Chapter 154: Late Night Visit (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Ning Zhiheng entered the study, where Huang Xianzheng was sitting in a chair, toying with a porcelain vase in his hands. Seeing Ning Zhiheng enter, he put down the vase, waved for him to take a seat, and said with a smile, "What brings you here today? Rest assured, your matter has already been settled, and there will be news in a day or two!"

Ning Zhiheng smiled and replied, "This is all thanks to the Director's cultivation. I have already submitted my final case report today, and the case has come to a close."

Upon hearing this, Huang Xianzheng nodded and said, "There were indeed some special circumstances. The Director wants to open a separate case, but your Action Branch's mission is already complete, and you completed it exceptionally well!"

Ning Zhiheng did not say much more. Huang Xianzheng had always treated him with great care and had already arranged many things on his behalf. This was precisely the advantage of having backing and patronage behind one's back.

He stood up, walked forward, and placed a small box on the desk, saying, "Director, today I sealed Dai Daguang's estate and trading firm. As for the portion of the recovered liquid assets intended as a tribute for you, I have brought it."

Huang Xianzheng knew immediately that Ning Zhiheng had taken the initiative to move against Dai Daguang first. He nodded and said, "It is indeed time to speed up the progress of the case, and the prisoner should be handed over as soon as possible. That will be beneficial for you as well!"

At that moment, Ning Zhiheng retrieved another small leather suitcase and placed it on the desk, saying, "This is the share for the Director. I kindly ask you to forward it on my behalf!"

Everything went without saying. Huang Xianzheng nodded inwardly. Although Ning Zhiheng was young and had just graduated from the Whampoa Military Academy, apart from being meticulous, sharp, and capable, he conducted himself like a seasoned bureaucrat with years of experience in officialdom, leaving no loose ends in anything he did!

Naturally, Ning Zhiheng knew where his foundations lay. He had been specially recruited into the Military Statistics Bureau by his mentor, He Feng, through Huang Xianzheng. From the very beginning, he had been classified into Huang Xianzheng's faction and bore that brand.

In other words, his greatest reliance within the Military Statistics Bureau was Huang Xianzheng. Everyone around him was well aware of this. No matter how much the Director appreciated him, he would never treat him as a close confidant, because he knew that no matter what, Ning Zhiheng could not dare to break away from the Baoding clique, an act that was most despised in the military.

Therefore, Ning Zhiheng's request for Huang Xianzheng to hand over this sum of money to the Director on his behalf was a disguised expression of loyalty to Huang Xianzheng.

Furthermore, Ning Zhiheng's rank was indeed too low to have any channels of communication with the Director. Unless the Director summoned him personally, he had no right to request an audience.

Unlike Huang Xianzheng—since he himself was a member of the Baoding clique, paying a visit to his patron could be much more casual, and calling upon him did not appear abrupt.

Huang Xianzheng said with a beaming smile, "Zhiheng, the expansion has already begun, and the list of officers I promised to assign to you has also been drawn up. Just as we agreed originally, you will select them yourself. After all, you are the one who needs to work with them comfortably!"

With that, he took a list from the drawer and said, "These people are all newly recruited officers from our Baoding clique, and there are even classmates who entered the academy with you. Take this back and make your selections yourself, and finalize the candidates as soon as possible so I can put in a good word!"

Instead of taking the list, Ning Zhiheng respectfully said, "My experience is shallow, so how could my judgment of people compare to the Director's? It would be best for the Director to vet them for me. I don't need many people around me—just one quota for a team leader and two for deputy team leaders will be enough!"

How could Ning Zhiheng himself know the strengths and weaknesses of the people on that list, especially since they had never spent time together? Besides, he had absolute confidence that with his methods, these individuals would surely submit and obey him willingly. Therefore, he did not need to worry about this, and handing the initiative over to Huang Xianzheng was an even better way to demonstrate his loyalty.

Watching Ning Zhiheng defer completely to his judgment, Huang Xianzheng was even more satisfied. He put the list back into the drawer and laughed heartily, "Very well, I will handle these matters. You need not worry; these are all our own people, and they will certainly be easy to work with."

At that moment, Huang Xianzheng felt that Ning Zhiheng suited his wishes perfectly in every possible aspect, making him look upon him with increasing favor!

Noticing the porcelain piece on the desk, Ning Zhiheng asked inquisitively, "Does the Director also enjoy antiques?"

Huang Xianzheng laughed heartily and said, "It is merely something to play with in my leisure time—a personal hobby. What, Zhiheng, do you also enjoy these things?"

Ning Zhiheng nodded and said, "My family in Hangzhou was considered a well-to-do household, and since childhood, I have also enjoyed various antiques and jades. However, my learning is shallow, and my exposure is not very deep."

Huang Xianzheng had always loved collecting antiques, but none of his close friends shared this hobby, which naturally had a lot to do with the background of the times.

The reason was that in the early years of the Republic of China, the prices of antiques and jades were relatively cheap. Of course, a few years later they would become even cheaper, and collecting was practically a losing proposition with little collection value.

Unlike in later generations, where possessing a single good treasure instantly multiplied one's net worth and could even change the course of one's life.

However, in the early years of the Republic, society was turbulent and wars broke out frequently. People struggled just to ensure their personal safety, and among the common people, who would be willing to invest human and financial resources into antique collecting?

Those who had the wealth and energy to do so were mainly well-educated experts and wealthy gentry with substantial family fortunes. One could say that the group of people collecting cultural relics and antiques was very narrow and not widespread.

Coupled with the fact that during the Republican era, the base of antiques and cultural relics was enormous, items that later generations would view as rare and precious treasures were not uncommon in this era.

Collecting cultural relics and artifacts in this era was purely for personal appreciation, driven mostly by personal hobbies, and almost no one made a fortune by collecting antiques. As wars broke out more and more frequently, cultural relics and antiques became increasingly worthless.

Therefore, although Huang Xianzheng loved this pursuit, he rarely found anyone among his friends to discuss it with, and could not help feeling somewhat lacking in interest. Now, seeing that Ning Zhiheng also enjoyed this path, he felt somewhat delighted, and his desire to converse was instantly ignited.

He pointed to the porcelain vase on the desk and said with a smile, "Since that is the case, I must test you. Can you tell me a thing or two about this porcelain vase?"

"Then I shall make a fool of myself before an expert, and I ask the Director to correct my mistakes!" Ning Zhiheng said modestly. He reached out with both hands, carefully picked up the vase, examined the opening, the base mark, the shape, and the glaze colors.

He could not help nodding in praise, saying, "This is a fine Yuhuchun vase from the imperial kilns of Jingdezhen during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty! The body is light and delicate, the patterns are fine, the glaze is smooth and exquisite, and the white glaze is uniform and clear. The joints of the three-dimensional form are trimmed with meticulous care, and the craftsmanship is the absolute pinnacle of refinement. What the Director has collected is truly a fine piece; this is indeed a great treasure!"

Upon hearing Ning Zhiheng's appraisal, Huang Xianzheng slammed his large hand onto the desk, beamed with joy, and said, "Sharp eyes! Not a single word is wrong! Zhiheng, this is definitely not achieved overnight. Zhiheng! You are only in your early twenties; not only are your martial skills strong and your mind clear, but even this discerning eye—without several years of steady study, one cannot achieve it. This shows that since childhood, you have been diligent, hardworking, and exceptionally studious!"

Ning Zhiheng hurriedly said with modesty, "I dare not accept the Director's praise. My ancestors in the Ning family were officials and men of letters, so I naturally came into contact with these things much more than ordinary people, and over time I gained a bit of understanding. But to speak of studying it in depth, I am far inferior to you, Director!"

Huang Xianzheng nodded and said, "This is also your family's profound scholarly background. People's talents vary, and family backgrounds differ; naturally, others cannot help but envy that."

He reached out and pointed at the Yuhuchun vase in Ning Zhiheng's hands, then said with helpless resignation, "It is a pity, however, that times are difficult nowadays. The market for these antiques and jades is also poor. Look at this spring vase of mine: three years ago, I acquired it for eight hundred silver dollars, but today on the market it is worth no more than seven hundred fabi—its value has plummeted by more than half. At this rate, I fear that in the future it won't even sell for the price of a Chinese cabbage.

Sometimes when I think about it, it is truly a pity. These are treasures left behind by our ancestors. They contain humanistic sentiments and historical sediment, yet day by day they wither away. With state affairs as they are, and the times as they are, what can one do?"

Seeing Huang Xianzheng suddenly fall into deep lamentation, Ning Zhiheng was at a loss for how to respond for a moment. After thinking, he said, "To be honest, these cultural relics and antiques are, after all, lifeless objects. With state affairs in turmoil today, how many people are running about just to make a living? Survival itself is difficult, so how could anyone pay attention to these things! Forgive me, I spoke out of turn!"

Only then did Ning Zhiheng feel that something was amiss; after all, rashly discussing the current political situation in front of his superior was indeed quite inappropriate!

Huang Xianzheng waved his hand and gave a bitter smile, saying, "With state affairs in such a state, there is no need for taboos!"

His tone shifted, and he said, "With the current situation in turmoil, we cannot simply sit back and wait for death either! Zhiheng, I heard that your mentor, He Feng, specifically traveled to Chongqing last year and joined forces with Shen Haocheng to set up some properties. I hear the scale was quite significant!"

Upon hearing these words, Ning Zhiheng was startled for a moment. He had not expected Huang Xianzheng to be aware of this matter as well. Upon second thought, however, he was relieved—what kind of department was the Military Statistics Bureau? Its tentacles extended across the entire country. With Huang Xianzheng's current status and influence, as long as he wished to know, many things were difficult to keep from him.

He gently placed the Yuhuchun vase in his hand back onto the desk and replied cautiously, "The Director knows about this as well! My mentor was simply taking precautions for a rainy day, preparing just in case for the future."

Watching Ning Zhiheng's cautious and careful demeanor, Huang Xianzheng laughed heartily and said, "What kind of secret is that? Nowadays, land prices in places like Wuhan, Changsha, and Chongqing are soaring rapidly, having multiplied several times over. Those with quick-witted sources have already started making moves. We are our own people, so there is no need for discretion; in fact, I have also made some preparations.

I only failed to anticipate that your mentor, usually so rigid and stubborn, would be so quick-handed and nimble in this matter! He had already started making arrangements last year. By the time I began arranging things, land prices in Chongqing had already multiplied several times over.

Sometimes I think to myself: I always thought my mind worked faster than those of my classmates, but seeing this now, that 'Madman He' is truly the one with great wisdom disguised as a fool. In terms of this foresight, I am far inferior!"