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

Chapter 232 Your Stupidity Is Incurable

"Teacher, please let me explain." Nantian felt her throat was dry and tight as she struggled to explain, "The original intention of this operation was to deal a major blow to the smuggling network in Shanghai!"

"Chen Yang, as the head of the Land Transportation Section and a key official in the Imperial Ministry of Transport, embezzled funds—the evidence is irrefutable! That ledger…"

"The ledger? Heh..." Doihara let out a short, piercing laugh, as if he had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world. "The ledger you're talking about, given to you by the loyal deputy head of the land transport section? Is that it?"

"Perhaps you should listen to this."

As he spoke, the fat man took out a small phonograph, which seemed to contain a cassette tape.

Nantian Yangzi picked up the listening headset with a puzzled look, and Tufeiyuan pressed the play button, from which a voice came through.

"Sir Sato, the supplies have been delivered to Maigen Road Station. There are fifty barrels of high-grade gasoline, ten military radios, high-grade sulfonamides, and some munitions."

"Very good, Mr. Chen, this batch of supplies was issued by the Army Headquarters under the name of 'Special Supply'!"

"The true purpose must never be known to others."

"Please rest assured, Mr. Sato, I am merely carrying out the handover according to the documents! As for the recipient..."

"Enough, Chen Sang, I don't want to know these things. My mission is to provide supplies. What you do with them is your business."

"Hi, Mr. Sato, I was being presumptuous."

The conversation lasted less than ten seconds, but the information it conveyed sent shivers down Nanda Yoko's spine.

A buzzing sound rang out, and Nantian's mind went blank. "Teacher, you mean those supplies?"

"Heh." The fat man sneered, his voice suddenly dropping to a low hue: "The shipment you seized—every barrel of Mobil gasoline, every wooden crate containing sulfanilamide!"

"On the bottom of them, there is a special stamp indicating that they were specially allocated by the Logistics Department of the Imperial Army! It was personally approved by the Emperor, bypassing the stupid bureaucratic procedures, and was specifically used to redeem Suzuki Kawataro's 'ransom'!"

"Because of your recklessness and ignorance, a carefully planned rescue operation has become a laughing stock."

"You not only ruined the royal family's plans, but you also put everyone on the table."

"The Imperial Family, the Army Ministry, the Navy Ministry, and all major intelligence agencies in Shanghai are now forced to confront the incident of Suzuki's capture."

"A deal that could have gone unnoticed and uneventful has now become a laughing stock of the empire."

Nantian felt as if the blood in his body had frozen instantly.

Therefore, what she intercepted was not evidence at all, but rather the bargaining chip that the royal family had painstakingly used to rescue the hostages from the Army!
Her actions ruined everything! She not only exposed the royal rescue plan to the world, but also brought shame upon the military.

The ambush failed, and during the retreat, they went in the wrong direction, plunging headlong into the enemy's pursuit squad—it was a blatant mockery of the Imperial army…

"Have you read these comments in the newspaper?" Tu Feiyuan sneered, "A colonel who can't even tell directions can lead a battalion."

"But those truly capable elites can only carry guns and confront the enemy head-on."

"Do you know how terrible the public opinion this will cause?"

"You have disgraced the royal family and dealt a fatal blow to the military's selection mechanism and credibility."

“Now,” Doihara’s voice returned to its cold calm, but carried an even deeper aura of death, “the old fogies in the army are pounding their fists on the table, determined to appease the anger of ‘the flag is covered in dust’ with your head.”

"Inside the palace and in the halls, there were constant sneers. They were all questioning whether the Special Higher Police was set up specifically to suppress the Emperor's will."

Yoko Nanada lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry, teacher, I've caused you trouble."

Doi-Yuan shook his head: "Yoko, I really don't understand. It seems you've been blinded by power."

"With your many years of experience in the intelligence field, how could you not see that there is a problem?"

"Or is it that you never truly took your opponent seriously from beginning to end?"

"Since you're going to treat Chen Yang as an opponent, shouldn't you thoroughly investigate all his preferences and ways of doing things?"

"But the feeling you give me right now is that of a primary school student."

“In several encounters, you didn’t gain the slightest advantage and were constantly suppressed by him.”

"In his most recent operation, he didn't even show his face, yet he made you tear off the fig leaf that no one else wanted to remove."

Yoko Minami's face flushed red and then turned pale: "Teacher, it's my fault."

"I thought Chen Yang was just the head of the land transport section and not good at intelligence work."

"So, I didn't consider the consequences, I'm sorry."

"You've finally told me the truth." Tu Feiyuan sighed. "I've warned you many times not to mess with Chen Yang."

"This person is far more shrewd and complex than he appears on the surface."

"Do you really think that a Chinese person can weave a giant logistics network across South China, East China, and Central China with just a few stinking coins?"

"That's a joke."

"Frankly speaking, even the Special Higher Police can't be sure how big his network is, yet you want to use the simplest reason to pin an irrefutable crime on him."

Even if this smuggling incident is true, what can you do about it?

"Without direct evidence, you can't do anything to him."

"He only used the simplest bait to catch you, and he even used a straight hook. He didn't even bother to calculate; he was just sure you would fall for it."

"I can hardly predict how things will develop next. If you want to save your life, you need to do three things now."

"Immediately! Right now! Notify all newspapers in Shanghai:"

"First, Operation Maigen Road was a routine operation by the Imperial Special Higher Police to crack down on black market smuggling groups in Shanghai! All the seized goods were illegally traded commodities, and no one is allowed to speculate on any connection with them, nor is it permitted to mention any connection between them and the Red Party or Suzuki Kawataro!"

"Secondly, the Special Higher Police received an anonymous complaint alleging that Chen Yang, the head of the Land Transportation Section, was seriously corrupt and involved in the resale of Imperial supplies."

"After a thorough investigation, the Special Higher Police have confirmed that the complaint is untrue. This is to clarify the matter!"

"Third, all those arrested on Maigen Road must be immediately taken back to the Special Higher Police Headquarters. They are all serious criminals suspected of stealing imperial assets. Some of them attempted to resist and escape during the transfer and have been 'killed' on the spot!"

"Execute him?" Nan Tian's face flushed slightly. "Teacher, what you're doing is essentially whitewashing Chen Yang."

"Furthermore, if we were to kill those people, what if the Red Party became enraged and murdered Colonel Suzuki?"

Doi-Yuan frowned and said bluntly, "Yoko, I suddenly realize that your stupidity is beyond redemption."

"The key to the whole thing is Suzuki Kawataro."

"Everything started because of him. If he had died under mysterious circumstances, or died at the hands of the Red Party, then everything would have been resolved."

"The most troublesome thing is that if he were to appear alive in Shanghai, or anywhere else in China, that would cause even greater trouble."

“We cannot kill him ourselves; otherwise, even if the Ministry of War approves, the Cabinet and His Majesty will be unhappy.”

"This is an unsolvable problem; no matter what we choose, we will offend people."

"Therefore, the only way is for Suzuki to die at someone else's hands, so that we can have a reason to get away."

"Otherwise, you'd better prepare to be the bottom of Suzuki's coffin!"

"Remember, your time is running out!"

Doi-Yuan's words, "Your time is running out," were like poisoned ice shards, piercing deeply into Minamida Yoko's heart.

The office was deathly silent, the air thick and suffocating. Yoko Nanada swallowed hard and bowed slightly, saying, "Teacher, I know what to do."

"boom!"

The heavy office door was smashed open with tremendous force!

Two towering guards stood solemnly on either side. Outside the door, two figures stepped into the room, which was filled with the aura of death, as if they were accompanied by a storm.

The man at the front, carrying Major General Jin Xing on his shoulder, had a rugged face and sharp eyes like a knife. He was none other than Abe Mitsuhiro, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Central China Expeditionary Army!
Following closely behind was a middle-aged man in his thirties, dressed in a simple imperial high-ranking civil official uniform, his hair neatly styled, yet his eyes revealed a wise look.

This person is none other than Nakamura Isao, the director of the South Branch!

Nakamura Isao held a long, narrow wooden box wrapped in purple silk, his steps were calm yet he exuded an invisible pressure.

A barely perceptible look of surprise flashed across Tu Feiyuan's eyes, only to be quickly replaced by a deep and unfathomable shadow.

His gaze swept past Nantian beside him and locked onto the wooden box in Nakamura Isao's hand, which symbolized the will of the royal family.

"Chief of Staff Abe, Chief of Staff Nakamura, what brings you two here?" Doi-Yuan forced a warm smile.
"What are you joking about, General Doi-Kuai-Yu-Yu? This is office time. Do you think we would come to your Special Higher Police for tea if we had nothing to do?" Abe Mitsuhiro's words were sharp and irritating.

"This is all thanks to your most outstanding student, Section Chief Nantian."

Doi-man frowned: "Chief of Staff Abe seems to have some dissatisfaction with our Special Higher Police."

"How could I dare to have any complaints, General Doi-Yu-Yu!" Abe Mitsuhiro's voice boomed, without any pleasantries, going straight to the point, "The highest emergency and top-secret imperial edict from the Army Headquarters, by His Majesty the Emperor, immediately cease all inappropriate public releases and internal purges regarding the Suzuki Kawataro incident!"

"Stop?" A flicker of anger ignited deep within the fat man's eyes. "Officer Abe, do you know what you're interfering with?"

"The Special Higher Police's actions have caused irreparable damage to the Empire! This stain must be wiped away immediately and thoroughly by its perpetrators!" "A stain?" Abe Mitsuhiro stepped forward, his gaze unwavering as he stared at Doiyuu: "General! The real stain lies in needlessly exposing the Empire's core power structure to the scrutiny of the world!"

"The operation on McGann Road and the uproar in the newspapers are already the biggest failure! Continuing to purge and silence people will only deepen the wounds and make our enemies applaud!"

He pointed sharply at the wooden box in Nakamura's hand: "Given the current situation, any purges or special operations against Suzuki are no longer the way to solve the problem!"

"An hour ago, the Imperial Household and the Army General Staff reached a decision on the fate of Lord Suzuki Taro, based on the final mediation of His Majesty the Emperor at the Imperial Conference!"

"Suzuki will be escorted back to Japan by the Army Military Police Task Force. Upon his return, he will face a public trial by the Imperial Supreme Military Court! He will be sentenced to three years in prison for 'serious dereliction of duty during combat, resulting in significant losses to his unit!' The sentence will be carried out immediately!"

This decision struck like a thunderbolt! Nantian looked up abruptly, his eyes flashing with disbelief. Suzuki…going back to Japan to go to jail?
Tu Feiyuan was slightly taken aback, and his expression finally showed a genuine change. "Three years in prison? For dereliction of duty? Absurd!"

"Chief Nakamura, can His Majesty the Emperor tolerate an envoy representing the Imperial Family in secret negotiations being imprisoned with such a 'appropriate' charge? This is certainly not His Majesty's will!"

Nakamura Isao, who had been silent as a shadow, slowly raised his head.
"Lord Doi-Yuan,"

"His Majesty the Emperor is deeply saddened by the personal misfortune of Taro Suzuki. His Majesty understands and supports the Army Ministry's necessary determination to uphold its honor and discipline."

"His Majesty has made a merciful judgment: a three-year lenient punishment is not only a reprimand for Suzuki's mistakes, but also a period of reflection for him to reflect on his errors and prepare for his continued service to the Empire in the future."

"This is a telegram that just came from the Home Office General Staff, and it is also a copy of today's imperial decree."

"His Majesty has approved the procedure for Suzuki to undergo trial by the highest military court of the Army General Staff while serving in the army. This is His Majesty's decree after balancing the concerns of all parties!"

"Your Excellency, you should understand the reason why His Majesty did this. The grand plan of the empire lies in the great cause, not in the gains and losses, honor and disgrace of one person."

This seemingly casual royal decision caused Kenji Doihara's pupils to suddenly contract.

He understood His Majesty's intention almost without much thought!
This was the result of mutual compromise; the army wanted to take action against Suzuki to wash away the shame of its defeat.

The royal family, however, wants to rescue Suzuki.

What was originally a private matter was brought into the open because of Nantian.

This creates a dilemma: whether Suzuki lives or dies, only one side's conditions can be met.

Since a consensus cannot be reached, the only option is to negotiate and find a balance point where both sides can compromise.

Now, the result of the negotiations is that the Imperial Family's apparent "concession" is to exchange Suzuki's three-year imprisonment for the Emperor's endorsement of the Army Ministry's core strategic demands.
That is, the Emperor authorized the Army to carry out the northward march plan.
Abe Mitsuhiro revealed his final trump card, his voice resolute and leaving no room for negotiation: "General Doi-mado, His Majesty the Emperor is highly concerned about the controversy surrounding this incident."

"His Majesty has clearly stated: Rather than getting bogged down in endless face-saving squabbles in the occupied territories, it would be better to direct the nation's strength toward a more decisive direction!"

"The 'Northern Expedition Strategy Plan,' which the Army General Staff has been pushing forward with all its might, has received final approval from His Majesty the Emperor this morning!"

"Imperial decree has been issued! The first batch of three main divisions of the Kwantung Army and their heavy armored units will immediately assemble on the Manchurian-Soviet border! Objective—to cut off the Trans-Siberian Railway artery!"

Heading north!

A complex emotion welled up in Doihara Madoka's heart.

Perhaps, this is the crux of the matter! The Army sacrificed Suzuki's individual fate in exchange for the Imperial Family's full support for the massive expansion plan!
The imperial family temporarily swallowed their humiliation, sacrificing appearances of internal unity! Suzuki became the crucible for the imperial war machine's northward advance...

Best reason.
“I see…” Doiyu’s voice returned to its previous deep tone, and he nodded slightly: “His Majesty the Emperor is wise and insightful. The Army’s determination is admirable.”

“Chief Minamida, did you hear that? Suzuki Kawataro has been convicted of ‘dereliction of duty’ by the Supreme Military Court.”

"The people you have no value anymore."

Nan Tian bowed slightly and said, "I will handle it."

Abe Mitsuhiro raised his hand and said, "Wait a minute, Section Chief Nantian. I don't care about others, but you have to hand over that Mu Yun."

"Since this was caused by your Special Higher Police, it is only right that you should resolve it."

"I don't want to know what decisions you've made, nor do I want to ask what methods you'll use."

"In short, I want to see Suzuki at Huishan Wharf in three days."

"Farewell."

After saying this, Abe Mitsuhiro gave Nakamura Isao a wink, and the two left the office one after the other.

A hint of displeasure flashed in Doi-Yuan's eyes. After a long pause, he looked at Minamida and said, "Yoko, do as Abe-kun says."

"Return the supplies to that Red Party member, and bring Suzuki back within three days."

"Hai."

Shanghai, night, moon veiled over sand...
Inside the top-tier private room deep within the Moonlit Sand Club.

The doors were tightly shut, cutting off the sounds of music and birdsong from the outside world.

The air is filled with the aroma of top-quality agarwood, mixed with the crispness of Japanese sake and the peaty notes unique to Scotch whisky.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights of Shanghai twinkled, a vibrant scene tinged with a touch of melancholy.
Mitsuhiro Abe took off his military jacket, leaving him in only a neatly pressed white shirt, with one button casually undone at the collar.

His sharp, hawk-like eyes now appeared somewhat melancholic and complex under the dim, ambiguous light.

He had no wine in his hand, only a cup of tea that had long since gone cold.

"Mr. Chen, your prediction was absolutely correct. The authorities on the mainland have indeed imprisoned Suzuki." Abe Mitsuhiro took a sip of tea and said softly, "How did you know that the Special Higher Police wanted to silence him?"

Chen Yang poured himself a cup of tea, and then filled it for Abe Mitsuhiro as well.

"It's simple, things have blown up too much."

"That old fox, Tu Feiyuan, isn't the kind of person who's willing to take the blame. If this kind of thing blows up, even His Majesty won't know what to do. Would an intelligence commander like Tu Feiyuan really get involved in this mess?"

"All he could do was silence the witnesses and confirm that their purpose in going to the Maigen Road train station was to investigate smuggling."

"Moreover, he killed Mu Yun to anger the Red Party, hoping to provoke them into retaliating and executing Suzuki, thus settling the matter through their actions."

Abe Mitsuhiro nodded slightly: "Chen is right. Sigh, if his student could learn even a fraction of Doi-Yuan's skills, he wouldn't have been so easily hooked."

"However, I really admire Chen Sang for being able to come up with such a way to escape under the pressure of so many forces."

"Now it's all good. His Majesty has given a clear decree, and the Ministry of War has received the benefits it deserves."

"The Navy and intelligence agencies didn't gain anything, but they didn't lose anything either."

"At this point, everyone is keeping a good appearance, but it's Section Chief Nantian who's suffering."

"She deserved it," Chen Yang chuckled. "It's not that easy for a woman to climb the social ladder."

"I was just teaching her a lesson, to show her not to trust others too easily."

"There are no free lunches in the world, only traps."

Abe Mitsuhiro chuckled in agreement, and Chen Yang put down his teacup and said, "Abe-kun, you didn't suddenly invite me to Tsukigami to tell me this news, did you?"

“Of course.” Abe Mitsuhiro’s eyes suddenly sharpened. “For the Empire to tear apart the bear’s artery on that vast icy plain, it needs more than just samurai’s swords! It needs money! It needs supplies! It needs massive logistical support to sustain hundreds of thousands of troops in that desolate region!”

"Shanghai is the most important lifeline for the empire's new lifeline! The supplies, the channels, the gold and foreign currency flowing here will all become the most deadly poison on the Far East battlefield!"

"What we need is not just supplies, but absolute efficiency!"

He put down his teacup, his gaze fixed intently on Chen Yang: "The existing 'cleaners' are too slow and too dirty! Their actions only attract flies and contaminate the precious blood plasma!"

“We believe that the Land Transport Department needs a collaborator like you who is clear-headed, resourceful, and knows how to keep ‘absolutely clean’ amidst chaos.”

Chen Yang frowned slightly: "However, the Southern Land Transport Division's influence can only extend to the four provinces of North China, from Beiping all the way to the Trans-Siberian Railway. These are all managed by the South Manchuria Railway."

Abe Mitsuhiro nodded slightly. "I know. The South Manchuria Railway Company has decided to transfer a new transport officer to assist the Land Transport Division in coordinating north-south transport matters."

Chen Yang took a sip of tea and said, "Abe-kun, are you referring to Mr. Yasuda Nobuo, the current head of the South Manchuria Railway?"

"Minister Oshima has confirmed with us that he will be in charge, and we will cooperate with his transportation plan,"

Abe Mitsuhiro said in a deep voice, "That's the crux of the problem."

“Mr. Chen, to be frank, we don’t trust Nobuo Yasuda’s abilities.”

"The War Command Section analyzed nearly eighteen months of transportation data from the South Manchuria Railway and found that their freight throughput and transportation capacity were only one-third of those of the Land Transport Section under your jurisdiction, Mr. Chen."

"Given the vast difference in transportation efficiency between the North and South, we seriously doubt whether Nobuo Yasuda could quickly meet logistical needs should the fighting in the North break out."

"Hmm? Abe-kun, what do you want me to do?" Chen Yang frowned.
After a moment of silence, Abe Mitsuhiro finally revealed the purpose of his visit: "Lord Sato has been coordinating with headquarters, hoping you can take on this important task."

"You will be in charge of the operation, with Yasuda as your deputy. The goal is to improve transportation capacity in the north..."

"No, Abe-kun, are you kidding me?" Chen Yang said with a wry smile, "You're letting a land transport section chief command a deputy minister?"

"Even if I were willing to take on this heavy responsibility, do you think President Ōmura of the South Manchuria Railway would agree to delegate power to me?"

"

(End of this chapter)