cicada

Chapter 1403 Banquet
Zuo Zhong and He Yijun walked side by side on the beach of Rabaul. Under their feet was dark and fine volcanic mud and volcanic rock sand, which made a crackling sound when they stepped on it.

Further away, the beach in some areas has a bright orange-red color due to oxidation, and small shrubs grow tenaciously in the cracks of the rocks, forming a sharp contrast with the lush green mountains and forests.

Accompanied by the sound of splashing waves, Zuo Zhong talked to He Yijun as he walked. The sea breeze blew up the hem of the latter's long skirt from time to time, causing Zuo Zhong to secretly glance at her.

A few hundred meters away, a Japanese major in tropical uniform was looking at the two men through binoculars. He had a military police armband on his left arm.

"Results of the verification of the target's identity?"

The major stared at Zuo Chong and the other man and asked a question. Behind him stood several military police officers dressed in the same manner. One of them immediately stepped forward when he heard his question.

"Hai, the news from the mainland is that Shimizu Mato and Shimizu Itsuko are from the same hometown of Kamazaki. Their relatives and friends died during the Spanish flu and the rice riots. Many of their classmates also died or were killed in the war with the Republic of China. But we found their former neighbors and are cooperating with the investigation."

On the beach, He Yijun was also asking Zuo Chong whether the Japanese would secretly identify them. After all, the timing and place of their appearance were too sensitive.

Zuo Zhong smiled, tilted his head and whispered back, "Don't worry, Fu Ling and the others are doing an excellent job."

Preparation is the key to success. Since he dared to come to Rabaul to approach Imamura Hitoshi and Yamamoto, he must have made thorough preparations.

On the other side, the major stopped observing, put down the telescope and looked at his men: "Oh? What's the result?"

"We sent the photos back to our home country by telex and fax. According to the neighbors, the targets were Shimizu Mato and Shimizu Itsuko. The police station's household registration files did not find any suspicious points."

After listening to his subordinate's report, the major nodded slightly, but still did not completely let down his guard. He decided to find an opportunity to confront Shimizu Masaru head-on and test his opponent's bottom line.

However, when he thought of the place name Kamazaki, a trace of disdain and embarrassment flashed across the major's face. Kamazaki is the largest slum in Osaka, and even in the whole of Japan, and the public security is extremely chaotic.

The residents are mainly manual laborers, including construction workers and transport workers. Sanitation and infrastructure are extremely poor, and various epidemics occur frequently.

In order to prevent local information from being leaked and damaging the majesty of the locust, the government has been covering up its existence, such as deleting the "Kamazaki" area on the map, prohibiting foreigners from entering, and vigorously recruiting young people from Kamazaki to join the army.

Therefore, it is normal that a large number of people related to the Shimizu Masato couple died. What is surprising is that the other party grew from a poor man in Kamazaki to a successful businessman.

Thinking in his mind, the major waved his hand and ordered a temporary retreat. New Britain Island is very small and the target cannot escape.

When the military police were leaving, Zuo Zhong was introducing the preliminary preparations for the operation to He Yijun, which involved the identity background and disguise steps of the Qingshui Masato couple.

"The turnover of people in Kamazaki is very high, and even the Japanese government does not know how many people there are there. Taking advantage of this, Tokyo replaced the neighbors with fake identities with our people, and also replaced the files in the police station.

The replacement work began as early as 1933, which was shortly after you and I entered the Secret Service. This process lasted for a full ten years, and the Bureau also purged those who could not be replaced. "

Zuo Zhong's tone was cold. The Military Control Commission did not have the ability to target the organized Japanese army, but assassinating a few Japanese soldiers and civilians was no problem.

A sniper bullet on the battlefield, an accidental fire, or a robbery and murder case can all help the Military Control Commission confirm the fake identity.

The particularity of intelligence work is reflected in this. In order to complete a task, sometimes preparations have to be made several years or even more than ten years in advance.

He Yijun felt relieved after hearing this. She turned her gaze to the blue sea and gently put her arm around Zuo Zhong's arm. Neither of them spoke again.

That night, Zuo Zhong received a call from Imura Jun, who invited him to attend a banquet at the Eighth Front Army Headquarters the next night, but did not explain the reason for the banquet, nor did he mention the list of guests attending the banquet.

After hanging up the phone, Zuo Zhong held the microphone and smiled slightly. Yamamoto was a good friend, but unfortunately, they were enemies.

His hero is my enemy. If there had been no war, he wouldn't mind drinking and chatting with Yamamoto, but now, as an enemy, he can only send him to see Amaterasu.

As time passed, with the first ray of sunlight piercing through the clouds in the sky, the sea surface was coated with golden red ripples, and a new day began in Rabaul.

That afternoon, a supply plane landed at the airport, carrying a large amount of fresh food and drinks. The chefs of the Eighth Front Army were also busy.

No matter how bad the situation was at the front, the needs of senior officers were always met first. As for the soldiers, rice balls with sand and gravel in them were enough.

Zuo Zhong and He Yijun arrived at the Japanese headquarters early. Imamura Jun's adjutant led the two to the banquet site. Many Japanese officers and Japanese businessmen had already arrived. Melodious music was playing from the phonograph, and a champagne tower stood in the center of the venue.

"Mr. Shimizu, Mrs. Itsuko, please wait a moment. The commander will be here soon." The adjutant said with a smile and turned to leave.

The guests immediately gathered around. In addition to routine investigations, Zuo Zhong had also met many Japanese people. They chatted and laughed. He Yijun also walked to the women's area with several businessmen's wives. "Qingshui Jun, does your food processing factory need rice from Malaya?" A businessman asked Zuo Zhong in a low voice.

The shortage of supplies for the Japanese army does not mean that the Japanese government and big businessmen have no food. The shortage of long-distance transportation capacity has caused a large amount of food to be piled up in Southeast Asia. If it can be transported to Rabaul nearby, it will naturally be a good thing.

Zuo Zhong thought for a moment, nodded and said, "As long as it does not exceed 10,000 tons, I can accept it all. As citizens of the empire, we have an obligation to help the locust army solve its problems."

The businessman smiled and shook his hand. "It's a deal. I'll notify the Malayan side immediately."

In a casual manner, the two men decided on a large transaction involving 10,000 tons of grain. The logistics officer of the Eighth Front Army next to them also smiled and raised his glass to toast Zuo Chong.

Without considering losses, 6 tons of food can meet the basic needs of 8 people for to months, and this is just the beginning.

As everyone was talking, Imamura Hitoshi and Yamamoto walked into the meeting room together. The Japanese soldiers present immediately stopped talking and lined up to welcome the two.

Yamamoto put his hands under the brim of his hat and kept walking past the crowd, looking very stylish. When he walked in front of Zuo Zhong and He Yijun, he suddenly stopped and laughed.

"Qingshui-kun, Miss Yizi, long time no see, I didn't expect that we would meet again."

Everyone was shocked at first, and then they suddenly realized that Shimizu Mato actually knew Lord Yamamoto. No wonder the other party would set up a grain processing plant in Rabaul.

Although the military logistics business does not have high profits, it is the most stable business, so every imperial general has a fixed partner behind him.

Zuo Zhong ignored the surprised looks of the people around him and bowed deeply: "It is Qingshui's honor to be remembered by Lord Yamamoto."

"Of course I won't forget. There is still a bet between you and me that has not been settled."

Yamamoto patted his shoulder, took a paper bag from his adjutant and handed it to Zuo Zhong: "Here is the 10,000 yen I lost to you, Shimizu-kun, please accept it, and we'll have a good chat later."

Zuo Zhong was not polite. He held the paper bag with both hands and said "Arigato". This action made Yamamoto even more satisfied. In his position, a communication partner who was neither humble nor arrogant was far more important than money.

Patting Zuo Zhong's shoulder again, Yamamoto continued to walk forward. Imamura Jun followed suit and nodded to Zuo Zhong affectionately.

Looking at the actions of the two commanders, everyone gasped. This Mr. Qingshui was truly no ordinary person. He had connections in both the navy and the army.

Afterwards, Yamamoto and Imamura took turns to go on stage and deliver speeches proclaiming the victory of the locust army. When the music started again, the banquet officially began.

"Shimizu-kun."

Yamamoto took a glass of wine from the champagne tower and waved to Zuo Zhong. This scene made those who were interested more certain that Shimizu Mato was Yamamoto's glove.

Zuo Zhong signaled He Yijun to move on his own, and he quickly walked to the side of Shan Ben. At this time, there were several Japanese officers standing around him, including a major wearing a military police armband.

Yamamoto did not introduce the identities of these people, but smiled and said: "Shimizu-kun, where do you think the Americans will attack next?"

The major of the military police frowned slightly. It was somewhat inappropriate for Lord Yamamoto to discuss military issues with a businessman. He was about to open his mouth to remind him, but Zuo Chong answered first.

"Admiral, I am just a businessman. I should not and cannot talk about the war. Please forgive me."

Yamamoto shook his head and said unconcernedly, "It doesn't matter. I need information from different angles. Besides, our discussion does not involve specific deployments. It's just a casual chat between friends."

Since the other party had said so, Zuo Zhong had no choice but to reluctantly express his opinion. He said that the US military was likely to attack New Guinea.

Because once the US military occupied there, they could cut off the supply line from Southeast Asia to Rabaul. Without supplies, Rabaul and even the Combined Fleet would be in big trouble.

The Japanese officer who was listening smiled but said nothing. The military staff had anticipated this and had formulated a counterattack plan. However, it was not easy for a businessman to have such a strategic vision. No wonder Lord Yamamoto attached so much importance to him.

Sensing the devil's thoughts, Zuo Zhong sneered inwardly, but continued on the surface: "Sir Yamamoto, when I was living in the United States, I heard that the Americans had formulated the Orange Plan, which contained a special tactic specifically designed to deal with the Empire."

Yamamoto was well-informed and immediately realized that Zuo Zhong was talking about the island-hopping tactic. The core of this tactic was to selectively capture strategically important islands rather than every piece of land occupied by the enemy.

The current war situation just meets the conditions for the use of island-hopping tactics. Will the Americans do this? Yamamoto fell into deep thought.

When Zuo Zhong was reminding the Japanese, He Yijun was also chatting with someone in the women's area. A female nurse from the Eighth Area Army Hospital was extremely enthusiastic and kept talking to her.