Spy wars start with lurking Secretary Hong

Chapter 541 Little Hong is getting better too.

Outside the gate, the mournful howls of Cheng Cang could be heard incessantly.

Ogasawara Yoshiki stood there expressionless.

wait.

Be patient.

"Ogasa-kun, save me!" Shirokura cried out, staggering.

He clutched his abdomen with one hand, but it was no use; the cut in his stomach couldn't be plugged at all.

With all his might, he reached out his right hand and grabbed the heavy wooden doorknob that offered him a glimmer of hope.

My fingertips just touched the cold brass doorknob.

"You scoundrel, where do you think you're going!"

Yamazaki Ichiro followed with two steps.

There was no pity in his eyes, only a fervent desire to complete his mission.

Swish!
The light of the knife flashed.

Shirokura's hand, which was reaching for the doorknob, was severed cleanly at the wrist.

"what!"

This time, what Shirokura let out was no longer a roar, but a heart-wrenching scream like that of a dying beast.

Large gushes of blood and foam gushed from his mouth as he roared:

"You traitors, the disgrace of the empire...you will surely be punished by Amaterasu!"

"Go to hell with Amaterasu!"

Yamazaki Ichiro gripped the hilt of his sword tightly with both hands, channeling all his strength into the tip of the blade, and thrust it fiercely into Shirokura's back.

puff!

The blade pierced through Shirokura's chest, tinged with crimson, pinning him firmly to the heavy door panel.

Shirokura's body convulsed violently, his eyes widened, and he roared out his final slogan with all his might:

"Long live the Emperor... His Majesty!"

"Long live the Great Japanese Empire!"

Immediately, Cheng Cang coughed up blood, his head drooped, and he died on the spot.

Looking at Shirokura, who lay there like a dead dog, Yamazaki Ichiro seemed to be admiring a masterpiece.

He was instantly filled with extreme excitement at the fact that he had perfectly replicated the scene of Aizawa Saburo cleaving Nagata Tetsuzan in two.

Yamazaki Ichiro burst into maniacal laughter.

"Haha...I killed Shirakura! I did it! I did it!"

Takeda strode forward, grabbed his shoulder, and whispered, "Don't do it, brother! Think about how you're going to get on your way!"

Yamazaki's eyes cleared instantly.

Incheon looked coldly at Yamazaki and said:
"Don't worry, I will tell your wife after you die."

“Your parents and children, Hong Sang and we will make proper arrangements.”

"Quick, give me the knife."

Yamazaki Ichiro nodded, and then suddenly exerted force with both hands.

scoff!

The katana was pulled out with a sickening scraping sound.

Without support, Cheng Cang's body slumped to the ground like mud, sliding softly down the door panel.

Without hesitation, Takeda took the still-dripping katana with his right hand, which was covered by a white glove.

Without the slightest hesitation, he slashed his left arm, and blood immediately stained his sleeve.

Incheon wasn't stupid either; he quickly took the knife, made a cut on his thigh, and then put the knife back into Yamazaki Ichiro's hand.

"Brothers, I'm entrusting everything about the family to you," Yamazaki Ichiro said.

Incheon nodded heavily, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace.
"Brother, set off with peace of mind."

Yamazaki Ichiro took a deep breath, gripped his katana horizontally with both hands, and aimed it at his abdomen.

He was about to complete a samurai's final and most glorious ritual.

at this time.

Bang!

The conference room door was kicked open violently.

Ogasawara Yoshiki led a squad of hurried military police as they burst in.

He immediately saw the horrific scene inside the house and Yamazaki Ichiro, who was about to commit seppuku.

Ogasawara Kichi cursed inwardly: Damn it, how come he's still not dead? The timing of his arrival was terrible!

But there was no time to think about it anymore.

His face was instantly filled with horror and panic, and he let out a shrill scream.

"There's an assassin!"

"Quickly! Capture all the murderers!"

When Yamazaki Ichiro saw the military police rushing in, he knew he no longer had the chance to commit seppuku.

He let out a beastly roar, shouting "Long live the Great Japanese Empire!" and, wielding his sword with both hands, pretended to be a trapped beast as he slashed at Ogasawara Yoshi.

There was no need for Ogasawara Kichi to give the order.

Upon seeing this, the military police nearby almost instinctively pulled the trigger.

clap clap clap!
A barrage of gunfire erupted.

A cloud of blood mist exploded from Yamazaki Ichiro's chest, instantly turning him into a pincushion.

His forward momentum came to an abrupt halt, his eyes wide open, and he fell straight to the ground, lifeless.

Ogasawara Yoshi didn't even glance at Yamazaki's corpse. He rushed to Shirokura's side and quickly bent down to check his injuries.

Blood and foam kept spilling from Chengcang's mouth.

Ogasawara Yoshi only needed to glance at him to know that this man was beyond saving.

He exchanged a silent glance with Takeda and Incheon, who were not far away.

A sense of relief flashed in the eyes of all three.

With Yamazaki's death, there is no way to verify the facts.

The fact that Shirokura was assassinated by his subordinates was now completely confirmed.

The huge weight that had been hanging over Ogasawara Yoshi's heart finally lifted.

He immediately stood up, his face displaying just the right amount of pain and anger, and roared at the military police and medics who rushed in.

"Quickly! Get the commander to the hospital!"

The infirmary doctors rushed over with a stretcher. One doctor knelt down to check Shirakura's pulse and pupils, then stood up and shook his head at Ogasawara Yoshi:

"His Excellency the Commander... has already passed away."

Ogasawara Yoshi appeared to have suffered a tremendous blow; his body swayed, and then he commanded in a suppressed rage, "Get him to the hospital's cold storage! Seal off the scene! No one is allowed to approach!"

After saying that, he suddenly turned his head and stared intently at Takeda:
"Captain Takeda, what exactly is going on?"

Takeda clutched his bleeding arm, his face pale, looking utterly shaken.

"I...I don't know either."

"The commander was discussing the matter of eliminating the remnants of the Anti-Japanese United Army with me and Section Chief Incheon when Major Yamazaki... Yamazaki suddenly rushed in."

"They seemed to have gotten into an argument, and then... and then Yamazaki made his move!"

Incheon, standing to the side, nodded repeatedly, his voice trembling.

"Yes! We couldn't stop him no matter what we tried, he was like a madman."

"Lieutenant Ogasawara, if you had come in any later, we would probably have been victims of his blade too!"

Ogasawara Yoshiki nodded as he looked at the shocking wounds on their bodies.

He ordered the military police behind him, "Men, take Captain Takeda and Section Chief Incheon away to treat their injuries."

Then, he turned to Takeda and Incheon, his tone becoming businesslike:

"This is a serious matter. You two should return to your respective offices and await the hearing at any time."

The two accepted the order.

Immediately afterwards, Ogasawara Yoshi personally directed his men to handle the scene and remove the bodies separately.

He immediately convened a meeting of senior officers from the military police headquarters to report the devastating news of the commander's assassination.

The conference room fell into a deathly silence; everyone was too shocked to speak by the earth-shattering news.

Immediately afterwards, Ogasawara Yoshi, in his capacity as adjutant, personally drafted a telegram, reporting the news that Commander Shirakura had been assassinated in the conference room by his subordinate Yamazaki Ichiro to the General Staff Headquarters and Commander Umezu Yoshijiro, who was far away in Xinjing.

……

It was 11:13 AM.

Xinjing, Kwantung Army Headquarters.

Yoshijiro Umezu is reviewing a document concerning logistical supplies.

There was a gentle knock on the office door, and his adjutant hurried in, his expression grave.

"General, urgent telegram from Harbin."

Yoshijiro Umezu didn't even look up, just grunted through his nose.

"read."

The adjutant cleared his throat and read out the contents of the telegram.

When he heard that Shirokura had been assassinated, Yoshijiro Umezu's hand holding the pen suddenly paused.

He slowly raised his head, his face filled with horror and disbelief.

"What did you say?"

He snatched the telegram, his eyes quickly scanning it, and his face turned ashen.

boom!
He slammed his hand on the table in anger and stood up abruptly.

"Shirakura is dead?"
"This...how is this possible!"

The adjutant was so frightened that he immediately lowered his head and dared not utter a word.

Yoshijiro Umezu paced back and forth in his office, his anger undisguised.

After a long while, he finally stopped and leaned wearily against the large chair.
"I see.

"You may leave now. Tell Ogasawara Yoshimi to fly to Xinjing immediately. I want to hear the case in person."

"Yes."

The adjutant, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, bowed and left the office.

boom.

As the office door closed gently, Yoshijiro Umezu's anger quickly faded.

Instead, there is a profound and unfathomable peace and tranquility.

Everything is expected.

Or rather, this is exactly the result he most wanted to see.

A few months ago, when he took over this mess from Kenkichi Ueda, he was full of ambition and wanted to do great things and completely reorganize the Empire's most elite army.

Thus, he and Shirokura, who also advocated strict rectification, hit it off immediately.

However, the ideal is very rich, but the reality is extremely harsh.

As the investigation deepened, Yoshijiro Umezu discovered that the entire Kwantung Army, from top to bottom, was firmly bound by an invisible chain of interests, making it unbreakable.

These officers colluded with high-ranking officials of the South Manchuria Railway Company to sell off the empire's strategic resources at rock-bottom prices and enrich themselves.

They embezzled the soldiers' pay and supplies at the front and resold military equipment.

In particular, officers who had settled down and made a living in Manchukuo regarded this black soil as a private garden from which they could amass unlimited wealth.

Money is like blood flowing through their bodies; it's indispensable to them.

When the castle warehouses touched the interests of these people, the entire Kwantung Army's operational system fell into various strange stagnations.

Orders were difficult to get through, and outward compliance while inward resistance became the norm.

Even though Yoshijiro Umezu personally took action and dealt with a group of corrupt officers, the undercurrents beneath the surface remained turbulent, and even more hidden.

He could clearly sense that this massive army was gradually spiraling out of control.

This is an extremely dangerous signal for a commander.

During a private meeting with former Army Minister Seishiro Itagaki, the "China expert" who was well-versed in the inner workings of the Kwantung Army said something that he remembered vividly.

“Mr. Umezu, what the Kwantung Army lacks has never been combat power, but money.”

From that moment on, Yoshijiro Umezu understood completely. As long as the Kwantung Army could still fight, he had to accept these rules of the game.

The so-called anti-corruption campaign, like scraping the bone to remove poison, is tantamount to courting death given the increasingly frequent frictions between the Japanese Navy and the Americans.

If these arrogant and fierce generals are driven to rebellion, and another mutiny occurs within the Kwantung Army, then the Soviet Union in the north could move south at any time, and the United States could take the opportunity to start a war in the Pacific, leading to catastrophic consequences for the entire Japanese Empire.

Therefore, he must immediately stop the series of radical strategies devised by Shirokura.

Shirokura had transformed from a useful knife into a fuse that could ignite an entire powder keg.

Yamazaki Ichiro's strike came at just the right time.

Yoshijiro Umezu leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

Even if Yamazaki Ichiro hadn't intervened today, he would have found a way to make Shirokura "resign due to illness" or disappear in some "accident" soon.

Now, everything is resolved.

Neat.

Of course, there are still many mysteries surrounding the death of Shirokura.

The black soil of Harbin has already buried two police chiefs in succession.

Now, another Imperial Lieutenant General has been added to the list of fallen soldiers.

The situation here cannot be described simply as complicated.

Yoshijiro Umezu knew very well that Shirokura had reported on Kojiyu's affairs on several occasions before his death.

He had also sent people to investigate this section chief of the police department who wielded considerable influence in Harbin.

But compared to the vast chessboard of the entire Manchukuo, Hong Zhi didn't pay much attention to this piece.

First of all, this person is connected to a prince, and even has an unclear relationship with the chief bodyguard who serves the emperor every day.

These fools, who know nothing about military affairs and only know how to fight for power and profit, happen to have the convenience of having direct access to the emperor.

Yoshijiro Umezu was unwilling and too lazy to get involved with these scoundrels.

More importantly, no matter how powerful Hong Zhi is, he is nothing more than a local tyrant entrenched in Harbin.

Even if he tries to form cliques, the only people he can connect with are short-sighted soldiers and police officers.

As long as Shiro Ishii's germ warfare unit, which is crucial to the empire's century-long plan, is not lured away by him, it's not a real big deal.

In fact, Yoshijiro Umezu didn't even care about the little wealth that Hiroshi had amassed.

Compared to behemoths like the South Manchuria Railway and Mitsubishi, the squabbles of a small-time local figure are ultimately beneath their notice.

Unfortunately, Shirokura couldn't see the bigger picture.

He couldn't tolerate even the slightest imperfection, which led to his current predicament.

With that thought in mind, Yoshijiro Umezu pressed the button on the table.

The adjutant pushed open the door again and entered, bowing respectfully.

"General, please give me your orders."

Yoshijiro Umezu's tone was devoid of any emotion.

"Send a telegram immediately, ordering Deputy Commander Kozuka to take over the Military Police Headquarters at once."

"Issuing him to work with Yoshio Miyagawa, the police chief of Hama Province, to thoroughly investigate the assassination of Shirokura, and I must get a result within three days."

"In addition, all newspapers are hereby notified not to publish any news related to the assassination."

"Those who violate this rule will be punished for the crime of colluding with the enemy."

The adjutant respectfully accepted the order: "Yes, sir!"

Yoshijiro Umezu's arrangement was not without its own profound meaning.

Kozuka Shika is already in her fifties and has long since submitted her resignation, only wanting to return to her hometown in Hokkaido to retire.

The purpose of putting such a lazy, seasoned veteran in charge was to quickly cool down the oppressive policies of the city and granaries.

Today, the navy is taking up almost the entire empire's budget to build new ships.

It's almost unbelievable that the Army had to pay the Navy to buy strategic resources like oil and rubber that were plundered from Southeast Asia.

The drastic reduction in internal spending and funding within the empire had already caused widespread discontent within the army.

The Japanese troops in North and South China were still able to barely sustain their war effort by plundering resources from wealthy cities such as Shanghai, Tianjin, and Wuhan.

These hundreds of thousands of Kwantung Army soldiers could only relentlessly devour the meager resources remaining in the three northeastern provinces.

As the appetites of conglomerates like the South Manchuria Railway and Mitsubishi grew ever larger, they continued to obstruct various projects, and coupled with the disastrous defeat at Nomonhan, the Kwantung Army's situation became increasingly difficult.

Yoshijiro Umezu is currently overwhelmed with the issue of military spending, so he naturally cannot add fuel to the fire by taking advantage of Shirokura's death.

Quite the opposite.

He wanted to use the cooling-off period to extend an olive branch to that Chinese man named Hong Zhiyou.

Intelligence indicates that this guy has a close relationship with Naoto Kohiyama, the newly appointed president of the South Manchuria Railway Company.

This would be a good opportunity to negotiate more military funding with the South Manchuria Railway Company.

Thinking of this, the ambitious Commander-in-Chief of the Kwantung Army couldn't help but sigh.

Who would have thought.

The mighty Kwantung Army, the "flower of the empire," ultimately had to rely on a Chinese person to prolong its life.

Hey.

……

in the afternoon.

Deputy Commander Kozuka Shika officially took over the Military Police Headquarters.

It’s the same conference room.

Kozuka Shika sat imposingly in the head seat, with Yoshio Miyagawa, Takahashi, and others all present.

Gao Bin was specially summoned by Kozuka Shika from the Special Service Section.

As a "lazy bum" who was well-versed in Chinese culture and knew the ways of officialdom, Kozuka Shika understood Umezu Yoshijiro's intention to "handle it coldly" the moment he received the appointment.

He decided to go all the way and brought Gao Bin in as well, so they could jointly take charge of the case.

To welcome back the uncrowned king who fled to Jiamusi.

Kozuka cleared her throat, her voice echoing in the room.

"Adjutant Ogasawara, Section Chief Gao."

"This case is now entirely in your hands."

"Commander Yoshijiro Umezu's requirements were: to be factual, not to exaggerate, and not to publish in the newspapers."

He picked up his teacup and blew away the foam.

"We're doing this to protect General Shirokura's reputation. After all, being a second Nagata Tetsuzan isn't exactly something to be proud of."

"Director Miyagawa, what do you mean?"

Yoshio Miyagawa quickly bowed slightly, his face beaming with smiles:
"I will obey the general's orders!"

Kozuka Shika waved his hand.

Ogasawara Yoshi immediately understood and handed out cigarettes to everyone present.

Kozuka Shika lit one up for herself, took a slow puff, and invited everyone to smoke together.

"Since everyone is here today, I'll take this opportunity to announce some new regulations."

Amidst the swirling smoke, his gaze swept over everyone.

"When Lieutenant General Shirokura was in office, his demands on our police and gendarmerie units were too harsh."

"In particular, the establishment of the Inspectorate has put a lot of pressure on the garrison, the National Guard, and our police and gendarmerie units."

"There have even been instances of overcorrection, resulting in numerous unnecessary conflicts and contradictions."

“I think this is inappropriate.”

He paused, then emphasized his words.

"We must arrest those who have bribed us and suppress those who have been arrested by the Military Intelligence Bureau, but our military police and police officers are also human beings. Appropriate relaxation and salary benefits must be guaranteed."

"I have decided to reinstate the old system in place during Commander Kato's tenure, and to completely abolish the supervisory offices in each unit, effective today."

"After you return to your units, immediately pass on this message and implement it immediately."

At this point, he smiled jokingly: "Sake is only truly enjoyed when shared with everyone. I can't wait to drink with you all until we're all drunk!"

The voice just fell.

Yoshio Miyagawa was the first to stand up and respond in a loud voice:

"Commander Kozuka is wise!"

"How about our Police Department pays for it tonight, and we all have a good drink at the Sakura Club?"

Kozuka Shika waved her hand and said, "No rush, no rush. We have to solve the case first, otherwise it won't look good."

"Yes, I was too hasty," Yoshio Miyagawa quickly apologized.

He had finally managed to reconcile with Hong Zhiyou and become sworn brothers, thinking he could make a fortune, but that madman Chengcang completely ruined it.

Now that the old system has been restored, Harbin will undoubtedly return to its former glory as a paradise on earth.

How could he not be excited.

With Yoshio Miyagawa taking the lead, the others in the conference room also stood up to express their opinions, and the sound of praise was endless.

A meeting that should have been somber and solemn was instead conducted in a harmonious atmosphere.

……

three days later.

Adhering to Yoshijiro Umezu's principle of "non-proliferation," Yoshio Miyagawa and Takahashi jointly announced the conclusion of the investigation.

This assassination attempt was a tragedy caused by Yamazaki Ichiro's resentment towards Lieutenant General Shirokura, and involved no other people or events.

Takeda and Incheon were reinstated to their original positions.

Harbin, the sun shines brightly.

Inside the black Ford sedan, Hong Zhiyou leisurely munched on a piping hot roasted sweet potato.

Looking at him through the rearview mirror from the driver's seat, Xiao Guohua said with a smile, "With Chengcang's death, it seems like the whole of Harbin has come back to life."

"Look at the people on the street, there are obviously more people than a few days ago, especially the Japanese restaurants and clubs, they are all packed."

"You took a risk this time, and it was worth it."

Hong Zhiyou pursed his lips and stuffed the last bite of sweet potato into his mouth.

"Damn it, if I had known that Yoshijiro Umezu would be like this, I would have held back a little longer. That old dog Shirokura would probably have been kicked the bucket."

"My 250,000 Conde coins and gold bars were given to those guys for nothing."

Xiao Guohua smiled.

"It wasn't a complete waste."

"Now that the Miyagawa and Takeda lines are fully connected, our leather goods business and the plan to open a store in the Japanese quarter can be implemented immediately."

"Those are mountains of gold and silver."

Hong Zhi nodded and wiped his hands.

That's true.

“In the past, starting with the Eight-Nation Alliance, these sons of bitches have always found ways to bully us.”

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"Damn it, now I'm going to turn against the Heavenly Gang and sell this thing to the Japanese devils."

"Drink their blood, let them taste what it's like to have their souls ripped out!"

An excited look also appeared on Xiao Guohua's face.

"That's right, this is much more meaningful than simply killing a few Japanese soldiers."

"It is said that there are nearly a million Japanese immigrants in Manchuria at present."

“As soon as the restaurant opens, the money they plunder from us will flow back into our hands, and we can buy guns and cannons to fight them.”

Hong Zhi nodded:
"Yes, it's a wonderful plan."

In his previous life, he had been involved in countless related businesses, but rarely participated.

The main reason is that they don't want to harm their fellow countrymen.

Therefore, I'd rather sell alcohol.

But now it's different.

He had no qualms about selling this thing to the Japanese.

This is the most profitable business in the world.

At that time, he will become the richest man in the entire Manchukuo hidden beneath the surface.

The wealth they can acquire may even far exceed what they had in Tianjin.

(End of this chapter)