Spy Shadow: Command & Conquer

Chapter 2005, Mascot
A Japanese colonel walked out from inside.

He approached Zhang Yong, bowed, and saluted. Then he said, "His Excellency the Commander is resting; please wait a moment."

"Okay." Zhang Yong replied respectfully, casually taking out a string of firecrackers.

He skillfully lit it with a match. Then he tossed it aside casually.

crackling sounds...

crackling sounds...

Firecrackers suddenly went off everywhere.

The surrounding Japanese troops were immediately drawn to it.

Japanese Colonel: ...

Kenji Doihara: ...

other people:……

No. What are you doing?
What were you throwing again? Firecrackers? Here?
Who gave you permission to throw firecrackers?
Where did those firecrackers come from?
"What are you doing?" The Japanese colonel's cheek hurt.

"Celebrating the great victory our army has achieved," Zhang Yong replied earnestly. "Don't you know?"

"What victory?"

"Our army in Nanchang successfully defeated the Nationalist army's offensive, annihilating countless enemy troops in an unprecedented victory."

"This……"

The Japanese colonel's cheek hurt even more.

Was there a major victory in Nanchang? How come I didn't know? It's all bad news lately.

The Nationalist army is besieging Nanchang. The Japanese troops in Nanchang are fighting desperately, suffering heavy casualties. The 25th Army has suffered staggering losses.

Right now, the expeditionary force headquarters is scrambling to gather reinforcements.

Without sufficient reinforcements, Nanchang would certainly have fallen to the Nationalist army.

"Is not it?"

Zhang Yong smiled and took out two more strings of firecrackers.

Where did the firecrackers come from? Don't worry about the details. Just ask the system; they were given to you.

"Yes……"

The Japanese colonel, of course, dared not deny it.

Could it be that the Imperial Army was defeated in Nanchang and suffered heavy losses?
Reporting only good news and not bad news was a tradition of the Nationalist Army. It was also a tradition of the Japanese Army. There was no difference between the two sides.

"I heard our army annihilated 200,000 enemy troops. That's amazing."

Zhang Yong said happily.

He skillfully twisted the fuses of two strings of firecrackers together.

Then light it...

Then throw it out...

"Crackling and popping..."

"Crackling and popping..."

This time, the firecrackers exploded even louder.

For a time, the entrance to the headquarters of the Japanese Expeditionary Army was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Many Japanese soldiers, unaware of the true situation, genuinely believed that someone was celebrating something when they saw firecrackers being set off.

I immediately pictured enjoyable park activities and various dances...

Some of the higher-ranking officers even began to fantasize about geisha...

"idiot!"

"Big Bear Zhuang San, what are you doing?"

"Didn't you hear? Commander Hata Shunroku is resting."

The defenses of Doihara have been breached.

That bastard! He must have done it on purpose.

They're even setting off firecrackers in front of the troop headquarters. What are they celebrating?

asshole!

I have seen arrogant people, but I have never seen anyone so arrogant.

This is a complete disregard for Hata Shunroku! How dare a mere head of a secret service be so arrogant!
"Let's celebrate!"

Zhang Yong responded with a smile.

Then they brought out even more and longer firecrackers.

Kenji Doihara: ...

asshole!

Are you still coming?
idiot!

you really……

"Oh? You didn't know?" Zhang Yong exclaimed in surprise.

"What do you know?" Doihara asked instinctively. Then he hurriedly considered the matter repeatedly, afraid of being tricked.

"Our army has achieved an unprecedented victory in Nanchang! We have annihilated 200,000 enemy troops."

"Damn it, that's not true at all..."

"Doihara-kun, I allow you to take back what you said. Think it over carefully before you speak."

"You bastard! You're talking nonsense..."

"Snapped!"

Before he could finish speaking, Doihara was slapped.

Before he could react, Zhang Yong slapped him again, this time on the other cheek.

So cool.

Tufeiyuan, truly a fat and round place.

I slapped him twice, but my hand didn't hurt at all. That means he's got a lot of meat on him.

"Snapped!"

The sound is very loud.

A handprint immediately appeared on Doihara's cheek.

But I was completely bewildered.

who am I?
Where am I?

What should I do?
sluggish……

My mind went blank...

Zhang Yong grabbed the other person's ear.

He pulled it over forcefully and sneered at its ear.

"You idiot! Are you trying to falsely report our army's crushing defeat? Are you trying to say that Lord Hata Shunroku is incompetent?"

"I……"

"Lord Yamashita Tomoyuki is a man of both literary and military talent, a rare and outstanding general in our army. How dare you slander him! You idiot! Believe me or not, I'll beat you to death!"

"I……"

"Take back what you said. Rearrange your words according to my requirements."

"I……"

"The Imperial Army achieved an unprecedented victory in Nanchang, annihilating 200,000 enemy troops."

"I……"

Kenji Doihara was in a daze.

My ears actually heard it, but my mind wasn't fully awake yet.

"Baka! You idiot!"

"This is the battle report that headquarters wanted!"

"This is also a battle report that the Imperial Council needs!"

"If you dare to say anything out of line, I'll kill you right now!"

Zhang Yong was filled with murderous intent.

Kenji Doihara suddenly became clear-headed and perfectly lucid.

Terrible.

I had actually forgotten the most important point.

It means that you provide whatever battle report your superiors need.

Instead of simply submitting the battle report verbatim.

Who would like to see Nanchang defeated?

No one likes it.

Shunroku Hata didn't like it.

The headquarters doesn't like it.

The Imperial Council did not like it.

As the frontline commander defending Nanchang, Yamashita Tomoyuki disliked it even more.

Therefore, nobody likes a report of a defeat.

Only reports of victory can attract widespread attention.

but……

"Isn't 200,000 too much?"

"Not many. I have detailed statistics."

"what……"

"Look. These are the casualties of the National Revolutionary Army."

"what?"

Kenji Doihara looked at the small notebook that Zhang Yong had taken out.

Wow, that's some serious skill!

It contained not only telegrams but also raw data, down to the specific divisions of the Nationalist Army.

All the numbers are different. But when they are all added together, it comes to a little over two hundred thousand.

For a moment, Kenji Doihara felt an urge to become his apprentice.

To be able to lie through one's teeth and to portray black as white—the level of forgery to this extent is truly admirable!

No wonder this guy's been so arrogant lately and nothing's happened. He's got a knack for causing trouble.

They understand the needs of their superiors perfectly.

You can forge things...

But the fake needs to be of a certain quality.

Look at this battle report, the data is just too real.

It contains many Nationalist Army unit numbers and details their evolution.

Needless to say.

Absolutely no fakery.

There is a lot of information that even Kenji Doihara himself doesn't know.

It's estimated that even the headquarters doesn't know.

"The data is authentic and reliable," Zhang Yong asserted confidently. "I obtained it all personally."

"This..." Doihara was actually starting to believe it.

well……

It seems normal.

The Japanese army did indeed suffer heavy casualties.

However, the Nationalist army must have suffered heavy casualties as well!
The Japanese army was on the defensive, while the National Revolutionary Army was on the offensive, so the National Revolutionary Army suffered greater casualties.

and so……

This battle report is based on scientific evidence!
Based on a casualty ratio of one to three or one to four, the Nationalist army's 200,000 casualties were actually an underestimate.

"That……"

Organize your words carefully.

"I'm sorry, it was my oversight. I didn't expect the Nationalist army to suffer such heavy casualties."

"Yoshi! You've improved!"

Zhang Yong patted Kenji Doihara's head with satisfaction.

The gesture resembled petting a dog.

Last time...

Xi'an...

It seems like I touched someone too...

Stop!

Stop!

Kenji Doihara: ? ? ?

and many more!

what you do?
idiot!

You touched my head?

What do you mean?
ah ah ah...

Just as he was about to speak, he saw a Japanese colonel quickly come out from inside.

His expression seemed very unfriendly.

"Da Xiong Zhuang San, the commander invites you in."

"it is good."

"Doihara-kun, come in too!"

"Tie!"

Kenji Doihara reconsidered.

He thought to himself, "This time, Ookuma Shozo is definitely doomed. He'll definitely get a lesson from Hata Shunroku."

While Hata Shunroku was resting, you set off firecrackers outside.

This is a complete slap in the face to Hata Shunroku.

You'll get what's coming to you soon...

"it is good!"

Zhang Yong strolled forward leisurely.

I'm not afraid at all.

If a war breaks out, he will definitely drag a group of Japanese soldiers down with him.

He had an enormous amount of weapons and ammunition in his personal storage space. He even had 250-kilogram aerial bombs.

what!
Let's set up a few large firecrackers.

This is real firecrackers!
If you release one, the earth will shake!

Then all he lost was a mirror image. He'll try again next time.

"This bastard..."

"Really calm..."

Kenji Doihara was secretly puzzled. Some people had speculated that this Ookuma Shozo might be a fake.

Kenji Doihara's answer is: It's a fake. But it's not a fake either.

It's a fake. Not the real Wakayama vagabond.

It's not a fake. It's definitely a trusted confidant of Prince Chichibu, Yasuhito.

Look at him now, at the headquarters of the expeditionary force, as if he were back home.

"please."

"Thank you!"

Soon I saw Hata Shunroku.

And there's Seishiro Itagaki.

Both of them looked extremely grim.

This bastard in front of me is just a lowly head of a secret service agency!
How dare they cause trouble in front of the headquarters of the dispatched army!

Or was it intentional? That's incredibly arrogant.

They must be severely punished.

Zhang Yong remained calm and did not offer any greetings.

"idiot……"

Seishiro Itagaki spoke.

As a result, Zhang Yong stopped him by reaching out.

"you……"

"Commander, I've come to congratulate you."

"Why are you so happy?"

"Our army annihilated 300,000 enemy troops in Nanchang."

"Nani?"

Hata Shunroku and Itagaki Seishiro looked at each other in bewilderment.

what's the situation?
Annihilate 300,000 enemy troops? In Nanchang?
When did this happen?
Kenji Doihara: ...

and many more!

Brother, you changed it again?
You just said it was 200,000. Suddenly it's increased by 100,000?
no……

Your report doesn't match your notebook!

Don't do anything reckless!

Anyone can exaggerate their battle results.

However, there must be some solid evidence!
You can't just blurt things out.

"Commander, this is intelligence I obtained personally."

Zhang Yong presented the small black notebook.

Hata Shunroku's eyes darkened, and he gestured to the person next to him to take it.

At the same time, he gestured with his lips, indicating that Itagaki Seishiro should go and take a look first.

Seishiro Itagaki took it. He flipped through it coldly. Then, his expression quickly turned serious.

Gradually, I even began to be moved. I looked at it again and again.

"Chief of Staff, what's going on?"

"Commander, this is very detailed data."

"is it?"

"In addition to the enemy's casualties, there was also very detailed intelligence on the Nationalist army, more detailed than what we had."

"show me."

Hata Shunroku became curious. He reached out and took the small notebook.

Seishiro Itagaki's gaze fell on Zhang Yong. For the first time, he felt a surge of curiosity.

Then he looked at Kenji Doihara. His gaze held a hint of regret.

Kenji Doihara: ...

Ruined.

That little notebook caught Hata Shunroku's attention.

The intelligence inside was incredibly detailed, far more detailed than what the Japanese army had previously possessed.

This makes the casualty figures seem very credible.

"Big Bear, is this all true?"

Sure enough, after reading it, Hata Shunroku's tense face completely relaxed.

It was truly unexpected that the Nationalist army's casualties exceeded 300,000.

Therefore, the Japanese army's losses in Nanchang were not so significant.

After all, this is a normal ratio.

Or rather, it's an excellent ratio. Something to celebrate.

"of course."

"I guarantee this with the reputation of His Highness Prince Chichibu-no-Kami."

Zhang Yong made a solemn vow.

However, he did not use his own reputation.

Although he himself has no reputation.

I'm afraid it might really thunder...

The information about the Nationalist Army is, of course, true. There is no fabrication.

There was no need to fabricate anything. Even if the Japanese knew, it wouldn't matter. Because the Nationalist army's intelligence data changed three times a month.

The chaos was so great that even the Supreme Command couldn't control it, let alone the Japanese invaders.
"Damn it, it's unbelievable that the National Revolutionary Army still has so many unorganized guerrilla units."

"Your Excellency Chief of Staff, this is how the Chinese have always been."

"No wonder we couldn't wipe out their army. They had too many replacements."

"Yes."

Zhang Yong answered slowly.

Then he sat down by himself.

Excuse me. I'm tired of standing. Let me sit down for a bit.

Although you didn't invite me to sit down, I was quite willing to. So please don't be shy.

Kenji Doihara: ...

asshole.

You actually sat down?
No, I'm still standing. I'm at least...

So embarrassing...

"Mr. Doihara, please have a seat."

Fortunately, Hata Shunroku came to the rescue in time, and the matter was dropped.

Hata Shunroku examined the information very carefully, especially regarding intelligence related to the Nationalist Army.

Then compare it with the intelligence you already possess.

"So, the current commander of the 54th Army of the National Revolutionary Army is named Que Hanqian?"

"Yes. He has been in office for nine months."

Zhang Yong answered calmly.

The data is all true.

You can take any exam you want.

So, Kenji Doihara was in a somewhat awkward position.

He was responsible for collecting and organizing a considerable portion of the Nationalist army's intelligence.

Then, a new commander was appointed for one of the Nationalist Army's elite corps, and nine months later, the records hadn't been updated. That's incredibly inefficient...

Fortunately, Hata Shunroku didn't pursue the matter with Doihara. This is simply to confirm something.

Such detailed information is indeed very rare.

With this data as evidence, the figure of 300,000 casualties is very credible.

However, that's not the point.

The key point is—

"Big Bear, how do you plan to report this?"

"Of course, it will be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I will also submit a copy to my father-in-law, and then to the Minister of the Imperial Household."

Has it been submitted?

"If neither of you has any objections, I will submit it now."

Zhang Yong behaved very cooperatively.

His purpose in coming here was to become a mascot.

The mascot of the Japanese army, a deer.

They specifically helped the Japanese army to falsely report their battle results.

They deceived the Japanese invaders themselves.

It's also deceiving the world.

Then, they used this intelligence to negotiate with Acheson.

Look, we suffered a whopping 300,000 casualties in the Battle of Nanchang! And they were all elite Nationalist troops! With such meager aid from you, how are we supposed to fight?
what!
What's this called, "killing many birds with one stone"?

Hata Shunroku and Itagaki Seishiro exchanged a glance. They quickly made up their minds.

They desperately need this battle report.

The figure of 300,000 is important. But the way it was reported by a "third party" is even more important.

Reports from other people are undoubtedly more credible.

Even if they were to reach the Emperor, the Army could proudly say that this wasn't a fabrication on their part. It was reported by the Poison Agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This corrupt agency doesn't belong to the Army Headquarters; it belongs to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Therefore, it definitely won't speak on behalf of the Army. So, the data is absolutely accurate.

"Big Bear, our army is very grateful for your kindness..."

"Of course, I also have conditions."

“You can say it.”

“I need to monitor the Wang Jingwei government.”

"That's it?"

“I don’t trust those who defect. Therefore, they must be monitored.”

Are there any other conditions?

"No."

"Really no more?"

Both Hata Shunroku and Itagaki Seishiro felt the conditions were too simple.

What kind of condition is it to monitor Wang Jingwei?
"Nothing."

"Alright. Mr. Big Bear, you are welcome to visit the Expeditionary Force Headquarters often."

"Thank you!"

Therefore, both parties reached an agreement happily.

The Zhen Agency reported the results of the battle first.

Once the battle report reaches the Minister of the Imperial Household, the dispatched military headquarters will then report it.

This way, the preceding and following statements corroborate each other. Then there are no more problems.

If you have any doubts, please go to the Poisoning Agency.

In return, Hata Shunroku made it clear that the Army Military Police would actively cooperate with the Poison Agency's actions.

Hata Shunroku and Itagaki Seishiro, of course, didn't care about the Wang Jingwei government at all. They were just a few dogs. What did surveillance matter? They could chop them up without consequence.

It's not like there aren't other dogs. So many defectors. Just grab a few to replace them.

"Mr. Doihara, please take care of me in the future."

In front of the others, Zhang Yong solemnly bowed to Kenji Doihara.

Kenji Doihara's lips twitched involuntarily.

Damn it! He's really cunning.

He managed to make Hata Shunroku and Itagaki Seishiro so happy.

Once the battle report is sent out, I estimate the military headquarters will be very pleased. General Staff Headquarters will also be very pleased.

then……

With the help of the poison-wielding mechanism, one can rise rapidly in rank.

After the Minister of the Imperial Household reported it, the Emperor himself must have known about it.

idiot!

So cunning.

However, on the surface, one can only smile and agree.

"It should."

"Doihara-kun, please."

"please."

Zhang Yong pulled Doihara out.

Although Doihara was unwilling, he couldn't resist Zhang Yong's strength.

He walked all the way out of the headquarters of the dispatched army. Only then did Doihara break free and distance himself from Zhang Yong.

It doesn't want to deal with the other party. It senses that the other party is becoming increasingly dangerous.

To climb to the top, they will stop at nothing.

"Doihara, come with me to the Kwantung Army Headquarters next time!"

"what?"

"I need to go to the Kwantung Army headquarters to arrest a few people. I've never been there before. You'll come with me."

"Nani?"

Kenji Doihara was stunned again.

You bastard!

what are you saying?
To arrest someone at the Kwantung Army headquarters?
Who to arrest?

Do you think the Kwantung Army headquarters is a place you can just go anywhere?

"Didn't you hear clearly?"

"I'm not crazy!"

Kenji Doihara's disgruntled response.

Then they hurriedly left, afraid of being grabbed by the other party.

To arrest someone at the Kwantung Army headquarters?
joke.

He, Doihara, is not going to play along!

If you and Kayama Rogue are going crazy and looking for death, go do it yourself!
idiot!

[To be continued]

(End of this chapter)