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

Chapter 249 What I want, no one can stop me.
Kagesa Yoshiaki drank the cold tea, seemingly accepting a temporary respite, but his next action caused the atmosphere to freeze again.

Instead of getting up to say goodbye, he slowly took out a neatly folded document from the inside pocket of his military uniform.

The edges of the document were worn, and a dark red stain could even be faintly seen.

He gently placed the document on the tatami mat and pushed it toward Nakamura Isao.

“Mr. Nakamura, since both of us hope to eliminate misunderstandings and rebuild trust, the Ume Agency is also willing to show its sincerity.”

"This is a statement that Aoki Tomohiro personally signed and affixed his fingerprint to during the investigation."

"It contains detailed records of how he colluded with Nobuo Yasuda, as well as... a list of people with whom he had improper dealings."

Nakamura Isao's eyes narrowed slightly, his calm expression remained unchanged, but his fingers, which had just taken the document, paused almost imperceptibly for half a second.

Slowly opening the document, Nakamura's gaze fell on the handwriting and the handprint with dark brown stains at the end.

With just a glance, his heart sank slowly in his chest.

The first part of the document details how he contacted Nobuo Yasuda and how he used the South Manchuria Railway Company's channels to spread rumors, which was all expected.

However, when his gaze swept to the latter half and he saw the names of those who had been "confessed" to having given him "favors" or "tacit approval" in their unusual "interactions," Nakamura felt as if his blood had turned cold for a moment.

The following appeared prominently on the list:

Hiroshi Takeshita, Vice President of the South Manchuria Railway Company, was in charge of transportation operations and held a high position of power.

Yoshinobu Suzuki, senior director of the Iron Investigation Department, is a strong contender for the future head of the intelligence department.

Hidezo Mizutani, Logistics Department of the Kwantung Army, was directly under the command of the military headquarters.

Yuji Hasegawa, Information Dispatch Officer, South Manchuria Railway Transportation Department...

…………

The document lists more than a dozen names, each representing a force to be reckoned with within the South Manchuria Railway or the Kwantung Army.

In particular, Vice President Takeshita's influence was enough to cause a huge stir within the South Manchuria Railway Company.

Once this "confession" is made public, even if it only circulates in a small circle, it will be enough to cause a major upheaval in the top echelons of the South Manchuria Railway Company, and may even lead to a new round of more brutal internal purges and power struggles.

Kagesa Yoshiaki handed over this document, which was supposedly a gesture of "sincerity," but beneath it lay the deadly poison of arsenic!
Countless thoughts flashed through Nakamura Isao's mind in an instant.

Is this a threat from Kagesa? A warning? Or does he really intend to use this to exchange for something?
Or perhaps he wanted to use his own hands to plant this bomb inside the South Manchuria Railway, causing them to kill each other?

Taking a deep breath, Nakamura Isao slowly put down the document, forcing himself to remain calm, gently closed the document, and placed it back on the desktop.

He raised his head to meet Yingzuo's eyes, his face still bearing that enigmatic smile, but now tinged with a hint of seriousness.

“General Kagesa,” Nakamura Isao’s voice remained steady, but his pace slowed slightly, as if he were carefully choosing his words, “this ‘confession’… its contents are indeed shocking.”

"The veracity of what Aoki-kun said under those circumstances probably needs to be carefully verified."

He did not directly question whether the confession was obtained under torture, but instead used euphemistic and suggestive phrases such as "that situation" and "careful screening".

A cold smile curled at the corner of Yingzuo Zhenzhao's lips: "The handprint is real, and he wrote the name himself."

"As for its authenticity... I trust Qingqi-kun and Section Chief Chen's judgment."

"Of course, Mr. Nakamura, there's no need to be nervous. The Ume Agency is handing this document to you not to ask you to do anything, but because it trusts that the South Manchuria Railway has the ability and determination to purify itself."

"How to handle this is up to the South Manchuria Railway Company to decide. This is my sincerity."

He emphasized the words "self-purification" and "self-determination," the implication of which was all too clear: either the South Manchuria Railway Company would take matters into its own hands and remove the people on the list, giving the Mei Agency and the military an explanation!
Alternatively, the Mei Agency could "help" them clean up those problems, which would only make the situation more ugly.

Nakamura Isao's lips twitched involuntarily. By accepting this document, he had essentially accepted a bomb that could detonate a bomb among the top brass of the South Manchuria Railway Company.

His refusal to accept the offer would mean a refusal to "cooperate," instantly shattering the fragile easing of tensions that had just been reached. Kagesa would have every reason to take more drastic action.

Silence spread through the tea room. Izumi Kotaro, standing to the side, didn't even dare to breathe. The only sound in the room was the increasingly rapid boiling of the iron kettle.

After a long while, Nakamura Isao slowly reached out, picked up the heavy document again, and carefully put it into the sleeve pocket of his kimono!
"I have received General Kagesa's 'sincerity'."

"This matter is of great importance and involves a wide range of issues. I need time to report to my superiors and communicate with relevant parties."

"I hope the general understands that handling such internal affairs requires careful consideration of methods and timing. Hasty actions may cause even greater chaos and hinder the 'efficiency improvement' that the general desires."

He was subtly requesting time, while also reminding Kagesa that pushing too hard could lead to the complete paralysis of the South Manchuria Railway, which would benefit no one.

Kagesa Yoshiaki seemed unsurprised by Nakamura Isao's reaction, nodding: "Alright. But I hope it won't be too long; the Empire's patience is limited."

"Mr. Chen, let's go."

"Take care, gentlemen." Nakamura Isao stood up to see them off until Kagesa's figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.

At that moment, the document in his sleeve felt like a red-hot iron, making him uneasy.

He looked down at his hands; the fingers that had just received the document seemed to still carry a faint scent of blood from the paper.

That's not important. What's most important is that once this document is publicly delivered to the country, then bloodshed will truly ensue.

This is a huge depth charge, and Nakamura Isao must remove the fuse before it is detonated.

“Izumi-kun, it seems we need to go back and meet with President Ōmura as soon as possible, within our authority.”

"I simply can't make such a big decision."

Izumi Kotaro finally stood up and said his first words of the night, "I will follow Chief Nakamura's instructions."

Outside the door, inside the car!

"Chen-san, what do you think Nakamura-kun will do next?"

"You won't have any objections if I hand over the evidence you went through so much trouble to Nakamura Isao, will you?"

Chen Yang shook his head slightly and smiled, "Senior Yingzuo must have his reasons for making this arrangement."

"My task is to assist you in the negotiation, not to question your work."

"Moreover, I believe that all of this is the result of your careful consideration."

"It's good that you understand," Yingzuo Zhenzhao said slowly. "There aren't many good people in this world, but there are quite a few bad people. People who seem good on the surface aren't necessarily good people."

"Therefore, a bad person in a confession may not necessarily be a bad person." "Whether someone is good or bad, we all have our own scales in our hearts, and the most important thing is to maintain balance."

"You can't take what isn't yours. Only if we give it to you can it be yours."

"Understand?"

Chen Yang frowned and sighed inwardly, "Perhaps it's time for the Mei Agency to find a more obedient head!"

Office of the Chief of the Land Transportation Section, Southern Transportation Department, Hongkou District, Shanghai.

Back in the Land Transport Department's office, decorated with a huge map of Manchuria and military flags, Chen Yang took off his coat and casually placed it on the coat rack.

"Knock knock knock," a knock sounded on the door, and Secretary Li Ningyu gently pushed the door open and said, "Sir, Qingqi Jun is here."

"Heh, not bad attitude, coming right away after a phone call. A quick learner..."

Chen Yang nodded silently: "Please come in, Mr. Qingqi!"

Li Ningyu hurriedly went out to call for help. A short while later, Qing Qiqingyin, the deputy director of the Mei Agency, followed Li Ningyu in!
His face still held the coldness he had when carrying out a mission, but there was a hint of doubt in his eyes!

Li Ningyu tactfully bowed and withdrew, the office door closing heavily behind her, isolating her from the outside world.

“Chen-san,” Haruki Yoshitane finally spoke, his voice maintaining the respect due to a subordinate, but his question was obvious, “I heard… that Lord Kagesa supplied Nakamura Isao with his words.”

"We went to great lengths to get our hands on Aoki Tomochiro's statement."

"Several vice presidents and senior officials of the investigation department of the South Manchuria Railway Company are involved. This is an excellent bargaining chip, enough to cause chaos within the South Manchuria Railway Company and make them wary of us in subsequent matters."

"What's wrong with Kagesa? Why... would he be so 'generous' as to hand it over to Nakamura Isao?"

Qingqi carefully used "obtained" instead of "interrogated to find out," tacitly acknowledging the cruelty of the process.

In his view, this bloodstained confession was an important weapon, and handing it over to the other side would be tantamount to crippling himself.

Chen Yang walked to the window, gazing at the Shanghai night sky, slightly reddened by neon lights. With his back to Qing Qi, a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

“Qingqi-kun,” he said without turning around, his voice deep and clear, “your idea is from the perspective of espionage, that’s right. Grab the other side’s weakness and force them to submit. That’s the most direct method.”

"However, you must understand that our ultimate goal is not to catch a few corrupt officials, nor is it to compete with the South Manchuria Railway for a moment."

"Our goal is to ensure that every gear of the 'holy war' machine operates efficiently, crushing all enemies."

"Supplies are key. The empire needs supplies, and we need supplies to make money."

"We can have a problem with anyone, but we can't have a problem with money."

Chen Yang slowly walked to the huge map and pointed heavily at the thick arrows that symbolized the supply lines, especially those routes from the south to North China and Manchuria.

"Right now, what's the biggest problem? It's efficiency! It's logistics!"

"The soldiers on the front lines are bleeding, while our supplies are stuck on the transport lines due to the infighting within the South Manchuria Railway and the Logistics Department! Aoki's confession may indeed cause chaos within the South Manchuria Railway, but what happens after that? The South Manchuria Railway will be paralyzed? Transport will be completely cut off? That's not the result we want, that's the situation the enemy most wants to see!"

Qingqi Qingyin seemed to be deep in thought, but he didn't fully understand.

Chen Yang continued, his tone carrying a sense of confidence that he was in control of the situation: "Nakamura Isao is a smart man. Behind him are the truly pragmatic forces within the South Manchuria Railway Company."

“For example, Takuichi Ōmura… For example, Kotaro Izumi, providing him with food is not giving up a bargaining chip, but rather using that chip in a different way.”

"You mean... an exchange?" Qingqi seemed to have caught something.

“That’s right, an exchange!” Chen Yang affirmed, his eyes gleaming with calculation. “Kagesa is handing over this thing, which is enough to ruin the reputations of Vice President Takeshita and his ilk, to Nakamura Isao. It’s both pressure and ‘goodwill’.”

"The pressure is telling them that we have a time bomb that can be detonated at any time. The kindness is that we didn't detonate it immediately, but gave them a chance to 'deal with it themselves'."

"If Nakamura Isao wants to quell this matter and protect the overall interests of the South Manchuria Railway and the positions of certain individuals, he must offer something tangible in exchange!"

"What do you think they have that we want most?"

Qing Qiqingyin's expression changed slightly: "Chen Sang, you mean!"

Chen Yang smiled and said, "Qingqi Jun guessed correctly, it's about us taking control of the southern transportation lines! Smoother scheduling authority, fewer constraints, and an absolute guarantee of our priority!"

"Internal screening and purging of a few officials is not the goal! It's just a process, or even a secondary process."

"The real purpose is to take this opportunity to pry open the iron plate of the South Manchuria Railway and force them to make crucial concessions to us on their core interest, namely control of transportation!"

"Let the empire's resources be continuously transported to where they are needed, according to our will and pace!"

"I told you long ago, speed is money. Only by having the fastest speed can we monetize it the fastest."

"This network will therefore become stronger, more robust, and more efficient."

Qingqi Qingyin suddenly realized, and admiration appeared in his eyes.

He understood Chen Yang's deeper meaning: he wasn't concerned with the gains or losses of a single city or region, but rather with the control of the entire strategic passage.

Using a confession that could potentially trigger internal strife to gain more direct and effective control over the transportation lifeline was indeed a brilliant move.

"So, Lord Kagesa has passed the problem on to Nakamura Isao," Haruki said in a low voice, "and asked him to coordinate internally, to persuade or even coerce those high-ranking officials to exchange transportation cooperation for political security."

“That’s right.” Chen Yang smiled coldly. “Nakamura Isao is a smart man; he knows how to choose.”

"It's about sacrificing the political lives of a few people to preserve the entire South Manchuria Railway system and their own positions, while simultaneously satisfying our demands!"

"He'll refuse to cooperate and wait for the Mei Agency to detonate the bomb, and we'll all be doomed. I believe he'll definitely make the 'right' decision."

He walked to the liquor cabinet, poured two glasses of whiskey, and handed one to Qingqi Qingyin.

"Soon, Nakamura Isao will bring us 'good news'."

"At that time, we will have more control over the scheduling of key nodes in the Southern Transportation Department. That's what we really need."

"As for Aoki Tomochiro's statement... it's just a piece of waste paper used to achieve our goal."

“I still don’t understand. All the benefits go to Kagesa and Oshima,” Haruki Yoshitane took a sip of his drink. “What do we get in return?”

"Don't rush, Haruki-kun," Chen Yang gently touched Haruki Yoshitane's wine glass and said slowly, "Whatever I want, whether they're willing or not, I have to give it to them!"

(End of this chapter)