Chapter 148: The Capture Failed

Hearing Ning Zhiheng’s words, Dai Daguang remained silent for a long time before slowly squeezing out a few words: "What does Officer Ning mean?"

A slight smile appeared at the corner of Ning Zhiheng’s mouth as he said, "I can give your wife and child a sum of money and escort them to a designated location of your choice, ensuring no one knows their whereabouts. How does that sound?"

"Many thanks, Officer Ning! Many thanks, Officer Ning!" Dai Daguang’s eyes lit up, filled with hope. "For Officer Ning’s great kindness and virtue, I, Dai Daguang, will serve you like a draft horse or an ox in my next life, and repay you with every ounce of my being!"

Ning Zhiheng’s expression instantly turned gloomy, and he said viciously, "Dai Daguang, you think you can dismiss me with just these words? Do you take me for a three-year-old child? You are someone who wants money more than your life!"

How could Dai Daguang not understand Ning Zhiheng’s intention? However, the backup plan he had prepared was meant to protect his wife and child just in case.

Yet if he refused to disclose it now, he feared that his wife and son would not even live long enough to use that money before being devoured down to the very bones by his enemies and the wolves eyeing his family fortune!

After weighing his options over and over again, he finally spoke: "Officer Ning, as long as you can keep my wife and child safe, I am willing to offer you a hidden fortune as a token of my respect. It will definitely satisfy you!"

Hearing this, Ning Zhiheng’s expression slowly softened as he asked, "Where is this money?"

"Number Twelve, Lotus Leaf Alley, Youshang Street in the North City," Dai Daguang managed to choke out an address. "My lame cousin stays there to look after the house for me!"

"Where exactly is it hidden?" Ning Zhiheng pursued.

"The second room at the very back, secured with a large lock. The key is in the clothes I was wearing when I was arrested. There are two large safes inside the room! All the valuables I’ve accumulated over the years are inside, and they are all yours," Dai Daguang replied. "You must keep your word!"

"The safe combinations?" Ning Zhiheng ignored his plea and asked directly.

Helplessly, Dai Daguang blurted out two strings of numbers. He had no way of guaranteeing whether Ning Zhiheng would actually send his wife and child away safely, but he had no other choice. He could only pray that this Officer Ning would honor his word; this was the only path to survival for his wife and son!

Ning Zhiheng memorized the combinations and then asked, "Where do you want to send your wife and child?"

"Jiangsu, my wife’s hometown!" said Dai Daguang, and he provided a specific address. Ning Zhiheng found a pen and paper on the desk and wrote it down.

Once everything was arranged, Ning Zhiheng spoke leisurely, "Do you know who begged me to spare your wife and child's life?"

Dai Daguang blankly shook his head.

"It was Zuo Gang. His own life is still in my hands, yet he spoke up to plead for you. I refused. Then he pleaded for your wife and child. You didn’t misjudge this man... and I hope I haven’t misjudged him either!"

Hearing Ning Zhiheng’s words, a look of guilt flashed across Dai Daguang’s eyes. He had never expected that Zuo Gang, whom he had already abandoned, would risk his life to plead for him!

His lips trembled a few times before he finally uttered, "He is a kind and loyal man, and I have failed him!"

Ning Zhiheng turned and left, leaving behind the desperate and broken Dai Daguang, muttering endlessly to himself in the empty room!

Sensing that the matters were settled and Dai Daguang’s hidden wealth was now within his grasp, Ning Zhiheng knew this fortune could not be brought to light and had to be retrieved secretly. Still, it was bound to be a substantial sum!

As for the real estate under Dai Daguang’s name, it would have to be sealed by the Military Intelligence Investigation Bureau; Ning Zhiheng could not lay a hand on those properties.

This was different from dealing with Wang the Skinflint. Wang the Skinflint was merely an insignificant nobody, and his arrest was entirely Ning Zhiheng’s personal action without even an official case file. One only needed to drop the name of the Military Intelligence Investigation Bureau, and no one would dare to meddle or question it. It was completely not worth opposing Ning Zhiheng over such a small character!

However, Dai Daguang was a major criminal classified under a major Japanese spy case, and the properties under his name had to be sealed through normal official channels.

Therefore, the cash and valuables in Dai Daguang’s home and trading firm were the tangible benefits Ning Zhiheng could openly claim for himself. However, a large portion of this money had to be handed over to the Branch Director and Deputy Director Huang as protection fees for their patronage. This was the conventional practice in the bureaucracy of the Republic of China—an unwritten rule that could never be discussed openly. Otherwise, once an official investigation was launched from above, it could prove to be a fatal blow!

Ning Zhiheng was not a man consumed by greed, but against the backdrop of a corrupt and dark bureaucratic society during the Republic era, he could not remain entirely untainted. Accumulating wealth and benefits for himself within the permitted rules of the game was not entirely unreasonable. The key was knowing when to stop, sharing the spoils equitably, and maintaining his own bottom line: taking only ill-gotten gains and never harming innocent or good people.

Upon leaving the detention center, Ning Zhiheng returned directly to his office at the Military Intelligence Investigation Bureau. Before he could even step inside, he was called over by Wei Liangbi into the latter's room.

Also present in Wei Liangbi’s office were Shao Wenguang and Shi Hong. These two had consistently been Wei Liangbi’s trusted confidants, ensuring he received any intelligence first.

Seeing the grave expressions on all three men, Ning Zhiheng immediately knew bad news must have broken. He asked, "What is going on? Did something go wrong?"

Wei Liangbi motioned toward Shao Wenguang, who began to report: "An accident occurred during the arrest of Tian Liqun today. Major Guo Xueyi died in the line of duty on the spot, and the primary target, Tian Liqun, was also shot and killed!"

"What! How could such a situation happen? Guo Xueyi and Kang Shundong had more than a dozen operational agents under their command, and it still ended up like this? The primary target dead and a major fallen in the line of duty—this is no small matter!" Ning Zhiheng was instantly shocked by the news.

Within the Military Intelligence Investigation Bureau, a major could already be considered a mid-level backbone officer. Moreover, Guo Xueyi was Xiang Yan’s confidant, a veteran subordinate who had followed him for many years.

Just this morning, Xiang Yan had specifically coordinated with Ning Zhiheng regarding recommending Guo Xueyi for a commendation. One could say that for Guo Xueyi's sake, a dignified colonel department head had communicated as an equal with a captain—which fully demonstrated how deeply Xiang Yan valued Guo Xueyi.

Shao Wenguang then recounted the specific sequence of events. It turned out that upon receiving Xiang Yan’s arrest order, Guo Xueyi immediately arranged the operation. Knowing that Tian Liqun was always the last to leave the newspaper office, Guo Xueyi set up an ambush right outside the entrance of the Minsheng Daily, waiting to strike when Tian Liqun finished work at noon.

There was supposedly nothing wrong with this operational layout; it should have been completely sufficient to capture Tian Liqun by surprise. Yet today, for reasons unknown, Tian Liqun was uncharacteristically late in appearing.

Guo Xueyi, who had been commanding from the surveillance post, grew increasingly impatient as time dragged on. Unable to endure the wait any longer, he finally came down in person to check the situation at the entrance of the Minsheng Daily.

Just at that moment, Tian Liqun arrived fashionably late, stepping out of the Minsheng Daily entrance. By sheer coincidence, his eyes met Guo Xueyi’s.

Tian Liqun was an exceptionally elite operative who had undergone rigorous intelligence training. He possessed a super-strong memory, particularly excelling in short-term facial recognition!

He clearly remembered that just the morning before yesterday, the man standing before him had locked eyes with him in the Erma Alley, briefly arousing his suspicion until that man had casually walked away.

In fact, Tian Liqun had spent an extra half-hour observing the area back then to confirm everything was safe before dropping the film.

Never had he expected this man to suddenly appear here today. The two exchanged glances under circumstances almost identical to the day before, and in a split second, he recognized Guo Xueyi!

Yet Guo Xueyi did not realize this. Acting just as he had last time, he feigned nonchalance and prepared to leave while giving the signal to close in.

As the operational agents lunged forward, Tian Liqun, who had already been on guard, drew his pistol with lightning speed and fired preemptively, striking Guo Xueyi directly in the chest. To rescue Guo Xueyi, the other agents were forced to draw their weapons and open fire. Tian Liqun took multiple hits and died on the spot!

Meanwhile, Guo Xueyi suffered a critical chest wound and could not hold on for long; before he could even reach the hospital, he breathed his last breath, dying a martyr for his country.

"Does Deputy Director Xiang know about this?" Ning Zhiheng asked. In truth, it was a redundant question; as the department head directly in charge of major spy cases, Xiang Yan would undoubtedly have received the news instantly.

"Of course he knows. The moment he received the call, Deputy Director Xiang flew into a rage and smashed the phone right to pieces. Right now, he’s at the military hospital inspecting the bodies of the two men," Shi Hong said with lingering fear. "Kang Shundong is in terrible luck this time. I heard he was cursed out furiously by Deputy Director Xiang. As Guo Xueyi’s second-in-command, he’ll likely have to shoulder a mountain of responsibility!"

"There’s nothing to be done about it; it’s just his bad luck. The arrest of a primary target failed, and the primary officer in charge of the operation died on the spot. Naturally, the second-in-command has to bear the fallout of this mess. Speaking of which, Lao Kang is a good man—meticulous, dedicated, and intensely responsible. Who would have expected such a tragedy?" Ning Zhiheng sighed inwardly. He and Kang Shundong had partnered for several days and held a very high opinion of him; it was a pity his luck had run out so bitterly!

And then there was Guo Xueyi. Initially, Ning Zhiheng and he hadn't clicked, and they even had minor frictions. However, Guo Xueyi quickly adjusted his stance and showed goodwill, clearing away any lingering resentment between them. Afterward, they got along reasonably well, yet in the blink of an eye, they were separated by life and death, with Guo Xueyi giving his life for the cause!

Suddenly, he remembered that Shi Hong had also received orders today to carry out an arrest. He asked, "Brother Hong, how did your operation to capture Su Yu go today?"

Hearing Ning Zhiheng’s inquiry, Shi Hong hastily nodded and replied, "Our operation went smoothly. We didn’t dare make a move inside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so we ambushed him midway. It was a complete success! The target has already been brought back and sent to the interrogation department to await trial."

Since Ning Zhiheng was his direct superior, every detail of his operation had to be reported to Ning Zhiheng at the earliest opportunity.

Only then did Ning Zhiheng breathe a sigh of relief. If Shi Hong’s operation had gone wrong, he too would have had to shoulder a share of the responsibility!