My spy diary

Chapter 620 Ambush (Seeking monthly votes)

It was still early summer, but the weather was already muggy. Dai Chunfeng reluctantly lifted the car window curtains and rolled down the glass. The sweltering heat outside rushed in, and there wasn't a breath of cool air. It was uncomfortable both inside and outside the car.

He peeked out and asked the driver, Lieutenant Jia:
"Is Qinghu Town just ahead?"

"Yes." Lieutenant Jia raised his hand to look around. They were almost at Qinghu Town, and after passing Shimen Town, they would reach Xiakou Town, not far from Bao'an Village. He suggested:

"Mr. Dai, would you like the convoy to speed up?"

After leaving the mountain city, the convoy stopped at the garrison location to refuel, which wasted an hour. Apart from the two jeeps, the guards were all running, so the speed was very slow. If they wanted to get home before dinner, they had to speed up.

"Stop the car." Dai Chunfeng signaled to stop the car. Although Jia, the adjutant, was surprised, he obeyed the order.

Upon hearing the order, the lead vehicle immediately turned back, and Zhao Shanhe, the guard company commander, jumped out of the jeep, took a few steps forward, and snapped to attention with a salute.
"General Dai, what happened?"

"It's alright, let's rest here for a while." Dai Chunfeng waved his hand and looked at Deputy Jia: "You guys too, wait for me here, I'm going to check on things in town."

Having said that, he walked straight into the town without a single guard or servant by his side.

"General Dai!" Zhao Shanhe was taken aback. A wise man does not stand under a wall. They were all ordered to protect Boss Dai. If anything happened to Dai Chunfeng, they would all be in deep trouble.

He was about to rush forward to stop Dai Chunfeng when he was grabbed by the arm by Deputy Officer Jia.

"Lieutenant Jia, you..."

Knowing that his boss was once again indulging in an incognito visit, Lieutenant Jia shook his head and smiled, saying:
“Just follow orders, that’s normal. Mr. Dai has a gun, there won’t be any problems.”

Upon seeing this, Zhao Shanhe opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.

Deputy Jia appeared calm and collected. As the boss's personal adjutant, he was well aware of Dai Chunfeng's unexpected actions.

Besides dealing with the highly publicized Plum Blossom spy case, Boss Dai's return home this time also carries the mission of coordinating the relationship between the Loyal and Patriotic Army and the Third War Zone, and rectifying the discipline of the Loyal and Patriotic Army.

Negotiations naturally require leverage.

The Loyal and Patriotic Army set up checkpoints and extorted money and goods in the border areas of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces with the enemy-occupied areas, and engaged in large-scale smuggling and trafficking. In the eyes of the Third War Zone, this was undoubtedly snatching food from the tiger's mouth. As a result, the contradictions between the two sides were sharp and armed clashes often occurred.

Commander Gu of the war zone repeatedly submitted memorials to the Chairman, stating that the Loyal and Patriotic Army was disobedient to orders, ineffective in resisting the war, and more troublesome to the people, and was a bunch of bandits. He suggested abolishing its organization to maintain the unity of military orders in the war zone.

Dai Chunfeng was not only severely reprimanded by the Chairman, but also had to be persuaded to do so, barely managing to preserve the organization of the Loyal and Patriotic Army.

However, he was a very vengeful person. Commander Gu's repeated complaints had long made him resentful of him. This time, his inspection of the Third War Zone was ostensibly to coordinate relations and reorganize the Loyal and Patriotic Army, but in reality, he was secretly collecting materials on the collusion between the troops of the Third War Zone and their large-scale smuggling activities, so that he could report them to the old man.

The pot calling the kettle black; all crows are black. Is it true that officials are allowed to set fires while commoners are forbidden even to light lamps?

Did your Third War Zone not participate in the Loyal and Patriotic Army's extortion, smuggling, and trafficking?

If you do something wrong on the first day of the month, don't blame me for doing something wrong on the fifteenth.

The Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai region has always been a major tax-paying area, and the Third War Zone, which governs this region, naturally became the richest unit in the Kuomintang army. The military was corrupt, and all the generals, big and small, were rolling in money. Many Kuomintang military and political officials in Chongqing, as well as public opinion, have criticized this.

Dai Chunfeng was fully aware of this, but considering that Commander Gu was the old man's trusted and beloved general, he was unwilling to go too far in displeasing the old man. He also considered that the Loyal and Patriotic Army was in someone else's territory and subject to their military control in combat operations. Furthermore, the Loyal and Patriotic Army and his sworn brother Du Yuesheng's Gangji Company were also engaged in large-scale smuggling in the Third War Zone to earn military funds. Therefore, he shielded the various corrupt practices in the Third War Zone, only instructing the anti-smuggling departments in Anhui, Jiangxi, and other provinces to arrest a few minor cases each year and report them to appease public opinion.

However, now that the Third War Zone is fixated on the issue of the Loyal and Patriotic Army, Dai Chunfeng has changed his strategy and ordered anti-smuggling forces in various provinces to strengthen their anti-smuggling activities and actively collect materials and evidence of the Third War Zone's involvement in smuggling and profit-sharing.

At this moment, he was making an unannounced visit, partly to check whether the anti-smuggling units were faithful to their duties and to crack down on smuggling activities other than those of the Military Intelligence Bureau, and partly to support and encourage these anti-smuggling agencies.

After Dai Chunfeng entered the city alone, he first stopped a passerby and learned that there was a black market in the town that dealt in shady business. He immediately went there.

This place is crowded with vendors, making it noisy and chaotic.

As Dai Chunfeng moved through the crowd, he soon noticed a sharp-looking young man approach a vendor, discreetly handing him some US dollars before taking a box from the vendor. The young man carefully wrapped the box tightly in newspaper and then vanished in a flash.

After the young man disappeared, Dai Chunfeng went to find the vendor:
"Could you tell me what that gentleman bought?"

The vendor looked at the furtive, long, dark-faced man in front of him with suspicion.
"what is your job?"

Dai Chunfeng smiled and, without saying a word, handed over a $10 bill.

The vendor readily accepted, lowering his voice to say, "Sulfanilamide powder, I'm the only one in this market who can get my hands on it. Do you want some?"

Dai Chunfeng was taken aback, not expecting anyone to dare to resell sulfonamides in broad daylight. However, being alone at the moment, he couldn't afford to get angry, so he shook his head and said:
"I want to buy tung oil, hemp, and cotton. Do you have any connections?"

The vendor stared at him for a few moments, then pointed to a shop with a sign that read "The Four Treasures of the Study": "They're there."

Dai Chunfeng was immediately invigorated and paid a visit.

The shopkeeper was using an abacus behind the counter when he saw someone enter, and noticing someone with an distinguished air, he hurriedly came forward to greet them, instructing the waiter to pour tea while warmly asking:

"Sir, what do you want?"

Dai Chunfeng glanced around the shop and went straight to the point: "Do you have tung oil?"

The shopkeeper's expression changed, he glanced at him, and shook his head vigorously.
"Sir, what are you joking about? Our shop is a legitimate business. We would never dare to sell military supplies; that's a capital offense."

Dai Chunfeng didn't take it seriously, simply pulled out a wad of US dollars, waved it, and laughed:
"To be honest, I'm from out of town and I'm looking to buy a batch of tung oil, cotton, and hemp. I did my research before coming and knew you had them here. Don't worry, I know the rules. I'll take as much as you have. If you need more, I can buy it for you at a good price, and you'll definitely get a cut."

Then, he skillfully quoted the prices of tung oil, cotton, and hemp from various regions, and said that he would accept even if the prices increased by 30%.

Upon hearing that he was from out of town, the shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief. He also reasoned that this man was knowledgeable about the market and certainly not a smuggler sent by the anti-smuggling authorities for a sting operation. He immediately instructed his staff to close the shop, invited Dai Chunfeng to sit down, served him fine tea, and began a detailed conversation. During the discussion, the shopkeeper offered to purchase supplies on his behalf, but explained that the problem lay with the anti-smuggling personnel, as the purchased goods would be difficult to transport out of the area.

Dai Chunfeng calmly said, "Stop beating around the bush. I don't believe you'd do this business without knowing a few anti-smuggling officers. In the end, it's all about money. Don't worry, I'll cover the gifts and entertainment. You just need to invite them over and introduce them to me, and I'll talk to them myself."

"It's not about the money." The shopkeeper shook his head. "I don't know what's going on, but those people seem to have changed their ways lately. They've actually started to enforce the law impartially. They won't eat, drink, or take money. They'll arrest you if you disagree with them. They're so difficult to deal with."

"Is that so?" A glint flashed in Dai Chunfeng's eyes, but his face showed disbelief. "Is it because you think the money is too little? How about this, you introduce me to them and I'll go and find out what's going on with them."

The shopkeeper said irritably, "You go if you want, I dare not go."

Dai Chunfeng tried to persuade him with kind words, but the shopkeeper was adamant. After some back and forth, the business deal naturally fell through.

However, Boss Dai was in a good mood and even bought a bundle of Xuan paper at a high price before leaving.

And so, while Zhao Shanhe and the others waited anxiously, Boss Dai returned unharmed with a bundle of Xuan paper. He then took the opportunity to meet with the Party and government cadres and anti-drug officials who had rushed over upon hearing the news, and especially commended the anti-drug officials for their loyalty to their duties and their upholding of military law and discipline.

After learning about Boss Dai's entry into the city, the police officers were all sweating profusely and dumbfounded. At the same time, they were relieved that their boss hadn't found anything wrong this time, otherwise they would have definitely used "family discipline" to make an example of him.

After this incident, Dai Chunfeng was satisfied, and the convoy continued on its way with everyone seeing them off.

It's getting late.

Meanwhile, on a small hill above the highway in Shimen Town, Kuroda Nobunaga and Shibahara Heishiro's twenty-man special forces team had already laid an ambush.

They were all dressed in Nationalist army uniforms, armed with guns, and crawling on the ground.

Kuroda Nobunaga and Shibahara Heishiro lay prone at the very front of the group. Kuroda Nobunaga unfolded a meticulously detailed map of Kosan Prefecture, and as he smoothed out the edges and corners, he asked:
"I wonder when we'll reach our target? It's already this late."

Heishiro Shibahara didn't answer his question. He glanced at his watch; it was already eleven o'clock. He stared at the map for a while and then said:

"As long as Chief Watanabe's intelligence is accurate, we'll just wait."

“The intelligence won’t be a problem. He’s dealt with the Plum Blossom spy case and received our telegrams that we pretended to exchange. He’s riding high. Where else would he go if not home?” As he spoke, Kuroda Nobunaga pressed two thumbtacks on either side of the road.

Shibahara Heishiro stared intently at the map, his finger tracing several different routes from Qinghu Town to Shimen Town, then to Xiakou Town, finally stopping at a stretch of highway, and then said:
"In other words, no matter which path he takes, this is the path he must take?"

"Yes."

Shibahara Heishiro nodded and began to take off his military uniform: "Let's go. I grew up in Hokkaido, and my family sells pork. When I was a child, my father often took me to watch pig slaughtering. Before slaughtering a pig, the butchers always looked at the slaughterhouse first."

The two changed into civilian clothes and walked towards the entrance of the highway.

A horse-drawn carriage moved slowly along the road, a lantern hanging in front of it, flickering in the darkness. Shibahara Heishiro took out binoculars hidden at his waist and peered out. The road wound its way into the mountains, flanked by sheer cliffs—truly an ideal spot for an ambush. On a small hill beside the road stood a pile of something dark.

Shibahara Heishiro gazed into the distance for a while, then asked Kuroda Nobunaga beside him:
"What it is?"

Kuroda Nobunaga took the binoculars and looked at them for a while before saying, "It should be wood, right? Wasn't that cart carrying wood just now? This area mainly produces cedar, pine, and camphor trees, with cedar being the most common. It's mainly used for building houses, furniture, and making paper. What's piled up there should be wood that the man didn't have time to move."

"Kuroda-kun is indeed a seasoned intelligence officer. He knows everything here like the back of his hand. I have even more confidence in this mission now," Shibahara Heishiro praised. "Let's go take a look."

Sure enough, the small hill was piled with fir logs still attached to their bark, bound together with two thick hemp ropes.

Shibahara Heishiro circled the log stack twice, then walked to the edge of the hillside and looked down for a while before turning to Kuroda Nobunaga and saying:

"You shouldn't be able to see this place from the road below."

Kuroda Nobunaga glanced at him and immediately understood: "You want to create an accident?"

"Sun Tzu's Art of War says, 'If you double your pace and travel a hundred li to seize an advantage, you will capture three generals.'" Shibahara Heishiro quoted this from his books, glanced around, and continued:
"His car should be in the middle. When the time comes, cut off its head and tail, concentrate superior firepower, and start it fiercely. The target will have no way to survive."

Shibahara Heishiro nodded and said meaningfully, "To catch them off guard, you need something to attract their attention."

“That’s it!” Shibahara Heishiro grinned, pointing at the carriage that was gradually moving away from his feet.

Dai Chunfeng's convoy had already driven onto a sparsely populated mountain road.

The car bumped along the mountain road. In the back seat, Boss Dai, who had been energetic during the day, was now exhausted and dozing off.

The adjutant, Jia, who was driving, glanced back and thought to himself, "Almost there, we should be home in another hour."

In front of his car was the jeep carrying Zhao Shanhe. What Zhao Shanhe couldn't see was a man wearing a melon-shaped hat looking in his direction not far ahead. Upon seeing the jeep's headlights, the man turned and ran to the other side of the intersection, nodding.

At the crossroads, on the timber cart, the driver saw the man nod at him and immediately whipped the old horse to start the cart moving.

Zhao Shanhe had looked at the map and knew that ahead was the intersection of two roads. Further ahead lay cliffs and precipices, the road winding and difficult to traverse. He immediately sat up straight and instructed the driver:

"Cheer up and keep things stable."

After a long day of driving, the driver's backside ached, and he was feeling a bit drowsy. Hearing what the company commander said, he yawned and just stepped on the brake to slow down when, suddenly, a horse-drawn carriage darted out from a side road. The driver snapped back to reality and slammed on the brakes.

Zhao Shanhe, who was in the passenger seat next to him, was almost thrown out by the inertia.

"What are you doing?"

Zhao Shanhe sternly rebuked him, wondering where a horse-drawn carriage would come from so late at night. He gripped his pistol tightly, jumped off the vehicle, took a few steps forward, and stared intently at the jeep's headlights, discovering a horse-drawn carriage carrying timber in front of him.

(End of this chapter)