Chapter 249: No One Can Stop Me From Getting What I Want
Kagesa Shinzhao drank that cup of cool tea, seemingly accepting the temporary easing, but his next action caused the air, which had just softened somewhat, to suddenly freeze once again.
He did not stand up to bid farewell, but instead slowly took out a neatly folded document from the inner pocket of his military uniform.
The edges of the document were somewhat worn, and even faintly showed a patch of dark red stain.
He gently placed the document on the tatami and pushed it toward Nakamura Isao.
“Mr. Nakamura, since both sides hope to eliminate misunderstandings and rebuild trust, the Ume Agency is also willing to show sincerity.”
“This is a confession personally signed and thumbprinted by Aoki Tomoshige during the investigation.”
“It details how he colluded with Yasuda Nobuo, as well as… a list of some personnel involved in improper dealings.”
Nakamura Isao’s eyes narrowed slightly, the calm expression on his face unchanged, but the fingers taking the document paused imperceptibly for half a second.
Slowly opening the document, Nakamura Isao’s gaze fell on those handwriting and the brownish stain-marked handprint at the end.
Just a glance, and his heart sank slowly in his chest.
The front part of the document detailed “crimes” such as how to contact Yasuda Nobuo, how to utilize South Manchuria Railway channels to spread rumors, etc., all of which were expected.
However, when his gaze scanned the latter half and saw those names “confessed” to have provided him “convenience” or “acquiescence” in abnormal “dealings,” Nakamura Isao felt his blood cool for a moment.
Prominently on the list were:
·Takeshita Hiroshi, South Manchuria Railway vice president, in charge of transportation business, high position and great power.
Suzuki Isao, senior director of the Railway Investigation Department, a strong contender for future intelligence department head.
Mizutani Shuzo, Kwantung Army Logistics Department, under direct Military Department jurisdiction.
Hasegawa Yuji, South Manchuria Railway Transportation Department, information dispatcher…
………..
This document listed over a dozen names front and back, each representing a force within the South Manchuria Railway or Kwantung Army that could not be underestimated.
Especially Vice President Takeshita, whose influence was enough to stir up massive waves within the South Manchuria Railway.
Once this “confession” was made public, even if only circulated in a small circle, it would be enough to trigger a severe earthquake among the South Manchuria Railway high command, even leading to a new round of more brutal internal purges and power struggles.
By handing over this document, Kagesa Shinzhao’s so-called “sincerity” was wrapped in deadly poison!
Countless thoughts flashed through Nakamura Isao’s mind in an instant.
Was this Kagesa’s threat? Warning? Or did he really intend to use this thing to exchange for something?
Or perhaps, he wanted to use his hand to throw this bomb into the South Manchuria Railway internals, letting them slaughter each other?
Taking a deep breath, Nakamura Isao slowly set down the document, forcing himself to stay calm, gently closing the document and placing it back on the desktop.
Raising his head to meet Kagesa’s eyes, his face still bore that inscrutable smile, but now with a bit more gravity.
“General Kagesa,” Nakamura Isao’s voice remained steady, but his speech slowed slightly, as if weighing his words, “this ‘confession’… its contents are indeed shocking.”
“What Mr. Aoki stated in that situation… its authenticity probably needs careful screening.”
He did not directly question that the confession was obtained through coercion, but used euphemistic yet pointed phrases like “that situation” and “careful screening.”
A cold arc hooked at the corner of Kagesa Shinzhao’s mouth: “The handprint is real, the names were written by him himself.”
“As for authenticity… I believe in Mr. Haruki and Section Chief Chen’s judgment.”
“Of course, Mr. Nakamura need not be nervous. The Ume Agency handing this document to Mr. Nakamura is not asking you to do anything, but trusting that the South Manchuria Railway has the ability and determination for self-purification.”
“How to handle it is for the South Manchuria Railway internals to consider themselves. That is my sincerity.”
He emphasized “self-purification” and “consider themselves” slightly, the implication unmistakable: either the South Manchuria Railway cleans up the people on the list itself, giving the Ume Agency and Military Department an explanation!
Or, the Ume Agency will “help” them clean up those problems, at which point the scene will only be more unsightly.
The corner of Nakamura Isao’s mouth twitched involuntarily; accepting this document was equivalent to accepting a bomb capable of detonating the South Manchuria Railway high command.
If he did not accept it, it meant rejecting “cooperation,” instantly shattering the fragile easing just achieved, giving Kagesa full reason to take more drastic action.
Silence spread through the tea room; nearby, Izumi Kotaro did not even dare breathe, the only sound in the room being the increasingly rapid boiling of the iron kettle.
After a long while, Nakamura Isao slowly reached out, picked up the heavy document again, and carefully placed it into the sleeve pocket of his kimono!
“General Kagesa’s ‘sincerity’ has been received.”
“This matter is of great importance and involves many parties; I need time to report upward and communicate with relevant parties.”
“Please understand, General, handling such internal affairs requires proper methods and timing; hasty action could cause greater chaos, which would hinder the ‘efficiency improvement’ you expect.”
He was euphemistically requesting time while reminding Kagesa that pushing too hard might paralyze the South Manchuria Railway entirely, benefiting no one.
Kagesa Shinzhao seemed unsurprised by Nakamura Isao’s reaction; he nodded: “Fine. But I hope we won’t wait too long; the Empire’s patience is limited.”
“Mr. Chen, let’s go.”
“Gentlemen, take care.” Nakamura Isao stood to see them off until Kagesa’s back disappeared at the end of the corridor.
At this moment, the document in his sleeve pocket felt like a red-hot branding iron, making him restless.
He looked down at his hand; the fingers that had taken the document seemed to still carry the faint bloody scent from the paper.
This was unimportant; most importantly, once this document was publicly sent to the homeland, it would truly cause rivers of blood.
This was a massive deep-water bomb, and Nakamura Isao had to defuse the fuse before it exploded.
“Mr. Izumi, it seems we must hurry back to see President Omura with our authority.”
“We fundamentally cannot make such a big decision.”
Izumi Kotaro finally stood and spoke his first words of the evening, “Everything follows Director Nakamura’s instructions.”
Outside, in the car!
“Mr. Chen, what do you think Mr. Nakamura will do next?”
“I handed the evidence you painstakingly obtained to Nakamura Isao; you have no objections, right?”
Chen Yang shook his head slightly with a smile: “Senior Kagesa must have his reasons for this arrangement.”
“My mission is to assist your negotiations, not to question your work.”
“Besides, I believe this is all the result of your deep consideration.”
“Good that you understand,” Kagesa Shinzhao said slowly: “There aren’t many good people in this world, but plenty of bad ones; the good people on the surface may not truly be good.”
“So, the bad people in the confession may not truly be bad either.”
“Whether good or bad, we all have our own scales in our hearts; most importantly, balance.”
“You can’t grab what isn’t yours; only if we give it to you does it count as yours.”
“Understand?”
Chen Yang frowned and sighed inwardly: “Perhaps the Ume Agency should get a more obedient head of agency!”
Shanghai, Hongkou Southern Transportation Department, Section Chief of Land Transportation’s office.
Returning to the Land Transport Section office decorated with a huge Manchuria map and military flag, Chen Yang took off his jacket and casually placed it on the coat rack.
“Knock knock knock,” a knock sounded; Secretary Li Ningyu gently pushed open the door and said: “Sir, Mr. Haruki is here.”
“Heh, good attitude, comes right after one phone call. The young one can be taught…”
Chen Yang nodded silently: “Please invite Mr. Haruki in!”
Li Ningyu hurried out to call him; soon, Ume Agency Deputy Head of Agency Haruki Keiin followed behind Li Ningyu and walked in!
His face still bore the cold hardness of mission execution, but his eyes revealed a faint trace of puzzlement!
Li Ningyu tactfully bowed and withdrew; the office door closed heavily, shutting out the outside world.
“Mr. Chen,” Haruki Keiin finally spoke, his voice maintaining a subordinate’s respect, but the question evident, “I heard… Your Excellency Kagesa gave the confession to Nakamura Isao.”
“Aoki Tomoshige’s confession was something we went to great lengths to… obtain.”
“It implicates several South Manchuria Railway vice presidents and Investigation Department high-levels; this is excellent chips, enough to throw the South Manchuria Railway internals into chaos for a while and make them wary of us in future matters.”
“What was Kagesa thinking, why did he… so ‘generously’ hand it to Nakamura Isao?”
Haruki carefully used “obtain” instead of “obtained through interrogation,” tacitly acknowledging the brutality of the process.
In his view, this bloodstained confession was an important weapon; handing it to the other side was tantamount to crippling their own strength.
Chen Yang walked to the window, gazing at the Shanghai night sky faintly tinged red by neon lights, his back to Haruki, but a cold arc hooked at the corner of his mouth.
“Mr. Haruki,” he did not turn around, his voice low and deep and clear, “your thinking is from the perspective of secret agent work, which is correct. Seize the other’s handle, force submission. That’s the most direct method.”
“But you must understand, our ultimate goal is not to catch a few corrupt bureaucrats, nor to quarrel with the South Manchuria Railway for the moment.”
“Our goal is to ensure every gear of the ‘holy war’ machine operates efficiently, crushing all enemies.”
“Materials are key; the Empire needs material supplies, we need to make money with materials.”
“We can cross anyone, but not money.”
Chen Yang slowly walked to the huge map, his finger heavily tapping the thick arrows symbolizing material transportation lines, especially those from the south to North China and Manchuria.
“What is the biggest problem now? Efficiency! Logistics!”
“Frontline soldiers are shedding blood, yet our materials are blocked on transportation lines due to infighting between the South Manchuria Railway and Logistics Department! Aoki’s confession can indeed cause chaos in the South Manchuria Railway internals, but what then? South Manchuria Railway paralyzed? Transportation completely halted? That’s not the result we want; that’s the situation the enemy most hopes to see!”
Haruki Keiin seemed thoughtful but not fully understanding.
Chen Yang continued, his tone carrying a confidence of controlling the overall situation: “Nakamura Isao is a smart man; behind him represents the truly pragmatic forces within the South Manchuria Railway.”
“For example, Omura Takuichi… for example, Izumi Kotaro. Giving him the confession is not abandoning chips, but using this chip in a different way.”
“You mean… exchange?” Haruki seemed to catch something.
“Exactly, exchange!” Chen Yang affirmed, his eyes flashing with scheming light, “Kagesa handing this thing capable of ruining Vice President Takeshita and those people to Nakamura Isao is both pressure and ‘goodwill’.”
“The pressure lies in telling him we hold a timed bomb, ready to detonate anytime. The goodwill lies in not detonating it immediately, but giving them a chance for ‘self-handling’.”
“For Nakamura Isao to settle this and protect the South Manchuria Railway’s overall interests and certain positions, he must offer something substantial in exchange!”
“What do you think they have that we want most?”
Haruki Keiin’s expression changed slightly: “Mr. Chen, you mean!”
Chen Yang smiled faintly: “Mr. Haruki guesses correctly; it’s dominance over our Southern Transportation lines! Smoother scheduling authority, fewer constraints, absolute guarantee of our priority!”
“Internal screening, purging a few officials, that’s not the goal! That’s just the process, even a secondary one.”
“The real goal is to use this opportunity to pry open that iron plate of the South Manchuria Railway, making them concede key ground on core interests, namely transportation control!”
“Letting the Empire’s materials flow continuously to where needed, according to our will and rhythm!”
“I’ve told you long ago, speed is money; only with the fastest speed can we monetize fastest.”
“This web will thereby grow stronger, more solid, smoother.”
Haruki Keiin suddenly understood, his eyes showing admiration.
He understood Chen Yang’s profound intent; he was not looking at gains and losses of one place, but control of the entire strategic passage.
Using a confession that could trigger internal strife to exchange for more direct and effective control over the transportation lifeline was indeed a masterful move.
“So, Your Excellency Kagesa threw the problem to Nakamura Isao.” Haruki said lowly, “Letting him coordinate internally, convince or even force those high-levels to exchange transportation cooperation for political safety.”
“Precisely.” Chen Yang smiled coldly, “Nakamura Isao is smart; he knows how to choose.”
“Sacrifice a few people’s political lives to preserve the entire South Manchuria Railway system and his own position, while meeting our demands!”
“Or reject cooperation and wait for the Ume Agency to detonate the bomb, everyone doomed together. I believe he will make the ‘correct’ decision.”
He walked to the liquor cabinet, poured two glasses of whiskey, and handed one to Haruki Keiin.
“Soon, Nakamura Isao will bring us ‘good news’.”
“At that time, scheduling rights over those key nodes in the Southern Transportation Department will fall more into our control. That’s what we truly need.”
“As for Aoki Tomoshige’s confession… it’s just a piece of waste paper for achieving the goal.”
“I still don’t understand; doing this, all the benefits go to Kagesa and Oshima,” Haruki Keiin took a sip of wine: “What do we get?”
“Don’t be hasty, Mr. Haruki,” Chen Yang gently clinked Haruki Keiin’s glass and said slowly: “Whatever I want, whether they are willing or not, they have to give it!”
