Spy Wars: Return of the Red Luan

Chapter 30 Welcome Teacher to Become Section Leader

In early September 1928 (the 17th year of the Republic of China), Hanatani Masaru, the head of the Kwantung Army's Second Section, which had been vacant for more than half a year, took office. Almost at the same time, the new head of the First Section, Itagaki Seishirō, also took office.

Itagaki Seishirō had just been promoted to colonel in March and was sent by the Imperial Headquarters to Tianjin, China to serve as the commander of the 3rd Regiment. He had just adapted to the post for half a year when he was given the task and took a train directly from Tianjin to Lushun.

Lu Shi’s teacher has arrived, and he is also his new section chief. Having received the news in advance, Aoki Qiao must go to the station to greet him!

Chen Jiehua inquired about the train schedule, calculated the time, and drove the car directly onto the platform. After the train arrived at the station, Chen Jiehua saw Itagaki getting off the train alone with a simple luggage bag, trotted up to him, and saluted with a Japanese military salute!

"Senior Staff Officer Aoki Takashi of the Kwantung Army Headquarters has been ordered to welcome the Section Chief!"

Itagaki Seishirō looked at Aoki Takashi who was waiting for him at the station and was a little confused. Where had he seen him before?

Qing Mu Qiao didn't let him wonder for long, and changed his tone, "I am Qing Mu Qing Xuan, a student of the 17th class of the Imperial Army Officer School. Welcome to Lushun to take up your post!"

"Oh! Yoshi! Aoki Qingxuan! You little brat, you're trying to play this trick on the teacher!"

Itagaki remembered that student with fanatical eyes in the 17th class of the Hokage class. He didn't talk much, but he left a deep impression on me!
Qingmu Qiao helped the teacher carry the luggage and took the teacher to the front of the car. He first opened the passenger door, asked the teacher to get in, closed the door, then opened the rear door, put down the luggage, closed the door, then walked back to the driver's seat, started the car and set off.

Some students were there to greet him personally. Itagaki was in a good mood and asked many daily questions in the car. Aoki Takashi answered them appropriately, showing enthusiasm, happiness, excitement, but also politeness.

When the car arrived at the headquarters, Aoki Takashi got out of the car quickly after the engine was turned off. He then walked around to the passenger seat, opened the door for the teacher, asked the teacher to get out of the car, then opened the back door, took out the luggage, and closed the door. Itagaki Seishirō really enjoyed the polite service of this student!
Aoki Qiao led Itagaki directly to the commander-in-chief's office on the fourth floor. At the door, he said, "Teacher, the commander-in-chief is waiting for you inside. I'll put your luggage in your office on the third floor first. I'll wait for you in the class 1 office on the third floor."

Itagaki nodded slightly.

Chen Jiehua returned to the third floor and thought as he walked, it would be really tiring to go through the entire etiquette seriously!

After coming out of the Commander-in-Chief's office, Itagaki went to the Chief of Staff's office, and then went to Section 1 on the third floor to meet with all his subordinates and give them a lecture.

That evening, Aoki Takashi arranged a grand welcome banquet. According to Japanese etiquette at the time, it was normal to not invite higher-level leaders to a banquet to welcome mid-level leaders. After all, the Japanese have a more rigorous drinking culture. When sitting down, who should take the seat of honor if a higher-level leader is present? Wouldn't inviting a higher-level leader just cause trouble for the newly appointed leader?

If the person who comes has a grudge against me, for example, I was supposed to be promoted, but someone was parachuted in and took the position that I thought should have been mine, blocking my way to promotion. The leader also wants me to arrange a welcome banquet for the paratroopers, then I can invite higher-level leaders, the commander-in-chief and the chief of staff together, just to make things difficult for you!
Of course Chen Jiehua would not do anything stupid. This banquet was held at the best restaurant in the city. All colleagues from Section 1 attended. All expenses were paid for by Aoki Caishen. Everyone was only responsible for creating a good atmosphere and ensuring that the new section chief had good food and drink!
The vice-host for this banquet was Zhou Yongsu, specially arranged by Chen Jiehua! Although Zhou Yongsu studied engineering at the Army Academy, he also took tactical courses, and Itagaki Seishirō was also his teacher. Although Itagaki didn't remember Zhou Yongsu, this didn't prevent Zhou Yongsu from participating in the banquet as a student. With this relationship, Zhou Yongsu would be able to thrive in this area.

Naturally, colleagues in Lesson 1 would have no objection. Everyone knew that Zhou Yongsu was Qingmu's butler, and they met Zhou Yongsu more often when getting medicine than they met Qingmu Qiao!

Late at night, after the banquet, Zhou Yongsu drove the other colleagues home, and Aoki Qiao personally took Itagaki Seishirō back to the headquarters dormitory. (There was no such thing as drunk driving at this time, so book friends, don't learn from Aoki Qiao!)
Chen Jiehua parked his car directly at the headquarters compound and walked home by himself. Although he drank a lot of wine, compared to Chen Jiehua's alcohol tolerance, Japanese sake was only slightly stronger than water. Coupled with the late night wind, his mind became clearer!

I didn't do anything else today except serving my teacher Seishirō Itagaki!

Looking back now, the "mission" that System Hongluan gave him wasn't actually a formal mission. It was just one word: "trap" the Kwantung Army! At that time, Chen Jiehua even praised the system for its good use of the word "trap"!
Now that he had arrived in the Northeast and joined the Kwantung Army, this "pit" had become the task that the system Hongluan had assigned to Chen Jiehua! Chen Jiehua had been pondering this issue.

Killing Sakurada Takeshi isn't a trick! Killing Kawamoto Daisaku isn't a trick! Killing a few minor characters isn't a trick! What does it mean to be a trick? We need to think it through. Tricking the teacher, you don't have any psychological burden, right?
The next morning, Chen Jiehua and Zhou Yongsu arrived at the headquarters compound, waited for the teacher to wake up, and then pulled her into the car and took her to the restaurant where they had the banquet the previous night for breakfast! They called it a beautiful day that starts with breakfast!
"Teacher, I've already made an appointment with this restaurant. You can come and eat at any time in the future. All expenses will be charged to your account. Zhou Yongsu will settle accounts with the owner regularly!"

"Oh! Yoshi! Aoki, Zhou Yongsu, you guys are so thoughtful! I thought it would be difficult to get here, but I didn't expect you two to be here. It's really a surprise! The teacher likes it very much!" Itagaki is not ignorant of enjoying life, but he didn't have the conditions to enjoy it before. Now he has students serving him, so why not?
"Teacher, I've arranged a room for you near the headquarters. It's already being cleaned, so you can move in tonight! It's very close, only 10 minutes away."

The bigger surprise is yet to come! If I want to corrode you, I will corrode you to the core!

"Zhou Yongsu has prepared a gift for you and your wife. He will bring it to you this afternoon when he takes you to see the house!"

Three ways to bribe: treat, room and board, plus a big gift! Very practical, right?

"I'll have Yongsu accompany you back to the headquarters in a moment. You can call him anytime if you need me. I won't accompany you anymore. There's a problem at the pharmacy in Rehe. There are bandits targeting my store, and I need to go and deal with it."

By paving the way for Zhou Yongsu, Chen Jiehua should be able to get away.

"Oh? There are actually people here who dare to covet the military industry of the Empire of Japan?"

Itagaki Seishirō remembers this! You kid, you're giving me food, a house, and gifts, and finally you say this, "Your teacher, I understand! Look at me, I'll help you get it done! If you can't handle it, send troops!"
With the order from the new head of Section 1 of the Kwantung Army Headquarters, it was easy for Chen Jiehua to mobilize the military, police and military personnel along the Manchurian Railway in the name of protecting Japanese expatriates' industries, thus easily resolving the bandits' covetousness for the pharmacy business in various places.

(End of this chapter)