Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 540 Assassination of Chengcang
Chengcang has completely lost patience with these parasites entrenched in Harbin.

Last night's farce was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Today, he's going to cut the Gordian knot and uproot these cancerous growths completely, leaving none behind.

He looked at Ogasawara Yoshi, who was standing to the side with his hands at his sides:
"Ogasa-kun, go and arrange the manpower."

"Get the guards ready."

"Once the three of them arrive, please invite them to the meeting room."

A cruel smile curled at the corner of Shirakura's lips:

"I will personally try them."

Ogasawara Yoshi suddenly lowered his head, his tone filled with suppressed excitement:
"Yes!"

He turned around to receive the order, his steps more forceful than usual.

Shirokura sat back down behind his large desk, his hands clasped together in front of his abdomen.

His eyes were sinister and resolute.

Anyone who dares to oppose the Great Japanese Empire, no matter who they are, he will personally crush them into dust.

Ogasawara Yoshitsu quickly walked downstairs and arrived at the guard's duty room.

He didn't say much, but simply waved to several guards who were cleaning their weapons.

These people were all his confidants.

He led his men upstairs and instructed them to lie in wait in the reception room next to the conference room.

After doing all this, he returned to Chengcang's office.

"Commander, the personnel have been arranged and are in the reception room."

"When the time comes, I can lead my men in and shoot these bastards to death with a hail of bullets, all at your command."

Shirokura nodded in satisfaction: "Very good, Ogasawara-kun. The Empire is in dire need of loyal and upright warriors like you."

He looked at Ogasawara Yoshi with undisguised admiration in his eyes.

"Once Takeda and Incheon are executed, I will immediately report to Commander Yoshijiro Umezu and request that you be transferred to be the captain of the military police."

Ogasawara Yoshiki's body jolted, and he abruptly stood at attention, bowing a perfect ninety-degree angle.

"Thank you for your guidance, Commander!"

Chengcang waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to be so polite.

"I heard from the soldiers who accompanied you that your hand... was injured by Hong Zhiyou?"

Ogasawara Yoshi immediately extended his still severely swollen right hand, his face timely revealing resentment and unwillingness:
"Reporting, Commander!"

"I was in a hurry to recover the stolen goods when he attacked me."

He gritted his teeth, as if still reliving the humiliation of last night.

"Otherwise, I would never suffer a loss at the hands of the Chinese!"
"It was only because the commander had given prior orders not to make any arrests, otherwise last night... I would have killed the thieves on the spot!"

Looking at his swollen, deformed fingers covered in traces of medicine, Chengcang's last doubts vanished.

He knew something about Hong Zhiyou.

That guy was able to get along with both the legitimate and underworld circles in Harbin, not just because of money, but because of his ability to be shrewd and adaptable to changing circumstances.

I reckon it was because Ogasawara Yoshi's words last night were too righteous that he pushed that guy too far, which is why he took action.

Otherwise, given Hong Zhiyou's character, he wouldn't have dared to challenge his own adjutant.

Ogasawara-kun is truly a loyal warrior to His Majesty the Emperor.

Shirokura was completely relieved.

"Okay, you can go down now."

"I need to make a phone call to Commander Yoshijiro Umezu."

"To execute so many people at once and rebuild the Harbin police and military system, we still need to consult with him first."

Ogasawara Kichi bowed respectfully once again.

"Yes!"

He turned and left the office, gently closing the door behind him.

Back in his duty room at the end of the corridor, the respect and resentment on Ogasawara Yoshi's face vanished instantly, leaving only cold calculation.

He closed the door, picked up the receiver on the table, and dialed Hong Zhiyou's office number.

A sound.

Twice.

Third tone.

Snapped.

He hung up the phone decisively.

……

Police Department, Economic Division.

Hong Zhiyou was sitting with his legs crossed, slowly wiping a brand new billiard cue.

The phone on the table suddenly rang.

He didn't move, but just listened intently.

The bell rang three times and then stopped abruptly.

Hong Zhiyou stopped wiping his cue stick.

Experienced people, to avoid being tracked or monitored, usually only answer the phone when it's about to automatically hang up.

It stopped after three beeps.

This was a secret code that he and Ogasawara Yoshi had agreed upon long ago.

Shirokura, it's time to make a move.

A cold smile slowly crept onto Hong Zhiyou's lips.

That old scoundrel Chengcang seems to be in a real hurry to meet the King of Hell.

He threw down his golf club, picked up the phone, and dialed Ogasawara Yoshi's number again. After four rings, he hung up to indicate that he had received the reminder.

After hanging up the receiver, Hong Zhiyou grabbed his coat from the back of his chair, walked straight out of the office, and drove directly to the military police headquarters.

……

Upon entering Takeda's office.

A mixture of the smell of smoke and anxiety wafted over.

Takeda and Incheon were like two wild beasts trapped in a cage, pacing back and forth.

Upon seeing Hong Zhiyou, Takeda immediately came to greet him.

"Hong Sang! The commander just called and wants us to come see him!"

Hong Zhiyou took off his coat and casually draped it over the sofa.

"Yes, they called me too."

He pulled out a chair and sat down, his gaze sweeping over the two faces filled with panic.

"To be honest, Lieutenant Ogasawara is one of my men."

One sentence left both Takeda and Incheon stunned.

"He just sent me a message."

"Shirakura plans to use the pretext of questioning us to silence us."

Takeda's expression changed drastically, and he slumped into a chair.

"I knew it! I knew that old dog wouldn't let us go!"

He ran his hands through his hair, his voice trembling.

“After you left last night, Section Chief Incheon and I didn’t sleep a wink!”

Hong Zhi sneered inwardly, guessing that once they sobered up and thought about pulling a gun on Ogasawara, these selfish guys would have no chance to sleep.

Compared to Takeda's loss of composure, Incheon was much more composed.

He stared intently at Hong Zhiyou, his voice hoarse:

"Hong Sang, you are also one of the invitees. What are your plans?"

Did Hong Zhi give a direct answer?

He placed his black briefcase on the table and unzipped it.

"Wow."

He poured out ten gleaming gold bars, which shone with an alluring light.

"You two."

"Now is a matter of life and death."

"You've been discussing this all night, so you must have a plan by now."

"My heartfelt wishes are all here; the rest is up to you."

Incheon and Takeda's gazes were instantly drawn to the ten gold bars.

The air in the office seemed to freeze.

No one spoke.

A few seconds later, as if he had made up his mind, Takeda raised his head and said truthfully:
“Hong Sang, your intentions… are the final piece of our plan.”

"To be honest, our military police and Special Higher Police have long disliked that old geezer Shirokura."

"You know that our Bushido spirit means that we fear no one except His Majesty the Emperor!"
"Major Yamazaki Ichiro of the Military Police is willing to sacrifice himself to eliminate the traitors."

“We originally… scraped together 20,000 Kangde coins for him, but to be honest, it wasn’t very presentable.”

A hint of embarrassment appeared on Takeda's face.

"Now that he has your gold bars, Mr. Hong, he will have no more worries."

Hong Zhi picked up a gold bar and weighed it in his hand, his eyes sharp. "Is it reliable?"

Incheon took over the conversation, his voice low.

"Yamazaki is very reliable."

"His elder brother died on the battlefield in North China. His parents, left behind in Kobe, had no food to eat every day. His wife, seeing no hope, had long since left him and was unfortunately conscripted into a military prostitute."

"It looks like we've won this war, but our families are suffering terribly because of the war and the control. Our wives and children are becoming increasingly estranged from us."

Originally, Yamazaki had hoped to earn enough money in this beautiful city, just like Captain Murakami, to provide a good life for his family.

"But the arrival of Chengcang extinguished his last glimmer of hope."

"His life has long since lost all meaning."

"To assassinate Chengcang would be an incredibly honorable thing for him."

Hong Zhi nodded. "Let him in."

Takeda immediately picked up the phone and dialed an internal line.

Soon, a short but exceptionally muscular officer walked in, his face full of gloom and dejection, his eyes like a stagnant pool, devoid of any vitality.

"This is Major Ichiro Yamazaki," Takeda introduced briefly.

Yamazaki Ichiro bowed slightly to Hong Zhiyou as a greeting.

Takeda took a deep breath, looked at Yamazaki, and said solemnly:
"Yamazaki-kun, the moment of glory is about to arrive. Are you ready?"

A chilling glint flashed in Yamazaki Ichiro's lifeless eyes: "I'm always ready!"

Takeda pointed to the gold bars on the table.

"This is a gift from Section Chief Hong."

"Don't worry, if you really succeed in the assassination, we will take good care of your family."

"Section Chief Hong will take care of your parents' livelihood just like he would take care of Murakami and Yamaaki's family."

As he spoke, he pulled open the drawer with a pained expression and took out a stack of banknotes.

“I will immediately arrange for my friend in Tokyo to personally deliver these 20,000 yuan, along with these gold bars, to your parents.”

Yamazaki Ichiro's gaze swept over the money on the table, his eyes remaining completely unmoved.

He suddenly bowed deeply to the three of them at a 90-degree angle.

"I have been waiting for this moment for a long time!"

"Please rest assured, I will definitely complete the mission!"

He straightened up, a fanatical and twisted smile spreading across his face.

"In the past, Aizawa Saburo cleaved Nagata Tetsuzan with his sword, eliminating a traitor for the empire!"
"Today, I, Yamazaki Ichiro, will cleave the old thief Shirokura in two!"

"What is there to fear in death!"

He suddenly raised his arms and shouted.

May your military fortune endure!

Incheon and Takeda seemed to be infected by his emotions, and they also stood up at the same time, shouting solemnly.

May your military fortune endure!

Hong Zhi leaned back in his chair, quietly watching this crazy scene, a faint smile on his face.

"Alright, you can go now."

"I won't go to Shirokura's office."

Takeda paused for a moment: "Hong-san? Your wisdom is vast and profound, like a pillar of strength. If you could be there, it would be extremely important to us."

Hong Zhi smiled and said very frankly:

"If we fail and all die at the hands of Chengcang, who will take care of your elderly mothers? Who will comfort your wives and children?"

He stood up and patted Takeda on the shoulder:

"I am alive, so even if you suffer, at least your family's livelihood will not be a concern.

“Mr. Hong is a man of his word, and I can keep this promise.”

Takeda and Incheon exchanged a glance; they were well aware of Hong Zhiyou's reputation.

This makes sense.

Takeda nodded heavily.

"Alright! Hong Sang, then you can wait for our good news!"

Hong Zhi smiled and said:
"The wind howls, the Yi River is cold, the brave warrior departs... but must return."

"Shouldn't we have a drink?"

Incheon forced a smile and waved his hand.

"I'm not drinking anymore."

"We'll celebrate when we get back!"

Hong Zhiyou left the military police and did not return to the police station.

Despite his calm and composed demeanor in front of Takeda and the others, he was actually facing a life-or-death situation.

This is a high-stakes gamble, with everyone's lives at stake.

He would never joke about his own life.

The black sedan slowly came to a stop on the side of the street in Nangang District.

Hong Zhi turned off the engine, opened the car door, and a blast of cold wind immediately rushed in.

He didn't turn around, but hailed a rickshaw parked on the side of the road.

The driver pulled him into several secluded old alleys, and after traveling for a while, Hong Zhi called for a stop.

He paid the money, quickly turned into another alley, and after making sure no one was following him, he walked to an old house, pushed open the creaking wooden door, and slipped inside.

The room was dimly lit, and he skillfully pulled a small suitcase out from under the bed.

The box was opened, revealing neatly stacked banknotes and twenty gold bars.

He quickly checked and confirmed that everything was correct.

Then, he walked to a dusty mirror, took something out of his pocket, and began to make simple changes to his appearance.

A few minutes later, the person in the mirror had more gray hair at the temples and a few shallow wrinkles on their face.

He put on a bowler hat pulled low, which made him look much more somber.

After doing all this, he picked up his suitcase, pulled his hat brim down, and walked back into the alley.

A moment later, a Ford sedan pulled up on the side of the road at the alley entrance.

Hong Zhi opened the car door and quickly climbed into the passenger seat.

In the driver's seat, Xiao Guohua looked serious.

"Should we leave now? Or... wait for news?"

Hong Zhi glanced at him, his voice flat.

"You only have one life, so if you can avoid gambling, then don't."

"Once Takeda and his forces fail, and Shirokura realizes the situation and seals off the city, it will be difficult for them to leave."

"Set off immediately for Jiamusi."

Xiao Guohua said no more and nodded vigorously.

"Yes!"

The car engine let out a low growl and sped off towards the outskirts of the city.

……

Gendarmerie Headquarters.

Takeda, Incheon, and Yamazaki Ichiro walked solemnly up the steps.

Ogasawara Yoshi was already waiting at the entrance of the hall.

His face was expressionless; he simply nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

"The commander is in the conference room."

As the three passed the guards, Ogasawara Yoshi raised his hand, exempting them from the routine weapons check.

Yamazaki Ichiro carried his long samurai sword inside without any hindrance.

He kept his hand on the hilt of the knife, his eyes gloomy.

Walking down the empty corridor, the sound of my footsteps echoed.

Ogasawara Yoshikazu mentioned it casually:
"Major Yamazaki, the restroom is on the second floor, on the left."

Yamazaki Ichiro didn't stop walking, he just hummed in response.

Takeda approached Ogasawara Yoshi, his voice extremely low:
"Without a gun... will it be alright?"

Ogasawara Yoshihiro didn't look to the side and didn't answer, which was taken as tacit agreement.

In situations like these, the less you say, the fewer mistakes you make.

As they approached the second-floor stairwell, Incheon gave Yamazaki Ichiro a wink.

Yamazaki Ichiro understood, parted ways with them, and headed straight to the other side of the corridor, his figure quickly disappearing behind the bathroom door.

Yoshinori Ogasawara led Takeda and Incheon towards the conference room.

He stopped at the door of the conference room.

"Please wait a moment, gentlemen."

He pushed open the door and strode to Cheng Cang, who was resting with his eyes closed.

"Commander, Section Chief Incheon and Captain Takeda have arrived."

"Section Chief Hong asked someone to pass on a message, saying that he suddenly felt unwell and would come to see the Commander another day."

Shirokura suddenly opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them, and sneered:
"Hmph, the Chinese are so cunning."

He stared at Ogasawara Yoshikichi and gave the order.

"You, immediately send a team of people secretly to the police station and all the places Hong Zhi frequents."

"Find him even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, and bring him to my office!"

Ogasawara Yoshi bowed slightly.

"Commander, Harbin is so big, this will probably take quite a while."

Shirokura waved his hand impatiently:
"It doesn't matter.

"Then execute Incheon and Takeda first."

"Anyway, Hong Zhiyou can't escape my grasp."

Ogasawara Yoshi took the order.

"Yes!"

He turned around, opened the door, and gestured for Takeda and Incheon to enter.

After the two went inside, Ogasawara Yoshi gently closed the door.

"Commander, I'm right at the door. Please call me anytime if you have any orders."

Shirokura nodded.

The meeting room door was closed.

Only three people remained in the room, and the air was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Shirokura leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping across the two men's faces like a sharp blade.

“Takeda, Inchon.

Do you know why I called you here?

Takeda's heart was pounding, but he maintained a calm expression.

"Reporting to the Commander, last night... I got drunk and behaved inappropriately, offending Lieutenant Ogasawa."

boom!
Cheng Cang slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, and shouted angrily:

"is that so?!

"Your real mistakes are accepting bribes from Hong Zhiyou, forming cliques, and ignoring the ironclad laws of the empire!"

He stared intently at Takeda.

"I ask you, is Li Jiawang really the one who framed Lu Ming and assassinated the military police?"

Takeda remained expressionless. "Yes, the evidence is conclusive."

Shirokura let out a low, cold laugh.

"conclusive?
"You really are a detective."

"After investigating this case for so many days without any leads, I'm giving you three days to finish. You found the murderer immediately."

Takeda felt a chill run down his spine.

He understood instantly.

Chengcang's three-day deadline was clearly a trap to watch him perform.

That old dog is so cunning!

Takeda decided to drop the pretense and said expressionlessly, "If the commander doesn't believe me, there's nothing I can do."

Shirokura's gaze grew increasingly cold.

"It seems you're quite resentful."

"I called you here today not to reason with you."

His voice was deliberate and filled with murderous intent.

"You colluded with Hong Zhiyou and openly violated the disciplinary regulations I promulgated. You scum, who have been bewitched by the Chinese and are disloyal to the Emperor and the Empire, are no longer worthy of being soldiers!"

Incheon, who had been silent all along, suddenly raised his eyebrows and asked in a deep voice:

"Commander, do you mean to eliminate the two of us?"

Shirokura hadn't expected him to ask such a direct question. He paused for a moment, then cruelly replied:
"That's right.

"I must use your blood to cleanse the filth from the ironclad laws of the Empire!"

Incheon is a hot topic, with Hong Ji-yoo's four-word mantra bursting forth:

"Fuck you!"

Shirokura's smile froze on his face; he hadn't understood.

"What did you say?"

Incheon repeated it in Japanese, in the same slow and clear tone.

"Wo, Cao, Ni, Ma!"

Chengcang flew into a rage, his face turning a deep liver color.

"idiot!
"You lowly, stupid bastards! Guards! Lieutenant Ogasawara!"

The door is open.

The one who walked in was not Ogasawara Yoshi.

It's Yamazaki Ichiro.

He held the scabbard in his left hand and rested his right hand on the hilt of the sword, exuding a chilling murderous aura as he walked in step by step.

Shirokura frowned.

"Yamazaki? Who let you in here? Get out of here!"

Clang.

Yamazaki Ichiro slammed the conference room door shut behind him and slowly drew his katana.

The blade gleamed with a cold, blinding light.

Shirokura felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively reached for the holster at his waist.

empty.

He then remembered that he had left his service pistol in his office.

A chill ran up my spine.

He shouted at the door.

"Ogasa-kun! Ogasa-kun!"

Yamazaki Ichiro gave a cold laugh, his voice sounding like it came from hell.

"No need to shout anymore."

“Ogasa-kun is right outside the door; he has already sent all the guards away.”

"Even if you shout until you're hoarse, no one will hear you!"
"Today, this is a duel between the two of us."

Although Shirokura was horrified, his battle-hardened instincts allowed him to maintain his composure.

He roared, "Yamazaki! Have you all gone mad?!"
“I am a lieutenant general of the Empire! You dare to murder your superior, and you will be severely punished and forever nailed to the pillar of shame.”

Takeda spoke expressionlessly:
"Commander, I'm sorry."

"We just want to live."

"If anyone's to blame, it's you for going too far and ruining everyone's future."

“Unlike you, my brothers, who are rich and powerful, we are struggling to make ends meet.”

"If you don't die, none of us will survive."

"So, the only option is... to start with you."

Shirokura knew that the situation was hopeless.

But his heart, loyal to the Emperor and ruthless, felt no fear whatsoever.

"You idiots!"
"Cowards and traitors of the Empire!"

Knowing he was doomed, he unleashed a ferocity akin to that of a trapped beast.

Shirokura roared, grabbed the wooden chair beside him, and slammed it down with all his might like a wounded lion.

Incheon and Takeda cried out in surprise and quickly moved aside.

Instead of retreating, Yamazaki Ichiro advanced, rushing forward.

The samurai sword, which he had polished countless times and was now incredibly sharp, drew a piercing arc in the air.

Click!

The heavy wooden chair was cleaved in two with a single stroke.

Shirokura was old and weak, and was no match for Yamazaki, who was young, strong, and eager to die.

Yamazaki took a step forward and slashed down again.

The blade tore through the left half of the city warehouse's uniform.

A diagonal bloodstain stretched from his left chest down to his abdomen.

The skin and flesh rolled up.

His abdomen ruptured instantly.

Shirokura let out a painful groan.

He endured the excruciating pain, pressing his hand firmly against the wound, and with his other hand grabbed a teacup from the table, smashing it hard against Yamazaki's face.

Taking advantage of the moment Yamazaki dodged to the side, he turned and lunged toward the front door, letting out a desperate and hoarse scream.

"Someone come! Someone come!"

……

(End of this chapter)