Spy game? Stop guessing, I really am an undercover agent!

Chapter 228 You should be called You Rong
"I promoted Qi Wu myself, so I know his character very well," Boss Dai's voice rang out slowly.

Mao Qiwu and Zheng Yaoquan are different.

Zheng Yaoquan and others were professional intelligence officers, while Mao Qiwu was promoted from the office.

While Mao Qiwu might not be as capable as Zheng Yaoquan in terms of execution, he was very good at interpersonal relationships.

Although Boss Dai is ruthless and domineering, there are still patterns to his conduct.

Mao Qiwu had this in mind: whenever a colleague made a mistake and Boss Dai was about to punish them, Mao Qiwu would step in to stop him.

Sometimes they would rather suffer themselves than stand up for others.

Of course, he wouldn't do this for nothing; he would find a way to let the person involved know.

When Boss Dai wanted to take action against him, it was I, Mao Qiwu, who stepped in and protected you.

Over time, these officers within the Military Intelligence Bureau became deeply grateful to Mao Qiwu.

Zheng Yaoquan said with a smile, "Director, you promoted Brother Qi Wu yourself, what else do you have to worry about?"

Boss Dai took a breath and said calmly, "It's precisely because I understand it that I'm worried."

“He’s quite ambitious. If we promote him, the first thing he’ll do is target me.”

"Ah!" Zheng Yaoquan was stunned.

“Nothing to be surprised about.” Boss Dai rubbed his temples. “Once you’ve gone up there, it’s hard to come down.”

“Even if I’m not in that position, as long as I’m still in the Military Unity Army, he won’t be able to sleep soundly.”

"Yaoquan, power is a good thing. It can turn a man into a dog, and it can also turn a dog into a man."

"That's just human nature. What could be worse than a human? Heh."

After expressing his feelings, Boss Dai looked out the window and stopped talking, and Zheng Yaoquan also wisely shut his mouth.
In Shanghai, just half a month after Wan Tianmu's defection, the Military Intelligence Bureau was already in complete chaos.

Wan Tianmu was once the station chief of Qingdao Station. His defection prompted Zhao Gangyi, a junior leader of the Kuomintang Qingdao Station, to follow suit.

Zhao Gangyi had worked with Wan Tianmu when he was handling affairs of the Military Intelligence Bureau.

Moreover, Wan Tianmu knew this person's character very well; he was quite bold, but extremely greedy.

Exploiting this weakness, Wan Tianmu persuaded Yingzuo to convince Zhao Gangyi by offering him twenty large yellow croakers.
Zhao Gangyi initially held firm to his principles, but after seeing the letters from Da Huangyu and Wan Tianmu, he chose to side with the Japanese.

After Zhao Gangyi's defection, he immediately led the Japanese military police in a large-scale search and arrest operation in Qingdao, wiping out the entire Qingdao station of the Military Intelligence Bureau, including station chief Fu Shenglan.

Fu Shenglan remained stubborn, refusing to hand over the list of agents despite enduring immense torture.
Unfortunately, his trusted cousin wasn't so tough.

After Zhao Gangyi helped the Japanese capture Fu Shenglan, he used information about Fu Shenglan to lure out the deputy station chief, Fu Xiangrong, Fu Shenglan's cousin.
Fu Xiangrong was a spineless coward; before he could even be subjected to severe torture, he confessed about the secret outpost and radio station in Qingdao.

Subsequently, all 27 agents at the Qingdao station fell into the water, resulting in the complete annihilation of the Kuomintang's Qingdao station.

Soon after, the Military Intelligence Bureau's seven strongholds in Beiping were wiped out, and radio stations and secret reports transmitted from all over North China fell into enemy hands. Deputy District Chief Zhou Shiguang was arrested and subsequently shot.

Immediately afterwards, Cai Shengchu, the head of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Anqing station, was arrested.

Subsequently, the Military Intelligence Bureau's offices and hideouts in Nanjing were attacked.

Wu Gengshu, the stationmaster of Jinling Station, fled, while Tan Wenzhi, the deputy stationmaster, was arrested.
Subsequently, the secret radio station of the Military Intelligence Bureau in Nanjing fell into the hands of the enemy.

……

Shanghai, Qingdao, Beijing, Tianjin, Nanjing, Anqing...

That wasn't all. Through intelligence obtained from agents of the Military Intelligence Bureau in Beiping, the Japanese military police also conducted systematic searches in Zhangjiakou, Chahar, Suiyuan, Dandong, Inner Mongolia, and other areas.
In just one month, the snowball effect caused by Wan Tianmu's betrayal expanded infinitely.
This also led to the near-total destruction of the Military Intelligence Bureau's intelligence network behind enemy lines, completely paralyzing most of its intelligence network.
Shanghai, Paramount Ballroom.

The founder of Paramount Ballroom was Sheng Aiyi, the seventh daughter of Sheng Xuanhuai, who was once the richest man in China.

In the beginning, Sheng Aiyi spent 600,000 taels of silver to establish the Paramount Ballroom, but unfortunately, due to poor management, she had to sell it to someone else.

The Paramount Ballroom then developed rapidly, eventually becoming the "Number One Music Hall in the Far East"!
This was the top choice for Shanghai's high-ranking officials and dignitaries to seek pleasure.

Of course, that was in the past; now, that may not be the case.
At 8 p.m., a motorcade appeared in front of the Paramount Ballroom, immediately attracting the attention of onlookers.
The reason was that the Japanese flag was flying on one side of the convoy, while the tricolor flag of the reformed government was flying on the other side.

The cars stopped one by one at the entrance. The doors opened, and Haruki Yoshitane, the deputy head of the Mei Agency, and Mantenki, who had just defected to the Japanese, got out of the cars.

Behind them were Ding Cun, deputy director of the Special Service Department, Li Qun, He Tianfeng, the captain of the action team transferred from Nanjing, and Ling Jing, the former captain of the Special Service Department's action team.

Leaders from the Intelligence Section and the Secret Telegraph Office under the Special Affairs Committee disembarked one after another.
The last Austin sedan carried Chen Yang, the head of the Land Transport Section and director of the Special Affairs Department.
No, we can't call him Director now; he should be called Minister Chen.

Wan Tianmu's actions this time made the Mei Agency and the Jinling Special Service Committee very famous.

The General Staff approved the special agent training plan submitted by Yingzuo and officially renamed the Jinling Special Agent Committee as: Special Agent Headquarters of the Central Executive Committee of the Huaxia Reformed Government.

At Yingzuo's recommendation, Chen Yang was promoted to the first minister of the Special Agent Headquarters.
Of course, the main character making such a big fuss at the Paramount tonight isn't Chen Yang, who was just promoted, but Wan Tianmu.
After a period of "busy work," the crackdown on the Military Intelligence Bureau has come to an end.

This operation was very successful, reducing the Military Intelligence Bureau's forces in the Japanese-occupied areas, especially the forces of several key units, by 70%.

And all of this was almost entirely brought about by Wan Tianmu.

Therefore, Wan Tianmu became the main character at this victory celebration.
Paramount private rooms...

“Mr. Wan, I have already reported your merits to Lord Yingzuo,” Qingqi Qingyin said. He wasn’t a big drinker, and after drinking only half a bottle of wine, his face was already slightly flushed.

"General Kagesa has also suggested to Sonoda that you be appointed as the Director of the First Department of the Special Operations Headquarters in the future. In addition, according to the Jinling side, the position of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Shanghai Peace Army has also been reserved for you."

"Thank you, Lord Qingqi." Wan Tianmu raised his wine cup, stood up respectfully, and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Qingqi Qingyin.
After being tortured by the Kuomintang secret police, Wan Tianmu shaved his head to help his wounds heal.
He is now bald, and it is unknown whether it is due to torture. At this moment, even his eyebrows have become very light, and at first glance, his entire head seems to be smooth.

"Brother Wan, you've really been promoted. Let's not even talk about the Peace Army, but as the director of the First Bureau of the Special Agent Headquarters, wow, you're only second to Director Ding and Director Li."

"You're still not happy? Do you want to replace Minister Chen as the head of the Special Agents? Hahaha..." Li Tao asked with a smile.

Li Tao was Wan Tianmu's subordinate, and also a traitor to the Military Intelligence Bureau. Moreover, he defected voluntarily, and the fall of the Military Intelligence Bureau's Nanjing station was largely due to his betrayal…

Because he was once the head of the intelligence department of Jinling Station and was in charge of personnel arrangements at Jinling Station.

Xiong Jiandong had previously pinned the blame on him for the assassination attempts on Chen Mingchu, Huang Xianggu, and Zhao Huaishan.

Originally, Wan Tianmu was preparing to carry out the family discipline, but unexpectedly, orders came from headquarters first, ordering Wan Tianmu to go to Shanghai to replace Zhao Lijun, and Li Tao's matter was handed over to Deputy Station Chief Tan Wenzhi.

Knowing Tan Wenzhi's methods, Li Tao turned around and ran into the Jinling Special Service Committee before Tan Wenzhi could make a move.

After Wan Tianmu's defection, he was also the one who provided the information from this secret base and radio station.
"Brother Wenqian, what are you saying? What I'm worried about is Dai," Wan Tianmu said, his hand holding the wine glass trembling slightly for no reason. He blinked a couple of times. "Given his temper, it's impossible for him not to retaliate after suffering such a huge loss for no reason."

"Although the Military Intelligence Bureau suffered heavy losses this time, its overall strength is still extremely strong... We cannot let our guard down."

"Brother Wan, please don't take offense," He Tianfeng, the captain of the action team, laughed. "Is there any hope left for the Nationalist government?"

"They were pretty arrogant a few days ago, weren't they? What counter-offensive plan, the decisive battle in Wuhan, those guys were really bragging about things that were practically flying to the sky."

"It's as if we can take back Nanjing right away."

"But look at it now... isn't it the same old story? Zhengzhou and Luoyang. They were taken in less than a month."

"Xue the Tiger, what a big name! He's stuck in Changsha, not even daring to breathe. Tiger? I think he's just a rat! Hahaha..."

"That's not how it works. Xue Boling truly lives up to his reputation."

Wan Tianmu said softly, "Moreover, it's not just Xue Boling; there are many people in the National Government who are extremely capable... It's a pity they all followed the wrong people."

"Brother Wan is absolutely right, they've followed the wrong person."

He Tianfeng took a sip, downed a glass of wine, and shook his head, saying, "What's so great about the National Government? They've fallen to this state, and they're still fighting and scrambling all the time..."

"If you ask me, Brother Wan, you did the right thing. What's the point of following Dai? You two were sworn brothers, and you almost became in-laws, but he actually..."

"Sigh..." Wan Tianmu didn't say anything, he just sighed.

"Yes, yes, everyone, let's all toast Minister Chen..." He Tianfeng stood up with a wine glass in hand, smiling obsequiously at Chen Yang as he loudly proclaimed, "Congratulations on Minister Chen's promotion!"

Chen Yang had been sitting in the corner watching the group perform.

They were all defectors from the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Nationalist government. To call these people brothers was an insult to his status.

However, despite his disdain, Chen Yang remained very easygoing and low-key, simply sitting quietly to the side listening to their outrageous remarks.

I just don't know why He Tianfeng suddenly went crazy and shifted his target to him.

“Yes, yes, yes.” Li Tao and others chimed in, “Minister Chen is so young yet holds such a high position; his future is certainly limitless.”

Ding Cun and Li Qun echoed, "Minister Chen, we wish you continued success in your career and abundant wealth!"

Everyone in the Special Service knew Chen Yang's role and his personality.

He was a veteran in the establishment of the Special Service Department and also Kagesa's most trusted confidant. The Special Service Department's current scale is almost entirely due to Minister Chen's efforts.

What is most admirable is that he not only managed the Special Service Department very well, but also thrived in the Land Transport Division.

Of course, everyone in the Special Service knew very well that Kagesa's affection for this person was almost extreme.

Knowing that he wasn't formally trained, the fact that Yingzuo was still willing to entrust him with power stemmed not only from Chen Yang's own abilities but also from Yingzuo's absolute trust in him.

While people like Ding Cun and Li Qun are very capable, they can't possibly gain Ying Zuo's complete trust; only Chen Yang can.
Such a person, and so young, naturally needs to be curryed over.

After a few rounds of drinks, Qing Qiqingyin suddenly said to Ding Cun and Li Qun, "Mr. Ding, Mr. Li, I have some good news to tell you both."

"His Excellency Yingzuo has already approved Mr. Ding's proposed special agent training plan."

"Agreed to expand the agency and recruit and train agents."

“The current office is too small, so this is a new address I’ve found for you two.”

Ding Cun and Li Qun exchanged a glance and were overjoyed. Ding Cun respectfully accepted the address handed to him by Qing Qiqingyin and said, "Thank you for your trust, Deputy Director and Director Yingzuo. We will certainly live up to your expectations."

As soon as Ding Cun finished speaking, another round of congratulations followed, bringing the atmosphere in the room to its peak.
Nothing more was said that night.
The next day, early in the morning, Chen Yang dragged his tired body to the office of the head of the land transportation section of the Southern Transportation Department.

The drinking last night didn't end until the early hours of the morning. Even though Chen Yang had a good alcohol tolerance, he was still quite drunk after being toasted repeatedly by so many traitors, big and small.

Later on, I completely lost consciousness and didn't even know how I got back. When I woke up in the morning, I found myself not at the Lin Mansion on Ferguson Road, but in Elsa's bedroom.
He seemed to have no recollection of what had happened in between.

Slumped in his chair, rubbing his head, Chen Yang tried hard to recall what he had done yesterday. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Li Ningyu poked half her body in and said, "Sir, Director Tanaka of the Osaka Chamber of Commerce is looking for you."

"Tanaka, what's he doing here?" Chen Yang rubbed his head, somewhat confused.

Tanaka is not very important in this network; he exists as part of the transportation supply chain.

Some "obsolete," "outdated," or confiscated supplies transported from the logistics department need to be laundered through the Osaka Chamber of Commerce's sales network.
"No one visits a temple without a reason." Tanaka is a director of the Osaka Chamber of Commerce; he wouldn't be so tactless as to come to the transportation department looking for someone unless it's something serious. Chen Yang frowned: "Please let him in."

Li Ningyu bowed and quickly went down to speak.

A moment later, footsteps sounded, followed by a burst of hearty laughter.

"Mr. Chen, please forgive my intrusion." Tanaka bowed deeply as he entered the office, his Chinese, with its Kyoto accent, sounding particularly clear in the enclosed space.

Chen Yang stood up and walked around the large mahogany desk, adopting a standard welcoming posture.

"Director Tanaka is very busy. I wonder what brings you here today?"

"No, no. Mr. Chen is the young talent I admire most in Shanghai." Tanaka shook his head modestly, revealing just the right amount of admiration.

Assistant Li Ningyu silently served two cups of tea and then left, gently closing the office door behind her.
Tanaka did not touch the teacup, but instead placed his briefcase flat on his lap, his hands clasped on top of it, in a respectful posture. "Mr. Chen, I have come today with a request."

"Oh?" Chen Yang interlaced his fingers in front of his abdomen, his gaze calm and unwavering. "There are no outsiders here, Tanaka-kun, please speak frankly."

Tanaka's smile deepened: "Our association will be hosting an informal internal dinner tonight at the newly built clubhouse on Avenue Joffre."

He took out a cream-colored invitation card with gold foil embossing and exquisite cherry blossoms printed on it from his briefcase, held it with both hands, bowed slightly, and handed it to Chen Yang with utmost solemnity.

"If Your Excellency could spare the time to attend, it would be of immeasurable benefit to long-term cooperation."

Chen Yang accepted the invitation. The paper felt smooth and sturdy, and the gold thread along the edges had a slightly cool sheen under the light.

But he didn't open it; instead, he quietly watched Tanaka.
Tanaka met his gaze with a smile, and after a while, Chen Yang's eyes fell on the elegant Japanese calligraphy on the invitation.

"7 PM, Avenue Joffre... Fujiwara Residence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs?"

It was the name Fujiwara that sent a jolt through Chen Yang's heart.

There aren't many families with the surname Fujiwara in Kyoto, but there aren't a few either. However, there's only one family whose name includes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
That was his teacher, Tomoo Fujiwara.

However, although he had maintained contact with Fujiwara Tomoo, he had never heard that Fujiwara Tomoo was coming to Shanghai.
So, what exactly was this Fujiwara residence?
Tanaka's smile remained composed, but a barely perceptible, yet unmistakable, stiffness flickered deep in his eyes. He seemed to have anticipated this, and had prepared his explanation beforehand:

"Mr. Chen, please don't be offended. That property is the ancestral property of Mr. Fujiwara's family in Shanghai. It is quiet and elegant, and with a little renovation, it can be used to entertain distinguished friends."

"Moreover, the location is just a venue; what matters are the people attending and the topics discussed."

"Director Fujiwara has indeed come with the intention of assessing potential and seeking cooperation."

"Her personal selection of this location demonstrates how much she values ​​Chen Sang."

Chen Yang's lips curled into a smile: "Director Fujiwara?"

He repeated the surname again, his fingertips tapping the tabletop twice unconsciously.

“Yes, Ms. Fujiwara Keika.” Tanaka gave her full name, his tone carrying a natural respect, even reverence.

Fujiwara...Eka...

Chen Yang silently placed the invitation on the heavy, sturdy brass file rack on the table.
He neither said he would go nor he said he wouldn't go.

After a moment of silence, Chen Yang turned his gaze to Tanaka again, his eyes becoming somewhat complicated. Finally, he slowly said, "I appreciate Director Tanaka's personal visit."

"Please go back and tell Director Fujiwara that I will arrive promptly at seven o'clock."

Tanaka slowly rose and bowed again, "I will not disturb you any longer."

"The invitation includes a contact number. If Mr. Chen's schedule changes, please let me know at any time. I look forward to hearing Mr. Chen's insightful opinions again at the dinner."

farewell
Tanaka turned around and strode out of the office.

It's 7 PM at night on Avenue Joffre.
This Fujiwara residence is a thoroughly Japanese-style building.

Behind the sliding paper window, the gnarled branches of a bonsai pine tree were reflected, while the long dining table was covered with a snow-white linen tablecloth and set with gleaming silver cutlery and stemmed crystal glasses.

In addition to the Japanese staff of the Chamber of Commerce, the dinner also invited several prominent Chinese and foreign businessmen, bank compradors, and British consulate officials from the concession.

Tanaka moved among them with remarkable tact and charm, constantly introducing Chen Yang to all sorts of people.

Chen Yang maintained proper social demeanor, his gaze fixed on the small door leading to the inner courtyard.

The "special director" appeared to be late.

This deliberate lateness is itself a manifestation of power.

So, is this a protest? A pointless charade.
Just as the conversation at the table became slightly noisy, the small pine door was silently opened.

A stunningly beautiful figure appeared before everyone's eyes.

She was a remarkably beautiful woman, with a graceful figure and a composed gait, but the first thing that caught people's attention was her physique.

She wasn't very tall, about 155 centimeters, and every step she took on the smooth teak floor was like stepping on invisible steps, exuding an indescribable air of authority.

She was wearing a perfectly fitted dark blue silk velvet dress.

The V-neck design is extremely bold, with a delicately shaped butterfly pearl button fastened at the neckline, which gleams softly under the light.

The satin hem of her skirt slid silently with her slender, steady steps, like flowing ripples in the dark night, creating a wonderful echo with the rich darkness behind her.

The wispy strands of hair falling gracefully to her temples accentuated her small, well-defined face.

She wore only a few simple pieces of jewelry: a pearl necklace around her neck, pearl earrings, and even a ring with a pearl on her finger—it was clearly a set of ready-made pearl jewelry…

As she entered the hall, her gaze precisely landed on Chen Yang, who was standing next to Tanaka.

At that moment, Chen Yang felt a subtle, icy sensation.

Her narrow, almond-shaped eyes were upturned, and her eyeliner, drawn with an extremely fine charcoal pencil to create sharp ends, made her pupils appear an almost cold amber color under the chandelier.

Her high, narrow nose bridge resembled a meticulously sculpted work of art, yet her lips were surprisingly adorned with an extremely pale nude pink lipstick.
Pearl jewelry, pink lipstick...

It must be said that this woman knows how to dress. Her purpose in doing so is clearly to be deliberately low-key, but at the same time, she wants to show off her unique charm in a high-profile way...

She has a strong personality but isn't ostentatious; she's definitely a woman who understands men's psychology very well.

"Fujiwara Keika." Her voice was clear and steady, with a standard Tokyo accent, without the slightest emotional fluctuation.

Chen Yang was slightly taken aback, and subconsciously reached out her hand. Her fingers were long and slender, with slightly distinct knuckles, and her clean and neat almond-shaped nails revealed the temperament of a pragmatist.

His palms were steady and strong, with a slight coolness below body temperature.

Only when she lowered her head did the jade dragonfly brooch on her chest tremble gently with each subtle breath.
Wow... what a bright mind...
No, wait, what was I trying to say?

Chen Yang was momentarily confused, but inwardly he kept sighing: Fujiwara Keika, this name doesn't seem to suit her very well.

Hmm. Her name should be You Rong.
(End of this chapter)