Chapter 72: Shift In Targets
“The Imperial Marine Corps has already begun preparing to depart from the Homeland to Shanghai here, to familiarize themselves in advance with the local environment and terrain, and to collect intelligence. They are expected to launch the attack on Shanghai in January of ’32!”
“However, the intelligence collection work for this time, as well as planning to ignite this battlefield, will be handled by the two of us!”
“Last time I told you, our target is very likely to be starting the provocation from the Sanyou Industrial Company Towel General Factory on Ma Yushan Road in this Chinese Territory!”
“Because this Chinese manual labor factory extremely excludes our Empire people!”
“So a little provocation against them can ignite a fighting incident. Once the fighting incident occurs, we can use the fighting incident to expand promotion and carry out war provocation!”
“So the matter I’m discussing with you this time is that we will start dealing with these Chinese People in January!”
After Yoshiko Kawashima entered the tea house where Deputy Military Attaché Major Tanaka Yoshirou was located,
After the other party invited Yoshiko Kawashima to sit down,
He poured tea for Yoshiko Kawashima in the private room while giving her a direct opening remark.
“Alright! I got it!”
“Everything is up to you!”
“When you want to take action, just tell me in advance!”
“Recently, I still need to transport even more supplies back to the Homeland. Fortunately, that Chinese businessman’s steamboats are quite numerous!”
“It simply saves us a lot of time and money!”
After Yoshiko Kawashima took a sip of tea,
She agreed without hesitation.
“That’s good!”
“Since you agree, I will notify you in advance when I take action!”
“However, during this period, you can still collect more intelligence on the Chinese 19th Route Army like I am doing!”
“Because once the war starts, our opponent will be this Chinese army!”
“At least before other Chinese elite troops participate in the battle, this Chinese army is the troops we must eliminate! As long as we defeat them, we can gain even more benefits and advantages in the Shanghai Operation!”
After Major Tanaka Yoshirou saw that Yoshiko Kawashima actually agreed to his opinion so easily,
He was also slightly surprised,
But soon he smiled and responded.
As long as Yoshiko Kawashima did not cause him unnecessary trouble, he did not mind,
“Mm! Alright! If I have time, I’ll collect intelligence on the Chinese 19th Route Army!”
“Besides these, is there anything else?”
“If not, then I want to leave!”
“Because as you said, the Battle of Shanghai will erupt in the next month, so I also need to speed up transporting even more supplies to the Homeland!”
“Otherwise, once Shanghai starts the war, the Chinese ship team I take over will face certain embargoes!”
“Moreover, the Homeland side, and Major General Iwane Matsui’s side, are also urging us to transport even more pre-war supplies needed by the Homeland, as well as supplies needed for industrial development!”
“So I still need to continue carrying out the orders they gave me!”
After Major Tanaka Yoshirou finished speaking,
Yoshiko Kawashima, eager to leave, responded.
“Alright! You go ahead and leave!”
“Transporting supplies to the Homeland is a big deal!”
“You go ahead and get busy!”
“If there are any special matters, I will notify you immediately!”
Looking at Yoshiko Kawashima, who wanted to leave immediately after discussing for such a short time,
Major Tanaka Yoshirou narrowed his eyes,
Then nodded in agreement.
Yoshiko Kawashima also nodded in response, then got up and left
Decisively,
With no intention of staying any longer.
“Baka! This damned woman of Chinese blood!”
“It seems impossible to win her over to work for me!”
“Hmph! If not for Iwane Matsui and the Kwantung Army taking care of her, I would definitely make her know well what the consequences are for leaving so hurriedly in front of me!”
After Yoshiko Kawashima completely left his tea house,
Major Tanaka Yoshirou cursed viciously with a ferocious face.
Afterward, he immediately dispatched even more Japanese people intelligence officers to speed up collecting deployment intelligence on the 19th Route Army,
As well as the details of his attack provocation target, the Sanyou Industrial Company Towel General Factory, and intelligence on the personnel there.
Including intelligence on the management and boss of the Sanyou Industrial Company Towel General Factory.
He had to know both himself and the enemy to win every battle and complete the provocation task assigned by Iwane Matsui.
At the same time,
On this day, the Japanese Army also dispatched the cruiser “Oi” and the 15th Destroyer Squadron, a total of 4 destroyers, from Wu Port in the Homeland, beginning to transport nearly 500 men of the 1st Special Navy Marine Corps and a large amount of munitions toward Shanghai.
This was the Japanese Army’s first batch of vanguard troops before preparing for war,
Arriving in Shanghai in advance in hopes that they could first familiarize themselves with Shanghai’s terrain, environment, and situation,
Then, once the war erupted,
They would not need to fight in unfamiliar territory.
And upon returning to Shanghai, Zhou Wenhua also immediately had Navy Officer Wu Baoshan
Conduct strict military training on those Sichuan Region security teams he brought back from the Sichuan Region,
Hoping that during the First Battle of Shanghai,
He could have the strength to protect his own industry,
As for the situation of Boss Du’s “Happy Forest” dance hall that Butler Liu Xing helped him receive,
It had also been relayed to him,
Regarding this,
Zhou Wenhua did not focus on it,
But focused on light industry and agriculture,
First solving the grain industry chain and clothes, these more practical industries, which were more important.
Moreover, for heavy industry things,
Without certain strength, even if he developed them,
It would be hard to hold onto them,
Of course, they could also be handed over to the Eighth Route Army side,
The problem was that the Eighth Route Army had not appeared yet,
They might still need to carry out the Long March, and only appear when the resistance war in Northwest Shanxi began and the Second Battle of Shanghai erupted.
So after first solving the grain industry chain, cotton industry chain, and clothes industry chain,
If wanting to continue heavy industry,
It could be done after the Eighth Route Army appeared,
Or after the resistance war victory.
Even after the Second Battle of Shanghai, he could carry out secret development of these heavy industries with Zhou Weiguo,
Of course, it must wait until Zhou Weiguo becomes part of the Eighth Route Army,
In other words, Zhou Wenhua’s goals had already changed greatly.
So after Butler Liu Xing reported the handling situation after receiving the dance hall,
Zhou Wenhua simply instructed him briefly,
Then let him leave,
While he went to the communication room he had set up to communicate with the management of his rubber plantations and cotton plantations,
To check if these plantations had been built,
And if they had started planting rubber and cotton?
And when they could harvest.
