Chapter 136: Detailed Analysis

By this time, it was around three o'clock in the afternoon. Ning Zhiheng and Shao Wenguang were waiting at the surveillance post for Xiang Yan's arrival.

About half an hour later, Xiang Yan and his entourage hurried over.

"Section Chief, how is the situation at Erma Alley?" Ning Zhiheng asked.

"No valuable clues have been found. The exact location of the dead drop cannot be determined yet. I am thinking we should approach this by looking at how Tian Liqun might send out an activation signal!" Xiang Yan said, shaking his head. In fact, everyone knew that Tian Liqun had numerous ways to send an activation signal, and attempting to approach it from that angle was simply too difficult!

"I think we should just make an arrest right now and interrogate him directly. That way, we can find out the location of the dead drop, set a trap, and wait for the big fish to take the bait!" Guo Xueyi chimed in from the side.

He could not understand why Xiang Yan and Ning Zhiheng were being so bound hand and foot. After all, Tian Liqun was now exposed right under their noses. Given the Operation Branch's usual style, this matter could be handled much more directly and simply!

However, he was unaware of Tian Liqun's identity as a Japanese aristocrat, nor did he know that the Section Chief's attitude toward Tian Liqun was primarily focused on surveillance, with arrest serving only as a last resort.

Without answering him, Xiang Yan turned directly to Ning Zhiheng and asked, "Zhiheng, what is your opinion?"

Ning Zhiheng smiled, his mind racing as he quickly thought through the situation before speaking. "Actually, regarding the entire case, we already hold a winning hand. After all, Su Yu and Tian Liqun are under our close surveillance. The only question is the extent to which we can maximize our operational results in the end.

As for this drop, I believe it was very successful. At the very least, we now know that the dead drop Tian Liqun uses to transmit intelligence is located in Erma Alley on Xicangqiao Street. Furthermore, after the drop was made, when Brother Shundong and I were tailing Su Yu, we also went to Xicangqiao Street. Su Yu did not contact anyone before heading straight home. This is definitely not a coincidence. If I am guessing correctly, their handler must be hiding somewhere near Xicangqiao.

Moreover, arresting Tian Liqun right now is still premature! The Section Chief gave explicit instructions that surveillance of Tian Liqun should be the priority, and it is best not to alert him!

As for the fact that our tail did not go smoothly, it was related to Tian Liqun's excessive vigilance. But that doesn't matter; once a fish is in the net, no matter how much it struggles, it cannot escape!

If this tail doesn't work out, we'll try the next one. After all, the intelligence is fake anyway. If necessary, we can make another drop, prepare thoroughly in Erma Alley beforehand, and I refuse to believe we won't find the location of the mailbox.

In short, as long as we do not alert Su Yu and Tian Liqun, we can try several more times. Do not be discouraged by the success or failure of a single attempt!

Besides, this operation is not over yet. Tian Liqun's handler will definitely go to Erma Alley to retrieve the intelligence. Although we cannot pinpoint the mailbox's location right now, we still have a chance to capture the handler.

Our most urgent task right now is to confirm Tian Liqun's actions—specifically, what method is he using to send the activation signal? Why did he return directly to the Minsheng Newspaper Office right after making the drop? You must realize that with intelligence this important, he would not delay the transmission time for no reason. I estimate that he will definitely send out the signal today, and his handler will go to retrieve it tomorrow.

I have a bold guess: the reason he hasn't made any other moves yet is because his method of sending the signal is right inside the Minsheng Newspaper Office.

This Tian Liqun is a section editor at the Minsheng Newspaper Office. Could he be using his position to tamper with the Minsheng Newspaper, making specific modifications within his authority to serve as the activation signal? That would be an effortless task for him. His handler only needs to subscribe to a copy of the Minsheng Newspaper every day and look for the agreed-upon marker to go and retrieve the intelligence from the mailbox. This completes the intelligence transmission in a way that is both simple and safe!"

Ning Zhiheng's train of thought was precise and his logic clear. The room instantly fell completely silent. Xiang Yan sat there motionless, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the tabletop as he carefully pondered the meaning behind Ning Zhiheng's words.

As for the others, Shao Wenguang knew Ning Zhiheng extremely well, so his expression remained unsurprised. However, Guo Xueyi, Kang Shundong, and the others nodded secretly to themselves.

In terms of age, Ning Zhiheng was the youngest here at just twenty-one years old, much younger than everyone present. Yet, he possessed a certain quality that made people completely overlook his youth. Being around him naturally induced a sense of oppression, involuntarily placing Ning Zhiheng in a leading position.

Only now did they understand why Xiang Yan had previously admonished them to deliberately cultivate a good relationship with him. Ning Zhiheng's performance had reached a level where even someone of Xiang Yan's stature could not afford to ignore him!

Xiang Yan looked at the young face before him and could not help but sigh inwardly. His own subordinates could be considered talented individuals, but compared to Ning Zhiheng, they fell short in every aspect—especially in their grasp of the overall situation!

Xiang Yan mused for a long time before finally speaking, "Zhiheng's analysis is exceptional. Do not judge success or failure by a single operation! If we fail to catch him this time, we can try the next. At the end of the day, we are in the shadows while they are in the light; innately, they are already at a disadvantage!

As for this final point, I completely agree. The likelihood of Tian Liqun using his position to tamper with the Minsheng Newspaper is very high. This is because he is not transmitting intelligence here, but merely sending a signal—it only requires making certain specific alterations according to a pre-arranged method. Outsiders would be completely unable to detect it, and even if they noticed something, they wouldn't understand what it meant. This method of signal transmission is exceptionally secure."

Guo Xueyi chimed in from the side, "The Section Chief and Zhiheng have put it brilliantly. Hearing it explained this way makes everything crystal clear. Now, how should we go about confirming whether Tian Liqun is indeed sending a signal through the newspaper?"

By now, Guo Xueyi had put away his petty thoughts. He was no longer a hot-headed young man; picking a fight with someone like Ning Zhiheng purely out of bruised ego was simply not worth it! Such a person could only be treated as a friend, never as an enemy, or you would never sleep soundly at night.

Ning Zhiheng could naturally hear the conciliatory tone in Guo Xueyi's words. Being able to get along harmoniously was, of course, for the best. Although Ning Zhiheng possessed a ruthless mind, his perspective on matters was broad, and he was not petty. He immediately nodded and smiled back at Guo Xueyi, letting go of the previous minor unpleasantness.

Ning Zhiheng turned his head and asked Shao Wenguang, "Old Shao, you've been in charge of monitoring Tian Liqun for this period, so you should have a certain understanding of his situation. I'd like to know how many section editors there are in total at the Minsheng Newspaper Office."

Shao Wenguang was taken aback for a moment, then thought about it and replied, "There are two section editors in total. Aside from Tian Liqun, there is another man named Zhang Wei."

Ning Zhiheng stood up, walked over to the window, and pointed toward the entrance of the Minsheng Newspaper Office. "Today, we will see if Tian Liqun tampers with the newspaper. Go and collect past issues of the Minsheng Newspaper as much as possible right now.

Since newspapers require a whole night to print, they should finish the layout for tomorrow's paper before getting off work. Grab this Zhang Wei on his way home from work. I want to know the exact layout content of tomorrow's Minsheng Newspaper and compare it with previous editions. By seeing what differences exist, we can determine whether Tian Liqun has tampered with it or not.

Following that, we must maintain round-the-clock surveillance on Tian Liqun's whereabouts for tonight. If he makes no abnormal moves from now until tomorrow morning, we can confirm that he has already tampered with the newspaper and sent out the signal."

Everyone heartily agreed with Ning Zhiheng's arrangement. One could say that Ning Zhiheng had gradually taken control of the entire case's progression, a point on which even Xiang Yan had no objections. His proposed operational plan received unanimous approval!

With an expression of admiration, Xiang Yan said, "We will execute the next steps according to Zhiheng's plan. Shao Wenguang, go find some past issues of the Minsheng Newspaper. When off-work time arrives, bring section editor Zhang Wei back here. Xueyi and Shundong will be responsible for monitoring Tian Liqun's movements; bring plenty of men, take turns standing watch, and make sure you keep a tight lock on Tian Liqun's whereabouts tonight!"

With the division of labor settled, the men began mobilizing their subordinates. Shao Wenguang led a team to nearby newspaper stands and collected quite a few copies of the Minsheng Newspaper, all of them back issues published over the previous few days.

Time passed quickly, and finally, it was time for the newspaper office to get off work. However, Tian Liqun still made no unusual moves. He walked out of the front gates just as he always did at closing time, proceeded on foot along his usual route to the Drum Tower Street intersection, hailed a rickshaw, and headed home.

Guo Xueyi and Kang Shundong, leading a squad of men, tailed him closely.

Half an hour later, Shao Wenguang and several operatives brought back a middle-aged man in his forties.

This middle-aged man was Zhang Wei, the other section editor at the Minsheng Newspaper Office. Seized forcibly halfway home by several burly men, he had assumed they were bandits committing robbery or kidnapping. He was already trembling all over, stuttering incoherently without knowing what he was saying, and had still not recovered his wits even after being brought into the room.

Ning Zhiheng waved his hand to signal the operatives to release him, then handed a cup of hot water to him, saying in a gentle tone, "Mr. Zhang, don't be afraid! We are neither robbers nor kidnappers. We brought you here because there is a favor we'd like to ask of you!"

Ning Zhiheng's actions left Zhang Wei somewhat bewildered. He foolishly accepted the cup of water handed to him by Ning Zhiheng, but did not dare take a single sip. After processing what Ning Zhiheng had said, it took him a long time to respond. "What on earth do you all want with me? As long as it is something within my power, I will do my utmost and never shirk it."

"It's nothing major—to Mr. Zhang, it's practically effortless. I'd like to know the layout content for tomorrow's Minsheng Newspaper right now. Could I ask Mr. Zhang to return to the newspaper office and fetch me a proof copy for tomorrow?" Ning Zhiheng said with a smile, placing a stack of banknotes in front of Zhang Wei. "We certainly won't let Mr. Zhang labor in vain. I think this money is more than enough to buy a newspaper."

Zhang Wei looked at the stack of colorful banknotes, and his eyes instantly lit up, believing in his heart that he finally understood what this was all about!