Shao said your arrest of Ma Hong didn’t go smoothly this time?” Wei Liangbi had just heard Shao Wenguang’s report and learned Ning Zhiheng personally apprehended another underground Red Party member. “Didn’t I tell you not to take unnecessary risks? Did you ignore my advice?”

Ning Zhiheng smiled awkwardly. “That Shao, he talks more than a gossiping woman! The situation was special—I was afraid we’d lose the suspect, so I rushed in.”

Wei Liangbi looked at Ning Zhiheng with irritation, his tone filled with exasperation. “You! You’re too young and impulsive! Why risk your life over an underground party member? If he died, so be it—is it worth your life?

Can’t you see the current situation? The Red Party’s influence is waning; now they’re cornered in the northwest, soon to be wiped out. What’s the point in arresting underground party members? Only those useless fools at the Party Affairs Investigation Office care about such things.

Our real enemy now is the Japanese. That’s what we need to focus on!”

Ning Zhiheng nodded repeatedly, promising he wouldn’t act recklessly again.

“By the way, what happened to the underground party member you caught?” Wei Liangbi remembered to ask.

“He died. His injuries were too severe. As soon as he was carried in, the military doctor said he wouldn’t make it—and a short while later, he passed away,” Ning Zhiheng replied regretfully.

“See, I told you there was no need to charge in! These Red Party members have been brainwashed. In the future, keep your distance; in another year or two, they’ll be swept away like dust. Don’t take it so seriously,” Wei Liangbi continued his lecture, leaving Ning Zhiheng feeling helpless. He hadn’t realized before how talkative his mentor could be.

Fleeing from Wei Liangbi’s scolding, Ning Zhiheng hurried out of his office and returned to his own. Only then did he have a chance to sit down and sort out his thoughts.

For the rest of the Operations Division, the case was already over; they were just waiting for the final verdict from above. Especially for Wei Liangbi and Ning Zhiheng, this was a clear-cut major achievement, and promotion was inevitable. Everyone could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

But for Ning Zhiheng, the real task was only beginning. His priority now was to follow Lu Ming’s memories to find his superior and pass on the news of Lu Ming’s death.

This task sounded easy, but was difficult in practice.

First, he needed to uncover Lu Ming’s cover identity. This was crucial, as it would allow him to trace Lu Ming’s single-line contact, “the Farmer.”

Otherwise, in a city like Nanjing with a million people—even if he knew what the Farmer looked like, where would he find him in the vast crowd?

Fortunately, Lu Ming’s cover identity could be investigated openly. Unlike the secret investigation of Huang Xiansheng, he just needed to circulate Lu Ming’s photo to every police station in Nanjing, mobilizing all manpower; they should quickly find Lu Ming’s cover.

The Farmer and Lu Ming had single-line contact. From Lu Ming’s memories, it was clear they’d known each other for years and were familiar enough not to use secret codes; their communication must have been direct. So the Farmer’s cover identity should be close to Lu Ming’s, convenient for meetings.

Then Ning Zhiheng would personally investigate the people and activities in Lu Ming’s circle. With an image of the Farmer, he could follow the trail to him.

Finally, how to gain the Farmer’s trust? Without any proof, with only empty words, it would be difficult.

There was another matter: he needed to quickly eliminate the traitor Zhang Pei, the one who set the trap for Lu Ming. As long as Zhang Pei lived, he threatened the underground organization—a ticking time bomb that could ruin everything someday. This time it was Lu Ming; next time it might be another comrade.

From memory, the last person to enter the hotel lobby should have been Zhang Pei. It was a pity he hadn’t thought carefully at the time and simply sent him along with Ma Hong’s group to the Interrogation Division. If only he had shot Zhang Pei at the scene!