Chapter 107: Reporting the Case (Requesting Votes)

Ning Zhiheng nodded upon hearing this and said, "It seems someone can’t sit still. Check carefully whether these two usually have any contact or know each other. If they don’t, then it’s almost certainly the case!"

The reasoning was simple: if the two knew each other, it might be that both were targeted because of some matter involving both of them. But if they were strangers, it would indicate that the perpetrator specifically targeted habitual thieves for some reason, killing two unrelated petty criminals together.

At this stage, the most likely cause was someone searching for the family crest seal, going door to door looking for it. Of course, they wouldn’t find it because Cui Er, the thief, was still struggling in prison, and the family crest seal was safely kept in Ning Zhiheng’s own safe.

Failing to find it, the searcher, wanting to cover their tracks, simply resorted to killing to silence witnesses. After all, in these times, human life was cheap, especially for petty thieves. Who would care about their deaths? A few days later, no one would even remember them.

Liu Datong quickly nodded, having always trusted Ning Zhiheng’s precise judgments. From the beginning of the capture of Huang Xiansheng, Ning Zhiheng had been almost divinely guided—just a pot of roses had led him step by step to uncover a deeply hidden and well-established Japanese spy ring. Every judgment he made was so accurate it was almost unbelievable. Liu Datong felt deeply convinced, always strictly following Ning Zhiheng’s orders.

This time was no different. Ning Zhiheng had predicted days ago that someone would be unable to resist searching for the family crest seal, and also predicted inquiries about habitual thieves. Now, all those predictions had come to pass.

“I’ll notify Gong Ji’an and his team right away, instructing them to focus their investigation in this direction. We’ll have news soon,” Liu Datong responded with a nod.

Ning Zhiheng then turned to Jin De behind him. “Dong Chengjie is in this building. It’s almost noon break, so he’ll definitely come out to eat or rest. You must observe carefully and confirm if this man is truly Dong Chengjie, the tenant renting from you. Make sure to verify it thoroughly.”

Jin De grimaced but nodded quickly, unwilling to complain despite the trouble caused by simply finding a tenant. He only hoped this matter would end soon.

Soon, the noon break arrived. Staff from the Minsheng Newspaper gradually exited through the front gate. After most had left, a man in a long robe, Takeda Feng, slowly appeared.

“Look carefully! Is it him?” Ning Zhiheng instructed Jin De.

Jin De didn’t dare to blink, staring intently as Takeda Feng walked by. “It’s definitely him—Dong Chengjie, sir! I won’t be mistaken!”

Ning Zhiheng nodded and said to Liu Datong, “Have your men follow him from a distance. Under no circumstances should they alert him. After all, a monk might run, but the temple won’t. This must be his workplace. As long as we keep a close watch here, he won’t escape. I emphasize again: even if you lose track momentarily, don’t alert the target.”

Liu Datong nodded and gestured for several plainclothes officers scattered at a distance to trail Takeda Feng discreetly.

At that moment, Liu Yong returned after completing his task. “Captain Ning, the house you mentioned is a dormitory for the clerk of a furniture store. I’ve negotiated with him to rent the room at double the usual price. He’s packing now and will move in today once he’s done.”

Liu Datong looked at Jin De and said, “Today’s events must be kept secret. If I find out it’s because of you that any information leaks, you’ll spend the rest of your days in prison!”

Jin De was frightened and repeatedly denied it. Liu Datong waved him off.

After Jin De left, Ning Zhiheng turned to Liu Yong and instructed, “Since we’ve found the person, proceed as before: have your men change into rickshaw pullers’ attire, bring their rickshaws, and station them at the newspaper entrance and the Drum Tower Street intersection. I want to know his exact location at all times.”

“Leave the surveillance points here to Datou’s men. I’ll have Old Shao come by after I return to direct the monitoring of Dong Chengjie again.”

He then turned to Liu Datong. “Dong Chengjie is definitely a false name. Find out exactly what he does at the Minsheng Newspaper. The more detailed the information, the better.”

“Understood. Now that we’ve found him, this is straightforward. I’ll handle it personally and report back soon,” Liu Datong replied and left.

Half an hour later, Liu Datong hurried back to report to Ning Zhiheng. “I’ve inquired with an employee inside. This Dong Chengjie is known there as Tian Liqun. He’s an editor at Minsheng Newspaper, joined a year ago, diligent in his work, well-liked by colleagues, and highly regarded by the editor-in-chief. I don’t know his exact address yet, but once my men return, we should be able to find it.”

“Did you reveal your police identity when you questioned the employee?” Ning Zhiheng asked thoughtfully.

“No, don’t worry. I was very careful. I just said that Dong Chengjie—or rather, Tian Liqun—reminded me of a relative back home and slipped him some money. He then told me everything in detail,” Liu Datong recounted the process.

Ning Zhiheng frowned. “Good that you didn’t reveal your identity. But a stranger asking about an employee, combined with that employee’s friendly impression of Tian Liqun, suggests they have a good relationship. That means the employee might have informed Tian Liqun that someone was asking about him.”

Liu Datong realized Ning Zhiheng was right and felt he had been careless.

“What do you suggest?” he asked.

“Then he’s out of luck. Find a plausible reason to detain him for a few days. Once the case is over, release him and compensate him well,” Ning Zhiheng ordered.

It was similar to the case of Huang Hui during the Huang Xiansheng investigation. Though this treatment was unfair to the employee, Ning Zhiheng could not allow such an important case to fail due to the slightest negligence. It was better to be overly cautious than to err.

Liu Datong immediately went to make arrangements. Ning Zhiheng finished organizing matters and returned to the Military Intelligence Investigation Office. The preliminary investigation had reached a milestone. They had tentatively confirmed that Tian Liqun was a major suspect in Japanese espionage and required strict surveillance. Now it was time for the Military Intelligence Investigation Office to intervene.

The last Shadow Group case had followed a similar pattern: peripheral personnel conducted initial investigations, with concrete operations handed over to Military Intelligence staff.

In any department or unit, those who sought to claim all the credit and highlight themselves might stand out, but they also risked isolating themselves.

Ning Zhiheng knew this well. The last time they cracked the Shadow Spy Group, they worked excellently with all departments sharing benefits.

He himself had received all his due honors: promotion from lieutenant to captain and awarded the Second-Class Cloud and Banner Medal.

Meanwhile, the entire Military Intelligence Investigation Office had gained benefits, big and small.

The department head had greatly impressed the principal, enhancing his reputation. Deputy Director Huang’s influence grew due to the outstanding performance of two elite agents from Baoding within his team.

The Intelligence Section earned considerable favor by obtaining crucial confessions during suspect interrogations.

Most importantly, the Operations Section, led by Section Chief Zhao Ziliang and Deputy Section Chief Xiang Yan, received commendations. Zhao Ziliang had clearly outshined Intelligence Section Chief Gu Zhengqi this time, boosting his morale and cultivating a deep respect for Wei Liangbi and Ning Zhiheng.

Especially Wei Liangbi, Ning Zhiheng’s senior brother, who, after being promoted to major just a year ago, received an extraordinary promotion to lieutenant colonel thanks to this case. This advancement was highly significant for Wei Liangbi and further strengthened the bond and alliance between the two brothers.

Ning Zhiheng’s deputy, Shi Hong, was also promoted from lieutenant to captain, and Sun Jiacheng rose to second lieutenant, becoming deputy leader of the operations team. This secured their unwavering loyalty to Ning Zhiheng.

Now that the case had progressed to this stage, Ning Zhiheng felt it was time to report the situation.