Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 235, Section 234: The Honey Trap, Yoshida's Surrender, and the Plot Against Nagano Osamu

Based on the information obtained by Zhao Wanping, Fang Wen judged that Nagano Osamu was an important figure in the Japanese Navy.

However, their specific identities must be ascertained.

This kind of thing requires a two-pronged approach.

Zhao Wanping continued to invite the wealthy woman who had leaked the information to play mahjong.

Meanwhile, the special operations team also purchased relevant information through intelligence networks.

As for Zhao Wanping, the noblewoman's source of information was her husband, who was a detective in the foreign concession. He was only able to learn some bits and pieces of information because he was helping to maintain order at the time.

It wasn't entirely without progress; Zhao Wanping then obtained another important piece of information.

Osamu Nagano lived at the headquarters of the Japanese Navy's Special Landing Force.

Meanwhile, the intelligence network also obtained information about Nagano Osamu's whereabouts in Japan.

Combining the two points, Fang Wen immediately convened a meeting to discuss the matter.

The third floor of Anping Trading Company.

Fang Wen organized a special task force meeting to explain the situation to the task force members.

"It has been confirmed that Nagano Osamu is an admiral in the Japanese Navy."

Liu Yinfeng asked, "What rank is a general?"

The other members of the action team also wanted to know, and they all looked at Fang Wen.

"The highest rank in the Japanese Navy is that of an admiral, which is divided into major general, vice admiral, and admiral. This is the highest rank," Fang Wen explained.

It's no wonder that such a high-ranking general was given such a grand welcome.

If we kidnap him, we can definitely get Yue Jinping back. Not to mention Yue Jinping, we can get back any number of people.

The problem is how to get rid of this guy.

Fang Wen walked to the window and looked into the distance.

In the distance, there is a small corner of the roof; that is the headquarters building of the Japanese Navy Special Landing Force.

After a night, Fang Wen, disguised as a man, and his team members went out separately and quietly approached the military building.

This is a four-story building with its main exit facing the street.

The building is located at a three-way intersection with a wide view, making it an easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack position.

Looking at the bullet holes in the wall, Fang Wen was lost in thought.

Shanghai was a strategic target for the Japanese Navy, and this place served as the command center and military stronghold of the Japanese Navy in Shanghai.

Back in 1932, during the January 28 Incident, the 19th Route Army attacked this place but failed to capture it.

There are at least 2000 people stationed inside; it would be extremely difficult to sneak in.

If you can't sneak in, try to lure Nagano Osamu out.

What methods can be used to draw it out?
Fang Wen firmly believes that everyone has weaknesses, and these weaknesses will be known by those close to them.

His target shifted to the naval officers who had come with Nagano Osamu.

With that thought in mind, Fang Wen turned and left, giving instructions to the action team members who followed him at the street corner.

"Go check on Nagano Osamu's adjutant. If he didn't come, the adjutant couldn't possibly not come out, right?"

"Yes, sir." The operative accepted the order and left.

Fang Wen then took Zhang Yunfei to a teahouse.

The teahouse was located right at the three-way intersection, offering a view of the Japanese Navy Special Landing Force headquarters building.

He entered the teahouse, and the waiter came to greet him, speaking in a southwestern Mandarin dialect from Sichuan, which was understandable.

"Sir, would you like some tea or a storytelling performance? There are storytellers on the third floor. If you want to hear stories, go to the third floor. If you want peace and quiet, go to the first or second floor."

The third floor offered a wider view, so Fang Wen naturally chose to go there.

He went upstairs with the waiter and found a window seat to sit down with Zhang Yunfei.

We then ordered a pot of Biluochun tea, along with some snacks.

"Enjoy your meal, sir. Please give me a shout if you need anything." The waiter left with a smile.

After the waiter left, Fang Wen listened to the storyteller while observing the situation across the three-way intersection.

After a storytelling segment, a man and a woman took the stage; the woman held a pipa (a Chinese lute), and the man held a sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument).

As soon as they stepped onto the stage, they were greeted with applause from the audience.

Zhang Yunfei had never seen anything like it before, and asked in a low voice, "Sir, what is this?"

“Suzhou Pingtan,” Fang Wen replied. He knew about it, but had never listened to it carefully.

It wouldn't hurt to listen to this opportunity today.

The men started.

"Fellow countrymen and esteemed guests, we've gathered here today for amusement and to broaden our horizons. This humble old man will present you with a newly crafted piece, titled 'Heroes of the Republic of China,' featuring a particularly thrilling chapter—the story of Fang Wenfang, the great hero and general manager of Taishan Airlines, who engaged in a breathtaking, three-hundred-round aerial battle with Japanese enemy planes over the vast Bohai Sea!"

Zhang Yunfei chuckled. "Sir, I'm talking to you."

Fang Wen asked in surprise, "Not three hundred rounds?"

He was curious to hear what they would say.

The gentle sound of the sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument) begins, followed by the light strumming of the

"Speaking of the Republic of China, its fate was fraught with misfortune. It was surrounded by foreign powers and plagued by warlord conflicts. Our General Manager Fang Wenfang was not only a business genius but also a patriotic and courageous hero. He blew up the Izumo, incurring the wrath of the Japanese. Unable to deal with him, they resorted to their evil intentions and abducted his beloved. If it were an ordinary person, unable to provoke the Japanese, they would probably have just swallowed their anger. But he did not. He actually challenged the Japanese to a duel and rescued the beauty."

In Suzhou Pingtan singing style, after the man finishes singing, the woman takes over.

The singing pitch rose, and the emotion became more intense.

"That day, the sky was clear and the air was crisp. The Bohai Sea shimmered, yet a deadly aura lurked beneath. Japanese warplanes, self-proclaimed nobles, attempted to show off their power over the Bohai Sea. But unexpectedly, Fang Wen of Mount Tai personally led his aircraft, soaring into the sky and striking straight at the heart of the enemy. His posture was like a dragon emerging from the sea, a tiger descending the mountain. The two sides fought fiercely, and then Fang Wen performed a somersault, maneuvering behind the enemy and tearing off their tail in the blink of an eye."

This is getting more and more absurd; it's almost turned into Sun Wukong's three battles with the White Bone Demon, or a fight between gods.

Fang Wen guessed that the person who wrote this piece had never watched aerial combat, so he couldn't help but smile and stopped listening to the singing and playing.

His attention turned back to the crossroads.

At that moment, he saw two Japanese naval officers walking over.

Judging from the looks of it, they've come to the teahouse.

If the Japanese hear these storytelling performances, everyone in the teahouse will be in trouble.

Fang Wen waved, and a waiter jogged over: "Sir, what would you like to add?"

"Look down, the Japanese are coming," Fang Wen pointed downwards.

The waiter was terrified when he saw it and quickly called out to them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Japanese have arrived. Today's performance will be over. Please forgive us."

Upon hearing that the Japanese had arrived, some people went downstairs to pay their bills and leave, while others stubbornly refused to leave.

After a while, two officers went upstairs.

These two were fluent in Chinese and even ordered tea and snacks in Chinese.

The two sat behind Fang Wen, drinking tea and conversing in Japanese.

In order to resist the Japanese, Fang Wen studied Japanese for more than a year and was able to understand what the two people were saying.

"Yoshida-kun, it's been many years. I never expected you to become Admiral Nagano's adjutant."

"Mainly because my father and General Nagano were longtime friends. He was worried that I would suffer in the army, so he asked General Nagano to take care of me."

The moment the two opened their mouths, they captivated Fang Wen.

Unexpectedly, the person he sent to investigate Nagano Osamu's adjutant delivered himself to his doorstep.

He leisurely eavesdropped on the conversation between the two.

It turns out that these two were classmates who hadn't seen each other for many years. They met again in Shanghai. One was working at the headquarters of the Japanese Navy's Special Landing Force, while the other became an adjutant to a general under Nagano Osamu.

During the subsequent conversation, Fang Wen learned more. Nagano Osamu's trip to Shanghai was merely for inspection along the way, and he would stay for a month. After a month, he would travel to London to attend a naval disarmament conference involving the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

In other words, there is only one month, and action must be taken within this period.

At this moment, the two stood up, seemingly preparing to return.

Zhang Yunfei whispered, "Sir, should we take action?"

Fang Wen watched the two of them come downstairs and shook his head, replying, "No need. I think they're both people who like to have fun. I'll just wait outside. They'll definitely come out."

Fang Wen's judgment was correct; Yoshida, born into a wealthy family, was indeed playful, and his classmates, wanting to curry favor with him, naturally catered to his tastes.

The next day, the two went out and rented a room at a nearby hotel.

They changed into ordinary clothes in the room, and with their accents in Chinese, it was hard to tell they were Japanese.

But all of this was being monitored by the action team.

The two of them went to bars and nightclubs that night, and there were members of the operation team following them.

It wasn't until Yoshida entered the hotel that the action team members returned to report to Fang Wen.

"General Manager, Yoshida took a woman to a hotel, and he probably won't be going back tonight."

Fang Wen nodded: "Is he a lecher? What do you think we should do about this kind of person?"

"How about we set up a honey trap?" Zhang Yunfei replied.

Those who live and breathe the martial arts world have their own methods, which, though unorthodox, are absolutely effective.

The so-called "honey trap" is an act of using a person's lustful desires to set a trap and swindle money from them.

But this time, the honey trap was used for the right purpose.

But who will act as bait in this honey trap?
Zhang Yunfei thought for a moment: "How about we find a socialite in Shanghai?"

“We don’t want socialites; they can betray us at any time. Let me do it,” Zhao Wanping said.

"You?" The team members all shook their heads.

Would anyone else besides Wu Yingzong like such a tall and strong woman?
Ignored by the men, Zhao Wanping looked at Wu Yingzong: "I still look pretty when I dress up, right, Yingzong?"

That delicate voice, combined with that large frame, gave everyone goosebumps.

Even Fang Wen couldn't resist Zhao Wanping's coquettishness.

He spoke up, "I didn't say it had to be a woman. Wu Yingzong, you're thin and skilled in disguise, can you dress up as a woman?"

Wu Yingzong nodded: "It can be done."

He then went to the bedroom and disguised himself.

The way they came out was absolutely stunning.

On the third night, Yoshida went out with his old classmate again.

The two changed dance halls this time.

Then, a beautiful woman appeared here.

The beautiful woman exchanged glances with Yoshida, their eyes conveying affection, and she quickly captivated him.

He went over to talk, danced a dance, and then hurriedly left with the woman to return to the inn.

After entering the room, the woman smiled seductively and said, "Wait for me, I'll take a shower and then come out."

Yoshida's hand, however, wandered off and touched the woman's buttocks.

Wu Yingzong, who was dressed as a woman, almost gave himself away. He suppressed his discomfort and pushed Yoshida away.

"Don't rush, you can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. Just wait for me, it will be ready in a moment."

"Hot tofu, I like it." Yoshida smiled and sat on the bed waiting.

The sound of rushing water filled the air, and Yoshida drifted into a daydream.

At this time, someone knocked on the door.

He got up and opened the door, saying impatiently, "Who is it?"

The door was forced open, and several burly men rushed in, pinning him down and beating him to a pulp.

After the beating, Zhao Wanping, now sporting a fake beard, appeared and angrily smacked Yoshida on the head: "How dare you mess with my woman! Today I'll make you drown in the river!"

To play along, Wu Yingzong covered her face and began to sob. "My husband, it's not my fault. He dragged me here against my will."

This couple is so good at acting, their roles are completely reversed, and everyone is holding back their laughter and playing along.

Yoshida, the only one unaware of the truth, was beaten up and thought he had been confronted for having an affair with someone's wife.

She immediately cried and pleaded, "I really don't know, please let me go. I'll give you money."

"Do I look like someone who's short of money?" Zhao Wanping lifted Yoshida up with one hand and glared at him fiercely.

"Then what do you want?" Yoshida asked in a panic as he was suspended in mid-air.

At this moment, one of the operatives pretended to rummage through the room and pulled out a military uniform, feigning surprise, and said, "What is this uniform? It looks so familiar."

Zhao Wanping turned around and glanced at him: "You're Japanese? I hate Japanese people more than anything in my life, and you even defiled my wife. You must die today."

These words terrified Yoshida. Fearing he wouldn't see the sun rise the next day, Yoshida cried out, "What do you want? Just let me go, and I'll give you anything you ask for."

"Really?" Zhao Wanping smiled and said, "Then write a letter of surrender."

"How should I write it?" Completely at a loss, Yoshida wrote a letter of surrender as Zhao Wanping requested.

The content was that he defected from the Japanese Navy, volunteered to become an informant, and would continue to provide intelligence.

He thought that he could get away with this by simply writing a letter of surrender and signing it with his fingerprint.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Wanping spoke up again: "Brothers, take good care of him, so that he will never forget this day for the rest of his life."

After saying that, Zhao Wanping left the room.

The remaining members of the action team gathered around with sinister laughs.

"What do you want to do?"

"Take some photos, don't be afraid."

The next day, the action team reported the results to Fang Wen.

“Yoshida signed the letter of surrender and had his picture taken. He was from a noble family. If the picture and the letter of surrender were to be leaked, he would have no choice but to commit suicide.”

Fang Wen looked at two photos and then stopped looking.

He put the letter of surrender and the photos into a bag and kept them safe.

"Whether Yoshida can succeed or not is not guaranteed, but we must give it a try. How about this, you go and ask him how much he knows about Nagano Osamu."

"Yes."

The action team immediately returned to negotiate with Yoshida.

"We heard that your superior is Osamu Nagano. What are his hobbies?"

Upon hearing this, Yoshida turned deathly pale: "I can't tell you."

“You’ve already signed the surrender document and had your picture taken. Is there any turning back? Unless you die, you have to do as I say.” Zhao Wanping lifted Yoshida up again, and Yoshida, whose collar was being grabbed, felt like he was suffocating.

"I said, I said."

After Zhao Wanping let go, Yoshida let go of everything and revealed what he knew.

Although he hadn't been with Nagano Osamu for long, he knew some of Nagano Osamu's hobbies because of his family connections.

He was also born into a Japanese samurai family and enjoyed collecting calligraphy and paintings as a testament to his refined tastes and hobbies.

Although he has been staying in a sturdy and secure military building these days, he has entrusted people in the Shanghai concessions and the navy to help him collect Chinese calligraphy and paintings.

Upon hearing this, Fang Wen had an idea.

If Yoshida goes back and tells Nagano Osamu that he has discovered a very valuable ancient painting or calligraphy work, could that lead to its discovery?
As long as the other party comes out, Fang Wen will have a chance to kidnap him.

This seems likely to work out.

(End of this chapter)