Chapter Fourteen: The First Signs of Resolution

"Thirty percent, your father is truly generous. But it's such a small effort on my part—I can't take advantage of my own student. When the time comes, just a house to settle my family will be enough," He Feng shook his head. Even thirty percent was no small sum, and he would never accept such benefits from his student. In terms of character, Ning Zhiheng had indeed chosen his mentor well.

"Teacher, sometimes you really are too old-fashioned. This thirty percent isn't all for you. Isn't Captain Shen getting a share as well? How could we expect someone to work for nothing? That's not how things work anywhere. My father specifically emphasized this," Ning Zhiheng continued to persuade him.

Ning Zhiheng’s words reminded He Feng that he did, in fact, have many close friends in similar circumstances. When the day came, his share could help out his friends—more properties meant more families could be settled, just in case. Thinking of this, he no longer felt the need to be overly scrupulous with his student.

"Very well, it's settled then. I'll request some time off and go to Chongqing myself. It will be good to see old Shen and make sure everything is clear," He Feng, once he made up his mind, was not one to delay. He decided to personally bring the funds to Chongqing, as he would not feel at ease entrusting such a large sum to anyone else.

"It’s certainly best if you handle it personally," Ning Zhiheng said, pleased that his teacher would go to Chongqing himself. That meant the matter was as good as done—his teacher was taking it seriously.

Suddenly, Ning Zhiheng remembered something. "One more thing: this time, it would be best to purchase property in the Shapingba district. Even if it's more expensive, make sure to buy it."

"Shapingba? Where is that?" He Feng asked, a little puzzled.

"Shapingba is a district in the south of Chongqing, convenient for river transport. It will be helpful for our family’s business in the future," Ning Zhiheng explained.

He Feng carefully wrote down the name, understanding that the Ning family, being merchants, needed to do business to support themselves and couldn't just live off their assets. Such a request was unsurprising.

In reality, this was merely an excuse on Ning Zhiheng’s part. In his previous life, he had traveled to Chongqing and eaten the famous hotpot in Shapingba. Many hotpot restaurants there were set up in air-raid shelters dug during the war against Japan, and curious tourists flocked to these unique venues, making their business thrive.

He remembered vividly how the owner boasted that Shapingba was a place of great fortune—during the bombings of Chongqing by Japanese planes, which lasted five years, Shapingba remained miraculously unscathed and survived the war intact.

This made a deep impression on Ning Zhiheng. If he could buy property in Shapingba, his family's safety would be greatly assured.

The two of them discussed many details: bringing more guards on the trip to Chongqing, how to work with the Shen family, the ratio of residential to commercial properties, and so on. Unconsciously, their relationship grew warmer and more harmonious, and their conversation was lively and pleasant.

Once every detail was settled, He Feng smiled and said, "Yesterday I received a call from your senior, Wei Liangbi. He told me you captured a Japanese spy the day before. He was surprised at your composure and agility—your first real action left everyone impressed."

Ning Zhiheng was surprised his teacher knew so quickly. Strictly speaking, this was a military secret and should not have been leaked. But since Wei Liangbi was He Feng’s protégé, informing his mentor wasn’t a big deal.

However, He Feng was not one to discuss such matters lightly. Perhaps the assurance of his family’s safety had put him in especially good spirits.

Moreover, this incident had clearly brought him closer to Ning Zhiheng. Unable to help himself, he offered a few words of praise.

"My senior is too kind. The situation was urgent, and I didn’t think much. It was my first time firing in a real fight—honestly, I was a bit shaken afterwards," Ning Zhiheng replied modestly.

In truth, he had felt no fear—only a tense excitement. Perhaps, deep down, there was an unseen violent streak in his nature.

"You did very well. I remember my first time in action—my fingers went numb, and I could barely hold the gun. I had no idea where my shots landed," He Feng said kindly, patting Ning Zhiheng’s shoulder. "You’re better than I was—clearly suited to this line of work. Keep it up! Military Intelligence is not like the army; there are more shadows and traps. You must always be alert. Next year, I’ll see about getting you another star on your shoulder."

Ning Zhiheng nodded happily. With the badges of the Whampoa Military Academy and He Feng’s mentorship, his career would surely be smoother than most. At the very least, petty troublemakers would think twice before crossing him, saving him much annoyance.

The two of them talked for a long time before leaving the study. Outside, Li Lan and He Wenxiu had been waiting anxiously. He Feng was known for his strictness, and his students greatly respected him. They had expected Ning Zhiheng to be harshly scolded, but the house remained quiet after the door closed. When the two men emerged smiling, it was clear their conversation had gone well, and both women breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing that He Feng didn’t mention the watch or the perfume, Li Lan wisely chose not to ask. He Feng, for his part, realized that anyone able to produce such a large sum of cash at once must come from a wealthy family, making those gifts seem trivial in comparison.

Bidding farewell to his teacher’s family, Ning Zhiheng felt pleased at how smoothly things had gone. Next, he would visit his senior, Wei Liangbi. As the saying goes, a local official is better than a distant one—having his direct superior as his senior was an excellent situation. But friendship required maintenance, and proper etiquette must still be observed.

Of the watches he bought, one was for himself. Frankly, in this new world, what he found hardest to adapt to was the lack of precise timekeeping. In his previous life, wearing a watch had been a habit, and now that he had the means, the first thing he did was buy a good one.

The second watch was a gift for his teacher. The remaining two were intended for Wei Liangbi and his father, Ning Liangcai.

Ning Zhiheng quickly returned to the Military Intelligence Bureau, went to Wei Liangbi’s office, and knocked before entering. Wei Liangbi looked up in surprise. "Weren’t you given a few days off? What brings you back so soon? Do you need something?"

He was quite fond of his junior, who was prudent and capable in his work.

Ning Zhiheng had played a major role in their recent operation. In Liang Deyou’s report, his performance was highly praised—partly because Ning Zhiheng had spoken up for him, sparing him from punishment. Ning Zhiheng’s impressive display had truly exceeded everyone’s expectations for a newcomer.

With a cheerful grin, Ning Zhiheng placed a beautifully wrapped box in front of Wei Liangbi. "Senior, open it and have a look."

Wei Liangbi took the box, glanced at Ning Zhiheng, unsure what to expect, and opened it to find a gleaming Longines men’s watch.

His eyes lit up—what man didn’t love a good watch? At the time, wearing a wristwatch was as much a symbol of status as driving a fine car in later years. It was a point of pride to own a luxury timepiece.

"This is a special gift for you, Senior. Do you like it?"

Wei Liangbi was delighted; compared to the mechanical watch on his wrist, this one was far superior. He was truly pleased.

He caressed the watch carefully, though he still asked, "This must have cost a fortune! With your salary, you couldn’t buy even the strap. Such a valuable gift—surely you have something to ask of me? There’s no need to be so formal between brothers."

Ning Zhiheng casually shook his own wrist, showing off the Longines on it: "It wasn’t that expensive, nothing to fuss over. I got one for myself, one for our teacher, and the last one is for you."

Only then did Wei Liangbi notice the identical watch on Ning Zhiheng’s wrist. Buying three in one go—clearly his junior was quite well-off. Their teacher had mentioned that Ning Zhiheng’s family did business in Hangzhou, but he hadn’t expected him to be so generous.

Since Ning Zhiheng put it that way, Wei Liangbi accepted the gift without further protest. He genuinely liked the fine watch and immediately switched out his old one, admiring his elevated status with satisfaction.

Seeing how much his senior liked the gift, Ning Zhiheng knew he had chosen well.

With a smile, he said, "Senior, I do have a favor to ask. Could you give me a few extra days off? I want to return home to Hangzhou—I haven’t been back in almost a year and I really miss it."

Wei Liangbi laughed, "Is that all? Consider it done. Just let me know when you’re leaving; take as much time as you need."

For Wei Liangbi, this was a trivial matter. Ning Zhiheng had expected no less—his real aim was to strengthen their bond, not just to get leave.

"Senior, what happened to that Fu Cheng we caught the other day? Any results from the interrogation?" Ning Zhiheng suddenly recalled the captive. It had been two days; there should be some news by now.

Fu Cheng was the first target he had personally apprehended, and he was eager to know the outcome. If more Japanese spies could be uncovered, it would be a real contribution to the country.

Wei Liangbi shook his head, a bit helpless. "No progress at all. Fu Cheng has played dead the whole time. He was wounded, and after the bullet was removed and his wound dressed, we handed him over to the interrogation section. They’ve tortured him for two days, but he hasn’t said a word. Now we’re afraid to continue for fear he’ll die under torture."

Ning Zhiheng grew anxious. Intelligence has a shelf life—if there was no breakthrough soon, Fu Cheng’s contacts would be alerted by his absence and take steps to break off communication. If that happened, all their efforts to capture Fu Cheng would be wasted, and the sacrifice of the action team members would be for nothing.