Chapter 242: I’m Heart-to-heart With My Brother, But My Brother Plays Mind Games With Me
“Miyajima,” Chen Yang said in a deep voice: “These medical supplies all fail procurement standards. Gather all the materials and destroy them immediately.”
“We cannot let these materials flow out and cause harm to Empire soldiers.”
Miyajima Masanobu slightly bowed: “Yes, Kitaoka, Machida, you two are responsible for the materials destruction work.”
“Carefully verify the inbound numbers against the total materials count. Strictly prohibit any bottle of medical alcohol or any pack of medical gauze from flowing out.”
Kitaoka and Machida hurriedly bowed: “Yes, we will verify immediately.”
Chen Yang slightly nodded and said to Oshima Kenjiro: “Minister Oshima, leave the remaining matters to Miyajima.”
“Let’s head back first.”
Oshima Kenjiro’s expression softened slightly, he nodded, and the group soon left the warehouse and got into the sedan to return to the Transportation Department.
In the car heading to the Transportation Department, Oshima Kenjiro looked at the receding scenery along the way and suddenly said: “Mr. Chen. What do you plan to do about the Yasuda issue?”
Chen Yang smiled faintly: “What does the Minister mean?”
Oshima Kenjiro’s face was grave: “Mr. Chen, Yasuda has the South Manchuria Railway behind him. Should we consider them..”
Chen Yang nodded: “The Minister thinks far ahead. Your subordinate deeply admires this.”
“The Minister is right. Currently, the transportation lines within China are basically managed by our Southern Transportation Department and the South Manchuria Railway.”
“We control the Southern Route, the South Manchuria Railway controls the Northern Route. Offending the South Manchuria Railway for one Yasuda brings us no benefit.”
“Moreover, discord between the Transportation Department and the South Manchuria Railway benefits no one and will only slow down the Empire’s development plan.”
“So, I had Miyajima destroy all the materials.”
Oshima’s eyes sharpened as he instantly reacted: “Mr. Chen plans to let Yasuda off?”
Chen Yang smiled in response: “It’s not simply letting him off. He caused us so much trouble; the play that needs to be performed still must be.”
“Otherwise, the South Manchuria Railway would really think our Southern Transportation Department is incompetent.”
“Yasuda is just a warning. We need to let them know that if they want cooperation, they need to talk nicely. Don’t think we’re just easy to deal with.”
“Rest assured, by proactively destroying the physical evidence, we’re giving him a way out.”
“Aoki Tomoshige is no fool; he will know what to do.”
“Mr. Chen handles things with seasoned expertise.” Oshima subtly praised, then turned with a worried expression: “But the medical supplies heading north..”
“Minister Oshima need not worry.” Chen Yang said slowly: “The medical supplies were handed over to the Maritime Transport Section this morning. The materials collected by Yasuda were delivered to Huishan Wharf last night at midnight.”
“Before we arrived, Lieutenant Colonel Saito of the Maritime Transport Section confirmed loading was complete. The Dairong Maru will depart from Shanghai and arrive in Lüshun in two days, ensuring no impact on the warfare.”
Oshima let out a long sigh of relief: “Mr. Chen handles things methodically and strategically. It seems Yasuda’s Vice Minister position is due for a change.”
As the words fell, the two exchanged smiles.
Shanghai, Ume Agency Interrogation Room
There were no windows here, only a glaring incandescent lamp hanging overhead, illuminating Yasuda Nobuo’s pale face with nowhere to hide.
The air was filled with the smell of rust, sweat, and a faint trace of blood.
At this time, Yasuda had been stripped of his South Manchuria Railway uniform, wearing only a thin shirt, with his hands bound behind the cold iron chair.
“Yasuda Nobuo, do you know your crime?” The Ume Agency officer interrogating him spoke in a low voice, yet like a cold knife scraping his nerves. “Deliberately procuring inferior medical supplies, obstructing the holy war! This is treason!”
Yasuda’s lips were cracked.
He wanted to defend himself, to explain how he had rushed around, how he had tried his best through Aoki Tomoshige’s channels in Shanghai.
He even wanted to shift all blame to Aoki, stating outright that all the materials were procured by Aoki Tomonari.
Aoki had once indicated he could not guarantee all medical supplies were qualified, but Yasuda never imagined Aoki would provide such maliciously inferior goods!
Of course, these were just his inner thoughts; unless absolutely necessary, he could not recklessly shift blame.
“Someone framed me… It was during transportation, or in the warehouse…”
“Framed?” The officer sneered, slamming a report in front of him. “All seals intact, inbound and outbound records clear, handlers identified!”
“Besides you, Yasuda Nobuo, who else could tamper with this batch of materials from procurement to inbound?”
“The Kwantung Army placed high hopes on you, yet you passed off inferior goods as good, lining your pockets! Confess honestly! How much did you take? Who is behind it?”
“No no, no one instigated it. Perhaps, perhaps there was a problem from the start.”
At this point, Yasuda hurriedly defended: “The medical supplies were procured by Director Aoki of the South Manchuria Railway Investigation Bureau.”
“Inbound was handled by Team Leader Kitaoka of the materials warehouse. This has nothing to do with me.”
“I have no one behind me, nor would there be.”
The officer sneered: “Minister Yasuda, does this excuse hold up?”
“You didn’t participate in any procurement links, inbound was handled by others, you’re just an outsider?”
“If that’s true, you at least bear the crime of negligent supervision and passive work.”
“Minister Yasuda, think carefully before you speak.”
Yasuda’s face changed drastically, and he hurriedly said: “That’s not how it is at all. Adding charges where none exist, what is there to fear for lack of words.”
“No words, you have no horse.” The officer’s face hardened, and the executioner nearby stepped forward with a barrage of punches and kicks.
Heavy fists landed on his abdomen, the intense pain making him curl up, nearly suffocating.
If following past rules, the small whip, pepper spray, tiger bench package would have been applied long ago.
But when delivering the man, Chen Yang had instructed not to use severe torture, so it was just simple punching and kicking.
But Yasuda was just a scholar, physically frail and powerless; even simple punching and kicking was more than he could bear.
Just as Yasuda was on the verge of collapse from the endless interrogation and physical torment, there was a knock on the interrogation room door.
A low-ranking Ume Agency officer entered and whispered a few words in the interrogator’s ear.
The interrogator frowned, a flash of displeasure on his face, but he stood up and coldly glanced at Yasuda: “You’re lucky; someone still wants to bail you out.”
At the same time, in a reception room on the outskirts of the Ume Agency.
The atmosphere was equally tense; the contest here was silent.
Aoki Tomoshige had changed into a more formal and expensive suit; his face no longer showed a businessman’s slickness but the steadiness and pressure of a South Manchuria Railway senior intelligence officer.
Sitting across from him was Chen Yang, still in his simple Transportation Department uniform, gaze calm as water.
“Section Chief Chen, let’s be straightforward.” Aoki spoke first, his fingertips lightly tapping the desktop. “Yasuda Nobuo is a loyal Empire employee. This incident is clearly a frame-up.”
“We both know the Ume Agency’s methods; they only need a result, not the process.”
“Yasuda won’t hold out long. At that time, true or false, the charges will stick. This will be a heavy blow to the South Manchuria Railway’s reputation and the Kwantung Army’s logistics system.”
Chen Yang slightly nodded, his tone even: “Mr. Aoki means Yasuda is unjustly accused.”
“You’re being unreasonable. Hundreds of eyes saw the problem with the materials Yasuda was responsible for. The Ume Agency is just following procedure.”
“As I see it, even though the South Manchuria Railway is big, it’s hard to intervene directly.”
Aoki stared at Chen Yang, trying to find even a hint of flaw on his face. After a long while, Aoki said faintly: “Section Chief Chen, I’ve long heard that you hold sway in Shanghai, expertly scheduling materials with extensive connections.”
“Especially some unofficial channels to the north… seem to give you face.”
He spoke vaguely on purpose, but the implication was clear.
He was all but saying outright that he now suspected Chen Yang was linked to anti-Japanese forces in the north, or at least certain underground gray channels, and might even know the inside story of this substitution.
Chen Yang remained calm: “Mr. Aoki overpraises me. I just dutifully ensure smooth materials circulation.”
“As for the unofficial channels you mentioned, duty requires some contact; all for the Empire’s cause.”
Aoki knew circling with someone like Chen Yang was pointless.
He leaned forward, lowering his voice: “Section Chief Chen, no need for us to circle like two old monks probing each other’s bottom line.”
“Simply put, as long as Yasuda Nobuo can safely leave the Ume Agency and return to the South Manchuria Railway, I’m willing to pay a certain price.”
“I know you definitely have a way to make certain ‘key’ evidence less convincing or disappear outright, and also make certain ‘insiders’ stay silent.”
Chen Yang was silent for a moment, seemingly weighing: “The Ume Agency needs a way out, and the Transportation Department needs compensation.”
“The Ume Agency is the Empire’s most important intelligence agency, responsible for purging all rear resistance forces, including personnel disloyal to the Empire.”
“And our Transportation Department most hates ‘uncontrolled’ links in materials circulation, especially lines to sensitive areas.”
Aoki’s eyes sharpened: “What does Section Chief Chen mean?”
“The branch line from Manzhouli to Chita, and the section north from Hailar for non-military materials inspection rights.” Chen Yang stated clearly. “The South Manchuria Railway needs to cede some authority, allowing Southern Transportation Department investigators to jointly inspect specific civilian materials categories during specific periods.”
“Of course, our purpose is just to ‘conveniently’ monitor materials that might flow to the enemy.”
Aoki Tomoshige instantly drew in a sharp breath.
If he agreed to Chen Yang’s conditions, it meant the South Manchuria Railway would cede part of its core transportation control to the Southern Transportation Department.
This would cause massive backlash within the South Manchuria Railway, but on the other hand, it hit the Southern Transportation Department’s itch for expanding authority and infiltrating the South Manchuria Railway transportation network.
The South Manchuria Railway sent Yasuda to control the Southern Transportation Department, but now the Southern Transportation Department was reaching into the northern transportation lines.
“Section Chief Chen, I want to know if this is your idea or Minister Oshima’s… Frankly, this price is too high,” Aoki said with difficulty.
“Yasuda Nobuo’s innocence, and the reputation of the South Manchuria Railway and Kwantung Army logistics system, are worth this price.” Chen Yang’s tone remained steady. “Moreover, this is just temporary cooperation authority.”
“The key is, this shows the South Manchuria Railway’s ‘sincerity’ in cooperating with the Southern Transportation Department, and allows the Ume Agency to gain something from this incident, thus willing to ‘re-examine’ the charges against Yasuda.”
“If Mr. Aoki is still unsatisfied, perhaps I can have Head of Agency Haruki come talk to you personally.”
Aoki stared hard at Chen Yang.
He was almost certain Chen Yang’s condition was no spur-of-the-moment idea.
This was like a pre-prepared trap, or a one-stone-two-birds strategy.
It used the Yasuda incident to disrupt the South Manchuria Railway’s plan to control the transportation lines, facilitated Ume Agency infiltration into northern activities, and bound him Aoki Tomoshige and the South Manchuria Railway Investigation Bureau behind him firmly to this compromise deal, making them accomplices.
But did he have a choice?
Yasuda’s actions were assisted by him from behind; if Yasuda were executed for treason, he Aoki would hardly escape negligence charges, ruining his future.
And the South Manchuria Railway high command, between “preserving the overall situation” and “sacrificing a mid-level employee,” their choice was obvious.
Minister Kazami had clearly stated that if this mission failed, someone must take responsibility.
Yasuda might die, but he Aoki would similarly be pinned with incompetence by the South Manchuria Railway high command.
“…Fine.” After a long while, Aoki squeezed the word through his teeth. “I will push the South Manchuria Railway high command to agree to this condition with all my effort. Director Chen, I hope you honor your promise and get the Ume Agency to… release him soon.”
A inscrutable smile appeared on Chen Yang’s face: “Mr. Aoki is a man of his word, and so am I naturally.”
Clap clap, Chen Yang lightly clapped, the meeting room door opened, and Yoshino Seiji, personal secretary to Haruki Keiin, walked in slowly.
“Yoshino, regarding Minister Yasuda’s interrogation.”
Yoshino Seiji placed a confession in front of Chen Yang: “Section Chief Chen, currently there is no solid evidence proving Yasuda is at fault.”
“We all believe the issue lies in the procurement link; Minister Yasuda at most negligent supervision.”
Chen Yang slightly nodded, glanced at the confession book, the smile between his brows deepening.
He gently pushed the confession book to Aoki Tomonari and teasingly said: “Aoki, it seems Yasuda isn’t as loyal as you thought.”
“There’s a saying: When drinking, it’s all brotherly love; in confessions, it’s all brotherly names. My heart connects with my brothers, brothers play mind games with me.”
“Aoki, be careful choosing friends in the future.”
“Haha..”
Aoki Tomonari picked up the confession book, glanced at it, his face instantly flushing, but he restrained himself.
“Section Chief Chen, when can he be released.”
Chen Yang stood: “Rest assured, I’ve ordered Yasuda’s materials destroyed. Without physical evidence, Yasuda will be fine. Three days; within three days, I want to see good news from Mr. Aoki.”
This was prepared in advance? Aoki Tomonari’s expression changed slightly; after a while, a “good” slowly emerged from his lips.
A few days later, after enduring torment to body and mind, Yasuda Nobuo was “released without guilt” by the Ume Agency.
The official statement was that after “further meticulous investigation,” it was confirmed Yasuda Nobuo had lapses in materials procurement, namely failing to strictly verify final quality.
But there was no subjective malice or treasonous behavior; the main responsibility lay with “unscrupulous merchants” passing off inferior goods, who had fled upon hearing the wind, whereabouts unknown.
However, though Yasuda Nobuo was released, he did not return to his original position.
He was temporarily assigned to an idle role in the Southern Transportation Department, nominally “for recuperation adjustment,” actually isolated from core operations.
Of course, the Transportation Department could not demote a Vice Minister to an idle post without reason; ultimately, it was Yasuda’s own issue.
The few days in the Ume Agency were like an inescapable nightmare, not only ravaging his body but etching a deep scar on his spirit. He became taciturn, his eyes often carrying a dazed uncertainty.
And this unusual work state gave Oshima the excuse to reassign him on grounds of body unfit for high-intensity work.
And the Transportation Department Vice Minister position seemed already nailed down.
However, just when Chen Yang thought everything was nearly certain, an undercurrent began surging within the South Manchuria Railway and Kwantung Army logistics system.
No one knew when it started or the source, but whispers began spreading like plague.
“Heard? Land Transport Section’s Yasuda is just a scapegoat pushed out.”
“The real culprits are those in Military Logistics, colluding inside and out, reselling quality materials, replacing with inferior ones, lining their pockets!”
“I knew it; how could one Yasuda have the guts and ability to embezzle that much military supplies?”
“Hmph, Ume Agency much thunder little rain, caught only a small fry in the end. Isn’t it because it involves higher-ups they can’t touch!”
“The South Manchuria Railway side probably isn’t clean either; transportation records seamless, impossible without internal cooperation?”
Rumors burned like wildfire in corridors, cafeterias, and various informal gatherings.
Shapeless yet full of details and “reasonable” inferences, directly pointing to Military Logistics officials colluding with certain Transportation Department officials to embezzle Empire materials.
This stimulated nerves more than mere personal negligence or unscrupulous merchant misdeeds, and better explained why the matter ended so “abortively.”
Kwantung Army Logistics Department; several named officers had ashen faces.
They felt the unusual gazes from colleagues and subordinates—suspicion, alienation, even schadenfreude. Though no one dared question outright, the invisible pressure made them restless.
Privately, they angrily denounced the rumors as shameless, viewing the Yasuda incident as his personal incompetence or corruption, firmly denying any systemic collusion.
However, the rumors had shaken their authority and fueled greater dissatisfaction with the South Manchuria Railway; Kwantung Army officers believed it must be South Manchuria Railway people spreading rumors behind the scenes to shift blame!
South Manchuria Railway Headquarters, atmosphere equally tense. High command was furious at the rumors’ implications. This was not just smearing individual staff but challenging the South Manchuria Railway’s overall reputation and “loyalty to the Empire.”
Director Nakajima thundered at an internal meeting: “Investigate! Must find out who is spreading these morale-shaking, unity-destroying statements!”
Yet rumors seeped everywhere, source hard to trace.
Some South Manchuria Railway mid-levels already dissatisfied with ceding transportation authority to the Southern Transportation Department now gossiped privately.
They saw it as the evil fruit of high command compromise, sacrificing Yasuda yet gaining no peace, instead courting trouble.
Shanghai, Expeditionary Army Headquarters, Logistics Materials Assurance Center, Minister’s Office.
Sato Buntai sat quietly in the office flipping through the latest submitted materials demand details.
The Parker steel pen tip slowly traced familiar names.
After confirming numbers and materials info, Sato Buntai crossed it out.
Japanese use of checks and crosses is completely opposite to Chinese.
Chinese dynasties all emphasized red ink checks.
Meaning for major resolutions, to indicate approval, use a brush dipped full in red ink to draw a check.
But Japanese do the opposite; they draw a cross to indicate the matter is concluded.
Knock knock knock, a crisp knock sounded; Sato Buntai frowned, set down his steel pen: “Come in.”
Logistics Department Vice Minister Onodera Ken pushed open the door, slightly bowed: “Minister, you wanted to see me.”
Sato Buntai rubbed his brow: “Onodera, lately rumors are flying everywhere outside.”
“They say Land Transport Section colluded with Logistics Department, embezzling Empire funds under assurance gold pretext. You’ve heard this, right.”
“I want to know, who the hell is behind these messages?”
Onodera Ken’s body shook slightly: “Your Excellency Sato, Section Chief Chen has been following this.”
“He suspects the South Manchuria Railway, having taken a loss, is deliberately spreading messages in the market to damage Logistics Department and Transportation Department prestige.”
“The aim is to make us suspect each other.”
“You mean Aoki Tomonari?” Sato Buntai’s voice gradually cooled.
“Yes.” Onodera Ken did not deny, but analyzed calmly: “Because of Yasuda Nobuo, the South Manchuria Railway was forced to cede some rights.”
“Though the Southern Transportation Department can’t yet interfere in northern transportation matters, just gaining some transportation and materials allocation conveniences—this is already a great humiliation for the South Manchuria Railway.”
“Them making underhanded dealings privately isn’t strange.”
Sato Buntai frowned: “Didn’t Minister Oshima report they demoted Yasuda Nobuo to materials warehouse dispatcher?”
“What more could the South Manchuria Railway be dissatisfied with now.”
“If they want to pick peaches, send someone capable.”
“Sending an idiot to seize power, we won’t help, and now they plan to take us down too?”
Onodera Ken dared not respond: “Minister, actually I think Chen Yang is more suitable for this position than Yasuda.”
“The South Manchuria Railway has had it too easy these years, really thinking they can do as they please without us Military Department.”
Sato Buntai’s gaze sharpened: “Then have Section Chief Chen teach them how to be human.”
“Tell Mr. Chen, I don’t want to hear these baseless statements again. If he can settle it quickly, I can recommend him for Yasuda’s position.”
