Chapter 193: Arrange It Properly
“Boss, you’ve finally come out.” As soon as Chen Yang closed the private room door, Lin Su appeared behind him.
“What’s wrong?” Chen Yang frowned.
“Boss, I can’t handle your distinguished guests. You have to come yourself,” Lin Su said, her face pale as she looked toward a private room at the end of the third floor with lingering fear.
Chen Yang waved his hand. “Alright, I know what to do. Go tend to your business.”
Lin Su nodded and glanced at the private room in front of her, asking somewhat uneasily, “Boss, Miss Kyoko has only been here for ten days or so and doesn’t know anything yet. You’re letting her meet Colonel Yamaki?”
Hearing this, Chen Yang revealed a profound smile. “Miss Lin, you’ve been in this line of work for so long and still don’t understand.”
“The so-called honey trap isn’t about the beauty, but the trap.”
“People always harbor regrets for the things they couldn’t obtain in their youth.”
“As the saying goes, flowers bloom again, but people never get a second youth.”
“At Colonel Yamaki’s age, if he can rediscover the regrets of his youth, he would surely pay any price.”
“Hehe, that’s the trap.”
After a pause, Chen Yang gently stated his conclusion: “So, whether she’s a beauty or not doesn’t matter, because the real honey trap is never aimed at the body, but at the heart.”
Lin Su nodded as if she understood, then quickly urged him, “Boss, hurry up. Those people are probably getting impatient.”
With that, Lin Su stepped forward to straighten Chen Yang’s clothes, then led him to another private room on the third floor.
The figures inside this private room were no small matter—not low-level officers, but Gendarmerie Headquarters Commander Ootani Unshichi Major General and Army Logistics Department Minister Sato Buntai Major General.
These two were true powerhouses in the Army system who truly held real authority.
Meeting at a place like Moonlight Sand itself implied the sensitive and informal nature of the conversation.
The door was pulled open silently.
Coming into view was Army Logistics Department Minister Sato Buntai Major General. He was slightly older, with a plump build, always wearing a somewhat weary smile on his face, but his narrow eyes gleamed with calculating sharpness.
Beside him was Gendarmerie Commander Ootani Unshichi Major General. He was tall and upright, with a stern countenance and eyes as sharp as a hawk’s. Even in casual clothes, he exuded an undeniable authority and killing intent.
Chen Yang bowed ninety degrees respectfully. “General Sato! General Otani! Subordinate Chen Yang is deeply honored!”
Sato Buntai smiled and waved casually, appearing very amiable. “Mr. Chen, no need for formalities. Moonlight Sand’s cigars are good. Relax.”
Ootani Unshichi merely nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over Chen Yang like a tangible force, as if seeing right through him from inside out.
A female server in a gorgeous kimono entered silently, poured them hot sake, then withdrew silently and closed the door tightly.
After a moment, Ootani Unshichi gave a soft hum, somewhat displeased. “That bastard Yamaki refuses to come.”
Bastard? That’s too brazen.
“Lord Yamaki’s meaning is, they are the Suzhou River, you are the Huangpu River,” Chen Yang explained amiably. “I think Lord Yamaki may not be ready for joining forces yet, but I have already persuaded him to join the network.”
“So, please rest assured, gentlemen. From now on, our materials business will have the most mature and efficient network.”
“Your Excellency Sato, Your Excellency Otani, for our future, please.”
Chen Yang raised his wine cup and made an inviting gesture.
The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously raised their cups to clink with Chen Yang’s.
After some small talk and a sip of sake, Sato Buntai took a puff of his cigar and slowly exhaled a smoke ring. “Mr. Chen, I think you’ve done very well with materials matters. So far, I haven’t heard any complaints.”
“However, you can’t neglect your main duties. I want to hear the truth from you, an expert in transportation.”
“Lately, complaints from divisions and depots below about delays in material supplies have nearly flooded my office. Especially in Southern Jiangsu and Northern Zhejiang, many troops’ military supplies, medicine, even mail, are stuck in Shanghai and can’t get out.”
“You control the hub of land transportation. Tell me, what’s really going on? Is it that the railway lines have been too badly sabotaged by guerrilla teams? Or… is there a problem with our internal scheduling?”
Chen Yang set down his wine cup, leaned forward slightly, and showed a grave expression with just the right touch of grievance. “General Sato, General Otani, subordinate dares not conceal. Railway line safety issues do exist, but they are not the main cause recently.”
“The main difficulties… lie in extreme transport capacity shortages and… the difficulty in balancing priority allocations.”
“Since the end of the Wuhan campaign, transport demands for forwarding captured materials to the front lines, replenishing troops, and various ‘special missions’ have surged. Almost every train leaving Shanghai has been given ‘highest priority’.”
“Often, regular military supply trains have to yield repeatedly, delay, or even cancel assembly.”
“Our transportation section follows the regulations, but… many times orders come from multiple different systems, even conflicting orders at times, making it hard for us to comply.”
“As you know, I’m just a section chief and can’t refuse demands from various sides.”
Ootani Unshichi suddenly spoke. “Conflicting orders? Specifically which systems? Which orders?”
Chen Yang sighed. “General Otani sees clearly! These different systems… for example… the Navy sometimes forcibly requisitions boxcars or space already allocated to the Army for their materials, citing ‘fleet emergency needs’.”
“Or, special transport requests from certain intelligence agencies with extremely high secrecy levels—we have no right to inquire about contents and can only prioritize them… All this greatly squeezes regular supply space.”
Sato Buntai frowned, clearly displeased with the Navy and intelligence departments’ interference, and snorted. “These guys always cause trouble.”
Ootani Unshichi’s tone grew colder. “Intelligence agencies? Which ones? Doihara Agency? Or Kagesa Agency? What are they transporting? How frequent?”
Chen Yang showed extreme distress. “General Otani, please pardon… the secrecy level of those transport missions… subordinate truly has no right to know specifics, only that orders come from the highest levels and must be executed unconditionally.”
“Minister Oshima compromises with them every time, leaving us very passive and disrupting the entire plan each time.”
“Especially the Special Higher Police Affairs, they seem to target the transportation section—or maybe me personally, I don’t know.”
“In the past six months, they’ve listed me as a screening target several times.”
“I have reason to believe I’m receiving very unfair treatment.”
Ootani Unshichi and Sato Buntai both showed a trace of understanding on their faces.
Chen Yang’s position in the Transportation Department was already sensitive; once any mistake occurred, the Special Higher Police Affairs would instinctively target him with suspicion.
And this wasn’t the first time; previously when Chen Yang was summoned for questioning by the Special Higher Police Affairs, it was Ootani Unshichi who pressured Fujita Go.
“Mr. Chen, I understand your difficulties. From now on, I’ll communicate with the Special Higher Police Affairs side to try not to cause you trouble.”
Ootani Unshichi said slowly, “These people take the supplies we give them, yet try every way to hinder our efficiency. They’re a bunch of guys who can’t accomplish anything but spoil everything.”
Sato took a puff of his cigar and exhaled a cloud of smoke. “Mr. Chen, put more effort into transportation matters.”
“Report any difficulties truthfully. If Your Excellency Otani can’t resolve them, the Army Department will intervene.”
“The key is efficiency; it can’t decline.”
Chen Yang nodded. “Hai! Subordinate understands! Thank you both generals for your instructions! Subordinate will quickly sort out all plans, overcome all difficulties, and prioritize the materials transportation specified by the generals!”
Sato Buntai nodded in satisfaction and raised his cup. “You’ve worked hard, Mr. Chen.”
Chen Yang quickly picked up his cup and clinked it with Sato’s.
With work matters concluded, after some small talk, Chen Yang smiled. “Your Excellency Otani, Your Excellency Sato.”
“New Year is approaching. I plan to invite some people to Moonlight Sand for a gathering during my reporting duty before the year-end.”
“And prepare some New Year gifts for everyone.”
Sato smiled faintly. “Gatherings like that should be avoided if possible. Empire resources are tight now; we shouldn’t be extravagant.”
Chen Yang nodded. “Your Excellency Sato is right, but such an opportunity is rare. Meeting face-to-face benefits future development.”
“By the way, I’ve prepared gifts for you two.”
Chen Yang lightly tapped the bell on the table—ding ding twice—and the private room door was pushed open. Two women in kimonos entered carrying trays.
They naturally placed the items from the trays in front of the two men.
Chen Yang smiled. “Your Excellency Sato, Your Excellency Otani, these are private accounts opened for you two at Citibank in the United States.”
“Under the name of Huafu Fund dividends.”
“And a key to Sumitomo Group’s newest villa development in Kyoto.”
“Each key is custom-made, representing your distinguished statuses.”
Kyoto villa keys plus Citibank accounts.
Though they didn’t know how much money was inside, both Sato and Otani understood the amount would surely satisfy them.
The two calmly picked up the keys and accounts. Sato took a sip of sake, extinguished his cigar, and said, “Mr. Chen, it’s getting late. We’ll head back.”
Chen Yang stood. “Your Excellency Sato, you work day and night. I think you should still pay attention to rest.”
“By the way, I’ve arranged a professional therapist for you. It should help your health.”
With that, Chen Yang clapped lightly.
The private room door opened, and two tastefully dressed women entered one after the other.
Each had her own charm: one with a slender waist and delicate features, no older than eighteen or nineteen.
The other with ample breasts and hips, voluptuous curves, and fair skin.
Satisfaction appeared in Sato and Otani’s eyes simultaneously.
Chen Yang didn’t forget to instruct, “Miss Ryoko, Miss Mikuko, please serve the two gentlemen well.”
“Hai…”
