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

Chapter 250 Everyone Has to Compromise
With that "confession" in hand, Nakamura Isao left Shanghai and returned to Xinjing, the "capital" of the puppet state of Manchukuo.

Xinjing, the air here is filled with a completely different atmosphere from that of the foreign concessions in Shanghai.

This area is under the absolute control of the Japanese, and a more rigid and oppressive atmosphere permeates the air.

After the train arrived in Xinjing, Nakamura Isao got off the train almost immediately without any delay and headed to the private residence of Ōmura Takuichi, the president of the South Manchuria Railway Company, under the cover of night to give him a secret report.

Xinjing, Yunshan Villa District...

"Nakamura-kun, you've worked hard." Ōmura Takuya, dressed in a worn-out kimono, greeted him warmly.

When he carefully read the confession that Nakamura Isao brought back from Shanghai, his expression did not change much, as if this matter, which was enough to cause a major earthquake in the South Manchuria Railway, was insignificant in his eyes.

“President Ōmura, this matter could be a big deal or a small deal.” Nakamura organized his thoughts. “If we put it in a big way, it’s sabotaging the holy war and framing colleagues. None of the participants will be able to escape.”

"But to put it mildly, it's just a rumor. Yasuda and Aoki Tomohiro are both dead, and they don't have any solid evidence."

"Whether to make an example of one to warn a hundred, or to blend in with the crowd, is entirely up to the president."

Ōmura sighed softly, "Nakamura-kun, what do you think the South Manchuria Railway Company is?"

"Each person in each position represents their own different interests."

"Takeshita is backed by the Mitsui Zaibatsu, the largest supplier of resources to the South Manchuria Railway Company."

“Director Suzuki, Masao Onishi, and Kotaro Matsuo each represent their own factions.”

"The South Manchuria Railway is a union of many people. It cannot be a single entity that has the power. There must be a balance. It's okay to make mistakes, as long as they can be corrected."

Nakamura Isao slowly said, "I'm afraid that Vice President Takeshita might not appreciate your kindness."

Takuichi Ōmura smiled and said, "That's even simpler. I'm sure I can help those who make mistakes and refuse to correct them."

Nakamura Isao frowned slightly: "President Ōmura, this matter is of great importance, and almost no one in the company is willing to take it on and cooperate."

“If Mr. Ōmura finds this difficult, I can personally expose these people’s underhanded dealings to the local authorities.”

“Nakamura-kun, you are a loyal subject of the empire,” Ōmura Takuichi stepped forward and patted Nakamura Isao on the shoulder, saying in a deep voice, “Doing such things will not bring you any greater benefits, but will instead arouse the suspicion of others.”

"With your talent, you should be in a higher position. You are a person who is destined to do great things and have a broader vision. You should not think about going down with a few parasites."

"I'll take care of this; you don't need to worry about it."

Nakamura bowed slightly and said, "Hello..."

The following day, the South Manchuria Railway Company held its regular meeting...

When the names of Vice President Hiroshi Takeshita and others were read from the blood-stained document, the air in the conference room seemed to freeze.

Shock, anger, fear, suspicion... and other emotions intertwined on the faces of the several leaders.

It must be said that Kagesa Yoshiaki's move precisely struck at the weak point of the South Manchuria Railway's top brass.

An internal purge was imperative, but how to purge, and to what extent, would both give an explanation to the Mei Agency and prevent the South Manchuria Railway from being crippled and completely reduced to a vassal state of the military! This became the most difficult problem facing everyone.

Just as the South Manchuria Railway Company (SMR) was racking its brains and arguing endlessly about this, news from Tokyo brought a new twist to the situation.

Hotsumi Ozaki, Prime Minister Konoe's personal advisor, is about to visit Xinjing under the pretext of "coordinating relations between the Imperial institutions in Manchuria and optimizing the allocation of strategic resources."

Hotsumi Ozaki is considered one of Prime Minister Konoe's advisors.

His arrival undoubtedly threw another pebble into this murky pond.

The most unexpected person was Nakamura Isao.

No one knew Ozaki Hotsumi's identity better than him. At the critical moment when the Kwantung Army was about to launch an operation against the Far East, Ozaki Hotsumi suddenly arrived in Xinjing from the mainland. There seemed to be something unusual about this.

Could it be that President Ōmura's solution is to have the cabinet handle this case?

Nakamura thought it was unlikely, because the discord between the cabinet and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was no secret.

As Prime Minister Konoe's personal advisor, Hotsumi Ozaki wouldn't be doing such a boring job at this time.

Therefore, Hotsumi Ozaki's trip to Shinkyo must have had other purposes.

However, based on the limited information available at present, it is difficult for Nakamura Isao to deduce exactly what it is.

Nakamura Isao soon received an invitation to meet with Ozaki Hotsumi.

The location was arranged at a rather elegant restaurant in Xinjing.

Xinjing, 1225 Shengjing Road, Songhe Xiaozhu...

A black sedan bearing the Manchuria Railway logo came to a steady stop at the entrance. The driver, Shinzo Yamada, quickly got out of the car and respectfully opened the rear door.

Nakamura Isao got off the bus through the back door, tightened his clothes, glanced at the sign above, and walked in with a solemn expression.

The private rooms inside Songhe Xiaozhu are named after the themes of romance and beauty.

Nakamura walked to the door of the private room with the character "Wind" engraved on it and gently knocked on the door.

"Please come in," a warm voice came from inside.

Inside the private room, Hotsumi Ozaki, dressed in a traditional kimono, moved with composure and grace...

"Nakamura-kun, thank you for your hard work." Ozaki Hotsumi slowly set down his teacup, his gaze gentle...

“Ozaki-kun,” Nakamura Isao said slowly as he sat down opposite him, “I never expected you to get involved in this mess.”

"Now is the most troublesome time."

As he spoke, Nakamura Koichi recounted the orders he received from the South Railway Bureau to negotiate with Kagesa of the Ume Agency, and then recounted in detail the confession Kagesa had given him to Ozaki Hotsumi…

“Nakamura-kun,” Ozaki Hide’s voice sounded somewhat low, “the situation in Tokyo right now is more complicated than what you experienced in Shanghai.”

"Frankly, it's not that I wanted to get involved, but I was asked by Lord Konoe to come and mediate, because the Cabinet and the military share a common position on certain issues."

"First, we must not allow the South Manchuria Railway to be paralyzed due to internal strife. The empire's economic lifeline and continental policy cannot function without the effective operation of this machine!" "Second, we must not allow the South Manchuria Railway to use this opportunity to break free from the necessary 'guidance' and control of the military and become an independent kingdom."

Nakamura nodded silently; this was basically in line with his previous assessment.

Ozaki's fingers tapped lightly on the table, as if touching those invisible names: "The 'gift' sent by Kagesa Yoshiaki is vicious. The people on the list include Vice President Takeshita, Director Suzuki, and even Major General Mizuhide..."

"Frankly, the cabinet does not believe that the May agency has concrete evidence of direct corruption or treason on their part."

"However, the cabinet dares not gamble! Especially at this critical juncture. Any scandal that could trigger turmoil among the top brass of the South Manchuria Railway Company, or be used by the opposition to attack the cabinet for 'mismanagement,' is absolutely unacceptable."

“Most importantly,” Ozaki Hotsumi lowered her voice even further, as if afraid the walls would hear, “the military is getting impatient.”

"They believe the current cabinet is too 'weak' and plan to nominate General Nobuyuki Abe to reshuffle the cabinet."

Abe Nobuyuki! This name made Nakamura Isao's heart sink.

Unlike Konoe, Abe is a typical representative of the military hardliners and has close ties with the Kwantung Army. If he were to form a cabinet, it would mean that the military's power would become even more unbridled, and its control over the South Manchuria Railway would only be more direct than it is now.

At that time, the so-called "autonomy" that the South Manchuria Railway Company had been pursuing would completely vanish.

“Ozaki-kun, do you mean…” Nakamura seemed to have grasped something.

"What I mean is," Hotsumi Ozaki said sharply, "we must act decisively and proactively 'digest' this crisis before the cabinet changes!"

"We need to give Kagesa Yoshiaki and the military a way out, satisfying some of their demands, while also preserving the core structure of the South Manchuria Railway Company to avoid being dismantled and falling into a completely passive situation after Abe comes to power."

"Those on the list must be sacrificed."

"This is not because they are guilty, but because their sacrifices are necessary."

"Vice President Takeshita needs to retire due to illness, Director Suzuki needs to be reassigned to a less important position, and a group of people need to be put in charge of the relevant procedures. This is the price we pay for the overall survival of the South Manchuria Railway and its limited autonomy in the future!"

Nakamura felt a chill run down his spine. This was the cold-blooded logic of the higher-ups: the fate of an individual was insignificant on the larger chessboard.

"So what do we need to do?" Nakamura Isao asked.

“Cooperate with me.” Hotsumi Ozaki said decisively, “I will convene a ‘consultation’ with the top officials of the South Manchuria Railway, the Kwantung Army, the Ume Agency, and the Southern Transport Department in my capacity as an advisor to the Prime Minister.

"At the meeting, I will pressure the South Manchuria Railway to carry out 'self-discipline and rectification,' and at the same time, I will 'persuade' the military to give the South Manchuria Railway the corresponding operational space after the rectification is completed."

"We want to create an image where both sides compromise and reach a reconciliation through cabinet mediation."

"The purpose of doing this is twofold: first, to create a fait accompli before Abe forms a cabinet, making it difficult for the new cabinet to be easily overthrown!"

"Secondly, it demonstrates to all parties that only through cabinet coordination can this 'controllable' stability be achieved, which is crucial for preserving both the South Manchuria Railway and the influence of the current cabinet."

Nakamura Isao finally understood. Ozaki Hotsumi's trip was indeed to put out a fire, but it was also a meticulously planned political operation aimed at using this crisis to gain leverage for the crumbling current cabinet, while at the same time giving the South Manchuria Railway a chance to breathe under the strong influence of the military.

“I understand, Ozaki-kun.” Nakamura Isao took a deep breath. “I will fully cooperate with you. What do you need me to do?”

“You are the key, Nakamura-kun.” Ozaki Hotsumi patted him on the shoulder. “You need to use your connections and influence within the South Manchuria Railway Company to communicate in advance and ensure that the ‘self-discipline reform’ plan can be implemented smoothly, avoiding fierce resistance from within.”

"The most important thing is to make some people understand that the sacrifices we are making now are to avoid being uprooted by the military in the future."

The flickering lights in the private room made the unresolved, solemn look on Nakamura Isao's face even clearer.

He remained silent for a moment before finally speaking his mind: "Ozaki-kun, I understand the necessity of 'sacrificing pawns to save the king,' and I also understand the immense pressure the cabinet is facing."

"However, the price that the South Manchuria Railway paid this time... was far too high."

"Vice President Takeshita is one of the pillars supporting the operation of the South Manchuria Railway Company, and Director Suzuki has also worked in the research department for many years."

"Such an unbridled 'sacrifice' will not only chill the hearts of tens of thousands of employees at the South Manchuria Railway Company, but will also seriously shake the outside world's confidence in the stability and credibility of the South Manchuria Railway Company."

"Should we... consider giving the South Manchuria Railway some due 'decency' after this painful but necessary restructuring, in order to appease the public and maintain the organization's normal operation?"

Hotsumi Ozaki listened quietly. He understood Nakamura Isao's concerns, which were not sentimental but rather stemmed from a realistic consideration of maintaining the fighting power of a large organization.

Excessive humiliation and deprivation will only trigger a stronger backlash or outright negativity.

“Nakamura-kun, your concerns are valid.” Hotsumi Ozaki spoke slowly: “Punishment is not the goal; maintaining the effective operation of the Empire’s strategic machine is the fundamental objective.”

“Giving them a certain degree of ‘decency’ is not only a way to appease them, but also a way to motivate them, and even more so a way to better control them in the future.”

"I can suggest to His Excellency Konoe that the Cabinet could step in and, while forcing the South Manchuria Railway to undergo internal restructuring, formally transfer the coordination and management authority for land transportation in key areas of Central and Southern China to the unified control of the South Manchuria Railway under the pretext of 'improving efficiency and clarifying responsibilities'."

"This means that, at least for the foreseeable future, the military logistics system and other transportation agencies in the south will need to give more respect to the opinions of the South Manchuria Railway Company in their daily operations in these areas."

A glint flashed in Nakamura Isao's eyes.

This was indeed a substantial concession, handing over some of the long-desired control over transportation to the South Manchuria Railway Company. Although the word "temporarily" was added, it would undoubtedly greatly boost morale and partially compensate for the losses caused by the high-level turmoil.

“However,” Ozaki Hidemi changed the subject, “the military, especially Kagesa Yoshiaki, also has to consider its reputation.”

“The Southern Transportation Department is an area they are focusing on and infiltrating. We cannot let them feel completely excluded, lest they become desperate and resort to desperate measures.”

"Therefore, as a balance, and also to have a key figure who is acceptable to the South Manchuria Railway Company but does not excessively provoke the military,"

Nakamura Isao asked curiously, "Who is it?"

Hotsumi Ozaki revealed the key name: "Chen Yang, the current head of the Land Transport Division, has been promoted to Vice Minister of the Southern Transport Department by recommendation from His Excellency Sato of the Logistics Department. He will be specifically responsible for coordinating the newly assigned Central and Southern China transport matters."

"Chen Yang?" Nakamura Isao felt a sense of unease upon hearing this name.

What role does the Chinese man who participated in the negotiations with Yingzuo play in this game?
“Yes, it’s him,” Hotsumi Ozaki nodded. “He’s perfect for the position.”

"By the way, Nakamura-kun, I also want to introduce you to a friend during this trip."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hideki Omi glanced at his watch and muttered to himself, "He should be here by now!"

Knock, knock, knock... The words had barely left his lips when a knocking sounded on the door...

[I've actually gotten a bit busier since leaving the ICU. I need to get out of bed and walk around, and do rehabilitation exercises. Don't worry, everyone, the progress is good so far, and I'll continue to update. I'll take a break if I get too tired...]

(End of this chapter)