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

Chapter 231 Surprise or not? Unexpected or not

Shanghai, Joint Office of the Chief of the First Special Section under the Special Higher Police,

The office was brightly lit. Yoko Minamida scanned the report with eyes like a hawk, and the rhythm of her fingertips tapping on the table revealed her suppressed anxiety.

"Knock knock." A knock sounded on the door, the voice steady and strong.
"Go in." Nantian's voice remained cold.

"Chief Minamida," said Yusuke Ino, the deputy chief of the Land Transport Division, as he pushed open the door.

Yusuke Ino spoke with a standard Tokyo accent, his voice deep and steady. The angle of his bow was just right, expressing respect without losing his dignity. "I apologize for disturbing you so late at night."

"I now have a serious case of dereliction of duty that I must report to you, Section Chief, using my real name!"

"So it's Ino-kun." Minamida's tone rose slightly, with a hint of inquisitive interest. "A case of dereliction of duty, doesn't that seem like something that Special Section One shouldn't handle?"

"Why would you think of coming here to report me? My Special Section is not an imperial regulatory body."

“I understand perfectly well, but right now, in the entire Shanghai city, I’m afraid only Section Chief Nantian dares to confront this person head-on.” Ino Yusuke raised his head, looking at Nantian with an open and honest gaze: “Because the person being reported is none other than Chen Yang, the section chief of the Land Transportation Section!”

"Chen Yang abused his power by taking advantage of the Imperial Army's trust in him, colluding with Jin Dayou of the Shanghai West Green Gang and Qiao Zhenshan and other black market merchants in the International Settlement to steal and smuggle strategic materials controlled by the Empire on a long-term and systematic basis!"

"The smuggled goods included gasoline, pharmaceutical raw materials, high-quality steel, and textiles..."

"They've resorted to any means necessary! Their actions are those of a giant rat trying to undermine the empire!"

"Moreover, he is becoming increasingly arrogant, openly cooperating with the Empire's enemies."

“I have been observing his smuggling activities for a long time. He has a batch of supplies to be traded at Maigenlu Railway Station. The time is 3 a.m. tonight. After the transaction is successful, the entire batch of supplies will be transported to the Central Jiangsu region and handed over to the Red Party guerrillas there.”

"According to my intelligence, this batch of supplies includes ten military radios, one hundred kilograms of high-grade medical sulfanilamide powder, and fifty barrels of gasoline. In addition to the medicine, gasoline, and radios, he also prepared weapons."

"A full 100 Type 38 rifles and some pistols, and more than 30,000 rounds of ammunition."

"Based on current market prices in Shanghai, the entire batch of supplies is worth at least 300,000 silver dollars."

"Evidence." Nan Tian's voice remained cold.

“Evidence! Of course I have it, I’ve brought it with me.” Without hesitation, Yusuke Ino presented the blue ledger in his hands to Nanda with both hands.

"This is a copy of the core records of the privately established ledgers that Chen Yang personally destroyed but which I managed to salvage! I have served under him for a long time and am well aware of his corrupt nature. To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, I kept a close watch and preserved some of the evidence!"

This explanation not only clarified how he obtained the key evidence but also cleverly portrayed himself as a visionary and loyal deputy.

Nantian picked up the ledger, flipped through a few pages, and a look of anger appeared between his brows.

The way the ledgers were kept perfectly matched the habits of a cunning and corrupt official who kept secret accounts.
All items are basically represented by codes: "Coal A" represents gasoline, "Stone B" represents steel, and "Water C" represents pharmaceutical raw materials.

The entire accounting record was very clear. They used "Hu's Goods Store" in Shanghai as their trading point, controlling the quantity of goods by the discrepancy between the quantity of goods entering and leaving the store. They then used the convenience of transportation to sell the goods on the black market, and even to support the enemy of the empire...

All the evidence is complete, and the facts are clear. Isn't this the chain of evidence that Nantian has been looking for all along?

Yusuke Ino pointed to a key entry: "Please take a close look at this page, Section Chief."

"On the 15th of last month, the dispatch order showed that 300 tons of raw coal were to be transported to the Zhabei Boiler Plant,"

"However, the 'Coal A' output record in this account shows that the same batch of wagons underwent 'unloading maintenance' for three hours at the Nanxiang branch line en route, with an unloading volume of... fifty tons!"

"But the recipient here is marked 'newly recorded.' Were those fifty tons of 'disappeared' high-quality anthracite coal? They were clearly gasoline!"

"Look here again! One hundred kilograms of 'Water C' marked as entering the 'Military Supplies Warehouse No. 5' has been found to actually only contain eighty kilograms, according to the actual inventory count and receipt!"

"Where did those twenty kilograms go? The same account records that twenty kilograms of 'Water C' were 'transferred' to the Jiming Western Medicine Store in the French Concession! Transferred? This is clearly smuggling!"

"Medicines and gasoline—these are the most important supplies for the empire on the battlefield—and they've been turned into gold bars and ended up in their pockets without any clear explanation."

"Such blatant embezzlement of imperial resources and smuggling for profit is simply appalling."
Every page turned, every precise accusation, was aimed directly at Chen Yang's Achilles' heel.

Yoko Minami's heart began to race, and she started weighing the pros and cons in her mind.

According to the accounts submitted by Yusuke Ino, it is entirely certain that Chen Yang's corruption involved a huge amount of money and was of a heinous nature. Taking him down would not only allow for the confiscation of a large amount of materials to recover losses, but also cleanse the Southern Transportation Department and deter other officials, with immediate results.

Nantian was well aware that Chen Yang alone could not possibly coordinate multiple processes such as outbound warehousing, inbound warehousing, transportation, transfer of materials, and cash recovery.

There must be many people behind him doing things for him, and there are likely also logistics officials protecting him.

During this period, Nantian has been investigating evidence of Chen Yang's corruption.

Last time, we finally caught Lin Yongren and Shen Qingyao trading tungsten ore, but Chen Yang interfered and ruined it.

This time, the evidence is irrefutable. It remains to be seen how this head of the land transport department will manage to clear his name.
"Ino-kun, I'm curious, why did you suddenly choose to stand against Chen Yang?" Nantian asked slowly.

The accounts are real, but she's not that stupid. Ino is the deputy head of the land transport section; he wouldn't do this for no reason.

Yusuke Ino said slowly, "I would like to ask Section Chief Minamida to convey my loyalty to the Empire to General Doi-maru."

"I think it's not safe for such a big thing as transportation to be in the hands of a Chinese person."

"Even if he is indeed working for the Empire, we still need to be wary of him."

"Section Chief Nantian, I believe I am fully capable of replacing Chen Yang."

A smile curved Nan Tian's lips as he looked at Ino Yusuke and said, "I see. Ino-kun is indeed very thoughtful."

"I've always thought that Section Chief Chen has too much power."

"The Empire's transportation should be controlled by its own people. Besides, he is ostensibly working for the Empire, but in reality, he is using the Empire's transportation network to enrich himself."

"His actions are shameful, and his heart is even more despicable."

Yusuke Ino chimed in, "Section Chief Minamida is wholeheartedly devoted to the future of the Empire, which is why I chose to report this to you."

"The future of the empire cannot be allowed to be devoured by these parasites any longer."

"Therefore, I hope that you can personally oversee the arrest operation tonight and expose Chen Yang's corrupt group in one fell swoop."

Yoko Minamida did not immediately agree: "Ino-kun, I also really want to send these parasites to hell."

"However, things are not as easy as we thought."

“Last time I personally led a team to arrest Chen Yang’s men for making a deal with the Red Party, but nothing came of it.”

"This time, I'm afraid we might not be able to seal his fate."

Yusuke Ino paused slightly, then pondered, "Chief Minami, I believe this case should not be a low-key arrest! It should and must be a special operation that shakes the entire city of Shanghai!"

"It is also the best stage for your Special Section 1 to declare to all parties that we will never be lenient internally and will strike hard externally to defend the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere!"

"Operation Thunder? Tell me the details!" Nan Tian seemed intrigued upon hearing this.

A cold yet confident smile finally appeared on Yusuke Ino's lips: "I am well aware of the gravity of this case, and I am also well aware of your loyalty to the Empire, Chief."

"The fact that Chen Yang was able to build such a massive corruption network suggests that the forces behind him are not to be underestimated."

"You also said that last time you had solid evidence but he still managed to escape by fabricating a pretext. This is a positive example; simply catching someone red-handed isn't always effective."

"Therefore, we must approach this from another angle, exposing his crimes to the public so that those behind him will no longer dare to cover them up."

Nantian's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "Ino-kun, do you have any good ideas?"

"Of course," Yusuke Ino said confidently, "We need to leverage the power of the media and public opinion."

Nantian was taken aback: "Ino-kun, what do you mean by that?"

Ino smiled slightly: "Section Chief Nantian, we can contact Mr. Ken Inoue, the editor-in-chief of the Shanghai New Daily, and Mr. Jiefu Zhao, the deputy editor-in-chief of the New Shen Bao!"

"Invite them to witness it firsthand! Let their pens and cameras record the entire process of how Section Chief Nantian commanded his elite team to crack this earth-shattering case on the spot at the transaction site!"

"Then the evidence will be irrefutable! When these photos and these shocking reports fill the headlines of Shanghai's newspapers tomorrow..."

Ino paints a picture of a tangible future: "All the Chinese and foreign officials and businessmen in Shanghai, the highest levels of government, and even the Tokyo headquarters will witness your illustrious achievements in cleansing the empire of corruption and eliminating traitors and parasites!"

"You will rise like the sun! And Chen Yang and the shadow he shelters will be utterly annihilated under the empire's sunlight! There will be no room for any maneuver or struggle!"

Yoko Minamida's blood was boiling under the influence of this highly inspiring blueprint!
Ino's every word struck precisely at the points where she was most sensitive and yearning.
The enormous and direct achievement, the capture of supplies worth 300,000, is no less than the spoils of a small battle. For the Special Higher Police, whose resources are increasingly scarce, this is a timely help and a tangible achievement that carries more weight than any verbal praise!
Moreover, solving the case in public, with authoritative media outlets endorsing it on the spot! This is a top-tier political show! Enough to make Nantian Yangzi's name resound throughout the entire Japanese military's intelligence system in China and even higher levels!

Previously, Tu Feiyuan used achievements as an excuse to prevent her from being promoted, but now, he should have nothing to say.

Most importantly, she really hated Chen Yang.

Chen Yang has embarrassed her in Special Higher Police operations time and time again. Even when he is caught red-handed, she still cannot convict him.

What's even more infuriating is that even the chubby guy is speaking up for him.

This time, Nantian intends to publicly nail Chen Yang to the pillar of shame of the "bloodline of the Vampire Empire," which will greatly consolidate her own authority.

"A perfect proposal, Ino-kun. I think you are fully capable of replacing Chen Yang as the head of the Land Transportation Section."

Nantian's eyes blazed with an almost fanatical fire—an extreme thirst for power and success!

"Your plan is thorough! Your thinking is meticulous! This is not only your achievement, but also a victory for the empire! There is no time to lose!"

She grabbed the heavy black landline phone from the table. "Moshi moshi. Lieutenant Yamamoto, this is Yoko Minamida from Special Section 1. Immediately relay my orders: Team 1 and Team 2, all personnel! Assemble in fifteen minutes..."

"All personnel! Fully armed! Search equipment must be complete!"

"Also, notify the drivers to complete preparations within five minutes! Vehicles must be fully fueled and engines must be warmed up!"

"All personnel and vehicles must be assembled in the courtyard within fifteen minutes! Target: Maigen Road Railway Station! Execute a top-level arrest operation!"

"We must capture all the imperial traitors and their cronies involved in this illegal trade! Seize all smuggled goods!"

"Hai..." Lieutenant Ryuichi Yamamoto, the duty officer of the Special Higher Police, responded respectfully and immediately arranged for someone to notify the first and second squads of the action group on duty to assemble.

Then he called the drivers on duty and asked Transparent to arrange two heavy trucks and a van to transport the personnel.
Everything was proceeding smoothly and in an orderly manner, in accordance with Nantian's orders.

Yoko Minami took off her hat and Nambu pistol hanging to the side: "Ino-kun, do you want to come with me?"

Ino shook her head: "Section Chief Minamida, I need to contact the newspaper first. I wish you every success."

Nantian carefully fastened his pistol, a confident glint in his eyes: "Don't worry, Ino-kun, Chen Yang definitely won't escape this time."

Shanghai, 2:40 a.m., Maigen Road Railway Station.

The platform was bathed in a soft yellow light, and the third branch line of the "old railway" was faintly visible.

Several men with hats askew and tense expressions were directing a dozen or so laborers who were sweating profusely as they unloaded large oil drums covered with tarpaulins from several dilapidated trucks.

Several men dressed relatively cleanly urged them on in hushed tones.

These men were dressed in well-fitting Zhongshan suits, and it was immediately obvious that they belonged to the Special Agent Headquarters.

One of them, dressed in a long robe, looked at the group with a wary expression in his eyes.

Seeing that the supplies were almost ready, the leader handed him a cigarette: "Mr. Mu, Minister Chen instructed that this batch of supplies is worth 300,000. That should be enough to exchange for Colonel Suzuki's life."

“Supplies are secondary,” Mu Yun said slowly, taking a cigarette, lighting it, and taking a drag. “Why haven’t the seven comrades that Minister Chen promised to release arrived yet?”

The man shrugged and said, "Mr. Mu, we haven't yet confirmed Mr. Suzuki's safety, so naturally we can't agree to all your conditions at once."

"Giving you the supplies first shows the minister's sincerity."

"As soon as we receive Colonel Suzuki, your seven comrades will be sent to the northern Anhui region immediately."

"Minister Chen has always been a man of his word, and there is absolutely no problem with his integrity."

"Besides, we've given you all the supplies. Are you afraid we won't release them?"

“Three hundred thousand silver dollars worth of supplies, how many lives can that buy? Mr. Mu, the lives of your comrades are not as valuable as you think.”

Hearing the other party's sarcastic words, Mu Yun frowned, took a deep drag of his cigarette, and exhaled a ring of white smoke.

"I hope you keep your word and tell me when you can set off."

The man looked up at his watch: "About ten minutes left, Mr. Mu. Have a safe journey."

Just as Mu Yun was about to respond, a voice suddenly came from the darkness: "Action!"

A chilling, metallic Japanese command pierced the still night like a sharp blade!
boom! boom! boom!
Several powerful flares were suddenly launched from behind the train cars on both sides of the "railway", emitting a piercing shriek in the air and then exploding into a ghastly white light that could blind people instantly!

Click! Click! Click!
The moment the bright light pierced the darkness, it was accompanied by the frantic flashing of the spotlights!

Reporters from the Mainland News and the New Shenbao, who had been lying in wait, excitedly focused their cameras on the upcoming "just trial" under the deliberate guidance of Major Ryuichi Ariga, the squad leader of the Special Higher Police!
"Don't move!"

"Hands up! Surrender and you will not be killed!"

"The Special Higher Police arrested smugglers; those who resisted were shot on the spot."

Dozens, even hundreds, of beams of intense light from flashlights pierced the panicked faces of the laborers and thugs like tango rays!
Screams, curses, and panicked cries erupted like a burst dam!
The elite members of the Special Higher Police's Operations Team One and Two pounced out of the shadows like a pack of hungry wolves!
Dressed in black assault uniforms and armed with submachine guns and Nambu pistols, they moved swiftly and with great skill, forming a tight encirclement.

Those men who were Chen Yang's confidants changed their expressions upon hearing the voice. Before they could explain, they were tackled to the ground and handcuffed by Special Higher Police officers who rushed in from all directions.

The scene was extremely violent and efficient, perfectly fulfilling the reporters' expectations of a "crime scene" and a "heroic image of law enforcement."

Major He Long strode into the spotlight, pointing to the mountains of oil drums piled on the train carriage, their brand-new "Mobil" labels gleaming under the flashlight.
In another carriage, dozens of wooden crates were piled up, some of which had just been pried open, revealing neatly arranged sulfonamide powder with English labels.
In addition to gasoline and medicine, another military radio, as well as well-packaged rifles, pistols, and twenty boxes of ammunition were found in another carriage.

Yoko Minami walked to the front of the carriage and, addressing everyone with righteous indignation, declared, "Gentlemen reporters! This is irrefutable evidence!"

"What you are seeing is the work of Chen Yang, the head of the Land Transportation Section of the Southern Transportation Department, a greedy and despicable parasite of the nation, and an imperial traitor who betrayed the ideal of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere!"

"As you can see, Special Section One received intelligence early this morning that Chen Yang, in his capacity as head of the Land Transport Section, was manipulating transport routes, colluding with gangs, and engaging in the long-term theft and resale of Imperial military strategic materials."

"These supplies you see now are the most direct evidence!"

Nantian pointed to the oil drums and medicine boxes, "These supplies are enough to supply the front-line flight squadrons and save the lives of thousands of Imperial warriors! Yet these vampires are using them to buy their extravagant and decadent lives!"

"But evil can never triumph over justice! Under the divine protection of the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor, we successfully intercepted crucial intelligence and, with lightning speed, apprehended the core group engaged in this nefarious transaction on the spot!"

"All of their stolen goods were seized! This far-reaching smuggling network has been completely destroyed! This fully demonstrates the firm resolve and powerful capability of the Imperial Law Enforcement Agency to eradicate internal scourges, purify officialdom, and safeguard the stability and prosperity of the new Greater East Asia order!"

"Any attempt to undermine the Greater East Asia Holy War or infringe upon the interests of the Empire will be crushed by the iron fist of the Special Higher Police!"

Led by several pro-Japanese individuals, the reporters at the scene applauded and cheered.

Just then, the lead agent who had been restrained suddenly struggled and cried out, "Chief Nantian, don't wrong an innocent person!"

“We did not smuggle; this was the condition set by Minister Chen for the redemption of Colonel Suzuki.”

"What?" Upon hearing the agent's words, the reporters immediately swarmed around him.

"What colonel? Sir, is there some insider trading you're not comfortable discussing?"

"Why would you trade supplies for a colonel?"

"Sir, could you please explain the situation in more detail?"

The reporters were buzzing with discussion, but Nantian's heart felt like a stone falling into an abyss, sinking ever lower.

"Take them away, take them away quickly!" In his desperation, Nantian could only order his men to take the people away immediately.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she dared not fire on the spot, otherwise it would be a clear case of murder to silence witnesses and cover up some unspeakable secrets.

Some might even think that Nantian was trying to frame Chen Yang, which is why he chose to act at this time.
Public opinion is a double-edged sword; it can hurt people, but it can also hinder their actions. It must be said that sometimes, the pen can kill more easily than a gun.

Upon hearing the order, the members of the Special Higher Police (SPD) action team quickly pushed and shoved the group of people towards the outside.

But the agent kept rambling on, and the information he revealed instantly stunned everyone.
The following day, in the office of the Special Higher Police (THP) senior commander.

Yoko Minamida stood with her head bowed in front of Doiyuu.
Several newspapers were placed in front of Tu Feiyuan.

From pro-Japanese newspapers like *Xin Shen Bao*, *Hu Shang Ri Bao*, and *Ji Xiang Shi Shi*, to more Chinese-language newspapers like *Gong Ren Xian Feng Bao* and *Min Sheng Ri Bao*...
The entire document contained the headline: "Japanese Red-Haired Man, Battalion Commander of the 122nd Mixed Brigade, and Imperial Prince Suzuki Kawataro, were captured and ransomed by the Empire with a large amount of supplies."
"The imperial relatives are mediocre and incompetent; the Shanghai stock market raises funds to prolong their lives."
"The contempt stemming from class led to the capture of the colonel, which severely damaged the Shanghai institutions."
"The head of the land transport department secretly made a deal with the Communist Party, and it turned out to be for..."

The various headlines instantly ignited public opinion in Shanghai and completely turned the Japanese Imperial Family into a laughing stock.

A colonel was captured, and it took so many supplies to rescue him.
Is this really fair to the soldiers who are fighting on the front lines?
"What explanation do you have for this?" The fat man's voice rang out coldly, like ice that had never melted.
(End of this chapter)