Chapter Sixty-Three: Another Pursuit and Capture

Ning Zhiheng felt somewhat embarrassed by the praise; his performance had indeed been a little too conspicuous. Still, this was a good thing for him. Achievements and recognition should be pursued early! His career was just at its starting line, and he desperately needed to make some notable accomplishments to win the appreciation of his superiors, which would bode well for his future prospects.

If you don't display your excellence, how would your leaders pick you out from the crowd?

"Senior Brother, you're too kind. I was just lucky, that's all," Ning Zhiheng waved his hand with a humble smile.

"Haha, you're right, luck—it really matters in our line of work. Sometimes, luck means everything to us, and yours is truly exceptional," Wei Liangbi said with genuine admiration.

He returned to his seat and then asked seriously, "Where is this new target now?"

"Don't worry, Senior Brother. Shao has his eyes on him—there's no way he can get away," Ning Zhiheng replied.

Wei Liangbi nodded with confidence. Shao Wenguang was an expert in surveillance and tailing, meticulous in his methods, and had never failed. Wei trusted him completely.

"So, what are your plans for this newly emerged target?" Wei continued.

"I propose we move in for the arrest immediately," Ning Zhiheng replied.

"Immediately? Isn't that a bit hasty? Cui Hai is already dead, and this contact is our only lead. Shouldn't we keep him under surveillance for a few days?" Wei Liangbi frowned.

Typically, when a target is discovered, as long as they’re not alerted, there would be a period of observation, often yielding greater results. Wei tended to prefer caution.

Ning Zhiheng leaned forward, explaining his reasoning: "I'm worried that the longer we wait, the more chances for things to go wrong. We don't know Cui Hai's specific mission, but his death won't stay hidden for long. A prolonged lack of contact will surely arouse the Japanese’s suspicion. Other spies linked to his mission, especially those in direct contact with him, will receive warning messages from the Japanese headquarters. These spies will either go underground or flee. So I believe we should take the opportunity now and reel in this big fish!"

Initially, Ning Zhiheng had only described the situation to Wei Liangbi as his subordinates discovering Cui Hai—a suspicious target—and that he wanted to tail him, hence bringing in the seasoned intelligence operative Shao Wenguang. As for the link between Cui Hai and the Shadow Group, there was no evidence to prove their connection—only Ning Zhiheng himself knew the truth, and he couldn’t explain it to Wei Liangbi.

Even Shao Wenguang only knew that Ning Zhiheng, during a routine investigation of Huang Xiansheng’s colleagues, had come across Cui Hai—known as Kawakami Kenta—the new target. Shao Wenguang, Wei Liangbi’s trusted aide, would inevitably report this to Wei, but that was all he knew.

The best outcome would be to arrest the contact and, through his confession, establish a flawless connection between Cui Hai and the Shadow Group. By then, everything would fall neatly into place.

After listening to Ning Zhiheng, Wei Liangbi hesitated for a moment, pondering carefully, and found the reasoning sound.

Cui Hai’s disappearance would certainly alert the Japanese headquarters. If they managed to warn the new contact through other channels, even this big fish might slip through the net. But if they could capture this target, it would already be a considerable achievement. Any further gains would be a bonus; if not, the accomplishment was still significant—one must learn contentment.

"Alright!" Wei Liangbi slapped the table and said decisively, "You're right—better a bird in hand than a hundred in the forest. We’ll move in on the new target! Once we've confirmed his hideout, we’ll act swiftly. Zhiheng, you must be exceptionally cautious this time, and make sure to bring him back alive."

Ning Zhiheng spread his hands with a wry smile, saying, "Senior Brother, I'm really a bit banged up this time. No external wounds, but that grenade blast had me vomiting blood, and my chest still aches. This time, you should take command of the arrest yourself!"

Wei Liangbi was momentarily stunned but quickly understood Ning Zhiheng’s intent. He was offering him the credit for the arrest.

From tracking down clues to confirming the target and capturing Cui Hai, so much effort and hardship had been invested—Wei could easily imagine as much. All this work had been Ning Zhiheng’s doing, and now, at the most critical moment, it was time to reap the rewards.

As Ning Zhiheng’s direct superior, Wei would naturally be credited for effective leadership, but nothing compared to the merit of personally capturing a key target. Ning Zhiheng was inviting Wei to fully participate in the case’s resolution, sharing a large portion of the credit. Wei felt a surge of gratitude; to have such a junior who would willingly yield such great merit—what more could one ask for?

After all, intervening at the last stage of someone else’s case to claim the credit was the most condemned behavior in the Military Intelligence Service. If Ning Zhiheng hadn’t taken the initiative, Wei would never have overstepped, especially since Ning was his junior. He would not have done so.

Now, with Ning handing over command, there was no cause for concern.

In truth, Ning Zhiheng had already planned for this. If the Japanese spy case led to the capture of the entire Shadow Group, it would be a major accomplishment. But as a mere lieutenant and team leader, even if all the credit went to him, the most he could expect was a promotion to captain—a waste, really.

For Wei Liangbi, however, this was a pivotal time. Though the director had promised him a promotion when the Military Intelligence Service expanded next year, if he could distinguish himself in this major case, promotion to lieutenant colonel would be a certainty—and such a display would greatly benefit his future career.

Wei’s promotion would only bring Ning Zhiheng advantages, and by doing him such a favor—coupled with their brotherly ties—Wei would become his most steadfast supporter in the years to come.

"Zhiheng, there's no need for such formalities between us. This case’s investigation has been carried out entirely under your leadership—I can’t steal your thunder!" Wei said, though his heart was stirred, he was still a man of pride.

Ning Zhiheng knew Wei was proud and might find it hard to accept, so he spoke frankly, "Senior Brother, I’m not just being polite. Think about it—if we crack this big case, I’m just a lieutenant. How much could I really gain? At best, a promotion to captain. Honestly, I’d get there in a couple more years anyway. But for a field officer like you, just being a Whampoa graduate isn’t enough for promotion; you need major achievements. Let’s not say any more about this between us."

Wei Liangbi patted Ning Zhiheng’s shoulder gratefully and nodded. "Alright, enough talk. I’ll take command of the arrest."

Having settled their plans, Ning Zhiheng and Wei Liangbi immediately sent Sun Jiacheng to contact Shao Wenguang, instructing him to report to headquarters at once if there was any news.

Sun Jiacheng, having been saved by Ning’s bravery, was deeply grateful and followed Ning’s orders without question. Seeing that his captain was indeed alright, he set off at once.

Meanwhile, the entire third action team was ordered to stand by, ready for action. Shi Hong and Wang Shucheng, seeing the gravity of the situation, realized a major operation was at hand and readied themselves with full vigilance.

Time ticked by slowly as Ning Zhiheng and Wei Liangbi waited anxiously in the office. Finally, after six in the evening, the phone in Wei’s office rang.

Wei quickly snatched up the receiver, and soon Shao Wenguang’s voice came through. After a brief conversation, Wei put down the phone and turned to Ning Zhiheng, excitement in his voice. "Old Shao has confirmed the contact’s identity. Let’s go now, assess the situation, and prepare to act!"

Without another word, Ning Zhiheng turned to muster the action team, and they set out without delay.

In the car, Wei Liangbi briefed Ning Zhiheng on Shao Wenguang’s report.

At noon, after Ning’s group had left the restaurant, the contact waited about ten minutes before casually leaving the private room. Shao Wenguang tailed him, and the man showed signs of being adept at evading pursuit—he tested his tail twice, but Shao’s vigilance prevented him from being discovered.

Ultimately, Shao traced the contact to his residence—a small, detached house in the southern part of the city. The contact stayed home for an hour, then went to teach at a nearby elementary school. Shao quickly gathered his background.

His name was Xie Ziming, a thirty-six-year-old from the northeast, who had just secured a job as a Chinese teacher at Hongcheng Elementary a few days prior. Shao watched him all afternoon. Only when Sun Jiacheng’s message arrived did he learn that Cui Hai had been blown up; now, Xie Ziming was their sole lead. Shao became even more cautious, summoning all available personnel.

Now, with Xiong Hongda, Gong Ji’an, and others, Shao kept a tight watch near Xie Ziming’s house, awaiting Wei Liangbi’s arrival.

Before long, Wei’s team reached the location. Shao emerged from the shadows and said, "Chief, you’ve come yourself!"

"Is Xie Ziming still at home?" Wei asked.

"He returned half an hour ago and hasn’t left since. I’ve got men posted all around the house—he’s definitely still inside," Shao replied confidently.

Ning Zhiheng gestured for Shi Hong and Wang Shucheng to lead their teams and seal off the area completely.

Wei Liangbi and Ning Zhiheng surveyed the surroundings. Wei asked, "Zhiheng, what’s your take?"

Ning Zhiheng considered for a moment and replied, "We can’t force our way in. Our objective is to take him alive and obtain any useful evidence. If we alarm him, he may resist and we can’t guarantee his safety; he might even destroy evidence. The best course is to catch him off guard and subdue him swiftly."

"I agree. We need to lure him out and ambush him outside the house," Wei nodded, his operational experience showing.

"I have an idea!" Wei Liangbi suddenly declared, inspiration flashing in his eyes.