Chapter 153: Emergency Meeting
Chen Yang nodded upon hearing this, capped his steel pen, placed it in the pen holder, and stood up, saying, “Alright, I’ll go up right away.”
Third Floor, Minister’s Office.
Chen Yang knocked on the office door, and Minister Oshima’s voice came from inside, “Come in.”
Chen Yang pushed the door open. Inside, besides Minister Oshima Kenjiro, were Matsushima Jun from the First Section and a middle-aged man dressed in an Army Lieutenant Colonel’s uniform.
“Section Chief Chen, you’ve arrived at just the right time.” Oshima Kenjiro saw Chen Yang enter and raised his hand, saying, “This is Lieutenant Colonel Takahashi, a staff officer from the 106th Division.”
“Lieutenant Colonel Takahashi, hello.” Chen Yang bowed slightly and paid his respects.
“Your Excellency is Section Chief Chen Yang of the Third Section, Mr. Chen.” Takahashi Takeo said, “Mr. Chen, Minister Oshima highly regards your transportation capabilities.”
“Currently, the 106th Division has encountered some setbacks on the route to attack Dean.”
“We urgently need a batch of supplies for support. I wonder if Section Chief Chen can think of a way.”
“This…” Chen Yang hesitated for a moment, his gaze falling on Oshima Kenjiro behind the desk.
“Section Chief Chen, if there’s any inconvenience, you can say it directly,” Oshima Kenjiro’s voice slowly sounded.
Chen Yang said with slight apology, “Lieutenant Colonel Takahashi, it’s truly not that I intend to decline, but the Third Section’s transportation arrangements are already full.”
“Even if the 106th Division is in a hurry, I can only arrange it for three days later.”
Takahashi Takeo’s expression changed slightly, “No, it must depart by tomorrow night at the latest.”
“Without sufficient supplies, we can only risk going light.”
“Doing so would make the battle damage incalculable. We cannot joke with the lives of the Empire’s soldiers. The Logistics Department has already approved an additional batch of supplies. Minister Oshima, your task is simply to deliver the supplies to the front line within the specified time.”
“Can’t the entire Southern Transportation Department handle even such a small matter?”
Oshima Kenjiro frowned, “Lieutenant Colonel Takahashi, the Transportation Department does not exclusively serve your 106th Division.”
“Section Chief Chen has already made it very clear, the Third Section cannot allocate the time.”
Takahashi Takeo’s brows furrowed, “Section Chief Chen, Minister Oshima, this batch of supplies is crucial for the front-line warfare. You must find a way, no matter what.”
Chen Yang sighed, “Lieutenant Colonel Takahashi, the Third Section is currently responsible for the supply of materials to the 9th Division and the 16th Division. Do you think General Matsuura can compete with them for transportation lines?”
Takahashi Takeo was stunned. The 9th Division and the 16th Division were both among the seventeen standing Class A Divisions of the Japanese Army. The 106th Division was merely a Class B Division. What right did they have to compete with them for transportation routes?
A brief silence fell in the office. Chen Yang suddenly spoke, “Lieutenant Colonel Takahashi, may I see the list of supplies?”
Hearing the softening in Chen Yang’s tone, Takahashi Takeo quickly opened his briefcase, took out the supply list specially approved by Sato Buntai, and handed it to Chen Yang.
“Gasoline and ammunition,” Chen Yang frowned. “The quantities are not very large, but it’s indeed difficult for me to arrange here. Section Chief Matsushima, can you coordinate from your end?”
Matsushima Jun was silent for a moment, “There is a batch of supplies scheduled to depart tomorrow night. It’s allocated by the Logistics Department to Colonel Tanigawa Kozo of the 101st Division.”
“If I really have to find a way, I can only target him.”
Chen Yang pondered for a moment, “Perhaps I can communicate with Lieutenant Colonel Saito of the Navy Department. The 101st Division was previously in the Poyang Lake area. Let the Navy Transport Ship transport the supplies to near Poyang Lake and hand them over to the 101st Division’s supply regiment for transportation.”
“This way, it might relieve the urgent need.”
Takahashi Takeo’s eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly, “I think this can work.”
Oshima Kenjiro looked at Matsushima Jun and said, “Mr. Matsushima, then let’s do as Section Chief Chen suggested. You will deliver the 101st Division’s supplies to Huishan Wharf, and have Section Chief Chen arrange for a Navy Transport Ship to take them away. You will assist Lieutenant Colonel Takahashi in transporting the 106th Division’s supplies.”
Matsushima Jun saluted, “Yes, I’ll arrange it now.”
Watching Matsushima Jun hurry away, a strange expression suddenly flashed in Chen Yang’s eyes…
Shanghai, French Concession…
The fine rain streaked obliquely, smearing the neon lights of Avenue Joffre into blurred patches of color.
Chen Yang raised the collar of his trench coat and pushed open the glass door of the “Oak House” coffee shop, bringing in a breath of damp air.
There were not many people in the coffee shop. Lazy jazz music played from a gramophone, and a few foreigners sat in a corner, conversing in low voices.
Chen Yang chose a seat by the window and said to the boss lady behind the counter, “Black coffee, double sugar, thank you.”
Not long after, the coffee shop door was pushed open again.
A man wearing a dark blue long gown and round-rimmed glasses walked in. He tucked his briefcase under his arm, looking like an employee just off work from a bank.
He looked around, his gaze lingered on Chen Yang for a moment, then he walked over and sat opposite him.
“Sir, may I share this table?” the man asked in a low voice.
Chen Yang nodded slightly, moving his coffee forward a little.
The man sat down opposite him, took out a purple declaration from his briefcase, spread it open, and flipped through it seemingly casually, saying softly, “Didn’t I tell you not to meet unless there’s an emergency? What happened?”
Chen Yang lit a cigarette, smoke curling between the two of them.
“It’s about intelligence from Wuhan,” he lowered his voice. “Time is pressing, and we need to arrange an action plan as soon as possible.”
Jian Bing’s heart tensed slightly, and he said sternly, “What intelligence?”
Chen Yang lowered his voice, “The 106th Division’s supplies have been approved. 120 barrels of gasoline and 2000 artillery shells will be transported out tomorrow night, via the Shanghai-Hangzhou Railway to Jiujiang, and then transferred to the front line.”
Jian Bing picked up his coffee cup and, using the newspaper as a screen, asked with suspicion, “Only this much for an entire division.”
“The Japanese are short on supplies now. I heard from Takahashi Takeo that Sato Buntai withheld half of their quota,” Chen Yang sneered. “Matsuura Junroku is hopping mad, but there’s nothing he can do. If there aren’t enough supplies, they have to press on regardless.”
Jian Bing’s fingers lightly traced the edge of the newspaper a few times, as if calculating something. Chen Yang took a folded note from his cigarette case and pushed it over, “Train schedule, disposition of escorting troops.”
Jian Bing quickly glanced at it, and the note disappeared into his sleeve.
“Notify the Su-Zhe Guerrilla Force,” Chen Yang’s voice was as stern as a knife, “to set an ambush between Qingpu and Huzhou and destroy this batch of supplies.”
He paused, “Without gasoline and artillery shells, the 106th Division’s artillery regiment will be useless.”
Jian Bing pondered for a moment, “There are Japanese patrols on the Jiujiang branch line, and it’s risky to force our way.”
“The escort is handled by Matsushima Jun of the First Section. He has only arranged a small squad of military police, and furthermore, the vehicle is carrying ammunition and gasoline.” Chen Yang exhaled a puff of smoke. “If the guerrilla team acts quickly enough, they can finish and withdraw. It will take at least two hours for reinforcements from Jiujiang to arrive.”
Jian Bing considered for a moment and nodded slightly, “I will have ‘Lao Qiang’ make the arrangements.”
“Remember,” Chen Yang stubbed out his cigarette butt, “leave a few survivors to go back and report, saying, ‘How strange, why weren’t the supplies here?'”
Jian Bing’s lips curved slightly, “You plan to make Oshima suspicious?”
“Yes.” Chen Yang’s eyes were cold. “As long as they are delayed for three days, Matsuura Junroku will surely choose to go light due to impatience. If he truly dares to do so, Wanjia Ridge will be their grave.”
“Creeeak,” the coffee shop door was pushed open, and two Japanese military police entered, their gazes sweeping the interior like peregrine falcons.
Jian Bing’s expression remained unchanged. He opened his newspaper and suddenly laughed loudly in Japanese, “So, the stock market in Tokyo has been too volatile lately. It’s more stable to invest in bonds.”
Chen Yang understood and deliberately replied in a Kansai accent, “Yes, during wartime, gold is the most valuable.”
The military police glanced at them. Seeing them as “respectable Japanese businessmen,” they didn’t suspect further and turned towards the counter.
Jian Bing lowered his voice, “It’s getting late, you should leave.”
Chen Yang nodded, took out a few Japanese Yen, placed them under his coffee cup, and got up to leave…
