Chapter 180: Upsetting The Hierarchy
“Trust?” Lin Su was somewhat puzzled by the meaning in Chen Yang’s words.
That’s right, Lin Su was very shrewd, but she also didn’t understand that such contradictions could arise between Japanese military branches.
“This kind of thing can’t be explained in just a sentence or two.” Chen Yang downed his red wine in one gulp.
“I want you to step in precisely to make both sides lower their guard. If I handle it myself, Saito might suspect, due to my identity, whether I’d team up with the Army Transportation Department to cheat them.”
“This net must cooperate fully to achieve smooth and unhindered results.”
“Without the Navy, relying solely on the Army’s transportation ability would still be somewhat lacking.”
Lin Su seemed to understand but said worriedly, “Boss, what if they discover you’re the mastermind behind the scenes?”
Chen Yang said with great confidence, “Then we need to help them gain massive benefits in a short time.”
“Everyone has a price, whether Navy or Army. Their disagreement is nothing more than a price issue.”
“Loyalty is because the temptation hasn’t been enough.”
“As long as there’s sufficient benefit, Japanese are human too; they also understand trade-offs.”
“Moreover, as I said, this net can become white gloves for certain big shots; that’s not just empty talk.”
“When the time comes, it depends on how we use it.”
Lin Su furrowed her brows: “Boss means.”
“This net is a good thing. Used well, it can claim credit, but if used poorly.”
Chen Yang sneered, “It can also blackmail.”
“As long as they’re on the net, they have to listen to me; otherwise, they’ll fall off and die.”
Lin Su looked at Chen Yang’s handsome face and inexplicably felt a chill. Chen Yang was full of confidence at this moment, but he also didn’t know that since ancient times, the times make the hero…
Perhaps on some future day, it wouldn’t be him controlling the net, but this giant net dragging him forward relentlessly.
This was just like what Nietzsche said in《Beyond Good and Evil》: when you fight with a monster, you must be careful not to become a monster yourself.
So…
“When you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.”
Late autumn
Shanghai, deep within the Joint Special Higher Police Affairs headquarters.
The old wall clock on the wall emitted a monotonous and stubborn “tick… tick… tick…” sound, like slowly dripping ice water, striking the taut nerves of the visitor.
Xiong Ye Liangping stood ramrod straight like a blade. The fatigue from the long journey made his spirit somewhat listless, but his eyes were strikingly bright, fixed on the figure behind the desk who was silent like a mountain.
Under Xiong Ye’s arm was a black leather briefcase, its four corners wrapped in worn brass, with an exquisite copper combination lock embedded on the side, occasionally reflecting a bit of cold, hard light in the dimness.
Dohihara General wore a dark kimono casual outfit, his whole body sunk into the high-backed leather chair.
Hands crossed over his abdomen, fingertips touching, utterly still.
His face was hidden in the shadows beyond the desk lamp’s halo, his gaze slowly sweeping over Xiong Ye Liangping’s tense cheeks, finally settling on the briefcase he was guarding tightly.
“Your Excellency General,” Xiong Ye broke the dead silence, stepping forward and respectfully placing the heavy briefcase on the rosewood tabletop with both hands, pushing it toward the center of the dim yellow halo.
“This is the ‘Maple Plan’ designed by Nanta Major.”
“She particularly emphasized the importance of this proposal, requiring us not to transmit it via radio to avoid leaking intelligence, so I carried the proposal from Chongqing, traveling through half of China, and took over half a month to reach Shanghai.”
“Please review it.”
The briefcase hit the desktop with a faint “thud,” exceptionally clear in the dead-silent room.
Dohihara took the proposal and placed it before him but did not open it!
Xiong Ye Liangping said respectfully, “Nanta Major targets straight at Chongqing’s core, intending to exploit the prime opportunity of the enemy’s psychological turmoil after the Wuhan Battle to create chaos!”
“To cover Mr. Wang’s safe departure from Chongqing—this is the mission you assigned her, and also the key to the Empire disintegrating China’s War of Resistance situation.”
Dohihara’s expression showed no change, not even his crossed fingers loosening in the slightest.
Only at the instant Xiong Ye Liangping mentioned “Mr. Wang” did his eyes tremble slightly.
“Plan details.” Dohihara’s voice rose slowly. “Risk assessment. Consequences of failure.”
Xiong Ye took a deep breath, as if seizing the thin oxygen in the air.
“Signal and cover: The action begins with a massive explosion at Pier No. 7 in Chongqing! The explosion itself creates huge panic, drawing the attention of all city military police and civilians, paralyzing their transportation and communications nodes!”
“Core action: Simultaneously, our meticulously trained ‘suicide squad’ perfectly disguised as radical anti-Japanese militants will, amid the chaos, launch an ‘assassination’ on the top leader in the predetermined core area near the Central Party Department!”
Xiong Ye made a gesture in the air as if controlling everything. “The purpose is not to take his life, but to create maximum chaos, igniting the long-accumulated suspicion and discord between them and the Communist Party.”
“Utilizing the contradictions between the Communist Party and the Kuomintang, divert the gaze of Chongqing’s intelligence agencies, create an opportunity for Mr. Wang to enter our preset hidden passage and rendezvous point.”
“Akainu Squad will ensure Mr. Wang and his core entourage quickly evacuate Chongqing into our absolutely controlled area!”
“The risk lies in the suicide squad possibly being seen through in advance, or Mr. Wang’s evacuation route exposed.”
“The plan has been repeatedly simulated by Nanta Major; the suicides are all ‘dead spies,’ their knowledge limited to their own ‘assassination’ mission, unaware of the ultimate target Mr. Wang!”
“As for the benefits of success, Your Excellency General, this plan is enough to thoroughly destroy the remaining prestige of the Chongqing government!”
“Greatly boosting the Empire’s military and civilians’ belief in certain victory! And it can establish Mr. Wang as the core of the ‘New Order’ in one fell swoop.”
As the words fell, the secret room fell into dead silence again.
Dohihara General stared at the proposal before him; the three blood-red characters “Top Secret · Maple” on the action proposal bearing the chrysanthemum crest were glaring.
After a moment of silence, he opened the proposal, his gaze quickly scanning the dense text: precise coordinate maps, action timelines, personnel code lists…
Time ticked by second by second, each second as long as a century.
Dohihara turned to the last page, where a blank space awaited the final verdict.
“The plan… is very bold.” Dohihara finally spoke, his tone still calm, as if evaluating something unrelated to himself. “Does Kagesa know? He oversees the China Affairs Section’s intelligence work in Shanghai and on Chongqing.”
Xiong Ye’s heart sank sharply, then surged with a desperate resolve.
“Your Excellency General! To ensure absolute secrecy and the action’s critical timeliness, after the plan was formulated in Chongqing, I was ordered to report directly to you! Colonel Kagesa… currently does not know the specific contents.”
The corner of Dohihara’s mouth twitched upward ever so slightly, like a silent acknowledgment of some power game rule he had long understood.
He was well aware of the ubiquitous undercurrents and struggles between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, and even clearer on Xiong Ye’s intent in bypassing Kagesa to present directly to him.
Silence descended again.
Dohihara’s fingers lightly tapped twice on the smooth rosewood tabletop, then he picked up the Parker gold pen on the desk, uncapped it, revealing the gleaming gold nib.
“Worth the gamble.” Dohihara’s voice was not loud, yet carried a cold, decisive force.
The pen tip fell, fluently signing powerful characters on the glaring blank space at the top of the “Top Secret · Maple” document’s first page.
“Approved for execution.”
“All resources needed for the action and personnel assignments are to be handled by Nanta Major, at all costs, assist Mr. Wang in leaving Chongqing.”
“After success, I will report to headquarters…”
“Hai, thank you, General…” Xiong Ye Liangping snapped his heels together, bending his body into a ninety-degree bow, a standard deep bow.
Shanghai, consulate, second floor office.
The atmosphere inside the Japanese Consulate in Shanghai was starkly different from the oppressive Special Higher Police Affairs headquarters.
The corridor was spacious and bright, laid with glossy diamond-shaped tiles, reflecting the ceiling light’s cold rays.
The air was filled with the faint scent of disinfectant and paper ink.
Kagesa’s office door was tightly closed.
Xiong Ye Liangping stood outside, took a deep breath, straightened his military uniform collar to ensure impeccability, then raised his hand, knuckles rapping neither too lightly nor too heavily on the smooth oak door.
“Come in.” Kagesa Shinzhao’s voice came from inside, calm, betraying no ripples.
“Your Excellency Kagesa.” Xiong Ye stood before the desk, body still straight as a pine, voice steadily even as always.
“Lieutenant Colonel Xiong Ye,” Kagesa Shinzhao’s voice was not loud, carrying a deliberate casualness, yet each word like a needle.
“I heard you just returned from Special Higher Police Affairs headquarters? Looks like you met with Dohihara General. I’m very curious—what kind of urgent business required bypassing me to report directly to Your Excellency General?”
Xiong Ye met Kagesa’s gaze without evasion: “Yes, Your Excellency Kagesa, what I reported to Dohihara General was an urgent matter concerning the Empire’s core interests in China.”
“It has already received Dohihara General’s approval.”
“Per procedure, before leaving, I still need to greet Your Excellency Kagesa.”
“Moreover, I need your assistance to quickly issue a special pass, allowing me to return to Chongqing at the fastest speed to execute the plan.”
“Oh?” The faint smile at the corner of Kagesa Shinzhao’s mouth seemed to deepen, but his eyes sharpened like a hawk’s. “When did North China Information Section fall under Special Higher Police Affairs jurisdiction?”
“Why didn’t Wachi Eiji mention it to me?”
“Xiong Ye-kun, do you know your current behavior has overstepped bounds?”
“A subordinate of a Ministry of Foreign Affairs intelligence agency actually reporting to a Ministry of Home Affairs leader, then brazenly asking me to arrange the process for you.”
“What? You think I’m dead?”
Kagesa’s voice was extremely angry; even facing a leader of Dohihara’s level, he didn’t care.
When did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have to follow the Ministry of Home Affairs’ arrangements?
Xiong Ye Liangping’s gaze hardened slightly, yet he said neither humbly nor arrogantly, “Your Excellency Kagesa, please prioritize the overall situation.”
“Baka yaro…”
