cicada

Chapter 1465 [Operation Number One]

A few days later, Ban Jun was driving through the bustling downtown area of ​​Nanjing when he noticed several suspicious-looking men in the crowd on the roadside. They looked familiar and seemed to be traitors from the advisory department.

He frowned slightly and asked the driver, "Why are the brothers out on the street? Did something happen?"

The driver didn't turn around and said nonchalantly, "It's nothing. Commander Chai Shan ordered them to infiltrate the city and monitor unfamiliar faces to see if there are any anti-Japanese elements."

Ban Jun frowned even more deeply. The Japanese were used to imposing martial law before large-scale military operations, so it seemed that the attack that Shibayama Kenshiro had mentioned was about to begin.

"Let's take a stroll around the city." He abandoned his plan to get more information from the driver and decided to explore the city himself.

The car drove along the road past key locations such as the puppet government's residence, the train station, the Japanese military camp, the airport, and the docks, and Ban Jun indeed discovered many unusual signs.

A large number of traitors were going door-to-door collecting grain, cloth, and laborers. If the people said anything, these beasts would directly swing their gun butts and hit them.

At the same time, private carriages and cars in the city were also requisitioned, and the Japanese army concentrated them all near the military supply depot.

Patrols at bus and train stations became more frequent, with Japanese and puppet police questioning passengers and checking luggage everywhere. Even his private car was stopped several times.

Furthermore, loudspeakers along both sides of the road incessantly broadcast Japanese and puppet regime propaganda slogans, urging Nanjing citizens to cooperate with the Japanese army's actions and actively report on special agents from the mountain city and the Northwest, etc.

There was a sense of impending doom throughout Nanjing, and the people, sensing that something was wrong, unconsciously quickened their pace.

Ban Jun knew what was going on. It seemed that Chai Shan hadn't lied to him, and Zuo Zhong's intelligence was correct. The Japanese army had indeed made some moves recently.

However, his current position is somewhat awkward, and he cannot take the initiative to inquire about military secrets, otherwise it would easily arouse Chai Shan's suspicion.

After a moment's thought, Ban Jun decided to remain unchanged in the face of all changes. Although Chai Shan had mentioned this matter before as a test, it might have been a way of getting him involved in the operation.

Ban Jun was well aware of his own value. He was not only familiar with the underground party, but also with the Nationalist government's intelligence agencies. Chai Shan would not leave such an assistant unused.

Having figured this out, Ban Jun was no longer in a hurry. He continued to shuttle between Yuqin and Lin Miaoyin's residences as usual.

In late March 1944, even a fool could see that a major war between China and Japan was about to break out again, and the Japanese army in Henan Province had even built a railway bridge over the Yellow River.

To this end, intelligence agents infiltrating the Japanese-occupied areas of Yamashiro and Northwest China worked tirelessly to gather intelligence, resulting in numerous firefights with Japanese military police and special agents, with casualties on both sides.

That day, Ban Jun and Lin Miaoyin were chatting in the garden when he took out a small red box and handed it to her.

Lin Miaoyin looked pleasantly surprised, picked up the gift box, and asked, "Is this a gift from Mr. Ban?"

"Well, open it and take a look," Ban Jun said with a smile, keeping everyone in suspense.

The box was opened, and on the black velvet cloth lay a necklace, the very same one that Yuqin had thrown out of the room.

A hint of disdain flashed in Lin Miaoyin's eyes, but she still pretended to be happy, picked up the necklace and placed it in Ban Jun's palm, then tossed her hair back.

Ban Jun stood up, walked around the table, and gracefully helped her put on the necklace, creating a subtle and ambiguous atmosphere.

Half an hour later, Ban Jun, who was leaving Lin Miaoyin's residence, was stopped by a traitor who conveyed an order to him.

"Advisor Ban, His Excellency Chai Shan wishes to see you immediately. Please get in the car with me."

The traitor blocked the road, then opened the door of the car next to him, his meaning clear: he wanted Ban Jun to get in the car directly.

Without hesitation, Ban Jun turned around, waved to Lin Miaoyin, bent down, and climbed into the back seat of the car, where another person was already sitting.

Upon seeing him get into the car, the other person said nothing, took out a hood and put it over his head, and the vehicle immediately started and drove away.

After a bumpy ride of more than half an hour, the car slowly came to a stop. Ban Jun, who was helped out of the car, took off his hood and saw a heavily guarded villa in front of him.

"Bansan, welcome."

In front of the mansion, Shibayama Kenshiro, dressed in casual clothes, smiled and waved. Ban Jun walked over quickly, and the two shook hands lightly.

Before Ban Jun could ask where they were, Chai Shan led him into the Western-style house, where there were many Japanese and puppet regime intelligence personnel and soldiers on guard.

Upon arriving at the study on the second floor, Shibayama Kenshiro invited Banjun to sit down and then explained the reason for inviting him.

"Bansan, this is the Nanjing command post for Operation No. 1. Not long ago, I mentioned that I hoped you could assist me in developing a material transfer plan. Now is the time."

Ban Jun looked around at the room's furnishings and said to Chai Shan with some helplessness, "Do I still have the right to refuse?"

"Hahaha, Bansan, you really are a smart man." Shibayama Kenshiro laughed.

Both men knew perfectly well that from the moment Ban Jun stepped into the mansion, he either had to obey orders or walk out sideways.

Perhaps worried that Ban Jun might be upset, Chai Shan not only comforted him gently after laughing, but also promised him benefits.

"Ban Sang, Mr. Ji has promised me that he will support you to become the Deputy Minister of the Construction Committee of the New Government. This is a very lucrative position."

"You must seize this opportunity. The Empire and the new government will not forget your contributions. Please help me complete the plan. I beg you." With that, Chai Shan bowed deeply. Ban Jun was "overwhelmed with gratitude" and quickly helped him up.

"You flatter me. I am willing to serve the Locust Army."

After some polite refusals, the two sat down again, and Shibayama Kenshiro gave Ban Jun a hint, or rather a threat.

"The security level here is very high. No one is allowed to go out at will. If anyone dares to step out of the gate, the sentry will not hesitate to shoot."

"In addition, the telephone in the room requires special permission to use, and all calls are recorded."

Ban Jun was not surprised at all. These were basic confidentiality requirements, and besides what Chai Shan mentioned, the Japanese must have other means of surveillance and eavesdropping.

However, he still had to make a statement, so he nodded: "Hai, please rest assured, Lord Chaishan, I will stay here without leaving your side."

Kenjiro Shibayama nodded in satisfaction and then got down to business. He assigned Ban Jun a task: to design a complete set of anti-sabotage measures for the "Pinghan-Yuehan-Xianggui" railway line.

The content includes patrol arrangements, protection of key locations, and troop deployment.

Ban Jun was startled. The material transfer plan was just an excuse; the other side's real purpose was to clear out and protect the railway line.

The Pinghan-Yuehan-Xianggui line involves North China, Central China, and South China, traversing six provinces: Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, and Guangxi, encompassing almost half of the Republic of China era.

That wasn't all. Shibayama Kenshiro continued, saying that the puppet Manchukuo's pontoon bridge troops, surveying troops, railway troops, and communications troops would also be ordered to move south soon.

Ban Jun felt as if a huge rock was blocking his chest. The puppet Manchukuo troops had all been mobilized, and the hundreds of thousands of elite Kwantung Army soldiers certainly wouldn't just sit and watch.

This means that the Japanese army, the Kwantung Army, and the puppet army inside the Great Wall will join forces to launch an attack, and the Nationalist government and the Northwest will face the greatest threat since the start of the war.

Thinking to himself, Ban Jun stood up and loudly replied "Hai!" Chai Shan was satisfied and had a large amount of intelligence data delivered to him. The two studied and discussed it together.

During the discussion, Chai Shan revealed more information, which made Ban Jun increasingly alarmed.

The so-called Operation Ichi-Go was essentially a military operation by the Japanese army to open up a railway line from North China to Southwest China, connecting the Japanese-occupied territories of Manchukuo, North China, South China, and Southeast Asia into one contiguous area.

In this battle, the Japanese army mobilized at a level comparable to that of the battles of Beiping and Shanghai a few years earlier, using more than 10,000 vehicles and more than 70,000 horses. The ammunition alone was enough for an army of 500,000 to fight for a year.

Shibayama Kenshiro seemed to notice Ban Jun's surprise. He spread out a map of East Asia with a hint of pride and drew a large circle with Tokyo as the center.

The area encompasses the Kuril Islands, the Japanese archipelago, the Luzon Islands, the Ogasawara Islands, as well as a large region including Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea, and the interior of the Republic of China.

Pointing to the circle, Chai Shan, with a serious expression, explained in detail another objective of Operation No. 1.

"Based on the flight distance calculations of American bombers, the General Staff calculated that beyond this range, it would be difficult for American long-range bombers to fly densely over the Imperial homeland."

"If the operation succeeds, we will not only be able to connect the occupied areas, but also keep the American air power outside the absolute defense perimeter. This battle cannot be lost."

Ban Jun, being a soldier by training, naturally understood the strategic significance of the absolute defensive perimeter, but he couldn't go out or send out intelligence.

Suppressing his anxiety, Ban Jun wholeheartedly helped Chai Shan devise a plan to counter sabotage the railway, his attitude extremely serious.

In this situation, deliberate sabotage and shirking responsibility can only arouse suspicion. Chai Shan's current position is not due to luck; his performance must be even more proactive than that of a true traitor.

After listening to Ban Jun's suggestions for a while, Shibayama Kenjiro patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction: "Yoshi, Ban-san, your arrangement is very reasonable."

After he finished speaking, he took out a document from the safe, which contained the unit number of the Nanjing puppet army.

Following Ban Jun's advice, Chai Shan relocated various puppet troops to suitable positions.

Once the war made any progress, these traitors would follow the Japanese attacking forces to protect important facilities and buildings along the railway line.

The puppet troops were not good at fighting tough battles, but they were fine at winning battles when things were going well. However, this also shows that the Japanese were short of troops, otherwise the Japanese would not have needed to transfer troops from Nanjing.

Ban Jun kept the deployment in mind, but he did not completely believe it. The intelligence had to be verified from multiple sources to ensure its accuracy.

He didn't know if this was false information released by Chai Shan. Ban Jun always remained vigilant towards this veteran spy.

Kenjiro Shibayama did not fully trust Ban Jun, because he did not mention the movements of the Japanese army.

As time went by, Ban Jun made many new "friends" in the command post and also verified the deployment of the puppet troops.

This is not difficult to do. For example, there must be food and ammunition supply points near the puppet army's garrison. If there are none, the authenticity of the intelligence should be questioned.

Through days of reconnaissance, Ban Jun basically figured out the future patrol routes, troop distribution, and weapon configuration of the puppet army on the Pinghan-Yuehan-Xianggui Railway.

Knowing which bridges have traps, which tunnels and culverts have alarms, and which switches have hidden sentries—this invaluable intelligence will play a huge role.

On April 1, 1944, April Fool's Day, Ban Jun made a request to Chai Shan, thus beginning the first step of the plan.