Chapter 230: What In The World Is This
Chen Yang’s fingertip cigarette had burned to the end, the gray-white ash silently falling onto the copper sealed tube left by Abe Mitsuhiro when he departed.
The cold metal texture on the tube’s body resembled snake scales, containing a miniature rib dagger inside, its snow-bright blade representing the Army Department’s will.
Suzuki Kawataro must die!
“Dong dong dong—”
The knocking was not rapid, yet it inexplicably made Chen Yang’s heart tremble.
“Please come in.” Chen Yang extinguished the cigarette butt in his hand and said faintly.
The door was pushed open, the visitor wearing a deep blue Navy uniform with Lieutenant Colonel insignia on the shoulders.
“Mr. Chen, what are you busy with?” The visitor slightly bowed, polite and proper, his smile humbly almost hypocritical.
He casually removed his military cap, revealing a lean and shrewd face; the visitor was the Deputy Minister of the Southern Transportation Department in charge of Navy transportation, Saito Koichi.
Chen Yang quickly stood up and said: “Saito, please sit.”
“It seems Mr. Chen has encountered some difficulty,” Saito sat opposite Chen Yang on his own, his gaze sweeping over the glaring copper tube on the desk, a faint mocking smile at the corner of his mouth: “The Army Department’s ‘local specialty’ is always so… full of killing intent.”
As the words fell, Saito took out a silver cigarette case and offered it to Chen Yang: “Friends from the Navy asked me to bring this to Your Excellency, authentic Havana cigars; Mr. Chen is a man who knows taste.”
Chen Yang did not take it, merely staring at Saito as he slowly said: “Saito, when did your Navy’s hands reach into the Ume Agency’s case?”
“This concerns His Majesty the Emperor’s imperial decree; how can the Navy stand by?” Saito put away the cigarette case, his smile turning cold. “Those Army brutes only know how to act viciously and fight recklessly, completely disregarding the Royal Family’s decency! Prince Suzuki is someone His Majesty personally cares for; how can we allow the Army to act recklessly?”
“Mr. Chen, you and I are not dealing for the first time, so some words I won’t beat around the bush.”
“Minister Toyota’s meaning is that he hopes Mr. Chen can consider the Royal Family’s face and not get involved with the Army Department’s brutes.”
“Mr. Chen, you have served the Empire for so long; you should be clear about the current situation.”
“The Army brutes have put all their energy into the China battlefield, yet they cannot gain the corresponding advantage.”
“Now they disregard the Royal Family’s face, intending to erase the record of failure.”
“We need Suzuki to return to the homeland and report his experiences to His Majesty.”
“We want His Majesty to see clearly that the Army’s offensive has reached its limit; continuing will only waste more resources.”
“We hope His Majesty, after seeing the situation clearly, will support our Navy’s action plan.”
What the hell.
What the hell do you people mean?
You’re treating me like a damn Japanese person.
The Army wants him dead, the Navy wants him alive!
The Royal Family wants to save him, but the intelligence agencies don’t want to get involved; the struggle among these giant beasts has nailed him firmly to the cliff’s edge.
Chen Yang furrowed his brows but did not immediately respond.
He was very clear that Saito represented the Navy Department’s intentions.
The Navy Department did not want him to simply save the man, but to use Suzuki Kawataro to attack the Army.
In the end, it was still because of the two sides’ ideologies.
Northward or southward.
The Army’s plan has always been northward, contending with the hairy bear for that vast Far East region.
They want to use China’s Northeast region as a base to gradually nibble away at the Far East, connected by the Siberian Railway.
Gradually migrate populations from Manchukuo, Inner Mongolia, Korea, and other regions to develop the Far East.
This proposal was immediately rejected by the Navy Department as soon as it was proposed.
Not because the proposal was bad, but because the Navy feared that if it really turned out as the Army said, committing all forces to the Far East battlefield.
Then, the Navy would once again become the Army’s transport team.
For the proud Navy, this was absolutely intolerable.
Thus, they proposed the opposite suggestion: southward, contending with old empires like Britain, America, and France for Southeast Asia.
Of course, this proposal was quickly rejected by the Army Department.
The two sides argued fiercely before the Emperor, but in reality, what they were fighting over boiled down to two words: interest.
The Empire’s resources are limited; the Navy needs them, and the Army needs them too.
But it cannot cover everything, creating a very awkward situation.
Whoever leads gets a larger share of resources.
Precisely because of this, the Navy and Army target each other.
When the Army’s offensive is frustrated, the Navy can watch coldly from the sidelines, even applauding.
And when the Navy lacks oil, the Army has already controlled eighty percent of the Empire’s oil, yet would rather dump it into the Pacific than support the Navy.
Seeing his silence, Saito chuckled lightly and took a black velvet pouch from his pocket, pushing it in front of Chen Yang.
Opening the pouch, inside was a gold ronin ring embedded with gems.
“Mr. Chen, this is the token of the highest-level secret envoy from the Yokosuka Navy intelligence station!”
“Three days later, the patrol boat of the Second Expeditionary Fleet at Wu Port will be on standby in the No. 3 buoy sea area outside the Yangtze River Estuary.”
Saito’s speech was fast and clear: “As long as you get Suzuki onto our ship, this ring… will be Your Excellency’s proof of becoming a meritorious servant of the Navy Department.”
He stared at the surging waves in Chen Yang’s eyes, speaking ambiguously: “The Army wants you to cling to the false name of ‘Bushido’; the Navy is willing to give true smart people… a way out.”
“Mr. Chen, you should understand that in this big game of chess in China, the Army’s momentum may not last long…”
After saying this, Saito stood up and put on his hat: “I have delivered the message. Mr. Chen, I hope you… take good care of yourself.”
Pulling open the office door, Saito’s figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.
Chen Yang sat stiffly in the office chair, his fingertips tightly clutching the Navy ring, the gem’s edges almost embedding into his palm.
On his left hand was the Army’s dagger, on his right the Navy’s lifeline gem ring.
Outside the door waited the intelligence agency’s butcher knife, lurking in the shadows were Kagesa’s secret agents, and that secretary always by his side.
Chen Yang now felt not just two heads big, but countless heads big.
His Majesty the Emperor wants to save the man, but the intelligence agencies push responsibility and dare not step forward.
The Army Department wants to keep the man in China, preferably resolving it in a decent way.
The Navy Department wants to use Suzuki as a chess piece, to have him return to the homeland and say some words they want to hear before the Emperor.
Everyone has their own plans, yet Chen Yang is like a helpless child, everyone forcing him to make a choice.
And tragically, no matter which he chooses, he will offend one side’s power.
At this moment, Chen Yang felt like a fly crawling on glass.
Seemingly boundless prospects, yet no way out.
“Damn it, what the hell is this.”
Chen Yang annoyedly tugged at his hair: “Damn it, treating me like I’m omnipotent.”
“One by one coming to step on me twice; if you piss me off, I’ll dump Suzuki at the headquarters entrance.”
“Whoever grabs him gets him.”
“Saves me racking my brains here.”
“Last year I bought a hiking backpack, super durable.”
Standing outside the door, Li Ningyu watched Chen Yang’s distressed, scratching appearance in the office and silently closed the office door.
Shanghai, Huangpu Beach Road, Huafu Fund office.
Aisha sat behind the large oak desk, the afternoon sunlight through the huge floor-to-ceiling window stretching her figure slender and imposing.
She wore a well-tailored champagne-colored suit, a low-key yet history-laden sapphire brooch pinned at the collar, silently proclaiming her Dutch Royal Family bloodline.
Aisha picked up her coffee, took a sip, then her fingertip lightly tapped a document on the desk《Far East Penicillin patent and channels exclusive authorization letter of intent》; sitting opposite was the Osaka Chamber of Commerce special director Fujiwara Keika.
Today’s Fujiwara Keika was completely in professional attire: a deep iron-gray small suit, white silk blouse inside, hip-hugging skirt below, and black pantyhose.
Her hair seemed carefully styled, impeccable; lip color deep plum red, appearing exceptionally cold and hard, also very professional.
Appearing in the Huafu Fund president’s office this time, she carried no document bag, only a folded newspaper flat on her knees.
The newspaper’s front-page headline prominently read “Japanese Army strengthens alert in Shanghai, ensuring ‘special interests’ safety,” with a blurry but highly deterrent black-and-white photo below of a military aircraft flying low.
The air was so heavy it could almost be wrung out.
Aisha was silent for a long time, then elegantly lifted the bone china cup again, lightly sipping the specially selected Kenyan coffee beans brew, her gaze calmly falling on Fujiwara Keika’s tense face:
“Miss Fujiwara, I’ll say it again: Huafu does not entertain empty talkers without substantial interests.”
“I have seen your letter of intent.”
“Based on Mr. Chen Yang’s preliminary assessment and feedback on Your Excellency, Huafu Fund holds reservations on your proposed cooperation plan.”
“I think now is not an appropriate time.”
Fujiwara Keika took a deep breath: “Your Highness, ‘Mr. Chen’s reservations’ are just a businessman’s caution. What I bring today is not a ‘cooperation’ request, but an irrefutable reality.”
With that, she slowly unfolded the newspaper and pushed it in front of Aisha, her finger precisely pointing to an inconspicuous short news item below the front page.
“Recently, several batches of European merchant ships involving wartime sensitive materials transportation encountered ‘non-normal technical delays’ outside Wusongkou; Shanghai authorities are actively negotiating and coordinating with relevant parties.”
“Your Highness, the Dutch Royal Family’s glory in the Far East region needs a brighter lighthouse to reflect it, does it not?”
“Huafu Fund in Shanghai, especially in the International Settlement, has been able to establish and expand rapidly relying on Your special status and influence.”
“However, in my view, this foundation seems solid but is not without vulnerabilities.”
A flash of chill appeared deep in Aisha’s blue eyes, but her expression remained unmoved.
She set down the coffee cup with a crisp sound: “Miss Fujiwara, what are you implying?”
“The Netherlands’ diplomatic relations with various countries are not as simple as you imagine.”
“Moreover, you are now threatening a Royal Family member and her property; this is an extremely serious international incident! The Japanese garrison in Shanghai should understand the weight!”
“Weight? Your Highness, you are right!” Fujiwara Keika’s tone suddenly sharpened: “Precisely because the ‘weight’ is heavy enough, my partners can precisely find those levers to pry Your foundation!”
“According to my investigation, the various materials handled or transshipped through Shanghai by Huafu, as well as key strategic materials accounting for 38% of Your quarterly total freight volume, including but not limited to Southeast Asia rubber, iron ore, tin ingots, and some crude oil transported by sea to Shanghai—these are Huafu Fund’s most profitable businesses.”
“If the foundation’s customs clearance efficiency and safety are not fully guaranteed, heh.”
“To be frank, your transportation efficiency will directly depend on the ‘care’ level from our partner, the Empire Shipping Coordination Section.”
“I believe just one or a few ‘non-normal technical delays’ can paralyze your supply chain and cause your reputation rating to plummet.”
“Your Highness, you must be well aware that in today’s Shanghai, all commercial radio messages, customs declaration documents, even certain not-so-aboveboard fund turnover information,”
“wanting to bypass the Empire’s wireless monitoring stations and the embassy’s special intelligence section… is almost a pipe dream.”
“If certain sensitive ‘transaction details’ involving Huafu core interests are accidentally leaked to London’s business competitors, or worse, exposed to the Dutch parliamentary committee chasing your ‘clever tax arrangements’… what would the consequences be?”
Princess Aisha’s face immediately darkened: “Miss Fujiwara, are you threatening me?”
A smile as if controlling everything appeared on Fujiwara Keika’s face: “No no no, these are not threats, but the costs and risks you must face.”
“Of course the choice is in Your hands: continue trusting that overly cautious Mr. Chen and watch the business empire you built with painstaking effort silently fall,”
“or immediately sign this exclusive authorization agreement, and the Osaka Chamber of Commerce will designate a ‘security company’ to take over all operations of Penicillin in the China region and Southeast Asia.”
“This way, all Your shipping routes will be unimpeded, and your business empire will rest easy.”
“This is the ‘substantial interest’ I bring today…”
Princess Aisha slowly stood up, the sunlight outlining her upright and proud figure.
She did not look at the letter of intent deformed under Keika’s pressure, but lifted her chin, responding to Keika’s coercion with an absolutely overlooking posture.
“Miss Fujiwara, you seem to overestimate your ability and underestimate the true meaning of ‘Royal Family background’ in the quagmire of war.”
“Do you think the Dutch Royal Bank’s centuries-old secrecy tradition and nested trusts across thirty-seven global tax havens are something you can easily ‘monitor’ and ‘analyze’?”
“Even if you really intercept some fragments, do you dare to make them public?”
“Let me freely reveal some secret information: do you know whose safe is currently sleeping with the complete evidence chain and fund flow chart of the ‘Kwantung Army Fifth Regiment secretly transferring military expenses for money laundering via concession neutral banks’?”
“Do you know who all that crude oil ultimately went to?”
“Need me to notify Tokyo’s political enemies to come ‘freely share’ this gift?”
“Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Aisha did not continue; this was just one regiment—going further, how many Logistics Department officers have dividend accounts at Huafu Fund.
If these documents were placed on His Majesty the Emperor’s desk, the entire expeditionary army logistics line would immediately paralyze.
At that time, let alone launching a holy war, even just anti-corruption investigations would give the homeland a massive headache.
Unless His Majesty the Emperor emulates the fatherly emperor for a great purge.
Otherwise.
Fujiwara Keika’s face turned from red to white, her pupils contracting sharply. Her carefully laid deterrence net instantly became riddled with holes under Aisha’s precise and lethal counterattack!
Aisha walked around the desk, her high heels clicking crisply on the marble floor, each step like treading on Fujiwara Keika’s taut nerves.
She stopped in front of the ashen-faced Keika, close enough to see the fine cold sweat beading on the other’s forehead.
“Miss Fujiwara, you want to use underhanded threats to hold hostage a kingdom princess who plays power levers to the extreme?”
“Isn’t that too naive? This play, from the start, you chose the wrong stage and bet on the wrong opponent.”
“Alright, if there’s nothing else, you can leave now. As for cooperation, if you can convince Advisor Chen, I think we still have a chance to cooperate.”
“Take care, no need to see you out.”
Fujiwara Keika slowly stood up and began to seriously size up this lofty princess.
At this moment, Fujiwara Keika suddenly wanted to give left and right hooks to the head of the Osaka Chamber of Commerce Shanghai office’s intelligence department.
Chen Yang was not wrong at all; the head of the Osaka Chamber of Commerce intelligence department really should be replaced.
They described this Dutch princess as a naive and romantic little girl, relying only on royal identity and status to make Huafu Fund stand firm in the concession.
They hadn’t investigated at all how brilliant this princess’s methods were.
She hadn’t even shown one percent of her strength to outsiders.
“Very impressive, Your Highness. It seems external intelligence descriptions of you are full of errors and omissions.”
“I must sincerely apologize to You for my rudeness and ignorance.”
“However, I will not give up on the Penicillin patent authorization matter.”
“Perhaps, after I prepare the proper ‘sincerity,’ I will come find You again.”
“Farewell.”
As the words fell, Fujiwara Keika gave this Dutch princess a meaningful glance, then strode away.
Princess Aisha saw that look and inexplicably trembled slightly.
That kind of look was not unfamiliar to her; Chen Yang often looked at her that way.
But, a woman…
She wouldn’t have some serious illness, would she?
Huh.
So gross.
Shanghai, Fielinxi Road garden house.
Nine o’clock at night, after a bout of heavy panting, Chen Yang sat up, half-reclining against the headboard, lighting a cigarette.
Beside him, Aisha wrapped herself in a jacket and also lit a slim ladies’ cigarette.
“What’s wrong? You seem preoccupied today?” Chen Yang watched Aisha’s movements and asked.
Aisha extinguished her cigarette and recounted from start to finish Fujiwara Keika’s visit to Huafu Fund today.
“Chen, it’s hard for me to judge whether this Miss Fujiwara represents the Osaka Chamber of Commerce, or the Fujiwara family behind her and the Empire’s Shanghai garrison forces tied to them.”
“This negotiation has been temporarily ‘pressed down’ by us.”
“But this is pressing down a fierce beast that smelled blood and pounced, not driving away the wolf pack. Their greed will not disappear.”
Chen Yang slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, the smoke forming an irregular circle in the air.
“Aisha, their current actions are no longer attempting cooperation, but extortion and kidnapping by any means. This shows she and the forces she represents are under huge pressure we can’t see.”
“Or rather, they have smelled a stronger scent of blood on the battlefield; Penicillin, to them, has shifted from ‘important commodity’ to ‘war resource,’ even a form of capital to blackmail others.”
“However, you handled it very well. It’s time to let them know some trump cards; only then can they be deterred from rash actions.”
Aisha’s blue eyes narrowed slightly: “Some trump cards, once revealed, cannot be covered back up. This is one reason I feel like walking on thin ice right now.”
Her fingers unconsciously stroked Chen Yang’s firm chest: “The Dutch crown is not omnipotent in the Far East. Navy deterrence, international law cards—how much actual deterrent power do they have before a truly frenzied state machine?”
“Moreover, those war maniacs in Tokyo are now like gamblers who have lost red-eyed; anything that might shake their frontline supply lines could trigger retaliation without regard for consequences.”
“Yes,” Chen Yang nodded slowly, saying with some worry: “Once these people involve their own interests, they become unreasonable; in that case.”
Chen Yang’s eyes suddenly lit up: “Then we must use another force of equal strength to check them.”
“I’m so dumb; how did I not think of it.”
“Why take everything on myself.”
“Chen, what are you saying?” Aisha looked puzzled at Chen Yang’s incoherent remarks.
“Aisha, the problem I’m facing now is the same as yours.”
“However, your encounter today gave me an idea that works for both of us.”
“Fujiwara wants Penicillin? Let her fight the Army Department for it. There’s a move in Chinese military strategy called ‘two peaches kill three warriors.'”
“We hand the choice to them; whoever wins gets to decide.”
Aisha instantly understood Chen Yang’s meaning: “Chen, you mean shift the conflict?”
“Let them mess up internally first?”
“But how does this relate to your matter?”
Chen Yang smiled slightly: “Of course it does. The Army, Navy, intelligence agencies, Royal Family side—all want a perfect explanation, but with only one Suzuki Kawataro, obviously not everyone can be satisfied.”
“If at this time someone puts the under-table deals on the surface, rips off this fig leaf, forcing these people to decide.”
“Then, the one bearing responsibility won’t be me.”
“Like you, I’m just handing the choice to others.”
Aisha furrowed her brows: “But who would be so bold to disclose this matter.”
“Of course there is,” Chen Yang smiled mysteriously: “Someone who’s always wanted me dead.”
“If she knew I was supplying radios and materials to the Communist Party, guess what she would do.”
“That person is really unlucky.” Aisha sighed: “How about it? Have you rested enough?”
As the words fell, Aisha skillfully tied up her hair.
