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

Chapter 241 Stealing a dragon and turning into a phoenix
"Hai, I will follow the minister's instructions and do a good job in procuring supplies." Yasuda bowed solemnly, then turned and walked out of the office.

It seems they need to consult with the South Manchuria Railway headquarters on how to proceed with the material collection work.
Kenjiro Oshima seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as he watched Yasuda's departing figure. He sat back in his chair, looked at Chen Yang, and said in a much gentler tone, "Chen-san, there are too many variables with Yasuda. Relying on him is still a bit unwise."

"This battle is of great importance to the Kwantung Army, and there can be no mistakes in the preparation of supplies. You still need to keep a close eye on things, and your 'special channels' should be on standby at all times, in case of any unforeseen circumstances."

Chen Yang raised his head, a perfectly measured respect on his face: "Your Excellency, please rest assured, Minister Yasuda is exceptionally capable and will surely live up to your expectations. I will also keep a close eye on things to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

"I have lived up to your expectations," Kenjiro Oshima repeated silently, his reaction to the words being a barely audible sneer.
Late April, 1939 (Showa 14) Xinjing (Changchun)
Yasuda's telegram from Shanghai was quickly delivered to the desk of Yasuo Nakajima, the director of the South Manchuria Railway Company.

Manchuria Railway Company, Shinkyo Branch Office.
The third-floor office, a spacious room decorated with luxurious mahogany and a map of Manchuria, was filled with smoke.

Yasuo Nakajima, a director of the South Manchuria Railway Company's Shinkyo branch, sat in a high-backed chair, his fingers lightly tapping the thin telegram, his brows slightly furrowed.

Sitting opposite him was Shunsuke Kazami from the South Manchuria Railway Transportation Department.

"Kazami-kun, what do you think?" Nakajima pushed the telegram across the table.

Kazami Shunsuke quickly glanced through the document, a subtle, complex expression appearing on his face.

He adjusted his glasses and cautiously began, "Director Nakajima, this is not in accordance with regulations. The requisition of supplies should be carried out through the normal procedures of the South Manchuria Railway's business departments."

“The procurement should be handled by someone from the business department. Yasuda-kun is in charge of the transportation routes. How can he do the procurement work? Wouldn’t that create chaos?”

Nakajima snorted, picked up the ivory cigarette holder on the table, and took a deep drag. "Headquarters sent Yasuda to Shanghai in the hope that he could seize the opportunity to demonstrate the powerful capabilities of northern transportation, which is crucial for whether we can control the transportation routes in China."

"As for the rules you're concerned about right now? I personally believe that in the face of the Imperial Holy War, all rules must be put aside."

"Plan Zero was driven by the Army and was the highest priority."

"If the army fails to achieve corresponding results in the northward advance plan, you should understand the consequences: the navy will firmly control the future wars waged by the empire."

"At that time, if we want to acquire resources on a large scale, we will have to depend on the navy."

"President Ōmura and Lord Matsuoka are both staunch supporters of the Army. If the Army's offensive is thwarted, our expansion plan will have to be urgently halted."

"Therefore, we must do this well and cannot afford to make any mistakes."

"But we can't let the military think that we, the South Manchuria Railway Company, are just porters that the army can use at will."

"One must have a sense of proportion when doing things."

"Hai," Minister Kazami replied with a bow. "I understand. However... medical supplies, especially alcohol and gauze, are currently under strict market control. A large-scale requisition might attract attention and could alert the intelligence agencies."

Director Nakajima nodded slightly. "That's what I was thinking too. So, you should grant Nobuo Yasuda temporary supreme authority and mobilize all available resources to meet his demands."

"Please convey the headquarters' message to Aoki-kun, requesting that the Shanghai South Manchuria Railway Bureau's Investigation Bureau absolutely assist Yasuda-kun in completing the material collection task."

"But at the same time, we also need to make it clear to Yasuda that he is working for the military. If he does it well, the credit will go to everyone, and it will also be a testament to the effectiveness of our South Manchuria Railway's coordination. If he messes it up, then we'll need him..."

“I understand, someone has to take responsibility.” Kazami Shunsuke understood.

“That’s right.” Nakajima gently flicked the ash into the crystal ashtray. “Go and make the arrangements. Get Yasuda Nobuo moving immediately.”

“Tell him that this is the Empire’s trust in him, and also the South Manchuria Railway’s test of him. All procedures should be expedited, but it must be done discreetly and swiftly.”

"Hai! I'll take care of it right away." Kazami Shunsuke stood up, bowed deeply, and quickly left the office.

After the door closed, Director Nakajima sat alone in his office, his gaze once again falling on the telegram.

"Is the Khalkh River going to declare war on Tsarist Russia again, just like it did decades ago?"

"The Empire is far too arrogant. The Soviet Union today is not the Tsarist Russia of the past. They think they can provoke the Soviet Union's ironclad might with just over two hundred thousand Kwantung Army soldiers..."

Nakajima sighed softly, a hint of dissatisfaction with the Kwantung Army's radical approach in his voice.
But more than anything, it's a sense of helplessness and submission, an inability to escape its clutches.

On this land, the massive colonial machine of the South Manchuria Railway was ultimately a gear revolving around the blade of the military.

Shanghai, South Manchuria Railway Bureau.

After receiving the confirmation from headquarters, Nobuo Yasuda immediately went to the South Manchuria Railway Bureau to meet with Tomonari Aoki.

Aoki Tomohiro's smile gradually faded. He walked to the window, looked at the small boats shuttling back and forth on the Suzhou River outside, and pondered for a moment.

"Yasuda-kun, aren't you just making things difficult for me?" Aoki turned around, his brows furrowed slightly. "Right now, the Osaka Trading Company and Mitsui & Co. have the most supplies. You want me to bypass them and ask others for supplies?"

Yasuda lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled a ring of white smoke.

“Aoki-kun, Chen Yang and Oshima suddenly asked us to collect medical supplies, which is unusual.”

“If we continue to do business with Mr. Nishiyama of Mitsui & Co. or Mr. Tanaka of Osaka Shokai, it will be easy for them to set us up.”

"Don't forget how we treated them,"

"You should know that Mitsui & Co., Ltd. raised the price of its supplies by 60% at our behest, which is why Chen Yang was unable to complete the acquisition task."

“If we can purchase the corresponding supplies at a fair price at this time, I’m afraid Chen Yang will have an excuse to target Mitsui & Co. at the next turn.”

“This person is much more ruthless than we imagined. Judging from the fact that he was able to gather so many supplies in such a short time, he has a thorough understanding of the distribution of supplies in the Shanghai market.”

“The moment we submit our supply reports, he’ll use the Mei Agency to arrest Nishiyama-kun, and he might even pin a pretext on him for sabotaging the Empire’s military operations,”

“Once the word ‘holy war’ is involved, even if the directors of Mitsui & Co. were to intervene, they probably wouldn’t be able to resolve the issue.”

"Therefore, we cannot involve Mitsui & Co. in this acquisition of supplies."

Aoki Tomonari slowly said, "We do have the goods, but you need them so urgently and in such large quantities, the price won't be what you'd expect in Xinjing. Besides, the people 'over there' are keeping a close eye on these things."

“Price is not an issue; the South Manchuria Railway headquarters is willing to pay the necessary price,” Yasuda said in a deep voice. “The key is time and secrecy. Aoki-kun, with your connections in Shanghai, I believe you can find a way.”

Aoki walked back to his desk and tapped the surface lightly with his fingers. "Alcohol... high-purity medical alcohol, most of the production capacity is controlled by the military or major hospitals."

"Scattered purchases are a drop in the ocean. I do know a few places though..."

“In Hongkou, there are several chemical workshops controlled by people with ‘special backgrounds’ who can privately purify alcohol, but the quality cannot be fully guaranteed. There is also a Swiss businessman in the French Concession who may have a batch of stock, but the price he will probably ask for will be very high.”

"Quality must be guaranteed! This is for treating the wounded!" Yasuda emphasized, but he knew in his heart that he had doubts about how effective the so-called "guarantee" could be under such unconventional channels.

“I’ll try to control it,” Aoki pondered. “As for the gauze, that’s a bit easier to handle. Several Chinese-owned yarn factories in Pudong can secretly release some unregistered finished products.”

"Alternatively, we could urgently transport a batch from Macau through Portuguese trading companies. However, shipping by sea would be subject to inspection, but if we use the Imperial Marine Corps' transport ships as cover, it might work."

"The Navy?" Yasuda frowned. "Aoki-kun, are you confident?"

Aoki hesitated for a moment and said, "It's hard to say, I can only try my best."

“I will immediately use all my connections and approach the issue from several directions at the same time.”

"But you also need to be prepared that with such a short time and such a large quantity, I can't guarantee that every batch will be perfect. There will always be some..."

Yasuda paused for a moment. Time was of the essence, and he couldn't demand perfection. "I understand. As long as it generally meets the requirements, is properly sealed, and can be shipped out in time, that's a success. I'm counting on you, Aoki-kun!"

After several days and nights of tireless negotiations, Yasuda barely slept.

Fortunately, Aoki Tomoaki has been operating in Shanghai for many years and does have some channels.

It wasn't until the afternoon of the fourth day, when he watched as boxes of wooden crates sealed with "military medical supplies" were transported into the Maigen Road supply warehouse, that he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The alcohol in these boxes was a sample he had personally inspected; it was crisp, pungent, and of superior quality. The gauze was also snow-white, soft, and had excellent absorbency and breathability.

"Mr. Yasuda, all supplies have been stored in the warehouse. Here is the list. Please take a look." A steady voice sounded from behind.

Yasuda turned around; he was Kitaoka Yuichi, the warehouse's dispatching manager.

"Thank you for your hard work, Kitaoka-kun." Yasuda took the list, carefully checked the numbers, and nodded after confirming that they were correct. "This batch of supplies is of great importance, and Hailar is urging us to hurry. It must be loaded and shipped first thing tomorrow morning."

"Please rest assured, Mr. Yasuda. I double-checked the inventory upon receipt and have arranged for someone to guard the warehouse area." Kitaoka's voice was calm and even. "Should I arrange for someone to conduct a final outgoing inspection now?"

“No,” Yasuda waved his hand, his face showing the exhaustion of days of hard work. “Everyone has worked hard. We’ll start loading the trucks at five o’clock tomorrow morning. Let the supplies stay in the warehouse tonight. You should get some rest too; we’ll need your coordination tomorrow.”

“I understand.” Beigang bowed slightly. “Then I will go and inspect the reservoir area again to make sure everything is in perfect order.”

Yasuda watched Kitaoka's departing figure with satisfaction, rubbed his throbbing temples, and decided to go back and take a short rest to recharge for tomorrow's travels.

Midnight warehouse depths
The moonlight was obscured by thick clouds, and only a few dim, ever-burning lights in the warehouse cast swaying spots of light in the empty, towering warehouse, illuminating the outlines of the mountains of cargo boxes.

The daytime hustle and bustle had long since subsided, leaving only the occasional dripping sound from who-knows-where, adding to the tranquility.

Lu Jian, the deputy officer of the materials management office at Maigen Road warehouse, walked through the warehouse corridor, his footsteps so light they were almost inaudible.

The location of the medical supplies with special markings was confirmed again: the innermost corner of warehouse area number three.

Lu Jian raised his wrist to look at his luminous watch; the hands were about to coincide with the twelve o'clock position.

Just then, an inconspicuous little door on the side of the warehouse was silently pushed open, and several dark figures filed in.

They were all dressed in the same coarse cloth clothes as the warehouse laborers, yet their movements were exceptionally agile and nimble, without making any unnecessary noise. The leader walked up to Chen Yang and nodded slightly.

"Is everything ready?" Lu Jian's voice was very low. "Yes, it's ready. The alcohol has been replaced with diluted industrial alcohol, less than 50% concentration, and it still contains impurities."

"The gauze is old gauze that has been used repeatedly. It has been bleached and looks new, but it has very poor water absorption and is likely to carry bacteria from the past."

“The minister explained it very clearly,” the leader said quickly, his voice hoarse, “to ensure that the sealing marks are flawless. Unless there is a special inspection, you will never be able to tell that it has been opened.”

Lu Jian nodded, his face expressionless, only his gaze behind his glasses sharp as a knife. "Be quick, the replacement must be completed and everything restored to normal before dawn."

Without another word, the shadowy figures sprang into action.

They were clearly very skilled at this; some stood guard on the perimeter, while others used special tools to quietly pry open the lid of the wooden crate, revealing neatly stacked glass bottles and bundled gauze bags inside.

Others took out almost identical substitutes from the boxes they brought, carefully placed them in, then took out the original goods from the boxes, packed them into empty boxes, and took them away.

The entire process was orderly and highly efficient, with only a faint friction sound echoing in the silence.

Lu Jian watched their swift movements quietly. He clearly knew what it would mean if these substandard alcohol and gauze were transported to the front lines.
Time passed by, and the replacement work was nearing completion.

The shadowy figures began processing the last few boxes.

Lu Jian stepped forward, picked up a pack of replacement gauze, and squeezed it hard. It was indeed much rougher to the touch, and the snow-white surface could not hide the inferior quality inside.

He picked up a small bottle and looked at the liquid inside under the dim light; it was much more turbid than the genuine product.

"That's enough," Lu Jian said in a low voice.

"Alright, let's go then." The leader of the shadowy figures made a gesture, and everyone quickly restored the lid of the box. Using the materials and heating tools they had brought, they perfectly replicated the original sealing wax seal and binding method.

Having done all this, they left through the small door silently, just as they had come, and disappeared into the night.

It was as if nothing had happened in the warehouse. The "lifesaving supplies" that were about to be shipped to Hailar had turned into deadly poison at their core.

Lu Jian stood alone in front of the cargo box, took a deep breath, and there was still a lingering smell of cheap alcohol and bleach in the air.

He walked out of the reservoir area, locked the gate, and looked up. The eastern sky was already showing a faint hint of dawn.

Early morning loading site
At five o'clock in the morning, as dawn broke, the trucks of the transport team roared into the warehouse area's platform.

The escorting soldiers in khaki uniforms mingled with the stevedores of the South Manchuria Railway, their voices, engine noises, and whistles breaking the silence of dawn.

Nobuo Yasuda arrived on time, having changed into a more formal uniform as Minister of Transport, and his gaze swept over the loading site.

The warehouse supervisor, Masanobu Miyajima, was calmly directing the workers to load the wooden crates onto the designated trucks, holding a list in hand.

Handle with care! These are important medical supplies!

"Load all the boxes from Warehouse Area 3, yes, those, onto this truck!"

Machida Hikoshiro, who was in charge of verifying the warehouse supplies, held the documents and checked each item of the supplies that were about to be sent to the north.

A series of hurried footsteps sounded, and a group of staff members in the uniforms of the Southern Transport Department appeared in Yasuda's line of sight, surrounding Minister Kenjiro Oshima and Chen Yang, the head of the Land Transport Section.

"Chief Oshima, Section Chief Chen." Yasuda bowed slightly to the two men, his tone carrying a hint of unfriendly tone: "You two came so early because you don't trust me to do my job?"

Chen Yang smiled and said, "Minister Yasuda, what are you saying? This batch of supplies is going north to be used on the front lines."

"This is a very serious matter, and we don't want any problems to arise, otherwise, we'll all lose our heads."

"Minister Oshima brought people over to take a look just to be on the safe side."

"Take a look, ha, open the box and inspect." Yasuda didn't waste any words, turning to instruct the warehouse quality inspector with a confident smile on his lips.

The quality inspector gasped softly as the first wooden crate was pried open. Inside, neatly stacked gauze had an unnatural yellow tinge and tore into lint with the slightest pull.

"What's going on? Continue opening the boxes!" Yasuda's expression changed drastically.

The second and third wooden boxes that were opened one after another contained gauze that was either moldy or mixed with inferior cotton wadding.

When the alcohol container was opened, a pungent sour smell wafted out – this was clearly industrial alcohol mixed with water!

"Open all the boxes!" Yasuda's voice was distorted.

The test results were alarming: 85% of the gauze did not meet military standards, and 60% of the alcohol concentration was below the required level.

Even more fatally, a tattered label bearing the words "Manchukuo Fengtian Cotton Mill" was found at the bottom of one of the boxes. This was a substandard supplier that the Kwantung Army had explicitly banned.

“This is impossible.” Yasuda staggered back, rain soaking his epaulets. “I personally oversaw the procurement process.”

Kenjiro Oshima stared intently at Yasuda, his gaze seemingly spitting fire: "Yasuda-kun, what explanation do you have now?"

"The Empire entrusted you with the task of procuring medical supplies, and this is what you're going to hand in?"

"Do you know what it would mean if these things appeared on the battlefield?"

"Aren't you afraid that soldiers on the front lines will come over with samurai swords and try to reason with you?"

Yasuda's expression changed drastically. He turned around abruptly and stared intently at the faint smile on Chen Yang's face.

“It’s you.” Yasuda squeezed out the two words through gritted teeth.

Chen Yang walked slowly closer, casually took out a roll of gauze from the box, and gently rubbed it, causing the cotton wadding to fall out: "Minister Yasuda, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want."

"At least a hundred people saw me arrive at the supply warehouse this morning."

"Are you saying that if you bought substandard goods and passed them off as high-quality ones, it's still my responsibility?"

Do I really look like someone who's taking the blame?

Yasuda's pupils contracted sharply, and he turned to look at Kenjiro Oshima: "Minister Oshima, let me explain. The supplies I procured from the outside world do indeed fully meet the standards."

“When the supplies were put into storage yesterday, Kitaoka personally delivered them to the warehouse.”

Kenjiro Oshima turned his gaze to Yuichi Kitaoka, who was standing next to Masanobu Miyajima.

"Kitaoka-kun, is what Yasuda-kun said true? I'm asking you, where are the originally qualified medical supplies now?"

Kitaoka Yuichi quickly said, "Minister Oshima, I didn't know. These are the batch that Minister Yasuda asked me to put into storage yesterday."

"After the items were put into storage, I specifically asked Department Head Yasuda whether a final inspection was necessary."

"Minister Yasuda's reply was, 'Everyone is tired, we don't need...'"

"You're lying, Kitaoka Yuichi, you're lying." Yasuda became hysterical.

"I never said we wouldn't do the inspection. I said everyone was tired, so the final inspection would be done during loading."

"How dare you slander me?"

Chen Yang said calmly, "Is that so? Then may I ask, Minister Yasuda, what are you doing right now? Are you loading the truck?"

"So, did you check?"

"If Minister Oshima hadn't insisted on coming to the warehouse for a final check, would these substandard medical alcohol and gauze have already boarded the northbound train and been sent to the Hailar military station?"

"Minister Yasuda, what else do you have to say now?" Kenjiro Oshima asked, his face ashen.

“No, no, that’s not how it is,” Yasuda struggled. “I’m pretty sure the supplies that went into the warehouse weren’t like that.”

"All supplies have been personally inspected by me, and I can guarantee that there will be no mistakes."

"It must be that someone tampered with the warehouse and switched the supplies I originally purchased."

"Chen Yang, it must be you. You're using the lives of hundreds of thousands of Imperial soldiers for your own purposes."

"You, you deserve to die!"

"Tsk tsk tsk," Chen Yang said flippantly, "All the evidence points to Minister Yasuda as the problem, yet you're blaming everything on me."

“It’s alright. Minister Yasuda’s memory doesn’t seem to be very good, but I still have a way to make him recall all the details.”

"Men, seize him!"

As soon as Chen Yang finished speaking, a group of agents in plainclothes rushed out from behind him; they were clearly from the Mei Agency.

The group quickly subdued Nobuo Yasuda.

Chen Yang stepped forward slowly and gently patted Yasuda Nobuo's cheek.

"Minister Yasuda, I believe that the Ume Agency's Great Memory Restoration Technique will be able to help you fully recall everything you have done."

"take away."

(End of this chapter)